by: Jadei Knite
Disclaimer: Qui-Gon Jinn isn't my property. He belongs to Director Mr. George Lucas. I only used him for entertainment.
Note: For feedback, please mail me at padawanbraid@jedimail.net or page me through ICQ. My ICQ number is #31406620.
The ship landed on the spaceport. Rodians, Arconans and many more species stepped down. Only few are humans including a tall, 42-year old man. Qui-Gon Jinn took the last step to reach the landing platform. The spaceport wasn't what he expected it to be. The only things that are non-organic are the landing platform, the way to the control building and the control building itself. The rest are unusual plant. He must remember that the Haudians are herbivores. Qui-Gon entered the control building and underwent a system to be approved to stay on the planet of Haudia. After that, he went to the council building of Haudia where he will meet the King.
Inside...
"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. I have been called here to straighten a certain problem." Qui-Gon introduced.
"Yes, we are glad you can make it." King Mit gestured for Qui-Gon to sit down on a reserved seat. Qui-Gon sat as the king spoke.
"You see, this problem hasn't gone any worse until now. We are having a hard time equalizing the food to the Haudians. It seems that the discrimination of this planet is hopeless. Some of the Haudians do not get enough food to eat." He stopped to look at Qui-Gon then continued.
"We called you because of your intelligence. To help us solve this problem, it is suggested that you--" Before he could speak, Qui-Gon knew it.
"Join you in your council." Qui-Gon watched as Mit forced a smile.
"I can't." He looked as disappointment struck the king.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. But I cannot. I'll try my best to help you any way." Qui-Gon quickly stood up from his seat and exited the room. He went to a lift tube and went down. He supposed to be in his room now which is in the council building but he decided to stroll around a bit.
Night fell on the planet quickly and Qui-Gon is still not in his room. He loved the silence and the wind blow on him. But his face did not show it. Footsteps were suddenly heard. He frowned because he wanted to be alone and now there is someone. He decided to continue. But it seems that the footsteps never left him.
A disturbance in the Force! Qui-Gon looked behind him.
"Aargh!" Qui-Gon cried, as the weapon the being is holding hit him.
Qui-Gon woke-up.
Where am I? Qui-Gon thought, his eyes still half-opened. He closed his eyes still feeling a bit dizzy.
"You 'kay?" Qui-Gon heard a woman say. He opened his eyes to look at her.
"Hey-Lo! You 'right?" The woman looked at him with a child's eyes. Her eyes color is Teal and hair is dirty white. But Qui-Gon can tell that she is not older than 35. Her skin is lightly browned and is spotted by blue.
"Yes...I guess I am..." Qui-Gon replied.
"Where am I?"
"In the province of Haudia."
"Province?"
"Yepi! Province."
"How did I got here?"
"Well, you were strolling around the park which is near the province when somebody hitted you. I sawed you and helped you. Then you were here." Qui-Gon couldn't quite understand what she was talking about because of her english.
"Oop! Sorry about my english."
"Who are you?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"I'm Me-Ilna Mardie. And you were?"
"Qui-Gon Jinn. Thank you for what you did last night, Me-Ilna."
"Nyet! That was nothing." Me-Ilna heard soft boils.
"Oop! The soup."
"What soup?"
"You loved it, Qui." Me-Ilna quickly ran to her kitchen and returned with a bowl of smoking soup. Qui-Gon sat on the bed.
"This was the Wikit, Qui. It came from the Wikita plant. Obviously, try it! It was tasty." Qui-Gon took the oddly shaped spoon, scooped and sipped silently.
It tasted like the one we usually had in the Jedi Temple. But this is a bit bitterer. Perhaps it is because of this leaf floating. Qui-Gon just continued.
"Liked it?" Me-Ilna asked. Qui-Gon forced a smile.
"Yes, thank you my friend."
"Oh well, I wasn't able to ate today."
"What do you mean?"
"Plant shortage. All the higher-class Haudians got the advantage to ate all day. We lower-class Haudians did not."
