Author's note: I wrote this story about five or six years ago (amazing how time flies!), and I really only posted it to get the hang of the story upload process. In other words, it isn't terribly good. However, I re-read it and decided that, even if the story itself is lacking a bit, I could do better in terms of the grammar and some of the wording. I might come back and completely re-do the whole thing (splitting it up into chapters would probably be a good idea, for example), but I think I'd better finish "Revenge" before I do that. Until then, I hope you enjoy this new, slightly improved version. -Jaya
Disclaimer: IF I WAS MAKING MONEY OFF THIS, D'YA THINK I'D BE BROKE? It all belongs to the main man, Mr. Lucas. Don't sue.
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat shivering inside his tiny cell, feeling lonely, hungry, cold, in pain, and just plain miserable. Repeated attempts to touch the Force had failed, and now he just sat, thinking about his predicament. He wished he knew what had happened to his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, but since he couldn't sense him anywhere nearby, he was pretty sure that at least the Jedi wasn't sharing his Padawan's fate. The last time Obi-Wan had seen him, Qui-Gon had been fighting the pirates that had taken over their transport en route to Coruscant from their latest mission to Bandomeer.
The planet never seemed to be out of troubles, or out of pirates, and they constantly required Jedi assistance. Obi-Wan didn't object, since it gave him a chance to see his friends again, especially Si Treemba, but he knew that the councilwas frustrated with the planet's constant cry for help.
This most recent trip had been another response to the piratethreat. The troublesome Togorians had become especially fierce within the last few months, and the problem had escalated to the point where Clat'Ha decided to put in a call for Jedi assistance. Obi-Wan knew that she was reluctant to ask anyone for help, and so when he learned of her plight he convinced Qui-Gon to volunteer for the trip.
They had managed to fight back the majority of the pirates, but on the trip home more had attacked the Jedi's ship in such force that the two hadn't been able to fight them off. Qui-Gon had instructed Obi-Wan to follow him into the ship's single escape pod, but before the apprentice could reach it one of the pirates grabbed him and knocked him out, dragging him along back to the pirates' flagship. Obi-Wan hoped Qui- Gon had gotten away safely and not waited for him, but he couldn't be sure because their bond was still fairly new. From what he had overheard, the ship had blown up shortly after he was brought to the flagship. Obi-Wan just couldn't let himself believe that anything had happened. He wasn't ready for that; their bond was so new yet so refreshing that the thought of sharing that with someone else was unfathomable.
He tried to get up enough energy to crawl his way over to the tiny, bare cot sitting on the other side of the room, but every time he thought he had enough energy to make it, he'd move one limb and uncontrollable tears would rise to his swollen eyes with the increase of pain. Finally giving up, he slumped back up against the cool wall and tried to forget the misery, forget everything.
At long last, when food eventually made its way through the slot in his door, it was greeted only by the boy's exhausted, sleeping form and was left to cool on the dank floor.
Qui-Gon grimaced as he approached the tiny world of Sondria and felt his padawan's pain again. He tried to reach out and give the boy some comfort, but their bond was too weak, and so was Obi-Wan. He didn't know where to start looking for the boy, and his worry increased each time he felt Obi- Wan cry out through the Force.
At the moment, he needed to get to someplace where he could get a real transport instead of the tiny escape pod he was riding in. The pod had barely made it this far, and he had long ago initiated the distress signal. There was no way he could make it down to the planet without crashing, and that was an incident he wanted to avoid at all costs. Besides, it was risky enough trying to get into orbit. He had enough fuel to get into orbit on the first try, if he made it. If he didn't, he'd either crash onto the planet, or zoom off into space and miss his chance. Either way, he'd die if he didn't make it. He was fairly sure he could do it, as long as somebody could pick him up from there and take him planetside so he could contact the Jedi Council and get a real transport. Reluctantly, he took a deep, calming breath and laid his hands on the thruster controls.
The door groaned open and somebody stalked in. Obi-Wan didn't even bother to look up; he already knew what was going to happen. They were going to interrogate him again.
"What gives a Jedi his power? Where can I get the source of your power? Why are you so special? Who do I buy this stuff from? How do I get your power?" Endless questions, ones Obi-Wan couldn't answer. How do you explain to someone what they aren't willing to believe? There was no way to tell this guy that he could never have a Jedi's power, that it wasn't something he could buy or sell, and nothing he had control over. Besides, what would he use it for but more pirating escapades? No, he couldn't explain that to him. Nobody here would believe him; it would be a waste of breath and only get him more beatings. But what would end the interrogations? He could tell the men glitterstim was the key to a Jedi's power, but he wasn't supposed to lie. Plus, the only thing glitterstim would do for a person would give them the temporary ability to read minds. How, then, was he to explain the telekinesis, or the partial mind control Jedi were capable of? What about the amazing lightsaber skills, or the ability to put themselves and others into states of utter hibernation even when it wasn't a normal body function for the species? No, there were too many gaps in the glitterstim excuse. Besides, how could he degrade the only family he knew to a bunch of druggies and glitterstim addicts? There had to be another way out. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan was having trouble finding it, and he was too late to avoid the impending interrogation session, anyway.
