BALANCE IN THE FORCE

BALANCE TO THE FORCE

AUTHOR: Ilaria
GENRE: general, angst

RATING: PG.=
PAIRING: a hint of Siriwan, but very canon like=
TIMEFRAME: Prequel Trilogy, AU
SUMMARY: Post-TPM AU. Newly knighted Obi-Wan Kenobi is sent on an undercover mission. He must find the Sith master and kill him in order to fulfil the Chosen One prophecy and bring balance to the Force...

PART ONE

Naboo, Royal Palace, medical Ward.<= o:p>

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Padawan<= /span>, was sitting at his master’s bedside, his blue-grey eyes fixed on the white sheet that covered Qui-Gon’s chest, rising and falling at the rhythm of his breath.

The royal healers had reassured the young man his master was doing well and would recover, but still Obi-Wan felt the need to= reassure himself that his mentor, friend and father figure was alive.

The image of Qui-Gon collapsing in the melting pit, his body passed through by the Sith’s red blade, wo= uld be forever etched in his memory, a constant reminder of how he had failed his = master. If only he had been quicker and less impulsive; if only he had not allowed = the Sith to separate them, if = only-

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and rubbed his smooth chin= , as he tried to release his feelings of regrets into the Force. Qui-Gon was always saying him to live in the moment, to f= ocus only on the present.

But if Obi-Wan was some= how able to let go of the past, he could not do the same with the future.<= /o:p>

The elusive feeling that had assaulted him on the Viceroy’s ship a few days before had returned and was now stronger. T= he Padawan was not able to tell exactly what it was or to pinpoint its origins. He just felt the Republic was in danger.

Was it because of the Sith’s return? Even if the Council member= s that had come to examine the body of the red-tattooed warrior Obi-Wan had killed= had yet to express their opinion, the young man was sure the Zabrak had been a Sith, and that he had been the appre= ntice, not the master.

The master, the Dark Lord, was somewhere out there= and Obi-Wan could almost feel him and sense his rage directed at him. Calling at him.

The Padawan shivered a= nd shifted his weight on the chair, as he tried to banish that haunting though= t, blaming his sense of guilt for it.

Obi-Wan was aware that he had been very close to t= he Dark Side the day Qui-Gon had been wounded.

The rage he had felt toward the creature that had slain his master had made him powerful, giving him the strength to resolve = the dangerous situation he had fallen into, and kill the Z= abrak when everything seemed lost.

The desperation he had felt when he had held Qui-<= span class=3DSpellE>Gon in his arms had given him the skills to start a d= eep healing trance that had allowed him to keep his master alive until medical rescue had arrived. Or at least he thought it was his desperation, because = he could not exactly remember that moment.

Whatever the case, Obi-Wan knew he had touched the= darkness not one, but two times—and yet he did not feel tainted. To the contra= ry, the light seemed to shine brightly in him, even more than before.

But = that is only your opinion, Kenobi, he told to himself. Wait and see what Master Yoda and Mast= er Windu will say about it.

As if on cue the door opened, and Mace Windu appeared on the threshold.

Obi-Wan stood up at once, and bowed his head in salute, “Master Windu.”<= /span>

“Come with me, Padawan<= /span> Kenobi; Master Yoda wishes to talk with you.”

The younger man nodded and after giving a final gl= ance to his sleeping master, he moved to the door and left the room.<= /span>

-----

Obi-Wan followed Master Windu= to a large room with a marble pavement and tall windows, through which the sunlight entered, creating plays of shadows and light over the scarce furniture.

Yoda was sitting on a low chair in the middle of t= he room, and Windu indicated Obi-Wan should take o= ne of the two remaining empty seats.

The young man obeyed, although he found it a bit surprising. Padawans did not sit in the presenc= e of Council members, especially when they were going to be questioned or reprimanded, as he sensed was going to happen.

“Viewed the records of the fight, we did,= 221; Master Yoda began. “Questions for you, we have.”

Obi-Wan nodded, “I am here to answer, Masters.”

Yoda and Mace Windu exchanged a glance, then the korum master asked bluntly, “We want to know what you felt when you saw your master being wounded and collapse.”

Obi-Wan swallowed hard; the moment of truth had co= me. He did not hesitate, however, and with a clear and calm voice told the masters what they wanted to know.

“I felt powerless, Master. Distraught. Worried. Angry.” A pau= se. “I felt hate toward that creature.”

“What you did? Did you release these emotion= s to the Force?”

Obi-Wan lowered his eyes. “No, Master. I drew strength from them. They made me quicker and stronger as I fought the Zabrak, and in the end they helped me to overcome my opponent.” Another pause, before the Padawan pushed bravely ahead. “Then, I once again drew power from them and fr= om my desperation to start a healing trance on my master.”

“The Dark Side of the Force, no healing power has. Destroys life it does; preserve it cannot. The power used you did to h= eal Qui-Gon, from other source it came.”=

Obi-Wan raised his head, and his wide eyes met the older master’s calm ones. “Then I didn’t imagine it…” he murmured.

“Imagine what, Obi-Wan?”

“When I was about to start the healing on Qu= i-Gon, I knew I would need strength to do it, because my healing skills have always been scarce. So I centred myself and prepared to call for the powers I used before—but somehow it didn’t seem ri= ght to use them again. So I decided to let the Force guide me. I felt a new rus= h of energy fill me, a power much alike before--and yet stronger. Different̷= 0;” Obi-Wan’s voice died, as his memory retur= ned and his wonder along with it.

“What happened, Obi-Wan?” Mace Windu prodded him, his voice urgent, as Yoda stared a= t the Padawan with unblinking eyes, apparently not wishing = to lose a single expression of his face.

“A flash of light, Masters. Inside me. I now realize it not only gave me the power I needed to sustain = and replace my master’s depleted life force, but it also dispelled the shadows still lingering inside me.” Obi-Wan shook his head slightly, = then stared straight at Yoda and added, “I-I have never felt something like that before. I felt like being the only one in the Force…to be the Force, if this did not sound so blasphemous.”

“Blasphemous it is not, Obi-Wan. Not for you. For many years, waiting for this moment we have been. Now, arrived it has.&= #8221;

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed in confusion, as his eyes moved from Yoda to Mace Windu and back.

It was the korum Maste= r that finally broke the silence. “I have a story to tell you, Obi-Wan. Plea= se listen to it without interrupting; Yoda and I will then answer any question= you might have.”

The Padawan nodded, an= d Master Windu started talking.

“Twenty-five years ago, I was on a mission o= n a planet called Rekam, a chilling hell just a lit= tle more comfortable than Hoth. One evening, as I was wa= lking along a street in one of the poorest areas of the capital city, my attention was caught by a young woman who was begging for money with an infant child = in her arms. The poor woman, just a little more than a girl, was shaking, her teeth chattering, her battered cloak not heavy e= nough to protect her from the chilling bite of the wind. Her child, however, look= ed fine despite the fact he was not covered any better than his mother. The Fo= rce was strong in him, and it was protecting him from the inclement weather, keeping him warm and healthy. I was amazed, for the child was barely a few months old, and Jedi need years of training to learn how to use the Force to protect themselves from harsh climates.”

Windu paused, as Obi-Wan thought he had been able to do it since he could remembe= r, having never suffered from cold and heat in his life. However he refrained = from commenting, for the councillor resumed his tale.

“I was curious about the boy and his father, since it was evident the young mother was not = Force sensitive. So I offered her a meal and a warm place to pass the night. The = girl was scared, thinking I wanted to abuse her, but I managed to convince her I only wanted to help her. She followed me, and I rented a room for her in a small hotel. I ordered food for her and milk for the child-- she was so thin she no longer had enough milk for her baby. As the evening progressed, I tr= ied to know more about the boy’s father. The child…the child was amazing. His Force signature was like a beacon in the room and I had to fig= ht the desire to stay near him and bask in his aura. I wanted to win the young woman’s trust enough to ask her to allow me to take the child to Coruscant, to the Temple, but she anticipated me, telling me to take her boy and to give him a better life—that very night. She knew her son was special, having noticed he= was never cold, and while she was not aware of what the Force was, she had sens= ed I was “special” like her boy. I gratefully accepted to take the c= hild with me. I gave her all the credits I had left and, before leaving, I asked= her who was the boy’s father. She told me ther= e had been no father, that she had never been with a m= an in her whole life. She was sure I would not believe her, as it happened with h= er employers, who had thrown her out of their house – she used to be a m= aid – because they thought she had seduced their young son. “But I was not so” she kept on swearing “I am untouched&= #8221;, and there was no deception in her. I told her I believed her story and, aft= er she said goodbye to her child, I took the boy and left her. A few hours lat= er I boarded a ship bound for Coruscant and, as soon= as I arrived to the Temple, I went to visit Master Yoda. We tested the boy’s blood for midi-chlorian count and the results were incredible.”= ;

Windu stopped again, this time with his gaze fixed on Obi-Wan, and the young man = felt the desire to squirm in his chair, so penetrating and somehow unsettling the master’s eyes were.

“The blood tester went off-scale. It actually broke, unable to cope with the amount of midi-chlorian= s in the child’s blood. Yoda and I were shocked. We recalibrated a more powerful computer, ran the test again and we got a staggering 28,000 count, something never recorded before—or after. That, coupled with the stor= y of the boy’s conception led us to think he was the prophesized Chosen One—and we still believe it. Now more than ever.&= #8221;

The master’s voice died and Obi-Wan shifted = his weight on the chair.

He had a bad feeling about the whole situation. No= , it was not a bad feeling—just unsettling.

From some remote corner of his mind, a memory had resurfaced…A dark alley, a dying fire, a young woman with pale skin, sunken cheeks and dark-circled eyes. Eyes that were blue-grey, but devoid of light. He remembered the uncomfortable sensation o= f her rough, chilly hands pressed against his tiny bare back, beneath his child-clothes as she tried to warm them against his always warm skin. He remembered the coarse lock of reddish-blond hair that kept on falling over = her brow and brushing his cheek, and the determination animating his smaller self as= he tried to catch it in his tiny fist. He remembered her smile, beautiful and = open in spite of everything.

“Mother,” Obi-Wan whispered in wonder,= as his eyes locked with Master Windu’s. R= 20;She was my mother.”

“Yes, she was. You are the boy I took with me when I left Rekam, Obi-Wan. You are the Chosen = One.”

“But-” Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest, but the words he had wanted to say died on his lips before he could pronounce them. He sensed his Force signature pulse and shine as never befo= re. It was so sudden, and it shocked him so much, he would have fallen had not = he been sitting. The pulsing continued for a while, the gradually ceased.=

“All right you are, Obi-Wan?” Yoda enquired, his brown eyes studying him intently.

“I-I think so,” he murmured, his voice shaky.

“Feel the change do you? Feel the Force course in you do you?”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He could feel the change—the flood of power running inside him. It was like all of his senses had suddenly come to life.

The Living Force, that elusive Living Force he alw= ays had troubles listening to, was now whispering to him, clear, strong, enchanting. He was aware of every one of the life-forms located inside the = Palace, in its gardens, in Theed. He could feel them mo= ve, eat, sleep, dream, love…

The Unifying Force instead was showing him the fut= ure-- a future clouded by darkness, dominated by a disfigured man with yellow eyes and rotten teeth and a tall being, half-man, half-machine, his face covered= by a dark metallic mask. A future where the Jedi no longer existed and the Dark Side ruled. But the future was always in motion, and the Unifying Force sho= wed that the darkness could still be broken, that the light could still prevail, and= it indicated a way to the young Jedi.

The vision ended and Obi-Wan struggled to cope with what had just seen and felt.

“What happened?” He asked the two mast= ers, “I mean, why nobody ever sensed my power if it is so great? I was alw= ays thought to be an average Jedi.”

