Ghost of Nightmares Past/Chapter 19

THE TRUTH AT LAST

"Bah!" Anakin said sticking his tongue out. "I've had worse!"

"Oh stop you're moaning," Bant said, as she sat the liquid medicine next to him and the spoon. "Obi's had worse things, so put up with it!"

There were only three in the med-centre in the Temple. Right now, Obi-Wan was sleeping in the bed next to him, his left leg in a bandage and slung up. Garen was on Anakin's other side, wincing every so often as the droid checked him top to bottom, for any other injuries than having goodness-knows-how-many volts through his body. Anakin was just in for a few nights, just in case he had any lasting injuries to his head, which Obi-Wan commented upon when he woke. "Your head isn't as big now," He amused, looking up from his book.

"My head wasn't big in the first place!" "Yes it was, you were so bigheaded about everything Anakin."

Anakin had glared at him at that point. "At least I don't have to clean the hall when I get back." "At least I'm not a moody git like you."

"Oh shut up!"

Bant touched Anakin's bandaged head, and he winced slightly at it, before she moved off to an apprentice healer who was checking Obi-Wan's chart. "Sasha," Bant said, and the human looked up at her. "Go and check Master Muln will you?" "Yes Master."

Anakin watched as Bant walked away, and, after a moment, the young apprentice followed. Reaching behind him, he grabbed his pillow, and flung it at Obi-Wan. There was a snort, and he woke instantly.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan said, pulling the pillow off his face. "I was having a nice sleep!" "It's two in the afternoon Master." Anakin said, smiling mischievously, "Grandpa Nap is over!"

Obi-Wan chucked his pillow back at him, hitting him on the head. "Em, ow!"

"Ungrateful man," Obi-Wan muttered, and pulled his blinds, separating their chambers off. Anakin sniggered, and swung his legs out of bed, pulling a deck of cards from his drawer. "Hey Garen, want to play snap?" "Sure...why not," Garen said, wincing slightly, as though Anakin's voice was too loud. "I'll go...first."

"Alright."

Obi-Wan listened to them playing snap behind his curtain, staring at the ceiling. He was feeling miserable, really miserable. He was to remain in here for the next week until the bandage on his leg was removed, and even then, he had to come back once a day for physio. Slowly, he raised his hands to his loose-neck shirt, and slowly untied it, letting the laces fall loose. In the centre of his chest, close to his heart, was the hole in which Grevious had stabbed him. Obi-Wan gave a sigh; Bant said it would heal, but slowly, and the Bacta Tank had helped in some way. He re-tied the laces, covering the hole in the centre of his chest. "Damn you Skywalker!" He heard Garen cry.

Obi-Wan turned his head to the empty bed next to him, just as the doors swung open, and a hover chair, carrying a certain Master, came in. "Out of bed, you should not be," He heard Yoda say.

"Just having a bit of fun!" Anakin blurted out, causing Obi-Wan to smile. He heard Anakin's mattress creak, as the man lay back down. "Alright, you win."

Obi-Wan heard the chair move around his curtain, and it power down as Yoda stepped onto the chair next to his bed. "How feel you?" He asked.

Obi-Wan said nothing, and just stared at the bed next to him, amused by how tidy it was.

"Talk, we must."

Silence.

"Didn't know, bring up your father she would." Silence.

"Talk to me, Obi-Wan you will. Can't avoid me forever."

"I can try," Obi-Wan finally said, ignoring the fact that Anakin and Garen had gone strangely quiet. "I can always try. I've managed it so many times with Qui-gon I've lost count."

"Trying to protect you, I was." Yoda said sadly.

This time, Obi-Wan glared at him, raising himself to his elbows. "Protect me?" He snarled. "Protect me? I'm bloody thirty-six years old! I'm an adult now! You had no right to keep the truth about my father from me!"

"Jeez," He heard Anakin say, and him rustle. Instantly, Obi-Wan barked, "Mind your own business Anakin!"

"Oh come on," Garen said, "Be fair Obi-Wan!"

"I don't want you being witnesses when I strangle him!"

Yoda just stared calmly at the angry man before him, and said, "Anger, you are feeling right now. Accept it, I do. But, angry at me? Or angry at yourself?"

"I'm really pissed off with you more just now than myself," Obi-Wan retorted, not even considering scolding himself for swearing. "What I want to know is the truth, and nothing but the truth!"

