After The Storm

Prolog

Master Obi-wan Kenobi strode purposefully down the halls of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Anakin was cloistered in an advanced botany class for the next ten-day, and Obi had to quell these strange feelings that had been bothering him sense he had that silly dream.

Entering the outer chamber of the High Council's chambers he let the Padawan at the desk know who he was and why he was there. The young Twi'lek nodded and commed the inner chamber. She looked up at him. "It will be a few moments Master Kenobi. Please have a seat and they will call you shortly."

"Thank you." Obi-wan took a seat on one of the benches that surrounded the chamber.

That silly dream, yes, that is what started this. He closed his eyes and slipped into a mild meditative state, and the dream came back to him.

The darkness of a moonless night surrounded him as he walked through the forest of Endor. His steps had purpose; he was walking toward something, something that waited for him just past that last group of trees. The night creatures were eerily quiet; the only sounds in the forest were his quiet breathing and soft steps. The trees opened to reveal a small grotto, oddly lit by the light of a full moon. In the center of the clearing a man was standing with his back toward Obi, his face lifted to gaze at the moon. His deep voice broke the absolute silence that still surrounded them. "I knew you would come sooner or later, we are connected you and I. Tighter than any training bond could ever be. You are mine Ben, always have been, always will be." The figure started to turn and..

"Master Kenobi, the Council will see you now."

Obi opened his eyes slowly, allowing his mind the short time it needed to come back to the here and now. Rising to his feet he nodded his thanks to the Padawan receptionist and made his way through the inner chamber doors.

Even after ten years as a master, the sight of a full Council with all eyes trained on him still made him nervous. He softly cleared his throat and offered a bow. "Good morning Masters. Thank you for seeing me so quickly."

"Always glad to see you we are Obi-wan. Questions for us you have, yes?"

"Yes Master Yoda, questions and a request."

"You are free to ask Obi-wan, but remember it is our right to refuse"

"Of course Master Windu." Obi switched his weight from one leg to the other, trying to look like he is NOT fidgeting. "First the request. I would like to have the next ten-day as a relief of duty. I have something I need to find out. I would appreciate a transport, but if necessary I can procure one of my own. My Padawan is cloistered for this time, so he is taken care of and I won't be abandoning him in any way."

"Abandon him you wouldn't anyway. Need to find something do you? What is it you need to find?"

"That is where the questions come in Master Yoda." He took a deep breath. "Is it possible for someone to come back from the dead? Has it ever been documented before?"

Twelve sets of eyes bored into him. "Dead is dead Obi-wan. The Force takes us back into its embrace and we move on to the next step it has for us."

"I know this is what we are taught Master Windu, but has it ever been documented that someone came back from the Force?"

A quiet murmur went through the Council then the silence of their mental communication blanketed the room. After a few moments of this, Yoda's ears dropped and he turned back toward Obi-wan. "Grant your request we do. Removed from duty roster you will be. Also grant transport we will, but keep in contact with us you must. Know where you are we will. But alone you will be."

Obi-wan nodded. "I understand. Thank you Masters." He bowed slightly and started to turn to exit the room.

"Obi-wan, remember there is no death there is only the Force, and may it be with you."

"And with you." He bowed again to the dark-skinned master then exited the chamber.

Chapter I

The transport was small, but large enough for it's single occupant. Obi-wan watched the stars slip past as he piloted the craft through space. *I'm crazy, I don't even know where I am going, much less where to start looking.* He sighed, the sound seeming very loud in the small space.

"Ok Kenobi," he said aloud, "you can feel him, and you know it, just track the feeling along the bond."

*The bond that isn't supposed to exist anymore. He is dead, you saw his body burn with your own eyes, you are just going crazy* He shook his head. "I'm not crazy, he is there, somewhere, somehow."

Turning his attention to the controls of the ship, he let the Force flow through him to guide his hands. Seemingly at random, he typed in the coordinates to a planet. Once the sequence was done he looked at it. "Kamino? What is on Kamino?" He shrugged and sat back for the ride.

