The Third Time

The Third Time

Warnings: Only for the fact that this is an Alternate Universe fic. Yes, the events of Naboo happened...just not with the same characters, exactly...

Summary: When Obi-Wan's master is killed, he is in danger of losing more than just his knighthood. And when a new master volunteers to complete his training, darkness looms.

Thank yous: As always, I owe a most gigantic 'Thank you!' to my editor, Calysta Rose. She has been here for me every step of the way. And to Robin Serrano: Thanks for all your help! Knowing when I'm heading in the right direction and knowing when things are a bit too cloudy does wonders for improving my fics.
Thanks also to Remba for giving the story a 'test drive' before its posting.

The funeral pyre was overly bright, almost blinding in the darkness. It seemed to announce far too loudly what those at the gathering were trying to accept: Mace Windu, Jedi master and Council member, was dead.

At Yoda's side, Qui-Gon Jinn tugged at the hood about his face, pulling it down to further shield his eyes from the sight he found so difficult to bear. He had not wanted to attend, had even had the excuse of being half the galaxy away witnessing the crowning of some planet's new king. But his former master had insisted, and with one as formidable as Master Yoda, there had been no way to refuse. And so Qui-Gon had come.

Despite the relief of a battle hard-fought and won, and the joy Qui-Gon knew the people of Naboo must have felt at the new union they had formed, there was great sadness in the air. Mace had not been one of their own, but on the path to victory a life had been lost-the life of an outsider who had perhaps saved them all with his actions-and for that the Queen's people and the Gungans, as well as the other Jedi, were saddened.

It was not until he felt cold fingers wrap around his own warm hand that Qui-Gon realized he had been staring at the fire, nearly hypnotized by the dancing flames.

Qui-Gon's breath hitched in his chest at the very suggestion, even as he felt his control begin to waver.

"All right it is not," he whispered back tersely, realizing at once the apparent mimic of his master. "My apologies, Master," he said quickly. Qui-Gon's already heated face grew warmer, and it had very little to do with the nearby pyre.

"I will not dishonor Mace's memory by making a fool of myself in public," he amended. "I have too much respect for him and all that he stood for to fall apart now."

Concentrating on the fire, Qui-Gon hoped he looked pensive enough to warrant being left alone.

"Fall apart, you will not," Yoda said with a sad, far-away look. "Never fallen apart you have. Invincible you think yourself, hmmm?"

Qui-Gon was taken aback. "Master?" he asked, trying to understand. "No, I never..."

"Never foreseen your own death, have you," Yoda said with conviction. "Saw his own death, he did." Eyes on the slowly-fading flames, Yoda sighed, seeing more deeply into the growing darkness than perhaps anyone present.

Qui-Gon turned his head in shock. "Mace knew that he was going to die?" he hissed through clenched teeth. "Here?"

Without disturbing those around him, Yoda slipped away from the mourners, deftly motioning for Qui-Gon to follow him. "Suspected it would be here, he did," Yoda told him when they had walked some distance away.

"And he told you about his...vision...?" Qui-Gon asked, stopping. He was puzzled by the hurt he was feeling.

"Suspected something, I did. Erratic his behavior has been. Deal well with the powerful vision he did not."

"To you, he should have come?" Yoda asked, taking several more steps. "Been at the Temple, you have not. Been there for Mace and others, you have not. Hiding, you have been. From yourself, most of all."

In two strides, Qui-Gon was in front of the elder master, effectively blocking his path. "You should know better than anyone that it has been missions that have kept me away from Coruscant these last several years! I have kept up communications with Mace as well as I could..."

Qui-Gon's voice drifted off as the reality of what had happened here hit him again, the pain as fresh as the first moment he had heard the news. While he had kept himself busy accepting mission after mission away from the Temple, his close friendship with Mace had suffered. They did not communicate as they had in the past, did not share things with one another as they had as padawans, knights, even new Jedi masters. And Qui-Gon knew it was entirely his own fault.

Mace had wanted to share with him news of events on Coruscant, the stories of his role as master to padawan-and-almost-knight Obi-Wan Kenobi...but Qui-Gon had always been too busy to hear of them. Or at least he had convinced himself of that. Obi-Wan had been Mace's pride and joy; Qui-Gon had rarely seen him happier and perhaps that's what hurt the most.

After Xanatos had turned, Qui-Gon had refused the Council's urging to take on another padawan. Master Yoda had gone so far as to arrange several chance meetings between Qui-Gon and the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, hoping to convince the stubborn master. Qui-Gon had not been swayed. He had been almost content to live day to day, wandering about the Temple, meditating, travelling off-planet for the occasional mission, and spending time with his best friend.

When Mace had unexpectedly accepted Obi-Wan Kenobi as his own padawan, Qui-Gon had felt cornered, trapped. If the Council could convince one with such a free spirit as Mace to take on a student, then they would begin working on him next...in earnest. So Qui-Gon had busied himself with mission on top of mission, steering clear of Coruscant as much as he could, avoiding the Council's prying eyes and influential words. And in doing so, he had avoided Mace as well, however unintentional it might have been.

"Pointing fingers, I was not," Yoda said, breaking into Qui-Gon's thoughts. "Only pointing out I was, why come to you he could not."

*If I had been any kind of a friend, he could have come to me,* Qui-Gon thought, although he would not say it aloud. *If I had been there for him, maybe I wouldn't be here, attending his funeral.*

"Change the past, we cannot," Yoda said, easily following his former padawan's thoughts. "Change the future, hmmm, yes, that we can."

Qui-Gon refused to answer, could not. The implications of the other master's statement were too hard to consider. Instead, he began to walk back toward the gathering.

With the fire nearly out, the crowd was beginning to dissipate. The Queen and her subjects were bidding those in attendance goodnight, and the contingency from Coruscant was speaking quietly among themselves. Only a lone, cloaked figure remained by the pyre. At his master's side for the last time, Obi-Wan Kenobi knelt, head bowed low. Misery and the great pain of loss broadcast through his weakened shields.

Qui-Gon saw Queen Amidala approach the padawan, kneeling beside him, whispering soft words. Her ornate dress gathered about her feet, rippling like a silken pool, her status the furthest thing from her majesty's mind if Qui-Gon read her correctly. The Queen was truly mournful of Obi-Wan's loss. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Qui-Gon watched as she laid a hand gently on the sleeve of Obi-Wan's robes, squeezing lightly in reassurance, then joined him in watching the final flames burn themselves out.

When the Queen stood at last, as graceful in her actions as any well-trained Jedi, Mace's padawan did not follow. With one last look at him, Queen Amidala turned and made her way to the circle of Jedi masters. Quickly Qui-Gon brought his attention back to the discussion, not wanting her to know he'd observed what had just taken place.

"Your Highness," Saesee Tinn greeted, nodding his head. The other Jedi followed in kind.

"I am very sorry for your loss at the expense of our freedom," the Queen said without hesitation. "As I told you upon your arrival, the people of Naboo owe a debt of gratitude to the Jedi, and to the two Jedi in particular that were assigned to this mission." She glanced over her shoulder, taking in the huddled figure without comment.

"You will always be welcome visitors to our planet," she said. "Please feel free to take all the time you need here now. My handmaidens have arranged temporary quarters for you. They will see to it that you are fed and made comfortable for the length of your stay."

Already aware of the group's decision to return immediately to Coruscant, Depa Billaba stepped forward.

"Your majesty, that is a kindness. However, we will be taking our leave of you and returning to our own planet now. I am sure you can understand our need to grieve with the others of our Order. We thank you for all you have done."

The Queen bowed her head in acknowledgement. "I understand." One at a time, she met the eyes of each Jedi. "May you go into the night with careful steps and watchful eyes. And again, my gratitude, as well as the gratitude of the people of Naboo." She did not neglect to look at Obi-Wan one last time before she glided silently away.

In the still of the evening, the smell of ash and incense hung thickly in the air. For a moment, none of the Jedi spoke, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Know you do what must be done." Yoda's broken speech brought everyone back to the present. "Take the boy as padawan learner someone must. Allowed to finish his training and become a Jedi knight he must. Soon it will be, but do it alone he cannot."

