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Qui-Gon wondered at how he had let Yoda talk him into doing this. He had barely just finished with Xanatos, who had been one hell of a handful. He didn’t feel ready to take on another padawan. Frankly, Qui-Gon wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to take on another padawan again. Two seemed like more than enough, and he wasn’t sure that he could efficiently raise another, especially since Xanatos had flirted with that darkside line hard.
However, Yoda had insisted on this, going so far as to get Dooku to sit down and convince him that it was worth it to at least peek inside the creche. In the end it was Dooku pointing out that even though Xanatos had been a nightmare to turn into a knight, Qui-Gon had still managed it.
So, he had acquiesced to humor them. Qui-Gon personally believed that they were just tired that he was having empty nest syndrome and complaining all the time that he was lonely. But, if it would shut them up and convince them that he was okay, he would do it.
Qui-Gon stepped inside the creche and inspected the younglings. He had done this exact same thing when he had come for Xanatos, and a small pang went through his heart. Qui-Gon ignored it. Xanatos was going to be a good knight, and Qui-Gon was happy that he was all grown up and ready for the world.
Since Qui-Gon was definitely there just to humor his masters, nothing else, he just sent a cursory glance over the groups of playing children. However, before he could finish his once-over, his eyes got stuck on one in particular. A little ginger boy playing with a Mon Calamari. When the boy looked at him Qui- Gon felt like he was looking into his soul.
Qui-Gon grabbed the nearest creche master and pointed at the boy. “Who and what is that?”
She looked surprised and looked to where he was pointing. “Ah, you mean Obi-Wan. He’s a little baby kitsune. We’ve been keeping it under wraps because we don’t want him to get claimed too early. You know how the magical ones go so fast.” She smiled at him, and Qui-Gon realized that she had been a creche master when he was young and was familiar with him. “You especially know how they go. He’s got a list of potential masters a block long. But if you want to come see him again…” she angled gently.
“Yes, I very much would like that.”
10 years later
Qui-Gon shifted in his meditation pose and sighed as he felt something small and furry rub against his face. They were supposed to be meditating. Obi-Wan had promised that even if he was done, he wasn’t going to bother Qui-Gon while he was still working on it.
He felt the motion again and sighed and opened his eyes. There was one of Obi-Wan’s tails in his face. For some reason, he was…standing on one of them?
“What are you doing, beloved?”
Obi-Wan was startled and turned to look at Qui-Gon. He smiled sheepishly and looked down at his paws.
There was the soft crackle of bone and energy, and Qui-Gon was looking at the most important person in his life.
“Iliada is very cold. I was watching a holo on these felines that stand on their tails to keep their paws warm. I thought if I wanted to spend a little time shifted, I might give it a try. See if it makes me more comfortable.”
“You’re not a feline,” Qui-Gon pointed out.
“I know that. I just wanted to see if I could do it. If it worked the same for me as it did for them.”
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Does it?”
“Yes, actually, it does. It’s a little difficult trying to use all of them at once. It seems that the best number is two of them.”
Qui-Gon laughed allowed. “Alright, darling. I don’t think you’re going to have the time. I guess that it’s a skill that could be useful in the future, though.”
Obi-Wan smiled. “Ah, well. I’m just killing time until we have to go. By the way, do we know where we are going after this mission?”
“Yes, actually. We’re going to Moraband. Apparently, there is a supposedly ancient Sith relic that is causing some havoc in the area. They want us to recover it, and if it can’t be recovered….”
“They want us to destroy it.”
Qui-Gon laughed. “Perhaps your new trick will work with sand. The timing should be good if you want to spend some more time shifted on this mission.”
Obi-Wan looked up at him hopefully. “That would be wonderful, Master. Perhaps you’d even spend a little time with me while shifted….” Obi-Wan’s voice died off with a sneaky lilt.
Qui-Gon snorted. “Don’t bet on it, brat.”
They hadn’t found the artifact yet. Something that was making Qui-Gon insane. They had isolated the signature to a particular area. However, once he and Obi-Wan had arrived, they found their senses so clouded with darkness and darkside that they hadn’t been able to find it. They had been stuck searching for hours for something that was no longer putting out its signal.
To make a bad situation worse, they had discovered that the world was not supposed to have more than a few hundred people, and had a population of approximately 50,000. All of them lived in proximity to what they were looking for.
So, they had split to try and search the area individually, hoping to cover more ground that way.