When the ship dropped out of hyperdrive, the watery planet all but filled the windows of the craft. Obi immediately disembarked the craft from the hyper-circle and headed to the planet's surface.

Once in the planet's atmosphere he began scanning the ocean surface, trying to find any signs of habitation. "Nothing but aquatic creatures could survive on this ball of water. How could he be here?" But, the tug on the bond was strong, stronger than it had been since his death. "Ok where are you?"

Skimming his craft barely one hundred feet above the rolling surface of the water, Obi searched. After two hours he was ready to give up. "I am crazy."

Just as he is about to head back out of the planet's atmosphere, something glinted in a flash of lightning. In the distance Obi could just make out the outline of some sort of structure above the water's surface.

*THERE* The Force almost screamed at him. *Right there* Immediately Obi turned the craft toward the structure.

As he contemplated how to land and enter the building without detection a landing pad lit up. "Well I guess that answers that question." He settled the craft down on the lit pad and set the autopilot to do the post-landing checks on its own.

Wrapping himself in the Force and his cloak, he made his way to the hatch. While waiting for the ramp to descend, he gingerly tapped at the re-awakened bond, and a returning tap echoed in his mind.

*This isn't possible* Yet it was happening, he just ‘heard' the proof in his own thoughts. Somewhere in this building his former master was waiting for him. Somehow Qui-gon Jinn was alive, and Obi-wan was going to get to the bottom of the story if it took his own life to do so.

Chapter II

The hatch finished it's decent with a hiss and a slight jar as metal met plasticrete. Making his way out of the ship, Obi-wan raised his hood to ward off the abundant rain. Once on the landing pad proper, he looked around for some type of entrance to the structure. Seeing a lit portal, he made his way to it.

Just as he reached the circle of soft light in the wall, a tall, elegant figure stepped into it. Her hand reached out and touched what Obi-wan assumed was the release of the glass door as it slid away.

"Master Jedi, we have been expecting you. Please, come in," the elegant female stepped to the side to allow him entrance.

"Expecting me?" Obi asked as he entered out of the torrent. "You knew I was coming?"

"Of course. The other Jedi told us you would be, we have never had reason to doubt him before." She smiled softly, as if coddling a small child, or humoring a mental inferior.

*Other Jedi? Could she be talking about Qui-gon* "Is the other Jedi still here? I would like to talk to him; something important has come up in his absence from the Temple. I carry a message for him."

"I hope it is nothing negative in nature, he has become very fragile in the last couple of years. But if it is of importance, I suppose you should tell him. Please, follow me." She led Obi-wan down the well, but gently lit corridor.

As they walked, Obi took the chance to take in his surroundings, as well as his guide. The structure seemed to be some sort of medical facility. The white, sterile décor, and purified recycled air certainly lead him in that direction. As for his guide, she was something to behold. Tall, taller even than what he remembered of his Master's height, she bore the height with grace and comfort in her flesh. Hairless, her very pale skin almost shed a glow in the shielded light. Her small head sat upon a rather long, graceful neck, and even from his position to her left and a half step behind her, he could still see the edge of her large, dark eye. She was beautiful, even to his humanoid preferring eyes.

They didn't walk long before the woman turned and knocked upon a door. A ragged voice granted them entrance. However it was not Qui-gon's voice.

"Master Drentar, the Jedi you have been expecting has finally arrived."

"Thank you Taun We. Please bring him in then leave us. Master Kenobi and I have a lot to discuss."

The tall alien nodded her head and put her arm out as in invitation for Obi-wan to enter the room. "I'll leave you now Masters. Should you need me, do not hesitate to call." She then left them, closing the door behind her.

Obi-wan entered the dwelling with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. A quick glance around the room told him a lot. The layout of the furniture resembled his own back on Coruscant, instantly marking it as a temple trained or Jedi's room. The sparse personal touches left Jedi foremost in thought.

"Please Master Kenobi, take a seat, make yourself comfortable."

