Rating: G/PG Spoilers: None Written by: Chiron (Me) and Kate
Disclaimer: I don't own none of these characters (Well, besides Gamine, Anquilus and Othion.) And I am getting no money for this stories, Just do them for fun. **************************************************************************
Gamine Placidus awakened in a cold sweat, her light brown hair plastered to her face with the moisture. She looked about... looking for something, but she did not know what. "Another dream?", she heard someone say softly. She could tell it was Othion, even though she couldn't see him.
"Yes, but I am fine now," Gamine replied stoically, but still trying to calm herself. She saw the rosy color of the sky, realizing that dawn was near and she stood up and dressed "Come. We are late," Othion said. "Late? For what?" Gamine asked as she turned in question. "We have to meet two Jedi." "But..." she protested.
"The Jedi council seems to think they know something that could help us." He said casually as he, too, got up and dressed.
"Ah. But we do not need help on this mission, I mean, I thought there was no chance of danger?" Gamine said as she crossed the room, then she realized that she had forgotten her lightsaber, just as she turned to get it Othion handed it to her.
"Thanks, Master." She said as she clipped the cold metal pipe on her belt.
"You need to work on this, Gamine. A Jedi cannot forget his or her lightsaber when they go out, what if we ran into trouble?" Othion scolded. Gamine nodded when nodding was called for and gave him a sheepish look then said, "It won't happen again, Master Othion."
"Now come," he said as he motioned for her to follow him.
"Master, who are the Jedi we're suppose to meet?" Othion looked down as he pulled the hood to his cloak around his face, casting a disturbing shadow across his noble features.
"Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi." They walked down the street through the sparse group of people shopping at this hour, to a local shop where they were to meet Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
They saw the two standing at the bar. Othion walked up and touched the taller one on the shoulder and he turned around to reveal a handsomely stern face. "Greetings, old friend!" Othion said as he motioned for Gamine to come closer and meet the two Jedi. "Greetings," The younger one of the pair said as he pulled back his hood.
"Hello," Gamine said in a neutral voice. "You two, leave us. We have other business to talk about that does not concern you," The older one said, but Gamine wasn't going to leave. After all she had a part in this mission too, she was too involved to be put out in the cold! "But-" She managed to stammer.
"Gamine. Listen to Qui-Gon," Othion stopped any further refusals in a sharp voice and a look so that she knew to drop the subject and do as he said.
"I've gotten that same look from my Master too," The young one said in hopes of starting up some conversation as he struggled to keep up with Gamine. "You've never told me your name... mine's Obi-wan Kenobi." he tried again.
"Gamine, but what difference does it make?" she asked. "I mean, you shouldn't be here at all," She snapped then sped up even faster. "Hey, at least I am trying to be friendly here!" Obi-wan snapped back.
Now starting to feel sorry for her rudeness towards Obi-wan, Gamine looked back and said, "Sorry, you're right." She sighed. "What are we suppose to do anyway? Just wander around?" She asked the other apprentice.
"Master Qui-Gon gave me a few-" began before he was interrupted. "Sssshhhh!" Gamine hissed at him and shoved him up against a wall. "Do you feel it? We are being followed, Obi-wan." She slowly released him and looked around.
"Yes, I do..." They turned around in unison to see their Masters had been behind them the whole time.
"I thought that I told you to leave?" Qui-Gon asked.
"We did leave, Master Qui-Gon. We were walking around." Gamine replied, trying to stay calm.
"Ah, but I meant that you where to go back to our chambers." He responded. Before anybody could respond a figure attacked them. Their assailant rode on a speeder causing Qui-Gon to almost fall to the ground.
"Who are you!?" Othion demanded as he pulled his lightsaber out only to be grabbed by the neck and thrown on to the back of the speeder and carried away. Clearly he had passed out from the pain of being thrown around so harshly.
"He had a lightsaber!" Gamine Gasped. "He's going to kill him!" Now not thinking clearly Gamine started to run after the speeder, at top speed. But she was stopped when Qui-Gon grabbed her by the shoulder.
