Title: Written In Blood
Author: SilverDragon
Summary: Nine-years-ago Qui-Gon Jinn worked on a case investigating the power of the dead to come back alive, by trading lives with a living person. Now that past case will rear its ugly head only this time, his Padawan's life is at stake. And this time, it's personal.
Disclaimer: The side plot with Bruck and his family is borrowed from The X-Files Season 2 episode: the Calusari. In other words, the whole plot is property of Chris Carter and not me. I don't claim it. All recognizable Star Wars characters/planets/etc belong to their respective creator.
Note: Loosely follows the Jedi Apprentice series. Certain twists and turns. If something seems AU, it probably is.
Book 1: Blood Oath
Fire. The blazes shot up in front of Obi-Wan. The intense heat flamed through his palms, sending waves of pain running through his nerves. The all too familiar feelings of fear and anger jolted through him as the smell of burning flesh filled the air. He couldn't take it. And yet he couldn't pull away. The flames licked up across his arms, peeled back the skin and crusted it, sending white flakes spiraling down towards the ground -
"NOOOO!" Obi-Wan jerked upwards, sweat beading on his brow.
"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon's voice was suddenly there, calm and comforting. A moment later, Obi-Wan felt strong, warm, hands gently stroke his brow, wiping off the sweat. "What's wrong?" the master Jedi asked softly.
Soft tendrils of the Force pulsed between the two as Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "Nothing," he stuttered, "Nothing, Master."
"It must be something," Qui-Gon pressed, his blue eyes taking in Obi-Wan's disheveled appearance. "You were screaming." He gently probed the boy's mind only to find the shields strongly stacked against him.
Obi-Wan pulled out of his Master's arms. "N – no, it's nothing. I'm sorry for waking you."
Qui-Gon furrowed his brow. "Obi-Wan . . . "
"Please, Master. It's really nothing."
Qui-Gon hesitated. Part of him wanted to insist Obi-Wan tell him, but the young man was now nineteen. Qui-Gon knew very well at that age he couldn't force his apprentice to tell him something that seemed irrelevant. And plus, Obi-Wan was distressed enough without Qui-Gon ordering him to tell him. "Very well then," he said quietly, ruffling Obi-Wan's sweat-plastered hair, "I'll see you in the morning."
"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan whispered, causing Qui-Gon to frown once more. His padawan was polite, yes, but never at 3 in the morning. He debated against turning back again, but decided against it and left the room.
Obi-Wan counted the master's steps until he was sure Qui-Gon was back in his own room. Shakily, he rose and walked over to his desk, reaching underneath all his books where the dreaded letter lay.
A message, scrawled in blood, tainted with hatred. Revenge is always sweet.
The letter was signed by Bruck.
***
"Are you feeling all right?" Qui-Gon asked, clearly concerned.
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said quickly. He shoved three forkfuls of eggs into his mouth then stilled his fork once more against the edge of his plate.
Qui-Gon pushed back his own plate with a sigh. "There's something bothering you, Padawan. I don't want to resort to ordering you to tell me. But I will if you don't."
Obi-Wan looked up sharply at that. "You can't do that," he said.
Leaning backwards in his chair, Qui-Gon raised one eyebrow slightly. "I can do that, Padawan, and I don't want to but – "
"But nothing! You're always trying to invade my privacy!" Obi-Wan stood so fast he knocked his chair over. He pointed an accusing finger at Qui-Gon. "Stop trying to understand me! I have things in my life that can't be understood." His finger was now wavering slightly and Qui-Gon couldn't help but notice the way the other man was trembling.
"Sit down," he said softly, and his voice had lost all anger. "I don't want to invade your privacy. I respect your privacy, Padawan. But you're hurting and I don't want to see it continue."
Obi-Wan sat down and stared sulkily at his food. "I don't want to share."
Qui-Gon nodded easily at the padawan. "Then I'll give you time." His wording however, implied that the Jedi master would find out what was bothering Obi-Wan someway or another.
***
"Bruck? Bruck?"
The sound of his mother's voice brought Bruck back to attention. It was his third visit home since he had come to the Temple ten years ago. "I'm here," he said, yawning slightly.
His mother smiled gently at him. "Your father and I wanted to take you to the festival tonight."