Qui-Gon was almost through with his section when he heard the yelp of pain from across the field and turned toward it. In all of Qui-Gon’s years, he had only heard it once. That was when his padawan had fallen into a nest of fire beetles and been stung almost a hundred times.
So, unless there was another shifted kitsune somewhere on this planet, there was only a single option of who had made that noise. And whatever had caused his padawan to make it was very, very bad.
Qui-Gon hesitated. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to reveal himself as being in relation to one of the universe’s rarest creatures. There was always a chance it would get back that the Jedi were concealing a powerful creature. One that was supposed to bring great luck and protect their homes.
The decision was made even before Qui-Gon could even really think about it. He was already shifting, changing his body into a form he so rarely used. Looked like Obi-Wan was going to get his wish after all.
Kitsune were viewed as powerful creatures that were capable of doing wonderful things. That was a luxury not afforded to Tanuki, and they were viewed much less favorably. In Qui-Gon’s long experience, he had known people to even think that killing a tanuki would bring them fortune. So mostly he did his best to not spend too much time shifted and ignore the instincts that would occasionally rear their heads.
It had been a while, so despite his urgency, Qui-Gon stretched in his form. His testicles swung heavily underneath him, and Qui-Gon had to resist the urge to feel embarrassed. They were a part of who he was. So, what if they were a symbol of great sexual prowess. They were nothing to feel embarrassed about and would even occasionally come in handy.
Qui-Gon put all of that out of his mind as he moved quickly toward where his padawan was supposed to be, just searching for the artifact while he was human.
Despite the fear that threatened to choke him, Qui-Gon delighted in getting to be his true form. It had been a long time. It wasn’t just the fact that Tanuki were often thought badly of. It was also the fact that even the ones who weren’t bothered by his true nature would stare. Qui-Gon didn’t care what they thought, but he didn’t want to bring too much attention to himself or to his still very young padawan.
So, most of the time, even inside the Temple, he stayed in his human form. After a few rough incidents in his own youth, he had found that the longer he stayed in his human form, the easier it was.
This brought all of that to a halt, and Qui-Gon was once again forced to admit that he loved being a tanuki. He loved the free feeling that came with being a creature like this. He loved what it felt like to run in this form. He loved feeling the strength of the world around him and the sense that he was one with both the Force and the world. This is who he was and no matter how long he would spend playing at being human, he never really would be.
Qui-Gon tore through the sands. He went up and over the hills, searching and searching until he caught the faint force trace. It was either Obi-Wan or the relic. Either way, at least it was some progress.
As he entered a small oasis of trees, he realized it was the former. Qui-Gon approached, making plenty of noise. If there was one thing guaranteed to make Obi-Wan lash out, it was someone sneaking up on him when he was in pain.
Obi-Wan turned, his eyes flashing in fear until he realized who it was. He whined, long and loud, like he was still a kit and not a padawan on the verge of adulthood.
Qui-Gon immediately saw why. There was an animal trap snapped onto his leg. Qui-Gon winced and approached him slowly. Even with the recognition, Obi-Wan was still stuck obeying his instincts.
Qui-Gon inspected it. It was a standard animal trap used on dozens of worlds to catch small creatures. Also, apparently, kitsune Jedi who were supposed to be curbing their shifting around people.
Qui-Gon made a note to talk to him but had already decided not to be too harsh with him. Obi-Wan loved being shifted, and when he was at home he spent almost as much time as a kitsune as he did a human. This would’ve been an optimal place to be shifted, especially after spending three weeks longer in Iliadia than either of them had wanted and not being able to shift the entire time they were there. It wasn’t his fault that the world was more populated than the Republic census had originally indicated.
Qui-Gon placed a paw on each side of the trap and used a small amount of Force to help him open it. Obi-Wan whined again, and Qui-Gon’s heart broke. He was in so much pain, but it had to come off, and nothing could help until it did.
As soon as Obi-Wan could, he retracted his leg and fell back. He was breathing heavily, but thankfully, the wound didn’t seem to be bleeding too badly.
Qui-Gon threw the trap away and knelt down to inspect the wound. It was bad, but it didn’t look like he was in serious danger, just a lot of pain.
Qui-Gon didn’t have the same level of power Obi-Wan had access to. He couldn’t stand against an entire army or compel wealth and prosperity in an entire town. He could, however, do something that was unique to his beings. He could conjure up alcohol with little ease. Not really helpful unless you’re going to a house party. Or you are in the wilderness and need something to disinfect a wound.
