Chapter 1

     A grin had begun to spread across Anakin's face when he had been told what their next assignment was. But rather than bursting with excitement, he only mechanically answered, "Yes, Master," before Obi-Wan began leading the way to the ship.
     A volcano seemed like a perilous place to be, and that was where a Sith Lord was battling two other Jedi. More Jedi were needed to defeat him, or most likely the two already there, dueling, would perish. When I kill this Darth Swatar, all on my own, the Jedi Council will have to make me a full Jedi, he thought. Anakin couldn't wait for the day when he would be made a Jedi Knight, and when he would be able to train his own apprentice, like Obi-Wan.
     "Anakin!" his mentor called sharply from the entrance of the ship.
     "Yes, Master!"  Anakin replied and ran to his side. "Sorry."
     "You must be careful and aware of your surroundings while we are there. This is a dangerous area and we can't afford to have any mistakes."
     "Of course, Master."
     "And remember to be aware of the Force, especially."
     "Is that not always the case, Master?" Anakin asked cheekily while rolling his eyes. He hurried inside before Obi-Wan could reply.
     Anakin made his way to the control room, where they flew the ship. He’d always been a good pilot, and even when he wasn't flying it himself, he’d liked to watch them do it and give a few "tips".
     Before Obi-Wan could call him, Anakin felt his presence and turned around. "Yes, Master?"
     "Come on the way back. First we must discuss what we're going to do once we get there."
     "Oh, of course." Anakin quickly followed him out. There was no arguing with Obi-Wan. He was his mentor, and they had a father son relationship. Whatever Obi-Wan says has to be done by Anakin. Simply out of respect. He knew Obi-Wan would not get too angry if he didn't listen, but he did anyway. It had been like that since he started training six years ago. Obi-Wan's mentor, Qui-Gon, had freed him when he was nine, a slave on Tatooine.
     Obi-Wan suddenly rose to their feet. "I sense a disturbance," he said, a grim look on his face.
     Anakin stood up beside him. "I feel it too." Then they ran outside.
     A large plume of fire roaring awaited the two Jedi outisde the ship. Two dark lumps lay just outside where the flames reached. Although it was hard to see, Anakin thought he saw one of the lumps move, then falter and crash down.
     "Anakin, go see the younger one!" Obi-Wan shouted.
     "Yes, Master!" Anakin rushed over to smaller lump. Pressing his ear to the boy's chest, he noticed that his breath was coming in short, rough gasps. Without thinking too much, Anakin put his hand on the boy's chest, and felt the Force flow through him. He smiled in satisfaction as the young Jedi opened his eyes. The boy was two or three years younger, only about twelve or thirteen. He had blue eyes and golden blond hair, which was, like his own, tied in the back.
     Anakin was aware of Obi-Wan dragging the other body beside the boy's. "How is he?" he called out.
     "Not well," his mentor grunted. "And Seth?"
     He figured Seth was the boy's name. When he looked back at Seth, his eyes were closed again, and his breathing was slowing down. "He'll live, most likely." After hesitating, he asked, "Paedon isn't going to, is he?" Anakin knew Paedon well enough to recognize him, even with the burns on his face that covered Seth's too.
     Obi-Wan shook his head, deep in thought. "Seth won't have a mentor then..." he mused. He picked up Paedon's limp body and signaled for Anakin to take responsibility for Seth. "We should get going, he grunted.
     "And what about the Sith?" Anakin asked, walking alongside him with the boy slung over his shoulders. Disappointment only barely swam through him when he realized they weren't going to have a fight.
     As soon as they got to the ship, men took the limp bodies inside. Obi-Wan and Anakin stayed out just a bit longer. The apprentice followed Obi-Wan to the other side, where he pressed a few buttons. After a moment, they could see the Jedi Council. Anakin stayed behind, while Obi-Wan told them what had happened. "They are inside right now, being taken care of," he finished.
     "Worry for them, I do," Yoda said. "As do we all."
     "Master Yoda, do you think that it is the Sith who caused this?" Anakin asked, after thinking for a moment.
     The Jedi Master thought about the idea, while Anakin received an approving nod from Obi-Wan.  "Smart one, you are," Yoda finally said. "I sense that it is related."
     "Very well, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied. He and Anakin bowed simultaneously, then shut it and walked inside.

