Ch. 4 Sacrifices
"You don't have to go through with this!" Rose said forcefully, as Kira stole a screwdriver and commenced her escape.
"What are you talking about? Of course I have to go through with this. Just because we need to go with them doesn't mean they weren't right!" Kira called back distractedly. "If they try to carry off a runaway, this treaty is lost. People will die! Korba will see to that. No request of the Republic will be honored, don't you understand? How can I be responsible for that?" She hopped down and hit sand. Dawn was breaking and the wind was dying. Tatooine was at its most hospitable. "Give me the extra cloak."
"You don't have any water, you fool!" Rose argued through tears. "You can't possibly expect to survive!"
"But I will," said Kira, looking up at her. "Because I have to." She reached up, ripped the cloak from Rose's grasp. Rose looked down at her furiously.
"I won't condone you running to your death!" she replied. "I'll call the Jedi here, they'll stop this."
"Do that," Kira said coldly, "and I'll be gone before you finish the first syllable. It's about time we thought of someone beside ourselves, Rose. The Krayt Stones. Dawn tomorrow. Make sure you're there."
She replaced the metal sheet and rescrewed it, dissolving the last sounds of Rose's crying and stomping. Then she ran, to beat the sun.
"What do you mean, she's gone?" Obi-Wan demanded. Rose sat on the floor, crying helplessly. Neither Jedi made any move to help her.
"She said- she said we couldn't think of ourselves, we had to think of- of them. Of Korba's people who would be hurt."
"What?" Obi-Wan breathed. Master, I think she's left for the sake of the treaty! He couldn't believe this. She'd won. She had earned the right to stay. And he wanted her to come with them, he had grown to not just like, but respect her. Despite her deception.
"I thought you two were inseparable," Qui-Gon asked, choosing his words carefully. "I thought we couldn't take one without the other."
"You can't!" Rose replied, eyes blazing. "Think, Master Jedi. You do not have a runaway on your ship. You have a prospective student. They can scan, they'll only find the three of us here. Tomorrow at dawn, when you're scheduled to leave, we pick up Kira."
"At Korba's Palace?" Obi-Wan asked, confused. "She'll be caught. We can't just take her, he'll know."
"Not at the Palace," Rose whispered. "At the Krayt Stones."
"And where, pray tell, are these Krayt Stones?" Qui-Gon asked evenly. The stress was emanating off him in waves.
"A day's walk." Rose swallowed hard. "Out of sensor distance."
Obi-Wan rocked back. "There's no way she can survive that! A day's walk? In her condition? She didn't exactly arrive in pristine health, and she didn't leave that fight unscathed! Is she crazy?"
Qui-Gon quickly silenced his apprentice. "It is the only way," he considered thoughtfully. "Clever girl." He looked at Rose. "Does she even have water?" he asked softly.
"She has nothing. Just an extra cloak to drop, so that they'll think she died."
The same thought echoed in three different heads. Hopefully, she won't.
The messengers arrived around noon. The Jedi saw that Rose was comfortable, but all three communicated as little as possible. Rose was in a state of near hyperventilation, waiting for the day to pass so that she could rescue her friend.
"I know this is sudden," explained Qui-Gon to Korba's representatives with dignity, "but you'll find it in the newly set treaty. Your master will, of course, be reimbursed for the slave's cost. She is Gifted with the Force and quite a credit to him."
The messengers' nerves were on edge; two runaways and a very angry Hutt led them to be quite wary of the Jedi.
"You request permission to take her with you?" buzzed the reptilian Tortullan.
"Strongly request. It would be a great token of goodwill by Korba, and greatly appreciated by his newfound Republic allies," Qui-Gon explained, suavely implementing the idea in the messenger's head as his own. The female, a Limbardoh, proved harder to convince.
"You walk a thin line, Jedi," she said, her voice warm and musical. Limbardih were naturally gifted in the use of the Force through their voices. Their tones often had quite an effect on any humanoid listener, despite green fangs and fur. "I will consult with Korba. I doubt he will be ready to disband the treaty for a single slave," she continued, hardly sparing Rose a glance. "But the other, she must be returned. She was to be a gift to his second cousin, Jabba."
