Obi-Wan, highly in tune with the Force since he was denied his sight, was gathering confusing images from the Force and trying to make sense of them before the little group of three was surprised by anything. Most pressing on his mind was the feeling that someone who wished them harm was near, though it did not feel like Scarface. Scarface's dark side energies were clearly bleeding through the Force farther ahead in the direction they were headed. He had not wanted to go this way, toward their tormentor, but he had sensed death to the left of where he and the representative had found Qui-Gon instead of the feeling of merely more suffering that was toward the right.
Suddenly, when they had walked more than a few minutes up the long corridor, Obi-Wan stopped dead.
"What? What is it, Padawan?" Qui-Gon's tired and pained voice softly inquired. The hand on his arm tightened slightly.
Without a word, Obi-Wan stretched out his arm and let his fingertips brush against a rough surface which must be more rock. Hardly aware of what he was doing, letting the Force completely guide his movements, he pressed on three specific rocks and heard a soft grinding noise as a result of his actions.
"Our lightsabers!" He heard Qui-Gon breath happily. Mere seconds later, the familiar cool handle of his lightsaber was pressed into his hand. Obi-Wan almost wept with relief to have his lightsaber returned to him. Now he felt like he had more of a chance against their captor.
"Padawan," Qui-Gon was asking, "how did you know?"
Obi-Wan shrugged. "I let the Force guide me, Master. I'm letting the Force be my eyes for me and so I just knew."
He could almost see Qui-Gon's thoughtful nod. "You are learning much, Padawan. I'm only sorry you have to learn it this way."
Obi-Wan tried not to glow from his master's praise. The warmth from that small praise spread through him and helped soothe many hurts he still felt from his torture and that were trying to disrupt his connection with the Force. And with that cleansing feeling came the sudden, unavoidable knowledge of whom it was that wished them more harm. Keeping silent, knowing that he would find an opportunity in the near future to confront that person, Obi-Wan merely smiled sadly.
More confident now, the company of three started off down the hall again.
Qui-Gon was limping down the corridor, using the Force to shunt aside all the many places in pain both outside on his flesh and inside his body that any movement caused to flare upward into his brain. His mind, though, was alert for danger; his eyes roamed ahead of him warily as the beautiful representative silently followed them down the hall.
He sensed a troubling disquiet in Representative Lamkptu that caused constant emotions to tumble and shift in her presence. For the moment, he mostly ignored her, keeping his focus on the way ahead of him and his Padawan.
Hope blossomed and strengthened within him as he felt the subtle rising of the corridor under his feet. The rising meant they were close to the surface and a way out to get to safety and Jedi Healers. Unfortunately, it seemed that a final showdown awaited them before they made their break into the world above: Scarface was just up ahead and by his presence, he was calmly waiting for them.
When, for the first time, the corridor began to curve toward the right, cutting off further sight, Qui-Gon knew the time had come. Releasing his Padawan's arm, he took a deep breath, trying to ignore the way the flex of his chest muscles pulled and caused more pain to begin that seemed to spread outward throughout his entire body.
"Obi-Wan…" He began.
"I'm going, too, Master. Don't ask me or order me to stay here because I'll only have to disobey," his Padawan interrupted with such quiet determination that Qui-Gon let the subject settle and rest where it was. They both knew that without Obi-Wan having his full sight, the apprentice would be severally limited in his defense; the risk they would both take willingly if the other agreed.
Letting his hand rest briefly in silent agreement on Obi-Wan's shoulder, Qui-Gon saw that his Padawan already had his lightsaber held ready in his fist, his thumb held ready over the activation switch. Smiling slightly as his apprentice's quiet eagerness, one of the only things left from his boyhood through the filter of his Jedi training, Qui-Gon determined to talk to him after they had finished their business with Scarface.
"Let's finish this, Padawan," Qui-Gon said quietly.
"Yes, Padawan," a voice mocked as footsteps sounded around the bend in the corner. Soon, Scarface was standing, his arms folded and now in a black Jedi cloak. He gave Qui-Gon a chilling smile. "Your little Jedi has shown me how strong he is by resisting me—now I want the honor of single combat with him."
