Part 5
/Damn!/ Creche Master Skyla angrily slapped the table with both palms. /That
kid was able to contact Qui-Gon even with my Force-shield surrounding this
place!/ Turning, she quickly stormed out and headed towards Obi-Wan's room.
Without hesitation, she gestured angrily at door and opened it explosively
with a Force-blow. The door was ripped from its hinges, landing loudly with
a crash against a far wall.
Startled by the force of impact, Obi-Wan jumped out of the bed and
instinctively called his lightsaber to his hand. He winced as a sharp pain
ran from his wrist and up his arm, but he continued to hold his 'saber as
steadily as he could. His jaw dropped as he looked at Master Skyla and
realized that it was she who had caused the wreckage.
"You contacted your Master!" Skyla yelled in hot, seething fury.
Slowly lowering his lightsaber, Obi-Wan attempted to mentally process what
had just happened, and who had caused it. The stunned apprentice shook his
head to try and clear his thoughts, but he quickly recovered his senses as he
realized that Master Skyla was advancing upon him.
"I-I...I did,...almost...," Obi-Wan stammered nervously, the now-familiar
sensation of fear creeping up his back as he looked into the Master's
menacing eyes. The sensation was so cold and overwhelming, that it almost
made the young apprentice drop his 'saber.
Skyla smiled as she sensed the young Padawan's vulnerable and confused
thoughts. It was exactly what she had been waiting for.
"Obi-Wan, don't you understand what has happened to you?" Skyla asked in a
quiet, velvety tone.
Obi-Wan felt uncomfortable at the sudden change in Skyla's demeanor.
"Understand?" he asked hesitantly. The combination of suffocating fear and
Skyla's sudden change in attitude was making his heart race.
Skyla lightly chuckled, "Didn't Qui-Gon ever tell you his little secret?" she
asked with a soft, mocking smile.
The frightened Padawan just stared at her, unable to speak, unable to move.
"Well, it appears that he did not. All right then. Tell me, Obi-Wan, what
exactly do you remember of the time when you were around six years old?" she
asked as she took a few soft steps toward the shaking apprentice.
"N-nothing...," Obi-Wan answered, confused and trying to keep as much space
between himself and Skyla. What was Master Skyla getting at? What secret?
Qui-Gon had a 'little secret'?
"Don't you recall that shortly after you turned six years old, Qui-Gon no
longer came to see you?" Skyla purred as she stopped her advance.
Obi-Wan nodded slowly, eyeing the Master suspiciously, but still maintaining
his distance.
"And do you know why, Obi-Wan? It was because he had left the Temple."
Skyla answered quietly as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Left?" Obi-Wan whispered in soft surprise.
"Yes. He left. He was gone for seven years, Obi-Wan, seven long years.
And, would you like to know something else?" the Master slowly leaned in the
direction of the transfixed apprentice, "He left...because of you."
The young Padawan stared transfixed at the Master, shock clearly visible in
his blue-gray eyes, "What?"
"Yes. You. Master Yoda had asked Qui-Gon to train you, but Qui-Gon would
not accept the assignment for the simple reason he thought you too reckless,
fearful and impatient to be trained as a Jedi. To be honest, he thought you
were just a waste of his time," Skyla added as she looked at Obi-Wan in mock
sympathy .
Obi-Wan shook his head in denial, "That's not true!" But deep inside, doubts
began to surface.
"Oh, but it is true, Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon had a tough time adjusting after his
last Padawan fell to the Dark Side. After such bad experience, he didn't want
to go through the pain of training another initiate. Especially one who he
saw as worthless and untrainable," Skyla stopped, waiting for the words to
hit their mark, "You do realize he never really wanted you. And he doesn't
want you now, dear boy," the young Master purred, completely aware of the
emotional turmoil she was causing the boy.
