"You look tired, Padawan." The gentle voice chided. "Perhaps you should…"

Unthinking, he bit back, "I'm fine, Master Tharten."

Obi-Wan froze then, fuming at the recklessness of his foolish behavior. He had not meant to be so surly. Cutting across her words with all the brutal finesse of a razored vibroshiv was not prudent. He knew this. But at times, lost somehow in the bone-deep ache of loneliness and grief, it seemed as if he no longer cared. And it showed.

Watching Master Tharten's eyes narrow and her blued skin splotching grey with annoyance, he knew that he had overstepped his bounds. Trying to make amends, trying to get past this moment, trying to force back the blasted punishing headache that had plagued his every waking moment since that bitter day, Obi-Wan Kenobi, once Padawan to the legendary Qui-Gon Jinn and now desperately alone, lowered his eyes and bowed slightly. "Forgive me, Master. I am a bit... unsettled."

Yes, Kenobi, that's it. Unsettled... The irony was not lost Obi-Wan. Unsettled was a fitting description of both his life and that of the Jedi Order's chaotic changes in the last ten days.

Unsettled and it had all begun with one act of simple betrayal.

On the face of it, it was absurd that the Jedi had run out of money. The Republic, in all its wisdom, decided that the extravagances of the past were no longer acceptable. Accountability, organization and strict adherence to the rules of law were the new watchwords. The Order was no exception. Faced with stunning cuts in their budget and the demands of the Senate, they began to dismiss their own people in droves. Hundreds were terminated, forced to leave their Jedi family and the only home they had ever known. Qui-Gon Jinn was one of the first to be expelled. He had surrendered without a fight, too stunned to do anything but ask Obi-Wan to remember him. And then he was gone.

Savagely, Obi-Wan suppressed his simmering outrage at the memory of that day but a measure of aching guilt crept through. He should have taken me with him. Damn him for leaving me here and damn the Force for making me stay.

With a quick feminine cough, Master Tharten reminded him that he was not alone. He realized that she was waiting, impatiently waiting for an impudent upstart of a Learner to regain his center. After all, he was a Jedi, not some confused little initiate; he was expected to be above such petty concerns as the loss of his Master - no attachments, nothing but loyalty and duty to the Order.

Silently asking for forgiveness of his old mentor, he bowed his head once more.

She smiled then. "My dear Obi-Wan, anyone can see that you are more than just unsettled. It is perfectly understandable, of course. The stresses of these past two weeks have taken their toll on everyone in the Temple."

"Thank you, Master. I appreciate your concern." But the lie tangled in his throat, silencing him.

Turning away for a moment, his eyes caught on the rippled square of darkened window. Beyond, there were flashes of light as never-still traffic swooped and jigged into mesmerizing lines of streaking brilliance; the buildings nearby were splattered with windowed luminescence that imitated the starry night sky above - light and love and life. But all he could see was his own reflection in the glass, haunted eyes and drawn face and a loneliness so entwined in his spirit that there were no words to describe the feeling.

Hoping to find some semblance of peace, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and tried to push back the regret that threatened to undo him. He knew that he would endure because he must, because the Force demanded that he do so. He would endure as he had for the past ten days, as he would for all the days to come.

But Master Tharten was speaking again. She would not leave this or him alone. "I know that it seems that the pain of not having your Master here at the Temple is overwhelming to you but it will pass in time. You must understand that what happened was in the best interests of the Order."

Her comments seemed surreal, full of hidden meaning, but he was too tired to try and decipher them. He knew that she held great power within the new Jedi Order. He knew, too, that it was not prudent to annoy this newest Councilor, the one many said would be the next person to head the Order. Obi-Wan Kenobi understood that this woman held his fate in her clawed hands. It was best to let her guide the meeting and reveal the true reason why she was here.    

One thing was certain. She was not here to comfort him in this time of sorrow.

Turning to face her, he nodded slightly, his face a perfect mask of obedience and duty, "Of course, Master Tharten."

