Part7:
"How can you do this to me?" Qui-Gon demanded from his long time friend, who sat cross-legged on his couch and watched the tall Jedi's frantic pacing. "How could you AND Yoda vote for me to go on that mission? You know how... how unstable I am!"
The rambling continued for some more minutes and the Korun Master kept on sitting on his comfortable black leather couch. He had decided he would allow Qui-Gon to let some steam off first, before explaining his actions.
"Qui-Gon!" he eventually exclaimed and almost immediately the other Jedi's attention was on him. Mace allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, "Take a seat, please."
The taller male looked as if he wanted to protest and Mace already prepared to be screamed at or for another round of rambling, but to his surprise, his friend seated himself next to the Council member without another word.
"Master Yoda and I wouldn't have sent you on this mission, if it weren't important," Mace began to explain, "Yoda had felt that you definitely needed to be there, otherwise we would have made sure that you stayed in the temple for a few more days, or as long as you need."
"Why is it so important for me to be on this mission? What did Master Yoda see?" Qui-Gon inquired now that he had calmed down and his curiosity was spiked.
The dark skinned Master sighed and slightly leaned back, positioning one of his arms on the backrest behind Qui-Gon's slumped from. "That's just the thing. He didn't see anything, it was just a feeling and the urging of the Force, at least that is what he told me."
"Mace..." he sighed, "I am not sure if I can take this mission..."
"If it helps you, you won't be going alone. In fact your old Master, Dooku, willingly offered to accompany you," he hesitated, "I think he is really worried about you, Qui."
Qui-Gon nodded and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and he bowed his head so that his hair hid his face from view. "So you want me to go on that mission?"
"No," the Korun Master answered honestly, "but the Force does."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Then I will do it," he said after a moment of silence.
"Alright, if there is something you need..." he let the sentence trail of.
The long haired Master gazed up again and gave his friend a small smile, "I'll be alright. Nothing can happen to me, not with Master Dooku is around."
"So it is true?" Mace leaned closer towards the other's body, "Dooku does indeed have a heart?"
"Yes... but not for the Council," and Mace was just glad to see his friend laughing again.
"Qui-Gon? What is it Padawan?" the older Jedi asked worried.
The two Jedi had barely set foot on the planet, in fact they were walking down the ramp of their ship, but Qui-Gon had stopped abruptly. Their reception committee shot them unsure looks and one of them had made a move to approach them, but Dooku had waved them away impatiently. The older male had walked back to his former student with long hard strides and had almost painfully grabbed Qui-Gon's shoulders to shake him.
"Damn it Padawan, talk to me." Slowly Qui-Gon's eyes landed on his companion, but they were unfocused and slightly dazed. "Qui-Gon..."
"A feeling," the long haired male answered cryptically.
Dooku allowed himself to mentally breathe out a sigh of relief, when his former Padawan concentrated more on him again. His eyes were less dull and really focused on Dooku's face.
"What kind of feeling?" the older Master asked.
Qui-Gon's brows furrowed and his mouth thinned, "I am not sure. It feels familiar, but at the same time completely alien. I can't place it."
Dooku nodded, "We will figure this out in due time Qui-Gon. Now come Padawan, maybe our mission will reveal more of your feeling's nature."
"Yes my Master."
And finally the two Jedi completely left the ship. The reception committee looked doubtful and worried, but Dooku had handled their questioning and assured them that his partner had felt a disturbance in the Force and had investigated it. Of course the people had not quite understood what the man had told them, but they were smart enough not to question him any further. Afterward the two Jedi were lead towards the building they would stay in and where their host, a well respected Count, lived.
"Are you still pondering about that disturbance you felt, Padawan?" Dooku asked his companion, who was sitting on one of the beds. The older man ignored that it was his bed Qui-Gon was sitting on and simply lowered himself next to his charge.
"Yes... I cannot explain why, but it is gravely bothering me."
"I understand Qui-Gon, but you should keep your focus on the here and now. The Force will provide you with an answer in due time."
"As always you are absolutely right," he sighed, "Shall we begin our investigation?"
"After you," and Dooku motioned for his long haired partner to go first.
"I still don't understand what exactly we are supposed to find," Qui-Gon said while they exited the building. "The mission report stated a dark person, the Count has described a ghost or phantom and the few people we have asked swore that they saw a monster."
"People tend to let fear cloud their minds."
"They also tend to exaggerate," Qui-Gon added.