“A long time ago, we decided your Force signature and powers were too strong and too unusual for a child as small as you,” Master Windu answered, leaning forw= ard in his chair. “We were concerned that the other Jedi might be wary of you and treat you differently. We wanted you to have a normal childhood and training, so we decided to shield part of your power from the others—= and from yourself. Yoda and I joined our forces and created a barrier around yo= ur Force core, dampening your Force signature and powers. It was our intention= to remove the barrier the day you would become a knight and we would reveal to= you the truth about your origin, but you preceded us. You first cracked the bar= rier when you summoned the power to save your master, but now it has completely = come down and dissolved, and you are aware of who and what you are.”<= /o:p>

Obi-Wan nodded almost distractedly, as his dazzled mind tried to cope with the revelations.

He was the Chosen One. He could barely believe it.= He would not believe it if not for th= e fact his Force signature was so powerful and for the way light had come to dispel the darkness he had felt and drew from when Qui-Gon had fallen.

Qui-= Gon…

Obi-Wan’s head s= napped up as he thought about his master. What would he think when he learned the truth? That the boy he believed in so much into was not the Chosen One? Wou= ld he be disappointed to discover the Chosen One of the prophecy was in reality his very ordinary apprentice? The boy he had once refused to take as his Padawan?

Obi-Wan must have been broadcasting because Mace <= span class=3DSpellE>Windu said, very seriously, “Qui-Gon must not be told who you are Obi-Wan—at least not now. Nobody but the three of us must know. We told you because the time has arrived for you to = know the truth, but also because we have a task for you. A mission only you can undertake.”

“A mission?” Obi-Wan sat straighter on his chair, his complete attention focused on what= was going to be said.

“Yes, Obi-Wan. To find the Sith Lord, we want you,” Yoda explained. “A new apprentice he will be seeking. Who better than the man that his late one slai= n?”

“I don’t think I understand, Master.&#= 8221;

“We want you to go on an undercover mission, Obi-Wan. It will look like you have left the Order because you touched the = Dark Side during your fight with the Si= th.”

Obi-Wan&#= 8217;s eyes widened in horror. “No,” he exclaime= d, shaking his head. “You have to find another excuse, another way. Qui-= Gon would be devastated if he thought he had lost ano= ther apprentice to the Dark Side. You know as well as me how long it took him to recover from Xanatos’ turn.”

“We are aware of it, Obi-Wan, but there is no other way. We cannot tell Qui-Gon the truth bec= ause we need the Sith Lord to perceive his emotions = and his grief as he will release them in the Force. The Si= th Lord is certainly not stupid; he will suspect you are an undercover agent w= hen he realizes you are tracking him. The only way to make him believe you were truly expelled is to make sure all the Jedi Order—your friends includ= ed – thinks you failed your trials of fire and succumbed to the Dark Sid= e.”

Obi-Wan lowered his head in his hands. “I don’t know if I can do it. If I can bear to cause such pain to my Mas= ter or to my friends…and loved ones.” Unbidden the image of Siri Tachi flashed in fro= nt of him. How could he do it to her? And what about Bant, Garen and Reeft? What would they think of him?

“A Jedi you are, Obi-Wan. From doing what is right, your attachments must not stop you. Know this you do,” Yoda sa= id gently, but with a hint of steel in his voice.

Obi-Wan could only bow his head in agreement. Yoda= was right. He was a Jedi, vowed to a life of sacrifice. He would bear his pain = and go on, as Qui-Gon, Siri and the others would do. And then, if everything went well, the deception would= not last forever. The young man gritted his teeth. There would be no “if” in this mission. He would discover the Sith Lord’s identity and location—and once he was done, he would return home and ask Qui-Gon’s forgiveness for all the pain he had cause= d him, and would bear in silence the tirade Siri would= give him.

Obi-Wan raised his head and looked at his elders, = his eyes now full of resolution. “When must I leave, Masters?”=

“As soon as possible, Obi-Wan. Before Qui-Gon awakes and asks for you.”

“I see.”

“But first you must prepare,” Mace Windu said, as he stood up and pulled out a small obj= ect from the inner pocket of his tunic.

Obi-Wan watched curious as the master turned it in= his hand. It was a thin, circular patch, made of what looked like synthetic ski= n.

Mace Windu walked to w= here the younger man was still sitting and explained. “This is a Force dampener I have created for you, Obi-Wan. It doesn’t completely block= out your connection with the Force, and it conceals your signature. With this o= n, the Sith will percei= ve you as a gifted, powerful Jedi, but not as the extraordinary being you are. As = you can see it is very thin, invisible to the scanners and water-proof. Ideally= you should apply it on your chest, so to be able to remove it quickly should you need to do it.”

Obi-Wan nodded, and lost no time in opening his tunics, so that Windu could apply the adhesive = device over his sternum. Once it was done, the master pushed a hidden button in the middle of the patch, and the Force dampener started working. Obi-Wan felt a slight disorientation, as his body adapted to his reduced connection with t= he Force, when everything returned to normal.

The Padawan tested his abilities and discovered they were as they had been before the barrier crea= ted by Windu and Yoda had crumbled.

“Are you well?” The korum master asked.

“Yes, Master. I fell fine.”=

“Good. Then ready for the next step you are,” intruded Yoda. The little master slid down his chair and hobbled toward the other two Jedi. “Get down on your knee, Obi-Wan. Something else must be done before you leave.”

Obi-Wan obeyed without hesitation and watched as b= oth Yoda and Mace Windy ignited their lightsabres a= nd raised them. He experienced a moment of confusion, before realization slowly dawned at him.

“Your trials you have passed, Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, and now, by the right of the Council,” Yoda declared, as grazed Obi-Wan’= ;s left shoulder with the lightsabre. “By th= e will of the Force,” the little master moved the ‘sabre to the kneeli= ng man’s right shoulder. “Dub thee I do Jedi Knight of the Republic,” and with a quick sweep of his wrist he cut away the long b= raid Obi-Wan had grown since he had become a Padawan= .

Obi-Wan stood up, a smile on his face. This was not how he had imagined his knighting ceremony, but it did not make it less meaningful and important for him. He had worked hard to archive the status = of Knight, and now that he had reached it, he intended to keep on working hard= to serve the Order and the Republic at the best of his abilities.

His mind went to Qui-Gon, lying in his bed, unknowing of what was going on and he felt a twinge of regret. His Master should have been here today…Obi-Wan resolutely released his feelings to the Force, then turned = to look at Mace Windu.

“What now, Master?”<= /p>

&sec= t;

One hour later Obi-Wan Kenobi left the Royal Palace from a side entry, like a thief in the night—or a dishonoured Jedi th= at had betrayed his vows.

He was wearing simple travelling clothes, a pair o= f heavy boots and a small bag. He felt almost naked without his familiar uniform, b= ut the weight of his lightsabre pressing against h= is spine, held there by the special holster Master Windu<= /span> had fitted on him, somehow reassured him.

Obi-Wan had thought his ‘sabre lost forever = when it had fallen in the pit during his battle with the Za= brak, but it had landed on a bunch of garbage than had prevented it from smashing. Yoda and Mace Windu had retrieved it when they = had examined the Sith’s remains, and handled it to him when they had requested him to leave behind = Qui-Gon’s lightsabre, t= he one he had used to kill the Zabrak.

As he walked in the direction = of the spaceport, Obi-Wan’s fingers closed over the other two things = that would provide him some comfort during the long, difficult mission ahead: the river stone Qui-Gon had given him for his thirt= eenth birthday, and his severed Padawan braid. <= /o:p>

He would carry them with him, both as a comfort an= d a reminder of what was expected from him. Obi-Wan Kenobi,= Chosen One of the Force. <= /p>

He was a Jedi—and he would not fail in his mission.

He would find the Sith Master and eliminate him.

It was his duty.

It was his destiny.

&sec= t;§§§§

The first thing Qui-Gon Jinn slowly become aware of was the monotonous beep-beep echoing near his right = ear. Shortly afterward, he struggled to open his eyes and look at his surroundin= gs.

It took him some time, for his eyelids seemed glue= d to each other, making him wonder for how much time he had been asleep—or unconscious.

When he finally managed to open his eyes, he blink= ed, focusing his vision on the small room he was in.

He was not at the Temple. The walls there covered by expensive-looking paintings, the ceiling was adorned with stucco-decoration= s, and the furniture was finely crafted and made in authentic wood.=

Wher= e am I? Qui-Gon thought. I seem to remember I was wounded but…

He was so tired and the steady beep by his side was contributing to lull him back to sleep.

He was about to close his eyes again, when he sudd= enly became aware something was missing from that room. Or better, someone was missing.

His Padaw= an.

Obi-Wan had always been by his side all the times = Qui-Gon had regained his senses after an injury. Sometime= he had been awake, fussing over his master like a perfect nurse; other times he had been asleep, slumped on a chair, his chin lowered to his chest and look= ing so young and exhausted Qui-Gon had been sorry t= o wake him.

Why he was not here now? Has something happened to him?

The images of their battle against the red-tattooe= d Sith flashed into his mind= , as he experienced again the agony he had felt when the red blade had entered his flesh.

Qui-Gon racked his bra= in, trying to remember what had happened next, as the monitor by his side start= ed beeping faster and louder, responding to the accelerating rhythm of his heartbeat.

The door of the room slid open, as three people ru= shed inside. One was a man wearing a medical gear, the other was Mace Windu, the last one was Yo= da.

“Masters!” croaked Qui-Gon, trying to sit up, but the doctor blocked him, pushing him back against the mattress.

“For stars’ sake, Qui-Gon, be still and calm down,” ordered Mace Windu, posing his hands on his shoulders as the doctor checked the monitors by the bed.

Then two men exchanged a glance, and the korum master nodded. The healer prepared a hypospray, handed it to the Jedi and left the room sh= ortly afterward, leaving the three alone.

Mace Windu Force- pull= ed a chair by his bedside and sat down, as Yoda did the same on the left side.

“Where is Obi-Wan?” Qui-Gon asked, not losing time in wondering why and when = the two councillors had arrived on Naboo.

The dark-skinned master did not answer, and lowered his head.

His concern increasing, Qui-G= on turned to look at Yoda, and met the old master’s wise and sad eyes. A shiver of dread ran along his spine, as he forced his now-dry lips to repeat his question.

“Where is Obi-Wan? Tell me, I beg you.”= ;

“Gone, young Kenobi is,” Yoda finally answered.

“What?!” Qui-Gon paled as he shook his head. “He c= annot be dead! I spoke with him…He was fine…I told him to train the boy…” He probed along their training bond, searching for his Padawan’s presence—and his breath caught = in his throat when he discovered the link was neatly broken.

He looked at Mace Windu with pleading eyes, and his old friend answered, “Pad= awan Kenobi has resigned from the Jedi, Qui-Gon, and= asked us to sever your bond.”

“What…how…why…” Qui-= Gon was aware he was stammering, but he could barely = grasp what the other masters were saying. Obi-Wan gone? Resigned from the Jedi? It was impossible!

Yoda and Mace exchanged a glance, then the younger master spoke again, his voice gentle and soothing. “Qui-<= span class=3DSpellE>Gon, Obi-Wan called to the Dark Side to kill the Sith, then he did it again= to summon the energy to keep you alive till medical help arrived. It-it tainted him, Qui-Gon. Badly.= His aura was no longer bright and pure when we met him, and he knew it. He knew= we would not admit him back to the Temple in his condition, thus he resigned. He has promised to go in seclusion to meditate and to purge himself, and to return to us when he feels ready, whe= n he feels worthy to be a Jedi again-”

“Where has he gone?” Qui-Gon rasped, interrupting the other man.

“We don’t know.”

“You don’t know? How could you let him go?! Why did not you help him!?” Qui-Gon exclaimed as loud as he could, trying to sit up a= gain.

“Calm down you will!” Yoda ordered, as= Windu pushed him back. “Know you do why admit h= im back to the Temple= we could not. Difficult times these are; the Sith returned have. A tainted Jedi in our ranks= we cannot have.”

Qui-Gon went limp agai= nst the pillows, all his strength gone.

