Chapter 10

Ahsoka arrived in a traditional Mandalorian starship. She landed close to Hondo's hut and disembarked. She was accompanied by a young man, Korkie Kryze, the son of Bo-Katan. The two of them walked down the ramp with a hovering casket and met Obi-Wan at the bottom. "Thank you both for coming." he said bowing to them. "I'm so very sorry Korkie, I did everything I could. I really did." Obi-Wan's heart broke for the boy. Not only had he lost his father, but now his mother.
"I know you tried Obi-Wan," he said cooly. "My mother always knew she would die trying to protect Aunt Satine. I am not sure how she knew it, but she always did." Korkie then walked over to his Aunt Staine and gave her a big hug. "How are you holding up Aunt Satine?" he asked her looking into her eyes.
"Well you know, I have your uncle." She said smiling, "He always looks out for me. And so did your mother. She will never be forgotten." Satine turned to Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan, this is an internal Jedi matter now, there is no need for me to stay with you. I want to go back to Mandalore for a proper funeral for my sister." Satine's words were soft but firm. It was clear that she was going back, even if that meant leaving Obi-Wan.
"Satine, I don't want you traveling alone. I'm coming with you. Bo was my friend too, and she was starting to become more of a sister." Obi-Wan said walking over to Satine. "We can come back to this after the funeral. This can wait." Obi-Wan force lifted the body of Bo-Katan Kryze onto the casket, once her wrapped body was safely inside he closed the transparisteel lid and bowed his head. "May you become one with the force and allow it to guide you in the afterlife."
"May you become one with the force and allow it to guide you in the afterlife." Both Anakin and Ahsoka repeated Obi-Wan's farewell. It was a traditional Jedi farewell to a fellow Jedi, or a close friend.
After the goodbye,Obi-Wan went to tell Hondo of the change of plans. "You are more than welcome to come back to Mandalore with us, we will, only be there a few days before we head back to Coruscant." he was saying. "Ahsoka is helping prepare for the funeral, we could use all the help we can get. And besides you knew Bo, she would have wanted you to be there." The sound of Obi-Wan talking didn't effect Ahsoka, she was used to hearing him talk as if he were no longer a Jedi. After all, she was no longer a Jedi herself. Ahsoka was wrongly accused of killing many Jedi Knights and clones. She was then betrayed by her friend Barriss Offee, who framed her and had her arrested, Ahsoka was stripped of her Padawan status and all military statuses. When her master got to the bottom of the plot Ahsoka was asked to rejoin the Jedi Order with the Order's most sincere apology of wrongly accusing her. But she didn't want to return to a Jedi Order who didn't trust her in the first place, so she left her life as a Jedi. She found herself finding Asajj Ventress. The two got to know each other more, and Asajj showed Ahsoka a way of life after leaving the one she knew best. The two of them found themselves on a cargo ship heading to Mandalore. Little did the two know that former Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi, was personally waiting for the shipment of Maja coming from Alderaan. When Kenobi found them, he took the two of them to the palace and asked his wife if the two of them could stay. How could Satine say no? She had know Ahsoka for a long time, years infact. Ahsoka had helped her uncover the truth behind the corruption of former Prime Minister Almec. Mandalore was in her debt. So the two of them were able to stay on Mandalore, it was a safe place for them. But over time Asajj wanted action, and moved in with the pirates leaving Ahsoka on Mandalore, Ahsoka was okay with it. She knew Asajj would be just fine, and it was time for them to walk their separate ways. Ahsoka become the duchess' personal body guard and Obi-Wan took her to the icy planet of Illum to build her new lightsabers. Unlike her old ones, these were white. This symbolized that she was not a Jedi of any kind but a Mandalorian. In the old days when Mandalore and the Jedi order had their war, many Mandalorians carried lightsabers and wore armor made of beskar iron. The iron could withstand a blow dealt by a lightsaber. Most Mandalorians had White, Yellow or Red lightsabers made from synthetic kyber crystals, but Ahsoka's were real kyber crystals.
"Hey Snips." Anakin's voice broke into Ahsoka's thoughts.
"Oh, hello Anakin." She said looking up to see her former master. It had been a good two years since she has last seen him. "I didn't know Master Kenobi was still under arrest." she said looking past him. Ahsoka's look had changed. Insteed of her traditional Jedi robes she now wore a traditional Mandalorian dress with an open back, much like the ones Satine wore. Ahsoka's lightsabers hung on her belt under her cloak. Ahsoka was a Togruta female, she had small horns protruding from her head that looked like hair, then covered her whole head and fell around her with two tails in front of her and on in the back (if you don't know who Ahsoka is, please see character bio for more information) her skin was a dark orange and she had tattoos or birthmarks on her face. Ahsoka slumped down on a crate and waited for Obi-Wan and Satine. She knew they would not be long but she could not stop thinking about her former master Anakin, why was he here?