Bruck perked up. "Just the three of us?"
"Oh, my dear, I wish that were so."
Bruck's face fell considerably. "So Kad and Tino are coming, too."
"They're eight and two, Bruck. Your father and I can't leave them behind." Sarra Chun looked rationally down at her eldest son. "And we can't hire a babysitter on such short notice. But don't worry," she said quickly, seeing his expression fall. "They won't ruin your visit home."
***
Why did he feel so cold? Obi-Wan shivered once more, folding his arms into the brown Jedi robe he wore. It was a startling opposite to the fire he had felt – no. Sternly, Obi-Wan brought his mind to stop concentrating on the nightmare. It had meant nothing.
But how many times have I dreamt of fire before? None except for last night, Obi-Wan acknowledged sadly. He looked down at his arm again, suddenly seeing the faint wisps of sparks and the smoke rising up, blinding his eyes. The thick smoke choked Obi-Wan as he struggled to grab his arm, to use the Force, anything! A snickering laugh echoed in his head.
"Obi-Wan!" Bant's panicked voice suddenly flashed into his conscious mind.
Obi-Wan blinked, looking down at his arm. It was perfectly normal. He ran one hand across it, but his arm felt cool to the touch. Shaking, Obi-Wan looked into his friend's eyes, seeing compassionate ones stare back at him.
"What happened?" Bant sounded concerned.
"I felt . . . a disturbance in the Force." Obi-Wan evaded.
Bant snorted. "Don't give me that Sithspit, Obi-Wan. It was more than a disturbance."
"I can't tell you," Obi-Wan whispered, his eyes beseeching her to understand.
She regarded him for a moment before asking, "Does your Master know?"
"He knows everything that goes on in my life – except this," Obi-Wan admitted, "I just – I feel as if I can't tell anybody including Master Qui-Gon."
"What will happen if you do?"
Obi-Wan met her eyes and she could see that they were deeply troubled. "I don't know. But I just know it isn't good."
***
"You've hardly touched your food, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, worriedly. "This is beginning to worry me. You're trusting too much in a nightmare."
"It wasn't just a nightmare," Obi-Wan said. "It was real."
Qui-Gon calmly sliced a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. He chewed for some time before continuing, "The future is always in motion. What you see today does not need to happen tomorrow."
"I know."
Still chewing, Qui-Gon glanced upwards at where Obi-Wan was poking at his food. "Then why are you so concerned? If you act rightfully, you can prevent what you saw. A vision is a warning."
Obi-Wan speared through his beans slowly before answering, "It isn't an event in the future. It's already happened."
"Then why do you fear it?"
Obi-Wan hesitated. His master's voice was so warm and concerned, and he had always been able to tell the man everything before. So why was a part of him screaming warnings not to tell? "I don't know, Master," he said softly, feeling disappointment along their bond.
"Does this feeling emanate from your very core?" Qui-Gon asked, his tone shifting to one of authority. "Or does in emanate from stubbornness?"
Tears shone in Obi-Wan's eyes as he blinked at the man. "Please, Qui-Gon, I can't. I've – I've got to go." He pushed away from the table, leaving his untouched plate of food sitting behind.
"Let me help you, Padawan," Qui-Gon murmured softly, but he spoke to empty air.
***
"Make him stop crying," Bruck said impatiently to his father.
Vox sighed, shifting baby Tino in his arms. "He's hungry. I'm afraid we have to stop to feed him."
"He's always hungry," Bruck said, plopping down onto a bench. "Kad, don't you agree?"
Eight-year-old Kad nodded automatically. "You should see how often he needs to go to the potty, too!" Kad wrinkled his nose.
Bruck sighed and shifted his position once more. "Great, another event to delay us."
Kad came to his brother's side. "Don't worry. Mom and Dad don't pay much attention to me either when Tino starts crying. It's just the way things are."
"I wish I could change it," Bruck muttered, clenching his jaw slightly. "We've been here for four hours and Mom and Dad have been fussing over Tino for three-and-half. I wish Tino could just go away."
"Be careful what you wish for," Kad warned unexpectedly.
"Why?" Bruck demanded.
"You're a Jedi. And a Jedi's wish often comes true."