Obi lowered himself onto the seat directly across from the stranger, finally letting his eyes rest fully on the elderly man. Despite his age, Obi could tell this was a man of action and strength. Even his eyes were sharp and missed nothing. However, there was something about the man, despite his welcoming smile, that put Obi-wan instantly on alert.

"I know you have many questions, and I will allow you to ask them, but I feel I should speak of some things first. My name is Trenal Drentar, former Jedi Master." Sensing the immediate question he held up his hand to stall the younger man. "I am retired, with honors. I did not fall, nor did I just quit. I gave the order seventy years of my life and decided to spend the last forty of it in my own pursuits. I was granted retirement and left the order in good favor."

Satisfied with the explanation, Obi-wan nodded, silently urging the man to continue.

"After I left the order, I drifted for awhile, trying to see as much as I could. Eventually I came to this seemingly abandoned planet. Upon closer inspection, the planet was indeed inhabited, quite greatly in fact. But something was wrong. Most of the Force signatures of the unfound people were almost exactly the same. Thinking I had found a new species that was actually one being with several bodies I was curious." He smiled softly. "One may leave the Jedi, but the Jedi never leaves us. I scoured the surface of the planet, looking for land, and found none. I was baffled, I could feel the people, but I could not find them. One day, I was making my usual fly-over and spotted something. A creature surfaced in the water, bearing a rider on it's back. It literally flew from the water, skimming the surface. I followed. I knew the rider had to know of my presence, but he didn't stop, nor try to evade me by diving back below the surface, it was as if he was leading me to something. He lead me here."

Obi-wan tilted his head. "Surely in your explorations, you would have eventually found such a large structure. I was able to find it in a matter of a few hours, you said you were here for days."

"Very observant Obi-wan. Just like every other structure of this planet, this entire platform is submersible. It had never been above the water on one of my previous fly-overs. The turbulence of the water makes sensors all but useless. I was flying blind for the most part. I landed on the same platform I'm sure you did, as it is the only one available, and was instantly greeted by the natives. They were friendly, and welcomed me into their numbers. I accepted, assuming it would be temporary. That was over thirty years ago."

Obi-wan contemplated the meaning behind that sentence. Thirty years, this master had been here with these people almost longer than he had been alive. And if he was serious about only having forty years to live after his retirement, his life was almost at an end.

"Did you find out the answer to the question behind the similar Force Signatures?"

The elder nodded. "I did, and that is the main reason I am still here. The Kaminoans were at the ending stages of perfecting the art of cloning."

"Cloning!?" Obi-wan spat out.

The old master nodded. "You see now why I felt I needed to stay. These people were on the verge of a potentially dangerous scientific discovery. I felt I could add a guiding hand to their experiments. I think I have succeeded, to a point. But my presence here also led to their current status." He sighed softly "The building of the clone army is almost complete as per the Council's orders."

Obi-wan's eyes narrowed as the words sunk in. An army of clones, ordered by the Council, what could it mean? "How did the Council order this army, I work closely with them, and although I do not claim to know even a few of their projects, I think an army would be well into the temple grapevine."

"They sent a representative, a Master Dooku."

"Dooku?" Obi's heart sank. "Master Drentar, Lord Dooku left the Order many years ago to pursue his own path in life. Though he did not fall, he has been out of favor with the Council sense his departure."

Drentar's face fell. "That cannot be. He had all the documents; I even did my own background check on him. All of his contacts checked out. I even spoke with Master Yoda himself. He assured me that the Council was indeed behind the order, and that the army was not only needed but wanted."

"Master, I have a feeling you have been duped. Dooku is a man of question now, and has several supporters to his cause. He could have easily have faked everything he gave you, even to the point of scrambling your transmissions. He is a powerful man. I just don't understand what the meaning behind the army is."

Drentar sighed softly. "I should have known not to get involved. I am too old to be a Jedi."

Obi-wan laid a reassuring hand on the old Master's leg. "The Force has a reason for everything. Even for this army, we just need to find out what that reason is." He smiled softly at the elderly Jedi. "I will inform the Council myself of your findings here. However, there is another reason I am here."

