Long foreword once again. Just skip what's not irrelevant for you.
Amy: Yes, you can kill him. Just after i finish with him.
Culf: Ewww. That's gross. Incest. Mother and son. I actually got the achilles idea from a story i read about a boy and a horse. He had a wild horse and someone wanted it. They were going to break it and be ultra cruel to it so the boy decided to cut the horses tendons so that the men wouldn't want it. The moral of the story was, "Cruel to be kind." The horse remained wild and free but crippled. Good or bad? Who can say?
Sethoz: Theres a club now???? Are you serious? Can i join? Stargates cool. I'm not into as much as i was, but i got my friend totally addicted to it. I used to have a crush on Daniel when he had long hair *blushes*. My, that was a long time ago!
Anna: That was short? Sorry! I thought that was pretty long....but they all start to look the same to me. Trust me, your review was great. I'm writing this in a bikini top and short skirt cause it's so HOT. I think my computer might have a meltdown. I've never seen snow! Yesterday, it was around 40 C, (103F) and i couldn't go down the beach. You have my sympathy! No matter what the excuse.
lightedeagle: That's ok, i just thought i'd lost several people (which i still think i have...)
bored2death: I think i should hire a bodyguard.....
Anon: *blinks* I hadn't actually thought of that. But *roz hurriedly thinks up an excuse* Lets say.....Obi-Wan has dug through the sand for 2 days. He has found no water. His body is too weak to allow him to keep digging. The dew on the sand is virtually nil and everytime he does try to drink it, he ends up with sand in his mouth. He does lick the dew off his body but it's not enough for anything. *roz grins weakly*. I know that was a crappy excuse, but it's the best i could do in 5 secs. Sorry!
Okay, i'm SO SORRY for not updating last night. I'm begging forgiveness from Culf and Anna (because i know that you would've waited all night for it). I'm so sorry. I'll explain the excuse. There are huge fires going on in Australia at the moment. (400 houses gone, 4 people dead, 100 people injured) and although i don't live where the fires are, half my family does. So we spent all last night, ringing around, making sure they're ok. They're fine....for the moment. My aunt, who owns a farm, is very very close to the bushfire. So please forgive me, please?
To make up for it, i'll upload 2 chapters together. That ok?
****Keys that jingle in your pocket
Words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly?
Was it something that I said?
- The Windmills Of Your Mind
****Qui-Gon entered the mansion through the huge oak doors and looked impressively around him. It had taken them almost 3 weeks to find Caleb's hiding place. It was well concealed, virtually underground and on the other side of the planet that they had originally landed on. He had special machines to cloak him, making him invisible to probes seeking out life-forms.
As Qui-Gon confidentially strode forward he raised his head high in the air and draped on a posture of arrogance.
River and Billy trailed behind him; heads bent and shoulders slumped. They were his slaves.
After finding out where Caleb lived and what he did, it hadn't taken Qui-Gon long to think out a plan. It went roughly like this. Pretend to be a guns-master buying merchandise to re-sell. River and Billy are his personal slaves. They are 'tame.' Do some business with Caleb. Qui-Gon had unlimited use of the Jedi Council's credit account. Breach the subject of slaves. See where it goes from there.
Qui-Gon's thoughts whirled as he frantically tried to feel his apprentice – with no luck.
Suddenly, an average height non-descript man blocked his path. Everything about the man was plain. He wouldn't stand out anywhere. He was the type of man that would win prizes for being the most plain.
(And the 'Most Boring' First prize goes to……….Caleb!!) Qui-Gon blinked as the man extended his hand and spoke.
"Welcome friend. My name is Caleb; it is I that you will be doing business with. Please call me Caleb. I understand your concerns about privacy and secrecy therefore I will only call you friend. I'm afraid that I've got some business to attend to but I won't be long. Please follow this droid and it'll show you to your chambers. Please make yourselves comfortable and I will be with you shortly." Caleb gave a small, quick bow and left quickly, muttering something into his comm.-link.
"Okay then. He didn't hang around long." River murmured as they followed the droid. The room was plain but beautifully furnished. Qui-Gon didn't see any of this but sunk down into a huge chair and closed his eyes.
"So what do we do now?" Billy asked while touring the room.
"We wait."
