So this is my first published FanFic. I do not own any of the original characters, planets, droids and so on, nor would I ever claim to. I'm just playing in the fab universe that is Star Wars.
I welcome reviews. I could certainly do with improving pacing, but any other handy hints would be appreciated. I could probably do with swallowing a thesaurus at some point, too, I repeat words way too often!
I didn't have a specific age for Kenobi when I stared to write this, but I think having read through it again it's probably when he's around 15-16 or so.
Anyway, here it is and I hope you enjoy it. Next time I'll figure out the chapters thing :)
Transport Uncertain
The forest floor was uneven and rain soaked which only managed to hinder his progress further. The young padawan was tiring and he knew he needed to throw off his pursuers as quickly as possible. His occasional spurts of force speed allowed him to remain out of their grasp, but these were becoming harder to perform as his energy was sapped and his connection to the force waning. Splitting up had been a mistake, but that's what Qui Gon had insisted, and who was Kenobi to question his master, right? he thought sarcastically.
Another stumble sprayed thick mud into the young man's face, which he brushed away with his dark robe as he continued on. These warrior class droids were relentless and extremely powerful. Perhaps he could take on one and survive, but the four chasing him would cut him to shreds, so he pressed on, looking for any glimmer of hope.
The density of the forest was rapidly increasing and his progress was declining further, he had to find somewhere to make his stand or somewhere to hide quickly. As if to answer his call to the force, he suddenly found himself tripping up stone steps. He hadn't thought the forest that dense that he could miss such a structure, and yet there it was towering before him.
He scrambled up the surface and reached the top surprisingly quickly. Although the pyramid was considerably tall it failed to reach the tree tops, which still towered above, but it did give the padawan a panoramic view of the surrounding forest and he could observe the foliage moving where the droids pursued. He tensed himself and made ready to defend his position as the machines appeared. He held his sabre close ready to ignite it at the last moment once he was detected.
Three droids approached the pyramid, the fourth was hanging back, Kenobi had no idea why, the droids had not shown such autonomy in the past, so he kept his eye on the cautious machine. The three droids prepared to advance and all three stepped onto the first step. He pyramid immediately rejected their presence and a shockwave shot down the steps, throwing the droids into the trees behind them with such force, one became impaled and its central eye lost its green glow. The other two picked themselves up and stepped back from the steps. The one who had been back in the forest joined its companions and the three of them approached the broken one impaled on the tree. They proceeded to salvage the machine and repair themselves. Kenobi watched in fascination as they proceeded. What had just happened? Why had the pyramid reacted in that way with them and not him? A defense against droids, perhaps? It was not uncommon, but in a structure so obviously run down it seemed very strange.
The droids knew where he was and would find a way to get him, it was only a matter of time before Kenobi would need food and water; they had him trapped. He looked around his makeshift prison/sanctuary for a way to escape.
This was the first time he noticed the large stone arm rising up in the centre of the top platform he was resting on. That had not been there when he arrived; this pyramid appeared to be alive somehow. He centered himself for a moment and reached out into the force to sense the building. How had he not noticed this before? It was glowing with the living force like a beacon. He realized he had been drawn to this place unconsciously and now his presence was waking it up, for good or ill, he wasn't sure. This was a situation for Qui Gon, not him, he thought to himself.
"Take the arm," he heard himself say, "what have you got to lose?" His curiosity was piqued by the whole thing, but his reason was there to calm things down.
"You have no idea what that will do, this is not the time for an experiment in the living force!"
His attention was immediately drawn back to the droids as energy blasts shot past him from their guns. He snapped on the blade and sent them back as his position shifted to defensive again.
"Now what, genius?" his thoughts read. The blasts shot around him and his tired limbs were about to fail him.
A glancing blow got through his shield and grazed his sword arm, numbing it momentarily, which forced him to drop, the sabre leaping from his hand. He heard it clatter down the pyramid steps and out of reach. The hail of fire intensified.
"You'd better do something quickly, or another ricochet will take your head off!" he thought to himself. For the time being Kenobi was stuck, but he knew he had a chance, the droids guns would begin to overheat with this kind of onslaught, so all he had to do was wait for his chance.
The fire suddenly stopped and Kenobi knew he only had seconds to act. Without really thinking about it, he reached up to the arm and clasped the grip.
The reaction was instantaneous. The living force was being wrenched through his entire body, drawn up from the forest floor and through him directly into the pyramid. He tried desperately to let go, but the stone had curled around his hand and up his forearm and held him tightly to it. He was aware of the three droids still blasting in his direction and realizing the energy was simply being absorbed by his small form and transferred into the living force energy. The sensation was quickly becoming intolerable and pain was arcing through his limbs, it felt like he was being pulled inside out and there was a fire burning in the arm attached to the pyramid.
Sensing its toll on the padawan, the pyramid released its grip and Kenobi fell to the ground exhausted and hurting. He was aware of intense pain in his arm and looked down to see a vicious burn from the palm of his hand to his elbow. The firing had stopped at least and Kenobi took a moment to look down at his pursuers. Two were twitching and sparking, their limbs in rather unpleasant looking spasm. They collapsed into heaps of scrap metal. The one who had continued to hang back watched his comrades' fall and just stepped back further into the trees, with one last look directly into Kenobi's eyes. There was much more to this droid Kenobi realized, but only for a moment as the droid disappeared. Kenobi could feel the strain of the evening catch up with him as he fell back in to the warm arms of unconsciousness.
Kenobi awoke with midday sun streaming into his eyes. He felt surprisingly comfortable and thought for a moment that he was resting in a comfortable bed. Perhaps Qui Gon had found him and rescued him once again and this was their recuperation station. A glance around soon brought him back to the pyramid and the incident from the previous night. He tried to move his right arm and felt the searing pain from his burn. The skin was dark, almost black and flaking and slight movements cause small cracks, some of which were bleeding, others oozing. It was probably the worst injury he had ever sustained to his sword arm, he needed bacta and a healer fast before he lost the arm altogether.
"Qui Gon", he called through their link. He tried to reach out to his master, but found the link silent. His small communicator just gave static feedback when he tried to use it. What was going on with this planet? Nothing had gone right since they landed, everyone had seemed to resent their presence in these land negotiations and the whole atmosphere had been very tense whenever they left the confines of the Ambassadors quarters. Now he didn't know if Qui Gon was alive, injured or just being blocked. Certainly something wanted him on this pyramid.
