Ghost of Nightmares Past/Chapter 5

OBI-WAN AND AALTO

"What a day to wake up to," Bant said, as she busied herself with papers and files. "You'd better get some sleep Obi-Wan; you look half-dead."

Obi-Wan stretched, before pulling himself from his seat. "I'm fine Bant," He finally said, rubbing his eyes slightly, and pulling his cloak over his shoulders. Hunger was coming to him, and the morning sun was already shining through the glass windows. He was definitely not going to teach today, after what had happened last night. "Come on; let's go get something to eat." He suggested.

"I can't Obi-Wan," Bant said, sounding very sorry. "I have to get this report done for Master Yoda about the girl's injuries."

"You can't starve yourself Bant," Obi-Wan said, placing the papers in her hands on the desk and pushing her out. "Come on, Garen's back and we don't know how long we'll be here until our next mission, so let's go and enjoy it while we can."

"Obi-Wan..."She started, but he continued to shove her into the corridor. Finally, she gave in, and they walked the long walk to the massive dining hall, where the smell of breakfast was starting to waft its way down the corridor. When they walked in, the hall was busy with noise and the clatter of forks and knives as younglings, Masters and padawans began to eat their breakfast. Ahsoka was sitting with a group of padawans, two of which Obi-Wan recognised as the ones he spotted yesterday when she had been caught in a fight. Anakin was sitting with Ferus Olin and his friends. Obi-Wan grabbed a tray and picked out a bun and a glass of juice, Bant following in salute. When they made sure they had selected a fruit, they wandered over to an empty table. Sitting, they began to eat in silence, until Obi-Wan felt someone tap his shoulder.

"Hey," Siri said, holding her tray in her hands, Garen walking towards them. "Can we join?"

"Go ahead," Bant said, indicating the empty seats next to them. Siri and Galen sat, and they soon found themselves talking about last night.

"An awful shame," Siri was saying to Bant, who nodded. Suddenly she brightened up, "Well, with Garen back, we almost have the old crew together! Like the old days!"

"Apart from we're missing Quinlain," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"Well," Bant said, trying to keep the hatred from her voice, "He has other priorities; Sith priorities." She sipped her juice slightly, before saying, "Have you heard from him Obi-Wan?"

"Zilch," Obi-Wan answered. "I think you're right. Other priorities." He heard a gale of laughter coming from Anakin's table, and frowned over at him; but it wasn't him that had obviously made the joke, because Ferus was beaming around at them. Obi-Wan sighed, as Garen suddenly said, "I can't take this! We need a laugh."

He grinned at Siri, who said, "Do it, or you die."

What happened next was completely surprising.

Obi-Wan felt his chair get pulled from beneath him, as Garen managed to swipe it from under him. Laughter rang in his ears, as he got up, and faced Garen as he tried to rush off. "DAMN YOU MULN!" He bellowed, running after him.

Bant and Siri looked at each other and burst into laughter, as did most of the dining hall. "Ten credits on Obi-Wan," Bant finally said to Siri.

"You're on!"

Finally, Obi-Wan emerged, triumphant, with Garen's head under his arm, rubbing it with his knuckles as they walked back towards their table. Finally, Obi-Wan released Garen's head, making him massage his neck slightly. Bant looked triumphant as Siri handed her ten credits. But Garen wasn't finished; he grabbed Obi-Wan's head in his own arm and began rubbing it with his knuckles as well. Obi-Wan shoved him away, just as Garen swiped Obi-Wan's sabre and ran off, holding it above his head like a trophy. Obi-Wan flicked his wrist and Garen tripped, landing right into Mace Windu. The whole hall went silent. Obi-Wan tried to put his face into an innocent one, but managed a grimace as Garen slowly smiled at the Jedi Master.

"Hi Mace," He said sheepishly.

"Hello Garen," Mace said, raising an eyebrow. "Stealing Obi-Wan's light sabre again are we?"

"Yes sir."

"Uh huh," Mace said, holding out his hand. "Mind giving it to me?"

"Uh Mace," Obi-Wan said, waving at him. "I'm right here."

Mace smiled at him, before waltzing off to join the queue at the tray section. Garen returned to their table, handed Obi-Wan his sabre and said, a bit too loudly; "I thought he was happy with purple hair!"

