Wow, Qui is really becoming unsympathetic here. When Obi Wan hears 'medic' he twitches for his sabre, that's the reaction of someone with real trauma, and given exposure to Jenna Zan Arbor, he really really should not be taking that so lightly.

Your writing is brilliant as ever, but the Qui Gon and Obi Wan dynamic is going sour a bit for me.

Qui will not stop dominating his former apprentice, even when he doesn't need to. The saber burn is less of an issue than the 'disappointed', deliberately hurting his apprentice in order to get his way.

It's the paradox of Qui, never respecting the authority of the Jedi Council, but never allowing anyone else to defy him. Which is in character, I suppose, but he refuses to stop treating Obi as his apprentice even now he's no longer his apprentice, and is hurting him as a result.

Yes, Obi could do with resolving his family issues, but that ain't Qui's call to make. Even when he was his apprentice, Qui took this too far, and you seem to acknowledge that with the aftermath of Melida-Daan, but now we seem to have backtracked, and at this point I'm hoping our leads part ways, because Obi is being held back by having to cave to his Master's will the whole time, no matter how much he doesn't want to or how much pain it causes him.

oh poor Obi-Wan, it's only going to get worse, I can tell. This was great, I really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing

This whole story has been so painful, yet so right. The pain and sacrifice between parents and children (and those who fill the gaps left behind), the need for connection and resolution, the love that indwells life even if one chooses to step away attachment. I don't have words to express what this story did to me and my heart. I love your young Obi-Wan and his youthfulness and yet ever developing wisdom. I love his relationship with Qui-Gon and the forgiveness and healing and love that is interwoven in their bond. It's beautiful and deep, and these stories are truly such a pleasure to read.

Well, this was a difficult mission for Obi-Wan, wasn't it?
What a clash of sensibilities...

Ow. Poor Ue x(
Obi-Wan's family...am i biased, or are there reflections of him in them? Argumentative and bright, the entire clan; Ue's quiet gentle love, Tamasu's wicked delight in arguing, Owen's calm easygoing responsibility, Kashi's scolarly young passion for change, and even Iko-Re's defiant insouciance and insecurity all remind me of Obi xD Iko is such a brat lol, it is entertaining to picture a younger Obi with darker hair making himself a nuisance (even though u do imply why he's like that)

woah woah woah
I did appreciate immediately your twisting of GL's absurd Jon Stewart Stewjon unfunny joke into something much more sophisticated, but to meet Obi-Wan's father(?) in the flesh? Nice!

I like the indication of the slow slide into disorder and chaos represented in small steps that seem questionable but not necessarily alarming by themselves. Later, I think they’ll look back and question this trend in representation more. Especially the role of the trade guilds. As Qui-Gon said though, it kept the peace for now, and much of our uneasiness is due to foreknowledge of the eventual outcome. And Mace, well, he’s always suspicious of Qui-Gon’s methods. ;p
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Obi-Wan spends his popularity well to keep Qui-Gon out of trouble. :D Good thing he can get something out of the deal and can now rebuff some of the fruits of Qui-Gon’s idiosyncrasies—namely sand raking.
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I don’t think Obi-Wan made the best choice of whom to gift with the secessionist tract. I also wonder if that sword is going to reappear either as a plot point or symbol later. I’m not sure how, but somehow it seems significant. Dooku seems now to be poised on trying to infiltrate the Sith or dark forces turning the galaxy upside down (or convincing Obi-Wan to do so). Also, he’s gathering momentum towards a secessionist movement. I think he’s still truly with the Jedi but teetering awfully precariously.

You’re doing a wonderful job keeping his true intentions and motivations ambiguous and very intriguing!
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Ah, gravel raking after all. :D We end with so many tantalizing hints towards the future. A padawan, more investigation of New Dawn, potentials for developing secessionist movement…

Brava on a fantastic addition to your tale! How do you always make me hear the ending credit music during the last chapter? It’s great! I’m squirming with so many questions and uneasy premonitions. And you handled the Obi-Wan meets his family story superbly! I think that’s a rather delicate and tricky story to tell well. A job very well done!

Thank you for sharing!