The stone beneath him had molded to his slim form, explaining the comfortable feeling he had when he woke up. He looked over at the stone arm that had caused his substantial wound and found it had become a stand with a bowl on the top. He carefully stood up, trying to avoid moving or touching his injured arm and looked inside the bowl. It was filled with a clear liquid. He flipped out his com device and took a sample, detecting it was water with trace minerals, probably native to the planet. He cupped his good hand and began to drink, starting slowly and then more greedily as his strength seemed to come back to him the more he drank.
He gently bathed his right arm in the bowl once he drank his fill. The cool liquid relieved a lot of his pain and he physically felt rejuvenated. Well, at least the pyramid wasn't planning on killing him anytime soon. It was at this moment he remembered the fourth droid hiding in the trees. He glanced out to the forest and saw the extent of the power transfer he had been involved in the night before. A ten foot perimeter around the pyramid had been cleared. All the trees, plants, grass that had encased the base of the pyramid where gone, the soil looked grey, drained, no living thing had been left inside the ring.
The droid was still there, just at the edge of the forest, visible by his one green eye staring at the padawan, unmoving, unblinking. It lifted its right arm and showed Kenobi its prize, his lightsabre hilt. It raised its left arm quickly and blaster fire shot towards Kenobi who had to roll down and out of the way, putting pressure on his wound, a yelp of pain escaping his lips. As the blasts rained down around him, he fashioned a makeshift bandage to protect what was left of his arm. He had to get off this pyramid.
The ground under his body suddenly became soft, like quick sand and he sank into the structure. His instinct was to try to pull himself out and he struggled as the ground gave way, but its pull on him was overwhelming and he was still weakened. He quickly found himself enveloped up to his face, which he desperately held up to the sun so as not to become consumed by the stone.
Suddenly the sensation ceased with just his eyes, nose and mouth above the stone surface, for it was stone again that surrounded him. His body was completely submerged and the tight confines pressed deeply into his wound. He tried to cry out, but he was finding it very difficult to breath, the solidification of the stone had left little room for his lungs to expand. He could only manage short catches of breath, resulting in hyperventilation on his part and he was rapidly getting dizzy from lack of oxygen. He could feel the draining of energy from his whole body towards his injured arm; the pyramid was trying to heal him with his own energy, just redirecting it. He tried to hang on to consciousness, but his breathing and the aching through his whole body were too much and he sank into darkness once again.
AS-141C1 looked towards the structure and contemplated its programmed assignment.
"Destroy the Jedi with extreme prejudice. Do not stop until the subject is dead. All protocols offline. Expand control processes to complete mission."
This had been the mandate and it had almost succeeded, it had claimed the Jedi's weapon and trapped it on the pyramid. It would die eventually of starvation, but how long would that take, and would that really be completing the mission with extreme prejudice? That called for something far more dramatic, death by its own weapon, for example. If that was the case, then how to get it off the pyramid? It would be impossible to lure it down, they were cunning and crafty with their force powers, the AS units programming told it this. It would need to get up to the being quickly so that it had no chance to escape. But the pyramid itself was a new variable and adversary in this scenario. The droids companions had perished on its steps and close to its surface when the Jedi had touched it. Why had it allowed the Jedi to climb and not the droids? This force was unique to creatures of life, not just animals, but plants, trees, the forest around him. Could the structure be fooled? There was one way to find out. AS-141C1 began stripping the forest floor of moss and grasses, taking care to remove root systems and fashioning a garment of live plants.
Kenobi opened his eyes to darkness. He was lying face down on a cold stone floor. Every part of his body ached and his head felt like it had been stood on by a bantha. He pulled himself into a sitting position and found he could place weight on his right arm with very little pain. As his eyes became accustomed to the light he could make out the dark red outline of where the wound had been, but for the most part it was healed.
"Thank you," he said, rather absent mindedly to the darkness.
Something scuttled over his legs making him leap up in surprise. He bumped his head gently on the roof of his new home, thank goodness for his thick short hair cut! He rubbed his head and felt around the space. There was a patch of dirt that he rubbed off to reveal a fluorescent blue stone embedded in the wall and as he moved around the space he was able to remove more dirt showing a line of stones going down a long corridor. It was just enough light to show him his way through the pyramid and he could feel the gentle slope of the path. He had nowhere else to go so he continued along this new road. On more than one occasion he accidentally stood on something alive, and he apologized each time as the unknown creatures yelped and scampered off. He truly was sorry these pyramid natives just seemed to be going about their business, leaving him alone completely.
He continued down the path which was by now much taller, he no longer needed to stoop, until he reached what at first seemed an impenetrable wall. On closer examination he was able to clear more mud from its surface and found it to be an intricately decorated door. The light from the patterns on the door illuminated his surroundings and he finally got to take a closer look at his tiny companions. They had hard round shells on their backs and small reptilian heads that they could pull into their shells quickly, along with its spidery limbs. A fringe of, Kenobi guessed, feelers hung around the shell and they seemed to raise and lower in intricate patterns that Kenobi suspected might be a form of communication. They seemed completely non-plussed by the light coming from the door and continued in whatever business had brought them down the path.
Kenobi's attention was brought back to the door, which had no handle, just an opening about the size of Kenobi's wrist.
"Oh, great," thought the padawan," what am I in for now?"
He tried to connect to Qui Gon once more, but felt nothing, the pyramid seemed to fill his whole consciousness now and getting to its centre was consuming him. He placed his hand inside the opening and felt a handle that he wrapped his fingers around and pulled back to open the door. It was surprisingly light in his grip and slid open easily. He let go and pulled out his hand examining it for any problems. It looked fine, to his surprise and he ventured into the room that had opened up in front of him. He realized the path he had taken must have led around the outside of the pyramid because this room was vast. The stones of light filled this room with beautiful designs of life in the forest around them, and patterns of nature he had observed in the architecture of the planet. So the people must have been influenced by this structure at some point, he thought, either that or it was originally built by the builders of the planets older structures.
He heard a great scuttling rise up behind him and he turned to see a wave of the pyramid creatures rush into this room. It was all he could do to avoid stepping on them as he moved out of their path and to the side of the great hall. His left arm brushed against the wall and he gave a yelp of pain as it felt like the burning sensation he had felt race through his arm the night before. He instantly felt weakened and the wall behind him glowed and bulged greedily to reach him. He stumbled away and regained his composure as he watched a bunch of the creatures break off and head for the bulging wall. Several of the creatures seemed to dry up and fall as empty husks to the floor as the bulge eased back into the wall.
