Part 3- Whom the Gods Love.
"The only way to get into the room undetected is by way of the ventilation shaft," Mace Windu informed the four Jedi surrounding him.
"I will be first, followed by Adi, then by Qui-Gon, then by Plo. Winna, I need you to hang back, since you will be the only Healer present." Winna nodded.
"Mace," Adi spoke up. "I think I should go first. I'm the lightest, and the fastest, so I shouldn't make as much noise as the rest of you."
"Fine. Now remember, we cannot use the Force for anything, so we must rely on our own reflexes and skill. Take off your cloaks." Knowing that the extra clothing would hinder movement in the ventilation shaft and increase the danger of being heard, the Jedi obeyed.
"I am afraid my bulk may be a problem," Plo stated calmly. As a Kel Dorian male, his body was naturally muscular. Frequent workouts and missions had increased this natural muscle. Mace frowned.
"I truly hope not. Let us begin."
***
The crawl through the ventilation shaft was agonizingly slow. If any of the Jedi so much as made a small sound, all five would have to stop and wait at least a minute to ensure that the sound had gone undetected.
Plo and Qui-Gon had a particularly hard time navigating the shaft. Plo lacked the agility that the others had, while Qui-Gon's two-meter frame had him nearly crawling. Mace, blessed with an average frame and amazing agility, Adi, with her small frame and even more incredible agility, and Winna, with her average frame and agility, found the passage through the shaft easy.
Nearly a half hour later, Adi could hear voices. They were close to room where the Padawans were being held!
"Mace, something's-" she began, but was cut off by the sound of a blaster, followed by a scream. A young girl's scream.
"Marla!" two voices cried simultaneously. One Qui-Gon recognized instantly. It was Obi-Wan's. But the other was deeper, and he could not determine who it was. Perhaps it was Sifo-Dyas.
"You idiot! I didn't order that!" The Ramming Stone growled.
"Sorry, sir," came a very insincere reply. There was a long stretch of silence. And then, the came a sickening sound of a bone breaking, followed by an anguished cry. Qui-Gon flinched, for he knew it had been Obi-Wan.
"Kill him," The Ramming Stone growled.
"We move now," Qui-Gon whispered.
Before any of the terrorists could move, five Jedi Knights flew down from the ventilation shaft their lightsabers activated. Qui-Gon could not help but smile when the Ramming Stone's red eyes widened with fear. It had been easy holding children hostage, but five Jedi Knights?
"Clear out!" The Ramming Stone shouted. And then the melee began.
The children wisely remained in their corners, getting as close to floor as possible. Blasters fired lightsabers crackled and hissed as they met flesh and laser bolts. Tod, Ula, Belev all fell, as did most of the Ramming Stone's men.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Mace saw the Ramming Stone slip into the ventilation shaft.
"I don't think so," the Master muttered grimly. Holding his sapphire lightsaber high, he went in pursuit of the terrorist.
"Children, come to me," Adi Gallia ordered gently. Slowly, all forty children rose and went to the gentle Master.
"It's all right, children," Adi said softly. "They can't hurt you anymore."
"Where's Mace?" Plo Koon asked, his topaz lightsaber still activated.
"He's probably looking for the Ramming Stone," Winna answered tersely. "Plo, contact the Masters and the Healers. Sifo-Dyas is still alive, but he's in bad shape."
"Oh, no," Adi whispered. Lying on the floor, initially unnoticed, lay nine- year-old Marla Kint. Her eyes were wide, her hands limp, her pale lips stained with blood. The broken flesh surrounding an angry red blaster wound marred her chest.
Adi did not bother to check the girl's vitals. She was dead.
The Jedi could not control her tears. She gently closed the sightless eyes, and lifted Marla into her arms.
No more than a meter away, lay Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon wasted no time in reaching his Padawan. The boy lay on his side, bloody hands covering his face.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon whispered, gently touching the boy's arm. The apprentice flinched.
"Stay away," he gasped.
"I cannot, Padawan. You are injured. Do not worry. Everything's alright now."
"No. And it will never be all right. I killed her." Before Qui-Gon could reply, Obi-Wan fell into unconsciousness.
***
Today a great tragedy has occurred for the Jedi Temple, Coruscant, and the rest of the galaxy. The Radical spokesman, known only as the Ramming Stone, and a small force of men infiltrated the Temple and took a class of forty children hostage. Five Jedi Masters, led by Mace Windu, who at this time is missing, managed to defeat the Ramming Stone and his minions. There were casualties, however. All of the Ramming Stone's men save for himself and one other, eighteen-year-old Healer Apprentice Pio Hep, and nine-year-old Initiate Marla Kint were killed. Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas and seventeen-year- old Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi sustained wounds, but the extent of damage is unknown. The Ramming Stone, his last accomplice, and Mace Windu's whereabouts are at this time unknown. The Galactic Senate has offered their condolences to the Jedi Temple as well as aide in seeking at the Ramming Stone.
"How did they manage to get it out so soon?" Qui-Gon asked disgustedly, switching off the holo-news. Tahl shrugged.