****Obi-Wan trudged onward, following in Caleb's wake. It had been almost three weeks since his experience in the Sands and any remaining pride and self-respect had been ripped away. Obi-Wan had lost all hope. Every step he took seemed to take infinity and took all his concentration. One foot in front of another. Obi-Wan didn't realise how hard a simple task just like walking could become when one was crippled.
Caleb turned back to wait for his slave. His smile widened as he watched the young boy struggle onwards. His shoulders were hunched over and each step he took seemed physically draining on the young teen. Everything about the boy radiated despair.
The event in the Sands was a turning point in the 'training' of the young slave. After that first act, the boy had bowed down to doing other acts. Admittedly there had been several hiccups in the proceedings, which had meant that Caleb had to lose several other slaves. Sure, that was a loss but the rewards were great. The boy was finally breaking; he was bending to Caleb's will. Compared to the breaking of a Jedi, the loss of a few slaves was small. Infinitely small.
Obi-Wan was re-living several of the worst memories of his short life.
He had been the cause of death for 4 slaves. Caleb had shot them in front of him, just because he had disobeyed an order. He remembered the smell of the blood and the smell of scorched flesh heavy in the air. He remembered the fear in the slave's eyes and the way the light let them when they died. After the execution, Caleb made the boy carry the corpse back to it's dormitory so that its friends could see what had happened. That was the worst part. The other slaves had come to fear and hate the boy. Everywhere he went, he brought death. They made sure that they studiously avoided him. To be truthful, Obi-Wan tried to avoid them as much as possible as well, just so Caleb didn't single anyone out just for being his 'friend.' There was only one person that he could call friend. Her name was Kali. She worked in the kitchens. She was nice. Obi-Wan would make sure that nothing would happen to her.
(I will never be the cause of another slaves death) Obi-Wan silently vowed, (If I must do what Caleb says to accomplish it, then so be it). As he made the promise, he caught Caleb looking at him and he bowed his head.
Caleb watched with satisfaction as the boy lowered his head, "Come here." He commanded. Obi-Wan came.
"Kneel." Caleb pointed to the ground in front of his feet. The boy knelt, keeping his eyes lowered. "Good, very good. You are learning fast, my young slave." He bent down and forced Obi-Wan to look up into his eyes.
"So we have come to an agreement?"
Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped ever further and he whispered while not meeting eye contact, "Yes."
Caleb coughed, "Yes, what?"
Obi-Wan bowed his head, "Yes master."
"Good. Now, go to our room and wait there for me. I have to see a client and then I'll be with you."
"Yes master." Obi-Wan gave a small bow from his kneeling position and Caleb nodded; signalling he could go. Obi-Wan left.
"Yes, very good." Caleb rubbed his hands with approval as he watched Obi-Wan limp off slowly. "Another couple of days, and I'll have him."
****Qui-Gon paced around the small room nervously. River and Billy looked at him from various positions around the room.
"Do you think you could stop that Qui-Gon? It's quite annoying." River quipped trying to lighten the tension in the room.
Qui-Gon gave a grunt, then stopped, "You 're right River. Sorry. It's just……..this place. Can't you feel it? No, I suppose not." Qui-Gon answered his own question. "The fear is hangs heavy in the air. I can feel it in the F---" he was luckily stopped from finishing his sentence as the door slid open revealing Caleb.
"Ah. I see you've made yourself comfortable? I'm sorry that I took so long, but I had some business that I had to finish before seeing you. I hope you don't mind?" Caleb entered, holding out his hands.
"No, not at all. Not at all. I understand just as well, how busy a business like this can become." Qui-Gon swallowed, thankful that he had stopped when he had. He took the hand in front of him and shook it with a confidence that he felt he didn't possess.
"Well, I'm glad you understand. And these are…….?" Caleb looked inquiringly at River and Billy who had taken up a position kneeling on each side of the standing Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon looked down at them, and pasted a contemptuous expression on his face, "My slaves of course. I prefer to have two, that way I keep them in check by using the other as leverage."
"Ah," Caleb made an understanding noise, "Yes, I have found that works quite well; in fact I am personally training a slave by using those methods of persuasion. But that is not the reason why you are here is it?" Caleb made the move to start the actual business.
"Well, not really. But maybe after this business transaction, we could check out this new slave of yours. Slave-breaking is a little hobby of mine, and it interests me to see other people's methods." Qui-Gon tested the water.
