Apprentice (Star Wars / Alex Rider Crossover) (BOOK 1)

Chapter One

New Beginnings

Alex Rider walked slowly through the park. It was a sunny day in the beginning of May. One hand was in his pocket, the other holding the backpack that was slung over his shoulder.

Only a few more weeks of school, and then I'm free for the summer, he thought. He was ready for summer. His math teacher was annoying, his science teacher boring, and his history teacher just rubbed him the wrong way. Alex smiled to himself. How nice to be worrying about the things that normal kids worried about. It had been almost three years since he had agreed to work for Alan Blunt of MI6 Special Operations in England. He had been on several missions for them, each time armed with all sorts of neat little gadgets. He knew He was lucky to be alive. He had barely escaped death too many times. After his final mission, he had come to live in America with Sabina Pleasure and her parents. His best friend in the entire world, Jack Starbright, who had been a sort of housekeeper or nanny for him, had been killed, and he had no relatives to look after him. That was when the Pleasure family took him in, and moved to California, where Mr. Pleasure worked as a journalist.

Alex's parents had been killed when he was just three months old, and his uncle took him in. He was gone a lot, and Alex never got to spend too much time with him. It was not until he died that Alex learned that his uncle, as well as his father, were both spies for MI6, whom Alex also worked for. 

Alex liked living with them. The Pleasure were more like friends than parents. He was glad to be allowed to lead a normal life again, but deep down, he knew his life would never be truly normal. They were great people. He needed them. His life as a spy had left many scars on him, both physically and emotionally. When he first moved to the United States, there had been many visits to doctors and psychiatrists. Alex cringed in disgust. He had hated those visits, but in the end, they did help. 

"What do you think, Alex?"

The question snapped him back to reality. "Uh, sure, Sabina," he stammered. He had been lost in his thoughts, and almost forgot that she was walking alongside him.

Sabina laughed. "I was asking what you thought we should do tonight. It's Friday."

"Oh, yeah."

"I can tell you were a million miles away. Dreaming of becoming a spy again?" She raised her eyebrow inquisitively.

He shot her a look. "Of course not."

"Well, what about tonight, then?"

"Pizza and a movie? Just a normal night in?" Alex suggested.

"What movie should we watch?" 

"We could stop at RedBox on the way home. I think they've gotten some new ones since we looked last week. That way, we could stop and pick up a frozen pizza from the store a the same time."

Sabina grinned. "Perfect. Pepperoni?"

Alex grinned back. "Always." Yes, it was good to be normal.

______________________

Far, far away, in a different galaxy, on the remote desert planet of Tatooine, Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in his stone house. He had grown quite bored, which seemed to be the case more often than not these days. Outside, a fierce sandstorm raged, the kind that lasted for days on end. It was the third day, and he had run out of things to do. He sat down at his table and sighed. In the last two days, he had cleaned the entire house from top to bottom, even though it hadn't needed it. He had finished up some little projects around the house, and now he sat. 

"I should go take a nap." He wasn't sure if he had thought it or said it. There was no one to talk to, and Obi-Wan often caught himself thinking out loud. This exile thing was really getting to him. What was becoming of him, he, who had once been a great Jedi Master?

He rose to head to his bedroom. 

"Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan froze. He knew that voice. He slowly turned around. There, at the end of the room, stood his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He was shrouded in a light blue haze. "Master," he said He stood there for a moment, speechless.  Finally he found his voice. "It is good to see you. I've waited so long. What brings you?"

"Of course." He gestured to the table. They both had a seat.

"So, it's been a year now," Qui-Gon observed. Obi-Wan nodded grimly. One year ago, his own padawan and best friend, Anakin Skywalker, had turned to the dark side. It was less painful to think that, rather, Darth Vader had killed him. It was hard to believe that behind that black mask was the same person that he had trained in the ways of the Force for many years. 

Seeming to read his thoughts, Qui-gon asked, "Do you blame me for your involvement in his life, for making you promise to train him before I died?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "No, Master. I wouldn't have traded that time training him for anything else. He was my best friend. It's just that..." He sighed heavily. "Can he ever be turned back?"

Obi-Wan thought he saw a glint of hope in his old Master's eyes. "Only time will tell."

They sat in silence for a moment before Qui-Gon asked, "And how are your Jedi skills?"

"Master," Obi-Wan said, "I haven't done anything in the past year. Absolutely nothing. I haven't touched my lightsaber in months. The Force is useless to me here and now."

Qui-Gon smiled and nodded thoughtfully. "You are ready."

Obi-Wan was puzzled. "Ready? Ready for what, Master?"

"You are ready to begin the training."

"Master, I don't understand. My Jedi skills are not up to par. I am not ready to begin any kind of training."

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon began, "Do you remember what I said when I first appeared to you? I told you that when you think you are ready, you are not, and when you think you are not ready, that is when you are truly ready."

Obi-Wan nodded. It was nine months ago, but it seemed like an eternity to him. "Yes, Master."

"Well, there you have it."

He was puzzled. "So, what is my training?"

"Well," he began. "Do you remember when you took those missions to Earth?"

Obi-Wan remembered.

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Author's Note:

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading my book! I know it's got sort of a slow start, but stay with me. It gets REALLY good in a few chapters.

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