"Who knows? Perhaps Yoda informed them. It doesn't matter anyway. They would have found out eventually." Qui-Gon sighed and turned back to Obi- Wan. He lay on the bed, still unconscious. They were in the Healer's wing, which was uncharacteristically silent.
Obi-Wan was in bad shape. The beatings had left him with a fractured jaw, internal bleeding, and loss of blood. Qui-Gon and Tahl had both given blood, but Obi-Wan still had not awakened. Though disturbed by this, Qui- Gon was far more troubled by the boy's words a moment before he had fainted.
"No. And it will never be all right. I killed her."
Did he mean Marla? And if so, why? Surely the Ramming Stone had killed her.
"Tahl, keep an eye on him. I need to talk to the students."
***
Mace Windu watched as the Ramming Stone entered bar after bar on the lower levels of Coruscant. He either was trying to lose the Master or was simply looking for an illegal transport from one of his lowlife friends.
"Hey, vant some Driner beer? Or Kel Dorian ale? I sell real cheap. No questions asked, just fifty credits." Mace turned and found himself fact to face with a very intoxicated Driner.
"Do I look like someone who would like to consume poor quality beer? Or illegal ale?" He asked irritably. This Driner was an unwanted distraction.
"Vell." the Driner began.
"No, I do not. So go home, and sober up," Mace ordered, calling on the Force to bend the weak mind to his will.
"I think I'll go home and sober up," the Driner mumbled. Mace turned, sighing in frustration.
"Or not," the Driner whispered. Before Mace could react, a blaster butt connected with the back of his head, and he slumped to the ground.
"Never turn your back on a Clawdite," the Driner muttered, suddenly transforming into the true form of Talon Wessel.
"Good work, Talon," the Ramming Stone congratulated.
"Can I kill him?" Talon asked hopefully, drawing his viroblade.
"No," the terrorist replied, retrieving Mace's cloak. "He must live to tell the Temple of our escape. Now, Talon, I have a very important question for you. Will you marry me?" Talon grinned, for the red glint in his boss's eyes was full of malice.
***
"Jor Quos, right?" Qui-Gon asked. The young Corellian nodded. Qui-Gon noted the boy's glassy eyes and trembling hands.
"Jor, I need you to tell me about what happened when you were in the classroom."
"Okay," Jor said, searching for the composure he had been taught to utilize in troublesome moments. "We had just begun the lecture. Master Sifo-Dyas was talking about the first Sith War. I remember because I had asked about Darth Tonus. Before Master Sifo-Dyas could answer, the Ramming Stone did. He came in through the ventilation shaft and told us to obey him immediately. Talon Wessel shot Master Sifo-Dyas with a soundless blaster. He asked for the eldest student, and that was Obi-Wan. He asked him who his master was, if he was on the Council, and if he was close to those on the Council. Obi-Wan answered to everything, but, but."
"Tell me, Jor," Qui-Gon prodded gently.
"But he started hitting him. So did Talon. Blood, blood came flying from his mouth, it spattered on Talon, but he still kicked him. And then they contacted you," he said, staring at Qui-Gon.
Angered flared inside Qui-Gon's soul. They had hurt his Padawan for his sake.
"Tell me more," Qui-Gon nearly growled.
"Then he made the demands. He, uh, separated us into four groups and put us in the corners of the room. He told Tod to monitor the outgoing communications. Then-" Jor suddenly cut off.
"Master Jinn, may I please be excused? I think I'm gonna-" his words were interrupted as vomit spewed out of his mouth. Qui-Gon was at the boy's side instantly, rubbing his back in soothing circles.
"It's all right, Jor. You were very brave today. Go to your quarters and rest." Jor nodded weakly, wiping some vomit from his mouth.
"One more question," Qui-Gon asked. He did not wish to hurt the boy anymore, but a strange nagging in the back of his mind had to be suppressed.
"Yes, Master Jinn?" The boy's face was pale.
"When Marla was killed, who killed her?"
"Talon Wessel. He shot her."
"Who cried out?" Jor stared at the Master uncertainly, recalling that horrible moment.
"Obi-Wan and the Ramming Stone. Master, please. I, I feel so sick."
"I'm sorry, Jor. You may go."
Qui-Gon stoked his own chin thoughtfully. Why would the Ramming Stone react so strongly to Marla's death? And why did Obi-Wan blame himself for the girl's death?
"I'm missing something," he murmured. "There's a gap between Jor's tale and when the children were freed." It was in that gap that Marla had been killed.
Suddenly, his comlink beeped. Qui-Gon stared at it, unsure if he should answer. The last time he had done so, there had not been desirable results.
"Jinn, here," he responded.
"Qui-Gon, Tahl here. I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is Obi-Wan's awake. The bad news is, Mace has been hurt. He has a concussion, and a message from the Ramming Stone."
***
"Obi-Wan, how are you?" Qui-Gon asked, taking his Padawan's hand. Obi-Wan avoided his Master's gaze.
