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Master Yoda followed the gurney carrying Obi-Wan back to the healers ward. There was a distinct dark aura in Obi-Wan and it concerned him, as were fluctuations in the flow of the Force surrounding and penetrating his body.
Healer Ba'han came straight from Qui-Gon's side to examine Obi-Wan when Master Yoda contacted him with the news. His first reaction as he gazed at Obi-Wan's head had him checking the deep puncture wounds in either side of his temples.
"These wounds are similar to those we found on Qui-Gon, only these are deeper."
"Yes, blood on the tips of the Chancellor's fingernails there was, know why we do not."
"It is mystifying that both master and apprentice have the exact same wounds. What is going on here Master Yoda?"
"A mystery, it is, such a disturbance not felt before of this magnitude and sense I do a great deal of darkness in and around our young one."
Ba'han removed Obi-Wan's tunics revealing several severe burn marks on his shoulders as though he'd been hit by lightning.
"You said that the Chancellor was decapitated by Obi-Wan's sabre. What reason would Obi-Wan have to do that?"
"Too many questions and not enough clear answers there are. Master Windu investigating he is."
Ba'han nodded. "There is so much darkness here, I felt nothing like this in Obi-Wan when he came to see me last night."
"Examine him you did, check his blood count did you?"
"Oh, I'd forgotten about the sample I took. I sent it off with the medical droid to test; the results should be waiting for me in my office. I will check it once I've completed this examination."
ooo
Down the hall Qui-Gon's mental activity caused his eyes to move erratically under the lids as a misty vision took shape. Images swirled around and slowly the haze cleared and he was staring at his reflection in a beautiful glistening pond; all around him were moss-covered stones.
He had no idea where he was, but he assumed Obi-Wan would be here too. Obi-Wan loved sitting by water, said it calmed him and made him see clearer.
He sensed a presence behind him and he turned smiling expecting to see Obi-Wan. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it in surprise.
Standing just a few steps away a man dressed in Jedi robes bowed as Qui-Gon turned.
"Hello Qui-Gon, you seem surprised to see me."
"I was expecting my padawan." He said. "You do look familiar though, have we met before?"
"You don't remember our previous conversation do you?" The glowing apparition said.
"No, I'm sorry."
"Yes, we have met, not long ago actually, in your time it was an hour ago."
"An hour ago, are you sure?" Qui-Gon delved into his mind trying to find a memory. There was a vague inclination of something that he should remember, if only he could clear the confusion that surrounded his thoughts.
"I don't recall who are you?"
"I was once a Jedi Knight called Andre Dinn, and in my lifetime I fought many battles against the sith. I was once a member of the high council and I fought in the Great Galactic war in the hope of destroying the sith forever. However, we failed and under the current circumstances, I have been sent to this realm to guide you."
"Sent here, are you a Force spirit!"
"Yes I am."
"Have you come because of the sith that I fought?"
"No, he was the apprentice, he is dead, but the danger has increased because the evil still exists."
"I felt Obi-Wan's pain, did he kill my apprentice?"
"No, Obi-Wan killed him, but a disturbance in the Force caused great pain to shoot down your bond and you mistook it for his death. You let go of life so you could join him, but you were wrong."
Qui-Gon sensed the truth in his words, but he was still confused. "The pain was unbearable, it was his pain, but you're saying Obi-Wan still lives."
"Yes, he does, but he may succumb if you don't help him."
Qui-Gon felt his fear for Obi-Wan's safety rise. "What do you mean?"
"He is in grave danger and if he is left to battle this insidious threat alone, he will succumb to the evil that is within him."
Qui-Gon felt a tingling of anger fill him at Dinn's words. "There's no evil in him, how dare you infer that he is dark. He is of the light!"
"Qui-Gon, that's not what I am saying, he is the hope of the future, but he is not much more than a boy and you of all people should know that if evil can find a way to overpower the light it will."
Qui-Gon thought back to his battle with Darth Maul and the consequent invasion of his mind by that devil. Abruptly, he realised the pain he sensed coming from Obi-Wan earlier was exactly the same debilitating agony that he'd gone through.
"Has Obi-Wan suffered the same invasion of his mind as I did, is that what the pain was?"
"Yes, he was attacked by one more powerful than the one who attacked you and Obi-Wan isn't ready to fight such power on his own yet. His soul and spirit will be relegated to eternal suffering if you don't help him."
"He is my padawan; I will do anything to keep him safe."
"Time is of the essence; he can hold on if he knows his anchor is there to support him."
"His anchor?" Qui-Gon felt his heart fill with emotion, "Me?"
"Yes, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan still lacks confidence and is oblivious to his own power; he still needs your guidance. You must focus on regaining your strength quickly. Draw on the Force and listen to your heart; go Qui-Gon support him."
.
The shimmering image of Jedi Master Andre Dinn faded and Qui-Gon stretched out down his shared bond and called to Obi-Wan, but an eerie silence was his only answer. He fought to rise to consciousness and groaned as his eyelids fluttered open. Blinking away the haziness, he could see the outline of someone watching him.
"Qui-Gon; how do you feel?"
"Awful, where am I?" He said blinking again.
"You're in the healer's ward in the temple. I'm healer Ne-Jar, do you remember what happened to you?"
"O-oh, my chest aches and I'm so tired." He said glancing around. "Where's Obi-Wan?"
Ne-Jar was about to call for Ba'han when the healer entered the room. He'd heard Qui-Gon ask for Obi-Wan and he knew that now wasn't the time to burden him with Obi-Wan's condition.
Ba'han took a deep breath expelling his own disturbed emotions before he spoke. He'd just finished a harrowing examination of Obi-Wan and had been on his way to his office to check Obi-Wan's blood tests when he passed Qui-Gon's room and heard him questioning Ne-Jar.
