Chapter One
Lift Tube Malfunctions
Obi-Wan Kenobi woke up to the sound of the persistent beeping of someone ringing the door chime. Obi-Wan slowly got off the sleep couch and made his way to the door.
"Obi-Wan," Bant Eerin said after the door slid open, "you are going to be late for classes, what are you doing?"
"I fell asleep before I could set the alarm to wake me," he said turning to look at the clock in the sitting area.
"Well I came to see if you wanted to walk with me to the cafeteria for first meal."
"I am going to have to meet you for mid day meal. I am going to have just enough time to get ready and get to class."
"Obi-Wan, you didn't come to last meal yesterday, you shouldn't skip first meal today too."
"I don't have a choice, Bant, I'm on probation, and I can't be late to class. I'm not going to do anything to screw up my probation. I'll meet you in the cafeteria for mid day meal I promise."
"Alright," Bant sighed, "I'll meet you in the cafeteria for mid meal then."
"I'll be there," Obi-Wan told his friend, before she turned and walked away from his apartment.
As he walked towards the fresher he was relieved that he still had friends that would still talk to him.
* *** * *** * *** *
"Look it's Oafy-Wan, the greatest Jedi that ever lived. Tell us Oafy, what's it like to be the only Jedi to turn his back on the Jedi and be aloud back, with nothing but a slap on the hand?" Bruck Chun demanded as he pushed Obi-Wan slightly, after they entered the sparring room.
"That's not what happened," Obi-Wan disagreed..
"Really then why did Qui-Gon Jinn request to be given a mission alone. He won't take you back, and no other Master will want you either. You are not even worthy of sitting in this class room with all of us, who actually want to be Jedi, and who don't take our training for granted," Bruck taunted.
Obi-Wan glared at the white haired boy, and was about to speak when the teacher entered the room. Throughout the remainder of the class Obi-Wan had tried to ignore Bruck's words, but every thing the bully had said were things that Obi-Wan had thought about already. Hearing Bruck say it, somehow, made it seem even more likely though. Did Qui-Gon really leave because he couldn't bear to watch over Obi-Wan while the council decided what to do with him? Qui-Gon hadn't really wanted to take him as his apprentice in the beginning. Obi-Wan had worked really hard to prove himself him, and then threw it all away for kids that he thought that he could help.
Obi-Wan couldn't wait for this class to be over with so he could meet his friends in the cafeteria for mid meal. He needed his friends right now, and was very hungry, he thought as his stomach growled with agreement.
* ***** * ***** *
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn entered the guest room of the palace of Schumson and sat down on the sleep couch. He was tired and glad that the negotiations were finally finished for the day. The negotiations had consisted of many headache-inducing arguments, between the small planet's leaders, and secondary officials. Although it was only his first day at the negotiations, he had to stop two very intense arguments that had nearly turned physical. If he would have been aloud to bring Obi-Wan with him it would have been a great learning experience for the boy.
Qui-Gon sighed as he thought about the boy. He had been angry at first when the council had told him that Obi-Wan could not go along with him on the mission, until Mace explained to him that the King of Schumson requested that no Jedi under the age of eighteen be sent to the planet, and that they had personally requested Qui-Gon, because the leader of another near by World had suggested that, they ask for Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon was also worried about the boy, because he had not been given the chance to say goodbye before he left, since Obi-Wan was in classes. When he had first brought Obi-Wan back from Melida/Dann he had been angry and hurt over what he then had thought of as the boy's betrayal of him.
During his flight to Schumson, Qui-Gon had realized that he was comparing Obi-Wan to Xanatos, his padawan before Obi-Wan. What Xanatos did he did out of a darkness inside of him; and what Obi-Wan did, he did because he thought he was helping some kids in need of help. Qui-Gon did agree that Obi-Wan should be punished for what he had done, but he also knew that he had been entirely too hard on him; especially since the boy had to deal with the fact that the ones he had been willing to give up his Jedi training for had turned on him, and a good friend of the boys had died in front of him. He now realized that he had barely said anything to Obi-Wan since they returned from Melida/Dann, and when he had spoken to him he had just informed him of what he was and was not aloud to do. He regretted not being able to say goodbye to the boy, and not talking with him about what had happened before he left.
Qui-Gon decided that he would have to have a talk with the boy as soon as he returned to the temple, and explain to him what he had done wrong and why it was wrong. He knew that there was no doubt in his mind that Obi-Wan Kenobi would be his padawan again after the probationary period was over.
