Skool sucks! And that's all I have to say about that…

Ok I'm gunna finish off this book posting two chaps at a time… so here r the next two.

Long Paths

Qui-Gon tapped his foot on the cold off white tile flooring.  Sitting in the same seat for the past hour in complete silence was not helping to clam his irritation at the moment. The small waiting room was getting cold and boring.

Looking out towards Adi and Sage he could see that they too felt the same way. Anxious and worried. Sure they were all worried for their friend, but more anxious to get back out and find their Padawans.

Even if it meant leaving Mace behind.

The soft tap of boots on the tiling echoed from down the hall, but neither of the Jedi moved. They had heard it too many times to get their hopes up this time.

But this time was different.  Adi jumped up as a young man in all white attire stopped in the doorframe and smiled.

"You can come with me." He said softly.

Sage pushed forwards. "Can we just have the details and not the small talk?" She asked in a rushed voice.

The young doctor ran his hand through his light brown hair. "Sure." He said slowly.

Sage sighed. "Sorry we are just kind of in a hurry."

"I can see that." The young man led them down a series off hallways while explaining everything. "Well your friend has six broken ribs that will heal fine in do time, but one cracked off at an odd angle and punctured his lung. Luckily for him it's not too serious, but it may take some time to heal."

"When do you think you can allow him to leave?" Qui-Gon asked. He knew that if it was more than a day they would have to leave planet without the Council member.

"I would normally say about another two or three days, but I have heard you Jedi heal yourselves quite fast." The man smiled slightly and stopped outside of a small room far into the medical building. "He's under sedation and probably won't be up for tow more hours or so, but I gather you won't be here that long."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No we will not be." He walked into the small pure white room followed by his friends. "We are going to have to get our Padawans without him."

Adi sighed and sank down into a chair by Mace's bed. "He is not going to be happy when he wakes up."

"That is an huge understatement Adi." Sage said flatly.

The council member nodded in agreement. "Definitely an understatement."

She studied the fairly empty room. Besides the small bed, there was a side table, two chairs, a counter, and a bared window in the far end.

"Not much of a pleasant place to be staying." The dark skinned Master said breaking the awkward silence that had casted itself over the room. "You think we should come back for him?"

"It all depends on our Padawans" Sage said. "We may not be able too."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I know we won't be able to. Not with all that we have heard already."

Looking down at his boots the venerable Master sighed heavily. He knew it was only a matter of hours before they would be back on a ship heading for Courascant. He only knew that because he trusted the gut instinct growing deep down inside of him.

They would be heading home soon, but with what?

Nothing?

Something?

Or broken Padawans?

Shaking his head he stared out towards Adi. "Either one of us has to return early and get him or we leave without him."

The council member nodded. "Sage is right. It all depends on our Padawans."

"Then we leave." Sage said her vibrant teal eyes staring distantly out the small window.

Adi sighed. "Like I said before. He is not going to be happy when he wakes up."

Qui-Gon followed the two out into the halls again and out to their swoops. It was going to be a long afternoon.

A long next few days.

A long path in front of them was all that stood. So unclear and the three Jedi knew it would not be cleared until it came time to be.

Something they wished weren't so.

*****

Showdow threw the rest of his needed things into his speeder in the back exit hanger and sighed heavily. He did not even get to have half the fun he wanted. He did not get to see the young Padawans die…

"There is always another day." He told himself as he walked towards the hall. He had a few more things to do before he would leave. 

Walking down the hall to Obi-Wan's room he carefully went over all the things he needed. But his thoughts were interrupted by an annoying partner running down the hall towards him.

"What happened?" He snapped at his out of breath friend.

Dev bent over puffing for air. "I… got one… of them." He said before taking one big breath.

"One?" Showdow sighed. "How the hell is that going to help us at all?"

Dev mocked a smile. "He was pretty hurt from what I could tell." He shook his head and narrowed his eyes at the carver.  "However I am not to sure of his injuries, but they returned back to town for the time being. All four of them." He pressed.

A twisted smile creased over the Carver's face. Relief spread through him. "I can always count on you. Even if you do get annoying."

"I am not the only one that is annoying around here." Dev said irritably.

"Don't get snappy on me now."

"Who says I started now?"

Dev let out an exasperated sigh and flung his arms up. "Just because every other person and alien we come across is scared crapless of you does not mean I am."

The alien glared at his friend. The man had never had any guts to stand up to him before. What could have caused this turn around?

