OtherWhen, Part I

OtherWhen, Part I is the ninth chapter in the Re-Entry series. Published January 1st 2007, it contains 24,802 words.

OtherWhen, parts I - V are flashbacks told in first-person from Obi-Wan Kenobi's point of view. They take place in the canon timeline of the films, and cover Obi-Wan's 16th year through the end of *Return of the Jedi*.  Accordingly, "OtherWhen" is used throughout this wiki to distinguish the events of the canon timeline from the Re-Entry timeline.

Part I covers the years 5195 - 5199, or through the end of *The Phantom Menace*.

## Summary

In the Re-Entry present on Naboo, Obi-Wan becomes aware that the Sharing is going to be far more intense and wide-spread than he intended. He struggles to control the memories he's Sharing, and takes them back to the first point of divergence: the days after Taro Tre.

Exhausted after his injuries on Taro Tre, 16-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi follows his master Qui-Gon Jinn back to their quarters. Qui-Gon assures him that the injury was not due to any lack of skill, and they prepare for their next mission.

While tracing Trade Federation smuggling, Obi-Wan's lightsaber explodes in his hand. Qui-Gon helps him remove the shrapnel from his hand, then loans Obi-Wan his own lightsaber for the duration of their mission.  Qui-Gon's lightsaber is a multi-crystal blade, and Obi-Wan finds the intensity difficult to handle.

Mission follows mission, including one to Alderaan during which the Viceroy's son, Bail Organa, is kidnapped by pirates, an event Obi-Wan considers worthwhile for the sake of the incipient friendship with Bail.

Upon their return to the Temple, Qui-Gon promptly takes Obi-Wan to the lightsaber lab, where all the crystals are stored. It is Obi-Wan's first time in the lab, as choosing crystals is considered a rite of passage for Padawans.  Qui-Gon introduces Obi-Wan to his first apprentice, Master Kimal Daarc, who oversees crystal acquisitions for the Temple.  Kimal helps Obi-Wan find a Virrax crystal that gives Obi-Wan a vision when he touches it. The sight makes him uncomfortable enough to want a different crystal, but nothing else suits him so well.

After the Yinchorri War, Obi-Wan attends the pyres for the Jedi who died in the Temple attack.  His friend Garen Muln is mourning his master, Micah Giett, who died on Yinchorr itself.  Obi-Wan tries to comfort him, assurring Garen that he will become a Knight-Pilot, that Master Giett had been proud of him.  Mace Windu overhears and agrees, telling Garen that Master Giett had asked Windu to finish Garen's training, and that his Knighting is likely less than a year away. Garen asks Obi-Wan to be careful, not to make him attend any more funerals that year.  In the grip of a precognitive episode, Obi-Wan replies that Garen will never have to attend his pyre.

Horrified by inadvertently shocking his friend, Obi-Wan races off.  Windu follows him, trying to offer both comfort and advice regarding Obi-Wan's foresight.  Obi-Wan reveals that he keeps seeing the death of all the Jedi, but without any details that might be useful.  Windu advises him to "tell the Force to bugger off."  The irreverent advice is comforting, and Windu sends Obi-Wan off to see Qui-Gon, promising he'll stay with Garen the rest of the night.

Qui-Gon had refused to attend his best friend's memorial, so Obi-Wan finds him sitting on a balcony railing, drinking.  The sight of his master at that moment awakens Obi-Wan's love for the man, but he buries it behind shields. Qui-Gon invites Obi-Wan to join him, and offers him a drink.  Obi-Wan finds the stuff repellent, a sentiment Qui-Gon agrees with.  He tells Obi-Wan that he and Micah had long since agreed not to go to one another's funerals, but instead drink a bottle of the other's favorite alcohol.  Obi-Wan comments on the length of their friendship, and Qui-Gon relates the story of how they became friends, when, back from their first missions as Padawans, they discovered that they had both managed to get themselves sold into slavery and had to be rescued by their masters.  Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon watch out the rest of the night together.

A year later, Qui-Gon's friendship with Master Tahl is turning romantic.  Obi-Wan is surprised to find he feels no jealousy, only happiness for his Master's sake.  Meanwhile, one of his own friendships takes a deeper turn when Garen asks him to be his first lover. Though Garen had asked expecting Obi-wan to have prior experience, it turns out to be a mutual first. The pair find they make good lovers, even though both are aware the other's heart is bestowed elsewhere.