With a yawn, Qui-Gon took off his boots, and prepared to go to sleep.
* ***** * ***** *
Qui-Gon woke up in the middle of the night to a persistent beeping sound. After looking around, he noticed that the communications device on the small table near the sleep couch was the source of the noise. After examining the device, which was different from the comm units that he was accustomed to, he, found what he assumed was the activation switch, and pushed it.
On the small monitor screen Qui-Gon saw the image of the inside of a lift tube. He wondered why he was seeing it when the doors suddenly slid open and Obi-Wan entered the lift. Qui-Gon noted that the boy looked upset about something, as he watched Obi-Wan type in his destination as the cafeteria.
The lift began to move, as Obi-Wan leaned against the very back wall of the lift tube, he leaned the back of his head against the wall and closed his eyes. Qui-Gon wondered what was wrong with the boy, when suddenly the lift tube came to a screeching halt, sending Obi-Wan crashing hard to his knees with a grunt.
Suddenly the lift tube began to move upwards in the opposite direction of the cafeteria faster than it was designed to move. Then the lift suddenly began to go down again without a pause, sending it's only passenger flying to the roof of the lift tube. Qui-Gon heard the boy let out a painful cry, as his left side crashed into the ceiling. Obi-Wan cradled his left arm with his right arm, as the lift fell down faster and faster.
Qui-Gon feared that the lift would crash at the bottom of the temple, when it suddenly changed direction again. Again he watched his padawan crash to the floor. The boy was being thrown around like a child's toy. As the lift continued to rise Obi-Wan laid still on his back. He seemed to be taking ragged breaths, and made no attempt to move, although Qui-Gon doubted that he would be able to move. After a few minutes of quickly rising the lift suddenly stopped, and this time all but emergency lighting in the lift went off, as Obi-Wan was again thrown back to the floor. Qui- Gon let out his breath, realizing that someone must of discovered the malfunction and cut power to the lift. Obi-Wan, who had landed hard face down on the floor turned his head to the side; as he did Qui-Gon could see that the boys mouth, nose, and chin were covered in blood that poured out of his nose, and pulled in a puddle on the floor of the lift. Obi-Wan seemed to fight to stay conscious, and Qui-Gon assumed that the boy had a concussion.
As Obi-Wan laid still, Qui-Gon heard a loud screeching noise that sounded like metal breaking, and the lift began to rock jarring the boy's injured body. Then with one final screech the lift began to fall faster than Qui- Gon would have thought it was capable of moving. Qui-Gon watched in horror as the lift plummeted down towards the bottom level where he knew that the lift would crash.
The monitor screen went back to a blank screen. Releasing the breath that he was unaware that he had been holding Qui-Gon tried to calm down, after what he assumed must have been a dream, but found it very difficult.
* *** * *** *
"So Cam what is wrong with the lift tube?" Master Mace Windu asked the temples head mechanic as they walked down the hall towards one of the lift tubes together.
"I'm not sure exactly why, but I noticed that it seemed a little sluggish so I decided to have a look at it. That's when I noticed that some of the repulsor relays near the top level were damaged, and in need of replacement. So I put up signs on all the lift entrances so no one would use the lifts." Cam explained as they walked.
Mace was heading to the other lift tube after a practice sparring match with one of the padawans whose master was unable to spar with the boy today. And Cam was on his way to check out the control panels on this levels lift tubes.
"How long do you think it will take before the lift tube will be operational again?"
"If that is the only problem, I should have it operational by tomorrow morning. I'm checking all of the control panels to make sure that they are working properly," The tall Twi'lek said, as they turned a corner near the lift tubes, in time to see the back of someone entering the malfunctioning lift tube.
"Stop, don't go in there!" Cam yelled and started to quickly walk towards the lift. Mace quickened his pace and followed the mechanic.
"I don't think he heard you," Mace said, as they started to run.
"There shouldn't be any problems with it as long as he doesn't go to the top levels," Cam said.
"Judging by his height, I'd guess that it was a student that was leaving one of the sparring rooms. He should be going to the cafeteria for mid meal."
"Good that's only two levels down. The lift should be fine for two-" Cam stopped mid sentence as they reached the lift tube and he noticed that the level indicator showed the lift stopped between the second and third levels. Suddenly the lift raised up two the twenty-second level, at a fast rate of speed, then the lift suddenly started to go down faster than usual speed. Cam thought that the lift tube was going to crash to the bottom, but the lift suddenly stopped on the first level, and then started to rise quickly upwards again. The lift was moving a lot faster than it was designed too.
