DARK!OBI 15
MACE WATCHED AS QUI-GON DOWNED A LONG GULP FROM THE BOTTLE HE HAD DRAGGED OUT OF HIS BAG, SHAKING HIS HEAD. 'IS IT ANY WONDER THAT HIS SON IS A TOTAL LUSH?' MACE THOUGHT WITH A SIGH. THE OTHER JEDI HAD STARTED DRINKING THE MOMENT HE HAD RETURNED FROM GOING TO TALK WITH OBI-WAN. SOMETHING HAD TROUBLED HIM, TROUBLED HIM INTO SILENCE. HE PULLED QUI-GON DOWN TO A SEATED POSITION, AS THE OTHER MAN'S PACING WAS STARTING TO GRATE ON HIS NERVES.
"QUI, TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG," MACE SAID AFTER TEN MINUTES OF QUI-GON'S SILENT DRINKING.
QUI-GON RAN HIS FINGERS THROUGH HIS HAIR, STARING AT THE WALL IN FRONT OF HIM, "I SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE BACK THERE TONIGHT. THEY WERE... OCCUPIED. OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN." HE TURNED TO LOOK AT MACE, "HOW LONG HAS THAT BEEN GOING ON, MACE. YOU COULD HAVE WARNED ME ABOUT THE TWO OF THEM. IT WAS BAD ENOUGH FINDING OUT ABOUT S... AERITH."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" MACE ASKED, AND BY THE LOOK ON HIS FACE QUI-GON COULD TELL HE WAS COMPLETELY SERIOUS, HE HADN'T KNOWN.
"NOTHING... NOTHING MACE. IT'S LATE, I'M TIRED. I'M NOT MAKING ANY SENSE. I SHOULD GO SLEEP," HE SAID, FIDGETING.
MACE PLACED A HAND ON QUI-GON'S ARM, HOLDING HIM IN PLACE, "NO, TELL ME WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. IT'S OBVIOUSLY BOTHERING YOU, OLD FRIEND."
"MACE... I SHOULDN'T TELL YOU. WHAT I FOUND OUT... I CAN'T... I CAN'T TELL YOU." MACE JUST GLARED AT HIM, "FINE, IF YOU MUST KNOW... OBI-WAN IS MARRIED... AND ANAKIN. AND THE TWO OF THEM ARE... CLOSE. I WALKED IN ON THEM, MACE. THAT'S WHY... THAT'S WHY I CAME BACK HERE AS SOON AS I DID. DID YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW THAT?" HE WAS PRACTICALLY YELLING NEAR THE END OF HIS SPEECH.
MACE, OBVIOUSLY, LOOKED SHOCKED. "SO THAT'S WHY THEY'VE BEEN SO SECRETIVE. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SITH."
QUI-GON SIGHED, LOOKING AT THE FLOOR, "I WISH THAT WAS SO..."
--- THE NEXT DAY ---
TO SAY OBI-WAN WAS SHOCKED WHEN HE ANSWERED HIS DOOR THE NEXT MORNING TO SEE AN OBVIOUSLY ALIVE MACE WINDU WOULD HAVE BEEN AN UNDERSTATEMENT. HE LET THE JEDI IN, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE MAN HAD SURVIVED. MACE HEARD HIM MUTTER UNDER HIS BREATH, "WHAT THE KARK IS SO WRONG ABOUT THE DEAD STAYING DEAD?"
"IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO, KENOBI," MACE SAID DARKLY, PUTTING HIS HAND ON THE HILT OF HIS LIGHTSABER, "OR SHOULD I SAY LORD VANE?"
OBI-WAN'S HAND WENT TO HIS OWN, "SO YOU KNOW, DO YOU MACE? TELL ME WHY I SHOULD LET YOU OUT OF HERE ALIVE. EVERYONE ALREADY THINKS YOU ARE DEAD."
"QUI-GON WANT'S YOU ALIVE, OBI-WAN," MACE SAID, GOING INTO A NON-COMBATIVE STANCE. "HE SAID HE STILL TRUSTS YOU, EVEN THOUGH YOU TURNED."
OBI-WAN FOLLOWED SUIT, BACKING AWAY FROM THE JEDI, NEVER TRULY DROPPING HIS GUARD. HE SAT DOWN, ONE HAND IDLY STROKING AT HIS BEARD, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
"I NEEDED TO KNOW IF IT WAS TRUE. YOU KNEW ALL THIS TIME. ALL THE JEDI WHO DIED BECAUSE OF THIS WAR, YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED IT."
OBI-WAN ROLLED HIS EYES, LETTING OUT A DEEP BREATH, "ACTUALLY I COULDN'T. AND WHO WOULD HAVE BELIEVED ME? YOU? HARDLY, YOU WERE ONE OF PALPATINE'S STRONGEST SUPPORTERS IN THE ORDER, YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY MACE."
MACE LOOKED LIKE HE HAD BEEN SLAPPED, STARING DOWN AT HIS FEET. WHEN OBI-WAN PASSED HIM A BOTTLE HE GLADLY TOOK IT, GRIMACING AT THE TASTE AS THE FIREY LIQUID RAN DOWN THE BACK OF HIS THROAT. "HOW CAN YOU STAND THIS STUFF?"
OBI-WAN SHRUGGED, TAKING THE BOTTLE FROM MACE'S HAND, AND SWALLOWING DEEPLY, "YOU GET USED TO IT." HE LET OUT A SIGH, LICKING A FEW DROPS OF ALCOHOL OFF HIS LIPS, "SO... WHAT HAPPENS NOW?" HE MOTIONED BROADLY.
"NOW..." MACE SHOOK HIS HEAD, "NOW... FORCE I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT HAPPENS NOW, OBI-WAN."
"SO WHAT, YOU CAME READY TO KILL ME IF NEEDED? KILL ANAKIN?" OBI-WAN GLARED AT THE JEDI MASTER, "MY LIFE IS MEANINGLESS... BUT KILL ME AND YOU'LL HAVE TROUBLE ON YOUR HANDS. SHE'LL KNOW"
"YOU SPEAK OF... SINN WAS IT?"
OBI-WAN NODDED, SMILING WICKEDLY, "THAT I AM. SHE IS... IN A STATE AT THE MOMENT." HE CHUCKLED, "BUT MOST EXPECTING MOTHERS ARE."
MACE RAISED AN EYEBORW, "YOU'RE GONING TO BE A FATHER, OBI-WAN?" AT THE SITH'S NOD, HE LAUGHED, "YOU ARE MORE LIKE YOUR FATHER THAN YOU WANT TO ADMIT."
OBI-WAN SHRUGGED, WITH A CHEEKY GRIN. "MAYBE."
TBC