See
Ch1 for standard disclaimer.
Chapter Three A Padawan's
Problem
The room slowly spun in to focus. Qui-Gon opened his eyes and looked
around, trying to establish where he was. The one thing he did know for
certain; he was alone. He seemed to remember waking up this way before and
wondered if he was having a bad dream. In hopes of reaching his Padawan, he
centered himself and began to reach out to the Force when he heard a whisper of
subtle movement behind his head. He tried to discover who had entered the room.
She was standing in the doorway watching as he struggled with the drugs and resulting confusion. A look of intense dislike and frustration crossed her face. No matter what she said, the damn Jedi refused to acknowledge her authority, and she had captured him yet again. He looked for a moment as if he was trying to recall who she was, he slowly shook his head and it fell back to the floor. Did he remember her? Had he destroyed her plans and her way of life thinking his actions would not come back and bite him?
The
Jedi thought they were so superior to everyone else because they were above
anger and revenge. Whereas all her thoughts and planning for the past eleven
years was how to make him and the Senate pay. She stalked across the floor to
stand in front of Qui-Gon. She could not have her revenge if he didn't even
remember who she was. In a rage she stomped back across the floor and slammed
her hand on the wall, hitting the button that controlled her little surprise
for her unwilling guest.
Qui-Gon's body heaved, thrashing and twitching against the restraints as
electricity coursed though him. She watched his face as the pain registered
with satisfaction. "The last time we talked you failed to answer my
question. I'll ask it again, who is the prisoner now?" His face became
calm as the electricity stopped. "Ah, so the Jedi do feel pain. I'll make
a note of this. Thank you for your cooperation Jedi Master Jinn. I am happy to
see that you are taking your job of serving the Republic so seriously," she
said sarcastically. "I don't know if you remember me, but eleven years ago
you sent me to a prison planet. I am back to finish what you interrupted. Are
you ready to believe me now? The life you knew is gone forever and you are mine
to do with however I wish. I take great joy in telling you; there will be no
rescue. No one knows you're gone. I
created another to take your place. Don't you remember? You have already met
him. You will not be missed."
Qui- Gon closed his eyes and drew a shaky breath, the pain was severe, but he needed to hang on to it for a little while longer. It would help to clear the drug induced haze from his mind. The woman seemed familiar somehow but he was not able to focus enough yet to remember. He knew he needed to be calm to access the force. Be patient, he told himself. The Force would not be out of reach much longer.
The
Jedi master knew that his Padawan was looking for him. She did not know Obi-Wan
like he did. Obi- Wan would find him, unless he was able to extricate himself
first. He was startled by the woman pressing a hypo to the side of his neck
filled with more drugs. "Time for your nap Jedi. You won't be connecting
to the Force because I have laced your sedative with a Force suppressant," she
laughed. "We will talk again before this trip is finished."
Back on the Nubian Transport
If someone had asked Obi-Wan to describe how he felt just before they landed on
Coruscant, he might have said distracted or agitated. The truth was he was
nervous, but of course being a Jedi he could not admit that. The flight from
the Outer Rim to Coruscant took 5 long days. Everyday his Master pulled farther
away. Qui-Gon had not spoken to him privately through their bond at all. He
didn't seem to want to be involved with anyone. It was as if he was a
completely different man Obi-Wan thought and yet he knew that was impossible.
The only consolation was that HIS Master was ignoring the boy too.
Obi-Wan tried releasing his worries to the Force but that was not working
either. He had tried to tell Qui-Gon about his feelings while they were aboard
the Trade Federation ship but his stubborn Master refused to listen. He
sometimes wondered what would become of Qui-Gon when he became Knighted and was
no longer there to take care of him. Probably be taken over completely by his
projects, Obi-Wan chuckled. Everyone in the cabin looked at him with
surprise, everyone that is except his Master who was ignoring him.
He looked at the viewer as Ric Olie continued telling Anakin about Coruscant.
"It's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there," Ric
said. Obi-wan thought about the Planet he called home. He had traveled to many planets since
becoming a Padawan to Qui-Gon Jinn. He tried to see Coruscant as Anakin would
for the first time. Anakin's world had vast desert spaces with almost no
commercial buildings or trees. Coruscant was a planet that was all cities with
no open spaces just very tall skyscrapers.
Obi-Wan
sighed; maybe I'm not being fair to the boy. It must be very difficult to
leave everyone and everything you know to go to an unfamiliar place with people
you have only known a couple days. What would my Master do to comfort the boy? Obi -Wan reached out and placed his hand on
the boy's shoulder the same as his Master did for him. He was rewarded with a
tentative smile and Obi-Wan smiled back.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan disembarked first and were met by Chancellor Valorium and
Senator Palpatine. Qui-Gon proceeded to give a brief report of the mission to
the Chancellor. Obi-Wan stood next to Qui-Gon half listening to his Master and
wondered what would become of the child since he was too old for the Council to
grant training. He watched as Padmé motioned for Anakin to follow her, and the
boy looked at Qui-Gon for permission. Qui-Gon motioned the child to go with the
Queen and Obi-Wan exhaled a sigh of relief. Maybe he would become a ward of
the Queen and he and his Master could get back to normal.
I have to go before the Council and convince them that I am Qui-Gon Jinn and
the looks I'm getting from the young Jedi tells me I'm failing.