Smiling at the apparent acceptance of her concern, the woman continued, "You realize that we had to set your trials back for a short while for your own sake. You did not take the dismissal of your Master well, young one."

Frowning, his voice chilled the air. "It was a mistake."

She did not pretend to misunderstand him. "Obi-Wan, this is beneath you. I was assured that you understood the need for the Order to reorganize. Our financial problems are dire. We had no choice but to dismiss your Master." When he said nothing else, she reminded him, "Padawan, he was not the only one who lost their position that day."

Heavily, he replied, "No, he was not."

It was true. The entire Council had been removed, dismissed, terminated. Impossibly, in one fell swoop, the wisest beings in the Order were gone. Only Master Yoda escaped but he did not remain within the Temple - retirement was the convenient excuse of the Senate.

And the dismissals did not just end at the Temple. The Jedi in the field had also felt the sting of termination. His own friend, Garen Muln, had been knighted one day and expelled the next. It was efficient and ruthless and so very wrong.

But this woman, this Councilor, did not seem to understand how he felt - about this tragedy or her role in it. Perhaps she did not need to know how he deeply mourned the loss; perhaps she only needed his acceptance of what was. 

She smiled again at his continued silence. "But now that the Order has reorganized and been made leaner and more efficient, we are looking for promising young Knights to lead the Jedi into a new day. One that is brighter and more lasting than the old creaking relic of the past."

"Brighter?" Tamping down at the outrage bubbling just below the surface, he deliberately gentled his reply. But the emptiness and grief still bled out. "The Order has dismissed hundreds of Knights. The rumors speak of more. How can you say that we are better for their loss?"

She moved to stand beside him. Grasping his shoulder, just as his Master had done a few short weeks before - oh how the memory hurt, she spoke firmly. "We have dismissed those who would bring us down."

He stepped back, crossing his arms about his chest in a valiant attempt to keep the revulsion at bay. How could she say this? How could she be a member of the High Council and believe such filth?

But she prattled on, oblivious to his pain. "They had failed over and over again in their assignments. The Jedi are greater than those incompetent fools and we are better off without them. Besides, the Senate made it quite clear that if we did not terminate them, the entire Order was in jeopardy."

Her voice was perfectly reasonable - almost as if she were discussing flavors of tea, not abandoning Jedi like tainted meat. "The loss is tragic, of course, but we must prevail. The Jedi Order must continue."

When he said nothing else, she stepped forward again. "But now we need your help, Obi-Wan."

He had not expected that. Startled astonishment colored his voice. "My help? I am only a Padawan, without even a Master to guide me. How can I help you?"

Her narrow face broke into a sly smile. Obviously, he had asked the right question. "Tomorrow, you will face your trials and I am sure that you will succeed."

She leaned forward then, and reaching out, caught his braid on one hand and gave it a brief tug. He was too shocked to do anything but stare at her in disbelief. One more tug and she let it go, patting it flat. The smile widened, and she looked at him as if she were about to give him some wondrous present.

"When you do, the Council has an assignment for you. I grant that it is a fairly easy first mission but once you have completed it and returned, we will begin to help guide you to make the right choices at the right time. You are a bright boy, Obi-Wan, and we recognize this. With specialized training and certain high-profile missions, it should be easy for you to climb through the ranks of the Jedi Order, and when the time is right, to join us on the Council."

If it were anything, Obi-Wan had not expected this. He could not breathe for a moment. "Council?"

His bewilderment only seemed to amuse her more. Her smile grew wider. "You must realize that members of the High Council are groomed into their positions. Only those whose thinking is right, whose philosophy matches that demanded by the Senate will be selected to lead the Jedi. I believe that you could be one of the greatest of them all."

"Master Tharten…." He didn't know whether to laugh or throw her out of his quarters in disgust. The whole idea was ludicrous. That he would agree to help, to head an organization that treated its people so poorly - what did she think he was?

