p class="MsoNormal"strongspanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"Hello everyone! /span/spanem style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"Aspringstargirl /emspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"here with her own, very 1st written fanfiction! (I say written because I've got dozens completed, but they're just floating around in the endless maze which is my mind...) Annnywho, let's get down to business. /span/spanbr /span style="text-decoration: underline;"Title: /spanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"The Hesitant Bond. (Oooohhhh *cue /spanspanspan style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;"suspenseful music*)/spanbr /span style="text-decoration: underline;"Author:/spanspan style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;" Aspiringstargirl. (AKA me! I don't know if all of this is really necessary, but because I'm new here, I'm just gonna go with it...) br /span style="text-decoration: underline;"Category/span: Um...angst, I guess..? Drama would also fit the bill. br /span style="text-decoration: underline;"Characters:/span Qui-gon and Obi-wan, as well as some other of my own creations (Mwua ha ha!) br /span style="text-decoration: underline;"Disclaimer:/span I do NOT own ANYTHING used in this fanfiction. The recognizable characters all belong to LucasArts (Disney legally, Mr. George Lucas in spirit.) and also Jude Watson from his spectacular Jedi Apprentice series. Anyone or anything you don't recognize has come from the deep, dark, mysterious caverns of my mind. br /Ok, so before I let you move on to the actual story (I'm so meeeaaaannn...), I just want to humbly beg you all for reviews. Whether they're in favor of my current writing, or against, I'll take them! Constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome! Be it about the grammatical stuff that I frustratingly am never good at (like sentence construction or punctuation), or the Star Wars facts (Like the ill-written portrayal of a character or even *gasp* Heaven forbid, a wrong eye color!), please mention anything and everything that you thought could be better and I promise I will reply and take all your words to /And yes, I realize that this is a horribly slow way to start off the story, but I'm always horrible at beginnings, so please bear with me! :) /span/span/span/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"strongspanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"spanspan style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;"Alright? Alright. Are we good here? Ok? Alright./span/span/span/span/strongstrongspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;" W/span/spanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;"ithout/span/span/strongstrongspanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"spanspan style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;" further ado...I present... /span/span/span/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"The Hesitant Bond/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="text-decoration: underline;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"Chapter I: emWy'quirn/em/span/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Adjust the velocity, Obi-wan. We're nearing Wy'quirn."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;" Obedient, ginger-haired padawan – Obi-wan Kenobi – leaned forward in his co-pilot's seat and carefully lowered a switch. He adjusted the stats on several screens and then leaned back, satisfied. br / Looking up through the large, open window in front of him, Obi-wan studied the approaching planet. Wy'quirn was a fairly small, Outer-Rim, desert planet orbited by not only one, but emthree /emfiery suns and eight moons. Squinting slightly as to make out geographical features, Obi-wan noted that the surface was only sparsely populated with a select few shrubs and greeneries. He couldn't see any sign of a lake or water reserve, and there was no tree of any kind within view. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"He felt his heart sink. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"He knew that Wy'quirn was a desert, but somehow, when he had pictured it, he had pictured it as a bit more…hopeful./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;" He glanced over at his Master in the pilot's seat, wondering what his reaction was. But as usual, his Master's face was impassive; clear of any and all signs of emotion. He stifled a sigh. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"It had been almost a year since he had first become a padawan to the legendary Jedi Master, Qui-gon Jinn. Obi-wan was almost 14; only one more week left to wait. He had originally hoped to spend his birthday in the Jedi Temple with his best friends: Bant, Garen and Reeft. br / But when the Council had contacted the Master-Padawan duo two days ago, it had become clear that Obi-wan would more than likely be spending his birthday on a remote desert planet, accompanied by perhaps the very last person he would have chosen. br / Well…that wasn't entirely true. Bruck Chun would have been his last choice. So perhaps the emsecond/em to last person he would have chosen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan looked up to his Master, even idolized him to a certain extent if you will, but even a bantha would have been able to tell that the two were more opposite than night and day themselves:/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Qui-gon was a strong user of the Living Force. Obi-wan was much stronger in the Unifying Force. Qui-gon tended to be loud at times, and seemed to unwillingly draw himself to the center of attention wherever he went. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan was incredibly quiet, preferring not to speak unless spoken too or unless he had something of use to say, and was much more comfortable blending into the / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Qui-gon was a very imposing being if you didn't know him; incredibly near to two meters tall with broad shoulders, a solid, strongly set face and piercing blue eyes that gave you the feeling that he knew anything and everything about you – and if he didn't, it wouldn't take him much to figure it out. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan was a very small boy for his age, not even coming near to his Master's shoulders – and that was if he was stretching to his full extent! He had keen blue/gray eyes that were quietly content to soak in a room, to take in every detail and forever imprint it onto his mind, and short, auburn hair that spiked in the back; a tiny braid hanging over his ear. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"The list could go on and on. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan supposed that it would be easy enough to live with these differences - after all, he was sure that there had been others paired so contrarily before – if only Qui-gon wasn't so emcold. /embr / No matter what Obi-wan did, no matter what Obi-wan said, or no matter how hard Obi-wan tried to impress and be like his distant master, nothing changed. Each day started with a polite exchange of; br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Good morning, Obi-wan." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Good morning, Master." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"and ended with a nod and a simple, "Don't forget to complete your studies." from his Master. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Could he do emnothing/em right?br / He had yet to hear so much as a "Good job, Obi-wan!" or a "Keep up the good work!" Much less the statement he daydreamed about so often. br / Would he ever hear that his Master was proud of him? That his efforts weren't entirely in vain? br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Momentarily forgetting where he was, Obi-wan let out a dejected sigh. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Keep your focus in the here and now, Obi-wan." His Master said firmly, abruptly snapping him from his thoughts. "The Wy'quirnians deserve our full attention." For the first time in hours, Qui-gon turned his head to look at him. br / "Why don't you read through the briefing." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan supposed it was meant to be a suggestion. But coming from Qui-gon, it was a command. br / Obediently, he took a datapad out of his pack and began to read through the short assignment briefing that the Council had provided them with. He had reached the bottom of the page before Qui-Gon interrupted him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Aloud, padawan." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"The sharp voice startled Obi-wan, but he compliantly cleared his throat and started reading. /span/p
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p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""The desert…of Wy'quirn…located…Outer Rim; in… Mywac system" Obi began timidly. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Louder please." Came the immediate statement. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Feeling his hands tremble uncertainly, he cleared his throat again. "Sorry Master." br / He began louder. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""The desert planet of Wy'quirn is located on the Outer Rim; in the Mywac system." Obi-wan paused, glancing over at his Master. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Better, padawan." His Master answered the inquiring glance. With a touch more confidence, Obi-wan continued. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Wy'quirn is surrounded by three suns by day and eight moons at night, causing the days to be very hot – reaching up to 130 degrees on extreme days – and the nights to be very light. We've arrived just in time for the emKuav t' Myon /emfestival (meaning 'guide of many moons'), in which all eight moons are full – a phenomenon only occurring once in two-thousand and fourteen years. During this time, the locals stay up the entire night and perform self-seeking rituals among the moonlight. Each is given a special tonic by an elder to lure the drinker into an induced almost-coma. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""While inside the coma, the recipient will then be confronted by his own worst fears and weaknesses. If he fails to overcome them, the moonlight will become dark over him and force him away from everything he has ever known, cutting off one of his fingers and exiling him for the remainder of his life. But if he succeeds, the moonlight shines brighter around him, forming a halo and casting its mark of honor on him – eight intertwined circles. The victor then becomes an elder for the next emKuav t' Myon." /embr / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan paused and swallowed, horrified at the practice. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""What about the Wy'quirnians themselves?" Asked Qui-gon, urging him forward. Obi-wan nodded, even though Qui-gon wasn't looking at / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""The Wy'quirnians are a emvery /emlong-lived people; their life-span ranging naturally anywhere from three-thousand to four-thousand years. They are almost humanoid looking but with several major differences: Male or female, they all have long, violet hair, near-translucent skin, pointed ears, and eight fingers on one hand (non-coincidentally, this hand is usually their dominant.). And of course, the longer / Because of the harsh, desert terrain, traditional Wy'quirnian garb is a light pair of trousers, a special leather hood/cloak that covers their face and extends down around the shoulders and chest, and leather sandals for the men and boys. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""The women and girls wear simple, toga-style dresses, the same leather hood/cloaks, and identical sandals. Both gender traditionally adorn themselves with tattoos and honorary marks to prove their / "The Wy'quirnians natively speak a tongue called emKushqu, /embut because so many that are interested in their civilization come to Wy'quirn, the locals have made efforts to learn Basic, along with a few other, widely-known dialects." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan finished reading and put the datapad away. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""And our purpose for being there is what?" Quizzed Qui-gon. But Obi-wan had prepared himself for this question, knowing that his Master would ask. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Our purpose for being there is to observe the emKuav t' Myon /emfestival and ensure that nothing gets out of hand." He recited/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;" Had he been (a emlot) /emmore comfortable voicing his opinion to Qui-gon, he would have pointed out that the Wy'quirnians had been getting along just fine for thousands of years without Jedi supervision. But he knew that if he said it now, it would be considered disrespectful. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Correct, padawan." Qui-gon approved. He motioned to the back of the ship with a short nod. "Go make sure that our supplies are ready. We will be landing soon." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Yes Master." Responded the padawan, climbing out of his chair and heading into the back of the ship. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"So far this sounded like an easy assignment – pardoning the environmental conditions. Oversee a festival, make sure no one gets hurt. Obi-wan was tempted, if only for a moment, to allow his hopes to rise. He just emmight/em be able to make it back to the Temple in time for some birthday celebrations with his friends! br / But a second thought, and a moment later, Obi-wan found that he wouldn't – couldn't – allow his hopes to elevate. br / After all, he had a bad feeling about this. strongemspan style="text-decoration: underline;"br / !- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-br / !-[endif]-/span/em/strong/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Mwua. Ha. Ha. Aren't I just soooo cheesy? XD br /Anyways, please review and I'll try to update as soon as possible!/span/strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal"strongspanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"spanspan style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;"Alright? Alright. Are we good here? Ok? Alright./span/span/span/span/strongstrongspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;" W/span/spanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;"ithout/span/span/strongstrongspanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"spanspan style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 19.9733px;" further ado...I present... /span/span/span/span/strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"The Hesitant Bond/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="text-decoration: underline;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"Chapter I: emWy'quirn/em/span/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Adjust the velocity, Obi-wan. We're nearing Wy'quirn."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;" Obedient, ginger-haired padawan – Obi-wan Kenobi – leaned forward in his co-pilot's seat and carefully lowered a switch. He adjusted the stats on several screens and then leaned back, satisfied. br / Looking up through the large, open window in front of him, Obi-wan studied the approaching planet. Wy'quirn was a fairly small, Outer-Rim, desert planet orbited by not only one, but emthree /emfiery suns and eight moons. Squinting slightly as to make out geographical features, Obi-wan noted that the surface was only sparsely populated with a select few shrubs and greeneries. He couldn't see any sign of a lake or water reserve, and there was no tree of any kind within view. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"He felt his heart sink. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"He knew that Wy'quirn was a desert, but somehow, when he had pictured it, he had pictured it as a bit more…hopeful./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;" He glanced over at his Master in the pilot's seat, wondering what his reaction was. But as usual, his Master's face was impassive; clear of any and all signs of emotion. He stifled a sigh. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"It had been almost a year since he had first become a padawan to the legendary Jedi Master, Qui-gon Jinn. Obi-wan was almost 14; only one more week left to wait. He had originally hoped to spend his birthday in the Jedi Temple with his best friends: Bant, Garen and Reeft. br / But when the Council had contacted the Master-Padawan duo two days ago, it had become clear that Obi-wan would more than likely be spending his birthday on a remote desert planet, accompanied by perhaps the very last person he would have chosen. br / Well…that wasn't entirely true. Bruck Chun would have been his last choice. So perhaps the emsecond/em to last person he would have chosen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan looked up to his Master, even idolized him to a certain extent if you will, but even a bantha would have been able to tell that the two were more opposite than night and day themselves:/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Qui-gon was a strong user of the Living Force. Obi-wan was much stronger in the Unifying Force. Qui-gon tended to be loud at times, and seemed to unwillingly draw himself to the center of attention wherever he went. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan was incredibly quiet, preferring not to speak unless spoken too or unless he had something of use to say, and was much more comfortable blending into the / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Qui-gon was a very imposing being if you didn't know him; incredibly near to two meters tall with broad shoulders, a solid, strongly set face and piercing blue eyes that gave you the feeling that he knew anything and everything about you – and if he didn't, it wouldn't take him much to figure it out. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan was a very small boy for his age, not even coming near to his Master's shoulders – and that was if he was stretching to his full extent! He had keen blue/gray eyes that were quietly content to soak in a room, to take in every detail and forever imprint it onto his mind, and short, auburn hair that spiked in the back; a tiny braid hanging over his ear. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"The list could go on and on. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan supposed that it would be easy enough to live with these differences - after all, he was sure that there had been others paired so contrarily before – if only Qui-gon wasn't so emcold. /embr / No matter what Obi-wan did, no matter what Obi-wan said, or no matter how hard Obi-wan tried to impress and be like his distant master, nothing changed. Each day started with a polite exchange of; br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Good morning, Obi-wan." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Good morning, Master." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"and ended with a nod and a simple, "Don't forget to complete your studies." from his Master. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Could he do emnothing/em right?br / He had yet to hear so much as a "Good job, Obi-wan!" or a "Keep up the good work!" Much less the statement he daydreamed about so often. br / Would he ever hear that his Master was proud of him? That his efforts weren't entirely in vain? br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Momentarily forgetting where he was, Obi-wan let out a dejected sigh. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Keep your focus in the here and now, Obi-wan." His Master said firmly, abruptly snapping him from his thoughts. "The Wy'quirnians deserve our full attention." For the first time in hours, Qui-gon turned his head to look at him. br / "Why don't you read through the briefing." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan supposed it was meant to be a suggestion. But coming from Qui-gon, it was a command. br / Obediently, he took a datapad out of his pack and began to read through the short assignment briefing that the Council had provided them with. He had reached the bottom of the page before Qui-Gon interrupted him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Aloud, padawan." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"The sharp voice startled Obi-wan, but he compliantly cleared his throat and started reading. /span/p
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p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""The desert…of Wy'quirn…located…Outer Rim; in… Mywac system" Obi began timidly. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Louder please." Came the immediate statement. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Feeling his hands tremble uncertainly, he cleared his throat again. "Sorry Master." br / He began louder. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""The desert planet of Wy'quirn is located on the Outer Rim; in the Mywac system." Obi-wan paused, glancing over at his Master. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Better, padawan." His Master answered the inquiring glance. With a touch more confidence, Obi-wan continued. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Wy'quirn is surrounded by three suns by day and eight moons at night, causing the days to be very hot – reaching up to 130 degrees on extreme days – and the nights to be very light. We've arrived just in time for the emKuav t' Myon /emfestival (meaning 'guide of many moons'), in which all eight moons are full – a phenomenon only occurring once in two-thousand and fourteen years. During this time, the locals stay up the entire night and perform self-seeking rituals among the moonlight. Each is given a special tonic by an elder to lure the drinker into an induced almost-coma. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""While inside the coma, the recipient will then be confronted by his own worst fears and weaknesses. If he fails to overcome them, the moonlight will become dark over him and force him away from everything he has ever known, cutting off one of his fingers and exiling him for the remainder of his life. But if he succeeds, the moonlight shines brighter around him, forming a halo and casting its mark of honor on him – eight intertwined circles. The victor then becomes an elder for the next emKuav t' Myon." /embr / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan paused and swallowed, horrified at the practice. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""What about the Wy'quirnians themselves?" Asked Qui-gon, urging him forward. Obi-wan nodded, even though Qui-gon wasn't looking at / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""The Wy'quirnians are a emvery /emlong-lived people; their life-span ranging naturally anywhere from three-thousand to four-thousand years. They are almost humanoid looking but with several major differences: Male or female, they all have long, violet hair, near-translucent skin, pointed ears, and eight fingers on one hand (non-coincidentally, this hand is usually their dominant.). And of course, the longer / Because of the harsh, desert terrain, traditional Wy'quirnian garb is a light pair of trousers, a special leather hood/cloak that covers their face and extends down around the shoulders and chest, and leather sandals for the men and boys. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""The women and girls wear simple, toga-style dresses, the same leather hood/cloaks, and identical sandals. Both gender traditionally adorn themselves with tattoos and honorary marks to prove their / "The Wy'quirnians natively speak a tongue called emKushqu, /embut because so many that are interested in their civilization come to Wy'quirn, the locals have made efforts to learn Basic, along with a few other, widely-known dialects." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Obi-wan finished reading and put the datapad away. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""And our purpose for being there is what?" Quizzed Qui-gon. But Obi-wan had prepared himself for this question, knowing that his Master would ask. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Our purpose for being there is to observe the emKuav t' Myon /emfestival and ensure that nothing gets out of hand." He recited/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;" Had he been (a emlot) /emmore comfortable voicing his opinion to Qui-gon, he would have pointed out that the Wy'quirnians had been getting along just fine for thousands of years without Jedi supervision. But he knew that if he said it now, it would be considered disrespectful. br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Correct, padawan." Qui-gon approved. He motioned to the back of the ship with a short nod. "Go make sure that our supplies are ready. We will be landing soon." br / /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;""Yes Master." Responded the padawan, climbing out of his chair and heading into the back of the ship. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"So far this sounded like an easy assignment – pardoning the environmental conditions. Oversee a festival, make sure no one gets hurt. Obi-wan was tempted, if only for a moment, to allow his hopes to rise. He just emmight/em be able to make it back to the Temple in time for some birthday celebrations with his friends! br / But a second thought, and a moment later, Obi-wan found that he wouldn't – couldn't – allow his hopes to elevate. br / After all, he had a bad feeling about this. strongemspan style="text-decoration: underline;"br / !- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-br / !-[endif]-/span/em/strong/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"Mwua. Ha. Ha. Aren't I just soooo cheesy? XD br /Anyways, please review and I'll try to update as soon as possible!/span/strong/p
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