Chapter Sixty-Three
***represents telepathic communication***
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Qui-Gon was not surprised he encountered no resistance as he walked through the citadel. He sensed that people watched him from corners and doorways as he strode through the halls, but no one stopped him. He knew Rukal wanted this confrontation as much as he.
He entered a large entrance hall. Glancing up, he saw a huge wooden door at the top of the stairway. Qui-Gon walked swiftly up the stairs and stood for a moment before the door. His lightsaber was in his hand, but unpowered.
He opened the door and entered a long room with a high round ceiling. Along the walls of the room hung various weapons of ancient design; axes, daggers, swords, sabers, and scimitars. They shimmered and glittered in the light of the hundreds of candles that illuminated the room.
Qui-Gon's muscles tightened when he saw Rukal standing in the center of the room. The priest was dressed in a long black gown edged in red, his hands folded before him.
"Welcome, Master Jedi. It is an honor."
Rukal bowed, his eyes glittering as he rose from the bow.
Qui-Gon said nothing as he stared back at Rukal.
Rukal tilted his head as he regarded Qui-Gon.
"My master has told me much about the Jedi," he went on. "What is that line from your code? Ah, yes. There is no emotion, only peace. But that is a lie, is it not, for you are not a machine, Jedi. You are a man. A veritable cauldron of emotions; joy, pity, compassion, rage."
Rukal moved closer to Qui-Gon, his gown whispering across the floor.
"And love," he sighed. "Yes, let us not forget love. You do feel love don't you, Jedi? Love for your fellow beings, love for the Republic and the Order which you serve, love for your friends." Rukal paused as he looked at Qui-Gon with a crafty expression. "Love...for her."
Qui-Gon swallowed but continued to stare coldly at Rukal.
"You want to kill me." Rukal closed his eyes. "Yes, I can feel it," he said softly. "Because of what I did to her." Rukal then opened his eyes and looked back at Qui-Gon.
"But you won't, will you? Because that would violate your code. The Jedi use the Force only for knowledge and defense, never for attack." Rukal spread his arms. "Yet, here I stand, defenseless. You could easily strike me down with your Jedi weapon and no one would know."
As Qui-Gon remained silent and unmoving, Rukal sadly shook his head.
"That is why we will win in the end, Jedi," Rukal went on. "Because you and your kind are fearful of going beyond the boundaries of what you perceive as your moral center and, because of that weakness, the darkness will come and it will triumph." Rukal smiled wickedly "And you, and all that you hold dear, will be swept away like dead leaves before a mighty wind."
"Why?" Qui-Gon finally asked, his throat raw. "Why harm her?"
Rukal smiled at Qui-Gon's words.
"Why?" He shrugged. "Because I could. That is the lesson you Jedi refuse to learn; that the true nature of the Syad, or the Force as you call it, is the power to do what one wants, when one wants."
Rukal balled his hand into a fist and shook it at Qui-Gon.
"Power, Jedi, power! The simplicity of pure, unadulterated power."
"She was innocent."
Rukal cackled. "Of course she was, but that was the pleasure, the delight. What enjoyment can there be in despoiling the corrupt?"
Qui-Gon's grip tightened on his lightsaber.
Rukal's eyes shifted toward the movement and he smiled.
"Tell me, Jedi," he said softly, "did you know she was a virgin?"
Qui-Gon flinched and a muscle in his jaw throbbed.
"Ah, I see you did not. You assumed she had already given herself to another. What a pitiful fool you are, Jedi. Considering how much she loves you, I must presume she was saving herself for you."
Rukal slowly shook his head.
"Quite sad, don't you think, for such an otherwise remarkable woman to have such a foolish, girlish dream. But," and Rukal shrugged and looked slyly over at Qui-Gon, "it is too late for you. I was her first."
Qui-Gon swallowed heavily, a sharp pain stabbing him behind the eyes as a slow rage began to build inside him. His hands twisted about the hilt of his lightsaber.
He moved a step closer to Rukal, his face grim, his eyes like blue stones. He then activated his lightsaber. Rukal smiled and the light from the green blade echoed in his eyes.
"You will kill me now?"
"You're coming with me, Rukal" Qui-Gon said tightly. "Back to the capital where you will face justice for your crime."
Rukal threw his head back and laughed.
"Oh, but I am not going anywhere! Whereas you, you are going to die! And when I have finished with you, I will retrieve the woman from where your friends have taken her and give her to my master. Oh, yes, I saw them leave, the two Jedi and that treacherous Tydre. But I wanted to face you first. Once I have deposed of you, I will then kill the young Jedi, your apprentice. His head will also please my master, I am sure."
Rukal licked his lips as he moved closer to Qui-Gon.