"Hey there sips." Anakin said walking up behind her. Did she still resent him for not finding her sooner? Was she angry with him for not coming to her in her time of need? All these things went through Anakin's head as he walked up to his former padawan. "How are things going on Mandalore?" he asked looking down at her.
"Things are fine." Ahsoka said looking past him. She didn't want to confront him, not yet.
"Look snips, why didn't you come to me? Why did you go to Obi-Wan?" Anakin blurted out. It was clear to Ahsoka that he was angry with her. She started to understand. After all, she was once his padawan, not master Kenobi's. "Why didn't you come to either me or Padme? Why did you have to go to-to him?" The wind on Florum was hard and could cause large sand storms to race across the desert planet. The makeshift huts could withstand some of the of these storms, but on any desert planet some places were blown to bits or ripped down. Beside Ahsoka was a small group of crates full of supplies, such as food and gear. Ahsoka leaned back in the hutt and looked past her master. Doesn't he understand that I'm not ready to talk about this yet? Doesn't he get it? Ahsoka thought to herself angrily. Anakin has no right to question me! Where was he when I really needed him? Oh that's right, he was caring about how it would look if he tried to help me. Ahsoka wished that she could ignore her master, she wished she could just walk away. Then she remembered she was no longer a Jedi, and he was no longer her master.
"If you'll excuse me master Skywalker." she said rising. I must prepare for departure. The duchess will not want to wait. Ahsoka started walking towards the Mandalorian ship when Anakin reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Now wait a minute snips." he started.
"Don't call me that." Ahsoka said turning back to him. She jerked her arm out of his grasp. "I hate it when you call me that. Infact I hate the fact that I even knew you." Ahsoka stormed onto the ship without another word.
"Well atleast I know what master Obi-Wan feels." Anakin said aloud.
"Yes I suppose you do." the duchess appeared behind him. "Sorry to overhear, but I don't think you came to her in the right way. Ahsoka needs time, time away from you, and time away from the Jedi."
"Funny, she wanted to be away from the Jedi, so she went to someone who was once a great Jedi master." Anakin spat at the duchess. "What did she think she was going to get from him?"
"Training." someone said from behind both of them. Anakin turned to see that it was Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. A younger Qui-Gon, not the one he remembered from all those years ago. "Ahsoka came to Obi-Wan hoping to learn from him." the Jedi master said smiling.
"B-B-But master Jinn, you died on Naboo, Obi-Wan saw you die." Anakin said dumbfounded. He had not seen Master Jinn in over 20 years. Where had he been? What else was Obi-Wan hiding? So many questions rushed into Anakin's head.
"Obi-Wan and Ahsoka traveled to the center of the Galaxy, there they found a planet. And on that-" Qui-Gon stared but was interrupted by Obi-Wan who came to stand by his former master.
"Ahsoka and I found a way to bring life back to someone we lost." Obi-Wan said smiling at his master. "The Jedi council knows of this, it was always looked down upon but never forbidden." he said looking past Anakin.
"So are you going to bring Bo back then?" Anakin asked flatly. "Is there anything else I should know before I board this ship?" Anakin looked down at the orange and red sand beneath his feet.
"Yes, there is." Qui-Gon said walking closer to Anakin. His hair blowing around him in the wind. Master Jinn was dressed his typical Jedi robes that came short near his knees. His cloak was the same dark brown it had been all those years ago. The things that had changed was his face and hair, he looked about ten years younger than he had when Anakin met him, his hair was a dark brown and had no signs of graying. He looked young and fit, like he might have when he first took Obi-Wan as a padawan 13 years before Anakin had met him. "You're not coming with us." Qui-Gon said pressing his finger to Anakin's chest. So he also acts younger too? Anakin wondered to himself.
"Master Jinn has.... "Stopped" picking up pathetic life forms." Obi-Wan said walking past Anakin, "Maybe you should stop trying to be one." Qui-Gon gave Anakin a small bow and walked past him and onto the Mandalorian ship.
Anakin stood alone outside the ship dumbfounded. He had no idea Obi-Wan had every thought he was a pathetic lifeform, but when he really thought about it, Obi-Wan had not really been honest with him over the past 20 some years. Anakin quickly boarded the ship and walked into the cockpit, he was expecting to see Obi-Wan or Satine flying the ship, instead he found Ahsoka sitting in the pilot's seat and Qui-Gon in the copilot's seat. The cockpit was large and had enough space for four or five people, but only had three chairs. Qui-Gon sat with his back facing the open window, he didn't turn but he knew Anakin had walked in. Qui-Gon turned his maroon copilot's seat around to face Anakin. "Welcome Anakin." Qui-Gon said smiling at Anakin as he looked up from the controls.