Obi-Wan grabbed the table for support, as his table erupted into laughter, causing many people to look at them. Garen just looked shocked at them, before saying, "What? I'm being serious! It matched his sabre, so why not? Purple is so a girl's colour!"

"Hey!" Siri said, holding her side, supporting Bant as she fell about laughing.

"What's the joke?" Anakin's voice sounded from behind them.

"When Obi-Wan and Garen were younglings," Bant said, as she regained control, with the others laughing their heads off. "They had extra lessons with Mace. Garen found his shampoo, and Obi-Wan found some permanent dye that happened to be purple and well, boys being boys." She smiled at them. "They mixed the two and replaced them back in their spots. Mace got an awful surprise when he looked in the mirror the next day. So he shaved his head."

Anakin stared at his former master, "That's something I'd do!"

"Come on Anakin," Obi-Wan chortled, wiping his streaming eyes. "We were rebels back then." He took some deep breaths and sat back down, shaking slightly with laughter.

"Still are Kenobster," Garen hiccupped. He smiled at Anakin, and then frowned when he looked over his shoulder. "Uh oh," He said darkly, causing the five of them to look round. "Here come the mean team."

They stared at the door; five new people had just entered, and all of them were looking very bad tempered. There were two twi'leks, both green, a Togruta and two humans, one of which Obi-Wan recognised as Aalto. He led them to the queue, standing just a few padawans behind Mace. His dark eyes found them, and his lips curled up in a sneer. The others glared at them, before helping themselves to some food. Obi-Wan turned back to his tray, and quietly finished his juice. The five members of the 'mean team' soon slouched off and went to sit three tables down from them, and, quietly, they ate, shooting murderous glances at Obi-Wan and Garen ever-so-often.

"Jeez Master," Anakin said, plonking himself next to Obi-Wan, "They must really hate you to give you the daggers."

Obi-Wan yawned widely and slouched back in his seat. "That's their problem, not mine."

"How long has it been?" Bant suddenly said, staring at each of them in turn, "Since Bruck...you know."

"Let's...not talk about it," Siri said, her eyes low, as Garen began stabbing his food, and Obi-Wan stared at the ceiling. Anakin suddenly felt a shift in the force around his former Master; it was sad, and guilty. He cleared his throat, and stood. "I'll see you all later." He finally said, but none of them were looking at him. "Master Kenobi," He said, bowing slightly.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said a tone of finality in his voice. Anakin slouched off, towards Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan could hear him asking her to come to the sparring hall for her morning practice. Obi-Wan found his eyes wandering to the clock on the wall.

His lesson was beginning in thirty minutes.

"Well," He finally said, "I'd better go; I have a lesson to prepare for."

"See you Obi," Garen said, as he picked up his cloak. As Obi-Wan made to leave his table, he turned to Bant and said, "Twenty years, Bant. Twenty years." She looked at him, surprised, as he stalked off, head low, ignoring Aalto and his friends as they glared after him. Garen was watching him too, and, as his friend walked through the doors, he frowned when he saw Aalto and the others get up, and leave, breakfast half eaten, after him. Kicking Siri under the table and pointing them out, the three of them got up, and slowly followed.

Obi-Wan kept his head low, ignoring the calls of "Good morning Master" until the last minute. He turned left past the younglings' quarters and continued up the stairs, just letting his feet guide him to where he needed to go. The sun was nearly in the sky.

He stopped suddenly, and looked up, staring at the fountain that, twenty years ago, he had managed to rescue Bant from. Now, another youngling had died in this place, and it was all his fault. Folding his arms, he leaned against the pillar entrance to the fountain area, and, suddenly, found himself walking towards it. Blood was still on the floor where the padawan had lay, and he slowly walked around it to sit by the fountain.

Bruck, he thought sadly to himself, why did you do it?

Obi-Wan placed his hands on his face, and clutched his hair with his fingers. Bruck, he thought, if only you knew how much you hurt everyone!

He pulled his hands away from his face and hair, and stared up at the ceiling, trying to blink the tears away from his eyes. If only Bruck could see the grief Obi-Wan felt when he had killed him, no, murdered him. He knew that the others said it wasn't his fault, but Obi-Wan still blamed himself no matter what.

