An Unguided One
by: Alicia Kenobi


Disclaimer. As much as I would like to, I don't own Obi-Wan or his master (darn); they belong to the wonderful George Lucas, to whom I owe a big debt of thanks. I am making no money from my fun, which is a shame as am broke.


     "I don't want a Padawan, Mace," Qui-Gon Jinn grumbled as he and his long-time friend strode down the corridor leading   to the training room where some Unguided Ones were waiting nervously to be observed fighting by the Jedi masters, "This won't help me 'forget' the boy - it will not help."

Mace Windu smiled at his companion, knowing something Qui-Gon didn't gave him an extra twinkle in his dark eyes.   "Gonni," he drawled, using the nickname that had annoyed Qui-Gon since they were eager young padawans themselves, "you need to get over Xanatos." He saw the familiar expression of pain flash across Qui-Gon's noble features and betrayal flicker in his deep blue eyes, Mace quickly continued, "And we need you to take on an apprentice. Not only do we have a dangerously large number of Unguided Ones but," at this point he stopped and grinned, his almost unnaturally-white teeth shining, "you're too good to be a loner."

But Qui-Gon didn't return the smile, "Yes, so good, in fact, my last padawan wandered over to the Dark Side," he muttered gloomily. 

"Look," Mace stopped walking and whirled suddenly so he was facing Qui-Gon, trying to get through to Qui-Gon what the lost Jedi had been told many times before, "Xanatos had something dark burning inside of him. He always did. He was not born that way, no, but his early experiences changed him, not you. *The Council* - not yourself - failed to see it. By the time we realized, it was too late; you had taught him so well, he was ready before his time. No one could save him from the Darkness, not even you. And now, if you will not take on another padawan, and you become a Wanderer, then an extremely capable young person will be relegated to the Agri-Corps, for no other reason than that Darksider," the words held disgust, and Mace had to breath before he continued, "And Xanatos will have won. He will rejoice in such a waste - a young Jedi who has not reached their greatest potential and who is forced to tend to land and crops instead of learning what they are destined to be taught, all because of him."

Qui-Gon glared at him, but only because he knew his friend was right, "Oh, that's right - play the guilt card," he grumbled. Windu always did that to him, 'taking advantage of his generous heart', Mace called it.

Mace flashed him yet another wide, dazzling grin, "Yeah, I know. Seriously, though, we don't have enough Masters for padawans as it is...and you can't afford to waste yourself, man."

Qui-Gon smiled; his friend's natural syntax always shone through when he spoke of something he really cared about. He clapped Mace on the back and together they walked into the room, ready to face the Masterless padawans.

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   12-year old Obi-Wan Kenobi was practically jumping up and down with excitement; this, he felt sure, was to be his last chance. He really needed to impress the unknown but apparently very well-respected Jedi Master who was coming, enough for them to consider taking him as their padawan. He only had a couple of weeks left before he reached the maximum age limit for an Unguided One. This would be one of the last observations - if he didn't get paired with a Master soon, he'd be sent to the Agri-Corps with all the other failures. Obi-Wan shuddered visibly at the thought.

"Come on, Obi-Wan, you'll be okay," seeing the tremor, his Calamari best friend, Bant, reassured him as she gripped his arm. She smiled as her kind do, her salmon-pink skin flushing red and her huge yellow eyes swiveling upwards. 

Easy for her to say, Obi-Wan thought; she was almost three-quarters of a standard year younger than him, she had plenty of time. Outwardly, he smiled and said, "Cheers, Bant." But he wasn't so sure. He'd been passed over for apprenticeship so many times before, why would this time be any different? He'd almost decided that he was doomed to tolling earth on some faraway Outer-rim planet. *Almost*.

The doors of the training room suddenly swung open and the two Jedi Masters strode in. One was a familiar face to everyone in the Temple, the other was a huge man with long hair that graced his shoulders, and an expression of fierce calm upon his handsome face. They were both tall and extremely intimidating for the group of 11 and 12-year olds. Silence instantly fell upon the twelve Unguided Ones as they all stood up a little taller and straightened their robes.  