Shaking his head the carver waved off his friends comment. "Come on, we have one more thing to do before the remaining Masters return for their broken apprentices."

He began to walk forward, but his friend stopped a questionable look on his face. "Isn't the exit that way." He said pointing towards the door to the small hanger.

"I said we have one more thing to do." Showdow said coolly. "Now hurry up. I want to get out of here as soon as I can!"

"You have one more thing to do. And get out of here as soon as you can." The red haired man stopped in mid step. "Not you. Us. I'll meet you at the speeder. I am not going to be part of your torture with that boy." He turned on his heal and huffed away towards the speeder.

Showdow stared for a moment in shock at his friend's abrupt reaction, but shrugged it off once again. "Suit yourself. Not like I care much."

He kept on walking until he got to the boy's lab. "I don't see why he cares so much anyway." Shaking his head he entered and looked around the white marbled room.  The walls and ceiling were still ice white, but the floor was covered in a dark maroon stain of blood.

He walked over the still form of the Jedi and studied it for a second. 

The boy's body lay in a pool of his own blood, still bright red and still falling. His half naked body was battered unlike anything the carver had seen, every broken bone stuck out at an odd angle, every broken rib made a purple bruise on the boy's chest, every burn was blistered and infected; swollen and pussing, every cut and laceration was deep and disgusting to look at.

The Padawan was a pitiful site to the crazed alien.

And yet such a welcoming one.

The carver crossed the lab over to his table where a small needle lay. It's icy blue contents swirled around with a mossy green.  He smiled as he looked at the liquid in the cylinder. It would be staying with the boy for a long time.

If he lived.

Walking over to the Padawan he bent down and studied the site.  He felt a small earning of sympathy. But when was the last time he actually felt sorry for someone?

Not since Mik died.

For Sage.

But that was the past.

That was behind him.

That would not be repeated.

Shaking his head Showdow lifted up Obi-Wan's arm and rested it on his knee.  Puncturing the top of the boy's arm he let the cold liquid run slowly into the youth's blood stream.

With a small chuckle he stood up and peered down once more, just staring. Taking in every scratch, burn, bruise, and broken bone he had made.

Had he gone a little hard on them?

"Showdow!" The carver cursed at himself. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Rolling his eyes at his own rebuke he sighed heavily at Obi-Wan.

He would not bee seeing the apprentice for a long time yet. He kind of hoped he would live…

Showdow shook his head again. "What in the stars has gotten into you?" He asked himself blankly, once again talking to himself. "Why do you care what happens to them or not?"

Of course for the people who did survive he had plans formulating. 

One last final slip for each.

But that had nothing to do with what he felt.

Storming from the room Showdow sprinted towards the small hanger where his friend waited, but slowed his pace as he realized just what had gotten into him. Stopping dead in mid-step the carver's realization slapped him in the face.

He had never planned to kill them in the first place…

Discoveries

The two speeders came to a stop for the third time in front of the familiar cliff face. Adi and Sage jumped out of one and Qui-Gon from the other. The graying Master looked up at the late afternoon sun and then along the cliff face. 

The dieing sun casted shadows that began to engulf the long wall of rock.  The sweltering heat was now dropping along with the source that created it and small clouds began to gather in the clear blue sky threatening the land with much needed rain.

They were just as lost as they were when they first arrived at the spot, save for a few clues that didn't point anywhere unparticular. Or if one wanted to get specific somewhere in the seven kilometer radius.

Qui-Gon stood in the middle of his two friends a light breeze blew his hair back. "This spot have an amusing color to you or are you just staring at it for fun?" He asked Adi in sarcasm.

She shook her head rolling her eyes and stepped forwards towards the wall. "When Sage was up on the cliff with Mace I was looking elsewhere. And this…" She ran her hand along a crack that arched up into what looked like the outline of a doorframe. "Caught my eye."

Pushing against the rock with all her force the rock suddenly flung inwards and Adi stumbled in after it. Catching herself on the ground she looked back at the other two Jedi. "I think I found something."

"You state the obvious more than Yoda does sometimes." Sage said bolting forwards after her friend. Qui-Gon followed right behind. "It's a stair case." She said igniting her lightsaber. The teal glow illuminated the cracked walls and falling a part stairwell that lay before them. She shrugged. "Ok we all make a habit of it!"

