Note: I tried to answer some questions in this chapter but I don't quite know how well I did....I can't give anything away you know! Heh. Be sure to read note at the bottom. ENJOY!
Ch. 15 The Line
She couldn't bring her down there. Jesi could feel the heat flowing up the stairs to her and she could hear the agonizing screams all the louder. No, no way. She turned to face the young girl and knelt down before her.
"Reghan, I'm going to trust you to stay up here while I find Obi-Wan ok?"
"Do I hafta?" Reghan asked putting on her most pouting face.
"Yes, you have to. I may be a while so I want you to stay right behind those bushes. Don't come out for anyone but me alright?"
Reghan nodded and Jesi placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Be good."
She turned her and gave her a bit of a push towards the bushes. As soon as Jesi could no longer see the girl,for she was hiding too well, Jesi turned back to the stairway.
Taking a breath to collect herself she started down at a quick pace. On more than one occasion she thought she had seen a shadow but when she rounded the corner there was no one. Coming to the room where all the pain came from she paused glancing between the stone wall and door. She saw Qui-Gon standing looking at the fire. When she looked harder at the fire she could see someone in it.
Oh, for Force sake!
As soon as she stepped in Qui-Gon was rushing towards Quire, his saber raised high.
"Qui-Gon!" She yelled loudly.
He was being driven by his hate and anger she knew, fo rshe was on the verge. He didn't even pause and as he struck at the cloaked figure Quire disappeared, seemingly into thin air. His saber cut through nothing but air.
What in the name of....where was he? He was just there.Qui-Gon spun around looking frantically for the dark person but saw no one...until his eyes settled upon Jesi who was eyeing him worriedly.
"Qui-Gon, calm down...for now at least."
She told him as he continued to search.
"We have to get Obi-Wan out of here now, we can deal with Quire later."
Qui-Gon looked back at her.
'Quire? That was him?' He didn't bother to answer the question.
"How did you get here?"
He asked turning towards his apprentice on the other side of the room and hurrying towards him.
"I've been here." She replied avoiding the whole question and following him quickly at a jog.
"Padawan?"
Qui-Gon questioned but as soon as he was about 3 feet from him the flames shot up again blocking Qui-Gon off and causing even more pain to Obi-Wan.
Jesi grabbed him by the shoulders firmly and hauled him back until the flames no longer danced. Qui-Gon shrugged off her hands and neared Obi-Wan again, mindful of the distance.
"Obi-Wan?"
The boy raised his head looking at the other Jedi.
"Master?" He replied hoarsely.
"Yes Obi-Wan.It's alright, we're going to get you out of here."
Obi-Wan groaned trying to truely stand rather than having the chains hold him upright.
"No, kid don't try to move k? You need your energy to get out of here." Jesi said seeing his attempts.
Both she and Qui-Gon glanced around the area.
"You can't reach me..can you?" Obi-Wan said softly.
"We will." Qui-Gon responded.
'I created it, I can destroy it.' Her own words rang in Jesi's head.
"I think I have an idea...you better be ready to get him fast." Jesi murmured to Qui-Gon. He looked down at her, being is how there was a rather large distance between his eye level and her's even if she was a grown woman. She only looked back until he nodded.
Jesi took a step back as though she knew exactly what she was doing..though she truely didn't. She just had an idea placed in her head and she would just follow her instincts she supposed...wing it.
Closing her eyes she pictured the moment she had erected the wall, and apparently all that was in it. Her mind moved further on to when she looked at Obi-Wan separated by the blackness. On to now, the flames, this chamber..none of it was real...nothing was real. It was a dream, wake up Jesi, make it go away.
Qui-Gon's vision wavered and Obi-Wan moved slighlty. The lower flames that still burned in the circle became even smaller. Qui-Gon glanced at Jesi, she didn't move at all. Looking back to Obi-Wan he saw the last flame die and with everything he had he rushed to the apprentice using his saber quickly, yet carefully, to cut the chains that held him leaving about a foot of the chain actually connected to the wrist part in his caution. Obi-Wan dropped but Qui-Gon already had his free arm waiting and caught him easily.
As he turned the flames suddenly shot up. He turned and shielded his face and covered Obi-Wan's.As quickly as they had come the flames died and he, with Obi-Wan his his grasp, moved swiftly over the darkened boarder.
Now safe Qui-Gon put Obi-Wan down to sit in the sandish dirt. He looked at Jesi who still had her eyes closed.
"Jes." He called. She didn't move.
"Jesi." He said again.
"Jes!" Obi-Wan yelled, although it hurt like anything.
Jesi's eyes snapped open at his voice and she turned her gaze to the two 10 feet from her.
She came back to her senses and rushed to them kneeling down as Qui-Gon was. Both elders looked at him.
"How are you feeling? How badly hurt are you padawan?"
Obi-Wan looked at his Master. He was confused..completely and utterly.
"I- I'm fine...I don't feel anything."
Jesi's eyes swept over him.
"I felt everything he did though! I felt the heat and the flames and-"
"Padawan, calm down."
"No!Why can't I feel anything?!"
Obi-Wan asked panicked. This wasn't normal!
The sudden paled look and surprised realizationed eyes caught Obi-Wan's attention to Jesi.
"I know why you can't feel Obi-Wan."
