Chap 25
Settling on the mat, Qui-Gon and Obi-wan were at the top of a hill, overlooking their previous camping spot. From this vantage point, they could see the land rolling into the distance, and it was spotted with flowering trees. A large lake was in the distance, and it was being fed by a waterfall coming down the side of the hill. It was so peaceful here; the living force was all around them. In the grass, and the trees, and in the small animals that scurried to and from the lake.
The sun beat down upon them, warming them; it had been a chilly night. Qui-Gon had picked this spot for their meditation, because of the view. It was so tranquil; side by side they sat, and their knees were touching the others.
"Now my Obi-wan, relax and let everything leave your mind. Look at the view below, and visualise the living force in every thing you can see."
Obi-wan did this, and after a few moments he could sense all living beings spread out in front of him.Qui-Gon sensed his padawan's connection gathering momentum.
Through the bond they shared Qui-Gon spoke // Now close your eye, and feel your way through living force; let it lift you and carry you, let it comfort you and guide you. Now Obi-wan release your fears to the force, let it caress you.\\
Qui-Gon could sense Obi-wan drifting off into the living force, and so he settled back to meditate; keeping an internal eye on his apprentice. Just in case he slipped out of the living force, and started going down the path of the unifying force. Qui-Gon knew that the unifying force was his Padawan's forte, yet it was also his constant cause of visions. Qui-Gon knew that at this moment, Obi-wan didn't need to know what the future held, as he knew too much now, and couldn't decipher it.
Each day as they came and sat on this hill, Qui-Gon could see the changes in his Padawan. He was more relaxed than he had been for quite some time. By the fourth day, Obi-wan had risen earlier than Qui-Gon, which in itself was unusual; as Obi-wan hated getting out of bed. He was deep in meditation by the time Qui-Gon joined him. After an hour, Qui-Gon sensed the shift in Obi-wan's connection, it had moved from the living force, and was heading to the unifying force. Qui-Gon tried to bring Obi-wan out of his meditations by speaking through their bond.
He was shocked, when he was thrown out of Obi-wan's mind. The power of it sent Qui-Gon sprawling backwards, landing flat on his back. Qui-Gon was winded; however he recovered quickly, and sat back up. He tried again to access the bond, yet came up against formidable shields of dura steel. Obi-wan hadn't moved; he sat oblivious to what he had done to his Master. Qui-Gon watched his apprentice's eyes; they were closed yet the eyes behind the lids were moving in agitated action. Nothing Qui-Gon tried would bring Obi-wan out of his trance, and so he just sat there waiting for the emotional outburst he knew would come.
He could sense his Padawan was in the grips of a violent force induced vision. Sweat was appearing on Obi-wan's brow, and then his face, and soon his whole body was shaking. Qui-Gon was distraught himself, knowing he couldn't help his Padawan; and all he could do was wait and pick up the pieces when it was over.
An ear piercing scream resounded around and through the valley. Obi-wan's eyes shot open, and he had screamed as the vision took him to its climax. However before he came back to reality, in that split second that it took him to scream, and open his eyes, he saw the answer! When his eyes opened, the face he saw was the one he had just lost in his nightmare. The clone had killed his master, and he had screamed Nooo, and then it had happened in a flash;
A signal… a signal… order 66.. it had come, it had changed the faces of the clones, and they had lost all compassion. It was as if they were droids, totally obedient to the order, to obey without question.
Obi-wan lurched forward falling into Qui-Gon's embrace, he was shaking, and Qui-Gon noted that it was the shake of some one laughing. For some reason Qui-Gon could only sense joy and unbridled happiness emit from Obi-wan's aura. Qui-Gon didn't understand, yet it didn't matter, his Padawan was happy, and that was all that mattered. Obi-wan would tell him soon enough.
"Master" a muffled voice said.
"Yes Padawan?"
"Master, I know what it is. I know how the Sith will turn the clones." came Obi-wan's muffled voice through his masters robes.
