Chapter IX:
Xanatos sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor; he was preparing himself for his greatest moment. He would kill Qui Gon, and enjoy every minute of it. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by another presence in the room. Khil stood at the door.
"What?" Xanatos asked, not opening his eyes.
"Yeah um boss, the Jedi is waking up." Khil answered, feeling very uncomfortable in the presence of Xanatos.
"What?" Xanatos' eyes sprang to life. "You're kidding?"
"No sir, the kid is awake."
Xanatos made his way to Obi Wan, who was lying on his side. Obi Wan looked very pale, and was breathing very heavy, a pool of blood was forming under him. Xanatos' jaw dropped when he saw that Obi Wan was indeed awake. He laughed at the sight. "My gods," he stood over Obi Wan. "You must be in so much pain."
Obi Wan opened his mouth to try and speak, only to find that he can't. He felt the taste of blood in his mouth.
"If I were you, I'd try not to speak." Xanatos knelt next to the boy. "It would only waste too much precious energy." He continued. He looked at the battered padawan and smiled. "I must admit, you impress me Obi Wan. The fact that you are still alive, and that bond you share with our master...I had a hell of a time blocking it." He moved some blood-drenched hair off of Obi Wan's forehead. "It's too bad that you're gonna die Obi Wan, you would've made one hell of a Jedi."
Obi Wan closed his eyes, the pain he was experiencing was unbearable. He thought he had been back at the temple. 'It must've been a dream, cause I'm still here in this nightmare.'
"It's funny isn't it?" Xanatos continued. "How our master couldn't save either one of us. I mean here you are suffering, and he's no where in sight." He laughed again. "You wanna know the best part?" He asked in a whisper. "The only reason you are here is because I wanted to hurt Qui Gon. None of this has anything to do with you at all. You're suffering for nothing." Xanatos rose to his feet, laughing. "I'll let you know when Qui Gon gets here. If you're still alive and awake, I'll let you watch him die. Does that sound fair Obi Wan?"
Obi Wan felt his throat tighten. Xanatos left the room, laughing. Obi Wan wished he could do something, but it took all of his strength just to stay awake. He knew he had to slow his bleeding, so maybe if his master was coming he could buy him more time. So he called upon the force for help. He went deep inside himself to try and heal, at least somewhat heal.
**
It came to him like a flash flood; 'Obi Wan!' Qui Gon could once again sense him through their bond. The boy was weak, but awake. 'Oh gods, he's awake through all of this?' Qui Gon was glad to sense his padawan again, but then he felt the white-hot pain. He knew what he felt was only a portion of what Obi Wan was feeling, but it was enough to make Qui Gon double over in pain.
Mace Windu piloted the small ship, and Qui Gon sat in the navigator's seat. Mace saw his friend double over in pain, and grew concerned. "Qui? You ok?" He asked, looking at his friend.
"Obi Wan is awake." Qui Gon stated, turning away the pain as much as he could.
"He's awake? How?" Mace couldn't believe it.
"I don't know, all I do know is that he's awake and the shields are down because I can sense him." Qui Gon closed his eyes, and tried to contact him. /Obi Wan?/
Very faintly /master?/
Qui Gon almost cried at the sweet sound of Obi Wan's voice through the bond. /We're coming padawan, hold on we're coming/.
/no, stay away/. Obi Wan protested.
/No I won't stay away/. Qui Gon couldn't believe Obi Wan wanted him to let him die.
Obi Wan was finding it harder to send messages through the bond, he was so tired /no...trap...too late...master/
Qui Gon tried to push back the tears. /I won't leave you to die/. Qui Gon could sense Obi Wan trying to calm his body, /padawan, please hold on/.
/I'm so tired master/.
/I know son, I know/. He tried to send some of his life force to Obi Wan.
/Just want to sleep/ Obi Wan was getting fainter.
/No! You stay with me, tell me where you are/.
/It hurts master...it hurts/ Obi Wan sounded like a small child again.
Qui Gon couldn't stop the tears. /I know padawan, I know, I'm coming/.
/I'm sorry master...I...wasn't strong enough.../.
/No Obi Wan, you are so strong, and so brave. You always have been/.
/I love you master/. Obi Wan was fading fast.
/I love you my son...Obi Wan?/ There was no answer. /Obi Wan? / Suddenly the familiar voice came back.
/I'm here master/. His voice still very weak.
/Stay with me Obi Wan, do you hear me. You're not going to die here. You're going to grow old, you're going to go on and be a great Jedi/. Qui Gon pleaded with Obi Wan and the force.
Qui Gon looked at Mace Windu, who was still looking at Qui Gon very concerned. Qui Gon pointed to a warehouse. "He's down there." Mace pulled the ship down to the hanger.
/Hold on son, we're coming/. Qui Gon called to his apprentice.
/hurry master, I can't hold on much longer/.