Shaking the dizziness from his head he noticed the creatures slowly covering the intricate designs with their bodies and becoming absorbed by the structure. As they did this the lights faded in that area and husks began to rain down around him. "What the Sith is going on?" he asked himself. He watched in amazement as the creatures continued to pour in to the room and the light grew very dim. As his eyes readjusted he noticed a chair and what looked like a control panel grow out of the floor.
"For me?" he said to no one in particular. He hadn't really expected a response, but it did seem to be making a little more sense now. If this was a ship powered by the living force, it had needed a power supply, which was apparently the small creatures, but with the door to this chamber closed, there was no way for the creatures to get in and power it. So it was waiting for someone to open the door. If that was the case, why had it not just opened them in the same way it had brought him inside? Perhaps it had been built to require a pilot, someone to get it all working. By providing the burst of energy last night, which must have triggered the ship into thinking Kenobi was that pilot, it had allowed him in to open the door and power the ship. Why had it been left here in the first place? That was a question for another time, as Kenobi suddenly and profoundly felt danger to himself rush at him through the force, as if a door had been opened in his mind at that instant. Blaster fire shot at him from down the path. Thank goodness he had been aware of it or the blasts would have cut him to pieces. He dived for cover, trying to avoid the chamber walls. He could hear the droid approaching swiftly and it sounded different, not like the sound of metallic feet on stone more like padded boots. He took cover behind one of the pillars holding the roof up and was able to see the droid as it entered the room. It was covered head to foot in moss and grass; it looked like a wood sprite from children's tales he had heard as a boy. It was most unnerving seeing such a sprite with a blaster in one hand and his sabre in the other. The droid replaced the blaster and held the blade in its two hands, then ignited it and the bright blue blade illuminated its cold face.
Kenobi had to get behind it and disarm it somehow; he had to get his blade back. The droid cautiously entered the room and began to spin the sabre as it started its search. Kenobi held his position until it had cleared and then made a daring move to grapple it from behind. Taken by surprise the droid staggered but recovered quickly and spun viciously around, sending Kenobi sprawling to the floor. It quickly pounced at the padawan and the blue blade whistled down at Kenobi who rolled and leaped out of its reach and into the gloom of the chamber. The droid scanned around, looking for his prey, for some reason his night and heat vision were malfunctioning inside the pyramid, he had to rely on human wavelengths of light for his vision. His hearing picked up a foot fall and he brought the blade down quickly to its position. Kenobi took his chance and leapt again at the droid, this time hitting it in the side and knocking it off balance, it clattered to the floor. It still held the blade, and rolled quickly in Kenobi's direction, but the padawan was prepared for this and dodged the swing while grabbing the blaster. It was harder to pull away than he had thought, but his quick thinking allowed the force to flow through him to wrench open the clasp holding it in place and he rolled away with his prize. The timing had worked against him, however, as he felt the burn of the sabre across his back. He yelled in pain as he grabbed the blaster and ducked into the shadows.
"You pilot is getting his behind kicked!" exclaimed Kenobi through gritted teeth. "Any help would be greatly appreciated!"
He blasted at the droid as it recovered, removing some of the foliage covering its shell, but the majority of shots were deflected by the blade which it spun in its wrists. A deflected shot hit above Kenobi's head and he was showered with stone fragments. This was not going well at all. The chair and control panel lit up with the blue light color from the chamber earlier. The only problem was that the droid was between Kenobi and the chair.
"This is your solution?" Kenobi hissed under his breath," Well, fine, have it your way, but don't expect us to get very far."
He took a long breath, forced the pain from his back out of his mind and focused on what he intended to do. The droid had been momentarily distracted by the chair and panel activation, so Kenobi took his chance. He force pushed the droid as hard as he could, causing it to topple over into a nearby pillar, and he raced for the chair, firing in the droids direction. He had forgotten how hard it was to aim large blasters while moving and was tremendously disappointed when no shots hit anywhere near the droid, which was recovering quickly.
Kenobi landed in the chair and activated to panel, only to feel the intense heat of his own blade pinning him to the chair. The droid loomed over him, having driven the blade clean through his right shoulder, inflicting as much pain as it could from the wound by twisting the blade.
Kenobi felt paralyzed by the injury, barely able to breathe. He tried to raise the blaster, but the droid flicked his hand and the blaster clattered over the floor. It was clear the droid could have taken off Kenobi's head, if it had wanted to. But this droid had wanted the Jedi to suffer before its kill. It removed the blade and Kenobi fell forward in the chair. Removing the blade hadn't helped very much, his arm was still burning and his whole body was shaking as he went into shock. The droid examined Kenobi for a moment. How easy it had been, in the end to destroy this creature before him. It seemed almost a waste to take its life without more time to savor the hunt. After all, all protocols had been removed from its programming, extreme prejudice didn't have to mean swift.
It placed a finger under Kenobi's chin and lifted him up so that he sat up right again in the chair. Kenobi was unable to resist the droids manipulation. Why hadn't the ship responded to his activation of the panel? Had it abandoned him now his services were no longer required? The tip of the blade was moved to an inch away from his neck. He could feel it's heat radiate across his face. He tried to control his breathing and once more reach out through the force to Qui Gon. Even though there was no reply and no feeling of connection he hoped on some level Qui Gon would sense this last moment.
"My master, forgive me." He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable bite of the blade. A rumble of scuttling raced from behind him and he felt the little creatures encase his body, their fringe tendrils brushing through his clothing and to his skin. The tendrils then linked together, forming an impenetrable wall between the droid and the Jedi. Unable to see anything Kenobi had to rely on his hearing. Through the sound of scuttling he heard the fizz and zap of circuits being fried and disconnected. The creatures moved off him, several over his injured shoulder falling as husks where their energy had started to heal him.
He saw the remains of the droid sparking and twitching at his feet. He knelt down and retrieved his deactivated sabre and winced in pain as he realized the creatures had not been able to heal him completely, the wound was smaller, but still substantial and he cradled his arm to prevent further movement. "Movement," he had not noticed earlier, but the chamber and presumably the pyramid was moving, he had no idea to where. He sat back into the chair and the display panel opened revealing the forest below them. They hadn't moved very far, just straight up, leaving a large inverted pyramid shape in the forest floor beneath them. Kenobi looked at his shoulder.