"I don't see why not. To tell the truth, I'm awfully proud of this latest achievement. It's not everyone that manages to break a Jedi." Caleb leant forward and whispered this to Qui-Gon, his voice inviting praise.
Qui-Gon's heart leapt and he had to remember to keep breathing. "Wow. That is one of my ultimate dreams. You must show me this later. Later, you must tell me how you acquired such a specimen; I have looked everywhere for such a slave – to no avail. But now, let us do business. Business first, pleasure later. That is what I have always been taught."
Caleb nodded and leant back, "Sure. Why don't you sit down and we can begin?" Caleb gestured to a chair and Qui-Gon accepted the invitation.
The next 2 hours were the most boring that River and Billy had ever spent in their lives. River had had experiences with long waits on his knees but it was a first experience for Billy. While the conversation floated over their heads about ammunition, quantities, co-ordinates, political situations, and pricing the two 'slave's' knees got extremely sore. They did not speak but made eye contact with each other several times, mainly indicating how bored they were.
"It's getting pretty late and we haven't finished and confirmed everything. My friend, you are a hard bargainee and very stubborn. But I like to see that." Caleb's voice floated down and Qui-Gon stood. River and Billy straightened up and put on their best 'broken-slave' posture.
"Yes, it is getting late but I do not wish to continue this tomorrow. I wish to close the deal tonight." Qui-Gon stated, a hard look in his eyes.
Caleb sighed, "Of course, I understand. Well, then. Let us go to my private office and there we can confirm and close the deal. How about that?"
Qui-Gon nodded his approval, "Sure, that sounds great." He looked down at Billy and River and noticed how tired they were, "Do you mind if I send my slaves back to my quarters? I do not wish them to hear out whole private conversation and I need them well-rested for tomorrow."
"No, I don't mind at all." Caleb got up from his chair and palmed open the door, "Let us go, friend."
River and Billy slowly stood up, testing how flexible their legs were. Keeping their faces down and shoulders hunched they followed their 'master' out. Qui-Gon turned to them outside the door and sternly said, "Go to bed. There is no food for you today. If you are good, I might consider feeding you tomorrow." River and Billy gave a quick bow and left when Qui-Gon consented for them to go.
****Qui-Gon could not believe what he was seeing. Kneeling right in front of him was his apprentice. His Padawan. After all this time, he had finally found him.
And Obi-Wan hadn't even recognised his presence.
****"Cryptic little gnome!" Mace grumbled as he impatiently waited for the droid to finish refueling his ship. "Why can't he just speak normally like everybody else? Of course not. He just calls me in and tells me to fly through several galaxies and go to some strange planet that nobody has ever heard of."
One of the healers came out and came to stand alongside the dark skinned human, "Um, Master Mace. We were wondering, what exactly are we doing here? I mean, we know that we're going to a planet called...." He quickly consulted a data-pad, ".......Jabez, but why are we going there?"
Mace cleared his throat and tried to look mysterious and all-knowing, "Because it is the will of the Force. It has commanded us to journey to that planet. All will be revealed presently as the Force sees just. You must trus--" the master was cut off as the healer grinned uncertainly at him.
"Ohh! It's like that huh? You have no idea huh?" The healer turned to his companions who had snuck up behind him. "Master Mace here has no idea why we're being told to go to this planet."
Mace clenched his teeth together, "No, to be truthful I do not know why we have to go to this planet. But Master Yoda told me to go, therefore I will go. Do you understand?"
The healers faces cleared at the venerables master's name, "Yes, we understand. Yoda sees things that we cannot. We respect him and his decision. I am sorry to have disturbed you Master Mace." The healer bowed and made to return to the ship but was stopped by the master's hand on his cloak.
"Yes Master Mace?"
"How long has it been since Padawan Kenobi has been missing?" Mace was looking thoughtfully at the stars.
"Uhm...." The healer played for time while mentally counting the months, "It has been well over 10 months. I thought that they had declared him dead."
"No...." Mace turned to the healer, "He hasn't been declared dead. Master Jinn is still searching for him. I wonder if this has anything to do with him? Yoda always had a soft spot for that boy."
"Yes", the healer laughed, "He has been in the healer's ward way too many times for my liking!"
"Well, I hope that he will be fine when we find him." Mace's face grew sad. (More likely that we won't find him, or we'll just find his body.) Mace continued, his voice thick with remorse:
"He is greatly missed back home."