"No! You cannot win this battle alone, Gamine! That was your father!" Qui-Gon said desperately as he held her close so she couldn't run. "My father? But he hasn't been seen for ten years...." She began to cry. "I knew he was just preparing..."
"Come." He motioned for Obi-wan and Gamine to follow him back to their chambers. "You are staying with me and Obi-wan -"he began in a caring voice.
"I am not a child, Master Qui-Gon. I can take care of myself... if only somebody believed that other than me." She stammered through the tears.
"We believe that, but he is your father, Gamine. And that it would be hard for anybody to kill their family." The master tried to calm her.
"No, he is not my father! Not any more! And I shall not turn to the dark side of the Force She almost yelled ... See this is what I mean! Just because my father turned, everybody thinks I'll do the same! And I am sick of it- " She continued.
"That will be enough, Gamine. I do not think you will turn to the Dark Side, and I will not stand for this disrespect!" Qui-Gon snapped.
"Then stop treating me like a child whom can be tempted into anything and I will show respect!" she snapped back "That's it, I am leaving." She said as she ran the other way down the winding street, now filled with shoppers.
Gamine walked for hour's trough the crowded streets of the city, then settled down to watch the sun set. Now crying again she decided to accept this pain once and for all. She sat down watching the sky and thinking. For 12 years she had to deal with extra emotion controls from Master Yoda. And now here she was, 15 years old and wishing that she was back at the temple to hear his words of encouragement and wisdom rather than here sobbing and trying to accept pain that should have already been healed. She thought about what she said to Qui-Gon and wishing she could take it all back. Why did she always have to lose her temper, she wondered silently?
"I knew you would be here," a voice said calmly from behind... only one person she knew had that voice; Master Qui-Gon.
"I am sorry for what I said, but I was taken aback, you know." she said as he settled down beside her.
"No need for that now. You know I trust you and I believe that you won't turn." Qui-Gon reached over to her and wiped a tear from her soft face and said, "You need to finally make peace with your father, and yourself." He said in a soft hushed voice.
"You are right, but I find it hard... and I do not know why." She tried to explain. "Your thoughts lay with Master Yoda, but why?" The older man asked her as they watched the burning sun slowly disappear behind the hills in front of them. "I was just thinking about when I was in the temple and he would encourage me and, I don't know, he actually thought that I wouldn't 'Turn'" She tried again.
"Yes, he saw something in you... goodness that is uncorrupted and how you hate to see people suffer and I see it also and I trust that you will be a great Jedi knight one day." The words of Qui-Gon gave her unexpected courage and she was sure of that now. She thought as the last rays of light vanished leaving them in complete darkness.
*
The first thing Othion noticed was the splitting headache he had. It felt like he had been hit over the head by a large object. Then he remembered how they had been attacked..
Where was he? He wondered, as he looked around the dimly light room. It was bare; nothing else was in it besides him. The walls were old, possibly weak and crumbling he hoped. But when he pushed on one, it stayed in place. There was a door but it was almost certainly locked. With nothing to do he sat down and tried to figure out what exactly had happened.
During his contemplation the door opened abruptly and a tall dark hooded figure swept into the small cell. He was covered in a long plain looking robe. As the man stood there looking at the Jedi Master he pulled back his hood exposing a worn and scarred face. A face that belonged to only one man that Othion knew of, Gamine's father.
He gasped, how could he be alive? No he was dead! It just couldn't be. Let me assure you I'm perfectly alive my dear Othion. I take it you never expected to see me again? the other man said in a cold and calculating voice. A ray of dim light caught the large scar that ran down his face. But enough about me, I want to know where my daughter is. And let me assure you I will use any means possible to get the information I want. He said as he motioned for a large man that stood behind him to give him something. He handed him a long metallic stick. As he looked at it in his gloved hand he said, You see my dear Jedi Master that this is a Mandalorian pain stick, you've just got to admire their skill with these things. With that the door closed behind the dark figure and a sharp voice filled with pain shot through the building.
To Be Continued