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It was the last thing that Qui-Gon had expected upon his arrival on Bandomeer.
He found the plain envelope on his bed in the guest chambers of the governor's official residence, and thinking it was a message from the Supreme Chancellor's representative with information on his mission, he opened it. The note inside simply read: I have been looking forward to this day. At the bottom, it was signed by Xanatos.
Qui-Gon's breath caught. That was name he hadn't seen in a long time, and to see it on Bandomeer of all places was a shock.
"Who's Xanatos?" Obi-Wan asked, reading the note over Qui-Gon's elbow.
Qui-Gon considered not telling Obi-Wan about his former padawan. Xanatos' memory was a painful and private one for Qui-Gon and he had no obligation to tell Obi-Wan anything about his past.
Yet Qui-Gon had not sent Obi-Wan to his posting in the Agricultural Corp's Enrichment Zone like he was instructed to by the Council, and chose instead to let Obi-Wan stay with him in Bandomeer's capital. If Obi-Wan was to accompany him, and if there was any chance Obi-Wan would encounter Xanatos, then Obi-Wan needed to know about the danger he would face.
So Qui-Gon sat Obi-Wan down in the sitting area in his chambers and told him about Xanatos. He spoke of the brilliant boy Xanatos had once been, but also of their mission to Telos and Xanatos' turn. He told Obi-Wan about Xanatos' cunning and manipulative tactics, and about his desire to get revenge on Qui-Gon for the death of his father. He did not tell Obi-Wan every detail, but what he hoped would be enough. He warned Obi-Wan to stay clear of Xanatos.
Obi-Wan listened patiently, and when Qui-Gon was finished, he was silent. After a few moments, he said, "There's a rumor in the Temple that the reason you don't take a padawan is because of your previous one."
"Perhaps there is a truth to that," Qui-Gon admitted. Qui-Gon knew why Obi-Wan asked such a question. He wished that there was a chance that Qui-Gon would take him as his padawan. There was, but Qui-Gon wasn't sure if he should tell Obi-Wan this yet, not wanting to get his hopes up.
Obi-Wan nodded and did not ask Qui-Gon anything else.
*
Xanatos was indeed on Bandomeer. He was there as the head of Offworld Mining. Qui-Gon encountered him when Bandomeer's governor requested Qui-Gon's presence at a meeting between the Bandomeer government and three main mining operations on the planet -- the Home Planet Mine, Arcona Mineral Harvest Corporation, and Offworld Mining.
Offworld Mining was new to Bandomeer, Qui-Gon learned. Xanatos charmed the representatives, claiming that Offworld Mining's expansion would be modest and that he had no interest in interfering with the established mining operations. Qui-Gon knew Xanatos, and knew that his plans were likely nothing like he made them out to be.
After the meeting ended, Xanatos approached Qui-Gon, acknowledging his presence for the first time. "I was surprised to learn you'd be here," Xanatos told him, smiling. In the force, he felt sincere, but Qui-Gon knew he was not what he seemed to be -- that Xanatos could manipulate the force so that he felt warm and kind even as he tried to stab his lightsaber through your chest.
He waited for Xanatos to say something more, but it was then that Xanatos acted like he had only just noticed Obi-Wan, even though Obi-Wan had been present in the room since the meeting began.
Qui-Gon's heart sped up as Xanatos stepped forward to stand in front of Obi-Wan. "I see you've taken a new padawan," he said.
Qui-Gon did not correct him and neither did Obi-Wan who bowed politely. "And he's already kinder than you," Xanatos said. He was still smiling, and to anyone listening, he sounded as if he was making a joke.
In a swift motion, Xanatos bent down and pressed his lips close to Obi-Wan's ear. Qui-Gon felt every hair on his body stand on end as he heard Xanatos whisper to Obi-Wan, "He will abandon and betray you just like he did me."
A moment later, Xanatos was standing up straight, patting Qui-Gon on the arm in a seemingly friendly gesture and excusing himself so that he could mingle with the other representatives.
Obi-Wan's eyes were wide in alarm but he quickly brought his reaction to Xanatos under control, though Qui-Gon could still sense Obi-Wan's distress. Qui-Gon, too, felt shaken by this encounter with Xanatos, and he knew that that had definitely been Xanatos' intention.
*
"He was your padawan?" Obi-Wan asked in disbelief later, when they were back in Qui-Gon's chambers.
"Yes," Qui-Gon replied. "Are you alright?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "I think he wanted to hurt you more than he wanted to hurt me."
"Regardless of that being the case, did he hurt you?" Qui-Gon asked carefully.
To his credit, Obi-Wan took a moment to center himself in the force and examine his feelings. The sense of unease he had felt from Obi-Wan since their encounter with Xanatos receded. "He surprised me," Obi-Wan admitted. "And for a moment, he made me doubt you."
"Surprise and doubt are two of Xanatos' greatest weapons. You handled him well," Qui-Gon said because it was true. Despite being effected by Xanatos' persona and words, Obi-Wan had seen through him.
Obi-Wan looked up at Qui-Gon, eyes bright, and Qui-Gon felt that he was pleasantly surprised by the praise.
"Did he hurt you?" Obi-Wan asked, startling Qui-Gon. He had not expected Obi-Wan to worry about his well-being. Obi-Wan shrugged, seeming to interpret Qui-Gon's reaction as confusion. "You did say he would try to mess with you."
Unsure of his answer, Qui-Gon closed his eyes. He let himself recall what he had felt the moment he had laid eyes on Xanatos for the first time in so many years, when the meeting had started.
