Hi peeps. I know I said Friday, but it's v-day and I've sadly enough got nothing to do... oh well, n e ways, I'll post these two chaps and then on Saturday I'll post a small chap before I leave for Mexico, so I wont be updating for a week after that or so... ::smiles evilly:: to leave a cliff hanger or not... oh I'll decide on sat... now read!!
New Allies
"Qui-Gon Garmandi must have done something to Z!" Obi-Wan said almost panic striken.
"Obi-Wan calm yourself. You can't loose your focus on the situation now. And that is finding out where they went." Qui-Gon turned back to the tendent. "Your friend, is he still here?"
"Yeah." She turned around and scanned the area around a speeder towards the garage. "Hey Brad! Come here!"
An extremely tall guy with vibrant red hair jogged over, clearly annoyed. "What is it? I've got to get that speeder fixed. The owner is coming in ten minutes to pick it up."
"I'll finish it for you. These Jedi have a few questions for you." She jogged away whipping a tool out from her belt.
Brad shook his head watching the young woman and turned to Qui-Gon. "So what do you need to know?"
Qui-Gon once again described Garmandi and Zae-Non. Then asked Brad what Garmandi had asked him.
Brad looked hesitant.
Qui-Gon was beginning to lose his patience. "The girl was not his daughter. She has been kidnapped her from the Temple." He explained quickly. "We are here to find her."
"Well then you better tell him" The girl had come back. "It's all finished."
Brad ignored her and went on. "He just asked me where he could find the town near the mining part of the underwater city."
"What did you tell him."
"I told him about a small town called Brez. It's very small and right by the entrance to the mining section of the city. But it is quite a ride there."
"How long?"
"A good two days without stopping that's for sure. I think that's why he asked me if I could tell him where a place he could get a land speeder was. I told him about the garage at the end of platform there, but it's closed by now."
Obi-Wan sighed. "Is there any place we could get any type of transportation?"
Brad glanced at the girl with a smile. "There might be." He whispered something to her and she nodded.
"You can use two of my swoops." She said. "They aren't the best but, they'll get you there at least. I can show you to Brez. I've got the next few days off work."
Qui-Gon glanced at Obi-Wan. He clearly wanted to get going. "Thank you. That would be greatly appreciated."
"No problem. At least my shift is over. See you in a few Brad." She waved to him and started down the ramp and across the street. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed. "Sorry, I never introduced myself. My name is Bailee." She turned a corner down a side street and waited for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to catch up. "The swoops are at my house. Just down here."
Down towards the end of the street they stopped in front of a two-story house. If that's what you wanted to consider it. It was brown and cracked and it looked as though if a light piece of durasheet were placed onto it, it would just crumble.
Bailee went inside and the sound of a flipping light switch echoed in the small corridor, but no lights came on. She let out a sigh and reached to her belt and took out a glow rod. It was dark by now so they couldn't rely on the sun. She stuck her head out and she motioned for them to go in. "They must be working on electricity for the underwater city." She said. "Our power always goes out when they do that."
Qui-Gon went inside after her and followed her down a flight of stairs into a small garage with four swoops. Three looked incredibly old and one was fairly new. Bailee went to the opposite side of the garage.
"Obi-Wan can you handle really sensitive swoops? I think you've have more experience with this type than me." She pointed to the newer looking swoop nearest to her. "I just got it yesterday." She added with a shrug.
"I can handle it." Obi-Wan said confidently.
"Qui-Gon you can take the one next to Obi-Wan's and I'll, well which one I take doesn't matter huh?" She walked over to the wall in which the swoops were facing and pushed on it until it started to slide. It slid to the side revealing the now empty and dimly lit streets of Avis. "Well let's get going. There's never good weather at night here. We can make some headway before we might need to stop."
Confessions
Obi-Wan shivered in the cold night air and looked ahead of him. Bailee was at the front of their line Qui-Gon next and Obi-Wan was last. Catching a glimpse of far off lightening Obi-Wan groaned loudly knowing it was drowned out by the constant hum of the swoop engines.
*What is with us and bad weather lately?*
Seeing Qui-Gon swoop down into the trees after Bailee, Obi-Wan followed. After parking he got off and stretched his stiff legs.
Bailee was scanning the area. "If I remember correctly there is a cave a few meters off that way." She pointed to her left, Obi-Wan's right. "I'll cover the swoops and get some wood for a fire. Be there in a few minutes."