A quick wave of his hand had, a small flash of high-proof alcohol appeared on the ground before him. Obi-Wan let him approach again, but as soon as the alcohol touched the open wound, he was whining and pulling away.
Qui-Gon shushed him gently and knew that the best option here was to shift back and bandage it now. Hopefully, he’d be able to convince Obi-Wan to do the same.
Obi-Wan sighed and banged his head repeatedly on the ground. Qui-Gon looked over at him as he finished up the bandaging on his hand and arm. Being tricksters conferred a lot of benefits. However, one of the downsides was that when they were injured in one form, it scaled to the other. Not so bad when going from human to creature, but it sucked when doing the opposite.
“Come along. If you can stand it, we really should get going.”
Obi-Wan turned those blue eyes on him, and Qui-Gon steeled himself.
“Can’t we wait a little longer, please, master?”
Qui-Gon knew that it didn’t hurt. Between the shot of alcohol he had drunk and the one poured on his open wound, he was fine. But he was still a little shocky, and he knew that Qui-Gon was weak to him.
“Alright, just a few minutes. Then you and I need to get moving toward the location of that object.”
The search was slow going, with Obi-Wan as badly wounded as he was. They only had a general idea of where it was supposedly located. Qui-Gon was honestly not looking forward to continuing this. He resolved himself that they would stop for the day if it wasn’t resolved in a little while.
Just as he was thinking about throwing that out the window and just calling it, his eyes caught on something glittering in the sunshine. He squinted and realized that it was a dark, monolithic building.
Even though Moraband was not well mapped, that wasn’t really an excuse for somehow missing a whole building. A building that was clearly…Qui-Gon’s heart thudded in his chest. A temple. It was a temple. But not a Jedi temple. No, those all put out the feelings of warmth and light, even after they had been abandoned for centuries. This was something else entirely and Qui-Gon knew that they had to go down in there.
They entered the dark Temple, and Qui-Gon dreaded exposing Obi-Wan to this. He might be almost fully grown, but he was still Qui-Gon responsibility and even he shuddered at the trailing lines of darkness that filled the temples.
But worse would be just allowing the artifact to continue working its power on the people in the area and possibly making things very dangerous down the line. According to the readings they had taken, it was somewhere in here. Qui-Gon was not looking forward to spending any time inside this Temple.
They entered it and the first thing that Qui-Gon’s eyes landed on was a statue and a plaque.
“Walk the darkness with your friend, trust you will see them again, and should one of you choose to betray the other, understand what it is to never find the brother.” Obi-Wan read aloud. “It must be a riddle to help you find the artifact. Which means it’s very well hidden. On the plus side, it’s actively telling us not to betray each other, and that’s one of the things we’re best at.”
Qui-Gon sighed. “Alright. There’s almost nothing for it. Keep your wits sharp and stay focused. I don’t trust that the place isn’t filled with traps.”
“Yes, master.”
“And keep close. These old Sith temples are labyrinths designed to confuse your mind.”
“Yes, Master.”
“And keep your hand away from anything dusty. No need to risk an infection.”
“Master, please. How old do you think I am?”
“Not old enough to face down something like this,” Qui-Gon muttered. But he didn’t let it bother him too much. They were only a few years away from knighting, after all.
Something deep and primal in Qui-Gon shuddered every time he entered a new room. His Tanuki side was revolted by being surrounded by such dark energy. Although Tanuki were tricksters, they tended to be pretty lighthearted ones. Often closely associated with the Force as well. It made him strongly connected to the Living Force. But this Temple only felt dead. It felt like a thousand souls had crawled into it and passed away.
Overall, it was not a pleasant feeling. Obi-Wan seemed to be fairing better, which was its only saving grace. Kitsune were different, though. They could make their own light. They could be their own life. They didn’t have to rely on others to supply it.
Still, that hand wound was brutal.
Qui-Gon had weighed Obi-Wan’s safety against the pain relief and found that he would prefer that Obi-Wan be aware enough to see possible issues. So, beyond the original shot, he hadn’t had anything but a mild pain reliever.
He was soldiering on the way Jedi did, but Qui-Gon could see how much of a strain it was putting on him.
Qui-Gon’s focus was drawn away from Obi-Wan’s pain and toward an odd-looking room. Once again, there was a statue with a plaque. Qui-Gon inspected the room while Obi-Wan read off the words.