"Of course. Dooku himself told me you would be coming eventually. You are here because of Qui-gon."

Obi had to bite his lip to keep from gasping at the direct mention of his former Master. He managed a small nod. Drentar rose slowly from his chair. "Come with me, I will take you to him."

"Then he is here?"

"Oh yes, and he has been waiting for you too."

Chapter III

The hallway Master Drentar and Obi-wan walked down was long, and completely bare. Not even a painting or accent table disrupted the sterile emptiness of it. It made Obi-wan nervous.

"Is it all this blank, cold?" Obi's voice seemed much too loud in the stillness.

"No, only in the medical ward. The training sallies and classrooms are very nice."

"Why is Qui-gon in the medical ward?"

Drentar looked at Obi over his shoulder, eyeing him critically. "He never told you about his condition did he?"

Confusion settled over Obi's features. "Condition? As far as I knew my master was in perfect health and in peak condition."

"Oh, he was when you knew him, but it wasn't always so. Qui-gon was born with a genetic defect of the heart. It didn't expose itself until he was in his late twenties. The healers were able to fix the defect and ultimately save his life."

"If the healers fixed it, then why would it be reoccurring now?"

"I think you will understand when you see him." Drentar had come to a full stop before a door. Putting his hand out, he hovered his fingers above the control panel. "Are you ready?"

His mouth suddenly having gone dry with expectation, Obi only nodded.

Drentar's fingers brushed the panel and the door opened silently. The elder master stepped aside to grant Obi-wan entrance. "I'll leave you to visit him alone, unless you want me to go in with you."

"N-no, I think I should do this alone."

Drentar nodded his understanding and began moving down the hall back toward his own room. "Should you need me, the room com is connected directly to mine."

Obi-wan remained standing to the side of the open door, mind reeling. *This is what you came here to find, why hesitate now? Why? WHY? Because this isn't possible, Qui-gon is dead. He died in my arms; I watched them give his body back to the Force through the flames. Qui-gon is dead, and dead is dead. If he is dead, then why can you feel him in your head? Why can you feel his Force signature through this door?*

"Are you going to stand there talking to yourself all day, or are you going to come in and have me answer your questions?"

Obi-wan jumped at the voice, a voice he knew even better than his own, Qui-gon's voice. Obi-wan slowly stepped through the door. The room was as simple as the hallway; the only furnishings were a medical bed, a small moveable table, and a simple straight-backed chair. Again the walls were bare, as was the bed.

As Obi moved into the room, he could hear the quiet noises of another person moving around behind another door. He assumed it was a ‘fresher.

"Sit down, I will be out in a moment." Qui said from behind the closed door.

With trepidation born of something very close to fear, Obi made his way to the chair and lowered himself into it. His eyes watched the door that he knew his master was behind. A few long, agonizing moments later, that door opened with a slight hiss, and the impossible stepped out from it.

Oddly enough, the first thing Obi-wan noticed was his hair. It was still long, but not as long. But, more than that, there was no sign of silver among the chestnut. From there, all the other differences slowly came to light in Obi's mind. The soft but prominent lines no longer circled his eyes; no laugh lines had etched into his Master's cheeks. Gone were the little signs of Qui-gon's advancing years. The man that stood before him was twenty-five, thirty at the most. And more different than everything else, this man walked with the aid of a cane.

"The doctors assure me that they are close to resolving the condition, and I will be able to leave." Qui slowly made his way to the bed, once he was settled and comfortable he turned to face Obi-wan again. "I'm assuming the most prominent question in your mind is how. That actually is the easiest question to answer. I am Qui-gon Jinn, in every way, but I was never your master, at least not in reality. I am a clone."

Obi-wan nodded. "I figured that much. What I don't understand is why. Why were you cloned, why hasn't the Council not been informed of your existence, and why has the training bond reawakened."

