Chapter IV:
Qui Gon sat on his knees; he was trying desperately to contact Obi Wan through their bond, but once again with no luck. He could sense the boy's life form, but he couldn't sense where the boy was, and it was getting weaker everyday. 'Why can't I contact him?' He had never been so worried about the boy. He didn't understand what it was about this boy that made him care so much; he had had apprentices before, why was this one so special? Qui Gon pondered the question for a while, but had no immediate response. He hated not being out there trying to find Obi Wan, but he decided for once to trust the council, (after a talk from master Yoda that is). He knew everything was being done to find Obi Wan, even Chancellor Vallorum had the Senate police running around the galaxy looking, but where to even start? Qui Gon tried so hard not to lose hope, but as the days past by, finding his padawan seemed more and more unlikely. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by Mace Windu running into the room. Qui Gon could tell he'd been running a while, because he was out of breath.
"Mace?" Qui Gon asked, his heart racing.
"They found him," Mace answered, trying to catch his breath.
Qui Gon's heart lifted at the sound of those words. "Where was he?" He asked rising to his feet.
"On a small moon called Waje, In the middle of the republic system." Mace answered.
"Waje?" Qui Gon asked.
"You've been there?" Mace asked his friend, still trying to regain his breath.
"I've been there once, when my ship needed repairs, it was the only place to land. Xanatos and I found nothing on that planet, except some abandon mines." Qui Gon looked at Mace very confused. Then he changed the subject "When can I see him?" He asked pulling on his robe.
"They will be here within the hour." Mace answered.
There was a long pause between them, Qui Gon was afraid to ask his next question.
"How.... how is he? Is he badly hurt?"
Mace looked solemn, and put a hand on Qui Gon's shoulder. "It doesn't look good Qui. They said he looked like he had been very badly beaten. He seemed to have many external injuries, and probably internal as well...." Mace paused, almost afraid to say the next part. " When they found him, he was unconscious and...and..."
"And?" Qui Gon looked into his friend's eyes.
"He was chained to a wall." Mace finally answered.
Qui Gon could feel the rage rising up inside of him. He vowed to make who ever did this pay. Mace tightened his grip on Qui Gon's shoulder, some of the rage subsided. He was just glad his padawan had been found.
As Qui Gon Jinn waited with master Yoda and Mace Windu at the docking bay, he waited anxiously for the return of his apprentice. The hour seemed to go in slow motion; suddenly the transport entered the hanger. Qui Gon along with some of the temples healers ran to the ship with a stretcher. To Qui Gon's horror he saw two senate policemen carrying the lifeless form of his apprentice. As they laid him on the stretcher Qui Gon took note how much weight his padawan had lost.
"Obi Wan?" He said in almost a tone of disbelief. He wished this to be a dream, but it wasn't. Then Obi Wan was rushed past him on the stretcher. Qui Gon watched with tears forming in his eyes 'how could I let this happen? Oh gods why did this happen?'
Obi Wan was lying in a bed in the healer's ward, his body was ravaged and he still was out cold. A tube fed him the proper nutrients to keep him alive through his arm. Qui Gon paced outside the room, he couldn't wait to hear some news, and however at the same time he feared the news. Suddenly a healer approached him.
"How is he?" He asked apprehensively.
"He's lucky to be alive master Qui Gon. First, it looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks. He has several deep scratches on his back, bruises all over his body. He has a skull fracture, and several broken ribs..." The healer paused, while Qui Gon had to sit down. "It also seems that one of the ribs punctured a small hole in one of his lungs, we repaired it, but there was some internal bleeding."
"Will he recover?" Qui Gon asked, feeling his heart sink at the though of Obi Wan's suffering.
"The next 48 hours will be critical." She answered, putting her hand on his shoulder. "We will do everything we can, but it's up to the force now I think."
Qui Gon looked at the woman. "Can I see him?"
She hesitated, and then nodded her head.
Qui Gon sat by his helpless padawan's side. He clutched the young man's hand. He knew Obi Wan's life force was waning.
"I'm so sorry little one." He said as he brought Obi Wan's hand to his cheek.
Suddenly the sound of someone clearing his or her throat brought Qui Gon back to reality. He turned and found Tahl standing by the door.
"Qui Gon?" She called into the room.
"Tahl." He rose to meet her.
She listened to the machines beeping which indicated Obi Wan's vital signs. "I'm so sorry Qui Gon. I heard what happened."
Qui Gon looked at his pupil, he broke down and cried. Tahl heard his cries, and found her way to him, and held him close to her.
"Why must he suffer Tahl? He's such a special spirit. Why?" Qui Gon asked between sobs.
"I can't even begin to understand Qui Gon, the force must have its reason." She ran her hands through his long hair, not wanting to tell him why she was there in the first place. "The council asked me to send for you. They need to see you, they've found something that concerns Obi Wan."
Qui Gon looked at her. "What is it?"
