These are just little random one-shots that I will be doing about the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. They will be updated as often as I can, and if any wants me to expand on any of them or if you have a prompt for me, just say in the review :)
/words\\ = Bond speak
Please read and review :)
Prompt by Kanifa (what if Qui-Gon didn't took Obi-Wan as his Padawan that fateful day?) and Tanny (I would love to see Obi-Wan carrying a red lightsaber and fight against his master. So - what if Qui-Gon didn't took him as a Padawan on Bandomeer? If I remember it correctly, Xanatos was still alive on this point (was he? :0) and so he could have turned Obi-Wan and makes him to his apprentice. And a few years after that, he and Qui-Gon meet again and fight against each other.)
…
Qui-Gon sighed wearily as he made his way through the corridors of the Jedi Temple. Earlier that morning, there was an attempt on Master Yoda's life. As per usual, the elderly Master had rose before dawn to meditate, going to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Before reaching a footbridge he sensed a surge in the dark side of the Force, causing him to hesitate, listening to the Force, and in that heartbeat a device planted underneath the footbridge exploded.
In all the years that he had been living at the Temple, something this shocking had never happened. Everyone in the Temple relied on the wisdom of Master Yoda, and to think of him dead, sent shivers running up and down his spine.
Nothing had been found at the scene….but a student had found a note, with 'MEDITATE ON THIS, MASTERS: NEXT TIME I WILL NOT FAIL' written on it.
The Dark side was clearly behind this.
Another issue that the Temple was having, was that the intruder (possibly two, according to the senses of Master Yoda) managed to sabotage the central power structure. The cooling system had been damaged, and there were also problems with the lighting and communications…every time Miro Daroon fixed something, another malfunction occurred.
Poor Miro could hardly keep up.
There was sabotage within the Temple, and originally, the suspicion had fallen on Bruck Chun. However, he was eventually ruled out….
"Good Morning Master Qui-Gon…"chirped a familiar voice.
Glancing down, Qui-Gon smiled at the Mon Calamari, Bant Eerin. Whilst she had been a good friend of…Obi-Wan's, she had also been a huge help to him and Master Tahl with an investigation of a theft.
Before he could return the greeting, however, there was a sudden crash. The pair span around to see part of a horizontal tunnel swinging in mid-air.
"It's the horizontal turbo-lift," Bant said, horrified. "It's going to crash!"
…..
Qui-Gon sighed in relief…the children and the crèche master had been saved from the horizontal turbo-lift. Although Windu had scolded him for being impulsive, the council were relieved. Even Master Yoda, who had been rather cold with Qui-Gon ever since he'd returned from Bandomeer without Obi-Wan…apparently Qui-Gon had made a huge mistake by refusing to take Obi-Wan as his padawan.
Speaking of the older master, Qui-Gon rushed to meet him in a secure location.
Yoda stood in the middle of the empty white space of the safe room in the central tower, where no surveillance could possibly penetrate.
"Confirmed it is by Miro Daroon," he told Qui-Gon. "Sabotage it was. A timing device in the repulsor-lift engines, and a bug in the central core that shut down the lift tubes and comm units in the area. Find this person we must, Qui-Gon. After the children now, he is."
"The last repulsor-lift engine held," Qui-Gon pointed out. "I do not think the turbo-lift was meant to fall."
Yoda turned to him. "Taunting us, the intruder is? Endangering the lives of babies for a joke?"
"Or there is some other motive," Qui-Gon said. "It's not clear to me yet. At first I thought the petty thefts were designed strictly to irritate and tease. Now I wonder otherwise. The stolen items appear to have served various purposes. The toolbox from the servo-utility unit was most likely used to dismantle the repulsor-lift engines. The teacher's meditation robe was used for the intruder to travel about freely, especially in the early morning when most Knights meditate."
"And the fourth year student's sporting gear?" Yoda asked.
"No significance yet," Qui-Gon said. "And then there are the stolen school records. Only students with names A through M. I'm certain the records were stolen to conceal something about a current…or possibly ex-student."
Yoda nodded. "Time it will take, to regather information. Something you do not know, Qui-Gon - a sensitive time for the Jedi this is. A secret mission for the Senate we have undertaken. Held in our Jedi treasury is a large shipment of vertex."
'Now that was a surprise'….Vertex was a highly valuable mineral, often cut into crystals of various shapes for currency. Many worlds used crystalline vertex instead of credits.
"Unprecedented it was, to accept such a shipment," Yoda agreed, noting Qui-Gon's surprise. "Yet the Council thought it best. Two star systems there are, locked in conflict over the shipment. Agree to peace talks they would not, unless a neutral party held the shipment. Almost concluded, the peace agreement is. If word there is that the Temple is vulnerable, war there would be." Yoda's voice dropped in concern. "A large war it would be, Qui-Gon. Many alliances these star systems have."
Qui-Gon nodded in understanding. "There is no time to waste," he told Yoda. "I will start with Miro Daroon. I must discover how this intruder managed to navigate around the Temple without being seen. I'll need to coordinate with Tahl."
Yoda nodded in agreement, and with a brief wave of his hand, Qui-Gon was dismissed. Knowing that he had to go to the tech centre, so he decided to take a short-cut through the Room of a Thousand Fountains. To be honest, he wasn't even fully aware of his surroundings as he strode down the winding paths, his mind on other things.
….Then he saw the destroyed footbridge where the attack on Yoda had taken place.
He stopped in his tracks, his eyes focusing on the splintered bridge…and then it occurred to him. His mind flashed back to a mission years ago, where the aim was to stop a tyrant from taking over a world in the Outer Rim. The tyrant's strategy was based on a simple equation: Disruption + Demoralization + Distraction = Devastation.
That was the pattern. The thefts had followed the formula.
Disruption: the petty thefts disrupted classes and activities.