"Oh, don't thank me now. I've been watching your progress for quite some time. I know that Jinn was holding you back."

Obi-Wan's astonishment did not include listening to her insult his Master. "Qui-Gon Jinn would never hold me back. I'm sure that you are mistaken, Master Tharten."

The Councilor looked at him then, her beady eyes narrowing in speculation. It was clear to see that she was not pleased with his reaction. "Your defense of that old sarlacc does you credit but I have eyes to see. And others agree with me. In the briefings after your last four missions, it was clear that you did not agree with Jinn's assessments or actions. Your Master was letting your future wither away to further his own ends. And if you were left in the dust, well… loyalty is commendable but don’t let it get in the way of reality, young Padawan."

"I... don't know what to say."

She stared at Obi-Wan, watching silently as Obi-Wan floundered about, unable to articulate his gratitude as much as she had obviously expected. Impatiently tapping one finger on her arm, she was plainly annoyed with him. Perhaps she thought him incredibly naive about the workings of the galaxy, perhaps she felt that his training under Jinn was woefully inadequate. Whatever the reason, she did not let him stand there quietly for long.

"Think on it. It could be a great opportunity for you. Being on the Council is not all reports and boring meetings, you know. There is real power there. You could make a very large difference with the right attitude and the right connections. Be one of the leaders and help bring the Order into its full glory."

"I..." He started to thank her but she cut him off suddenly.

"I've been watching you for a very long time, Obi-Wan." She started to lean forward, to pull on his braid once more but he moved back sharply. Shrugging, she turned toward the now-black window and watched his face in the glass. "I'm sure Jinn never told you but I wanted you to be my first Padawan." When he said nothing but gazed at her with stunned eyes, she smiled slightly, "But Yoda wouldn't allow it. Said that your destiny lay along a different path."

Folding her arms about her, her voice ringing with frustration and thwarted agendas, she spat out. "I could have accepted that if he had chosen someone else for you, anyone else. But Jinn of all people. That man's failure with duCrion and his constant battles with the Council. Frankly, the whole business with Xanatos was a scandal. And then the way he treated you. Quite unacceptable." Her furious eyes met his in the reflection. "Luckily, you were strong enough to overcome even Jinn's influence. Your last several reports spoke very clearly of your devotion to the Code and to the Jedi."

"Master Thartan, my Master was a great Jedi. He... "

Snorting with derision, she shook her head. "Your loyalty does you credit, Obi-Wan, but he was a minor player, barely worth mentioning. With his history of failed missions and his attitude toward the High Council, it was a wonder than he wasn't terminated long ago." When he moved to defend his Master again, she waved one manicured hand in his direction. "Come, come Padawan. Let's not quarrel over something so trivial."

"It's not.... forgive me, Master Tharten. I had no idea."

The Councilor nodded, regally accepting his unspoken thanks with studied dignity. "Of course not. I certainly could not speak of it before now."

"I will give it some thought." Expected words and insincere sentiment - Obi-Wan silenced his shame.

She smiled slightly at his evident capitulation. "I hope you do, Obi-Wan. Don't let Jinn's misguided beliefs taint you or your record. It could lead to disaster for your career and your life here with the Jedi."

"I would never ignore the will of the Force."

Master Tharten looked uncertain for a moment as if she pondered his words and found them wanting. But she must have known that she had the upper hand because the predatory smile reappeared. "Good. Well, I'm glad we had this discussion. And I look forward to your participation in making the Jedi Order into the greatest organization in the Republic. You have a great future if you choose the right path."

"I appreciate your candor and your belief that I might one day sit on the Council. I know that my place is here; the Force has made that very clear to me over the past several days. I want you to know that I will do my duty and perform to the best of my abilities. You have my word on it."

More shallow words and Obi-Wan began to burn with dishonor. Dissembling has always been too close to deception and, no matter that he might be saving his own skin and following the will of the Force in this, the lies seemed to burrow into his blood. 

