Ch. 6 The Line

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Obi-Wan, geez kid I didn't mean to scare you!"

Jesi exclaimed stepping back. Obi-Wan blew out a breath of relief.

"Don't worry about it. But I do have a question..two in fact."

"Shoot."

She replied.

"One, Where Have You Been? Two, How Did You Get Behind Me?"

He asked making each word as important as the first. Jesi smiled.

"I've been in here reading some books. And I got behind you because you were facing that way and I happened to be as well."

He glared at her sarcasm. She shrugged,

"Why? You seem a bit stressed."

"Just a wee bit!" He replied.

"We couldn't find you and..and.."

"And..what?"

She asked. She seemed to cheerful, so light, odd.

"And, something's just not right here."

Jesi frowned.

"Wh-"

"There you are!"

Qui-Gon entered the room.The two looked at him.

"Where have you been?! We looked everywhere."

He asked partly relieved partly stern as though he were speaking to Obi-Wan yet he was speaking to a grown woman.

"I've been right here."

She smiled.Qui-Gon studied her. Something was different.

"Yes, I can see that.Why didn't you tell someone?"

"Qui-Gon, I'm a big girl.I can handle myself you know."

Jesi replied. Obi-Wan noticed the edge on her voice. Course, maybe she deserved to have it Qui-Gon was talking down to her.

"I realize that but.."

Qui-Gon gave up he wasn't going to win this. He threw his arms up in defeat.

"Who were you talking to anyway?"

Obi-Wan asked. Jesi looked at him.

"I wasn't talking to anyone Obi-Wan."

She said the smile still stuck on her face.

"Yes you were.I heard you."

"Well, I hate to break it to you kid but I wasn't talking to anyone..I think I'd know if I did don't you agree?"

Obi-Wan glanced at his Master. Qui-Gon returned the slight glance then looked to Jesi.

"I'm a little tired. I think I'll be heading back to my quarters.What about you two?"

She asked.

"Yes, I believe we should all get some sleep."

Qui-Gon replied. Jesi nodded still smiling so oddly.

"Lead the way."

Qui-Gon stepped back allowing her ahead. As she led Qui-Gon reached out with his senses.To his surprise he slammed into a brick wall. He couldn't even feel Jesi's presence much less her emotions. She was blocking him, but how could she? She had no training in something like that. He looked at Obi-Wan who looked confused beyond anything. Qui-Gon shrugged to him as they continued.

"Cpt.Stafferi! You're back I see."

Raider said coming down the corridor that Jesi, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan were going through to her quarters.

"I didn't realize I was gone."

She replied stopping at her door. Raider eyed her. He glanced at the two Jedi both in which shook their heads slightly.

"Well, at any rate, it's good to see you safe, if any of you need anything don't be shy as not to ask."

"Of course Lt.Colonel."

Jesi replied slipping the key card through the slot and the door opened.

"Thank you for the escort."

She said to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

"I'll see you in the morning."

The door closed without them being able to reply.

"Dumbasses."

She muttered moving to the bedroom.

"Was it just me or did she seem very..."

"Odd?Yes."

Qui-Gon finished Obi-Wan's thought.

"I couldn't figure out what it was that was different though."

Obi-Wan admitted as they continued down the corridor towards their quarters.

"Nor could I. She had a complete shield around her mind."

Qui-Gon said sliding the card through the slot and their door opened.

"How could she do that? She wasn't trained."

Obi-Wan blurted out.

"She can't, and that's what bothers me."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Oooohhh, her head..Jesi reached up touching her head that pounded.What happened now? She sat up and looked around. Where in the hell was she? It looked to be something of a ball room. Rounded cline, marble floor, pillars that held. She never remembered being here before. Her mind shot around everywhere. What happened? She remembered leaving dinner, remembered following someone, who? She remembered the whispers and the books, she remembered the snake. She remembered Obi-Wan's voice. Her eyes shot around the area. No one was in here.

"Hello?" She yelled.

'Ow! Warn me next time!'

A voice demanded. Jesi blinked.

'I'd say it was nice to see you awake but I can't see you and I'm not exactly sure if it is a nice thing or not...'

The voice said.

"What? Who are you?"

'I, Jesiana Stafferi, am Quire.Your new Master.'

"Excuse me? I have no master."

She replied standing.

'Oh don't you now, then who is it in controll of your body?'

Jesi froze. She moved her hand.

"I am, fool."

She replied.Who else would be?

'I would be that who else.'

He read her mind.

'Of course I can read your mind, I'm in your mind.'

Jesi was really confused now. The voice sighed,

'All you need to know is that you are just a fragment of your own existance now. You're an imagination, not real. You have no control over anything that 'you', as in your body, voice, does I have all control.You, are not real my dear.At least not to those around you.Everyone nw sees your body with me alias you.'

"You've got to be joking..this isn't real..this has to be a-"

"A nightmare dear Jesi?"

A figure came out of the shadows. It was just a figure under a black hooded cloak.Jesi turned away but only looked at Obi-Wan.

"Kid!" She exclaimed.

"Je.si, ho.w..cou..ld..you?"

He said his voice strained in pain. She looked at him.He had his hand covering a bloody wound just below the middle of his rib cage.

"No..no, I didn't do anythi-"

"I..trust..ed..y..ou."

He said before she could finish. She reached out for him but her hand went right through him and then he disappeared.

"As you said yourself Jesi, you never have your worst nightmare until it becomes reality."

The cloak said. She turned to look at him. He laughed and began to disappear as well.

"No!"

She yelled lunging at him but she tackled nothing but air until she hit the ground again.

"Just relax Jesi..enjoy the show."

Show?

"Yes, your memories of course."

