Ch. 3 Aggressive Negotiations
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon strode down the hall of the ship towards the holding cell. Obi-Wan was hiding his anger well, but Qui-Gon felt it and sympathized. Kira was among the highest beings he had ever encountered. She had been prepared to walk straight into death to save her friend. There had been no telling hesitation in her face. It had almost worked. In some way, at least, she really had succeeded. Her friend was safe. The Jedi Mandate required them to grant the girl's request for asylum. And luckily, the Jedi Mandate now applied to all Korba's subjects- even the slaves. Before he knew it, he stood in front of the transparent force field keeping the two girls captive.
Rose sat with her head in Kira's lap. Kira's eyes were upon Qui-Gon's instantly: dark green and determined. She ran a comforting hand through Rose's long hair and looked up at them expectantly.
"What is your name?" Qui-Gon asked gently, looking at Rose, who sat up slowly, eying him warily.
"Rose," she said at last. Both girls stood, moving as close as they dared to the invisible wall.
"Rose," Qui-Gon repeated. "Do you request asylum?"
"I do," said Rose in a small voice. Obi-Wan looked at Kira, one last hope in his heart.
"Do you- can you use the Force, the way your friend does?" Kira's eyes met his steadily. She could lie, Obi-Wan thought. But Qui-Gon would test her and catch her in minutes.
"No," she said instantly. "I have no Talent." Obi-Wan sighed. Qui-Gon gave him a sharp glance.
"We grant you asylum in the name of the Jedi Temple," said Qui-Gon. "You may come with us."
"And my friend?" Rose asked steadily.
"We have no choice but to return her to Korba," Obi-Wan explained, his eyes locked on Kira's.
"I see," said Rose slowly. "Then you must return me as well."
"Rose!" Kira said, appalled. "What are you doing?"
"I won't go without you!" Rose cried. "I can't! I'd rather die!"
"You must come with us," Qui-Gon said. "It's required by the new peace treaty." Rose barked a laugh.
"First, you can't bring us because of your damn treaty," she said harshly. "Now you can't leave me because of it either?"
"It's not that simple," Qui-Gon explained patiently. Despite his outward calm, his voice had risen a note in frustration. Obi-Wan had to hide a grin at the ridiculousness of the situation. The idea of these girls giving Jedi such trouble was funny. It would have been funnier had their lives not been on the line.
"I'm making it simple," Rose said. "Either she stays, or we both go back. Damn your treaty." Kira opened her mouth to intervene, but Rose silenced her with a rough hand. Kira turned pleading eyes to Qui-Gon. Don't let her do this, her eyes read clear as day.
"Rose, we will do this by force if we have to," said Qui-Gon grimly.
"Oh, yes?" Rose replied, grinning. "Perhaps I won't make it back, then. You don't seem to understand. I can't live knowing she died to save me." Slowly, Rose approached the force field. She pressed an unwavering hand against it. The skin began to sizzle as she pushed against the wall with more and more strength. The Jedi watched in horror, unable to act. Kira overcame her shock first, and pulled Rose backwards so hard both girls fell to the ground. Rose's palm was an ugly sight.
"I'm not afraid to hurt myself," Rose hissed. "Or anyone else who stands between us." Kira tried to rise but Rose pinned the smaller girl down. The Jedi eyed each other warily. Then they looked at Rose. "I propose a deal," Rose continued.
"Rose, stop, you're acting crazy! Just let me go!" Rose held Kira to the floor easily.
"Quiet. I propose we make our own little treaty, here and now," Rose growled. Obi-Wan stared at her hand. The pain did not seem to affect her. He felt Qui-Gon's worry and wondered what this girl held in store for them. She certainly was a wild one. "You give Kira her chance at survival. You," she said, jerking her head at Qui-Gon," will fight her. Fairly."
Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Kira stared at Rose in disbelief. "You must be joking," Obi-Wan said at last. "He's got over a foot and a hundred pounds on her!" It was true. Kira was a short, half-starved little thing. She looked terrified at the prospect of facing the Jedi. It was quite apparent that Qui-Gon was in perfect shape.
"I'm far from joking," Rose said clearly. "He fights her, no Jedi weapons or Jedi tricks, just one against the other. She wins, she stays." Kira crawled out from beneath Rose's relaxed grip. Her eyes had a new fire in them and she looked at Qui-Gon.
"That means, Rose," she said sternly, "that if I lose, I go. And you stay."
Rose bit her lip, but her eyes were wild. Crazy. Obi-Wan suddenly saw where this might end and didn't like it. "I accept that. It's our treaty."
Qui-Gon said nothing. It's the solution, Master, Obi-Wan thought to him. It solves everything. Kira loses, remains, and-and dies. Rose comes with us. Unharmed, and not dangerous. She'll keep her word to Kira.