The Master's words were soft, but they cut deeply into Obi-Wan's tortured
soul. /No, it's not true!/ his mind shouted in desperation, /It's not!! My
Master would never do anything like that! He....would...never...!/
"Obi-Wan," Skyla's throaty laughter caught his attention, "why do you think
he went on this current mission......ALONE? For fun? No. He left because
he couldn't stand to train someone as pathetic and unworthy as you. Poor,
useless boy. If the mission had truly been routine, don't you think he
would have been here by now? But he's not, is he? And, during all this
time, did he ever call you, even once?" Skyla asked as she tilted her head in
Obi-Wan's direction, leaning back comfortably against one of her arms.
Obi-Wan had heard enough. "Stop! Stop it!!" he shouted as he closed his
tear-rimmed eyes, holding his fists to his temples. Against his will,
Obi-Wan slowly began giving in to his doubts. Could it be true? Had Master
Qui-Gon never really want him after all? Had it all been a desperate
Padawan's fantasy?
"Why do you think I tried to stop him when he came to me and asked for
permission to train you? I had no wish for him to hurt you, Obi-Wan. I was
simply trying to protect you." Skyla smiled sadly at him.
For Obi-Wan, everything began to fall into place. All that time that Master
Qui-Gon had been missing during Obi-Wan's young life; why Master Skyla had
vehemently opposed to Qui-Gon taking Obi-Wan as his Padawan; and most
disturbing of all, Qui-Gon's lack of response since his departure on this
mission.
Obi-wan would never have believed that Master Qui-Gon considered him
worthless. In his heart, Obi-Wan had always thought of him as the father he
never knew, the home he never had. Qui-Gon was all his 'family' wrapped up
in one single person. And, he had always hoped that Qui-Gon thought of him
in the same way.
Until now.
Skyla leaned toward him again, "All that 'love' that you felt coming from
him, Obi-Wan, it was all fake. He had only pity for you. He knew that no
other Master was going to give you a second look, so he asked for you to be
his Padawan - out of pity. In this way he would also be obeying Master
Yoda's request. But, he really couldn't stand to be with you anymore. So he
left. Qui-Gon knew that remaining here at the Temple meant facing you, and
he would then be forced to tell you his secrets. He knew this knowledge
would only hurt you. The easiest way out of this situation was for him to
leave. After all, he did leave once before, when you were little, Obi-Wan,"
the Master added with a low, hypnotic purr.
Obi-Wan felt his eyes fill with tears as his throat constricted in pain. He
shook his head, trying to clear the roaring in his ears. A sob escaped him
as he stood unsteadily on his feet. Soon, tears began flowing freely down
his cheeks as he looked around, searching as if trying to find a way out of
his emotional firestorm.
"No...no...no...," he moaned between the sobs that racked his small, weary
body, "No...NO!" Obi-Wan shouted as he finally collapsed to his knees and
buried his face in his trembling hands.
Skyla smiled triumphantly, and whispered softly down to the hiccuping
Padawan, "You're mine, Kenobi." She got up from the bed, approached the
fallen apprentice, and gently enveloped the trembling figure in her arms.
At first, Obi-wan tensed and tried to get away, but Master Skyla held him
firmly. With a small whimper, Obi-Wan finally relented. He so desperately
needed someone to hold him, to comfort him, even if for a moment.
Reluctantly, the young Padawan completely relaxed in the Master's arms.
Skyla began rocking him slowly, and she tenderly brushed away the
tear-drenched hair from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, I didn't mean for you
to know all this. I just find it so unfair that Qui-Gon would be so malicious
as to treat you this way."
Skyla's voice was soothing, so soothing, and the gentle way in which she held
him calmed his young, aching soul. Obi-Wan wondered how someone who could
have said so many cruel things to him minutes ago, could feel so comforting
and so kind. The Padawan slowly closed his heavy eyelids. He was so tired.
He moaned softly as he felt the little strength and energy that had remained
within in him, slowly drain away.
