Jedi Apprentice: The Ancient Droid  by Diane Kovalcin

This story is a response to the fanfic prompt "Jedi Apprentice: The Ancient Droid,"

Summary: Angst. Rated G. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi have found an ancient droid on an archeological dig. But there is more to the droid than meets the eye. Warning – it ends with a cliffhanger and I have no intention of finishing it.

Disclaimer: These characters belong in total to George Lucas. I'm just borrowing them for a while. No credits have changed hands.

Chapter 4

"Kenobi, are you in there?" Garen thumped on the door again and then gave it a sharp kick. "Come on, Kenobi. Get it in gear. We're late." He pummeled the closed door one more time and then leaned against it, dejected, muttering. "We're going to miss it."

The door opened abruptly and Garen nearly tumbled to the floor in surprise. A obviously frustrated Obi-Wan glared at him, barking, "What?"

"We're late. Come on, Obi-Wan. You promised you'd go." Garen tried to grab for his friend's tunic, hoping to get him moving in the right direction, but Obi-Wan just stepped back, out of reach and shook his head, dejected.

"I can't," he growled, his jaw clenched in aggravation. He jerked his head towards his Master's room,  frowning.  "Master Qui-Gon said I have to stay here until my assignment is complete." With that, Obi-Wan shrugged dejectedly, then turned and shuffled back towards his room, Garen trailing close behind him. As Kenobi opened his door and moved further into the space, Garen got a clearer view of the cluttered quarters and stopped, amazed at the sight, his eyes widening. What a mess!

The room was littered with piles of indecipherable mechanical parts, mounds of blue, black and red duraplast components scattered about. Spots of oil and other noxious liquids anointed the floor, and the sleepcouch was swathed with coiling wires of various colors. A small winding path through the mess led to one corner where an antique dirt-encrusted ellipto-droid squatted. Weird colored designs that twisted and turned flowed over the droid's tiny monitor screen; multi-colored wires hung loosely about the mechanical being. Loud zapping noises bounced about the room as the droid's five appendages waved randomly in the air, little sparks jumping out, as it jostled and jittered.  Had a mad scientist had taken up residence in Kenobi's room?

Garen started to laugh at the ridiculous sight but turned it into a cough when he realized Obi-Wan was upset and in no mood for levity.

"What is going on, Obi-Wan?" The teenager asked, trying to get Kenobi's attention. Obi-Wan was kneeling down, a tool in one hand, trying to grab one of the droid's arms with another.

When the arm was captured at last, Obi-Wan began to make fine adjustments on the droid. Eyes downcast, he sighed heavily and then muttered, "Master Qui-Gon wanted me to go with him on the archeological dig on Septus 5. He thought it would be good to get away from all the missions we've had lately, pretty rough ones, too."

He looked dejectedly at Garen, then hissed as a spark reached his hand. Holding tightly onto the ancient droid, its outer coverings streaked with indecipherable globs of grime and oil, Obi-Wan turned the wires a little tighter and shoved them into the casing. Sitting back on his heels, he looked again at the droid, then slumped forward, curling inward slightly. He continued. "I was thrilled when he asked me to come. I don't really like history much but I figured that we would get to know one another better, especially after my little escapade on that last disastrous mission.  Did you know I was in the healer's wing for a week with that one?"

He threw Garen a look of inquiry, seeing his friend's soothing nod, and then continued repairing the droid, obviously discouraged. "But after we got there, after we discovered this ancient droid deep in the caverns, things changed. He changed. He..." Obi-Wan looked down at the cluttered floor and sighed, unhappy.

"Yes, Obi-Wan?"

"He got quiet and immeasurably sad." Obi-Wan shrugged. "It's hard to explain. Our bond had been strengthening with every mission. It was wonderful to have such a connection.  And he trusted me more and more. But...but with each passing day at the dig, I could feel his sorrow. The sadness just kept getting worse and worse. And, sometimes, when he thought I wasn't looking, I caught him staring at me with such fear in his eyes."

"Master Jinn, afraid of you?" Garen's voice rose in disbelief.

The Padawan shook his head. "No...I don't know. I don't think so. All I know is that I could feel his fear, leaking through the bond. Finally, I asked him about it. I know that I'm not supposed to intrude but I couldn't stand it any more. Instead of opening up, he put up duracrete shields. Now..." Obi-Wan swallowed hard, trying to get it out. "I can't feel him at all."

