SORROWS AND JOYS

By Lincoln Six Echo

A Clone Wars tale set in "The Jedi And The Sith" and "A Sith Among The Jedi" AU

Author's Note: this is dedicated to all those readers who asked for a Clone War story involving Qui-Gon, Sith Obi-Wan and Anakin. However, I must alert you won't find any detailed account of battles or war actions here, because I have decided to explore this part of the "canon" in a different way.

The brutality and the dangers of the Clone Wars have been featured in the novels, in the comics, in the cartoons and in other fans' stories. I found unnecessary to write more about it. Instead I chose to concentrate on the feelings of the people left behind, the ones watching their dear ones leave for the battlefront without knowing if they will see them again.

This story also assumes that you have seen "Attack Of The Clones" and that all scenes not
specifically altered herein, occurred as they were depicted in that movie. It also assumes you basically know what happened on Jabiim (Obi-Wan was captured and tortured by Asajj Ventress and reputed dead for more than a month).

In this AU, I anticipated the battle of Jabiim, making it happen about 5 months after the beginning of the wars instead of the canon 15 months, to make it suit my purposes for this story.

EXCERPTS FROM THE AUDIO JOURNAL OF QUI-GON JINN, JEDI KNIGHT

Coruscant, Jedi Temple, 13:5:4

I have never been especially fond of celebrating my naming day.

For most of my life I have considered it just another day, which does not need to be remembered to remind me I am getting a year older. All I need to do to notice the slow passing time is to take a look at the mirror as I trim my beard. My hair is now almost completely grey and the lines on my face are deeper.

However today, on my 70th naming day, something happened that will make this day stand out in my memory for the rest of my life. Something that required a big celebration, even if it had nothing to do with the fact I am now a year older.

Today Obi-Wan and Lianne have informed me I am going to become a grandfather.

I confess I did not know how to react in the beginning. I was aware, of course, that my son and his wife had been trying to conceive a child since Lianne was promoted to an administrative job and started living on Coruscant on permanent basis. Obi-Wan had told me months ago, but somehow I had perceived it as a distant occurrence, as if it was something that would not touch me.

So when I was informed this morning, I could only stare at the two faces smiling proudly at me, until the moment I completely discarded my Jedi master's composure and I embraced both of them, first Lianne, then Obi-Wan.

A child!

Obi-Wan is going to become a father…and I am going to be a grandfather.

I am awed…overjoyed. I feel like the day Lydah Kenobi informed me she was carrying my child—but this is even better. Because I know this child, this little Kenobi, will not risk being cast away from the Jedi Temple as Obi-Wan was and end up in the hands of a brutal Sith master.

This little one will grow up with a loving mother, a stern but doting father and grandfather ready to indulge him or her. I am also sure that, once he recovers from his stupor, Anakin too will be part of the little one's life. He will probably teach him or her all those things that drive Obi-Wan mad, such as messing with his precious leather-bound books or leaving the carpet in the living room covered with mechanical spare part and oil stains. Oh yes, I can already picture it.

However I cannot help but think what will happen if this child is Force sensitive, something very probable given Obi-Wan's extremely high midi-chlorians count.

What will my son and Lianne decide to do then? Will they give the child to the Temple to be trained? Will he be a Sith? A Jedi? Or a mix between the two, as I now believe Obi-Wan is?

Ten years spent living, working and teaching among the Jedi have tempered some of my son's harsher traits. I doubt he would ever again Force choke someone to obtain information or something he wants. And I am sure he will never even think to use the whip on his child as was done to him.

But as for the rest, he is still a Sith. He holds on his emotions. He draws from the Dark Side when he fights. He lies with ease when it is necessary. He does not have too many scruples about the methods he uses to accomplish a mission, even if, of course, he never does anything illegal.

This is the Sith's way and I have come to accept it, as all the rest of the Order did.

Obi-Wan's value is recognized by everyone, but what if he asks to have his child admitted in the Order? Will the Council allow him to train his little one in the Sith ways, or they will pretend there is no attachment between him and his baby? Will they bend the rules or they will be as rigid, as they were 35 years ago?

I am running ahead of myself. It is useless to think so far ahead and worry about things that might never happen. It is best to think only about the present.

I am going to be a grandfather.