BIG thanx to all the peeps who decided to take the time and review! Means a bunch. N e wayz next chap is here!!… ok majorly hyper person here… read on!
Shame
Qui-Gon shook his head. How could he let all this happen?
Some Master I've become. The graying Master whispered to himself as a wave of guilt flooded him. I lost him…
Not wanting his Padawan to pick up on his shame Qui-Gon tightened his mental shields unconsciously…
Blocking out Obi-Wan.
The pilot turned back to him a forced smile on his face. "We will drop the minister off in a few minutes once we reach another landing platform. The security head would like to take him off planet. I'll drop you back off at the meeting house, once we let Drice off."
The Master met the pilot's weak gaze with a forceful one. "How many minutes is a few?"
"About a half hour…" Came a weak response as the man's eyes pulled away from the Jedi.
That's 30 minutes too long…
"Then land and drop me off here."
Eyes widening the co-pilot spoke up. "Sir, I don't think we can-"
"Excuse me," Qui-Gon interrupted roughly. "But it appears your security head can make his own decisions with out my consent and you will make this one without his. Besides Drice is not in any real danger. This assassination attempt was made at us."
~~~~
Qui-Gon ran down the street as fast as he could, happy that the usually crowed streets were now deserted in the darkness of the night. And yet terrified that the quietness meant his Padawan was no where around.
Stopping in front of the gray meeting building he looked up at the broken window of the room they had been in at the time of the attack. Racing down the alley in which Obi-Wan had fallen into the Master half prayed his Padawan would be there and half praying the boy had gotten up somehow and moved from harm.
Skidding to a halt Qui-Gon looked around at the sand covering the ground. A small shift in the sand where his Padawan had landed.
Footprints… Obi-Wan had gotten up. But they were staggered, weaved in and out. As the Master traced his apprentice's footprints he noticed they gradually got father apart. Obi-Wan had run.
For what reason? Or from who, or what?
Another pair of footprints a little ways away from his Padawan's.
Qui-Gon paused as reality smacked him hard across the face. A great disturbance in the sand undisturbed by the wind that was now picking up in the streets. Erasing footsteps made by the hundreds of people who walked the streets, and speeder marks from the land speeders zooming around.
But the disturbance…
A sign of struggle.
And stained sand now a dark red.
Blood.
Off the side of the alley a land speeder's scorch mark could be seen in the sand. The mark showed the speeder took off to the street where the wind had already wiped away its trail…
Obi-Wan was lost to that wind.
Peering up at the lightening sky Qui-Gon looked down towards his utility belt at his comlink. He was already late checking in with Council and they had to know.
Reluctantly Qui-Gon reach down and unclipped the comlink from his belt and held it up.
"Windu here." Came Mace's sleepy voice.
"Mace, it's Qui-Gon."
A sigh. "Qui-Gon it's late… or rather early, but you're late."
"I realize that." Qui-Gon said failing terribly at keeping his frustration down. "Another assassination attempt was made tonight, but it was not towards Drice. Rather it was made at an attempt to get to Obi-Wan and I."
"Why do you think the attempt was made towards you?" Mace questioned not quite awake yet. "And why didn't you contact us… or me or anyone right away?"
"Cause Obi-Wan was shot and kidnapped!" Qui-Gon yelled loosing the little patients he had left. Sighing he went on a little calmer. "Sorry Mace, but every minute that passes is a minute wasted."
Mace was quiet for a little bit and a long heavy sigh broke the silence. "Same as Sage and Adi." He finally said. "They were attacked today and Siri and Zae-Non are missing now."
"So they were the other teams investigating the sabotages." Qui-Gon said remembering Drice had said something about them. "So whoever has Siri and Z would probably have Obi-Wan." He thought out loud.
"That's the obvious answer. I'll contact Adi and Sage and give them your location." Mace said "May the Force be with you all."
After cutting off his communication Qui-Gon went out to the front of the building to wait for Adi and Sage.
Sitting down on the steps of the building every minute that passed seemed like 3 hours in itself. Every second that passed was another second Obi-Wan was lost to him.
After about ten minutes Qui-Gon was ready to take out his comlink and get a hole of either Adi or Sage. His patients was lost long before he had finished speaking with Mace. Whatever was left was quickly getting replaced by inpatients.
The Master peered down the street and saw in the distance two figures were running down the street, cloaks billowing out behind them. Leaping off the steps Qui-Gon met them half way down the street.
As Adi and Sage lowered their hoods Qui-Gon couldn't hide his surprise at their appearance. Neither wore a their usual Jedi tunics and robes. Rather both were dressed in what appeared to be dancers outfits from the local club. Adi's usual headdress was replaced by another and her eyes were now a light orange, different from her usual brown eyes. Sage's light brown hair was pulled back tightly onto the top of her head which change her appearance completely and it was streaked with blond, but her vibrant teal eyes still glowed in the moonlight.
Sage smirked at his face. "Undercover mission." She paused also picking up his lack of patients. "Just be glad we weren't further away."
Adi nodded in agreement and gave him a serious look. "What happened to Obi-Wan?" She asked obviously wanting to get started right away.
Qui-Gon explained everything that had happened from the meeting with Drice up to Obi-Wan falling into the alley way. After he finished he put his head down and stared at the ground. "I could have helped him…" he said softly once again shame washing over him.
