Shredded Moments
"...But master! I don't understand why-"
"There is no 'why'!" Qui Gon interrupted, slight exasperation in his voice. His Padawan learner was especially difficult today. More difficult than Qui Gon Jinn imagined a 16 year old could be. He himself was 27. In many aspects, young Obi Wan Kanobi, his feisty Padawan, reminded him of himself at that age. Poor master Yoda! He never liked the impatient ones, Qui Gon couldn't forget the small Master's dismay at the discovery that they were multiplying.
"For a Jedi there is no emotion, there is only peace."
"But that doesn't answer my question! I want to know why-"
"Enough questions!" Qui Gon almost snapped, feeling the migraine return.
He wasn't entirely ready to take an apprentice when they had found Obi Wan; a five year old amidst the wreckage of Tunug Brim. His family was murdered, but he survived. It was evident that the Force was strong with him from the first time the Jedi saw him. No Jedi Knight was available at the time- those that were willing to take an apprentice did not approve of the boy's strong spirit- and they were about to send him away. A younger, and more naive Qui Gon Jinn felt compassion towards the child who had no where to go, and decided that he would teach him- Even if was never good with children and never actually liked teaching.
"But-!"
Sometimes Qui Gon found himself wondering if he had done the right thing. Although talented, the young boy was incessant, and stubborn as a Bantha.
"No more questions today." He repeated firmly, trying to calm his nerves. This was no time for his apprentice's pestering! The two were in dangerous territory; in these turbulent times for the Republic, the outer rims worlds had begun to go wrong. Many gangsters, mafia lords and cut throats found these parts a haven. A haven that they did not want any Jedi to walk into. A short skirmish at the exit from hyperspace might have alerted the man they were after of their presence, and that was indeed a dangerous possibility.
Obi Wan grew quiet, fidgeting in his seat and trying to master the art of patience. Qui Gon's mind ran through the possibilities that presented themselves to him.
The Jedi Master frowned slightly, bringing a hand to his temple.
Perhaps it was a mistake to bring his young apprentice- the inexperienced boy could cause their failure in such a delicate situaltion... The thought surfaced for just a moment before he pushed it away. This was no time to think such thoughts. His impatient, disobedient pupil was with him now, and Qui Gon was bent on trying to use the opportunity to teach him a thing or two about patience and obedience.
Obi Wan beside him stirred, but made no comment.
For a moment Qui Gon feared his Padawan had caught that last thought, through their connection, their bond...
The Jedi Master sighed heavily, brining his other hand to join the first near his temples.
This has not been a good week for the both of them.
Obi Wan's face was a mask of concentration.
"Come on," Qui Gon encouraged, "You can do it."
Sweat trickled down the Padawan's face.
"Now."His Master prepared himself.
Obi Wan's hand flew up, as though trying to flick away the large rock several feet away. The rock reacted with embarrassingly less drama than the hand gesture; lifting slightly to it's opposite side before rolling back to where it had lied moments before.
Obi Wan's hand dropped back to his side, casting his face down with a dejected sigh.
Seventeen years old, he couldn't do what most pre-Padawan Initiates could do.
But try as he might, the Force would never be violent enough to fling objects away. It was strange in itself, since he never had trouble moving objects from point to point with his mind- that was never even hard, and what more, he always thought that violence will come natural, considering his volatile temper.
Yet the rock never seemed to be blown away, no matter how much he tried.
Qui Gon placed a comforting hand on his apprentice's shoulders,
"You'll master it in good time." He assured, "This time was better than the last."
Obi Wan shrugged off the hand and the remark,
"I'll never be a Jedi Knight."'I'll never be like you' was what he wanted to say, but the anger building within him, added on the embarrassment of the failed attempt kept his tongue.
His Master shook his head,
"You really won't, with that attitude."He slid his hands in the opposite sleeves of his robe, "You choose to give up quickly on that which don't come easily."
Obi Wan only looked away to the ground to the right of his feet. He did his best to quell his raising anger.
Qui Gon heaved a sigh,"When you want to use the Force in battle-"
"-It's not violence you seek, it's guidance."Obi Wan finished, frustration clear in his voice and stance, "I know that well enough, Master!"He gritted his teeth.
"Obviously, you don't." Qui Gon lifted his chin slightly, "You try to fling it with anger and violence when there should be non involved. The fact that you want to use it for violence does not mean that you should use violence with the Force. It will only reject you if you do."
"I know that." The young man mumbled, hands clenching into fists at his side.
"You don't." His Master countered calmly, as if he was unaware of the emotional turmoil in his apprentice, "Meditate about this in your quarters. I want to feel only peace and oneness with the Force in our bond in half an hour." The voice was calm, but spoken firmly.
"Yes, Master."Obi Wan shuffled his feet and sauntered to his room, feeling punished and humiliated.
The rock was left, unimpressed, behind his retreating back.