Qui-Gon's heartbeat quickened. Of course. He had forgotten that Obi-Wan Kenobi would be in need of a new master, if only for a short time. The boy was a fast learner and an excellent scholar, if Mace's communications were any indication. Finishing his training would not be a difficult task. And yet...

Just the thought of being responsible for a padawan again, for making certain the youngster whose life was placed in his hands became a successful individual and a worthy knight, made Qui-Gon's throat close in panic.

This would be the moment. The hour he knew had been coming for years. The time when his many refusals to take a padawan would fall by the wayside, when his pleas would fall on deaf ears. With absolute certainty, Qui-Gon knew Master Yoda would finally get what he'd wished for all along: Obi-Wan Kenobi would at last train under the elusive Qui-Gon Jinn.

"Certain, you are, that want this you do?" Yoda asked, eyeing the Jedi master up and down carefully.

The circle of Jedi opened to allow Yoda and Adi to leave, Yoda leading the younger woman to Mace's padawan.

Slowly Adi sank to her knees, facing Obi-Wan even as he still faced the remains of his former master.

"Turn to face Master Gallia, you will," Yoda said to Obi-Wan, not unkind but brooking no argument.

As if pulling himself back from someplace very far away, the forlorn padawan moved until he faced Adi.

Beside him, Qui-Gon felt Depa Billaba flinch. Yoda was not to be ignored, and to force him to repeat himself was simply unheard of.

After several more seconds, Obi-Wan reached up a hand, pushing the brown hood back onto his shoulders. His face, pale and drawn, was streaked with tears.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Adi said formally. "I take you as my padawan learner, to train and teach from this day forward, until the day of your knighting. How say you?"

"I..." A pained _expression crossed Obi-Wan's face as he whispered the words. "...accept."

"From the end of one union comes the beginning of another," he said, laying a gnarled hand on each of their heads. "May success you find on your path to knighthood, Obi-Wan. And may the Force be with you both."

As the ritual of the training bond was completed, Qui-Gon joined the other Jedi in congratulating Adi on her new padawan. Beside her, Obi-Wan was silent, almost unaware of those around him. His eyes, green as a cat's, were dull, his _expression dazed. When the gathering dispersed, heading for the ship which would return them to Coruscant, Obi-Wan trailed behind, putting one foot in front of the other, but seeming to have lost the ability to care about what happened to him next.

And deep down, whether it was the guilt of not having spoken up or something else, Qui-Gon had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Yoda's words struck Qui-Gon like an ice ball to the chest. It was the first time he'd been able to revisit the temple in nearly six months and he had fully expected to come home to stories of Obi-Wan's successful knighting and subsequent missions.

"But...it's been almost half a year," Qui-Gon continued to insist. "Surely his path to knighthood shouldn't have taken even a quarter of that."

"Told you already, I did," Yoda said, his face crinkling with his sadness. "Form a viable training bond young Kenobi either will not or cannot. Certain of which, even I am not."

No longer interested in the evening meal now lying cold and unappealing on his tray, Qui-Gon let his eyes drift back to the young man sitting silently at the other end of the dining hall. While the other padawans and knights had eaten and taken their leave, Obi-Wan Kenobi still had not touched his food. And judging from the look on his face, he had no intention of doing so.

Used to Yoda's odd sense of humor, as well as to his eerie sense of the connections between those within the living Force, Qui-Gon let only one quirked eyebrow show that he had any interest in Yoda's suggestion.

"Many untouched meals have the two of you have had," the other master said mysteriously. "Mmm...yes...and far too contemplative are you both. Good for each other you might be, but keep the kitchen busy you would not."

Inwardly, Qui-Gon sighed. His former master had always chided him for being too thought-driven, living in the moment far too often. But just as Yoda felt strongly about keeping the future in mind, Qui-Gon felt equally strong about thinking about and reflecting on the present. Only by understanding the moment did Qui-Gon feel he could prepare himself for what was to come.

In Obi-Wan's case, he seemed to be living in his thoughts of the past, but regardless of the time, Qui-Gon could understand his dilemma. Sometimes there seemed to be no way to break out of one time frame and move into another. Yoda had taught Qui-Gon to do so...but who would teach Obi-Wan?

Qui-Gon's attention returned fully to the man across from him. "Master, Obi-Wan has a place now, with Adi. Surely you cannot be thinking to rip him from the hands of yet another mentor, simply because his training is progressing slower than expected.

"Mace's death was hard on many of the padawans, Obi-Wan in particular, for obvious reasons. Padawans expect their masters to live forever..." Qui-Gon could not help but smile at the _expression on Yoda's face. "...and to experience the death of a master while still under his or her instruction is a blow to even the strongest student.

"Obi-Wan should be given the chance to recover the ground he has lost, and the kindness to do it in his own time. Please don't force him into something he is not ready to face."

For the life of him, Qui-Gon could not understand why he felt so strongly or so sure about the padawan's situation. Perhaps it was because he had loved Mace like a brother and knew how he would feel about seeing his padawan tossed about so. Or perhaps it was as Yoda had always said about him: Qui-Gon could not stand to see creatures smaller or more defenseless than himself put into jeopardy. And in this case, that small, defenseless creature was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Qui-Gon's stomach roiled. No. It could not be allowed. To perform such a thing would perhaps damage Obi-Wan beyond repair, certainly mentally, if not physically.

"Master, you cannot be considering it! A bond severance is practically unheard of in all but the most criminal of circumstances!"

"More than considering it, I am," Yoda replied, so calmly that Qui-Gon could hardly bear to hear the words. "Honoring the request, I am. Tried Adi has. Tried many masters have. But moved forward the boy has not. Will not. Allowed to stagnate his training cannot. Move ahead we must. Break the bonds we must, and allow young Kenobi to leave the Temple to pursue other avenues."

All of the oxygen seemed to have left Qui-Gon's body. As Yoda's words continued to ring in his ears, he looked at the elder master, unable to focus on any of it. Instead, his attention was drawn to Obi-Wan, sitting across the room, still as a stone statue. Did he realize he was the subject of this disturbing conversation? Did he realize what the Council was planning to do to him?

Qui-Gon looked at Yoda, who had stopped talking and was now looking at him, a frown on his face.

"This cannot be allowed to happen, Master," Qui-Gon said with conviction. "What would he do? Where would he go? He has trained all his life to become a Jedi knight. What would you have him do now? Become a pilot? Harvest grain an Quintlen IV?

"What you are suggesting is practically rape. To have Council members sift through his already vulnerable mind and tear down any connections he may have formed with Adi is unthinkable. Unacceptable."

"Done it will be. See no other way, I do. Made a request, Adi has, and accepted it will be by the Council. A Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi will not be. Tried we have. Cooperated he has not. Consequences there must be for actions."

"I will not allow it! You've said yourself that it is possible Obi-Wan cannot bond or train with Adi for some reason. If this is not even his fault, should he be punished for it? For the rest of his life?"

"I would have to be living permanently off-planet and out of communications range...or be dead...before I could in good conscience allow this assault to take place!"

As his voice grew louder, Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan's head turn. He could not take back his words, although he didn't even know if the padawan had truly heard them. Instead, he stood frozen, waiting.

Slowly, Obi-Wan looked away and got to his feet. Picking up his dinner tray, he trudged to the disposal unit, emptying the uneaten food and setting the tray on the conveyer belt with an audible clunk. Almost mechanically, he headed for the exit and walked out.

"This is not over," Qui-Gon told Yoda as he, too, turned on his heel and left the room.

Qui-Gon struggled to wake, but his limbs remained heavy with the weight of sleep.

*I know. And there will be time later. Now is the time for action...against the Council.*

/You, a former Council member, would have me move against the entire Council?/ Qui-Gon asked in surprise.

*You have been a master, Qui-Gon. Would you stand by and watch your padawan suffer, if there was anything in your power that could be done to stop it?*

The irony of Mace's position did not escape Qui-Gon's thoughts. /No,/ he said honestly to the man who had been his closest friend. /You know I would not./

Qui-Gon's eyelids moved rapidly as the deepest part of sleep continued to claim him.