Qui-Gon put his hands around Obi-wan's face, and lifted the young mans chin out from where it was buried in his robe. "You might want to repeat that Padawan. I am good at all forms of dialect; however I do not understand muffled language."
The young man's eyes lit up with a smile, and he just looked into the eyes of one who loved him.
"Master I love you" he said, never moving his eyes from his master's face.
"I love you too my Obi-wan, yet I am almost certain that is not what you said a minute ago into my robe"
Obi-wan sat up laughing "No master it is not, nevertheless I wanted to say that anyway. Master I know how the Sith will command the clones. I saw a signal; an order, which the sith will send to the clones. It will over ride any previous orders the clones are given. They will obey a command to destroy us all."
"Then we must return to Kimino, and tell the others, Padawan" Qui-Gon said as he rose from the ground pulling Obi-wan with him.
On the way back Obi-wan told his Master of the vision;
Running ….. running … where are you? death, destruction, clones, Jedi dying. Dead all dead…..Evil….. stop him, I must …. wait…. wait…. "Master Noooo"…. He explained what it meant. He had been running, running, and searching for his Master; he hadn't found the flaw in the clones at that point. However he had felt the shift in the clones' thoughts. Running through the corridor he could hear blaster fire, and he felt many deaths through the force. He was calling out. Master where are you? he knew his Master was with a clone, and as he was running he felt their deaths. All around him he felt Jedi dying, and being destroyed by the very same clones that were supposed to help them. He could see his Master in the distance, and the noise of machinery. To loud, he tried to access the bond, shields are up, Master look out; he's behind you, Master Noooo… "I screamed, and then I saw it. Right at the end, it came to me; A computer chip, implanted in the temporal region of their head. The Sith will give a command, an order; They will obey the order, and all they were before will change. They will become Jedi killing machines, giving no quarter." Obi-wan finished telling his Master the story.
Once again Qui-Gon was impressed, with the level of communication Obi-wan had with the force. No one would have ever known about the chip, had it not been for his Padawan. Mace Windu was waiting at the landing zone; when their craft touched down. Qui-Gon could see Mace was anxious to talk to him, so he let him speak first.
"Qui-Gon, I am glad you have returned, we have had a communication from Corruscant."
"What's happened Mace, is it Yoda has something happened at the Temple" Qui-Gon asked.
No ! no ! it is nothing like that. Somehow the Chancellor found out about the clones on Kamino, and the Chancellor has ordered them to Corruscant to help in the Battle against the separatists. He held a meeting with Yoda, and several other Senate Ambassadors. Palpatine told them he had made the discovery, and he was beaming that with this army, they could help the Jedi defeat the Separatists who have pulled away from the Republic." Mace said.
"Master Windu, you haven't sent them yet have you" Obi-wan blurted out, he knew it wasn't his place to interrupt a Council Member, or a Master for that matter, yet he had to know.
Qui-Gon placed his hand on Obi's shoulder, and affirmed the question to Mace.
"Mace, have you sent them yet?"
"No we wanted to wait until you came back "He answered.
"Good, because Obi-wan has discovered what is wrong with the clones. We must call a meeting of the Masters right away."
At the meeting Obi-wan described the computer chip, and the area where it was implanted.
Masters Bilbray and Lesotho were computer experts, and they took it upon themselves to find a way to disarm the chip. They worked through the night and in the morning called the masters together.
"We can neutralise the chip, by sending an impulse signal to it." Master Bilbray said. "It will neutralise them all at once, and It should only take a moment.
"How will it neutralise them?" asked Qui-Gon.
"Well it is like a virus, it will effect the chip only, and the clones will still be able to perform their duty, however that part of the implant will be non functional. If the order is sent, it will not work." Master Lesotho said.
"Can we confirm that the deactivation has worked?" Master Tahl asked.
"Yes we can extract the chip from a few clones, and test them. It won't hurt the clones, and it is a small incision near the ear, afterwards you won't be able to see where we cut." Master Bilbray confirmed.