Obi-Wan had just begun surrendering to the soothing comfort, when he noticed
that Skyla's body was glowing steadily. It was the same yellow glow he had
seen surrounding her eyes, especially noticeable when she became furious.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan noticed that he, too, was glowing. A soft blue glow
completely surrounded his body, but it looked unstable and was rapidly fading
as he watched. /Wait a minute,/ he thought in quiet alarm, a strange haze
invading his mind, /I don't usually glow in the dark!/
Summoning the last of his waning strength, Obi-Wan again attempted to escape
from Skyla's strong grip, but soon realized that he was unable to move. A
sudden warning from the Force alerted him to danger. Through heavy-lidded
eyes he drowsily glanced down at where Skyla's arm held him. Instead of
seeing the Master's pink, delicate limb, a cold, dark shape appeared in its
place, a bright yellow glow surrounding it.
"Now, be quiet, little Jedi. This is not going to hurt...much." Obi-Wan's
eyes widened in fear. This was not Master Skyla's voice! He tensed as he
felt the strong wave of fear again manifest itself, surrounding his paralyzed
frame as it icily coursed through his body, making him shiver uncontrollably.
Obi-Wan found he was unable to control his body and soon found panic quickly
spreading within him. His breathing became shallow and quick, and he felt his
heart pounding hard against his chest. Acting out of fear and despair,
Obi-Wan reached out to the Force, attempting to push against whoever, or
whatever, was holding him. Repeatedly, he fought against it as much as his
waning strength would allow. But he soon discovered a mental wall
surrounding him, preventing him from crying out. Dark tendrils of thought
began swirling throughout his mind, threatening to smash down his mental
barriers, seeking entrance. Obi-Wan's outer shields had collapsed a while
ago, during his first days of incarceration in Master Skyla's quarters.
Helplessly, he realized that he was totally at the mercy of this dark
creature. He could feel its dark essence as it accessed his mind, paralyzing
every part of his body.
"It's time for a nap, little Jedi. And this time, your Master won't be able
to save you," the oily voice whispered gleefully into the young Padawan's
ear.
Obi-Wan reluctantly closed his heavy eyelids as his head slowly arched back.
His young, tired body relaxed against his tormentor's, completely drained by
fatigue. The small Padawan gave a soft, choked sigh as he gave in to the
dark whirlpool that inevitably began dragging him out of consciousness and
down into oblivion.
/Damn!/ Creche Master Skyla angrily slapped the table with both palms. /That
kid was able to contact Qui-Gon even with my Force-shield surrounding this
place!/ Turning, she quickly stormed out and headed towards Obi-Wan's room.
Without hesitation, she gestured angrily at door and opened it explosively
with a Force-blow. The door was ripped from its hinges, landing loudly with
a crash against a far wall.
Startled by the force of impact, Obi-Wan jumped out of the bed and
instinctively called his lightsaber to his hand. He winced as a sharp pain
ran from his wrist and up his arm, but he continued to hold his 'saber as
steadily as he could. His jaw dropped as he looked at Master Skyla and
realized that it was she who had caused the wreckage.
"You contacted your Master!" Skyla yelled in hot, seething fury.
Slowly lowering his lightsaber, Obi-Wan attempted to mentally process what
had just happened, and who had caused it. The stunned apprentice shook his
head to try and clear his thoughts, but he quickly recovered his senses as he
realized that Master Skyla was advancing upon him.
"I-I...I did,...almost...," Obi-Wan stammered nervously, the now-familiar
sensation of fear creeping up his back as he looked into the Master's
menacing eyes. The sensation was so cold and overwhelming, that it almost
made the young apprentice drop his 'saber.
Skyla smiled as she sensed the young Padawan's vulnerable and confused
thoughts. It was exactly what she had been waiting for.
"Obi-Wan, don't you understand what has happened to you?" Skyla asked in a
quiet, velvety tone.
Obi-Wan felt uncomfortable at the sudden change in Skyla's demeanor.
"Understand?" he asked hesitantly. The combination of suffocating fear and
Skyla's sudden change in attitude was making his heart race.
Skyla lightly chuckled, "Didn't Qui-Gon ever tell you his little secret?" she
asked with a soft, mocking smile.
The frightened Padawan just stared at her, unable to speak, unable to move.
"Well, it appears that he did not. All right then. Tell me, Obi-Wan, what
exactly do you remember of the time when you were around six years old?" she
asked as she took a few soft steps toward the shaking apprentice.
