Qui-Gon dusted himself off and checked the growing lump on his forehead. He doubted he passed out from the control panel when it flew up and hit him in his face. He knew the lack of oxygen caused them both, master and apprentice to pass out and for that he was grateful. He patiently waited until his apprentice emptied the mid-meal on the jungle ground. The young man was embarrassed at being so terrified of the crash that the lingering effects of his fear was to upchuck.
Jinn studied the broken vehicle. Sparks still flew from the mechanics of it and the master realized they stood too close. He gently took his padawan by the arm and pulled him further away.
"We should move back. The fuel is leaking out from the busted gas tank and it might just ignite from those sparks. The entire ship will blow up in flames."
Da'Neel continued to stare at the ship and then a thought came to the young man.
"Master where did you say we were?"
"I don't think I ever did Padawan."
"Well could you tell me now?"
Jinn hesitated. His apprentice had already vomited because of his fear. He couldn't think of what he might do next when he found out where they had the misfortune or fortune to land on. He supposed it was just a matter of one's point of view. However he felt when Da'Neel knew where they were he might have another upchucking spell.
"We are on Yavin 4 Padawan."
"Holy sith Master!!! This is the *Dark Lord's playground.*"
"Your mouth padawan, watch it. Allow me to correct you. It was once considered the Dark One's playground or hideout. It had been rumored that the once thought extinct Massassi, the original native to Yavin 4 had returned to claim their land. A primitive bunch to say the least but either way the sith or Massassi, if they are here and we are found we could be in a great deal of trouble."
Jinn hesitated a moment to look at the ship.
"We should leave in case the ship was tracked during its crash. Wouldn't want to be surprised by either group. I suppose we should count ourselves lucky though."
Jinn remembered the lucky rock in his pocket that once belonged to his now dead padawan.
"Crash landing on a place like this forsaken place is not what I call luck Master Jinn."
The padawan seemed a little put out by his master's comments. He saw no luck in their situation.
Qui-Gon looked at his padawan and could only shake his head.
//When he started that fight with a child I questioned him and his trustworthiness and now even more. Does he not know how lucky he is? He shouldn't be complaining at a time like this. //
"Yes padawan, you are lucky because you were able to walk away from that mangled metal mess. Look at it long and hard and tonight during meditation you better thank the force and all that it is for saving your life. Right now it might question doing so with your attitude as it is."
Qui-Gon reached down in his pocket and felt the lucky rock. It seemed encased by some kind of fiery heat. So much so, it nearly burnt the Jedi master as he rolled it between two of his fingers.
He started to walk away and Da'Neel could only solemnly follow him. His ego bruised by the chastisement of his master's words.
Qui-Gon made it a few feet beyond the ship when he seemed drawn back to it for some unknown reason. He had yet again an unexplained urge to hold the now dangerously hot rock. As he reached into a pocket a warning through the force came to the master.
There was one problem. The force presented Master Jinn with two warnings at one time. He was alerted that he and his apprentice had been surrounded by an enemy force and secondly the force thought it imperative for him to return to the hull of the ship. Not just back to it. As he felt the rising heat that emanated from the rock, he got a direct order from the force to not only go back, but go into the ship.
For whatever reason the force wanted him to do it, Jinn would. He never questioned a message from force and this time would be no different. He was concerned about the warning of being stalked but no matter. Either direction he went, to the ship or away from it, they had already been found out. It would not matter now.
Padawan Da'Neel could only stand with his mouth hung open and watch his master return from where he said he must move away from.
"Master I think that hit on your head has rattled you in some way. You just told me to walk away from the crash site and not toward it."
Jinn kept walking back to the remains of their space ship. He even put a little hop in his step but never turned around as he spoke to his apprentice.
The only noise in the jungle background was the rustling of his Jedi robe as he continued going back from where he just came.// No matter.// The robes would have to be discarded very soon because of the soaring temperatures on Yavin. That was the sudden thought that occured to the master as he walked; the rising temperature and the added heat from his robe.
"That I did Padawan, that I did. But it seems the force has other plans, I did not know until now. I have to go back."
"Master are you positive you haven't suffered a concussion or something? Why go back to nothing?"
Still the master kept walking and Da'Neel feared he would lose him so he tried to keep up. Master Jinn tried to calm the young man down but he did not turn around to a address his apprentice face to face. There wasn't time..
"I am fine Tia, really. The force has directed me back to the ship and that is where I must go. I don't think it would be wise that you wait here on me. It seems we have several pair of eyes following our every move."
Now Tia Da'Neel was really worried. He had a dazed master that didn't know what he was doing and if he hadn't totally lost his mind and was right, they were being stalked.
//Listening to the force, * sure*. He's had his bell rung. He definitely is not thinking clearly.//
"Being followed? Shouldn't we do something Qui-Gon?"
"*Master* Qui-Gon to you. Remember that padawan and no, there seems to be nothing we can do until they show themselves."
Another sudden jar form the force and Jinn hastened his pace. The reason for going back, still remained unclear to the master. He only hoped the force would tell him the reason by the time he reached the ship.
Had either of the Jedi taken the time to look up they would have seen the giant plume of smoke rise in the air. Although the ship had not blown up yet, the sparks had started a fire.
When Master Jinn got to the crash site the force hit him with such power he lost his balance and almost fell. In that moment he started in a dead run toward the ship.
Da'Neel tried to stop his master. He thought he had suffered a brain injury or else why would someone in their right mind try to reenter a crashed ship but was on fire and just about to blow up?
Jinn managed to easily sidestep his apprentice's grasp and made his way to the ship. Overwhelming fear gripped the master, although he was still unsure why. It seemed imperative that he go in that ship and look around
//Look around for what?//
Even as he questioned his own sanity at what he was about to do, he continued on, determined to go the space ship. Just as he got to the door, an unseen force stopped him. At first Master Jinn thought it was the force of good that had stopped him for another unknown reason but he soon found the reason for the force hold.
Qui-Gon Jinn And his apprentice found themselves surrounded by translucent figures, twenty of them. Jinn knew from the history of the planet their were the Massassi, original settlers on this moon, Yavin. They seemed to float about a foot off the ground. They had a firm hold of some kind of force on both of them.
"Master, what do they want?"
"I don't think they have told us that yet Tia."
Jinn's padawan was getting very tired of his master's dry humor and it was dry if one could be humorous at a time likes this.
"I can't move."
"Seems neither of us can."
Jinn found it almost amusing to tease his apprentice. He was beginning to learn this Jedi had a lot of pent up fears about everything. His attention turned back to the reason he was at the ship in the first place.
The strange floating being in front of him spoke.
"Master Jinn I can't let you go in there. It will explode in just a few minutes. You will be killed."
"How do you know my name and how do you know it will explode?"
"Doesn't take a genius Master Jinn, as soon as the fire meets that trail of fuel then BOOM!!"
Qui-Gon could here bits of controlled laughter from a couple of other Massassi.
"As for knowing your name, my commander or should I say my *master* is very familiar with it. I understand you and he have an ongoing... Oh I don't know... let's say ongoing rivalry. I just despise the word *argument*. It sounds so.. so barbaric."
"Your master, just who would that be?"
Jinn could not imagine who or what was meant by a master that he knew and had evidently had some sort of disagreement with. Qui-Gon had made a great many friends during his tenure as a Jedi master but he had also managed to create a great many that hated him as well. He had always heard the Massassi never aligned themselves with any other sentient being. So the man's words seemed not to fit the overhaul character of his species..
"Listen I will speak with your master after I have gone back in the ship. You must release me."
"I'm sorry but my *Master* has instructed me to bring you unharmed to him and I plan to do just that. Why go back in there anyway? Is there another crew member? I was told there would only be two on the ship."
//Who told him anything? //
As intriguing and mysterious as this was getting, Master Jinn knew time was running out. The force, his force of good had not told him *why* he had to go back in but he had enough trust in the force that hopefully he would find what he was supposed to do once there.
With all the power he had in him he used *his* force to break the invisible hold on him. It worked. He did not have time to explain and he left Tia where he was, still trussed up by the invisible grip equal to the Jedi force hold, *almost*. Right before his feet hit the top step he was abruptly and painfully stopped. Well, he was stopped quite finitely by an incapacitating blow to the head.