Xanatos sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor; he was preparing himself for his greatest moment. He would kill Qui Gon, and enjoy every minute of it. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by another presence in the room. Khil stood at the door.
"What?" Xanatos asked, not opening his eyes.
"Yeah um boss, the Jedi is waking up." Khil answered, feeling very uncomfortable in the presence of Xanatos.
"What?" Xanatos' eyes sprang to life. "You're kidding?"
"No sir, the kid is awake."
Xanatos made his way to Obi Wan, who was lying on his side. Obi Wan looked very pale, and was breathing very heavy, a pool of blood was forming under him. Xanatos' jaw dropped when he saw that Obi Wan was indeed awake. He laughed at the sight. "My gods," he stood over Obi Wan. "You must be in so much pain."
Obi Wan opened his mouth to try and speak, only to find that he can't. He felt the taste of blood in his mouth.
"If I were you, I'd try not to speak." Xanatos knelt next to the boy. "It would only waste too much precious energy." He continued. He looked at the battered padawan and smiled. "I must admit, you impress me Obi Wan. The fact that you are still alive, and that bond you share with our master...I had a hell of a time blocking it." He moved some blood-drenched hair off of Obi Wan's forehead. "It's too bad that you're gonna die Obi Wan, you would've made one hell of a Jedi."
Obi Wan closed his eyes, the pain he was experiencing was unbearable. He thought he had been back at the temple. 'It must've been a dream, cause I'm still here in this nightmare.'
"It's funny isn't it?" Xanatos continued. "How our master couldn't save either one of us. I mean here you are suffering, and he's no where in sight." He laughed again. "You wanna know the best part?" He asked in a whisper. "The only reason you are here is because I wanted to hurt Qui Gon. None of this has anything to do with you at all. You're suffering for nothing." Xanatos rose to his feet, laughing. "I'll let you know when Qui Gon gets here. If you're still alive and awake, I'll let you watch him die. Does that sound fair Obi Wan?"
Obi Wan felt his throat tighten. Xanatos left the room, laughing. Obi Wan wished he could do something, but it took all of his strength just to stay awake. He knew he had to slow his bleeding, so maybe if his master was coming he could buy him more time. So he called upon the force for help. He went deep inside himself to try and heal, at least somewhat heal.
**
It came to him like a flash flood; 'Obi Wan!' Qui Gon could once again sense him through their bond. The boy was weak, but awake. 'Oh gods, he's awake through all of this?' Qui Gon was glad to sense his padawan again, but then he felt the white-hot pain. He knew what he felt was only a portion of what Obi Wan was feeling, but it was enough to make Qui Gon double over in pain.
Mace Windu piloted the small ship, and Qui Gon sat in the navigator's seat. Mace saw his friend double over in pain, and grew concerned. "Qui? You ok?" He asked, looking at his friend.
"Obi Wan is awake." Qui Gon stated, turning away the pain as much as he could.
"He's awake? How?" Mace couldn't believe it.
"I don't know, all I do know is that he's awake and the shields are down because I can sense him." Qui Gon closed his eyes, and tried to contact him. /Obi Wan?/
Very faintly /master?/
Qui Gon almost cried at the sweet sound of Obi Wan's voice through the bond. /We're coming padawan, hold on we're coming/.
/no, stay away/. Obi Wan protested.
/No I won't stay away/. Qui Gon couldn't believe Obi Wan wanted him to let him die.
Obi Wan was finding it harder to send messages through the bond, he was so tired /no...trap...too late...master/
Qui Gon tried to push back the tears. /I won't leave you to die/. Qui Gon could sense Obi Wan trying to calm his body, /padawan, please hold on/.
/I'm so tired master/.
/I know son, I know/. He tried to send some of his life force to Obi Wan.
/Just want to sleep/ Obi Wan was getting fainter.
/No! You stay with me, tell me where you are/.
/It hurts master...it hurts/ Obi Wan sounded like a small child again.
Qui Gon couldn't stop the tears. /I know padawan, I know, I'm coming/.
/I'm sorry master...I...wasn't strong enough.../.
/No Obi Wan, you are so strong, and so brave. You always have been/.
/I love you master/. Obi Wan was fading fast.
/I love you my son...Obi Wan?/ There was no answer. /Obi Wan? / Suddenly the familiar voice came back.
/I'm here master/. His voice still very weak.
/Stay with me Obi Wan, do you hear me. You're not going to die here. You're going to grow old, you're going to go on and be a great Jedi/. Qui Gon pleaded with Obi Wan and the force.
Qui Gon looked at Mace Windu, who was still looking at Qui Gon very concerned. Qui Gon pointed to a warehouse. "He's down there." Mace pulled the ship down to the hanger.
/Hold on son, we're coming/. Qui Gon called to his apprentice.
/hurry master, I can't hold on much longer/.