Suddenly, he felt hatred coming from his right, and he turned his head, before diving out of the way just in time. A blue sabre struck where he had sat moments before, cracking the fragile stonework. Obi-Wan picked himself up, and stood, facing the massive form of Aalto, flanked by four of his friends. Obi-Wan pulled his own sabre from his belt, and said, "What are you doing Aalto?"

"Getting revenge for what you did to Bruck!" Aalto snarled and the others lit their sabres. Obi-Wan backed off against them, keeping his white-blue blade held up, ready to defend himself should he need to. One of the twi'leks jumped for him, and he parried effectively, before pushing him away. The other rushed forwards, and Obi-Wan found himself using his agility to dodge both blades as they came for him. Two he can handle, but five? No, he needed someone else. He grabbed one of the twi'leks and twisted them around in front of him, causing him to crash into the other one. Quickly, Obi-Wan grabbed his sabre and held it in his free hand. He turned to face the togruta and the other human as they entered the fray.

"Where's your sense of honour Aalto?" Obi-Wan demanded, as he backed off as the four of them (The other armed twi'lek was unconscious after Obi-Wan had flung his friend at him)advanced towards him. "Why fight unfairly?"

"You didn't fight fairly against Bruck, didn't you?" Aalto snarled, slowly advancing towards him, as Obi-Wan parried the other human's blade and ducked the togruta's. "You distracted him and pushed him!"

"Bruck betrayed you!" Obi-Wan cried at him, blocking another blade with the sabre in his right, and the other two with the one in his left, leaving his front open for an assault. He quickly crossed the blades over, so that his own trapped the enemies between them. "He betrayed everyone!"

Aalto force-pushed him, causing him to go flying. He held onto his sabre hilt as the other went flying, and landed in a crouch. "Aalto! You know I am a council member!" Obi-Wan shouted at him, as the other jedi ran at him. "I am a member of the High Council! If you kill me, you will be punished more severely than injuring me! You could be killed!"

"At least I'll have done Bruck justice!" Aalto spat at him. "He should be Skywalker's master, not you. He should be a General of war, not you. He should be called "The Negotiator", not you. He should be in the High Council, not you!" He flung himself at Obi-Wan, who had already parried the four blades. The extra weight against Obi-Wan's arms was too much for him; he was forced onto one knee. Obi-Wan knew that to release his left hand for a powerful force push would result in an injury, a serious one. He gritted his teeth, and tried to use the force to push back. Finally, he managed to push them back well enough to lunge over them, and land, hard, on his shoulder a few metres away. He struggled to get up, right arm in agony, as Aalto rushed towards him. Obi-Wan turned to face him, blade held up, as Aalto raised his blue blade in the air, ready to strike...

He suddenly flew to the side, and Obi-Wan looked to his right.

Anakin, Ahsoka, Garen and Siri were rushing forwards, anger on their faces, and blades drawn. Bant rushed instantly to Obi-Wan, who extinguished his own blade, and clutched his injured right arm, as Bant traced her rough fingers over his sleeve. "It looks bad," She said, pulling the sleeve of his under jumper up, revealing a new bruise on his elbow. "Bruised, not broken."

Garen was pointing his blade at Aalto, and, by the way he was speaking, Obi-Wan could tell he was mad. "How dare you? Didn't we tell you to not attack him? It was twenty years ago, Aalto, TWENTY BLOODY YEARS AGO!"

His anger seemed to vibrate around Obi-Wan, as he struggled to his feet. Bant turned to Ahsoka, who rushed forwards. "Protect him Snips," Anakin said, not looking at her. Obi-Wan watched as the padawan faced the back of Anakin and Garen, and held her green sabre, in her usual hold, in front of her. Siri was now speaking, "Aalto, if you ever, ever touch Obi-Wan or any of us again, I'll murder you, understood?"

"This is impressive Siri," Aalto snarled at her, "It's not like you to bend the Code now is it?"

"Watch it Aalto," Anakin spat at him. "Now get lost, before I do something I'll regret." He held his blue blade high, anger in his eyes. Slowly, the attacking Jedi retreated, and they were left alone in the fountain room, Aalto turning at the last minute, only to shout, "I'll get you next time Kenobi, and you won't have Skywalker to save your back!" And he rushed out, leaving them alone.