"I'm fine," he lied, mumbling. In truth, his entire body ached. Speech was incredibly painful, for his jaw was not completely healed.
"I'm sorry, Padawan, you must remain silent. If you speak anymore, you may exacerbate the fracture in your jaw."
"No!" Obi-Wan cried, wincing in pain. "I must tell you-"
"Obi-Wan, please do not speak. You may permanently damage your mouth. Now I must speak with Master Windu. Tahl will watch over you." Qui-Gon gently squeezed his shoulder, and left. Obi-Wan watched him leave, tears pouring down his face.
Please, Master. If I do not tell you now, I'll never find the courage again. But his Master did not hear this plea, and he did not pause in his steps.
"Hello, Obi-Wan. I know you won't be able to talk so I guess this will pretty much be a one side conversation," Tahl began genially. But after a moment, her face turned grave.
"Obi-Wan, there's something I need to tell you. It's about Qui-Gon and myself. You see, Qui-Gon and I, well, we've decided to marry." Obi-Wan stared at her in shock.
"It happened on New Apsolon. We were going to tell you, but, then this came up and." Her voice trailed off when she saw the look of pure sadness in his eyes.
Now I'll never be able to tell him. Shaking off his self-pity, he smiled, ignoring the excruciating pain in doing so, and offered her his hand. Qui- Gon would be happy, and Obi-Wan always wanted his Master to be happy.
***
"One minute he was a drunken Driner, the next, he was taller and was as sober as you and I! It must have been a changeling, working for the Ramming Stone." After being attacked by the 'Driner,' Mace had regained consciousness long enough to contact the Temple and give them his whereabouts. Winna declared that he suffered from a mild concussion solely.
"Tahl said you had a message. Where is it?" Qui-Gon asked fervently. He was deeply angered by the attack on Mace. The Jedi were being toyed with. Mace fumbled with a small holo-emitter.
"Here it is," he said, activating it. A small image of the Ramming Stone appeared.
"Greetings, members of the Jedi Council. I trust you remember me. I suppose you are wondering why I bothered to contact you. It's quite simple. I'm not finished with you. Oh, I know, you won today. You destroyed my task force, but they can be easily replaced. You've proved to the galaxy that I'm 'the bad guy.' So what? I'll be back. And this time, no one will be spared, not even the children. I'll kill you all!" The Ramming Stone nearly screamed.
"What should we do?" Qui-Gon murmured, turning to Mace.
"We cannot pursue him. By now, he's off Coruscant, probably on his way to some remote planet. The threat has now become merely a lingering menace in the back of our minds. For now, we must gather what information we can on the Ramming Stone and his men. He has connections with someone with great power. Someone powerful enough to block the entire Temple's connection to the Force."
"Who could be powerful enough to do that?" Qui-Gon asked thoughtfully.
***
Three days later, over a thousand Jedi Knights and their Padawans stood in the Dome of Souls to witness the cremation of Pio Hep and Marla Kint. The Dome of Souls was a place of grief. Thousands of beings had held funerals there, remembering their lost friends. The Force was immensely strong in that dome, for the when the bodies of the departed were burned the Force left an evanescence of their souls in there. But Obi-Wan could only feel grief as he stared into the flames.
Marla Kint was dead. He would never see her smile, or hear her laugh, or feel her love and admiration for him. She had been a sister to him, and her precious blood had been spilled because of him. The most innocent creature in the galaxy had died for his blunder.
He stood there, silent and grim, wondering if he would ever speak again. He could never be able to tell Qui-Gon. His courage had faded when his Master had turned his back on him.
And the guilt would always be heavy on his shoulder.
"Obi-Wan," a soft voice whispered, breaking into his thoughts. He flinched when a beam of warmth took his hand. He turned, knowing whose face he would gaze upon.
Bant Eerin smiled gently at him. He stared at her, her silver eyes misting with tears, her skin moist and soft. She was a Calamarian, slim and beautiful. She was two years younger than he, but was as mature and wise as he.
"I know you cannot speak. Obi-Wan, I'm sorry about Marla. I wish I-" she stopped, watching as a tear rolled down her friend's cheek. "Obi-Wan, you blame yourself for her death, don't you? Oh, Obi, don't do this to yourself. You can't. Marla was killed by a terrorist, not by you." She stared up at him, and gently wiped away his tears.
"When you're able to speak, contact me. I'll listen." She went on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Her lips were soft and warm.
Oh, Bant, if only you knew. I want to tell you so badly, but I must remain silent. My silence condemns me! But not forever. I shall speak soon, and I shall tell you the truth. Soon, Bant, soon.
***
"Alright, alright, last call for transport from Coruscant to Corellia," the bored pass manager called out. He had been sitting at his booth for eight hours straight, no breaks, and no food.
"Two passes to Corellia," a man said. The manager glanced up and nearly gasped. Before him were two humanoids. One was a tall man, clad in a tight black unisuit and a brown robe. He had a handsome face, and disturbing green eyes. But what had truly caught his gaze was the woman beside him. Slim body, full lips, boyish face, long dark hair, gorgeous hazel eyes. she was like a forgotten dream to the manager.