Demoralization: the theft of the Healing Crystals of Fire and the attack on Yoda had caused many students to lose heart.
Distraction: the failing of the cooling system, the security breaches, and the destruction of one of the main turbo-lifts meant that the Jedi had to focus to keep the Temple running.
These intruders seemed to be following the same pattern in order to create unease and chaos within the Temple. Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the Force.
The dark side was here.
Although everything seemed to be peaceful, with the fountains continuing to flow. Qui-Gon surveyed the area carefully, noting every leaf, every shadow. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Yet he knew something was there.
…
Qui-Gon sighed as he reviewed what little information he had…There were dozens of tunnels, however they were only tall enough for the older padawan's to walk upright inside. Ducts were placed conveniently on every floor, giving outlets to every area of the Temple except those under the most severe security restrictions, such as the treasury room. The problem wasn't discovering a way for the intruder to navigate.
The problem was narrowing it down.
Tahl, one of Qui-Gon's oldest friends, was sending out search teams that would comb the infrastructure of the Temple….but that would take, that they really didn't have
He needed to find a clue...soon.
Qui-Gon turned to Miro, "Have any additional problems cropped up?"
Miro sighed wearily, "When I tried to restore power to the service lift tubes in the lake area, the air circulation failed in the north wing. We have to move all the students to temporary quarters in the main building."
"So now two wings of the Temple have been shut down…You must be very frustrated, Miro."
Miro's frown deepened. "Frustrated doesn't cover it, Qui-Gon. I know this system inside and out. But when I fix one problem, three more pop up. It's difficult to keep up. I've never seen such intricate sabotage, not even in hypothetical models. My last resort would be to shut the whole system down to run my own program. That's something I don't want to do."
This bothered Qui-Gon…..Miro was a brilliant, intuitive tech expert. Anyone who could confound him must be a tech genius. Not anyone could do this…meaning that Qui-Gon was searching for a slippery being with a hatred of the Jedi, a knack for subterfuge, and now a technological wizard as well.
Suddenly it clicked. "Xanatos," he murmured.
Miro looked at Qui-Gon, shocked. "You think Xanatos is involved?"
"It's possible …" Qui-Gon murmured, "…although, in order to move around the Temple with such ease, he might have had some help. It has changed since Xanatos was last here."
It was all coming together now. Xanatos held an implacable hatred for the Jedi - a hatred that was only surpassed by his hatred for Qui-Gon. And then there was that feeling he'd had in the Room of a Thousand Fountains… could Xanatos have been nearby?
Disruption + Demoralization + Distraction = Devastation.
During that mission, Xanatos had been his Padawan, a boy of sixteen. He could have easily remembered the formula.
"I remember him," Miro said quietly. "He was a year behind me. But he was the only Jedi student who was better at constructing tech infrastructure models."
Qui-Gon nodded in agreement, pausing in thought. "I need to see Tahl…." He muttered, spinning around on his heel and quickly leaving.
…..
Tahl was doubtful. And to be fair Qui-Gon could understand why…she highlighted how lots of people had the same technical skills, and by narrowing in on one suspect, the real suspects could get away.
As the two continued to talk quietly, there was a knock on the door. Once permitted, one of the younger initiates, Siri, entered the room. "Masters, I need to speak to you."
They nodded, allowing the young girl to continue, which she did. "Initiates who have been sent to the agricultural planets are allowed to contact their friends after being dropped off in order to make the transition easier…Obi-Wan called me a couple of weeks ago."
Qui-Gon frowned at this, "And?"
Siri sighed, "He kept mentioning an older brother…but Obi's never mentioned him before. He seems different, somehow…darker?"
Tahl turned to face Qui-Gon, "I wasn't aware Obi had an older brother."
"He doesn't…"answered Qui-Gon, "…I've read his file. It is one of the ones which was stolen, which makes it difficult to check…however, I am mostly positive he has no older brothers."
Siri frowned at this, "Obi-Wan mentioned a name…Xani?"
This caused Qui-Gon's face to grow pale. Sensing that Qui-Gon wasn't going to (or couldn't speak), Tahl quickly thanked and dismissed Siri.
"Obi-Wan….has joined Xanatos?" whispered Qui-Gon in shock.
"It would appear that way….and if Xanatos is the one behind these attacks, then it's possible that Obi-Wan has been helping him get around…"
There was silence for a few moments before Qui-Gon sighed wearily, "We need a plan…I suggest we divide the investigation into two parts. I must discover where Xanatos and Obi-Wan are hiding….if Obi-Wan is even involved in this. Tahl, you must find out everything you can about Xanatos and Offworld. It will be tricky - he's very secretive. But your investigative powers are a legend around here. Start working your galactic network."
"There's no need to flatter me," Tahl said dryly. "I can hardly crawl around tunnels with you"
Qui-Gon winced in sympathy. Tahl had only recently lost her sight…meaning that she couldn't do everything that she used to, including crawling around tunnels and looking for physical clues. "Clues are found in many ways, Tahl," He said quietly. "The right information can save a mission more surely than a battle."
She nodded, but Qui-Gon could see the struggle on her face. He brushed his fingers against her shoulder compassionately. "It will be a challenge," he said. "Whatever clues there are will be well buried. Off-world is made up of a pyramid of false companies, phony titles. No one knows where their headquarters is."
"No one so far," Tahl chuckled, determination in her voice as she silently accepted the challenge.
Suddenly, the door hissed open. "Sir Tahl! I am back from my errand. Here are the extra data sheets you asked for." 2J, Tahl's navigation droid, hurried into the room.
Knowing that Tahl had only given the droid the task in order to get rid of him. "I'll leave you to your task," Qui-Gon said.
On his way out of the room, he almost collided with Bant, who was rushing through the open door.