Qui Gon sat on his knees; he was trying desperately to contact Obi Wan through their bond, but once again with no luck. He could sense the boy's life form, but he couldn't sense where the boy was, and it was getting weaker everyday. 'Why can't I contact him?' He had never been so worried about the boy. He didn't understand what it was about this boy that made him care so much; he had had apprentices before, why was this one so special? Qui Gon pondered the question for a while, but had no immediate response. He hated not being out there trying to find Obi Wan, but he decided for once to trust the council, (after a talk from master Yoda that is). He knew everything was being done to find Obi Wan, even Chancellor Vallorum had the Senate police running around the galaxy looking, but where to even start? Qui Gon tried so hard not to lose hope, but as the days past by, finding his padawan seemed more and more unlikely. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by Mace Windu running into the room. Qui Gon could tell he'd been running a while, because he was out of breath.
"Mace?" Qui Gon asked, his heart racing.
"They found him," Mace answered, trying to catch his breath.
Qui Gon's heart lifted at the sound of those words. "Where was he?" He asked rising to his feet.
"On a small moon called Waje, In the middle of the republic system." Mace answered.
"Waje?" Qui Gon asked.
"You've been there?" Mace asked his friend, still trying to regain his breath.
"I've been there once, when my ship needed repairs, it was the only place to land. Xanatos and I found nothing on that planet, except some abandon mines." Qui Gon looked at Mace very confused. Then he changed the subject "When can I see him?" He asked pulling on his robe.
"They will be here within the hour." Mace answered.
There was a long pause between them, Qui Gon was afraid to ask his next question.
"How.... how is he? Is he badly hurt?"
Mace looked solemn, and put a hand on Qui Gon's shoulder. "It doesn't look good Qui. They said he looked like he had been very badly beaten. He seemed to have many external injuries, and probably internal as well...." Mace paused, almost afraid to say the next part. " When they found him, he was unconscious and...and..."
"And?" Qui Gon looked into his friend's eyes.
"He was chained to a wall." Mace finally answered.
Qui Gon could feel the rage rising up inside of him. He vowed to make who ever did this pay. Mace tightened his grip on Qui Gon's shoulder, some of the rage subsided. He was just glad his padawan had been found.
As Qui Gon Jinn waited with master Yoda and Mace Windu at the docking bay, he waited anxiously for the return of his apprentice. The hour seemed to go in slow motion; suddenly the transport entered the hanger. Qui Gon along with some of the temples healers ran to the ship with a stretcher. To Qui Gon's horror he saw two senate policemen carrying the lifeless form of his apprentice. As they laid him on the stretcher Qui Gon took note how much weight his padawan had lost.
"Obi Wan?" He said in almost a tone of disbelief. He wished this to be a dream, but it wasn't. Then Obi Wan was rushed past him on the stretcher. Qui Gon watched with tears forming in his eyes 'how could I let this happen? Oh gods why did this happen?'
Obi Wan was lying in a bed in the healer's ward, his body was ravaged and he still was out cold. A tube fed him the proper nutrients to keep him alive through his arm. Qui Gon paced outside the room, he couldn't wait to hear some news, and however at the same time he feared the news. Suddenly a healer approached him.
"How is he?" He asked apprehensively.
"He's lucky to be alive master Qui Gon. First, it looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks. He has several deep scratches on his back, bruises all over his body. He has a skull fracture, and several broken ribs..." The healer paused, while Qui Gon had to sit down. "It also seems that one of the ribs punctured a small hole in one of his lungs, we repaired it, but there was some internal bleeding."
"Will he recover?" Qui Gon asked, feeling his heart sink at the though of Obi Wan's suffering.
"The next 48 hours will be critical." She answered, putting her hand on his shoulder. "We will do everything we can, but it's up to the force now I think."
Qui Gon looked at the woman. "Can I see him?"
She hesitated, and then nodded her head.
Qui Gon sat by his helpless padawan's side. He clutched the young man's hand. He knew Obi Wan's life force was waning.
"I'm so sorry little one." He said as he brought Obi Wan's hand to his cheek.
Suddenly the sound of someone clearing his or her throat brought Qui Gon back to reality. He turned and found Tahl standing by the door.
"Qui Gon?" She called into the room.
"Tahl." He rose to meet her.
She listened to the machines beeping which indicated Obi Wan's vital signs. "I'm so sorry Qui Gon. I heard what happened."
Qui Gon looked at his pupil, he broke down and cried. Tahl heard his cries, and found her way to him, and held him close to her.
"Why must he suffer Tahl? He's such a special spirit. Why?" Qui Gon asked between sobs.
"I can't even begin to understand Qui Gon, the force must have its reason." She ran her hands through his long hair, not wanting to tell him why she was there in the first place. "The council asked me to send for you. They need to see you, they've found something that concerns Obi Wan."
Qui Gon looked at her. "What is it?"