"Excellent, Padawan. Just the attitude we are looking for." She turned to him then and watched his face carefully.

"There is just one more thing."

Ah, the real reason for the visit. All the talk of Councilships and training was merely a lure to draw him out. Obi-Wan held his breath. First the temptation and then the whip.

Master Tharten's eyes hardened into stone. "My operatives tell me that you have been asking questions about your old Master - where he is, what he's been doing. I want it to stop."

"But I thought… " Obi-Wan's anxiety melted into confusion and hurried excuses. "Master Tharten, please. I'm worried about him. He hasn't tried to contact me and..."

She cut him off, the chill in her words unmistakably sharp. "Kenobi, did you listen to anything that I said? This is not the acceptable behavior of a future High Council member. Jinn is your past. Don't throw away your future for an old fool." 

But what she said didn't make sense. Qui-Gon had been promised that Obi-Wan would be able to contact him after six months. It was in the dismissal papers, clearly marked out. True, he had tried to find his Master within days of his departure but he didn't think the difference in the times would be important enough to notice. He needed to know that Qui-Gon was alive and well.

"Master Tharten, I'm concerned about him. After all, he was my mentor for over twelve years."

The air frosted with glacial cold, shards of ice in her voice. "Frankly, you disappoint me, boy. Do the right thing and this concern of yours will be overlooked. Choose the wrong path..." The threat hung clearly in the air.

Swiftly, astonishingly, Tharten grabbed his braid and pulled. Grunting in pain, the ache of the still-present headache mixing with the slow agony of twisting hair, he was forced to bend closer to her frowning face. She spoke softly, hissing snake-song, each word distinctive and demanding. "Above all, don't go hunting for Jinn."

The burn of tears held back threatened to undo him but he would not lie about this. "I can't promise that."

"Listen to me, Kenobi." The pull on his hair grew stronger, sheeting agony as skin began to tear. But she did not let go. "I have made certain suggestions to the High Council. And they accepted them since I had indicated that you were of a like mind and would cooperate. Don't make me look the fool, boy. Embrace the new Jedi Order and you will go far. Do not and... I can be a very powerful friend. I can be an equally powerful adversary. Don't make me the enemy. Am I clear on this?"

"Very clear, Master Tharten." She let go then and he scrambled quickly back, out of her reach.

"I hope that you do understand." Between one moment and the next, the ice demon had fled and once more the reasoning, helpful Master of the Jedi High Council appeared. Obi-Wan watched her with stunned eyes. "The new Order will prevail and you will be part of it, one way or another."

Master Tharten picked up her cloak and shrugged it on. As she reached the door, she reminded him. "And now I have other matters that need my attention. Think on what I have said. You could have a brilliant future. Choose wisely."

When she had swept from the room, when Obi-Wan was alone at last, one shuddering breath was all it took before he slumped forward, resting his pounding head on the cool darkened window. Closing his eyes in relief, he tried to fight both the fierce headache that threatened to crack his skull into shards of bone and blood and his fragile equilibrium. This had not been his finest hour.

And now he needed meditation, meditation and a calm center as much as any thirsty man needed water in the desert. But he knew it would do no good.

In the days since Qui-Gon had left, he had sought guidance within the Force over and over again. But the message was always the same. Stay with the Jedi. Endure the dying light until all would be revealed. Endure whatever comes. But the reasons, the visions never showed anything but grey morphing into an infinity of black.

He could not follow in his Master's footsteps, not yet.

But how he wanted to...

Obi-Wan knew now just what was at stake. Tharten was bold but there were others on the Council more subtle and just as treacherous as she. He would have to walk a fine line. But he would travel down that road because it was what his Master had taught him - to obey the Force in all things. It was the way of the Jedi. He only hoped that he could live up to all he had learned, that he would not falter in his resolve.

But in one thing, he would not yield. He would find Qui-Gon Jinn and when he did, it would be a joyous reunion indeed. Of that, he was very sure.