And so, my dearest readers (is it me or are you vanishing? Damn) I have another chapter for you. Heh, yesterday I found a cartoon a mate of mine had drawn. It shows little Ep1 Anakin sitting on the ground absorbed in a Gameboy, with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan behind him. Obi-Wan is saying "I'm not jealous! He's going to be a vengeful and arrogant youth who will break the Jedi Code with an illict sexual relationship, eventally aid the corrupt downfall of the Republic, kill children during a slaughter of the entire Jedi Order, allow and then serve a tyrannical Emperor of the Galaxy, attempt to kill his own son and eventally murder me in an epic dual decades from now!". To which Qui-Gon is simply replying, "Oh, Obi - don't exaggerate.".
Coolness. The person who drew that is reading this (I think) so check it out - still got it!
Anyway, another chapter for your reading pleasure.
Qui-Gon watched neutrally as the Delta-12 Skysprite, which was being piloted by Jedi Master Tholme and his Senior Padawan Quinlan Vos, touched down in front of the cruiser he himself had been travelling on. Behind him, Kit and Bant watched it too. They would take the Skysprite to Aquaris, stopping of briefly on Telasea to refuel. Bant was still regretting the Council's call, and both Jedi Masters knew she wanted to stay and find Obi-Wan – but she had held her tongue and opinion, respectful of the Council's request.
Together, Qui-Gon, Kit and Bant descended the lowered ramp and met Tholme and Quinlan at the bottom. A stern-faced man with dark hair, Tholme was roughly the same age as Qui-Gon, and the two had known each other years ago while training at the Temple. While never the best of friends, they were friends who certainly respected one another and saw the other as an equal.
Quinlan Vos, his apprentice, was a gifted boy from the planet Kiffex. Tholme had discovered Quinlan on a trip there, when he was acting as a Jedi Watchman, and had taken the boy back to Coruscant for testing. Although slightly older than the usual age, the Council had agreed to his being accepted into training at the Temple, and Tholme had taken Quinlan as Padawan when the time came. He had well developed psychometric powers – he could read emotions and memories from inanimate objects – a trait of his homeworld. Now, at twenty-four, he was a striking young man, with long, black dreadlocks and the familiar, thin band of gold across his face; stretching under his eyes to either side of his face.
They had fought together – that is, the four of them: Quinlan and Tholme, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan – in the Stark Hyperspace War, years ago. It was here Quinlan and Obi-Wan had become close friends. Quinlan had once been left with them on Ragoon VI, while Tholme had been on an individual mission. He had almost died, falling off a waterfall and into the river, and Obi-Wan had jumped in after, instinctively, to save his friend – and almost drowned as well, but Qui-Gon had sensed trouble and pulled them both out. Quinlan didn't like to talk about it.
"Greetings, Master Jinn and Master Fisto," Tholme said formally as he approached. Standing at his Master's shoulder, Quinlan bowed in silent greeting, smiling slightly at Bant, his fellow apprentice.
"Greetings, Master Tholme," Qui-Gon said in reply. "I'm grateful that you and your apprentice agreed to aid me."
Tholme shrugged. "The Council wished it, and so I obeyed. It is a terrible situation, Master Jinn; that I understand. It must be hard for you."
Qui-Gon nodded, but did not reply. Tholme shifted his gaze to the Nautolan. "Master Fisto, the Skysprite's hyperspace ring is waiting above us whenever you wish to use it."
Kit smiled. "My thanks. We should probably leave as soon as possible – the situation on Aquaris was beginning to escalate dangerously last we heard. Qui-Gon," he turned to his fellow Jedi Master, and placed a hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder. "Trust yourself, and trust the Force. You will find him."
"Thank you, Kit."
Letting his hand fall, Kit turned away, towards the Skysprite, Bant with him. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but held her tongue as she walked away to the waiting ship. Behind the backs of Tholme and Quinlan, but visible to Qui-Gon, she turned, looking back at him, and bowed deeply, her silver eyes conveying her worry for Obi-Wan and her hope that he would be found. With a barely perceptible nod, Qui-Gon acknowledged her, thanking her silently for her support.
