Hey I'm back! People need to review. I don't know wheather you all are
liking or hating this! It's almost done and this is only ch. 7 : ) Thanks
to Ginger Ninja for posting this.
Qui-Gon brought the speeder's speed down as he recieved readouts from his probe droid. " We're going in the right direction. He's about a half a day's journey ahead of us. " Turning to face Baurka as he brought their speed up again, he half smiled. " It won't take more than a day to catch up with them. "
" What will you do when we catch up to them? "
Rage boiled inside him. His face still, Qui-Gon replied in a calm voice, " I will seek justice."
-
After much persuading and ordering from Master Gallia, the group saw themselves around a campfire ready to go after a few hours sleep. Mota listened patiently as Obi-Wan explained the circumstances around the day's events. All four stayed close to conserve body heat in the cold night as they pretended to sleep, impatiently waiting for morning and the continued seach. . . .
-
Kicking rocks around soon proved to be a task not worthy for passing the time with. Qui-Gon sighed and stared in contempt at his downed speeder. At the insist of Baurka, they stoppped helfway through the night to allow the engines to cool. All three of New Apsolon's moons were visible, making the black night appear day. The two agreed to take shifts of watching out for trouble and recieving readouts from the probe droid. Qui-Gon had already had his turn to sleep, and his body was now energized while his mind continued to brew with impatience.
Baurka was sleeping in the back seat of his speeder, which was sitting, hidden behind a large tree. Soft and cool summer night breezes blew, gently ruffling the Master's greying hair. Everything was cast in either a black shadow or a silver glow, consequences of lunar light.
Qui-Gon's senses heightened slightly. Something was coming. No. . . . somethings were coming. He looked up in time to see a group of five probe droids armed with blasters nearing.
Without hesitation, he drew and ignited his lightsaber, just in time to deflect the first blaster bolts. Quickly, he lept up to dispel the threat coming from two attackers by neatly slicing them in half. He turned and sent a blaster bolt back to it's sender, causing it to short circut and fall to the ground.
One droid kept up a rapid stream of fire while the other attempted
to go for the sleeping Baurka. Seeing this, Qui-Gon lept backward to stand in front of the tree hiding the speeder, now covering both him and the still sleeping man. It was all he could do to not let shots get close.
Suddenly the two droids exploded and crashed. Turning around the Master saw that Baurka was still sleeping. ' The droids must've had a solf- destruct mechanism. '
In one swift move, Qui-Gon was in the driver's seat powering up the engines. A sleepy voice rang out behind him.
" Is it morning yet? "
-
The four swoops were back on their journey long before the first rays of sunlight graced the sky. Adi wanted to stay camped longer, to give Obi- Wan some more rest, but the boy was adament about continuing on. He had spent their downtime watching the other's sleep, keeping him safe He had wanted more than anything to continue when the probe droid came back twice with the same reading, confirming that Qui-Gon had too camped. But the Padawan couldn't go alone. Even if it wasn't dangerous, Adi would have a bone to pick with him if he went.
As the wind rushed past and the sun cast a warm, reddish glow over his face, Obi-Wan smiled. He remembered how Master Gallia had lectured Qui- Gon about not including her in decisions on their last mission to capture Jenna Zan Arbor and to free a kidnapped Jedi Master. He was sure she was close to lecturing him too. Like Master. like Padawan. Another one of Yoda's famous sayings popped into his mind, " Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you. Need that you do not. "
-
A few hours later the sun was way above the horizon, making the curse at the tremendous heat. They had come to an area that had numerous trees and boulders in the vicinity. Leaving the swoops in some shade to cool off, the four began to walk around, stetching stiff muscles.
" I found something! " Siri cried. They all rushed over to a tree to where she was pointing to the ground. " These scorchmarks are recent. Someone was here- "
" Qui-Gon, " Obi-Wan stated. " The probe droid came back a few times last night with the same reading, here. "
" Well at least it's something, " Mota shrugged. " But we can't leave for anther hour beause of the swoops. "
Obi-Wan turned and walked away. " Where are you going? " Adi asked.
" I'm gonna explore a bit! Maybe they left behind another clue! "
The boy circled a large boulder and skidded down a slope. Now he stood in a dried up pond, weeds jutting out from the dusty earth. A large tree provided shade to the area, the boy welcoming the bit of cool air. That comfort didn't last long however, as a hot wind made the humid air as unbearable as before. Looking up, Obi-Wan thought he saw a shadow in the trees. Something about it was so familiar. . . .
Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he dived off to the right just as Ona Nobis' body landed where he had been, her throat emitting an angry cry. The bounty hunter hadn't changed, still wearing full body armor and a visor over her eyes, bald head reflecting sunlight. In her hand as usual, was her whip, and blasters were strapped to her thighs. The boy stole a brief glance at her hand, the one that had two fingers fused together, the result of an injury he gave her.