After starting a fire Obi-Wan was *almost* glad they had stopped. The storm outside wasn't a small passing thunderstorm. Rain and hail seeped into the entrance of the cave while lightening dance across the sky in web like patterns before racing down to the ground.
Qui-Gon looked at Bailee who was staring into the fire with a blank look in her eyes.
"Bailee." He said startling her. "You seem to know a lot about this part of the planet."
She still stared into the fire. "I've got my reasons." She glanced up at Qui-Gon who raised an eyebrow. "I guess you have every right to know. After all I wouldn't want you to mistrust me or something. I wouldn't be able to stand that." She gave a wiry glance outside before turning to the fire again and starting. "I was part of a rebel group against the government committee building the underwater city. Three friends and I were almost always on the run from them after doing something to delay the project. This was always a great place to hide out."
"There was a rebel group against the city?" Qui-Gon asked.
Bailee nodded and yawned. "I'm sorry, but I haven't had an ounce of sleep for two days. Work has been a real hassle lately."
Without further discussion she laid down and closed her eyes.
Obi-Wan let out a sigh. So much was bothering him, but he didn't seem to know what everything was.
"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon said. A hint of concern was in his voice. "What's bothering you."
Obi-Wan looked at him and screwed up his face. Wondering what to say he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Daughter?"
Obi-Wan was surprised when Qui-Gon snorted a laugh and shook his head. "Not the most pleasant of thoughts."
"No, but was that the best he could come up with?!"
"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon warned him. "Now is not the time to let your anger get the best of you."
"I know! But this has all happened so fast. Wasn't it just yesterday I was watching Z practice her lightsaber skills!" Obi-Wan pulled his legs to his chest and cradled his head in folded arms. He couldn't believe he was acting like this in front of his Master, but he couldn't help it. He felt this whole thing was his fault.
"Obi-Wan." Came Qui-Gon's reassuring voice, but Obi-Wan let out a small sigh. In his Master's voice a lesson was at hand. "Events sometimes unfold beyond our control, but *we* always choose how to respond. You must accept both fortune and failure in this kind of event."
Sighing deliberately Obi-Wan nodded.
~Leave it to you Master to put in a lesson at a time like this.~
~Obi-Wan...~ Came a soft warning.
Obi-Wan looked up from his arms with tired eyes. "You're right Master. I'm sorry."
Obi-Wan laid down and stared at the ceiling. So many thoughts clouded his mind. He knew why he was so mad. It was because he couldn't stand the thought of Zae-Non not being able to do anything. It just didn't seem possible. Sure he had only known her for a little bit, but she seemed like one of the strongest people he knew.
Two questions floated in Obi-Wan's head: Was this how Qui-Gon felt when they were looking for Tahl? He remembered the determination in his Master. He'd do anything to get to her. Obi-Wan and him seemed to have switched roles. He told Qui-Gon things he had heard from his Master many times. But also the guilt Qui-Gon had. He blamed everything on himself. When they ran to the security quarter and had seen her lightsaber in the weapon box too her very death.
Another thing was what was the unease in his Master? It was the same unease he felt while on the mission for Tahl. Qui-Gon seemed to be fearing something. Besides *thinking* Tahl was going to die. It was as though he knew it would happen long before it would.
~~~~
Obi-Wan felt a hand on his shoulder and rolled over to find Qui-Gon staring down at him. "Time to get up Padawan."
He must have fallen asleep. Obi-Wan sat up and looked outside to find Bailee uncovering the swoops in the light drizzle that was falling. The sun was just peaking up over the horizon line covering the sky in a dazzle of reds, pinks, and oranges.
"Come on we need to get going if we are to reach Brez by tomorrow night." Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan shivered in the cool morning air. It was still drizzling and the wetness seeping into his tunic didn't make him any warmer. But Obi-Wan didn't care. All he cared about at the moment was the Force tugging at him. Something was wrong...
Someone or something was following them.
Obi-Wan felt a bristle of movement as the Force gave him a forewarning for blasterfire. Obi-Wan pulled his swoop into a deep dive to avoid getting hit as he heard the sound of sizzling metal falling through the air. Qui-Gon had his lightsaber out and motioned for him to get going.
"There's another one behind you." He warned
Obi-Wan glanced back to see a black probe droid on his tail. Too close for Qui-Gon to come by and get it Obi-Wan made his way towards a cliff side near by. As he pulled into a sharp race upward when he came within inches of the cliff he glance down at the droid which droid was unable to stop itself in time and crumpled down the cliff face bouncing the entire way down.
When they came upon an open area the three stopped to rest. Obi-Wan glanced around as he got off his swoop and took a sip of water.