Qui-Gon woke up about five minutes later to find himself being dragged away by two of the translucent figures. As he massaged the second growing lump on his head, his thought of his quest the force had sent him on; to go back in the ship.
Suddenly a loud explosion was heard as it shook the ground he was standing on. Qui-Gon dizzily turned his head to see the transport ship fly up in the air, part by broken part. A pain as fierce as any he had ever known ripped through his entire being, rendering the revived Jedi master unconscious once again…………………
Padawan Tia Da'Neel looked out of the small cell that was not only equipped with bars, but electrodes of some kind of force inhibiting factor intertwined with those bars, rendering both he and Master Jinn's force abilities useless. He also knew that the electrodes carried a mighty shock to them if they were touched. Without thinking of the consequences and before Jinn could yell his warning, he tried and found out the *hard way*, from hands on experience..
With a sigh of failure he stood in the middle of the cell, arms crossed, foot tapping and a look of contriteness as he stared at his master who calmly, oh... so... calmly sat on the edge of a small cot provided them. The Padawan assumed the mantle of Master or so it appeared.
"May I ask you something Master Jinn, was this part of your plan? I you said we should get away from the ship only to turn back to the ship which allowed us to be captured. Was *it* some sick sense of humor of yours?. Was it your plan to have us captured?"
Jinn held his smile in. The young man was a testy one. He wondered if he spoke so deisrespectfuly to his true master when she oversaw to his training. He had a feeling that he did and that was why he was so comfortable about doing it to Jinn. A serious mistake that Qui-Gon would take care of when they returned to the temple, if they ever did.
They had been in the cell for a little over two hours and Qui-Gon still could not shake a sick feeling that had embedded its self deeply within him. Why did it matter if the ship blew up, he thought. To begin with the force drew him to something within the destroyed ship. He would have liked to found out the mystery behind the force sending him back to a useless ship and in a way Da' Neel was right. Master Jinn had been so absorbed with the mission the force had for him, he carelessly ignored the inevitable; their capture for he knew the Massassi were close when he took it upon himself to return to the ship.
I suppose I will never know what I was meant to find on that ship. However, why do I have such a feeling of doom like something is lost that I can't replace? I couldn't have left anything behind that was that important to me. I didn't bring anything with me, did I?
He felt for the rock in his pocket. It's temperature cooled to normal and it lay dormant, no sign of force power in it now.
That's another mystery. Why did the rock seem to come to life back there? The warning from the force must have sent a surge through it but why Owen's rock? I have never had to use a conduit for the force to reach me before.
"Master Jinn are you back in your own thoughts again? Do you think I could get some kind of an answer from you?"
"Padawan, if nothing else you were blessed with a mouth on you. One that could get you in great trouble with me if the tone is not tempered and the words not so condescending. I can assure you I had no intention of getting captured. Now that we are, we will have to wait and see what the *master * wants of us."
"For now? Well what would you suggest we do for now? I suppose meditate on the inevitability of our own deaths."
"While I would not have chosen exactly those words, yes I think the best thing we can do is meditate and seek calm through the force."
"Excuse me Master Jinn if I care to ignore your suggestion. There is no way I am going to be calm, trapped like a wild animal in this contraption."
Qui-Gon was about to reprimand the apprentice again for his disrespectfulness when just outside the cell came an eerily familiar voice.
"Why Master, have you lost so much power within the Jedi order that a lowly padawan can say what he wants to you? Would you have me correct the rude arogant padawan for you? I had heard you had taken no apprentice after Owen. Yes, little Owen, my predecessor. This one is too old for you to have taken; belong to someone else or did he just accompany you?"
Da' Neel was livid with anger. He, unlike Qui-Gon did not know who this dark looking character was. He resented being spoken too in such a manner.
"I don't know who you are but what passes between my * master* and I is none of your concern."
"Oh my bully of a little fellow isn't it? Should I be impressed. Better tell him to keep in line Jinn. My own master will not tolerate the mouth on that one."
"SHUT UP Padawan. Maybe you never met him so I will introduce you. This is my former apprentice before Owen, Xanatos, Xanatos Crion."
The name rang bells for the apprentice. This rogue Jedi was famous. The girls at the temple thought him some dark hero. Even though it was rumored he turned to the dark side, the mystery surrounding him, made Xanatos even more seductive and enticing to gossip about.
"XANATOS?"
Da' Neel was hardly able to get his name out, with the gulping breaths that he took.
Laughter rang through the hall of the cell room. "Oh, so you "have" heard of me. I had heard that I had acquired a sort of reputation at the temple. I am quite the idol there with giggling little female padawans that don't comprehend truly what the dark side entails. I could easily gut them with my saber and they idolize me. Tsk, Tsk, Master Jinn, the council should really weed those out you know?? I wouldn't think they would make a good Jedi knight, but then again I could be wrong. *Your* Master Yoda felt I would never amount to anything and look, I am the apprentice to the strongest person alive blessed in the dark force which carries with it so much more power and strength than the force of light you fight for. Yes in years to come *your* Master Yoda and all the Jedi for that matter will know my strength."
" And your weaknesses, will we be allowed to know them as well Xanatos? You weakness for power, your desire for fame, and your misplaced ideology that in someway you are more important than those who follow the light within the force and not worship the dark. You yourself may very well learn a lesson in all this. You may learn that your position as the apprentice to the dark lord is just that, second best,. You will never reach your ultimate goal of being the one first in superiority in anything. NOW!! What do you want Xanatos? I mean if you are finished with your bragging about you reputation among little giggly school girls, and your station in life as a *helper* to the dark lord with no chance of advancing further than what you are now, what exactly is it you want?"
Xanatos successfully hid the growing anger he had developed for his former master. Jinn had pointed out a couple of facts such as Xani always being second to Sidious that Xani himself did not care for. His old master had managed to find a weak part in his plan and use it.
"Me, I want nothing. I was sent down here by my master to see what *you* want on our world. You are the one to *drop in*…let's say uninvited. Save your speeches for your little Jedi padawans. I have no need of them. I know who I am now and I very much like it."
Xani smiled widely at the pun he had just made, dropped in.
"Xanatos, in case you were not briefed about this, by our captors the Massassi, we crashed. That is all."
"Master Jinn do you expect believe such a lame excuse?"
"Did you not see the ship?"
"Yes, and I still think it is some ingenious plan of yours to make your way here for my master."
Qui-Gon knew *who* Xanatos' master was. //Always two there are, no more no less.// He let his mind go over the little speech Yoda so often gave him when he was on a mission in search of the sith. Xani wasn't buying the truth that he was not in search of Sidious, but had stumbled onto him anyway.
"Listen Jinn, I have already alerted my master of you abilities. Most Jedi, *we* could take down with no problem. I suppose that is why Master Yoda sent his best. But you will find my master is the best at what he does as well."
"Master Jinn, I insist you tell me what his master does or better yet who is he?"
"SILENCE DA' NEEL."
"Always so short tempered Master Jinn." Xanatos halted his words and thought back to when he was the apprentice to Master Jinn, then continued. "But never with me. No, I think had you incorporated some of those qualities of stern discipline with me, I might have turned out better, actually made it to knighthood. However, you made it so easy for me to turn to the dark. Nothing I did, no matter how wrong, fell on my shoulders for accountability, when it was found out. You found a reason to justify everything I did, no matter how wrong it was. In your eyes I was blameless and pure of light, never capable of doing the wrong that was right there before you. The truth was, I was more than capable I thrived on it."
Jinn winced as if in pain . Xanatos was right. He spoiled Xani, idolized him, A dangerous thing for a master to do and Jinn felt he was indeed the reason for Xani's inability to continue to knighthood.
Nevertheless, Qui-Gon would accept the blame for Xanatos' failure at knighthood, but he would not allow himself to take the blame for Xanatos' turn to the dark side. That part of his failure was his own, Jinn thought.
While Da'Neel remained silent, he was angry. He still was ignorant to the name of Xani's master. Right now he wasn't worried about it, but when the dark lord walked in Qui-Gon thought his new padawan would swallow his tongue.
"AWE! Master Jinn we meet again."