Yoda was right, of course. He has sensed the Dark = Side shrouding the Republic; he had seen the Sith at work. He knew why they could not risk having a potential Dark Jedi in th= e Temple—but = it did not make his pain easier to bear.

Obi-= Wan, he called through the severed bond, why did you not wait for me to wake up before leaving? Why did you not ask for = my help, Padawan?

He closed his eyes, as his heart was crushed by a terrible consideration.

Obi-Wan had fallen to the Dark Side.

Like Xanatos before hi= m.

He had lost another Padawan, and it was all his fault.

He was a failure as a teacher.

“I w= ill not turn”, Obi-Wan had promised many years before…and inste= ad he had…he had…he had…

Someone shook him by his shoulders, while another voice called his name and the monitor by his bed broke in a frantic beep-be= ep-beep.

Blood pounded in his ears, his breath became hurri= ed and tears started streaking along his cheek.

He felt something cold being pressed against his n= eck and soon his body and mind was pervaded by a warm, drug-induced calm and torpor.

Qui-Gon’s last t= hought before falling asleep was for Obi-Wan and for his broken promise.

&sec= t;§§§§

Yoda and Mace Windu wa= lked side by side along the gravel-covered path crossing the extensive gardens of the Royal= Palace.

Their pace was slow, their minds lost in thoughts,= as they both recalled what had happened a short time before.=

“I am afraid Qui-Gon will not recover from this blow. It is like something snapped inside him,” Mace said, breaking the silence that had reigned between them so far. “Obi-Was was right, we should have told him the truth.”

Yoda shook his head. “Know you do why we cou= ld not. Strong Qui-Gon<= span class=3DGramE>, is. Go on he will.”

Mace pursed his lips, not convinced. “I am n= ot sure he will. Do you remember how long it took him to recover from Xanatos’ betrayal? And he was not as close to h= im as he is with Obi-Wan.”

The korum master stopp= ed and looked down at his companion. “I think we should tell him how things really are. It is too cruel to let him believe he has failed again as a teacher. He is a good man, a good Jedi, he doesn’t deserve to suffer like this. Let’s tell him the truth, or at least part of it…”=

“No,” Yoda hit the ground with his gimer stick. “We can’t. The Sith Lord Qui-Gon’s desperation must sense, if= Obi-Wan’s mission successful is to be. Too importan= t it is.”

“Then we will have to help him; we cannot le= ave him alone now.”

“Of course; contact we will his Master, Dooku. Get along well, they did. Help his former padawan he will.”

Mace nodded, “That’s a good idea, but = Qui-Gon will also need a reason to go on with his life.

“The boy from Tatooine<= /span>, that reason will be. Train him Qui-Gon will.= 221;

“Uhmm…I don’t think it will work. Qui-Gon has, as= far as he knows, lost two apprentices to the Dark Side. I don’t think he = will be easily convinced to accept Anakin as his student after two failures.R= 21;

“No choice leave to him, we will. Qui-Gon the boy to be Chosen One, believes. That nobody b= ut him is willing or able to train the boy tell him we will,” Yoda explained.

Mace nodded. “I think it might work, Qui-Gon truly believes the boy is the One. I feel bad to = have to lie to him about this too. Anakin is not the Chosen One, and not just because his midi-chlorian count is lower than O= bi-Wan’s. The DNA test I ran on the boy’s bl= ood showed he has a biological father. I just wonder why the boy’s mother lied to Qui-Gon.”

Yoda smiled sadly. “Because, like so many ye= ars ago, this mother too a better life for her child wanted. Young Skywalker Ch= osen One is not, but very powerful he is. A good thing it is under our care he is now; protect him from the Sith we will. As for Qui-Gon, a wise Jedi he is. Understand our reasons he will and forgotten everything will be when Obi-Wa= n at the Temple returns.”

Mace pursed his lips and commented. “I really hope you are right, for Obi-Wan would never forg= ive us should something happen to him.” He was about to resume his walk, whe= n he realized Yoda was not going to follow him. “What is it?”

“Thinking of Padawan Tachi, I was,” the little master answered. “Very close to Obi-Wan she is. Too close, maybe. Very wilful she is; determinate. Concerned I am try to find him she = will want.”

“So?”

“Approaching her Trials she is; a mission to= her we will give, before of Obi-Wan she learns. An undercov= er assignment, maybe. To our rooms let us return, Master Gallia to cont= act we need.”

And speaking so, the two Jedi masters turned on th= eir heels and walked toward the Palace.

&sec= t;§§§§

Sitting on a plush chair Darth Sidious, best known as Roberd Palpa= tine, newly elected Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic stared at the flames dancing in an antiquated fireplace.<= /p>

The Sith Lord brought = to his lips a cup of Nubian cognac and sighed in relief. Thank the Force the serie= s of festivities held to celebrate Naboo’s vic= tory against the Trade Federation was ended, and he would now be free to return = to Coruscant and to his scheming.

Darth Sidious looked f= orward to tightening his hold over the Senate and the Republic, for he was determi= ned to never relinquish the power he had managed to grab.

He closed his eyes and saw the future stretching in front of him, a future where the S= ith would once again rule the Galaxy after crushing the Jedi. He had everything already planned in his mind, but he needed help to do everything. He needed= an apprentice.

Darth Sidious opened h= is eyes and suddenly threw his glass against the wall, where it shattered in thousands of little pieces.

Damn the Jedi for killing his apprentice! And damn Darth Maul for letting himself be overcome by a = mere padawan!

His face twisted in a grimace of anger, Darth Sidious pondered about his next move. He needed a new apprentice, but he had not the time to raise one from childhood as he had d= one with Darth Maul. He needed someone older, already able to use the ForceR= 30;His calculating eyes lightened up when he thought that perhaps is search would = not be to difficult, for the Jedi had offered him two possible candidates.=

One was Anakin Skywalker, the incredibly gifted boy who had destroyed the Trade Federation droid control ship.

The other – and it was a much more immediate possibility due to his age and training – was Obi-Wan Kenobi, the for= mer Jedi padawan who had killed Darth Maul.

Apparently the young man had been expelled by the Order because he had touched the Dark Side twice while fighting with his la= te apprentice, something the narrow-minded Jedi could not forgive.<= /span>

Darth Sidious has sens= ed the echo of Darkness around Kenobi’s aura when he had briefly met him aft= er his arrival on Naboo. Thus, he had not been too surprised when, after he had asked a pale-looking Master Jinn why one of the “Heroes Of Naboo” was not present during the ceremony held in his honour, he had discovered t= he young man had resigned from the Jedi.

The Sith Lord smirked.= He would have to put his spies at work to find Kenobi. The young man had already savoured the powers of the Dark Side once and, with the right push, he had = the means and the abilities to become a worthy apprentice and a powerful Sith&#= 8212;at least till the time Anakin Skywalker would be old enough to replace him.

Darth Sidious smiled a= nd went to pour himself another glass of cognac, his mind again lost in his planning.

PART TWO

Two years later

The first thing Qui-Gon Jinn sensed as he stepped down the ship that had just brought him home, was the = echo of a Force signature he had not perceived in more than two years. It was su= ch a welcome shock, he stopped in mid-stride and turned to face the sky to better concentrate on what he was feeling.

The Force signature he was sensing was achingly familiar, so familiar he had often thought he knew it better than his own, = and in whose brightness and warmth he had always basked.

However, its light no longer shone so brightly; something had obscured part of it. Its warmth was no longer the same…=

Qui-Gon was not aware = he had stopped in the middle of the ramp, with his eyes closed in concentration, u= ntil he felt a slight tug on his sleeve.

“Are you all right, Master?” Anakin Skywalker’s concerned voice asked.

Qui-Gon opened his eye= s and lowered his head to look at the boy by his side. “Yes, Padawan, I am all right. I was just thinking. Come, let’s get inside the Tem= ple. We are both tired and in need of rest.” He smiled, “This will be first night in six months we sleep in our beds!”

Anakin, a tall boy in his early teens grinned broa= dly, barely restraining from shooting a “Yippie!” atop of his lungs, as Qui-Gon gently ruffled hi= s short hair before resuming his walk down the ramp and toward the Temple entry hall.

It was good to be back after such a long and diffi= cult mission. Anakin would now have the time to catch up on his studies and his friends, while he would finally have he chance to demonstrate to everybody = that Obi-Wan had not fallen to the Dark Side.

Contrary to what had happened with Xanatos, Qui-Gon had never accepted Obi-Wan had really t= urned. He had always sensed that one day he and his Padawan would meet again, and he was sure he would succeed in bringing the young man back to the Light.

His conviction was not shaken even now that he had sensed by himself how tainted Obi-Wan’s F= orce signature had become.

&sec= t;

Qui-Gon had taken only= a few steps inside the Temple when Mace Windu appeared from behind a column a= nd gestured with his hand.

“Wait a moment, Qui-Gon, I need to talk = with you.”

Already guessing what the topic would be, Qui-Gon put a hand on Anakin’s shoulder and said, “Go ahead, Padawan. I will join you soon.”

“Yes, Master,” the boy bowed his head = and walked away, in the direction of their quarters.

Qui-Gon watched his retreating back until he turned a corner and disappeared from his sight. On= ly then he faced Mace Windu, who was now standing = by his side.

“Mace,” he greeted his friend.

“Qui-Gon. It is good to see you home.”

Qui-Gon smiled weakly, waiting for the other to go on.

Mace tilted his head toward the long corridor stretching in front of them and suggested, “Come, let’s walk together to the Gardens.”

Qui-Gon nodded and fel= l in step with the councillor, proceeding in silence along the Temple halls until they reached the Gar= dens. By that time, the Jedi Master had decided he could not wait a moment more to hear what Mace had to say.

“So, when are you going to tell me Obi-Wan i= s on Coruscant?”

Mace Windu stopped, fa= ced him and commented, “Nothing escapes you, does it?”

Qui-Gon folded his arm= s in the sleeves of his robe. “I sensed his presence as soon as I stepped = off the ship.”

“I am not surprised; you were very close to him.”

I st= ill am, Qui-Gon thought, but = said nothing. He just nodded, inviting the other Jedi to go on.

“He arrived four days after you and Anakin l= eft for Roon, which means he has been here for the = past six months.”

“Here?” Qui-Gon&#= 8217;s heart started beating a little faster. “Is he here in the Temple?”

“No, he is not in the Temple—but he is very close.̶= 1; The korum master took a deep breath and added, R= 20;He works as Chancellor Palpatine’s chief sec= urity officer and personal bodyguard.”

Qui-Gon&#= 8217;s eyes widened in surprise. “Ob= i-Wan? A bodyguard to a politician? He despises that kind of people!” The Jedi Master could barely believe what he was hearing. A bodyguard! But at least the job was an honest one; it had nothing to do with being a bounty hunter or a mercenary. He had never especially liked Palpatine, nor the interest the politician showed in Anakin, but at least in this occasion Qui-Gon felt grateful to the Chancellor for hiring Obi-Wa= n. After all, if a person as important as him had chosen to trust the young man with such an important task, it meant he had faith in him.

“Have you seen Obi-Wan?” Qui-Gon asked after he recovered from his stupor.

“Yes, I have. That’s why I am talking = with you now.” Mace Windu took a deep breath a= nd continued more gently. “Qui-Gon, my frien= d, I know you have never lost the hope to see Obi-Wan return among us, but I must warn you: he has changed. He no longer is the young man we used to know.= 221; He passed his hand over his bald head. “He is hardened, full of anger= . Dark. I don’t think his time in seclusion did him well. I wanted to let you know, so you will be prepared when you meet him.”

Qui-Gon shook his head, resolutely ignoring what he had perceived in Obi-Wan&#= 8217;s Force signature. “I cannot believe he changed so much. There has never been a brighter light than Obi-Wan’s. I c= annot believe it is not possible to recuperate him. I didn’t believe it two years ago and I don’t believe it now. I will bring him back, I swear.”