***
The red lightsaber hissed through the air, sending a smell of crackling ozone following its path. Obi-Wan brought his own crackling blade up and parried, twisting away to avoid the blow. The battle was so familiar. His opponent, hands clenched angrily around his lightsaber, saw him and smiled.
"Not so tough now?" the boy hissed.
Obi-Wan strained his neck to see the other padawan. The room was bright, but it seemed there was a black hole surrounding the area he most wanted to see; all light was sucked into nothingness. Suddenly, the sharp smell came at him again and subconsciously, Obi-Wan ducked and hit the floor, his hands bracing his fall.
His opponent whirled quickly, slashing downwards. Fast as lightning, Obi-Wan reactivated his lightsaber and staved off the blow. The red lightsaber came faster and faster, each time managing to push Obi-Wan's limits. A cool chill suddenly brushed his sweat-covered back. The air itself, was cold and silent.
Obi-Wan shivered violently, trying to raise his lightsaber to defend himself again. But his muscles seemed to have turned to ice and he couldn't do anything but watch as the red lightsaber angled outwards.
His opponent laughed snidely before bringing his arm back and slashing forwards with all his might. Obi-Wan watched the 'saber and felt fear move through him, the familiar tingling in his body, the quaking of his stomach; his breathing came faster and faster, darkness itself threatened to overcome him and then –
"Point, Aalto," Qui-Gon Jinn said quietly.
What? Obi-Wan steadied himself, seeing Aalto smile knowingly then bow. Another chill swept over him. Aalto knew what had been bothering him. Slowly, his eyes never leaving Aalto's brown ones, he inclined his head downwards in a short bow.
"Well fought," he whispered, staring at Aalto's back as the other apprentice left the room, no doubt to gloat. The second Aalto left the room, warmth rushed back to Obi-Wan's bones, massaging and battling back the icy grip. Relieved, Obi-Wan sank to the floor.
"Padawan," Qui-Gon started gingerly.
Obi-Wan gave a start, obviously haven forgotten Qui-Gon was present. "Yes, Master?" he asked quietly.
"I'm worried about you," Qui-Gon said, dropping to one knee before Obi-Wan and then gently tugging the braid. "You've never lost so badly before, especially not to the likes of Padawan Lon."
Obi-Wan sighed and tried to push his master away. "I was distracted, that's all."
"Why won't you tell me?" Qui-Gon's voice was pained.
Obi-Wan stared into his master's deep blue eyes and tried to find the calmness in them, the security he had once been able to find. Qui-Gon had been his base in all his confusion, the one area he knew he could always be safe. Yet why could he no longer see shelter and comfort in his master's eyes?
Book II: Seeking Answers
"Eat your candy, Bruck," Vox said, his tone dismissive as he gently rocked Tino. Sarra peered over her husband's shoulder and gently handed Tino a small balloon. Tino held it tightly and cried louder.
"I don't know why he won't stop crying," Vox admitted, "Maybe we should go home."
"NO!" Bruck demanded, suddenly jumping to his feet. "I'm going back to the Temple in two days, Dad!"
"When you come home next time, Tino will be older," Sarra reasoned. "I'm sorry, Bruck, but Tino needs to go home. Something here is scaring him."
Kad tried tentatively, "Tino always cries no matter where we are."
"Be that as it may, Kad," Sarra said, her tone hardening. "It's getting late. Don't you want your brother to get a good night's sleep?" She sighed, seeing the bubbling anger in Bruck's gaze and the sad, wistful, eyes of Kad. "Why don't you boys go on one last ride? Your father and I will be waiting at the landspeeder."
"Excellent!" Kad said eagerly. "C'mon, Bruck, let's go!" Kad started forward excitedly only to notice Bruck wasn't following. "Bruck, didn't you hear mom? We get to go on one more ride!"
"Yeah, I heard mom," Bruck said, his fist clenching. "I heard her dismiss me for Tino."
***
"Been expecting you, I have."
Qui-Gon entered the doorway and bowed low. "I apologize, Master Yoda, for disturbing you."
"Always welcome, you are," Yoda said.
Qui-Gon dropped to one knee as a sign of respect before the elderly Jedi before speaking, "I'm concerned about Obi-Wan," he admitted, "He had a – nightmare this morning and all day it's been disturbing him."