I love the skeet shooting competition! Especially Owen’s mirth about eleven out of ten. :D Also, the demonstration of overwhelming skill that amply proves that it’s not “incompetence” that keeps Obi-Wan from being a blaster-toting hotshot, but his discernment that recognizes “civilized” refinements. That was a nice parting scene for the brothers.
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I have much love for this parting conversation between Tamasu and Obi-Wan! My stomach is squirming with worry that the future may bring a family divided. But Tamasu’s blessing was perfect! Peace and if not that, honor. Obi-Wan will always have honor and eventually his own kind of peace. And always the Force.
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This was lovely that seeing his biological father let Obi-Wan finally name his relationship with Qui-Gon as one of son to father. Very astute that such a realization would be a surprise to Obi-Wan and a bit shocking to his sensibilities even though his feelings have been sure all along.
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Will Obi-Wan actually turn to his family and his mother some day in the future when the Sith turn the galaxy completely upside-down? It’s looking like it, but I can’t find myself rooting for such a reunion because it promises to be exponentially more painful than this time.
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Now Obi-Wan feels truly reconciled to his commitment to the Jedi Order and his relationship yet separation from his family. He has his master at his side. And the Force. :) Beautiful!

Many reviewers have already very eloquently written about this wonderful story, far better than I could, but I still wanted to post how much I loved this story. Obi's final meeting with his mum was so poignant and I was doing so well, keeping it all in until Obi's heart felt 'Ama' and then I totally lost it! Then I managed to recover some dignity until the moment in hyperspace when Obi break's down and calls for his master, then it all started again! Quite the gam-it of emotions you managed to wring out of us folks!

Thanks again for continuing to generate such exceptional work.

I *love* the little descriptive touches of outward appearance you give that show so much about the interior realities! For example, Ue’s dress that is “soiled by specks of dust” signifying her “treason” sullying a purity presumed before. Also, how Obi-Wan’s “arms crossed now, not merely folded” showing that subtle shift from reserved and proper to vexed and agonized. I love it!
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Ah, where was the Kleenex warning? I can’t stand to hear Tamasu talk about Obi-Wan standing by the Republic until the bitter end even if the Republic is no more. I wonder what the fate of Stewjon is during the Clone Wars. Will Obi-Wan be drawn back there or will this truly be a final parting? Even if it is not, it seems that any future meetings would be just as filled with heartache as this one—maybe even more! Don’t mind me…I’m just going to be crying in the corner over there for a bit. I’m nearly as upset to think what will happen to the family as I am about what I know will come to Obi-Wan.
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Ha! Qui-Gon plays so dirty—quoting Master Seva at Obi-Wan. If Obi-Wan couldn’t stomach the good Master Seva’s wisdom, then Qui-Gon’s direct, pragmatic advice to “look the other way” had no hope of being accepted. ;)
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The final scene between Obi-Wan and his ama was beautifully balanced and bittersweet. Brava!

Ah, Master RB, this was a delicious, emotionally wringing chapter!

Oh, I *loved* the “dress a Jedi” sequence! My first thought was that I’d like to try my entrepreneurial hand at fulfilling a clearly unmet need of reprovisioning Jedi in the field with fresh, respectable tunics and robes. After all, how can a Jedi resolve an interplanetary dispute when he’s covered in dribbles from his latest meal? You can’t tell me that Jedi reflexes save them from the wardrobe devastations of the GFFA version of spaghetti in marinara. ;p

I’m not entirely clear on the logistics of my business proposal. Ideally, I’d be the little shop owner and a bedraggled Jedi team could come in to see me. You know, oh, say, the Jinn-Kenobi team. ;p Maybe it could be a franchise to cover the galaxy. Or a cottage industry run out of the homes of, um, concerned citizens. More a service than a business. Just waiting for the day when a Jedi may call on them for a reserve uniform. We are here to serve. :D
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But back to the masterful glories of your written scene…
-Amen about importance of boot-fit!
-Ha! Loved his suspicion of fabric softener.
-Cassocked Qui-Gon?! Snort.
-*Adored* the reflections on the symbolic significance of the various pieces and especially the saber.
-Thank you that he’s not wearing the Jedi mullet free-flowing. ;p I prefer the General’s cut or pulled back though I understand that he might be contractually obliged to toss free-flowing locks from time to time to satisfy the varied preferences of his fans. Ha!
-Finally a droid Obi-Wan can get on with—laundry droid!