/How? Tell me what to do. I have gone all the way up to Yoda and he refuses to listen. The separation is scheduled for tomorrow. Time is running out./

/Yaddle is on the Council! And the Council has agreed that this decision is the right one./

*Not all of them agree,* Mace countered. *Yaddle does not. She knows there is a way out. She has seen another path taken. But she cannot give you the answers or help you in any way.*

In his sleep, Qui-Gon groaned. /You speak in riddles, Mace! If I am to make some bold statement, you must at least point me in the right direction. Where can I find this information?/

*Deep in the Jedi archives there are records. Look to the Force. Let it guide your steps. My time grows short. Please. Obi-Wan needs you...and you need him. Please. Hurry before it is too late.*

Mace's voice began to fade and Qui-Gon had to strain to hear the last few words.

Qui-Gon awoke, the unspoken plea echoing in his mind, the sound of Mace Windu's voice echoing in his ears.

"Mace?" Qui-Gon's voice was rusty. As he expected, there was no answer. Had the Jedi master been there at all?

Qui-Gon rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He'd had very few visions in his life, certainly none which compared to what he'd just experienced. Sitting up and checking the time, he found it to be several hours before sunrise and almost twice as long as that until the Council acted on Adi's request. If Mace was correct, Qui-Gon knew he would need to hurry to come up with the information needed to reverse their decision.

Qui-Gon burst uninvited into Council Chambers, causing all heads but three to lift and look in his direction. And all of the faces, save Yaddle's, held frowns. In the center of the room stood Adi, Yoda, and Obi-Wan, too deep in their discussion to afford him a glance.

Adi bowed her head, obviously still bothered by her decision. "Yes, Master Yoda. My meditations and the Force have shown me that this relationship is not to be."

She looked at Obi-Wan. "And I believe my padawan has come to the same conclusion." Obi-Wan remained silent. "Therefore, at this time I would ask that the Council grant us the right to sever the training bond, freeing us both from the pain which has plagued us these last six months."

As Adi knelt at Yoda's feet and Obi-Wan began to follow, Qui-Gon broke into the circle of Council members.

Though the rest of the Council members looked either puzzled or outraged, Qui-Gon noted the hint of a smile on Yaddle's olive face.

"No," Qui-Gon told him firmly. "I will not leave so that you can have your way with this boy's life. He deserves more-*needs* more-than you have given him, and I intend to see that he gets it."

There were several gasps from around the room, many of the Jedi obviously not believing what they were hearing, or from whom.

"Master," Qui-Gon said, intentionally softening his tone. "You cannot deny that you have envisioned Obi-Wan Kenobi by my side since he first became a padawan. At the time, I did not believe it was possible for you to know such a thing. Now, I believe differently."

"Many conversations we had, regarding Obi-Wan Kenobi's original choosing. Interested then, you were not."

Yoda's intentionally harsh words sent another round of gasps careening through the room. Even for the highest of Jedi masters, the accusation was inappropriately-timed.

Plo Koon stood up. "I am somewhat familiar with the Rite of which you speak," he said, addressing Qui-Gon. "But we must know your reasons for invoking it. Such a Rite must not be requested lightly."

Relieved to have someone else to speak to, Qui-Gon stepped around the trio in the middle of the floor and moved closer to the other Council members.

"While I slept last night, I had a vision. Mace Windu came to me, speaking of a little-known, seldom-used rite which would allow a padawan, in circumstances not unlike Obi-Wan's, to be reinitiated into apprenticeship with a new master.

"The rite has been used less than a dozen times in recorded Jedi history, the first time being over eight hundred years ago. It began with a young padawan, whose somewhat strict and conservative master would have had him sent away from the Temple to become a miner. Luckily, another more open-minded master foresaw the potential of the boy and insisted the boy be given the choice of either leaving Coruscant or being reassigned to him. Padawan Yoda chose to be reinitiated as the other master's padawan."

His explanation was met with silence, but Qui-Gon could tell that all of them, including Yoda, were considering his words.

"If you doubt the truth of my words, you may consult the Jedi records as I did this morning," Qui-Gon told them. "Or speak to Master Yoda himself." Several eyebrows raised, but Qui-Gon thought he actually saw Yoda nod.

"If you doubt the sincerity of my words or the accuracy of my vision," he continued. "You may have Saesee or Yarael examine my thoughts."

The admission and the blatant offering of his mind brought the room to its feet, one Council member at a time. And one by one, each retracted his or her vote to destroy the training bond, in favor of allowing Obi-Wan to choose.

Yoda let out a small sigh, a fair man above all else. "What say you, Obi-Wan?" he asked.

Obi-Wan's eyes locked first with Yoda's and then with Adi's. In them, Qui-Gon read undisguised fear and a boyish helplessness. And something else. Something darker.

/Oh, Mace,/ Qui-Gon thought as he watched Obi-Wan carefully considering the decision which would determine the rest of his life. /I'm trying. I'm doing what you asked of me. But there is something within him...I cannot explain the feeling I get from him. Did you not sense it? Was this sense of hatred, of self-hate, not within him while he was with you? Did it only begin with your death?/

No. Qui-Gon forcibly stopped himself. He refused to compare the two. Obi-Wan was nothing like his former student. Xan had been a flashy, self-serving, knife-twisting manipulator...and Obi-Wan did not know what it was like to be any of those. But the fact remained: if these feelings had been building in Obi-Wan for the last six months, with no outlet and him feeling as if he had nowhere to turn, much more than his knighthood could be in jeopardy.

Adi put her arm lightly on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I wish I could have been what you needed, but I wasn't," she said softly. "I thought I could fill Master Windu's role in your life, but obviously I couldn't. At least consider this, Obi-Wan; give yourself the chance to become what you've trained so long and so diligently for." She paused. "Give Master Jinn the chance to help you obtain it. Please."

And although Adi seemed oblivious to the tortured thoughts, Qui-Gon heard them as clearly as if Obi-Wan were speaking aloud.

"Master," Obi-Wan addressed Yoda. "I have not accomplished in six months what I would have accomplished in less than six weeks under Master Windu's tutelage. If it was the will of the Force that he should be taken from this life," *Taken from me!* Qui-Gon heard Obi-Wan's plaintive mind-cry. "...then perhaps it was also the will of the Force that I should not reach the status of knight. Perhaps the last half-year has been an indication from the Force that my future lies elsewhere."

Qui-Gon wondered if he were the only one who could see the young man's hands shaking. And was there no one else who could hear the waver in the softly accented voice that spoke so loudly of his uncertainty? Obi-Wan did not want to give up his chance to become a knight, of that Qui-Gon was certain. But right now he was too afraid to allow himself to make any other decision.

Qui-Gon's answer to Obi-Wan's thoughts startled the padawan into eye contact with him.

/Who are you to make that decision for me?/ Obi-Wan thought back, the communication coming as easily to him as breathing.

/It is your decision to make,/ Qui-Gon answered gently. /I am merely suggesting you listen to your heart./

/Yes, your heart, Padawan. Listen to it. Follow it. It may tell you things you do not wish to know, but it will never mislead you./

/My heart ceased to exist the moment my master ceased to exist,/ Obi-Wan said, his mind voice as hollow and emotionless as the _expression on his face.

Qui-Gon looked at Yoda, wondering if he could sense what had just passed between them.

/I was wrong once, Padawan. Please allow me the chance to correct that error,/ Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan, desperately wanting him to make a decision before the Council lost both patience and interest. Right now they seemed willing to listen and consider the information Qui-Gon had come with, but if Obi-Wan appeared unsure or uninterested, they were likely to turn away from the idea as quickly as they had flocked to it.

/Why should I?/ Obi-Wan challenged. /You passed me over when I was twelve and you passed me over again six months ago. Why should I trust you?/

Obi-Wan didn't need to speak aloud for Qui-Gon to hear the hurt that colored his words.

