Against All Odds
by: Celestia Vitaria
Disclaimer: I don't own George Lucas' characters, though I wish I did. Master Bren Anders belongs to Obi the Kid, and I apologize if I totally screw up her character. Celestia, Lianna, Baan t'il, Lily, and Xanatos belong to me (and no, that's not the same Xanatos from the Jedi Apprentice series) as does Bren's apprentice Aidan, Mihiri, Master Arek, Knight Sariss, Avaris, Dax Falkner and Master Herrick. So please nobody sue me, for I have no money whatsoever, nor do I own anything of any true value...
Other: This is the third story in my "First Apprentice" series, more to come soon...as soon as I get around to writing it, that is...LOL.
Summary: Definite angst and Padawan torture. When an old acquaintance from Qui-Gon's past suddenly resurfaces, Celestia begins to have strange nightmares. But they soon find out that all is not as it seems, and that her dreams are actually visions of the future. She is kidnapped, and it's up to Qui-Gon to save her. Cut off from the Force, she must use her wits to stay alive until Qui-Gon can get to her. But something far more sinister awaits them...This is their most difficult trial yet...
//Darkness surrounded her. She tried to make out her surroundings, but it was impossible, even with her Jedi senses. Finally she sighed and gave up trying to penetrate the darkness.
It was then that Celestia realized that she was sitting on a cold, stone floor. She tried to stand up, but as she did so, she fell back down to the floor, hitting her head on the wall behind her. Confusion swept over her for a moment, until it finally occurred to her that her slender wrists were shackled to the wall.
She struggled desperately against the bonds that held her captive, but all of her efforts only served to make the icy metal dig painfully deeper into her flesh. Celestia felt a sudden fear welling up within her, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm, remembering the calming technique that her Master had taught her.
Of course! Qui-Gon! Their bond! Why hadn't she thought of it before?
Tentatively, she attempted to reach out to the Force, to call out for help through the bond that she shared with her Master, but something was keeping her from doing so. Realizing this, she began to panic again, her heart racing and her breathing becoming shallow with her fear.
If only she could reach her lightsaber! Then she could free herself and get away from that horrid place, wherever she was. She felt the weapon's reassuring weight resting lightly against her slender hip beneath the tattered fabric of her brown Jedi robe, almost seeming as if it were mocking her. She started struggling again, then cursed viciously under her breath as the shackles cut into her wrists again.
Just then, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Someone was coming. She cursed again and went completely still, her whole body tensing. After a few moments, a door on the other side of the chamber opened, the light from the corridor beyond suddenly flooding into the room blinding Celestia momentarily. When her eyes finally adjusted to the intense brightness, she noticed a cloaked figure standing there in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned up against the doorframe, watching her intently.
Celestia squinted her eyes, but she couldn't make out what the stranger looked like. The hood of the black cloak concealing the figure's face completely had seen to that. She assumed her captor was human, though she wasn't really certain of anything right now.
"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" Celestia demanded angrily.
A soft, evil laugh came from the mysterious figure as whoever-or whatever-it was slowly approached her. A moment later, her captor knelt down in front of her, one hand resting lightly on her cheek. Yes, they were definitely human. Celestia tried to jerk away from the gentle touch, disgusted, but her captor wouldn't let her. The stranger roughly grabbed her face, forcing her gaze to meet the eerie blue eyes looking into her lavender ones, and a sinister male voice filled the silence then, speaking only six words.
"You are mine, now, little Jedi," he whispered, his voice almost a growl...//
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Celestia's eyes suddenly snapped open and she sat up quickly, gasping. A thin sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead, despite the coolness of the room. Glancing around, she realized that she was on the sofa in the common area of her apartment. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she leaned back into the soft cushions.
"It was just a really weird dream, nothing to freak out about," she muttered softly to herself, only half aware that she had spoken the words out loud.
Just then she felt her Master's concern flooding through the bond that they shared. She smiled slightly in spite of herself and answered his call, assuring him that she was all right, that she had just had a bad dream.
Suddenly Celestia heard someone knocking on the door, startling her. She jumped, and the small journal that she had been writing in earlier, which had, up until that moment, been laying completely neglected on her lap fell to the floor with a muffled thud. She leaned over the edge of the couch and picked it up, laying it gently on the table in front of her as the persistant knocking came once again.
"Can you get that, Celestia?" Qui-Gon called from the 'fresher.
"Yes, Master. Just a minute, I'm coming!" Celestia called towards the door and stood up.
~If that's Mihiri wanting me to help her in the Creche today, I swear I'm slamming that door in her face. I'm not in the mood for it today,~ she thought to herself, screwing up her face in a look of total dread at the thought.
But when she answered the door, the last thing she expected to see was the strange man who now stood in the doorway. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, his arms crossed lightly over his chest. He was human, with short black hair and blue eyes that were as dark as Coruscant's midnight sky. He had the rougish air of a con-man, and the way that he was smiling at her certainly suggested as much. Something about the man made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, and she immediately slammed her mental shields firmly in place, instantly alert for trouble.
~He seems familiar somehow...like the stranger in my dream..." she thought, eyeing him warily now.
"Yes? Can I help you?" Celestia asked, keeping her voice neutral.
The man nodded. "Yes, I'm looking for Qui-Gon Jinn," he replied.
Celestia studied him for a moment longer, debating whether or not to let this strange man in, but she finally nodded and stepped aside. "Of course. Come in," she said, turning and walking back towards the common area.
She picked up her journal as she passed by the coffee table and headed towards her room just as Qui-Gon emerged from the 'fresher. Sensing her uncertainty, he placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She stopped and glanced up at him.
"Are you all right, Padawan? Who was at the door?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
She nodded. "Yes, Master. I'm fine. It was someone wanting to speak to you. He's in the common area," she answered.
"Did he say what he wanted or who he was?" Qui-Gon asked.
Celestia shook her head. "No, he didn't Master," she said.
"All right. I'll go find out what's going on," Qui-Gon said and headed towards the common area.
Celestia watched him go, feeling her stomach tighten into knots. Something definitely wasn't right. It hadn't slipped her notice that the stranger was Force-sensitive. But if the man was a Jedi, why did she not remember ever having seen him around the Temple before? ~Maybe he was one of the Jedi who was always away from the Temple on missions or something,~ she thought. Though even that little assumption wasn't much of a comfort, nor did it sound quite right to her, but who was to say that there was anything more to it than that?
She finally just sighed and shook her head, pushing aside such thoughts for the time being as she entered her room. Walking over to the other side of the room, she placed her journal on the table beside her bed and was just about to leave when she saw her personal comlink sitting there. She stared at it for a moment as if deep in thought, then picked it up and activated it, punching in Xanatos' calling code. A moment later, his voice came through on the other end.
"Hello?" Xanatos said.
"Hey, Xani. It's Celestia. Are you busy right now?" Celestia said.
"No, not right now. Why? Is everything ok? You sound a little stressed out," he answered.
"No, I'm not stressed. I'll tell you later. Can I come over? I really need to talk to you. It's kind of important," she replied.
"Sure, come on over," Xanatos said.
Celestia let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Thanks, Xani. I'll see you in a few then," she said.
"All right. Bye," he said.
"Bye," Celestia said, cutting the connection on her end and slipping the comlink in her pocket.
Then she turned and left her bedroom and headed back towards the main room. As she entered, she heard laughter from her Master and the stranger. She stood behind the couch, watching the scene in confusion for a moment. Finally Qui-Gon noticed her there and motioned for her to come out from behind the sofa. She did so and stood next to her Master, keeping a wary eye on the stranger while trying to keep as much distance between him and herself as she possibly could.
"Padawan, I want you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Avaris Ma'Kar. Avaris, this is my apprentice, Celestia Vitaria," Qui-Gon said.
Celestia nodded briefly to Avaris, gazing at him rather coldly. "Nice to meet you," she said.
"The pleasure is mine, young one," he replied smoothly in a voice that sent chills of revulsion down her spine. But she hid it well, still shielding herself from him.
"Umm, Master? Is it okay if I go over to Xanatos' apartment for a while?" she asked hopefully.
Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, but stay out of trouble and be home in time for dinner," he replied.
"Yes, Master," she agreed and practically flew out the door, relieved to get away from that Avaris character. She didn't trust him. There was more to him than met the eye, and she was hoping that her friends would help her figure out just what was really going on.
Lost deep in her own thoughts, she almost didn't realize that she had reached her friend's apartment. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she rang the door buzzer once. From the other side of the door, she heard a muffled thud and someone cursing their rotten luck in Corellian. A moment later the door opened and Xanatos appeared, massaging his sore arm.
