Author's Notes: // are thoughts.
The next chapter will be up in a few days. Until then, Read and REVIEW guys! Thanks again for your support.
*******
Chapter 7:
How long had it been? Hours? No, it couldn't have been.
Ben pulled himself up from the cold floor. The water was still pouring down on him. He reached for the small knob and turned it off. His hands began to shake.
No. Not now.
He closed his eyes tightly in concentration, searching for that hidden inner strength. It was there, waiting for him like it had always been for all his life, the mysterious connection, the enigmatic force that bound all living things. But he didn't dare to touch it.
Concentrate.
Seconds passed, then minutes. Sweat began to form on his face, cold sweat. His hands formed into a tight fist as a wave of pain shot through him. He cringed inwardly, hoping the pain would go away.
It always did.
"Ben!"
Someone was calling to him. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was himself, the mirror image of himself. His wet clothes still hung tightly like dead weights, weighing him down and his hair was matted to his face. He looked horrible. But one thing caught his attention.
His eyes.
He looked straight at them, seeing their reflection but nothing more. There was no warmth in them and he shuddered to think that they belonged to him. Somewhere in the deep recess of his memory, he knew it hadn't always been like this. No, it hadn't.
"Ben!"
The voice startled him out of his reverie. He steadied himself on the wall as he made his way out of the fresher to see who it was.
"Ben.what did you do to yourself?" asked a bewildered prince.
Ben didn't answer right away but limped toward a nearby chair. "What do you mean?" He plopped himself down on the chair.
"What do I mean?" Prince Aras exclaimed. "You're soaking wet."
"Oh, that"
"Yes that. And just so you know, I already called for the Healers to be here to take care of that wound of yours."
"I'm fine. Call them back."
"You're lying."
"I can take care of myself." Ben said sternly.
"No you can't."
Ben shot up from his chair, but the sudden movement made his head spin. He wavered slightly then slumped back down onto the chair. "I'm fine." He said quickly.
"Right, I believe you." Aras replied, sarcasm in his voice.
"The wound isn't serious"
"That's what you always say." Aras sighed.
"Is there anything you need of me Prince Aras?" Ben tried to change the subject.
Aras could sense that Ben didn't want to discuss that topic anymore. His friend never did. It worried him, but he knew he'd get nowhere once Ben had made up his mind. "No, I just came to check up on you." Aras paused. "And to ask your opinion about the treaty."
"Master Jinn is capable of handling the treaty. You don't need my help." Ben said briskly.
"Yes, I know that, but since obviously you two know each other, I thought you'd have more insight to how Master Jinn will handle the treaty."
Aras was nervous. He knew that this was a round about way of asking about his friend's past, but it was the only way. Ben was reticent to a T and any other way would have been fruitless. He only hoped it worked.
"WE are only acquaintances" Ben quickly affirmed. "There is not much I can tell you about Master Jinn, but he is more than capable of handling the negotiations."
"That's good to hear"
Damn it. He was running out of ideas.
"So how did you two meet?"
Ben didn't answer. His eyes wandered to a small window nearby. It was late in the evening now and the sun would be coming down soon. The orange glow of the sun shone brightly as it made its descent. An image flashed across his memory.
A young woman with crimson hair. She smiled at him sweetly. Her eyes, a shade of emerald green.
"Ben! Are you alright?"
Ben startled out of his trance. ".yeah, I'm fine."
"You were thinking about Ciera? It's." Aras stopped short as he covered his mouth with his hand. Already, he was mentally cursing himself for letting that slip. He only hoped Ben didn't catch that.
"What did you say?" Ben inquired, his eyes shot Aras a suspicious glance.
"Uh.nothing. I didn't say anything" Aras quickly recovered.
"You said Ciera. How did you know about Ciera?" Ben's voice became stern.
"Ciera? Ciera who?" Aras laughed nervously, but he saw the seriousness on Ben's face and stopped. "Look Ben, I really don't know anything about Ciera other than that you go to visit her grave every six months."
"You followed me?!" There was anger in his voice.
"No. No. It's not what you think, but."
"Why did you follow me?" Ben said simply and firmly.
"I.I"
"You don't trust me now do you?" There was obvious hurt in his voice.
"No, that's not it"
"I'll leave the first thing tomorrow" Ben quickly said and left the room.
Aras was left in the room, too shock to do anything. He had never seen his friend like this. True he'd only known Ben for a little while, but he had considered the young man to be a close friend. Perhaps it was wrong for him to follow Ben around like that, but he meant well.
He just couldn't figure out why Ben would be so sensitive about it to the point of leaving.
//Nice Going Aras. It was hard enough to get him to stay.//
He plopped down on a chair nearby. He had to figure out what was going on with his friend. It was obvious that Ben had a lot of secrets, and even more obvious that the Jedi Master and Ben shared some past. Now he only needed to figure out where the pieces fit together.and that was the problem.
Deep in thoughts, Aras did not realize that someone had entered the room.