"Indeed," the white haired man stopped walking and looked around the marketplace they were standing on. The place, despite that it was midday, was almost empty. Only a few single people walked over it, or rather they ran over it. Some of the stands were destroyed and food and other goods lay abandoned on the parchment.
"So, this is the first place this strange... manifestation, has been seen," Qui-Gon explained and followed Dooku, who was examining the remains of one of the stands.
"So it would seem," he hummed in thought, "Look at these marks."
"What could have inflicted them?" the long haired man leaned over his companion's shoulders. Dooku was currently kneeling on one of the few clean spots.
"I am not sure. It looks like a lightsaber might have inflicted them, but the marks look too... abstract for that to be the case."
Now it was Qui-Gon's turn to hum, "It would definitely cover the part of the being's glowing. Nobody has seen, whatever this is, up close have they?"
"And it was in the middle of the night. Apparently their little ghost has destroyed the lanterns and light sources first," Dooku motioned for the destroyed lanterns that were normally positioned in a circle around the market.
"It did not want to be seen," he straightened up again and walked once over the whole market, Dooku close behind him.
They didn't find any other evidence that would give them any clues on the being they were dealing with, so they decided to go the next place the phantom had visited. All the places spotted the same marks as the marketplace had. The light sources had been completely destroyed and those strange abstract lightsaber marks on the demolished thing. Most of the places were rather public, but it seemed as if they were chosen randomly. There was no connection between the marketplace, the parks, the place before the town hall and wherever else the being had appeared. The only thing they had in common, was that the destruction had always taken place during the night.
"Maybe our little friend just does not like the light very much," Qui-Gon offered, but it was a half heartedly explanation.
"Maybe he just does not want to be seen. Whatever it is, he is angry and let's his anger out on statues, benches and whatever gets in his way."
"How do you know that he is angry?" the long haired male inquired.
"Concentrate on the Force and on what I have taught you Padawan. All the places we have visited have been tainted by darkness. It had clung to the destruction and the anger was apparent."
Qui-Gon did as he was told and reached out with the Force. Immediately he caught up to what Dooku was referring to and he curiously inspected the disturbance.
Sudden realisation hit him and everything went bright and dizzy for a moment. Only Dooku's sharp voice brought him back to reality.
He slowly opened his eyes, Qui-Gon had not even noticed that he had closed them in the first place, and he found himself gazing up at his former Master's worried and shocked face. It took the long haired man's brain a moment until he realised that he and Dooku were kneeling on the cold ground.
"Qui-Gon, can you hear me?"
"What happened?" he asked instead of answering the question.
Dooku let out a sigh, "You collapsed screaming... I am beginning to think that this was not a good decision, you should have stayed in the temple."
"I would have, but Yoda insisted that I need to be here."
"That old troll has the annoying habit to stuff his ears into other peoples' business far too often if you ask me," was Dooku's blatant reply. Qui-Gon nodded, but did not say anything else. "So, do you care to explain to your old Master what just transpired?"
"I examined the disturbance and the anger you managed..." he hesitated, but Dooku waited patiently until the younger male had found the right words, "I felt this... presence before. A few years prior on Naboo, when..." his voice broke.
"You don't think this is Obi-Wan's doing, do you?" of course the white haired male would know what he was thinking about. The man could read Qui-Gon better than even Yoda and Mace together.
"I don't know," he eventually said, "everything is so muddled. It would make sense since Obi-Wan is controlled by this presence. Then again, it might be the presence itself. We still haven't figured out its true nature."
"We are speculating too much, for my liking. I would prefer if we had solid proof," Dooku stated and sat back on his heels. "We should keep going, it is getting dark."
Qui-Gon looked up at the already darkening sky. Dooku was right, the sun was already vanishing on the horizon. He suddenly had an idea, "It is getting dark."
Dooku raised an eyebrow, "Perceptive as ever, my apprentice, but I fear I just said that." He was standing now.
"Exactly Master," Qui-Gon had jumped to his feet as well and he was smiling at the older male, "It is getting dark and apparently the being is not very fond of light."
"And it has only been spotted during night time," finished Dooku for him, "I see where this is going."
"I want to stay out. Maybe we even get a look upon the strange being that terrorizes this town..." he hesitated, "Are you with me?" Qui-Gon asked, his face and tone serious.
"Always, my Padawan."
"Good, let's head for a public place that has not been touched yet... who knows, maybe we are even lucky."
"Lead the way," and Qui-Gon did just that.
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