"What?" the manager asked, dazed by the woman's beauty.
"My wife and I would like two passes to Corellia," the man repeated impatiently.
"Oh," he said, disappointed. "Here's two passes to Corellia. Hurry up, you might miss the ship."
"Oh, we won't," the woman said, flashing a heart-stopping smile at the befuddled pass manager. Her voice was deep and husky.
"Have a nice journey," the manager said, hoping the wife would turn around so he could catch a glimpse of her beautiful visage once more. But she did not.
Disenchanted, he turned back to his work.
Meanwhile, the couple smiled at each other sneeringly.
"Good work, husband," the wife snickered.
"Oh, it was all you, sweetie," the Ramming Stone muttered back to Talon Wessel.
***
One month later.
"Qui-Gon Jinn, take you this woman to be your wife, to be bound to him by the Force and unconditional love beyond this life, you do?" Yoda asked, smiling at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon, dressed in his best tunic and pants, hair groomed, beard trimmed, and lightsaber polished, smiled as he faced the beautiful but blind woman before him. She was dressed in a plain but almost gossamer white dress, her hair loose and about her shoulders. Her green and gold eyes, though sightless, were radiant.
"I do," he said calmly, though his heart beat rapidly, as it never had before. Tahl, smiled, not even bothering to wipe a tear of happiness from her face
"Tahl Dyasty, take you this man to be your husband, to be bound by him by the Force and unconditional love beyond this life, you do?" Tahl turned, catching the gaze of her Maid of Honor and Padawan, Bant. Bant smiled, her own silvery eyes shining.
"I do."
"Then by the Force, declare you husband and wife, I do."
Tahl placed her hands on Qui-Gon's face, feeling his unshaved chin and cheeks. Then, very gently, almost timidly, she kissed him softly on the lips.
"That's the first time you've ever kissed me," he murmured, surprised.
"I'm only sorry I can't see your face. You're either pale from shock or red with embarrassment," she teased gently.
"Actually I am neither. I have longed for you to do that," he said, and then kissed her. The assembly of Jedi broke into cheers. Bant was crying, Mace was grinning, and Yoda was chuckling. Everyone was happy.
Except one. He tried to hang back, though his position as the best man hindered him from doing so. He was happy for his Master, he truly was, but his silence was slowly killing him.
The fracture Obi-Wan had sustained on his jaw still had not healed. He had not spoken to anyone for an agonizingly long time. His mind was slowly disintegrating, along with his ability to use the Force. Many a night, he had tried to write down his thoughts but his hand simply refused to work, as if halted by an unseen power. It was as if he was trapped in a pit, and was slowly being pulled down into the wintry darkness, which would ultimately lead to dusky death.
Qui-Gon had sensed the turmoil inside his Padawan too late. He had tried to comfort his apprentice, but all those nights of holding his Padawan, as a father would hold his son, had been futile. Obi-Wan's pain and grief were rapidly transforming into bitter rage, and that rage could only be quelled by the spilling of blood.
It would not be long until the rage exploded and Obi-Wan would take action. There was a demon, gnawing his soul, and the demon had a name: the Ramming Stone.
"You look tired, Padawan," Qui-Gon commented, startling Obi-Wan. He watched his Padawan's blue eyes. They seemed glazed over, as if the boy was in shock. Obi-Wan nodded almost mechanically.
Qui-Gon hated seeing his apprentice in such a state. The youth has lost his spirit when Marla was killed and still had not found. Every time Qui-Gon attempted to search the boy's thoughts, a cold gray wall greeted him, and then would block him. And Qui-Gon still did not know the exact cause of Marla Kint's death.
He had interviewed every child that had been taken hostage, save for Obi- Wan, and all forty deliberately avoided discussing the instant of Marla's death. If he prodded them any further, they would cry, wretch, or beg him to stop. Something horrible had happened, something even more horrible than the girl's death.
"Muh, Massster," a familiar voice croaked, stopping Qui-Gon's heart.
"Obi-Wan. Was that you?" He asked, not daring to believe.
"Yuh, yessss. I fuh, feel, tuh, terr, terrible," Obi-Wan whispered. The Master burst into tears as he embraced his apprentice.
"Thank the Force!" Qui-Gon rejoiced. "Does your jaw hurt much?"
"Yes," Obi-Wan replied slowly. He opened his mouth as wide as he could, ignoring the pain.
"Then we'll go see Master Winna."
"No. You, juh, just got mar, married. En, enjoy it." And for the first time in a month, Obi-Wan smiled.
"Obi-Wan! Did you just speak?" Bant asked in disbelief.
"Yes." Bant hugged him.
"I was so worried about you!" Obi-Wan returned her embrace, though inside, he felt strange. They were acting as if he had come out of a coma, or had come back from the dead.
"Do you want to talk yet?" Bant asked, her eyes now full of concern. Obi- Wan shook his head.
"Luh, later." Bant nodded, though she knew that even though Obi-Wan said later, he meant never. The chance they had to find out the truth had already passed.