He tried to will himself to unconsiousness before they took him away, but it was no use. The pirate scooped his limp body up and hauled it off to the torture room for another round of impossible questions.
Qui-Gon let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as he managed to safely maneuver the tiny pod into a reasonable orbit around the planet. Now, all he could do was wait until the planet's security monitors spotted him and someone contacted him. He sat back and searched the limited navigational files aboard the pod once more, hoping to find any small clue he might have missed that would lead him closer to his padawan. There was nothing there to help him, of course. He'd already looked through the files countless times as he made his way to Sondria, and there were little more than basic charts from well-traveled areas through the galaxy. They were designed to help a person find a nearby planet where they could get help, and told only where the planet was and if the pod had enough fuel to get them safely there. Of course, none but Sondria showed him any hope of rescue, but that wasn't what he was looking for. But, since the charts didn't have the information he needed, either, he closed them out and took another deep, relaxing breath. It didn't work.
Thankfully, the comm unit beeped then, forcing the pained Jedi to focus on more immediate tasks.
"Unidentified craft, we have you on our scopes now. Please identify yourself," the comm chirped at him.
Qui-Gon toggled the switch and answered, "I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in a Republic escape pod. My ship was attacked by pirates and my apprentice is missing. I am requesting transport down to your world and assistance in contacting the Jedi Temple."
"We copy, Master Jinn. We will send a transport up to retrieve you at once, and as soon as you reach the planet we will open up connections with the Jedi Temple," the control officer answered. "Please maintain your present course."
"Thank you" Qui-Gon answered. He turned off his comm. He sat up in his chair and checked all his systems to make sure they were all running properly, then leaned back and waited for the Sondrians to come and get him. They appeared on the horizon in seconds, heading towards him and engaging their tractor beam to pull him in. There was a slight jolt, and the pod was pulled towards the ship and safely inside within minutes.
There was a crew of several mechanics waiting for the Master as he climbed out of the escape pod and jumped down onto the deck of the ship. One hurried towards him.
"Master Jinn?" he asked politely. "We have been instructed to inspect your craft for explosive devices. I'm sure you understand. If you would like refreshment, there is a tapcafé down that hall and to your left. Otherwise, you may wait here. We will be landing in a moment." He and his men stepped forwards towards the escape pod, waiting.
"I understand" Qui-Gon answered. "I think I'll go pay a visit to that tapcafé, thank you." He bowed slightly, then brushed past them to go find a nice, hot drink. He hardly noticed his slight unease as he walked down the hall.
"All right, men, you know what to do," the mechanic said. "If you find anything, report back to me immediately." With that, he stalked out of the bay and went to find his boss. He had a report to file. He grinned evilly and brushed his hand across the smooth surface of the unsuspecting Jedi's lightsaber, allowing himself a malicious laugh as he thought of the rewards it would bring him.
"This is getting old,boy!What is the source of a Jedi's power, and where can I getit?" the man shouted, frustrated, as the whip cracked down over the exhausted Jedi's back.
Obi- Wan flinched, but said nothing. "Come on, boy, what is it that makes you tick? Why are you so powerful? WHAT IS IT?" The whip cracked again and again, until Obi-Wan's back was nothing but a numb,bloody mess. Obi- Wan couldn't bear it anymore.
"The Force," he whispered hoarsely. "It's the Force, and you can't buy it anywhere." He gasped for breath. "You're born with it," he wheezed.
The man wasn't satisfied with the truth, though. "You're lying," he said with another crack of the whip. "You insolent brat! What do you mean, 'you can't buy it anywhere'? You can't be serious! No one can be born with such power! No one! Power that great must be earned, or purchased, but not inherent! You liar!" Instead of letting up, he beat the poor boy even harder, becoming more vicious with each blow. "Liar! Liar! Liar!" he shouted angrily.
Unwanted tears streamed down the Padawan's face in frustration. "I don't know!" he shouted. "They only told me it was the Force! What do you want from me? I have no answers for you." He gasped with the exertion the outburst had produced. "I just don't know," he sobbed. Everything hurt, he was past numb and back to pain, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to go back to the temple and crawl into a bacta tank.
"How many times do I have to tell you, boy, DON'T LIE TO ME!" he shouted back, allowing the whip to crack over the Jedi's back again and again. Finally, sick of getting no results, he allowed the guards to step forward and drag the now-unconscious padawan back to his room.
Qui-Gon stepped into the tapcafé with a certain sense of unease, but he brushed it off as worry for his padawan and stepped up to the counter. "I'd like an Alderaanian ale, please" he said casually, placing a hand on the counter. "Of course," the bartender answered sarcastically as he mixed the drink. He thunked it down in front of Qui-Gon and ignored the Jedi's quiet thanks.
Finishing off the ale slowly, Qui-Gon made his way over to the reference center of the tapcafé. He pulled up files about every planet anywhere near where the ambush could have taken place, but he couldn't find anything he could use to help him find his apprentice. Disappointed, he made his way over to the comm unit and started to dial up the council, only to stop himself as he remembered that they would be landing soon and he would be able to get better transmission power planetside anyway.
"Hey, you a Master Jinn?" someone asked from behind him.
Qui-Gon turned. "I am Master Jinn. What do you need?"