"I need help, I need food and water. Qui Gon.." his thoughts drifted to his master and he reached out through their link. A sudden rush of energy seemed to flow through him and the display showed the forest floor racing beneath him. His breathing was rapid, to the point of gasping for air and it took him several moments to regain his composure as the force ship shot to Qui Gon's location.
Qui Gon's blade flashed green through the air as he deflected the assassin droids blasts. He two remaining droids relentlessly pressed on towards him maintaining his defensive stance, deflecting the bolts.
A sudden rush of air blasted through the forest, blowing Qui Gon and the droids over and suddenly over head a diamond shaped ship hovered, the point was inches from Qui Gon's head. He was pinned beneath it. The droids quickly recovered and continued to blast at the fallen Jedi, their blasts ricocheting off the ship. Two deflected bolts hit each droid in their eye and their heads were blown clean off. Qui Gon eased out from under the ship and looked on in amazement. A small opening in the ship wall allowed him to access the interior. Once he was inside it quickly closed behind him and blue stones glowed above his head, directing him inside the ship. He saw the creatures scuttle around him as they went about their business. It was then that Qui Gon felt his padawan once more. Their link reopened to him suddenly and violently as he felt Kenobi's injuries and grasped his own arm in sympathy. He raced through the ship to the central control chamber, finding Kenobi close to unconsciousness, the padawan succumbing to the strain of the last day.
"Master, you came," he managed as he tried to stand and fell into Qui Gon's arms.
"Take it easy, Obi Wan; looks like you've had a rough day!"
Kenobi managed a thin smile before passing into the warmth of sleep. Qui Gon lay him down and used his robe to cover Obi Wan. It was then he noticed a huddle of the creatures approach Kenobi's body. At first Qui Gon brushed them aside, but his connection to the living force allowed him to feel their intent and he allowed them to perform their duty. Several of them congregated over Kenobi's shoulder and Qui Gon saw the life force drain from them and pass to his padawan. Qui Gon picked up a husk to examine it and noticed that a number of the other live creatures were collecting their fallen comrades and taking them somewhere. Placing the husk back on the ground, two creatures came and balanced it between them. Qui Gon checked on Kenobi and saw that his wound was almost completely healed, it still looked a little red, but it was closed and quite small. Kenobi was sleeping deeply and would probably not wake for hours, so Qui Gon decided to explore his surroundings. Periodically a section of wall would begin to glow blue and creatures would climb up the walls, settle and effectively refueled the ship with their energy. The chair looked inviting and Qui Gon sat down. He examined the control panel and attempted to activate it, but found it unresponsive to his touch. Unable to do anything else in the control room, he decided to see where the husks were taken. He checked Kenobi was comfortable and then he followed the creatures as they carried a small husk through the ship. Luckily the creatures seemed to use the corridors designed for the humanoid pilot, so he had no problem keeping up with them. They led him to what looked like an engine room. Several parts of the machinery were covered with egg sacks, presumable where the creatures were born. The husks were collected and consumed by the young of the creatures. It seemed the ship worked on a continuous cycle of life force transfer between the creatures, who consumed their remains along with the byproducts of the ships engines and then in turn supplied fuel to the ship's systems when it was needed. A symbiotic relationship that a living force specialist like Qui Gon found fascinating and he hoped he could study this ship at length, but first he had to figure out how it had moved.
A claxon sound rang around him and he headed back to the control room. At first it seemed that nothing had changed, but he soon realized the ship floor where Kenobi was lying had molded itself around him to support his healing body.
The reason for the claxon became clear when the view screen revealed a number of ships surrounding the force craft. Qui Gon recognized the two designs of the ships as Draken and Kidren, the two warring factions on the planet. Neither had force sensitive citizens and had called on the Jedi to negotiate a peace, but the assassin droids had put an end to that.
Both sides were hailing the ship equally desperate to claim it for their own. Unfortunately there was nothing Qui Gon could do to respond, the chair and panel were dark to him. He quickly realized he had to revive Kenobi to avoid the protagonists firing on each other and the ship.
He shook his young padawan to wake him and Kenobi groggily sat up.
"How are you feeling, Obi Wan?" Qui Gon helped him get to his feet.
"Like I've been hit by a Bantha, but I'll be OK."
Qui Gon guided him to the chair, which lit up and the panel came on line.
"As I suspected," Qui Gon said to himself.
"What was that, Master?"
"Nothing, my padawan, we need to head off this confrontation. Allow me to speak to them."
"I don't understand," the last word squeaked as if over a loud speaker.
"Gentlemen, can you hear me?" asked Qui Gon.
The chatter from the approaching armadas went quiet for a moment.
"I take it from your silence that you can. I suggest we meet at the arbiters chambers as soon as possible. Don't you agree?"
"How dare you speak to us from the craft you have stolen, Jedi! Hand over that ship to the Draden consortium immediately!"
"I suggest you back down, Commander Selven, or should I present the evidence that proves you sent the assassin droids after me and my padawan." There was a slight pause after Qui Gon had spoken.
"This is outrageous, I demand to be heard by the arbiter immediately in this matter." Replied the commander and his fleet retreated.
The Kriden quickly followed.
"You can close communications now, Obi Wan; I think they were adequately spooked."
The view screen shut down and the chair dulled in color. Kenobi looked around the ship and then at Qui Gon.
"What is happening here? How have I been able to do all of those things?"
"You have a deep connection to this ship, Obi Wan. I'm not sure how this has happened, but you seem to have become a part of it. Take us to the city, as close to the arbiters chambers as possible and on the journey, tell me everything that has happened since we parted."
"But how do I do that, I mean should I just think of the city." the ship lurched forward and the Jedi steadied each other.
"I guess that would be it, then!" joked Kenobi and Qui Gon chuckled as the ship moved smoothly across the planet's surface.
"Come; tell your tale, my padawan."
Kenobi felt itchy, uncomfortable, he kept looking out of the large panoramic window over his shoulder to where the ship hovered, a security detail from Draken and Kriden surrounding it. They were too close to it, he felt trapped, claustrophobic and sick to his stomach. The negotiations, if they could be called that, were not going well. Everyone was claiming ownership of the craft and wanted further analysis by themselves on board.
"Could I be excused, Master, I really don't feel good." He managed to whisper to Qui Gon as there was a brief lull. Kenobi had recounted his story a dozen times and was feeling exhausted, he just wanted some air and a quick look at the ship.
Qui Gon nodded and held up his arms. It was amazing how still the room suddenly became.