Garen patted Obi-Wan's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "This isn't good. Did you ask him about it?"

"No. He won't talk about it at all. Just told me to repair the droid. Says it's important but won't say why. Just looks at me with sad eyes." Obi-Wan shook his head, twisting more wires into the droid. "He isn't sleeping either."

Master Qui-Gon's low voice sounded from the doorway. "Who isn't sleeping, Obi-Wan?"

Garen turned quickly, too quickly and fell onto the bed, wires scattering everywhere. "Whoops. Sorry about that, Obi." He sat up, then stood and bowed to the tall man in the doorway. "Oh, hi, Master Jinn. I was just helping Obi-Wan with the droid." Obi-Wan was looking everywhere but at his Master. And the elder Jedi was staring at his Padawan, patiently waiting for an answer.

Garen cleared his throat and stepped closer to the door. "Master Jinn, good thing you're here. Ah, Obi tells me that he has to finish putting the droid together before he can go anywhere." Qui-Gon nodded slightly. "Would it be all right if Obi-Wan comes with me to the new starfighter flyover? It's going to be starting any minute and they are going to be showing all the latest drills and flight maneuvers for the Z95 Headhunter. It's the best ship they've ever created." Garen's voice was rising in pitch as the words came tumbling eagerly out. "I know that Obi's been waiting to see it for months. He'll be back in no time. Can he come, please?"

Master Jinn stood there, looking at his apprentice, his eyes dull. After a moment, he seemed to come back from some far off place and looked at Garen. "I'm sorry but Obi-Wan has an assignment that is most important. He needs to finish it by this evening." He stopped and looked at the dirty ancient droid. "And it looks as if it is not completely restored as yet."

Obi-Wan stood up, and thought to plead for some respite. He had been working on that droid, morning and night ever since they had returned from Septus 5, over a week now and deserved a small break. But he looked at his Master's closed face and sighed wearily. He glanced at his friend, and decided that it wasn't going to happen.  Best that his friend not be deprived of all that excitement.

The Padawan spoke, smiling at his friend, trying to reassure him that it would be all right.  "Garen, you go on. Tell me all about it when it's over, okay. And take holopics, lots of them. We can compare notes later."

Garen looked at him, worried but then nodded, not knowing what else to do. "Okay, Obi-Wan. I'll see you later then." He glanced at Qui-Gon, confused with the tension in the air, yet he knew that it was not his right to interfere and so turned away, past the door and out into the hallway. Muttering as he hurried to the Temple entrance,  "I just hope Obi-Wan isn't in trouble again."

As soon as Garen exited the apartment, Master Qui-Gon turned back to his apprentice and, frowning wearily, restated the question. "Who isn't sleeping, Obi-Wan?"

The Padawan thought about avoiding the answer, if not outright lying, but knew that would only get him into more trouble. Looking at the floor and then back at the Jedi, he stated the obvious. "You aren't, Master."

"What makes you think that?" The quiet retort came slowly.

Obi-Wan knelt down in front of the droid again and began to work, splicing and turning the odd component as though to avoid the conversation. But a Master's questions must be answered and so he did. "Because every time I wake up, be it the middle of the night or early morning, you are always up, meditating or reading or doing katas in the middle of the common room."

A sad "Ah" was Qui-Gon's only reply.

Obi-Wan rose quickly to his feet and moved to the doorway. Qui-Gon tried to step back, out of his way, but instead of leaving the room, the apprentice knelt at the Master's feet. Grabbing the ends of the tunic to prevent Qui-Gon's escape, he looked up into the exhausted blue eyes and whispered. "Master, please. Tell me, what have I done wrong? Please, I will do anything for you. But you have to tell me what to do. Please, Master."

Qui-Gon retreated a step and looked at his apprentice in weary surprise. He shook his head in confusion. Obi-Wan's words had not made much sense but it was obvious that the boy needed reassurance for some perceived fault. Bringing his hand down to ruffle the teen's hair, the Master's bewildered look disappeared and a slight smile graced the Jedi's face.

"Obi-Wan, you have done nothing wrong. Well, nothing that I am aware of. Why? Do you have something to confess?" The little joke went unnoticed as Obi-Wan looked to his Master, puzzled.