All the way to the dorm he felt that his Master was disappointed with him. What kind of a Padawan to a Jedi Master couldn't even Force-Hit? If the other Padawans knew, they'd laugh their heads off.
However, when Obi Wan tried to confide these feelings of insecurity with his Master some time later, he met only impatience.
"Master," He approached the older man in the hall after the latter woke him from his troubled meditation, "I..." He stuttered. His previous anger had long gone, making him feel depressed and empty; not only could he not control the Force adequately, he couldn't even mange to control his own temper! He felt he was shaming his Master, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to do. He tried again,
"Master, about before-"
"It is of no matter now, Padawan." Qui Gon started towards the Council's Chamber, "We have a mission. We must make haste- it took you longer than I have expected to get here."
Obi Wan stared at his Master's back a few heartbeats, mind trying to decide if he should be insulted, relieved, or angry, before gaining on the older man. Falling a step behind, he kept his gaze low and his mouth shut.
Their relationship seemed strained these last few days. Most of their conversations led Obi Wan to get angry, and as a result, they simply talked less. It wasn't what the Padawan wanted at all- but lately he just didn't know how to approach his Master without the latter giving him some sort of lecture about what he had recently done wrong. He felt that it wasn't like that a while ago.
Still, trying to talk about his insecurities with his Master has yet to yield any positive results- and that only led to straining the air between them even more.
Anger boiled inside of Obi Wan. He hated it, of course. "For a Jedi there is no emotion, there is peace."Obi Wan couldn't even master the simplest of Jedi rules at the age of seventeen, and we wished to be a Jedi Knight? To make his Master proud of him?
Outside the viewport there was a planet. Nothing too impressive; A dull planet of the type that was never extreme in anyway. In weather, at least- the population was something else entirely.
Qui Gon looked with intense blue eyes at the planet before them. They had to arrest a man there: His name was Ynri, Ynri Soltonoree. The head of a very dangerous mafia that was proved to be behind most, if not all drug smuggling, selling and distributing in the boundaries of the Republic.
Their plan was simple; they were to descend unnoticed to the planet's surface. There they were to infiltrate Ynri's Headquarters and arrest him.
"Go to the safehouse the moment we land, Obi Wan."Qui Gon instructed, starting the ship towards the planet at an inconspicuous speed.
"But, Master...!" The apprentice begun, getting up from the seat. He at least expected that if he was brought along then he was to take part in the mission- to be at his Master's side if the going were to get tough, "...I want to come." He said, trying to convey his worry and apprehension through the bond. He had a bad feeling about this.
He was met with a chilly humor.
"I shall do fine, I warrant."The older Jedi allowed half a smile to his lips, then added, "I shan't be long,"
Obi Wan studied his Master a long moment, the look of a hurt puppy in his green-blue eyes. His Master wasn't looking, though, as the latter was watching the planet grow bigger in the viewport.
"...But why, Master?"
Still not looking at him, Qui Gon crossed his hands over his broad chest,
"It'll be dangerous." He said, "You still lack the subtlety needed here."
Obi Wan took half a step back, as if the words shoved him lightly. Lack subtlety? He was training to be a Jedi, and Jedis needed all the experience they could gain- he wanted to come! He will learn subtlety!
"Another time, Padawan."The Jedi Master said firmly, as if reading his Padawan's thoughts. To Obi Wan's ears it sounded as if he had accented the title 'Padawan'. Not 'Jedi Apprentice', not even 'My Padawan'. Just that title, artless.
Was he that bad an apprentice?
He was, wasn't he?
He maybe one of the best in his age with the Lightsaber, but when it came to control...
"...But-!"Obi Wan started, desperation in his voice. Qui Gon interrupted him,
"No. You will go to the safehouse and await my arrival." He turned steel-cold eyes to his Padawan, daring the younger to defy him, and to his surprise, he found Obi Wan with fists clenched at his sides and trembling with contained anger. The next moment the young man's face snapped up, wide eyes filled with a pain and rage the Master didn't expect to find there,
"Nothing's ever good enough for you, is it?"Obi Wan demanded, voice more hurt than angry.
"Excuse me?"He turned to his apprentice fully, abandoning the sight of the planet. Now what was this all of the sudden?
"Maybe it was a mistake to take me, after all!" The pain in the young eyes was intense and he stared down his Master, "I might be the worst Padawan in the galaxy, but I...!"His hands waved about as he spoke, desperation marking his every move. Qui Gon could just stare at him- he did not expect this outburst, Frankly, he didn't have time for it, either; this was a delicate time, and the Jedi Master planned on reviewing the structure's blueprints again.
"Learn control!"The master demanded, surprising his apprentice even farther, "Learn control and you'll be on the right path. Until then you are not gaining anything from your training. I do not understand why you chose this moment to discuss this." The voice was cold, chiding, "This will have to wait, Padawan."