Qui-Gon smiled slightly as he observed the Masterless padawans stiffen and attempt to rearrange themselves as he and Mace entered. He surveyed the waiting group with a cool eye, taking in all their faces - they were all so tense, he noted. The head tentacles of a Millarian girl were standing on end and quivering slightly, the two Corellians of the group had their heads held so high they were in danger of straining their necks, the Calamari's large eyes were positively frantic as they rolled out of control in her head. Qui-Gon's midnight-blue gaze swept along the row, passing a Sethgrei, a Rission and an Uglor who were all actually trembling, and then came to rest on the only completely stationary figure in the room, a tall, slim boy with an extremely fair face, spiky but soft reddish hair that had highlights of gold streaking it and completely unique, large eyes. A child of the beautiful but troubled planet of Oceannia.

Oceannia. Something in Qui-Gon's heart stirred and he held his glance a moment longer; feeling something very familiar about this boy, he didn't quite know what. He'd visited Oceannia many years ago, hadn't he? There had been something there that he'd brought back, but what? Was it...? He shook himself. No - he would've remembered those eyes if he had met them before, but then again, he had a strange feeling he had. 

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   Mace watched with satisfaction as his friend stopped a little longer to look at the Kenobi boy, who was standing tall, but not strained, and looking straight ahead. He knew Qui-Gon had not yet realized....but that he soon would.  

"Well, any one of them strike you, yet?" Mace Windu asked with a carefully raised eyebrow as the two Masters stood watching the smaller of the Corellians and the Sethgrei fight. One of them should have done, he thought.

"No," came Qui-Gon's distant but frustrating reply. Mace snorted in disbelief; he'd seen how his friend's eyes kept flicking back to young Obi-Wan who, whilst waiting for his upcoming turn to fight, was talking rather animatedly with his friends. Bant, the gentle Calamari girl, Pk'Nito, an excitable Rodian and Kneanu, the unnaturally small and skinny Uglor and a couple of others, Garen, Reft and Hirrasson, were all giggling to something he was saying. 

It was true, Qui-Gon didn't seem able to take his eyes of the young boy who seemed to have so much spirit behind his  passionate, chuckling laughter, kindness behind those fantastic eyes and..........clumsiness behind those long and rather awkward limbs, however unlike his species this was. Qui-Gon held back a smile as he saw the young Oceannii knock the drink his Calamari friend was holding out of her hand as his arm swung whilst he described something in the story he was telling. The earnest young teenager apologized profusely and quickly ran to get her another one.

"Kenobi," Master Windu called unexpectedly, "It's your turn to fight." This stopped Obi-Wan mid-run; he'd been waiting rather impatiently for so long, and now he actually wanted to do something, they call him up! Oh, perfect. He flashed Bant an apologetic smile as he turned and walked back, knowing she'd be okay about the clumsily spilt drink.

Obi-Wan's pleasant smile turned to an expression of horror as he saw who he would be fighting; Dougie, a horribly mean Corellian boy his age who took enormous delight in taunting Obi-Wan. He was about twice Obi-Wan's size and thrice as powerful. Obi-Wan groaned inwardly. He knew he was stronger and a lot more agile than Dougie, but the large Corellian had pure brute to his stance, which the rather lithe and lanky Obi-Wan had none of. Ah, well, Obi-Wan thought, as usual, taking the more optimistic approach - he'd just have to get on with it. "Come on then, Oafy-Wan," the Corellian taunted as he and Kenobi squared up, ready for their wrestling match. Oafy-Wan - Kenobi grimaced - Dougie had taken a leaf out of Bruck's book.  