Standing up, he ignited his lightsaber and waited for her to make the first move. The whip, in laser mode, came at him and wrapped around his weapon as he deflected it. Loud cracks and hisses were heard until Ona called the weapon back to her.
" Obi-Wan?! "
The boy glanced behind his shoulder to see Siri a few yards away. It was all his opponent needed to switch the whip to normal mode and send it out again. Obi-Wan looked down to see it wrap around his ankles ad pull. The force of his body hitting the ground caused him to drop his lightsaber as he was dragged across the earth.
In a matter of seconds, the whip was gone and Ona's boot was pressed against his throat, making it hard to breathe. She had taken out her blaster and pointed it at his head, no doubt to keep Siri at bay. They both knew Siri would.
Both Padawans had faced Ona before. She was a Sorrusian, incredibly agile with fast reflexes, along with the ability to squeeze through almost any space. She was also very strong. Obi-Wan had made a mortal enemy out of her after he had injured her. At their last encounter, he, Adi, and Siri had seen her fall off the roof of the royal palace on Belasco, but they never found a body.
The boot pressed harder. Obi-Wan lay coughing and choking for breath while trying to push her foot away. If Siri didn't do something soon, he would either choke to death or the boot would press so hard that his trachea would brake. He personally had no desire for either option.
Black spots started to encave on his vision and then the weight was suddenly gone. He found himself coughing and taking in large lungfulls of air. Mota bent down, helped the boy up, and half carried him away to safety. Moments later, Adi and Siri joined them.
" She's gone, " Siri said. " She had a hidden swoop. She probably knew we were coming. "
" Are you alright Obi-Wan? " asked Gallia worriedly.
A raspy voice answered, " Yeah. But I don't recommend choking. It's not a pleasent experience. "
Siri held out a datapad. " Ona dropped this when we chased her. "
The four crowded around the small screen as the yound Padawan accessed the only file. It was a message:
Ona Nobis,
We have a job that you'll be interested in. We are seeking revenge for what Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi did to us. Rumor is, you're looking to kill the brat Kenobi-
" Hey! I resent that! "
" Shut up and let me finish reading! "
" Siri. . . . "
" Sorry Master. "
- , so we think you'll be useful. Details will be given later. Think of it this way, you can kill him and that be the end of it, or You can help us and get paid to kill him. We'll be waiting for an answer. Balog, Astri, and Eritha
" So Astri and Eritha are free too, " Mota said.
" Who? " Adi asked.
" Astri and Eritha are the daughters of a deceased famous leader
here, Ewane. They conspired with Balog and he, as you know, caused Tahl's death, " Obi-Wan explained.
" It they're out, then the Absolutes must be reforming again, " Mota said grimly.
" Then we'll need help. We can't face them alone, " the boy stated. " Mota, you've gotta go back- "
" No! I told you- "
" Let me finish! I want you to go to the civilized section and talk to Manex. He promised he'd help the Jedi in any way he could. Tell him I sent you. "
" Why exactly are we doing this? " Adi asked.
" Manex has been trying to capture the last remaining Absolutes
since he bacame the ruler, " Mota said. " We'll need help getting
around
them, so Mannex will be glad to help. I'll go. "
" Me and Qui-Gon had trouble last time, even with Eirtha with us. If Manex sends help, we won't have to worry about the Absolutes as much. Good luck, Mota. "
Walking over to his swoop, the junk dealer climbed on and started it. " I'll return as fast as I can. Wtih help, I hope. "
Siri stepped forward, " Take the probe droid transmitter so you can find us again. "
The remaining three watched until the swoop was out of sight. A warm wind blew their clothes about. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and let the Force take him over. Everything was happening so fast. Just barely a week ago he was worried about how to get Qui-Gon out of his depression and how he would pass his chemistry test. Now, he was on a quest to save his Master not only from Balog, but from himself too.
' Qui-Gon always tells me to trust my insticts. Now's a good time to start. ' Throwing away all his worries and anxieties, he surrendered himself to the will of the Force. ' Where would Balog go? What's out here? '
As if a glow rod went off in his head, he knew where to go. There were abandoned quarries near canyons that Balog had used as a hideout.
A woman named Yanci told Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan how to get there. It had been flooded after numerous explosions because it was underwater, but it had been over five months. Who knew what the Absolutes could do in that time? ' And what better place to hide than where someone won't expect you to go, a known hiding spot? '
Opening his eyes, he turned to his two comrads. " I know where to go. Qui-Gon's probably almost there. We'll have to push the swoops to the limit and we might make it there by nightfall. "
TBC
well that's all for now. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW Bye!