"I think I know how the intruders are navigating through the Temple!" she cried. "I was thinking about all the different attacks. They all took place near water. Think about it - Yoda was attacked in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. The turbo-lift controls are by the lake. And you could reach the tech centre itself through the water purification tanks."
Qui-Gon nodded. "A series of water tunnels links all the systems. I saw it on Miro's diagrams, but I didn't think the tunnels were navigable."
"They are," Bant ured him. "I use them. It's against the rules, I know," she added sheepishly. "But if I'm late for a class, it's so much faster for me to swim than walk."
"The sporting gear…" realised Qui-Gon, "…The kit must have several breathers."
"Good work, Bant," Tahl said approvingly.
"Excellent deduction." Qui-Gon put his hand on Bant's slender shoulder. "Can you show us the tunnel? I'll need a guide."
Bant nodded. "Of course."
"If any trouble crops up, I want you to fade back," Qui-Gon warned. "Don't engage with Xanatos. He is extremely dangerous…I'll need a breather."
"I brought some," Bant told him. "I thought you'd want to go right away."
"That was quick thinking," Qui-Gon said approvingly, as they left the room
"I found the tunnel entrance when I was exploring the bottom of the lake," Bant explained as they waded into the cool water. "Water is flushed through every twenty minutes past the hour, so I always keep track of time. It's easy to get out in time, or there are plenty of places to climb to when the water flushes through."
She dove under the surface as Qui-Gon followed. Eventually they surfaced in a large tunnel of blue tile with a ceiling that curved overhead. The water was clear and clean.
"This services the fountains and reflecting pools in the wing," Bant explained, her voice echoing against the tiled surface. "There are landing platforms every thousand meters or so. Some of them are high enough to conceal someone who wants to hide. I'll stop as we go along."
The pair continued, as she led him down tunnel after tunnel, curving and twisting throughout the Temple. They stopped at every landing platform to examine it for traces of Xanatos or his helper (hopefully not the obvious suspect). They found nothing. At last Bant surfaced at a place where a wide main tunnel narrowed and fed into three smaller tunnels.
"This feeds into the water purification tanks," she said as she bobbed. "We've seen everything. I guess I was wrong." Bant looked discouraged. "We should head back."
"It was a good deduction, Bant," Qui-Gon told her kindly. "And we haven't disproved it yet. We didn't find anything. That doesn't mean that Xanatos wasn't here."
Qui-Gon treaded water, surveying the area. "What's that?" he suddenly asked, pointing to a recessed area to one side.
"It's too small to be a landing platform," Bant said. "I think it's a service area for the purification tanks."
The Jedi hoisted himself up on a narrow ledge, water streaming down his tunic. He worked his way along the ledge which ended in a sheer wall. From here they could hear the hum of machinery.
"We're close to the purification tanks," Bant said.
"But why would the ledge just end?" Qui-Gon wondered. He bent to examine the curving wall on one side. "Here. There's an access panel," he said. "Bant?"
"I see it," she said excitedly. Her fingers ran alongside the edges. She pressed something, and the curved panel slid open.
Qui-Gon stepped through and he saw that they were on some sort of service platform that was suspended above the water in the dura-steel purification tank. A narrow, tiled staircase led down to the water below. He bent down to examine a servo-tool kit and some items stacked against the wall.
"They were here," he said.
Suddenly, there was a whisper in the Force…a dark presence was nearby and the feeling only increased as, below them the water parted, and a black form rose. It was Xanatos.
He was perfectly still, waist-high in deep water, suspended by the Force without kicking or moving his arms. Qui-Gon activated his lightsaber and they stood waiting. But Xanatos didn't move to engage him.
He smiled. "It took longer than even I imagined for you to figure out it was me," he called mockingly to Qui-Gon. "That noble head of yours can be so thick. Foolishly, I continue to give you credit for some intelligence."
Qui-Gon stood easily, his lightsaber activated but held loosely at his side. He chose not to answer Xanatos, appearing not to have heard Xanatos at all, knowing that he couldn't attack whilst Xanatos was still in the water
"You don't even answer me?" Xanatos goaded. "Still holding a grudge? What a hard heart you have, Qui-Gon."
"I wasn't aware we were having a conversation," Qui-Gon answered. He moved forward a step. "That was always the way with you, Xanatos - you prefer the sound of your own voice."
"How tiresome you are, Qui-Gon. Your petty taunts still miss their mark. You never were very clever. And you still rely on children to do your work. You never would have figured out the water tunnels on your own."
Suddenly, he flew through the air in a great leap, propelled by the Force. His black cape streamed water as he activated his lightsaber in the blink of an eye. Qui-Gon saw Bant make a running dive off the platform. She was unarmed, and no doubt was swimming for help. She had only waited for Xanatos to move.
Xanatos' red lightsaber crashed against the green glow of Qui-Gon's. The angry buzz echoed through the tunnel. The platform soon grew slick with their wet footprints and the water from their clothes. Xanatos was as quick as he was strong, already whirling away from the attacks to strike at Qui-Gon.
Slowly, Qui-Gon manipulated Xanatos into getting closer to the narrow staircase. Xanatos took a step down, then another, as Qui-Gon stepped up the fierceness of his attack. If Xanatos got close enough to the tank, he would have to swing back to gain momentum for his blows. Xanatos would run the risk of shorting out his lightsaber or weakening his attacks.
But he had to distract Xanatos with countermoves so that he wouldn't realize how close he was to the water below.
This was difficult…The steps were slippery. It was difficult to get enough grounding to lend strength to his blows. He was tiring, but Qui-Gon remained focused, moving gracefully, forcing Xanatos down another step.
Suddenly, over the sound of the battle, there was a rumble in the distance. Within seconds, it was a roar…It was the water flushing the system. A giant tidal wave of foaming water rushed toward them from a conduit in the tank.