Marvelous. The other padawans looked on, stunned at the pairing; Dougie, because of his size, almost always got paired off with one of the larger species like an Uglor (not Kneanu, obviously) or a Hulkiorram....but not an Oceannii who was rather lean anyhow. The Oceannii were renown as a race of slight but joyful, lively and, if need be, fierce people of a notoriously elfin beauty. They were often underestimated in many ways by the unwise - but even so, it was painfully clear this particular Oceannii needed to matched differently. Even Qui-Gon was rather startled by Mace's choice of padawans, "Du," he whispered hastily in his friend's ear, "the boy will be crushed!" 

Windu smiled knowingly, "If the reports I'm getting of this boy are true, then I severely doubt it." He left Qui-Gon to wonder what in Sith he meant, and turned his attention back to the unfair but inevitable fight.  

Before Obi-Wan started, he took a moment to remember why he was doing it - he found this always helped him before a fight. He was going to fight to the very best of his ability and impress the tall, majestic Jedi Master whom he so desperately wanted to be assigned to. As if to remind himself that that Jedi was really there and taking an interest in him, he looked up. Master Jinn was there, and even though he held an extremely passive stance, Obi-Wan knew there was almost an unimaginable amount of power in the man. He was such a well respected Master...it would be an honor to fight before him. He snapped back to the moment suddenly and began. 

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   Qui-Gon watched as the teen centered himself, and glanced up at the Jedi Masters with startling strength and vigor in those bright, turquoise eyes. No, they were no longer turquoise. They seemed to change with the boy's moods; they were now a  stormy gray color.  The boy then dove into the fight with an unexpected fierceness akin to his race. 

Qui-Gon watched in something like awe as he watched the two Unguided Ones fight. Though the Corellian had a, literally, huge advantage on the Oceannii, the smaller boy put up such a brave and determined fight that he actually drove his opposer back, gaining ground. He had an agility and elegance that Qui-Gon had never before seen in a padawan, and he would certainly not have attributed to the clumsy youth he had seen just moments before had he not witnessed the graceful and practically fluid movements the teenager was making now. Kenobi spun and leapt more like a dancer than the extremely skilled fighter he was, and he fought the Corellian for all he was worth.

"You see?" Mace grinned at him, "He's pounding ass out there!"  

Qui-Gon smiled; his friend obviously thought very highly of the boy. So, he realized suddenly, did he. He had not known it before, but he watched the teenager with pride, rejoicing inwardly when he saw his triumph. Something very deep was connecting him to this boy, the Force. His smile faded abruptly.... the Force had connected him to Xanatos and look where that left him. He could not allow himself to open up in that way again, even if the connection this time, with this boy, was stronger - it would only lead to a larger pain if he failed him. He stood up abruptly, turned to Mace and said, "I have seen enough, and I will not be taking a padawan."

Windu's proud grin turned to a frown of puzzlement, "But.... the Kenobi kid- " he started. 

"No, he does not strike me as particularly talented," Qui-Gon stated coolly. This was a blatant lie; the boy was the most talented padawan he had ever seen. But he needed a reason other than Xanatos to explain why he wouldn't let another soul into his heart, and this seemed the easiest. If he could keep putting off getting a padawan, maybe the Council would give up on him. 

Mace's expression grew dark, "How can you say that?!" his voice was rising, "That boy beat up on the other guy, who was, like, 5 times his size! How can you say he ain't talented?" 

"Mace," Qui-Gon said a little dangerously, "If I am going to pick a padawan," which I am not, he thought, "they will have to be dramatically superior to anyone in this group, no matter how 'talented' they may have been painted to be!" 

The uncharacteristic sarcasm in his voice surprised both Masters. They stared at each other: But it was Qui-Gon who dropped his glare  first to glance at the now silent and motionless group of Masterless padawans. They looked shocked; it was rare for things to become so heated between Masters, especially ones as respected as himself and Mace. But one face caught his eye, and it almost broke his heart - though why it should was beyond him. Obi-Wan. 