/ Listen to me,/ Qui-Gon said, beginning to lose patience. /While the doors of opportunity are closing all around you, a window has just been opened. Use it./

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed. /And allow you, the almighty Qui-Gon Jinn, to be my master...my savior?/ His mind voice grew taunting. /Master Windu was the only one who ever wanted me, and when he died the possibilities of what I might become died with him. There is nothing left for me now./

A bone-deep chill ran through Qui-Gon. There was no denying it; the darkness he'd felt earlier in Obi-Wan was here, not just a feeling, but a presence. The question was: Did Obi-Wan realize it and purposely feed into it or had the thing that had hold of him slipped in so subtlely that the padawan was unaware of it, aware only of the anger and hurt that filled him?

Glancing about, Qui-Gon could see the other masters watching. They sensed that there was more taking place than met the eye, but Qui-Gon was certain they couldn't hear the silent war that was being waged. He had to make a final attempt to reach Obi-Wan, to communicate with the small part of him that still wanted to become a knight, still believed he could.

/I know you feel as if you've been betrayed, Obi-Wan,/ Qui-Gon said as gently as he could. /But filling yourself with mistrust and hatred will only lead to things you don't even want to imagine. It may not be easy for you, but make the choice to come with me. I can help to banish the doubts and darkness, and together we will walk into the light./

The mental shout, half Obi-Wan and half not, rocked the room like a psychic explosion. As his contact with Obi-Wan was broken, Qui-Gon struggled to keep his footing, steadying himself only with hard-earned Jedi control.

"Master!" Qui-Gon called to Yoda over the low-pitched wail that was beginning to fill the room. A red mist swirled about Obi-Wan, but whether it was attempting to enter or exit, Qui-Gon could not be sure.

"See it, I do," Yoda replied quietly. Slowly, he moved to stand beside Qui-Gon and in a matter of moments, the other Council members had formed a tight circle about Obi-Wan and Adi. When Adi attempted to join them, she was stopped, literally, by a look from Obi-Wan.

"Let her go!" Qui-Gon barked at Obi-Wan, unwilling to see the surrogate master come to any harm because of him.

"If you give up your hold, I might give mine," Obi-Wan growled. "Otherwise..." Suddenly Adi fell to her knees, clutching her throat.

"My hold on what...?" Qui-Gon demanded, his gaze locked on Adi. There was fear in her blue eyes, but outwardly she remained calm. Slowly her dark face went several shades lighter.

*On THIS!* Obi-Wan cried into Qui-Gon's mind, grabbing the link they'd been communicating through and twisting it until the mental pain was so excruciating Qui-Gon was barely able to see.

Qui-Gon heard Yoda's shout even as he felt the elder master in his mind, attempting to break Obi-Wan's Sith-assisted grip.

That was what it was. Qui-Gon knew it now. Mace and Obi-Wan had fought a malevolent being believed to be a Sith. Its death on Naboo would have left still another of its kind, likely more powerful than the first, searching for a new body to corrupt and train. And with all that Obi-Wan had been through, bleak and sorrowful after Mace's passing, his mind would have been open and malleable, perfect fodder for the Sith.

Qui-Gon added his own efforts to Yoda's, to free both his own mind and Adi's. Bit by bit, Yoda managed to pry loose Obi-Wan's hold on Qui-Gon's mind, but he was not as successful in freeing Adi.

"End this must," Yoda said, his eyes closed, concentrating. "Saesee, Yarael, broken the training bond must be. Sever it you must. Quickly."

"Some small danger severance posed before," Yoda admitted as he began taking in slow breaths, preparing himself. "But greater danger it poses now if attempt a break we do not. Allow this being to take two lives out with his own, I will not."

Almost immediately a powerful Force-pulse filled the room, giving Qui-Gon the impression of a star gone nova behind his eyes. With each passing second, the light grew brighter, until it was impossible for Qui-Gon to keep his eyes open. Steadfastly, he concentrated, focussing on the act itself instead of its effects.

Peripherally, Qui-Gon became aware of another power. The remaining Council members were working together, joined as one mind, to force the creature from Obi-Wan's body.

The intensity of the Force-pulse became more mental than physical as the masters delved deeper into Obi-Wan's psyche and finally Qui-Gon was able to open his eyes. In the middle of the circle stood Obi-Wan, head thrown back, arms spread at his sides. His mouth was open, as if he were in the midst of screaming, but no sound issued forth.

At Obi-Wan's feet lay Adi Gallia. Eyes gray and glazed, her ornate headpiece strewn about her face, she looked like a wounded bird.

"Hold Adi," Yoda's voice filtered through the myriad sounds in Qui-Gon's mind. "Hold Obi-Wan I will. Support both will need if successful Yarael and Saesee are."

Mentally, Qui-Gon braced himself. Reaching out, he searched for something, anything in Adi's aura that would anchor her to the living and the light. He felt Yoda's more powerful mental reach as he anchored Obi-Wan.

Like an approaching storm, the powers in the room swirled and mixed. Energy, Jedi and Sith alike, coursed through Qui-Gon's body, forcing him to increase the level of his concentration. Relaxing now, even unintentionally, would mean certain death for Adi.

As Obi-Wan stood his ground, the wailing that had begun earlier became louder, higher, causing web-like cracks to form in the chamber's high windows. As the Counselors continued their efforts, gale-force winds turned objects in the room into debris, picking up anything not fastened down and tossing it about as if it were dust.

Steadily, the noise and movement grew, making it difficult for even the masters to remain standing against it. Qui-Gon's hair, forcibly freed from its tie, blew wildly against his shoulders and face. Under the continued pressure, the glass in the windows shattered, sending sharp shards of it in every direction. Qui-Gon felt it cut his face, catch in his hair; he saw it slice and embed in the skin, robes and boots of the others, though their expressions said they were unaware of it. Outside air filled the room, adding a humid, sultry layer to the carefully balanced oxygen levels of the temple.

With a sudden, psychic *snap* equivalent to the cracking of a whip, the chambers went instantly, eerily silent and Qui-Gon feared he had gone deaf. The sound of Obi-Wan's body falling to the floor told him he had not.

The red fog of the Sith-presence hovered over Obi-Wan like a shroud, keeping them from him. Increasing in width and depth, it stretched towards the outskirts of the room.

Determination on their faces, the Counselors rallied, beating the entity back as quickly as it moved forward, pulling it away from Obi-Wan when it threatened to overtake him again. Time and again they dove upon the darkness; defending themselves, protecting the padawan, they banded together, crushing the life from the energy cloud until nothing remained but an echo of the power that had nearly destroyed them all.

The last thing Qui-Gon heard as he fell to his knees beside Adi and Obi-Wan was Depa Billaba summoning the healers.

From his chair beside the padawan's bed in the healing chambers, Qui-Gon reached out, wanting to touch, to comfort...to let Obi-Wan know he was there and that everything was going to be all right. Running his fingers down the soft, silken padawan braid, he stared at the end of it as it lay in the palm of his hand.

As clearly as he had been able to hear Obi-Wan speaking into his mind in Council chambers, Qui-Gon could sense the padawan's stray emotions, jumbled thoughts. Despite Obi-Wan's actions as a puppet of the darkness, the connection that had formed between them remained.

Carefully, Qui-Gon fingered the blue bead braided into Obi-Wan's hair near the bottom. The color of Mace's lightsaber, it signified the time he had spent as padawan to the senior Council member. Below it, right before the band that fastened the tail, lay the bead that matched the ruby red of Adi's 'saber.

It was seldom that a padawan received more than one bead, most having but one master as they worked toward their knighthoods. Qui-Gon's hand went nervously to the place inside his robe where the single, iridescent green bead lay. If things went as he planned, Obi-Wan's braid would soon hold another bead.

Almost as if he knew Qui-Gon was thinking about him, Obi-Wan stirred and opened his eyes. With a thought, Qui-Gon summoned the healer, not wanting to look away from Obi-Wan's pale countenance.

From beneath heavy eyelids, Obi-Wan's green eyes darted back and forth, up and down, taking in all that was visible from his position on the bed. For a moment, Qui-Gon watched the frantic scanning, allowing Obi-Wan to take in his surroundings, to reintegrate any memories he might have had of the incident in the Council chambers.

"It's all right, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon told him, attempting to reassure the padawan as much as himself. Gently, he reached out, folding the covers back, smoothing the comforter.