The owner of the voice, a short little Rodian who looked about as strong as a sheet of flimsy, looked up at him with a bored expression. "Come with me, please." He turned to walk away, offering no further explanation. Qui-Gon felt a surge of unease at the alien's command, but he followed anyway, hoping he was just sensing the anxiety of his padawan.
Obi-Wan was dragged back to his cell, unconscious, after the torture session was finally over. He didn't wake up for a very long time, and the next interrogation had to be postponed because he couldn't be revived from his deep slumber. Many of the guards believed their boss had pushed the boy over his limits and his body had given in to coma, but the boss wouldn't hear of it.
Actually, Obi-Wan knew that the longer he slept, the more strength he could regain and the better chance he had of touching the Force. So, hungry as he was, he forced himself to at least appear to be sleeping in hopes that they would leave him be. It deprived him of food, but the guard assigned to his cell was a Barabel, and Obi-Wan knew of the great respect these creatures had for Jedi. He was counting on the Barabel taking pity on him as well as the boss not wanting him dead until he got his information, and both gambles paid off. During the long nights, the Barabel guard would slip unnoticed into the boy's cell and feed him the food brought earlier in the day, ensuring his survival at least until the next day. So, as long as he could, the young Jedi slept. After a while, he had recovered much of his former strength and he managed to find the peace of mind he needed to help him touch the Force.
He almost snapped awake when yet another doomed attempt to reach the Force actually worked, filling him with the strength and peace he needed from it so badly. He lay there for a few moments, savoring the familiar feeling and letting it wash over him like a waterfall. Soon, though, he realized that he needed the Force for more than a temporary rush of good feelings-he needed the healing power it would give him if he expected to get out of that place alive. He had only received the basic healing training that children at the temple receive as standard education, but it would have to be enough. Besides, he was smart, he could improvise. Suppressing a smile of relief, he took a deep breath and slowed his systems down to concentrate solely on his injuries. He slipped into a trance-like state and began the slow process of healing himself. Luckily for him, the healing trance he had put himself in made it look as though he had truly slipped into a coma, and so he was put onto an actual bed and fed and monitored daily. He knew they didn't want him back to his former strength, but a boy in a coma couldn't reveal any information, either, so they had to let him heal enough so he would wake up. He used this to his full advantage, and planned on keeping himself in the trance as long as he could. Slowly, he nudged his body towards healing, waiting for the time when he would be strong enough to make a stand against his captors.
Qui-Gon followed the snobby little Rodian on a winding path that was almost certainly meant to distract him and make it impossible for him to trace his way back. He found it painfully easy to keep track of his progress, though, and filed the information away for future use if it should become necessary. Which it was beginning to look like it would be.
The further Qui-Gon went, the more he was certain that he was being led straight into a trap. He reached for the comforting weight of his lightsaber, and when he discovered it had somehow been taken from him he knew with a grim certainty that he wouldn't be going to look for his padawan any time soon.
"Right in here," the Rodian said, gesturing to a small door sunk far back into the wall. Qui-Gon stepped in, knowing that letting the Rodian go first would be a sure sign of his knowledge that something was wrong, and the door hissed shut behind him. The room was incredibly tiny, so much so that any furniture that might have been put in it would completely swallow up any floor space available. It was rather dark, with the only illumination coming form some unseen source that cast a dark, eerie red glow in the center of the room but left the rest of it black as night.
"Ah, so, the great Jedi master has finally found his way into our grasp. Now, Jedi, perhaps you can tell us what your apprentice could not," someone said from the shadowy corner furthest from Qui-Gon. The shape stepped into the red light, revealing a tall, dark man with harsh features that indicated that this man was not one to tangle with if one wanted to keep one's life intact. The red glow served only to enhance the evil apparent in his face, making him seem like some otherworldly demon rather than the human Qui-Gon knew him to be.
Qui-Gon barely noticed any of this when he heard mention of Obi-Wan, though. "What have you done to him?" he asked apprehensively, hoping to learn at least something about his padawan that might ease his soul a little.
"You might see him later. If you can give us the information we wish. I warn you he is not doing well at the moment," the man said mock- sympathetically.
"What do you mean by that?" Qui-Gon growled, careful not to let his increased concern show.
The man snickered scornfully. "He is not as strong as we had anticipated. As far as we can tell, he has fallen into a coma, and shows no signs of coming out any time soon. He is receiving minimal care."
Qui-Gon swallowed hard. If Obi-Wan had fallen into a coma, then he must have been weakened incredibly. He knew his apprentice was strong enough to resist much more than most people could live through. "What do you want from us?" he demanded, his voice hoarse.
"Just some information. About the Jedi," the man answered. "Surely that can't be too much to ask, can it?"
"We'll see."
Obi-Wan almost lost all his concentration and blew his cover when he sensed his master's presence nearby. If Qui-Gon was that close, it might mean he had been captured as well, and would probably be subject to the same interrogations as he had been. Maybe they would even interrogate both at the same time, to add the psychological torture of seeing the other suffer as well. He hoped not. He hoped his master had infiltrated the ship and was coming to get him, to take him away from this awful place and bring him home where he belonged.