"Why?"
"Discrimination."
Discrimination, this will be interesting and helpful. Qui-Gon asked. "What about the discrimination?"
"In the past, everything was equal. There wasn't any higher or lower class Haudians but the 'Minia's and the 'Mirna's. We were the Minias. Our skin classified us. The Minias and the Mirnas used to be friends. But when a day came when many Mirnas got sick and some died. They blamed the Minias. They accused us of made the disease because they were begun to have spots like us. So, the discrimination begun and we didn't got enough food." Qui-Gon listened as he finished the soup. Me-Ilna continued.
"One more was that they were accused us as plant thieves. They thought we stole their food because of hunger when we did not."
"Who do you think steals these?"
"I don't know. But there was one day when I caught a lower-class Haudian carried a box of Nirke. He worked with the Merkids. He served King Hekid or the Merkid who visited us on this planet. The plant stealing began when the second day of his visit came."
"Is he still here?"
"Yes." Silence surrounded them for awhile.
"I'll have to go." Qui-Gon said.
"Okay." Me-Ilna took the bowl and headed to her kitchen. Qui-Gon stood up and quickly sat down again holding his head by one hand. Me-Ilna saw this and returned to him quickly.
"Was something wrong, Qui?"
"No, I'll be fine." Qui-Gon felt like something is hitting his head.
"You'd better rested first." Me-Ilna stood up and helped him to bed.
"Thank you, my friend."
"That was nothing again. What can I do? Throw you outside? Ha!" Me-Ilna smiled at him then leaving. Qui-Gon chuckled a little.
Somehow, there is something about those eyes...
The next day came; Qui-Gon entered the conference room with the king.
"Qui-Gon! Where have you been yesterday?" The king asked.
"I'll tell you later, right now let us face what we have to, Your Majesty."
"Right." The king entered the room first and started.
"Ahem> The situation of this planet is getting worse. Now, there's this 'Plant Stealing' case. In anyway, we should have a suspect now. But we still have none."
"I--" Everybody looked at Qui-Gon.
"I have one."
"You what?" A member asked somewhat enthusiastic.
"Please, Qui-Gon, tell us who you think it is!"
"Fergi, do you not think it is strange?" Another member stopped him by standing up.
"What about it, Hjun?" Fergi asked.
"Qui-Gon, here, is just new in this planet. And he quickly has a suspect? This is unbelievable!"
"Unbelievable only to you, Hjun. He has been here on this planet for three days. It is possible."
"But where was he yesterday?"
"Silence!" The king halted them hitting his palm on the table hard.
"Let Qui-Gon speak." They watched as Qui-Gon stood up.
"You see, the reason why I was absent yesterday is that, I met someone who could help us. She told me about this leader named Hekid. She thinks that he is the thief of the plants, which could have started this entire problem. She noticed a Haudian who serves the leader carry a pack of Nirke into a transport. The leader could be stealing the plants for his people."
"Hmm. You have a point there." The king said rubbing his chin.
"Who is this someone that you met?"
"Her name is Me-Ilna Mardie." He watched as a woman's attention got caught.
"Can you direct us to her place?"
"She lives in the province of this planet. I can show you the way to her house tomorrow. But I still have to ask for her permission."
"Alright, then. We will continue tomorrow. Thank you, Qui-Gon."
Just as he was about to leave, a woman grabbed his arm and pulled him to the left.
"What's wrong?" He asked
"You'll know." The woman said in reply to his question.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Girgia. Now, quit asking questions."
Not long, after walking from the building, they entered a house that seemed familiar to Qui-Gon.
"Qui-Gon, do you know someone who looks like this?" Girgia said closing the door and removing her mask.
"Me-Ilna?" Qui-Gon said surprised. Girgia nodded.
"I don't understand--"
"So let me explain Qui-Gon." She waited as Qui-Gon listens. She starts.