Qui-Gon frowned, wondering if Scarface knew about Obi-Wan's condition with his eyesight. More than likely, Scarface had had their cells fit with listening devices so he could eavesdrop on them at his leisure.
"You know I can't allow that…" He started to say, but broke off as Obi-Wan placed a hand on his arm. His sightless apprentice had his lips set in a grim line and his face was one of intense concentration.
In a loud, clear tone, Obi-Wan said mockingly, "You're pretty brave for someone who ties up his opposition and tortures them and doesn't reveal his name. Now you must be even braver to knowingly go against a young Jedi Padawan who cannot see alone. I've never met anyone so brave before. Perhaps I'll become your Padawan."
Qui-Gon stared at Obi-Wan. In the years that he had known this quiet and usually reserved young man, he had never heard such scorn come from him before.
Scarface was silent, his fury radiating through the Force at Obi-Wan's words. After several tense moments, he barked out, "Balio Gordanti."
Obi-Wan smiled. "Now we can do whatever you want, Balio."
Balio scowled, his scar pulling at his face. With only a slight warning in the Force, he somersaulted through the air to land directly in front of the two Jedi, his lightsaber swinging down as he did so. Qui-Gon's lightsaber was up and intersecting the red blade in a heartbeat. Caught off-guard by Qui-Gon having his lightsaber and the strength behind the bigger Jedi's defense.
"What…Lamkptu! You were supposed to make sure they did not find their lightsabers!" Balio screamed to the cowering lavender alien behind the Jedi. Lamkptu did not respond, merely fled in the opposite direction of the corridor.
Qui-Gon, using the Force to keep the pain from his chest, back, and feet from his concentration, used his muscled strength to push the Dark Jedi backwards into the hall. Balio stumbled as he fought to keep his balance and Qui-Gon ran forward to press his advantage, sensing Obi-Wan light his blade behind him.
Balio, seeing both his opponents armed and coming at him, yelled a battle cry…and ran away from the Jedi. To Qui-Gon's left, he heard Obi-Wan laugh light-heartedly.
In a mock-deep voice, the apprentice joked, "Beware of the big, bad Jedi!"
Fighting not to smile and to keep his amusement from traveling to his Padawan through their bond, Qui-Gon rebuked, "Obi-Wan Kenobi, keep your sense of duty here. We have to escape and we have to make sure Balio Gordanti doesn't terrorize anyone else in his escape."
"What about the representative?"
Qui-Gon paused for a moment. "You sensed a trap back there earlier, correct?" At Obi-Wan's nod, the Jedi Master went on, "Reach out now. What do you feel?"
A line appeared in Obi-Wan's brow for a moment before he turned away.
"Padawan?"
But Qui-Gon knew.
"Let your anger go and bury your sorrow; there will be time enough for sorrow later," he advised, doing the same to his anger and sorrow over Lampktu's death. "Now, let's go make sure our business is settled."
Qui-Gon carefully stepped out onto a thin catwalk that spanned a three hundred or so meter drop into a repair shaft. His senses were heightened by the Force so everything he saw and heard was crystal clear to him. He knew that the heavy metal door at the end of the catwalk was the way out of his and Obi-Wan's prison, just as he also knew without a shadow of a doubt that Balio was lurking near the catwalk, hoping to surprise him or his Padawan.
Allowing a grim smile to touch his angular features, Qui-Gon made sure that Obi-Wan was in position halfway to the wide platform across from the catwalk he was balanced on. Just because the two Jedi were injured did not necessarily mean that they were out of the fight; a lesson Balio evidently had not learned yet.
Qui-Gon had proceeded across the catwalk about seven halting steps to reach the middle when he heard Balio utter his battle yell that sounded like a dying cross species of bird. The surge in the Force had already warned Qui-Gon that Balio was coming up behind him, but the Jedi Master calmly waited where he was, without turning around to face the Dark Jedi. Thinking he had an advantage and that perhaps Qui-Gon was too injured to move quickly enough to turn to fight him, Balio recklessly slashed his red lightsaber blade where Qui-Gon's head had just moments before been.