Did the room seem colder, was there a darkness that followed Xani's master and settled over them? Even without the force they could feel the effects in the room Darth Sidious brought with him when he walked in with a flowing black robe, lined with deep red silk. His presence demanded attention. The apprentice could not help but stare at the evil one.
As Darth Sidious stepped forward to get a better look at his captives, Xanatos faded to the back by the hall door where one of Sidious red guard had just walked in and without interrupting the powerful one, called Xanatos toward him
Jinn raised and eyebrow and let his attention go toward Xanatos, instead of the dark lord. Da' Neel on the other hand was mesmerized by seeing his first sith and could not break his gaze away from Darth Sidious.
Darth Sidious thought it humorous and it drew a little chuckle from him at looked at Jinn, only to find Qui-Gon had broken his stare at him to see what went on at the door.
Darth Sidious turned to see his new apprentice, Xanatos stomp angrily back to him. His anger not directed at Sidious but at his former master as he shot daggers with his look toward Jinn. Once there he gained some composure bowed respectfully to his *master* and relayed the message, to both Sidious and Jinn.
"It would seem Master Jinn tried to pull a fast one on us my master. He has even outdone himself, I would say. He certainly fooled me. And I know him quite well but I must have underestimated him. Please forgive me."
Xanatos ceremoniously bowed his forgiveness and Sidious actually affectionately touched his apprentice's shoulder to signal his understanding and forgiveness.
Jinn had no idea what his former apprentice meant.
"What are you talking about Xanatos?"
"Claim ignorance when all else fails. Is that right Master Jinn? You told us there were only two of you on the ship. You lied. I told my new master that Jedi never lie??"
Da' Neel looked quizzically at his master who in turn looked just as dumbfounded at him. Neither of them had any idea of what Xanatos referred too.
Darth Sidious held up his hand, to stop everyone from speaking.
"What do you refer too?"
Xanatos bent very near his master and whispered in his ear. The dark lord's eyes lit up with anger.
"I don't like being fooled Master Jinn. Someone will pay for this."
"What in the *galaxy* are you referring too Xanatos? At least tell me that."
Anger flared in the raven-colored eyes of Xanaots Crion.
When he spoke to Jinn he did it through gritted teeth with so much anger, spittle spewed out of his mouth along with his words.
"Oh, I can do better than that Master Jinn. I will not only tell you, I will show you as well. "
He walked to the outside hall door where the guard remained and when he opened the door he pulled a small figure of a child with him. Whimpers from stifled cries and low moans escaped from the small one as he was dragged mercilessly by Xanatos, closer to the cell.
The small captive was evidently in a great deal of pain. Jinn felt some of it even through the tempered force its self as Xani caused even more pain by his rough handling of him or her. At that time Qui-Gon could not tell because of the unrecognizable condition the young one was in.
Jinn caught his breath. At first he did not know who the child was. He certainly would have never dreamed who he recognized it to be. It was his ward, covered in blood and soot. He was also barefooted, accentuated by the scores of oozing blisters on the top of his fire-scorched feet, his clothing ripped to shreds from the explosion of the ship. A question in the form of one word; a name, barely audible as it tumbled from Jinn's lips, "Obi-Wan?"………………
"I am waiting Master Jinn. Would you care to explain this one to my master? Did you think to make a mockery of Darth Sidious? Did you think he could get away? Why is he so important to you that according to the Massassi you were willing to risk your own life to return to the ship when you realized it was about to blow up?"
Jinn could not even fathom why the child was on board and he didn't know he was even there or did he?
Why would the force lead me to him. He is not force sensitive. Was it just to save a child's life? Yes that must be it because Obi is not blessed with force powers.
"Which one of your numerous questions would you have me answer first, Xanatos? For your information, I had absolutely no idea the child was on the ship. He was to be back at the temple, under Master Yoda's care."
Darth Sidous interrupted the master this time.
"And just who is he? Lucky to be alive he is, but explain his connection to you?"
"He is the cousin to my former apprentice, He died while on a mission."
Jinn was rudely interrupted yet again but now it was Xanatos' turn.
"Is he here to replace his cousin as an apprentice. Is he so like your old one that you wanted this relative of Owen? Another thing Master Jinn, you can not have two apprentices and that annoying little *snit* claims to be your apprentice."
"No Xanatos, he is not to replace Owen. He couldn't even if I wanted him too. He is not force sensitive. I am his guardian and nothing more. I took him to care for to keep him out of an orphanage, nothing more. Must I reiterate it to you? I had no idea he was on that ship. He must have been making an attempt to run away from the temple, from me."
The last words spoken was more in a whisper as Master Jinn realized what he said. Obi-Wan was miserable enough to try to run away from the only place he had a chance to live. He must have been very a miserable child to do that, thought the Jedi master..
Xanatos' interest increased with the knowledge that if Jinn spoke the truth,there was another besides himself that couldn't wait to get out from under Master Jinn's thumb.
"From you? Now, now Master Jinn, I wonder what you did to the child to make him want to leave you? "
A thunderous laughter escaped the former Jedi and even Darth Sidious found it humorous, but not enough to laugh.
Sidious held his hand up again to halt the chatter. The other hand was used to unlock the cell and Xani threw the little one straight at Master Jinn. Qui-Gon caught the boy and tried to avoid causing more pain to him. It was impossible though. He could here low agonizing moans of pain escape the lips of the nearly unconscious boy as he landed hard against the master's body. A low scream was heard again and Obi lost any consciousness that held him.
"I will settle all this later. It is time for my mid-meal. Something will be sent down to you Master Jinn and I will also send some bandages and a basin of water. Clean the child up. I want to see what this one looks like; This little one that would cause a Master to risk his own life to save him, yet you claim he is virtually nothing to you. Come along Xanatos. I don't want my food to get cold. We have anytime we like to deal with these three. They certainly aren't going anywhere."
As soon as the sith left, Jinn lifted Obi-Wan to the bed and waited for supplies to help the child.
He was able to assess the boy's injuries to a certain degree and that in its self was surprising. Normally he would not be able to use the force to check an injured person if they too weren't force sensitive as well.
Obi-Wan looked worse than he was. The worst of his injuries were the top of his feet which from the looks of them had suffered third degree burns. Some of the blisters had bled before forming; a sign that the burns were deep and painful. Qui-Gon brushed the boy's hair back. While not as spiked as a padawan cut and he wore no braid, Jinn could see familiar features and reminders of his dead padawan.
They were not brothers but resemblances were there. That made the master more determined to see that he did not fail this boy as he had his apprentice. At least that is what he assumed made him want to care for the child in front of him. As Obi-Wan rolled in pain, Jinn felt jolts of that pain within his own body. He did not even try to understand it. His focus now was strictly on making his little ward more comfortable.
//He will live but it will be hellacious torture he goes through while the burns heal. If only he had the force. If I could put him in a healing trance, his healing time would be so much less and so much more comfortable for him.//
It only took minutes for two red guards to return with the things Jinn needed to tend to Obi-Wan. Included in the things were some bacta patches, a basin of water, cleaning cloths, and lastly there was an oversized night shirt for Obi-Wan to put on. However, Jinn had to get the blood and soot cleaned from his abused and pained little body and the burns and cuts cleaned and dressed.
Obi finally managed to open one eye, the other swollen shut from taking a hit from something during the crash.
He reached out and touched the front of Master Jinn's tunic
"Sick Mr..Qui-Gon. Medicine…"
At first, the Jedi mistook the words as delirium. Surely Obi-Wan did not know he had been injured and wrongly assumed the pain he was feeling was from being ill, not injured."
Qui-Gon took the smaller hand in his two large ones and soothingly spoke to him.
"No Obi-Wan, you are not sick. You have been injured in the crash of our transport ship. Now be still. I will have you fixed up in a few minutes."
Qui-Gon started the job of removing the ripped and burnt tunics. As he did he could see burns less deep than the ones on his feet but still could cause a lot of pain for a little boy.
"Obi very carefully and slowly shook his head no."
"My medicine. Sick I am sick…"
Qui-Gon started to reassure the child that he suffered an injury and not an illness when he suddenly understood Obi-Wan's words.