I fear you are right, my young apprentice. Qui-Gon sighed. But a contract such as this I would have to first clear with the council.
Kira's eyes asked him what he was waiting for.
"Interesting, this is," the small holograph of Master Yoda said, rubbing his tiny chin. Qui-Gon sighed. Interesting was not the word he wanted to use. "Your oath, the girl requires?"
"My oath as a Jedi," Qui-Gon responded wearily. Yoda chuckled.
"Easily broken the oath of a Jedi is not. If taken, seriously must this matter be treated."
"Have I the Council's permission to proceed?" Qui-Gon asked. He had no wish to fight this slip of a girl, but he would be swearing to fight to his full abilities. Otherwise the bargain would be questionable, and therefore void.
"You do," said Yoda, chuckling still. "Beat her, you should be able, hmm?"
"That's not the issue," Qui-Gon muttered. Yoda turned away, chuckling even harder. The hologram fizzled to nothing.
"I'm glad someone finds this situation amusing," Obi-Wan snapped from the corner.
"Peace, my apprentice."
"You're going to have to hurt her!" Obi-Wan cried. "And then send her to her execution!"
"Despite the distress it may cause us, all of us, the solution is before our very noses. We must not hesitate in taking it."
"To the holding cell, then?" Obi-Wan asked wearily.
"To the holding cell," Qui-Gon replied.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rounded the corner to find Kira and Rose sleeping off their ordeal.
One good blow looks like it would finish her off, thought Obi-Wan loudly. Qui-Gon ignored him..
"Wake up, Rose. Kira." Qui-Gon's voice was as usual, quiet and commanding. Both girls were instantly awake. Rose rolled to her feet and Kira followed, yawning. "I swear on my oath as a Jedi to keep the bargain you have proposed."
"Which is?" Rose prompted. Obi-Wan eyed her contemptuously. Why was she making a hard thing even harder?
"To fight Kira for her freedom. I will use no Jedi weapon. I will use no Jedi "tricks." And I will fight to the best of my abilities," Qui-Gon stated. "If I win, you will stay and she will be returned. If she wins-" Obi-Wan turned away. "Then you will both accompany us back to Coruscant. Do you, Rose, swear to abide by these terms?"
"I swear," said Rose softly.
"By what do you swear?" Obi-Wan demanded.
"By Kira, my friend and sister, I swear," Rose responded haughtily. "Do you swear, apprentice, not to intervene?"
"By my oath as a Jedi, I swear," said Obi-Wan curtly. Rose turned to Kira, who faced the back wall. She seemed apart from the world. Obi-Wan pitied her greatly. He, a twenty year-old Jedi in training and in far better health than this frail-looking girl, beat Qui-Gon in one bout out of five. Her position was hopeless.
"And you, Kira, do you swear?" Rose demanded.
"Swear what?" asked Kira, turning in surprise. "What do I need to swear to?"
"That you'll try your best to win this fight. That you won't simply lose to give yourself up for me." Kira looked at the Jedi helplessly. Qui-Gon nodded. Obi-Wan simply looked at her gravely.
"Fine," she said. "I swear. By you. I'll try my hardest." She pushed her black hair out of her eyes, face falling with fatigue.
Well, thought Obi-Wan towards his master as he turned off the force field and the girls came forward, at least it'll be over quickly.
They returned to the cargo bay where all the mayhem had begun. Kira stretched in a corner as Qui-Gon did the same. Rose and Obi-Wan eyed each other contemptuously in the middle of the room.
"Why are you doing this to her?" Obi-Wan hissed. "Why won't you let her just go? With some dignity? In one piece?"
"Just let her go?" Rose repeated, disbelieving. "Would you just let him go? Your teacher? Without a fight? Kira has been like a sister to me. I can't just let her go." Obi-Wan shook his head.
"If you really loved her, like you say you do, either you'd let her save you or you'd fight this battle for her," Obi-Wan said shortly. Rose only blinked back at him. He turned away and cautiously approached Kira in her corner as Rose approached Qui-Gon in his.
"You're afraid," Obi-Wan stated, trying not to wince at the too-thin body revealed under the gap in Kira's cloak. He hated how this loss had been drawn out to such an extreme. She would be going down, and going down hard. And there would be no up, no return. She was going to suffer and then die. And for what?
"Of course I'm afraid," Kira replied softly. "Wouldn't you be if you were facing that krayt dragon and you were me?" Obi-Wan had to chuckle. His mirth was short-lived.
"Can't you talk her out of this?" he whispered.