"A nightmare, eh?" Yoda asked. "Many of those, youngsters have."
"He believes it is real. That it isn't a vision of the future, but a vision of something that has come to pass. A warning, you could say. Like something deadly happened once and this vision is warning him it could happen again. Or perhaps that something that happened in the past could come alive once more."
Yoda drummed his gimer stick slightly. "Talked to your padawan, have you?"
"I tried."
"Reasons, you came here, tell me."
"I wanted you to talk to Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, his tone defeated, "I tried. I talked to his friends. Obi-Wan was disturbed during breakfast about his vision and Bant said Obi-Wan was panicking while they were walking to class. Later, Obi-Wan was – distracted during a sparring match with Aalto."
"Padawan Lon?" Yoda requested softly.
"Yes."
"Shadows I sense," the diminutive master said, "Many shadows. Padawan Lon, friend of Bruck's he was."
Qui-Gon stiffened. "A friend of Bruck's?"
"Talk to others, we must," Yoda said. "His friends. Perhaps they know something. Who else Bruck had as friends, you must ask. And talk to Obi-Wan, you must."
"What will you do, Master?"
"Meditate on this, I will."
***
"Bant."
The young Calmanarian whirled. "Master Jinn!" she exclaimed, startled. Quickly, she bowed before asking, "What do you need?"
"Answers." Qui-Gon gently drew the young Jedi into the shadows of the hallway.
Her eyes immediately flashed understanding. "Obi-Wan," she said flatly. "I don't know either what's going on with him. You've asked me this before."
"I know you don't," Qui-Gon said, "But you said that Obi-Wan was shaking. What else happened?"
Bant cast a worried look down the empty hallway before sighing softly. "He kept on grabbing his arms and looking nervously as if he had seen something happen. He was shivering at first but then he kind of jerked and just kept on staring at his arm and shaking. He said the room was chilly."
"Was it?"
"No," Bant said, "It was warm. I remember thinking it was peculiar for him to be shivering so violently."
"Would he tell you why he felt so cold?" Qui-Gon probed.
"He just said something bad would happen if he told anyone."
Qui-Gon stroked his beard thoughtfully, "He told me something would die forever," he mused. "But I have no idea what he means."
"I can try to get more information from him, but he's not in the mood for talking," Bant said, "He rebuffs my questions. But I can try."
"Please do. Thank you, Bant," Qui-Gon said, his long footfall carrying him down the doorway to where Padawan Lon's quarters were.
***
"Hey, I can see everything!"
Bruck smiled slightly at Kad who was whooping cheerfully as they rode up a tube of the ride. "Yes," he said, " we can." His gaze was firmly focused on the parking lot, where he could see his parents laughing and rocking Tino in their arms, the gurgling baby holding a balloon tightly in one hand.
"You're jealous of him, aren't you?" Kad demanded.
"I'm not," Bruck said shortly. "I'm not jealous of a two-year-old baby."
Kad shrugged and waved his hand, fanning his face. "Today wouldn't be a great day anyway. There's no wind. It's so hot," he complained. "Maybe we could sneak onto a water ride before mom and dad come looking for us."
"Speaking of mom and dad, look," Bruck said, pointing downwards at where his family had reached the landspeeder. "By the time this ride is over, they'll be done."
"That sucks," Kad muttered, gripping his seat tightly. Five more seconds and then his car would plunge down the 90-degree hill. "Hey, Bruck," he called, "We're about to go – "
His brother looked past him, towards the parking lot. "Tino," he cried out, panicked.
Kad whirled in his seat and saw their brother's stroller – empty.
***
"I don't think the engine is malfunctioning," Sarra said, stepping back from the small landspeeder. "I'll just fasten Tino in and then – " a loud shriek came from her, halting her sentence. "Vox, come quickly!"
"What's wrong?"
Sarra pointed at the empty stroller. "Do you think he was kidnapped?" Her voice was hysterical. "We have to contact the police!"
"Don't panic," Vox said worriedly, scanning the parking lot. "He's two. How far can he go? We need organization. You search there. Alert the boys. I'll make a round of the lot."
***
"Look, there he is!" Kad cried out. "He's chasing his balloon!"
The balloon was blowing gently to the west and Tino was running eagerly after it. "I see him," Bruck said, making a mental note of the location before the cars dipped down the hill and they lost all visibility of Tino.