Murmurs sounded inside the room where Obi-Wan was speaking to the Council, while Anakin waited outside. When he finally came out, his face was serious.
     "What happened, Master?" Anakin asked, walking beside him.
     "As Paedon is dead, they were discussing what would happen with Seth's training." Anakin nodded. It had been only a few days since they had rescued them. Seth's condition improved tremendously, while his mentor didn't survive. "Until further is known, he will be training alongside you," Obi-Wan finished, stopping and looking at Anakin.

     "I sense your reluctance, Anakin. But you must accept that this is how it will be from now on."
     "I try, Master," he muttered. "However, is this wise, if I may ask? For one, the Code doesn't allow it. And perhaps there is another Jedi who is willing to take him on?"
     Obi-Wan shook his head. "It will take time to find someone who can do it. Seth is very different from most. The Council would not have agreed to his training had it not been for Paedon who took him as his own Padawan learner. He was and still is very much like you, Anakin."
     Again, the pair stopped. "What's that supposed to mean, Master?" Anakin demanded, fury slowly stirring inside him.
     "Anakin," Obi-Wan warned softly.
     He exhaled slowly. "Sorry, Master," he finally said, not meeting Obi-Wan's eyes.
     "You must learn to control yourself, Anakin."
     "Yes, Master."
     "Yoda himself has told you," Obi-Wan lectured.
     "I know, Master."

Seth opened his eyes and stifled a groan. His entire body stung, and he couldn't move. When he tried, it burned. A man walked into the room he was in. "Master Obi-Wan," he managed to croak, and he dipped his head.
     "Hello, Seth," Obi-Wan said, smiling. He ran his hand down the side of Seth's body.
     Immediately, some of the pain was lifted. He pushed himself up to a sitting position where his feet dangled off the side of the bed. "How is Paedon?" was the first thing Seth asked. The unease he could feeling rising in Obi-Wan was enough to tell him what he needed to know. "No," he muttered. "He can't be."
     "Sorry, Seth. But it is so, I'm afraid."
     Seth squeezed his eyes shut. After another moment, though, he opened them, showing no sign of his grief. As a Jedi, he had to be able to let go, or as Yoda said, it would be a path to the dark side. "What is going to be of me, then?" he asked after recovering his composure.
     "Until further is decided you will be training with me."
     "But...you have an apprentice already, don't you?" he asked nervously. He didn't think Obi-Wan's apprentice would be happy with this.
     "Yes, but never mind that. I've already spoken with the Council. You will be training with me." Obi-Wan held out his hand to Seth, who accepted the help graciously. Once on his feet, he felt shaky. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply until he felt more comfortable.
     Able to support himself now, they two began to leave. "Are there any new assignments?" Seth asked.
     His new mentor shook his head. "For now all we will be doing is some training. Perhaps lightsaber training?" Seth nodded, excitedly. Obi-Wan chuckled softly. Then, more serious, he asked, "Do you think you're fit to train?"
     "I believe I will be alright," Seth nodded.
     "Good. Now let's find Anakin." Obi-Wan said, smiling.
     Seth hesitated. "Anakin?" he asked with wonder. "Is Anakin your apprentice?" he asked. He continued when Obi-Wan nodded, confused. "He's the Chosen One, isn't he?"
     Obi-Wan took a step closer to the young boy. "How do you know that?" he asked, trying to search Seth's thoughts.
     Seth backed away uncomfortably. "Oh, uh. I, er, overheard Master Paedon talking about it with...you." He looked around, not wanting to meet Obi-Wan's eyes.
     "Ah." Obi-Wan gave away nothing. "Come," he finally said.