Somehow, though, he doubted that. He didn't know quite what to do. He had healed himself almost all the way, and there wasn't much more he could do to prepare himself for the impending anguish. He decided to bide his time until he knew more about his master's situation, and try to find some way to strengthen himself just a little more. So, suppressing a sigh, he reached back into his mind and settled himself back into the healing trance for a little longer.
Qui-Gon was almost immediately brought to the torture chamber after his conversation with the mysterious dark man. He was almost overtaken by the incredible feeling of anguish he felt as he walked through the door. He knew immediately that this was where Obi-Wan had been tortured for so long, and was the place where his own interrogation sessions would likely take place. He was right. The dark man walked in after him, and wasted no time in getting down to business.
Rubbing his hands together eagerly, he began, "Now, Jedi, I will ask you this nicely once and only once. What is the source of a Jedi's power?"
Qui-Gon grimaced inwardly. So this was why Obi-Wan had been tortured so much. What was he to say that could be believed? He was almost certain Obi-Wan had given the obvious answer and was met with disbelief and rejection.
Thinking fast, the Jedi answered"Midichlorians."
The dark man grinned. "At last we're getting somewhere. Now. Where can I get these 'midichlorians'?"
Qui-Gon groaned inwardly. I was afraid of this, he thought. "I assume my apprentice told you it is something you're born with?" he asked knowingly.
The dark man nodded. "I trust you will give me a more truthful answer."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, well, the thing is, they're rather hard to find." Maybe that'll discourage him.
No such luck. "I'm willing to do what it takes. Name your price, Jedi."
Qui-Gon smiled sardonically. "I don't sell them, if that's what you're implying."
"Not at all," the dark man lied. "Just tell me where they are to be found, and I will let you take your apprentice and leave."
Qui-Gon sensed that it wouldn't be that easy, but he had to try something. "Well," he answered, assuming an air that implied the utmost secrecy, "there is a place you can go where you will find something that could give you power against Jedi, if that is what you want."
"Will it give me power over non-Jedi, too?" the dark man asked, leaning forward slightly in his anticipation.
"In a sense, yes." Qui-Gon answered. If he picked up the right creatures, he could get power over both, except that one would cancel the other out. Qui-Gon opted to leave that detail out.
"So, name the place, Jedi!" the dark man cried impatiently.
Qui-Gon held up a hand. "You must promise not to reveal the name of this planet to anyone," he warned, as if it was the biggest secret of all time.
"Yes, yes, I promise, just tell me the name of the planet," he said.
Qui-Gon leaned forward and lowered his voice in an act of secrecy. "The planet's name is Myrkr," he said. "Find two creatures, a vornskr andan ysalmir."
The dark man nodded his understanding, then waved the guard hovering by the door to his side. "Show the Jedi to his room now."
The guard nodded and took Qui-Gon's arm silently, pulling him down dark, musty corridors to some sort of cell.He shoved the Jedi in and shut the door. But Qui-Gon barely noticed the faint click of the lock engaging as he gazed at the small form lying on the hard cot in front of him. "Obi-Wan," he whispered brokenly as he moved to sit next to the boy. His padawan looked incredibly emaciated.
The instant their hands touched, though, Obi-Wan's eyes sprang open to reveal the healthy sparkle Qui-Gon had come to anticipate so greatly. "Master!" he cried, sitting straight up and throwing his arms around the older man. "I knew I sensed you somewhere nearby."
Qui-Gon returned the embrace. "It's good to see you well, Padawan. From what they told me, it sounded as if you were nearing the end. I should have known better than to underestimate you."
Obi-Wan pulled away and shrugged, not sure how to respond to the compliment. "Well, we're still stuck here. How are we going to get out?"
"I don't know. Do you have any idea where they might have put our lightsabers?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan shook his head, discouraged. "I was kind of hoping you would know. I've only been from the torture room and back. I never had the strength to try to explore anything else. For a long time I didn't even have strength enough to touch the Force" he answered.
"Well, then, we'll just have to improvise," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan perked up a little. "The guard at this room is a Barabel, and I thought they had a lot of respect for the Jedi. Maybe we can get help from him; he has to open the door eventually, right?"
"That's a good idea, Obi-Wan. We'll try it next time someone opens the door." Qui-Gon paused. "That had better be soon, though. I have a feeling we'll soon be en route to Myrkr, and the Force will be of no help there."
No sooner than the words had left his mouth, though, the door opened and the Barabel guard walked in. "Food," he grunted, setting down two trays of brownish, disgusting-looking slop that smelled as if it had been old during the dawn of the Republic.
"Thank you, my friend," Qui-Gon said, gently implying that the guard stay and talk for a bit longer. "Tell me, what brings you to work here?"
The guard looked slightly confused, but answered, "Needed money. They promised money. I came to work, they give no money. Can't leave, they kill family."
"You have a family?" Obi-Wan asked, playing along.
The huge creature nodded. "On Barab 1," he answered sadly. "Mate and children. No see for many seasons. Not know if okay or dead."
Qui-Gon nodded sympathetically. "That would be very hard to live with. We have a family, too. A very large family."
The Barabel seemed interested in this idea. "Jedi have family? How?"
"The Jedi are our family," Obi-Wan answered, adding a touch of homesickness to his voice. "They raised us and taught us, and we need to get back to them. Can you help us?"