"Are you okay?" Celestia asked, holding back a laugh.
Xanatos sighed and nodded. "Yeah, but I don't think my arm will ever be the same again," he said mock-dramatically, eliciting a chuckle from his friend.
"Here, have an emotional band-aid," she replied, rolling her eyes at him playfully.
"Oh, shut up," Xani said jokingly. The he became serious as he remembered the urgency in her voice when she'd spoken to him earlier. "Do you want to come in and we can talk?" he offered.
She nodded. "Yes, I would," she answered as she followed him inside.
Celestia watched as Xanatos closed the door behind him and after a moment of silence they sat down together on the sofa, Xanatos gazing at Celestia with an expression of concern in his emerald eyes.
"So what's bothering you? You sounded kind of upset when you called. Did you and your Master have an argument or something?" he asked.
Celestia shook her head and sighed as she moved closer to him to lean back against him. "No, it's not that. It's just that...I've been having weird dreams lately. In all of them, I'm trapped in a dark room and my wrists are shackled to the wall. Suddenly a door opens and the same person always appears, first standing in the doorway watching me, then kneeling in front of me with his hand against my cheek. Every time I try to pull away, he grabs my face and forces me to meet his eyes, and the only thing he says to me is 'you are mine now, little Jedi.' And then I wake up." she explained quietly.
"That is strange. How long have you been having that dream?" Xanatos asked.
Celestia offered a slight shrug. "For about three or four nights now. And that's not the half of it, really. Before I called you, a strange man showed up at our door. Apparently he and Master Qui-Gon were old friends, but I've never seen him around here before. You know what the really weird thing is? I could swear this guy is the same person who keeps haunting my dreams. I just don't get it. I mean, is this just a fluke, or does it actually mean something? To be honest, I'd prefer it if it was just a fluke, but knowing my luck, it won't be. You know how I get these twisted visions of the future once in a while," she continued, shaking her head ruefully.
Xanatos lay his hand gently on her arm in a comforting gesture. She looked up at him and smiled faintly, grateful for his concern.
Suddenly she sat up, a gleam appearing in her eyes as she did so, almost as if a revelation had struck her. She turned and stood up, pacing back and forth absently across the room. Xanatos watched her curiously, wondering what she was up to now. He got his answer a moment later when she stopped short in her tracks and turned back towards him, that all too familiar gleam in her lavender eyes as she started gesturing excitedly.
Xanatos groaned inwardly. He knew that look all too well. It was the same look that she got in her eyes when she had set her mind on something and was not about to be swayed from whatever cockamamie scheme she had cooked up.
"Okay, Celestia. What are you planning now?" Xanatos asked cautiously.
"I don't trust this Avaris guy. I think one of us needs to spy on him, find out what's going on. But I don't know how we'd do it. He's Force-sensitive. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not all that good at the whole shielding thing right now," she answered.
For a moment, Xanatos didn't say anything. He merely stared at her in stunned silence. She'd come up with some insane schemes before in the past, but this one definitely took the prize. The moment she'd mentioned the fact that this Avaris character was Force-sensitive, he got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He finally regained his voice after a long, awkward pause.
"All right. And just how do you suppose we do it, then?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know. But I'll think of something," she replied.
"What about your Master?" Xanatos asked.
"That's just the thing. I think Avaris is shielding himself, and the only reason I'm getting these bad vibes about him is because of the dreams," she said quietly, looking at him worriedly.
"Hmmm. Well, I think between you, me, and the others, we can come up with a way to exploit whatever he's hiding," Xanatos offered reassuringly.
Celestia shrugged again, staring off into space. "I think he's a Dark-sider," she half-whispered.
"What?" Xanatos asked, a shocked expression in his emerald eyes.
Celestia nodded. "Yes. I felt it when I opened the door," she said.
"You didn't let him in, did you?" Xanatos asked.
Celestia didn't answer, but instead merely looked away, offering a slight shrug. She didn't need to speak. Xanatos had his answer, and judging from the expression on her face, it was a yes. Xanatos stared at her for a long moment, finally breaking the silence.
"Why, love?" he asked.
She gestured helplessly. "I didn't know what else to do. If I would have told him that Master Qui-Gon wasn't there, he would have sensed I was lying and come in anyway," she replied.
Xanatos sighed. "That's true," he conceded. Then he gave her an endearing grin. "Things like this could only happen to you, you know?"
Celestia laughed half-heartedly, turning back to face him. "Yeah, I know. But hey, it makes things all that more interesting, right?" she said jokingly.
He laughed and gave her braid a gentle tug. "Yeah, never a dull moment around here, that's for sure," he remarked. The something occured to him. "Do you think he's still there?"
Celestia shrugged again. "I don't know. But if he is, I'm staying as far away from him as possible," she muttered, glancing at her wrist chrono. "Sith, I have to go. My Master wants me home for dinner. I'll try to talk to you later, though. Hopefully Avaris won't be there when I get home."
Xanatos took her into his arms and gave her a comforting hug. "Are you sure you'll be all right?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be all right. Besides, Master Qui-Gon won't let Avaris do anything to me," she replied as they pulled away.
"Okay. As long as you're sure. I'll talk to you later, then. Just be careful, okay?" he said.
She smiled at his concern, grateful. "I will, I promise. See you later," she said and turned to take her leave.
"May the Force be with you, love. You're going to need it," he whispered, though he doubted that she could hear him.
Just as Celestia opened the door to leave, Master Windu was returning. She paused and bowed respectfully. "Good evening, Master Windu," she said quietly.
"Good evening, Celestia. How are things with you and your Master?" he asked.
"We're fine. Ummm, if you'll excuse me, I should get going before I'm late," she said politely.
Mace nodded. "All right. Tell Qui-Gon I said hello," he said.
"I will. Bye," she said and took her leave of them.
Mace watched her for a moment, then shook his head as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Then he turned to face his apprentice, who now seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Through their bond, he sensed Xanatos' worry and concern for his friend.
"Is everything all right, Padawan? You seem a bit upset about something. Actually, come to think of it, so did she," he inquired.
"Yes, Master. Things have just started to get, well, a bit...shall we say...interesting?" he said, and quickly explained the situation, wisely choosing to leave out the part about Celestia's plan to spy on Avaris to find out what he really was.
Finally his voice trailed off as he finished explaining what was going on, becoming thoughtful again. "I'm worried about her, Master. I mean, I know Master Jinn would never let anything happen to her, but still, I can't help it," he said quietly.
Mace placed his hand on Xanatos' shoulder. "That's understandable. You two have been friends since you were very young. But don't worry. We'll do everything we can to make sure nothing happens to anyone," he said reassuringly.
Xanatos sighed. "I know, Master," he replied softly.
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Meanwhile, Celestia had reached her apartment. She reached out with the Force tentatively, but the only one she sensed was Qui-Gon. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and punched in her access code, slipping inside as the door opened, shutting it behind her. She wandered into the common area and removed her robe, tossing it onto the back of the sofa as Qui-Gon entered from the kitchen.
"Hello, Padawan. Did you have a good time?" he asked cheerfully.
Celestia nodded. "Yes, Master," she answered.
"That's good. Dinner's ready," he said. Then he felt a wave of anxiety flooding across their bond as Celestia finally let her shields drop. "Are you all right, little one?" he asked.
She smiled slightly at the endearing nickname that he'd had for her since they met and he'd taken her as his Padawan. "Umm, actually, no, not really. Can I talk to you? It's kind of important," she said as she followed Qui-Gon into the kitchen.
Qui-Gon picked up on her distress and placed his hand gently on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Of course. You can talk to me about anything," he said.
Celestia sighed in relief as they sat down to eat. "Well, I've been having these really weird dreams lately, for about the last three or four nights now. It's always the same dream. It came again when I dozed off earlier, just before Avaris showed up. In all of them, I'm trapped in a dark room and my wrists are shackled to the wall. Suddenly a door opens and the same person always appears, first standing in the doorway watching me, then kneeling in front of me with his hand against my cheek. Every time I try to pull away, he grabs my face and forces me to meet his eyes, and the only thing he says to me is 'you are mine now, little Jedi.' And then I wake up." she explained quietly. "I might be wrong, but I think the stranger in the dreams is Avaris."
"Avaris?" Qui-Gon asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
Celestia nodded. "Yes. I'd recognize that voice anywhere," she said, shivering involuntarily.
"Why didn't you say something before, Celestia?" Qui-Gon asked, not unkindly.
She shrugged. "I wanted to, but...I was afraid to say anything with him sitting right there," she said softly.
"I didn't sense anything amiss, but he may have been shielding himself," Qui-Gon mused thoughtfully. Then he added as an afterthought, "Don't worry little one. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."