Qui-Gon brought the speeder's speed down as he recieved readouts from his probe droid. " We're going in the right direction. He's about a half a day's journey ahead of us. " Turning to face Baurka as he brought their speed up again, he half smiled. " It won't take more than a day to catch up with them. "
" What will you do when we catch up to them? "
Rage boiled inside him. His face still, Qui-Gon replied in a calm voice, " I will seek justice."
-
After much persuading and ordering from Master Gallia, the group saw themselves around a campfire ready to go after a few hours sleep. Mota listened patiently as Obi-Wan explained the circumstances around the day's events. All four stayed close to conserve body heat in the cold night as they pretended to sleep, impatiently waiting for morning and the continued seach. . . .
-
Kicking rocks around soon proved to be a task not worthy for passing the time with. Qui-Gon sighed and stared in contempt at his downed speeder. At the insist of Baurka, they stoppped helfway through the night to allow the engines to cool. All three of New Apsolon's moons were visible, making the black night appear day. The two agreed to take shifts of watching out for trouble and recieving readouts from the probe droid. Qui-Gon had already had his turn to sleep, and his body was now energized while his mind continued to brew with impatience.
Baurka was sleeping in the back seat of his speeder, which was sitting, hidden behind a large tree. Soft and cool summer night breezes blew, gently ruffling the Master's greying hair. Everything was cast in either a black shadow or a silver glow, consequences of lunar light.
Qui-Gon's senses heightened slightly. Something was coming. No. . . . somethings were coming. He looked up in time to see a group of five probe droids armed with blasters nearing.
Without hesitation, he drew and ignited his lightsaber, just in time to deflect the first blaster bolts. Quickly, he lept up to dispel the threat coming from two attackers by neatly slicing them in half. He turned and sent a blaster bolt back to it's sender, causing it to short circut and fall to the ground.
One droid kept up a rapid stream of fire while the other attempted
to go for the sleeping Baurka. Seeing this, Qui-Gon lept backward to stand in front of the tree hiding the speeder, now covering both him and the still sleeping man. It was all he could do to not let shots get close.
Suddenly the two droids exploded and crashed. Turning around the Master saw that Baurka was still sleeping. ' The droids must've had a solf- destruct mechanism. '
In one swift move, Qui-Gon was in the driver's seat powering up the engines. A sleepy voice rang out behind him.
" Is it morning yet? "
-
The four swoops were back on their journey long before the first rays of sunlight graced the sky. Adi wanted to stay camped longer, to give Obi- Wan some more rest, but the boy was adament about continuing on. He had spent their downtime watching the other's sleep, keeping him safe He had wanted more than anything to continue when the probe droid came back twice with the same reading, confirming that Qui-Gon had too camped. But the Padawan couldn't go alone. Even if it wasn't dangerous, Adi would have a bone to pick with him if he went.
As the wind rushed past and the sun cast a warm, reddish glow over his face, Obi-Wan smiled. He remembered how Master Gallia had lectured Qui- Gon about not including her in decisions on their last mission to capture Jenna Zan Arbor and to free a kidnapped Jedi Master. He was sure she was close to lecturing him too. Like Master. like Padawan. Another one of Yoda's famous sayings popped into his mind, " Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you. Need that you do not. "
-
A few hours later the sun was way above the horizon, making the curse at the tremendous heat. They had come to an area that had numerous trees and boulders in the vicinity. Leaving the swoops in some shade to cool off, the four began to walk around, stetching stiff muscles.
" I found something! " Siri cried. They all rushed over to a tree to where she was pointing to the ground. " These scorchmarks are recent. Someone was here- "
" Qui-Gon, " Obi-Wan stated. " The probe droid came back a few times last night with the same reading, here. "
" Well at least it's something, " Mota shrugged. " But we can't leave for anther hour beause of the swoops. "
Obi-Wan turned and walked away. " Where are you going? " Adi asked.
" I'm gonna explore a bit! Maybe they left behind another clue! "
The boy circled a large boulder and skidded down a slope. Now he stood in a dried up pond, weeds jutting out from the dusty earth. A large tree provided shade to the area, the boy welcoming the bit of cool air. That comfort didn't last long however, as a hot wind made the humid air as unbearable as before. Looking up, Obi-Wan thought he saw a shadow in the trees. Something about it was so familiar. . . .
Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he dived off to the right just as Ona Nobis' body landed where he had been, her throat emitting an angry cry. The bounty hunter hadn't changed, still wearing full body armor and a visor over her eyes, bald head reflecting sunlight. In her hand as usual, was her whip, and blasters were strapped to her thighs. The boy stole a brief glance at her hand, the one that had two fingers fused together, the result of an injury he gave her.