No wonder she left, Obi-Wan thought sardonically.
"I'm afraid she's not here," Qui-Gon answered, ignoring his apprentice. "Rose informs me that she has continued her journey across the desert. She knew we would not grant her any kind of asylum. We are far too respectful of Korba's wishes to easily break them." "Easily" being the key word of that sentence, he thought dryly to Obi-Wan who kept a straight face. The Limbardoh gave him a penetrating glance. Qui-Gon's face was as passive as his apprentice's, but she persisted.
"Scan the ship!" she snapped to her dubious partner. "How many life forms?"
"Five," he answered, consulting his instruments.
"Within our radius?" she pressed, unbelieving.
"Six… no, five. That last was not sentient," he said, sighing in irritation at his partner's ridiculous persistence. He was easily convinced the Jedi had nothing to hide.
"Fine," she said at last, and whirled. "Wait, Jedi, for Korba's clearance. He must hear of your… "request" before granting you permission to depart."
"We apologize for the inconvenience," Qui-Gon murmured, bowing. Obi-Wan followed suit and Korba's servants left without another word.
Hot. Hot. Hot. The heat of the Tatooine desert beat down upon Kira with the harshness of Krayt claws. As her swollen tongue accidentally brushed over her cracked lips, easing out a drop of bitter blood, she cursed herself for this damned idea. I was good to go, she thought dazedly, struggling to keep her balance and put one foot in front of the next. I could be drinking WATER in a nice, cool ship right at this very moment. So what if others would pay the price? This train of thought snapped her brain out from some of the influence of heat stroke. She thought of the good people who lived, powerless, in the bowels of Korba's gambling palace and knew she had made the right decision. But then she tripped over a dead choking vine, falling onto the scalding hot sand, and morality took the backseat once again, this time to a string of curses. How many hours? It seems like centuries, she thought. Gods, if you are indeed around and listening- it was very hard to focus, pulling herself to her feet was agony- let me get through this day. I have too much to lose to fail now. She took a weak step forward. Then another. She was moving once more.
Her neck throbbed and she knew she was badly burnt. It was too hot to don the coarse burnoose, and she had left the second behind long, long ago, too weak to carry it. She worried her story was fast coming to an end. Then through all her haziness she managed one last conscious decision: not to think. And that was that.
Hours passed and Kira plowed on, unaware of her surroundings and obsessed only with a goal. She didn't know or care what that finality would be, but it involved rest, and water. It had to.
"Eat, Rose," Qui-Gon said, setting a tray in front of the girl. Obi-Wan looked up from a mindless training exercise to watch the interaction. He couldn't help it; something about Rose grated on his nerves. Perhaps it was just anxiety over Kira: on both sides.
Rose hardly moved, only looked up at Qui-Gon with empty eyes. He sighed and sat across from her, thinking how glad he would be when they could drop this young woman off at the Jedi temple. She just wasn't right for a life traveling with Jedi. He wasn't even sure she was prepared for a life of training or studying. He didn't know what Rose had in mind for herself. This brought him to a new question: What would become of Kira (assuming they found her, and found her alive)? Where could she go? What could she be? Do? Later, he told himself. Right now, he had to find within himself compassion for Rose.
"It'll do you good," he urged. "At least drink."
"No," said Rose mulishly. "I'm not hungry. Or thirsty."
"Yes, you are," Obi-Wan said from the corner, setting down his book with a sigh. "It's distracting to think of you two coming all the way here from the Palace without any speeders. I'll never understand how you did it."
"Or how Kira's doing it," said Rose softly, tears welling up for the hundredth time that day. Both men sighed now. Rose reached out and downed the drink in front of her. "Happy?" she gasped.
"Very," Qui-Gon murmured as her eyes gently rolled back. He caught has she fell from her stool and lifted her thin body out of the chair as the sleeping drugs set in, working rapidly on an empty stomach.