The guard nodded empathetically. "I help Jedi. It makes me very much honored to help. How you need help?"
"Can you get us our lightsabers for us? That would be very helpful to us," Qui-Gon told him. "In return, perhaps we can help you leave this place and get back to your family safely."
The Barabel nodded again. "Okay. I do for Jedi. I be back." With that, he left them to their slop and went in search of the two crucial cylinders.
Obi-Wan smiled. "We'd better get out of here soon. I don't want to have to eat that stuff while conscious," he remarked.
Qui-Gon smiled back. "I don't blame you. That looks like it's been processed by somebody else before it got to us."
"Yuck," Obi-Wan agreed. "Do you think he'll find the lightsabers?" he asked, nodding his head towards the door the guard had just left through.
"I hope so. If not, I'm sure another opportunity will arise. We'll get out of here somehow," Qui-Gon answered. "I Just hope we don't have to deal with Myrkr."
Obi-Wan cocked his head at the mention of the distant planet. "Why would we go there?"
"Because I told that man if he wanted power he could go to Myrkr and collect a vornskr and an ysalmir. I claimed they were both very powerful creatures in their own way. I just neglected to mention that ysalmiri tend to cancel out the effects of vornskrs. It shouldn't matter. They do give power, but not enough to make a difference. Vornskrs would just as soon kill him as they would anyone else, and ysalmiri just deflect the Force. Even Jedi learn how to deal with that," the master explained.
"But he wanted to know the source of a Jedi's power. Vornskrs and ysalmiri don't give us power," Obi-Wan protested.
"I never said they did. I was asked what the source of a Jedi's power was, and I answered that midichlorians were. I was then asked how to get power. I told him of Myrkr and its powers. I never said the two were related," Qui- Gon answered.
Obi-Wan grinned. "I see."
Just then, the door hissed open and the Barabel marched triumphantly in. "I find!" he announced happily, holding out the Jedi's weapons. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stared at them for a moment, not quite willing to believe the alien could have found the lightsabers that quickly.
"Take," he prompted urgently. The Jedi needed no further urging. Each grabbed his weapon and ignited it, ready to take action immediately.
"Thank you, my friend," Qui-Gon said. "Where did you find them?"
"In main weapon-closet. Easy, easy find. We go now," he answered.
"Yes, let's go. Are you armed?" Qui-Gon replied.
"Have good blaster. Full charge. Let's go," the Barabel pressed.
"All right, let's. Can you take us to the main hangar, or a place where we could find transport away from here?" Qui-Gon asked.
The alien nodded. "This way. Hurry."
They took off down the winding corridors, anticipating trouble but meeting no resistance as they ran. They made it all the way to the hangar bay unharassed, but there their luck ran out. Guards popped out of every crevice imaginable, and the Jedi had their hands full just keeping their constant flurry of blaster bolts at bay. The alien at their side was doing his fair share as well, picking off guards one by one with mechanical precision, but there were more guards then he could hope to kill even with his admirable skills. They made their way slowly across the bay to where a small transport stood with its landing ramp open and waiting, but all three were getting tired and they knew they couldn't keep things up for much longer.
Obi-Wan had healed himself quite well, but he wasn't back at peak performance and he was worried about how well he could perform. Qui-Gon had already savedhim from embarrassing and painful oversights several times, and he was hoping that now he could perform as well as his master had come to expect from him. That wasn't going to happen, though. He was almost to the ship when two men right next to each other popped up at the same time and fired, one burning bolt heading for his leg and the other for his heart. Obi-Wan tried to jump up to avoid the one and deflect the other, but he forgot to compensate for his injuries and didn't jump quite high enough. One bolt hit him in his right thigh, the other in his left foot, bringing him crashing to the floor with a yelp of pain and surprise. He just remembered to deactivate his lightsaber as it clattered down next to him. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was that it was a good thing he'd turned the weapon off because he would have landed on the blade if he hadn't.
"...-Wan? Obi-... me? Obi-Wan, answer me! Can you hear me? Obi-Wan?"
Somebody is shouting at me, he realized. What do they want? Can my ear see? Of course not! At least, I don't think so. He couldn't be quite sure, though, since whatever organ of his was responsible for seeing wasn't doing its job at the moment. The only one that did seem to be functioning was the one that could hear. but that one wasn't doing too great a job, either. He groaned. Except for whatever one is responsible for transmitting pain. That one is working just fine. Too well, actually. My legs are on fire. Or is that my arm? Never mind, whatever it is, it doesn't feel too good. And something near my head. No, that is my head. isn't it? Maybe that's where my ear is. Yeah, that's it. Or not.
Luckily for Obi-Wan, he lost consciousness again about then. Qui-Gon eventually stopped trying to rouse the boy, realizing that rest was probably the best thing for him right then. He slept through the rest of the day and into the night, and Qui-Gon told him everything that happened since he blacked out, just in case he could hear. Besides, it gave him something to do.