“Darkness spreads. You’ll have to search for the light, and should you be separated from your partner, you’ll know the eternal night.”
Qui-Gon looked at it and resisted the urge to groan in annoyance. “Why can’t they just give directions for these riddles?”
Obi-Wan smiled at him and held out the arm with the injured hand. “Here. This is the second time they said to stick with your partner. We should make sure we don’t get split up.”
Qui-Gon nodded and took the arm. They walked like that into a pitch-black dark room. Qui-Gon tightened his hold and breathed deeply. This darkness wasn’t like the darkness Qui-Gon knew. Not the darkness that held stars and warm summer nights. This was cold and slimy. It held an edge of aggression.
“Hey, I have an idea,” Obi-Wan said. “Conjure up another bottle of alcohol, but can you make the bottle look like a gas lamp?”
“I’ve never tried that before. Give me a moment to see.”
Qui-Gon focused firmly, and in a second, the small bottle appeared.
Obi-Wan focused for a moment and then breathed heavily into the reservoir. It sparked and caught with his warm breath and then burst into light. Obi-Wan gave Qui-Gon a slightly smug look, and Qui-Gon couldn’t help but smile back.
“Light for all,” Obi-Wan said matter of fact.
“Very clever Padawan. Those ideas will carry you well in the future. I’ll hold the light source and you hold onto me.”
As they walked to the far side of the room, Qui-Gon realized the challenge. There were pits dug all across the chamber. The wrong step, and you’d go plummeting into them. However, they were narrow enough that if you were abreast with someone because you were physically close, they wouldn’t fall in. Thus, the comment about partners. You’d need someone to help you back up out of the hole. With their little homemade light source, it was easy to navigate, though, and they made it to the other side with no issue.
Qui-Gon imagined that it was only going to get worse and more dangerous.
Obi-Wan watched as Qui-Gon snuffed out the light and turned toward the next puzzle. They were in an ante-chamber with the next room ahead.
Internally. Obi-Wan hoped that it wouldn’t be too long and they would get the artifact and return it. It was looking like it was going to be somewhat of a serious time through.
That turned out not to be true however, when they got to the other side and discovered the source of the energy they’d been feeling.
Obi-Wan stared, not quite comprehending. “I’m sorry, was that it? A single puzzle? One thing and we can just walk off with this thing? That doesn’t seem right.”
Qui-Gon hummed. “No, it doesn’t. Perhaps the Sith weren’t hiding it from the Jedi. That puzzle can’t be done alone. The only reason our light penetrated was it was imbued with the Force. However, very few sources like that exist anywhere and it’s unlikely they’d be used for something like this. Perhaps they thought a puzzle that relied on another person would be more than enough to keep any Sith hands off.”
Obi-Wan considered that. It did make sense. The Sith seemed to hate it when other Sith took their stuff. “Well, let’s figure out how to get it back to the ship, and we’ll call it a day.”
Qui-Gon had offered to take the helm so that Obi-Wan could rest but he found himself unable to. He’d laid down for a while and closed his eyes, but there still seemed to be something so off about the artifact and how they’d found it. About the fact that the world had been more populated than Obi-Wan had thought and about the fact that he’d been injured in such a bizarre way.
Normally he was so good about avoiding things like that, but not this time. This time, he’d stumbled right into an animal trap, of all things.
Even thinking about it made the wound throb, so Obi-Wan refocused his attention.
Why had they, in particular, been sent here anyway? Master Windu had said it was a special request from part of the senate, and they, in particular, had been sent.
Qui-Gon did his best to focus, but he was worried about Obi-Wan’s wound. There was also something else troubling him. When he had gone to shift back from his Tanuki form, it had felt…difficult. That was unusual for Qui-Gon. He was the opposite usually. It was easy to shift back into human form, but he had a hard time shifting into Tanuki.
He pondered this thought as he piloted.
Just as he was getting ready to activate the hyperdrive, the ship rocked with a blast of fire from their aft side. Qui-Gon swung it around hard and tried to get away from the fire. It didn’t work. Whoever it was was on them fast. Qui-Gon banked quickly and started maneuvering in a fast back-and-forth motion.
He heard the door of the cockpit open, and Obi-Wan took the co-pilot’s seat. He didn’t waste anytime with questions, just started returning fire as Qui-Gon tried to shift their position. If he could get them in the right position, he might be ale to get them into hyperdrive before they fired again.
He swung around, facing their tail end toward the firepower and got ready to switch on the hyperdrive.