"He's here in the temple Qui-Gon, but he's resting at the moment and you need your rest as well, you were stabbed in the chest and seriously injured."
'I felt – something. Something terrible happened; I have to speak to Obi-Wan?"
"Obi-Wan is asleep Qui-Gon, just like you should be."
Ba'han felt guilty not telling him the truth but he knew Qui-Gon couldn't do anything about Obi-Wan now and he'd only worry more if he knew.
"I have a bad feeling and usually it's Obi-Wan who has them; I'm so tired, but I wanted to make sure Obi-Wan was alright. I thought he was in pain and I ha…d t..."
He mumbled incoherently for a moment and tried to keep his eyes open, but his body succumbed.
Ba'han was relieved when Qui-Gon's exhaustion caught up with him and he closed his eyes drifting off to sleep.
Ooo
Mace examined the locking system on the doors, and confirmed that they were locked from the inside. Checking the Chancellors desk, he found an elaborate panel of switches in the open top draw.
"Senator Organa, this consol is state of the art equipment. Do you know how to operate it?"
"I'll have a look at it but I wasn't privy to anything that Palpatine did in here. I did hear rumours that he was replacing a lot of the equipment. Apparently, he said it was outdated.
Bail found the switch that retracted the shutters and now with daylight streaming in they could see what appeared to be the epicentre of a lightning strike. The carpet had marks were it was scorched in several places near where both men were standing, as though an internal lightning storm hit the Chancellor and Obi-Wan.
Nothing seemed out of place on the desk and refreshments still sat on the low table along with two empty glasses. Shards of the chandelier littered the floor and it dangled precariously on one chain.
"Is it possible that there was an electrical fault?" Senator Organa asked.
"I doubt it Senator, the lights were working in other areas of the antechamber and the outer offices. Whatever happened began and ended in here."
"What's that over there in the corner?" Plo-Koon said as he and Adi went to investigate.
"It a plexisteel capsule." Adi said as she opened it. "It's large enough to fit a body in, what's it doing in the Chancellors office?"
"There's more here than meets the eye and I don't believe we will learn anything more, until we view the security tapes." Mace said to them all.
"Yes, of course, the chancellor's office is under constant surveillance and the recordings will let us know what went on." Bail agreed as he checked the panel in the desk.
"Well this is strange!" He said stepping back so Mace could see. "The record button isn't activated, it's been turned off."
Bail checked the machine. "There's a video disc in there. I'll play it."
Bail rewound it and pressed the play button. It was a slow process, because if they fast-forwarded it they might miss something and it was imperative that they saw exactly what happened.
Bail sighed. "This is going to take forever."
"Then so be it, we have to find out why the Chancellor is dead and why it appears that one of our padawan's apparently did the deed." Mace answered sensing Bail's frustration.
"Oh, here's where Padawan Kenobi enters the office." Bail said.
They watched the holo tapes as Palpatine and Obi-Wan made small talk and had refreshments, and then Obi-Wan moved to the window while Palpatine asked him about Naboo's invasion.
Mace noticed there was an attempt by the Chancellor to pry other information out of the padawan and he could see that Padawan Kenobi looked uncomfortable, but he appeared to handle the questioning well and after some more questions, Obi-Wan excused himself and Chancellor Palpatine thanked him for his time and indicated that he also had another appointment. Obi-Wan bowed respectfully and left the office.
Then the events turned strange, Bail and Mace watched as Palpatine closed the door behind Obi-Wan and turned to the camera with a smile on his face, then slipped his hand in his pocket. Immediately, the screen went black, and Bail forwarded it, but there was nothing more on the disc.
"Well that's bizarre; the recordings cease when the Padawan left, why would he come back and why did the recordings stop?" Bail asked scratching his chin.
"Bail, is there another recording device in this room?" Mace asked as he gazed around the room.
"I doubt it; perhaps Finis Valorum might know. I will contact him."
Mace turned to Adi and Plo, "The senator and I will wait here for Finis Valorum, and replay the tape to see if anything lights our way. Master Gallia, Master Koon, will you begin the examination of the Chancellor, and please let me know as soon as you find out anything that may help us discover what went on?"
ooo
Sharp stabbing pain shot through his head as consciousness beckoned him, his hands moved of their own accord to hold his throbbing head. It was unbearable, and he felt the urge to be sick. He couldn't hold back a moan as he lurched over sideways and brought the contents of his stomach up.
Hands were holding him up and then a damp cool cloth settled across his face. He could hear a far away sickly voice in his head, but his stomach and the excruciating pain were vying for his attention. The other sounds in his head didn't make sense anyway. "O-oh, I feel sick," he struggled to say.
He opened his eyes but everything was a blur, he knew there were people around him, but he could only see outlines.
"Oh," he whispered. 'M-y head hurts."
"Do you remember what happened to make your head hurt?" Ba'han asked as he checked Obi-Wan's pupils.
His eyes darted from side to side not really seeing and took on a far away look. "It's on fire, its burning! Oh, please make it stop!"
He panted and drew in big gulps of air, but nothing seemed to help, only made it worse and the buzzing sound in his head was getting worse. It was like there was an entity paralysing his ability to speak. It felt dark and wrong and he pulled back away from it.
"Obi-Wan, listen to me, you were at the senate building with Chance..."
They weren't expecting the violent reaction when Ba'han said Obi-Wan's name.
The voice was disjointed and full of venom, and Obi-Wan's body began convulsing as obscenities flew from his mouth.
"What did you call me? Are you mad! I'm not that pathetic padawan!"
His eyes rolled back and he shook his head. "What is going on? Where am I, what have you done to me?"
His strength was amazing and it took several Masters and the healer to hold him down.
"Get off me, you wretched fools, let me go! How dare you put your hands on me!"
Tbc