The Path Not Walked... Part 04
Obi-Wan was right to disguise the Jedi Master. They saw several more scout droids searching for him on the way back to BaseOps. Fortunately, the only droid that stopped them also believed the ruse and accepted Master Jinn as another AgriCorps worker. The injured Jedi let his companion handle the verbal exchange, trusting him to be as sure and strong as before.
As the Scout flew off, Obi-Wan smiled faintly, "I wasn't sure that was going to work twice."
"Let us hope that we can avoid the others."
"Well, we're near the edge of the disturbance. Hopefully, it's also the edge of the Federation's presence."
"Disturbance?" Qui-Gon asked curiously.
"The disturbance in the Force, from the primitives fleeing the area so quickly."
"You can feel this?" Qui-Gon asked in surprise.
"Yes. Can't you?" It was Obi-Wan's turn to be confused.
"Of course. I did not believe that one untrained would also feel it so strongly."
Obi-Wan just looked away. He did not like being reminded of what he considered to be his greatest failure, but took great pains to shield his discomfiture from the Master beside him. //It'd serve no purpose to be melancholy and self-absorbed,// he reminded himself. There were more pressing concerns at hand.
Qui-Gon was once again saddened to see a youth with such potential using his talent for nothing more than growing plants. The counsel should have found this charge a Master, regardless of his headstrong nature and short temper. //Maybe that was what Master Yoda had been trying to do so many years ago. He repeatedly pushed me to consider Obi-Wan,// he though quietly.
While the two walked on in silence, Qui-Gon thought back toBandomeer once more. He still firmly believed that sending Obi-Wan away was for the best. Had he stayed with Qui-Gon any longer, he would have surely been exposed to Xanatos. His former apprentice would have undoubtedly used the boy against him, whether Obi-Wan was his Padawan or not.
Xanatos had been ruthless in his plan to destroy Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon had not understood the true extent of Xanatos's scheme until several days after his death. A death delivered by Qui-Gon's own hand. He had confronted his former student after negotiating between the mining companies had gone a little too smoothly. His danger sense had been peeked by the ease of cooperation after so many years of fierce competition and destructive tendencies.
The forced meeting had quickly turned into a deadly fight once Xanatos realized his plans were failing. Though the ex-Jedi retained his lightsaber, he did not have the skill to beat the veteran he opposed. Qui-Gon had little choice in dealing with his vengeful student; he could not let one so cunning and devious be free to plot further violence. Qui-Gon refused to allow Xanatos's vengeance to harm any more innocents; there were enough victims on Bandomeer to haunt the Master as it was. He quietly ended man's life as he should have done when the youth first turned to the Dark Side.
//Yes, sending Obi-Wan away to AgriCorps was the right choice,// he thought. //Had Xanatos seen us together, he would have harmed him.// Qui-Gon unconsciously shuddered at that thought. He could only imagine what Xanatos's demented mind would have plotted for the boy that he would have mistakenly thought replaced him. If Xanatos was willing to destroy nearly an entire planet to get revenge, he would have definitely arranged a wicked fate for Obi-Wan as well.
Qui-Gon had been both fascinated and appalled by the lengths to which Xanatos would have gone to destroy him. Discovering the dormant bombs had been purely accidental. While touring the Home Planet Mine, Qui-Gon had noticed a crate with Xanatos's crest stamped on it. Seeing the broken circle, Qui-Gon immediately ordered for the mine to be evacuated as a precaution. He then carefully opened the box and discovered the bomb inside; he realized the full scope of Xanatos's plan within moments.
The angry young man was going to destroy the planet through a series of explosions. Obi-Wan's AgriCorps base had been one of those locations, so he had not kept the boy as safe as he imagined. Regardless, he decided against risking the child's life further and had left Bandomeer alone.
By now the pair of Jedi were back at the main AgriCorps base. Obi-Wan quickly led the Master to the infirmary, then left him to the care of a skilled MediDroid and a talkative MediTech named Talis. While Obi-Wan was checking on the AgriCorps staff and conferring with DeaMak on the emergency plans, Talis happily told Qui-Gon all about "Ben's" career.
The ReaLenians, a humanoid race with tall slender bodies, pale white skin, dark hair, and catlike eyes, were naturally boisterous. Talis was no exception; she had the diminutive facial features of her people, a thin, waif like body, and height to match Qui-Gon himself. When she had asked the Jedi about his meeting Obi-Wan, he answered truthfully and spoke of the meeting years past at the Jedi Temple. She had automatically assumed that the pair were old friends that had fallen out of touch, and proceeded to "catch him up" on the past decade of Ben's life.
She told of his recent accomplishments on Dantooine and Peramua, two very arid planets that now boasted small islands of dense forest growth thanks to Obi-Wan determination and planning. She also told of his love for nature and devotion to all life, a trait that Qui-Gon recognized as reverence for the Living Force. As Qui-Gon politely listened, he noticed that Talis avoided a period of several years. She talked only of the present, recent past, and distant past. When he asked her about this, she smiled sadly.
"Those years were not the most pleasant of times for Ben."
"Why?" Qui-Gon asked, now genuinely curious about the life Obi-Wan had created for himself.
"He found a great woman capable of loving him despite his flaws. She shared his passion, and they dreamed of growing old together." She paused for a moment. "But he lost her too soon, much too soon."
"She has passed then?" Qui-Gon asked with a touch of sadness.
"Yes, the Swamp Fever of Korat claimed her. Four years ago it was, he lost them both. Jareth and the baby. We thought he'd follow them soon after. He was so sad and depressed, for so very long. But then he found Anakin, and felt needed again."