"So, after you blacked out, the guard-his name is Menwyl, by the way-he picked you up and just ran you into the ship, and I followed, still trying to deflect all the blaster bolts. It was a lot easier with your help, but I managed well enough. We all got on okay, and now we're on our way to Barab 1. We're almost there, and when we get there the first thing we're going to do is get you to a med facility. Then Menwyl and I are going to search for his family. I'll come back for you that night, I promise. Then, after Menwyl is settled in, we'll go back to the Temple, explain what happened, and get that vacation you've been wanting. Does that sound good? I hope so. I have to go now, Menwyl doesn't know how to pilot and I'm flying. That's the hyperspace alert. I'll be back soon, okay?" he said softly. Giving the limp hand one last squeeze, he stood and headed to the cockpit.
Obi-Wan didn't wake up again until after they'd landed and were on the way to the med facility. He groaned softly, not wanting to open his eyes in the bright daylight .
"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked hopefully.
"Master," Obi-Wan sighed. "I don't see with my ear, Master," he said earnestly.
Qui-Gon couldn't help letting a little chuckle slip out. "What? Of course not, Padawan, you see with your eyes. You hear with your ears. What brings you to tell me that?"
The boy opened his eyes a little, still squinting against the bright light. "You asked me earlier. You asked, 'Obi-Wan, can your ear see?' and I couldn't say anything, but I didn't think they could. I still don't think so. Can they?"
Qui-Gon smiled. "No. I believe you were hearing me ask if you could hear me, not if your ear could see, Obi-Wan," he said.
"Can your ears see, can you hear me," Obi-Wan repeated to himself. "Yeah, they do kinda sound the same, don't they?" Qui-Gon smiled a little; apparently his apprentice suffered more than a couple of blaster bolts to the leg.
"Yes, Padawan, it was a very understandable mistake. Especially after what happened to you," Qui-Gon answered.
"Why, what happened?" he asked.
"You were shot. Do you remember that? You were shot in the leg and the foot. You actually got lucky; if that one shot had landed any higher it would have castrated you," the Jedi told him, doing his best to hold back a laugh.
"That'd be bad," Obi-Wan muttered. "Where are we going now? Home?"
"Not quite yet," Qui-Gon told him. "Remember the guard, the Barabel? His name is Menwyl, and we're on Barab 1 to help him find his family. And get you to a med facility, which is where we're going right now."
Obi-Wan nodded, looking around him for the first time. He was lying down on the back seat of a beat-up old landspeeder, and Qui-Gon was sitting next to him. He tried to look out to see the land they were passing, but all he could see was sky and sitting up didn't seem to be an option at the moment. He could sort of make out some large shape in the pilot's seat, and he decided that must be Menwyl. Other than that, there wasn't much else to see.
"How far away is the med facility?" the young Jedi asked.
Qui-Gon instantly looked serious. "Are you in a lot of pain?" he asked.
Obi-Wan smiled at his mentor's concern. "Not really. I was just curious," he answered. He smiled again when he saw the worry disappear.
"I don't know, let me ask Menwyl," Qui-Gon said in the same light tone. He reached forward to tap the alien on the shoulder. "Do you know how much further we have to go?" The huge Barabel turned slightly towards the Jedi.
"Not far. Can see from here," he answered gravely. "How is boy?"
"He's awake now, and he says he feels better," Qui-Gon replied.
"Good" Menwyl said as he turned back to his driving. A few minutes later, he slowed the landspeeder to a stop.
"We here! Go in now," he announced.
"Of course. Thank you for all your help," Qui-Gon answered smoothly as he climbed out of the speeder and picked up his injured apprentice."Do you want to join us?"
"Okay," the alien said eagerly, taking a step towards the doorway. Qui-Gon motioned as best he could for the Barabel to go first, and the three made their way to the front desk.
"Hello. What can I do for you?" the secretary droid asked pleasantly, apparently oblivious that Obi-Wan needed help of any sort.
"Hello, I am Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn and my apprentice here has had a bit of a rough day. I was wondering if we could get him into a bacta tank right away?" Qui-Gon said.
"What is the emergency?" the droid asked.
"He was shot twice, once in the thigh and once in the foot," the Jedi answered.
Obi-Wan grimaced at the reminder. "I was trying to forget that," he muttered under his breath.
"Excuse me young man? I'm afraid I didn't hear that," the droid said.
Obi-Wan smiled a little. "Nothing important," he answered, forcing his voice to sound cheerful. "It just hurts, that's all."
"I see. Yes, I'd imagine getting shot twice would be very painful," the droid replied, as if he had any imagination in his programming. "I'll go find the doctor. Wait here please."
Qui-Gon nodded and stepped over to sit in one of the gray plasteel chairs that lined the room, propping Obi-Wan up as best he could on a chair nearby and placing his feet gently on the table so he wouldn't slide off.
"Master, this is the strangest position I have ever been in," Obi-Wan commented. "I feel like some sort of doll, you know, the old kind that can't move except for their arms and their heads and sometimes the legs."
Qui-Gon smiled. "It can't be very comfortable, but there's really no place to lay you down except on the floor, and that can't be too comfortable, either. Besides," he added, holding up a hand to stall his Padawan's sarcastic protest, "I don't want to have to go all the way down there to pick you up and then have to stand back up."
Obi-Wan grinned back. "I see your point."
"So you feel better," Menwyl asked anxiously.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, much better, thank you."
The giant nodded. "Good. You feel perfect soon. Then we go find family," he said enthusiastically.
"Yes, with all the help you've given us, it's the least we can do to reunite you with your family," Qui-Gon said.