//The medicine. He was to have his hydro spray medication today. I can't replace it for I don't even know what was in it, what it was for exactly. I should never have agreed to Selena's request for the very problem I deal with now. How can I possibly even attempt to get medication I can not tell Sidious or Xanatos what it is. They probably wouldn't help anyway, but I should have seen to it I knew what he took.//
Now he would not be able to get it at all. Jinn did not have any with him because he didn't expect to have Obi-Wan with him.
Master Jinn laid his hands on Obi's bare chest and an amazing thing happened. He could only attribute it to a miracle for he was unaware of the truth about his ward. He felt the force's healing powers surge from his hands into the child.
//How? Why? Obi-Wan can not be using the force healing. He has no midiclorians in his blood. This is impossible and yet it is happening. While the healing energies transmitted to Obi-Wan from me is not strong it is there all the same. Any healing force will help him right now, no matter how samall it is. Any comfort I can lend him through the force, no matter how strange and unusual it is I will gladly take.//
His thoughts quickly returned to the *now* when Da'Neel spoke.
"I thought they were bringing us food. They got the stuff the kid needed but where is my food?"
Qui-Gon did not want to alarm Obi-Wan with his loud voice which right now he would really have liked to use on his apprentice.
"Da' Neel I wish you would SHUT UP. Your selfish attitude is unreal and unneeded at the time. I am going to attempt a healing trance and I do not want you to interrupt with worry for yourself or your stomach."
"Da' Neel stood there wide-eyed and indignant at his new master's words.
"You have to be kidding. You can't use a healing trance on him. He can't recirpicate by receiving the force with no force powers of his own. You are insane. Now I know the bump on your head has rattled your brains.
"Padawan, unless you would like for me to put a force hold in the form of a gag on your big mouth, I think you should shut up. I will do what I must. At least I can make an attempt. His entire family is blessed with the force. Maybe there is some residual force within him, just not found yet."
Jinn quietly spoke the words but Da' Neel knew well the anger behind them and slumped to the floor to sit and wait quietly for his food.
//Let the old guy do what he will. It is a stupid idea and will render nothing but exhaustion for Master Jinn. That dumb little kid couldn't have any force abilities in him. It would have shown its self by now.//
Obi-Wan, though not totally aware of what was going on, willingly opened himself up further than he had to anyone ever, without even realizing what was happening. He felt a nudge to his mind, felt the warmth of Qui-Gon's hands as they lay pressed softly against his chest, and again without his knowledge of what it was, felt the force through the healing trance.
From the tips of the big JedI's fingers, came feather light charges of soothing comfort. It not only abated the pain, it healed the abrasions and bruises suffered by the little boy... Those little healing *zingers*, each one of them carried a little more healing within them every time.
Obi-Wan, still semiconscious felt like he floated on a bed of soft billowy clouds that was as *comfy* as to cushion each and every little bruise, cut, or burn on his once pain-riddled body..
His feet, oh, he thought his feet would never escape the hell of the fierce burning sensation on their tops, but that too eased from unbearable to tolerable. The soreness and stiffness his little body had received as part of the abuse from the ship's tumbling him over and over, released its nasty grip on him. They were not as rigid and more pliable. He could actually bend his knees now.
Obi-Wan was willing to stay this way forever, wrapped in the comfort and safety of the force, but was quickly pulled out of all of that when he heard his guardian speak to him. No, not spoken words but words sent to his mind, which startled the little one. He reached out and Qui-Gon took the pleading little hand that waved in mid-air to be taken for reassurance.
//I am not sure how we are able to do this Obi. However I have established a bond of sorts to lead you through a healing trance.//
Obi was still not awake to the outside world around him.
//Mr. Qui-Gon did I do alright?"
Qui-Gon hesitated and then kinda smiled a little to himself
//Oh, you mean the healing trance? Yes, you excepted it quite well little one. Enough so that a great deal of your injuries have started to heal. //
Typical for a young boy Obi's age, the dread of being in trouble now that the immense pain had been quelled, popped into his mind.
//Am I in trouble Mr. Qui-Gon?//
Qui-Gon for now, had no plans to even release the child's hand let alone consider a proper punishment for running away.
//By rights you should be young one, for running away. However I think your punishment has already be allocated to you by your injuries suffered in the crash. I think we can put that out of heads right now. It is not the time to think about that, think about healing.//
//O.K. Mr. Qui-Gon. But if it is alright I will put the worry away about my punishnment for running away, but I don't want to put you out of my mind. Must I?//
Again Master Jinn hesitated and had to think through what the boy said then he understood. He liked the comfort that Jinn provided by being in his mind and he was unwilling to let go of that comfort or the outward comfort afforded him by holding the Jedi master's hand.
//I will be with you as long as I can for I am as confused as you how this happened. When you awake we will both have to seek guidance through the force and see exactly what is going on. //
//Mr. Qui-Gon how can I reach the force? I have no force abilities.//
Qui-Gon kept Obi's hand in one of his and took his other to wipe the spiked hair back.
//If you hear me through a mind link and you were able to receive my healing trance then indeed you can assist me in searching through the force for an explanation for all this. Now though, I want you to wake up. I need to see how you truly feel when you are not in a fuzzy haze of semi consciousness. Can you do that for me?//
//I will try Mr. Qui-Gon.//
Qui-Gon gripped the boy's hand a little tighter. He was tempted to repeat the mantra of Yoda's. There is no try. However he realized Obi-Wan was not his apprentice. NOT yet anyway.
How that last three-word thought got in his mind, the master would never know. He just as suddenly pushed it out of his mind, blaming his tumultuous emotions for some of his irrational thinking.
Qui-Gon, like Obi was not willing to let go of this new-found connection. A connection Jinn was not at all uncomfortable with. In fact it brought him a great deal of solace when he thought of his former padawan. He reached down in his pocket and held Owen's lucky birthday rock.
Between the rock and Obi-Wan's connection with him he could have *almost* forgotten the difficult and possibly deadly situation they were in. Now it seemed he had renewed determination, an increased pressure to escape. He wanted to find out what went on with he and Obi. Their impossible and unheard of connection created an obsession within the master to get to the bottom of why it was there in the first place.
//I have to get out of here quickly. Besides the child needs medicine, I want to explore what is between us. How the force managed to connect a force sensitive to a little one with no force. I will have to begin thinking seriously of how to escape, now that Obi is on his way to recovery.//
Qui-Gon roused the child and he finally awoke from his almost coma state. The person he had feared the most, the one person he did not want to find out about his runaway escapade was now holding his hand. As far as Obi-Wan was concerned he had no immediate plans to let go of that hand, unless the *big guy* himself forced him too.
Qui-Gon was more than agreeable to sit on the floor by the little cot and wait for their food to come. He stayed there and thought of an escape plan.
Da'Neel remained quiet and only got up when the food arrived. He was courteous enough to hand Master Jinn and Obi-Wan theirs.
Obi would drift in and out of sleep, bathed in some unknown comfortable feeling that passed from the Master Jedi to him. Obi still did not know what was happening to him. Every nerve in his body seemed more in tuned with the things around him.
Was it his imagination or as he lay there was his hearing more astutely, could he feel heat and cold with increased tempering degrees. How was it seemed to Obi-Wan that he could even feel the turmoil the man holding his hand was going through.
//This is strange. It feels as though I am not alone any more. In my mind, I mean. He is there. He's been there since he healed me. Is it some Jedi trick to see what I am thinking about? That must be it. Mr. Qui-Gon wants to know if I hate him or if I plan to run away as soon as I get better. //
The thoughts flowed through his mind and he couldn't stop them. What he also couldn't do was stop the big Jedi master from knowing some of his thoughts which yet again shocked Master Jinn. All this was beyond the realm of reasoning even for a seasoned Jedi to decipher.
Qui-Gon knew some of what Obi was thinking. The problem the child had, was too many questions and not enough answers. Qui-Gon played an integral role in the reason for those questions. He had a dual role of adversary and savior for Obi-Wan.
On one hand Obi questioned and even feared the reason for Qui-Gon having access to his mind. On the other hand, he needed Qui-Gon as he had never needed another living soul before. Master Jinn was his life line right now. Both master and child knew that. What neither knew was how this all came about. What evoked it? Ever how perplexed with it Qui-Gon was, he excepted it because it rapidly improved Obi's condition.