A small smile played along Qui's lips. "Is it nice to know that age has not diminished your point blank attitude Padawan. I cannot answer why I was cloned, I was never told that. As for why the Council doesn't know about me, they do, and always have. And the tra….."

Obi-wan held up his hand, interrupting Qui-gon, "Wait, you are saying the Council knows you exist? They know and never felt it necessary to inform me?"

"That is exactly what I am telling you. In the beginning they didn't tell you because they didn't want to get your hopes up for a reunion, just incase the memory implant didn't work. Then, once it did, I asked them not to tell you."

"But why?"

"Obi-wan, you had moved on with your life. You have a Padawan of your own now; you are a great Knight, and a fantastic Master. I did not want to dredge up a past that you have faced, dealt with, released to the Force, and moved beyond." A small sigh escaped Qui's lips. "And to be honest, I didn't want to face the fact that you may not want me in your life anymore. I thought it best to just leave you ignorant to my existence. I thought it would spare both of us a lot of pain."

"Pain? You want to talk of pain? How about the pain of a Padawan left by his master, to face being Knighted and taking on a Padawan he knew he was not ready or qualified to train. Or what about the pain of a man that is brushed aside by the only father he has ever known for a child that he is then forced, by a promise made to that father figure, to take as a student and psudo-son. THAT is pain Qui-gon." Obi rose from the chair and began pacing in the small space between the wall and the edge of the bed trying to find his center, trying to release his unrealized anger to the Force.

Qui-gon lowered his head, closing his eyes, as he gathered his thoughts. "I chose wrong, I should have permitted the Council to tell you, but unfortunately I cannot change what has already been done. At this point, the only thing we can do is move forward. The Force has seen that you know of me, why I do not know, but now we have to decide how to move forward."

Obi stopped his pacing and glared at Qui-gon. "Now we break this bond and continue on with our lives as if this meeting never happened."

Chapter IV

Qui-gon stared at Obi-wan, mouth open in disbelief. "You want to terminate the bond, and try to just forget about me?"

"Don't look at me like that. It is exactly what I want. As you said MASTER," sarcasm dripped from the word, "I have moved on with my life. I dealt with your death a long time ago. You aren't really Qui-gon, so you don't have to exist to me."

Qui closed his eyes as if in pain, nose crinkled and lips pulled up in a grimace. "I will grant you this if it is truly what you want, but I wish you would give me a couple of days to change your mind. I am Qui-gon Jinn. I have all of his memories, his feelings, everything that was your Master now belongs to me."

"There you are wrong. One thing that belonged to my Master will never belong to you." Obi turned away, trying to hide the angry tears that threatened. "Despite your thinking you have what it takes to become Qui-gon Jinn, one thing will always be missing. You won't have me." He began to walk toward the door.

"Obi-wan, please, wait. Two days, that is all I am asking, two days. If at the end of those two days you still want to do what you are asking, I will grant it to you, and you will never be bothered by me again. Grant me this."

Angrily, Obi pushed the tears from his eyes with a sleeve of his robe. "You have two days, starting tomorrow." Without another word, he stalked out of the clone of Qui-gon Jinn's room.

Settling gingerly back against the pillows, Qui sighed softly. "Two days is all I will need to tell you the truth." Closing his eyes he slipped into meditation, trying to put his feelings back into place, and started laying out the plans to how he is going to tell Obi-wan he was in love with him.

"Knew of the clone of Qui-gon the Council did, from beginning."

"But Master Yoda, why wasn't I told. I would think it would be my right as his Padawan Learner."

"Second guess the Council you should not, wise it is not. Reasons we had, know them you need not."

"Yes Master, but.."

"Away with your doubts Young Kenobi, knew this time would come we did. Knew ready you would be. Remember your training, listen to the Force, tell you your answers it will."

"Of course Master."

"May the force be with you."

"And with you Master"

Obi-wan reached out and shut off the com unit, ending his conversation with Master Yoda back on Coruscant. Closing his eyes, he tossed over what Yoda had told him. They knew about the clones, all of them. Dooku had been working part for the Jedi, part for himself. And, he was on his own with Qui-gon's clone.