"Delegates," his voice was as calm as ever, but Kenobi could sense Qui Gon was tiring also. "It has been a long day for us all. I think we should pick things up tomorrow after we have all rested."
The chatter between all parties continued into the hall as everyone left. Kenobi rose eagerly to his feet.
"I just have to check on something, I'll meet you back at the apartment."
"Wait, padawan, I know your plan. We will examine the ship together before heading back for a rest."
Qui Gon laid a comforting hand on Kenobi's shoulder and led him out of the chamber. The ship looked exactly the same as it had when they left it. The diamond shape was the same and it towered above the landing platform. Just approaching it made Kenobi feel better, he knew he had a strong connection to the craft, he became more aware of that when he approached it.
The ship opened to accept him and the guards immediately raised their blasters.
"Hold, warriors," said Qui Gon raising his arms and reaching out to calm their minds. "It is a reflex the ship possesses when our kind approach. There is nothing to fear."
"We have orders, none are to board the ship until its ownership is determined." said a security Kriden. He stepped in front of the opening and Kenobi felt his anxiety rising. He focused on his breathing and the security he found from Qui Gons link and calmed himself down.
"We understand and comply with the delegates wishes." Qui Gon bowed and turned to leave, Kenobi didn't move.
"Come, Obi Wan. " He guided his padawan way from the ship towards their apartment. The ship door sealed itself behind then and Kenobi took one last look as they headed to their rooms. The bad feeling in his stomach started up again. Qui Gon looked at his padawan with concern. He could feel Kenobi's connection to the craft, like a cord of force energy wrapped around the young man and stretched out to the ship. He had never encountered anything like this before and was determined to keep a close eye on his padawan. The negotiations would be tricky, ideally he wanted Kenobi and himself to leave with the craft and take it to the temple for further study, but that was an unlikely scenario at best. With the obvious contentiousness between the factions on this world he was surprised they had let the Jedi get this close. He definitely wanted to keep the fact that only Kenobi seemed able to fly the ship from them. He was vulnerable enough through this connection. They walked in silence until they were safe in the apartment.
"I've contacted the council, but it will be at least 2 days before Yoda and Plo Koon arrive. I suggest we keep a low profile until then. Obi Wan, are you listening to me?"
Kenobi was looking right at him, but his eyes seemed glazed, his mind obviously somewhere else.
"Of course, Master, I'm listening," he replied as his attention snapped back into the room.
"Good, this whole business is most unfortunate. I would be happier if you weren't so obviously distracted by this ship."
"I can't help it, Master, it fills my every thought, I feel sick away from it."
"Calm down, let us meditate in the force and try to alleviate your distress."
They took off their cloaks and sat together on the floor in their usual meditative positions.
At first it seemed like a normal session, but Kenobi's mind was constantly being pulled, his connection to the force flowing through him to the ship and always to the ship. He saw inside its walls, the creatures that fueled it constantly in motion, the chair so comfortable, so warm and inviting. The places they could go together, the expanses of the galaxy they could reach, the vast open unending dark beyond the rim. It was intoxicating, the desire to leave and explore, just the feeling of being aboard the ship once again.
Qui Gon shook his padawan awake, his face full of concern.
"I almost lost you there, my boy. Take it easy and tell me what you saw."
Kenobi explained, but words were so limiting, if only Qui Gon could see as he had seen.
"Let's get back to the ship, perhaps I can persuade it to let you connect to it." Kenobi suggested excitedly.
"I think one addict is enough, don't you?"
"I'm not an addict!" Kenobi replied, rather affronted, he merely wished to reveal the ship to Qui Gon.
"I thought you would understand. I've never been so connected through the living force. I can see everything in that ship. Imagine the potential in expanding the temple's knowledge of the galaxy, or even beyond. This is an epic opportunity and we're squandering it by remaining on this planet."
"We don't own this thing, and it's unlikely either faction will let us just borrow it."
"What use can they possibly have for it; no one on this planet has the force connection strong enough to even sense it. It doesn't belong here."
"That is not our place to say, Obi Wan, and we will wait for the council members to arrive before we do anything more."
"When has that ever stopped you in the past? You've gone over their heads more than once, why the sudden change of heart?"
"Because this is something none of us has encountered before. We are on completely new territory with this ship. Just listen to yourself, how passionate you are about this. I'm concerned for you, my padawan."
"Concerned or jealous?" The words were out before Kenobi could hold them back. Oh well, he'd started now, he may as well finish. "You're jealous because you weren't the one who connected with this thing, it was me. You can't get over the fact that I might have stumbled on the greatest find in our orders history, that it should be a lowly padawan with less connection to the living force than you. And so the whole order suffers from your arrogance and stubbornness."
Qui Gon was stunned; this was not like Kenobi to become so heated. They had their disagreements, but this was something very different.
"Do you really believe that's what this is about?" his voice was quiet, calm and stern. Kenobi felt shrunken under Qui Gon's gaze. He shook his head to clear it out.
"No, I….I don't….I'm sorry." He replied uncertain. He was changing, he already felt different just from this conversation.
Qui Gon embraced the young man. He had no idea what the lad was going through, but he was growing fearful of his chances of keeping Kenobi away from that ship.
"We need to leave, tonight, get off this planet and away. We'll let the council deal with this."
"No!" Kenobi backed away from Qui Gon. "It's OK; I can handle myself for a couple of days. We've seen the warning signs and we can keep an eye out from them in my behavior. In the meantime, your idea of a low profile is an excellent one. We stay here or the negotiations, that's it."
He breathed heavily and looked at Qui Gon hopefully. He had to convince Qui Gon they should stay, he had to be close to this ship.
Qui Gon looked into Kenobi's eyes. They were brighter and certainly in the moment, but he was still highly charged and Qui Gon sensed an unpredictability to the lads actions. If he pressed the issue he was sure Kenobi would do something rash, so he backed down before the situation escalated.
"Very well, we will remain for the time being. But we must be cautious. I doubt Commander Selven is finished with us. Come, let us sit and eat and then perhaps a game of Chinbar before bed."
"That sounds great, Master."
The night passed without incident, although both men were silent as they ate breakfast. Qui Gon sensed Kenobi seemed calmer, more controlled. He was obviously strengthened by Qui Gon's presence. They spent the morning practicing unarmed combat through slow repetitive training. It kept Kenobi focused and gave them the excuse of not being present at a reception for the delegates that morning. Lunch was also completed in silence, but Qui Gon felt sure this break dimished some of his connection with the ship. With time Kenobi would be free of its influence completely.
