Chapter 12: the chosen path
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Her eyes fluttered open. She wasn't in pain and she felt so warm and comfortable. A frantic thought crossed her mind.
"Oh my God! I must be dead!", her heart pounded in her chest and she swallowed hard.
"Kyah, lay still! You aren't dead, girl.", a nice voice came from the back-round.
"Don't make the healer's and my work undone with your movements.", Obi-Wan added sternly, when he came to the girl, dressed like a citizen of her planet. Kyah looked at him and seemed to understand. Slowly she turned her head and realised, that she was in her camp and that everything was alright. She let out a gasp and settled her head back onto the soft and cosy pillow. She knew, that she had to enjoy this moment of peace because it could be her last. Draju wouldn't give up.
"You were quiet a mess, my friend. But we took care of everything….", his voice trailed off and he looked very deep into her eyes, studying them. Then he began again.
"I'd like to talk to you about a few things, but only if you feel up to it.", Kenobi waited until he saw a nod from the girl.
"It is not going to be easy for me to ask you that question, but do you think, that you will be save here? I know, that most of these people consider you as friend, but how far does this friendship go? Will they protect you with their lives or will they betray you when it comes to save their own heads? Well and then, you know Draju, what will be his next step?", he said in very low voice, so that only Kyah was able to understand him. He stroke his blond-red beard and waited patiently for the teenager to answer. She needed a bit time to cope with the given information. She knew too well, that her people had been sold before by some unknown individuals among her party. A long moment passed before she locked Obi-Wan's eyes with her eyes.
"I can trust most of them, but there might be a traitor among them. I am not sure, I'm sorry.", she tried lo loosen her gaze, but Obi-Wan caught her chin with his fingers and made her looking at him.
"You don't have to be sorry, there is no need for excuses. I chose my path on my own as well as you and your people. We all knew the consequences of our behaviour, so you are not in the position, which makes an excuse necessary. Do you understand?", he told her trying to sound convincingly.
"Yes, Obi-Wan. I just wished, that nobody had to suffer because of me!", she sighed.
"I don't think, that Draju will give up. I am very certain, that he sent his whole army on our heels, including his precious bounty hunters. We are not save here and I don't want to endanger my supporters more, the best thing would be to leave in the morning and to find a save place.", she said heartbrokenly.
"Yes and then I am going to contact the temple and ask for back up.", he told her reassuringly.
Kyah couldn't stand the depressive mood that, was circling around them, so she tried to light it a bit up.
"So you are a Jedi. Then tell me a bit about your life and your friends. Do you know your family?", she asked curiously. They spent the whole day chatting and laughing in the small tent. Obi-Wan told her everything. He told her of his very first mission on the Monument, Bandomeer, how his Master Qui-Gon and he defeated the fallen Jedi Xanatos, his childhood-bully Bruck, Bant, Garen and Reeft and of the variety of worlds he had seen in his life. But then it was her turn to tell Obi-Wan of her life. She smiled shyly and spoke about her life as a princess and her beloved father and how he was murdered by Draju. But she also told him of her good friends she found in those people, who lived here with her and of, course about Det. She always thought, that Det had a little crush on her, but maybe she was wrong. It was the way the man looked at her and behaved around her. Then a thought crossed her mind.
"Can we take Det with us? He is a very loyal friend and I can't leave him behind." She asked with a sincere almost child-like voice.
"Are you sure about him?"
"Yes I am. I know, who I can trust. I have a healthy knowledge of mankind.", she shot back.
"Alright, your majesty.", Obi-Wan teased her. I suppose we both go to sleep and rise early in the morning. Maybe I should inform Det about our conversation.", he stood up and searched the sand-haired man with deep brown eyes. Det wasn't much older than Kyah, he was 20, but he resembled with his boyish features more an immature teenager than an adult. When the Jedi found him and told him of his luck, Det just nodded and made an unreadable face. Obi-Wan frowned, but nevertheless trusted Kyah's estimation of the young man. A nagging bad feeling started to rise again in his stomach. Maybe he should try to contact the temple now. He went a bit more into the thick forest and pulled his comlink out of his pocket. It was so unusual not to wear the Jedi-Robes and he felt uncomfortable in this kind of clothing. He tried to get a connection, but he couldn't get one. Then he saw why. He lost the batteries. He cursed under his breath, why did he have to be so inattentive. Now he couldn't call for help. But he was sure, that Draju already called for it. This was a very dangerous situation. Maybe he could make an attempt to contact Qui-Gon over their bond, though he was light-years away from his former Master. He focused and gathered the force around him. Slowly he closed his eyes and sent as powerful as he could a mental message to old Qui-Gon Jinn. He hoped, that he reached his master and, that he would receive an answer…
**spaceship **
Qui-Gon Jinn was lying on his cot in his cabin. Suddenly he heard a call for help over his bond. His eyes snapped open and his heart was racing. He probed the force. Anakin was in the cockpit, so it could only be…Obi-Wan! Frantically he started to connect his mind with the force. He collected the power around him, so that he was completely one with it, then he gave it a powerful shove and tried to sent an answer to his missing son.
~ I am coming Obi-Wan, hold on!~
Tbc…