"Bailee." Qui-Gon said. "Do you know what those droids wanted?"
"I was hoping your friend may have sent them out. If not I may have an idea about who did." She said looking back towards the path they had just come from.
Obi-Wan tried to squish the frustration inside of him, but it still rang out in his voice. "Don't tell me it's because you used to be part of that rebel group."
"Well sort of." She sighed. "I'm really sorry."
Obi-Wan realized how almost harsh his words were. "No, it's ok." He said hurriedly. "Just explain." Qui-Gon gave him a look of satisfaction.
"It might be one of my old friends, Brice. Once when security was looking for my friends and I he gave away our position. It turned out he as against us all long. He wanted information from me, but I'm not sure just what that information was. All the time he was `on our side' he was just waiting for me to give him the info. I guess I never told him and he lost his patience, basically he just got sick of waiting. Ever since then he's been hunting me down."
Obi-Wan flinched at her use of words. "Hunting you down?" he repeated in question.
"Well he hired a bounty hunter to come after me. Just my luck. From what I know this bounty hunter is supposed to take me to him or get the information from me."
Obi-Wan thought for a minute. A bounty hunter. All that brought to mind was Z with Ona and Garmandi, but there was something else. He thought back to Cryzal to when he was just entering the café with Z. He had felt a disturbance in the Force.
"Wait!" He said as he figured out what it was. "Qui-Gon, there were probe droids back on Cryzal!"
"Yes Padawan." Qui-Gon said. "But why would Ona take on two jobs. It's not like most bounty hunters to do that."
Bailee spoke up. "I can answer that. If we're talking about the same Ona, I know for a fact that she's in debt. Took on a job awhile ago and failed to complete it. She probably took on two jobs to get double the pay and then she'd be able to pay off her debt."
Obi-Wan thought for a minute. Then frowned "So that would mean she's after all three of us?"
"I think so." Bailee said in a high pitched voice. "She may have brought your friend Z here to make the two jobs easier. Get them both done at the same time."
*Done?*
"Bailee we should ride through the night tonight. If Ona has anymore probe droids I don't want them catching up with us." Qui-Gon said shielding his eyes from the blazing sun.
"Alright by me." She looked at Obi-Wan. "Let's get going."
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!! ... no I'm not begging... n e ways I was nice NOW... on sat I may not be... HAHAHA! Ok I'm done... till later.
Peace Out
New Allies
"Qui-Gon Garmandi must have done something to Z!" Obi-Wan said almost panic striken.
"Obi-Wan calm yourself. You can't loose your focus on the situation now. And that is finding out where they went." Qui-Gon turned back to the tendent. "Your friend, is he still here?"
"Yeah." She turned around and scanned the area around a speeder towards the garage. "Hey Brad! Come here!"
An extremely tall guy with vibrant red hair jogged over, clearly annoyed. "What is it? I've got to get that speeder fixed. The owner is coming in ten minutes to pick it up."
"I'll finish it for you. These Jedi have a few questions for you." She jogged away whipping a tool out from her belt.
Brad shook his head watching the young woman and turned to Qui-Gon. "So what do you need to know?"
Qui-Gon once again described Garmandi and Zae-Non. Then asked Brad what Garmandi had asked him.
Brad looked hesitant.
Qui-Gon was beginning to lose his patience. "The girl was not his daughter. She has been kidnapped her from the Temple." He explained quickly. "We are here to find her."
"Well then you better tell him" The girl had come back. "It's all finished."
Brad ignored her and went on. "He just asked me where he could find the town near the mining part of the underwater city."
"What did you tell him."
"I told him about a small town called Brez. It's very small and right by the entrance to the mining section of the city. But it is quite a ride there."
"How long?"
"A good two days without stopping that's for sure. I think that's why he asked me if I could tell him where a place he could get a land speeder was. I told him about the garage at the end of platform there, but it's closed by now."
Obi-Wan sighed. "Is there any place we could get any type of transportation?"
Brad glanced at the girl with a smile. "There might be." He whispered something to her and she nodded.
"You can use two of my swoops." She said. "They aren't the best but, they'll get you there at least. I can show you to Brez. I've got the next few days off work."
Qui-Gon glanced at Obi-Wan. He clearly wanted to get going. "Thank you. That would be greatly appreciated."
"No problem. At least my shift is over. See you in a few Brad." She waved to him and started down the ramp and across the street. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed. "Sorry, I never introduced myself. My name is Bailee." She turned a corner down a side street and waited for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to catch up. "The swoops are at my house. Just down here."