Mace Windu lowered his= head in front of his friend’s passionate words. “I wish you to be successful, but I suggest that you not to have high hopes. Obi-Wan is lost for us.”

Qui-Gon shook his head again, as he released his anger and desperation to the Force. No. Obi-Wan <= span class=3DGramE>was not lost. He could sense it. He would prove it.

His control regained, he bowed his head and said, = his tone cold and formal. “I thank you for the advice, Master Windu. Now, if you excuse me, I am tired, and in need= of rest and meditation.”

And thus speaking he turned on his heels and walked away without waiting for an answer or a dismissal.

&= sect;

<= o:p>

Mace Windu watched Qui= -Gon leave and let out a deep breath, as he forced him= self to relax.

He knew his friendship with Qui-Gon had made him the most suitable person to tell him Obi-Wan had returned to <= span class=3DSpellE>Coruscant. However, he had not wanted to be the one to watch as the light disappeared from his friend’s eyes when he told him how Obi-Wan had changed and how it was widely believed he would never retur= n to the Temple.

He was aware that it had been this hope – al= ong his training of the supposed Chosen One – to help Qui-Gon to go on with his life during the past two years, and he did not want to be= the one crushing it.

Nobody knew how long Obi-Wan&= #8217;s mission would last, and Mace was concerned for Qui-Gon= ’s well being. It was not right he had to suffer so much for nothing, but it w= as now too late to tell him the truth. Obi-Wan was sure the Sith Lord was on Coruscant, which meant he could sen= se a sudden shift in the Force such the one an overjoyed and powerful master as = Qui-Gon could create should he be informed about his form= er padawan’s undercover assignment. No, they could= not risk ruining everything now that they were so close.

Mace and Yoda had met with Obi-Wan twice since his return to Coruscant, once officially, in his of= fice in the Senate Building, once secretly, at night, inside the Temple.

The korum master close= d his eyes and remembered that encounter…

Yoda= , Mace and Obi-Wan were sitting in a small room in the Temple underground floor, an area seldom visited for it hosted the cells once used to imprison the Sith during the last war between the Jedi and the Dark Lords.

It w= as somehow fitting they had gathered there to discuss how to proceed now that = Obi-Wan’s perceptions had led him to the Chancellor’s service, straight at the core of the Republican governme= nt.

The Sith Lord possessed an incredible power of concealment, and even Obi-Wan had not be able so far to discover who he was.<= /span>

R= 20;It could be a senator, one of the secretaries…even the Chancellor,” Obi-Wan said, his face half-hidden by the hood of his dark robe.=

Mace= Windu almost shivered. “I don’t think it = is the Chancellor, I have never felt any darkness in him.”=

R= 20;It doesn’t matter,” Obi-Wan commented. “I will continue with= my plan to bring him in the open. I can feel him close, especially in the nigh= t, when he calls at the darkness.” The young man’s blue-grey, wise= -beyond-his-age eyes looked at him seriously, “Darkness seeks darkness and I intend to give the Sith Lord exactly what he wants...R= 21;

R= 20;What if he wants you?” Mace all but exploded, standing up and pacing back = and forth.

R= 20;Then he will have me. I will call him master and pledge him my life if it is necessary to bring him out.” Obi-Wan’s voice was a sharp and cold hiss, and when Mace met his gaze again he discov= ered the young Jedi’s eyes were no longer blue-grey, but yellow—the = eyes of a Sith.

Mace= ’s hand instinctively rushed to the hilt of his lightsabr= e, but Yoda stopped him with a quick shake of his head.<= /p>

R= 20;Look,” the other master simply said, pointing at Obi-Wan with his green hand.=

Mace obeyed and watched as Obi-Wan closed his disturbing eyes and called on the Force. The older Jedi felt the room fill with the Light Side of the Force, = and watched as its currents swirled around Obi-Wan. Then everything was quiet again, and when the young man opened his eyes, they were as blue and bright= as they had ever been.

Obi-= Wan then lowered his mental shields, inviting the two masters to check his mind. They did as asked, and found no lingering darkness in him.

Once= they were done, Obi-Wan grinned, showing a hint of the humour he had been famous for. “I suppose this is what the prophecy meant with “balance to the Force”,” he commented.

R= 20;Uhmm…” Yoda answered, with no amusement. “Mysterious the ways of the Force are. Careful with your power you mu= st be, Obi-Wan. Lose you we cannot.”

Obi-= Wan nodded, very sober now, “I know, Master. And I swear to you that, no matter what will happen, I will not turn.”

Sile= nce had fallen on the room, as Mace Windu and Yoda = had nodded, well aware that, ultimately, they could not do anything but trust Obi-Wan. He was the one with the power to save or destroy all of them and nothing they might do or say could ever change that fact. They could only k= eep their faith in the dutiful young Jedi sitting there, and in his bright, generous heart.

Afte= r a while Obi-Wan broke the silence with his soft-spoken question, “How is Qui-Gon? Is he all right?”

Mace cleared his voice, “He is fine. He is on a mission with his padawan.”

R= 20;I am happy he has recovered well.”

R= 20;He has—physically. Emotionally…well, that’s another matter. = He doesn’t believe you have turned Obi-Wan, and I am sure he will come to visit you as soon as he discovers you are on planet.”

R= 20;I see,” Obi-Wan lowered his head, and the two masters sensed his confli= ct.

R= 20;Allow your Master to glimpse the truth you cannot, Obi= -Wan. Send him away, you must. Show your true self out of the Temple you cannot, the Sith Lord sense you would.” Yoda pointed at him= with his stick. “Dangerous might be for Qui-Gon to be near you. Push him away, you must. Hurt him, if necessary.”

Obi-= Wan raised his face, and this time he looked younger than he was. “I can’t hurt him again. He has suffered enough. He is like a father for= me. How can I look at him in the eyes and push him away?”

The = two masters did not comment on the other Jedi’s blatant show of attachmen= t, for they knew Obi-Wan would end up doing his duty, no matter what…

Mace Windu returned to= the present and sighed. He was sure Obi-Wan would do what was right for the mis= sion and his master, and that was why he had alerted Qui-Go= n—because he knew how convincing the young Jedi could and would be.=

A pair of cold, yellow eyes flashed into his mind,= and Mace shivered as he murmured, “May the Force be with you Qui-Gon. You will need it, my friend.”

&sec= t;§§§§

Obi-Wan pushed his plate away and leaned back agai= nst the chair, his hands folded in his lap.

“Don’t you like it, Officer Kenobi?= 221; Chancellor Palpatine asked him, from his place = in front of him.

“It’s wonderful, Sir, but I am not hungry.”

“I dare say you are never hungry nowadays. A= re you sick?”

“No, Sir.”

“Then it’s because you are so tense. Y= ou are worried about something, I can sense it.”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at the man’s words, but did not comment on them. After all he had been projecting his tenseness= and irritation – his supposed tenseness and irritation against the Jedi Order—quite strongly in the past days. He had done so to attract the = Sith Lord’s interest, and it was probable the Chancellor had perceived it too.

Since a vision had led him back to Coruscant, Obi-Wan had done everything he could to discover where the Sith Lord was hiding and learn his identity. He had toured the lower levels of t= he city, and spent several nights in deep meditation, extending his perception= s as far and deeply as he could, but it had not worked. He had been able to sense the shroud of darkness what was gradually falling on the galaxy, but not to locate its source. It was clear the Sith Lord k= ept himself tightly shielded, and used subtle means to com= mit his deeds, such as influencing weak minds and bribing greedy hearts.

Thus Obi-Wan had decided to change his approach to= the problem. He had stopped searching for the Sith = Lord and had begun to work to have the Dark Lord come to seek him out.

He had started to call the Dark Side to him, with increasingly frequency and intensity, in the hope the = Sith Lord would come to him, maybe to ask him to become his apprentice, maybe to kill him. It did not really matter; what was important was to discover the man’s identity.

It had been hard, of course, for Obi-Wan had to go against everything he had learned. He had to force himself to open up to the Dark Side, but once he had done it, he had been surprised – and worri= ed – by how easy it was. It was too easy to give rein to his basest instincts, to bask in his anger against the Sith Lord, to summon his hate for the man that threatened to destroy the world he loved and had sworn to protect. And with each time he did so, it became more difficult to get rid of those feelings and of the darkness he felt was grow= ing inside him. His healing meditation, as he called the sessions when he opened himself to the Light Side, had to be kept short lest the Sith Lord might perceive them, and they were no longer enough to completely purge him from the darkness.

Perhaps, Obi-Wan thought, things would be better i= f he were able to remove the Force dampener attached to his body, but he could n= ot risk betraying his real nature before the right moment arrived…The yo= ung man almost groaned.

How he wished he could talk with Master Yoda or Ma= ster Windu—or with Qui-Go= n.

Obi-Wan was acutely awa= re his former master was near. Their training bond had been severed by Yoda after = his knighting, but he could still feel Qui-Gon, and the older man’s worry for him.

“Officer Kenobi? Kenobi!= ” Chancellor Palpatine shook his shoulder and Obi= -Wan realized he had been silent and staring in front of him for several minutes= .

He felt a bout of irritation at having been caught= so unaware, and his temper showed in his eyes.

“Forgive me, Chacellor<= /span>,” he said, bowing his head in apology.

“No need, son—but are you sure you are= all right? Your eyes…they look strange.”

Obi-Wan tensed. He knew that his eyes turned yellow when he fell prey to the Dark Side, but why were= they so now? Was he so corrupted even a bit of irritation was enough to unleash = the dark power in him?

The young Jedi gritted his teeth and lowering his head, released his rage into the Force. When he faced the Chancellor again,= Palpatine was still looking at him, a soft and concer= ned smile on his lined features.

“Your eyes are back to their usual colour, Kenobi,” he commented and Obi-Wan thought he heard approval in the man’s voice. Or was he imagining it?

“I-I this happens when I am angry with someo= ne, Chancellor,” he tried to explain. “I will make sure it does not happen again, Sir.”

Palpatine nodded as he relaxed against the back of his chair, his expression thoughtf= ul. “May I know who or what caused you anger?”

“I was thinking of the Jedi, of how they cas= t me away without giving me any chance to repair my wrong-doings.” Obi-Wan answered, the lie coming easily to his lips.

“I understand, son. It sounds so unfair. I remember how surprised and disconcerted I was when I discovered one of the heroes of my home planet had been so summarily dismissed by the Jedi Order.= I asked for explanations, but I was told it was a private matter.” Palpatine smiled at him gently, “That was why I= was so happy to be able to give you a job, Obi-Wan. I am sure whatever you did = was not as serious as the Jedi thought…” He cocked his head, silent= ly urging Obi-Wan to tell him more.

“I killed in rage the man who had wounded my master.”

The Chancellor arched an eyebrow. “It seems a very natural reaction to me.”

“It’s not the Jedi way,” Obi-Wan insisted.

“Well, my boy, le= t me say there are several rules of the Jedi I don’t understand. That one about love, for example. Why are the Jedi for= bidden to love? It seems so cruel.”

Obi-Wan was about to protest it was not so, but decided to keep silent. It was not the right moment to defend the Order.

So he said nothing as Palpati= ne smiled at him in that understanding, sweet and yet somehow artificial way of his. Then the politician’s expression hardened as he commanded, “However, my dear boy, you must learn to behave well in the Jedi̵= 7;s presence, no matter how right your resentment is. It would not do good to my office to have the chief of my guards show = such hostility every time he sees a Jedi.”

“Yes, Sir,” Obi-Wan bowed his head. “I will keep myself under control, I promise. And now, Chancellor, forgive me, but I have a hand-to-hand combat training session scheduled to start in fifteen minutes.”

“Of course, Officer Keno= bi. You are free to go, and have a nice and productive day.”

Obi-Wan stood up, looking forward to the upcoming = work out, although he would first stop by his quarters for a brief, much needed meditation session.