Shock had etched the young man's face. Did he just disappoint his Master again?
Finally he found the strength to confront his Master about his inner-most fears and insecurities, and he just shoves it away? They had at least half an hour ere the ship will get all the way to the docking station- that's all the time Obi Wan wanted... And... the Master didn't have to leave immediately, he could take all the time he wanted to plan his moves- this was important to him!
All this time they were just staring at each other; one pair of hard blue eyes, stern and determined. The other pair of blue-green, wide and bleeding emotions.
None of those seemed to reach the Master. Obi Wan tried one last time, shock reverting to anger and feeling of betrayal,
"Let me come with you, Master!"
Qui Gon looked away, back to the planet with a frown,
"I will have no more of this, Obi Wan. Taking you with me will endanger us both. Until you learn proper control you are of no use to me in this mission."
"...'Of no use'...?"The Padawan echoed the words, feeling as if he had been just slapped, "'Of no use'?!"He echoed again, this time with anger, "I'm useless now?!" He demanded, taking a step forward, "The only thing I do is fail you, do I?!"It was more of an accusation than a question, and Qui Gon suppressed a cringe- that thought of his did stray over the bond.
Between Master and Padawan, there were occasions where you mustn't think too loud.
Qui Gon opened his mouth to retort; there was no reason for him to face such insubordinations from his impetuous pupil. His first words were swallowed in noise as the ship shook fiercely. The two men grabbed the chairs beside them to keep from falling.
A quick scan of the radar made Qui Gon's face frown deeply. In his pointless arguments with his Padawan, he failed to see the Corellian Corvet sneaking up from behind them.
So much for their plans.
The ship convulsed violently again, throwing Obi Wan backwards and forcing Qui Gon to grip at the controlboard for support. There wasn't much to be done now, the older Jedi concluded grimly, hearing the hostile ship's engines around their ship's hall. They were upon them already, and were probably going to try and board them any minute.
That space battle before did alert the enemies to their presence.
Qui Gon glanced askance at his apprentice. The latter was already back on his feet, and the two listened a long moment to the scraping sounds that indicated that the enemy was in their ship.
"Seal the door."The Master demanded. Knowing better than to raise any opposition at the moment, Obi Wan dashed to the door's controls.
He never quite made it there.
When his hand was only a few inches from the terminal, the door and most of it's surrounding wall exploded.
Obi Wan had only time to register an entire squad of armed men before the door and other various debris swept over him, washing him aside in a rain of hot metal and shrapnel.
Darkness engulfed him.
When he woke up, he was alone.
His Force sense told him that some time before his other scattered senses returned.
Pain was the first to voice his protests, afterward confusion managed to shove pain aside to add to the turmoil. As if it weren't enough to distress the young Jedi, worry and fear jumped in to make a fine orchestra of panic.
Obi Wan opened pained eyes, and thought for a split second that he had gone blind, for all he saw was dull gray. It took several blinks to see scratches and blast marks on that surface.
The door.
It was slanted on top of him, and he himself was on the floor. Only his shoulders and head propped against the wall beside the doorway, the rest of his body was sprawled in front of him, pieces that once belonged to the nice doorway to the bridge now covered him. Several of them were even kind enough to slash him and one was stuck in his muscle by his shin.
Gingerly, he pushed himself from the wall, sitting up and trying to shove the door from over him. Painful bruises and cuts decorated his body and made each move taxing. Once he had cleared all the debris from himself and took out the shrapnel with a pained hiss, the boy looked around.
The viewport, from his angle on the floor, showed beams and tiles.
A ceiling. A dock, probably.
He also noticed the bridge's lack of Qui Gons.
His Master was gone.
This in itself shouldn't have been disturbing. What did cause much grief and anxiety in the young Jedi was the discarded Lightsaber and blood splashed around.
He could only pray to the Force that none of that blood was his Master's. Angry or not, Obi Wan loved his Master dearly.
...Even if the latter did not return the feeling...
Obi Wan got to his feet unsteadily.
They took him. Ynri's men. They had him now.
He knew this fact for certain.
Why didn't they take him, too?
Looking around, the answer was plain; the door and the debris that could have killed him hid him. Or maybe they thought him dead?
He walked to the viewport, trying to determine exactly where he was. He ducked quickly as he spotted a guard patrolling nearby. In that glimpse he also saw many other ships in the docking area.
The guard was dressed in the same crumpled uniform that the attackers wore.
Ynri's men. He was in Ynri's headquarters, most likely, and they had taken his Master away to meet that spiteful man.
Again on the floor, Obi Wan lifted a searching hand and grabbed the comlink from the controlboard.
A few presses later and he was waiting for the hailing to reach the Temple. Before the connection was made, he sadly reached out and took his Master's Lightsaber in his free hand. He looked at it sadly, fearing he might never see his Master again...
