Hi, Ewan's girl here again. Glad you are enjoying this fic. If you would ever like to write me and give me some ideas or comments, my email is reeses00@hotmail.com thanks!
*Chapter VI
Qui Gon, Mace Windu, and Yoda ran down the quiet halls of the temple, towards the healer's ward. When they got there, to their horror they found Tahl and three healers on the ground. Mace stooped next to the fallen Jedi and checked their pulses while Qui Gon ran to the bed that his padawan had been occupying. He prayed that little She-ar-ah had been wrong, but the bed was empty, the tube that was feeding Obi Wan yanked out of his arm and lying on the bed, a trail of blood led to the window. Qui Gon used all of his training to suppress his anger. He crawled out the window to the small balcony, and desperately searched the horizon for his apprentice. Wind whipped his long hair around as he called out to the sky "Obi Wan!" As he continued to call to the world around him, Mace Windu forced him back inside. Yoda, who finally caught up to the humans, checked the healers and Tahl. Qui Gon was trembling as he came back inside, he then saw Tahl and he rushed to her.
"Tahl! Oh gods Tahl." He cried as he knelt next to her.
Her eyes fluttered open and she moaned. "I'm sorry Qui...I...couldn't stop...them..." Then she pasted out again. Qui Gon held her as Mace called for more healers.
Qui Gon looked at Yoda, his eyes searching for an answer.
"No answer for this do I have padawan, upset me much it has."
***
Later that evening, still in the healer's ward, the council as well as the senate police questioned the witnesses of the kidnapping. Qui Gon was staring out the window that his apprentice disappeared through. He was desperately trying to find Obi Wan through their bond. He was at a loss; he didn't know why these people wanted Obi Wan this badly. Hadn't they hurt him enough? Mace walked up to his friend, and handed him a cup of tea.
"This will help calm you my friend." He said, trying to help anyway he could.
Qui Gon accepted it with a very quiet "thank you"; he sipped the tea and returned his attention back to the window. "How's Tahl?" He asked.
"The healers say she and the others have some bruises and a slight concussion, nothing too serious." Mace answered, taking a sip of his own tea.
"Well, at least there's some good news." Qui Gon stated, still looking out the window. "Do we have any leads?"
Mace gave out a long sigh. "Not really, She-ar-ah seems to be the only one who actually saw the woman, and the child is a little hysterical at the moment." Mace paused. "She seems to really care about your apprentice."
Qui Gon attempted to smile. "I asked Obi Wan about it once, he said that they met when he was 10, and she was 5. He had skinned his knee, and was at the healer's ward to get it bandaged. She-ar-ah was there as well. She told him that she was a healer, and could make his knee better."
"And did she?" Mace asked, glad to see his friend telling a happy memory.
"She apparently kissed his knee, and told him that he was better. They've looked out for each other ever since."
Mace smiled, "What a pleasant memory." He looked at Qui Gon, whose smile was gone, Mace's own smile faded. "We'll find him Qui."
Qui Gon looked at his friend. "How did this happen Mace? How could this woman get Obi Wan, twice?"
"I don't know Qui, I really wish I did." Mace put a hand on Qui Gon's shoulder.
"Why Obi Wan? There are thousands of other Jedi, Why Obi Wan?"
Mace was quiet; he knew that any answer he gave would be the wrong one in Qui Gon's eyes, better to just let his friend vent. Finally he spoke. "Qui now is not the time for this. We need to focus on figuring out who took the boy and where." He looked at Qui Gon in the eyes. "The healers said that if we don't find Obi Wan soon..." He paused. "That he probably won't survive."
Qui Gon shut his eyes. 'When would this nightmare end?'
"Think Qui, who could be behind all of this? Did you recognize those men on the holovid?" Mace asked his friend.
Qui Gon shook his head. "No."
Mace continued. "What seems weird to me, is the fact that this woman penetrated our security twice." He rubbed his chin in contemplation. "I mean the first time she looked exactly like the boy's mother, an easy yet careless mistake on our part."
"She almost seems to be able to change shape." Qui Gon added.
Mace nodded. "She also had to know the story of how you brought Obi Wan here without permission. Did you tell anyone about this?"
"No, no one knew."
"Well, whoever this woman is, she's a real professional." Mace put his cup down on the windowsill. "I'll go see if She-ar-ah has given a description yet. Maybe it will help us think." With that he turned on his heels and left Qui Gon to ponder the matter. Who was this mysterious woman? Suddenly his thoughts returned to the awful holovid, more specifically, the whip. His eyes widened with realization, "of course." He ran to catch up to Mace Windu; he grabbed his arm so hard that he almost knocked him over. "You're right, she is a professional. A professional bounty hunter."