"I know," Celestia whispered.
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Later that night, Celestia lay in bed, tossing and turning restlessly in the dark. She had gone to lay down a little bit earlier than she usually did. She hadn't been feeling all that well, and had politely excused herself from their routine evening meditation. She had tried to fall asleep, but every time she did, the same dreams would haunt her.
Finally she sighed and gave up. Wrapping her blanket around her slender body, she stood up and wandered out to the common area. Qui-Gon was watching the news on the holovid, and as she entered the room, he gestured for her to sit next to him on the sofa. She did so, leaning up against him as he put his arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.
Celestia sighed and shook her head. "No. Every time I close my eyes I keep seeing the same thing over and over again. I don't understand, Master. Why is this happening? What does it all mean?" she whispered.
"I don't know, Celestia," Qui-Gon replied quietly.
"You two used to be friends, right?" she asked suddenly.
Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, when we were Padawans," he answered.
"Was he always this way?" she asked.
Qui-Gon sighed. "No, he wasn't. But he changed when his Master was killed during a mission," he said.
"Tell me?" Celestia asked, but when she saw the look on Qui-Gon's face, she immediately regretted asking that question. "I'm sorry, Master. I shouldn't have said that."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, it's all right," he assured her.
"Are you sure?" Celestia asked softly.
He nodded. "Yes. I'm sure," he said, once again surprised at her insistence to put other's feelings before her own. He offered her a wistful smile as the memories of the past came back to him. "Avaris and I were best friends when we were Padawans. Back then he wasn't so cold and aloof. He was always the first one to get involved if a situation called for it. He couldn't stand to see anyone suffer. But all of that seemed to vanish after he came back from Belsavis. He and his Master were sent there to mediate a labor dispute. Apparently there were some people there who didn't like the idea of Jedi getting involved and Herrik was killed in the crossfire. Avaris was moody and withdrawn when he returned, and he asked me to help him get revenge on Herrik's murderers, but I refused, telling him that wasn't the way to deal with it. The next day, he had disappeared without a trace," Qui-Gon said.
Celestia didn't speak for a long moment. Instead she merely stared off into space, lost in her own thoughts. After a few minutes, she looked back up at Qui-Gon. "Do you know what happened to him after he disappeared?" she asked finally.
"No. We never heard from him after that and assumed he was dead or that he wanted nothing more to do with the Jedi. I was surprised when he showed up at the door today," Qui-Gon said.
Celestia let out a soft, quiet sigh and leaned back into the comfort of Qui-Gon's presence, letting herself drift into her own thoughts again. She didn't know what was going to happen to them now, but whatever it was, they would face it together. She hoped. Celestia had the sudden sinking feeling that all of this was Avaris' twisted idea of using her to get to Qui-Gon. She sighed again, wanting to sleep, but afraid to even close her eyes, afraid of the visions haunting her again.
Sensing her obvious distress, Qui-Gon glanced down at her with fatherly concern. "Would you like me to make it so you can sleep without the dreams?" he asked kindly.
Celestia nodded. "Please?" she said.
"All right, little one," he said.
Then he gently placed his hand on her forehead and sent comforting waves of Force energy over her, lulling her into a dreamless slumber. She managed to whisper a quiet, "Thank you," before a blissful unconsciousness claimed her.
Qui-Gon kept a silent vigil over her as she slept. She looked so much younger than she was when she slept, so innocent. He made a promise to himself right then and there that he would allow nothing and no one to harm her, no matter what the cost. Over the months that they had been together, he had come to think of her as the daughter he never had, and had become extremely protective of her.
Slowly he stood up, and being careful so as not to disturb her, he picked her up and carried her into her room, laying her down gently on the bed. He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and gave her a fatherly kiss on the forehead. Then he stood up and moved towards the door, turning back for a moment to make sure she was still sleeping peacefully. Once he was satisfied that she was all right and that she would continue resting, he turned out the lights.
"Sleep well, my little one," he said quietly before exiting her room and pulling the door closed behind him and retiring to his own bedroom for the night.
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The next morning, Celestia was the first one to awaken, which was strange to her, for usually Qui-Gon was awake long before her. She shrugged and dismissed the thought as she moved quietly through the apartment after finding some clothes to change into and headed for the 'fresher, turning on the light and closing the door behind her.
About fifteen minutes later she emerged, slightly more coherent. She was dressed in her traditional tan-colored tunic and pants, a dark colored belt on which her lightsaber was hooked, boots, and her flowing, dark brown robe completing the ensemble. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a simple braid.
Feeling restless, she decided to wander around the Temple for a while in an attempt to sort things out. Finding a piece of paper and a pen, she left a note for Qui-Gon and left the apartment, heading for the Room of a Thousand Fountains. It was her favorite spot in
the Temple, and she went there whenever she needed to feel at peace, if even for just a little while.
Upon arriving, she wasn't really surprised to find the chamber empty of any other Jedi. There usually wasn't anyone there this early in the morning, which made it that much more serene and peaceful to her. She wandered over to a fairly large fountain in the center of the room, sitting on the edge and gazing intently down into the clear blue depths as though she were in a trance. Idly she let her hand dangle in the water, creating small ripples with the Force.
Celestia hadn't been there very long when suddenly a mysterious figure caught her attention out of the corner of her right eye. She whirled around, nearly losing her balance on the edge of the fountain as she tried to look in time to see who-or what-was there, lingering in the shadows. Tentatively she reached out with the Force, trying to ascertain the stranger's identity, but whoever it was had shielded themselves from her gentle probing.
Scared now, she quickly jumped to her feet, looking around with wide eyes, but she saw nothing. Suddenly she felt the sharp jab of a hypospray needle in her neck as someone grabbed her from behind, and she screamed, thrashing wildly in the stranger's grip. But whatever they had injected into her was quick to take its toll on her, and just before she went limp in the stranger's arms, she cried out to Qui-Gon through their bond, hoping he would hear her.
*MASTER! HELP ME! PLEASE!* was all she was able to get out before the darkness claimed her.
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Qui-Gon felt a jolt of pain and fear surge through the bond that he shared with Celestia, and then nothing as the bond was cut off from him. Alarmed, he flew off of his sleepcouch and raced into her room, stopping short when he realized that she wasn't there.
Suddenly he noticed a piece of paper on her bed with a small dagger through it. He moved over to the bed and removed the dagger and the paper. Inspecting it closely, there was no mistaking the handwriting. It was Avaris'.
Qui-Gon,
I have your apprentice. If you ever want to see her alive again, come to the abandoned warehouse in the lower levels of Belsavis. I've been waiting for this day for a long time. You will pay for your betrayal. Come alone.
Avaris
"SITH!" Qui-Gon swore, crumpling the ransom note and hurling it against the wall harmlessly.
Furious, he stormed out of Celestia's room, grabbed his lightsaber and cloak and left the apartment, heading for the Council Chamber, when he literally bumped into someone. A small "oof," was heard, and he looked down. There on the floor was Celestia's friend Lianna.
"I'm sorry, Lianna. I didn't see you there," he said as he helped the young girl to her feet.
She shrugged. "It's all right, Master Jinn. I was just coming to see if everything was all right. I felt a disturbance in the Force," she said quietly, her luminescent wings fluttering anxiously.
"Celestia's been kidnapped," Qui-Gon said after a moment.
Lianna gasped, horrified. "No," she whispered.
Qui-Gon nodded in affirmation. "I'm going to speak to the Council right now. Don't worry, we'll get her back," Qui-Gon said with more reassurance than he actually felt.
Lianna hesitated before speaking. "Umm, Master Qui-Gon? Would it be all right if I went with you? I could help," she said, her quiet voice filled with determination.
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, Lianna. I won't put you in danger," he said.
But she was not to be so easily deterred. Her wings fluttering irritably, she stood her ground, drawing herself up to her full height of 5'4. Her silver eyes were filled with determination and also a stubborn quality that he'd never seen in the young faerie. Usually she was shy and reserved.
"Xanatos told us that he talked to Celestia yesterday. He said she had mentioned something about having visions of the future. Let me help. She's my friend, and I won't let either of you down," she said, realizing how disrespectful she must have sounded right then, but she really didn't care at the moment. Her friend was in danger, and rescuing her was all that mattered to Lianna right now.
"No, Lianna," Qui-Gon said sternly. He tried to remain stoic, but he knew darn well he would end up caving in eventually. Finally he sighed in resignation. "Very well, but stay close and do as I say."
Lianna nodded vigorously and followed him as he once again started for the Council chamber. Qui-Gon shook his head ruefully. ~Arek is going to kill me~ he thought ruefully.
