Thank you for the review, Jessica :)
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Qui-Gon woke with a start and sat up on a couch he managed to drowse off on. Something woke him up abruptly, alerted him of impending danger. But where was danger? He looked around the room: blue-white walls, elegant furniture, large window on the wall farthest from him. The sight that greeted him from the window was the same as before: tall buildings – the mass of brown and gray was disturbed here and there by bright spots of signs; straight lines of traffic lined the pale-blue sky. Everything was ordinary, no threat anywhere. Qui-Gon released the hilt of his lightsaber he didn't even know he was gripping tightly and slumped back against the couch. He was sure the warning from the Force had woken him – but why was it warning him? There was no immediate threat. Unless…
Qui-Gon reached out for his bond with Obi-Wan only to find it tightly shielded from Obi-Wan's side. Why in the universe would the Padawan do it? He never blocked his side of the bond so completely; neither of them did, especially during a mission. Concern and confusion grew in the Jedi Master, flavoured with just slightest hint of irritation. What could happen to Obi-Wan to make him shut the bond?
Unable to reach the apprentice through the bond Qui-Gon decided to check on him through the Force – to find his location, then go and talk to him personally. He searched the Force for the bright light that was his Padawan's signature and breathed a sigh of relief when he finally found that signature – Obi-Wan was alive and unharmed. But something in signature made Qui-Gon frown – it was somewhat frizzled and twisted, something imperceptible amiss in it. He tried to locate the young man but there were too many people between them, their Force-signatures disturbing the Force – like reed swinging in the wind disturbs water – making the task to hone in on Obi-Wan's location impossible. Worried and lost as to what to do the Jedi Master rose and started to pace the room impatiently. Apparently, it helped: an idea dawned upon him:
Comlink! Of course! Qui-Gon picked his comlink and punched in Obi-Wan's code. He heard a signal and waited, his fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the small device. Someone answered it.
"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon ventured, careful to not let his anxiety seep into his voice.
To his utter bewilderment, the link was immediately shut off. Qui-Gon stared at it in disbelief, his worry, confusion and irritation increasing ten-folds – Obi-Wan never did such a thing, he would never cut off transmission like that. Putting the useless comlink onto the table, Jedi Master simply stared into space, emotions raging, getting the better of him. Then with an effort, he brought them under control. Once again, he took the comlink and this time called Kamon. The boy answered almost immediately.
"Padawan Turnell, where are you and Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon inquired sternly.
"We are on our way back, Master Jinn." The Padawan didn't seem concerned, as much as comlink transmission allowed to pick up on someone's emotions. It soothed Qui-Gon's worries a bit, but something inside him kept telling him that something was irreparably wrong.
Qui-Gon turned his comlink off and rubbed his forehead asking himself again and again: What could happen to Obi-Wan?
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Qui-Gon's nervous wait was interrupted by a light knock at the door.
"Come in," he called and in a moment two padawans were standing in front of him.
He looked closely at Obi-Wan, afraid to find out that something was wrong, but saw no indication of any injury or anything that could explain the boy's strange – unthinkable! – behaviour. He was relieved to see Obi-Wan unharmed but it also brought his irritation up a few notches. He shifted his gaze to Kamon, noting that there was nothing wrong with him either.
"You may go to your room, Padawan Turnell," Qui-Gon said somewhat coldly. "Obi-Wan and I need to talk."
Kamon bowed politely and disappeared, leaving the Master and the apprentice alone. Qui-Gon showed no emotions, his face stone, maintaining the calm façade of a Jedi Master. On the inside, however, emotions were boiling. Obi-Wan watched him carefully, feeling of apprehension rising inside him. Any outside observer would have thought that Qui-Gon was as serene as ever, but Obi-Wan knew better – in his years of training under the Jedi Master he came to know him good enough to be able to see through the façade.
"Why did you turn off your comlink?" Qui-Gon finally asked, carefully keeping his voice neutral.
"Master?" Obi-Wan was clearly confused.
"I called you and instead of answering me you turned off your comlink," Qui-Gon elaborated, his patience wearing thin.
"But you didn't call me." The Padawan didn't know what to think about his Master's sudden accusation. Was something wrong with Qui-Gon?
This was too much. The emotions that were boiling inside Qui-Gon broke out, crashed the carefully erected façade. And then Qui-Gon made a mistake people often make when they are worried too much – he yelled:
"Why are you lying to me?!"
Obi-Wan backed away from him, scared. His eyes went wide. There were not many who could face angry Qui-Gon without fear. And Obi-Wan wasn't one of them, not in such situation. Qui-Gon's tall frame towered over the boy – intimidating, frightening. The Padawan made few steps back until he ran against the door. Not really thinking he quickly opened the door and slipped outside.