Qui-gon, that was the worst part. Being that close to the clone, the bond they shared was un-ignorable, perhaps even stronger than the one he had experienced with his real master. However, something was different, there was a different pull to the bond, something deeper, almost needy to the connection. It was easier to feel distinct emotions through the bond. At that very instant Qui-gon's clone was feeling anxiety, fear of the unknown, and self-conscious. The most disturbing of all the emotions was the touch of underlying anger.

Anger leads to hate, and hate to the Dark Side.

Obi-wan knew he had to talk to the man again, at least give him the full chance to change Obi's mind about the bond. He owed him that much. With another heavy sigh, Obi gained his feet and exited the room. He thought about heading straight for the room Qui-gon was in, but changed his mind, instead turning the opposite way and heading toward the training sallies. A nice round of meditation katas was just what he needed.

Unseen eyes watched the pair as they tried to deal with the current predicament, each in their own ways. A smile the likes seen only on a wolf ready to make a kill crinkled the eyes.

"Oh yes, everything is going just the way we thought it would, perfectly."

"Do you think the Jedi will allow the clone in Master? He doesn't seem to ready to accept him"

"Give it time my dear apprentice, all good things are worth waiting for."

"Of course my Master"

A low, menacing chuckle echoed through the small observation room. "We will break the young Jedi yet Maul, and then you may have your toy. Until then, remain with Jango, watch the two of them, but do not interfere. The old man will do that for us. If anything unusual comes up, contact me, immediately."

"As you wish Master"

Chapter V

After a full hour of non-stop movement, Obi-wan finally allowed himself to begin slowing down. As he came to the final stance of the kata, his mind came back to the moment detecting another in the room. His eyes snapped open and he looked at the beloved form of his master watching him from just inside the doorway. With an inaudible sigh, he stepped to the bench that held his towel and began to wipe the sweat of the exercise from his skin.

"It is good to see that you haven't let your body go to age Padawan. You are just as graceful and precise as I remember."

Wrapping the towel around his neck, Obi sat on the bench, patting the place beside him in offering to the clone. "First off, I am no longer anyone's Padawan, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use that title. As for letting myself go, I was trained better than that." He offered a small smile to the other man, which was quickly returned.

"I have a few questions. They may be rather intrusive." Obi-wan said as he started to rub the sweat from his hair.

"I will answer anything I can. Don't worry about being intrusive, if I feel the question is inappropriate or beyond my realm of answering, I will tell you. I want nothing but honesty between us."

"Nor do I. If we are going to find a way to at least get along, I don't think there is any other way. And anything you wish to know about the past ten years, feel free to ask and I will keep the same rules. Agreed?"

"Agreed. And the honesty may as well start right now. You stink."

Obi's head snapped around to glare at the other man, but he found only teasing humor in his eyes, and he couldn't help but smile. "I suppose I do need a shower. Where can we sit and talk once I am done?"

"Have you been shown the gardens yet?" Obi wan shook his head. "Well then I will wait for you here and lead you to them. They are small, but quiet and strong in the Living Force. We won't be disturbed there."

"Sounds perfect." Obi rose to his feet and started toward the sallies' fresher. "I won't take long."

Qui watched the younger *not any more old man, you are actually younger than he is now* man walk away. The swagger hadn't lessened in the ten years since he had last saw him, if anything it was even bolder. Obi-wan's body had lost the slight softness of youth he remembered, but it had been replaced by the very masculine hardness of a man in his prime.

*Now is not the time for those types of thoughts.* Qui chastised himself. *You must concentrate on the here and now, not the what could have beens or what might bes. Take your own so often dolled advice and concentrate on the present.* Closing his eyes, Qui slipped into a light meditation to release his feelings into the Force.