"Very Well then, lets do it "said Master Windu
Once the chip had been neutralised and tested, the clones were shipped off to Corruscant. The Masters also installed the virus into the Kaminoan's computer. So if their neutralisation was discovered, they would be unable to fix it. Unfortunately it also destroyed the data in their computer system. It was necessary for the safety of the Jedi, and they didn't want the Chancellor to know they had found the chip.
On the return trip from Kamino to Ossus; the Jedi Masters decided to give the apprentices a bit of a party, and with everything that had been going on; several naming days had gone by without thought. Bant's, and Garens naming days had occurred over the last month, and Siri's and Obi-wan's were coming soon. So an evening of celebration was arranged on the transport, and in view of all the torrid experiences these four friends had been through, there had been no reason to celebrate before now. A surprise party was arranged and when they came to the common room, they thought it was funny that all the lights were off when they opened the door.
"What's going on Siri snapped where is everyone, and what happened to the lights?"
"I don't know" said Garen, "yet my Master said for us to meet him here."
"Yes I know, my Master said the same thing" Siri answered
Bant and Obi were standing behind them; Bant said "Maybe someone turned them off on purpose"
"Now why would they do that!" Siri snapped.
SURPRISE ! SURPRISE ! the lights came on, and standing in the common room were all the Masters and apprentices.
"We thought it appropriate to have a celebration for your naming days past and coming." Master Windu explained to the four apprentices, standing with their mouths open.
"Just don't stand there come in, and lets eat. We spent all day whipping up this food for you four."
The food was excellent, and the drinks were their favourites, however when it came to the entertainment that was another story. They were the entertainment! They were expected to Dance with each Master. However none of them had ever learnt how to dance properly. Just the usual step to the front and step to the side, but some really fast music was put on, and several Masters gave a demonstration of the Bynarian Jig; a fast moving dance taking in the whole dance floor. The two Masters demonstrating were twirling and jigging, moving around the floor in a square, twirling at each corner.
Siri and Bant were game; however Garen and Obi tried to hide behind the other Masters watching the dance. Eventually Garen and Obi were dragged onto the floor; as there was no escape, they would have to dance. Obi-wan was mortified, and his face turned every shade of pink imaginable.
He was spun around by Master Tahl, and at the end of the square she let him go. He thought that was it, until Master Gallia grabbed his arm, and they started jigging all over again.
He could hear laughter coming from Bant and Siri, and as he was jigging with Master Gallia he looked at his friends who all seemed to be enjoying themselves. (How could they like this) he thought?
His face must have showed his stodginess, because his Master yelled out "Relax Obi-wan stop being the perfect Padawan, and enjoy your self for a change" The Masters standing around all joined in laughing.
("So") Obi-wan thought ("you think I can't relax and enjoy myself! well I'll show you Master")
The dance had progressed to the corner square, where he was supposed to twirl the Master around. At the last three sides of the square, it was Master Gallia who had twirled around him while Obi-Wan just stood there. However he was ready for her this time, as they stepped to the corner he didn't let go of her hand, instead he spun her with his hand, and as she started turning. He placed his other hand in the small of her back and spun her faster. As she finished spinning; Obi-wan left her standing dazed, and grabbed hold of Siri as she danced past. He whispered something to Siri and they both smiled.
Soon they were putting on a display of dancing that neither of them had thought they could do. They jigged faster and faster, and then after twirling Siri around he pulled at her hand, and bent forward at the same time Siri flipped onto Obi-wan's back so their backs were together. Then she rolled off the other side landing next to Obi-wan. Siri was laughing as they stood together facing the audience and Obi-wan smirked at his Master, with a devilishly look on his face.
"Was that relaxed enough for you, My Master" he offered as he bowed low to his Master.
The room erupted in spontaneous clapping, Qui-Gon clapped as well. "Well done Padawan's, I knew you had it in you to have fun".
tbc...