"Ahsoka can you give me and master Jinn a moment please?" Anakin asked smiling at his former Padawan.
"Sure master Skywalker, but don't be too long, we have to take off as soon as possible." Ahsoka said rising from her seat.
"Hey, snips, don't worry about it. I'll fly you go hang out with Kenobi." Anakin said coldly turning away from Ahsoka. Sense you think so highly of him. The words almost escaped from Anakin's mouth but he stopped himself before he said something he knew he would regret.
"Fine. But when Obi-Wan gets mad, it was not my fault." Ahsoka said walking from the cockpit. She passed the tall columns that held up the ship's structure, and walked down the long carpeted hallways of the ship. The ship's interior design was luxurious. The deep reds and blues, the golden trims. The life Ahsoka was living now was not so bad. She had a home, friends, and she was finishing school, like a normal life form would in the galaxy. Ahsoka stopped in front of a set of golden double doors. She paused a moment to regain her posture, she hated looking sloppy in front of Master Kenobi. He had been kind enough to take her in after she had left the Jedi order. Anakin had barely wanted to see her. Ahsoka was thankful that Obi-Wan and Satine had opened their doors and home to her, she didn't know where she would be without them.
The doors hissed open and she walked inside the room. Obi-Wan was seated at a long table, he was wearing traditional Mandalorian armor and had his lightsabers attached to his back instead of his belt like he usually did. Obi-Wan turned on his chair when Ahsoka entered. "Ah, Ahsoka, just the person I was looking for." he said smiling and gesturing for her to come in. "Sit. Would you like something to eat or drink?" Obi-Wan gestured to the drinks and food on the table. There were so many options, roasted gurk, deep fried nuna leg, some maja fruit and many other dishes. Ahsoka took and seat and reached for a plate.
"Thank you Master Kenobi." she said helping herself to the food and drinks. She was about to reach for an ornate bottle of wine when she felt the force reach out and grab her hand.
"I don't think so young one." Obi-Wan said chuckling, "Not until you're old enough." He used the force to call the bottle to him and poured himself another glass. He looked at the purple bottle in his hand and smiled. "Mandalore's finest wine," he read out loud, "But it still manages to be a lousy wine." It was not like Obi-Wan to drink, after all it was against the Jedi code, then again, so was his life. Who he was and who he was choosing to be. Ahsoka had gotten used to this new Obi-Wan, this Obi-Wan who dank, argued with his wife and was a normal man, not a noble Jedi master. Ahsoka called on the force to bring her a large plate of roasted nuna. She looked at the plate then set it down near her.
"Master Kenobi, do you believe that bringing Anakin with us was the best idea?" she asked taking a small helping from the heaping plate. "I know he is a well respected Jedi, but bringing him into the council's internal affairs could be dangerous. It is not that I don't trust him..... It's just that-" she started but was cut off when Asajj spoke up.
"You don't trust him." she said walking further into the room. "I know what you feel little one." she took a seat across of Ahsoka and helped herself to the food. '"After you came to me for help, after your "friend" betrayed you, I knew you didn't trust him anymore. If he really had cared for you, he would have tried to help you, like you and Obi-Wan helped me." Asajj took a big bite out of her roasted gurk. Ahsoka looked down at her food, suddenly she was not hungry anymore. How did Asajj know that she didn't trust Anakin anymore? How did she know what it felt like? But now was not the time to question these things, now was the time to be happy of the family she had made.
"I hear what you're saying Ventress, but I don't think you get it." she started.
"Oh I get it Ahsoka, you are the one who does not get it." Asajj answered staring Ahsoka down. The woman's pale skin and dark birthmarks made he appear scary but Ahsoka had come to know that she was a kind and reasonable person under her mask. "You think if you had been down there longer he would have tried to help you. You think he might have left the order for you? Well sorry to bust your bubble but he would have left for Padme, and told you it was for you so you would feel better." Asajj spat. "Skywalker is despicable and hated by more than he is loved by." the words seemed to come naturally from Asajj, and Ahsoka knew these things were true, she knew he would have lied to her even if he did leave, but she knew Anakin would never do anything like that for her. Once again Ventress was right and she was wrong about Anakin, she seemed to be wrong about him a lot lately.