The boy stood stricken, pain evident in every line of his face, every shuddering breath he took. Those far-too expressionate eyes projected the agony he felt in their, now sea-green, depths to the whole room. 

All his dreaming, hoping, damned hard-work - it was all for nothing. Obi-Wan's mouth opened, but he found he could not say anything; the lump of emotion in his throat almost cut off his breath, let alone any words. He closed his mouth quickly, aware that every eye in the room was on him, either jeering or, much worse, pitying him. He lowered his head, shame and humiliation drumming down upon him from all sides; he wasn't good enough, and he'd really tried his hardest. He'd been a fool to think that he'd ever be good enough, worthy enough, to become a Padawan, let alone a great Master's like Qui-Gon Jinn. 

"Obi..." an ever-empathetic Bant was the first to speak, to move, as she placed a gentle webbed-hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off, shaking his head. He could bear it no longer; he turned and ran from the room. 

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  Qui-Gon couldn't believe what he'd done. How could he have been so cruel to the boy? It wasn't Obi-Wan's fault that Qui-Gon had been hurt before; the boy had done nothing to hurt him. He had regretted what he'd said as soon as the harsh words had left his mouth, as soon as he saw all hope flee from the boy's, stormy-green, eyes. He had felt the waves of despair and shame roll off the boy and he knew that he'd caused them. He was causing the teenager the utmost pain. He would be the sole cause of the beautiful Oceannii going to the Agri-Corps. 

Qui-Gon sighed and rubbed his beard in frustration. He'd lost almost all respect from everyone in that room after the boy had fled, even the padawans. He remembered, he'd first looked at Mace, who had been staring at him. The dark-skinned Jedi shook his head, disbelief in his mesmerisingly-black eyes, but had refrained from saying anything before he left, when he'd thrown an 'I hope you're happy, Qui," as he exited the silent room. 

Qui-Gon had looked to his feet, feeling a slight sense of unfamiliar shame wash over him. Another set of boots had joined his much larger ones and he looked up. There had been Bant, the friendly Calamari girl, with Pk'Nito, Kneanu and a couple of others standing behind her. They all looked furious. 

"Forgive me, Master Jinn," Bant's voice had trembled as she tried to give her anger away to the Force - it was extremely difficult, "but that didn't strike me as being fair at all. Obi is the best Jedi-in-training around; he gets top marks, he's way ahead of everyone. No one his size can fight Dougie! But he managed it. And now he's going to the Agri-Corps; you were his last chance!" He had seen similar nods of heads and accusing gazes in the small crowd behind her. Even the large Corellian, Dougie, had grinned when his name was mentioned and agreed, however reluctantly. 

Qui-Gon didn't know what to do with. He was angry at himself for treating the boy in such a hurtful fashion, and longed to make it better, but.....he didn't know how! He suddenly felt really lonely. He was sitting in his favorite, over-stuffed chair, in his apartment - but it felt empty. The solitude he'd demanded as a constant after Xanatos's turning had really isolated him from....well, emotion. A Jedi was supposed to release his emotions to the Force, yes, but only so that they wouldn't conquer one's judgment. And not all emotion was dark or hurtful. There was no joy in his life. No pride, no amusement, no happiness. Only contentedness. He had been living a strange half-life. He longed suddenly to share the cold, empty apartment with. Someone to share himself with. 

  Qui-Gon breathed in deeply, stood up abruptly, and left his quarters. 

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  Obi-Wan sighed and threw another stone in the Meditation Garden's pool. He knew he shouldn't be doing it, he was disturbing the peacefulness of the Gardens as much as the tranquility of the pool's surface, but right now, he didn't care. He was lost in a world of bitter hopelessness. The almost uncontrollable grief had left him now, he was now just filled with despair. He made no move to wipe away the trail of tears from his cold cheeks, why should he? He wasn't going to be a Jedi anyway, so he could let his emotions take hold of him, for once. 