Yoda hung his head, before saying, "Truth. Can be a dangerous thing. Once a Jedi, your father was, but, gone now. Left the Order, he did, when he was thirteen." "That's young!" Obi-Wan heard Anakin say. He glared at him through the curtains, and, on cue, Anakin flinched slightly.

"Not enjoy the life he had at the Temple, he did." Yoda said sadly. "Left the Temple to pursue his family heritage. Yet, according to the rules of his Home World, learn the ways of the Jedi, he had to. Trained under the Monks he did, and, become a skilful swordsman he did. Tried to find him for ten years, I did, but, to no avail. Finally, I tracked your father to a moon on Naboo, where he was training a young togruta girl called Lura in the ways of the Jedi. Tried to convince him to return to the Order I did, but refused. Told me, he didn't like to be under a strict Code, rule in fact; not able to feel love, bond, friendship."

"Aw," Anakin's voice sounded from the other end of the curtain. "Ouch! Garen!"

"Shut... your... trap!" Garen hissed at him.

Obi-Wan shook his head at them, and turned to Yoda. "Continue."

"An enemy of Stellandra, he was, at a young age. Did research on her, and passed the knowledge of it to his padawan, he did." Yoda said, turning his cane in his hands. "Returned to Corusant, eventually, he did, after ten years of being alone, and fell in love with the daughter of Senator. Love blossomed between them; it did, and, forgetting the code completely, married after five years."

"So, my mother was basically a representative of the Senate?" Obi-Wan said, running a hand through his hair. "That explains where I got my Negotiating Voice from."

"Or maybe you just can't learn to shut up," He heard Anakin mutter, making him open the curtains and throw a pillow at him.

Yoda chuckled, before saying, "Like a bunch of younglings, you are." He smiled at Anakin, who was busy shooting murderous glances at Obi-Wan. "Had a son, your brother, a year later. By then, resided on Mandalore, Lura did."

"So, it's this Lura I'm to be more interested in," Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard slightly.

"An honoury member of the Council for a few years, she was, before she left the Order completely." Yoda explained. "Talented young Jedi, she was. But wanted to pursue her own life, she did. Like Master, like apprentice, she left the Order to do what she willed, and was never seen again."

"How did you track her to Mandalore?"

"Went there myself, after your parents died, I did, to track Stellandra. However, found Lura instead. I told her the truth about her old Master, and cried she did." Yoda said, before sighing. "I wanted her to come back to the Temple, better protected, but she refused."

"So, I have to go to Mandalore to find her?" Obi-Wan asked, staring at him.

"Yes."

Obi-Wan stared at the statues in the Memory Hall, trying to find any that would give him a clue as to what Lura would look like. Anakin was busy seeing Senator Amidala, and Ahsoka was catching up on some research she had to do. It was just him now. Obi-Wan paced the hall, staring at the name plates below each statue, hoping to find her name.

"Can I help you Master Kenobi?" The Hall's manager asked, as he came towards him.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, turning to the old man. "I'm looking for a Jedi called Lura."

"Lura." The man repeated. "Lura. Lura." He walked off for a moment, leaving Obi-Wan looking like an idiot next to Dooku's statue. Staring up at it, he was amazed that the Council had not taken it down yet. "This way!" He heard the man shout from down the hall. Obi-Wan raced towards his voice, and, found himself standing next to the Old Man, staring up at a Togruta statue. She looked quite pretty, her patterns on her face were basic, not as complex as Ahsoka's, but her head-tails were longer, and the spikes on her head curved slightly. Her sabre was on her belt, and her hands were on her hips. She wore the same basic Jedi Attire. "This is Jedi Master Lura." The Old Man said, pointing at her plaque. Obi-Wan bent to read it.

Jedi Master Lura Selina. Joined the order aged ten. Served on the Council for two years, but left to find her own path.

"There's nothing here about her Master." Obi-Wan said, straightening back up. The Old Man shrugged, before saying, "Didn't want it put on."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard, and the Old Man left him to ponder his thoughts. Now, he had a mission to do. He pressed a button on his comm. Link, and said, "R4?"

Beep.

"Get the fighter ready, will you."

Beep.

Obi-Wan turned and strolled to the doors, but paused to look back at her statue. He would never have guessed that his father was a Jedi that had been raised, in the Temple. He paused, running a hand through his hair. If his father did not want to be Jedi, why did he continue to train? Did the Order tell him of the threat that lurked in the shadows? Was he being prepared for to fight, and defeat Stellandra? He shook his head, and turned away.

Ready to go on his next mission.