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Celestia moaned in agony as she started to drift back into consciousness. She had no idea just how long she'd actually been knocked out. Disoriented, she opened her eyes and turned her head, trying to take in her surroundings. But it was too dark. An eerie sense of deja vu flooded through her. And if there was any part of her body that wasn't sore, she didn't know what it was. She felt like someone had run her over with a speeder, though she was hard-pressed to explain why.
Suddenly she realized that she was sitting on a cold, stone floor and her wrists were shackled to the wall above her head. She gasped softly and started struggling desperately, but it was no use. She couldn't break free, and her lightsaber was gone. She wouldn't have been able to reach it anyway even if it had still been there.
"No, this can't be happening," she whispered fearfully, her throat scratchy and sore for some weird reason, her breathing becoming shallow with her fear.
No sooner did she get the words out than a door off to the side suddenly opened. She turned, squinting as the bright light from the corridor beyond flooded into her prison and blinded her for a moment. When her vision cleared somewhat, she saw the same hooded figure standing in the doorway watching her *very* intently, the same person who always appeared whenever she saw this same scenario in her dreams.
Just like in her dreams, the figure strode into the room, kneeling down in front of her. Again, the hand rested on her face, and again she jerked away, disgusted. But her captor roughly grabbed her face in his hand, forcing her lavender eyes to meet his dark blue ones, and she knew in that instant who he was.
Avaris.
Celestia gasped in horror.
Avaris, seeing the recognition on her face, grinned evilly. "Enjoying your new accommodations, my dear?" he taunted her.
"What do you want from me?!" she demanded.
"Oh, I have no quarrel with you, but you are mine, now, little Jedi," he said sinisterly, his voice almost a growl.
"You won't get away with this. I know who you are, Avaris. Master Qui-Gon will come for me, and when he does, well, I'd hate to be you, you lying sack of Hutt slime," she hissed vehemently.
Avaris laughed menacingly. "Oh, I wouldn't count on that, young one. Qui-Gon is dead," he said.
"No! You're lying! He's still alive! I would have felt him die!" she screamed defiantly.
"It's true. I killed him myself," Avaris replied.
With that, he waved his hand and a moment later, a smoky image appeared in the air before her. Looking closer, she saw Qui-Gon lying dead in a pool of blood on the floor in the common area of their apartment. A small dagger lay on the floor next to him. Enraged, Celestia let out an anguished cry and tried to lunge at Avaris, but the shackles held her back.
"NO! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, YOU MONSTER!" she cried.
"I think not. There is nothing you can do to stop me, little one," he said, deliberately adding the last part just to taunt her.
"Don't call me that, you slime bag!" Celestia snarled.
Then she hauled off and spit in his face. He retaliated by slapping her hard across the face. She wasn't expecting that, and the blow stunned her. She turned back to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously. She tried to call out to the Force to shove him away from her, but something was blocking her Force abilities.
She hissed. "Why are you doing this?!" she demanded furiously.
Avaris gestured nonchalantly. "I wanted revenge on Qui-Gon. I got it, and you were just an added prize. Like I said before, you belong to me, now," he smirked.
"I belong to no one!" she snapped defiantly.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, girl. You are mine," he said, standing up and heading for the door.
Suddenly he turned back and glanced at her. "Oh, you won't be needing those shackles anymore. There's no way you can escape," he added as an afterthought.
Again he gave a wave of his hand and the shackles fell away, freeing Celestia's wrists from their grip. She lowered her arms and massaged her sore wrists, glaring at him as he left, slamming the door shut behind him with a resounding *BANG!*
The adrenaline that had been coursing wildly through her only moments ago finally faded and she curled up into a fetal position on the floor, the tears starting to fall. Qui-Gon couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. But she was being blocked from the Force and had no way of knowing whether or not Avaris was lying. Soon her silent whimpers turned into violent sobs that wracked her entire body.
"Master, please, help me. Come for me," she whispered softly through her tears.
She tried to stay awake and alert as long as she could, but it wasn't long before she had cried herself to sleep, surrendering herself to the blissful surrounding darkness.
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Meanwhile, Qui-Gon and Lianna had reached the Council chamber. They walked in without announcing their entry, much to the chagrin of the Council, who were in the middle of another boring meeting. Qui-Gon and Lianna bowed respectfully.
"I apologize for interrupting, Masters, but this is an urgent matter. My apprentice has been kidnapped by Avaris Ma'Kar and I believe she may be in grave danger," Qui-Gon explained.
There was a quiet murmuring among the ten remaining Council members for a few moments before Yoda finally silenced them, tapping his gimmer stick rather loudly on the tiled floor. A hush fell over the room and Yoda turned his gentle eyes to his former Padawan and the young girl beside him.
"Forseen this I have. In danger Celestia is, grave danger. But know Avaris' motives and demands we do not. Wait we must," Yoda said.
Qui-Gon felt his temper flare and fought to clamp down on it. "That is something I cannot do. He is using her to get to me," he retorted icily.
"Know do you, where she is being held?" Yoda asked.
"On Belsavis," Qui-Gon answered shortly.
Just then Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up. "If you're right, Qui-Gon, and Avaris is using her to get to you, he could kill her if you move against him now," he pointed out.
"I refuse to just sit here doing nothing while he tortures her because of me," Qui-Gon said, turning on his heel and storming out of the room. Lianna offered a slight shrug and followed him.
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Qui-Gon hurried down the corridors, moving too quickly for Lianna to keep up with his longer stride on the ground. Finally she took to the air, her wings fluttering silently and yet anxiously as she flew along at his side.
Finally they stopped when they reached the docking bay, and Lianna landed gracefully at Qui-Gon's side. She followed him as he approached one of the transport's pilots, an old friend of his by the name of Dax Falkner. The man grinned as he saw Qui-Gon and Lianna approach, but then the smile faded when he saw the look on his friend's face.
"Qui-Gon? Is everything all right?" he asked.
"I'll explain later. There's no time now. Right now we just need to get to Belsavis, quickly," Qui-Gon replied.
Dax nodded. "Right. Get on board and we're out of here," he said. "By the way, where's your apprentice? Celestia, I think her name is?" he added as he followed behind them up the boarding ramp and securing it.
"That's why we need to get going. She's been kidnapped, and something's blocking our bond," he answered.
Dax looked shocked. "Kidnapped? Who would take a sweetheart like her?" he asked, his voice becoming softly dangerous. Many was the times that the three of them had gotten together and Dax had become just as protective over the young girl as Qui-Gon was.
"Avaris," Qui-Gon said.
"That figures. I never did trust that guy," Dax said, half to himself. "How do you know where she is?"
"He left a ransom note. He's using her to get to me," Qui-Gon said angrily, though his anger was not directed at Dax or Lianna.
The young faerie girl watched the exchange in silence, slightly unnerved. She had heard about Qui-Gon's legendary temper. Most of the time he was the epitome of serenity, but if someone hurt him or those he cared about, then they were in *deep* trouble. And this Avaris person had taken his "daughter." Lianna shuddered to think of what was to come.
As if sensing her distress, he placed his hand on her shoulder and led her out of the cockpit as Dax started the ship's engines. A few minutes later, they felt the familiar lurching of the floor beneath them as the Firestorm entered hyperspace. Lianna finally spoke as she and Qui-Gon sat down in the lounge.
"Do you think we'll make it in time?" she asked softly, her silver eyes betraying her fear for her friend.
Qui-Gon sighed. "I hope so," he replied.
Just then Dax joined them in the lounge. "We've entered lightspeed. We should reach Belsavis in a few hours," he said.
Qui-Gon nodded. "Good. Thank you Dax. I only hope it's not too late."
"If he's touched even so much as one hair on her head, he's going to regret the day he was born," Dax said darkly.
"No, Dax. I won't stoop to his level. But I do have a plan..." he said, motioning for them to lean closer to hear his plan.
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Celestia awoke with a start a few hours later, disoriented. After a few moments, the memories of the past day or so came flooding back to her and she looked up to find Avaris kneeling beside her, that irritating smug smirk plastered on his face. She backed away from him, but quickly found herself against the wall.
"I see you're awake," he remarked.
"What do you want?!" she hissed.
"Just thought I'd check on my new apprentice," he said.
Celestia cursed at him in Nubian and tried to lunge at him, but he moved out of her way at the last second, grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her to her feet. She struggled to break free from him, but it was no use. Again she felt the sharp jab of a needle in her neck and collapsed to the floor as Avaris released his grip on her, slipping into unconsciousness again.
TBC...I'll have the next part up as soon as I can. In the meantime, let me know what you think of what I have so far! Kudos!