Using the Force, Qui-Gon used the Force to leap to another platform, twirling around to face Xanatos. But Xanatos had not leapt to safety. The man deactivated the lightsaber and within the flicker of an eyelash, he was swept away by the torrent of water.
Sensing that Xanatos had allowed himself to be manoeuvred towards the stairs, Qui-Gon decided to search the area.
…..
It was quickly found that Xanatos had escaped through the use of a ladder…which was well hidden, only confirming that Xanatos was getting help from within the Temple, or from someone who knew the Temple well.
As he mused over the problem, Tahl asked for him over the communicator. Once he arrived, she handed him a sheet of paper that had the details of Off-World's finances.
"You're going to have to tell me. You know I'm not good at galactic finance."
"Offworld is not as solvent as they appear," Tahl said, tapping her finger on the desk. "A futile mining operation on an inhospitable planet has drained its resources. Xanatos refused to accept defeat and just kept pouring more and more money into the operation. There's a rumor that he's secretly plundered the treasury on his home planet of Telos."
If Xanatos was close to financial ruin, maybe his motive for storming the Temple had as much to do with money as revenge. Always a double motive …"The vertex," he said softly.
"Of course," Tahl breathed.
"We've been focusing too much on Xanatos' revenge motive," Qui-Gon said. "Xanatos is more complex than that. Why put himself in such danger if all he got out of it was personal satisfaction? But destroying the Temple and walking away with a fortune would be worth much more to him."
"The treasury room is one half level below the Council room," Tahl said. "Isn't it strange how the wings have been shut down one after the other? Now everyone has been moved to the central building. This can't be accidental."
"Xanatos is planning something," Qui-Gon brooded. "He hopes to contain us so that it will be easier to destroy us. But how?"
The door hissed open and TooJay walked in, carrying a tray. "I brought your lunch, Sir Tahl," she announced.
"I'm not hungry."
"There is a protein cake, fruit, and -"
"Just put it down," Tahl ordered absently, her mind still on Xanatos.
TooJay set down the tray and began to straighten Tahl's desk.
"Whatever he is planning, it will happen soon," Tahl said.
TooJay moved one set of papers from one side of the desk to the other.
Qui-Gon stood. "Tahl, can TooJay fetch Bant? We need to talk to her."
Tahl turned toward Qui-Gon, a surprised expression on her face. "Bant?"
Qui-Gon spoke in a meaningful tone. "I'll explain when she gets here."
"TooJay, please fetch Bant from the temporary quarters," Tahl ordered.
"I can wait for your lunch tray, sir," TooJay added.
"Now," Tahl said firmly.
"I will return," TooJay said, hurrying out the door.
As soon as the door closed behind the droid, Tahl turned to Qui-Gon. "What was that about?"
"How did you get TooJay?"
"I told you, Yoda arranged for it,"
"Did Yoda bring the droid himself?"
Tahl nodded. "Why?"
"It was just a few days after you and I arrived from our latest mission…" Qui-Gon mused. "…Was the droid ever out of your sight?"
Tahl groaned. "Are you kidding? TooJay is always underfoot…Except on the second day. I needed TooJay to guide me to the north wing. But I couldn't locate her for several hours. She said she had to attend some kind of indoctrination training. What are you driving at, Qui-Gon?"
"The droid appeared at the same time that the thefts began."
"Are you saying that TooJay is the thief?" Tahl asked. "That droid is pretty conspicuous."
"No, TooJay isn't the thief…But I think we could have found our spy. We'll have to be sure though. If we could shut TooJay down temporarily, we could find the transmitter. We can't have Xanatos know we suspect."
"How can we shut TooJay down without arousing suspicion?"
Qui-Gon grinned. "That's easy. Just act naturally."
"What do you mean?"
"It's obvious that the droid annoys you. Pick a fight and shut her down because you've had enough."
Slowly, Tahl smiled. "I've done it before."
Within minutes, TooJay reappeared. "I cannot locate Bant. If I can say this, Sir Tahl, I do not think it advisable for me to be absent. You could need my assistance. For example, there are data sheets on the floor several centimetres from your Ieft foot-"
"I know that," Tahl snapped. "Qui-Gon, those are for you. Why don't you sit here?" She stood, sweeping an arm toward a chair. The tray of food TooJay had brought earlier crashed to the floor.
"Your lunch!" TooJay scurried forward. "It was ten centimetres to your right -"
"Enough, you drivelling droid!" Tahl snapped. "If you don't shut your voice activator, I'll shut it for you!"
"But you won't be able to navigate!"
"I'll be able to think!" She reached forward and deactivated the droid completely.
Qui-Gon strode forward and began to examine TooJay. "Here," he said after a moment. "Right in the joint of the pelvic servomotor…A transmitter."
"Does it record and send simultaneously?"
"Yes," Qui-Gon said. "I would guess that Xanatos has some sort of trigger on his end that alerts him if the conversation is important. He could have programmed several word triggers, like my name, or Yoda's, his, Obi-Wan's maybe. That way he doesn't have to listen to everything that happens to you - only what he needs. This unit transmits audio and visuals."
"So Xanatos has known what we were planning all along," Tahl said, sinking back into her chair. "He's been watching our every move. This is bad news."
"Not at all," Qui-Gon said softly. "Now we do not have to chase him. He will come straight to us."
…..
The pair thought up their own trap, choosing Ali-Alann as Qui-Gon's body double.
"Qui-Gon, I am happy to help you, but what am I going to be doing?" Ali-Alann asked respectfully.
"Not much," Qui-Gon answered. "You have to be me for a short time, that's all."
"I will record a voice track," Qui-Gon went on. "You will activate it when you're sure that Tahl's personal navigation droid is nearby. Then you'll go on a search for the intruders. But you will not find them."
"Why not?"
"Because I will," Qui-Gon's eyes glowed fiercely. "I will put an end to this." He paused for a second. "We'll have to exchange tunics. Everything you wear and carry must be mine. We can't underestimate Xanatos. The match must be as perfect as possible."