As Xanatos had captivated the representatives, it had hurt Qui-Gon to see Xanatos act so much like the charismatic padawan he used to be, especially since Qui-Gon knew what he had become. Qui-Gon had felt an old pain in his chest as he had remembered the boy Xanatos had been -- his cleverness and poise, and how he had always seemed to be overflowing with the potential to become a great knight who would do great things.
Qui-Gon had also felt bitter disappointment -- disappointment in Xanatos for his betrayal as well as disappointment in himself for ignoring the signs of Xanatos' darkness until it was too late.
He realized suddenly that in some ways Obi-Wan reminded him of Xanatos. Obi-Wan had an enormous potential for greatness, like Xanatos had had, and also like Xanatos, he was quick to react emotionally. Since Qui-Gon met Obi-Wan, he had felt an almost continuous stream of grief and fear from him.
Though, in other ways, Qui-Gon thought Obi-Wan was nothing like Xanatos. Obi-Wan had a sense of justice that Xanatos had never developed, and there was a light in Obi-Wan that was brighter than anything he ever felt from Xanatos.
Qui-Gon frowned. That he was even comparing Obi-Wan to Xanatos -- that he was even worried that they could be similar -- was evidence of how deeply Xanatos had affected him.
He recalled Xanatos' words to Obi-Wan. They were obviously designed to create doubt in both himself and Obi-Wan, and unfortunately, in Qui-Gon's case, they were succeeding.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes, disturbed by his reflections, and found that Obi-Wan was still waiting for his answer. "He hurt me," he answered simply.
*
The next morning, Qui-Gon asked Obi-Wan if he would like to train with him. Obi-Wan agreed, and in the governor's courtyard, they ran through a warm up together before moving on to a sparring session.
Qui-Gon knew that Obi-Wan had spent years trying to prove himself worthy of being a padawan, and those years were evident when he fought. Qui-Gon could sense a fearful determination from Obi-Wan as he slammed his lightsaber against Qui-Gon's again and again in an attempt to force him back. Qui-Gon stopped their match.
"This is not a test," Qui-Gon said gently. "It is simply an exercise to ready us for the day."
Obi-Wan lowered his head more than he had to when he nodded his acknowledgement of Qui-Gon's words. "My apologies," he said.
"There is no need to apologize," Qui-Gon pointed out, raising his lightsaber to signal the resumption of their session.
This time when their lightsabers crashed against each other, Qui-Gon could see a difference in Obi-Wan's fighting style. Instead of channeling his physical strength into his blows to push Qui-Gon back, Obi-Wan took more defensive stances, using them as opportunities to study Qui-Gon's attacks. He found openings and took advantage of them, forcing Qui-Gon into a defensive position more than once.
By the time Qui-Gon ended their session, he was impressed. Obi-Wan moved through the stances and forms taught to initiates accurately, effortlessly and smoothly. It was also clear that he was skilled in the force. He could sense attacks before they came and prepare defenses for them moments before they connected.
What impressed Qui-Gon the most was the change he had seen in Obi-Wan after he had stopped the match. When Obi-Wan wasn't concentrating on impressing anyone, he was a strategic fighter, studying his opponent and coming up with clever counterattacks based on what he learned. This was a skill lacking in even senior padawans, and though Obi-Wan's strategic skills were rough around the edges, the potential for greatness was there.
Qui-Gon thought, then, of the potential he had once seen in Xanatos and shook his head to clear it.
Obi-Wan wasn't Xanatos, and if Qui-Gon was contemplating taking Obi-Wan as a padawan, he needed to be sure that the fears and uncertainties created by his apprenticeship of Xanatos weren't influencing his decision.
*
Qui-Gon contacted the representative he was supposed to meet on behalf of the Supreme Chancellor. For the fifth time in the last twenty hours, he received no response.
Both worried and suspicious, he sent a message to the Temple. He also took this opportunity to alert the Council of Xanatos' presence on Bandomeer.
The Council responded to him in less than an hour. The documents had been falsified. The Supreme Chancellor had not, in fact, requested him for this mission.
As Qui-Gon looked down at the Council's message, he was filled with a sense of dread. He was fairly sure he knew who had falsified his mission documents. What he didn't know was why.
*
After their evening meal, as Qui-Gon reviewed mining agreements, Obi-Wan came to stand in front of him. He bowed formally.
"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Please consider taking me as your padawan," Obi-Wan said.
Qui-Gon took a deep breath, put his datapad down on his lap, and thought carefully about how to respond. Then he patted the couch next to him in invitation. "Please sit down, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan did so, and even if Qui-Gon wasn't able to sense his emotions, he would be able to tell that Obi-Wan was nervous.
"I'm already considering it," Qui-Gon said and when Obi-Wan looked up at him sharply in surprise, he felt the same hope from Obi-Wan that he had had felt when they had first met on that dingy Corellian barge. "But you must know that if I do not take you as a padawan, that that is not your fault. I have my reasons why I have not taken a padawan in many years."
The light in Obi-Wan's eyes dimmed. "Xanatos."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Thus, no matter my decision, you must not interpret it as evidence of a fault within yourself."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I know the Temple was wrong to send me away. I do. But after so many knights and masters passed over me, it's hard not to feel like the problem is... with me."
Qui-Gon felt his own anger at Obi-Wan's situation rise and exhaled, letting it go. "That is not your failing. If a knight or master decides not to take an initiate as a padawan, that it not the initiate's fault. And you're right -- it is the Temple and its policies that have failed you."