However, before he had the chance, they were rocketed by firepower and all of the power to the ship cut out. Qui-Gon sat there in the dark for a second, surprised that they could be taken down so quickly then stood.
“They’ll be boarding in a minute, padawan. We need to be ready.”
“Yes, master, I’m ready.”
“Well, let’s not keep our guests waiting then.” Qui-Gon swung out of the cockpit and headed for the main part of the ship, where he could already hear whoever it was cutting through the door.
Qui-Gon waited, placing one hand on his lightsaber and motioned for Obi-Wan to do the same. The hole was cut fast, and a heavy piece of bulkhead dropped down. When the first of the pirates came in, Qui-Gon was ready. He ignited his lightsaber and took up a defensive position.
The battle between the first of them was short, but it was immediately followed by two more. They poured in, each with a blaster in hand, until not even Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could handle the onslaught. It wasn’t a surprise, however, since they both practiced Ataru, and they were at a disadvantage in such tight quarters.
When Obi-Wan fell beside him with a blaster to his head, Qui-Gon knew that the fight was over. He’d never risk Obi-Wan’s life when surrender was the better option, and there was no guarantee that he’d win the fight if he continued.
The pirates didn’t speak as the two of them were hauled up into their ship and directed down a long hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, Qui-Gon saw them head for the cargo bay where they had stored the artifact. Once they were shoved into the cells, Qui-Gon worked on getting their bounds undone.
“This isn’t good.”
Qui-Gon sighed. “No, it isn’t.”
“We’ve been in worse, though.”
Qui-Gon could concede that fact. “Yes, we have.”
“Doesn’t make this a good situation, though.”
Qui-Gon shot Obi-Wan a droll look. “Is the sarcasm really necessary?”
Obi-Wan grinned and showed that he had already managed to get his cuffs off. “If I don’t let it out, Master, I’ll die. So, what were they after? Us, or the thing we picked up.” Obi-Wan knelt and started to do whatever trick he had done with his to undo Qui-Gon’s cuffs.
“I’m not certain. At this point, only time will tell. Now, let’s see if we can get these doors open.”
Mace Windu frowned at the report he had just been given. It was unlike Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to be this late. Late, sure, but not this late. And normally if they were, they sent a transmission to let the Temple know they didn’t need backup.
Better safe than sorry, he decided. He stood, smoothly and walked toward the classroom he knew Yoda was instructing in. He didn’t interrupt, just waited until Yoda had finished his instruction and then stepped close to speak with him.
Mace Windu stalked the halls of the grimy lower level, searching desperately for something. It had been a solid two weeks since they had heard anything from Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan. In that time, Mace had scoured the planet where the mission had been and any place they conceivably could’ve ended up.
It was during that time he discovered that the ship they had taken for their mission was floating through space, derelict.
Now, he had heard rumors of an adult tanuki being auctioned off. He hadn’t wanted to hope too hard that it was Qui-Gon, and perhaps he knew the whereabouts of his young padawan. But he had figured, either way, it would be good to check.
If it was, he could recover half of their missing Jedi team. If it wasn’t, he had freed a sentient being from being sold as a slave right on Coruscant.
The dealer was supposed to be in one of these cells. Mace’s keen eyes roved over every spot in the place, and he kept his other senses wide open. There was something here making him feel…off. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, though.
Something that seemed old and powerful.
He was so attuned to the area that he felt before he even saw the feeling of a young kitsune racing out of the dark, being pursued by a large male Chagrian. He bore a surprising resemblance to Senator Palpatine’s aid, Mas Amedda.
The man came to an abrupt stop when he saw Mace. Mace reached down at the small Kitsune and climbed up into his arms so quickly that his claws tangled in Mace’s robes.
Master Windu had known a few kitsune over his years, but he had only known one so intensely ginger. Even for a red-furred creature, he was red.
Obi-Wan settled on his neck, wrapping his tail around Mace’s throat.
“Are you Palo Meddan?” Mace asked, trying to keep his cover. He reached up to pet Obi-Wan on the head and hoped it didn’t look too obvious that they knew each other.
“Yes, that’s me. I’m sorry about that creature. He keeps escaping. Here, give him to me. He won’t bother you anymore.”
Mace could feel the stirrings of panic and hope in the young Kitsune. “Actually, how much would it cost to purchase him from you? I’ve also been in the market for a Kitsune, and this one seems pretty docile. The others I’ve looked at have been very aggressive.”