"N-nothing...," Obi-Wan answered, confused and trying to keep as much space
between himself and Skyla. What was Master Skyla getting at? What secret?
Qui-Gon had a 'little secret'?
"Don't you recall that shortly after you turned six years old, Qui-Gon no
longer came to see you?" Skyla purred as she stopped her advance.
Obi-Wan nodded slowly, eyeing the Master suspiciously, but still maintaining
his distance.
"And do you know why, Obi-Wan? It was because he had left the Temple."
Skyla answered quietly as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Left?" Obi-Wan whispered in soft surprise.
"Yes. He left. He was gone for seven years, Obi-Wan, seven long years.
And, would you like to know something else?" the Master slowly leaned in the
direction of the transfixed apprentice, "He left...because of you."
The young Padawan stared transfixed at the Master, shock clearly visible in
his blue-gray eyes, "What?"
"Yes. You. Master Yoda had asked Qui-Gon to train you, but Qui-Gon would
not accept the assignment for the simple reason he thought you too reckless,
fearful and impatient to be trained as a Jedi. To be honest, he thought you
were just a waste of his time," Skyla added as she looked at Obi-Wan in mock
sympathy .
Obi-Wan shook his head in denial, "That's not true!" But deep inside, doubts
began to surface.
"Oh, but it is true, Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon had a tough time adjusting after his
last Padawan fell to the Dark Side. After such bad experience, he didn't want
to go through the pain of training another initiate. Especially one who he
saw as worthless and untrainable," Skyla stopped, waiting for the words to
hit their mark, "You do realize he never really wanted you. And he doesn't
want you now, dear boy," the young Master purred, completely aware of the
emotional turmoil she was causing the boy.
The Master's words were soft, but they cut deeply into Obi-Wan's tortured
soul. /No, it's not true!/ his mind shouted in desperation, /It's not!! My
Master would never do anything like that! He....would...never...!/
"Obi-Wan," Skyla's throaty laughter caught his attention, "why do you think
he went on this current mission......ALONE? For fun? No. He left because
he couldn't stand to train someone as pathetic and unworthy as you. Poor,
useless boy. If the mission had truly been routine, don't you think he
would have been here by now? But he's not, is he? And, during all this
time, did he ever call you, even once?" Skyla asked as she tilted her head in
Obi-Wan's direction, leaning back comfortably against one of her arms.
Obi-Wan had heard enough. "Stop! Stop it!!" he shouted as he closed his
tear-rimmed eyes, holding his fists to his temples. Against his will,
Obi-Wan slowly began giving in to his doubts. Could it be true? Had Master
Qui-Gon never really want him after all? Had it all been a desperate
Padawan's fantasy?
"Why do you think I tried to stop him when he came to me and asked for
permission to train you? I had no wish for him to hurt you, Obi-Wan. I was
simply trying to protect you." Skyla smiled sadly at him.
For Obi-Wan, everything began to fall into place. All that time that Master
Qui-Gon had been missing during Obi-Wan's young life; why Master Skyla had
vehemently opposed to Qui-Gon taking Obi-Wan as his Padawan; and most
disturbing of all, Qui-Gon's lack of response since his departure on this
mission.
Obi-wan would never have believed that Master Qui-Gon considered him
worthless. In his heart, Obi-Wan had always thought of him as the father he
never knew, the home he never had. Qui-Gon was all his 'family' wrapped up
in one single person. And, he had always hoped that Qui-Gon thought of him
in the same way.
Until now.
Skyla leaned toward him again, "All that 'love' that you felt coming from
him, Obi-Wan, it was all fake. He had only pity for you. He knew that no
other Master was going to give you a second look, so he asked for you to be
his Padawan - out of pity. In this way he would also be obeying Master
Yoda's request. But, he really couldn't stand to be with you anymore. So he
left. Qui-Gon knew that remaining here at the Temple meant facing you, and
he would then be forced to tell you his secrets. He knew this knowledge
would only hurt you. The easiest way out of this situation was for him to
leave. After all, he did leave once before, when you were little, Obi-Wan,"
the Master added with a low, hypnotic purr.