&sec= t;§§§§

Darth Sidious watched = the young man leave the room, and smiled, feral.

Kenobi was progressing well, very well indeed, and soon he would be ready to become his apprentice.

The Sith Lord had moved slowly during the previous two years, not wanting to commit some rash actio= ns.

He had not be sure, in the beginning, if Kenobi had really been banished for good or sent out on some undercover mission, maybe= in a foolish attempt to discover who he was.

There had been times in the past years when he had sensed a powerful mind—a powerful Jedi mind – scan the Force in search of him, but he had soon realized it could not be Kenobi’s. The young man was powerful, but not so much. Probably it had been Master Yoda—that little troll was arrogant enough to think he could track a = Sith Lord…Foolish Jedi!

Darth Sidious laughed briefly, wondering what Yoda would think if he knew who Roberd Palpatine really was, then returned to his musi= ng about Kenobi.

The boy had stayed on a moon of Endor for almost a year, living with a disgusting, animal-like local tribe, proba= bly trying to get rid of his darkness, but without any success.

Afterward Kenobi had served as security officer on= a cruise ship, until the time Darth Sidious had felt it = was safe enough to bring him to Coruscant, where he= could keep him under his eyes.

As the Sith Lord had h= oped, the frequent coming and going of Jedi in his office, and the way most of th= em looked at Kenobi, with pity and disapproval, had made the resentment mount inside the young man, so much he was now tethering on the edge of the Dark Side.

It had been almost breathtaking for Darth Sidious to watch Kenobi’s eyes turn yellow in f= ront of him, as the young man basked in his obvious irritation, and he had to bi= te his lips to prevent himself from smiling in triumph. Kenobi was almost read= y to turn! He was not a Jedi sent out undercover to find him, as in his paranoia= he had first thought. No Jedi would access and bask in the Dark Side like that= !

Yes, Kenobi had been able to bring himself under control when he had mentioned his yellow eyes, but that had been a good thi= ng. A Sith needed to be in con= trol of himself. Deceptions, acting in the shadows, that was how they worked, not letting the others see what they were. He managed to k= eep his real appearance always concealed, and so would Kenobi.

He would show his fresh, clean-shaved look in fron= t of the world, and he would walk in the Darkness with him.

Darth Sidious.

His master.

<= o:p>

&sec= t;§§§§

Qui-Gon Jinn stared at= the polished plaque and at the letters inscribed on it: Chief Security Officer = O. Kenobi.

He was inside the administrative area of the Senate Building, standing in front of a closed door, a part of him wanting to buzz and be ad= mitted, while another wanted to leave and return to the Temple, to Anakin and to the life he had rebuilt for himself.

“Coward!” A voice said inside him, R= 20;Are you suddenly afraid to see what he= has become to save your life?”

Qui-Gon closed his eye= s and centred himself. Yes, if he was completely honest, he was afraid of what – who – he would find inside that of= fice. Mace Windu was not the kind of man who gave war= ning without a reason.

Mace had told Qui-Gon Obi-Wan had changed, and he was hesitant to discover how much. However, he = also knew that if there was someone able to help Obi-Wan, that was him.

Squaring his shoulders, Qui-G= on raised his hand to press the buzzer, but the door opened before he could complete the movement. He stepped inside, his previous hesitation forgotten= .

The office was large, luxurious and it seemed stra= nge to find Obi-Wan, whose most precious possession had used to be a little roc= k, in the middle of that opulence, dressed in a tailored uniform made with exp= ensive Corellian wool.

The completely black uniform was very similar to t= he Jedi ones in the style, but there was no lightsabre clipped to the leather belt, just a vibroblade = and a blaster. It looked incongruous to see the latter weapon at Obi-Wan’s side; his Padawan had always disliked it, calling it clumsy and random…uncivilized.

But the man standing in the middle of the office, = his face almost invisible because of the sun coming from the window behind him,= his arms crossed in front on his chest, his legs spread and planted to the grou= nd, was no longer his Padawan—was no longer a= Jedi.

Qui-Gon almost recoile= d from the darkness he perceived in Obi-Wan; it was like a black shadow was now su= rrounding the brightness that had always been his Padawan’= s signature.

There was still a break in the dark shadow that allowed him to sense the light still present in the young man’s soul,= but it was just a small opening, which seemed to grow smaller by the moment, as= a wave of irritation invested Qui-Gon’s shi= elds.

“What can I do for you, Master Jinn?”<= o:p>

Qui-Gon was startled b= y the coldness in Obi-Wan’s voice. He had expec= ted him to be resentful toward the Jedi that had expelled him, but not toward himself—or was his Padawan reputing him responsible for his banishment? After all, had not Obi-Wan called the Dark = Side to save his master, he would still be in the Order.

“Obi-Wan,” he finally said folding his arms in the sleeves of his robe, “I have come here just to see you an= d to know if there is something I ca= n do for you.”

Obi-Wan shook his head, “I am fine, Master J= inn. And there is nothing you or the Jedi can do for me but leave me alone.̶= 1;

The hard edge in that beloved, cultured voice tore= at the master’s heart. Qui-Gon took a step forward, squeezing his eyes in the vain attempt to block out the sun and be able to see the young man’s face. He stretched out one hand as he tri= ed again, “It has not to be so, Padawan. Let= me help you.”

“I am no longer your Pa= dawan!” Obi-Wan hissed, as he took a step forward and his face became visible.=

Qui-Gon gasped in shoc= k when he saw it. Obi-Wan’s face was as clean-sh= aved and young looking as he remembered, the hair sti= ll short and spiky. But the skin was drawn and sickly pale and his eyes…= The Jedi master blinked, hoping against hope it was only a trick of the light, = but no, it was not so. The blue-grey, sometimes green, kind and intelligent orb= s he had always known were now yellow and cold. Dead.=

These were the eyes of a dangerous stranger, not t= hose of the young man he loved like a son.

Something seemed to break inside Qui-Gon’s chest. The hope he had harboured all these years shattered as his heart seemed to stop-- and perhaps it would have been for the best, so he would cease to feel this pain. But then Anakin’s young, trusting face flashed in front of him, and Qui-= Gon took a deep breath, calming himself. Obi-Wan might have been lost, but Anak= in was not.

He had failed twice, with Xan= atos and Obi-Wan, but he would not with Anakin. He would not.<= /p>

Finding his centre again, the Jedi master released= his emotions into the Force, telling himself he would stop dwelling on the past= and concentrate only on the present. Then he posed his sad but calm eyes on Obi= -Wan for what, he knew, could be the last time.

“I am sorry I could not be there for you when you most needed me, Obi-Wan,” he said softly. “I promise I won’t bother you again, if you so desire. However,” and he had = to struggle to prevent his emotions from stirring again, “you must know I will be always ready to help you, should you need me. Just call Obi-Wan, an= d I will come.”

His former Padawan did= not answer, did not give any indication he had heard him, and Qui-Gon knew there was nothing else he could do. So he bo= wed his head in salute and turning around he walked away from that office, from= his past, from his hopes.

&sec= t;§§§§

Obi-Wan waited till the door slid shut behind Qui-= Gon’s tall form, locked it with the Force, and = then walked to his desk, his legs trembling as if he was drunk. He sank down hea= vily on the chair and put his head in his hands.

Force, what had he done?

Obi-Wan had come to agree with Yoda in the time af= ter their last meeting. He knew it was necessary to keep Qui-Gon away from him and that the best way was to make him think there was no more hope for Obi-Wan, but still he had not been prepared for the pain his behav= iour and twisted appearance had caused the older man.

He had experienced the hurt his master had felt at= his cold, irritated response to his gentle, concerned questions and offers of h= elp, and he had perceived the heart-breaking suffering seeing his eyes had cause= d to the other man.

Qui-Gon had actually trembled as he stared at Obi-Wan’s yellow= eyes, his mouth slightly parted, perhaps in an aborted attempt to deny what was seeing.

The young Jedi had crossed his arms over his chest= and gripped his forearms so tightly he would probably sport bruises the next da= y, as he forced himself to stand still and not rush forward and wrap his maste= r in his embrace. As he prevented himself from throwing himself at the older man’s feet and tell him things were not like they seemed, that he was still his Padawan.

Then, when Obi-Wan’s resolve was about to break, Qui-Gon had closed = his eyes and released his emotions to the Force.

Obi-Wan had sensed his regrets, his remorse, his p= ain, his concerns-- he had sensed Qui-Gon leave ever= ything behind.

Leave Obi-= Wan behind—and he had felt as if his own heart was going to break.

His pain had risen to almost suffocate him, and he= had again struggled to prevent himself from losing his control.

He knew Qui-Gon was do= ing what every Jedi would in a similar circumstance—what he had taught Obi-Wan to do.

Then Qui-Gon had opene= d his eyes and Obi-Wan’s heart had surged again= for, instead of the emotionless look he had expected and dreaded to see, he had found a guarded but affectionate one.

His master might have left behind his emotions, bu= t he had not left behind Obi-Wan, as his final words had confirmed.

Obi-Wan had been so overjoyed he had kept silent, afraid his voice might betray his real feelings. Even now, he had the urge = to run down the corridor and catch up with Qui-Gon= and express to him all the gratitude he was feeling.

The young man sighed. He was in need of a long, de= ep meditation. He was far too emotional in these days, and it was interfering = with his sleep patterns. He suspected it was partially due to his inability to completely let go of his true emotions, especially the negative ones.<= /o:p>

Ah, how he missed his shared meditation with his master! And how he missed Master Yoda’s cryptic but wise pieces of advice!

Obi-Wan had been aware from the beginning this mis= sion was going to be very hard, and that he would be mostly alone. He had accept= ed his duty as the Jedi he was, but that did not mean he had to like it.<= /o:p>

He desperately wanted to return to the Temple, if only f= or a brief time, and open his mind to the peace and the serenity that could be f= ound in the ancient halls. But he could not, not yet at least.=

Knowing Qui-Gon was no= t yet ready to write him off, was enough to make Obi-Wan feel less alone. He was aware that from now on, his master would spare a thought for him during eac= h of his morning and evening meditations, and Obi-Wan would sense the echo of th= ose thoughts in the Force—and he would answer to them with his own though= ts about Qui-Gon.

&sec= t;§§§§

Siri Tachi, Jedi Knight was walking quickly across t= he square near the Senate Building, when she = sensed a familiar presence brush against her shields.

The young woman stopped in her tracks and looked around. The square was crowded, with people of many races coming and going = in every direction, while shuttles were landing and departing from the hangar above her. Yet, despite that confusion, her eyes quickly found what she had been looking for.

Captivated, she watched as a man dressed completel= y in black, his face covered by a hood strode confidently in her direction.=

There was something familiar and yet foreign in him and it took her a little time to place him, but when she did, her shields slammed up and her back tensed, although she made no move to leave.

It was not in her style. Siri= Tachi never backed away—especially not in= front of the man she had been almost ready to break the Code for.

Obi-Wan Kenobi stopped in front of her and smiled = at her, but he did not push back his hood.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Siri,” he greeted her with that smooth, cultured voice that was equally able to get on her nerves or soothe her soul.

“Well, I cannot say the same, Kenobi,”= she replied, her tone still coloured by the shock and the hurt she had felt when she had learned he had left the Order.

Obi-Wan did not say anything, but his body tensed,= and for some reason she did not want to explore, Siri felt guilty. So she hasted to add, “It’s not that I can see muc= h of you with that blasted hood you are wearing.”

Again for reasons she did not want to discover, for they would certainly cause her to think back to a period of her life she had thought buried forever, Siri felt relieved when= she sensed Obi-Wan relax, and saw his lips curve in a smile.<= /p>

“Your tongue is as sharp as usual, Siri. I find it refreshing. I am so tired of dealing = with smooth-talking politicians who want nothing more than stab my master, Chancellor Palpatine, in his back.”<= /o:p>

Siri felt a shiver run along the spine. It seemed so strange to hear Obi-Wan to refer to someone rather than Qui-Gon as “= my master”, even if he was using the word with a different meaning.=

Despite the fact Obi-Wan had risked never becoming= a Jedi and ending up in the Agri-Corps, Siri had always believed he was the epitome of the Je= di values, and the last person she had thought would ever leave the Order or b= reak the Code.