"Master, I...I... I thought you were mad at me. I thought...You closed off the bond. I thought it was something I had done." He looked at the floor again, unable to meet his Master's eyes.

Qui-Gon shook his head and sighed heavily. "Padawan, not everything is about you."

Obi-Wan looked up at him sharply. He was even more confused and not a little angry. "Then why did you close off the bond? Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Qui-Gon reached for the boy's hand and, catching it, pulled him up. A lesson was needed here but the Master was not sure who needed the lesson more, his Padawan or himself.

He said, sharply. "Should you be questioning me like this?"

Obi-Wan shot his Master a resentful look and then shook his head, keeping his eyes lowered. "No, Master."

"Am I not supposed to guide you and train you? Am I not supposed to give you the information when I determine that you need it, not when you think it appropriate?"

"Yes, Master."

"Well, then, Padawan. Here is today's lesson. Sometimes the Master is wrong."

At that, Obi-Wan looked up in amazement. "What!"

"Yes, Obi-Wan, sometimes the Master is wrong." He chuckled softly. "I should have told you while we were still on Septus 5, but I was unsure that you would be able to handle it."

With that, he guided Obi-Wan back to where the droid squatted, still jittering. "Keep working on it, Padawan, and I will tell you about my nights."

He handed the boy a micro wrench and then sat on the cluttered bed.  The apprentice knelt down and began to tie more wires together and flipped some switches on the old relic. When nothing happened, he pulled on the circuits, cleaned a few spots and tried again. The random sparking died and the antique began to hum more normally. As he continued, he shot a look of inquiry towards his Master.

Qui-Gon sighed wearily. "Yes, Padawan. I haven't been sleeping well. Not well at all. Not since we found this droid."

Obi-Wan turned back toward the dirty monstrosity and flipped more switches. He nodded, glad that his Master would finally tell him what was wrong.

"I've been having bad dreams."

The Padawan almost laughed at such a statement. Bad dreams. All this was about bad dreams? But he said nothing.

"No, that's not quite right." Qui-Gon sighed. "More like prophetic dreams. Ones that I hope don't come true." He shrugged his shoulders, trying to eliminate the painful tension that had been accumulating for weeks. He was very tired. The nights seemed endless, with little rest before the dreams began again.

"I had hoped to shield you from them. They are quite.... disturbing to experience. Once I realized that you were getting some of it, I put up the barriers. I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. I thought it best but, as you can see, sometimes a Master is wrong."

The Padawan looked up at his Master and grinned. "Well, that's a  relief. I  thought....well, I thought that you were mad at me and didn't want me around any more."

Qui-Gon just shook his head and said, playfully. "Never think that, Obi-Wan. You are a wonderful Padawan and I don't look forward to the day when you are gone." Yet, as the words left his mouth, the elder Jedi looked suddenly very upset and almost fearful.

"Master, talk to me. Master..." Obi-Wan had caught the quick look of desolation in Qui-Gon's face and then it was gone, hidden behind thick shields.

"It's only dreams, Padawan. Dreams pass in time."

"Perhaps or perhaps the Force is trying to tell you something.  Sharing them might make it easier to deal with. What are the dreams about?"

Qui-Gon sat there for a long time. Should he say? His Padawan may be 14 but he was still a boy. Then he nodded to himself realizing that the boy  was a Jedi to the core. Obi-Wan would want the truth no matter what the cost.

"The dreams are about you and this droid. That's why I wanted you to fix this antique. I wanted to prove to myself that the dreams were just figments of my over-active imagination." He closed his eyes for a moment to gain his center of calm. His head bowed and then he looked at his Padawan again.

"The dreams end badly, Obi-Wan, always the same way, with you..."

His voice died as the ancient ellipto-droid suddenly came to life, lights flashing, arms waving. A baleful eye appeared on the droid's screen, scrutinizing the teen. Surprised, the boy rocked backwards and sprawled onto the floor as the mechanical head swiveled in his direction.

A disembodied tinny voice rang out. "Ben Kenobi? Is that you?" The droid swayed back and forth in confusion. "No, no, that can't be right. You're dead. I saw you killed. It can't be you."

Qui-Gon's mouth suddenly went dry and he found it difficult to breathe. The dreams...the dreams always started the same way, always like this, just like this, the same words, the same actions. But this time it wasn't a dream.