"Well done, Master," said Obi-Wan, grinning.
"Ha, ha," remarked Qui-Gon irritably. "She's going in your room."
Sun set on the desert land of Tatooine. The Krayt Stones were in her line of vision, though Kira was scarcely able to discern what that meant. The walk became both easier and harder; the heat abated, but at the same time, the wind left her thirstier than ever. Her parched mouth seemed to rip apart, catching on itself repeatedly. Her tongue bled and so did her feet, the bottoms of her shoes long worn away.
Kira's hands finally slapped solid stone, but she found herself yelping in pain. The shiny black rock had absorbed all the day's heat. It did, however, provide shelter from the ruthless wind. Sliding onto the desert floor next to it, Kira fell immediately exhausted into a dreamless sleep, waking only occasionally to cough out some intruding sand as the wind picked back up.
Qui-Gon sat meditating in his quarters. Obi-Wan was up and about, checking systems and preparing for an imminent departure they did not yet have permission to make. Rose would surely wake within the hour, ready with coordinates and a new batch of fear. He pondered their situation, worried despite any calming exercise. Korba played a dangerous game; not only did he risk his favor with the Republic, but every minute spent waiting was a chance less that Kira would survive.
His comm beeped, interrupting his meditation. Qui-Gon reached down to pick the little device up. It nearly disappeared in the large hand he raised to his lips.
"Yes?" he asked urgently.
"Our Limbardoh friend has returned," said Obi-Wan, sounding disheartened. "She wishes to speak with you, Master."
"On my way," Qui-Gon replied quickly, gathering his few things and scattered thoughts. Time to face the music.
The sun rose on a new day and Kira's spirit broke. Tears bit into the cuts on her lips. She lay still, praying for a quicker death than the one Rose had imagined for her.
"Greetings, Messenger," Qui-Gon said, arriving only moments after the summons. "Have we permission to leave?"
"Yes," said the Limbardoh abruptly. She cast them a cruel smile and turned to leave. Her rudeness was not lost on the two Jedi. Korba was not pleased. "My master figures if you had any connection with the second runaway, the trek in the desert would have killed her by now."
"You'll have to search for remains," Qui-Gon said mildly as Obi-Wan turned all systems on as calmly but efficiently as he could.
"Waste of time," the female replied with a wolfish grin. She exited the ship as quickly as she'd entered. Rose appeared at the vacated doorway, yawning. It took her a moment to search out Qui-Gon, and the Jedi readied himself for a sharp reprimand.
"Thank you," said Rose softly. Both Jedi stared at her in disbelief a moment, then turned away. She approached the cockpit.
"Coordinates?" asked Obi-Wan in a manner that might have been more sympathetic than anything he had said to her before. She gave them to him, watching as his swift fingers typed the numbers in. She hardly noticed when Master Qui-Gon took her hand in his. She trembled from head to foot as they lifted off. The Jedi chalked it up to fear for her friend. They were right; but it still remained that this was Rose's first experience flying in a ship. The Krayt Stones quickly loomed ahead.
"Reach out with your senses, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon instructed. He himself sought out the glassy presence. He could sense no emotions, no pain. He began to worry and widened his range to cover already traveled area.
"There she is!" Obi-Wan cried at last, startling Rose. He mentally presented his find to Qui-Gon. Behind the widest stone, a faint presence breathed ragged, painful breaths.
"Set it down," Qui-Gon ordered frantically. Obi-Wan had already begun the shotgun landing. Qui-Gon was out the hangar door the moment they touched down. Rose would have followed but for Obi-Wan's strong grip on her arm. She was too out of it, too frightened to truly fight him. Qui-Gon found Kira, her eyes closed, too weak to even follow the changing shade. He swung her frail form easily onto his shoulder and reentered the ship, returning the same minute he disembarked.
"Keep Rose away," was the only thing he communicated to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan nodded and turned to the girl. She stared after Qui-Gon with round, frightened eyes, but made no move to follow him.