Yes, there had been a moment, after their mission = on Quadrant Seven, when the discovery of their feelings for each other had sha= ken their convictions, but they had both recovered from their momentary weakness and neither of them had ever shown any regrets in the following years.=

Obi-Wan’s dedica= tion to the Jedi as become legendary among the padawans, even when he was teased mercilessly because of it.

Everyone had thought he would become a great Knight and then a Master, and instead… Instead he had been the one who had l= eft the Order because he had been tainted beyond reparation by the darkness.

That detail was not common knowledge in the Temple. The Counc= il had been aware of how popular and well regarded Obi-Wan had been, and guessed w= hat a blow would have been for the other padawans to learn their model had failed so badly. So the masters had decided to spread= the news Obi-Wan had left the Order for he was no longer sure he wanted to be a Jedi— the same excuse they would later use to explain why Siri herself had left just before her Trials.

But Siri had never bel= ieved to the official version, and the evening before she had left for her year-l= ong long mission among the slavers in the Outer Rim, she had begged and cajoled= her master, Adi Gallia, to tell her the truth about Obi-Wan.

She had hoped to hear he had been sent to an undercover assignment like her, and had been shocked to learn how things re= ally were.

R= 20;I cannot believe it!” She had exclaimed several tim= es, but Adi had simply shook her head and murmured,= “I am sorry Siri. I know you are hurting, but you must let go of your pain and concentrate on= ly on your mission…”

“Are you all right, Sir= i?”

Obi-Wan’s voice intruded in her thoughts, and before she was able to realize what she was doing, she blurted out, “How could you do it, Kenobi?” She did = not leave him the time to reply and pressing an accusing finger against his che= st, she went on, “How could you call to the Dark Side?! You, of any peopl= e! You who had sworn to never turn! How could you? How. Could. You?”

Siri let the feelings and the emotions she had tried to suppress and bury for too long come to surface and overwhelm her iron control.

Obi-Wan did not react to her tirade, even when the finger pressing against his chest became a fist pummelling against his ribs= . He let her hit him, until she brought herself under control.=

Siri stepped back and, raising her chin, disguised her shame and her pain behind= her defiance. “Have you nothing to say?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, it seems you ha= ve already said everything,” he commented, his voice emotionless.

“Star’s end, Obi-W= an! What happened to you?!” Siri a= ll but exploded, raising her arms in frustration.

“This happened, Siri!” he answered, his voice a sibilant hiss as he pushed back his hood, revealing his whole face at her.

For the first time in her life Siri Tachi found herself speechless. She had never felt like this, not even when she had realized wh= at she and Obi-Wan felt for each other. In fact she had been the one to pronou= nce the word “love” for first. But now…

Now, she did not know what to say—or think.<= o:p>

Obi-Wan was staring at = her with yellow, red-rimmed eyes, and she just felt cold and afraid and despera= te.

It was common knowledge that the yellow eyes meant= one had been consumed by the Dark Side, and that the point of no return had been passed.

He was damned for eternity.

The boy and young man she had = teased, harassed, discussed with, fought against, gone to battle with and loved with all her heart was no more.

He had been twisted and consumed by the Dark Side.=

Siri knew she would have to report this to the Council and that soon she might be asked to raise her lightsabre against him, beca= use Dark Jedi were too dangerous to be left free—or alive.

Siri shook uncontrollably as Obi-Wan stood silent in front of her. Then he raised his hand and caressed her cheek, his touch warm and delicate. Without volit= ion her hand rose to cover his own, pressing it more against her skin.

“I-I…” she stammered to say something, but Obi-Wan shook his head.

“Shhhh…= 221; he murmured soothingly, before he leant forward and brought his face close = to hers. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her, instead he breathed into her ear, so softly she barely heard it, “It’s not how it seems, Siri. It is not.”

Then, before she could do or say anything, before = she collected her wits enough to chase him and demand an answer, Obi-Wan stepped back, turned, broke into a run and disappeared inside the Senate building.<= o:p>

&sec= t;§§§§

Obi-Wan stormed along the corridors leading to his office, not acknowledging the guards saluting him or the clerks that tried = to get his attention by waving a datapad or callin= g his name.

He was furious with himself for how he had handled= his meeting with Siri. He had behaved like an idiot= , like a love-struck teenager with no discipline!

Instead of sending Siri away with his cold answers and behaviour as he had done with Qui-Gon, he had let her pained and shocked expression win over his good sense and be= st judgement.

Something had twisted in his chest and he had not = been able to just walk away as he had planned. He had felt the need to reach out= to her, to comfort her. That could have been acceptable: attachment was forbid= den to Jedi and what better way to push Siri away t= han to make her angry because he was breaking the promise they had made to each ot= her so long ago? But Siri had not reacted as predic= ted. She had not stepped back upset. Her irritation had not stirred again as when she had first assaulted him.

No, her eyes had filled with a hopeful light and h= er hand had risen to press his palm more against her soft cheek.

It was then that Obi-Wan had done the really stupid thing, the one that, potentially could ruin his mission: he had reassured her. He had told her things were not as they seem= ed.

Would she understand what he had meant? And if she did, would she understand she had to keep silent? Or would she storm to Yoda – or, worse, Qui-Gon—clamouring she wanted to know the truth?

Obi-Wan cursed himself another time as he finally reached his office and opened the door.

He was a Jedi for star’s sake! He was suppos= ed to have no attachments— but he did. Oh, he did!

He was attached to the Jedi Order. He was attached= to Qui-Gon. He was attached to Siri.

He had been able to lie and cheat the first two, b= ut not the third one. It had been too much for him.

He was breaking under the strain caused by his mission, under the constant pressure of the Dark Side around and inside him= .

The darkness was greedy. It was not content to own most of him. It wanted all of him and fighting it was becoming more and more difficult. He had become prone to violent behaviour, and he was always irritable and ready to punish the men under his command for the slightest mistake.

Obi-Wan felt like he was unbalanced and did not kn= ow for how much longer he would resist before he gave in to his desire to completely open to the Dark Side or ripped the Force dampener from his body= and used all his power to get rid of the darkness in him.

He leaned his forehead against the wall by the door and breathed deeply, trying to calm down.

It had felt good to see Siri<= /span> again. Her bright signature had resounded in him through the bond they still shared, making him feel less alone and giving hope. Perhaps things were not that bad, perhaps-

In that moment the door of the office slid open and Chancellor Palpatine stepped inside.=

Obi-Wan straightened at once, wondering what the o= lder man might want. “Chancellor? Do you need something, Sir?”

“No, Obi-Wan,” the politician answered, oozing concern, and looking at him with penetrating eyes. “I have just come to see if you are all right. I have been told you seemed quite distres= sed a few minutes ago.”

“I was, Sir, but I have recovered. I am fine now,” Obi-Wan squared his shoulders, unconsciously folding his arms in the sleeve of his dark robe.

Palpatine smiled gently, but there was a hint of hardness in his eyes. “I am gl= ad to hear it,” he answered, patting his back. He made no move to leave,= but instead walked to the window on the other side of the room and looked out t= hrough the transparisteel.

“I saw you talk with a Jedi down in the squa= re. A female one.”

Obi-Wan tensed, sensing something out-of-place in = the Chancellor’s tone.

“Yes. I was talking with Knight Tachi. She is an…old friend.”

“An old friend, my boy?” Palpatine tur= ned his head to look at him from atop his shoulder. “She is not old at al= l, and I think she is more than a friend to you, Obi-Wan. I saw you kiss her a= nd run away.”

Obi-Wan wanted to protest he had not kissed Siri, but instead said nothing, for the Living Force = had just given him a warning.

Something was going to happen—something very important.

“Tell me, son, do you love her? You know you= can tell me,” Palpatine added, his eyes fixed= on Obi-Wan as he moved away from the window. The politician’s gaze was s= uave and compelling, gentle and yet determinate and the young Jedi felt the need= to tell him the truth.

“Yes, I love her. I have for a long time.= 221;

“But she is a Jedi… and so she pushed = you away,” Palpatine surmised, raising a fing= er in the air. “She told you something that wounded you and made him run away.”<= /p>

The politician was now standing near Obi-Wan, who simply nodded at his words.

“Don’t you think this rule the Jedi ha= ve against love is cruel? Unnatural even? It is nor= mal for people to fall in love, don’t you agree Obi-Wan?”

Obi-Wan nodded again, blinking his eyes as he trie= d to dissolve the spell the Chancellor’s calm, persuasive words were casti= ng over him. The older man was now circling him and he felt compelled to follow his motion, so that their gazes could remain locked.

“You know, Obi-Wan, there is a way to convin= ce Knight Tachi to return your love.”

“Is there?”

“Oh yes, my young friend= . I will teach it to you. All you have to do is become my apprentice.”<= o:p>

“Your-your apprentice?” There was nothing feigned in = Obi-Wan’s surprised tone.

“Yes, my apprentice.” Palpatine smiled. “My mentor taught me everything about the Force, Obi-Wan-- ev= en the nature of the Dark Side. If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi.= You are powerful, my boy, and the Dark Side is strong in you, but you still hesitate in embracing it completely. Under my guide you will learn how to u= se it to become more powerful than any Jedi—and your beautiful knight wi= ll love you. She will leave the Order and belong only to you.”

Palpatine was now so close Obi-Wan could feel his breath on his cheek and he had to f= orce himself not to recoil from the stench of death coming from the older man. <= o:p>

The Chancellor was the Sith Lord he had been looking for. Why had not he sensed it before?

Obi-Wan reached out with his senses, wanting to Force-open the closet in his desk where he housed his = lightsabre, and was invested by the absolute darkness that was Pal= patine.

The darkness rushed into his mind and took hold of him, as it probed against his memories and feelings.

Obi-Wan screamed in pain and held his head with his hands, as he forced his shields to raise, barely managing to keep Palpatine – or better Da= rth Sidious, for now he knew that it was his real name &#= 8211; from the part of his mind where his most guarded memories were.

He tried to back away, but Darth Sidious grabbed his head, not letting him retreat.

“Embrace the darkness, Kenobi!” He commanded as he stormed through Obi-Wan’s= mind, “Embrace it or you will die!

Obi-Wan screamed again and let the dark side cours= e in him as Darth Sidious’ maniacal laugh echo= ed around him and the room started to spin.

&sec= t;§§§§

Yoda and Mace Windu we= re meditating together in the older master’s quarters, when they sensed = an incredible shift in the Force.

Something of terrible proportion had just happened= .

The Dark Side of the Force had just exploded and expanded, encompassing now the entire galaxy.

“Force helps us,” Mace murmured, his v= oice unsteady. “Obi-Wan…Obi-Wan has broken down and turned. It’= ;s the only explanation for such a giant dark surge in the Force…”=

Yoda did not answer. Instead, he closed his eyes in concentration and reached out with his perceptions, searching for the Chosen One, searching for Obi-Wan’s bright signa= ture, and found only a small flame, like a tremulous candle in the dark of the universe.

The old master sent out all the strength and the p= ower he could muster toward the small flame and a weak and pained voice echoed in his mind.

//It= ’s Palpatine…Sith Lord…Sorry Master…I failed…//

No, = child, you have not, Yoda thought, as he slid down his chair = and moved toward the door.

“Master?” Mace asked, following him.

“Be quick we must; Palp= atine the Sith Lord is. Help Obi-Wan we must, before = too late it is.”

“Before it is too late?” Two voices as= ked in unison as Qui-Gon Jinn and Siri Tachi appeared on the threshold.

They, like all the other Jedi in the Temple, had felt the shock-wave in the = Force, but only they had realized it was somehow connected with Obi-Wan, thanks to= the bonds they had with him. So they had rushed to the two heads of the Council= in search of explanations.