The negotiations were to start again that afternoon, so Qui Gon and Kenobi got ready and left the apartment.
"You haven't said a word all day. We should do this more often!" said Qui Gon as they walked across the main boardwalk to the council creatures.
"Perhaps your influence has finally sunk into my thick skull." chuckled Kenobi.
The council building was rocked by a massive explosion, throwing the Jedi off their feet. Kenobi rolled onto his back and saw the debris cloud drift over him, his ears rising from the blast wave. He moved to get up and tensed as he felt through the force the immediate danger from several laser bolts coming for his head and he instinctively reached for his lightsabre and ignited it.
Deflecting the shots he reached out to Qui Gon, who was close, he could tell, but not in visual range despite how close they had been before the blast.
"Focus on the moment" he heard his master through their connection and his attention went back to their adversaries. His blade whipped around, deflecting shots and he sensed the attackers approach them. Once in range he leapt to their location quickly dispatching three of Commander Selven's men. So the Commander was no longer trying to keep his claims secret. He was openly attacking the council and the Jedi.
The air was acrid and blinding, but he soon found his master in the thick of things.
"The ship!" they both exclaimed at the same time and they headed for the docking area. More of Selven's men were lined along the hall leading to the bay and they stood theor ground against the Jedi./ The Jedi were, for the moment, held back by the forces.
Deflecting shots they were depleting the small army but making little progress. Kenobi was becoming impatient, who knew what Selven was doing to the ship to get inside. He saw an opening through the men and leapt for it.
"Obi Wan, wait!" called Qui Gon, but his padawan had done an impetuous move to gain ground and disappeared into the sea of Draken forces.
Kenobi sensed the trap moments before it was sprung and cursed his own foolishness as the forces closed in on him, blaster fire was replaced by several charge pistols that darted in his direction and he dodged as best he could but even with his heightened senses several painful shocks got through his defensive shield. He could sense that Qui Gon was trying to reach him, but was still some way away.
A stinging charge struck his sabre arm, numbing it and the blade clattered across the floor. He raised his arm and force pushed the men in front of him away and stumbled through the forces. A force leap helped him clear the other men and the bay was in sight. He ducked through the door, his only concern now was the ship, whose presence he felt more strongly now than anything else around him.
An intense shock of pain raced through his body as Selven stepped out in front of him and held a charge pistol to Kenobi's chest. The Commander completely discharged the stun weapon into the padawan and Kenobi fell to the floor paralyzed by the intensity of the attack, gasping for breath, barely conscious. Selven grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the ship. As he was dragged across the floor his aching body began to recover and he attempted to rise and pull Selven over. The Commander twisted over Kenobi, forcing the padawan's arm up behind his back and pulled it almost to breaking point. Kenobi cried out in surprise and frustration as Selven held him.
"I'll break it if you try that again." Selven hissed into his captive's ear. Kenobi shifted to get more comfortable and Selven tugged on the arm just enough to show Kenobi he meant what he said. Selven guided Kenobi to his feet and led him to the ship, which opened as Kenobi's approach. Kenobi could here the battle still raging in the hall behind him and he could sense Qui Gon gaining ground slowly but surely. He had to stall Selven's plan to allow Qui Gon time to get to them. Having said that, once inside, the ship he could easily use it to overpower Selven. But he knew that would mean opening himself completely to the ship again, and he wasn't sure he could control his or the ship's actions once that happened.
He stopped and stumbled in front of the ship.
"Get on board" Selven said, pulling Kenobi up. Kenobi started gasping for air, his free hand clasped to his throat and went to stumble again.
"What's happening?" asked Selven. Kenobi continued to fake his cardiac arrest. It was plausible after such a shock from the pistol, but it seemed Selven wasn;t convinced.
"You brought this on yourself," he said as he pulled sharply up on Kenobi's arm, snapping the bone. Kenobi screamed in pain and fell to his knees. Selven let go and Kenobi's arm fell limp at his side and he cradled it as he shivered on the ground. Selven's boot pressed into the small of his back.
"Come on, get on board or it's another limb, we could be here a while and breaking a Jedi is a pleasure I've not had in a long time."
"That explains the assassin droid," hissed Kenobi through gritted teeth.
"Ah, yes, that was great programming, if I do say so myself, quite the masterpiece. I had forgotten that you owe me for that prized droid."
He pressed his foot hard into Kenobi's back and he fell forward. Kenobi had no choice, he had to get aboard the ship, the creatures would protect him, heal him and the ship would stop Selven. With his broken arm it was difficult to pick himself up and Selven hooked his hand under Kenobi's good arm to assist.
The battle behind the bay doors was getting desperate for Qui Gon. The sheer numbers of men were pressing down on him and he was tiring greatly. He had felt the pain through the force and it had led to a number of pistol charges striking him, he was standing and had his sabre.
Kenobi reached out to him through their link.
"I'm going into the ship with Selven. Surrender and demand they get you in here. I'll convince Selven we need you in the ship."
Qui Gon held up his hands and surrendered to the men.
"Your commander has need of me," he said, "so take me to him."
Kenobi paused just outside the opening and turned to Selven.
"We need my master, or the ship won't work."
"Then we'll meet him inside, come on."
Kenobi stood his ground. He knew if he stepped in the ship without Qui Gon with them the ship would take hold and Kenobi would be lost and he didn't want that.
"No, we have to wait. If you want this thing to work, you can wait a few more moments."
Selven was about to continue to threaten Kenobi when the bay doors opened and Qui Gon walked in. He moved swiftly to Kenobi and helped steady his battered padawan.
"Well, the gang's all here. Let's get on board, now!" Selven waved his pistol at them.
"Squad 7,3,1, you're with me. The rest, return to you ship and wait for further instructions."
Kenobi noted the number of men heading towards them. A good 20 men approached the ship.
"It will be alright," said Qui Gon sensing Kenobi's apprehension and he helped his padawan aboard.
The ship immediately lit up and the blue guide lights led them to the control room.
Selven and his men were unnerved by the creatures.
"They help power the ship, be careful!" said Kenobi concerned for the little scuttlers, but they were very good at keeping out of the way, even with so many new arrivals.
Selven stationed his men around the ship and it gave Kenobi and Qui Gon the chance to talk.
"What do we do now?" asked Kenobi, "We can't let them take control; we have to get them off this ship."
"It's time to ask the ship for help. Do you think you can access the environmental controls?"