Qui-Gon stared at the door Obi-Wan vanished through in disbelieve. What have I done? he thought desperately. He wanted to go after Obi-Wan, comfort him, ask for forgiveness…
But when he was ready to open the door, his hand froze centimeters from it. I can't go to him right now. It would probably do more harm than good. With that thought Qui-Gon walked back to the couch and sat onto it wearily. All the emotions that have been boiling inside him moments before died away, leaving just weariness and shame on their wake. What kind of Master was he to let emotions get the better of him like that? Such thoughts plagued him, drowning him deeper and deeper in black depth of self-admonishing and self-pity.
On the fiftieth level of the same building two bothans, aids of Arones, were walking down the corridor, talking.
"…I've got a record of it," one of them was saying.
"That's great, but how can we use it?" the other replied thoughtfully.
Their conversation was inconsiderately interrupted when Obi-Wan, making few hasty steps from Qui-Gon's door to the door to his room, ran straight into these two. He didn't see them because uninvited tears were blurring his vision. Muttering some apology he squeezed past two bothans to get to his door. He heard their talk, though it never registered with him. Entering his room, he quickly shut the door closed behind him. For a second he just stood there unmoving, then he slid to the floor and buried his face in his shaking hands.
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Obi-Wan didn't know how long had been sitting like this: hands covering his face, sitting on the floor before the door leading from the corridor to the common room of his apartment. He wasn't really crying, wasn't going to let himself cry because of some misunderstanding… Deep down he knew that it wasn't that simple, but he refused to acknowledge what he knew, refused to understand that something was much more seriously wrong here. Finally, after what could have been ten minutes or two hours, he got up, went to the couch and slumped wearily onto it.
His mind felt numb, as if someone ripped his brain out and replaced it with jelly. Did he drink too much alcohol?
His heart came to an abrupt halt; then it plunged down. He couldn't remember! The last thing he could recollect of the club was the kiss he shared with Anisa… Or did it really happen? Obi-Wan wondered. It was already blurry. After the kiss he could recall nothing. His memory, trained to store every little detail and provide it readily if the need arose, provided only blankness now. Nothing! The realization made him cold and dizzy. Obi-Wan stared at the room in front of him in horror, not seeing the room itself.
He knew he wasn't drunk. A bit, maybe, but not to the extent of losing his memory. So, there was nothing wrong with Qui-Gon, the problem was in him.
"What's wrong with me?" Obi-Wan asked aloud, perhaps addressing the Force. But the Force remained ominously silent.
The young man sighed and rubbed his eyes. They stung. In the corner of his eye he caught some movement at the door to his bedroom but when he looked straight at it there was nothing. He got up and walked there to see if there was someone. Nobody. He was alone in the apartment.
But as soon as he sat back onto the couch he heard a noise that suspiciously resembled that of careful steps. He was on his feet in an instant. He checked the apartment all over again, searched every corner. And again he found nothing. It was starting to get on his nerves. He couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching him, lurking in the shadows.
After another search with the same results, Obi-Wan sat onto the couch yet again, this time alert and waiting for the mysterious person to reappear. And again a shadow blinked just on the verge of his vision. Obi-Wan quickly turned towards it but there was no one. Panic seized him. Was someone watching him? Or was he imagining things?
No, this will not do. He was a Jedi Padawan. He wasn't supposed to panic. Bringing all his will into it, Obi-Wan forced himself to calm down and remain that way.
I need to stay focused , he thought compulsively. It will do me no good if I lapse into an uncontrolled panic. There's nothing to worry about. It's just my imagination. I am tired and I am simply imagining things… he tried to reassure himself.
Suddenly someone touched his shoulder. Obi-Wan whirled around, bringing his lightsaber against the intruder… and almost cutting Kamon in two with it.
"Hey, watch it!" Kamon cried, jumping away from the blue blade that was humming dangerously close to his neck.
"Oh, sorry." Obi-Wan turned red with embarrassment and quickly switched off his lightsaber. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that."
"What's wrong with you?" the other Padawan asked, looking at Obi-Wan intently, the lingering traces of shock still in his eyes, though a small smile appeared on his face as he talked. "It's not a proper time - much less a proper place - for lightsaber training, you know."
"Guess not," Obi-Wan replied, smiling faintly.
Obi-Wan's comlink suddenly buzzed, making Obi-Wan jump a little. Silently berating his nerves that got out of order as of late, he answered the call.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's voice rang in the quiet room. "Is Padawan Turnell with you?"
"Yes, Master." The boys exchanged glances. It was too late for any meeting to begin. Why would Qui-Gon want them both?
"The representatives have requested our presence in the conference room. Immediately. Meet me at my door." The comlink went off.
"We can say good-bye to this night's rest," Kamon said, walking to the door.
"What could get to them? Do they ever sleep?" Obi-Wan wondered, following his friend out. He suddenly found out that he was glad he didn't have to stay alone in his room anymore.
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