What a satisfying scene! And what a sight he presented when done!
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Ah, I see the point that Qui-Gon offering, er, insisting upon mediating was an unwelcome assertion that Obi-Wan needed guidance. It’s also not lost on me that Obi-Wan found out after all that Tamasu will chastise a Jedi son if pushed too far.

As Obi-Wan observed earlier, Qui-Gon can be quite gentle when not teaching, but he can also cut straight to the heart of the matter—“attachment or betrayal?” Ouch!

The echo of “I will do what I must” from the last chapter is ominous.

Yikes! This is so very not good!

Oh, Master, I’m not sure I understand the political resolution. Just curious—does the Mid Rim trading alliance get a vote in the Senate or is it like a lobby group or something else? I like the entirely sensible idea that surely not every planet that belonged to the Republic had its own senator due to the vast number of systems. I wonder if the votes of senators representing those umbrella organizations were proportioned a greater weight or if such a vote counted equally with the vote of a senator from a solitary planet. These arrangements raise very interesting questions of how to design fair representation. I’m not sure Obi-Wan would approve of my interest. ;p (But I still love that you include such details!)
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“Peace is sometimes inglorious or humble.”

True words.
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Ha! When he was a padawan, Obi-Wan could claim the oaths of obedience yoked him to Qui-Gon’s unorthodox plans. Now he’s reduced to claiming total incapacitation? Maybe this is why he’s always finding the need for healers in every mission despite his professed disliking for them—he’s just ensuring his alibi. :D Though I think most the Council is still inclined to believe it’s all Qui-Gon’s fault. Ha!
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Ouch. It is a bracing truth that a master or former padawan might have to sacrifice one another for the greater good. I don’t like this conversation one bit. I’m stubbornly clinging to some attachment here and hoping this isn’t nasty allusion to Qui-Gon’s future on Naboo.

Qui-Gon’s insistence that Obi-Wan might not be fit to be called friend with his present attitude really stung. That was an all-around painful conversation, but some things that needed to be aired were shared. I hope after some reflection time they can move on from there.
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Ah, Iko-Re—he’s really a sweet boy under the bluster and hedonism. I hope he’s set on a bright new future—without fraternization! Gasp! ;p It’s too bad the family and Obi-Wan probably won’t stay in touch. Anakin could perhaps benefit from meeting a reformed Iko-Re someday.
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Very nice vision sequence! I loved especially the field being widened into the star map and galaxy showing his widened sense of belonging. So the key is balance—holding all parts without opposition? I laughed at his initial struggle with the insight he gained. It seems sometimes the very best insight probably tends to initially make one want to curse. ;p And then it’s time for “battle.” Ha!

I hope the insight is fruitfully applied. I loved this chapter for the tough conversation and the difficult quest for wisdom in the meditation scene. Really fantastic!

“If, as you say, it is inconceivable, then that is the only possible conclusion.”

Ha! I loved this underground cheekiness from Qui-Gon!
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Okay, and I can’t tell you how sweet I found it that Qui-Gon can translate “nng” from Obi-Wan. Aw!
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Yea! For the healer reminiscing about fat, lil, roly-poly Baby-Wan.
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Oh, but what a struggle for Obi-Wan! I hate that he’s so lost and hurting right now.

Even though I love Qui-Gon’s cocky sureness that he’s still *right*, it’s hard to say if he entirely is this time. Such a very difficult situation. Your descriptions made me ache for the lad. I hope a restful night makes things clearer.

Ha! I loved Qui-Gon stuffed into and then spilling out of the Obi-Wan sized pressure suit. Yes, too bad the youngster didn’t see that inelegant landing, he could use some distraction right now.
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I’m not sure if Ue will be reassured having now seen the spectacular mayhem that cleaves to any rescues in this particular Jedi training line. ;) On the other hand, she has seen that Qui-Gon will defy great odds to attempt such rescues, which must be some relief.
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Nothing like being drugged out and tortured to revert one to childlike trust and dependence. I loved how the Obi-flower symbolically basked in Qui-Gon’s presence as though being nurtured by the master Jedi’s Light and care. So sweet! And seeing the two in action with a connection that surpassed the attunement of blood relation was instructive.
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So Ue hasn’t shared the information about the data crystal even with Tamasu? This should be an interesting conversation!
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This was an amazing rescue scene!