"The only way to get into the room undetected is by way of the ventilation shaft," Mace Windu informed the four Jedi surrounding him.
"I will be first, followed by Adi, then by Qui-Gon, then by Plo. Winna, I need you to hang back, since you will be the only Healer present." Winna nodded.
"Mace," Adi spoke up. "I think I should go first. I'm the lightest, and the fastest, so I shouldn't make as much noise as the rest of you."
"Fine. Now remember, we cannot use the Force for anything, so we must rely on our own reflexes and skill. Take off your cloaks." Knowing that the extra clothing would hinder movement in the ventilation shaft and increase the danger of being heard, the Jedi obeyed.
"I am afraid my bulk may be a problem," Plo stated calmly. As a Kel Dorian male, his body was naturally muscular. Frequent workouts and missions had increased this natural muscle. Mace frowned.
"I truly hope not. Let us begin."
***
The crawl through the ventilation shaft was agonizingly slow. If any of the Jedi so much as made a small sound, all five would have to stop and wait at least a minute to ensure that the sound had gone undetected.
Plo and Qui-Gon had a particularly hard time navigating the shaft. Plo lacked the agility that the others had, while Qui-Gon's two-meter frame had him nearly crawling. Mace, blessed with an average frame and amazing agility, Adi, with her small frame and even more incredible agility, and Winna, with her average frame and agility, found the passage through the shaft easy.
Nearly a half hour later, Adi could hear voices. They were close to room where the Padawans were being held!
"Mace, something's-" she began, but was cut off by the sound of a blaster, followed by a scream. A young girl's scream.
"Marla!" two voices cried simultaneously. One Qui-Gon recognized instantly. It was Obi-Wan's. But the other was deeper, and he could not determine who it was. Perhaps it was Sifo-Dyas.
"You idiot! I didn't order that!" The Ramming Stone growled.
"Sorry, sir," came a very insincere reply. There was a long stretch of silence. And then, the came a sickening sound of a bone breaking, followed by an anguished cry. Qui-Gon flinched, for he knew it had been Obi-Wan.
"Kill him," The Ramming Stone growled.
"We move now," Qui-Gon whispered.
Before any of the terrorists could move, five Jedi Knights flew down from the ventilation shaft their lightsabers activated. Qui-Gon could not help but smile when the Ramming Stone's red eyes widened with fear. It had been easy holding children hostage, but five Jedi Knights?
"Clear out!" The Ramming Stone shouted. And then the melee began.
The children wisely remained in their corners, getting as close to floor as possible. Blasters fired lightsabers crackled and hissed as they met flesh and laser bolts. Tod, Ula, Belev all fell, as did most of the Ramming Stone's men.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Mace saw the Ramming Stone slip into the ventilation shaft.
"I don't think so," the Master muttered grimly. Holding his sapphire lightsaber high, he went in pursuit of the terrorist.
"Children, come to me," Adi Gallia ordered gently. Slowly, all forty children rose and went to the gentle Master.
"It's all right, children," Adi said softly. "They can't hurt you anymore."
"Where's Mace?" Plo Koon asked, his topaz lightsaber still activated.
"He's probably looking for the Ramming Stone," Winna answered tersely. "Plo, contact the Masters and the Healers. Sifo-Dyas is still alive, but he's in bad shape."
"Oh, no," Adi whispered. Lying on the floor, initially unnoticed, lay nine- year-old Marla Kint. Her eyes were wide, her hands limp, her pale lips stained with blood. The broken flesh surrounding an angry red blaster wound marred her chest.
Adi did not bother to check the girl's vitals. She was dead.
The Jedi could not control her tears. She gently closed the sightless eyes, and lifted Marla into her arms.
No more than a meter away, lay Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon wasted no time in reaching his Padawan. The boy lay on his side, bloody hands covering his face.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon whispered, gently touching the boy's arm. The apprentice flinched.
"Stay away," he gasped.
"I cannot, Padawan. You are injured. Do not worry. Everything's alright now."
"No. And it will never be all right. I killed her." Before Qui-Gon could reply, Obi-Wan fell into unconsciousness.
***
Today a great tragedy has occurred for the Jedi Temple, Coruscant, and the rest of the galaxy. The Radical spokesman, known only as the Ramming Stone, and a small force of men infiltrated the Temple and took a class of forty children hostage. Five Jedi Masters, led by Mace Windu, who at this time is missing, managed to defeat the Ramming Stone and his minions. There were casualties, however. All of the Ramming Stone's men save for himself and one other, eighteen-year-old Healer Apprentice Pio Hep, and nine-year-old Initiate Marla Kint were killed. Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas and seventeen-year- old Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi sustained wounds, but the extent of damage is unknown. The Ramming Stone, his last accomplice, and Mace Windu's whereabouts are at this time unknown. The Galactic Senate has offered their condolences to the Jedi Temple as well as aide in seeking at the Ramming Stone.
"How did they manage to get it out so soon?" Qui-Gon asked disgustedly, switching off the holo-news. Tahl shrugged.