It was so unfair! He was a bit wild and sometimes cheeked the Masters, but he had realized how much becoming a Jedi meant to him from very early on, so he'd always worked hard and fought for his place in the Temple, only to be turned away. By Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan wanted so much to be Jinn's padawan, how could anyone not? Master Jinn was almost a legend in the Temple; he was the best swordsman in hundreds of years, he was dignified but friendly, extremely polite and well-mannered yet determined, he was one of the greatest Jedi around. But Obi-Wan felt that he'd really had a chance - something, he felt sure, had passed between him and the respected Jedi Master when he'd been waiting in line, and again before he started to fight. He had been so sure he could really make it happen. But he couldn't. 

Obi-Wan hung his head in shame; nobody wanted him, he was worthless and unworthy of becoming a Jedi. Bruck had been right. Bruck Chun had been picked as a padawan weeks ago and, as he was about the same age as Obi-Wan, delighted in showing off and telling Obi-Wan how he'd never get a Master of his own. He'd tried not to let Bruck's taunting get to him, but as the weeks wore on, he started to believe. And now he'd proven it! 

The grief welled up inside of him again, and this time, Obi-Wan felt no desire to keep it in, or release it to the Force. He thought that if he tried to hold on to his emotions, control them, he might explode. So he let the pain take hold of him, let it rush through him and let it go. The result was a loud, desperate moan - a sob of misery, shame, fear and anguish. It came from deep inside him, grating at the back of his throat, making it rugged and broken. 

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  Qui-Gon Jinn was walking past the Meditation Gardens, about to go and look for Bant....as the boy's best friend, he assumed she'd know where to find Obi-Wan, when he heard something that stole his breath from him. It was a sound filled with so much sorrow, so much pain, that he stopped in his tracks. The sound was a howl, a burst of emotion, it was gut-twisting and spine-tingling; it sounded other-worldly to Qui-Gon. 

The Jedi Master turned into the Meditation Gardens, for that was the wail had come from, searching intently for the poor creature, the thing that was in as much pain to make that noise. He came to the place the moan had come from, and the sight that greeted him stopped him dead in his tracks. Obi-Wan. 

Qui-Gon felt his heart stop and crack as he saw the Masterless padawan sitting on the edge of the Meditation pool, his head thrown back, a look of pure agony mutilating his beautiful face. Obi-Wan had his eyes screwed shut, yet tears were escaping through the long, sodden lashes to run down his thin cheeks, his mouth was open as if screaming, but no sound came from it. His narrow shoulders were shaking with the silent sobs that wracked his small body. Qui-Gon stared open-mouthed at the young Oceannii - had he caused this? As he watched, the boy's sobs again broke free, but this time they were hitching breaths and high keening noises made in the back of his throat, and that was far worse than the full-bodied cry Qui-Gon had heard that had drawn the Jedi Master there. It seemed so helpless, so desperate. Qui-Gon had seen the devastation wars caused, the pain of someone about to die, the lamenting of those they left behind them, but he had never seen anything like this. He, stood watching, felt as though he'd been kicked in the gut. 

Obi-Wan looked and sounded as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest. 

Qui-Gon felt utterly helpless. Also like the lowest person in all the galaxy. A 12-year old was on the verge of complete hopelessness all because of him. The fearless Jedi Master wanted to run, run away from this broken shell of a boy, run away from responsibility, but most of all, run away from the monster he'd become. 

Instead, he walked cautiously towards Obi-Wan. The young Oceannii heard him approach and spun round, tears glinting in his vividly-colored eyes, his small hands quickly coming up to his face as if in shame, desperately trying to wipe away the sadness from his cheeks and eyes. 

Oceannia. That flicker of recognition was back again, but this time it was stronger. Qui-Gon suddenly realized what he'd missed. It was this young boy - it had to be! "Padawan," Qui-Gon tested softly, feeling the ease as the title rolled off his tongue, bringing strength to his shaky whisper of a voice. 