"What is that kid doing?" Mace asked.
"I don't think the kid is doing it. The lift tubes were not designed to move that quickly. It didn't pause for fifteen seconds between levels like it should have, and it-changed directions too quick. That kid is getting thrown around in there I'm sure."
"Is there anything you can do?" Mace asked.
"I'll have to cut power to the lift systems. If the lift reaches the top level . . ." Cam trailed off and quickly took his comlink out of his utility belt. "Lynnette, this is Cam."
"Lynnette," the voice of the female mechanic who was in the control room replied.
"Lynnette, I need you to cut all power to the lift tubes authorization code A42LZ9Z. Do it now!" Cam ordered as he and Mace watched the indicator that told them that the lift would reach the top level in under a minute and then fall hundreds of feet to the bottom. Cam knew that a crash from that distance would instantly kill anyone inside the lift tube.
Mace stood looking up at the level indicator, helplessly watching the lift rise closer to the top level.
"The computer is not accepting your code. Is it A42LZ9Z?"
"Yes."
"I've tried that code three times and I even tried my own code," the girl said.
"Lynette use my code, this is Mace Windu. The code is CJC94B5."
"Got it," Lynette's voice said, "it worked!"
Mace and Cam waited anxiously for the lift to stop. When it finally did it was just before the top level. Mace let out a sigh of relief that was immediately dashed by Cams next words.
"We have to get someone up there before the lift falls and it crashes to the ground level."
"I'll contact Yoda, the council is meeting in the council room soon, and hopefully some of the council members are already there." Mace said reaching for his comlink.
After explaining the situation to Yoda, the little green Master told Mace that he and the six council members that were in the council room would check out the situation.
"I'm going to use the stairs to get up there," Mace said as he turned towards the staircase, at the far end of the corridor, and then quickly ran towards the staircase, with Cam following closely behind.
*** * *** * ***
"I just can't believe he would do this to us too," Garen Muln said as he, Reeft and Bant waited impatiently for Obi-Wan to show up in the cafeteria.
"Something must have happened if he's not here," Bant defended their friend.
"Why?" Garen argued, "because he promised to meet you here? What about the promise that he made to Master Qui-Gon, and what about the promise that he had made to the Jedi order? He broke those promises, why shouldn't he brake another promise?"
Bant starred at her friend unable to believe that he had said that about Obi-Wan. "Garen, how could you say that? We don't know what the circumstances were that caused Obi-Wan to decide to leave the Jedi order."
"Does it matter, he betrayed the Jedi order that he had trained his entire life for, and now that he changed his mind they are probably going to send him back to the Agri Corps. Even Qui-Gon won't take him back. I heard that he left to go on the mission without Obi-Wan by request."
"Can they really send him back there?" Bant asked her surprise was evident on her face.
"I hope not," Reeft said in between bites of his lunch, "I think that Obi- Wan had a good reason for doing what he did, and even if he didn't, he is still my friend, and I will miss him if he has to leave again."
"Bant," Siri Tachi said walking up to their table, "Obi-Wan went on a mission with Master Qui-Gon Jinn right?"
"No. We're actually waiting for him now," Bant answered, "why is something wrong?"
"My master told me that there is a student stuck in a malfunctioning lift tube, and said that she just wanted to make sure that I was not on the lift," Siri told them. "I was just trying to determine who it might be, from the students that are not here in the cafeteria and are not away from the temple on missions, or other reasons. There are only two students not accounted for: Aalto and Obi-Wan."
"Is it serious?" Bant asked.
"It must be for my master to contact me over our bond. She sounded frantic at first, and then very relieved when I told her I was in the cafeteria."
"Look there's Aalto," Reeft said pointing at the entranceway where the young initiate had just entered.
Bant quickly stood up, followed by Reeft, and Garen. The three friends and Siri hurried out of the cafeteria. As they reached the lift tubes they noticed that neither of the lifts were operational.
"Bant try contacting Obi-Wan on your comlink," Siri suggested.
Bant nodded, and pulled her comlink out of the utility belt around her waist. "Obi-Wan are you there? Obi-Wan this is Bant can you hear me? After waiting a few minutes she tried again, but still got no reply.
"He's not answering," Bant said, "there has to be something wrong if he's not answering," Bant said fearfully.
