THE WALL
Part One
Disclaimer – All characters owned by George Lucas. No infringement intended.
The stilled noise inside the padded gray room was broken by the eerie hum of a lightsaber cutting through the air, deflecting stray laser beams in diagonal swipes. A little whirring metallic ball shifted through the air, spinning every so often as it expelled a red laser towards its intended victim who was unable to see it. Obi Wan Kenobi was blindfolded, care of his Master Qui Gon Jinn in one of the Jedi's more famous training sessions. Obi Wan did not mind these sessions, on the contrary; he relished them.
His sweat slipped down his forehead, absorbed by the thick cotton bandage covering his eyes. He waited patiently for the ball to make its move, knees bent, lightsaber erect. The ball struck quickly with three simultaneous shots aimed for various spots on his chest. Obi Wan deflected them easily, following through with a deadly swing at the ball, sending it hurtling through the air and imbedding it in the wall. Quite close beside Qui Gon's head. Qui Gon made no effort to move, sitting casually on a metal bench, legs and arms crossed. He looked at the smoking ball pitifully half stuck in the wall and smiled. "Nice shot, Padawan."
Obi Wan took off the bandage, a broad smile forming on his face. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the bandage and stood silently for a few moments catching his breath. "Thank you Master."
"You know we're going to be running out of those things if you keep this up." Qui Gon smiled wryly at him.
"Is that a compliment, or a warning?" Obi Wan questioned.
Qui Gon shrugged indifferently. "Neither. Just an observation." A small bleep alerted Qui Gon's attention to the comlink in his utility belt. Qui Gon spoke into it softly while Obi Wan went to retrieve his cloak. Obi Wan returned, not needing to question his Master as Qui Gon was already on his feet and strolling past him out the door. "We're needed in the Council." He stated.
Obi Wan did not say a word, but merely followed his Master's giant strides through the corridors and into the turbo lift.
"The Delphinians have not had much dealings with the Senate, or with any race for that matter. But these negotiations are bothersome. The civilian Delphinians argue that the Trade Federation would tarnish their natural resources in their greed. The Government of Delphin sees this as an opportunity to open up trade ports within the planet's system and obviously as a huge source of exportable income."
Mace Windu paused in his speech, sitting back in his chair, fingering his jaw while staring at his boots.
"But," prompted Qui Gon.
Mace looked at Qui Gon. "But the Delphinians are a proud nation. There are to be mass demonstrations at the next trade talks. Undoubtedly there could be violence. We are not preparing to send an entire fleet over, but we would like for you and your Padawan to be present at the talks on the Senate's behalf. We want to ensure that everyone, especially the Delphinians, have a say in the matter."
Qui Gon bowed his head slightly to Mace, then gathered himself to his feet, as Obi Wan did the same. He noticed Yoda giving him an odd smile, long green ears twitching at the tips.
"Master Yoda?"
"Be wary you must." The croaking voice warned. "There is trouble abroad." But he would say no more than that, simply gripping his walking stick with both hands while his bootless feet swung back and forth like a child's, eyes lowered to the ground.
Qui Gon bowed again, somewhat perplexed but nonetheless focused on his new mission. As they turned to leave he heard Mace's deep commanding voice behind them. "May the Force be with you."
As soon as they stepped outside the Council he turned to his Padawan, whose eyebrows shot up in question. Qui Gon's own brows furrowed in confusion. "I don't know Padawan. We had better watch ourselves though."
Obi Wan nodded in silent agreement.
The Mon Calamari transport ship was well lit, almost too bright for Qui Gon's liking. Mon Calamari weren't known for having the best eyesight in the galaxy, but they were known for their monstrous ships. The transport was a much smaller version however, staffed just enough to get by on two shifts per day. Most of the time was spent with Obi Wan in their quarters reading small Jedi texts, or with crewmembers in the gallery. Qui Gon was quite interested in the Mon Calamari game of "Twixt Ji" or something like that. He couldn't quite annunciate it as well as the Mon Calamari could in their native language. Of course one needed the extra set of glands for that. Twixt Ji seemed to be a game of pure strategy, almost like mapping out a complex set of battle plans. Although it seemed particularly exciting, Qui Gon couldn't get a grip on the rules.