~*Celestia Vitaria*~
by: Celestia Vitaria
Disclaimer: I don't own George Lucas' characters, though I wish I did. Master Bren Anders belongs to Obi the Kid, and I apologize if I totally screw up her character. Celestia, Lianna, Baan t'il, Lily, and Xanatos belong to me (and no, that's not the same Xanatos from the Jedi Apprentice series) as does Bren's apprentice Aidan, Mihiri, Master Arek, Knight Sariss, Avaris, Dax Falkner and Master Herrick. So please nobody sue me, for I have no money whatsoever, nor do I own anything of any true value...
Other: This is the third story in my "First Apprentice" series, more to come soon...as soon as I get around to writing it, that is...LOL.
Summary: Definite angst and Padawan torture. When an old acquaintance from Qui-Gon's past suddenly resurfaces, Celestia begins to have strange nightmares. But they soon find out that all is not as it seems, and that her dreams are actually visions of the future. She is kidnapped, and it's up to Qui-Gon to save her. Cut off from the Force, she must use her wits to stay alive until Qui-Gon can get to her. But something far more sinister awaits them...This is their most difficult trial yet...
//Darkness surrounded her. She tried to make out her surroundings, but it was impossible, even with her Jedi senses. Finally she sighed and gave up trying to penetrate the darkness.
It was then that Celestia realized that she was sitting on a cold, stone floor. She tried to stand up, but as she did so, she fell back down to the floor, hitting her head on the wall behind her. Confusion swept over her for a moment, until it finally occurred to her that her slender wrists were shackled to the wall.
She struggled desperately against the bonds that held her captive, but all of her efforts only served to make the icy metal dig painfully deeper into her flesh. Celestia felt a sudden fear welling up within her, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm, remembering the calming technique that her Master had taught her.
Of course! Qui-Gon! Their bond! Why hadn't she thought of it before?
Tentatively, she attempted to reach out to the Force, to call out for help through the bond that she shared with her Master, but something was keeping her from doing so. Realizing this, she began to panic again, her heart racing and her breathing becoming shallow with her fear.
If only she could reach her lightsaber! Then she could free herself and get away from that horrid place, wherever she was. She felt the weapon's reassuring weight resting lightly against her slender hip beneath the tattered fabric of her brown Jedi robe, almost seeming as if it were mocking her. She started struggling again, then cursed viciously under her breath as the shackles cut into her wrists again.
Just then, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Someone was coming. She cursed again and went completely still, her whole body tensing. After a few moments, a door on the other side of the chamber opened, the light from the corridor beyond suddenly flooding into the room blinding Celestia momentarily. When her eyes finally adjusted to the intense brightness, she noticed a cloaked figure standing there in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned up against the doorframe, watching her intently.
Celestia squinted her eyes, but she couldn't make out what the stranger looked like. The hood of the black cloak concealing the figure's face completely had seen to that. She assumed her captor was human, though she wasn't really certain of anything right now.
"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" Celestia demanded angrily.
A soft, evil laugh came from the mysterious figure as whoever-or whatever-it was slowly approached her. A moment later, her captor knelt down in front of her, one hand resting lightly on her cheek. Yes, they were definitely human. Celestia tried to jerk away from the gentle touch, disgusted, but her captor wouldn't let her. The stranger roughly grabbed her face, forcing her gaze to meet the eerie blue eyes looking into her lavender ones, and a sinister male voice filled the silence then, speaking only six words.
"You are mine, now, little Jedi," he whispered, his voice almost a growl...//
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Celestia's eyes suddenly snapped open and she sat up quickly, gasping. A thin sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead, despite the coolness of the room. Glancing around, she realized that she was on the sofa in the common area of her apartment. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she leaned back into the soft cushions.
"It was just a really weird dream, nothing to freak out about," she muttered softly to herself, only half aware that she had spoken the words out loud.
Just then she felt her Master's concern flooding through the bond that they shared. She smiled slightly in spite of herself and answered his call, assuring him that she was all right, that she had just had a bad dream.
Suddenly Celestia heard someone knocking on the door, startling her. She jumped, and the small journal that she had been writing in earlier, which had, up until that moment, been laying completely neglected on her lap fell to the floor with a muffled thud. She leaned over the edge of the couch and picked it up, laying it gently on the table in front of her as the persistant knocking came once again.
"Can you get that, Celestia?" Qui-Gon called from the 'fresher.
"Yes, Master. Just a minute, I'm coming!" Celestia called towards the door and stood up.
~If that's Mihiri wanting me to help her in the Creche today, I swear I'm slamming that door in her face. I'm not in the mood for it today,~ she thought to herself, screwing up her face in a look of total dread at the thought.
But when she answered the door, the last thing she expected to see was the strange man who now stood in the doorway. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, his arms crossed lightly over his chest. He was human, with short black hair and blue eyes that were as dark as Coruscant's midnight sky. He had the rougish air of a con-man, and the way that he was smiling at her certainly suggested as much. Something about the man made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, and she immediately slammed her mental shields firmly in place, instantly alert for trouble.
~He seems familiar somehow...like the stranger in my dream..." she thought, eyeing him warily now.
"Yes? Can I help you?" Celestia asked, keeping her voice neutral.
The man nodded. "Yes, I'm looking for Qui-Gon Jinn," he replied.
Celestia studied him for a moment longer, debating whether or not to let this strange man in, but she finally nodded and stepped aside. "Of course. Come in," she said, turning and walking back towards the common area.
She picked up her journal as she passed by the coffee table and headed towards her room just as Qui-Gon emerged from the 'fresher. Sensing her uncertainty, he placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She stopped and glanced up at him.
"Are you all right, Padawan? Who was at the door?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
She nodded. "Yes, Master. I'm fine. It was someone wanting to speak to you. He's in the common area," she answered.
"Did he say what he wanted or who he was?" Qui-Gon asked.
Celestia shook her head. "No, he didn't Master," she said.
"All right. I'll go find out what's going on," Qui-Gon said and headed towards the common area.
Celestia watched him go, feeling her stomach tighten into knots. Something definitely wasn't right. It hadn't slipped her notice that the stranger was Force-sensitive. But if the man was a Jedi, why did she not remember ever having seen him around the Temple before? ~Maybe he was one of the Jedi who was always away from the Temple on missions or something,~ she thought. Though even that little assumption wasn't much of a comfort, nor did it sound quite right to her, but who was to say that there was anything more to it than that?
She finally just sighed and shook her head, pushing aside such thoughts for the time being as she entered her room. Walking over to the other side of the room, she placed her journal on the table beside her bed and was just about to leave when she saw her personal comlink sitting there. She stared at it for a moment as if deep in thought, then picked it up and activated it, punching in Xanatos' calling code. A moment later, his voice came through on the other end.
"Hello?" Xanatos said.
"Hey, Xani. It's Celestia. Are you busy right now?" Celestia said.
"No, not right now. Why? Is everything ok? You sound a little stressed out," he answered.
"No, I'm not stressed. I'll tell you later. Can I come over? I really need to talk to you. It's kind of important," she replied.
"Sure, come on over," Xanatos said.
Celestia let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Thanks, Xani. I'll see you in a few then," she said.
"All right. Bye," he said.
"Bye," Celestia said, cutting the connection on her end and slipping the comlink in her pocket.
Then she turned and left her bedroom and headed back towards the main room. As she entered, she heard laughter from her Master and the stranger. She stood behind the couch, watching the scene in confusion for a moment. Finally Qui-Gon noticed her there and motioned for her to come out from behind the sofa. She did so and stood next to her Master, keeping a wary eye on the stranger while trying to keep as much distance between him and herself as she possibly could.
"Padawan, I want you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Avaris Ma'Kar. Avaris, this is my apprentice, Celestia Vitaria," Qui-Gon said.
Celestia nodded briefly to Avaris, gazing at him rather coldly. "Nice to meet you," she said.
"The pleasure is mine, young one," he replied smoothly in a voice that sent chills of revulsion down her spine. But she hid it well, still shielding herself from him.
"Umm, Master? Is it okay if I go over to Xanatos' apartment for a while?" she asked hopefully.
Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, but stay out of trouble and be home in time for dinner," he replied.
"Yes, Master," she agreed and practically flew out the door, relieved to get away from that Avaris character. She didn't trust him. There was more to him than met the eye, and she was hoping that her friends would help her figure out just what was really going on.
Lost deep in her own thoughts, she almost didn't realize that she had reached her friend's apartment. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she rang the door buzzer once. From the other side of the door, she heard a muffled thud and someone cursing their rotten luck in Corellian. A moment later the door opened and Xanatos appeared, massaging his sore arm.