"And as for the other one, the little Jedi with the beautiful eyes," he whispered, "before I kill her and take her head, I will pleasure myself upon her young body. She is a virgin too, is she not?" He smiled. "I wonder, will it be as sweet with her as it was with Cian?"
Qui-Gon moved towards Rukal but, as he did, he felt the Force warning him. He twisted and ducked as one of the axes which had been hanging on the wall whistled towards his back. Qui-Gon swung his lightsaber at it and deflected it away from him.
He wheeled back to Rukal, but before he could reach him, Rukal raised his hands and quickly shaped a shimmering bubble of dark side energy about him. When Qui-Gon's lightsaber touched it, the bubble sizzled, but did not break. Rukal laughed as Qui-Gon struck at it with his blade.
As Rukal preserved his dark side shield against Qui-Gon's assault he, in turn, attacked Qui-Gon by flinging weapons at him from the wall. A dagger spun towards Qui-Gon's left side. He lunged away from it and, as it passed, destroyed it with his lightsaber. Rukal laughed within his shield as he hurled even more weapons at Qui-Gon.
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As Obi-Wan gently settled Cian into the back of the shuttle, a sound to his right made him freeze. Aalea, who was standing outside, ignited her lightsaber. Tydre, who had taken a blaster from one of the mercenaries, held it in front of him as he moved next to Aalea.
General Neeshin stepped through the trees, a blaster in his hand. He looked over at them.
"General Neeshin, what are you doing here?" Aalea asked as she powered down her lightsaber.
"Shiro said I couldn't bring my troops in. He didn't say anything about me. My shuttle's back behind the grove."
Neeshin walked over to them; then he saw Cian in the back of the shuttle. He slowly put his blaster into the holster at his hip. As he gazed down at her, he lifted his hand and gently touched her face.
He flinched at the coldness of her skin, the emptiness in her eyes, the bruises on her face. Then, with a deep shuddering sigh, he drew his hand back. When he turned to the others his face was ashen.
"That bastard! That gods-cursed, thrice-damned bastard," Neeshin hissed, his eyes blazing. "He's dead. Do you hear me? Chief Priest Rukal is a walking dead man." He then glanced quickly around. "Where's Master Jinn?"
"He's still inside the citadel," Obi-Wan told him.
"Still inside? I don't understand? If you have her, why is he...?" Realization dawned on Neeshin's face.
"Yes," Obi-Wan said gravely. "I think he means to kill Rukal."
Neeshin nodded brusquely. "Good, let's go help."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "You don't understand, General. The Force is our ally, but if a Jedi uses the Force to kill out of rage or anger he risks calling upon the dark side. My master is very powerful. If he should turn, he would be even more dangerous than Rukal."
Neeshin shuddered. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going back."
"I'm coming with you," Neeshin said.
Before Obi-Wan could protest, Neeshin raised his hand to silence him.
"Did you neutralize all the mercenaries and acolytes in the citadel? No, I didn't think so. So you're going to need help."
Obi-Wan quickly nodded. He pulled a survival kit from underneath the back of the shuttle and took out a blanket but, before he could put it around Cian, Tydre took it from him.
"I will do it, Master Kenobi," he said softly. "I have been caring for her."
Tydre gently wrapped the blanket about Cian's still form. As he did, Neeshin watched him with narrowed eyes. When the young Jalatan turned back, he saw Neeshin's eyes on him. He blushed, then looked down.
"Can you pilot this shuttle?" Neeshin asked him roughly.
"Yes, Salu Neeshin."
"Take Mistress Nyal and Mistress Ve'Red back to the capital."
"What?" Aalea cried. "No, I'm coming with you!"
Neeshin shook his head. "You are not." He looked over at Obi-Wan, his eyes hard.
Aalea turned towards Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan, tell him," she cried. "I won't be left behind."
Obi-Wan walked over to Aalea and took her hands.
"Aalea, please, go with Cian. Look after her. General Neeshin and I will bring Master Qui-Gon back."
Aalea shook her head but, as she looked up into Obi-Wan's eyes, she slowly lowered her head and nodded.
"Yes, master," she said softly.
Obi-Wan reached over and gently stroked her cheek; then, cupping her chin, he lifted her head.
Aalea looked up into his eyes, then she smiled. Obi-Wan smiled back at her, then he turned towards Neeshin.
"Ready, General?"
Neeshin nodded.
Just as Obi-Wan and Neeshin were about to go through the trees, Obi-Wan heard Aalea in his mind.
***Be careful, Obi-Wan.***
Obi-Wan stopped, astonished, and looked back at Aalea. The shields in her mind against their Force bond were completely down.
***I will, Aalea. And I'll bring him back. I promise.***
She nodded, her violet eyes full as she gazed back at him. He gave her a small smile, then he and Neeshin turned and ran through the forest towards the citadel.
To be continued....