He and Qui-Gon waited for her continue.
"You can't feel anymore because, this isn't real." She whispered the last words.
"What? No, I know what he did."
"I saw him Jesi, I heard everything."
Her eyes moved from Obi-Wan to Qui-Gon and back.
"No..think about it.In a dream that you think is real..."
She paused collecting her thoughts.
" In a dream like that if you experience pain your mind makes it real. But afterwards you never feel that pain again because you're waking up. Things aren't so real anymore."
Obi-Wan looked at his Master who glanced back. It made sense and it was very real but now nothing was.
All three stiffened greatly as someone started clapping slowly behind them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raider tightened his jaw then loosened, tightened loosened. His hands were placed on a 'map'.What happened when it was reversed? A knock at the door caught his attention and he looked up beckoning the waiter in. Captain Lumair entered again.
"No change?" The Lt.Colonel asked.
"None sir." Lumair answer with a shake of his head.Raider drummed his fingers lightly on the desk occupied by the chart.
"Is the Religious Leader still isolated?"
"Yes sir....and if I may say so, I don't understand why we had an offworld religious leader here in the first place."
Raider grunted.
"You and me both captain."
Silence stood a moment and the captain was about to ask for dismissal untill Raider spoke.
"Lumair, I suppose you don't know what exactly our Jedi friends are really."
Lumair was slighlty taken aback by the statment.
"I don't understand sir."
"What they are in this whole escapade."
"No sir." Lumair answered.
"Come, let me show you what it is we're dealing with." R
aider motioned for him to come behind the desk as he stood. Lumair obeyed and set his eyes on a tan long sheet of paper with a large drawing on it. A triangle.
"This, young Captain, is our missing Jedi Apprentice.In ancient times he takes the place of the light, the star."
He pointed at the left corner of the triangle where a star like figure was drawn enclosed in a heart.
"The star represents this light. The heart you see, is his very being. His soul.Young Obi-Wan Kenobi is a possessor of such light. He has been since he was born."
Lumair's eyes widened but he didn't take them off the diagram.
"Here, to the right corner, is out disappeared Jedi Master. He is labeled as the stone, for he is hard and at times cold. He reflects the light that is beamed by Kenobi, deflects it whichever you may say, to here."
Lumair followed Raider's index finger to the top of the triangle were another triangle was formed.
"Here, to our lost Jesiana Stafferi. This, which in it's real place, in a tomb that has yet to be found, is a jewel rare as hell. This shows her soul, lost within a maze that has engulfed her life. The stars here, "
He pointed to the bottom left of the small triangle.
"show that of wishes, you know wish apon a star?"
Lumair nodded.
" This lone star is another soul. Much like Kenobi's. Here, in the middle of this small triangle is a child, around it it's mother."
Raider looked at Lumair.
"That child is what we must prevent.If born we have no idea of it's power."
"You're saying, that after this Stafferi will be with child."
"If she lives, and yes that child will be the child of her intentions..to change the past to what she had which was a family."
Lumair moved his eyes over the chart.
"So,"
He pointed to the representation light.
" when the light shines it goes to the stone which reflects upward to the soul correct?"
"Yes."
"What happens when I goes backwards?"
Lumair moved his hand back to the light from the top and went the other way, up.
"That, Cpt.Lumair is was we have to find out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clap....Clap....Clap.
"Very good Jesi...the three of you learn well."
No one was the source of the voice.
"But, I wonder, when will you ever learn to expect the least obviousof a problem?"
Quire stepped from the shadows again and Qui-Gon ignited his saber but stayed knelt next to Obi-Wan.
Jesi stood slowly as Reghan moved out from behind his cloaks and right before her eyes she grew into a woman she'd never seen, and was never meant to see. She grew up. Her father's fair hair lacing down past her shoulders and his brown eyes glaring at her, but she had Jesi's figure and height.
"Shall we, Mother?"
She asked in a midnight voice while twisting a wavered blade weapon in her hand experietly.
Obi-Wan shifted to sit but a white hot sensation in his chest slowed him suddenly. It didn't really hurt but he knew it should so it kind of did. Qui-Gon looked at him and he looked at himself, there was a bright whitish blue light radiating from his chest.
"Phase 2 I say." Quire announced.
The Force suddenly screamed at Qui-Gon and he barely moved back enough to avoid a swiping blow from a creature he had never seen before. Obi-Wan stood quickly moving from the creature as it swiped at him next.
Jesi stepped towards Obi-Wan but stopped short and ducking as a blade swung over her head.
"Let's see if you're shooting skills are as good as your manual weaponary dear Mother."
Reghan sneered throwing her a weapon then swiping again.
Tbc....
Oooo, a bit of a twist eh? Shen Panda, I hope that cleared some things up for you along with everyone else. I know that may have actually confused you all the more but my head hurts from a bit of a fall. *rubs the back of her head glancing wearily towards the cliff...inches away towards a more safe zone.* j/k. It may have confused you more cause I suck at explaining things like that heh. SORRY! I dropped some clues in there about Raider's little discussion with the mystery man. Did ya catch them? Kind of a who trust who thing....lol.
Anyway, thanks for the reviews, help A LOT! Keep them a-coming!!!!!! They're much appreciated.
Ok well, Til later,
Elli