//Maybe Master Yoda would know, but I surely have no idea how we have made this bizarre connection that does not seem to be lessening. It appears to be growing with just what little time it started, during the healing trance…………………//
PEACE ewen
Jinn studied the broken vehicle. Sparks still flew from the mechanics of it and the master realized they stood too close. He gently took his padawan by the arm and pulled him further away.
"We should move back. The fuel is leaking out from the busted gas tank and it might just ignite from those sparks. The entire ship will blow up in flames."
Da'Neel continued to stare at the ship and then a thought came to the young man.
"Master where did you say we were?"
"I don't think I ever did Padawan."
"Well could you tell me now?"
Jinn hesitated. His apprentice had already vomited because of his fear. He couldn't think of what he might do next when he found out where they had the misfortune or fortune to land on. He supposed it was just a matter of one's point of view. However he felt when Da'Neel knew where they were he might have another upchucking spell.
"We are on Yavin 4 Padawan."
"Holy sith Master!!! This is the *Dark Lord's playground.*"
"Your mouth padawan, watch it. Allow me to correct you. It was once considered the Dark One's playground or hideout. It had been rumored that the once thought extinct Massassi, the original native to Yavin 4 had returned to claim their land. A primitive bunch to say the least but either way the sith or Massassi, if they are here and we are found we could be in a great deal of trouble."
Jinn hesitated a moment to look at the ship.
"We should leave in case the ship was tracked during its crash. Wouldn't want to be surprised by either group. I suppose we should count ourselves lucky though."
Jinn remembered the lucky rock in his pocket that once belonged to his now dead padawan.
"Crash landing on a place like this forsaken place is not what I call luck Master Jinn."
The padawan seemed a little put out by his master's comments. He saw no luck in their situation.
Qui-Gon looked at his padawan and could only shake his head.
//When he started that fight with a child I questioned him and his trustworthiness and now even more. Does he not know how lucky he is? He shouldn't be complaining at a time like this. //
"Yes padawan, you are lucky because you were able to walk away from that mangled metal mess. Look at it long and hard and tonight during meditation you better thank the force and all that it is for saving your life. Right now it might question doing so with your attitude as it is."
Qui-Gon reached down in his pocket and felt the lucky rock. It seemed encased by some kind of fiery heat. So much so, it nearly burnt the Jedi master as he rolled it between two of his fingers.
He started to walk away and Da'Neel could only solemnly follow him. His ego bruised by the chastisement of his master's words.
Qui-Gon made it a few feet beyond the ship when he seemed drawn back to it for some unknown reason. He had yet again an unexplained urge to hold the now dangerously hot rock. As he reached into a pocket a warning through the force came to the master.
There was one problem. The force presented Master Jinn with two warnings at one time. He was alerted that he and his apprentice had been surrounded by an enemy force and secondly the force thought it imperative for him to return to the hull of the ship. Not just back to it. As he felt the rising heat that emanated from the rock, he got a direct order from the force to not only go back, but go into the ship.
For whatever reason the force wanted him to do it, Jinn would. He never questioned a message from force and this time would be no different. He was concerned about the warning of being stalked but no matter. Either direction he went, to the ship or away from it, they had already been found out. It would not matter now.
Padawan Da'Neel could only stand with his mouth hung open and watch his master return from where he said he must move away from.
"Master I think that hit on your head has rattled you in some way. You just told me to walk away from the crash site and not toward it."
Jinn kept walking back to the remains of their space ship. He even put a little hop in his step but never turned around as he spoke to his apprentice.
The only noise in the jungle background was the rustling of his Jedi robe as he continued going back from where he just came.// No matter.// The robes would have to be discarded very soon because of the soaring temperatures on Yavin. That was the sudden thought that occured to the master as he walked; the rising temperature and the added heat from his robe.
"That I did Padawan, that I did. But it seems the force has other plans, I did not know until now. I have to go back."
"Master are you positive you haven't suffered a concussion or something? Why go back to nothing?"
Still the master kept walking and Da'Neel feared he would lose him so he tried to keep up. Master Jinn tried to calm the young man down but he did not turn around to a address his apprentice face to face. There wasn't time..
"I am fine Tia, really. The force has directed me back to the ship and that is where I must go. I don't think it would be wise that you wait here on me. It seems we have several pair of eyes following our every move."
Now Tia Da'Neel was really worried. He had a dazed master that didn't know what he was doing and if he hadn't totally lost his mind and was right, they were being stalked.
//Listening to the force, * sure*. He's had his bell rung. He definitely is not thinking clearly.//
"Being followed? Shouldn't we do something Qui-Gon?"
"*Master* Qui-Gon to you. Remember that padawan and no, there seems to be nothing we can do until they show themselves."
Another sudden jar form the force and Jinn hastened his pace. The reason for going back, still remained unclear to the master. He only hoped the force would tell him the reason by the time he reached the ship.
Had either of the Jedi taken the time to look up they would have seen the giant plume of smoke rise in the air. Although the ship had not blown up yet, the sparks had started a fire.
When Master Jinn got to the crash site the force hit him with such power he lost his balance and almost fell. In that moment he started in a dead run toward the ship.
Da'Neel tried to stop his master. He thought he had suffered a brain injury or else why would someone in their right mind try to reenter a crashed ship but was on fire and just about to blow up?
Jinn managed to easily sidestep his apprentice's grasp and made his way to the ship. Overwhelming fear gripped the master, although he was still unsure why. It seemed imperative that he go in that ship and look around
//Look around for what?//
Even as he questioned his own sanity at what he was about to do, he continued on, determined to go the space ship. Just as he got to the door, an unseen force stopped him. At first Master Jinn thought it was the force of good that had stopped him for another unknown reason but he soon found the reason for the force hold.
Qui-Gon Jinn And his apprentice found themselves surrounded by translucent figures, twenty of them. Jinn knew from the history of the planet their were the Massassi, original settlers on this moon, Yavin. They seemed to float about a foot off the ground. They had a firm hold of some kind of force on both of them.
"Master, what do they want?"
"I don't think they have told us that yet Tia."
Jinn's padawan was getting very tired of his master's dry humor and it was dry if one could be humorous at a time likes this.
"I can't move."
"Seems neither of us can."
Jinn found it almost amusing to tease his apprentice. He was beginning to learn this Jedi had a lot of pent up fears about everything. His attention turned back to the reason he was at the ship in the first place.
The strange floating being in front of him spoke.
"Master Jinn I can't let you go in there. It will explode in just a few minutes. You will be killed."
"How do you know my name and how do you know it will explode?"
"Doesn't take a genius Master Jinn, as soon as the fire meets that trail of fuel then BOOM!!"
Qui-Gon could here bits of controlled laughter from a couple of other Massassi.
"As for knowing your name, my commander or should I say my *master* is very familiar with it. I understand you and he have an ongoing... Oh I don't know... let's say ongoing rivalry. I just despise the word *argument*. It sounds so.. so barbaric."
"Your master, just who would that be?"
Jinn could not imagine who or what was meant by a master that he knew and had evidently had some sort of disagreement with. Qui-Gon had made a great many friends during his tenure as a Jedi master but he had also managed to create a great many that hated him as well. He had always heard the Massassi never aligned themselves with any other sentient being. So the man's words seemed not to fit the overhaul character of his species..
"Listen I will speak with your master after I have gone back in the ship. You must release me."
"I'm sorry but my *Master* has instructed me to bring you unharmed to him and I plan to do just that. Why go back in there anyway? Is there another crew member? I was told there would only be two on the ship."
//Who told him anything? //
As intriguing and mysterious as this was getting, Master Jinn knew time was running out. The force, his force of good had not told him *why* he had to go back in but he had enough trust in the force that hopefully he would find what he was supposed to do once there.
With all the power he had in him he used *his* force to break the invisible hold on him. It worked. He did not have time to explain and he left Tia where he was, still trussed up by the invisible grip equal to the Jedi force hold, *almost*. Right before his feet hit the top step he was abruptly and painfully stopped. Well, he was stopped quite finitely by an incapacitating blow to the head.
Qui-Gon woke up about five minutes later to find himself being dragged away by two of the translucent figures. As he massaged the second growing lump on his head, his thought of his quest the force had sent him on; to go back in the ship.