His words sounded inadequate even to his own ears. As a master who might also pass Obi-Wan by, he had no right to offer Obi-Wan this kind of reassurance, but Obi-Wan seemed to perk up after hearing it, sitting up straighter and holding himself taller than he had moments before.
*
Xanatos's true nature was revealed to all of Bandomeer when crates of explosives with Offworld Mining's logo on the side of them were discovered in a Home Planet Mine. An Arconan miner named Si Treemba had also reported finding similar crates in one of Arcona's operations.
Qui-Gon quickly realized what Xanatos' goals were. Xanatos was planning to cause major damage to the Home Planet Mine as well as the mining operations controlled by Arcona Mineral Harvest Corporation. The destruction to these mines would be so extensive that these corporations would be forced to sell their assets, and then Offworld Mining would swoop in and purchase them all at a discounted price. Xanatos was so sure of his plan and the desperation it would cause that he didn't even bother to disguise his involvement.
Qui-Gon knew then why Xanatos had brought him to Bandomeer. By falsifying this mission, Xanatos had arranged for Qui-Gon to have a front row seat as he sowed seeds of destruction that threatened to destabilize the planet. Xanatos had known that witnessing his former padawan committing such acts would hurt Qui-Gon in a way little else could.
Qui-Gon forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He worked with the representatives and the workers of the Home Planet Mine and the Arcona Mineral Harvest Corporation to locate the explosives and showed them how to disarm them. Yet it seemed that more crates appeared every few hours. It slowed the production in the mines. Qui-Gon assumed that that was also part of Xanatos' plan.
When an Offworld crate was spotted in an Arcona mine on the other end of the continent -- far away from all the explosives discovered so far -- Obi-Wan volunteered to help. "I can teach the workers there how to disarm the explosives, just as you have taught the workers here," he insisted.
Though Qui-Gon feared putting Obi-Wan in danger, he recognized the strength in his plan. "Alright, but report in every two hours, and exercise the utmost caution."
*
The day after Obi-Wan's departure, one of the towers of the Home Planet Mine exploded, injuring thirty. The explosion took place between shifts when the tower was virtually empty and virtually all the miners present were in the levels of the tower closest to the surface. Had the explosion taken place at any other time, the casualty rates, let alone injury rates, would have been much higher.
The timing had been deliberate. It wasn't simply a warning. Qui-Gon suspected it was a way for Xanatos to increase the sense of panic and fear the miners were already experiencing.
After Qui-Gon spent hours helping search for survivors, he commed the Temple.
"If Xanatos' plan is what you say, grave danger Bandomeer is in," Yoda said after Qui-Gon told him of the developments of the past few days.
"That is precisely why I'm requesting medical personnel and supplies, as well as an explosive removal expert."
The Council agreed to send a healer, a munition expert and some supplies. They also promised to petition the Senate for additional aid.
"Stopped Xanatos must be. Go after him you must," Yoda said.
"It has been difficult to do such a thing," Qui-Gon explained. "I am needed to locate and disarm explosives. As soon as I have finished with one mine, another one calls for assistance. To complicate matters, after the explosion today, I suspect that many of the workers I have trained to assist with the explosives will refuse to endanger themselves any further, leaving the brunt of the work to me. Thus, Xanatos has found an efficient method of keeping me from seeking him out."
"Distract you he does." Yoda hummed as he considered this. "Backup quickly we will send. Hope enough it will be."
"Thank you, master," Qui-Gon said.
When he thought their conversation was over, Yoda surprised him by saying, "Frightened you are to face Xanatos again."
He hadn't recognized it fully before, but he was. He did not want to confront Xanatos and all that he represented. But more than that, he wasn't sure he could do what he knew he might have to do to take Xanatos down. "I am," he admitted.
Yoda's expression softened and his voice did as well. "Fight him you may still need to, but another master I will send."
Qui-Gon inclined his head in acknowledgement, grateful for assistance in this matter.
"May the force be with you," Yoda said and ended the transmission.
*
Except for a few hours during the night cycle when he told Qui-Gon he was sleeping, Obi-Wan reported in with status updates about the Arcona mines every two hours like clockwork. Offworld crates had been found in three of the mines so far. "And I think I know how they're getting into the mines," Obi-Wan said.
"What have you discovered?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Both Arcona and the Home Planet Mine use Cart-880 droids to clear the rubble in their mines. The Cart-880 droids have access to entire mining operations and have large storage capacities. If even one was reprogrammed, it could easily hide explosives in the rubble it transports and plant them in the mines. And they're such a normal part of the mining operation that no one pays them any attention."
"I think you found our culprit," Qui-Gon said. He, too, had forgotten about the droids. They were lucky Obi-Wan hadn't. "Good work."
Obi-Wan was silent for a moment, and Qui-Gon was confused until he remembered how startled Obi-Wan had been to receive praise.
"I did not consider the droids," Qui-Gon added. "You were wise to do so."
There was a pause and then Obi-Wan said, quietly and almost reverently, "Thank you, Master Jinn." Qui-Gon's breath caught in his throat but before he could reflect on why Obi-Wan's words affected him, Obi-Wan pointed out, "Someone who knows the mines has to be programming the droids. Would Xanatos know how to do that or even have access to the schematics of the mines?"
Qui-Gon remembered the way Xanatos used to re-program the maintenance droids in the Temple with little difficulty. "He was an excellent programmer, and given that he wishes to take over the mines, it's likely he has collected information on them." Qui-Gon frowned. "We'll need to shut down all the droids."
He heard Obi-Wan sigh. "Which means shutting down all the mines, including the ones where no explosives have been found."