"What?" He looked at Qui Gon stunned.
*Chapter VI
Qui Gon, Mace Windu, and Yoda ran down the quiet halls of the temple, towards the healer's ward. When they got there, to their horror they found Tahl and three healers on the ground. Mace stooped next to the fallen Jedi and checked their pulses while Qui Gon ran to the bed that his padawan had been occupying. He prayed that little She-ar-ah had been wrong, but the bed was empty, the tube that was feeding Obi Wan yanked out of his arm and lying on the bed, a trail of blood led to the window. Qui Gon used all of his training to suppress his anger. He crawled out the window to the small balcony, and desperately searched the horizon for his apprentice. Wind whipped his long hair around as he called out to the sky "Obi Wan!" As he continued to call to the world around him, Mace Windu forced him back inside. Yoda, who finally caught up to the humans, checked the healers and Tahl. Qui Gon was trembling as he came back inside, he then saw Tahl and he rushed to her.
"Tahl! Oh gods Tahl." He cried as he knelt next to her.
Her eyes fluttered open and she moaned. "I'm sorry Qui...I...couldn't stop...them..." Then she pasted out again. Qui Gon held her as Mace called for more healers.
Qui Gon looked at Yoda, his eyes searching for an answer.
"No answer for this do I have padawan, upset me much it has."
***
Later that evening, still in the healer's ward, the council as well as the senate police questioned the witnesses of the kidnapping. Qui Gon was staring out the window that his apprentice disappeared through. He was desperately trying to find Obi Wan through their bond. He was at a loss; he didn't know why these people wanted Obi Wan this badly. Hadn't they hurt him enough? Mace walked up to his friend, and handed him a cup of tea.
"This will help calm you my friend." He said, trying to help anyway he could.
Qui Gon accepted it with a very quiet "thank you"; he sipped the tea and returned his attention back to the window. "How's Tahl?" He asked.
"The healers say she and the others have some bruises and a slight concussion, nothing too serious." Mace answered, taking a sip of his own tea.
"Well, at least there's some good news." Qui Gon stated, still looking out the window. "Do we have any leads?"
Mace gave out a long sigh. "Not really, She-ar-ah seems to be the only one who actually saw the woman, and the child is a little hysterical at the moment." Mace paused. "She seems to really care about your apprentice."
Qui Gon attempted to smile. "I asked Obi Wan about it once, he said that they met when he was 10, and she was 5. He had skinned his knee, and was at the healer's ward to get it bandaged. She-ar-ah was there as well. She told him that she was a healer, and could make his knee better."
"And did she?" Mace asked, glad to see his friend telling a happy memory.
"She apparently kissed his knee, and told him that he was better. They've looked out for each other ever since."
Mace smiled, "What a pleasant memory." He looked at Qui Gon, whose smile was gone, Mace's own smile faded. "We'll find him Qui."
Qui Gon looked at his friend. "How did this happen Mace? How could this woman get Obi Wan, twice?"
"I don't know Qui, I really wish I did." Mace put a hand on Qui Gon's shoulder.
"Why Obi Wan? There are thousands of other Jedi, Why Obi Wan?"
Mace was quiet; he knew that any answer he gave would be the wrong one in Qui Gon's eyes, better to just let his friend vent. Finally he spoke. "Qui now is not the time for this. We need to focus on figuring out who took the boy and where." He looked at Qui Gon in the eyes. "The healers said that if we don't find Obi Wan soon..." He paused. "That he probably won't survive."
Qui Gon shut his eyes. 'When would this nightmare end?'
"Think Qui, who could be behind all of this? Did you recognize those men on the holovid?" Mace asked his friend.
Qui Gon shook his head. "No."
Mace continued. "What seems weird to me, is the fact that this woman penetrated our security twice." He rubbed his chin in contemplation. "I mean the first time she looked exactly like the boy's mother, an easy yet careless mistake on our part."
"She almost seems to be able to change shape." Qui Gon added.
Mace nodded. "She also had to know the story of how you brought Obi Wan here without permission. Did you tell anyone about this?"
"No, no one knew."
"Well, whoever this woman is, she's a real professional." Mace put his cup down on the windowsill. "I'll go see if She-ar-ah has given a description yet. Maybe it will help us think." With that he turned on his heels and left Qui Gon to ponder the matter. Who was this mysterious woman? Suddenly his thoughts returned to the awful holovid, more specifically, the whip. His eyes widened with realization, "of course." He ran to catch up to Mace Windu; he grabbed his arm so hard that he almost knocked him over. "You're right, she is a professional. A professional bounty hunter."
"What?" He looked at Qui Gon stunned.