Sorry it's so short. I hope that you enjoy this part.

Disclamier-whatever belongs to George or Jude Watson belongs to them, whatever doesn't has a good chance of belonging to me.

~Blazer~

Decadence

Chapter Two

"Is there a reason you wished to speak with us, Qui-Gon. I do not think that it is about the mission." Mace Windu glanced around the Council Room. The only members present were Yoda, himself, and Master Adi Gallia. He looked at Qui-Gon who stared back.

"You know why, Mace." Qui-Gon's blue eyes were hard and piercing. " I have a question, though. Why did you choose me to go on this mission when your knew that my Padawan would not be allowed to come?"

Mace sighed. "It's not that simple, Qui-Gon. We simply do not have enough Jedi Knights who are willing to take this mission, and few have the skills that this mission will require. Your skills are very valuable, Qui-Gon, and by handing this mission to you we acknowledge that."

"I was trained to be a negotiator, and that was what I wanted."

"Jedi need to be trained in all skills, and you know that. "

"For this mission, I think that a younger Knight would be better suited. I am, after all, going by myself, and that is a statement that I am still pondering. My Padawan should be allowed to go, Mace, it's that simple."

"It is not that simple, Qui-Gon," Adi Gallia said. She looked at Yoda, as if asking for permission. He nodded. "You know that Textri is Obi-Wan's home world, do you not?"

"Yes," Qui-Gon said impatiently, " But I don't understand what that has to do with anything. Many Jedi are sent to their home worlds on missions. I was. Nothing happened. The mission went fine."

"But," Mace Windu said slowly, " your parents, the ones that allowed the Jedi to take you, did not want you back."

~*~*~*~

Obi-Wan sprinted. He felt and he could hear the shots as they sang out from the man. He saw Bant's eyes widen, then show disbelief. She ducked away from the shots, but still they kept coming, and there was no shelter near her.

"Bant!" Obi-Wan shouted, feeling fear trickle into him. He blocked the few shots that were aimed at him. Mostly they were aimed at Bant. He leapt and blocked a shot a second before it hit her. " Get down!" he yelled at her. "Don't argue!" he added, seeing her mouth open.

Suddenly there was an explosion behind him that caused rocks to rain on him. He leapt down, Bant with him. The Force was gone from him, and he felt oddly naked as he turned around wildly, barely able to block a shot. Two more rang out. One aimed at him. One at Bant.

He blocked one. The other hit, and Bant screamed.

~*~*~*~

Qui-Gon jerked as though he had been hit. "What?" he gasped. "What do you mean?"

Mace Windu took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We have discovered information. In it, we have learned that his parents, Kodal and Calee Kenobi, are very powerful people on Textri. We do not know their positions, nor do we want to know. But we are being cautious."

"But why would they want him back?" Qui-Gon asked, flabbergasted.

"Know, we do not," Yoda said, speaking for the first time. "But certain of information, we are. Tell Obi-Wan, we wish you do not." He shot Qui-Gon a warning look.

"He is old enough," Qui-Gon argued.

Before anyone could reply, the door flew open to the Council Room and a Jedi Knight ran in. He bowed hastily. " Forgive my intrusion," he said quickly, "but someone is attacking the Temple!"

~*~*~*~

Bant screamed as the blaster bolt sank into Obi-Wan's forearm. Obi-Wan cried out, and dropped his lightsaber. Bant rushed to his side, grabbing the lightsaber and looking dangerously around.

But the man with the cloak and pale face was gone.

She deactivated it, and bent to Obi-Wan, who was panting and gasping for breath. "Obi-Wan!" she cried. She glanced at the scene. Obi-Wan was clutching his bleeding left arm, grimacing. They were lying near the grass, with rocks and dust all around them. The man must have thrown an explosive device right near the rocky shoreline. She and Obi-Wan were covered with dust.

"Get help," Obi-Wan gasped, struggling into a sitting position, his pain gigantic. "Get security."

"You idiot," she said softly, seeing students and Knights rush in the Room. " You should have protected yourself."

He grinned weakly at her, and suddenly felt the Force flow through him again. He closed his eyes and struggled to cope with the pain. " I couldn't," he replied.

"You always have to be the hero," she whispered, her eyes moist. "Why can't you step down for a minute, you moron?"

"Never," he answered as a Knight rushed up.

"Are you the only injured one?" he inquired quickly. He didn't wait for an answer, but took out a commlink and began to talk. "I need a healer at the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Appears to be one injured. Blaster wound."

He gave Obi-Wan a weary eye. " A blaster wound? "

"Can we explain later?" Bant asked as politely as she could. "He needs medical attention."

"I just need bacta," Obi-Wan argued. The Knight smiled at him, and glanced at the students who were looking on anxiously.

"Do you have a Master?" the Knight asked.

Obi-Wan grimaced. He didn't want Qui-Gon to see him injured. But he couldn't lie to a Jedi Knight. He nodded slowly. "Yes. His name is Qui-Gon Jinn."

The Knight nodded. "I'll comm him." Obi-Wan shook his head. He shook it because Qui-Gon had just run in, and was fighting to get to him. The Knight followed Obi-Wan's line of view, and when Qui-Gon got to him, he bowed, then faded into the crowd.

"Padawan, what happened?" Qui-Gon asked in shock, seeing Obi-Wan's arm soak entirely in blood. He immediately bent down. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah," Obi-Wan gasped, the pain biting him. "Just help me up." Qui-Gon gently took him by both shoulders and pulled him to his feet. Obi-Wan held his hand over the wound, trying to stop the steady flow of blood. Qui-Gon worriedly looked at him.

"A healer should be coming," Bant said, a little pale. "But we should get him there right away. You can walk, can't you?" Obi-Wan nodded, his face pale and drawn. His front end was streaked with blood and dirt, as was his face. Qui-Gon patted him on the back.

Mace Windu and Yoda arrived. "Is he the only one hurt?"

"As far as I know," Qui-Gon said hurriedly. "We need to get him to the Healer's. It's a blaster wound. " The Masters glanced at each other. " We need to get him to the Healer's. Now." He gave Mace and Yoda a meaningful look, then took hold of Obi-Wan good arm, then hustled him away.

~*~*~*~

Obi-Wan sat on a medical cot, the Jedi Healer Terrick examining his arm, Qui-Gon at her side. She nodded at the bloody wound. "Okay, I need to clean it. Is that painkiller working?" He nodded, staring at his arm, which was bare. His soiled tunic was draped over a chair.

She brought out towels and a basin of water. She damped the towel, and dabbed at Obi-Wan's arm. "Ow," he muttered. She used three towels wiping his blood away, and when she was done she tossed them all in the trash. "You have lost a tremendous amount of blood," she told him. "Do you feel dizzy, tired, nauseated or weak?"

"I feel tired." He blinked and felt Qui-Gon's probing eyes. "Dizzy. The rooms spins every once and a while."

She sighed. "That's not good." She glanced at the ugly wound. "You need bacta, and I'll need to sew it up. Then I need a blood count." Her face swarmed for a second, and he blinked rapidly, feeling the giant pull of sleep snapping at him. He sank his head deeper into the pillow.

"I see no problem with you sleeping," Terrick said gently. He shook his head slowly, but then felt Qui-Gon's hand on his shoulder. "Sleep, Obi-Wan," he said. "You need rest." Qui-Gon sent peaceful, reassuring waves through their bond.

He felt Obi-Wan go slack a second later.

~*~*~*~