He hummed lightly, and Mace hoped that he wasn’t suspicious.
“Well, you were here to purchase that Tanuki, I know. However, if you would prefer to purchase him, he’s worth 60,000 republic credits.”
That was an obscene sum of money, especially for one little Kitsune. But Mace would’ve handed over every credit the Temple had for either or both of them. Still, it looked like the definite sale and the greed for getting more than he was really worth was clouding his judgment.
“How much to purchase both of them today?” Mace was hoping that if Obi-Wan was here, nestling into his neck, then the Tanuki was Qui-Gon. He had quite a few credits to barter with because Master Dooku had offered up a large sum of his inheritance to see the recovery of his former padawan and grand-padawan.
“Well, the Tanuki is worth quite a bit less. Let’s say 80,000 credits for the two of them together. I’ll give you a discount for taking both of them off my hands.”
“I’ll take them.”
The man started to grin in delight, but Mace held up a single hand.
“However, I need to inspect the state of the Tanuki before I give you the credits. I don’t want something half dead.” That was a lie. Mace would pay that much even if he was just recovering Qui-Gon’s body. But that lie did its job, and Palo seemed to trust that Mace was pretending to be who he was.
“Of course. Right this way.” The slimy words made revulsion climb into Mace’s throat, but he fought it down. He was a Jedi, and no matter what happened, no matter what state Qui-Gon was in, he’d hold onto his serenity. He was the future head of the order. He could do this.
They walked deeper in, and Mace could feel Obi-Wan’s nose nudging behind his ear. He was scenting him, naughty little fox. Behavior that they had been trying to get him to stop doing for years. Unsuccessfully, of course, since in times of high stress, he still did it.
Mace left it alone. They could work on it when the poor boy wasn’t being sold as a slave on his own planet.
When Mace’s eyes landed on the Tanuki he had originally come here for, he knew exactly who it was. He’d spent years in the creche admiring that lovely dark fur.
Master Dooku swept through the halls on his way to the infirmary. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had both been recovered and on Coruscant of all places. It all seemed just a little too convenient. Either both of them were very lucky, or there was something else going on here.
Dooku was willing to bet that whatever had happened on their mission to retrieve the artifact had something to do with it. It was also giving weight to a theory he had had for quite a while. That somewhere in the senate, there was a Sith, controlling and puppeteering things.
He’d been involved in deep discussions with his former Master about the situation and found that Yoda agreed that someone was working behind the scenes, even if it wasn’t a Sith. Dooku could feel it, though. The Dark Side had always held an allure for him, but lately, it had seemed like someone was actively using it to seduce him.
He’d spent long hours in meditation with his Master and the mind healers to approach the issue, but he was having difficulty focusing. Something political was going on, and Dooku was appointing himself the head over whatever it was.
He entered the halls of healing and found his plan to be shot down almost immediately. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were both still in their transformed forms. He came to the foot of the bed, and his hand reached out to touch Qui-Gon’s head. A greeting he had done hundreds of times when his padawan was still a child, but something held him back.
There was something…there. A strong urge was brewing under his skin. Dooku rarely transformed himself these days. He often found that he had a hard time moving between one skin and the other. Probably something that came with age. He hadn’t felt a very strong urge to change since he was a young man, just getting his first apprentice. Even during Qui-Gon’s apprenticeship, he hadn’t felt the stirrings.
Now, his yatagarasu was cawing and clawing at his very edges. Something was very wrong here.
Qui-Gon looked up at him, and Dooku could see it even though he never spoke, that they were unable to transform back. That was probably at least part of the reason they needed rescuing. Some of the missing pieces were starting to slot into place, and they weren’t painting a good picture.
“Was it the artifact that did this to you?”
Qui-Gon bobbed his head. His dark eyes showed their trust in Dooku. Dooku nodded.
“I’m not sure I can pick you up with the crow making an appearance. More stuck shifters would be worse, not better. Let me check a few things, and I’ll be back. Don’t keep trying to change for the time being. We don’t know what’s causing this; therefore, there is no way to tell what will happen if you keep exhausting those abilities.”
Qui-Gon bobbed his head in agreement and Dooku just barely managed to keep from sighing. What a mess this entire thing was. Worst of all, he wasn’t sure how useful he was going to be in this case.