Suddenly a loud explosion was heard as it shook the ground he was standing on. Qui-Gon dizzily turned his head to see the transport ship fly up in the air, part by broken part. A pain as fierce as any he had ever known ripped through his entire being, rendering the revived Jedi master unconscious once again…………………
Padawan Tia Da'Neel looked out of the small cell that was not only equipped with bars, but electrodes of some kind of force inhibiting factor intertwined with those bars, rendering both he and Master Jinn's force abilities useless. He also knew that the electrodes carried a mighty shock to them if they were touched. Without thinking of the consequences and before Jinn could yell his warning, he tried and found out the *hard way*, from hands on experience..
With a sigh of failure he stood in the middle of the cell, arms crossed, foot tapping and a look of contriteness as he stared at his master who calmly, oh... so... calmly sat on the edge of a small cot provided them. The Padawan assumed the mantle of Master or so it appeared.
"May I ask you something Master Jinn, was this part of your plan? I you said we should get away from the ship only to turn back to the ship which allowed us to be captured. Was *it* some sick sense of humor of yours?. Was it your plan to have us captured?"
Jinn held his smile in. The young man was a testy one. He wondered if he spoke so deisrespectfuly to his true master when she oversaw to his training. He had a feeling that he did and that was why he was so comfortable about doing it to Jinn. A serious mistake that Qui-Gon would take care of when they returned to the temple, if they ever did.
They had been in the cell for a little over two hours and Qui-Gon still could not shake a sick feeling that had embedded its self deeply within him. Why did it matter if the ship blew up, he thought. To begin with the force drew him to something within the destroyed ship. He would have liked to found out the mystery behind the force sending him back to a useless ship and in a way Da' Neel was right. Master Jinn had been so absorbed with the mission the force had for him, he carelessly ignored the inevitable; their capture for he knew the Massassi were close when he took it upon himself to return to the ship.
I suppose I will never know what I was meant to find on that ship. However, why do I have such a feeling of doom like something is lost that I can't replace? I couldn't have left anything behind that was that important to me. I didn't bring anything with me, did I?
He felt for the rock in his pocket. It's temperature cooled to normal and it lay dormant, no sign of force power in it now.
That's another mystery. Why did the rock seem to come to life back there? The warning from the force must have sent a surge through it but why Owen's rock? I have never had to use a conduit for the force to reach me before.
"Master Jinn are you back in your own thoughts again? Do you think I could get some kind of an answer from you?"
"Padawan, if nothing else you were blessed with a mouth on you. One that could get you in great trouble with me if the tone is not tempered and the words not so condescending. I can assure you I had no intention of getting captured. Now that we are, we will have to wait and see what the *master * wants of us."
"For now? Well what would you suggest we do for now? I suppose meditate on the inevitability of our own deaths."
"While I would not have chosen exactly those words, yes I think the best thing we can do is meditate and seek calm through the force."
"Excuse me Master Jinn if I care to ignore your suggestion. There is no way I am going to be calm, trapped like a wild animal in this contraption."
Qui-Gon was about to reprimand the apprentice again for his disrespectfulness when just outside the cell came an eerily familiar voice.
"Why Master, have you lost so much power within the Jedi order that a lowly padawan can say what he wants to you? Would you have me correct the rude arogant padawan for you? I had heard you had taken no apprentice after Owen. Yes, little Owen, my predecessor. This one is too old for you to have taken; belong to someone else or did he just accompany you?"
Da' Neel was livid with anger. He, unlike Qui-Gon did not know who this dark looking character was. He resented being spoken too in such a manner.
"I don't know who you are but what passes between my * master* and I is none of your concern."
"Oh my bully of a little fellow isn't it? Should I be impressed. Better tell him to keep in line Jinn. My own master will not tolerate the mouth on that one."
"SHUT UP Padawan. Maybe you never met him so I will introduce you. This is my former apprentice before Owen, Xanatos, Xanatos Crion."
The name rang bells for the apprentice. This rogue Jedi was famous. The girls at the temple thought him some dark hero. Even though it was rumored he turned to the dark side, the mystery surrounding him, made Xanatos even more seductive and enticing to gossip about.
"XANATOS?"
Da' Neel was hardly able to get his name out, with the gulping breaths that he took.
Laughter rang through the hall of the cell room. "Oh, so you "have" heard of me. I had heard that I had acquired a sort of reputation at the temple. I am quite the idol there with giggling little female padawans that don't comprehend truly what the dark side entails. I could easily gut them with my saber and they idolize me. Tsk, Tsk, Master Jinn, the council should really weed those out you know?? I wouldn't think they would make a good Jedi knight, but then again I could be wrong. *Your* Master Yoda felt I would never amount to anything and look, I am the apprentice to the strongest person alive blessed in the dark force which carries with it so much more power and strength than the force of light you fight for. Yes in years to come *your* Master Yoda and all the Jedi for that matter will know my strength."
" And your weaknesses, will we be allowed to know them as well Xanatos? You weakness for power, your desire for fame, and your misplaced ideology that in someway you are more important than those who follow the light within the force and not worship the dark. You yourself may very well learn a lesson in all this. You may learn that your position as the apprentice to the dark lord is just that, second best,. You will never reach your ultimate goal of being the one first in superiority in anything. NOW!! What do you want Xanatos? I mean if you are finished with your bragging about you reputation among little giggly school girls, and your station in life as a *helper* to the dark lord with no chance of advancing further than what you are now, what exactly is it you want?"
Xanatos successfully hid the growing anger he had developed for his former master. Jinn had pointed out a couple of facts such as Xani always being second to Sidious that Xani himself did not care for. His old master had managed to find a weak part in his plan and use it.
"Me, I want nothing. I was sent down here by my master to see what *you* want on our world. You are the one to *drop in*…let's say uninvited. Save your speeches for your little Jedi padawans. I have no need of them. I know who I am now and I very much like it."
Xani smiled widely at the pun he had just made, dropped in.
"Xanatos, in case you were not briefed about this, by our captors the Massassi, we crashed. That is all."
"Master Jinn do you expect believe such a lame excuse?"
"Did you not see the ship?"
"Yes, and I still think it is some ingenious plan of yours to make your way here for my master."
Qui-Gon knew *who* Xanatos' master was. //Always two there are, no more no less.// He let his mind go over the little speech Yoda so often gave him when he was on a mission in search of the sith. Xani wasn't buying the truth that he was not in search of Sidious, but had stumbled onto him anyway.
"Listen Jinn, I have already alerted my master of you abilities. Most Jedi, *we* could take down with no problem. I suppose that is why Master Yoda sent his best. But you will find my master is the best at what he does as well."
"Master Jinn, I insist you tell me what his master does or better yet who is he?"
"SILENCE DA' NEEL."
"Always so short tempered Master Jinn." Xanatos halted his words and thought back to when he was the apprentice to Master Jinn, then continued. "But never with me. No, I think had you incorporated some of those qualities of stern discipline with me, I might have turned out better, actually made it to knighthood. However, you made it so easy for me to turn to the dark. Nothing I did, no matter how wrong, fell on my shoulders for accountability, when it was found out. You found a reason to justify everything I did, no matter how wrong it was. In your eyes I was blameless and pure of light, never capable of doing the wrong that was right there before you. The truth was, I was more than capable I thrived on it."
Jinn winced as if in pain . Xanatos was right. He spoiled Xani, idolized him, A dangerous thing for a master to do and Jinn felt he was indeed the reason for Xani's inability to continue to knighthood.
Nevertheless, Qui-Gon would accept the blame for Xanatos' failure at knighthood, but he would not allow himself to take the blame for Xanatos' turn to the dark side. That part of his failure was his own, Jinn thought.
While Da'Neel remained silent, he was angry. He still was ignorant to the name of Xani's master. Right now he wasn't worried about it, but when the dark lord walked in Qui-Gon thought his new padawan would swallow his tongue.
"AWE! Master Jinn we meet again."
Did the room seem colder, was there a darkness that followed Xani's master and settled over them? Even without the force they could feel the effects in the room Darth Sidious brought with him when he walked in with a flowing black robe, lined with deep red silk. His presence demanded attention. The apprentice could not help but stare at the evil one.