Not long afterward, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are on New Apsolon, trying to rescue Tahl from Balog, the Absolute leader. Obi-Wan falls through a rusted-out catwalk, gravely injuring his leg.  He tells Qui-Gon to go ahead without him. Delayed by the injury and by a fight with the mercenaries pursuing them, Obi-Wan catches up to Qui-Gon only after the Master has found Tahl's dead body.

Back at the Temple, Yoda finds Obi-Wan in the Star Map room, a favorite haunt. Yoda asks Obi-Wan what happened on New Apsolon, and reluctantly Obi-Wan relates the story, including the way Qui-Gon had blamed him -- his fall and their separation -- for Tahl's death.  Yoda says Qui-Gon should not have said such things, even in grief, and that Obi-Wan is not at fault.  He asks about Obi-Wan's leg, and the Padawan admits he hasn't yet been to the Healers. Yoda offers to take him, but when Obi-Wan tries to put weight on his injured leg, he passes out.

Obi-Wan comes to in the Healing wards with Healer Jale Terza and her apprentice Abella trying to treat his leg wound.  Yoda had carried him to the Ward after he collapsed, and has since been trying to dull his pain. Terza tells him the damage may be irreparable, and he may lose the leg.  She asks where Qui-Gon is, which only serves to upset Obi-Wan.  Abella is sent to track down Qui-Gon, but when she does, the Master shows little concern for Obi-Wan's "cuts and bruises", prompting Terza to yell at him.  The ensuing argument only ends when Obi-Wan senses Qui-Gon's emotional control faltering and cannot stand to listen to Terza scold him. His scream into the Force is heard across the Temple.  It has the desired effect, however, and when Qui-Gon gets his first look at the damaged leg, he is immediately shocked and apologetic. He puts Obi-Wan under with a Force Suggestion so the Healers can do their work.

The Healers manage to save his leg, and Obi-Wan is working on recovering strength in the training salle when Mace Windu comes to let him know Qui-Gon is planning to leave in pursuit of Balog. Obi-Wan goes along hoping to keep Qui-Gon from doing "something monumentally stupid."  The journey introduces Obi-Wan to many of Qui-Gon less savory contacts, and they finally trace Balog to Ord Mantell, confronting him on a catwalk over a river.

Obi-Wan comes to with Qui-Gon bending over him, screaming something.  He tries to speak and ends up coughing, and learns that he fell into the river, nearly drowning.  Qui-Gon abandoned the fight with Balog in order to rescue him.  Obi-Wan's memory of the events begins to return: when Qui-Gon had been ready to kill Balog, he intervened, and Qui-Gon accused him of wanting Tahl gone so his own path would be clear. Obi-Wan replied that, while he had had always followed Qui-Gon, he could not follow him into the Dark, and Qui-Gon realized he had been unfair to Obi-Wan.  Balog took advantage of their mutual distraction to attack, and Obi-Wan fell into the river.  Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan repair their relationship.

Shortly before the mission to Naboo, Qui-gon tells Obi-Wan he had asked Tahl to bond with him.  She refused, citing 'someone' who loved him more.  Qui-Gon warns Obi-Wan that he may not be capable of being all Obi-Wan wishes, but Obi-Wan replies that's for him to worry about.

### The Phantom Menace

Returning to Naboo, Obi-Wan is frustrated and hurt because Qui-Gon has been avoiding him for the entire flight. Obi-Wan think back to the argument he had with Qui-Gon over Anakin's training, which unfortunately the boy had overheard.  He decides he needs to apologize to Anakin, and tries to explain his Foresight and the danger around Anakin. The conversation makes Anakin cry over the harsh treatment of the Council, and Obi-Wan hugs him.

During the fight with Maul, Qui-Gon closes off the training bond between them.  He is struck down by Maul while Obi-Wan rages at him in the Force, begging him to wait and work together.  Obi-Wan uses Qui-Gon's lightsaber, which he had once wielded before, to slay Maul. Qui-Gon, dying, asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin.

A grieving Obi-Wan plunges into recovery work in order to cope. The Jedi Council arrives to attend Qui-Gon's funeral, Knighting Obi-Wan and reluctantly agreeing to Anakin's apprenticeship.  Obi-Wan cuts his own braid and lays it on Qui-Gon's pyre, a last farewell to the man he loved.

## Notes

1. ↑ This event is also discussed in Waking Dream.
2. ↑ This story does not re-tell all events of the film, instead focusing on specific, widely disjointed moments. For a summary of the film events, try The Phantom Menace at Wookiepedia