Suddenly, Tahl appeared, her sightless eyes instantly landing on Qui-Gon. "Qui-Gon, we could have a problem…Bant has disappeared. She knows she's not supposed to roam the Temple without permission."
Before Qui-Gon could answer, his com-link beeped. Once activated, a familiar voice came through the speakers. "What a pleasure to greet you again, Qui-Gon."
Everyone froze….Xanatos.
"What do you want?" Qui-Gon asked tersely.
"My transport," Xanatos answered smoothly. "Fully fuelled, on the spaceport landing platform. And no one around to follow me."
"Why should I give you this?"
"Hmmm. An interesting question. Perhaps because I have bumped into a friend of yours in the water tunnel. I think it might be a good idea if the fish-girl stays with me for a while. Unless you object."
Bant.
Qui-Gon's grip tightened on the com-link as Tahl grabbed the door-frame
"So do we have a deal?" Xanatos asked. "My transport, and I send the girl back to you. I'll give you fifteen minutes. That is all."
"How do I know you have Bant?"
Seconds later, a firm, high voice came over the com-link. "Qui-Gon, don't do it. I'm fine. I don't want you to -"
Bant's voice was cut off abruptly and the com-link went dead. Tahl shook her head in dismay, "Qui-Gon-"
"No…" interrupted Qui-Gon, "…We will rescue Bant. We will defeat Xanatos. We will bring him down."
"What are we going to do?"
"When your enemy strikes unexpectedly, things change," Qui-Gon said. "But if your plan is good, there is no reason to abandon it."
…
The plan went ahead. Tahl sent TooJay on an errand while Qui-Gon exchanged clothes with Ali-Alann, as he and Tahl decided what would be said on the audio track.
Qui-Gon activated the voice track. "We must move fast. No doubt Xanatos has moved Bant from the water tunnels. We'll begin the search in the north wing of the Temple. Other search teams will start at the high floor of the north wing while we begin at the lowest. We'll meet in the middle and then shut down the wing completely and move onto the south wing. We'll trap them eventually….Xanatos will be stopped!"
Qui-Gon had decided to play the part of being impatient, wanting Xanatos to think he was on the edge of control. It could give him an advantage if Xanatos underestimated him.
"Now, as we search, remember that Miro will be shutting down the power system. We can't run the risk of other systems failing while we search. Miro will have to shut down the system in order to run a program to find all the bugs. Miro will have to shut down water systems, communications, power stations, and last of all, security. The turnoff will last for twelve minutes. Then Miro will turn the system back on, beginning with security. It's a necessary risk."
He strode towards the turbo-lift, and once he rounded the corner, he deactivated the voice track. He handed it to Ali-Alann. In a few moments, Tahl would summon TooJay. Ali-Alann would impersonate Qui-Gon and transmit the conversation while TooJay was within earshot. This would give Qui-Gon time to position himself to ambush Xanatos.
Qui-Gon was counting on the fact that Xanatos would be monitoring closely, since he would want to know if his demand would be met. Thanks to the transmitted conversation, he would think he had a clear field.
"You must seem to follow through on the plan," Qui-Gon directed Ali-Alann, "Start searching the north wing. Try to stay in ill-lighted areas, just in case Xanatos…or his helper checks to make sure."
"And what am I to do, Qui-Gon?" Tahl asked softly.
"Your work is done, my friend," Qui-Gon said. "Now it is up to me."
"May the Force be with you."
"May it be with us all," Qui-Gon quietly replied as he headed for the lift tube...Xanatos was going after the vertex.
The security chamber was built like a strongbox. It could not be reached by turbo-lift, only by a short stairway down from the Jedi Council room itself. Access was limited to Jedi Council members, who underwent a retinal scan to enter. Approval had to be received and coded into the central system.
Ali-Alann impersonation had given him time to arrange the ambush. Yoda arranged for Qui-Gon to enter before security shut down. The hallway outside the chamber was narrow and dark, the lights at half-power.
Three minutes left…Qui-Gon kept a hand on his lightsaber, his eyes focused on the air ducts where Xanatos would most likely enter from.
Suddenly, the lights went out…Miro had shut down the central power core.A slight noise overhead alerted him that someone was now traveling in the duct system. Qui-Gon kept his eyes trained on the duct closest to the treasury door.
Moments later, the grate slid open. Xanatos and a hooded young man somersaulted through, both dressed in black, blending into the darkness. The only gleam of light was Xanatos' pale skin.
Qui-Gon sprang forward, igniting his lightsaber as he went…smirking at the surprise on Xanato's face. Xanatos gave a strangled cry of rage and sprang back, his hand reaching for his lightsaber.
The young hooded boy wasn't as quick, only just managing to grab his lightsaber when Qui-Gon disarmed him. He didn't want to harm this boy, only disarm him…but Xanatos had a plan up his sleeve, placing his red lightsaber against his partner's neck
"Don't come any closer," he said, his eyes snapping a challenge. "You know I'll do it, Qui-Gon."
"Xanatos?" The young tremble in the voice was very familiar.
"Be quiet," Xanatos snapped. "Now I have two hostages, Qui-Gon. Do you want to sacrifice two young lives?" He removed the hood of the young man, to reveal an extremely familiar face, "Remember this young man? Thanks to you…he's become quite the useful little apprentice."
Qui-Gon tried not to flinch at the fury on the young man's face…Obi-Wan. "Just attack him!" growled Obi-Wan, his eyes flickering up towards Xanatos, "You promised you would kill him Xanatos!"
"The boy is ruthless, Qui-Gon," Xanatos purred. "Did he learn this from you?"