Qui-Gon was tempted to sigh as well. "For the safety of the miners, it must be done."
"Isn't shutting the mines down what Xanatos wants?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes," Qui-Gon replied, knowing, once again, that they were playing right into Xanatos' hands.
*
The evening after the Home Planet Mine explosion, an Offworld transport flew into the capital and projected Xanatos' image onto the side of the remaining towers of the Home Planet Mine.
The image of Xanatos swept his hands into their air and said, "Miners of the Home Planet Mine. I know recent events have frightened you. That is why I'm guaranteeing safety and security to any worker wishing to leave their current position and join Offworld Mining."
He spoke at great length about what he could offer the miners, speaking elegantly and persuasively, and not once mentioned that the terror he was so kindly proposing to save them from was cultivated by his own hands.
The true purpose of the earlier attack on the Home Planet Mine, Qui-Gon knew now, was to steal workers from the rival mining corporations. Unfortunately, Xanatos' plan seemed to be working. Qui-Gon watched a group of miners pack their bags, and Qui-Gon noted that even miners who had helped with disarming Offworld's explosives -- ones who knew how false Xanatos' words were -- were leaving.
Qui-Gon knew that if the mines remained shuttered over safety concerns, the number of miners willing to join Offworld would only rise. Without a stable source of income, the miners would be forced to go elsewhere and Offworld mines were the only mines that was still operational on the planet.
*
"There's something else," Obi-Wan said after he reported that news of Xanatos' offer had reached the far end of the continent. "I've received word that Offworld crates were spotted in the Enrichment Zone."
Qui-Gon closed his eyes. The Enrichment Zone wasn't a mining operation. It was part of the Agricultural Corps. "Xanatos is no longer targeting just the mines."
"Isn't that strange?" Obi-Wan asked. "If his goal was to claim the mines for himself, why would he attack the Enrichment Zone?"
"Perhaps to cause terror and further destabilize the planet," Qui-Gon said, but that wasn't the only explanation he could come up with.
If one of Xanatos' goals was to hurt Qui-Gon by making him bear witness to the panic and destruction he caused, then targeting the Agricultural Corps -- targeting peaceful, force-sensitive farmers trying to reclaim the land -- was something that made perfect sense.
"The Enrichment Zone has requested assistance. With your permission, I can finish up my work here and be there by nightfall."
Qui-Gon gave his permission, but couldn't help the foreboding he felt as he spoke to Obi-Wan. "Be careful," he warned.
"I will," Obi-Wan promised.
*
Obi-Wan missed a check-in that evening. It wasn't until Qui-Gon commed him and received no response that he began to worry.
When Obi-Wan missed the subsequent check-in, Qui-Gon planned a trip to the Enrichment Zone and borrowed a speeder from the governor for the trip. He went to his chambers to retrieve a med pack and some other supplies when he found the note. It was stabbed to his doorframe with a small, ornate knife, and it read: You made a mistake by taking another padawan. You had to have known you'd fail this one too.
Qui-Gon sent Obi-Wan a warning message as he ran for the speeder. He had just jumped inside it when, suddenly and without warning, he sensed Obi-Wan's presence vanish from the force.
Qui-Gon had known Obi-Wan for less than two weeks. He did not think there was a deep bond between them, yet when Obi-Wan's force signature disappeared, even at a distance, Qui-Gon felt it like a physical blow. A bright point in his mind that he hadn't known was there faded away leaving Qui-Gon feeling empty in its wake.
Somehow, Qui-Gon got out of the speeder and stumbled back to his chambers before he fell to his knees.
Obi-Wan was dead and it was his fault. If he hadn't kept Obi-Wan with him, if he hadn't sent him away by himself -- then Obi-Wan would still be alive.
Qui-Gon had feared he wouldn't be a suitable master for Obi-Wan -- that he would fail him somehow -- and yet without even naming Obi-Wan as his apprentice, he had still failed him in the worst way imaginable.
He felt rage at Xanatos and rage at himself and they combined with his grief and regret into something dark and toxic. It lapped at the edges of his mind, wanting nothing more than to flood it, and it took all the strength and focus Qui-Gon had to push it back.
As the darkness withdrew, Qui-Gon felt wetness on his cheeks and roughly wiped at them with his hand.
When had he come to care so much for Obi-Wan? Why had he only realized it now, after... after...
Qui-Gon attempted to center himself. It took longer for him to focus than it had since directly after Xanatos' betrayal and he reached up to wipe at his eyes more than once more, but eventually he was able to concentrate.
His mission was the same as it had been before: he needed to stop Xanatos and his machinations before any other beings on Bandomeer suffered Obi-Wan's fate.
He made to rise, but fell to his knees once more, and for long minutes afterwards, he sat on the floor of his chambers, still and silent, save for his own harsh breathing.
*
Qui-Gon took the speeder to the Enrichment Zone, where he learned that Obi-Wan had never arrived. He taught the workers there how to disarm the crates, and then travelled to the Arcona mines where Obi-Wan was previously.
The miners there had not seen Obi-Wan since he had left, and spoke of him fondly.
The head miner of one of the mines even took Qui-Gon aside and thanked him for sending Obi-Wan to them. "He was a great help to us. In these uncertain times, we felt safer knowing a jedi was with us. We were sad when he announced he was leaving."
Qui-Gon did not tell him or any of the other miners about Obi-Wan's fate.
*
Qui-Gon commed the Temple. He requested to speak to Yoda to whom he reported Xanatos' latest schemes and what had happened to Obi-Wan.