By his internal time sense Qui knew that only ten minutes had passed when he heard Obi-wan renter the sallie. His senses however were not able to prepare him for the sight that stood before him. Instead of dressing in his Jedi robes, Obi-wan opted for something a bit more casual. The black, oversized silk shirt and black leggings accentuated his time-hardened body perfectly, without being overly sensual. Unfortunately for Qui, the vision before him was anything but non-sensual in his eyes. Still rubbing the towel through his damp, shoulder-length hair, Obi-wan projected a feeling of unconscious sexuality. Dumbstruck Qui could do nothing but stare at the young Jedi.

Feeling Qui-gon's scrutiny of him, Obi slowly raised his eyes, an unbidden blush coming to his cheeks. "I thought it would be more comfortable for both of us if I threw aside the Jedi persona for awhile. We could talk person to person this way, not person to Jedi. But if you would prefer, I can change back into my robes."

"NO." Qui spat out, a bit more demanding than he wished to. "No, please, that is fine. I agree with you. I want to talk to Obi-wan the man, not Obi-wan Kenobi, Jedi Master."

Obi smiled, causing Qui-gon to catch his breath. "Do you think it would be alright if I went without my boots? Since we are going to the gardens I would like to be able to sink my toes into some living soil."

Qui chuckled softly. "I had forgotten about that particular trait of yours. I don't think it will be a problem."

With a nod and a small smile, Obi-wan reached out to help Qui to his feet. As they walked to the garden, Obi-wan unconsciously fell into the one step behind, one step to the left formation of a Padawan walking with his master.

Neither of the men spoke on the short journey, both thinking of what to say, and how to answer the questions they thought the other would ask. However it was not an uncomfortable silence, instead it was one of old companionship, and deep seeded knowledge of one's partner.

The gardens were just as Qui described them, small, but very lush, and despite the fact they were contained in a man-made structure, they practically sang in the Living Force. The sense of it made Obi-wan almost giddy, and he could not contain the smile that came to his lips. "I can feel it breathe." He said to himself.

"The Kaminoans went to every extent possible to make this place thrive. I think they have done very well."

"I agree."

Qui led Obi to a small bench in a corner of the garden under a Lanasu willow. The tree's hanging branches made the spot appear cut off from the rest of the room. Carefully lowering himself to the seat, Qui laid his cane against it and folded his hands into his lap. "Sit, and when you are comfortable and ready, I will allow you to begin."

"Do you not have your own questions?" Obi asked as he too sat.

"I do, but I think you should address your concerns first. Most of what I have to ask is trivial." He smiled slightly. "Mostly gossip catch up."

Obi nodded and smiled. "I see." With a soft sigh Obi-wan looked at the other man. "Just how much of Qui's memories do you have? I mean…" He trails off.

"I remember my childhood in the crèche, I remember my Padawanship with both Master Dooku, and Master Yoda. I remember my knighting, my first Padawan, and Xanatos." Pain crossed his face for a moment, but was quickly put aside. "I remember Bandomeer."

Obi-wan looked closer at him. "What is your last memory that is Qui-gon's?"

"Dieing in your arms, telling you to train Anakin." *And wanting desperately to tell you my true feelings.* He adds silently.

"Prove it."

"Pardon me?"

"Prove it. Tell me something that only my Master would know. Everything you have told me can be found in the Temple archives that I know you have access to here. Tell me something that only Qui-gon and I would know."

Qui-gon nodded slowly, knowing exactly the memory Obi-wan was searching for. "Very well my own. On the night before we left for Naboo, I took my Padawan past the realm of apprenticeship, friend, and companion into the realm of lover."

Chapter VI

Obi-wan closed his eyes, his head falling forward just a bit. With a soft sigh he raised his eyes and green-fire met with indigo-twilight. "How was that added to your programming? No one knew Qui and I had become intimate, we would have been separated if it had gotten out."

"I don't know the specifics of how a memory plant is done Pad… Obi-wan, and I have no idea why mine was so successful, just that the end results are what I am. I am Qui-gon Jinn." He sighed softly. "Every experience your master went through now belongs to me. My memories outside of this building are complete up to my death. And my genetic make-up is identical to his."