As Balio's charge brought him right behind the larger Jedi, Qui-Gon dropped to his knees and slid backwards so that now he was the one behind the other. Unfortunately, Qui-Gon's hurt and overtaxed body was a little slower than he needed it to be as he stood and Balio had recovered his balance, and the precious moments that Qui-Gon had been trying to use to his own advantage.
With a snarl, Balio spun on his heel and viciously sidekicked Qui-Gon in the stomach, pressing the flayed strips of his flesh into barely healed cuts. Doubling over, Qui-Gon found himself pushed against the thin railing of the catwalk. Momentum took over along with gravity and suddenly he found himself falling through the air in the empty space.
"MASTER!"
Obi-Wan had heard the fight and with the level of deep concentration that he was at in the Force, he could almost see what was happening across the open space between his platform and the catwalk where his Master was currently on. Though he definitely felt the change and emotions when his Master was pushed off the catwalk. He knew that there were no other supports in this repair shaft for Qui-Gon to land safely on. What to do?
Pushing the panic from his mind, Obi-Wan stretched out with his arm and the Force and envisioned a large hand forming below his Master's falling form. His hand of air firmed enough so that once Qui-Gon hit it, he stopped dead in the air, his lightsaber landing beside him on seemingly nothing.
Straining, sweat forming on his forehead and all of his lacerations and pain hitting him like a load of transparisteel, Obi-Wan tried to keep enough control over the Force to slowly raise Qui-Gon back up to the catwalk that was now at least a hundred meters above him. Qui-Gon felt what his apprentice was trying to do and joined in with his own Force strength to help lift himself to crawl back onto the catwalk.
Once Qui-Gon was safely back on the catwalk, Obi-Wan felt himself collapsing.
Qui-Gon was trembling now with the effort to use the Force to hold himself upright and to block his pain. Joining with his Padawan had drained more of his strength than he wanted to think about just now. Glancing over at the platform, he saw Obi-Wan fall over on his side, blood oozing from his cuts as the young man lost consciousness.
Malicious laughter diverted his attention from his apprentice.
"Nice trick, Jedi Jinn," Balio mocked. "Too bad your little Padawan couldn't keep himself awake long enough to see the ending. Guess he's not that much better than me after all."
Qui-Gon could only stare at his tormentor for a moment. If Balio could not feel the effort Obi-Wan had put into his rescue, then Balio was not even half as talented as Obi-Wan was at thirteen! Suddenly, puzzle pieces clicked into place in his mind and he found the effort to stand tall and glare down at the younger man was not so hard with his new knowledge.
"You want me, come get me, Balio," Qui-Gon growled. "But I know the truth now and you can't hide from it anymore."
For the first time since Qui-Gon had been forced to be in Balio's presence, the man seemed uncertain. Taking a hesitant step back, Balio stammered, "What…what do you mean? You don't know anything but what I've told you!"
Taking a menacing step forward, Qui-Gon smiled. "I know that you weren't trained at all, by anyone, let alone my former apprentice. You might have watched Xanatos from a distance, or he even probably let you tag along, but he never taught you how to use your abilities. My making Xanatos leave you on Arborané left you without a focal point so you decided to take it out on me and my Padawan. Yet, you knew you couldn't hope to beat us in a fair fight so you lured Representative Lamkptu into your little plot. I don't know what you did to make her agree to help you, but that's not important right now, is it, Balio? You had to torture us to get us injured enough so that you wouldn't just be killed outright in a fair fight that you knew you couldn't win. Am I close?"
Balio's face contorted in rage, his scar a livid white against his flushed face. "Shut up! Lies! All lies! I'm a great Jedi! Xanatos was gonna show me everything; he promised. But then you showed up and he was gone shortly after. I want you to just shut up!" So saying, he screamed and, brandishing his lightsaber, charged Qui-Gon at a dead run.
Qui-Gon was ready for him. Snapping his lightsaber up into a reverse spin and taking a long sidestep out of the way at the last possible second, he sliced downwards and a little to his right. Leaning heavily on the railing beside him, he panted and gazed at the surprised Balio.