“On an undercover mission Obi-Wan is. Found the Sith Lord, he did,” Yoda answered hobbling as fast he could toward the exit. “= ;In great danger now he is. Help him we must, or the end for us will be.”=

Mace Windu saw confusi= on and worry war on Qui-Gon’s face as the other = man tried to cope with what he hard learned. It was clear he had many questions, but he knew they would have to wait, for Siri <= span class=3DSpellE>Tachi had already swept Yoda in her arms and was runn= ing with him toward the hangar.

&sec= t;§§§§

Obi-Wan throat was raw with his screaming when Dar= th Sidious finally let go of his head and the Dark Side = eased his hold over him.

The young man fell to his knees and then collapsed= to the floor, curling into a ball, his breathing laboured and his pulse so fas= t he thought his heart might burst.

Darth Sidious knelt ne= ar him and grabbed his chin, tilting his head back so he could look at him in the eyes.

Obi-Wan shuddered at the sight of the yellow, reptilian-like eyes locked with his own. The Sith’s face was sickly pale, his lips bloodless as he studied at him with a smirk.=

“You are strong young Kenobi, even stronger = than I thought. You are still resisting he darkness—I suppose a part of yo= u is still a Jedi. But you will never be one again; they will kill you first than let you rejoin the Order.”

Obi-Wan panted and did not answer. He was still too weak to speak and he needed time…

Time for what? wondered his r= avaged mind. It was highly unlikely someone might help him now.<= /p>

His thoughts went to Qui-Gon<= /span>, to Siri, to Masters Yoda and Windu. Had they felt his desperate attempt to warn them about Palpatine’s real identity? Or had he failed that task too?

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, but reopened them when Da= rth Sidious’ grip on his chin tightened painfully.<= o:p>

“I will leave you some time to recover, but = when you do, I expect you to lower your shields completely and to embrace the darkness. Do that or I will destroy you. I canno= t let you live now that you know who I am.”

Obi-Wan nodded slightly and the Sith let go of his chin, allowing him to lie ba= ck against the floor.

The young Jedi closed his eyes again, trying to re= gain control over his body. While his breathing and heartbeat were slowing down,= his arms and legs where shaking, and his coordination almost inexistent.

He had no way to ask for help, nor could he reach = for his lightsabre. He was on his own, and he knew = he would soon die, for even if he could bring himself to pledge his alliance to Darth Sidious, the Sith would kill him at soon as he saw what was = hidden in his mind.

However, Obi-Wan was de= termined not to go down without a fight.

Groaning in pain, he rolled onto his stomach and u= sed his arms to push him up, until he was kneeling.

Darth Sidious saw him = move and walked back near him.

“Have you made our decision, young Kenobi?”

“Yes, my lord,” Obi-Wan answered hoars= ely.

“Good. Good,” the Sith Lord murmured clapping his hands, his eyes gleaming with triumph.

Obi-Wan looked at him for a moment, then lowered h= is head in submission and said slowly, “I swear Darth Sidious,” he raised his right hand toward his chest, “with all my heart,”= his hand slid under his tunic, his fingers reaching for the small patch attacke= d to his skin, “to never submit to you!” And spe= aking so Obi-Wan pulled at the Force dampener and threw it away.

The Force rushed back into Obi-Wan even before the thin device hit the floor, and the young Jedi stretched out both his arms a= nd threw back his head, as the space around him was engulfed by white, pure li= ght.

&sec= t;§§§§

The wave of bright light was as sudden as the explosion of darkness had been and Qui-Gon almo= st lost control of the shuttle he was piloting as the brightness invested his shields.

At his side Knight Tachi was even more affected for she let go of the co-pilot controls to raise her arm= s to actually shield her eyes.

Mace Windu and Yoda in= stead exchanged just a glance and a nod, and the older master’s ears perked= up.

“What was it?” Si= ri asked, also voicing Qui-Gon’s question. <= o:p>

“It was the Chosen One; he was summoning the Light Side of the Force to help him,” Mace Windu= answered calmly.

“The Chosen One? You mean Anakin did that?!” The young knight exclaimed, clearly sceptical, and even Qui-Gon could not disguise his perplexity.

“No, not young Skywalker= . Chosen One he is not,” answered Yoda.

Qui-Gon was about to protest, when Siri’s voice stopped him.

“Obi-Wan!<= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-ansi-languag= e:EN-GB'> The Chosen One is Obi-Wan, not Skywalker!” she exclaimed, then turned around to face the two Masters asking for a confirmation to her theory.

“Right you are, Knight = Tachi. Obi-Wan Chosen One is.”=

Qui-Gon was stunned. <= span class=3DGramE>Obi-Wan…the Chosen O= ne? How was it possible? How could he have never sensed the extraordinary power= that was still shining like a supernova into the Force?”=

He turned his eyes away from the controls and look= ed briefly at the two Councillors. “How?” was the only word he ask= ed, followed by a “Why?”

“I found Obi-Wan on Rek= am when he was only a few months old, Qui-Gon,R= 21; Mace explained, as Qui-Gon piloted the shuttle = into Coruscant heavy traffic. &= #8220;I sensed from the start how strong in the Force he was, and the tests we ran = on him confirmed it. His midi-chlorians count was off-charts and his DNA was identical to his mother’s, showing there h= ad not been any father. Obi-Wan’s power was amazing, almost scary, for one so young. Yoda and I knew that a child so powerful would never be able to have a normal life, so we created a shield around Obi-Wan’s Force core, actually dam= pening his powers and signature. We planned to remove the barrier—which never looked as foreign in Obi-Wan’s mind for t= he boy grew up with it – after his knighting, but he managed to break it on = his own.”

“When?” asked Qui-= Gon as he had Siri exchanged a glance.

“On Naboo, two years ago. He used his new power to kill= the Sith apprentice and = heal you.”

“I see.” Qui-Gon<= /span> murmured, his mind still in turmoil and full of unanswered questions that he would have to wait to ask.

The Senate Building appeared in front of him and he was about to head the shuttle toward its hangar when a speeder that had been attempting the same manoeuvre exploded before their e= yes.

“What-” Qui-Gon had no time to add anything more because Yoda pulled at the clutch using the Force, making the shuttle turn brusquely on the right.

“A shield around the building there is; crea= ted by the Force it was. Go closer we cannot, land in the square we must.”= ;

Too stunned to disagree or protest, Qui-Gon and Siri followed the= older master’s instructions, landing the shuttle in the middle of the squar= e.

As the four Jedi disembarked from the ship, they w= ere almost invested by a crowd of scared people running away from the Senate Building.

“What is happening?” Siri enquired, stopping a passer-by guard by an arm.

The man pushed her hand away, “There as been= a earthquake, the Senate Building is full of cracks and fissures. It might collapse at any moment.”

“An earthquake? On Coruscant?”= Siri repeated as the guard ran away. “Could hav= e it been caused by Obi-Wan?”

Yoda nodded, “Enormous was the power he call= ed. Strong enough to bear it, the building was not.”

“But…is Obi-Wan all right?” She asked, her voice suddenly sounding small.

Yoda raised his wise eyes to look at Siri, then at Qui-Gon, then back at her, and murmured, “Know that I do = not, child. The battle between Darkness and Light still going on is. In Obi-Wan’s hands we are. Only wait, we can. Help him= , we cannot. Meditate, we should.”

&sec= t;§§§§

The surge of Force shocked Obi-Wan.

It was stronger and more powerful than the bout of light he had summoned back on Naboo, and it cou= rsed inside his body, his outstretched arms acting like channelling aerials. The Force rushed into him, pouring in every single fibre of his being. And Obi-= Wan felt the brightness of the Light Side push the darkness inside him in a corner—but to his surprise it was not destroyed, just merely containe= d.

A part of him experienced worry, but it was just f= or a moment, for his absolute trust in the Force reassured him. He was the Chosen One, chosen by the Force to be its instrument, and he could not even dare to doubt its ways.

Obi-Wan felt the Force calm and quiet, and he slow= ly returned to be aware of his surroundings. Lowering his arms, he looked arou= nd himself.

His office looked like it had been invested by a hurricane. The desk, the chair and the shelves had been thrown and slammed against the wall. There were datapads and docum= ents scattered everywhere, the transparisteel of his window was cracked, and so were the walls and the ceiling.

Then Obi-Wan’s e= yes turned to a corner of the room, where Darth Sidious was standing still, his back pressed against the wall.

There was no longer trace of his polished Palpatine persona in him. The young Jedi now felt all= the darkness the man harboured inside, as his expression and yellow eyes betray= ed his greed, his corruption—and his surprise.

The two men stared at each other for a while, the silence of the room broken only by the alarms echoing in the building.

Obi-Wan could perceive the place was being evacuat= ed in that very moment, and felt relieved. He did not want innocent people to = be involved in the fight that would soon begin.

Darth Sidious was the = first one to break the stillness. He moved to the centre of the room, his walk relaxed and apparently inoffensive, but Obi-Wan watched him warily, wonderi= ng what he was up to.

“So, my boy, who are you?”<= /span>

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight of the Republic,” he answered with a small bow.

Darth Sidious’ e= yes narrowed and his lips became even thinner. “Jedi knight? So you have never been banished.”

“No, never.”

The Sith<= /span> laughed, a sinister sound that chilled Obi-Wan’s= blood.

“I would not be so sure, young Kenobi. There= is darkness in you. I sense it. You sense it, and so will your Council. They won’t allow you to return to the Temple,” Darth Sidious said, his voice again sweet and persuasive. “And even if they do, you will be looked at with suspicion and concern. Instead, if you join me, you will be treated with the respect = your power deserves. Become my apprentice, learn to call me master and one day y= ou and I will rule the galaxy together.”

The Dark Lord reached out with his hand, but Obi-W= an did not take it.

“I do not want to rule the galaxy, Chancellor,” he said. “= ;My allegiance is to the Republic ... to democracy. I serve the will of the For= ce. I am aware there is darkness inside me, and I know I could be very easily banished for it, but whatever it happens, I will never join you. I am a Jed= i, and always will be.”

Darth Sidious’ f= ace contorted in a grimace of rage as he hissed, “So = be it...Jedi.” He stretched out his hands and bolts of cracking blue ene= rgy erupted from his fingertips. “If y= ou will not be turned, you will be destroyed.”

Led by instinct and the Force, Obi-Wan held out his hands, palms facing the Sith, and caught the blue lighting with them, trying to deflect them back against Darth Sidious.

It did not work. The deadly energy cou= rsed along his body, hot and scorching, setting afire all his nerves. The Sith laughed, gritting= his teeth as he increased the power of his assault.

Obi-Wan felt like he had been dumped i= n a river of molten lava. He was burning, consumed by the evil lighting. His kn= ees buckled and he fell down, writhing on the floor as Darth Sidious came closer and closer, a malicious grin on his lips.

“Young fool...only now, at the end, do you understand.”

Obi-Wan was almost unconscious beneath the continu= ing assault of the Sith’s= lightning. He blindly reached out with his mind, seeking a help that would = never come, as the bolts tore through him.

Then the attack ceased, and Obi-Wan’s laboured breathing filled the room with i= ts uneven gasps. He turned his head to look at Darth Sidi= ous, who was staring at him with an almost sad expression on his face.

“Now, young Kenobi...you will die.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes as Darth Sidious collected his strength for the final assault, and murmured, “I am sorry… Master…forgive me…I have failed…”

“Yes, you have failed, Jedi. It is a pity you have realized it only now…” snarled the Sith, before new bolts of energy erupted from h= im investing the body at his feet.

Obi-Wan screamed as a wave of unbearable pain overwhelmed him. He knew he would not survive this time, and thus he did the only thing he could do: he stopped fighting and abandoned himself to the Fo= rce, preparing to join it.