"Anakin is his new love?"
Talis laughed wholeheartedly at this. "Oh, no. Ani is just a boy. A young slave boy that Ben rescued from Tatooine. He's a hand full, keeps us all on our toes, that he does. But Ben loves him, he fills the place in his soul that was empty for so long."
"If I may ask, you said that..." he paused, thinking back to the names Talis had mentioned. "Jareth loved him despite... some flaws. He seems to have become a strong young man, what are these terrible flaws?"
"Ah, that I blame you for! The Jedi caused it."
"What?" Qui-Gon could not see what fault Obi-Wan could have that would have been caused by the Jedi.
"His feelings of failure. He may not talk about it anymore, and those that haven't known his as long as I may not see it. But he was deeply hurt by not being selected to be a Jedi Knight. Deeply hurt."
"Surely he has moved past this. Not everyone taken to the Temple can serve the Force in that capacity. I thought he understood this."
"Understanding and accepting are two entirely different things."
"That is very true. I did not realize it affected him so..." he began.
"How would you feel if the people you thought of as your only family cast you aside for nothing more than growing up?" She interrupted, before turning away to gather more bandages.
Qui-Gon let the conversation stall. He had been thinking of the past too much as it was, and he refused to dwell on Obi-Wan's fate longer than was necessary. He had business to attend to. His focus needed to be directed on helping the Naboo and reaching the Queen.
He was about to leave, whether Talis was finished or not, when he felt a faint stir in the Force. As a small blond head peeked around the door and into the treatment room, Qui-Gon watched curiosity transform into pure joy. Before he could even offer a greeting, the boy had leapt onto the table next to him. Talis was at his side in an instant, checking his injuries and chastising the boy.
"Ani! What do you think you're doing?!" she demanded.
"I wanted to see..."
"You never *ever* jump onto an exam table with a patient. You know better! And you know that you're not even supposed to be down here!"
"But he isn't hurt that badly."
"It doesn't matter! He very well could have been."
"Ben said..."
"He told you that you could attack him?" she asked incredulously.
"No, but..."
"No buts. You know better. Now apologize to Master Jinn."
Qui-Gon watched the exchange with an amused grin. The ReaLenian woman appeared anything but stern at first glance, but looks were definitely deceiving. She knew how to control the energetic boy that was sitting with him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I just wanted to see you. Ben said that there was a real live Jedi here, and I just had to come see for myself. He wouldn't have told me, I think. But I was listening to him and DeaMak over the comm system. Dea is really nice, have you met him yet? He lets me sit with him sometimes, but I think it's more to keep an eye on me when Ben's away." The boy paused for a deep breath before continuing in that excited, nonstop way that only children can manage. "Oh, my name is Anakin, but people usually just call me Ani. So are you really a Jedi Knight? Do you have a laser sword? I thought only real Jedi Knights had them, but Ben has one too. He said the Jedi allowed him to keep it after he had to leave the Temple. He was too old to become a Jedi, so they sent him to AgriCorps." Ani's wide eyes met his own, and he could see the barely restrained excitement therein.
"Yes, I am a Jedi Master, but you must..."
"Wow! It's nice to meet you. I never met a real Jedi before." He would have continued, but Qui-Gon's put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Ani, you must keep my presence here a secret," he said gravely.
"Are you in trouble? Ben always helps people when they're in trouble. Talis says he has a really big heart, but I don't understand why that would matter. He helped me and mom off Tatooine. He's really nice that was. We were slaves, but he set us free. I'm glad he didn't become a Jedi. If he did, then I'd still be on Tatooine."
"That was very nice of him, to free you and your mother. And Yes, I am in trouble. The Trade Federation is looking for me, so you cannot tell anyone of my presence here. Understand?"
"Not even..." he began in a hopeful voice.
"No, Ani. You can't tell anyone," answered a voice from the doorway.
Qui-Gon quickly turned toward the sound. He had been so focused on Ani's animated conversation that he did not feel Obi-Wan approach. He realized that his fatigue from fighting his way through the Federation blockade ship and invasion force also contributed to his lapse in awareness. If he did not rest soon, he would need to draw on the Force to augment his strength.
"I'm sorry Master Jinn. Anakin, shouldn't you be packing for the evacuation?" Obi-Wan asked is a stern voice. "Go."
Anakin left, shuffling his feet and grumbling about never getting to meet the important people. He politely waved from the door, before disappearing into the corridor.
"Again, I'm sorry about that. He's a handful and so very full of energy. He loves to meet new people and see strange places a little too much."
"He was no problem. You are leaving Naboo then?"
"Yes, the invasion force is very large. We have decided to withdraw from the planet while we can," Obi-Wan stated simply.
"Will the Federation allow you to leave? Your people know of this hostile action."
"The Federation is maintaining that a communication back out was necessary to curtail any electronic commerce and to limit the possibility of smuggling. Officially, we have requested permission to leave the planet since there is little we can do to improve Naboo's ecology." Obi-Wan replied with a sly smile. "Only yourself, DeaMak, and I really know what is going on down here."
Qui-Gon looked around and noticed that the infirmary was empty now. Even Talis had gone to allow privacy for this conversation.
"Is this the truth? You cannot help the Naboo?"
"Yes, however there are many things we can do to combat the deficiencies in their agricultural base. That is what has caused this situation," Obi-Wan responded soberly.
"They have given you leave to evacuate?"
"A five-hour window has been granted. I'm going to take the offer while it stands. I don't want anyone from AgriCorps stranded here while the Federation controls this planet."