"Temple Frequency,"The comlink warbled, "What is it, Blue Unit?"
It took Obi Wan a moment to dislodge his mind from the Lightsaber. Worries aside, he had to report this to the Council.
"Blue Unit here." He said, trying to keep his voice as calm and controlled as he could. Panicking will get him nowhere, "Give me Master Windu on scrambled channel seven. Red code one."
There was a brief static noise and then the Master's voice came through,
"Red code one? I take it things aren't well on Rascefell IX, Qui Gon?"
"This is Padawan Kanobi." He said, slightly annoyed by the carefree tone he detected at the other Master, "They took him."He then slammed the fist holding the deserted Lightsaber on the deck's floor, "Those bastards took him!"The need for tranquility and the wanting of revenge battled inside the apprentice. Guilt, fear and shame battled resolve, loyalty and love.
"Control yourself." Came the now serious voice in the other fisted hand. Obi Wan forced a few deep breaths. "Now. Who took him? Ynri's men?"
"Who else?"The boy spat, not caring about anything at the moment. There was a long moment of silence on the comlink before Master Windu ordered,
"Obi Wan, I want you to head to the safe house immediately. We will send a Jedi dispatch to deal with their demands and the rescue."
The voice was calm, focused.
"What? It takes three days to get here! I won't leave Master for that long!"
Again the never fretting voice,
"No. You mustn't try anything- it will bring great danger to you and Master Qui Gon both."
Obi Wan's fist tightened around the hilt of his Master's saber. He knew they would never allow him to go, so there wasn't really any choice. He looked at the blasted doorway, mind trying to come up with anything useful.
"I apologize in advance, then."The comlink remained quiet, not understanding the statement, "I'm going to do my best. It's the only thing I can do. Asking me to wait is impossible. Blue Unit out."And just as he started hearing the protest, he switched the comlink off and tossed it aside.
The easiest part was getting out of the spaceship. The guard there simply kept an eye that none of the ship took off- he couldn't possibly check if someone was leaving one of them. The apprentice slid the door open, looked around to make sure the guard was well on the other side of the dock, and, bending all the way, jogged to the single door to the south.
Obi Wan soon found himself in the entrance to the docks, hiding behind some large crates.
He had to think of something.
First things first;
He wasn't going to have much subtlety with a Lightsaber occupying one hand. Why did he bring it with him, anyway? He couldn't bring himself to leaving it behind- just as he couldn't leave his Master. He wasn't going to have a lot of advantage with two Lightsabers dangling from his hips, either- his he knew how to handle; it had become instinct- but the Master's was new, and he wasn't sure that he won't bang it against something and blow his cover.
So he pulled the collar of his tonic open and placed it inside, by the belt and over his stomach.
Looking to his sides, he got up and slid silently through the door.
Now he was in a dim corridor. It was narrow; narrow enough the Obi Wan could stretch his arms and touch each wall. It spanned several dozen feet ahead before splitting into an intersection to the left and right. The place had an orange hue to it, and Obi Wan couldn't determine if it was the dead, metallic walls or the lightorbs sparsely placed on the ceiling. His gentle footsteps rang loud in his ears, and he favored a slow, quiet pace over the possibility of anybody discovering him.
He knew that if someone was to come, he had no where to hide; the corridor was empty, but luckily deserted as well.
"Master, where are you?"He mumbled into the Force. If he could just get a general direction, he could maybe do something to help.
The bond was silent, and Obi Wan tried to push and pull at it a bit to determine his Master's condition. The opaque silence implied either unconsciousness or a mental shield. Still, Obi Wan continued down the corridor, ears pricked and trying to discern any danger.
His heart fluttered in his chest when he heard men coming down the corridor to his right. By now he was almost at the intersection, and there was no chance he could make a sprint to the docks' door by the time the men would come.
"...Maybe now they'll answer our demands!"One of them said, taking the turn that he knew would take him to the docks.
His companion bid him a pleasant shift and continued to the left.
"...See you after the shift! I'm going to releave Mreoh of his guard duty." His eyes got a mean look about them, "Always wanted to see how strong Jedis were without their bag of tricks!"He left towards the left corridor while the other calmly slid the dock's door open.
The moment the door swooshed closed way down the now deserted corridor, Obi Wan exhaled the breath he was holding and with cat like grace, came down from his spread on the ceiling.
He had grabbed both opposite walls with his arms and legs, thus keeping out of view.
The young apprentice then hurried after the other man, gluing his back to the wall and trying to keep his footfalls discreet. The man he was following had cleared a turn in corridor, and Obi Wan was quick to peek around that corner.
By the time he did, the man was already gone.
Ahead there were at least five visible different openings, and Obi Wan tried to reach out with the Force to find the man.
What he did find, as he snapped his eyes open and looked around franticly, was that there were at least fifteen men patrolling the different corridors, and that he could not discern that man from any of the others.