He turned his head slightly to his apprentice sitting to the right of him beside the Twixt Ji table. "Do you understand this?" He whispered.
Obi Wan nodded, and from the look on his face Qui Gon could see that he was deeply involved in this game. Qui Gon exhaled slowly, turning back to the game at hand, even more baffled then he was before. Obi Wan was a strategist, pure and simple. He liked having a set course plotted out for him, an admirable trait, but one that also got him periodically into trouble. As the years matured him, and now being a young man, Qui Gon could see a more definable balance between his undesirable traits and ones that he excelled at. His Padawan was a devoted study, but more and more he was becoming his own individual.
Sometimes he wished he could turn the clock back ten years. But then he remembered the adolescent stage and quickly banished the thought from his mind.
His attention was snapped up by Commander Tolk, a sturdy young Calamari who was striding into the gallery. He stood at attention, whether it was on purpose or not; (Qui Gon was not sure) and addressed Qui Gon directly. "We are coming out of hyperspace Master Qui Gon. The planet Delphin will be coming into view momentarily."
"Thank you Commander."
The Commander nodded curtly and quickly exited the gallery.
Qui Gon looked at Obi Wan who was staring attentively at him. "Well, shall we get packed then?"
Obi Wan nodded and followed Qui Gon to their quarters.
Delphin was a shimmering green in color, with white clouds sweeping across the planet's atmosphere. Three moons, two close together and the other on the far side opposite orbited the planet. Delphin was considered to be in the outer rims of the galaxy, although it was modestly close to a nearby sun, not shared with any other planets. As the Mon Calamari ship neared the planet, Qui Gon noticed several other ships hovering close together in orbit.
"I see the Trade Federation has already arrived." He murmured. Obi Wan glanced at him. "I wonder if they haven't started the negotiations without us." He continued.
"We have permission to dock with one of the Federation ships. They'll charter you down to the surface close to the government's centre. Unfortunately you'll have to enter through the city first." A raspy Captain Harek informed them.
"Is there something wrong with the city?" Obi Wan asked.
Harek's orange cheeks bubbled with a stifled laugh. "Not unless you like hordes of angry protestors."
Obi Wan nodded in solemn acknowledgement.
"Ah, the Jedi. So good to have ambassadors such as yourself present." Ki'Anh was of a short stature, with pasty gray skin, large bulbous black eyes, and a small slit for a mouth which almost never moved. Obi Wan found it a wonder that he could annunciate any words at all. Ki'Anh also represented the Trade Federation, which made Obi Wan a little leery of him.
"I'm pleased we could make it before the negotiations started." Qui Gon stated.
Ki'Anh cocked his head playfully to the side. "We would not consider starting the negotiations without you Jedi Jinn." He had a way of stretching the "I" out in Jedi that made it almost sound irritating.
Qui Gon smiled the smile that Obi Wan knew was not a necessarily happy one. "I'm so sure, Ki'Anh."
Ki'Anh let out barking huffs through his tiny slit of a mouth, which Obi Wan could only deduce must be laughter. "Shall we ride together then Jedi? Hmm? My humble transport awaits us."
Obi Wan's jaw nearly fell off his face when he saw the "humble" transport. It was lavishly decorated with furniture and articles of sculpture acquired from several hundred different species across the galaxy. Perching himself lazily upon a lush red couch, Ki'Anh gestured for them to take a seat. Qui Gon gathered his robes and sat on a small ottoman, also decorated from the same material as the couch. He propped his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on his fists. Obi Wan stiffly sat on a wooden antique chair, carved with an odd sort of hieroglyphics. A servant quickly appeared through the doorway, carrying three crystal glasses containing a thick burgundy liquid.
