Chapter Seven: Catacomb Rescue Part 1: Qui-Gon Jinn
It was a starry night in Coruscant with a full moon. While it was a beautiful night for most, for Obi-Wan, Siri, Luke, Mara, Han, and Leia, this meant only one thing: Palpatine's soldiers could spot them very easily. They had to be extra careful, and every time a soldier began to come, they would hide behind a building.
"Siri, why are we being so careful tonight?" Han asked.
"Because tonight's meeting is especially dangerous, Han." Siri explained. "Obi-Wan's friend Qui-Gon Jinn will be there, and Palpatine would love to capture him because he's told so many people the stories of Jesus."
"I think it's safe now." Obi-Wan whispered before he was proven wrong when Galen and Dooku were questioning a young man.
"You there!" Galen said to the man. "We're looking for a man named Qui-Gon Jinn, a Christian. Do you know him?"
"No I don't." The man said simply.
"Alright." Galen said plainly when Dooku shoved him aside.
"You call that an interrogation, Galen?" Dooku scoffed. "I'll show you."
Dooku easily lifted the man up and held him close.
"Do you know a Christian named Qui-Gon Jinn?" Dooku asked.
"No, I swear!" The man said, easily frightened by Dooku's visage.
"You don't only know him, you are Jinn, aren't you?" Dooku said as he attacked the man with Force Lightning. "I say you're Jinn! You're Qui-Gon Jinn the Story Keeper!"
"Yes!" The man said, scared out of his wits. "Yes, anything you say!"
"Liar." Dooku said with a smirk as he tossed the man into a troth of water.
"That my friend is how it's done." Dooku told Galen smugly.
"Why do they have to be so cruel?" Mara asked.
"They beat my father like that." Luke said bitterly. "Before they took them away."
The guards walked off as Luke looked angrily at them.
()()()()()
The meeting that night took place in a secret underground house with A'Sharad acting as a lookout as usual; they also made sure all who entered knew the sign of the fish to prove their Christianity.
After awhile, Obi-Wan and the others arrived, and A'Sharad greeted them just as Qui-Gon Jinn arrived. Qui-Gon was a middle-aged man with graying brown hair and a beard like Obi-Wan's.
"Obi-Wan, how are you doing?" Qui-Gon said as he and Obi-Wan hugged.
"Qui-Gon!" Obi-Wan called out. "I'm so glad you made it! Everyone's been looking forward to hearing your stories."
Obi-Wan then turned and addressed the crowd.
"Friends of Jesus, please welcome Qui-Gon Jinn, the Master Story Teller!" Obi-Wan called out.
"Ah, Obi-Wan is too kind." Qui-Gon said with a smile. "For he knows that I'm nothing compared to the greatest storyteller of all. Why I remember hearing Jesus teaching in Theed, and as he spoke, a man stepped forward.
"'What must I do to live in God's new way?' The man asked arrogantly.
"'What do the Scriptures say?' Jesus asked in response.
"'They say we must love God and our neighbor as ourselves.' The man recited.
"'Yes.' Jesus said. 'Do this and you will live.'"
"'But who is my neighbor?' The man asked again.
"Jesus took a stick and drew a line in the road.
"'There was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho.' Jesus began. 'But some men put a trap on the road, and when the man came by, they robbed and beat him. Leaving him there, bleeding and alone. A priest was going down the same road, but he refused to stop and help. Then a Levite came by, on his way to the temple where he worked, but he didn't stop either. Then just as the man thought he would die, a Samaritan came over. The wounded man didn't think a stranger from Samaria would help, but the foreigner took pity on him and stopped. After tending to the man's wounds, the Samaritan took him to an inn.
"'"This man needs help." The Samaritan told the innkeeper.
"'"Do you know this man?" The innkeeper asked.
"'"No, but please take care of him for me." The Samaritan requested and gave the man several coins. "If it costs more than this, I'll pay you on the way back."
"'The innkeeper was amazed. Samaritans and Jews don't usually talk to one another, and yet the priest and Levite had broken their own law by not helping the man. Now, which one of those men who passed by the wounded traveler was his neighbor?"
"'The one who was kind to him.' The man said, understanding.
"'Exactly.' Jesus said as he put a hand on the man's shoulder. 'Now you go, and do the same.'"
"Now there was a master story teller." Qui-Gon finished with a smile.
"Ah yes." Obi-Wan said with a smile.
While Obi-Wan went to introduce Qui-Gon to the others, a thin man with black hair bumped into A'Sharad as he stared at him quizzically.
"I don't remember seeing you before." A'Sharad said plainly.
"Who me?" The man asked. "Well I'm visiting. I'm visiting my uncle, yes. And there he is. Oh uncle!"
A'Sharad rubbed his chin as the man rushed off. There was something about that guy he didn't like, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
()()()()()
"And finally, this is Leia, and her brother Luke." Obi-Wan said after introducing everyone to Qui-Gon.
"It's great to meet you all." Qui-Gon said.
"Come on to the farm." Obi-Wan said. "Siri has a feast waiting for us. After dinner, I'll tell you about our plans." Obi-Wan said with a smile. "Believe me, we'll have you out of the city before Palpatine even knows you're here."
()()()()()
"What do you mean he's here?!" Palpatine shouted. "Who's here?"
"The one who spread all that Jesus nonsense throughout Tython." Palpatine's spy, Garth Ezzar said as he shook.
Galen couldn't blame him. He doubted he'd be very brave when it came down to a face-to-face talk with Palpatine.
"Oh… Him." Palpatine said, realizing Ezzar was talking about Jinn. "Why the unmitigated dog! It's bad enough he spreads that poison out in the rest of the galaxy, but to come here… Ezzar, thank you for bringing this to my attention.
"You're welcome." Ezzar said.
"Galen," Palpatine said. "Why isn't this Christian here now begging for his life?"
"Well sir, my men haven't found him yet, but I have them on the lookout for any unusual activity." Galen responded.
"If your men are able to look for anything at all, that would be unusual activity." Dooku said with a sneer. He and Dooku were natural rivals as they were both very high up in the army and had such opposing views.
"Do you mean that Ezzar is the only one who knows where this Christian is?" Palpatine asked incredulously. "That Ezzar is the one true everlasting friend of the Empire?"
"Well…" Ezzar said. "I didn't actually see where he went."
Palpatine growled angrily and then smirked as he used Force Lightning to electrocute Ezzar to death.
"Now, where were we?" Palpatine mused.
"The search for the Christian is a matter for my Serrenoan Guard." Dooku said quickly. "Not these common foot soldiers. Let me do this my way, and I guarantee we'll have this Christian in chains by sunrise."
"The only thing you can guarantee, Dooku is brutality and destruction!" Spock called out angrily.
"Brutality and destruction?" Palpatine asked with a smirk. "Why Galen, what an excellent idea. I want you and Dooku to work together."
"Sir!" Dooku protested.
"Silence!" Palpatine ordered. "Now close the city gates, and let no one travel the hyper space routes of the empire without my official seal!"
Palpatine then put down two sets of papers, poured some melted wax from a candle onto them, and pressed down on them with a stamp installed in one of his fingers, leaving his mark on the papers.
"I want that Christian dead." Palpatine said as he handed the papers to Galen and Dooku. "As well as anyone caught hiding him. You have your orders, now go!"
Uh-oh. Things look bad for the gang now, don't they?