Chapter 14

Qui-Gon cut two droids down with one swipe, making way for Anakin to vault off the wall and take out another.

A clone rolled an EMP down the hallway, deactivating a group of droids further ahead. It would seem they were more useful than Qui-Gon had thought.

They didn't know how many were left in the palace, but they had managed to clear the hallways towards the throne room. If Obi-Wan had managed to capture Dooku, they could use his controls to deactivate the rest of the droids.

Qui-Gon was about to swing at the four droids blocking the way into the throne room but then he realised they weren't active. Cautiously he kicked one over and it fell to the ground with a loud clunk.

He kept his lightsaber up as he took cautious steps into the room.

Dead Beimeni guards littered the floor, but Qui-Gon's eyes quickly found Dooku's body lying amongst them. His eyes stared blankly ahead, a single blastershot had taken him out. He closed his eyes, letting his lightsaber fall uselessly to his side. Dooku may have lost his way, but Qui-Gon would still grieve his master.

When he opened his eyes again, his heart dropped like a stone.

"Obi-Wan," he breathed, unbelievingly.

The King looked up with fire in his eyes as he held Obi-Wan tightly in his arms.

"Kakiye brali tisante y?" The King growled.

"What else will you take from me?" Anakin stood beside him reading what the translator was spelling out.

"Will that translate the other way?" Qui-Gon didn't wait for Anakin to answer before taking the device from him.

"Save him! I know you can." He demanded, holding the translator out to him.

The King read it but shook his head. Qui-Gon pulled the translator back in time to read what the King said.

"He betrayed me. I will mourn him, but I will not save him. You should leave while you still can."

o-O-o

Maison had witnessed Zhelans die before. But not like this. They would stop drinking the water and then just age until they died. He had never held one as their heart slowed to a halt. He had never felt his whole world tear apart because he had never loved one before and he had never been betrayed by one before.

The Jedi was speaking again, holding out his device but Maison just wanted to be alone. Nothing he had to say would make him save Obi-Wan. If he let him live, he would just break his heart again and he couldn't give anyone that power over him. Not ever.

The Jedi pushed his translator under Maison's nose, and he was prepared to drop Obi-Wan and stab the man but then he read what it said.

"He didn't betray you." Maison read over the words again and again and then looked at the Jedi searching him for signs of lying. He had to be lying.

"We kidnapped him, and he brought us back here to save you and protect the fountain. He didn't betray you. He saved you." The words appeared and Maison knew they were true because he knew his Zhelan. Obi-Wan. He didn't realise that this was what he had been waiting to hear.

"You will pay for this later." He told the Jedi and then he looped his arms under Obi-Wan's body, picked him up effortlessly and ran.

"Hold on." He panted as he sped down the hallways.

o-O-o

Qui-Gon ran after the King and he knew Anakin was following. They turned down one of the hallways and then into a storage room. Qui-Gon just caught sight of the door appearing in the wall before the King stepped through. He followed and found himself on a staircase carved into the stone wall of the palace's foundations.

It wound downwards around the large gaping hole in the middle. Stones slipped under his boots as he looked down into the large water pool at the bottom. A cold updraft made him shiver as he continued to follow down the steps. He could feel the power that lay at the bottom.

He knew this was a sacred place, they had no right being here. The King was likely to kill them for seeing it. But he needed to see it.

..oOo..

Obi-Wan had only just turned 16 when he agreed to be Maison's Zhelan and go through with the ritual. They descended flights and flights of stairs into the ground. He watched the crystal blue waters and felt himself drawn to it. If Maison hadn't been holding his hand, he might have jumped over the edge.

As if he could read his thoughts, Maison pulled him further from the edge. The further down they got, the louder the rushing sound of water became. When they reached the bottom Obi-Wan could see why. Rivers stretched out like long fingers, disappearing into dark caves that dove deeper into the planet.

"Are you ready?" Maison asked, his voice echoing around them.

Suddenly everything felt very real. He was going to be immortal…

"Yes. I am."

Maison led him to the edge and then stepped into the water. "Hm…" he pulled a slightly pained face before muttering, "I hate this part."

"Does it hurt?" Obi-Wan eyed the waters nervously.

"It's freezing cold!" He answered, taking another small step forward.

Obi-Wan almost laughed but bit his tongue as he watched the 800-year-old, mighty King of Beimeni, protector of the fountain of youth take tiny, tortured-looking steps into the cold water.

Obi-Wan just held his breath and walked straight forward. The water was cold but not as cold as the King was making it out to be. He walked until it reached his waist and then turned back to face the King who was standing with the water at his knees and his fists clenched.

"There is something seriously wrong with you." The King took a deep breath and stepped forward again.

"You're doing great."

"Don't mock me."

"I would never, your Majesty."

The King glared at him and then Obi-Wan did laugh. His annoyed huff got Obi-Wan to stop again though. It was conversations like this that had helped Obi-Wan agree to be his Zhelan. Because he knew that on some level, he and the King were capable of meeting as equals. And Pjedro was right. He liked him.

..oOo..

Maison stepped into the cold water, clenching his teeth and forcing himself forward.

"Save him," he begged to whoever had given the water its power as he continued without hesitation. The cold wouldn't stop him now.

When he was waist-deep he let Obi-Wan float in the water. With a firm touch, he pushed him under the surface like he had all those years ago.

"Save him."

With his thumb he brushed the blood from his top lip and then he held his breath as he lifted his head back out of the water. A second passed and then another, another and then he gasped.

It was a quiet sound, but it was enough. Maison watched him closely, waiting for those stormy eyes to open.

"Maison?"

Maison felt himself laugh pathetically. "Obi-Wan. My beautiful Zhelan." He brushed the damp ginger hair out of his face, relief washing over him as Obi-Wan smiled.

"I'm sure I've looked better."

He pulled him up and kissed him softly, his lips were cold, but he didn't care. He had him back. "You're safe," His forehead fell against Obi-Wan's, and he held him closer. "That's all that matters."

"My chest hurts…" he muttered, and Maison held him a little tighter.

"Don't worry about it."

o-O-o

Qui-Gon watched them and beyond the awe of what the fountain was capable of he realised what he had been ignoring. He had been so caught up on saving Obi-Wan that he hadn't realised someone had beat him to it.

The King loved him. He could see that now.

"What are we going to tell the Chancellor?" Anakin asked but Qui-Gon hoped he knew what his answer would be.

"We're going to tell him there's nothing here."

By now the clones should have been able to track down the last of the droids in the palace. The ships still above them wouldn't know what to do without Dooku's command making them easy targets for the planet's canons.

That meant they were now the only ones left who knew about the fountain.

Anakin nodded, surprising Qui-Gon slightly. "No one should know about this. And maybe we should get out of here before he decides we shouldn't know either."