"We need to go and look for him," Garen said.
"He could bespeaking with one of the teachers, the sparring instructor maybe," Reeft said.
"No, I saw Master Casilla leaving the sparring area with Master Yoda. They both got into the same lift together." Siri said.
"I'm going to look for him," Garen said.
"I'm coming with you," Bant said.
"If he was on his way to meet us in the cafeteria and he was last in the sparring rooms he should be between the fourth and second levels," Siri told them.
"Lets go we can take the stairs, Garen said and started to run down the hall towards the staircase at the far end of the hallway. Sir, Bant, and Reeft ran after him.
After checking the third and second levels they found no indication of where the lift had gotten stuck at.
"What if the malfunction wasn't that the lift had gotten stuck between levels, but that it had crashed?" Reeft asked.
"It could be a malfunction that the doors are simply jammed and Obi-Wan is stuck," Garen said.
Siri then suggested that they could check the healer's wing to make sure that the boy was not hurt. And they quickly ran up the ten flights of stairs to the fourteenth level where the healer's wing was located.
"Sure now the lifts are running," Garen commented as they neared the lift tubes, and could hear the whir of the lift tube moving downwards.
"The lift is going down," Bant commented.
"It looks like they got it unstuck," Reeft commented.
"No, only this lift has the power restored, the other lift is still non- operational," Siri observed, as the lift tube came to a halt on the sixth level.
"It's stopped," Garen said, as the doors slid open.
Masters Mace Windu, and Ki-Adi Mundi exited the lift followed by Plo Koon who carried an unconscious Obi-Wan Kenobi cradled in his arms.
Bant gasped as she saw her unconscious friend. Healers quickly rushed out of the doors to the healer's wing with a stretcher. The four masters rushed passed the three initiates and padawan to meet the healers, who then quickly put the limp boy onto the stretcher and then took him into the healer's wing through the sliding glass doors.
A few minutes later Master Yoda, and Adi Gallia came out of the lift tube. They stopped in front of the students.
"Back to the cafeteria you should go, or late for your next class you will be," Yoda told them.
"You can visit with Obi-Wan later. "He will be with the healer's for a while anyway," Adi said trying to look reassuring, before she and Yoda turned to walk towards the glass doors.
Lift Tube Malfunctions
Obi-Wan Kenobi woke up to the sound of the persistent beeping of someone ringing the door chime. Obi-Wan slowly got off the sleep couch and made his way to the door.
"Obi-Wan," Bant Eerin said after the door slid open, "you are going to be late for classes, what are you doing?"
"I fell asleep before I could set the alarm to wake me," he said turning to look at the clock in the sitting area.
"Well I came to see if you wanted to walk with me to the cafeteria for first meal."
"I am going to have to meet you for mid day meal. I am going to have just enough time to get ready and get to class."
"Obi-Wan, you didn't come to last meal yesterday, you shouldn't skip first meal today too."
"I don't have a choice, Bant, I'm on probation, and I can't be late to class. I'm not going to do anything to screw up my probation. I'll meet you in the cafeteria for mid day meal I promise."
"Alright," Bant sighed, "I'll meet you in the cafeteria for mid meal then."
"I'll be there," Obi-Wan told his friend, before she turned and walked away from his apartment.
As he walked towards the fresher he was relieved that he still had friends that would still talk to him.
* *** * *** * *** *
"Look it's Oafy-Wan, the greatest Jedi that ever lived. Tell us Oafy, what's it like to be the only Jedi to turn his back on the Jedi and be aloud back, with nothing but a slap on the hand?" Bruck Chun demanded as he pushed Obi-Wan slightly, after they entered the sparring room.
"That's not what happened," Obi-Wan disagreed..
"Really then why did Qui-Gon Jinn request to be given a mission alone. He won't take you back, and no other Master will want you either. You are not even worthy of sitting in this class room with all of us, who actually want to be Jedi, and who don't take our training for granted," Bruck taunted.
Obi-Wan glared at the white haired boy, and was about to speak when the teacher entered the room. Throughout the remainder of the class Obi-Wan had tried to ignore Bruck's words, but every thing the bully had said were things that Obi-Wan had thought about already. Hearing Bruck say it, somehow, made it seem even more likely though. Did Qui-Gon really leave because he couldn't bear to watch over Obi-Wan while the council decided what to do with him? Qui-Gon hadn't really wanted to take him as his apprentice in the beginning. Obi-Wan had worked really hard to prove himself him, and then threw it all away for kids that he thought that he could help.