The graying Master ignited his lightsaber as did Adi. The Force screamed at the three Jedi. It screamed for them to take heed in where they were about to ascend too. It told them of the danger that lay ahead, the hurt, pain, loss that lay in the lab below.

Their Padawans.

The Masters made their way down the narrow passageway cautiously with every step. Hugging close to the wall Qui-Gon took a deep breath of stale heavy air. Letting it out slowly he shot a glace towards Sage who sighed nearly choking on the think hot atmosphere around them.

A small landing was at the bottom of the stairs with a large durasteel door blocking their path. Adi in front slowly cut a hole in the door and the three Masters stepped trough it into a brightly lit white hallway. The smell of burnt flesh swirled around the Jedi and the feelings of pain and loss filled their hearts.

For a moment the three looked around the long hall.

Where were their Padawans?

Scared to find them.

Anxious to get this day over with.

Adi was the first to walk down the hall hesitant with every step. She stopped closing her eyes and gathering the Force around her.  She sprinted down the hall faster than Qui-Gon could pick up and turned into a room a little ways down.

The other two Jedi sprinted down after their friend and stopped dead as they spotted her bolting into a room down the hall. The Force screamed at both of them to leave from the labyrinth of pain and death. Running towards the room Qui-Gon stopped behind Sage almost knocking into her.

Adi turned to face them Siri in her arms. The Padawan looked beaten and tired, but most of all looked lost.

But admits it all the young girl's face was a mask of relief to be with her Master again. Tears were brimming in her sharp blue eyes.  Siri clung onto Adi's neck with one arm and the other dangled down at her side stuck out at an odd position.

Adi stopped in front of them. "I am going to go to town, pick up Mace and get our transport ready for us to leave right away. Hurry as fast as you can."

Siri stared at Sage with a dead gaze. "He…" the girl suddenly broke down into hysterics causing fear to lace between the three Masters.

Sage looked past the youth and panic took over her. She pushed past Adi with a shout and collapsed next to Zae-Non. She gathered the girls limp form in her arms as her shoulders shook violently with sobs. She ran her fingers through Z's blonde hair hugging the girl tightly, gently rocking back an fourth.

Qui-Gon walked over slowly and bent down next to the two.  Zae-Non was white and her skin was icy to the touch. Her chest could not been seen rising in falling in a rhythmic pattern and her eyes did not twitch about. She lay still… oh so still.

"Sage…"

She looked up at him despair and loss in her eyes. "She can't be Qui-Gon. She can't be."

Minutes past as no one said or moved the only sound was the small sobs coming from Sage and the delicate breathing of both Masters… joined by another pattern.

The Jedi suddenly froze as she felt the rising and falling of her Padawan chest start, ever so faintly, but it was there.

Sage slowly brought Zae-Non down from her tight grasp and laid her on her knees. "Pa… Padawan?" She whispered.

No response. Only the soft rhythm.

The graying Master stood up. "Sage you're right. She's not."

A sudden gasp from Zae-Non cause Sage to jump slightly. Her Padawan's eyes flew open and her almost black eyes stared out blankly towards the ceiling. The girl let out a cry of pain before curling up and sinking into her Master's lap.

"Z…" Sage leaned forward and kissed the girl lightly on the top of her head. "Not yet Padawan… not yet."

Qui-Gon put his hand onto his friends shaking shoulder. "Sage." he said softly. "Go, I'll catch up with you."

The Master looked up at him, anger flaring in her teal eyes. "What the hell did he do to them?" She asked trying not to let her tears fall harder. She looked down at the girl in her arms again. "Come on Z…" She scooped her Padawan up and without a second thought of the place raced out into the hall.

"Qui-Gon you've got to hurry!" Sage called over her shoulder before disappearing up into the darkness that engulfed the stairs to the lab.

The graying Master closed his eyes and dived down into his bond with his lost Padawan.

All he received was a blank.

Bolting down the hall he stopped in front of another door father down with the door ajar. He gasped as he walked inside.

The air was heavy and the vile smell made the Master's stomach turn. The white tiled floor was splattered with spots and puddles of blood. And tools, come covered in blood others weren't, were spread all over the small lab. But none of that was taken notice by Qui-Gon.

In the middle of all was his Padawan's still form laying face down in a pool of his own blood. That crescent moon carved angrily into his ripped apart back. 

The boy was so torn.

So pale, so still.

So broken.

Cliffie I kno… I luv em… cant ya tell? Wat ya think? U kno I luv the feedback. Till Later~

Peace Out