Yoda's ears drooped. "Sure you are?"
"I felt it," Qui-Gon replied.
"Cared for the boy, you did."
Qui-Gon nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
"Unfortunate this is. Full of promise, Obi-Wan was."
Qui-Gon felt anger then, sudden and sharp, at Yoda and the Council for recognizing Obi-Wan's potential and still sending him away. He took a deep breath and then another, struggling to let go of his anger.
"Awful you look. Slept you have not," Yoda commented gently.
He hadn't slept in two days. At first it was because he had wanted to investigate Obi-Wan's death and then it was because he had thrown himself into his work, trying to stop Xanatos and distract himself from thoughts of Obi-Wan at the same time.
Yoda saw through his logic. "Rest you need. Be ready to face Xanatos you must."
*
Qui-Gon didn't sleep.
When he tried, he pictured the way Obi-Wan had looked at him when Qui-Gon had told him that he was under consideration. Obi-Wan's expression had been one of surprise but he had also looked at Qui-Gon like he believed that Qui-Gon would do right by him.
Qui-Gon also remembered the hope he had felt from Obi-Wan -- his hope that Qui-Gon would change his fate.
In retrospect, the decision that weighed at Qui-Gon was simple. He should've accepted Obi-Wan as his padawan despite his doubts. Perhaps if he had done so...
Qui-Gon sighed. He rose from his bed and headed back to the mines, knowing it was unlikely that he would get any rest anytime soon.
*
Over the next few days, Qui-Gon travelled to a cluster of Arcona mines that were two hours from the capital by speeder and personally disarmed all the crates of explosives that were discovered there.
To Qui-Gon's horror, the last crate he found, hidden in an alcove in a lift shaft, did not contain any explosives. Instead it contained Obi-Wan's lightsaber.
He reached for it, feeling echoes of Obi-Wan's force signature as his fingers brushed the cold metal. He lifted the lightsaber from the crate and hooked it to his belt, next to his own hilt.
At the bottom of the crate, tucked under the cloth Obi-Wan's lightsaber was wrapped in, was another note: Come to the fifth Home Planet Mine by the sixteenth hour of the day today or the first five Home Planet Mines will be no more.
*
"It is obviously a trap," Qui-Gon told Yoda, comming him after he left the mine.
"Indeed." Yoda hummed thoughtfully. "Play into Xanatos' hands you would."
Qui-Gon was silent as he weighed his options. "I do not wish any further harm to come to Bandomeer," he said.
"Harm may come regardless. Master Windu and his team will arrive in seven hours. Wait for him you should."
"That is two hours past Xanatos' deadline," Qui-Gon pointed out.
Qui-Gon could tell that Yoda was studying him. "Confront him you plan to, yet confront him you do not wish to."
Qui-Gon felt a grim sense of determination as looked Yoda in the eye. "There are still many of his explosives left on Bandomeer. He cannot be allowed to detonate them."
*
Working with the governor, and representatives of the Home Planet Mine and the Arcona mines, Qui-Gon arranged for transports to move miners into the open plains, as far away from the mining operations and the city as possible. He also sent an evacuation order to the Enrichment Zone.
If Qui-Gon failed, he wanted to make it as difficult as possible for Xanatos to cause any more harm.
*
The fifth Home Planet Mine was dim, running on emergency lighting only. Knowing he was walking into a trap, Qui-Gon tread carefully, letting the force guide him to safe passageways as he made his way down into the mine.
By the time he reached the forth level, the force was shouting at him in warning that what lay below was dark and dangerous.
He activated his lightsaber as he passed into the fifth level, its green blade helping illuminate the dark tunnels, and saw movement in his peripheral vision. He turned around, lightsaber raised, to find Xanatos standing behind him, and to his absolute shock, Xanatos was not alone.
Xanatos held Obi-Wan off the ground by a slave electro-collar that was fastened around his neck. Obi-Wan's hands were on the collar, trying to reduce the pressure it was putting on his throat. As he gasped for air, he met Qui-Gon's gaze, his eyes wide with fear and surprise, and Qui-Gon unconsciously took a step towards him.
Qui-Gon still couldn't feel Obi-Wan's presence, and he wondered at that until he eyed the collar. Qui-Gon reached for the collar with the force only to sense... nothing at all. It felt like a void where both Obi-Wan and the collar should be.
The collar had to have a force suppressor in it, he realized with a start, and it was blocking Obi-Wan's connection to the force. He had been tricked! Obi-Wan was alive!
Qui-Gon felt relief trickle into him, and took another step towards Obi-Wan.
"Not a step closer," Xanatos commanded, shaking Obi-Wan violently, and Qui-Gon halted.
"Why do this?" Qui-Gon asked.
"I wanted you to suffer his death, only for you to suffer it a second time," Xanatos explained calmly. He smiled. "It's only fair that you truly experience what I felt after you murdered my father."
"Let him go," Qui-Gon said, raising his lightsaber higher as he shifted into an attack stance.
Xanatos grinned and with his free hand, pulled a detonator out of his robe. On its face, it had a timer counting down from just under the ten minute mark. Then, to Qui-Gon's surprise, he said, "That's exactly when I plan to do."
Many things happened in quick succession. As Qui-Gon charged Xanatos, Xanatos threw Obi-Wan towards him. Forced to respond quickly, Qui-Gon deactivated his lightsaber in order to catch Obi-Wan. By the time Obi-Wan was in Qui-Gon's arms, Xanatos had taken a step back. He activated a panel that Qui-Gon hadn't noticed in the wall and what appeared to be a clear blastdoor crashed down between them.