Obi-Wan couldn't wait for this class to be over with so he could meet his friends in the cafeteria for mid meal. He needed his friends right now, and was very hungry, he thought as his stomach growled with agreement.
* ***** * ***** *
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn entered the guest room of the palace of Schumson and sat down on the sleep couch. He was tired and glad that the negotiations were finally finished for the day. The negotiations had consisted of many headache-inducing arguments, between the small planet's leaders, and secondary officials. Although it was only his first day at the negotiations, he had to stop two very intense arguments that had nearly turned physical. If he would have been aloud to bring Obi-Wan with him it would have been a great learning experience for the boy.
Qui-Gon sighed as he thought about the boy. He had been angry at first when the council had told him that Obi-Wan could not go along with him on the mission, until Mace explained to him that the King of Schumson requested that no Jedi under the age of eighteen be sent to the planet, and that they had personally requested Qui-Gon, because the leader of another near by World had suggested that, they ask for Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon was also worried about the boy, because he had not been given the chance to say goodbye before he left, since Obi-Wan was in classes. When he had first brought Obi-Wan back from Melida/Dann he had been angry and hurt over what he then had thought of as the boy's betrayal of him.
During his flight to Schumson, Qui-Gon had realized that he was comparing Obi-Wan to Xanatos, his padawan before Obi-Wan. What Xanatos did he did out of a darkness inside of him; and what Obi-Wan did, he did because he thought he was helping some kids in need of help. Qui-Gon did agree that Obi-Wan should be punished for what he had done, but he also knew that he had been entirely too hard on him; especially since the boy had to deal with the fact that the ones he had been willing to give up his Jedi training for had turned on him, and a good friend of the boys had died in front of him. He now realized that he had barely said anything to Obi-Wan since they returned from Melida/Dann, and when he had spoken to him he had just informed him of what he was and was not aloud to do. He regretted not being able to say goodbye to the boy, and not talking with him about what had happened before he left.
Qui-Gon decided that he would have to have a talk with the boy as soon as he returned to the temple, and explain to him what he had done wrong and why it was wrong. He knew that there was no doubt in his mind that Obi-Wan Kenobi would be his padawan again after the probationary period was over.
With a yawn, Qui-Gon took off his boots, and prepared to go to sleep.
* ***** * ***** *
Qui-Gon woke up in the middle of the night to a persistent beeping sound. After looking around, he noticed that the communications device on the small table near the sleep couch was the source of the noise. After examining the device, which was different from the comm units that he was accustomed to, he, found what he assumed was the activation switch, and pushed it.
On the small monitor screen Qui-Gon saw the image of the inside of a lift tube. He wondered why he was seeing it when the doors suddenly slid open and Obi-Wan entered the lift. Qui-Gon noted that the boy looked upset about something, as he watched Obi-Wan type in his destination as the cafeteria.
The lift began to move, as Obi-Wan leaned against the very back wall of the lift tube, he leaned the back of his head against the wall and closed his eyes. Qui-Gon wondered what was wrong with the boy, when suddenly the lift tube came to a screeching halt, sending Obi-Wan crashing hard to his knees with a grunt.
Suddenly the lift tube began to move upwards in the opposite direction of the cafeteria faster than it was designed to move. Then the lift suddenly began to go down again without a pause, sending it's only passenger flying to the roof of the lift tube. Qui-Gon heard the boy let out a painful cry, as his left side crashed into the ceiling. Obi-Wan cradled his left arm with his right arm, as the lift fell down faster and faster.
Qui-Gon feared that the lift would crash at the bottom of the temple, when it suddenly changed direction again. Again he watched his padawan crash to the floor. The boy was being thrown around like a child's toy. As the lift continued to rise Obi-Wan laid still on his back. He seemed to be taking ragged breaths, and made no attempt to move, although Qui-Gon doubted that he would be able to move. After a few minutes of quickly rising the lift suddenly stopped, and this time all but emergency lighting in the lift went off, as Obi-Wan was again thrown back to the floor. Qui- Gon let out his breath, realizing that someone must of discovered the malfunction and cut power to the lift. Obi-Wan, who had landed hard face down on the floor turned his head to the side; as he did Qui-Gon could see that the boys mouth, nose, and chin were covered in blood that poured out of his nose, and pulled in a puddle on the floor of the lift. Obi-Wan seemed to fight to stay conscious, and Qui-Gon assumed that the boy had a concussion.