The healer, now silently observing and evaluating, gave Qui-Gon a look he was loathe to interpret.

"You're going to be fine," Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan, resting a hand on the younger man's shoulder. When he felt him flinch, Qui-Gon froze.

"Where is...m...my...m...master...?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes burning into the place where Qui-Gon grasped until he let go, allowing his hand to slide away.

Where was he to begin? Qui-Gon tried to meet Obi-Wan's gaze, to look into his eyes and get a feel for exactly what he remembered about the battle twelve hours earlier.

"Yes, Obi-Wan, we were all in Council chambers. You, Master Gallia, Master Yoda..." Oh, this was difficult. "Do you remember?"

The air fled from Qui-Gon's lungs so quickly he grew dizzy with the sensation. "Obi-Wan..."

Panic squeezing his chest, Qui-Gon looked at the healer, desperately seeking assistance. The healer merely nodded, wordlessly giving Qui-Gon permission to tell Obi-Wan what he wished to know.

"Obi-Wan...Master Windu was killed on Naboo more than half a year ago. Master Gallia has been your master these last six months."

"Your mind and body have been quite traumatized, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "It is normal to have some memory loss. Perhaps we should..."

The more agitated he grew, the harder it became for Obi-Wan to express himself. His struggle tore at Qui-Gon's heart.

Aching with the padawan's pain, Qui-Gon tried to slow his racing heart. "Master Gallia was injured in...an incident...last night in Council chambers..." He watched Obi-Wan's face, waiting for something, some detail, to register. There was no reaction.

"Obi-Wan, I'm so sorry...Master Gallia..." As he began to say it out loud, Qui-Gon found himself barely able to speak around the lump in his throat. "Master Gallia did not survive her injuries."

Obi-Wan's _expression remained unchanged; the announcement seemed to have no impact on him at all.

"Then I a...a...am without a m...m...master," Obi-Wan worked to put the words together.

Qui-Gon's heart went out to the frail-looking padawan, as a connection was finally made.

Slowly, Qui-Gon stood, wishing he were not so tall that he loomed over the bed. "No, padawan," he said firmly. "You will not be sent away." The look of utter relief on Obi-Wan's face was shadowed only by the exhaustion that played about his eyes. "In fact..."

Qui-Gon wondered if it was appropriate to have this conversation now, with Obi-Wan barely awake and conscious. But it had to be done soon, and there would probably never be a perfect time to make such a proposal.

"M...master...?" Obi-Wan managed sleepily. Rapidly, he blinked his eyes, then held them wide, forcing them to remain open. "W...wh...what...?" Clamping his jaws together, he attempted to stifle a yawn, but was unsuccessful.

Tentatively, Qui-Gon reached out, drawn again to the soft braid at Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Rest," he told the padawan. "We can continue this when you have rested."

Obi-Wan's eyes searched Qui-Gon's face; seeking permission to give in to sleep, he found it in Qui-Gon's nod of encouragement. Slowly, Obi-Wan's eyes closed, red-flecked eyelashes fluttering against pale cheekbones as he drifted off. Laying a hand on the padawan's shoulder, Qui-Gon moved his fingers in comforting circles until Obi-Wan was asleep.

"You've done him no good by putting him back to sleep," Ki Adi Mundi admonished. "He will need to face reality sooner or later."

"I didn't put him to sleep," Qui-Gon defended himself. "He's exhausted. Surely you could sense it."

"Nevertheless," Ki replied curtly. "There are things that must be dealt with here and they will only become more difficult with time."

"He will be of no use to anyone if he cannot even concentrate on what is being said to him."

"To sub...?" Qui-Gon asked, stunned but not entirely sure of what Ki was suggesting. "What are you saying? To what does he need to submit?"

"To a mindquest by the Council, of course," Ki told him calmly. "Obi-Wan has been touched by darkness. Only a full probe can determine whether he has been tainted by it and then to what extent."

"A mindquest?" Qui-Gon's voice bounced off the sterile, white walls. "Have you gone mad?" he hissed in a lower voice, highly attuned to the young man asleep on the bed nearby. "A probe of his mind while he is in this condition might very well push him right over the edge."

"If he cannot, quite literally, survive a mindquest, then he is not fit to be a padawan..."

Seething, Qui-Gon unceremoniously yanked the other master out of the door by the sleeve of his robe. At the fiery look he received, he grated out, "Can we take this conversation elsewhere, *Master*? This is not something we should be discussing in front of..."

"Suddenly concerned for his well-being you are, Qui-Gon?" came Yoda's voice from behind them. "Entered into your mind before it did not."

Continuing to storm down the corridor, Qui-Gon stopped at the first conference room he sensed to be unoccupied and forced his way into it, snapping the locking mechanism with ease. Not even feigning a show of respect, he turned on the two Council members.

"Why are you doing this? To me...to him? And why now?" Qui-Gon demanded, facing Ki and Yoda; formidable separately, even he found them somewhat intimidating together. And yet, all Qui-Gon could think about was Obi-Wan as he had looked in the Council Chambers, vulnerable, hurting...Obi-Wan surrounding by the Sith energy...Obi-Wan dropping to the floor, almost lifeless after his battle with the dark...Obi-Wan lying on the medical bed, pale and tired.

"Touched darkness he has," Yoda said. "Certain we must be that gone it is. And that infected he has not been."

Qui-Gon reached up and ran a hand through his long hair, unfastened and unbraided this day. Obi-Wan was so good, so pure, it shined from every pore. If he were tainted by the dark, Qui-Gon felt sure he would know it. After all, he had been the first to sense it in the Council Chambers, when no one else had.

"Arrogant, it is, to think that way," Yoda admonished, picking up on Qui-Gon's thoughts. "Possible it is that a receptacle young Kenobi has been since Naboo."

The Sith had influenced Obi-Wan for more than six months? No...he refused to believe it. Wouldn't believe it because of what it might mean. Being overtaken by the dark for a minute, an hour, a day...was dangerous. Living under such an influence for over half a year was... Qui-Gon shuddered.

"And so you can understand our concern," Ki said. "Now, if you will excuse us..." Glancing down at Yoda, he turned, heading to the door with the other man.

"I formally request to be allowed to form a training bond with Obi-Wan before the mindquest."

Qui-Gon met them at the door; his _expression defiant, his stance challenging, saying they would not leave without discussing the matter further...or going through him.

"But he is capable of withstanding the invasion of a dozen Council members into his mind?" Qui-Gon asked in disbelief. *Now who is being foolish?* He thought it, but somehow he managed not to say it out loud.

"Forcing Obi-Wan to choose a new master now, when he is most vulnerable, would be a mistake," Ki said. "And if a taint is present, transfer of his apprenticeship will be a moot point anyway."

"Forcing Obi-Wan to endure a probe without the balance and support of a master or lifemate is inhumane...not to mention dangerous. I will not allow it to happen." The blood boiled in Qui-Gon's veins. Life for Obi-Wan Kenobi had not been easy, and the Counselors were determined to make it even more difficult.

Ki pressed the advantage of his position. "And who will you take your complaint to, Qui-Gon? Master Yoda and I are at the top of the Council. We speak as the Council's voice."

"But you are not the entire Council. And the other Counselors do have a say, a vote."

Reaching out, Qui-Gon activated the door, stepping aside to allow Ki and Yoda to pass. Straightening to his full height, he took a deep breath. "Please tell the Council I would like an audience with them. Immediately."

As the debate went back and forth between the Counselors, Qui-Gon felt a headache beginning behind his eyes. One moment the outcome seemed to be leaning in his favor, the next it looked to be going in the opposite direction. And again, as in the Council chambers the day of Adi's death, all he could think of was Obi-Wan.

Yoda *knew* there was something between the two of them; he had almost admitted as much at the severance ceremony. So why did he suddenly oppose it? Was he so paranoid at his inability to sense the Sith presence in one of their own that he was unwilling to think beyond it? Startled at the direction his thoughts had taken, Qui-Gon fell deep into thought, almost missing the Council's decision as it was given.