The next chapter will be up in a few days. Until then, Read and REVIEW guys! Thanks again for your support.
*******
Chapter 7:
How long had it been? Hours? No, it couldn't have been.
Ben pulled himself up from the cold floor. The water was still pouring down on him. He reached for the small knob and turned it off. His hands began to shake.
No. Not now.
He closed his eyes tightly in concentration, searching for that hidden inner strength. It was there, waiting for him like it had always been for all his life, the mysterious connection, the enigmatic force that bound all living things. But he didn't dare to touch it.
Concentrate.
Seconds passed, then minutes. Sweat began to form on his face, cold sweat. His hands formed into a tight fist as a wave of pain shot through him. He cringed inwardly, hoping the pain would go away.
It always did.
"Ben!"
Someone was calling to him. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was himself, the mirror image of himself. His wet clothes still hung tightly like dead weights, weighing him down and his hair was matted to his face. He looked horrible. But one thing caught his attention.
His eyes.
He looked straight at them, seeing their reflection but nothing more. There was no warmth in them and he shuddered to think that they belonged to him. Somewhere in the deep recess of his memory, he knew it hadn't always been like this. No, it hadn't.
"Ben!"
The voice startled him out of his reverie. He steadied himself on the wall as he made his way out of the fresher to see who it was.
"Ben.what did you do to yourself?" asked a bewildered prince.
Ben didn't answer right away but limped toward a nearby chair. "What do you mean?" He plopped himself down on the chair.
"What do I mean?" Prince Aras exclaimed. "You're soaking wet."
"Oh, that"
"Yes that. And just so you know, I already called for the Healers to be here to take care of that wound of yours."
"I'm fine. Call them back."
"You're lying."
"I can take care of myself." Ben said sternly.
"No you can't."
Ben shot up from his chair, but the sudden movement made his head spin. He wavered slightly then slumped back down onto the chair. "I'm fine." He said quickly.
"Right, I believe you." Aras replied, sarcasm in his voice.
"The wound isn't serious"
"That's what you always say." Aras sighed.
"Is there anything you need of me Prince Aras?" Ben tried to change the subject.
Aras could sense that Ben didn't want to discuss that topic anymore. His friend never did. It worried him, but he knew he'd get nowhere once Ben had made up his mind. "No, I just came to check up on you." Aras paused. "And to ask your opinion about the treaty."
"Master Jinn is capable of handling the treaty. You don't need my help." Ben said briskly.
"Yes, I know that, but since obviously you two know each other, I thought you'd have more insight to how Master Jinn will handle the treaty."
Aras was nervous. He knew that this was a round about way of asking about his friend's past, but it was the only way. Ben was reticent to a T and any other way would have been fruitless. He only hoped it worked.
"WE are only acquaintances" Ben quickly affirmed. "There is not much I can tell you about Master Jinn, but he is more than capable of handling the negotiations."
"That's good to hear"
Damn it. He was running out of ideas.
"So how did you two meet?"
Ben didn't answer. His eyes wandered to a small window nearby. It was late in the evening now and the sun would be coming down soon. The orange glow of the sun shone brightly as it made its descent. An image flashed across his memory.
A young woman with crimson hair. She smiled at him sweetly. Her eyes, a shade of emerald green.
"Ben! Are you alright?"
Ben startled out of his trance. ".yeah, I'm fine."
"You were thinking about Ciera? It's." Aras stopped short as he covered his mouth with his hand. Already, he was mentally cursing himself for letting that slip. He only hoped Ben didn't catch that.
"What did you say?" Ben inquired, his eyes shot Aras a suspicious glance.
"Uh.nothing. I didn't say anything" Aras quickly recovered.
"You said Ciera. How did you know about Ciera?" Ben's voice became stern.
"Ciera? Ciera who?" Aras laughed nervously, but he saw the seriousness on Ben's face and stopped. "Look Ben, I really don't know anything about Ciera other than that you go to visit her grave every six months."
"You followed me?!" There was anger in his voice.
"No. No. It's not what you think, but."
"Why did you follow me?" Ben said simply and firmly.
"I.I"
"You don't trust me now do you?" There was obvious hurt in his voice.
"No, that's not it"
"I'll leave the first thing tomorrow" Ben quickly said and left the room.
Aras was left in the room, too shock to do anything. He had never seen his friend like this. True he'd only known Ben for a little while, but he had considered the young man to be a close friend. Perhaps it was wrong for him to follow Ben around like that, but he meant well.
He just couldn't figure out why Ben would be so sensitive about it to the point of leaving.
//Nice Going Aras. It was hard enough to get him to stay.//
He plopped down on a chair nearby. He had to figure out what was going on with his friend. It was obvious that Ben had a lot of secrets, and even more obvious that the Jedi Master and Ben shared some past. Now he only needed to figure out where the pieces fit together.and that was the problem.
Deep in thoughts, Aras did not realize that someone had entered the room.