"I have no idea what I can and can't do. I don't want to get lost in this thing."
Qui Gon laid a hand on Kenobi's good shoulder and eased his padawan's pain by laying his other hand gently on Kenobi's injured arm. The flow of force energy seemed stronger than usual, much easier. The ship responded and scuttlers began converging around them.
"I'm here, my padawan, you have my strength and you forget your own. It's time to get into the chair again."
Selven approached them after noticing the scuttlers approach them.
"Make it work, take us out of the city."
"I have to use the chair," said Kenobi.
"Why you?" Selven asked.
Qui Gon and Kenobi through each other a quick glance and Qui Gon nodded to Kenobi.
"Because I'm the better pilot." He said proudly and Qui Gon grinned.
"Then I no longer need you," said Selven and he raised a blaster at Qui Gon.
"No!" exclaimed Kenobi, "you kill him and I refuse to fly, no matter what." Qui Gon sensed the congregation of scuttlers ready to shield him. Fascinating place, he thought to himself and then remembered his predicament.
Selven lowered his weapon and glared at Kenobi.
"Do it then, let's get moving!"
Kenobi opened himself to the flow of the force with the ship. At first it was overwhelming. It seemed the ship was very pleased to have him back on board. The vision he had earlier flooded back and he drifted through the stars for a moment.
"Come back to us, Obi Wan" came Qui Gon's gentle but firm voice through the mist of gas clouds and Kenobi's vision cleared. Qui Gon was standing next to him, once again that comforting hand on the padawan's shoulder. He smiled down at Kenobi and then looked over at Selven.
"Just get us moving!" Selven was becoming exasperated with them.
Kenobi guided the ship up and out of the bay and over the city. He heard the scuttlers climb the chair and allowed them to cover his arm.
"What are they doing?" exclaimed Selven.
"Healing him," said Qui Gon calmly, "I guess they don't like their pilot remaining injured any longer." Kenobi felt their energy flow into him and at first the fusing of the bone was uncomfortable, but that and the pain eased and he could feel the life force returning to his arm.
"That's much better, thank you," Kenobi said to his healers.
"Commander, something is happening. I've lost contact with four men down here." came a message over Selven's comm. It was rapidly followed by more messages and in his distraction the scuttlers covered Kenobi and Qui Gon with their bodies.
Kenobi reached up his healed arm and force pushed Selven towards the blue wall where the ship moved to hold him. The three remaining men in the control room aimed at the Jedi, but their blasts rolled off them and more scuttlers enveloped the men, their small bodies glowing blue as they drained the life force from the men. Selven felt his body getting weaker as his life energy was absorbed by the ship. Qui Gon saw what was happening and looked to his padawan who had a look of euphoria on his face.
Through his connection he could feel the immense power of pure living force traveling through his body, a seductive sensation he had never experienced before. But a dangerous one, he knew and he closed himself from it.
"Enough, Kenobi!" he yelled in his sternest voice. Kenobi snapped back to himself and had the men released. Qui Gon pulled their fallen blasters to the Jedi. It was then he realized Selven was still stuck to the wall.
"I said, that's enough, Obi Wan," yelled Qui Gon, Selven's men rushing to his aid.
"I know! I'm trying," replied Kenobi desperately. The ship was determined to drain Selven completely. Qui Gon and Kenobi rushed to his aid as well.
"Make it stop, Obi wan," demanded Qui Gon.
"If I could, Master, I would, believe me." Kenobi clawed at Selven's restraints.
The ship released the commander and he fell to the floor, unmoving.
"Land, now," said Qui Gon. Kenobi merely thought of the idea and the ship sank to the ground.
"Take Commander Selven and get off this ship," Qui Gon commanded, using his force skills to impose his will on the remaining men. They hoisted Selven over the strongest man's shoulder and needed for the door, but stopped as the scuttlers barred their way.
"Let them leave," said Qui Gon, looking at Kenobi but really directing his command for the ship. The scuttlers moved over the walls, allowing the men to pass, the lit path directing them to the door.
"Are there any other survivors?" Qui Gon Asked Kenobi, who seemed distracted once again. "Stay with me, padawan. Search the ship for other survivors."
Kenobi used the ship and his heightened senses to locate a half dozen men recovering from the scuttlers attacks. He guided them to the exit and made sure the scuttlers were nowhere to be seen. Just as a precaution he had them leave their weapons behind. In their weakened state they were easy to manipulate, which pleased Kenobi greatly. He caught himself feeling that way and stumbled back a few steps as he tried to close his link to the ship.
"No!" he exclaimed as he stumbled and Qui Gon steadied him. Realization was coming over Kenobi. Perhaps this had once been a ship designed for good, but the overwhelming access to so much power could easily corrupt even the strongest Jedi. Perhaps that was why it has hidden here where no inhabitants had enough connection to the force to be able to activate it. He had to get away from it and grabbed Qui Gon's robes desperately.
"This is too much for me; I can't do this and be me." He said feeling the ship suddenly pressing down on him, crushing him. Qui Gon threw his great arms around the boy.
"We will get through this, my friend," he said softly, "Let us leave now, you and I."
He led Kenobi to the corridor, but the scuttlers had returned and their way was blocked.
"It won't let us leave," said Kenobi, his desperation rising, "we're trapped here. It needs it's pilot!" he feeling of power only moments ago so strong was now the complete opposite, he felt totally helpless, completely at the mercy of the ship. He knew this was the ship's influence again on his feelings and once again he tried to close off the ship's link to him.
Qui Gon sensed the struggle in his padawan; the ship was increasing its hold on Kenobi, breaking through Kenobi's defenses. If only he could assume Kenobi's role, perhaps his experience could prevent the ship from controlling him. He guided Kenobi to the chair, but sat in it himself.
"What are you doing?" asked Kenobi, defensively," only I can pilot this thing."
"That is about to change." Replied Qui Gon and he opened his mind to the ship again.
"What are you thinking? It will consume you!"
Qui Gon breathed deeply, feeling the immense weight of the ship's mind trying to connect with his. His training allowed for the slower transfer of life force energy the ship had to offer and with it came all of it's knowledge and background.
"I am in control, Obi Wan. The transition will be a smooth one."