"The reason that I am doing this is because that, I am a bounty hunter and you are the bounty." Qui-Gon was shocked of what she said. Girgia quickly continued.
"Hekid hired me to hunt you down and bring you to him. He knows your coming. I had to stay close to you so that I can watch your every move."
"Then why are you telling me all these, Girgia?"
"Because I don't want you to get caught for some reasons that I don't know."
Qui-Gon doesn't know what to say next. But something still confuses him.
"What is you real name? Me-Ilna or Girgia?"
"It's actually Girgia Mardie. Me-Ilna is my younger sister who died in hunger."
They stayed silent for awhile.
"So, I'll just tell them that they'll be coming here. They'll be interviewing you for only a short while."
Girgia or Me-Ilna agreed with that.
"Tell them that I wouldn't be able to join them here to cover my identity. Tell them I have to do something."
"Right."
Next day...
Qui-Gon knocked and a woman known as Me-Ilna opened the door. They entered inside her house. The interview was quickly done because of the quick shift of night and day on that planet.
They reached the building and entered the conference room. Girgia was quickly there. The king started again.
"We already have enough evidences to arrest the leader. We'll need a squad to do the job."
"I will come with the squad." Qui-Gon said.
"I'll come with him." Girgia added. The king looked at them with his questioning gaze. But it seems to him that they are insisting. There is no way to stop them. He agreed. This will be done tomorrow.
Next day...
The squad, Girgia, and Qui-Gon walked through the bushes of the planet, leading them to another building.
"This has to be their headquarters." Qui-Gon said.
"We'll have to split up. Ten men will go with you, commander. Ten will go with me. Here's the plan. In entering the headquarters, your team will distract the guards. My team will go up."
"The leader's office is in the very top of the headquarters, sir. That means you'll have to get pass the generator. I want five of you to stay in the generator and five of you to come with them." The commander ordered. The squad nodded.
"That should be enough," Qui-Gon took out his lightsaber.
"Let's go." He led the way to the entrance door. There, the commander inserted a chip as the doors opened. Qui-Gon quickly ignited his lightsaber and deflected the beams coming from the blasters. Girgia ran to a door and inserted a chip opening it. He made a gesture telling Qui-Gon that they should go. He escaped from the guards in the first level with his team. Going up the levels, people surrendered. There were no guards.
"We mean no harm. We are just inspectors." Qui-Gon said running up and encountering a door. From there, he heard electricity sparks.
"This must be the generator." Girgia said pulling out her blaster.
"We'll take care of this, ma'am." Five guards went in front of Qui-Gon and Girgia. The leader inserted a chip as the doors opened.
"Shoot to kill!" The lead guard of the headquarters called. Three fell to the generator while two got injured quickly. Four of the guards took place. Qui-Gon, Girgia and the commander went up. The commander kicked the door seeing the busy leader.
"You are under arrest for the case of 'Plant Stealing'."
"What the--" Hekid, the leader, stood up in attempt to get his defense weapon. Girgia went in front and shot his desk.
"The game is over, Hekid. I told the Jedi you're plans." Girgia said. Hekid looked at Qui-Gon's blue eyes and his lightsaber.
"You...."
"What?" Girgia entered his room fearlessly.
"Drop your weapon, Hekid." Girgia walked closer. Hekid dropped his weapon and surrendered. The commander and Qui-Gon went in. Hekid raised his hand in sign of giving up. Quickly, he pulled out a weapon from his belt and shot Girgia. He aimed one to the commander, but he was just too slow for Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon deflected the beam as it hit Hekid falling down to the window.
Qui-Gon quickly assisted the dying Girgia. He saw tears in her eyes. He didn't know what to do. Quickly, he pressed Girgia near to him closing his eyes and feeling the arms of the lady lose energy...
Next day...
Qui-Gon took one last look around him. He tightened his grip on his bags and looked at the leaf he got from Girgia or Me-Ilna's garden. He looked up the ship and boarded in to return to Coruscant.
~End~