As Darth Sidious stepped forward to get a better look at his captives, Xanatos faded to the back by the hall door where one of Sidious red guard had just walked in and without interrupting the powerful one, called Xanatos toward him
Jinn raised and eyebrow and let his attention go toward Xanatos, instead of the dark lord. Da' Neel on the other hand was mesmerized by seeing his first sith and could not break his gaze away from Darth Sidious.
Darth Sidious thought it humorous and it drew a little chuckle from him at looked at Jinn, only to find Qui-Gon had broken his stare at him to see what went on at the door.
Darth Sidious turned to see his new apprentice, Xanatos stomp angrily back to him. His anger not directed at Sidious but at his former master as he shot daggers with his look toward Jinn. Once there he gained some composure bowed respectfully to his *master* and relayed the message, to both Sidious and Jinn.
"It would seem Master Jinn tried to pull a fast one on us my master. He has even outdone himself, I would say. He certainly fooled me. And I know him quite well but I must have underestimated him. Please forgive me."
Xanatos ceremoniously bowed his forgiveness and Sidious actually affectionately touched his apprentice's shoulder to signal his understanding and forgiveness.
Jinn had no idea what his former apprentice meant.
"What are you talking about Xanatos?"
"Claim ignorance when all else fails. Is that right Master Jinn? You told us there were only two of you on the ship. You lied. I told my new master that Jedi never lie??"
Da' Neel looked quizzically at his master who in turn looked just as dumbfounded at him. Neither of them had any idea of what Xanatos referred too.
Darth Sidious held up his hand, to stop everyone from speaking.
"What do you refer too?"
Xanatos bent very near his master and whispered in his ear. The dark lord's eyes lit up with anger.
"I don't like being fooled Master Jinn. Someone will pay for this."
"What in the *galaxy* are you referring too Xanatos? At least tell me that."
Anger flared in the raven-colored eyes of Xanaots Crion.
When he spoke to Jinn he did it through gritted teeth with so much anger, spittle spewed out of his mouth along with his words.
"Oh, I can do better than that Master Jinn. I will not only tell you, I will show you as well. "
He walked to the outside hall door where the guard remained and when he opened the door he pulled a small figure of a child with him. Whimpers from stifled cries and low moans escaped from the small one as he was dragged mercilessly by Xanatos, closer to the cell.
The small captive was evidently in a great deal of pain. Jinn felt some of it even through the tempered force its self as Xani caused even more pain by his rough handling of him or her. At that time Qui-Gon could not tell because of the unrecognizable condition the young one was in.
Jinn caught his breath. At first he did not know who the child was. He certainly would have never dreamed who he recognized it to be. It was his ward, covered in blood and soot. He was also barefooted, accentuated by the scores of oozing blisters on the top of his fire-scorched feet, his clothing ripped to shreds from the explosion of the ship. A question in the form of one word; a name, barely audible as it tumbled from Jinn's lips, "Obi-Wan?"………………
"I am waiting Master Jinn. Would you care to explain this one to my master? Did you think to make a mockery of Darth Sidious? Did you think he could get away? Why is he so important to you that according to the Massassi you were willing to risk your own life to return to the ship when you realized it was about to blow up?"
Jinn could not even fathom why the child was on board and he didn't know he was even there or did he?
Why would the force lead me to him. He is not force sensitive. Was it just to save a child's life? Yes that must be it because Obi is not blessed with force powers.
"Which one of your numerous questions would you have me answer first, Xanatos? For your information, I had absolutely no idea the child was on the ship. He was to be back at the temple, under Master Yoda's care."
Darth Sidous interrupted the master this time.
"And just who is he? Lucky to be alive he is, but explain his connection to you?"
"He is the cousin to my former apprentice, He died while on a mission."
Jinn was rudely interrupted yet again but now it was Xanatos' turn.
"Is he here to replace his cousin as an apprentice. Is he so like your old one that you wanted this relative of Owen? Another thing Master Jinn, you can not have two apprentices and that annoying little *snit* claims to be your apprentice."
"No Xanatos, he is not to replace Owen. He couldn't even if I wanted him too. He is not force sensitive. I am his guardian and nothing more. I took him to care for to keep him out of an orphanage, nothing more. Must I reiterate it to you? I had no idea he was on that ship. He must have been making an attempt to run away from the temple, from me."
The last words spoken was more in a whisper as Master Jinn realized what he said. Obi-Wan was miserable enough to try to run away from the only place he had a chance to live. He must have been very a miserable child to do that, thought the Jedi master..
Xanatos' interest increased with the knowledge that if Jinn spoke the truth,there was another besides himself that couldn't wait to get out from under Master Jinn's thumb.
"From you? Now, now Master Jinn, I wonder what you did to the child to make him want to leave you? "
A thunderous laughter escaped the former Jedi and even Darth Sidious found it humorous, but not enough to laugh.
Sidious held his hand up again to halt the chatter. The other hand was used to unlock the cell and Xani threw the little one straight at Master Jinn. Qui-Gon caught the boy and tried to avoid causing more pain to him. It was impossible though. He could here low agonizing moans of pain escape the lips of the nearly unconscious boy as he landed hard against the master's body. A low scream was heard again and Obi lost any consciousness that held him.
"I will settle all this later. It is time for my mid-meal. Something will be sent down to you Master Jinn and I will also send some bandages and a basin of water. Clean the child up. I want to see what this one looks like; This little one that would cause a Master to risk his own life to save him, yet you claim he is virtually nothing to you. Come along Xanatos. I don't want my food to get cold. We have anytime we like to deal with these three. They certainly aren't going anywhere."
As soon as the sith left, Jinn lifted Obi-Wan to the bed and waited for supplies to help the child.
He was able to assess the boy's injuries to a certain degree and that in its self was surprising. Normally he would not be able to use the force to check an injured person if they too weren't force sensitive as well.
Obi-Wan looked worse than he was. The worst of his injuries were the top of his feet which from the looks of them had suffered third degree burns. Some of the blisters had bled before forming; a sign that the burns were deep and painful. Qui-Gon brushed the boy's hair back. While not as spiked as a padawan cut and he wore no braid, Jinn could see familiar features and reminders of his dead padawan.
They were not brothers but resemblances were there. That made the master more determined to see that he did not fail this boy as he had his apprentice. At least that is what he assumed made him want to care for the child in front of him. As Obi-Wan rolled in pain, Jinn felt jolts of that pain within his own body. He did not even try to understand it. His focus now was strictly on making his little ward more comfortable.
//He will live but it will be hellacious torture he goes through while the burns heal. If only he had the force. If I could put him in a healing trance, his healing time would be so much less and so much more comfortable for him.//
It only took minutes for two red guards to return with the things Jinn needed to tend to Obi-Wan. Included in the things were some bacta patches, a basin of water, cleaning cloths, and lastly there was an oversized night shirt for Obi-Wan to put on. However, Jinn had to get the blood and soot cleaned from his abused and pained little body and the burns and cuts cleaned and dressed.
Obi finally managed to open one eye, the other swollen shut from taking a hit from something during the crash.
He reached out and touched the front of Master Jinn's tunic
"Sick Mr..Qui-Gon. Medicine…"
At first, the Jedi mistook the words as delirium. Surely Obi-Wan did not know he had been injured and wrongly assumed the pain he was feeling was from being ill, not injured."
Qui-Gon took the smaller hand in his two large ones and soothingly spoke to him.
"No Obi-Wan, you are not sick. You have been injured in the crash of our transport ship. Now be still. I will have you fixed up in a few minutes."
Qui-Gon started the job of removing the ripped and burnt tunics. As he did he could see burns less deep than the ones on his feet but still could cause a lot of pain for a little boy.
"Obi very carefully and slowly shook his head no."
"My medicine. Sick I am sick…"
Qui-Gon started to reassure the child that he suffered an injury and not an illness when he suddenly understood Obi-Wan's words.
//The medicine. He was to have his hydro spray medication today. I can't replace it for I don't even know what was in it, what it was for exactly. I should never have agreed to Selena's request for the very problem I deal with now. How can I possibly even attempt to get medication I can not tell Sidious or Xanatos what it is. They probably wouldn't help anyway, but I should have seen to it I knew what he took.//
Now he would not be able to get it at all. Jinn did not have any with him because he didn't expect to have Obi-Wan with him.