But Kenobi's pain-filled eyes turned icy-gray and the harshness in his croaking voice was sound, "I am not your padawan," he rasped thickly. "You made it clear that you'll never want me. I'm not good enough," his eyes took on a distant look, "....I never am," he added in a whisper. 

"Obi-Wan, I am so sorry," Qui-Gon knew know that he *had to take this boy as his padawan, "please, please forgive me and let me take you as my apprentice. 

Obi-Wan's expressionate eyes grew wide, and the experienced Jedi Master saw hope burning behind the film of tears. But all too suddenly, this flame of hope was snubbed out, only to be replaced by denial. "No." the boy stated calmly, still not looking at Qui-Gon, "I can't. You don't really want me, you just want to help yourself out of whatever guilt your feeling or to get the Council to stop pestering you or something...." 

Qui-Gon was shocked by how wise the boy was for his years - but that wasn't why he needed the boy. Well, maybe at the start, but now...now he'd remembered something huge that had almost changed his life years ago, and he had to make the boy remember, too. He had to. "Obi-Wan," he tried again, "what's the planet of your birth?" as if he needed to ask. 

A look of confusion crossed Kenobi's face, a small, practiced line appeared between his slightly furrowed brows. "Oceannia," he said, wondering why in Sith Master Jinn wanted to know that. But the Jedi Master just nodded, as if he already knew that....but how could he? 

"And what happened to your family? Your parents?" 

Obi-Wan's heart was aching more than he'd thought possible as he thought of his family and home planet, and what'd happened to them. "They were murdered. All my family is dead. I alone survived." 

Qui-Gon nodded again, trying to ignore the extra pain he was causing the Unguided One he continued, "Do you know what happened? Why were you brought here? How did you live while everyone else perished?" 

Obi-Wan drew in a large, shaky breath, reliving that horrible day back at his home. He spoke almost as if Qui-Gon wasn't there, he gazed into the Meditation pool, "The Sk'Rahs' came. They t-told our people that they were sick of us feeding off of them, stealing their oceans, taking over their beautiful planet with our spawn and destruction." 

Qui-Gon nodded, the Sk'Rahs and the Oceannii were symbiont races, both sharing the mainly-water planet of Oceannia. The Sk'Rahs, many thousand of years ago, did live on the planet alone with a solitary claim upon it, but they allowed a race of people to colonize it. The trade between the people who lived on the shores and the race who swam in the sea thrived, and the species got on extremely well. But about twelve standard years ago, a group of Sk'Rahs began thinking that the planet was truly theirs, and theirs alone. They did not appreciate that, without the Oceannii, their economic system would fail. They began spreading words of hatred against the Oceannii and gaining power. A few raids and killings took place, but nothing too serious. Then, nine years ago, things came to a head. The Sk'Rahs had all come to believe that the Oceannii were to blame for all their problems, and a huge massacre took place, the Sk'Rahs called it The Purge. 

Nearly all of the Oceannii were murdered by the Sk'Rah, all except those off planet and about 800 underground were wiped off of the worlds surface. A hideous disaster. Jedi were dispatched immediately to try and calm the civil war, as the normally peaceful Oceannii attempted desperately to fight back. They failed, only managing to calm the Sk'Rahs and reason with them after The Purge, and by then it was too late. Qui-Gon Jinn had been one of the Jedi who traveled there, first to aid the peace negotiations, and then to clear the towns and roads of the Oceannii corpses, as there were none remaining to do so.

It had been a nightmare, a living hell. All the Jedi who had gone to that tortured world had to be referred back to Soul-Healers once they got back to the Temple, that's how bad it was. The planet was hit with a depression, one so terrible it nearly destroyed it. The Sk'Rahs had been wrong, misguided, and their race's trade suffered, only with help from the remaining Oceannii were they able to get their world back on its economical feet. Oceannia was just, eight years later, beginning to forgive itself. But treasures had also been found in the Purged Oceannia. 