Ki'Anh slurped his greedily, dribbling at the side of his mouth and nonchalantly wiping it away with the side of his silver sleeve. Qui Gon carefully placed his on a nearby table. Obi Wan sniffed his suspiciously, then thought no danger of it and took a deep gulp. His throat burned with the thick alcohol, and he had to force himself to stifle a gagging cough. Deciding that his Master's approach was much more sound than his own, Obi Wan quickly shuffled his back onto the servant's tray.
"So tell me Ki'Anh, since you know much more about this matter than I, what are the protestors fearing from these trade negotiations exactly?"
Ki'Anh sat back, legs crossing leisurely. Obi Wan noted the way his face took a distinctly diplomatic appearance to it. "Quite simply Jedi Jinn, it's change they fear. This planet has been sheltered and avoided for much of the Delphinian timeline. But change is something that simply cannot be avoided, it's inevitable. These negotiations are not being forced on the people, not in any way." Ki'Anh waved his hand, enforcing his point. "The Delphinian Government, which is elected by the people I might add, was the one to approach us, not the other way around. The Government fears that if they don't involve themselves in the rest of the galaxy's ways, they could be left in the dust, so to speak."
"How is that different from before?" Qui Gon asked.
"Well, the Delphinians are now starting to expand technologically. Space exploration will undoubtedly be in the near future, so why not get a jump start on the situation and gain new technology for simple resources, which the planet is in abundance with." Ki'Anh fished a slim gray finger into the empty crystal, tracing an imaginary line into the sides of the glass. "Lets not forget their inherent fear of other races. I suspect that that's mostly what these protests are really about."
Most of the planet's actual soil was a dry yellow, broken by vast oceans of green. The lands themselves were far and few between, dotted with small pockets of population. The transport landed closely to a cleared out patch of land, what Qui Gon guessed was a military base. As the entourage of various trade delegates gathered toward the city's edge, guarded closely by the Delphinian army, Qui Gon slowed his pace. Obi Wan picked up on it instantly and slowed his pace too, hanging far back from the wandering ears of the delegates.
"Do you see a problem with Ki'Anh's explanation of the trade proceedings Padawan?"
Their voices were just loud enough so that only they could hear one another. "He seems too calm Master. Very assured of a victory."
"Well spoken. What else?"
Obi Wan thought for a moment before talking. "I don't believe it will be beneficial to simply hand over technology to the Delphinians in return for resources."
"Why?"
"Because they haven't earned it for themselves. There is no initial grasp of the concept, so it's therefore more likely to be abused."
Qui Gon nodded approvingly. "Well done Padawan. I have the feeling that these "negotiations" as they're called are more ceremonious than they are actual discussions. We are probably only going to hear what we are meant to hear. Still – "
His voice broke off as they entered the city gates. The streets were teeming with thousands of chanting Delphinians. It was only then that Obi Wan realized that the Delphinians were a vibrant blue in color. The guards around him were tall, much taller than Qui Gon, although they were covered with thick black body armor. The civilians were shorter in stature, with short purple hair naturally pushed back off their faces. Their eyes did not have pupils; they were entirely green. Obi Wan could not be sure if they were looking directly at him, or merely in his general direction. None wore shoes. In fact, Obi Wan couldn't be sure if they even wore clothes. Their skin shimmered oddly, as though they could be wearing clothes… it was moments later that Obi Wan realized that it was scales. He looked to their feet, and saw that their toes were webbed. Although they were humanoid in nature, they almost looked like close relations to…
/Fish./ Qui Gon's voice spoke softly in his head.
Without looking at him, Obi Wan nodded. Very angry looking fish. As the iron gates creaked open the crowds surged towards them, shaking their fists, hurling what Obi Wan assumed were insults, even reaching for them. It was almost claustrophobic.
"Calm your inner emotions Padawan. Do not feed off their anger."
Obi Wan breathed deeply, allowing himself to be led closely by the guards surrounding him, beating off the crowds with large black batons. After making it through the first gates, the guards ushered them quickly to a large dome shaped building, built from beige stone and containing several black rectangles for windows.
Ki'Anh turned to glance at the Jedi, an almost exhilarating expression on his face. "We're almost there!" He shouted over the mass chanting.