Standing up, he ignited his lightsaber and waited for her to make the first move. The whip, in laser mode, came at him and wrapped around his weapon as he deflected it. Loud cracks and hisses were heard until Ona called the weapon back to her.
" Obi-Wan?! "
The boy glanced behind his shoulder to see Siri a few yards away. It was all his opponent needed to switch the whip to normal mode and send it out again. Obi-Wan looked down to see it wrap around his ankles ad pull. The force of his body hitting the ground caused him to drop his lightsaber as he was dragged across the earth.
In a matter of seconds, the whip was gone and Ona's boot was pressed against his throat, making it hard to breathe. She had taken out her blaster and pointed it at his head, no doubt to keep Siri at bay. They both knew Siri would.
Both Padawans had faced Ona before. She was a Sorrusian, incredibly agile with fast reflexes, along with the ability to squeeze through almost any space. She was also very strong. Obi-Wan had made a mortal enemy out of her after he had injured her. At their last encounter, he, Adi, and Siri had seen her fall off the roof of the royal palace on Belasco, but they never found a body.
The boot pressed harder. Obi-Wan lay coughing and choking for breath while trying to push her foot away. If Siri didn't do something soon, he would either choke to death or the boot would press so hard that his trachea would brake. He personally had no desire for either option.
Black spots started to encave on his vision and then the weight was suddenly gone. He found himself coughing and taking in large lungfulls of air. Mota bent down, helped the boy up, and half carried him away to safety. Moments later, Adi and Siri joined them.
" She's gone, " Siri said. " She had a hidden swoop. She probably knew we were coming. "
" Are you alright Obi-Wan? " asked Gallia worriedly.
A raspy voice answered, " Yeah. But I don't recommend choking. It's not a pleasent experience. "
Siri held out a datapad. " Ona dropped this when we chased her. "
The four crowded around the small screen as the yound Padawan accessed the only file. It was a message:
Ona Nobis,
We have a job that you'll be interested in. We are seeking revenge for what Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi did to us. Rumor is, you're looking to kill the brat Kenobi-
" Hey! I resent that! "
" Shut up and let me finish reading! "
" Siri. . . . "
" Sorry Master. "
- , so we think you'll be useful. Details will be given later. Think of it this way, you can kill him and that be the end of it, or You can help us and get paid to kill him. We'll be waiting for an answer. Balog, Astri, and Eritha
" So Astri and Eritha are free too, " Mota said.
" Who? " Adi asked.
" Astri and Eritha are the daughters of a deceased famous leader
here, Ewane. They conspired with Balog and he, as you know, caused Tahl's death, " Obi-Wan explained.
" It they're out, then the Absolutes must be reforming again, " Mota said grimly.
" Then we'll need help. We can't face them alone, " the boy stated. " Mota, you've gotta go back- "
" No! I told you- "
" Let me finish! I want you to go to the civilized section and talk to Manex. He promised he'd help the Jedi in any way he could. Tell him I sent you. "
" Why exactly are we doing this? " Adi asked.
" Manex has been trying to capture the last remaining Absolutes
since he bacame the ruler, " Mota said. " We'll need help getting
around
them, so Mannex will be glad to help. I'll go. "
" Me and Qui-Gon had trouble last time, even with Eirtha with us. If Manex sends help, we won't have to worry about the Absolutes as much. Good luck, Mota. "
Walking over to his swoop, the junk dealer climbed on and started it. " I'll return as fast as I can. Wtih help, I hope. "
Siri stepped forward, " Take the probe droid transmitter so you can find us again. "
The remaining three watched until the swoop was out of sight. A warm wind blew their clothes about. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and let the Force take him over. Everything was happening so fast. Just barely a week ago he was worried about how to get Qui-Gon out of his depression and how he would pass his chemistry test. Now, he was on a quest to save his Master not only from Balog, but from himself too.
' Qui-Gon always tells me to trust my insticts. Now's a good time to start. ' Throwing away all his worries and anxieties, he surrendered himself to the will of the Force. ' Where would Balog go? What's out here? '
As if a glow rod went off in his head, he knew where to go. There were abandoned quarries near canyons that Balog had used as a hideout.
A woman named Yanci told Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan how to get there. It had been flooded after numerous explosions because it was underwater, but it had been over five months. Who knew what the Absolutes could do in that time? ' And what better place to hide than where someone won't expect you to go, a known hiding spot? '
Opening his eyes, he turned to his two comrads. " I know where to go. Qui-Gon's probably almost there. We'll have to push the swoops to the limit and we might make it there by nightfall. "
TBC
well that's all for now. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW Bye!