"Who knows? Perhaps Yoda informed them. It doesn't matter anyway. They would have found out eventually." Qui-Gon sighed and turned back to Obi- Wan. He lay on the bed, still unconscious. They were in the Healer's wing, which was uncharacteristically silent.
Obi-Wan was in bad shape. The beatings had left him with a fractured jaw, internal bleeding, and loss of blood. Qui-Gon and Tahl had both given blood, but Obi-Wan still had not awakened. Though disturbed by this, Qui- Gon was far more troubled by the boy's words a moment before he had fainted.
"No. And it will never be all right. I killed her."
Did he mean Marla? And if so, why? Surely the Ramming Stone had killed her.
"Tahl, keep an eye on him. I need to talk to the students."
***
Mace Windu watched as the Ramming Stone entered bar after bar on the lower levels of Coruscant. He either was trying to lose the Master or was simply looking for an illegal transport from one of his lowlife friends.
"Hey, vant some Driner beer? Or Kel Dorian ale? I sell real cheap. No questions asked, just fifty credits." Mace turned and found himself fact to face with a very intoxicated Driner.
"Do I look like someone who would like to consume poor quality beer? Or illegal ale?" He asked irritably. This Driner was an unwanted distraction.
"Vell." the Driner began.
"No, I do not. So go home, and sober up," Mace ordered, calling on the Force to bend the weak mind to his will.
"I think I'll go home and sober up," the Driner mumbled. Mace turned, sighing in frustration.
"Or not," the Driner whispered. Before Mace could react, a blaster butt connected with the back of his head, and he slumped to the ground.
"Never turn your back on a Clawdite," the Driner muttered, suddenly transforming into the true form of Talon Wessel.
"Good work, Talon," the Ramming Stone congratulated.
"Can I kill him?" Talon asked hopefully, drawing his viroblade.
"No," the terrorist replied, retrieving Mace's cloak. "He must live to tell the Temple of our escape. Now, Talon, I have a very important question for you. Will you marry me?" Talon grinned, for the red glint in his boss's eyes was full of malice.
***
"Jor Quos, right?" Qui-Gon asked. The young Corellian nodded. Qui-Gon noted the boy's glassy eyes and trembling hands.
"Jor, I need you to tell me about what happened when you were in the classroom."
"Okay," Jor said, searching for the composure he had been taught to utilize in troublesome moments. "We had just begun the lecture. Master Sifo-Dyas was talking about the first Sith War. I remember because I had asked about Darth Tonus. Before Master Sifo-Dyas could answer, the Ramming Stone did. He came in through the ventilation shaft and told us to obey him immediately. Talon Wessel shot Master Sifo-Dyas with a soundless blaster. He asked for the eldest student, and that was Obi-Wan. He asked him who his master was, if he was on the Council, and if he was close to those on the Council. Obi-Wan answered to everything, but, but."
"Tell me, Jor," Qui-Gon prodded gently.
"But he started hitting him. So did Talon. Blood, blood came flying from his mouth, it spattered on Talon, but he still kicked him. And then they contacted you," he said, staring at Qui-Gon.
Angered flared inside Qui-Gon's soul. They had hurt his Padawan for his sake.
"Tell me more," Qui-Gon nearly growled.
"Then he made the demands. He, uh, separated us into four groups and put us in the corners of the room. He told Tod to monitor the outgoing communications. Then-" Jor suddenly cut off.
"Master Jinn, may I please be excused? I think I'm gonna-" his words were interrupted as vomit spewed out of his mouth. Qui-Gon was at the boy's side instantly, rubbing his back in soothing circles.
"It's all right, Jor. You were very brave today. Go to your quarters and rest." Jor nodded weakly, wiping some vomit from his mouth.
"One more question," Qui-Gon asked. He did not wish to hurt the boy anymore, but a strange nagging in the back of his mind had to be suppressed.
"Yes, Master Jinn?" The boy's face was pale.
"When Marla was killed, who killed her?"
"Talon Wessel. He shot her."
"Who cried out?" Jor stared at the Master uncertainly, recalling that horrible moment.
"Obi-Wan and the Ramming Stone. Master, please. I, I feel so sick."
"I'm sorry, Jor. You may go."
Qui-Gon stoked his own chin thoughtfully. Why would the Ramming Stone react so strongly to Marla's death? And why did Obi-Wan blame himself for the girl's death?
"I'm missing something," he murmured. "There's a gap between Jor's tale and when the children were freed." It was in that gap that Marla had been killed.
Suddenly, his comlink beeped. Qui-Gon stared at it, unsure if he should answer. The last time he had done so, there had not been desirable results.
"Jinn, here," he responded.
"Qui-Gon, Tahl here. I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is Obi-Wan's awake. The bad news is, Mace has been hurt. He has a concussion, and a message from the Ramming Stone."
***
"Obi-Wan, how are you?" Qui-Gon asked, taking his Padawan's hand. Obi-Wan avoided his Master's gaze.
"I'm fine," he lied, mumbling. In truth, his entire body ached. Speech was incredibly painful, for his jaw was not completely healed.