He let go of his consciousness, of his self, of his regrets, of his joys, of his loves, of his pain and embraced the Force with= all his being.

It was then, when he had reconciled with the life = he was about to leave behind, that Obi-Wan realized the pain was rapidly decreasing, and that he no longer felt so broken and weak.

His eyes opened, believing that Darth Sidious had stopped attacking him for some reason, bu= t it was not so. The Sith Lord was still targeting h= im with increasingly powerful bolts, his face now contorted in a grimace, as <= span class=3DGramE>a sheen of sweat had broken on his brow. He seemedR= 30;

fatigued.

Was that the reason Obi-Wan was feeling better?

Then the Jedi understood.

When he had surrendered to the Force, he had stopp= ed fighting against the darkness. He had accepted it inside him as he had acce= pted the light, and now it was coursing in him, replacing his depleted energies, making him stronger by the moment. But the darkness was not overwhelming the light, for it too was growing inside him.

Obi-Wan rose to his knees, then stood up, arms stretched out to catch the bolts, as Darth Sidious continued to invest him with his blue lighting. However the Sith was no longer smirking or sneering.

A panicked expression appeared on his face as Obi-= Wan watched him try – and fail – to lower his hands.

The young man smiled in realization.

The darkness inside him was calling at the dark po= wer inside the Sith.

The darkness was greedy, selfish, power-hungry. It wanted everything, including Darth Sidious&#= 8217; power, and thus it was adsorbing it—all of it.

“Stop it!” the Sith screamed is face twisted in pain.

Obi-Wan could only shake his head, “I can’t. The darkness in me wants your power. I don’t know how to stop it.”

“No…it is impossible. Who are you?R= 21;

“I told you, I am a Jedi Knight.”=

“Noo…you a= re the Chosen One…of the prophecy…&= #8221; Darth Sidious breathed out as he fell to his kn= ees. “It is…you…not …the boy.”

Obi-Wan walked to where his opponent had fallen and observed the sickly pale face, the bloodless lips, the sunken cheeks and ye= llow eyes. He sensed the exhaustion in the man, his fragility, and pursed his li= ps.

Obi-Wan could not murder a beaten man in cold bloo= d, no matter who or what he was. He was a Jedi and = his compassion would not allow him to commit such an act.

He centred himself, took a deep breath and closed = his open hands into fists, effectively breaking the connection between himself = and the Sith.=

The blue lightning that were draining Darth Sidious ceased, and the older ma= n fell on his back, his chest barely rising.

Obi-Wan frowned. Had it been too late? Was he alre= ady dead?

He bent at the Sith’s side to check his pulse, when, with the quickness of a Mandalorian snake, Darth Sidious’ arms flashed out an= d his claws-like fingers wrapped around Obi-Wan’s neck, strangling him.

“Die, Jedi! Die!” the Sith snarled, his face contorted in a mask of p= ure hate.

Obi-Wan moved his hand and pried the Sith’s fingers open = with the Force, before pushing Darth Sidious against the= wall. Then, before the older man might try something else, he sent against him a surge of pure, white energy, the Light Side of the Force made solid.

The white bolt invested Darth Sidious and invaded him. For a moment the Sith’s = body shone like a little star, before it exploded and its dark power dispelled in the room, in a kaleidoscope of black and white light.

Obi-Wan felt the ground shake under his feet and without losing time or stopping to think, he ran toward the window and threw himself against the cracked transparisteel, jus= t as the building started to collapse.

<= o:p>

&sec= t;§§§§

Down in the square in front of the Senate Building, Siri was getting restless. The waiting was wear= ing her nerves and she felt the un-Jedi-like desire to pace back and forth.

Near her Qui-Gon, Yoda= and Mace Windu were meditating on their knees, eyes closed and face relaxed despite the danger looming over the Republic and the Jedi Order. There was no doubt that if Obi-Wan failed to defeat Palpatine or, worse, if he turned to the Dark Side, t= he Jedi would have to confront with as a serious threat as they had never face= d in one thousand years.

Siri clenched her fists, then forced herself to relax= as she probed her bond with Obi-Wan, wishing to feel how he was. But the bond = was silent, as it was the Force.

To her perceptions it felt like the Force, while s= till existing and penetrating the galaxy, was now immobile, still, or at least untouchable by her and, she suspected, by every Jedi or Force-user in galax= y. Or more correctly, it was the Living Force to be still, while the Unifying Force was all concentrated around the Senate Building.

Siri had the desire to use the Force to try to move an object just to see if her theory was right or wrong, but then discharged the idea as childish.

What did it matter if she was right or wrong? What= ever the outcome of her experiment, she would not be able to help Obi-Wan.<= /o:p>

The only thing she could do was to have faith̵= 2;in the Force and Obi-Wan – and wait.

Wait.

Siri was about to start pacing, when there was a sudden shift in the Force. The Living Force, so still until a few seconds before, returned to pulse and wh= irl just an instant before a loud shrieking sound was heard and the Senate Building collapsed on itself like a giant castle made of sand.

Qui-Gon, Yoda and Mace= stood up and looked in wonder and shock, and so it did the curious crowd that had gathered in the square.

A tick cloud of dust rose high from the spot where= the heart of the Republic government had been, creating problems with the nearby air traffic.

“Obi-Wan…” murmured Siri, as she reached out with her mind, but the fear = and the panic emanating from the crowd around her were disturbing her perceptio= ns.

Worried, she turned her eyes to face Qui-Gon but the master shook his head, his blue eyes betr= aying her same concerns.

Around them, the sky and the square filled with shuttles and speeders of the Civil Guard and the Medical Rescue, as the authorities tried to keep order in the ensued chaos and more curious people gathered to watch and comment what had happened.

The column of dust, which had = raised for several metres above the area, started to collapse, and washed over the square, investing the onlookers, blocking their vision, disturbing their br= eathing and covering them with a fine, grey powder.

It was in the middle of that almost surreal scenar= io, with the flashing lights of the rescue ships colouring the still fluctuating dust in red and blue, that a solitary figure was seen crossing the square.<= o:p>

As the dust finally settled, the man advanced, seemingly walking in slow motion, his steps measured and calm, completely unaffected by the confusion around him, by the guards urging him to speed up for the area was unsafe or by the medical officers asking him if he was all right.

He just kept on walking, slowly and surely, pointi= ng toward Siri and the other Jedi.

He was covered by grey dust from head to foot, from his short, spiky hair to his leather boots and blood was pouring by several small cuts on his hands and by a longer one on his right cheek.

Siri’s heart started beating faster when their bond throbbed in recognizance, even= if she was taken aback by the unfamiliar power in that beloved, well-know Force signature.

Forgetting her Jedi restraint, the masters behind = her and the promise made ten years before, Siri let= out a cry of joy and ran toward Obi-Wan, meeting him mid-way and throwing her arms around his neck.

He tensed for a moment, then his arms rose to embrace her back, as he buried his face in her neck.<= /o:p>

“Obi-Wan,” murmured Siri against the dusty fabric of his tunic. “I thought I had lost you.R= 21;

“You didn’t. I was never lost. I was o= n a mission for the Order; I had to track down the Sith Lord,” Obi-Wan answered, speaking against her hair.=

“I know. Masters Windu<= /span> and Yoda have told me…” Siri pulled= back from his embrace and said, “I am sorry for how I attacked you. I shou= ld have known you would never turn to the Dark Side.”<= /p>

“No, Siri. I wou= ld never turn, but this doesn’t mean there is no darkness in me.”<= o:p>

Something in his voice made S= iri look up and she gasped when she met Obi-Wan’s calm gaze.

His right eye was its usual, beautiful blue-grey—the colour of a clear mountain creek. This left one…h= is left one was instead yellow, shining like gold and reflecting the red flash= ing lights around them.

Her hand rose to touch his cheek, but he took it in his own and brought it to his lips. “The darkness is still here, Siri. Contained, yes, but still here.”

“What do you plan to do?”

Obi-Wan shook his shoulders. “I don’t know. I will trust the Masters’ judgement.” He looked behind her and smiled briefly. “I see they are waiting for us; it will be better= to join them.”

She nodded and he lowered his gaze to look at her = with serious eyes. “Thank you for being here now, Siri. It means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me.”

“As you mean a lot to me, Obi-Wan. Don’t ever doubt it,” she answered, squeezing his hands.

“I don’t.” He smiled, then his expression sobered. “I must go to them.”

“Yes.”

Siri let go of his hand and followed him, as he walked straight to where Yoda, M= ace and Qui-Gon were waiting.

-----

Obi-Wan stopped in front of the three masters and dropped to his knee, his head bowed.

“The Sith Lord is dead, Masters,” he informed them.

“Know it we do, Obi-Wan. The shroud of darkn= ess disappeared is,” Yoda answered, patting his shoulder.

Obi-Wan raised his head to meet the old masterR= 17;s gaze and murmured, “Not completely. It’s still inside me.”= ;

Yoda nodded, studying his eyes—and the soul sheltered behind them.

“Eliminate it completely, impossible is. Only balance it, we can. In you the darkness is, yes. Foretold it was. Good thin= g, this is.”

“What?” Obi-Wan&#= 8217;s voice was so surprised Mace Windu actually chuc= kled upon hearing it.

“Yes, Obi-Wan, this was written in the proph= ecy about the Chosen One.”

“But I thought I was supposed to destroy the= Sith…”

“Which you did; you killed both the master a= nd the apprentice.”

“Yes, I know. But this darkness in me…don’t you find it disturbing, Master?”

“No, Obi-Wan,” answered Qui-Gon, kneeling to be able to better face his former Padawan. “The Dark Side and the Light Side of t= he Force now live both in you, near and yet not touching, powerful yet under control. It is the same in the rest of the galaxy. You have brought balance= to the Force, between the darkness and the light, between the evil and the goo= d. This balance will last as long as you live, Obi-Wan and the Jedi Order will work so that it remains like this even after you rejoin the Force.”

“Are you not concerned I might unbalance it again and fall to the Dark Side?” Obi-Wan asked, still needing reassurance everything will be fine for him and the Jedi.=

“No, I am not concerned, for there is no bri= ghter soul than yours, Padawan-mine,” Qui-Gon answered with a smile, his eyes shining with bare= ly contained emotions.

“Your trust honours me, Master,” Obi-W= an bowed his head in acceptance, and Siri let out = the breath she had not realized she had been withholding.

Qui-Gon rose to his fe= et, but the younger Jedi remained kneeling.

“Obi-Wan?”<= /span> The master called softly.

“I cannot stand, Master. I still have to beg your forgiveness for the pain I caused you in these two years and the last = time we met.”

“Oh no, Obi-Wan,” interjected Mace Windu. “You did your duty. There is no forgiven= ess to ask or be bestowed upon. Yoda and I decided it was best to keep Qui-Gon and the other Jedi ignorant about your mission. If someone has to ask for forgiveness it is us, not you. N= ever you, Obi-Wan.” The korum master re= ached out with his hand and the young Jedi took it.

Obi-Wan stood up and turned toward Siri. His face was still covered with dust and blood, and his yellow left eye gave him a strange expression, but there was no mistaking in the happy smile on = his lips or in the serenity pouring out of him.

Siri smiled back and putting her hands on her hips looked sternly at him and exclaimed, “All right Kenobi, I think it is about time you go home and take a bath!”

The four other Jedi laughed or smiled and then the group turned around and directed to their ship, as around them the Force swirled and pulsed, once again perfectly balanced.

THE END.

A/N: this story was conceived in an usual way, because the first scene that popped up in my mind was the final = one. I "saw" Obi-Wan leaving a building while listening to "The Island" soundtrack song "My Name Is Lincoln". The scene was = so detailed I was compelled to write a story in which I could insert it. So we= ll, if you own the above soundtrack, you may wish to listen to that track while re-reading this scene...you will see I tried to write it to follow the pace of the music. :) For those who don't own the soundtrack but s= aw The Island, I am referring to the music used for the last scene in the movi= e.

<= o:p>