Once out of earshot Tahl burst out, "Li why are we running! We're going to look suspicious if we're running! He's not following us!"
Li didn't slow his pace or turn. "Really smart Tahl, loved your little mind-trick! And yes, there is a very good reason for running. I know that little dinko, he's going to Conn." Apparently that was suppose to shock her into silence, but Tahl was still confused.
"Who is Conn and why should we care?"
"Conn would be the one responsible for your friends current condition. And we should care because he doesn't particularly like Jedi or me for that matter."
Tahl's eyes grew dark. "*He* did this to Qui-Gon? Maybe I would like to meet this spawn of..."
"If you'd like to die screaming be my guest, but I'm leaving!" He half-turned. "And um, I bet if Qui-Gon were conscious he'd want to leave too!" He continued down the hallway. Tahl jogged to keep up.
"Look I don't *run* from anyone Li!" she declared angrily.
"Then you are very foolish, my friend. Conn's got a practical army at his back. Come back and get your revenge later. I think there are other things that need your attention more at the present." Li stated blandly. "Now, come on, we've got to get past the guard at the gate."
Tahl smiled mischievously. "Already been taken care of."
Li grinned back. "Good. You *are* useful for something." They hurried out and around the back of the fortress, past the unconscious guard and to where the swoop was parked. A steady rain beat down on them, but they did not slow their steps. Freedom was only a few steps away.
Li turned to Tahl. His blond hair whipped around in the wind. "Get on!" he snapped frantically, motioning her to sit. She swung her leg over one side of the swoop and then looked to Li. He dropped Qui-Gon down against her, and she tightened her arms around the comatose Jedi. "Try to get him to come around, I'll get you a med pack." He fumbled in a compartment on the side of the vehicle.
Tahl pulled Qui-Gon closer to her. He was shivering with cold and shock. She pulled her robe out so it covered him and kept him dry, whispering softly to him as she did. His eyes flickered open a moment and he looked up weakly at her.
"Where...are...?" he rasped.
Tahl gave him a small smile and nudged him. "Look."
"Tree's..." he whispered turning his head slightly. He inhaled the rain-freshened air, a look of wonderment on his features. "Rain..." Qui-Gon paused, not quite daring to believe. He turned back to Tahl, who's smile broadened. "We're...out?"
"I told you I would get you out!" Tahl's voice was warm. "Didn't you believe me?" she teased him gently.
Li stood over the swoop blocking them from the rain. His eyes were warm as he looked down at Qui-Gon who was looking bewildered. "You?" the wounded Jedi asked, shocked. Was he dreaming? A Muh-hadden was helping him escape?
Li grinned sheepishly. "Felt bad for you after we talked in the hall. You seemed like a nice kid to die such a horrible death. Thought I might give Tahl a hand with this *daring* rescue." He patted his arm and then turned to Tahl, tossing her a med pack. "There's not much in it but you should be able to at least make him a little more comfortable." he added in a lower tone.
Tahl gave him a more-than-a-little concerned look. "Make him more comfortable? He *is* going to be alright..." she faltered, trying to sound more confident than she was.
Li's light blue eyes dimmed. "I'm not sure Tahl, I'm just not sure." his voice was no more than a soft whisper. "I hope he'll be alright. But..." A sound from the prison made them both turn. "we haven't much time! I'll tell them that you tricked me and stole the swoop. Are you a good pilot? The forest is extremely hard to navigate."
Tahl's eyes flicked sideways at the thick seemingly impenetrable wall of trees. "O-of course.." she lied. Qui-Gon's eyes widened and he gave a soft moan. Tahl clapped a hand over his mouth and shot him a meaningful look. "Yes, I'm a excellent pilot."
Li sighed in relief. "Good! I'll tell them you took the road toward the Philomel valley. In the meantime hide in the forest. There's not much fuel in this, but take it as far as you can on what you have." Tahl nodded, biting her lip. "Be careful, the woods are huge, it's easy to get lost in them. Go now, they're coming."
Tahl glanced over at Li once last time. "Thank you for all you've done." she wrapped an arm around Qui-Gon's waist steadying him on the swoop and then gunned the motor. 'I'll never forget you Li!" she called, then was off in a puff of exhaust.
Li watched her disappear into the forest, almost sadly. He wished he could do more for the two, but now it was up to them. He turned toward the prison and back to his life.
Tahl sped into the woods without a backward glance. She hoped the terrain wasn't too bad, she had never done well at all on the obstacle courses back at the temple. *The force will guide me.* she thought, but her optimism was tested as she had to swerve to avoid a clump of very thick brush. Once past it she flew toward the interior of the forest, to where there was hardly room for her swoop between the trees. She hadn't the faintest idea where she was headed, but pushed the little vehicle as hard as she could deeper and deeper in.
The forest was impressive to say the least. Even as her emotions swirled like a cyclone, Tahl could not help but notice the silent majesty of the trees. They stood like giant priests guarding some sacred ground, firm, unmovable. She felt like an intruder into a quiet sanctuary. The air was eerily still, even as a fine mist of rain drifted through the canopy. Somehow she could tell that they were the only beings to have journeyed here in many years.
She swerved through a narrow gap in between two particularly large trees and shot over a boulder. She only had a very tiny amount of fuel left, but she figured that it would be virtually impossible for anyone to find them this deep into the forest. Most of the planet was covered by this thick blanket of trees and with no native people living in this part they should be safe. The swoop got her a few more miles but she knew it was time to look for a site to camp and recover. She looped around until she found a sort of small clearing, where she could land and conceal the swoop. It was only a few feet of clear area but big enough, and she cut the power just as the last fuel was spent.