"Are you okay?" Celestia asked, holding back a laugh.
Xanatos sighed and nodded. "Yeah, but I don't think my arm will ever be the same again," he said mock-dramatically, eliciting a chuckle from his friend.
"Here, have an emotional band-aid," she replied, rolling her eyes at him playfully.
"Oh, shut up," Xani said jokingly. The he became serious as he remembered the urgency in her voice when she'd spoken to him earlier. "Do you want to come in and we can talk?" he offered.
She nodded. "Yes, I would," she answered as she followed him inside.
Celestia watched as Xanatos closed the door behind him and after a moment of silence they sat down together on the sofa, Xanatos gazing at Celestia with an expression of concern in his emerald eyes.
"So what's bothering you? You sounded kind of upset when you called. Did you and your Master have an argument or something?" he asked.
Celestia shook her head and sighed as she moved closer to him to lean back against him. "No, it's not that. It's just that...I've been having weird dreams lately. In all of them, I'm trapped in a dark room and my wrists are shackled to the wall. Suddenly a door opens and the same person always appears, first standing in the doorway watching me, then kneeling in front of me with his hand against my cheek. Every time I try to pull away, he grabs my face and forces me to meet his eyes, and the only thing he says to me is 'you are mine now, little Jedi.' And then I wake up." she explained quietly.
"That is strange. How long have you been having that dream?" Xanatos asked.
Celestia offered a slight shrug. "For about three or four nights now. And that's not the half of it, really. Before I called you, a strange man showed up at our door. Apparently he and Master Qui-Gon were old friends, but I've never seen him around here before. You know what the really weird thing is? I could swear this guy is the same person who keeps haunting my dreams. I just don't get it. I mean, is this just a fluke, or does it actually mean something? To be honest, I'd prefer it if it was just a fluke, but knowing my luck, it won't be. You know how I get these twisted visions of the future once in a while," she continued, shaking her head ruefully.
Xanatos lay his hand gently on her arm in a comforting gesture. She looked up at him and smiled faintly, grateful for his concern.
Suddenly she sat up, a gleam appearing in her eyes as she did so, almost as if a revelation had struck her. She turned and stood up, pacing back and forth absently across the room. Xanatos watched her curiously, wondering what she was up to now. He got his answer a moment later when she stopped short in her tracks and turned back towards him, that all too familiar gleam in her lavender eyes as she started gesturing excitedly.
Xanatos groaned inwardly. He knew that look all too well. It was the same look that she got in her eyes when she had set her mind on something and was not about to be swayed from whatever cockamamie scheme she had cooked up.
"Okay, Celestia. What are you planning now?" Xanatos asked cautiously.
"I don't trust this Avaris guy. I think one of us needs to spy on him, find out what's going on. But I don't know how we'd do it. He's Force-sensitive. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not all that good at the whole shielding thing right now," she answered.
For a moment, Xanatos didn't say anything. He merely stared at her in stunned silence. She'd come up with some insane schemes before in the past, but this one definitely took the prize. The moment she'd mentioned the fact that this Avaris character was Force-sensitive, he got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He finally regained his voice after a long, awkward pause.
"All right. And just how do you suppose we do it, then?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know. But I'll think of something," she replied.
"What about your Master?" Xanatos asked.
"That's just the thing. I think Avaris is shielding himself, and the only reason I'm getting these bad vibes about him is because of the dreams," she said quietly, looking at him worriedly.
"Hmmm. Well, I think between you, me, and the others, we can come up with a way to exploit whatever he's hiding," Xanatos offered reassuringly.
Celestia shrugged again, staring off into space. "I think he's a Dark-sider," she half-whispered.
"What?" Xanatos asked, a shocked expression in his emerald eyes.
Celestia nodded. "Yes. I felt it when I opened the door," she said.
"You didn't let him in, did you?" Xanatos asked.
Celestia didn't answer, but instead merely looked away, offering a slight shrug. She didn't need to speak. Xanatos had his answer, and judging from the expression on her face, it was a yes. Xanatos stared at her for a long moment, finally breaking the silence.
"Why, love?" he asked.
She gestured helplessly. "I didn't know what else to do. If I would have told him that Master Qui-Gon wasn't there, he would have sensed I was lying and come in anyway," she replied.
Xanatos sighed. "That's true," he conceded. Then he gave her an endearing grin. "Things like this could only happen to you, you know?"
Celestia laughed half-heartedly, turning back to face him. "Yeah, I know. But hey, it makes things all that more interesting, right?" she said jokingly.
He laughed and gave her braid a gentle tug. "Yeah, never a dull moment around here, that's for sure," he remarked. The something occured to him. "Do you think he's still there?"
Celestia shrugged again. "I don't know. But if he is, I'm staying as far away from him as possible," she muttered, glancing at her wrist chrono. "Sith, I have to go. My Master wants me home for dinner. I'll try to talk to you later, though. Hopefully Avaris won't be there when I get home."
Xanatos took her into his arms and gave her a comforting hug. "Are you sure you'll be all right?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be all right. Besides, Master Qui-Gon won't let Avaris do anything to me," she replied as they pulled away.
"Okay. As long as you're sure. I'll talk to you later, then. Just be careful, okay?" he said.
She smiled at his concern, grateful. "I will, I promise. See you later," she said and turned to take her leave.
"May the Force be with you, love. You're going to need it," he whispered, though he doubted that she could hear him.
Just as Celestia opened the door to leave, Master Windu was returning. She paused and bowed respectfully. "Good evening, Master Windu," she said quietly.
"Good evening, Celestia. How are things with you and your Master?" he asked.
"We're fine. Ummm, if you'll excuse me, I should get going before I'm late," she said politely.
Mace nodded. "All right. Tell Qui-Gon I said hello," he said.
"I will. Bye," she said and took her leave of them.
Mace watched her for a moment, then shook his head as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Then he turned to face his apprentice, who now seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Through their bond, he sensed Xanatos' worry and concern for his friend.
"Is everything all right, Padawan? You seem a bit upset about something. Actually, come to think of it, so did she," he inquired.
"Yes, Master. Things have just started to get, well, a bit...shall we say...interesting?" he said, and quickly explained the situation, wisely choosing to leave out the part about Celestia's plan to spy on Avaris to find out what he really was.
Finally his voice trailed off as he finished explaining what was going on, becoming thoughtful again. "I'm worried about her, Master. I mean, I know Master Jinn would never let anything happen to her, but still, I can't help it," he said quietly.
Mace placed his hand on Xanatos' shoulder. "That's understandable. You two have been friends since you were very young. But don't worry. We'll do everything we can to make sure nothing happens to anyone," he said reassuringly.
Xanatos sighed. "I know, Master," he replied softly.
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Meanwhile, Celestia had reached her apartment. She reached out with the Force tentatively, but the only one she sensed was Qui-Gon. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and punched in her access code, slipping inside as the door opened, shutting it behind her. She wandered into the common area and removed her robe, tossing it onto the back of the sofa as Qui-Gon entered from the kitchen.
"Hello, Padawan. Did you have a good time?" he asked cheerfully.
Celestia nodded. "Yes, Master," she answered.
"That's good. Dinner's ready," he said. Then he felt a wave of anxiety flooding across their bond as Celestia finally let her shields drop. "Are you all right, little one?" he asked.
She smiled slightly at the endearing nickname that he'd had for her since they met and he'd taken her as his Padawan. "Umm, actually, no, not really. Can I talk to you? It's kind of important," she said as she followed Qui-Gon into the kitchen.
Qui-Gon picked up on her distress and placed his hand gently on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Of course. You can talk to me about anything," he said.
Celestia sighed in relief as they sat down to eat. "Well, I've been having these really weird dreams lately, for about the last three or four nights now. It's always the same dream. It came again when I dozed off earlier, just before Avaris showed up. In all of them, I'm trapped in a dark room and my wrists are shackled to the wall. Suddenly a door opens and the same person always appears, first standing in the doorway watching me, then kneeling in front of me with his hand against my cheek. Every time I try to pull away, he grabs my face and forces me to meet his eyes, and the only thing he says to me is 'you are mine now, little Jedi.' And then I wake up." she explained quietly. "I might be wrong, but I think the stranger in the dreams is Avaris."
"Avaris?" Qui-Gon asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
Celestia nodded. "Yes. I'd recognize that voice anywhere," she said, shivering involuntarily.
"Why didn't you say something before, Celestia?" Qui-Gon asked, not unkindly.
She shrugged. "I wanted to, but...I was afraid to say anything with him sitting right there," she said softly.
"I didn't sense anything amiss, but he may have been shielding himself," Qui-Gon mused thoughtfully. Then he added as an afterthought, "Don't worry little one. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."