"Can we all get along and eat dinner?" Obi-Wan said waving his hand over the table loaded with food. "I'll go check on Qui-Gon in the cockpit, I shouldn't be long." Obi-Wan rose and his red armor made close to no sound as he walked towards the door. He stopped and looked at the red activation button then turned back to Ventress and Ahsoka. "I thought Ahsoka was flying the ship."

"I don't fully understand why you have a problem with me Anakin." Qui-Gon said standing and walking towards the cockpit door. "I promised your mom that i would take care of you, and I have, then I died."
"That's just it master Jinn. you died." Anakin said standing to look the Jedi master in the eye. "You died master Jinn, almost 20 years ago, why do you think I would be shaken up by seeing you here today?"
By now Obi-Wan had walked from the dining hall of the ship to a corridor close to the ship's cockpit, he was about to just walk in when he heard the voices of his former padawan and Master Jinn arguing. Obi-Wan stopped just around the corridor from the cockpit to hear the newly heated argument.
"Anakin, you don't fully understand, I didn't choose to die, nor did I choose to be brought back." Qui-Gon said raising his voice. Obi-Wan already knew just by the sound of it that he had just about had enough of Anakin. Maybe I should help Anakin out. Obi-Wan thought. If it were me, he would leave me there to be yelled at, so why not leave him?
"Master Qui-Gon, here is my issue. You died, I started to get over it, then Obi-Wan left me to go be with Satine, and now your back, but you want nothing to do with me." Anakin said struggling to control his anger.
"Obi-Wan, are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to come in here and start talking to think young Jedi?" Qui-Gon asked as if Obi-Wan was standing right next to them. Anakin didn't sense Obi-Wan's presence but it was obvious that Master Jinn had.
"Well I was beginning to wonder if the two of you would ever stop bickering. This ship should be flying by now, why are we still on the ground?" Obi-Wan's voice rang with authority. "And both of you, get it together, we are here to honor Bo, not bicker about how lame or lives have been."
"Lame?" Anakin said looking shocked at Obi-Wan. "Master Kenobi, you life had been perfect, you have everything you want, you have Satine, you have your son, my former padawan, and a home. What do me and Qui-Gon have?"
"Don't bring me into this Skywalker." Qui-Gon said walking closer to Obi-Wan, "this is your argument, but if i have to choose sides, I choose Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon looked down at his brown boots and his long black hair. His hair was longer than it had been when he first met Anakin, it came down almost to his utility belt. He was happy that it had returned to its original color of black. He had not been fond of his graying hair, and was also glad for his youth. He didn't know it was so handy to be able to do the splits. Part of me is happy that Obi-Wan brought me back, but the other half wishes he hadn't. Qui-Gon thought to himself. I will say, I have missed the boy, he was such a good padawan, and I am grateful that he found a way for me to come back and to see him in this new life of his.
"Master, I don't fully understand why you allow Anakin to continue to argue with you like that." Obi-Wan's voice broke into Qui-Gon's thoughts. He looked at his former padawan and was reminded of the young boy he had taken as a padawan all those years ago. When Obi-Wan was only 12 years old. It was old for him to be chosen as a padawan, and at first Qui-Gon didn't want the boy around. But time time and again the boy proved himself to Qui-Gon and proved that with or without Qui-Gon he was going to find a way to become just like all the other Jedi knights in the galaxy. Qui-Gon had been reluctant to take the boy as his padawan at first, but soon he was more than happy to have young Kenobi by his side. Obi-Wan had accompanied him on many missions throughout the galaxy. Obi-Wan had saved his life many time throughout their time together. He was more than happy to have Obi-Wan by his side once again.
"I'm sorry Obi-Wan, there has been a lot going on for me. Seeing everyone grown up and what not." Qui-Gon said smiling, "I think you can understand, it is very overwhelming. Last time I saw Anakin he was 9 years old, now he is 20... 20 what?"
"He is 23." Obi-Wan said smiling "He is 23." Obi-Wan knew it had been hard for Qui-Gon to see everyone and everything so changed. His former master had not even been back to the Jedi temple yet. For a moment Qui-Gon was happy that he had not been back to the temple, it would be hard to see everyone again, after being dead for over 20 years. He was not sure if he was ready to face masters Yoda and Windu, they had been some of his close friends, along with Tahl and master Raja. Obi-Wan knew these things would be hard for his former master, but he had faith in him, knowing just how strong his master was. Obi-Wan had gone on many missions with Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn, and over their years together the two of them had formed a father-son bond, now they found themselves around the same age. It was a strange feeling for the both of them, something they never thought would happen, it was almost as if Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had gone through Jedi training together instead of being master and padawan. This Obi-Wan was alright with, afterall Qui-Gon was his closest friend, even after death, no one had ever had become a better friend to Obi-Wan than Qui-Gon had been to him.