One of them turned the corner Obi Wan
was seconds before in, and continued, oblivious, down to wherever he
was going.
Up in the ventilation shaft, the Jedi apprentice heaved
a sigh of relief.
There were advantages in his relatively small frame, he figured; Master Qui Gon could never fit in the narrow ventilation shaft.
"There is no doubt in a Jedi's mind. The Force will never fail to lead him to the right place. All you need is faith and a clear mind."
Taking a deep breath, Obi Wan closed his eyes lightly and did his best to clear his mind.
The vents around his spread out like a maze. Each could lead to an intersection, an exit to the air outside or a dead end of a sharp fall or a vertical incline.
Obi Wan opened his eyes. Whatever vent lead to his Master, he would let the Force guide him. Spread almost fully on the cold metal, Obi Wan struggled to move forward. He had to reach ahead and drag himself. The shaft was too narrow for even raising on his elbows.
He had no idea how long he crawled there, but it was most likely some several hours. The absolute darkness offered no solace.
Perspiration formed on the young face, and the teeth where clenched tightly. Already battered and wounded limps strained to drag the body through endlessly dark shafts. All Obi Wan's concentration was bent on keeping moving. He took turns almost at random, trusting the Force to take him to his lost Master's side. The air was cold and dusty, drying the young Jedi's throat and making him regret not bringing a water flask with him.
Sometimes he would pass a beam of light, coming through the various ventilation opening throughout the compound. But none of them felt right, none of them felt that would lead to the captive Jedi. Only once or twice did the young Jedi dare to take a rest. All he could do was stop moving, for the tight confindments of the shaft never offered so much as turning over to his back. He felt that were he to eat even the smallest thing before this crazy thing begun, he wouldn't fit in the vent. When he stopped, it was only for a few moments, he didn't want to think about his Master's condition! They might kill him, or torture him for the inner-most secrets of the Jedi order...
A million terrible possibilities buzzed through his head, and he even fought back tears more than once. The last things he had said to his Master were words of anger. How he hated himself now!
"Anger, fear, aggresion- those are the paths to the Dark Side."
He felt like he indeed was the lousiest Padawan in the galaxy.
After who knows how long, the outstretching of Obi Wan's arms hit something hard. He groped around in the dark, letting the Force tell him what was in front of him while his eyes couldn't.
He could go down, or up.
The drop down would most likely be lethal, as it was at least a hundred feet distance. Up, he could go.
After thrashing around a bit, he managed to get his body wedged in the vertical shaft. His arms pressed against the walls, his legs struggling for friction.
He started the painstakingly slow way up.
He could hear his own ragged breaths and he climbed up and up. He could smell his own sweat as he taxed his limbs. Everything hurt, but he knew that resting now was impossible- beneath him the drop was incredible, and still growing with every painful inch he climbed.
His back pressed tightly to the wall, his arms pressed against the opposite one, legs just barely managing to find grip.
He climbed like this for another enternity, thinking of nothing but the way up, about gathering the Force to give him the strength he needed.
Finally, light came into view, and his head touched the ceiling. An opening of the shaft into the corridors- he could tell that by the sickly yellow light that filtered through the dust. Stretched in front of him, the new shaft that ended at a grate was blissfully horizontal.
Now he had another problem. He was wedged rather firmly in the shaft; all his limbs were being used to keep him from plummeting into the darkness.
How was he going to climb into it?
He took a chance; letting both hands crab for the ledge. His body slipped and crashed painfully into the shaft's side, and the gong echoed through the confined metal vent. But Obi Wan was holding on to the ledge, even if the bend was slicing into his fingers. He was dangling over the obsolute darkeness until he felt sure he had a firm grip on the ledge.
Pushing his legs against the wall behind him, he managed to pull himself up.
He lied there some long moments, catching his breath and wondering where the Force he was and where was his Master and why were they doing this and whether he could actually manage to save his Master and whether he was going to get himself killed...
He panted hard, leaning a sweaty cheek on the icy metal floor. He closed his eyes briefly, trying at the bond again,
"Master, can you hear me? Please answer me, Master."
Nothing but his own ragged breaths. He forced a few deep ones before starting to crawl to the opening grate.
...The way his chest was feeling, he probably cracked a rib. He shook his head from the thought- it was of no difference now.
"For a Jedi there is no pain, only control."
He peeked though the rusted grate and into another corridor. This was darker than the ones he came from- broader, dirtier and filled with boxes, crates and barrels that lined most of the walls. The grate was set high in the wall, near the ceiling. He was facing a long corridor that ended in a bend to the right. Just by the grate there was a bend to the right as well.