Xanatos waved the detonator in the air from the other side of the blastdoor. "You'll die here," he said, still smiling. "And you'll have the pleasure of watching your padawan die at your side."
He turned and walked down the tunnel, disappearing into the darkness, but Qui-Gon's attention was already on Obi-Wan. The trickle of relief he had felt before was now a rushing torrent. He hugged Obi-Wan to his chest, holding him for a long moment.
When he loosened his hold, Obi-Wan stared up at him, eyes bright with unshed tears. "Qui-Gon," he said, his voice hoarse. "The blastdoor."
Qui-Gon hesitantly let Obi-Wan go and stood to examine the blastdoor. It looked like glass. Qui-Gon reactivated his lightsaber and struck at it. It merely sparked, leaving the glass-like surface without even a scratch.
Qui-Gon struck the stone at the edges of the blastdoor, only to find that the blastdoor extended far beyond the passage it blocked, making it impossible to cut around. He then deactivated his lightsaber and felt the blastdoor with the force. He could find no seams in it. The tunnel they were in, he knew, was the lowest in the mine and was a dead end. They were trapped.
When Qui-Gon turned back to Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan was sitting up, tugging at the collar around his throat. Qui-Gon reached for it, but the moment he came in direct contact with it, he immediately pulled his hands away as he felt his own connection to the force begin to dim. Unable to examine the collar with either the force or his hands, he studied the collar with his eyes looking for a way to remove it.
Obi-Wan looked grim, a deep frown on his face. "We'll find a way out of here," Qui-Gon told him.
Obi-Wan opened his mouth as if to speak, and then seemed to hesitate.
"Obi-Wan?" he asked.
A strange seriousness crossed Obi-Wan's features. "Xanatos gave you a way to break through the blastdoor," he said softly, his voice still hoarse. Before Qui-Gon could ask him what he meant, Obi-Wan pointed to the collar.
Electro-collars were designed to keep prisoners and slaves obedient. They were armed with explosives that would blow if the being wearing them left a certain area or attempted to remove the collar. Qui-Gon felt his blood run cold as he realized what Obi-Wan was suggesting.
"No," he said sharply. "I will not sacrifice you."
"It's the only way," Obi-Wan insisted.
For a brief moment, Qui-Gon was proud of Obi-Wan's determination and his willingness to give his life to protect Qui-Gon's, even though Qui-Gon wasn't even his master. Then the feeling was quickly replaced by grief and by an overwhelming sense of wrongness.
Qui-Gon was a jedi master and it was a master's duty to guide and protect a padawan throughout their journey to knighthood. It went against everything he knew that a young jedi would want to protect him. He could not let this be Obi-Wan's fate.
He had failed Obi-Wan once. He would not do so again.
"No," he repeated, hating Xanatos for forcing both him and Obi-Wan into this impossible position. "There has to be another way." He released his hate and resumed his visual inspection of the collar until he discovered a closure on the back of it. He did not doubt that there were sensors in the closure that would cause the collar to explode if he tried to pry the closure apart.
"Can you get it off of me?" Obi-Wan asked a few minutes later. If he could still feel Obi-Wan's emotions through the force, he was sure he would be able to sense his nervousness. Still, Qui-Gon noted that Obi-Wan was remaining fairly calm given the circumstances.
Qui-Gon knew that unless he could keep the sensors in the collar from activating, he wouldn't be able to remove it from Obi-Wan safely. He touched the collar with the force, and again, felt nothing. Then he pushed at the collar with the force, directing the force with what he could see rather than what he could feel. The collar shifted slightly -- even though the he couldn't sense the collar in the force, he could still manipulate it.
"If I act fast enough after opening the collar, I should be able to use the force to push against its sensors, tricking them into thinking that the collar hasn't been opened," Qui-Gon answered.
Obi-Wan's shoulder's straightened and he looked Qui-Gon in the eye. "Do it," he said.
Qui-Gon nodded. He positioned his hands above both sides of the closure, careful not to touch the collar, and concentrated on channeling the force into the break. He would have a fraction of a second to react once the collar was open. He did not think about what would happen if he failed.
Taking a deep breath, Qui-Gon counted to three in his head, and then, in a quick move, he used the force to pull the closure apart. The moment the metal began to separate, he pressed the force energy he had channeled into the closure against the newly exposed sensors.
A moment passed and the collar did not explode. Keeping a steady pressure pushed against the sensors, Qui-Gon used the force to carefully lift the collar from Obi-Wan's neck. He placed the collar on the ground and focused on it until he was sure could keep the sensors pressed without looking at them. Only when he was sure the collar wouldn't explode did Qui-Gon let himself feel relief.
Obi-Wan turned to face him, looking between him and the collar, and then his whole body slumped. He pressed his hands to his face and began to breathe heavily.
It was then that Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan's presence in the force again. It crashed into his own presence like a warm wave and Qui-Gon felt a light reappear in his mind. He exhaled, closing his eyes, feeling content for the first time in days.
His sense of Obi-Wan's emotions also returned to him. He felt Obi-Wan's profound relief, but also his fear. It was a sharp reminder that they were not out of danger yet.
Qui-Gon looked down at the collar that lay next to them, and knowing what he needed to do, he stood. He picked up the collar with the force and floated it over to the base of the clear blastdoor. Then he offered a hand to Obi-Wan. "We still need to get out of here," he said.
