Star Wars: Giver of Light Book I-Finding a Father in a Memory (AU)

Chapter ELeven

One Week Later

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Staring at his empty room made Obi-Wan's heart ache. He had few belongings of his own, but they were precious. His favorite was a holograph of himself and his two best friends, Garen Muln and Siri Tachi, when the three were six years old. They had their arms around each other's shoulders, Siri in between the two boys.

"You look happy in that one," Xanatos said from behind his son.

Obi-Wan whirled around. For the first time that he could ever remember, he hadn't sensed the presence of a person near him. Collecting himself quickly, he nodded. "I was happy the day this was taken. All three of us were. We'd just returned to the crèche after swimming. We did everything together at that age. I'm going to miss them."

Xanatos stepped up next to his son and rested a large hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. He cleared his throat, and then spoke. "You'll still have contact with them, Obi-Wan. I would never disallow you from speaking with, or even returning here to see them on occasion. They've been your friends all of your life and there is no reason for that to change."

Obi-Wan managed a small smile. He wished Qui-Gon had been as open-minded where Xanatos was concerned. "Thank you, Father. That means a lot to me."

Xanatos pulled his son closer to him. "You mean everything to me, Ben. There is no more special connection than the one that exists between a father and his son. I'm looking forward to spending our days getting to know everything there is to know about one another. I love you, my son."

Obi-Wan leaned into Xanatos' side and wrapped his arm around the older man's waist. "I love you too, Father."

Xanatos' heart warmed to the point of melting as he absorbed those words. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of his teenage son's spiky head and just enjoyed the moment. They would have a lifetime full of moments like these, but this was special because it was one of the first.

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"Hey Anakin, when do you leave with Master Renashaii?" questioned ten year-old Jedi Initiate Zev Irigaard, Anakin's best friend.

"In just a few hours," Anakin replied, his voice a little sullen.

"Will you ever be coming back?"

Anakin turned from the travel bag he was packing and faced his younger friend. "Sure I will, Zev. Master Xan promised that Obi-Wan and I would both be allowed to contact our friends here as well as come and visit as often as we'd like."

Zev smiled, happy that he wouldn't be completely losing his best friend. "Good. I'm going to miss you, my friend."

Anakin hugged the smaller boy tightly. He cared for Zev like a younger brother. They'd been inseparable since Anakin had come to the Temple three years before. Zev had been the first person to befriend him. "I'm going to miss you too, Zev. But we'll speak often, I promise."

The two boys sealed the promise with a handshake. Zev then moved across the room with Anakin and helped his friend finish his packing.

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Wandering the temple with no particular place to go wasn't something Qui-Gon had done since he was a child. But it seemed appropriate now. He was losing his apprentice, the young man he'd come to treasure as a son. By his own choice, Obi-Wan was leaving the only home he'd ever known and following a father he'd never known. It was enough to make Qui-Gon nauseous.

"Will you be all right?" he heard from behind him.

Qui-Gon didn't need to turn around to know who it was behind him. He knew Xanatos' voice be heart. "I don't think you really care."

"You're right, I don't. But my son does care about you, Jinn. He cares more than you'll ever know," Xanatos told his old master. "For his sake, because he asked me to, I'm asking if you'll be okay."

Qui-Gon turned around and stared at his former apprentice. "It will take time, but I will be fine. Assure Obi-Wan of that."

Xanatos nodded. "He also would like it if you came to the landing platform and see him off."

Qui-Gon visibly shuttered at that request. That would be too much for him. "I can't do that, Xan. I can't watch him fly away from me."

Xanatos seemed to understand, or at least accept that answer. He simply nodded and turned to leave.

"Xanatos?" Qui-Gon called.

Turning back around to face the older man, Xanatos waited for him to speak.

"May the Force be with you, Knight Renashaii," he whispered to Xanatos.

Somewhat taken aback, Xanatos did the only thing he could. "May the Force be with you as well, Master Jinn." With that, he spun on his heels and walked away, leaving Qui-Gon alone once again.

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"He's not coming, is he?" Obi-Wan asked from his position next to his father on the landing platform.

"I'm afraid not, Obi-Wan," Xanatos said quietly. "He said he simply couldn't watch you fly away from him. I have to admit, I understand that reasoning. I don't think I could do it either."

Obi-Wan just nodded as Anakin came to stand next to him. The twelve year-old was nearly as tall as Obi-Wan himself. "I'm sorry about your Master not coming, Obi-Wan."

He looked over at the younger boy and gave him a small nod. "Thank you, Anakin. I wish he could be here, but I understand his reasons. We should be going."

Anakin picked up his travel bag and slung it over his shoulder and walked up the ramp into Xanatos' ship.

"We'll return soon, Obi-Wan, I promise you that," Xanatos said to his son.

Staring off in the distance, Obi-Wan shook his head slightly. "No, Father. We won't be back here for a very long time," he said, turning to look at Xanatos. "I can sense that much. I can feel it."

Xanatosnodded. He didn't question how exactly Obi-Wan knew what he did; he justaccepted it as a part of his son's amazing power. If Obi-Wan said they wouldn'tbe back for a good long while, then they wouldn't. He took one last look at theTemple in which he had grown up and whispered his goodbyes. He too knew itwould be a long time before he saw it again. Then he slowly walked up the ramp,his black cloak billowing behind him as a gentle breeze arose. The ship liftedoff moments later, carrying the future, the only hope for the Jedi Order awaywith it.