Down towards the end of the street they stopped in front of a two-story house. If that's what you wanted to consider it. It was brown and cracked and it looked as though if a light piece of durasheet were placed onto it, it would just crumble.
Bailee went inside and the sound of a flipping light switch echoed in the small corridor, but no lights came on. She let out a sigh and reached to her belt and took out a glow rod. It was dark by now so they couldn't rely on the sun. She stuck her head out and she motioned for them to go in. "They must be working on electricity for the underwater city." She said. "Our power always goes out when they do that."
Qui-Gon went inside after her and followed her down a flight of stairs into a small garage with four swoops. Three looked incredibly old and one was fairly new. Bailee went to the opposite side of the garage.
"Obi-Wan can you handle really sensitive swoops? I think you've have more experience with this type than me." She pointed to the newer looking swoop nearest to her. "I just got it yesterday." She added with a shrug.
"I can handle it." Obi-Wan said confidently.
"Qui-Gon you can take the one next to Obi-Wan's and I'll, well which one I take doesn't matter huh?" She walked over to the wall in which the swoops were facing and pushed on it until it started to slide. It slid to the side revealing the now empty and dimly lit streets of Avis. "Well let's get going. There's never good weather at night here. We can make some headway before we might need to stop."
Confessions
Obi-Wan shivered in the cold night air and looked ahead of him. Bailee was at the front of their line Qui-Gon next and Obi-Wan was last. Catching a glimpse of far off lightening Obi-Wan groaned loudly knowing it was drowned out by the constant hum of the swoop engines.
*What is with us and bad weather lately?*
Seeing Qui-Gon swoop down into the trees after Bailee, Obi-Wan followed. After parking he got off and stretched his stiff legs.
Bailee was scanning the area. "If I remember correctly there is a cave a few meters off that way." She pointed to her left, Obi-Wan's right. "I'll cover the swoops and get some wood for a fire. Be there in a few minutes."
After starting a fire Obi-Wan was *almost* glad they had stopped. The storm outside wasn't a small passing thunderstorm. Rain and hail seeped into the entrance of the cave while lightening dance across the sky in web like patterns before racing down to the ground.
Qui-Gon looked at Bailee who was staring into the fire with a blank look in her eyes.
"Bailee." He said startling her. "You seem to know a lot about this part of the planet."
She still stared into the fire. "I've got my reasons." She glanced up at Qui-Gon who raised an eyebrow. "I guess you have every right to know. After all I wouldn't want you to mistrust me or something. I wouldn't be able to stand that." She gave a wiry glance outside before turning to the fire again and starting. "I was part of a rebel group against the government committee building the underwater city. Three friends and I were almost always on the run from them after doing something to delay the project. This was always a great place to hide out."
"There was a rebel group against the city?" Qui-Gon asked.
Bailee nodded and yawned. "I'm sorry, but I haven't had an ounce of sleep for two days. Work has been a real hassle lately."
Without further discussion she laid down and closed her eyes.
Obi-Wan let out a sigh. So much was bothering him, but he didn't seem to know what everything was.
"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon said. A hint of concern was in his voice. "What's bothering you."
Obi-Wan looked at him and screwed up his face. Wondering what to say he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Daughter?"
Obi-Wan was surprised when Qui-Gon snorted a laugh and shook his head. "Not the most pleasant of thoughts."
"No, but was that the best he could come up with?!"
"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon warned him. "Now is not the time to let your anger get the best of you."
"I know! But this has all happened so fast. Wasn't it just yesterday I was watching Z practice her lightsaber skills!" Obi-Wan pulled his legs to his chest and cradled his head in folded arms. He couldn't believe he was acting like this in front of his Master, but he couldn't help it. He felt this whole thing was his fault.
"Obi-Wan." Came Qui-Gon's reassuring voice, but Obi-Wan let out a small sigh. In his Master's voice a lesson was at hand. "Events sometimes unfold beyond our control, but *we* always choose how to respond. You must accept both fortune and failure in this kind of event."
Sighing deliberately Obi-Wan nodded.
~Leave it to you Master to put in a lesson at a time like this.~
~Obi-Wan...~ Came a soft warning.
Obi-Wan looked up from his arms with tired eyes. "You're right Master. I'm sorry."
Obi-Wan laid down and stared at the ceiling. So many thoughts clouded his mind. He knew why he was so mad. It was because he couldn't stand the thought of Zae-Non not being able to do anything. It just didn't seem possible. Sure he had only known her for a little bit, but she seemed like one of the strongest people he knew.