Kad clung tightly to his seat, still trying to find Tino in the crowd. "We have to get him!" Bruck shouted. The moment the cars were fifteen feet from the ground, Bruck jumped off the ride, using what he knew of the Force to land hard on his feet, but safely.
His mother was twenty feet from him. "Mom!" Bruck shouted, "Tino!"
"I know!" she cried, fear swimming in her eyes. "Where is he?"
"The parking lot," Bruck said, "By the railroad."
Her face paled. "Oh . . . " But a second later, she had broken into a full-out sprint. Bruck followed her, one hand extending outwards in the sign of a not-fully-trained Jedi trying to take command of the Force.
***
There was pure astonishment on Aalto's face when he opened the door, but it quickly faded and he bowed respectfully. "Master Jinn," he said politely.
"I need to speak with your master."
"I will go call him," Aalto said.
Qui-Gon nodded coldly at the apprentice. "Good."
Aalto shifted uncomfortably. "Be right back," he muttered, exiting to his rooms. A moment later, he came out again, with the Jedi Master Jas'n behind him.
Jas'n turned his stern expression towards Qui-Gon. "Master Jinn."
"This meeting will be quick," Qui-Gon said, drawing his arms into his cloak. "We worked together years ago on a disturbing case."
"All cases are disturbing."
Qui-Gon leaned forward slightly. "We owe each other our lives," he started. "And although I have not begun to repay mine, I ask that you do something for me."
A cautious light shone in Jas'n's eyes. He made a small "go on" gesture with one hand.
"Aalto and my padawan Obi-Wan sparred today. Obi-Wan was – had been – extremely distracted earlier that day, but I sense that something deep was bothering him." Qui-Gon sighed. "Aalto was friends with Bruck once. I realize," Qui-Gon said quickly, "that Aalto has improved a great deal since then, but some part of him is still attuned to darkness."
Jas'n leveled a stern glare at Qui-Gon. "Are you accusing my padawan as the reasons of Obi-Wan's discomfort?"
"Yes," Qui-Gon said bluntly.
Jas'n was silent. Qui-Gon could feel his old comrade's struggle with his temper. "That is," Jas'n said at last, and every word seemed to cut through Qui-Gon, "the most absurd thing you could ever accuse me of. You have absolutely no proof."
"Not yet, perhaps."
"And I presume this is where I come in," Jas'n snapped.
"I need evidence."
"I will not help incriminate my own padawan!"
Qui-Gon paused, "I will get the evidence, with all due respect, Jas'n. The question is: will I have to do it the hard way or the easy way?"
Jas'n stood up. "Good day to you, Master Jinn."
Qui-Gon sighed and stood as well. He reached the door then turned back. "When you see things in a clearer light, when you see the warnings, we will speak again."
Jas'n favored him with a thin smile. "Which will be far in the future indeed."
***
Bruck leapt over small booths, ignoring the dirty looks people shot him. His mother had raced ahead faster than him, the strength of a mother with a child in danger propelling her forward. Far behind them, Kad had started running too.
"Tino, move away from the tracks!" Sarra shouted.
Vox, fifty feet away from Tino, heard the cry and spun around. Moving extraordinary fast for an overweight man like him, he lunged towards his youngest son, who was jumping up and down on the tracks, trying to reach a balloon that was bobbing up and down in the air.
Bruck could see the train now, merely twenty feet from Tino. He leapt, accessing the Force once more. "Stop!" he shouted, leaping inside the cockpit of it. The train was merely a string of small landspeeders, but each hovered only two inches from the ground. Enough to run a child over. The man driving slammed on the brakes.
The train screeched dangerously. Bruck saw his mother running towards them. He saw Tino eagerly jumping up and down on the tracks. He knew he could Force-shove his younger brother out of the way.
But then what? Go back to watching his parents care more about Tino then him? Bruck smiled thinly. Not in his life.
Instead Bruck accessed the Force one last time, overriding the brake controls. Go on, he told the engine, go on. And from far away, Kad Chun saw the look in his brother's eyes and felt his intentions.
"Bruck, don't!" he shouted, but the shout was lost in a sudden chill sweeping across the entire festival grounds.