Qui-Gon hadn’t spent a substantial amount of time in his tanuki form for several years. He had always found reasons why he shouldn’t or wouldn’t change. Qui-Gon had shifted plenty when he was young of course, his instincts difficult to control. However, as he had aged, he had found it easier. The most time he had ever spent was right after he took on Obi-Wan as his padawan. Obi-Wan was wild and young. He would shift at a moment’s notice and revel in how he felt in his kitsune form.
Qui-Gon had needed to strike a balance between making him feel shame about his nature and letting him do whatever he wanted and that meant spending more time. Since he had taught Obi-Wan how to control himself, he had gone back to rarely changing and found the same that his Master had found. The older you got, the harder it was to change between forms.
Qui-Gon sighed as Obi-Wan snuggled close, scenting him gently.
Mace had managed to get himself, Dooku and Yoda all in one meeting room. By the end of it, he felt like he should be given a medal. Trying to get the three busies Jedi together was almost impossible.
“Alright,” he started. “The question of how we’re going to get Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan back to their humanoid forms has been weighing on all of us. There is no guarantee that the artifact is what’s keeping them from changing, and even if it is, we don’t have it. So that’s not going to be an option. However, throughout my research, I found a guide on how to bring changers back when they’ve been stuck for too long.”
Dooku raised an elegant eyebrow. “Every changer knows that. You walk through the memories of your last change into humanoid form, the memories that led you to change into your shifted form and the memories of what happened that kept you from changing back. It’s one of the things that we are all instructed on. I’m certain that Qui-Gon knows it and that Obi-Wan was instructed on it.”
Mace nodded. “Yes, and so far, they’ve communicated it not working. However, those steps are for changing back when you’ve been in one form for too long. Not for this situation. It’s possible if we change the way they happen, we can get them to shift back.”
Dooku hummed for a minute, his mind ticking through the idea. “It’s possible. That method has always worked and always seems to work. There is a chance we could manage it if it was done well.”
“Thus, tells us the reason, Mace brought us here. An expert, there is. But one, alone. You.”
Dooku held eye contact firmly with Yoda as he inquired silently if he was sure.
“Do this, you must. Wait, you shouldn’t.”
“I don’t shift anymore,” he pointed out carefully. It was partially that it was such a strain on his body and partially that it didn’t feel right anymore. It didn’t feel like him.
“Still, you are the person with the most experience out of all of us. If anybody was going to be able to help them, it would be you. Just trust your instincts and do your best. It’s unlikely that you’ll do anything to harm them, and at this point, we’re out of other ideas.”
Dooku sighed but already knew that he was going to acquiesce. What other choice did he have?
Dooku walked through the halls of the Jedi, not caring that numerous people stared as he did. It was Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan who drew their attention. Both of them still stuck in changed form, with Obi-Wan perched high on Dooku’s shoulders and Qui-Gon being carried.
Obi-Wan enjoyed perching and was very good at it, while Qui-Gon was no longer a young Jedi. He was very happy to be carried around.
Dooku arrived at the hangar where his ship had already been prepared and headed in. Both of them knew where they were going. They were going to the sacred crystal caves of Ilum.
Obi-Wan shifted in his seat and tried not to squirm around too much. He was having a hard time, though. It was difficult for him to focus when he could feel them nearing Ilum. It had been more than a decade since he and Qui-Gon had lasted visited. A shaping event in Obi-Wans mind.
Obi-Wan knew it was the same for his Master. Qui-Gon had also been taken into the caves, and before him, Dooku.
Obi-Wan wasn’t privy to the specific details of how Yoda came into his own saber, but sometimes he got the feeling that it was the same for him as well. It was shaping for a variety of reasons. Ilum was the most dangerous of the areas that were used to harvest kyber. Often reserved only for those masters who could assuredly protect their apprentice, talented apprentices who could handle themselves, and those with a defined history.
Obi-Wan had originally assumed that they had gone to Ilum for the last reason, when it turned out it had been all three.
Obi-Wan set his paws on the window and peered out. He could see the planet starting to come into view.
He felt the nudge of a small hand and turned around. Qui-Gon was gesturing for him to sit as they approached the planet.
Obi-Wan sighed and settled down. When he had said he wanted to spend more time with him and Qui-Gon shifted together, this wasn’t quite what he had meant. Something more along the lines of visiting a smaller temple and spending some time frolicking about.
For the first time in his life, Obi-Wan was desperate to get changed back to his human form. He and Qui-Gon had some very important information they needed to tell somebody and it was going to have to be soon.