Anakin saw Obi-Wan walking with Seth next to him. He nodded to Seth, then turned to Obi-Wan. "Well?" he asked.
     Obi-Wan just narrowed his eyes at him, feeling the hatred rise in Anakin toward Seth. "Seth, this is my Padawan, Anakin."
     "Hello, Seth," Anakin acknowledged.
     "Pleasure to meet you," Seth replied with the same coldness.
     Anakin smirked at him, then looked down as he felt his mentor's glare burning into him. "Sorry, Master," he muttered.
     Seth was surprised. He hadn't expected the "Chosen One" to be so cold. And he definitely didn't expect him to not get along well with his mentor.
     "Anakin, take him to where we practice. I have some business to attend to, and then we'll start our training." Obi-Wan nodded, then walked away.
     The two apprentices stared at each other for another moment. "Well," Anakin finally said, breaking the silence, "we'd best get going. Obi-Wan won't be happy if he doesn't find us there."
     Once in the room, Anakin studied Seth. Then he took out his lightsaber. "Let's see how well you can fight," he challenged.
     Seth smiled. He was a better fighter than Anakin, he knew. He was the best fighter of all the Jedi.
     He lunged forward, sword spinning in Seth's hands. He sliced the lightsaber across the air towards Anakin's midsection, who parried it easily. Seth tried again, first right, then left. He moved quickly. He knew his steps and moves were not very accurate, so he relied on speed to confuse the opponent.
     Anakin, too, used the steps he was taught to confuse Seth. He spun his lightsaber around many times between deflecting blows. But the thirteen year old boy didn't pay attention to it. He kept moving quicker and quicker, and Anakin could only deflect rather than attack, himself. He could sense he was nearing the wall, and if he was trapped, that would mean he had lost. He quickly jumped up and somersaulted, landing just behind Seth, who turned around, confused.
     Anakin saw his chance. He lunged forward and knocked Seth to the ground, sending his lightsaber flying up. Anakin easily caught it and stood over Seth, both swords pointed at him. He smiled triumphantly. "Not bad," Anakin congratulated, handing the lightsaber back and allowing him to stand up.
     Seth was breathing heavily, and Anakin guessed that along with the fight, the smoke from the fire had affected his throat badly. He was about to ask if he was okay, but Obi-Wan startled him before he could.
     "Well fought, both of you," Obi-Wan said, stepping forward. Anakin cast a sidelong glance at Seth, who seemed caught by surprise, too. "But your technique does need some work."
     "When did you get here, Master?" Anakin asked, respectfully but indignantly.
     Obi-Wan smiled as he could no longer feel the hatred in Anakin. The fight seemed to do them good. "I saw the entire thing."
     Anakin stepped up to him. "Oh, really? I thought you had something to do?"
     Seth watched the scene unfold, and was sure Obi-Wan wouldn't be happy with that. But he was surprised when he smiled, and realized that they had the same friendly relationship he had had with Paedon. Grief flooded through him again, and he closed his eyes in memory of the loss he had experienced only three days ago.
     Neither Obi-Wan nor Anakin noticed. "Oh, do you really think I trust you enough with Seth alone?" Obi-Wan teased.
     "Now what's that supposed to mean?" Anakin asked, shifting his weight and looking at his mentor knowingly.
     "Never mind that. I'll speak to you later, Anakin. You've already learned the lesson I'll be teaching Seth today, You may leave." Obi-Wan was looking at Seth, then, and Anakin could feel his all too familiar envy beginning to flare up.
     "Yes, Master." Anakin bowed, then left, his mind spinning with questions. How come he had managed to beat Seth in a fight, when Seth was obviously much better? And why did Obi-Wan send Anakin away? The mentor he knew would never miss a chance for him to learn something, no matter how many times he had already.

Anakin was in his Padawan assigned room, on his bed still pondering when Seth walked in. "Uh...Obi-Wan told me to, er, stay with you here."
     Not really looking, Anakin used the Force to open a wide door to the left of him. Then, with more concentration and effort, but still looking somewhere else, he Forced a bed to slide out.
     "Oh, uh, okay," Seth stammered. He sat down awkwardly on the bed. He was afraid of how Anakin would act with him, since he hadn't seemed very friendly. "When did you begin training?" he asked after a moment of awkward silence.
     Anakin looked up at him. "Oh, six years ago. When I was about ten." He stood up and walked over to the table at other side of the room, and fingered a small ring.
     "Oh, that was about the same time as me. Except I was seven." Seth's voice became quieter. "I lost my entire family then, you know. A Sith killed them."
     He put the ring down and turned around. "My mother is still a slave on Tatooine. Master Qui-Gon, who was Master Obi-Wan's mentor, freed me."
     Seth was astonished. "Tatooine? You're from the Outer Rim?" When Anakin nodded, he continued. "I am, too. My planet was actually very close to Tatooine. If you were still there, then, you must have heard about the destruction of Alforse."
     Anakin looked up sharply. "So that's what Obi-Wan was talking about," he mused, mostly to himself.
     Determined to learn more about Anakin, and hopefully become more friendly with him, Seth kept talking. "What happened with you?" he asked.
     "Me?" Anakin smiled. "Qui-Gon's ship needed some parts to fly, and I helped them get it. By pod racing. I also got my freedom with that. But...my mother didn't." He began to dwell on the promise he'd made to Shmi Skywalker, his mother, then stopped himself. Master Yoda told me not to focus on the past, he reminded himself. "But why are you asking?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
     "Oh, just-" Seth cut himself off. "Never mind," he said, shooting Anakin a furious glance and laying down, sick of his temper.