Menwyl shook his head. "I honored very much to help Jedi. Jedi owe Menwyl nothing," he protested. "If Jedi find Menwyl family, Menwyl owe Jedi very much."
"You help was essential to help us escape from that place," Qui-Gon replied. "You won't owe us a thing, I promise. I release you now from any debt you feel you owe us, or might owe us in the future."
The door slid open then, cutting off the Barabel's response. "Follow me, please," the med droid said. Qui-Gon lifted his padawan and the three followed the stocky droid down a long, white hallway to a room at the end. They stepped inside to see a similarly white room, lined with medical tools and beds.
"Please set the injured one down here," the droid requested. Qui- Gon moved to set Obi-Wan onto a nearby bed and then stepped back to let the droid do what it was programmed to do.
"What is your name?" he asked the young Jedi.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," the boy answered.
"Occupation?"
"Jedi Knight."
"Age?"
"15."
"Weight?"
"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan said, pausing to remember. "Something like 200, I think."
"Height?" the droid asked, not skipping a beat.
"6 foot 4."
"Injury?"
"Two blaster wounds, one on the right thigh and one on the left foot."
"That'll require bacta therapy," the droid observed. "Have been in a bacta tank before?"
"Yes."
"Are you allergic to it?"
"No."
"Then let's get you in right away."
The droid turned to Qui-Gon and Menwyl, who were standing nearby, watching. "Do you wish to stay for the duration of the therapy?" he asked.
Qui-Gon glanced at the Barabel before asking, "How long will it take?"
The droid paused, calculating. "That depends on the severity of his injuries and the rate at which his body responds to bacta. At least two hours, perhaps more."
Qui-Gon felt the alien next to him grimace at the minimum length of time. "We'll leave for now, and come back in two hours to check on his progress," he answered, glancing at his apprentice to gauge his reaction. He didn't seem surprised, although a little disappointed.
"I will begin right away," the droid said.
The older Jedi nodded. "We'll be back in two hours, then," he replied.
"Bye, Master," Obi-Wan said casually, as if this was everyday business.
"Good bye, Obi-Wan. We'll see you in a couple of hours."
With that, Qui- Gon and Menwyl left Obi-Wan to his healing.
"Now, then. I'll have to give you this anesthesia, and then I'll put you into the bacta," the droid explained as he injected a greenish substance from a handy syringe into the young Jedi's arm. Obi-Wan soon felt his eyelids getting heavy and he allowed them to fall shut. The last thing he felt was the droid putting the breather onto his lax face before he was completely out.
Qui-Gon had no idea where to begin in finding Menwyl's family; it seemed as if he were searching for the proverbial microchip in a star cruiser. Still, he had promised the alien that if he helped them, they would help him, and he was a Jedi. He would keep his word. So, he asked the Barabel where they should start. He didn't really expect his companion to have a definite answer, but Menwyl surprised him by suggesting they start at his former residence and work their way from there. Qui-Gon agreed that it was as good a plan as any, although he doubted they would be there, and they started towards a nearby housing complex.
When they arrived at where Menwyl remembered as home, there were no houses in sight. Instead, the duo found a crazy compilation of shops and buildings of all different sorts that looked nothing like any housing complex the Jedi had ever seen. And apparently like none the Barabel had seen, either, because he began to growl softly as he took in the sights before him.
"They have destroyed it," he hissed quietly.
Qui-Gon laid a hand on the alien's shoulder comfortingly. "We'll find them. This is only the beginning of our search. Let's find out how long ago this happened, and why it happened, and go from there."
He approached one of the locals and allowed his lightsaber to hang from his belt in a casually obvious manner as he asked, "Excuse me, but can you tell me how long ago this area was built?"
The native paused, apparently thinking back to when the city had sprung up. "Many years ago. I'd say at least 7 seasons, maybe more," he said in much better basic than what Menwyl used. He glanced at the lightsaber. "You are a Jedi!" he exclaimed, surprised. "Tell me, can I help you?"
Qui-Gon considered this for a moment. "Can you tell me where I might find out where somebody is living or working right now?"
The citizen looked excited at the idea. "I can do better. Who are you trying to find?"
Qui-Gon turned and gestured for Menwyl to join them. "He is looking for his family," the Jedi explained.
The local was obviously shocked to find that one of his kinsmen had somehow convinced a Jedi to help him, but turned to his fellow Barabel and asked, "What are their names?"
"Menwyl is me, mate is Shanah, boy is Grante, girl is Venna," Menwyl explained hopefully.
"I don't recognize any of those names," the other said. "They must not live anywhere near here. I am sorry."
Menwyl sighed, disappointed. "Thank you for attempt," he said cordially. "We try somewhere else."
The big alien hunched his shoulders and turned away, obviously disappointed. Qui-Gon patted him on the back. "We can try the city records," he said gently. "They may have some record of your family."
The Barabel shook his head slowly. "No, they no keep records here. Needs look for other family."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Do you know where any of your relatives live?" he asked.
Menwyl thought for a moment, then smiled. "Maybe. This way." Turning, he headed off at a brisk pace and Qui-Gon hurried behind.