Something was wrong. There was a funny feeling in the pit of Obi Wan's stomach. Qui Gon kept pausing to look around behind him, but was jostled by the guards to keep moving. Qui Gon and Obi Wan exchanged wary glances.
"Be on alert Obi Wan. There is something amiss here."
A thunderous boom erupted from behind Qui Gon's back. The brick road beneath them quaked, making Obi Wan fall to his knees, but quickly helped up again by Qui Gon. The once angry voices had now turned to a surge of mass panic, wailing and screaming in fright. The Delphinians were running all around them, trying to get past them, almost hurtling them out of the way. The delegates were on their stomachs, covering the backs of their heads with their hands. In an instant both Qui Gon and Obi Wan had their lightsabers drawn, scanning the crowd for their assailants.
A building which was once behind them lay in a heap of rubble, spewing smoke and dust about them. Several high pitched sounds sliced through the air – someone was firing laser shots. Qui Gon looked to the delegates.
"Stay down!" He ordered. Indeed, the shots were definitely intended for them, as some scorched the road close to their heads. Qui Gon scanned the rooftops, and finally rested on his target.
"Obi Wan, there!" He pointed to a nearby rooftop where a lone gunman clothed from head to toe in black crouched on one knee taking random aim.
"Over here too, Master." Qui Gon looked to where Obi Wan faced and saw one shooter on ground level, blaster aimed at shoulder height.
"Lets go Padawan."
Obi Wan dodged through the screaming crowd, eyes focusing on his one and only target. The sniper was fast, obviously he knew this city well. Obi had disarmed his lightsaber, but kept it ready in his right hand. The sniper rounded a corner, heading down a darkened alley between two tall stone buildings. Obi Wan slowed his pace slightly, proceeding more cautiously. He flicked on his lightsaber, the blue beam giving him some well-needed light. Obi Wan knew the sniper was close, he could feel the nervousness radiating off the being.
"Show yourself." Obi Wan whispered, mostly to himself but still hoping the sniper would do as he commanded.
The world seemed to quiet considerably as Obi Wan reached the Force within himself, honing his senses on only sounds from the alley. He could still feel the mass panic from beyond the alley but deadened it to his ears.
The high pitched whine of a laser heading for his head caused an instantaneous reaction from the Jedi apprentice. His saber was up in an instant, protecting his face and deflecting the shot in one fluid motion. He tracked the shot from a crevice in the building and crept towards it.
The fear was escalating in the sniper. Obi Wan did all he could to block it from interfering with his own calm emotion, but it's mounting presence was a dead giveaway that he was preparing a second attack. Obi Wan decided to try a new counterattack.
Qui Gon loped up the stairs taking two at a time in an open spaced hall deep inside the city. He was gaining quickly on the would-be assassin, but his adversary had a preplanned escape. The sun was beating through the open windows, causing beads of sweat to trickle down Qui Gon's neck, gathering under his thick wool robe. Qui Gon did not have time to shed the robe nor to concentrate his misery on it. The assailant had stopped two floors above him to let off a few shots in hopes of diverting him. Qui Gon dodged aside easily, the lasers sending bleached clay chips splaying in every direction. Undaunted, Qui Gon continued with his ascent.
The assailant was on the roof, preparing to jump off the edge to a smaller building. Qui Gon could feel the concentrated effort in this one, the sheer determination. 'It's a shame he uses his abilities in such a futile pursuit' he thought.
The sniper holstered his blaster on a belt slung low around his right hip. Qui Gon stood where he was, knowing that the sniper was not going to make the jump.
The sniper quickened his running pace, right foot planting on the edge of the building, left foot extending over the edge, willing his body to make the leap.
But an unseen hand grabbed him roughly, pulling him back and slamming him back first onto the building's roof. The assailant coughed and sputtered, the wind effectively knocked out of him. He reached for his blaster, and then realized it had been knocked from his belt and was now lying beside his head. He reached for it, then grunted in pain as a boot clamped down on his hand.
He looked up in astonishment as a green light hummed inches from his face. "That might not be the brightest idea you've had all day." The Jedi calmly told him.