Qui-Gon sprang forward….and at the same time Ali-Alann appeared from the shadows and attacked as well. Xanatos gave Obi-Wan a violent shove away from him, trying to use the boy to block Qui-Gon's advance. At the same time, he stepped forward to meet Ali-Alann's first strike.
Obi-Wan fell to the floor, scrambling for his lightsaber, grabbing it despite Qui-Gon's effort to stop him.
"Make sure she is dead!" Xanatos hissed at Obi-Wan. "Now!"
Obi-Wan sped away from the fight, closely followed by Qui-Gon who messaged the council to inform them about Ali-Alann's on-going fight. He didn't want to leave Ali-Alann alone with Xanatos, but he had to stop Obi-Wan. It was an impossible choice, but he had to make it.
…
Since the turbo-lifts weren't operational, Qui-Gon had to race behind Obi-Wan down hallways and stairs. Soon, Qui-Gon guessed where Obi-Wan was heading - the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
Where better to hide Bant than underwater?
He ducked into the room. Immediately, he spotted Obi-Wan running along one of the trails that twisted through the greenery. An instant before Qui-Gon reached him, Obi-Wan stepped off the path and reversed direction. He had learned cunning from Xanatos.
The Force warned Qui-Gon of the attack a split second before, or he would have run into the end of the boy's, now red, lightsaber, who came at him with a two-handed sweep.
The boy actually wanted to kill him….
Qui-Gon deflected the blow and whirled to take the offensive. But Obi-Wan had gained in strength as well as strategy under Xanatos's tutelage. He blocked Qui-Gon's blow and struck again.
"I've learned well, haven't I?" he asked, his sea blue eyes fierce. "Xanatos showed me what true power is. The Jedi will regret that they abandoned me! You'll regret leaving me on that Force-forsaken planet!"
"The order never abandoned you Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon said, parrying the young boy's strike. While he parried and struck, his eyes darted around, searching for a glimpse of Bant under the still surfaces of the pools that surrounded him.
"No one chose me as Padawan!"
"You were not ready little one!"
"I was ready!" Obi-Wan screamed. Then his expression grew crafty. "I would have been a great Master…none of my padawans would have turned to the Dark Side!"
Qui-Gon knew that Obi-Wan was trying to get him to lose his temper…But the words still hit their mark. His next blow had anger behind it.
Yes, Obi-Wan had learned well from Xanatos.
Suddenly a thought occurred to him…Xanatos had tried to keep him away from his concealed air-speeder…was Obi-Wan doing the same in order to stop him from seeing Bant?
With a great leap, Qui-Gon suddenly launched an offensive. His blows sent Obi-Wan backward, driving him down the path. Sweat poured from his body as he swung the lightsaber in a ceaseless motion, attacking Obi-Wan from all sides.
The highest waterfall loomed ahead. Normally the cascading water flowed into a deep pool, but since Miro had turned off all systems, the waterfall was dry.
But the pool was not.
Qui-Gon felt his heart stop as he glimpsed a flash of a lighter blue underneath the deep sapphire of the water. Bant's tunic…He drove Obi-Wan before him relentlessly until they reached the edge of the pool.
Bant lay on the bottom. Her ankle was securely chained to a heavy anchor. Qui-Gon felt relief course through him as tiny bubbles rose to the surface of the water. She was still alive.
Bant could last underwater for long periods of time, but she needed oxygen to breathe. How long had she been under?
"She doesn't look too good, does she?" Obi-Wan remarked as he took advantage of Qui-Gon's distraction to administer a two-handed blow toward his midsection.
Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber and deflected the blow, crying out Bant's name, calling on the Force to help him reach her. Her eyelids opened slowly. She blinked. But she seemed to barely register his presence. Her eyes closed again.
/Hold on, Bant!\\
But Qui-Gon did not feel an answer. Her living Force was ebbing. He could feel it….Bant would die.
"That's right, Master," Obi-Wan taunted him. "Bant is dying. I won't have to do a thing. I'll just make you watch it. We would have freed her if we got the treasure….but now you will watch her die!"
Qui-Gon felt his heart sink…He knew now that Obi-Wan was beyond redemption. Taking a deep breath, he launched on the offense, backing a startled Obi-Wan up the hill that formed the waterfall. It was a rocky slope, the footing treacherous. Ruthlessly, Qui-Gon pressed Obi-Wan, driving him up, keeping him off-balance. Their lightsabers tangled.
Obi-Wan reached the top of the hill. He took the opportunity to plant his feet and swing down at Qui-Gon, aiming for his chest. The Jedi master twisted as he parried the blow. His foot slipped on the mossy rocks and he landed on one knee. Pain sliced through him.
One thought kept him going…If he lost this battle, Bant would die.
Still on one knee, Qui-Gon managed to deflect Obi-Wan's thrusts. He could barely keep the lightsaber moving in order to counteract Obi-Wan's blows. He tried to use the Force again, but it proved as slippery as the moss-covered rocks.
"Good move Master" Obi-Wan sneered.
Seeing the look of pure hate on Obi-Wan's face, Qui-Gon realized something…Xanatos had made Obi-Wan a killer….and this saddened him.
Obi-Wan saw the change in his eyes. His own sea blue eyes flashed with cruel satisfaction. He planted both hands on the hilt of the lightsaber and raised it high.
In that split second, Qui-Gon saw the seeds of his own defeat.
This is the moment. The very worst time is the time you must follow the Code.
In defence, Qui-Gon raised his saber. He let his anger and fear move through him, exhaling them in a breath. He reached inside and found his centre of calm.
Obi-Wan's lightsaber came down, and he blocked it.
Obi-Wan's next blow fell. Qui-Gon parried the strike, but he did not have the balance to counter-attack. It didn't matter. He had regained his calm. He could regain his footing. He knew now that he could defeat the young boy.
But Obi-Wan was equally certain of victory. Qui-Gon's fall and his unsteady footwork had convinced him that the battle was his. Obi-Wan's flaw had always been overconfidence when he thought he was on the verge of winning….