It looked like the storage area of the blasted place. Obi Wan regretted not paying more attention to those blueprints. He also noticed, much to his dismay, that there were two guards sitting by a small-ish table and playing what was probably Derf-Tag. One of them, shorter than the other, had his back to the ventilation shaft, while the other just had to raise his eyes to it. They each had a blaster, and Obi Wan could detect with the Force three more guards patrolling the vicinity, two in the nearest passage, one in the farthest. All the other guards, at the moment, we far enough to be of no consequence. The playing guards we seated by a door, obviously keeping whatever was in there from coming out.
How was he going to slip out of here unnoticed?
Going back was impossible, and there was no other other turn. Beside, the Force brought him here, or so he wanted to believe, and he felt he should get out of here.
There was no way out, was there?
"Think we have trained you for nothing, do you?" He could imagine Master Yoda's scrunched face, and almost hear the cane tapping the floor with it's distinct 'tonk'. "Rely only on Lightsabers, you think us Jedis do."He remembered that lecture. Yoda was angry that he was doing so incredibly well in his sword training, yet doing rather miserably at frontal classes. He had to come up with a plan. He doubted he could just slice his way through, with the way he was feeling, and he was thought that a Jedi avoids violent confrontations when it there were no innocent lives at stake.
He pressed his face into the metal again, desperation taking over the tired body. How could he, a lousy apprentice with no talent, rescue his Master?
Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to pry a solution out of the living Force, tried to have an insight, an idea, anything! The Force around him shifted, and Obi Wan send a wild surge of Force, grabbing that fleeting feeling.
What came before his eyes wasn't exactly what he was expecting;
He saw the inside of a room. Many boxes were scattered on the floor, several of them open and their contents exposed.
Little bags with dark powder inside. Huttian drugs.
One the floor, tied, gagged and beaten, lay his Master. He was conscious, and calm.
There was a tall man there, too. With hair slicked back and a smart-looking Frolian suit. He talked to Qui Gon on the floor, and although Obi Wan could not hear the actual words, the evil sneer on the man's face was enough.
Qui Gon was silent, looking calmly at his captor.
The latter simply took out a blaster and shot the Jedi Master through the head.
"No~!"Obi Wan's head slammed hard on the top of the vent as he yelped, and his voice startled the two guards to their feet.
"Whut was that?"Asked the shorter.
"Just a rat, I'm sure."The taller grunted.
"Are you sure? What if the Jedi will come here fo' their friend?"
The taller one laughed meanly,
"No chance o' them ever findin'em here!"
The shorter was uncertain. Coming towards the vent, the taller of the two raised his blaster over his head horizontally and fired several shots blindly into the vent. Some smoke filtered through the rusted grate, and there was silence.
"There. Now there can't be anythin' there." He laughed, "Lord Ynri told me that he was gonna kill that Jedi soon, so we both can go ta sleep."
The shorer nodded in understanding
"C'mon, already," said the taller "I'm on a winnin' streak!"
The two left, and Obi Wan again blessed the Force.
He was hanging with one hand from where he had come from earlier, legs hanging over more than a hundred feet of nothingness. His other hand was jerked away as a blaster shot hit too close nearby.
With some considerable struggle, the young Jedi climbed back.
So Qui Gon was beyond that door?
Now he had to do something! He felt his vision was that of a possible future. He couldn't just sit here forever and let his Master get killed! Even if the latter would like to take on a new, better apprentice when they returned to Coroscent, he still had to save him...!
Why? Because Master Qui Gon was the best Master in the galaxy, and Obi Wan wished that he could be the Padawan such a Master deserved. If not him, at least some other lucky apprentice!
He crawled to the grate again, watching the two guards resume their game.
"In every predicament the solution is obvious. One only needs to be mindful to see it."
Obi Wan forced himself to calm down, to view the situation and see every possible weakness and opening.
The game. They were playing Derf-Tag, alright. Each with his pair of dice and the twenty triangle soldiers lied out on the board. By the amount of green triangle pieces out of the board, it was obvious that the red player, the taller of the two guards, was winning. There were no red triangles loosing.
"Man!" shorter complained as another one of his green pieces was plucked out of the board, "Ya always win!"
After a short moment of concentration, Obi Wan had an idea. Reaching out with the Force, he examined the structure of the taller guard's dice.
As he suspected, he easily found led inside. The dice were rigged.
Now all he needed to do was to 'tilt' the game a little.
He waved his hand slightly, closing his eyes briefly and mumbling. The smaller guard echoed that mumble,
"I don't trust your dice." He said.
"Whut was that?"The taller one frowned. Obi Wan released his grip, and let the shorter one reach the conclusion of his revelation himself. "You dare to imply I'm cheatin?!"
The shorter one got up, extending an arm at his companion,
"Show me your dice!" He demanded, feeling rather clever that he had come up with the suspicion.
"I don' wanna!"
"If you aren't cheetin', there's no need for you to hide the dice!"
They argued a little more, and it would seem that unless the hiding Jedi intervened, the smaller guard would back off.
