The usual stuff …

The usual stuff …

Disclaimer: George Lucas owns the whole Star Wars Universe, I only have Keyn and Shen.

Acknowledgements: Jesus, Padawan Nik-ka, whoever else was helpful, I guess. Not to forget, the Reviewers. Thanks guys.

Chapter 4:

"I need some information, on a bounty hunter," Qui-gon Jinn stood casually at the bar, intense blue eyes fixed on the Twi-lek bartender in front of him.

The cantina – a polite name to be sure – was located on the dark, lower levels of Coruscant, the places where tourists never visited. All manner of rogues – smugglers, mercenaries, thieves, informants, bounty hunters – gathered there to drink and gamble. The cantina's interior lights were dim, and the place had a distinctly unpleasant odour to it.

The Twi-lek's head-tails twitched as he replied in a low voice, "If the price is right …"

Qui-gon nodded and produced a handful of credits, "This will do, for starters."

The bartender seemed satisfied. "What do you want to know."

Qui-gon shrugged, "I want to know about a certain bounty hunter. He's human, carries a lightsabre."

"Many human bounty hunters," The Twi-lek said slyly.

Qui-gon put his credits on the table, and the bartender palmed them greedily.

"That would be Keyn. Only he carries a lightsabre. Never seen him use it though. You have business with him?"

"Yes," Qui-gon nodded. "Perhaps you know where he is?"

"Who knows where bounty hunters go?" The bartender shrugged."

Qui-gon put more credits on the counter.

The Twi-lek's eyes gleamed with greed, "Okay, this information is hard to get. Currently, my sources tell me Keyn is on an Outer Rim world, maybe Tatooine. If you want him, you'd better move fast. Many people pay him for live captures, and he seldom stays long in one place." The bartender turned away to serve another customer.

Shen looked up from the computer terminal as Qui-gon strode into the room. "Did you find anything?" The Bothan asked quietly.

"Some," Qui-gon replied, "but not much. The bounty hunter's name is Keyn. How about you?"

"No luck, yet. Let me run his name through the computer system though, just in case," Shen typed in a few commands and sat back in his chair, watching the screen.

Qui-gon sat down in a nearby chair and closed his eyes, thinking. He reached out once again through the bond to Obi-wan, searching for his apprentice. But he only felt a void. It was as though Obi-wan had ceased to exist. Qui-gon quelled the thought as quickly as it arose. No. Obi-wan couldn't be dead. Qui-gon would never forgive himself for being responsible for the death of yet another Jedi because he'd been incompetent.

"Master Qui-gon," Shen's words interrupted Qui-gon's thoughts. "I think I've found something."

Qui-gon got to his feet and stood beside Shen, "What is it?"

"There's a file with the bounty hunter's name," Shen typed a few more instructions into the computer, displaying an encrypted personnel file. Qui-gon entered the correct access code, and the computer displayed the file in its readable form.

Shen scanned its contents, reading them to Qui-gon at the same time, "According to this file, Keyn was a Jedi Knight. He quit something like ten years ago. Are you sure this is the right guy?"

Qui-gon felt apprehension and fear rise in him, but he forced himself to remain calm, "Who was his master?"

"Jedi Master Thyren."

The name sent a shock through Qui-gon. He felt a wave of grief and despair wash over him, nearly drowning him. Thyren. The name had stuck in his head since that awful incident. Even now, it came back to haunt him – ghosts from his dark past.

But now, his past was catching up with him. Qui-gon recalled now, that Thyren's apprentice had been called Keyn. He didn't need Shen to tell him that Thyren had died on a top-secret mission, didn't need the Bothan to tell him that Keyn had left the Order a few months after his master's death. All this, Qui-gon knew and recalled with horrifying clarity.

And, Obi-wan was now captive to Qui-gon's darkest secret, the one he'd never told his Apprentice. Qui-gon took a step backwards and sat down. He sighed and closed his eyes, seeking the calmness and peace of the Force. But he couldn't find it, no matter how much he tried to. Qui-gon couldn't push away the thoughts of what Keyn could do to Obi-wan. Qui-gon knew that if Obi-wan died, he would never be able to forgive himself for being responsible for the deaths of two Jedi.

Yet, Qui-gon knew he could do nothing to help by sitting around and dwelling on the past. The Council had given him strict instructions to remain on Coruscant, but Qui-gon couldn't just stay at the Temple when something could – no, had to be done – to save his Apprentice.