Two questions floated in Obi-Wan's head: Was this how Qui-Gon felt when they were looking for Tahl? He remembered the determination in his Master. He'd do anything to get to her. Obi-Wan and him seemed to have switched roles. He told Qui-Gon things he had heard from his Master many times. But also the guilt Qui-Gon had. He blamed everything on himself. When they ran to the security quarter and had seen her lightsaber in the weapon box too her very death.
Another thing was what was the unease in his Master? It was the same unease he felt while on the mission for Tahl. Qui-Gon seemed to be fearing something. Besides *thinking* Tahl was going to die. It was as though he knew it would happen long before it would.
~~~~
Obi-Wan felt a hand on his shoulder and rolled over to find Qui-Gon staring down at him. "Time to get up Padawan."
He must have fallen asleep. Obi-Wan sat up and looked outside to find Bailee uncovering the swoops in the light drizzle that was falling. The sun was just peaking up over the horizon line covering the sky in a dazzle of reds, pinks, and oranges.
"Come on we need to get going if we are to reach Brez by tomorrow night." Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan shivered in the cool morning air. It was still drizzling and the wetness seeping into his tunic didn't make him any warmer. But Obi-Wan didn't care. All he cared about at the moment was the Force tugging at him. Something was wrong...
Someone or something was following them.
Obi-Wan felt a bristle of movement as the Force gave him a forewarning for blasterfire. Obi-Wan pulled his swoop into a deep dive to avoid getting hit as he heard the sound of sizzling metal falling through the air. Qui-Gon had his lightsaber out and motioned for him to get going.
"There's another one behind you." He warned
Obi-Wan glanced back to see a black probe droid on his tail. Too close for Qui-Gon to come by and get it Obi-Wan made his way towards a cliff side near by. As he pulled into a sharp race upward when he came within inches of the cliff he glance down at the droid which droid was unable to stop itself in time and crumpled down the cliff face bouncing the entire way down.
When they came upon an open area the three stopped to rest. Obi-Wan glanced around as he got off his swoop and took a sip of water.
"Bailee." Qui-Gon said. "Do you know what those droids wanted?"
"I was hoping your friend may have sent them out. If not I may have an idea about who did." She said looking back towards the path they had just come from.
Obi-Wan tried to squish the frustration inside of him, but it still rang out in his voice. "Don't tell me it's because you used to be part of that rebel group."
"Well sort of." She sighed. "I'm really sorry."
Obi-Wan realized how almost harsh his words were. "No, it's ok." He said hurriedly. "Just explain." Qui-Gon gave him a look of satisfaction.
"It might be one of my old friends, Brice. Once when security was looking for my friends and I he gave away our position. It turned out he as against us all long. He wanted information from me, but I'm not sure just what that information was. All the time he was `on our side' he was just waiting for me to give him the info. I guess I never told him and he lost his patience, basically he just got sick of waiting. Ever since then he's been hunting me down."
Obi-Wan flinched at her use of words. "Hunting you down?" he repeated in question.
"Well he hired a bounty hunter to come after me. Just my luck. From what I know this bounty hunter is supposed to take me to him or get the information from me."
Obi-Wan thought for a minute. A bounty hunter. All that brought to mind was Z with Ona and Garmandi, but there was something else. He thought back to Cryzal to when he was just entering the café with Z. He had felt a disturbance in the Force.
"Wait!" He said as he figured out what it was. "Qui-Gon, there were probe droids back on Cryzal!"
"Yes Padawan." Qui-Gon said. "But why would Ona take on two jobs. It's not like most bounty hunters to do that."
Bailee spoke up. "I can answer that. If we're talking about the same Ona, I know for a fact that she's in debt. Took on a job awhile ago and failed to complete it. She probably took on two jobs to get double the pay and then she'd be able to pay off her debt."
Obi-Wan thought for a minute. Then frowned "So that would mean she's after all three of us?"
"I think so." Bailee said in a high pitched voice. "She may have brought your friend Z here to make the two jobs easier. Get them both done at the same time."
*Done?*
"Bailee we should ride through the night tonight. If Ona has anymore probe droids I don't want them catching up with us." Qui-Gon said shielding his eyes from the blazing sun.
"Alright by me." She looked at Obi-Wan. "Let's get going."
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!! ... no I'm not begging... n e ways I was nice NOW... on sat I may not be... HAHAHA! Ok I'm done... till later.
Peace Out