"I'm sorry, Padawan, you must remain silent. If you speak anymore, you may exacerbate the fracture in your jaw."
"No!" Obi-Wan cried, wincing in pain. "I must tell you-"
"Obi-Wan, please do not speak. You may permanently damage your mouth. Now I must speak with Master Windu. Tahl will watch over you." Qui-Gon gently squeezed his shoulder, and left. Obi-Wan watched him leave, tears pouring down his face.
Please, Master. If I do not tell you now, I'll never find the courage again. But his Master did not hear this plea, and he did not pause in his steps.
"Hello, Obi-Wan. I know you won't be able to talk so I guess this will pretty much be a one side conversation," Tahl began genially. But after a moment, her face turned grave.
"Obi-Wan, there's something I need to tell you. It's about Qui-Gon and myself. You see, Qui-Gon and I, well, we've decided to marry." Obi-Wan stared at her in shock.
"It happened on New Apsolon. We were going to tell you, but, then this came up and." Her voice trailed off when she saw the look of pure sadness in his eyes.
Now I'll never be able to tell him. Shaking off his self-pity, he smiled, ignoring the excruciating pain in doing so, and offered her his hand. Qui- Gon would be happy, and Obi-Wan always wanted his Master to be happy.
***
"One minute he was a drunken Driner, the next, he was taller and was as sober as you and I! It must have been a changeling, working for the Ramming Stone." After being attacked by the 'Driner,' Mace had regained consciousness long enough to contact the Temple and give them his whereabouts. Winna declared that he suffered from a mild concussion solely.
"Tahl said you had a message. Where is it?" Qui-Gon asked fervently. He was deeply angered by the attack on Mace. The Jedi were being toyed with. Mace fumbled with a small holo-emitter.
"Here it is," he said, activating it. A small image of the Ramming Stone appeared.
"Greetings, members of the Jedi Council. I trust you remember me. I suppose you are wondering why I bothered to contact you. It's quite simple. I'm not finished with you. Oh, I know, you won today. You destroyed my task force, but they can be easily replaced. You've proved to the galaxy that I'm 'the bad guy.' So what? I'll be back. And this time, no one will be spared, not even the children. I'll kill you all!" The Ramming Stone nearly screamed.
"What should we do?" Qui-Gon murmured, turning to Mace.
"We cannot pursue him. By now, he's off Coruscant, probably on his way to some remote planet. The threat has now become merely a lingering menace in the back of our minds. For now, we must gather what information we can on the Ramming Stone and his men. He has connections with someone with great power. Someone powerful enough to block the entire Temple's connection to the Force."
"Who could be powerful enough to do that?" Qui-Gon asked thoughtfully.
***
Three days later, over a thousand Jedi Knights and their Padawans stood in the Dome of Souls to witness the cremation of Pio Hep and Marla Kint. The Dome of Souls was a place of grief. Thousands of beings had held funerals there, remembering their lost friends. The Force was immensely strong in that dome, for the when the bodies of the departed were burned the Force left an evanescence of their souls in there. But Obi-Wan could only feel grief as he stared into the flames.
Marla Kint was dead. He would never see her smile, or hear her laugh, or feel her love and admiration for him. She had been a sister to him, and her precious blood had been spilled because of him. The most innocent creature in the galaxy had died for his blunder.
He stood there, silent and grim, wondering if he would ever speak again. He could never be able to tell Qui-Gon. His courage had faded when his Master had turned his back on him.
And the guilt would always be heavy on his shoulder.
"Obi-Wan," a soft voice whispered, breaking into his thoughts. He flinched when a beam of warmth took his hand. He turned, knowing whose face he would gaze upon.
Bant Eerin smiled gently at him. He stared at her, her silver eyes misting with tears, her skin moist and soft. She was a Calamarian, slim and beautiful. She was two years younger than he, but was as mature and wise as he.
"I know you cannot speak. Obi-Wan, I'm sorry about Marla. I wish I-" she stopped, watching as a tear rolled down her friend's cheek. "Obi-Wan, you blame yourself for her death, don't you? Oh, Obi, don't do this to yourself. You can't. Marla was killed by a terrorist, not by you." She stared up at him, and gently wiped away his tears.
"When you're able to speak, contact me. I'll listen." She went on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Her lips were soft and warm.
Oh, Bant, if only you knew. I want to tell you so badly, but I must remain silent. My silence condemns me! But not forever. I shall speak soon, and I shall tell you the truth. Soon, Bant, soon.
***
"Alright, alright, last call for transport from Coruscant to Corellia," the bored pass manager called out. He had been sitting at his booth for eight hours straight, no breaks, and no food.
"Two passes to Corellia," a man said. The manager glanced up and nearly gasped. Before him were two humanoids. One was a tall man, clad in a tight black unisuit and a brown robe. He had a handsome face, and disturbing green eyes. But what had truly caught his gaze was the woman beside him. Slim body, full lips, boyish face, long dark hair, gorgeous hazel eyes. she was like a forgotten dream to the manager.