"There can be only one pilot and that's me!" exclaimed Kenobi and he pulled Qui Gon from the chair. The two wrestled and Qui Gon realized Kenobi had become dependent on the ship's presence and life force energy. He really didn't have time to convince Kenobi that this was a good idea, so he head butted Obi Wan, stunning the padawan long enough for Qui Gon to get him in a head lock which he held until he felt Kenobi go limp in his arms. He laid his padawan on the floor and used his link to place Kenobi into a deep sleep, and then he moved back to the chair. Once again the connection was established and the Jedi began to understand the ship a lot better.
It had been born in space and grown into its current size. The scuttlers had been introduced to its systems at an early age and the symbiotic relationship had started rockilly, with several colonies of them dying before the present colony was able to establish itself. Its creators were still a mystery to Qui Gon, but it appeared they had tried a number of different pilots; the most promising was a human female who Qui Gon could tell was highly force sensitive, but not a trained Jedi. Her skills in the force were impressive, but not very controlled. They had travelled together for some time, when something happened that almost killed the pilot, and the ship had been forced to consume the nearest source of life force to heal her, a human colony of miners. The pilot had been horrified by the lives taken to preserve her and she began to change, unable to leave the ship, but disgusted by the situation. She purposefully exhausted herself, refusing nourishment and wasting away. She found a way to prevent the life force from the ship and scuttlers from passing into her and she spent her time researching worlds where force sensitives did not exist. It led her to this world where she calculated the place furthest from any civilization and had the ship bury itself in the soil. Then, using the last of her own life force, she grew the dense forest up around the ship, hiding it from everyone. Her hope was that without the pilot, the ship would slowly use up its power reserves, unable to tap into the life force externally without the force sensitive pilot. It would, effectively, starve to death. The ship remained dormant until K stepped onto its surface and it immediately felt, through him, the life force once again.
Qui Gon continued his controlled breathing and looked down on Kenobi where he lay on the cold floor. The ship had once again molded itself around him, cradling him. Qui Gon sensed it had not given up its connection to him, but it did have a new pilot.
Qui Gon pictured the city in his mind and the ship headed back to its docking bay. Several ships were waiting for it, but allowed it to land after Qui Gon announced he was now in control after Selven's attempt to acquire it.
"We will leave, now, but I promise you, we will be back." Qui Gon assured the ship, which responded by opening the doors to the corridor and lighting the way out. Qui Gon slung Kenobi over his shoulder and carried out his padawan.
He was greeted by all the delegates except from Selvens faction. Many questions also greeted him as they demanded answers.
"Delegates, allow me to tend to my padawan and then I shall speak." He said calmly and they parted to allow him to leave with Kenobi.
Back at the apartment, Qui Gon laid Kenobi on his bed. He felt hot, as though suffering from a fever. He checked Kenobi's head, but it wasn't fractured from his head butt. Qui Gon realized the lad was probably just exhausted and used their link to guide him into a deeper healing sleep. So he could remain close to his padawan, Qui Gon called the delegates to the apartment and they sat in the apartment lounge. Despite recent events, the location of the meeting did seem to ease tensions in the room; Qui Gon made a mental note to include this in Kenobi's diplomacy training.
Qui Gom patiently answered all the delegates' questions as he served them tea, then once their questions were answered; he had one of his own.
"In the light of recent events, would you all agree that this ship is only capable of activity by a force sensitive, and a powerful one at that?"
The general murmur in the room confirmed their agreement.
"Then I propose there is no one on this world capable of wielding this ship as a weapon, defensive or aggressive."
The delegates continued their low murmurs as Qui Gonn sighed heavily. It was going to be another long day.
Masters Yoda and Plo Koon disembarked their shuttle and headed to the waiting Qui Gonn and Kenobi who both seemed relieved to see them.
"An extraordinary mission this has been for you both, we are very glad to see you both looking so well." Master Plo bowed deeply to them.
"Commend you, we must, for securing this ship, Master Qui Gonn" said Yoda.
"Padawan Kenobi was invaluable to me and deserves mention." Qui Gonn rested a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Yes, quite the treasure hunter" commented Master Plo, with an amused tone.
"Let us discuss our next move over a cup of Darier tea." And with that Qui Gonn gestured the masters to their quarters.
Back at the apartment Kenobi diligently prepared the tea while the masters discussed the ship. Since waking after a day and a half asleep, the padawan felt much clearer and far less burdened by the presence of the ship. He had found the connection diminishing and unlike his previous detachment to the ship, this was an uncomfortable separation, but a rather natural one. Bringing the tea out to the masters brought him back into the conversation.
"We were just discussing the force flow through the ship, Obi Wan," continued Master Plo, "How would you describe that sensation?"
Kenobi thought for a moment as he offered each one of them a cup of the steaming tea. "It was overwhelming at first and rather intimidating, but it was obvious the ship held no malice towards any of its occupants, at least not at first."
"What mean you?" asked Master Yoda, and Kenobi sat sipping his tea for a moment as a crutch. He really didn't want to talk about this part, but he knew Qui Gon would if he hadn't already.
"When Selven attacked us and the ship responded in our defense, it was prepared to drain the living force from him completely. I had to focus extremely hard to allow Selven to escape. Without Master Qui Gon there I'm not sure I could have stopped it in time."
"I believe you did the right thing in the situation and would have without my presence, my padawan." It felt good to hear Qui Gon's faith in him, despite his behavior on the ship.
"The impression I got was that this craft is a juvenile in need of a teacher, mentor and the previous pilot was not adequately trained for such a role," continued Qui Gon, "I have no doubt that with the proper instruction this craft could be a powerful ally to the jedi."
"Have a teacher in mind, do you?"asked Yoda knowing the answer, but needing Qui Gon to say it.
"I have established a link to the ship, much like Obi Wan's only with more control, the control that comes from experience." The last part was directed at Kenobi, although it didn't really comfort him, was his master rejecting him again? "However, I have other commitments at this time and I would suggest an alternative, one who I could pass the reigns over to." This took everyone by surprise, especially Kenobi who suddenly felt a wave of pride wash over him. Qui Gon was choosing him over the ship, at least for now, which was enough for him.
"Wise decision, Master Qui Gon, we will endeavor to find a suitable replacement."
"In the meantime, I thought Obi Wan and I could pilot the craft back to Coruscant for further study." Ah, thought Kenobi, he's not letting it go that easily.
"Perhaps the four of us together might journey home in this craft, I am eager to make its acquaintance." Master Plo continued to sip his cooling tea as he made the suggestion.
"As you wish, Masters," said Qui Gon, "we will leave first thing in the morning. Now, perhaps you would like to visit the ship and examine it for yourselves."