Qui-Gon sat back in exhaustion several hours later. He cursed the small size of their ship as the reason they hadn't been properly equipped with a Bacta tank: just the infamous Bacta brush. It took so much more time, and with a patient in critical condition, time was always of the essence. Trying to rehydrate an unconscious Kira with warm water had been extremely difficult, treating second-degree burns even more so. It was better that the girl had been unconscious for that, thought Qui-Gon in amusement. He didn't think she would appreciate him brushing Bacta over her naked body despite her injuries; they weren't exactly on good terms yet. This was going to be an interesting trip. He headed out to the common room, where Rose was dozing and Obi-Wan sat studying.
"She's going to be fine," he said softly. Rose immediately woke with a jerk anyway, panic on her face. "She'll probably wake in a few hours, even."
"Did you use the Bacta brush on her, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, unable to hide traces of a blush. Hmmmm, thought Qui-Gon, amused. A very interesting trip indeed.
"Yes, Padawan," he said. "Thank the Force for Bacta."
"Bacta?" Rose asked weakly, still unable to believe her friend was truly safe. Qui-Gon explained the mechanics of the healing plasma to her, an explanation that was only vaguely followed. "Can I see her?" Rose asked.
"Of course," said Qui-Gon, moving aside. She rushed by him into the next room.
"I programmed a course for Coruscant," said Obi-Wan calmly, leaning back in his chair. "I take it the Temple is expecting Rose?"
"I'll have to follow it up. Master Yoda has many demands on his time, it's unlikely he informed the Teachers of this new arrival," said Qui-Gon, gratefully taking Rose's newly vacated seat.
"Right," said Obi-Wan, and returned to his studies.
"Kira," Rose called softly. The girl did not stir. Rose took one of Kira's hands in hers, gratified to find it warm but not hot. The other was bound in a splint; Rose vaguely thought of the cracking sound when Kira landed her best blow on Qui-Gon's chin. A tear fell from Rose's cheek onto the back of Kira's finger. She carefully brushed it away and sighed. "I don't know how to say this," Rose said.
"Destiny is something we are called to, you told me- a certain path that we can almost never see clearly," she continued, keeping her voice low so the Jedi couldn't hear her words. "Sometimes we believe blindly, and that gives us the force to continue on that path. Sometimes in our blindness we stray off it- or think we do, because it's a road that one can never leave. Our vision may be obstructed, but sometimes we can bridge a certain gap and see what we were meant to see.
"You saw across worlds, Kira. You saw this place, this choice, these people. And I listened to you speak of them and I thought that your destiny could be mine," Rose whispered. She wiped her streaming eyes with her free hand. She would see this through. "But I was wrong. Our paths end in different places, friend. Yours will perhaps end in this world. But mine will not; this is just a stopping place for me, a place where I have learned more about me, more about you, and more about people than I imagined I could.
"You have all you need. I asked you to let me be your hope. You don't need that, you're so strong! Maybe because this is your place. It brings out the best in you. But not the best in me, that's for sure. Your purpose is here, mine is at home, or in some other place I haven't discovered yet. It's time for me to go. I've helped you this far; please look back on me kindly, and try to understand." Rose kissed her friend's cheek briefly, and then released her. Rose backed away slowly. Her eyes closed, and she focused hard. Behind her, in the wall of the ship, it seemed, a green whirling portal appeared. She continued backing up carefully, feeling its power take hold of her.
Qui-Gon looked up abruptly from halfway to sleep. Obi-Wan rubbed his head as if it pained him, and then caught his master's eye. They raced into the next room.
Rose saw the Jedi run in and smiled. Good-bye, Kira, she thought, planting the thought and the speech and the deed in her dormant mind. Take good care of her, she said to the open-mouthed Jedi. Obi-Wan somehow had the presence of mind to nod. Rose took a last step back, fully enveloped in the green light of the gateway to her world, and faded from their sight. The wall returned to normal as innocently as if nothing had occurred.
"By the Force," whispered Obi-Wan, "what was that?" The both looked down at the still, sleeping form of Kira and thought they'd be wondering a long time.