"I know," Celestia whispered.
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Later that night, Celestia lay in bed, tossing and turning restlessly in the dark. She had gone to lay down a little bit earlier than she usually did. She hadn't been feeling all that well, and had politely excused herself from their routine evening meditation. She had tried to fall asleep, but every time she did, the same dreams would haunt her.
Finally she sighed and gave up. Wrapping her blanket around her slender body, she stood up and wandered out to the common area. Qui-Gon was watching the news on the holovid, and as she entered the room, he gestured for her to sit next to him on the sofa. She did so, leaning up against him as he put his arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.
Celestia sighed and shook her head. "No. Every time I close my eyes I keep seeing the same thing over and over again. I don't understand, Master. Why is this happening? What does it all mean?" she whispered.
"I don't know, Celestia," Qui-Gon replied quietly.
"You two used to be friends, right?" she asked suddenly.
Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, when we were Padawans," he answered.
"Was he always this way?" she asked.
Qui-Gon sighed. "No, he wasn't. But he changed when his Master was killed during a mission," he said.
"Tell me?" Celestia asked, but when she saw the look on Qui-Gon's face, she immediately regretted asking that question. "I'm sorry, Master. I shouldn't have said that."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, it's all right," he assured her.
"Are you sure?" Celestia asked softly.
He nodded. "Yes. I'm sure," he said, once again surprised at her insistence to put other's feelings before her own. He offered her a wistful smile as the memories of the past came back to him. "Avaris and I were best friends when we were Padawans. Back then he wasn't so cold and aloof. He was always the first one to get involved if a situation called for it. He couldn't stand to see anyone suffer. But all of that seemed to vanish after he came back from Belsavis. He and his Master were sent there to mediate a labor dispute. Apparently there were some people there who didn't like the idea of Jedi getting involved and Herrik was killed in the crossfire. Avaris was moody and withdrawn when he returned, and he asked me to help him get revenge on Herrik's murderers, but I refused, telling him that wasn't the way to deal with it. The next day, he had disappeared without a trace," Qui-Gon said.
Celestia didn't speak for a long moment. Instead she merely stared off into space, lost in her own thoughts. After a few minutes, she looked back up at Qui-Gon. "Do you know what happened to him after he disappeared?" she asked finally.
"No. We never heard from him after that and assumed he was dead or that he wanted nothing more to do with the Jedi. I was surprised when he showed up at the door today," Qui-Gon said.
Celestia let out a soft, quiet sigh and leaned back into the comfort of Qui-Gon's presence, letting herself drift into her own thoughts again. She didn't know what was going to happen to them now, but whatever it was, they would face it together. She hoped. Celestia had the sudden sinking feeling that all of this was Avaris' twisted idea of using her to get to Qui-Gon. She sighed again, wanting to sleep, but afraid to even close her eyes, afraid of the visions haunting her again.
Sensing her obvious distress, Qui-Gon glanced down at her with fatherly concern. "Would you like me to make it so you can sleep without the dreams?" he asked kindly.
Celestia nodded. "Please?" she said.
"All right, little one," he said.
Then he gently placed his hand on her forehead and sent comforting waves of Force energy over her, lulling her into a dreamless slumber. She managed to whisper a quiet, "Thank you," before a blissful unconsciousness claimed her.
Qui-Gon kept a silent vigil over her as she slept. She looked so much younger than she was when she slept, so innocent. He made a promise to himself right then and there that he would allow nothing and no one to harm her, no matter what the cost. Over the months that they had been together, he had come to think of her as the daughter he never had, and had become extremely protective of her.
Slowly he stood up, and being careful so as not to disturb her, he picked her up and carried her into her room, laying her down gently on the bed. He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and gave her a fatherly kiss on the forehead. Then he stood up and moved towards the door, turning back for a moment to make sure she was still sleeping peacefully. Once he was satisfied that she was all right and that she would continue resting, he turned out the lights.
"Sleep well, my little one," he said quietly before exiting her room and pulling the door closed behind him and retiring to his own bedroom for the night.
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The next morning, Celestia was the first one to awaken, which was strange to her, for usually Qui-Gon was awake long before her. She shrugged and dismissed the thought as she moved quietly through the apartment after finding some clothes to change into and headed for the 'fresher, turning on the light and closing the door behind her.
About fifteen minutes later she emerged, slightly more coherent. She was dressed in her traditional tan-colored tunic and pants, a dark colored belt on which her lightsaber was hooked, boots, and her flowing, dark brown robe completing the ensemble. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a simple braid.
Feeling restless, she decided to wander around the Temple for a while in an attempt to sort things out. Finding a piece of paper and a pen, she left a note for Qui-Gon and left the apartment, heading for the Room of a Thousand Fountains. It was her favorite spot in
the Temple, and she went there whenever she needed to feel at peace, if even for just a little while.
Upon arriving, she wasn't really surprised to find the chamber empty of any other Jedi. There usually wasn't anyone there this early in the morning, which made it that much more serene and peaceful to her. She wandered over to a fairly large fountain in the center of the room, sitting on the edge and gazing intently down into the clear blue depths as though she were in a trance. Idly she let her hand dangle in the water, creating small ripples with the Force.
Celestia hadn't been there very long when suddenly a mysterious figure caught her attention out of the corner of her right eye. She whirled around, nearly losing her balance on the edge of the fountain as she tried to look in time to see who-or what-was there, lingering in the shadows. Tentatively she reached out with the Force, trying to ascertain the stranger's identity, but whoever it was had shielded themselves from her gentle probing.
Scared now, she quickly jumped to her feet, looking around with wide eyes, but she saw nothing. Suddenly she felt the sharp jab of a hypospray needle in her neck as someone grabbed her from behind, and she screamed, thrashing wildly in the stranger's grip. But whatever they had injected into her was quick to take its toll on her, and just before she went limp in the stranger's arms, she cried out to Qui-Gon through their bond, hoping he would hear her.
*MASTER! HELP ME! PLEASE!* was all she was able to get out before the darkness claimed her.
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Qui-Gon felt a jolt of pain and fear surge through the bond that he shared with Celestia, and then nothing as the bond was cut off from him. Alarmed, he flew off of his sleepcouch and raced into her room, stopping short when he realized that she wasn't there.
Suddenly he noticed a piece of paper on her bed with a small dagger through it. He moved over to the bed and removed the dagger and the paper. Inspecting it closely, there was no mistaking the handwriting. It was Avaris'.
Qui-Gon,
I have your apprentice. If you ever want to see her alive again, come to the abandoned warehouse in the lower levels of Belsavis. I've been waiting for this day for a long time. You will pay for your betrayal. Come alone.
Avaris
"SITH!" Qui-Gon swore, crumpling the ransom note and hurling it against the wall harmlessly.
Furious, he stormed out of Celestia's room, grabbed his lightsaber and cloak and left the apartment, heading for the Council Chamber, when he literally bumped into someone. A small "oof," was heard, and he looked down. There on the floor was Celestia's friend Lianna.
"I'm sorry, Lianna. I didn't see you there," he said as he helped the young girl to her feet.
She shrugged. "It's all right, Master Jinn. I was just coming to see if everything was all right. I felt a disturbance in the Force," she said quietly, her luminescent wings fluttering anxiously.
"Celestia's been kidnapped," Qui-Gon said after a moment.
Lianna gasped, horrified. "No," she whispered.
Qui-Gon nodded in affirmation. "I'm going to speak to the Council right now. Don't worry, we'll get her back," Qui-Gon said with more reassurance than he actually felt.
Lianna hesitated before speaking. "Umm, Master Qui-Gon? Would it be all right if I went with you? I could help," she said, her quiet voice filled with determination.
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, Lianna. I won't put you in danger," he said.
But she was not to be so easily deterred. Her wings fluttering irritably, she stood her ground, drawing herself up to her full height of 5'4. Her silver eyes were filled with determination and also a stubborn quality that he'd never seen in the young faerie. Usually she was shy and reserved.
"Xanatos told us that he talked to Celestia yesterday. He said she had mentioned something about having visions of the future. Let me help. She's my friend, and I won't let either of you down," she said, realizing how disrespectful she must have sounded right then, but she really didn't care at the moment. Her friend was in danger, and rescuing her was all that mattered to Lianna right now.
"No, Lianna," Qui-Gon said sternly. He tried to remain stoic, but he knew darn well he would end up caving in eventually. Finally he sighed in resignation. "Very well, but stay close and do as I say."
Lianna nodded vigorously and followed him as he once again started for the Council chamber. Qui-Gon shook his head ruefully. ~Arek is going to kill me~ he thought ruefully.