"It is the decision of Council majority that Obi-Wan Kenobi be allowed to choose. Given the choice between forming a training bond with a new master before the mindquest or proceeding with the mindquest unaided, Obi-Wan will choose and his decision will be final."

Qui-Gon's legs were suddenly shaky with relief. Drawing in an equally unsteady breath, he nodded briefly in the direction of the Council and exited, already preparing himself for the meditation exercises he would need to perform before the upcoming bonding.

Beneath his robes, Qui-Gon wore the pale green tunic and dark green sash for a master of his status about to form a training bond. He had worn white and dark blue for his first padawan, light blue and white for his second. Green was the color of the third time.

Sweat beaded on Qui-Gon's forehead and upper lip as he stepped from the lift into the corridor that would take him to the Healing Chambers. Inside his sleeves, his large hands clenched and unclenched, clammy with anticipation.

Possessed by the Sith, Obi-Wan had adamantly shunned Qui-Gon's proposal to bond. Almost equally distressing was Obi-Wan's current state: memory questionable, strength at a minimum. Neither factor would sit well with the Council. Qui-Gon knew they would attempt to use any slips or inconsistencies to their advantage. Not the Jedi way, surely, but the last two days had been enough to shake even the most solid and even-handed on the Council.

Fervently, Qui-Gon wished he had been able to attain the peace and meditative state he had sought after the Council's latest decision. The next hours were going to be difficult enough without the distractions of a cluttered mind.

Stopping outside the Healing Chambers, Qui-Gon closed his eyes, sifting through the unnecessary emotions and thoughts, releasing them into the Force. Then, still plagued with uncertainty, stepped into the Healing Chambers.

The lead healer met Qui-Gon at the door, showing him into an empty examination room. Yoda, Ki, and Depa were already there.

"We have not," Depa answered. "The healers report that he is still asleep. He will, of course, need to be awoken."

"Let me go to him," Qui-Gon said. "I was there when he went to sleep. Perhaps it will be easier on him if I am there as he wakes up. Too much has changed for him recently; he needs to begin experiencing some consistency."

"Are you suggesting that Padawan Kenobi is not mentally fit?" Ki asked. His tone was a mix of accusation and insincerity.

"No," Qui-Gon said forcefully. "I am merely suggesting that he needs the support of a master right now. And I wish to be that support."

*And if the lot of you have your way, I never will be.* "No," Qui-Gon said, holding his tongue. "But my heart is telling me differently. The Force has led me in this direction and I will follow the path to its end. Now," he walked around the three masters to stand in the doorway. "Allow me to wake Obi-Wan and prepare him for what is to come."

The masters allowed Qui-Gon to do as he wished, but not unaccompanied. Depa said nothing as she followed him into Obi-Wan's room and stood quietly off to the side, but to Qui-Gon it was still an unwanted presence.

"Padawan," Qui-Gon said quietly, leaning over Obi-Wan and gently touching his arm. "Obi-Wan, it's time to wake up."

As quickly as Obi-Wan had fallen asleep, he woke up. His hand snapping up to grab Qui-Gon's wrist surprised the Jedi master.

"D...d...don't t...touch me..." Obi-Wan stuttered. His face went a shade paler, hardly possible, considering his already sickly pallor. "It...it..."

Quickly, Qui-Gon removed his hand, seeing Obi-Wan breathe a visible sigh of relief. But the stricken look in the intense green eyes remained.

"What?" Qui-Gon prompted. Something had shocked the padawan and Qui-Gon had to know what it was. If he was feeling some sort of connection to Qui-Gon, as Qui-Gon was to him, it would only help his own position against the Council. "Obi-Wan, what are you feeling?"

"Obi-Wan, this is important. Things are about to happen, and happen quickly. I must know what you felt when I touched you."

"It...h...hur...hurt..." Obi-Wan told him, in a voice that was barely audible. "It...bu...bur...burned...like...like...f...fire..."

Almost immediately, Qui-Gon's mind was filled with the fiery image of Mace's funeral pyre, something he hadn't thought of almost since the day it had happened. As the scene was mentally played out for him again, he wondered whose memory it was: his or Obi-Wan's...

The pain of remembering was almost as great as the pain in Qui-Gon's heart as he considered Obi-Wan's words. And Depa hadn't moved, but she was on alert; Qui-Gon could feel it.

In one fluid movement, before the other master could witness his suddenly unsteady stance, Qui-Gon pulled the room's one chair over and seated himself. Taking a calming breath, he tried to prepare for what he had to tell Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan...the Council wishes to meet with you." Inwardly, Qui-Gon cringed, wondering at his ability to so calmly-so outrageously-understate the request. Avoiding the issue was not going to help Obi-Wan.

"M...meet...for wh...what...p...pur...purpose?" Obi-Wan asked, fear creeping into his voice.

Qui-Gon wished more than ever for a mental bond with the frightened padawan. Comforting him with words would have to do, but a connection between them would have allowed for soothing his mind as well as his soul.

Obi-Wan's silence was so complete, his face a mask so totally void of _expression, that Qui-Gon found himself reaching into the Force to confirm that the padawan was still breathing. The breaths were quick and shallow, but they were there.

"I attempted to convince them otherwise," Qui-Gon said sympathetically. "But they have refused to change their minds or to even postpone the proceedings."

"Several Council members are waiting for you outside. The probe will be conducted in Council chambers, if you feel you are strong enough to go there. If not, the Council will adjourn and reconvene here."

"Obi-Wan, there is no need for you to face this alone. I've come here to again ask that you allow us to bond."

Qui-Gon felt the same spike of fear in Obi-Wan as when he had touched him earlier.

It was the first solid statement Obi-Wan had made since regaining consciousness.

"Obi-Wan, please..." Qui-Gon pleaded, trying to make the young man understand. "A mindquest is not something to be taken lightly. Padawans, even masters, who have endured it without the mental support of a master or a mate have been mentally damaged, sometimes permanently, by its effects."

Having forgotten about Depa, Qui-Gon jumped at the sound. From the intensity of her voice, Qui-Gon knew that she felt he had gone too far. He could not, however, back down now that he had finally managed to broach the subject.

"You have made your point, Qui-Gon," Depa cautioned. "And Padawan Kenobi has stated his wishes. There is nothing more to be done, save for choosing a location for the quest."

"Don't do this, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon began again. "There is no need." He felt Depa move forward, and wondered if he would be physically removed from the room for what he was about to say.

"You have been touched by darkness, something that has lost many padawans their chances at knighthood, and many masters their positions in the ranks of the Jedi. Moreover, the Council believes you may have been a receptacle of the Sith since your time on Naboo."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened, although he said nothing. Depa cleared her throat, hand poised in mid-air on its way to Qui-Gon's arm.

"Can you honestly say you haven't felt a change in yourself? Can you tell me that the gaps in your memory, the difficulty with your speech, haven't made you wonder just what it is that you've lost...that's been taken from you?"

"Have you considered the fact that you may still be under the influence of the Sith?" Qui-Gon said in a rush.

It was one of the most prominent reasons Yoda and the others didn't want him anywhere near Obi-Wan. A tainted padawan was one thing; they would deal with it by destroying either the entity or the padawan. A tainted master, made so by one man throwing caution to the wind, taking destiny into his own hands, would not be tolerated.

"The presence within you appeared to have been destroyed in Council chambers," Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan. "But if the Sith could prevent the Council from detecting its presence for half a year, it could certainly be doing so now."

Obi-Wan shivered and tried to duck his head in avoidance of Qui-Gon's piercing glare.

"Look at me!" Qui-Gon insisted, effectively obtaining Obi-Wan's compliance. "This is the rest of your life we're talking about. Accept what I'm offering. Allow me to form a training bond between us so that you will not have to endure the mindquest alone.

"Master Windu felt you would one day be a strong knight, a valuable addition to the Jedi force. Don't allow his early work with you to have been in vain. Don't willingly allow yourself to be hanged in the probe's noose when there is something you can do to prevent it."

Depa had obviously mentally called for reinforcement, for Yoda and Ki were instantly in the doorway, standing at the ready.

Unaware of anything but Qui-Gon's eyes upon him, Obi-Wan swallowed, resolve on his face.