Obi-Wan's injuries took less time to heal than the med droid had estimated, and he was out of the bacta tank in an hour and a half. With nothing else to do, and since striking up a conversation with the med droid wasn't working, he went back out into the waiting room intending to read something.
Just as he made his way through the door, though, the entranceway door swished open and a group of three Barabels hurried in. One limped along, supported by the other two, and it was obvious from the way the leg was twisted that it was badly sprained. He watched them hobble up to the reception droid and explain in subdued tones what happened.
The droid hurried once again back to find the doctor, and the two healthy aliens helped their injured comrade into a chair. Obi-Wan couldn't help speaking up. "That looks pretty painful, there," he said sympathetically.
The injured alien nodded. "It is. Why are you here?"
Obi-Wan smiled. "I got shot in both legs. I just got out of bacta therapy and I'm waiting for Menwyl and Qui-Gon to come back."
He realized too late that they would have no way of knowing who Qui-Gon was and the odds of them knowing who Menwyl was were slim to none. He was about to explain, but all 3 of the Barabels had already perked up visibly. "Menwyl? Our Menwyl? He is here? He has returned? Is he back? Where is he? Is he looking for us?" they demanded all at once, the questions firing at Obi-Wan at lightning speed.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he realized who he was talking to. "Are you his family?" he asked carefully.
Three heads nodded dizzyingly. "Yes, yes, where is he?" the smallest one asked anxiously.
Obi-Wan's head spun as he thought of the incredible coincidence that had brought these aliens to him when he could help them so much. "Out looking for you. He should be back any minute now, I believe, along with my master, Qui-Gon."
The injured one asked gently"Master? Are you a slave?"
"No, no, not a slave," Obi-Wan answered quickly. "A Padawan."
The other two spoke up at almost exactly the same time. "You are a Jedi!" they exclaimed excitedly. "Father is with Jedi!"
Embarrassed, all Obi-Wan could answer was, "Well, not quite fully a Jedi yet."
The ecstatic Barabels, though, didn't seem to care at all. "Jedi! Father is with Jedi! He's coming home!" they told each other, talking over the other two but not really caring.
Obi-Wan smiled weakly and watched out the transparisteel front wall for the return of the two missing from the happy party. The secretary droid came back in and tried to get the injured alien to head back for treatment, but she requested that they wait until Qui-Gon and Menwyl returned. Confused, the secretary droid gave the mechanical equivalent of a shrug and allowed her to wait.
The three Barabels continued talking excitedly over each other and glancing out the wall to look for the missing piece of their family. None of them ever saw him, though, because they were arguing with an insistent secretary droid about the necessity of the injured alien's admittance into the bacta tank that waited for her in the back room. Amidst the shouting, the two companions strode unnoticed through the door and looked around in confusion at the loud scene confronting them.
Obi-Wan spotted them first, looking up again to see if they'd arrived and slightly surprised to see that they had. "Master! You'll never believe who I met! Guess who these guys are," he cried as he launched himself at the astonished duo.
Qui-Gon never had to guess, though, because the smallest one turned around at that instant and shrieked at the sight of her father in front of her.
"Father!" she shouted happily, propelling herself across the room and into the arms of a gleeful Menwyl.
Seconds later the entire family was together again, hugging and shouting even louder than before. Obi-Wan stood off to one side with his master and watched the reunion with a growing smile. They almost wanted to sneak out and leave the family to its own affairs, but they knew Menwyl would be saddened by that, and so chose to stay.
Finally, the big alien broke off from the swarming crowd that made up his family and managed to thank the Jedi profusely. He tried to insist that he owed the two men a debt he would not soon repay, but Qui-Gon refused on the grounds that without the former guard they would never have left that ship alive. Carefully, he reminded the big alien that he and Obi-Wan needed to get back to the council and explain why their return trip from Bandomeer was such a long one, and with a few final farewells, they made their way back to the spaceport and arranged for transportation back home.
The trip home was, for once, rather uneventful, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were able to spend a lot of time discussing their separate adventures.
"You know, Master, the time where I first found that I couldn't touch the Force I thought I would die on the spot. It's very strange, the knowledge that you can't reach out and touch something that's always been there before. And not knowing what happened to you was hell. I think it added to the torture, in a way," Obi-Wan reflected.
Qui-Gon nodded. "I was very worried about you several times on this trip, Obi-Wan. I wish you wouldn't scare me like that."
Obi-Wan grinned. "I wish I wouldn't scare me like that, too," he answered.
"I'm serious, Padawan. You really had me worried. I... I was so scared that I'd lose you. I couldn't stop worrying about you. It was awful. I don't know what I'd have done if you'd died. You're like a son to me, Obi- Wan. Losing you would be the worst thing in the world. It would tear me up," Qui- Gon said softly.
Obi-Wan looked up at his master. "I was afraid for you, too, Master" he answered. "I've started to look to you as a father. It took something like this to make me realize it, but it's the truth."
Qui-Gon gathered the teary-eyed youth in his arms, fighting back tears of his own. "Thank you, Obi-Wan. You don't know how much that means to me."
"Oh, yes I do. Because it means more to me," Obi-Wan answered with a smile.
They released each other and smiled. Somehow, they reflected separately, they had finally figured out what a Master-Padawan bond was really all about.
Fin