Qui-Gon had been sent to Oceannia's capital settlement, Mariienna. He had left his nine-year old apprentice, Xanatos, at the Temple, knowing what horrible scenes he would have to see if he came, and wishing to protect the boy from them. He'd come across a house. A pretty standard-looking house, but with something extremely precious inside. A child. 

"They attacked our home," Obi-Wan was saying, "My Father had gathered us all into the back room, my Mother, Rose, Kariinna, Lily and me. Tethys, Owen and Naiad were on Tatooine, staying with our Aunt. My Dad was, was holding a chair as he stood in front of us. He said that it was a shame, really; he didn't want to break our lovely furniture." Obi-Wan smiled at the familiar memory. He'd only been three at the time, but the Force allowed him to recover the memories he would otherwise have forgotten. He remembered his dad - tall, very thin, with blonde, messy hair, eyes the color of emeralds and an amazing laugh that Obi-Wan still heard in his dreams. He remembered his mum - small and compact, solid-looking and loving. Her hair was curly and a rich red color, her eyes matched Oceannia's waters. He even remembered cuddling into her and smelling her familiar scent of roses. Roses only grew on Oceannia, and he missed their wonderful smell. He missed her. He missed his dad. He missed his sisters and his brothers. He missed having a family. 

"Lily and Kariina started crying; they were only one. Rose held on to me even though she was six. Mum told us everything was going to be all right, and that it'd be finished soon and if we were good, we could go see Owen, Naiad and Tethys on Tatooine," Obi-Wan was crying freely now, everything he'd locked away deep inside himself was breaking free.

"The door broke down and...and..." Obi-Wan could say no more, the terror was reliving itself inside his head. 

"Show me," Qui-Gon said gently. Obi-Wan held out a shaky hand and touched the Master's temple. Qui-Gon gasped at the intensity and horror of the images he was receiving from the young boy. 

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  The Jedi Master saw a brave young man wielding a chair, he saw the man's family huddled in the corner. The door was broken down and a group of five Sk'Rahs leap into the room, their jaws open, exposing their two rows of sharp, jagged teeth. The Sk'Rahs ripped Elysian Kenobi apart without mercy and turned on the others. 

They killed the youngest first, the two beautiful baby twin girls with blonde hair and sapphire-blue eyes died before the screaming family. Then they killed who Qui-Gon assumed was Rose, they dragged her away from her brother by her curly red locks and he saw her die in the manner of her sisters. And as her sea-green eyes rolled up into the back of her head, Qui-Gon heard her brother scream. Obi-Wan had screamed as if were being murdered himself; Rose had always protected him, made him feel happy when he was sad, made him laugh, she had taken him everywhere with her. She had been the baby of the family until he'd come along, so she taken it upon herself to personally see that he was all right. Even when Lily and Kariinna arrived, Rose had almost been like Obi-Wan's personal big sister. 

His scream had attracted the attention of the Sk'Rahs and they advanced upon him. His mother had shielded him from them with her body and, when she refused to move or give him up, the Sk'Rahs killed her as well. Ariel Lorelei-Kenobi had died defending her child, her body slumped back against the wall, pinning Obi-Wan beneath it. The Sk'Rahs were about to throw her corpse aside to reach the child underneath, when they heard their leader calling them back, "Jeddaii!" And they had fled, leaving Obi-Wan. 

Obi-Wan sat back, exhausted he slumped down. Qui-Gon was astonished the boy had had enough power to share his memories....very few padawans could do that, and even then they had to be extremely powerful and strong in the Force. But, he knew Kenobi was strong in the Force, and always had done. "What happened then?" he prompted, realizing Obi-Wan had not yet made the connection. 