Adi put a reassuring hand onto his shoulder. "Qui-Gon, you must not be shamed. We know how you feel, but feeling guilty will not help. Right now our focus in our Padawans."
Qui-Gon sighed and nodded in agreement. "What happened to Zae-Non and Siri?"
"We told them to finish searching the upstairs of the warehouse we were in while Adi and I went to a black market dealer's place for some information. A local club we had been working at." Sage started. She closed her eyes before continuing. "We new something was wrong when we were attacked at the club by a few of hired assassins. We ran out into the alleyway behind thee club only to meet a few more thugs. Using our cable launchers we roof hopped to the next alley and split up. We met back in the alley Z and Siri were, but we were too late. Whoever had kidnapped them was gone."
Adi sighed. "I wish we could have felt their distress earlier. It could have made all the difference."
"Zae-Non let out a silent cry." Sage said peering at her partner. "But it was after we had split up. And I wasn't the only one who had picked it up. Someone else was in the bond. I could feel them."
Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes as he thought back to the meeting with Drice. "It could have been Obi-Wan. He seemed distracted at the meeting we were in before we were attacked."
An awkward silence passed between the three Jedi as the sun began to peer up over the horizon line. They started up the street and stopped in front of the empty meeting building.
"If we are going to start sometime it might as well be now." Adi said breaking the silence. "Where did Obi-Wan fall?"
Qui-Gon motioned for them to follow him into the alley to their left. "There isn't anything really, but a few footprints and shufflings in the sand." They stopped half way into the alley. The graying Master looked back towards the street. "I lost the speeder trail because of the wind out in the street."
"It's not much to go on, but at least it's something." Sage said bending down in front of to a pair of footprints. "Qui-Gon these are to big to be Obi-Wan's?" Qui-Gon nodded. "Thought so. Plus, I didn't think he wore steel-toed boots anyway. They must belong to whoever took him."
Adi quirked an eyebrow. "How do you know whoever it was, was wearing steel tipped boots?"
"Must I remind you? I think I know what my own footprints look like." Sage said standing up. She picked one of her feet up and pointed to the boot. "I myself where them."
Adi nodded. "Right, forgot about that."
The three looked around the alleyway for clues of any kind. Searching every pebble of sand that was misplaced, scorched, or stained. Every footprint they determined who it belonged to. Every disturbance in the sand they hypothesized what could have happened.
After about an hour the three Jedi gathered back into the street in the newly risen sun warming the street for a new day.
Adi shook her head. "There isn't much to go on. All we can do for now is hypothesize on what we think could have happened."
"And pray that some clue or something, or anything comes up." Sage added with a heavy sigh. She peered around at the little shops and cafés that lined the street. Their owners were out getting them ready for another day of business. "I think we should get something to eat then get some witnesses and interview them. Like the security guards at the meeting building you where in Qui-Gon."
Qui-Gon nodded his reply.
Adi put a hand on his shoulder. "Qui-Gon we know it's hard, but you can't let your hopes down. We will find our Padawan's again."
"It's not my hopes that are gone Adi." Qui-Gon said turning to the sun. "It's the fact I know I could have helped Obi-Wan. I felt a disturbance and I didn't follow through on the fact a warning was pushing me to do something. The fact I had a hypothesis on everything that I'm afraid will be confirmed."
"Hypothesis? About what Qui-Gon?" Sage asked sternly.
Qui-Gon sighed. "I believe this may have to do with that one Carver from our mission to Zantria."
Adi's eye's widened slightly. "Zantria? That was so many years ago though. I didn't think anyone survived that but those three Blood Carvers."
"That is true, only those three did survive." Qui-Gon closed his eyes as he thought back. "I remember that one little Carver, Showdow. He blamed everything on us. Even though he was only eleven I remember him saying he would get revenge on us. That little Carver was the same one that helped Ona kidnap Zae-non from the Temple the first time and Garmandi kidnap her the second time. He also helped Ona in keeping Mik and Z on Zefron. My guess would be he also assisted in killing Mik on Cryzal."
Sage's eyes dropped to the ground as she remembered her close friend. She then looked up at Qui-Gon with question in her eyes. "Are you sure about that?"
"Positive. But I didn't realize it was him until after we returned from Celsic. A long time after we returned at that." He went on. "I'm wondering if this Carver is still trying to get at us. We were the only three Jedi that went to Zantria on that mission."
Adi nodded. "That is something we better look into. You could very well be right about that Qui-Gon."
"That is what I am afraid of." Qui-Gon said worry mounting in his stomach. "Whoever it is we don't know their motives or what they are capable of. Even if it is this Carver we don't know where he could be. If it's not then we have a lot of searching to do."
"Umm," Sage said softly. "I realize we should start as soon as we possibly can, but can we get changed first? These clothes aren't the most comfortable things."
"I agree completely." Adi said laughing weakly.
The three Jedi turned and began down the street. Either knew exactly where they were going or where they would end up. But they did know that Force willing they would fin their Padawans.
No matter what it took.
No matter how long they would have to spend searching.
Obi-Wan, Siri, and Zae-Non would be found.
Al right that's all for now… review please! Ok another kinda boring chap I know, but again necessary… it all starts in the next chap… ::evil grin:: be prepared!!!! ::laughs:: Till next time…
Peace Out