However, with just a little push, the shorter guard snatched the dice right out of his friend's hand. Biting hard into them, the dice split and the small ball of led was exposed.
Obi Wan really had nothing to do with the fight that started. Nor with the fact that a guard from each corridor came to try and separate the fighters.
This was his chance; he reached out and picked up two large crates. They hovered towards the commotion, and then slammed themselves from each side.
Four guards fell unconsciousness to the floor, and Obi Wan slipped silently from his hiding place. Checking that he was unspotted, he entered the room.
The fifth guard that Obi Wan had forgotten about watched the Jedi enter the room before disappearing behind the corner.
It was the room he had seen in his vision, and indeed his Master was bound and discarded on the floor, near the corner. At the moment his eyes were closed, but the relief that washed over Obi Wan ignored it.
"Master!"He whispered with excitement and relief, falling on one knee in front of the older man. He placed a delicate hand at the nook of his Master's neck and lifted his head gently from the filthy floor,"Master! Are you hurt?"
The Master's eyes twitched and opened, blinking with surprise up at the apprentice. In reality, he thought his apprentice dead- taken by the explosion... And he hopped that if by some miracle he was not killed, than he would strive to keep it that way, not get himself into this madhouse!
"What are you doing here?" The bond was filled with a reproachful tone, and Obi Wan cringed in spite of himself. "I specifically ordered you to wait at the safehouse!"
But Obi Wan didn't care about the chiding, he was too happy to see his Master alive and well enough to chew him out. He was just about to reach and untie the gag when there was the softest of swooshes from behind.
Obi Wan swirled around and to his feet, only to see that in the doorway stood five men, and that their leader, the one that had his blaster fixed on the young Jedi's head, was the same evil man from his vision.
Ynri Soltonoree himself.
"I didn't know Jedi came in extra-small, too!"He laughed as he entered the room, the other four guards shuffling inside as well and kept their blasters trained of Obi wan. The latter said nothing, his hands loosely hung by his body. He gave the man a defiant, calm look.
"Obi Wan...!"His Master's voice rang inside his head, their bond filled with concern and anger. Obi Wan realized that he had just, most probably, ruined everything.
...Just like his Master said he would.
Ynri stepped towards the Padawan, that smirk still stretched on his face.
"Move."He demanded. Obi Wan stayed were he was, protectively in front of his Master. Now Ynri pointed his gun at Qui Gon's head. "Move"he repeated.
He hadn't a choice, and he stepped aside. Ynri then gestured to one of the guards, "Watch him," He said, pointing at Obi Wan, "If he moves at all, kill him."
Now he was really in a predicament. He felt anger boiling inside as the mafia lord took a few steps to stand beside the Jedi Master's head. He had to fight an urge to growl at how helpless he felt, so he ran the anger soothing techniques quickly in his mind. By the time Ynri started talking, the young Jedi was in control of his emotions.
"Well, well, Jedi Master! It would seem that there were two of you after all!"His smiled turned even more evil, and a shocking realization filled Obi Wan. The mafia lord continued, "You know, I only need one Jedi to hold ransom against your temple, and he looks a lot easier to subdue that you. How do you think the boy will react if I blow your head off in front of him?"
It was the very same scene that Obi Wan had seen unfolding in his vision.
His Master remained silent, but Obi Wan heard the calm voice through the bond say,
"He will be strong."
As Obi Wan's hand shot up, a single fire sounded.
It wasn't Ynri who shot. The mafia lord was flung into a nearby guard and they both crashed into the wall by Obi Wan's Force-Hit. As the other guards started firing, the young Jedi was already in front of his Master, blue Lightsaber flashing to block rapid fire from three different blasters.
Soon Obi Wan managed to return the kindness and deflected the shots back to the their senders. One of those even returned exactly into the blaster's barrel, causing the weapon to blow up and knock down the holder.
After just the quickest glances around him to make sure that everyone was either unconsciousness or dead, he turned back to his Master, worry now etched on his face. He tore the gag from around his Master's mouth.
"Are you hurt, Master?"
Qui Gon frowned slightly at his apprentice as the later preceded to untie his arms.
How he missed him! Their ways only parted for half a day, and here he was being all happy with hearing the distinct Andrean accent that marked his Padawan from others. When he said 'Master', it always sounded more like he was saying 'mohstah' and Qui Gon loved it. Still, his Padawan just continued to disobeyed orders and risk his life for others.
But when Master Qui Gon thought about it, wasn't it the whole ideal behind the Jedi order?
...He didn't care to die if when he thought his Padawan was dead, and they caught him and knocked him out rather easily.
"You shouldn't have come."He chided gravely, propping himself to a sitting position and helping Obi Wan untie his legs. Obi Wan only smiled his wicked grin and said,
"I'm sure I'll be sitting in detention for weeks, now, Master; Master Windu is going to kill me as well."