"Master Qui-gon, are you all right?" Shen asked.

Qui-gon nodded distractedly. He got up and left the room.

Qui-gon ... help me ... it hurts ... so much ... pain ... Master ... please ... where are you? You never ... told me. What did you do? Keyn ... Keyn said something ... you killed ... someone ... I don't know. I thought ... we knew ... each other. I ... don't know you ... do I? Why? Why ... would you? Master ... please don't ... don't leave me ... like you ... abandoned ... your partner ... Master, please ... it hurts ... a lot.

Obi-wan awoke with a start. His head was spinning and his whole body ached mercilessly. He shook his head to clear the painful headache, but to no avail. Obi-wan found that he couldn't think straight, couldn't focus on anything or clear his mind.

Keyn, sitting on a crate opposite the holding cage, looked up as Obi-wan regained consciousness. He held the Apprentice's lightsabre in his hands, examining it with a kind of curiosity.

"So, you're finally up," The bounty hunter remarked casually. "Perhaps now you'll tell me what I want to know."

Obi-wan shook his head painfully, unable to do or say anything else.

Keyn shrugged, "Your choice. The pain goes on if you don't cooperate."

"My … Master will come for me … " Obi-wan managed to force out the words. But even as he said them, Obi-wan knew he didn't believe in them totally. He'd lost his trust in Qui-gon.

Keyn seemed to know Obi-wan's thoughts, "Do you really believe it? Qui-gon abandoned a Jedi before. He'll do it again." Anger and hurt burned in the bounty hunter's dark-brown eyes.

"Why should I believe you?" Obi-wan choked, knowing he was only trying, unsuccessfully, to deceive himself.

"Tell me," Keyn asked quietly, "the access codes for the Jedi Temple's computer."

Obi-wan suddenly had no control over what he said. He didn't know what he was saying, or why he was even talking, but Obi-wan guessed Keyn had pumped him with drugs to force him to speak Obi-wan swallowed painfully and tried to force back his words, but he simply couldn't, without the Force as his ally. All throughout his training, he'd been taught to rely almost completely on the Force, but now that he didn't have it, he was totally lost.

Fear rose in him. Along with the awful sense of betrayal. He was betraying the Jedi … and there was nothing he could do about it. The pain was very real, Obi-wan knew. No-one would come for him … No… he had a Master … Qui-gon. Qui-gon … please … don't… leave me here … Master …Keyn can't be right … can he?

The blackness swallowed Obi-wan up and engulfed him.

Keyn strode through the streets of Mos Eisley, his eyes alert for any sign of danger, but his mind wandering at the same time. He knew he'd most probably sell Obi-wan off as a slave – the Jedi was a pretty useless source of information though Keyn had pulled the computer access codes from him. Obi-wan's future didn't concern the bounty hunter. Let Qui-gon Jinn worry about him, Keyn thought bitterly, it'll serve him right.

The bounty hunter stopped outside the Mos Eisley Cantina, the spaceport's most popular hangout for rogues and thugs. He checked that his blaster had been strapped securely to his hip and in an easy-to-reach position. In Mos Eisley, you never knew what would happen next. Then, he entered the dimly-lit place, walking past the "No Droids Allowed" sign and up to the bar.

Keyn put a coin on the bar and ordered his drink. The human bartender snatched the coin away and placed a large mug of foaming ale on the counter. He jerked his head towards a cloaked, hooded figure seated at the opposite end of the bar, then turned away.

Keyn grabbed his drink and headed for the shady figure. He sat down beside the person, or whatever it was.

"What do you have?" the figure asked Keyn.

"Credits," Keyn answered in a low voice.

"How much?" The figure questioned. "This will cost you."

"I have enough," Keyn's eyes held a thinly veiled threat.

"Pay first."

"It'd better be worth it," Keyn placed a handful of credits on the bar. The figure palmed them without a word. Keyn swore under his breath and retrieved another handful of credits, which the informant pocketed.

"You want information, you gotta pay for it. Agents on Rinsiel say something big's happening. The Rebellion is paying for live captures of different species, as well as a Jedi Knight. You took a job with them recently …"

"That's none of your business," Keyn snarled.