Blood gushed from the hole where Balio's left arm used to be. The severed arm was tumbling end over end down the repair shaft, quickly disappearing into the darkness of the seemingly bottomless pit. Balio's mouth hung open in disbelief as shock stole over his features. Qui-Gon, suddenly feeling weak from his entire ordeal, merely stayed where he was, recuperating for a moment. He warily eyed the Dark Jedi to see what he would do.
Balio's eyes glazed over and he stumbled on his feet for a minute. Yet, even as Qui-Gon looked on, the spurting blood slowed and became a mere trickle and Balio straightened. When he opened his eyes again, his orbs were completely black and he smiled evilly.
Before Qui-Gon do even take another breath, Balio vaulted over the catwalk's railing and smoothly arched through the air to land solidly right beside the still unconscious Obi-Wan. Still wearing his evil smile, the Dark Jedi easily lifted the slight form of the limp Padawan with his one hand.
"How much do you want to see your Padawan live, Master Jinn?" Balio sneered, holding Obi-Wan upright by his shoulder as if he were standing.
Qui-Gon at first did not bother to answer him as he frantically probed Obi-Wan's status through the Force. Obi-Wan was close to waking but was very weak with his feat of strength earlier to save his master.
Obi-Wan! I need you awake, Padawan, Qui-Gon thought at his apprentice, trying to smother his panic. Padawan, hear me. Wake up! Come on, Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan, you need to wake right now. Padawan!
"What's the matter, Jinn?" Balio mocked. "Avian got your tongue? Maybe this will entice you to answer me." With a menacing glare, he shifted Obi-Wan's weight to lean against his chest as he used his remaining arm to light his lightsaber.
Qui-Gon felt his danger sense prickling like a mad insect trapped in a bottle. Slowly, he began to turn his body more toward the drama unfolding on the platform and began to gather the Force inside of him like a dam holding water. Carefully, he masked from Balio what he was doing and gritted his teeth. He would have to wait another moment longer…
With a look of pure hatred at Qui-Gon, Balio met his gaze solidly as he brought the red blade directly under Obi-Wan's chin. Because his eyes were on the Jedi Master, the Dark Jedi did not at first notice when Obi-Wan groggily came to, prompted by his Master's desperate calls.
Qui-Gon was almost ready…
But Balio noticed Obi-Wan's change of breathing as the apprentice gasped in ragged breaths from his pain. Grinning maliciously, Balio screamed at Qui-Gon, "Hate me now and forever, Qui-Gon Jinn, for what pain I can cause you that you will never recover from!" Shifting his stance slightly, Balio sliced inward, intending on severing Obi-Wan's head from his neck.
With his absolute last burst of strength borne of desperation and an overwhelming urge to save his own life, Obi-Wan threw his body weight to the right. Missing his intended mark and instead slicing into the top portion of Obi-Wan's left shoulder, Balio screamed in rage as Obi-Wan screamed in pain and collapsed. Obi-Wan was sunk so deep into unconsciousness now that Qui-Gon doubted that nothing short of a dip in a bacta tank would revive him.
Which left the Dark Jedi off-balance and Qui-Gon a window of opportunity.
Using the Force like a sling-shot, Qui-Gon leaped on the rail, balanced delicately, and then shot through the air to land directly in front of Balio. Igniting his lightsaber as Balio swung his around, they met and the blades shot sparks with the force of their blows. Qui-Gon set his jaw and leaned inward, coming closer and closer to Balio by tiny increments. Balio recognized his death looming in his face and was yelling as Qui-Gon's greater muscular strength pushed both of their locked blades into his face and chest. A heartbeat or two later, the gory remains of Balio's body crumpled into a heap at Qui-Gon's feet.
Staring down at the body that had inflicted so much pain on him and his Padawan, feeling nothing but sadness for the direction this young man's life of hatred had taken him. Xanatos had taken another life needlessly.
Sighing and closing down his lightsaber, Qui-Gon slowly made his way to his apprentice.