Chapter Fifty-Eight

As Cian struggled towards consciousness she felt a slight ache in her head and a furriness in her mouth. She slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on a large bed in a circular room. Shadowy tapestries covered the walls. Black and red candles, which were scattered about the room, were the only source of light.

She sat up slowly. Where was she? She got up from the bed and stood, a bit shakily, as she looked around and tried to gather her thoughts. The last thing she remembered was sitting in Rukal's office. They had been talking about the Council vote. Rukal had offered her some Jalatan tea and that aide of his, Tydre, had brought in a tray. He had poured her a cup and she had drank it. The next thing she knew she was here. The tea must have been drugged.

Cian walked quickly about the room, searching for a door. There was none that she could see, but she suspected whatever doors there were, they were most likely hidden behind secret panels. She shook her head. She should never have come to see Rukal alone. She should have insisted Qui-Gon accompany her, but Tydre had been so adamant he not come. Now she knew why.

Cian took a deep breath. Maybe they were holding her hostage in the hopes of wresting some sort of demands from the Council with her abduction. She swallowed and crossed her arms in front of her. She had to find a way out.

Just then Cian heard a sound. She turned around, searching through the shadowy room. She saw one of the curtains against the wall move. Her heart lurched in her chest.

She ran to the opposite side of the room and tried to hide behind a curtain. Then she saw the other curtain billow out and a figure step quickly from behind it.

It was Qui-Gon! Cian ran over to him.

"Qui-Gon, how did you find me?"

"Cian," he cried. He grabbed her arms. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, but how...?"

"No time. We have to get out of here."

He took her hand and led her behind the curtain. Just then Cian heard a silky laugh. She turned around.

Rukal stood on the opposite side of the room. His dark orange eyes glared at her and Qui-Gon.

"Going somewhere?" he asked. "It's not polite to leave without saying goodbye."

Qui-Gon turned around and placed himself in front of Cian.

"We're leaving, Rukal. Don't try to stop us."

"Oh, I don't think you are going anywhere, Jedi," Rukal said as he moved towards them.

Qui-Gon drew his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it.

Rukal laughed as he raised his hands.

Qui-Gon reached behind and pushed Cian away from him. She fell to the floor, then watched in horror as Rukal unleashed streams of Force lightning from his hands at Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon blocked the lightning with his lightsaber, but a number of the tendrils got through and, as they touched him, they burned through his clothing and onto his flesh.

Cian screamed at Rukal to stop.

He only intensified his attack. Although Qui-Gon defended himself valiantly, he was no match for the relentless assault. Rukal's face contorted with rage as he unleashed wave after wave of the deadly lightning upon the Jedi.

Cian screamed so hard she feared she had torn the muscles in her throat. Soon, Qui-Gon's lightsaber lay limp in his hand as he was forced, first to his knees, then, writhing and twisting onto his side.

Cian pushed herself up and ran to Rukal. She tried to grab his arms, but he shoved her away with a tendril of the Force lightning.

Cian slammed back onto the floor. Pain lanced through her and it felt as if every nerve in her body was on fire. She watched in horror as Qui-Gon lay unmoving on the floor in front of her, his entire body wrapped in light and fire as Rukal continued his assault.

Then, with a final lash of the Force lightning, Rukal stopped his attack.

Cian tried to run to Qui-Gon's smoking body, but Rukal grabbed her by the arm.

She struggled against him.

"Please, let me help me. I can heal him. Please, please!"

Rukal grabbed her other arm and pulled her close to him.

"You love him, don't you?" he said, his mouth inches from hers, his eyes boring into hers.

Cian stared back at him. Her mouth moved, but the words froze in her throat.

"Say it," Rukal hissed. He shook her roughly. "Say it!"

"Yes, I love him," Cian wept. "Oh, by the Lady, I love him!"

"And because you love him, you would do anything to save him, yes?"

Cian nodded, her eyes wild.

"Even give yourself to the dark side?" Rukal whispered, his insane orange eyes locked onto hers.

Cian stared back at Rukal in horror. The blood drained from her face.

He shook her again, her hair flying about her ashen face.

"Swear that you will give yourself to the dark side and I will let you go to him."

Tears welled in Cian's eyes and spilled down her face.

"Swear it or he dies!" Rukal shouted.

Cian swallowed heavily. She gazed over at Qui-Gon.

"I swear," she cried. "I swear by my love for him I will give myself to the dark side."

Rukal released her and pushed her toward Qui-Gon.

"Then go and save him. If you can."

Cian ran over to Qui-Gon and knelt next to him. She quickly assessed his condition. Her hands trembled. He was terribly burned. Cian's only Force talent lay in her ability to heal and, although Qui-Gon had taught her some things over the years, how to channel and focus the Force, she wasn't a Healer; she hadn't been trained.

She leaned over and stroked his hair. Oh, my love. Don't leave me, please, don't leave me. She kissed him softly on the lips, her tears splashing upon his blistered face.

Taking a deep breath, Cian closed her eyes. She placed her trembling hands upon Qui-Gon's chest and, reaching out with her feelings, drew upon the Force.

-----------

In a corner of the chamber, Rukal and Tydre watched as Cian knelt over empty air, her hands moving as if over a body.

"And she really thinks she sees him?" Tydre asked in wonder.

"Yes," Rukal replied in a smug voice. "The dark side illusion is being fed not only by my power, but by hers. She is very strong with the Syad, which helps to make the illusion even more real to her. She really believes the Jedi is here, that he came to rescue her and that I have killed him."

Tydre glanced over at Rukal.

"Killed him---?" Then he stopped, for suddenly Cian let out a heart-wrenching scream that tore through the room. She knelt over the empty space before her, tears streaming down her face, her grief coming from somewhere deep inside Tydre feared she would injure herself.

"No, no, no!" she wailed, her dark red hair flying about her grief-stricken face. "No, Qui-Gon! No!"

"But, Master, I don't understand. Why have you made her believe you killed him?"

Rukal glared at him.

"You can be so dense sometimes, Tydre. I couldn't very well keep pretending he was here."

"But if you made her swear to turn to the dark side on the condition..."

"On the condition that I let her try to save him. Not on the condition that he live. Now leave us."

Tydre looked at Rukal and flinched when he saw the expression on his master's face. He had seen that look before on the nights when his master would order him to bring one of the female acolytes to his chamber. Tydre swallowed heavily. He looked back at the sobbing woman.

"Master, please, I do not think you should..."

"Are you questioning me, Tydre?" Rukal asked in a deceptively quiet voice.

Tydre's heart lurched in his chest. He thought suddenly of Zatae, the acolyte whose only crime had been in questioning Rukal about the true nature of the dark side. As punishment, Rukal had dropped the stone altar on Zatae when he had levitated it during the dark mass.

"No, of course not, Master," Tydre said quickly.

"Then do as I say. Leave. Now."

"Yes, Master."

Tydre turned and walked towards the door hidden in the wall. As he went through it, he looked back briefly and saw Rukal moving towards the sobbing woman who lay curled on the floor, crying the tears of a thousand years for a man who wasn't even there.

Tydre shook his head and quickly closed the door behind him. As he walked swiftly down the corridor he could still hear Cian's anguished cries of grief.

To be continued...