"Okay. There are rumours that the Rebels plan to threaten the planet's government with a deadly, contagious virus. A source I have has confirmed this rumour. The Rebels are looking for specimens to test this virus on, and they're paying quite a bit. This is top secret information, you can't get it from anyone else, I'll tell you that."

Keyn nodded thoughtfully. "What else?" he laid more credits on the bar, his piercing stare focused on the creature opposite him.

The hooded informant pocketed the money and continued, "

I have the location of the facility where the virus is being produced, and some images." He handed a computer disk to the bounty hunter. Keyn flipped the disk over in his hand, studying it carefully.

"Give me the encryption keys," Keyn said in a dangerous voice.

There was the sudden whine of a blaster and the informant slumped forward, a hole burned through his chest. Keyn jumped to his feet immediately, eyes darting over the crowded cantina. Something wasn't quite right.

A tall, burly human stood about ten metres away, holding a blaster in one hand. Keyn locked eyes with the gunman.

The chatter in the cantina died down immediately, as the patrons recognised the first signs of a fight. Sentient creatures gathered at the 'sidelines', eager for a good fight.

Keyn's intense brown eyes blazed fiercely. The gunman's dark green eyes travelled to the lightsabre the bounty hunter carried on his belt.

"Jedi!" the gunman spat contemptuously. Keyn's eyes flickered but he didn't answer. That door was closed behind him. He'd once been proud to be called a Jedi, but not anymore. It was all in the past.

An onlooker sneered, "He's no Jedi!"

The gunman snarled, "Jedi or not, step down. Or fight." The cantina resounded with the crowd's approval.

Keyn's voice was low, but dangerous, as he spoke. "I am a bounty hunter. You step down. I'm in no mood to fight."

The gunman bristled with barely contained anger, but Keyn's eyes bore into his with a frighteningly unflinching gaze. The gunman turned around and stormed out of the cantina. "I'm not finished with you, whoever you are," were his parting words.

Keyn watched the gunman leave, then left too. He knew he had to watch out now. People like the gunman didn't just give empty threats, they delivered a quick death to the unwary.

Shen snarled in frustration. Where was Qui-gon? The Jedi Master was nowhere to be found. Shen reached Qui-gon's quarters, only to find them empty.

Shen knew there was something between Qui-gon and the bounty hunter. Ex-Jedi? Could Keyn have turned to the dark side? Shen wished he knew more. But he had to find Qui-gon first. Yet, where was Qui-gon? Shen had searched practically the whole Temple. Unless … unless Qui-gon didn't plan to follow the Council's orders. Unless, he wanted to go and rescue Obi-wan personally.

Everything clicked into place. Realising Qui-gon might already be boarding a transport, Shen raced for the hangar, nearly banging into Mace Windu in the process.

As he neared the hangar, Shen felt Qui-gon's presence. The Jedi Master had probably planned to sneak out a ship.

"Master Qui-gon!" Shen called out breathlessly as he ran into the hangar bay, where all the Jedi's transports were kept.

Qui-gon looked towards Shen in alarm, before realising it was just the Temple initiate and not another Master. He was just about to board a transport.

"Shen, stay here. I'm doing this alone," Qui-gon said in a low, even voice.

Shen shook his head, "No, I'm coming with you…"

"It's too dangerous!"

"Obi-wan is my friend," Shen's tone was firm. "The situation runs deeper. It doesn't feel right."

Qui-gon's bright blue eyes flashed. "Something has to be done. I can't abandon my Apprentice."

"I'm going with you …"

"No …"

Shen locked eyes with Qui-gon. "I care about Obi-wan too. I can't leave him, either."

Qui-gon didn't react, but he considered Shen's words carefully. "Get on board now," he said finally. "And man the comm. systems."

I guess you have to wait about 4 days. I haven't finished the next chapter yet. But while you're waiting, maybe you could tell me whether you think Keyn's a bad guy or not. =)

Preview:

Then, the vision came. The raw power of the Force ripped through his mind, sending jolts of pain through every nerve. Keyn curled up and gritted his teeth. He'd had visions before, but none as powerful as this.

The image sprang unbidden to his mind. Hundreds, no thousands, of people suffering in the grip of a deadly epidemic. Their pain coursed through him. Faces, too many to remember, flashed before him, contorted in agony. Then, the face of Senator Jy'are, pleading with someone, "Please, spare my people."