"Yet you are thirty years younger than he is supposed to be. You have a health problem that he overcame, and you are missing ten years of time he didn't exist in."

Taking a chance Qui-gon reached out and took Obi's hand into his own. "I cannot deny anything you have said, but it doesn't change the fact that my feelings for you are very real, as were your Master's. Is there any place in your life for me Obi-wan? Any room in your heart?"

"I just don't know."

"I have a question. You don't have to answer it if you don't wish to, but it is something I would like to know."

Obi-wan nodded. "Go ahead, I plan on sticking to the rules we set down."

"Did you love your master?"

"Of course I did. He was the only father I ever knew."

"That isn't what I meant and you know it. Did you love him in a romantic way, or was your night with him just a physical union."

Obi was quiet for quite some time, and Qui-gon was beginning to think he was going to refuse to answer, but finally he broke the impregnated silence. "Qui-gon meant more to me than any other man in the world. With his own hands he nurtured me and helped me grow into a strong Jedi, and a good person. The night I spent in his arms is my most treasured memory. In the ten years since his death, not a day has passed that I have not thought of him at least once. But did I love him? I love the idea of him, what I play out in my head of what could have been. We were not given enough time to learn each other as equals in a relationship. I know I could have loved him. At the time, yes I loved him, but now I don't know if it was Qui-gon the man, or my idea of Qui-gon the lover that I loved."

He slowly looks back up at the other man. "At the time I could see us being together forever, and the idea of eventually asking him to bond with me crossed my mind many times during the mission to Naboo. So I guess my answer is I was falling in love with him."

The clone nodded and squeezed Obi's hand slightly. "Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate it more than you know."

Obi nodded and squeezed back. At the same time they both looked up at the person pushing back the branches of the willow tree. Master Drentar, looking like he had just been through a rather vigorous work out, stood before them. "Qui-gon, the physicians have been looking for you. They have good news, the test results are back and they are ready to do the procedure to fix your heart."

"How soon?"

"How quickly can you make it back to the medical ward?" Drentar smiled. "They are waiting for you now."

Qui nodded and started to rise to his feet. "Please tell them I am on my way." Once Drentar had disappeared from sight, Qui-gon turned back toward Obi-wan. "Please say you will be here when they pull me out of the bacta."

"I'll stay as long as I can."

"That is all I ask. Walk back with me?"

With a small smile Obi-wan came to his feet. Offering his arm for Qui to use as support, the two of them made their way back to the medical area of the cloning facility.

Two hours later, a stony faced Obi-wan stood before the lead healer. "I just don't understand, I thought you said it was a very simple procedure with low risk."

"Low risk, but still risks. Master Kenobi we don't know what happened, everything went as it should have, the surgery was a success, but Qui-gon is not coming out of the anesthesia."

Obi took a couple of pacing steps. "Is he stable enough to travel if he remains in a bacta tank?"

"Yes, I do believe so."

"Have him loaded onto my ship, I'm going to take him home."

The large-eyed healer nods. "Right away sir Jedi. Perhaps the Jedi healers can find something we are overlooking."

"My thoughts exactly. How long?"

"Twenty minutes if your ship is equipped correctly."

"I need to call ahead and let them know we are coming and to have medical staff waiting for us. Can I use your unit?"

"Of course. I'll leave you to it, and start getting Qui-gon ready to transfer."

"Thank you." Obi-wan waited until the healer had left the room, then he sat at the Kaminoan's desk. He typed in the sequence to link directly with Master Yoda's personal com unit. He answered almost immediately.

"Bringing him home you are?"

"Yes Master, we should be there within six hours. Please have a medical staff waiting."

"Ready we will be."

"Thank you Master."

The old master harrumphed. "Not needed thanks are. My Padawan Qui-gon was, curious about clone I am. Careful you will be, safe you must remain."

"I'll be home soon Master." Obi reached out and shut off the com unit and sat back in the chair, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "I'm not going to lose him again." He said softly to the empty room.