"I w...w...wi...wish to g...go to the C...Coun...Council Ch...Ch...Chambers..." he said, grappling with each syllable. "I w...will face th...them...alone."

Obi-Wan had no more finished his sentence then the three Council members swooped down upon him like vultures, working around Qui-Gon to prepare the weak and shaky padawan for the long walk.

Yoda stood as part of the semi-circle of Council members surrounding the padawan.

"Let the records show," Master Poof intoned. "That the mindquest of Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi convened at the nineteenth hour of the seventeenth day of the sixth division of the ninety-second rotation." He paused. "Begin."

Although the room remained dimly-lit, it was as if the wattage had suddenly increased one hundred-fold. And even though no one was speaking, there was a mental buzz in the room loud enough to deafen even a non-Force-sensitive.

The words sliced through Obi-Wan's mind first like 'saber blades and then like serrated knives, shredding his thoughts and destroying his composure. Meant to tear down mental barriers in order to gain information, the probe was as efficient as it was painful.

Locked outside of the room, pacing the corridor, Qui-Gon felt the mindquest begin. A small, irritating pressure in his chest and atop the bridge of his nose, it soon became a ceaseless pounding that had him alternately holding his head and hugging his mid-section.

Inside, Obi-Wan went from clutching his temples to pounding his forehead against the perfectly-polished surface of the floor.

Through the red haze in his mind, Qui-Gon felt something inside Obi-Wan shatter, serenity mutating rapidly into panic, defeat edging out determination. Unassisted, against ten of the Temple's most powerful minds, the padawan was slowly losing his mind.

His padawan braid wrapped tightly around his clutched fist, Obi-Wan was pulling, determined to either regain his sanity with the distraction or tear the strand of hair, skin and all, from his head.

With a speed that surprised the knight who'd been assigned to monitor Qui-Gon's movements during the probe, Qui-Gon threw all of his weight against the Council chambers door. Bolted shut from the inside, the ancient doors held fast.

The well-meaning knight, reminding Qui-Gon of his presence at the wrong moment, found himself tossed backward with just a thought. Hitting the wall with a resounding thud, he slid to the floor and didn't attempt to stop Qui-Gon again.

In desperation, Qui-Gon grabbed the door handles, yanking them with all his might. And while the metal twisted in his hands, the doors remained tightly closed.

The screams issuing forth from Obi-Wan were inhuman, animalistic. They spoke of being burned alive, of being slowly chopped to bits, of being turned inside out.

It seemed that the masters would need to stop their investigation, so little was there left of the mind they were exploring, but still they labored on.

Qui-Gon's next ramming of the wooden portal resulted in the splintering of wood and the very likely shattering of the bones in his shoulder and elbow. But still he labored on, preparing for another ramming of the only thing separating him from Obi-Wan.

"M...m..." Obi-Wan's mindless shouts took on actual sounds. Lips mouthing the word he so desperately sought, he focussed all that was left of his energy on getting it out. "M...M...M...M...M...Master!!!!" Finding victory among the slowly disappearing vestiges of his sanity, Obi-Wan collapsed into a mindless heap on the floor.

With his own howl of frustrated satisfaction, Qui-Gon smashed through the door as if it were suddenly made of nothing more than paper. Unaware that a deep cut to his temple was leaving a trail of blood as he ran, Qui-Gon fell to his knees and pulled Obi-Wan into his arms, fervently hoping that he had reached him in time.

Appalled by the tracks of blood trailing from the places where Obi-Wan had scratched and clawed his own scalp, Qui-Gon was blind to his own head wound, which was making his vision sticky and blurred, staining his green tunic a bright rust color.

Tenderly, Qui-Gon touched Obi-Wan's injuries, intent on tending to that which he could see. For not even he knew whether Obi-Wan's mental scars could be healed. One by one, the scratches closed, leaving only pinpricks of blood beading in their wake.

"Release him!" Qui-Gon bellowed at the Council, who continued to stand about the padawan, still focussed on Obi-Wan, still communing with one another.

After several long moments, their eyes opened and they stepped back, some looking disgusted, some appalled, others thankful, perhaps to know that Obi-Wan was at last receiving the attention which they could not give him.

"Clean, he is," Yoda pronounced. "Free of dark and Sith influence alike. Stripped of his rank and experiences he will not be. Allowed to progress to status of Jedi knight he will be."

It was almost an absurd announcement. While Obi-Wan lay mentally ravaged, close to death, the Council spoke of granting their permission for his continued training. *If* he were ever again able to learn and train, even to complete his trials, it would be no thanks to the Council.

In Qui-Gon's arms, Obi-Wan began to gasp for breath. Deftly, Qui-Gon explored the surface of the padawan's pain. Shock. Obi-Wan had battled valiantly, but every battle had its price.

Teeth chattering, Obi-Wan writhed and undulated until Qui-Gon could scarcely hold onto him. Only when the pain in his own shoulder and elbow became unbearable did Qui-Gon lay the padawan on the floor, calling out for someone to summon the healers. Obi-Wan was going into psychic shock.

As the Council members moved in to assist Qui-Gon with the padawan, their attempts were met violently by the angry Jedi. Eyes flashing, his Force signature spoke of an injured rendabeast protecting its equally injured young, something not to be reckoned with.

Cautiously, someone divested themselves of a cloak, bending hesitantly to spread it over Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon allowed it. Another master tucked a cloak about Qui-Gon's shoulders, realizing that he, too, had suffered injuries.

When the healers rushed in, med-stretcher in tow, they were prepared only for one patient. But hunched on the floor, one hand supporting the padawan's head, Qui-Gon Jinn looked a wreck. Green bonding tunic soaked with blood, some of it fresh and some already dried, he held himself to one side, unable to move most of his right upper body. Immediately, the lead healer sent his apprentice back to fetch another stretcher.

Qui-Gon was barely aware of the healers' entrance. Focussing on numbing the nerve-endings to the right half of his body so that he could concentrate on keeping Obi-Wan alive, Qui-Gon had little energy for anything else.

When he was pulled away from Obi-Wan so the healers could attend both of them, he fought it. But weak and injured he was no match for the mental powers of the healers and he was easily subdued.

As he awoke, red swam before Qui-Gon's eyes and he gasped, thinking it to be blood, Obi-Wan's surely, if not his own as well. Immediately, his lungs were filled with a liquid which flowed in and out but, surprisingly, did not choke him. Bacta.

Qui-Gon moved his limbs experimentally. There was a slight twinge as he straightened his right arm, but other than a bit of stiffness it seemed that he had healed.

"Sore would I be too, if foolish enough I was to bodily knock down 600 year old door." From outside the bacta tank, Yoda snorted. "Hmmm...perfectly good door, it was. Now gone, it is. If take a vow of poverty Jedi did not, then gone also would be your life savings. Hmph."

Although it was clear that Yoda did not care for Qui-Gon's tactics, Qui-Gon could feel his approval in regards to his actions. It seemed that with the affirmation that no darkness remained in Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon at last had Yoda's support.

Qui-Gon could not speak, but as he suddenly remembered all of the events leading up to his injuries, his mental cry reached Yoda loud and clear.

Carefully, Qui-Gon twisted his neck, craning to see what Yoda was speaking of. Two healers were approaching the tank, programming the harness to begin lifting him out of the gel.

"No further need for the bacta do you have. More useful you will be at Obi-Wan's side as he wakes." So saying, Yoda turned, stick in hand, and walked away.

/Obi-Wan.../ Qui-Gon sought out the mental link he'd felt since Obi-Wan's severance from Adi. /Obi-Wan...can you hear me?/

There was a spark of something, which warmed Qui-Gon like nothing else. Obi-Wan had spoken mentally to him before, leading Qui-Gon to believe there truly was a bond forming between them.

/Yes, Obi-Wan. I'm here with you. You have been injured, but you're going to be fine. Can you try to focus on my voice? It will help you regain consciousness./

No words, but a more sustained thought probe from Obi-Wan. Slowly, he was coming around.