"What?" the manager asked, dazed by the woman's beauty.
"My wife and I would like two passes to Corellia," the man repeated impatiently.
"Oh," he said, disappointed. "Here's two passes to Corellia. Hurry up, you might miss the ship."
"Oh, we won't," the woman said, flashing a heart-stopping smile at the befuddled pass manager. Her voice was deep and husky.
"Have a nice journey," the manager said, hoping the wife would turn around so he could catch a glimpse of her beautiful visage once more. But she did not.
Disenchanted, he turned back to his work.
Meanwhile, the couple smiled at each other sneeringly.
"Good work, husband," the wife snickered.
"Oh, it was all you, sweetie," the Ramming Stone muttered back to Talon Wessel.
***
One month later.
"Qui-Gon Jinn, take you this woman to be your wife, to be bound to him by the Force and unconditional love beyond this life, you do?" Yoda asked, smiling at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon, dressed in his best tunic and pants, hair groomed, beard trimmed, and lightsaber polished, smiled as he faced the beautiful but blind woman before him. She was dressed in a plain but almost gossamer white dress, her hair loose and about her shoulders. Her green and gold eyes, though sightless, were radiant.
"I do," he said calmly, though his heart beat rapidly, as it never had before. Tahl, smiled, not even bothering to wipe a tear of happiness from her face
"Tahl Dyasty, take you this man to be your husband, to be bound by him by the Force and unconditional love beyond this life, you do?" Tahl turned, catching the gaze of her Maid of Honor and Padawan, Bant. Bant smiled, her own silvery eyes shining.
"I do."
"Then by the Force, declare you husband and wife, I do."
Tahl placed her hands on Qui-Gon's face, feeling his unshaved chin and cheeks. Then, very gently, almost timidly, she kissed him softly on the lips.
"That's the first time you've ever kissed me," he murmured, surprised.
"I'm only sorry I can't see your face. You're either pale from shock or red with embarrassment," she teased gently.
"Actually I am neither. I have longed for you to do that," he said, and then kissed her. The assembly of Jedi broke into cheers. Bant was crying, Mace was grinning, and Yoda was chuckling. Everyone was happy.
Except one. He tried to hang back, though his position as the best man hindered him from doing so. He was happy for his Master, he truly was, but his silence was slowly killing him.
The fracture Obi-Wan had sustained on his jaw still had not healed. He had not spoken to anyone for an agonizingly long time. His mind was slowly disintegrating, along with his ability to use the Force. Many a night, he had tried to write down his thoughts but his hand simply refused to work, as if halted by an unseen power. It was as if he was trapped in a pit, and was slowly being pulled down into the wintry darkness, which would ultimately lead to dusky death.
Qui-Gon had sensed the turmoil inside his Padawan too late. He had tried to comfort his apprentice, but all those nights of holding his Padawan, as a father would hold his son, had been futile. Obi-Wan's pain and grief were rapidly transforming into bitter rage, and that rage could only be quelled by the spilling of blood.
It would not be long until the rage exploded and Obi-Wan would take action. There was a demon, gnawing his soul, and the demon had a name: the Ramming Stone.
"You look tired, Padawan," Qui-Gon commented, startling Obi-Wan. He watched his Padawan's blue eyes. They seemed glazed over, as if the boy was in shock. Obi-Wan nodded almost mechanically.
Qui-Gon hated seeing his apprentice in such a state. The youth has lost his spirit when Marla was killed and still had not found. Every time Qui-Gon attempted to search the boy's thoughts, a cold gray wall greeted him, and then would block him. And Qui-Gon still did not know the exact cause of Marla Kint's death.
He had interviewed every child that had been taken hostage, save for Obi- Wan, and all forty deliberately avoided discussing the instant of Marla's death. If he prodded them any further, they would cry, wretch, or beg him to stop. Something horrible had happened, something even more horrible than the girl's death.
"Muh, Massster," a familiar voice croaked, stopping Qui-Gon's heart.
"Obi-Wan. Was that you?" He asked, not daring to believe.
"Yuh, yessss. I fuh, feel, tuh, terr, terrible," Obi-Wan whispered. The Master burst into tears as he embraced his apprentice.
"Thank the Force!" Qui-Gon rejoiced. "Does your jaw hurt much?"
"Yes," Obi-Wan replied slowly. He opened his mouth as wide as he could, ignoring the pain.
"Then we'll go see Master Winna."
"No. You, juh, just got mar, married. En, enjoy it." And for the first time in a month, Obi-Wan smiled.
"Obi-Wan! Did you just speak?" Bant asked in disbelief.
"Yes." Bant hugged him.
"I was so worried about you!" Obi-Wan returned her embrace, though inside, he felt strange. They were acting as if he had come out of a coma, or had come back from the dead.
"Do you want to talk yet?" Bant asked, her eyes now full of concern. Obi- Wan shook his head.
"Luh, later." Bant nodded, though she knew that even though Obi-Wan said later, he meant never. The chance they had to find out the truth had already passed.