Obi-Wan took his hand and Qui-Gon helped him to his feet. Obi-Wan swayed against him, but soon found his footing and followed Qui-Gon as he led them deeper into the tunnel and away from the blastdoor. After they were quite a distance away, Qui-Gon pressed Obi-Wan behind an outcropping of rock and then pushed himself against Obi-Wan, hoping to shield him from what was to come. "Cover your ears," he instructed.
Qui-Gon covered his own ears, closed his eyes, and then let the pressure he had pressed against the collar's sensors drop. A split second later, a loud explosion rocked the tunnel, stirring up dust and debris.
As the dust settled, Qui-Gon peered around the rock and saw that only the edges of the blastdoor remained. He stepped away from Obi-Wan and said, "It's time to go."
They rushed through the tunnel, knowing that they didn't have much time to escape the mine, and before they even reached the fourth level, they found the detonator. Xanatos had left it in the center of the tunnel that connected the fourth and fifth levels. If it exploded, it would not only destroy these levels, but likely collapse the entire mine.
The timer read that they only had forty-five seconds until it exploded. That wasn't nearly enough time to disarm the bomb. Qui-Gon wanted to save the mine, but now, it was no longer an option. He could, however, save himself and Obi-Wan.
"Run!" he shouted and then, with force-enhanced speed, they took off through the tunnels. He could feel Obi-Wan behind him, keeping up with his speed, though Qui-Gon could feel that he was straining to do so.
At last, Qui-Gon spotted sunlight up ahead. Feeling Obi-Wan's presence at his side, he kept up his speed until the two of them cleared the mouth of the mine. Even then, he kept running forward, through the equipment that had been left behind and out into the plains.
Qui-Gon heard a rumbling from behind them and he and Obi-Wan stopped and turned. Before their eyes, the rock face into which the fifth Home Planet Mine had been dug cracked and crumbled, collapsing in on itself. Dust flew into the air, hiding the mine beneath a giant brown cloud.
In the distance, he saw a smaller dust cloud emerge from the second Home Planet Mine. He could neither see nor sense any disturbance from the other three mines, no doubt thanks to their disarmament efforts. The damage done to the Home Planet Mine was great, but not as disastrous as it could've been, and because of the evacuation, there would be no fatalities or injuries.
Obi-Wan sat down on the ground, panting, his palms pressed against his chest.
Qui-Gon sat down next to him as he caught his own breath.
It had been close, but they had both survived and escaped. Xanatos hadn't won.
Qui-Gon looked over at Obi-Wan, who was now spread out on his back, looking up at the sky. In the sunlight, his skin looked pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He was clearly exhausted.
But he was alive.
Qui-Gon closed his eyes and focused on the light inside of him -- the light that he now knew represented Obi-Wan -- and let that light wash over him, chasing away the last remains of his grief.
*
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan borrowed two speeders from the Home Planet Mine's equipment stores and headed towards the capital. As they got closer, they watched a large jedi cruiser land in a hanger near the outskirts of the city. Qui-Gon led Obi-Wan towards it and they arrived just in time to see the boarding ramp extend.
Mace Windu walked down it towards them. He nodded at Qui-Gon in greeting, and momentarily froze when he noticed that Obi-Wan was standing next to him.
"Report," Mace said, cutting straight to the matter at hand.
"The general situation remains unchanged," Qui-Gon told him. "Xanatos is still holding much of the planet hostage."
"I'd say the situation has changed," Mace said and he pointedly stared at Obi-Wan. "At least to some degree."
Qui-Gon told Mace about Xanatos' trap for him in the mine, explaining the reappearance of Obi-Wan, the force-suppressing electro-collar, and the bomb. When he finished, Mace sighed.
"I brought Master Plo Koon and Master Healer Winna Di Yuni with me," he said. He placed one of his hands on Qui-Gon's shoulder, and when he spoke next, it was not simply as a Council member and fellow master, but as an old friend. "Xanatos is toying with you and there's no reason to let him do so any longer. Let us take over this mission."
Surprised, Qui-Gon tensed. He had asked for assistance, not for someone else to relieve him of his duties. This was his mission. And Xanatos was his responsibility.
As if sensing his thoughts, Mace shook his head. "Xanatos wants you to stay. After all, he's the one who brought you here. The best thing you can do right now to ruin his plans is leave." Mace squeezed his shoulder. "We can handle him."
Suddenly, the past few days caught up with Qui-Gon. He rubbed at his eyes. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He hadn't slept since... before he had thought Obi-Wan had died.
He centered himself in the force, bringing calm to his mind, before he considered Mace's offer.
As much as he felt like he needed to stay on Bandomeer, he knew Mace was right. Xanatos had been taking pleasure in torturing him.
He wondered if somehow Xanatos knew that he and Obi-Wan had survived the mine. If he did, he would continue to haunt them and they would continue to be in danger.
He knew that the large cruiser Mace had arrived in came equipped with a small shuttle that he could use to return to Coruscant. If he left and took Obi-Wan with him, they would both be safe, and it would force to Xanatos to change his plans.
And if the other masters took over and Qui-Gon didn't have to worry about Bandomeer or Xanatos anymore, he would be able to ask Obi-Wan what he had thought he had lost his chance to.
Qui-Gon found that this decision was easy to make. He took Mace up on his offer.
*
Onboard the cruiser, Qui-Gon introduced Obi-Wan to Master Healer Winna. After she healed the damage and bruising to Obi-Wan's throat and treated him for dehydration, she pulled Qui-Gon aside for his own examination.
"How is he?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Like you, he's sleep deprived," she said, finishing her scan of him. "Also, like you, he's experiencing mental strain. Both of you need at least three days of bed rest, and when you return to the Temple, I suggest you both visit a Mind Healer."