As Obi-Wan laid still, Qui-Gon heard a loud screeching noise that sounded like metal breaking, and the lift began to rock jarring the boy's injured body. Then with one final screech the lift began to fall faster than Qui- Gon would have thought it was capable of moving. Qui-Gon watched in horror as the lift plummeted down towards the bottom level where he knew that the lift would crash.
The monitor screen went back to a blank screen. Releasing the breath that he was unaware that he had been holding Qui-Gon tried to calm down, after what he assumed must have been a dream, but found it very difficult.
* *** * *** *
"So Cam what is wrong with the lift tube?" Master Mace Windu asked the temples head mechanic as they walked down the hall towards one of the lift tubes together.
"I'm not sure exactly why, but I noticed that it seemed a little sluggish so I decided to have a look at it. That's when I noticed that some of the repulsor relays near the top level were damaged, and in need of replacement. So I put up signs on all the lift entrances so no one would use the lifts." Cam explained as they walked.
Mace was heading to the other lift tube after a practice sparring match with one of the padawans whose master was unable to spar with the boy today. And Cam was on his way to check out the control panels on this levels lift tubes.
"How long do you think it will take before the lift tube will be operational again?"
"If that is the only problem, I should have it operational by tomorrow morning. I'm checking all of the control panels to make sure that they are working properly," The tall Twi'lek said, as they turned a corner near the lift tubes, in time to see the back of someone entering the malfunctioning lift tube.
"Stop, don't go in there!" Cam yelled and started to quickly walk towards the lift. Mace quickened his pace and followed the mechanic.
"I don't think he heard you," Mace said, as they started to run.
"There shouldn't be any problems with it as long as he doesn't go to the top levels," Cam said.
"Judging by his height, I'd guess that it was a student that was leaving one of the sparring rooms. He should be going to the cafeteria for mid meal."
"Good that's only two levels down. The lift should be fine for two-" Cam stopped mid sentence as they reached the lift tube and he noticed that the level indicator showed the lift stopped between the second and third levels. Suddenly the lift raised up two the twenty-second level, at a fast rate of speed, then the lift suddenly started to go down faster than usual speed. Cam thought that the lift tube was going to crash to the bottom, but the lift suddenly stopped on the first level, and then started to rise quickly upwards again. The lift was moving a lot faster than it was designed too.
"What is that kid doing?" Mace asked.
"I don't think the kid is doing it. The lift tubes were not designed to move that quickly. It didn't pause for fifteen seconds between levels like it should have, and it-changed directions too quick. That kid is getting thrown around in there I'm sure."
"Is there anything you can do?" Mace asked.
"I'll have to cut power to the lift systems. If the lift reaches the top level . . ." Cam trailed off and quickly took his comlink out of his utility belt. "Lynnette, this is Cam."
"Lynnette," the voice of the female mechanic who was in the control room replied.
"Lynnette, I need you to cut all power to the lift tubes authorization code A42LZ9Z. Do it now!" Cam ordered as he and Mace watched the indicator that told them that the lift would reach the top level in under a minute and then fall hundreds of feet to the bottom. Cam knew that a crash from that distance would instantly kill anyone inside the lift tube.
Mace stood looking up at the level indicator, helplessly watching the lift rise closer to the top level.
"The computer is not accepting your code. Is it A42LZ9Z?"
"Yes."
"I've tried that code three times and I even tried my own code," the girl said.
"Lynette use my code, this is Mace Windu. The code is CJC94B5."
"Got it," Lynette's voice said, "it worked!"
Mace and Cam waited anxiously for the lift to stop. When it finally did it was just before the top level. Mace let out a sigh of relief that was immediately dashed by Cams next words.
"We have to get someone up there before the lift falls and it crashes to the ground level."
"I'll contact Yoda, the council is meeting in the council room soon, and hopefully some of the council members are already there." Mace said reaching for his comlink.
After explaining the situation to Yoda, the little green Master told Mace that he and the six council members that were in the council room would check out the situation.
"I'm going to use the stairs to get up there," Mace said as he turned towards the staircase, at the far end of the corridor, and then quickly ran towards the staircase, with Cam following closely behind.
*** * *** * ***
"I just can't believe he would do this to us too," Garen Muln said as he, Reeft and Bant waited impatiently for Obi-Wan to show up in the cafeteria.
"Something must have happened if he's not here," Bant defended their friend.