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Celestia moaned in agony as she started to drift back into consciousness. She had no idea just how long she'd actually been knocked out. Disoriented, she opened her eyes and turned her head, trying to take in her surroundings. But it was too dark. An eerie sense of deja vu flooded through her. And if there was any part of her body that wasn't sore, she didn't know what it was. She felt like someone had run her over with a speeder, though she was hard-pressed to explain why.
Suddenly she realized that she was sitting on a cold, stone floor and her wrists were shackled to the wall above her head. She gasped softly and started struggling desperately, but it was no use. She couldn't break free, and her lightsaber was gone. She wouldn't have been able to reach it anyway even if it had still been there.
"No, this can't be happening," she whispered fearfully, her throat scratchy and sore for some weird reason, her breathing becoming shallow with her fear.
No sooner did she get the words out than a door off to the side suddenly opened. She turned, squinting as the bright light from the corridor beyond flooded into her prison and blinded her for a moment. When her vision cleared somewhat, she saw the same hooded figure standing in the doorway watching her *very* intently, the same person who always appeared whenever she saw this same scenario in her dreams.
Just like in her dreams, the figure strode into the room, kneeling down in front of her. Again, the hand rested on her face, and again she jerked away, disgusted. But her captor roughly grabbed her face in his hand, forcing her lavender eyes to meet his dark blue ones, and she knew in that instant who he was.
Avaris.
Celestia gasped in horror.
Avaris, seeing the recognition on her face, grinned evilly. "Enjoying your new accommodations, my dear?" he taunted her.
"What do you want from me?!" she demanded.
"Oh, I have no quarrel with you, but you are mine, now, little Jedi," he said sinisterly, his voice almost a growl.
"You won't get away with this. I know who you are, Avaris. Master Qui-Gon will come for me, and when he does, well, I'd hate to be you, you lying sack of Hutt slime," she hissed vehemently.
Avaris laughed menacingly. "Oh, I wouldn't count on that, young one. Qui-Gon is dead," he said.
"No! You're lying! He's still alive! I would have felt him die!" she screamed defiantly.
"It's true. I killed him myself," Avaris replied.
With that, he waved his hand and a moment later, a smoky image appeared in the air before her. Looking closer, she saw Qui-Gon lying dead in a pool of blood on the floor in the common area of their apartment. A small dagger lay on the floor next to him. Enraged, Celestia let out an anguished cry and tried to lunge at Avaris, but the shackles held her back.
"NO! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, YOU MONSTER!" she cried.
"I think not. There is nothing you can do to stop me, little one," he said, deliberately adding the last part just to taunt her.
"Don't call me that, you slime bag!" Celestia snarled.
Then she hauled off and spit in his face. He retaliated by slapping her hard across the face. She wasn't expecting that, and the blow stunned her. She turned back to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously. She tried to call out to the Force to shove him away from her, but something was blocking her Force abilities.
She hissed. "Why are you doing this?!" she demanded furiously.
Avaris gestured nonchalantly. "I wanted revenge on Qui-Gon. I got it, and you were just an added prize. Like I said before, you belong to me, now," he smirked.
"I belong to no one!" she snapped defiantly.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, girl. You are mine," he said, standing up and heading for the door.
Suddenly he turned back and glanced at her. "Oh, you won't be needing those shackles anymore. There's no way you can escape," he added as an afterthought.
Again he gave a wave of his hand and the shackles fell away, freeing Celestia's wrists from their grip. She lowered her arms and massaged her sore wrists, glaring at him as he left, slamming the door shut behind him with a resounding *BANG!*
The adrenaline that had been coursing wildly through her only moments ago finally faded and she curled up into a fetal position on the floor, the tears starting to fall. Qui-Gon couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. But she was being blocked from the Force and had no way of knowing whether or not Avaris was lying. Soon her silent whimpers turned into violent sobs that wracked her entire body.
"Master, please, help me. Come for me," she whispered softly through her tears.
She tried to stay awake and alert as long as she could, but it wasn't long before she had cried herself to sleep, surrendering herself to the blissful surrounding darkness.
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Meanwhile, Qui-Gon and Lianna had reached the Council chamber. They walked in without announcing their entry, much to the chagrin of the Council, who were in the middle of another boring meeting. Qui-Gon and Lianna bowed respectfully.
"I apologize for interrupting, Masters, but this is an urgent matter. My apprentice has been kidnapped by Avaris Ma'Kar and I believe she may be in grave danger," Qui-Gon explained.
There was a quiet murmuring among the ten remaining Council members for a few moments before Yoda finally silenced them, tapping his gimmer stick rather loudly on the tiled floor. A hush fell over the room and Yoda turned his gentle eyes to his former Padawan and the young girl beside him.
"Forseen this I have. In danger Celestia is, grave danger. But know Avaris' motives and demands we do not. Wait we must," Yoda said.
Qui-Gon felt his temper flare and fought to clamp down on it. "That is something I cannot do. He is using her to get to me," he retorted icily.
"Know do you, where she is being held?" Yoda asked.
"On Belsavis," Qui-Gon answered shortly.
Just then Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up. "If you're right, Qui-Gon, and Avaris is using her to get to you, he could kill her if you move against him now," he pointed out.
"I refuse to just sit here doing nothing while he tortures her because of me," Qui-Gon said, turning on his heel and storming out of the room. Lianna offered a slight shrug and followed him.
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Qui-Gon hurried down the corridors, moving too quickly for Lianna to keep up with his longer stride on the ground. Finally she took to the air, her wings fluttering silently and yet anxiously as she flew along at his side.
Finally they stopped when they reached the docking bay, and Lianna landed gracefully at Qui-Gon's side. She followed him as he approached one of the transport's pilots, an old friend of his by the name of Dax Falkner. The man grinned as he saw Qui-Gon and Lianna approach, but then the smile faded when he saw the look on his friend's face.
"Qui-Gon? Is everything all right?" he asked.
"I'll explain later. There's no time now. Right now we just need to get to Belsavis, quickly," Qui-Gon replied.
Dax nodded. "Right. Get on board and we're out of here," he said. "By the way, where's your apprentice? Celestia, I think her name is?" he added as he followed behind them up the boarding ramp and securing it.
"That's why we need to get going. She's been kidnapped, and something's blocking our bond," he answered.
Dax looked shocked. "Kidnapped? Who would take a sweetheart like her?" he asked, his voice becoming softly dangerous. Many was the times that the three of them had gotten together and Dax had become just as protective over the young girl as Qui-Gon was.
"Avaris," Qui-Gon said.
"That figures. I never did trust that guy," Dax said, half to himself. "How do you know where she is?"
"He left a ransom note. He's using her to get to me," Qui-Gon said angrily, though his anger was not directed at Dax or Lianna.
The young faerie girl watched the exchange in silence, slightly unnerved. She had heard about Qui-Gon's legendary temper. Most of the time he was the epitome of serenity, but if someone hurt him or those he cared about, then they were in *deep* trouble. And this Avaris person had taken his "daughter." Lianna shuddered to think of what was to come.
As if sensing her distress, he placed his hand on her shoulder and led her out of the cockpit as Dax started the ship's engines. A few minutes later, they felt the familiar lurching of the floor beneath them as the Firestorm entered hyperspace. Lianna finally spoke as she and Qui-Gon sat down in the lounge.
"Do you think we'll make it in time?" she asked softly, her silver eyes betraying her fear for her friend.
Qui-Gon sighed. "I hope so," he replied.
Just then Dax joined them in the lounge. "We've entered lightspeed. We should reach Belsavis in a few hours," he said.
Qui-Gon nodded. "Good. Thank you Dax. I only hope it's not too late."
"If he's touched even so much as one hair on her head, he's going to regret the day he was born," Dax said darkly.
"No, Dax. I won't stoop to his level. But I do have a plan..." he said, motioning for them to lean closer to hear his plan.
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Celestia awoke with a start a few hours later, disoriented. After a few moments, the memories of the past day or so came flooding back to her and she looked up to find Avaris kneeling beside her, that irritating smug smirk plastered on his face. She backed away from him, but quickly found herself against the wall.
"I see you're awake," he remarked.
"What do you want?!" she hissed.
"Just thought I'd check on my new apprentice," he said.
Celestia cursed at him in Nubian and tried to lunge at him, but he moved out of her way at the last second, grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her to her feet. She struggled to break free from him, but it was no use. Again she felt the sharp jab of a needle in her neck and collapsed to the floor as Avaris released his grip on her, slipping into unconsciousness again.
TBC...I'll have the next part up as soon as I can. In the meantime, let me know what you think of what I have so far! Kudos!
~*Celestia Vitaria*~