Obi-Wan felt his eyes fill with tears as his throat constricted in pain. He
shook his head, trying to clear the roaring in his ears. A sob escaped him
as he stood unsteadily on his feet. Soon, tears began flowing freely down
his cheeks as he looked around, searching as if trying to find a way out of
his emotional firestorm.
"No...no...no...," he moaned between the sobs that racked his small, weary
body, "No...NO!" Obi-Wan shouted as he finally collapsed to his knees and
buried his face in his trembling hands.
Skyla smiled triumphantly, and whispered softly down to the hiccuping
Padawan, "You're mine, Kenobi." She got up from the bed, approached the
fallen apprentice, and gently enveloped the trembling figure in her arms.
At first, Obi-wan tensed and tried to get away, but Master Skyla held him
firmly. With a small whimper, Obi-Wan finally relented. He so desperately
needed someone to hold him, to comfort him, even if for a moment.
Reluctantly, the young Padawan completely relaxed in the Master's arms.
Skyla began rocking him slowly, and she tenderly brushed away the
tear-drenched hair from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, I didn't mean for you
to know all this. I just find it so unfair that Qui-Gon would be so malicious
as to treat you this way."
Skyla's voice was soothing, so soothing, and the gentle way in which she held
him calmed his young, aching soul. Obi-Wan wondered how someone who could
have said so many cruel things to him minutes ago, could feel so comforting
and so kind. The Padawan slowly closed his heavy eyelids. He was so tired.
He moaned softly as he felt the little strength and energy that had remained
within in him, slowly drain away.
Obi-Wan had just begun surrendering to the soothing comfort, when he noticed
that Skyla's body was glowing steadily. It was the same yellow glow he had
seen surrounding her eyes, especially noticeable when she became furious.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan noticed that he, too, was glowing. A soft blue glow
completely surrounded his body, but it looked unstable and was rapidly fading
as he watched. /Wait a minute,/ he thought in quiet alarm, a strange haze
invading his mind, /I don't usually glow in the dark!/
Summoning the last of his waning strength, Obi-Wan again attempted to escape
from Skyla's strong grip, but soon realized that he was unable to move. A
sudden warning from the Force alerted him to danger. Through heavy-lidded
eyes he drowsily glanced down at where Skyla's arm held him. Instead of
seeing the Master's pink, delicate limb, a cold, dark shape appeared in its
place, a bright yellow glow surrounding it.
"Now, be quiet, little Jedi. This is not going to hurt...much." Obi-Wan's
eyes widened in fear. This was not Master Skyla's voice! He tensed as he
felt the strong wave of fear again manifest itself, surrounding his paralyzed
frame as it icily coursed through his body, making him shiver uncontrollably.
Obi-Wan found he was unable to control his body and soon found panic quickly
spreading within him. His breathing became shallow and quick, and he felt his
heart pounding hard against his chest. Acting out of fear and despair,
Obi-Wan reached out to the Force, attempting to push against whoever, or
whatever, was holding him. Repeatedly, he fought against it as much as his
waning strength would allow. But he soon discovered a mental wall
surrounding him, preventing him from crying out. Dark tendrils of thought
began swirling throughout his mind, threatening to smash down his mental
barriers, seeking entrance. Obi-Wan's outer shields had collapsed a while
ago, during his first days of incarceration in Master Skyla's quarters.
Helplessly, he realized that he was totally at the mercy of this dark
creature. He could feel its dark essence as it accessed his mind, paralyzing
every part of his body.
"It's time for a nap, little Jedi. And this time, your Master won't be able
to save you," the oily voice whispered gleefully into the young Padawan's
ear.
Obi-Wan reluctantly closed his heavy eyelids as his head slowly arched back.
His young, tired body relaxed against his tormentor's, completely drained by
fatigue. The small Padawan gave a soft, choked sigh as he gave in to the
dark whirlpool that inevitably began dragging him out of consciousness and
down into oblivion.