Qui-Gon closed his eyes. "So he's going to be alright."
"He'll be fine," she said. "And it looks like he wants to talk to you." She nodded towards the other side of the room and Qui-Gon turned to see that Obi-Wan was standing in the doorway. He was giving off a sense of confusion, as well as the fear and grief he always seemed to emit.
"He didn't seem to know that he would be returning with you to the Temple," she told him. He thanked her for her help and pushed himself off the medical bed. He walked over to Obi-Wan and motioned for him to follow him. He led Obi-Wan to the hanger where the shuttle was parked so they could speak privately.
"Are you leaving?" Obi-Wan asked in a quiet voice.
Qui-Gon took one look at the expression on Obi-Wan's face and kneeled in front of him so that they their eyes were level. "Yes, but I want you come with me." He unhooked Obi-Wan's lightsaber from his belt and held it out to him in offering.
"In our time together, I have learned much about you, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon told him. "On the transport here, you demonstrated your commitment to the greater good. When the danger on Bandomeer was revealed, you volunteered to help disarm explosives, revealing your bravery. You are the one who realized how the Cart-880 droids were being used, preventing the number of explosives in the mines from increasing."
Obi-Wan's eyes were wide. With a shaking hand, he reached out and took the lightsaber from Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon could feel Obi-Wan's hope and this time, he did not try to temper Obi-Wan's expectations. He let Obi-Wan's hope grow, allowing it to charge the air between them.
"You withstood Xanatos' manipulations, and you were willing to die for me." Qui-Gon smiled at Obi-Wan and placed his hands on his shoulders. "You have the potential to be a great jedi knight, and I would be honored to accept you as my padawan."
For a moment, Obi-Wan seemed frozen. Then he grinned, wide and bright, and surprised Qui-Gon by rushing towards him. The next thing Qui-Gon knew, his arms were full.
He hugged Obi-Wan back, and felt happiness from Obi-Wan like he had never felt before. Grief and fear were no longer the dominant emotions radiating from him. Instead, Obi-Wan felt excited -- full of anticipation for the future and what it held for him.
Two weeks ago, when he had met Obi-Wan on that Corellian barge, he hadn't wanted to take a padawan. Now, after all they'd been through together, he couldn't imagine not accepting Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan would become a jedi knight. He would get the opportunity he deserved to make a difference in the universe, and Qui-Gon was delighted that he would be the one to guide him on his journey.
*
Epilogue
By the time they made it back to Coruscant, they had received word that Mace had Xanatos in custody, and that the governor of Bandomeer, with jedi assistance, had seized Offworld's assets on the planet. Mace had already begun investigating Offworld's operations elsewhere and the Council was the process of petitioning the Senate to expand the investigation.
It felt strange to Qui-Gon that someone else had taken care of Xanatos and that, suddenly, Xanatos wasn't someone he had to worry about anymore. It felt almost surreal that that chapter of his life was over.
It also felt exhilarating that a new one with Obi-Wan was just beginning.
"Taken a padawan I see you have," Yoda said, taking a seat next to Qui-Gon in the dining hall. Ahead of them, at the opposite end of the room, Obi-Wan was speaking animatedly to friends he had introduced Qui-Gon to: a Mon Calamarian named Bant and a human named Garren. He was likely telling them about what had happened on Bandomeer and Qui-Gon was watching the way his face lit up as he spoke.
"I have, though I did not do it for the Council's benefit," Qui-Gon said, not looking away from Obi-Wan. He hadn't forgotten that the friends Obi-Wan was speaking to were the same friends that the Council had needlessly wished to separate him from.
"Angry at the Council you still are." It wasn't a question.
"I am," Qui-Gon admitted. "The Council has no qualms about sending children away, against their wishes, to hostile environments because of their age." He turned his head to look at Yoda. "Did you know that they blame themselves, believing that they're not worthy to be jedi?"
Yoda hummed, and it sounded sad. "Change you wish to see."
Qui-Gon gestured towards Obi-Wan. "The Council should talk to him and those like him and listen to what they have to say. Initiates understand their situations better than we give them credit for."
Yoda was silent, and Qui-Gon sensed that he was considering what he had said. Qui-Gon knew that he couldn't change the Council's mind -- not so easily and not yet -- but he hoped that every conversation like this one that he had would make it easier for Obi-Wan to make his arguments later.
When Yoda spoke again, he said, "Come here to argue Temple policies I did not, though on your words reflect I will. Mission I have for you."
"A mission?" For the past few weeks, he and Obi-Wan had spent their time in the Temple, training and visiting the Mind Healers.
Yoda handed him a datapad. "Leave soon you must. Briefed immediately you need to be."
Qui-Gon quickly reviewed the file. He said farewell to Yoda and then crossed the room to where Obi-Wan was still speaking to his friends.
Obi-Wan smiled at him when he saw him approach. Qui-Gon waved the datapad. "My apologies for interrupting. We've been assigned a mission."
"Sorry. I guess I'll have to finish telling you about it some other time," Obi-Wan said to his friends, though he didn't sound remotely apologetic. Qui-Gon could sense his excitement. Truthfully, Qui-Gon was excited too. This would be their first official mission as master and padawan.
Bant stood when Obi-Wan did and pulled him into a hug. Garren hugged him as well. Then Obi-Wan came to stand next to Qui-Gon and looked up at him.
Qui-Gon smiled at him fondly. "Come now, padawan," he said and they left the dining hall together.