Master Jinn laid his hands on Obi's bare chest and an amazing thing happened. He could only attribute it to a miracle for he was unaware of the truth about his ward. He felt the force's healing powers surge from his hands into the child.
//How? Why? Obi-Wan can not be using the force healing. He has no midiclorians in his blood. This is impossible and yet it is happening. While the healing energies transmitted to Obi-Wan from me is not strong it is there all the same. Any healing force will help him right now, no matter how samall it is. Any comfort I can lend him through the force, no matter how strange and unusual it is I will gladly take.//
His thoughts quickly returned to the *now* when Da'Neel spoke.
"I thought they were bringing us food. They got the stuff the kid needed but where is my food?"
Qui-Gon did not want to alarm Obi-Wan with his loud voice which right now he would really have liked to use on his apprentice.
"Da' Neel I wish you would SHUT UP. Your selfish attitude is unreal and unneeded at the time. I am going to attempt a healing trance and I do not want you to interrupt with worry for yourself or your stomach."
"Da' Neel stood there wide-eyed and indignant at his new master's words.
"You have to be kidding. You can't use a healing trance on him. He can't recirpicate by receiving the force with no force powers of his own. You are insane. Now I know the bump on your head has rattled your brains.
"Padawan, unless you would like for me to put a force hold in the form of a gag on your big mouth, I think you should shut up. I will do what I must. At least I can make an attempt. His entire family is blessed with the force. Maybe there is some residual force within him, just not found yet."
Jinn quietly spoke the words but Da' Neel knew well the anger behind them and slumped to the floor to sit and wait quietly for his food.
//Let the old guy do what he will. It is a stupid idea and will render nothing but exhaustion for Master Jinn. That dumb little kid couldn't have any force abilities in him. It would have shown its self by now.//
Obi-Wan, though not totally aware of what was going on, willingly opened himself up further than he had to anyone ever, without even realizing what was happening. He felt a nudge to his mind, felt the warmth of Qui-Gon's hands as they lay pressed softly against his chest, and again without his knowledge of what it was, felt the force through the healing trance.
From the tips of the big JedI's fingers, came feather light charges of soothing comfort. It not only abated the pain, it healed the abrasions and bruises suffered by the little boy... Those little healing *zingers*, each one of them carried a little more healing within them every time.
Obi-Wan, still semiconscious felt like he floated on a bed of soft billowy clouds that was as *comfy* as to cushion each and every little bruise, cut, or burn on his once pain-riddled body..
His feet, oh, he thought his feet would never escape the hell of the fierce burning sensation on their tops, but that too eased from unbearable to tolerable. The soreness and stiffness his little body had received as part of the abuse from the ship's tumbling him over and over, released its nasty grip on him. They were not as rigid and more pliable. He could actually bend his knees now.
Obi-Wan was willing to stay this way forever, wrapped in the comfort and safety of the force, but was quickly pulled out of all of that when he heard his guardian speak to him. No, not spoken words but words sent to his mind, which startled the little one. He reached out and Qui-Gon took the pleading little hand that waved in mid-air to be taken for reassurance.
//I am not sure how we are able to do this Obi. However I have established a bond of sorts to lead you through a healing trance.//
Obi was still not awake to the outside world around him.
//Mr. Qui-Gon did I do alright?"
Qui-Gon hesitated and then kinda smiled a little to himself
//Oh, you mean the healing trance? Yes, you excepted it quite well little one. Enough so that a great deal of your injuries have started to heal. //
Typical for a young boy Obi's age, the dread of being in trouble now that the immense pain had been quelled, popped into his mind.
//Am I in trouble Mr. Qui-Gon?//
Qui-Gon for now, had no plans to even release the child's hand let alone consider a proper punishment for running away.
//By rights you should be young one, for running away. However I think your punishment has already be allocated to you by your injuries suffered in the crash. I think we can put that out of heads right now. It is not the time to think about that, think about healing.//
//O.K. Mr. Qui-Gon. But if it is alright I will put the worry away about my punishnment for running away, but I don't want to put you out of my mind. Must I?//
Again Master Jinn hesitated and had to think through what the boy said then he understood. He liked the comfort that Jinn provided by being in his mind and he was unwilling to let go of that comfort or the outward comfort afforded him by holding the Jedi master's hand.
//I will be with you as long as I can for I am as confused as you how this happened. When you awake we will both have to seek guidance through the force and see exactly what is going on. //
//Mr. Qui-Gon how can I reach the force? I have no force abilities.//
Qui-Gon kept Obi's hand in one of his and took his other to wipe the spiked hair back.
//If you hear me through a mind link and you were able to receive my healing trance then indeed you can assist me in searching through the force for an explanation for all this. Now though, I want you to wake up. I need to see how you truly feel when you are not in a fuzzy haze of semi consciousness. Can you do that for me?//
//I will try Mr. Qui-Gon.//
Qui-Gon gripped the boy's hand a little tighter. He was tempted to repeat the mantra of Yoda's. There is no try. However he realized Obi-Wan was not his apprentice. NOT yet anyway.
How that last three-word thought got in his mind, the master would never know. He just as suddenly pushed it out of his mind, blaming his tumultuous emotions for some of his irrational thinking.
Qui-Gon, like Obi was not willing to let go of this new-found connection. A connection Jinn was not at all uncomfortable with. In fact it brought him a great deal of solace when he thought of his former padawan. He reached down in his pocket and held Owen's lucky birthday rock.
Between the rock and Obi-Wan's connection with him he could have *almost* forgotten the difficult and possibly deadly situation they were in. Now it seemed he had renewed determination, an increased pressure to escape. He wanted to find out what went on with he and Obi. Their impossible and unheard of connection created an obsession within the master to get to the bottom of why it was there in the first place.
//I have to get out of here quickly. Besides the child needs medicine, I want to explore what is between us. How the force managed to connect a force sensitive to a little one with no force. I will have to begin thinking seriously of how to escape, now that Obi is on his way to recovery.//
Qui-Gon roused the child and he finally awoke from his almost coma state. The person he had feared the most, the one person he did not want to find out about his runaway escapade was now holding his hand. As far as Obi-Wan was concerned he had no immediate plans to let go of that hand, unless the *big guy* himself forced him too.
Qui-Gon was more than agreeable to sit on the floor by the little cot and wait for their food to come. He stayed there and thought of an escape plan.
Da'Neel remained quiet and only got up when the food arrived. He was courteous enough to hand Master Jinn and Obi-Wan theirs.
Obi would drift in and out of sleep, bathed in some unknown comfortable feeling that passed from the Master Jedi to him. Obi still did not know what was happening to him. Every nerve in his body seemed more in tuned with the things around him.
Was it his imagination or as he lay there was his hearing more astutely, could he feel heat and cold with increased tempering degrees. How was it seemed to Obi-Wan that he could even feel the turmoil the man holding his hand was going through.
//This is strange. It feels as though I am not alone any more. In my mind, I mean. He is there. He's been there since he healed me. Is it some Jedi trick to see what I am thinking about? That must be it. Mr. Qui-Gon wants to know if I hate him or if I plan to run away as soon as I get better. //
The thoughts flowed through his mind and he couldn't stop them. What he also couldn't do was stop the big Jedi master from knowing some of his thoughts which yet again shocked Master Jinn. All this was beyond the realm of reasoning even for a seasoned Jedi to decipher.
Qui-Gon knew some of what Obi was thinking. The problem the child had, was too many questions and not enough answers. Qui-Gon played an integral role in the reason for those questions. He had a dual role of adversary and savior for Obi-Wan.
On one hand Obi questioned and even feared the reason for Qui-Gon having access to his mind. On the other hand, he needed Qui-Gon as he had never needed another living soul before. Master Jinn was his life line right now. Both master and child knew that. What neither knew was how this all came about. What evoked it? Ever how perplexed with it Qui-Gon was, he excepted it because it rapidly improved Obi's condition.
//Maybe Master Yoda would know, but I surely have no idea how we have made this bizarre connection that does not seem to be lessening. It appears to be growing with just what little time it started, during the healing trance…………………//
PEACE ewen