Dooku carried both of them across the planet’s surface, heading for the caves he knew so well. It was important that this mission not only bring back strong feelings toward their human forms but also the memories associated with those times. That was the only way they were going to be able to get them shifted back.
His yatagarasu had calmed down some. Going back to the quiet sleep he had known him to always have. That was what enabled him to carry the two of them without feeling like he would be forced into a shift. Still, the crow was more active than he had been in more than a decade.
Dooku’s long strides took him across the landing pad to the edge of the ice forest. Ancient buildings that were long since so covered in ice that they barely looked like anything anymore. Just ice statues in the cold. He headed for the caves, not bothering too much with his charges.
When they reached a few feet away, he set both of them down on the ice-covered ground. Obi-Wan flicked his tail several times in annoyance at the cold air, but Qui-Gon bore it the way any master would.
“Walk and feel the memories of the last time you were here flow through you. Allow the memories of every time you were here to flow through you. You can feel the ground under your boots, the bite of wind on exposed skin and the feeling of power thrumming in your hands.”
This was a little different than he would’ve guided a standard change back. Normally, he would focus them solely on the feeling of changing. Directing all of their internal energy that way. But Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had tried that already, and it hadn’t worked.
Dooku led the way into the caves, not bothering with any light.
They were as cold as they were in his memories. The feeling of the kyber resonating with his saber and the sharpness of the Force in such a cold place. It brought back a flood of memories for him, and he could only hope it would do the same for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
They came to the hollow where everyone in their lineage had constructed their saber and came to a stop. Dooku was not a young man anymore but he could still fold himself into the position to meditate. He did so, with a not small amount of groaning and settled down.
Qui-Gon sat on his haunches and let out a sneeze. Obi-Wan circled a few times and finally laid his tail on the ground, coming to stand firmly on it. Dooku raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Kitsune were really warm-weather creatures.
“Alright, I want you to focus. I want you to focus on the memories forged here. The strength that came to you when you created your sabers. How it felt to hold a completed saber in your hand after calling out to the kyber that spoke your name. You were human at that time. Cling to that feeling, draw on that sensation. Become who you were then. Focus on what you should be.”
Qui-Gon’s face contorted as he followed Dooku’s instructions. As he focused he could feel it, the change starting. The sensation of tension down his back. He focused, pushing and pushing, but even though it felt like the change was right there, it seemed out of reach.
Dooku hummed softly, and Qui-Gon could see that Obi-Wan was having a similar time.
“That’s good. But try some more to focus less on what it should feel like when changing. We have to do this differently than you have in the past. Focus solely on what it feels like just to be human. That’s all. No changing, just the sensations that filled you. Be present. Look into yourself.”
Qui-Gon did that. He remembered well the way Obi-Wan had looked and felt the last time he was here. What it had felt like to bring Xanatos and, before that, Feemor.
Qui-Gon did his best to follow his own advice and focused solely on what it felt like to be human instead of what it felt like to turn human. He fell into his meditation so deep that he hadn’t even noticed anything had changed until Dooku spoke.
“Ah, excellent. That worked even better than I had hoped.”
Qui-Gon opened his eyes and looked down at himself, surprised to see that after several weeks as a tanuki, he was back on two legs instead of four. However, when he glanced at Obi-Wan it was obvious that he wasn’t having as easy a time as Qui-Gon had.
He huffed several times and circled. His tail twitched in irritation, and Qui-Gon couldn’t help but reach out to calm him.
“No, let him be.”
Despite his former Master’s help, Qui-Gon wasn’t thrilled to be corrected on how to deal with his own padawan.
“Let him feel it. He needs to do this on his own. You can’t help him, just as I couldn’t help you. This must be conquered internally, not externally.”
They watched as Obi-Wan once again settled his tail on the ground and stood on it. He let out a soft huff, and Dooku and Qui-Gon watched as his eyes drifted closed.
Obi-Wan breathed deeply as he felt the change upon him. It was there, finally. He was finally where he needed to be physically. It felt strange to be on two legs instead of four after so many weeks as a kitsune. He let out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding and turned toward the two masters.
Finally, he could reveal the secret he had been forced to keep. The words seemed to flow through him with ease.
“Senator Palpatine is a Sith lord.”
And to Obi-Wan’s surprise, neither of them looked to be that surprised.
Dooku nodded. “This is good. I had suspected for a while that there might still be Sith out there. One moving into a position of power like this isn’t surprising. Come on, the first thing we need to do is alert the others in the order. This will need to be dealt with as soon as possible.”