Slowly Qui Gon got to his feet, looking askance to the still form of Ynri then back to his apprentice,
"You weren't disrespectful, were you?"He asked warily, yet with humor twinkling in his eyes. Obi Wan only frowned,
"I couldn't sit there and do nothing, Master- they would have killed you!"
Abandoning the argument for now, the Jedi Master intended to turn and get Ynri when Obi Wan suddenly gasped. Qui Gon looked to discover the Padawan staring at his own hand, the other one was gently placed at the side of his stomach.
There, a blaster wound was staining his tonic with dark blood.
...That first blaster shot, when Obi Wan moved to fling the mafia lord from his Master... The guard assigned to stop Obi Wan were he to move...
"Obi Wan!"The Master exclaimed in alarm, catching the young boy as he collapsed. There was a smile on the Padawan's face that baffled his Qui Gon.
It didn't hurt.
"For a Jedi there is no pain, only control."
The last things Obi Wan remembered before darkness claimed him was his Master's face, worried, and the soft touch of his Master's hand on his forehead.
"Hold on, my Padawan."He whispered, "Hold on."
And then there was nothing but darkness.
...'My Padawan'...
In their ship, shooting into space and towards the approaching Jedi rescue & negotiantion team ship, Qui Gon fussed over his unconsciousness apprentice.
He placed him gently on a bunk, careful not aggravate his situation. The young boy was not only wounded, but exhausted too.
It had taken him, in whole, twelve hours to reach his Master, most of which he spent crawling and making his way in the maze of the ventilation shafts. Twelve hours! Twelve hours without food nor drink. Twelve hours of sheer determination.
With concern gripping the Jedi's Master's heart, he removed the tonic.
It almost seemed as if the Jedi Master was preforming some sort of delicate operation, with the gentleness was removing it. Partly he did it to keep Obi Wan from getting any worse, the other... Because he feared what he might find.
He didn't want to see his Padawan dying...!
Imagine his surprise when he found his own Lightsaber, the one he had dropped when they grabbed him on the ship, it's hilt blown apart, and preventing Obi Wan's wound from being anything other than muscle deep. He glanced with slight venom towards the room where Ynri was tied and bound in, wanting to go in there and beat him up for causing his Padawan such pain.
It was exhaustion and fatigue that got to the young boy, not any internal damage. Qui Gon sagged down into the bedside chair with a sigh and a smile of relief.
His Padawan will be alright.
Physically, anyway.
He raised his hand to gently caress his apprentice's wan face, moving the long braid from the mouth where it fell.
Half waking up, Obi Wan grabbed his Master's hand, squeezing it. A tired smiled stretched itself on the handsome face.
Qui Gon smiled; even dead tired, this young boy was strong. There was no doubt he will pull through.
"My Padawan," He whispered into their bond, feeling a pang of guilt at the words that were exchanged before, "You are the best Padawan in the galaxy, not the worse." He smiled through his concern, "I'm honored that you would think that I am the best Master, but it is only because you give me the confidence and power I need to be strong."
So... Even the Padawan thought those thoughts too loud, back then in the maze of metal and dust.
"I didn't want to come along because I feared my shortcomings in your training. I feared that I was not a good enough mentor to teach you all that you needed to hold on your own."
"...But, Master-" Obi Wan started weakly, only to be silenced be a calming wave of Force,
"No 'but's, my young Padawan. I will never want to take another apprentice until I am certain that you are indeed ready to fulfill your dream and pass the Jedi Knight Trails."
"...I'm sorry, Mohstah..." He whispered, and Qui Gon smiled again at that wonderful accent. How could he ever want another apprentice? "...I messed up, didn't I?"
The older Jedi shook his head, striking that face gently,
"You followed your heart, and that will gain you many points when the Council will check into this, and you did save the day, after all."He smiled wider, "If it is any help in calming your heart , my young friend, I am very proud of how you handled the situation. You mastered the Force-Hit, saved my life, and you succeeded where many Padawans fail; you followed your heart and the Force. I'm proud of you no matter what the Council says."
"...It means the universe to me... Mohstah..."He admitted in a sincere whisper before felling back into a quiet sleep.
End.
After seeing Episode I: Phantom Menace, I decided that I really liked the relationship between Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kanobi; it all started from that fateful scene at the end of the movie, where Qui Gon, in Obi Wan's embrace, lifts a weak hand to touch his Padawan's cheek. It made me wonder what he was thinking about, those last moments, you know? Was he remembering all the adventures they had together?
I have yet to read the Jedi Apprentice Series, but I plan to read them soon.
(By the way; I just adored Ewan McGregor's accent in the movie! So cute!)
The title is rather pointless, and there only because this story is just a segment of their life. It's like a 'day in the life of...', and since I considered perhaps starting a short series of stories from this, I needed a name that I could use for the next stories.
Tell me if you'd like to read more, please?
Thanks. ^_^