"Look at her," Kira replied. Together they watched her argue with Qui-Gon about something or other. "There's no reasoning with Rose when she's desperate. I learned that a long time ago. It'll be over soon enough. And then she won't be my responsibility, but yours. Promise me you'll take good care of her," Kira murmured, lowering her eyes demurely. She had come too far to let the wrong emotions show now. A quivering excitement was filling her body and she did her best to quell it.
"I'll do my best," Obi-Wan said slowly. He couldn't help disliking Rose, but if that's what Kira wanted… He shook his head to clear it. "Just so you know… Kira… There's nothing I want more than for this to be different." He paused. "I would have enjoyed your traveling with us very much. And I don't believe what we have to do is right. I know the only comfort that could bring you is miniscule, but-" He stopped. There was nothing else to say. Kira smiled at him. There was a strange spark to it and Obi-Wan didn't quite understand her expression. At Qui-Gon's command he backed away to stand on the sidelines. Rose followed him a second later.
"Are you prepared, Kira?" Qui-Gon asked softly. Kira turned. Qui-Gon caught his breath, noticing a drastic difference. This was not the beaten, fearful young woman of a moment ago. Suddenly he found himself facing someone far more dangerous. His eyes flicked towards Rose. She was smiling mischievously. Oh, Force, Qui-Gon thought in disgust. Are they going to make this harder than it has to be? Confident or no, Kira's a smidge.
"Ready, Master Jedi," she replied coolly. All was still for a minute. Then the fight began.
He's bigger and stronger, Kira thought to herself as the tall Jedi came at her, fighting stance impeccable, foot crossing foot with practiced grace. But doesn't know me. She dodged his first blow easily and swooped away to miss the next. He doesn't suspect how fast I can be. They circled each other, Qui-Gon now grown slightly wary by the speed she displayed. Hold it back, Kira, hold it back, she told herself. You're going to need it. She struck out with a right-handed hook, which Qui-Gon dodged and returned. Blocking the blow with a swift kick, she dropped and spun, nearly knocking his legs out from beneath him. Only a quick leap backwards stopped her attack.
She had to keep him on his toes, and she had to end this as quickly as possible. She was too tired to hold up for long. Qui-Gon could see that and prepared to wear her down. They circled each other once more, eyes never parting. A series of jabs and punches thrown at him were all blocked almost effortlessly. A spinning kick connected but merely glanced off.
She was slow in recovering her balance and a well aimed jabbed struck her on the side of the head. Rose groaned from the sidelines. Obi-Wan silenced her with a quick hand across the mouth, completely absorbed in this surprise battle. He had no idea which side to take.
Kira recovered in time to dodge Qui-Gon's roundhouse kick and uppercut punch. Dancing away, she caught him off balance, momentarily. She came at him with a bridge hand, which she quickly realized was ineffective. She'd have to get closer to reach his neck. He caught her arm and twisted- to his shock she threw herself into the twist, flipping herself and losing his grip. His astonishment left him in one place just a moment too long. Barely landed, she came back at him with a powerful cartwheel terminating in a sharp punch to his chin, all her momentum behind it. She caught him squarely and his head snapped back. He went down. Hard. Kira bit back a cry of pain from the moment her fist connected; a cracking sound told her the worst. Expecting the Jedi to right himself and continue the assault, she was surprised by his legs, scissoring and connecting with her ankles. She was suddenly down as well. The Jedi lunged, and they were locked together, hands choking throats. They rolled over and over, knocking into barrels on the side of the room. Rose and Obi-Wan jumped to their feet, both afraid for the small girl trapped beneath- then on top- then under- above for a moment- but as Qui-Gon managed to assure his position on top, Kira began to cough. Afraid for her, his grip loosened an iota; and that was all Kira needed. She twisted free and flipped herself up with all the speed she'd held back, landing squarely on her feet before Qui-Gon could recover. In a moment she stood by his head, foot over his windpipe. He was rendered stunned and immobile.
"Do you concede?" she asked, her voice iron. The Jedi said nothing. She put the faintest pressure on her foot. "Do you concede?" she asked again. She couldn't let him see she would never hurt him. He saw only determination for survival in her face.
"I concede," he croaked at last. "I concede." The foot was raised immediately. Obi-Wan ran to his master, checking to see if he was hurt.
"I'm sore, Obi-Wan, but fine," Qui-Gon said, rubbing his recently pounded chin. Shock coursed through his body. He couldn't believe the way he, a full Jedi Knight, had been played by two teenage girls. Obi-Wan could not hide a grin.
"We swore, Master," he pointed out gleefully. "She's safe. She stays." Qui-Gon began to swear fluently and in a variety of languages. Obi-Wan backed away as his master drew himself to his full, angry height. It was only rarely he saw his master worked up. The sight always simultaneously amused and disconcerted him.
"Where did they go?" Qui-Gon asked suddenly.