Tholme was watching him closely, but if he saw a change of emotion in Qui-Gon's face, he said nothing. The three Jedi watched the Skysprite take off and vanish into the sky, before Qui-Gon turned and walked back up the ramp of the cruiser, Tholme and Quinlan behind him. Tholme sent Qui-Gon another sidelong look, before sending Quinlan to unpack and meditate for a time. The apprentice looked surprised for a moment but he covered it and it vanished, as he nodded and turned away with a word of agreement.
Qui-Gon watched him go, before heading to the cockpit and running the system checks. Tholme followed him and silently helped from the co-pilot's chair, and before long their small cruiser was in hyperspace, beginning its four-day journey to Dromund Kaas.
"The Council filled us in on everything you told them…I can't think what it would be like to loose an apprentice in such a way," Tholme said quietly, bringing Qui-Gon out from his thoughts. "Quinlan…he's the best apprentice I've ever trained, I think. I don't know what I would do if he went missing."
Qui-Gon smiled slightly. Tholme was quietly yet fiercely proud of all his apprentices, no matter how many he had. He kept it hidden, being seen as a stoic and strict Jedi Master – slightly like Qui-Gon himself, Qui-Gon supposed – but Qui-Gon had seen how much he cared about Quinlan in the Stark Hyperspace Wars, and how affectionate he was towards the young man. Just like him and Obi-Wan…
"It wouldn't matter as much if our mind link wasn't blocked, Master Tholme," he replied, and couldn't help smiling as Tholme pulled a face.
"Forget the formalities, Qui-Gon."
The relaxed moment was lost as Qui-Gon began to speak to his friend softly. "Did the Council tell you of the experience I had during meditation?"
He watched as Tholme shook his head. "Only that you had tried and not succeeded."
"There was more than that. I focused on the link – according to Kit, it took me hours – and felt…pain, light and far away, but strong. And there was darkness, Tholme. That is what worries me the most…" He trailed off, imagining all the possible horrors and tortures Obi-Wan could be going through…
"We'll find him, Qui-Gon. The Order will lose a valuable Jedi should he…well, you have our support. Even Quinlan's been quiet since he heard. The Council have not told many people at the Temple, only those that should know." Tholme looked past Qui-Gon for a moment, staring at nothing. When Qui-Gon looked at him, slightly confused, Tholme simply said, "Quinlan. He's asking if he may join us."
"Of course. He reminds me of Obi-Wan, in a way. The two of them have some similarities…"
"They do indeed."
Quinlan appeared a few seconds later. He bowed respectfully to both Jedi Masters, and leant on the wall near Tholme, who filled him in on what Qui-Gon had told him, sparing his friend from having to relate it again. Quinlan looked troubled when he finished.
"Do you think Dromund Kaas is the place, Masters?"
Qui-Gon crossed his arms. "I don't know. I don't even know what I'm looking for there."
Quinlan nodded, tucking his own arms into the sleeves of his Jedi robe. "I hope he's okay."
Qui-Gon looked up at the Senior Padawan, who was looking down with sightless eyes, his thoughts far from the small ship, across the stars with his friend.
I do too, Quinlan. I do too.
"I thought I'd try something different."
Xanatos' voice split through Obi-Wan's empty sleep, and he sat up slowly, staring at his captor blankly. A flicker of something – doubt, concern – or was it triumph? – flashed in Xanatos' eyes and was gone, hidden from view. Concerned about the lack of response from his victim? Or pleased Obi-Wan was broken beyond reaction?
Then Xanatos smiled in triumph. His prisoner was not trying to hide his emotions – they were gone. Obi-Wan had broken, mentally, spiritually – and was now a shell of his Jedi self. He was now a pathetic captive, nothing more.
Obi-Wan stared at him blankly, unaware of Xanatos' thoughts. He was so tired of it all…he wanted for Xanatos to do whatever he had planned, inflict whatever pain was coming to him…and then leave, let him sleep…
Sleep was filled with nightmare, waking with the slow drag of time. Xanatos' beatings and torture hurt him, but he no longer cared, just gave himself over to the pain, willing himself to pass out or die. It no longer mattered what happened to him – had it ever? – whether he lived or died, he was alone and no one was coming to help him.
No one was coming.