The man let his head clunk back down on the rooftop in defeat.
The sniper crept out slowly, readying the blaster at shoulder level. A swift movement above him suddenly alerted his attention. Obi Wan sailed over his head in a smooth flip, twisting his body so he would land facing the sniper's back. The sniper turned, but not quickly enough to avoid a strong roundhouse kick from Obi Wan which sent the blaster scuttling several yards from the sniper's grip. The sniper was bent over on hands and knees, gasping for air. Obi Wan let his lightsaber hang loosely in his hand, but close enough that the sniper would know that attacking would be futile.
The sniper stayed on his knees, hands reaching above his head in a gesture of surrender. He took off his helmet.
It was a green female. Her dark eyes focused on him intently, daring him to raise the lightsaber. Obi Wan was not phased by her appearance, but he did note with distinction that her fear had completely fled her. It was now replaced with something else, something…
"Stupid Jediya." She sneered, white teeth flashing against dark emerald lips.
"On your feet." Obi Wan prompted, moving slightly closer to her, lightsaber still pointing downwards. But she did as commanded. Her hands were on top of her head, almost as if she were quite used to being arrested or surrendering Obi Wan noted.
"You think smart? Ha. You know nothing scumbag. We finish all you. Stupid Jediya." She repeated. Her left hand came down across her mouth, and as she let her hand fall to her side she smiled cruelly at Obi Wan.
Obi Wan realized too late what she had done. Her body convulsed upright, but then fell stiffly to the ground, spasms wracking her body. Obi Wan knelt over her, holding her head in his hands, trying to feel with the Force where exactly the poison was. But within seconds of swallowing the capsule, the poison had reached her heart. Obi Wan searched for a pulse, but found none. He stood slowly, silently wishing she hadn't wasted her life so stupidly. He walked out of the alleyway, looking for Qui Gon.
Qui Gon was striding into the capital's square, surveying the damaged city while keeping an eye on his prisoner walking in front of him with his hands on his head. His lightsabre dangled loosely from his utility belt, as Qui Gon now felt the danger had passed. A figure rounded a corner quickly, and Qui Gon instantly realized it was Obi Wan. Something was amiss with his Padawan.
Obi Wan faced Qui Gon only inches apart from each other. Concern was readily apparent on the apprentice's face. "What happened Obi?"
Obi Wan steadied his gaze at his teacher. "She killed herself, Master. I couldn't stop the poison's progress in her."
Qui Gon nodded somberly. "That is unfortunate. But don't dwell on it Padawan. I'm sure this one will answer some much needed questions."
"How fortunate are we, to have such competent Jedi as yourselves accompany us on this disastrous day." Ki'Anh's glowing appreciation made Qui Gon nearly wince.
"Are any of the diplomats injured?"
Ki'Anh shook his head. "Thankfully no." He studied Qui Gon's captive. "Hmmm. So, you think terrorism is an appropriate action to vent your frustrations? I think you'll find our interrogators also have appropriate reactions to those such as yours."
The humanoid sneered in Ki'Anh's face. "The Trade Federation is the real evil here. You won't trick these imbeciles for long."
The two Jedi were momentarily stunned when Ki'Anh lashed out quickly, striking the humanoid in the face, enough so to draw a thin trickle of purple fluid, what they guessed could only be blood. "I suggest you choose your words carefully from here on in, slave. Everything you mutter from your pathetic mouth could land you in ever greater danger than you have already created for yourself."
Two native Delphinian guards flanked Qui Gon and the assassin. Ki'Anh smiled warmly at the Jedi. "I thank you heartily for your assistance, gentleman. But I think the government can handle it from here."
And with that, they were entirely dismissed. Qui Gon and Obi Wan exchanged perplexed looks. "I don't believe we're needed anymore Master."
Qui Gon nodded, still staring at the back of Ki'Anh's distancing form. "It would appear that way, Padawan."
"What now?"
Qui Gon turned and clasped Obi Wan's right shoulder. "Now we must contact the Council. Now, the real investigation begins."