Without the familiar hum of the engine the forest seemed more imposing then ever. A far-off shriek of a native bird make her jump.
She decisively turned toward the gap between the trees. It was a perfect place to hide, they would be sheltered by the three forest giants and she could faintly hear running water, the promise of some brook or spring.
Tahl spread an extra blanket on the ground and then turned to Qui-Gon. He had slipped into unconsciousness during the trip, and lay as if boneless against the seat on the swoop. She was startled at how pale he was. His face was drained of all color, his lips, almost white. His striking features looked more boyish, with a hurt vulnerability Tahl had never seen. As she pulled him into a standing position he sagged against her lifelessly. She took a few steps to the blanket, staggering under his weight, then lay him down on it. His eyes slowly opened, cloudy and dull.
Tahl dropped to her knees beside him. The deep, horrible wounds would not be fatal, but rather the silent, sweeping chill of shock. His bodies own response to the trauma would end this pain. He had held it off with the force for a time, but he was too worn out now. Too sick, too cold, too tired to fight.
She slide a hand over his bare chest to rest over her friends heart. His skin was cool and damp. She saw his eyes trying to focus on her, lips forming words. "'m I..." he began, his voice was soft and almost impossible to hear, as if he were speaking from very far away. "Dying?" he finished, both quiet acceptance and fear colliding on his features. Qui-Gon could feel his body slowly losing the fight to stay alive.
Tahl just stared at his bruised and battered face, tears forming in her emerald eyes. What could she say? She could not lie to him, not now after everything! She could feel his life force fading like some dying flower, wilting and weakening with every breath, pulling him further and further away from her. Tahl couldn't say it. The words stuck in her throat, choking her. She stared at him desperately, searching for something, anything to say other than this horrible silence. When words finally did come, her voice was high and unnatural, pinched with panic.
"You'll be fine!" she told him, surprised to find herself angry, her voice intense. "If you give up they win, don't you get it!!!" she glared at his surprised face. "Come on, what has Master Dooku always drilled into your head?"
Qui-Gon looked up at her sadly, his eyes glittering like the hazy blue of the twilight sky. "Where is Dooku now?" he whispered.
"He always told you to never give up! Never stop fighting!"Tahl ignored his comment and went on. "Hold on and never ever shed a tear." Her anger broke as thunder rumbled in the distance. The tears she had been holding back trickled down her cheeks. "You can't... You've got to hold on..." she murmured in a very small voice. He was slipping away. She tried to cling to his force signature but he seem to fall away like rain drops through her fingers. She reached out with everything she had, everything she believed in to give him strength. His eyes were drifting closed.
The force whirled around them, binding them in an embrace of light, as Tahl tried desperately to heal him. She poured as much energy as she could into his broken body but she knew her ability was limited. His body went limp against hers as consciousness fled again. He would sleep now, deep and forever into the waiting embrace of mortality. She continued, futile as her efforts felt. She would not, could not lose him like this.
There was little more she could do for her friend now. She had nothing left to give him. In the deep dark places of her mind she knew that the rest was up to Qui-Gon's strength, but in her heart, she begged him with every breath to be alright.
Tahl pulled him against her chest, entwining her arms around his mid section gently. "Be strong tonight." she whispered into his hair. "Please be strong."
***
She remembered so clearly the day they had first met. He had been quiet, oddly reflective for a child of his age, yet still with a somewhat dangerous, reckless spirit that seem to often cloud his better judgement. Looking back, she supposed she shouldn't have encouraged it so much, for some of their messier adventures made her shudder in retrospect. He was her partner in crime, and in all things really, for whenever was there a time when he wasn't by her side? Her defender, her comforter, her playmate and best friend. Things wouldn't change when they became padawans, the new lifestyle had never broken their bond. He changed, of course, becoming more compassionate, evolving into a calm, centered youth with a strong body and keen blue eyes. She supposed she had changed too. They were both growing up, together. She had looked forward to the day they would stand as knights, again, together. But now...would she ever see that day? How could she go on if he died? How could, after all these years, stand alone? Without the brooding young man lurking in the background? Without the only padawan in the temple who could beat her with a lightsaber? Without someone to comfort her when things got bad? Without her best friend?
***
His world was grey and dark. The water around him was black and icy cold, numbing his limbs as he slipped deeper down into it. He tried vainly to keep his head above water but the depths dragged him further down. He was so, so cold. Qui-Gon felt the water swirl around his chest, then shoulders, pressing in on him and making it nearly impossible to draw breath. He tried to cry out for help but choked on the cold, bitter water instead. His head went under...
Tahl clung to him as he struggled in her arms, his breathing, uneven gasps, his expression, tormented. Qui-Gon thrashed and convulsed, his eyes tightly shut even as tears ran down his face. He twisted in anguish a few moments more before he went totally limp again, sagging against her. She reached out with the force one more time, to see if there was anything, *anything* she could do to save him. Giving him anymore of her life energy could kill them both. But if there was a small chance that her actions could save him... Throwing caution to the wind, she wrapped her own life force around his, a last act of desperate denial. What else was there to do? She had to take this risk. "You can't have this one." she whispered into the icy fingers of death, that threatened to pull him away from her. With each painful heave of his chest he fell further. Her voice was lost in the darkness.
***
Who's to say where the wind will take you,
who's to know what it is will break you
I don't know which way the wind will blow
who's to know when the time has come around
Don't wanna see you cry
I know that this is not goodbye...