Qui-Gon circled around Obi-Wan, forming a new strategy. He bounded from a rock and flipped over Obi-Wan so that he was behind him.
Miro was shutting down the system for twelve minutes. He had about eleven seconds until Miro began powering up the different systems, one by one. First, security. Then the water systems would resume.
Qui-Gon moved forward, pushing Obi-Wan back toward the dry bed of the waterfall. He made sure to continue to block Obi-Wan's blows and retaliate, but weakened his stroke slightly. He still wanted the young boy overconfident.
"Getting tired, Master? Don't worry. It won't be long before I finish you off."
Out of the corner of his eye, Qui-Gon saw the red security light beam on the service console. The water would be next.
Obi-Wan whirled, attacking Qui-Gon from the left. Instead of blocking the blow, the Jedi Master stepped aside so that Obi's momentum would send him into the dry waterfall bed.
He heard a distant roar. If Obi-Wan heard it, he did not understand its significance. His entire being was focused on his anger and his lust for victory.
The water gushed from the hidden pipes and spilled out in a torrent. Qui-Gon had timed his counter-attack, and Obi-Wan found himself surrounded by water. He was barely able to keep his footing, but he swung his lightsaber back to aim another blow at the older Jedi…And hit the water with the laser. With a fizzing sound, the saber shorted out.
"That's it, Obi-Wan…" Qui-Gon sighed, "…Give up."
"Never!" Obi-Wan yelled fiercely, hate still in his eyes. His face contorted in a frenzy of frustrated rage. He leaned down to pick up a weapon to throw at Qui-Gon, any of the rocks that lined the bed. But the water pulled at him, and he slipped on the mossy rocks. He lost his footing and stumbled back to the very edge of the waterfall. He teetered on the edge for an instant, his eyes wide with disbelief and panic.
In one fluid motion, Qui-Gon deactivated his lightsaber and leaped forward. He reached out a hand, ready to pull Obi-Wan to safety…But it was too late. Obi-Wan's panic sent his arms twirling, further unsettling his balance. The Jedi Master felt the young boy's fingertips brush his as his opponent tumbled backward into thin air.
"MASTER!"
"OBI-WAN!"
Desperately, Qui-Gon stepped forward, only to grimace as he saw Obi-Wan hit a rock and bounce, then hit another. He landed on the dry grass beside the waterfall. His head lay at an awkward angle, and he was still.
Qui-Gon gathered the Force to him and dove off the top of the falls, landing clear of the rocks, and pushed himself upward through the cool water. He swam quickly to the bank and vaulted out onto the grass. He felt for Obi-Wan's vital signs.
Obi-Wan was dead. He had probably died instantly…His neck was broken.
Qui-Gon closed his eyes in grief, trying to push the feelings to the side….Bant still needed saving
…
After saving the young girl, Qui-Gon then rushed back to Ali-Alann in order to help him in his fight with Xanatos. The pair pushed him back, as Xanatos begin to sneer and snarl at them.
"You must be tiring, Xanatos," Qui-Gon said. "That's when you begin your taunts." He gritted his teeth as he slammed a blow toward Xanatos' shoulder.
Xanatos blocked it. "Your precious Temple is doomed!" he shouted. "When that idiot Miro Daroon powers up the last link in the system, the whole fusion furnace will blow. The Temple will implode. Did you really think I'd allow the Jedi to follow me?"
Qui-Gon staggered both from surprise and an unexpected short strike from Xanatos' left. Was he telling the truth? Desperately, Qui-Gon realized there was no way for him to know.
He attacked furiously, delivering a wide arm sweep from the left. The two lightsabers tangled. For an instant, their faces were very close. Xanatos' eyes burned with a strange light. The pale half-circle scar on his cheek gleamed.
"What you revere can destroy you." His voice was soft, yet Qui-Gon caught every word. "Haven't you learned that yet?"
Above him, Qui-Gon saw the lights of the Council room flicker. After the lights, Miro would power up the communications system. Then the repulsor-lift engines for the turbo-lifts throughout the complex. The air circulation would be last.
Qui-Gon calculated that he had only three minutes before the explosion. Maybe four. If Xanatos was telling the truth…
"You can't be sure, can you, Qui-Gon?" Xanatos sneered.
Qui-Gon hesitated, his lightsaber held in attack position. He knew he could defeat Xanatos. But how long would it take?
In that split second, Xanatos glanced below. An air taxi flew twenty meters underneath the ledge. Qui-Gon sprang forward, but Xanatos stepped off the ledge. He landed on the air taxi. Qui-Gon saw the surprised driver's look of panic as Xanatos calmly lifted him out of the seat and pushed him out into mid-air.
Qui-Gon had less than a second to decide. He could make the jump. He could land on the taxi. He could grapple with Xanatos. He could end this once and for all.
The second passed. Xanatos roared away. Helpless rage surged in Qui-Gon even as he deactivated his lightsaber and raced for the opening in the window.
Qui-Gon jumped inside and ran, accessing his com-link as he moved. He tried to reach Miro, but the communication fields weren't fully functioning.
He was halfway to the turbo-lift before he realized that it wouldn't be operating. Qui-Gon's frustration was turning to panic. How could he reach the tech centre in time?
Ali-Alann caught up to him and gestured for him to follow, "I studied the diagrams. I can get us there faster through the infrastructure of the building."
They crawled down a short length of an air circulation shaft and came to a service panel. Ali-Alann accessed it. It slid open and he climbed in. It was a tight fit, but the pair made it. Here they could stand upright. They were on a catwalk, surrounded by machinery.
Qui-Gon heard a slow whining noise. "The repulsor-lift engines are starting up," he said.
"This way." Ali-Alann came to a vertical ladder and began to scramble down. Quickly, Qui-Gon followed. The ladder left them at a service door. Pushing through, they were now ten levels down.