Xanatos was watching him, curling the tongue of a laser whip around one hand, a twisted smile on his face. Laser whips delivered stinging strikes, cutting and burning at once, and had been outlawed on many planets because due to their uncivilised and horrible nature. It was the weapon of a pirate, a slaver, and a torturer - and now a madman. It would cause Obi-Wan torment and pain, as the wounds would be deep. The Force had abandoned him; he could not heal his injuries.
He was alone.
Qui-Gon woke, shaking off the dreams that had gripped him. He could not remember any of the dreams specifically, but knew Obi-Wan had been there…he sighed, as he stood and made his way to the cockpit.
"Good timing, Master Qui-Gon," said Quinlan, from where he was at the controls. "We should be coming out of hyperspace in about ten minutes."
"Where's Tholme?"
"Meditating."
Qui-Gon sat down in the co-pilot's seat. Almost four days of travel. Four days of meditation, exercise, and anxiety. Quinlan seemed to be thinking about Obi-Wan almost as much as Qui-Gon was, but Qui-Gon doubted the apprentice was plagued with nightmares like he was at night.
A day or so ago, Quinlan had asked to see Obi-Wan's Jedi cloak, to see of he could pick up a psychometric reading on it. After a moment of concentration, when Quinlan had sat perfectly motionless with Tholme and Qui-Gon watching him closely, the Padawan had opened his eyes and told them what he saw.
"Obi-Wan was injured – not badly, a shallow blaster graze to his arm. You were right, Qui-Gon – he fell into a gassed room. A figure in a cloak came to get him – they used the Force…that was all I could get, I'm sorry."
When he wasn't talking with Tholme and Quinlan, or going through the motions of training exercises to pass the time, Qui-Gon often found himself sitting with Obi-Wan's lightsaber hilt, thinking, remembering. Meditation often descended into memory, and he although he tried their link again and again, he never went as deep as he had when he had found the darkness.
"Qui-Gon?" Tholme had arrived, and Qui-Gon hadn't even noticed, wrapped in his thoughts.
"My apologies. Yes, Tholme?"
"We're here."
The whip cracked again, licking his back and side, adding another gash to the collection on his body. He cried out as he felt it. Xanatos laughed at his victim, lying bloodied and weeping on the cell floor. How wonderful – dear Obi-Wan was broken more than he had thought, reduced to a sobbing child. Any rebellious or hopeful feelings were gone, replaced with despair and darkness, and, of course, pain. Excellent.
Xanatos himself was feeling slightly tired from using the whip, and so he coiled it around his hands again and leant against the wall. "You know what, Obi-Wan? I'm going to let you live."
Obi-Wan did not reply, but merely made the low whimpering sound of a sentient in severe pain.
Xanatos swiftly crouched down next to him, looking over the blood and dirt covered figure closely. "No, you'll live. But you will hear him. When I catch Qui-Gon, and I torture him – you'll hear. You will hear him screaming and know it is your fault. And then, when he dies…at my hand…I will take you to some random planet and leave you there, broken and consumed by grief."
Xanatos wasn't even sure if Obi-Wan was listening. But the sounds of his own words were getting him worked up. He stood, pacing the small room. "I wanted to kill him, and planned a million ways to do it. But then, I realised – he had made me suffer. He had taken my father, my home from me – my life! So, I had to make him suffer before he died. And that's where you come in.
"By taking you from him, he feels what I felt, emotionally hurting him. By breaking you, I break his legacy. He will leave nothing behind in this world, no show of who or what he was…and when he sees you – for see you he will, I will make sure of it – he will see what you have become: a broken shell, a pathetic child. And he will break from the sight.
"Then he will die. And you will live with the memory that it was all because of you."
He laughed again, the sound bouncing off the walls, as he reached out a hand and let the Dark Side power flow, throwing the prone form of Obi-Wan against the wall with a wave of Force-lightning.
Every nerve, every fibre of Obi-Wan's body was screaming…he might have been screaming too, he couldn't tell anymore…the Force was gone – why him? –, he could feel only the white hot pain of Xanatos' torture…the darkness was coming, burning…Xanatos was laughing at him, revelling in the power he commanded… it was consuming him, filling him, killing him…
And then, abruptly, it stopped. Xanatos stood, a look of mad exhilaration on his face.
"He's here. Qui-Gon's here."
So it all comes together on Drommund Kaas...please review!