My Mistress had drilled me on the procedures of the Jedi until I was comfortable using them. I don't know where she obtained all her information and I learned early not to ask questions. Anything having to do with the Jedi will send her into a rage. The last time I questioned her about them she used a neuroblaster resulting in my being paralyzed for several days.
I had studied the layout of Jedi Temple from diagrams provided by my Mistress.
The Council chamber is in the center of the Temple and easy to find. Reporting to the Council Chambers must be normal procedure because Kenobi is not challenging me. I am feeling more positive about my chances of success.
Standing
in the Council Chambers, Obi-Wan gazed out of the windows again half listening
as his Master reported to the members. Suddenly Obi listened dumb founded as
Qui-Gon finished his report by saying, "My conclusion is the person who
attacked me on Tatooine is a Sith Lord."
My Master has lost his mind thought Obi-Wan as his mouth dropped
open in surprise.
Master Ki-Adi-Mundi not bothering to hide his irritation and dismay blurted,
"Impossible, the Sith have been gone for a millennium." I wonder how my master knew it was a Sith
Lord? Why did he not share his information with me? How did he know about them
if they have been gone for a thousand years? Obi speculated.
"Threatened, the Republic is, if the Sith are involved" said Master
Yoda watching Qui-Gon with a great deal of interest.
They
think the Sith destroyed. Good, they will be so concerned with this new threat
they won't have time to probe my actions, Qui-Gon mused. The younger Jedi was shifting from
one foot to another. Can this boy feel my thoughts? Is being in
constant contact allowing the boy to read his thoughts where he could not on
the ship?
In truth, Obi-Wan was considering what Master Yoda had just said. Maybe my
Master has not lost his mind, maybe it was a Sith Lord and maybe my Master was
just preoccupied. His thoughts were interrupted by Master Windu, "This
is difficult to accept Qui-Gon; I do not understand how they could have
returned.
The Sith never really left, they have always been here thought Qui-Gon. There have always been two and my Mistress is working with one of them. He was saved from having to make a reply by Yoda who looked very pointedly at Qui-Gon and said with a snort, "Hard to see, the dark side is. Discover who this assassin is, we must." Yoda watched Qui-Gon and after a moment of deliberation said, "With this Naboo Queen, you must stay, protect her, you will."
Obi -Wan listened to the murmurs of approval from the other Council Members voicing their belief in Qui-Gon's abilities. I wonder if the Council Members had been with my Master for the last five days would they still believe in his abilities? His Master had not spoken since completing his report concerning the Sith Lord. This was confusing to Obi-Wan for his Master was usually more verbal with the Council. He watched his Master not noticing that Master Yoda had turned his attention to him. Mace Windu was dismissing his Master, when he felt something unrecognizable from his Master in the bond. Yoda echoed Master Windu's words, "May the Force be with you," and Obi-Wan turned to leave. Yet his Master made no effort to join him.
I knew it, Qui-Gon is going to talk to them about the boy. When Qui-Gon finished telling them how Anakin might have been conceived by the midi-chlorians, and would bring balance to the force Obi-Wan groaned. The Council was shocked into silence once again. Master Jinn has a knack for rendering people speechless today Obi-Wand noted. Master Windu, the first to overcome his shock said, "You refer to the prophecy."
Qui-Gon smiled this just might go my way after all. I hesitated and then said, "I don't presume," at that I was interrupted by the old Jedi Master, "But you do, revealed your opinion is," he snapped. Qui-Gon took a breath and thought I over did it. I decided the best course of action was to defend my belief that the boy should be trained by telling them it was the will of the Force for me to find the boy. I knew it was a bit reckless, but in the end they agreed to test the boy. I am sure that the Council does not suspect a thing.
The Jedi Master strode out of the Council
chambers without seeing the speculative looks that Master Yoda was giving his
receding back. Needing a moment's peace to collect my thoughts, I headed to one
of the Temple's many gardens to meditate on what will happen if I fail to pull
this off. The pain my Mistress will inflict will be unbearable.
Obi-Wan on the other hand went looking for a small green Jedi Master, who had
once been his Master's Master and understood Qui-Gon very well. "Master
Yoda," Obi -Wan sat down in Yoda's quarters to enjoy a quiet a quiet
lunch. "Questions, you have," Yoda said as he sat down in front of
Obi-Wan. "Troubled you are, changes your Master has made, concerned you are,
noticed, I have," Yoda continued. Obi-Wan was glad that he was not the
only one to think his Master's behavior was odd.
"Yes Master Yoda, he has been this way since we left Tatooine, after he came back with the boy. Now he wants the Council to believe that this boy is the one who will unite the Force. There are hundreds of these old prophecies that have almost become Jedi lore," Obi-Wan said tucking his hands back into his robes. "So sure you are, that the chosen one, he is not?" Yoda said. "Master Yoda, Master Qui-Gon is relying on instinct and we know that instinct is only good if born of the Force and not of emotion." Yoda looked at Obi-Wan his eyes narrowed down to mere slits, and he said, "Careful you must be, your own advice, you must follow."
"Yes Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied. Realizing he was dealing with jealousy he sighed and stood up to leave. He turned to Yoda and said, "Thank you Master Yoda for the lunch and the advice." I should go and find Qui-Gon he thought as he left Yoda's living quarters.