/Yes, Obi-Wan,/ Qui-Gon thought again. /You can do it. Listen to the sound of my voice./

Cautiously, Qui-Gon reached out, remembering the discomfort Obi-Wan had experienced the last time he'd touched him. Softly, Qui-Gon laid his fingers along Obi-Wan's cheekbone, stroking gently. What he saw inside Obi-Wan and what he felt amazed him.

What Obi-Wan felt was excruciating pain. The effect of the touch was immediate: every muscle in Obi-Wan's body went taut, his face contorted with the scream that slowly escaped from his lips.

"You must break contact!" a healer said, rushing into the room. "In his condition, he cannot..."

"It is his 'condition' which causes this," Qui-Gon said, with more composure than he felt.

In his mind's eye, Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan as he had been at age six...at age nine...at age twelve. Flashes of the young man's memories showed at first a happy, grinning boy, delighted and eager to learn all the Temple masters had to teach him. But never was the smile brighter than when Master Qui-Gon Jinn was nearby. Which wasn't often, but Obi-Wan had always been aware of those times.

As he grew older, the happiness faded, the grins came less and less often. Obi-Wan began to lose hope. He had always trained tirelessly, studied hard, and with every passing year he hoped to have some master, *his* master, choose him from among the rest of the padawans.

But when the choosing came, Master Jinn had not come around. Instead, Master Windu had, and Obi-Wan had smiled and gone with him. He had been a good padawan and Master Windu had been a good master, but Obi-Wan had never truly been happy, never truly felt at home.

Master Windu's death had devastated Obi-Wan. For while he was not the master Obi-Wan had envisioned himself with, he was the only master Obi-Wan had ever known, the only master Obi-Wan had ever had. Now, not only did he not have *his* master, he did not have any master.

The rest of Obi-Wan's memories were foggy, shown to Qui-Gon as if they were someone else's thoughts. Mace's funeral...the face of Adi Gallia...and then nothing but pain...until...

Qui-Gon stared at the image in Obi-Wan's mind, seeing it for the first time. It was him, bloodied and broken, on the floor of the Council chambers, cradling Obi-Wan. From Obi-Wan's perspective, Qui-Gon looked like pure light, a safe, strong, protective presence, saving Obi-Wan from certain death.

And in that one moment, as those around him, including Qui-Gon, had given him up for dead, Obi-Wan had known he would live...because he had finally found *his* master.

On the bed, Obi-Wan moaned, squeezing his eyes tightly shut against the flood of images.

"He's asking that you stop!" the healer exclaimed. "And I must insist that you do so. His pulse is becoming thready, his blood pressure is dropping. Master Jinn, I insist....!"

/Obi-Wan?/ Qui-Gon asked into Obi-Wan's mind. /I must know if you wish me to stop./

In all honesty, Qui-Gon didn't know if he *could* stop. Now that he'd formed a connection with Obi-Wan, the Force was pulling him, stronger than ever, into a bond with the other man.

Obi-Wan clutched the bed sheets, trying to think around the pounding in his head. /yes./

/You are experiencing this pain because of an unfinished bond. A link has formed between us, may have been forming for years if your memories are any indication. Without its completion, neither of us is whole. But for you especially, it is dangerous.

/With two bonds having been forcefully removed from your mind, forming another will be difficult if not impossible. A mind tends to begin rejecting continuous connections after the second attempt. If a third is to be successful, it is usually formed like ours has been...by the will of the Force. And a third, force-blessed bonding is one to be cherished./

Qui-Gon stopped himself. He couldn't force Obi-Wan into this, couldn't make the decision for him. But he also couldn't, in good conscience, allow Obi-Wan to give up on himself-to give up on them-so easily. A master's job was to teach, and whether the others knew it or not, he *was* Obi-Wan's master. Obi-Wan had known it since his childhood.

/S...sc...scared.../ Obi-Wan said. His voice trembled as he tried to force the wheezing breaths to slow. /H...h...hold me...? Pl...ple...please...?/

Qui-Gon's heart melted as he gathered the frightened padawan into his arms. /Of course,/ he told Obi-Wan. /Always. For as long as you need it./

/B...bond us...?/ Obi-Wan asked as he felt strong, warm arms wrap around him. /I w...want it, tr...tr...truly./ He blinked rapidly, sending the tears on his lashes rolling down his cheeks. /I want you to be my third./

Watching Obi-Wan's reaction, Qui-Gon swallowed, equally overcome with emotion. Gently, he leaned his head forward until his forehead touched Obi-Wan's.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon began. "I take you as my padawan learner, to train and teach from this day forward, until the day of your knighting. How say you?"

Swiftly, Qui-Gon pulled the iridescent green bead from where it still lay in the pocket of his robe and fastened it below the other two in Obi-Wan's braid.

"May success you find on your path to knighthood, Obi-Wan," Yoda intoned formally from the doorway, seeming to appear out of nowhere. "And may the Force be with you both," he added, completing the training bond ritual.

Slowly, Obi-Wan regained the things that had been lost to him: his speech, his confidence, the skills and techniques which were so integral to his training. And although the speed of his recovery came as a pleasant surprise to both Qui-Gon and himself, it came as an even greater shock to the Council.

A mere two months after their master/padawan bonding, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stood in the Council Chambers again. Each was ill-at-ease, for different reasons, and when Qui-Gon held out his hand to Obi-Wan, offering support against the memories which threatened the calm they had worked so hard for, Obi-Wan accepted, gripping his master's hand tightly.

"Welcome, Padawan Kenobi, Master Jinn," Yarael Poof greeted them. "It is good to have you back here, under more favorable circumstances."

Obi-Wan exchanged a quick glance with Qui-Gon, as much to let his master know he was okay with everything as to assure himself that Qui-Gon was still in control of his own emotions. The room held unpleasant memories for both of them and many of their more recent meditations had not only been in preparing for the knighting ceremony, but preparing to stand in Council Chambers without being overrun by the past.

"During the past weeks, Obi-Wan," Ki Adi-Mundi began. "You have faced your ghosts, your demons, and your fears. You have conquered adversities which would have kept many padawans from achieving peace of mind, let alone their knighthood."

"As of twelfth hour yesterday, you passed the last of your trials," Depa Billaba continued. "An accomplishment that would have made Masters Windu and Gallia extremely proud. And so it is on their behalf that I ask you to step forward, Obi-Wan."

Trembling, Obi-Wan gave Qui-Gon's hand a final squeeze and did as he was asked. As Master Yoda left his chair and approached him, Obi-Wan knelt down and bowed his head.

"Confer on you, the level of Jedi Knight, the Council does," Yoda announced, touching his walking stick to Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Now, stand you may, to greet your mentor, no longer your master."

On shaky legs, Obi-Wan got to his feet, turning toward Qui-Gon. Quickly, gratefully, he grabbed the outstretched hands again to steady himself.

In an instant, the sights and sounds of the Council Chambers faded, leaving Obi-Wan with only the strength and heat which was Qui-Gon. His mouth, which had been opened to say something, remained open but silent as he fell into the liquid blue eyes before him.

/My Obi-Wan.../ Qui-Gon could not bring himself to speak either. Sharing these…feelings...in front of the Council seemed far too private a thing.

/But you will always be so to me,/ Obi-Wan told him. /*My* master...the one who could teach me, could help me, as no other could./

Now it was Qui-Gon's mouth which opened, as Obi-Wan's had earlier. /Oh...Obi-Wan.../

Words were forgotten as the Obi-Wan in Qui-Gon's mind leaned in, initiating a long, slow, intimate meeting of mouths and tongues. Breathing heavily, he poured all the love he'd ever had along the master/padawan bond, exploding its boundaries, creating something that was so much *more*.

As conscious thought returned and he remembered they were still officially in a Council meeting, Qui-Gon mentally pulled away from the new knight, breaking the kiss which had felt so very real.

"Congratulations, my Obi-Wan," he said simply, kissing both his cheeks, ignoring the interested looks on the Council members' faces. All he knew was the look of utter bliss on Obi-Wan's face, and at the moment that was all that mattered to him.

And so saying, Qui-Gon looped an arm about Obi-Wan's waist, pulling him close, ushering him out of Council Chambers and back to their rooms.