Obi-Wan turned wearily to the Jedi Master, why did he want to know? But, too tired to argue, he carried on with this almost forgotten part of his story. Normally, when Obi-Wan waded through this memory, he was so upset and miserable by now, he gave up. But thinking about it, the next bit was extremely important. "I stayed...there....for ages; I couldn't move. I heard this noise across the room, I thought it was the Sk'Rahs again, so I kept quiet." 

Qui-Gon nodded, he had. "When I felt mum...b-being lifted off of me, I looked up and there was this man, looking down on me. It turns out the man was a Jedi...." Obi-Wan stopped suddenly. He whirled to face Qui-Gon and took in his appearance. The tall, at-first-glance intimidating figure, the long hair, the crinkly, deep-blue eyes...."It was you!" he breathed.

Qui-Gon nodded again, a smile spreading slowly across his face. The boy had remembered. 

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  Qui-Gon had been searching a house when he'd come across a particularly devastating scene. A whole family had been Purged. They all lay, except the young, beautiful woman with red curled hair that was slumped against the wall. He had moved towards her and gently taken hold of her shoulders, meaning to lay her flat in respect. He'd slid the woman away from the wall, only to find a small boy. They little child was sitting shivering, his arms wrapped around his knees. The boy's hair was a golden color with red streaks and it curled around his ears. At the noise the Master had made, the child had looked up and a burst of the Force had almost knocked Qui-Gon out as he looked onto the beautiful toddler's face. The boy's cheeks were thin but cherubic, his skin seemed to glow faintly with the Force the child was emanating in the dimness of the house, the large freckles dotted about his face were endearing, but it was the boy's eyes that made Qui-Gon stop. They were large and stormy. Sea-green, ice-blue, turquoise then emerald, they changed constantly. Qui-Gon  saw that the child had not lost those eyes. 

He had had to fight hard for the boy to come back and train to be a Jedi, first the Council and then the boy's remaining family on Tatooine. The Council had been easy to convince once they'd seen the boy and felt the absolute power of the Unifying Force that flowed so freely through him. It was thought that both his parents must've been highly Force-sensitive for the boy to be so strong with it. Their only reservations were that he was too old, but Qui-Gon did insist that there were exceptions to the rules of the Jedi, and that the boy's family would be reluctant to let go of the precious child. 

Qui-Gon had even taken it upon himself to travel to Tatooine and meet the boy's remaining family. Indeed, they had not wanted Obi-Wan to be taken from them. Qui-Gon had not only spoken to the boy's aunt and uncle, Undine Lorelei-Lars and her husband Martin, but Obi-Wan's brothers, a red-headed, blue-eyed Tethys and a blonde-haired, green-eyed Owen, and his sister, Naiad. It had been Naiad, the girl with the long, poker-straight strawberry-blonde hair and her mother's eyes, who had had the final say. She'd said that Rose would've wanted Obi-Wan to go. Qui-Gon hadn't understood what that meant at the time, but it had ended the discussion extremely quickly. 

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He saw the absolute joy that raced through the boy's expression as Obi-Wan cried, "I never thought I'd see you again!" and with that, promptly flung his arms around Qui-Gon's waist and hugged him with all his might. Qui-Gon felt extremely awkward, he hadn't been hugged like this in over ten years. Xanatos had been the last person to hug him like this. 

Remembering this suddenly, he swiftly disengaged the boy from around his mid-section and stood up, straightening out his robes. "Yes, well, young one..." he said, not looking at the extremely confused boy, "I should be going now, I have a mission tomorrow morning." And with that he was gone. 

Mace Windu had been watching from the shadows. Man, I know those two are supposed to be together, he thought. Damned Xanatos. He sighed as Kenobi began to sob quietly to himself again, wishing there was something he could do. Wait, he thought, there was something he could do. He knew where Qui-Gon was being sent to the next day. Bandomeer. 

He turned and left in search of Master Yoda, leaving Obi-Wan staring into the Meditation pool, thinking of the man who'd both brought him to, and was currently sending him away from, the Jedi Temple. 

END. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME