By: Jadei Knite
Disclaimer: Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Adi Gallia and Xanatos aren't mine. If there are names that are unfamiliar to you here, they are mine. I'm innocent.
Note: The happenings here might be fast. For comments, please e-mail me at padawanbraid@jedimail.net or page me through ICQ. My number is #31406620.
The Padawan learner, Obi-Wan Kenobi, turned off his lightsaber and simply pushed the last droid using the Force. He looked around, somewhat searching for someone or something. Shocked.
"Master!" Obi-Wan called. But no reply was heard. He called again. He heard nothing but the echo of his call. He backed off still searching for his master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He stepped on a droid's arm. There he saw a data pad. He picked it up and without thinking put in his pocket. But still, his master is missing. He saw a scrap of brown cloth stuck on a twig. He picked it up and felt it.
"No. This can't be." Obi-Wan knew that it is from Qui-Gon's robe. Before he knew it, something hit him on the head. But it wasn't that hard. He touched his head and didn't bothered to look at the one that hit him. He heard a blaster riffle getting prepared to shoot him then a blaster the shot. The droid fell beside him. This time he looked up. He saw someone wearing a hood. The eyes are covered.
"Go!" The being said. Obi-Wan stood up and ignited his lightsaber again. He is sure that the one that saved him is a woman from her voice. Obi-Wan deflected the missiles aiming at him. The lady was a sharpshooter. She didn't have any problems on shooting the droids. Obi-Wan attacked the army and slashed them either one by one or two by two. The droids were easily finished. They didn't do anything but shoot. Obi-Wan turned off his lightsaber again and looked at the lady. She was fixing her hood and hung her blaster on her belt. She looked at him. Obi-Wan still couldn't see her eyes.
"You're a Jedi, aren't you?" The lady just said. Obi-Wan wasn't surprised. His face remained calm.
"How can you say I am a Jedi?" He asked in reply to her question.
"You can't fool me. You've got Jedi reflexes, a lightsaber, the Jedi gear and a Padawan braid."
"How did you know so much?" This time, Obi-wan can't hide it. The lady has given enough evidences already.
"You don't have to hide it from me, Jedi." The lady finally revealed her face. She took out her hood. Obi-wan saw a lady smiling at him friendly and warmly. Her eyes are lightly blue just like Obi-Wan's. By surprise, the lady is wearing a Padawan braid!
"We're both Jedi." The lady said.
"W-What a surprise." Obi-Wan said. He smiled as well.
"My name is Origa Mackie. What's yours?"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Pleased to meet you, Obi-Wan." Origa stretched an arm. Obi-Wan reached for it and shook it.
"Where's your master, Obi-Wan?" Origa asked.
"It's a long story." Obi-Wan replied.
"I've got time." But still, Obi-Wan didn't said anything in reply to what she said.
"Hmm, looks like you don't know where to start. I'll start first. My master and I are actually going back to the Jedi Temple for our next mission when our ship had a fuel link. We'll have to land here on Graeva until we can fly back again. When we were looking around, I walked three steps away from her to look at a town on a mountain. By the time I looked back, she's gone."
"Who's your master, Origa?"
"Ever heard of Jedi council member, Adi Gallia?"
"She's your master?"
"Yes. Who's your master?"
"Qui-Gon Jinn. While on our mission, we were attacked by droids. I couldn't save my master from being captured since that there are a lot of droids that I have to destroy. I knew that my master was captured when I finished the droids. I found this." Obi-Wan took out the scrap of cloth in his pocket. Origa couldn't believe what she heard.
"That is impossible! I know Qui-Gon Jinn as a great Jedi Master. He's got keen senses and the Force."
"Well, maybe he hadn't the chance to use them." Rain began to fall on their heads. They both put on their hoods as the rain poured down stronger.
"We have to find shelter quickly! The rain here gets strong every second!" Origa called not meeting Obi-Wan's eyes.
"On my way here, I saw a cabin! I think I still know where it is!" Obi-Wan, followed by Origa went south. Not long, they saw the cabin. They quickly went in and took off their robe.
"Well, that wasn't so tough." Origa touched her wet Padawan braid and squeezed out all the water in it. She sat down on a chair.
"Are you hungry, Obi-Wan?"
"No. Why did you asked?"
"It's good that we're both not hungry. Because if we are or one of us is, we'll have to go out there. Or someone should. We're not going to eat for this day. The rain will go tomorrow."
"You have a point, Origa." Then there was silence between them for awhile. Origa began again.
"So, how old are you?"
"24." Obi-wan replied.
"I'm just 17."
"17, you must have learned fast."
"I didn't learned fast. I was apprenticed to Master Gallia when I was 12."
"So was I." Obi-Wan noticed Origa's smile fading.
"Is there something that bothers you?"
"Well, I was hoping that we could find our masters tomorrow. But we don't know where they are."
"You don't have to worry, Origa." Obi-Wan took something from his pocket. He kneeled beside Origa to show her the data pad he found. A citadel was shown on the data pad.
"I got this from a droid after defeating it. I believe that my Master is taken here. If you will agree to help me find him, we might be able to find your master if we retrieve Master Qui-Gon. We can enter here." He started to point moving place to place.
"If we get pass through the droids in there we can enter this room then go here. We can climb up to the control room. If we shut down everything necessary of shutting down, we won't have a problem finding my master then yours."
"That sounds like a great idea, Obi-Wan."
"It is. Shall we go now?"
"Now? We'll have to go tomorrow."
"But it's better for us to go now. Something terrible might be happening already."
"It would be more terrible if we get out there with exterminator droids roaming around."
"You're right."
"So, we'll do it tomorrow. Right now we'll have to rest."
-Next Day-
Origa hid her Padawan braid inside her robe and wore her hood. She got the blaster and activated it.
"A blaster? Origa, you're a Jedi!" Obi-wan reminded.
"I know! It's a long story."
"And why do you have to where that hood on?"
"It's Graeva's native wear. Now quit questioning around and take this." Origa tossed a blaster to Obi-Wan.
"But I--" Obi-Wan began to protest.
"Trust me, Obi-Wan. You'll need it."
"Okay. But you'll have to do the reasoning."
"Alright, already! I'll confess to our masters anyway." Origa opened the door and exited. Obi-Wan picked up the data pad he found and exited the cabin. As the two of them were outside, They heard crunchy steps of droids.
"Inspector droids. Just act casual, Obi-Wan."
"We'll just have to avoid them."
"Whatever." They both went east where Qui-Gon is probably locked up. After a little walk, a droid saw them.
"/This is a prohibited area. You're under arrest for--/" Quickly, Obi-Wan pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it and slashed the droid. Many droids turned to the two and began shooting. Origa pulled her lightsaber as well and ignited it, deflecting the missiles.
"There's too many of them!"
"We'll have to ignore them for now and run!" Obi-Wan and Origa both ran away from the droids. But they didn't stopped following the Jedi.
"Wouldn't they stop?" Obi-Wan hid behind a tree.
"Don't worry, Obi-Wan. Just hide there!" Origa called from her tree. She took out something from her pocket and threw it to the droids.
"Hurry, Obi-Wan. Run!" Origa pulled him away from his tree and ran as fast as she could. They both jumped behind a rock when they heard a loud boom.
"What did you threw to them?" Obi-wan asked.
"A Thermal Detonator?"
"A Thermal Detonator? Are you crazy? How did you--"
"It's a long story, Obi-Wan! Come on!" She ran from the rock to the entrance of the citadel. Obi-Wan followed. A control panel beeped noisily outside.
"How do we get in now?" Obi-wan asked.
"I don't know. I'm not that good in hacking. In fact, I don't know how to hack."
"Neither do I." Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber again and destroyed the panel. The door slid open. The two Jedi were welcomed by security droids. They entered the citadel without deflecting the missile. The firing stopped as the droids searched for them. Obi-Wan and Origa hid behind machines.
"What now?" Origa asked. Obi-Wan eyed a control panel.
"Maybe we can shoot that panel." Obi-Wan suggested.
"No, if you shoot it, they'll see us."
"Then, we'll need a diversion."
"That will be me."
"Origa, are you serious?"
"Obi-wan, I've always been a diversion on our missions. Well, sometimes. Not all of them."
"*Sigh* Alright, then. If you can distract those droids, I can run to the panel and destroy it."
"Okay. Watch me as I destroy the droids. If I destroyed the fifth droid, you run."
"Right."
"Okay then, here goes nothing." Origa got her lightsaber. She hit her hands hard on the machines and made a somersault. She landed with her lightsaber ignited and started destroying the droids.
Okay, that's one...two...three...four...and five! Now! Obi-Wan thought running from his hiding place to the panel with his lightsaber ignited. He slashed the panel as it sizzled opening the door next to it.
"Origa!" Obi-Wan called. She left the droids running to Obi-Wan and inside. They both ran in the room and to the right. It was dark. Obi-Wan and Origa panted standing on the catwalk.
"Alright, here we are...as planned." Origa said still catching her breath.
"We can't rest now."
"Right." They continued to walk along the catwalk until Origa stepped on a loose part.
"Whoa!" Origa managed to reach the end of the catwalk. Obi-Wan fell and grabbed her foot. But the intense of his swing to reach Origa's foot made him hit his hands.
"Ah!" Obi-Wan lets go of the foot accidentally falling down.
"Obi-Wan!" Origa called. She climbed up and looked down still calling his name.
"Obi-Wan!"
Obi-Wan fell on another loose part of a catwalk and continued to fall until he fell on a pile of droids. Broken droids, that is. He moaned in pain of his back but was soon able to stand up again. He looked up.
Where am I? He thought. Soon, he heard machines activating.
"/Droid compression starting in 10...9...8...7.../" It continued to count. Obi-Wan gathered all the Force he can and leaped. He ignited his lightsaber quickly and slashed the two droids operating the droid compression. More droids came to attack him. He deflected their beams like he is beside Qui-Gon. As soon as all the droids are finished, he turned off his lightsaber and hung it back. Before he could turn back, He flew to the wall hitting his head. He heard footsteps then passed out.
Obi-Wan opened his eyes.
Where am I? He thought. He moved his hands and feet. He couldn't. They were handcuffed. He used the Force to try to open them. But the handcuffs were so tight it hurts him. He suddenly heard a voice.
"Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan! Look back." Obi-Wan did what he was asked to.
"Master! Did they--"
"Now is not the time to worry about me, my Padawan. How did you found me?"
"I'll tell you later, master. Right now we have to--"
"Greetings, Kenobi." A voice entered the scene.
"Xanatos!" Obi-Wan knew him when he was just 12. He can still remember the broken circle on his cheek.
"How wise you remembered me."
"What is it now?"
"Hmm. Business you do not need to know."
"What do you want from us?"
"Such an inquisitive little boy."
"I want a direct answer!"
"You speak to much, clumsy boy!" Xanatos used the force to throw Obi-Wan slamming his body to Qui-Gon's.
"Don't call me clumsy." Obi-Wan muttered.
"Why don't you just take me? You just used my master so that I'll get lost. Isn't that right?"
"Silence!" Xanatos ignited his lightsaber and slashed Obi-Wan on his cheek. He yelped in pain. It took him seconds before he can talk again.
"Why don't you just kill me. It's what you want anyway." Obi-Wan said courageously.
"I'll deal with you later, Jedi." Xanatos left.
"Obi-Wan, you're anger is overcoming your body. Calm. The Force will call for help." Qui-Gon said seeing blood drip from his cheek. The door opened again. By surprise, it was a Jedi.
"You heard my call, Master Adi Gallia." Qui-Gon said.
"I did. I had to leave immediately for you Qui-Gon." Adi Gallia replied igniting her lightsaber to free Obi-wan and Qui-Gon. Obi-wan said nothing.
"What a pleasant surprise, Jedi master Adi Gallia." Xanatos caught them entering the door. He charged Adi Gallia and dueled with her. She blocked every hit he made until he was cornered.
"How easily are you defeated." Xanatos smiled evilly.
"You there! Hands off my master!"
"Origa!" Obi-wan and Adi exclaimed. Origa took off her hood and began shooting with her blaster. Xanatos let go of Adi and deflected the shots. He ran to Origa to attack her. She dropped her blaster and ignited her lightsaber.
This is my chance! Adi thought. She ran to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and freed them. The three of them ran out of the prison cell to help Origa. She fought well but was kicked by Xanatos to the ground. Qui-Gon quickly ran to Origa and blocked his finishing blow. Xanatos made somersault and landed face to face with Qui-Gon. Origa quickly stood up and ran to her master. Xanatos missed Qui-Gon as he attempted to hit his ex-master on the stomach. Qui-Gon made a hit on his head but was blocked. They both hit low then high. Their blows are at random height. Xanatos became impatient getting his blows deflected. He growled. He hit harder this time pushing Qui-Gon to the wall. Qui-Gon leaped and twirled in mid-air and landed at Xanatos' back. This time, it was Qui-Gon pushing him to the wall. But before he hit Xanatos on his foot, Xanatos touched Qui-Gon's arm with his lightsaber. The Jedi master dropped his lightsaber holding the hot part of his arm. Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber upon hearing Xanatos' evil laugh. He quickly attacked pushing them away from Qui-Gon. He blocked Xanatos' hits on the back and made a slash on his foot. Xanatos quickly fell down.
"That's for the slash on my cheek and for touching my master's arm with your lightsaber."
"This is not the end of me, Obi-Wan." He ran to his ship limply and quickly flew away. Obi-Wan tried to chase him but stopped when he flew. Qui-Gon touched him on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Master. I didn't caught up with him."
"That's alright, my Padawan. Let him go. It is the will of the Force that we will meet him again. Someday." The two of them walked together approaching Adi and Origa.
"Thank you for helping us." Qui-Gon said.
"We owe you our gratitude." Obi-wan added.
"I should thank you as well, Obi-Wan." Origa smiled.
"If it weren't been for your brilliant plan, I wouldn't be with Master Gallia yet." Origa continued.
"It would be an honor if you would join us on our way back to Coruscant. Origa told me that you were on your way to the temple when your ship had a fuel leak."
"Thank you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. We would love that." Adi Gallia answered.
-Next Day-
Obi-Wan placed a gauge on his wound on his cheek. He exited his quarters and joined Qui-Gon on their way to the ship lot for their next mission. As they reached the lot, they searched for the ship that will take them to their next mission. They heard footsteps. It was Origa Mackie and Adi Gallia.
"We wish you luck on your next mission. May it be a successful one." Adi started.
"Thank you, Master Adi Gallia. We hope to see you again with your Padawan." Qui-Gon bowed to her boarding the ship as they found it.
"We will. That I am sure." Before Obi-wan could board the ship, Origa called.
"It really was a pleasure to meet you, Obi-Wan Kenobi!"
"You too, Origa Mackie."
"I will see you again, my friend! May the Force be with you!" Origa waved good-bye. He smiled at her. The happiest she saw. He waved good-bye to his friend boarding the ship. He sat beside Qui-Gon as the ship flew.
"I see you have another friend." Qui-Gon started their conversation.
"Yes, Master."
"I'm proud of you, Obi-Wan. Soon, if you have your Padawan learner, he or she will be like you, a wise man I assure you that."
And their mission is yet, another story...
~End~