Chapter 4
"No," Obi-Wan whispered, stumbling back from the mirror to sit down heavily on
the bed, his eyes never leaving the streaming wound on his arm. "No, I can't
be. I know who I am. And I'm not…"
"I understand," Qui-Gon said as he sat down beside his Padawan. "I went through
the same thing when I first found out."
"And how did you…find out?"
"During my first escape attempt."
"Your first?"
"Of many," Qui-Gon replied with a self-deprecating grin. "I have not been the
most admirable representative of our Order this past month, Obi-Wan. Without
the Force to guide me, I have lost control of my emotions. I have felt anger,
fear, even defeat."
Obi-Wan blinked, his mind unable to comprehend his Master being driven to such
extremes. "Without the Force," he seized on the phrase, though it sent a shiver
down his spine just to think of it.
"We are droids, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon put in. "We have no midichlorians. The Force
is still there, we simply cannot detect it. But we should not use that as an
excuse. We are simply now as most sentient beings in the universe are."
"And even with that…handicap, you have continued to try to escape, to fight. To
live. That is the important thing."
"Now you sound like the Master," Qui-Gon observed, a note of pride in his voice.
"I have only you to thank for that, Master; you taught me well."
They each took a moment to simply bask in the presence of the other, before Obi-
Wan spoke up again.
"Now that I am here, perhaps the two of us will be more successful in escaping."
"That is what I have been hoping since Cynara first told me you were ready,"
Qui-Gon replied. "But I must warn you." He looked suddenly even more serious
than usual. "Cynara is evil. She has punished me most severely for each of my
escape attempts. And, as you know, we can feel pain." Each looked down at his
injured wrist. Qui-Gon's was now little more than an angry red U-shaped line.
"At least we heal quickly," Obi-Wan said, looking on the bright side. If his
Master was attempting to scare him or give him a way out, he needn't waste his
breath. Qui-Gon smiled his understanding. "All right then. Tell me everything
you know."
"No," Obi-Wan whispered, stumbling back from the mirror to sit down heavily on
the bed, his eyes never leaving the streaming wound on his arm. "No, I can't
be. I know who I am. And I'm not…"
"I understand," Qui-Gon said as he sat down beside his Padawan. "I went through
the same thing when I first found out."
"And how did you…find out?"
"During my first escape attempt."
"Your first?"
"Of many," Qui-Gon replied with a self-deprecating grin. "I have not been the
most admirable representative of our Order this past month, Obi-Wan. Without
the Force to guide me, I have lost control of my emotions. I have felt anger,
fear, even defeat."
Obi-Wan blinked, his mind unable to comprehend his Master being driven to such
extremes. "Without the Force," he seized on the phrase, though it sent a shiver
down his spine just to think of it.
"We are droids, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon put in. "We have no midichlorians. The Force
is still there, we simply cannot detect it. But we should not use that as an
excuse. We are simply now as most sentient beings in the universe are."
"And even with that…handicap, you have continued to try to escape, to fight. To
live. That is the important thing."
"Now you sound like the Master," Qui-Gon observed, a note of pride in his voice.
"I have only you to thank for that, Master; you taught me well."
They each took a moment to simply bask in the presence of the other, before Obi-
Wan spoke up again.
"Now that I am here, perhaps the two of us will be more successful in escaping."
"That is what I have been hoping since Cynara first told me you were ready,"
Qui-Gon replied. "But I must warn you." He looked suddenly even more serious
than usual. "Cynara is evil. She has punished me most severely for each of my
escape attempts. And, as you know, we can feel pain." Each looked down at his
injured wrist. Qui-Gon's was now little more than an angry red U-shaped line.
"At least we heal quickly," Obi-Wan said, looking on the bright side. If his
Master was attempting to scare him or give him a way out, he needn't waste his
breath. Qui-Gon smiled his understanding. "All right then. Tell me everything
you know."