"There's a back stairway to the right," Ali-Alann said as he raced down the hallway with Qui-Gon beside him. "It will bring us to the horizontal tube that is used to transport food from the dining hall to the med unit."
They came to the tube. Qui-Gon crammed himself into the small space. Ali-Alann squeezed in next to him. Then he hurriedly set the controls. In seconds, they were sucked down the tube on a moving ramp.
At the end, Obi-Wan kicked open the door. They spilled out in one of the resting rooms in the med unit. Qui-Gon knew it was on the same level as the tech centre. But he also knew that a shaft separated the two wings.
Qui-Gon checked his chrono. "We have about one minute."
Ali-Alann's face was streaked with sweat. "The gas duct." He turned and ran.
Qui-Gon followed. Out the window he could see that across the shaft ran an air-systems duct. "Where does it come out?"
"Right where we want it to," Ali-Alann said, locking his fingers in the grate and prying it off. He kicked it aside and scrambled inside the duct. "It's the gas transport system for the freezer containers used to store med supplies."
"What happens if Miro tests the gas transport system when he powers up the air ducts?" Qui-Gon asked.
"…I'm not sure"
Qui-Gon knew that the gas pumped into molten carbonite was toxic, but decided to keep the information to himself. Thirty seconds. Qui-Gon tried to move fluidly, gracefully. He was a big man, and wasn't normally fast on his hands and knees in a confined space.
He saw a fractured beam of light ahead….They were approaching the grate.
Rushing through the opening, they immediately saw Miro, who was standing at the console, his fingers flying on the keys.
"Stop!" Ali-Alann and Qui-Gon yelled together.
"Don't activate the air circulation system," Qui-Gon warned. "It's booby-trapped."
It didn't seem possible that Miro's translucent skin could pale. But for a moment he seemed to shimmer like a ghost. He jerked his hand back from the console.
"We have to find the bug," Qui-Gon said, striding toward the console.
Miro punched in a code, and the blue screen that surrounded them filled with numbers and graphs. "I ran a complete bug check when the system was powered down," he said. "Nothing came up. There's no program in the system anymore except for mine. Are you sure about this, Qui-Gon?"
"No…Xanatos could have lied. But can we take the chance?"
"I can run the checks again. Maybe I missed something."
Qui-Gon turned away. He knew that Miro was vastly better at figuring out tech systems….But he could do something that Miro could not. He could go inside the mind of Xanatos.
Qui-Gon closed his eyes, remembering the final scene with Xanatos on the ledge. His enemy's fatal flaw was his need to boast. Often he inadvertently let slip something that would alert Qui-Gon to the diabolical windings of his mind. And Xanatos prided himself on his elegance. Whatever he had done, it would have a twist.
Qui-Gon remembered the fiendish glee in Xanatos' expression. Yes, there was something personal about what he had done, some final, stinging slap to the Jedi.
What you revere can destroy you….
Qui-Gon's eyes sprang open. "Miro, where is the main power source of the system?" he barked.
"In the power core," Miro answered. He crossed the room and opened a dura-steel door marked fusion furnace. "Here."
Qui-Gon hurried through the door. He found himself in a small circular room. A catwalk ran around a deep central core. A ladder led down into it.
"This is the fusion reactor. The power sources are lined up in a grid," Miro explained. "It goes down about ten stories. I'm running my second check-up on the power sources now, but nothing came up the first time -"
"No," Qui-Gon murmured. "It wouldn't."
He hoisted himself onto the ladder and began to climb down. "Whatever you do, don't reboot the system," he called up to Miro.
It didn't take him long to reach the bottom of the core. Qui-Gon circled around slowly, running his hands along the various compartments and dials. He saw a compartment labelled fusion furnace access.
Qui-Gon pressed the lever. The door slid open. Nestled inside were stolen Healing Crystals of Fire. He tucked the glowing artefacts reverently in his tunic. Immediately, they warmed his skin.
He climbed up the ladder where Miro and Ali-Alann were waiting anxiously. He pulled the crystals out of his tunic. "They were in the fusion furnace," he told Miro.
"They would have served as a massive power source," Miro said, his voice slightly unsteady. He cleared his throat. "They would have started a chain reaction with the burst of energy from the reboot. If I had punched that key -"
"-What we revere would have destroyed us," Qui-Gon finished.
…..
Despite turning, Master Yoda insisted on a memorial service for Obi-Wan, with only a few select people being aware of the true nature of Obi-Wan's demise…the majority of the Temple believed Obi-Wan had died on Bandomeer in a freak accident.
Everything went back to normal…but Qui-Gon didn't feel normal. He still remembered the brush of Obi-Wan's fingers against his. Time and again he stared down at his hand and opened and closed his fist, remembering how he had grabbed air instead of that poor boy.
Obi-Wan had turned though…had tried to kill one of his old friends and Qui-Gon could not forget that. He only had one mission now: talk to Bant.
…
Bant sat on a rock overlooking the pool where she'd almost died. Bant always sat as close as possible to the pool, so that the fine spray misted her skin.
"Why are you here?" he asked gently, taking a seat beside her.
"This is one of my favourite spots at the Temple," Bant answered, her silver eyes on the cascading water. "I did not want what happened here to spoil that. I almost died here. Someone else did lose his life. The experience taught me more about being a Jedi than a thousand classes…..I hope you don't blame yourself…for Obi-Wan I mean."
"I know I tried my best to save him…But my heart is still heavy."
"That is how it should be shouldn't it? A life is lost. When he still had life, he had a chance to change."
Qui-Gon sighed, "I can't help but think I could have changed Obi-Wan's future by taking him on as a padawan…maybe he would have turned out to be a great Jedi."
"Maybe…or maybe he would have turned out exactly the same. We'll never know."