"Why?" Garen argued, "because he promised to meet you here? What about the promise that he made to Master Qui-Gon, and what about the promise that he had made to the Jedi order? He broke those promises, why shouldn't he brake another promise?"
Bant starred at her friend unable to believe that he had said that about Obi-Wan. "Garen, how could you say that? We don't know what the circumstances were that caused Obi-Wan to decide to leave the Jedi order."
"Does it matter, he betrayed the Jedi order that he had trained his entire life for, and now that he changed his mind they are probably going to send him back to the Agri Corps. Even Qui-Gon won't take him back. I heard that he left to go on the mission without Obi-Wan by request."
"Can they really send him back there?" Bant asked her surprise was evident on her face.
"I hope not," Reeft said in between bites of his lunch, "I think that Obi- Wan had a good reason for doing what he did, and even if he didn't, he is still my friend, and I will miss him if he has to leave again."
"Bant," Siri Tachi said walking up to their table, "Obi-Wan went on a mission with Master Qui-Gon Jinn right?"
"No. We're actually waiting for him now," Bant answered, "why is something wrong?"
"My master told me that there is a student stuck in a malfunctioning lift tube, and said that she just wanted to make sure that I was not on the lift," Siri told them. "I was just trying to determine who it might be, from the students that are not here in the cafeteria and are not away from the temple on missions, or other reasons. There are only two students not accounted for: Aalto and Obi-Wan."
"Is it serious?" Bant asked.
"It must be for my master to contact me over our bond. She sounded frantic at first, and then very relieved when I told her I was in the cafeteria."
"Look there's Aalto," Reeft said pointing at the entranceway where the young initiate had just entered.
Bant quickly stood up, followed by Reeft, and Garen. The three friends and Siri hurried out of the cafeteria. As they reached the lift tubes they noticed that neither of the lifts were operational.
"Bant try contacting Obi-Wan on your comlink," Siri suggested.
Bant nodded, and pulled her comlink out of the utility belt around her waist. "Obi-Wan are you there? Obi-Wan this is Bant can you hear me? After waiting a few minutes she tried again, but still got no reply.
"He's not answering," Bant said, "there has to be something wrong if he's not answering," Bant said fearfully.
"We need to go and look for him," Garen said.
"He could bespeaking with one of the teachers, the sparring instructor maybe," Reeft said.
"No, I saw Master Casilla leaving the sparring area with Master Yoda. They both got into the same lift together." Siri said.
"I'm going to look for him," Garen said.
"I'm coming with you," Bant said.
"If he was on his way to meet us in the cafeteria and he was last in the sparring rooms he should be between the fourth and second levels," Siri told them.
"Lets go we can take the stairs, Garen said and started to run down the hall towards the staircase at the far end of the hallway. Sir, Bant, and Reeft ran after him.
After checking the third and second levels they found no indication of where the lift had gotten stuck at.
"What if the malfunction wasn't that the lift had gotten stuck between levels, but that it had crashed?" Reeft asked.
"It could be a malfunction that the doors are simply jammed and Obi-Wan is stuck," Garen said.
Siri then suggested that they could check the healer's wing to make sure that the boy was not hurt. And they quickly ran up the ten flights of stairs to the fourteenth level where the healer's wing was located.
"Sure now the lifts are running," Garen commented as they neared the lift tubes, and could hear the whir of the lift tube moving downwards.
"The lift is going down," Bant commented.
"It looks like they got it unstuck," Reeft commented.
"No, only this lift has the power restored, the other lift is still non- operational," Siri observed, as the lift tube came to a halt on the sixth level.
"It's stopped," Garen said, as the doors slid open.
Masters Mace Windu, and Ki-Adi Mundi exited the lift followed by Plo Koon who carried an unconscious Obi-Wan Kenobi cradled in his arms.
Bant gasped as she saw her unconscious friend. Healers quickly rushed out of the doors to the healer's wing with a stretcher. The four masters rushed passed the three initiates and padawan to meet the healers, who then quickly put the limp boy onto the stretcher and then took him into the healer's wing through the sliding glass doors.
A few minutes later Master Yoda, and Adi Gallia came out of the lift tube. They stopped in front of the students.
"Back to the cafeteria you should go, or late for your next class you will be," Yoda told them.
"You can visit with Obi-Wan later. "He will be with the healer's for a while anyway," Adi said trying to look reassuring, before she and Yoda turned to walk towards the glass doors.