"I'm glad you are here master, I don't know if things would be okay if you weren't" Obi-Wan admitted, he knew that that was not exactly what his master wanted to hear, but it was all he had to offer. "Master, I know all of this has been hard on you, and I know the change was so drastic, and it really disoriented you, but I was loosing my blasted mind!" Qui-Gon slowly turned to look at his student.
"I know you were losing your mind, I could hear you in your meditation, remember?" Qui-Gon smiled "May I speak with you alone Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked gesturing to the door.
"Of course master." Obi-Wan said bowing slightly to Anakin, "Please excuse me." Obi-Wan walked down the long hallways with his master at his side, it was a good feeling to be alongside his master, it was a feeling he had longed for for so long. Something he had almost yearned for. Just as the two Jedi were reaching the end of the hallway Qui-Gon spun on his heels turned to face Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan, I know that you are trying to help me get through this change. You are doing your best, but don't worry so much. Alright?" Qui-Gon said placing a large and comforting hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You don't have to try and please me all the time Obi-Wan, disappointing me is not going to get you thrown out of the Jedi order, or out of my life, you know that now don't you?" Qui-Gon looked Obi-Wan in the eye, looking to see if he fully understood what Qui-Gon was trying to tell him. No one spoke for a moment, leaving the hallways in an early spell of silence. Outside Obi-Wan heard the sounds of the Mandalorian starship power up its engines and begun its ascent into space. The roar of the powerful engines filled the corridor with sound. Obi-Wan knew that soon they would reach the planet's atmosphere and he and Qui-Gon would leave this pointless debate behind. They usually did, in the past anyways. Why am I thinking of the past? This is the here and now. How many times has Qui-Gon reminded me to keep my thoughts in the here and now? Let's not count them. Obi-Wan argued in his head of what to do.
Instead of fully answering he simply noded. "Yes master." was all he managed. Somehow throughout all Qui-Gon was going through, and after all these years, he still knew Obi-Wan better than anyone in this blasted galay would ever get to know him, and Obi-Wan was strangely grateful of that.
"Come Obi-Wan, let us go to the evening meal, Hondo and some of his men will meet us back on Mandalore. For the time being things are going as planned." Qui-Gon said calmly as he started to walk again. "I know this is equally as hard for you as it is for me. So much has changed, I only hope that our friendship has not changed with the time." Qui-Gon's feet were soundless on the red carpeted floor of the starship, it almost sounded as if he were not even touching the floor. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon passed the decorated hallways of the ship until they returned to the dining hall. There they found Ahsoka deep in conversation with Ventress about space slugs and where they come from. Obi-Wan gave his master a sideways smile then sat down on a chair near the window. He looked out into the stars, at the galaxy around him. He knew the galaxy was vast and there was much of it that no one had ever been to, or even thought of going to. Obi-Wan was always amazed at what this small galaxy could throw at the living beings who depends solely on the galaxies existence. Qui-Gon sat beside him with a plate of food, he looked out at the colors passing them by. Billions and billions of lifeforms going about their daily lives, living dying, laughing, loving. Qui-Gon knew that on each one of those planets, someone was crying for the loss of a loved one. It seemed like in his life it was not so long ago that he had been in the same place as that unknown life form. He had lost his dearest friend and lover Tahl. he thought that he could not go on, but he soon found that he could live on, but not just for himself and for Tahl, but for Obi-Wan too. I know Obi-Wan blamed himself for my death. He feels like he failed me, like if he tried harder maybe..... No Obi-Wan is stronger than all the maybes, it is me who is not. It is me who is to blame for what happened on Naboo, if I had only waited, then maybe i could have helped him, or moved, or...... No a Jedi must on dwell on the past.
"Master, is everything alright?" Obi-Wan's boyish features showed as he gently touched his master's arm. "You are crying, are you alright master?" he repeated.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes and realized that a few tears had begun to fall from his eyes and were rolling down his face. "Yes padawan, I am fine." suddenly he realized where he was, and that Obi-Wan was no longer his padawan. "Sorry, Obi-Wan, I'm fine." he quickly corrected himself. Obi-Wan didn't speak but simply smiled. The same smiled he had always shown for Qui-Gon, the one that let him know that he was going to be okay.
"You can call me whatever comes naturally to you master." he said nudging Qui-Gon in the shoulder. "You already know that master."

I'm happy to get the band all back together! So I hope you all enjoy this new chapter and have a wonderful day, may the force be with you, always.

(Not sure who the artwork is by)