Jesi's heart sank as the world around her formed into another, one she tried so hard to forget.

*******~~~~~~Next Day~~~~~~~~*******

Obi-Wan eyed her across the table. Her eyes never seemed to stop moving. That was very unlike her. She was always calm and focused, now he thought he actually saw her fidgetting. The 'short' negoitation session was now at it's mark of 4 hours. Today was supposed to be a short breifing but a male species of something Obi-Wan didn't know and a female humanoid got into it over rights of people. That took about 2 and a half hours to calm again. Lt. Colonel Raider looked stressed beyond anything and his Master even looked a little stressed if not at least tired or irritated...Jesi on the other hand, was still looking around excitedly and always smiled when she was spoken to. Obi-Wan shook his head to himself, she was certainly odd today.

He looked away and tried to focus on the task at hand that he was supposed to be helping with though he found it hard. On this planet, people below the age of 20 something were hardly taken seriously.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"No wait! Wait!"

She yelled after Colings. She knew everything that was about to happen and yet she couldn't make her voice say something else rather than what she did in the past.

The rapids were ingulfing her now. Soon, she knew she'd be over the waterfalls and soon she knew, Reghan would be lost from her forever.

One shot, two. Now she was falling, the water around her pressing her faster. Slammed into the water below. Barely concious she swam to the surface and to the side of the river laying soaking wet and freezing on the rocks.

~~~~~~~~~~

Qui-Gon noticed her shivering. Her face was pale and her eyes were impossibly blank but yet she still had a smile on and was looking around as if she were 7 years old and in a new world. She sighed rubbing her hands together for warmth and he would swear to it that he saw her breath as if the air was freezing cold.

The Master looked to the Apprentice who hadn't noticed. He was trying to listen to the long lecture a humanoid female was making about people's rights.

~~~~~~~~

She was alone. Jesi was alone all over again. Within minutes she knew that Colings guards would come and carry her away. Away to make her life even more horrid then it already was. Knowing this and reliving the whole thing a silent tear escaped her controll and slid down her cheek. She could hear the footsteps now and she trembled with nothing more than fear.

~~~~~~~~~~

//Finally.//

Obi-Wan couldn't help it but to send the relieved message to his Master. Qui-Gon glanced at him and smiled slightly as the representatives filed out of the room. Obi-Wan looked at Jesi just as she wiped her hand under her eye.

"Jes, you ok?"

He asked. This was starting to worry him now. What was it she was hiding? She looked at him with a smile.

"Of course, why ever not?"

"Jesi, are you hiding something from us? Not telling us something?"

Qui-Gon asked. He too saw what she just did and no matter how much of a smile she put on her eyes were the window to her soul.

"Why would I?"

She asked innocently standing.

The two Jedi sighed and stood as well.

"I think I'll go for a bit of a walk."

Jesi told them as they neared the door.

"Fresh air you know."

She added. Obi-Wan was about to be driven mad if she didn't tell him what on earth was going on with her. She disappeared behind the door and the two Jedi were left alone.

"I don't understand her."

Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon smiled reasurringly.

"I'm sure she's fine."

He said. Although inside he was questioning the same thing Obi-Wan was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Quist.'

'Master?'

'Take the boy tonight. Do Not get caught. You know where to bring him.'

'Yes Master. And the Jedi Master?'

'He'll be busy enough.'

Jesi heard the conversation since it was in her own mind. She heard it from her place agains a wall in a dark cellar that had been in her nightmares for years.

Run Obi-Wan...don't let them take you.

She thought thinking of the young Jedi.

~~~~~~~~~~

Obi-Wan paused and looked behind him and all around. He just heard Jesi. She told him to run, she told him not to let them take him. Who was them and what was she that he heard her so distantly?

"Padwan, is everything ok?"

"Y-Yes Master...I think."

Qui-Gon frowned in question to his young apprentice.

"I thought I heard Jesi tell me to run, not to let them take me."

Qui-Gon stopped walking and looked at him.

"You heard her?"

Obi-Wan nodded thinking hard.

"She sounded like she was really far away but I heard her say it."

Qui-Gon glanced around. No Jesi, no no one. This little case with Jesi was getting stranger by the moment. He wondered if he should contact Master Yoda. He knows her well.

Obi-Wan blinked. His eyes were heavy. He was tired. Again! He just got up what, 8 hours ago! It was only 17 hundred hours! (5 o'clock) But Force he was tired...maybe a nap wouldn't be so bad.

"Master, I think I need to go rest for a while."

He said. Qui-Gon eyed him from the sleepiness in his voice. He was just fine two seconds ago.

"It's only 5 o'clock Obi-Wan."

"I know Master,..but may I please rest for a little while."

The younger Jedi's sudden exhaustation slightly alarmed the older Jedi.

"Yes, go ahead Padawan. I need to talk to Master Yoda, I'll be in the transmission room for a while."

"Yes Master."

Obi-Wan said walking, more like stumbling, towards the quarters. Qui-Gon watched him for a moment then turned towards the transmission room near the east enterance. Why they didn't have one actually in the quartes he didn't know.

~~~~~~~~~

Obi-Wan was only vaguely aware of the storm in the back of his mind. Something was there. It took him 3 tries just to get the key card in the slot and open the door. Suddenly the storm made itself known and his vision cleared enough only to see someone coming at him then having someone else hit him in the back of the head...nothing but darkness after that.

Tbc.....

Wow, that was a long one now wasn't it? Was it any good? I'm not sure. Let me know if I should like re-write it somehow or something. The fic really doesn't have that much to do with Jesi's past but it is used as a bargain so that's why it's brought into this fic. Hope you like it!

~Elli