AN: All right, here's part three! I apologize for the wait, if you were waiting, that is ;) (hint: more reviews mean quick chapters! *grin*)
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Obi-Wan paced shortly behind his master in the barren city of Kareem. The area was once a key port near a river for bacta shipments from the farms. Nothing remained of its citizens now, merely a ghost metropolis. The pavement of what must have been streets and walkways were shredded and crumbled, an obvious remnant of that creature's destruction.
"Master," Obi-Wan was briefly surprised at how loud his voiced echoed.
"Yes, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon's voice came from ahead, soothing and less awkward.
"Could that monster be the cause of their disappearance?"
"Possible, but there would have to be many more. It certainly doesn't belong here or the natives would have accommodated by building this city higher."
Obi-Wan quickened to walk beside the older Jedi,"So somebody brought it here?"
"I believe so, in some fashion or another. Maybe someone created it here instead. Genetic experimentation is not unheard of."
The Padawan said nothing as he turned that thought over and in his mind. It seemed a bit far fetched, but there could have been some sort of disastrous accident resulting to the mass disappearance. How the monster linked to it without being a direct cause, he wasn't sure. And what if this "accident" was actually intentional? Things seemed to have gotten much more complicated very quickly. All the questions buzzing in his brain made him suddenly tired. Qui-Gon seemed to read his mind or perhaps felt his weariness through their Force link.
"The blue sun is setting quickly. According to our information, this is similar to our evening or night. The red will stay up much longer due to heavier gravitational pulls. When the red finally sets and the blue rises alone, that signals dawn. In the afternoon both will appear again."
"So they don't have any darkness at all?"
"No, these peoples' physical makeup depends on light. Their bodies rely on photosynthesis for energy, very similar to plants."
"Fascinating," Obi-Wan yawned. Why was he tired so suddenly? Usually he paid grave attention to details about missions and planets. Even Qui-Gon's steps seemed a little more heavy then usual.
Still strolling down what was left of the empty streets, they gazed left to right for an appropriate place to stay. The air became much cooler as everything gradually transformed into a crimson hue. Most of Kareem's buildings maintained a spiral shape, several quite tall. Small blocks of a reflective substance resided in the structures inside and out. The rainbow sparkles it captured from the suns dazzled the eye. It was almost difficult to look away. Obi-Wan supposed the blocks somehow had a prism effect and broke the red and blue rays into more colors, as if to allow for more complete light for photosynthesis.
After the two found an abandoned hotel, they explored it for a room. Finally finding one with two beds, they immediately entered and settled in. Qui-Gon gracefully sat on his bed while pulling out his holofile, and Obi-Wan flopped on his. It was silent for a moment besides his master's quick punching on the device.
"The nights here are half of Coruscant's. So you sleep for three hours while I keep watch, and then we'll switch after that."
The Padawan nodded while stretching out on his bed. How could people sleep decently around here with so much light anyway? Before he could answer himself, he was fast asleep.
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"Obi-Wan!" someone was shaking him," Come quickly!"
The young Jedi snapped his eyes open and quickly rolled off the bed to stand.
"Hmmm? What? What is it?" he stumbled groggily next to Qui-Gon at a small round window. It was still uncomfortably bright, and he had to wait for his eyes to adjust.
"Look there," his master pointed to the torn streets threading far below. He squinted in that direction until flitting shadows caught his attention. Tuning into the Force, he heighten his senses for a better look. Now he could hear soft conversation and see several beings carefully weaving among Kareem.
"If I'm not mistaken, I think we've found our lost souls," the older Jedi whispered never taking his gaze from the window," Notice the variety of colors to their skin? They're natives."
Obi-Wan was flabbergasted. Why would they just suddenly appear? Had their presence triggered this? Many more came until the roads where humming with life as if nothing was ever abandoned at all. Suddenly, the Force tugged and the Jedi quickly assumed hiding places before the door opened. A small girl stepped in and glanced around. Her shining silver eyes stopped on the Jedi belongings. Looking around again, she began to rifle through their packs. Still hidden, the two observed her quietly, letting her indulge in her curiosity. Her hair was pure white and piled in a spiral fashion on her head. She also wore simple black clothes that covered the bare minimum. It nearly made Obi-Wan blush. Then, despite her color and some unusual texture in some areas of her body, she almost looked human.
Sampling a food pellet, she grimaced and threw in on the bed. Obi-Wan stifled a laugh until she got ahold of his lightsaber.
"No!" he rushed out and she dropped the hilt, quite startled. It smacked the floor and spiraled in a circle like a credit spinning out. He picked it up slowly, her frightened eyes watching his every move.
"That's very dangerous," Qui-Gon slowly stepped out behind his apprentice. The child whimpered and bolted out the door.
"No wait!" Obi-Wan dropped the hand reaching towards her," That went well."
"Yes, I was hoping to meet more formally. She'll alert the others. Be ready for a small chat," the Jedi Master added.
Obi-Wan stashed his lightsaber in his belt and covered it,"Always. Let's go."
As they headed down the stairs, and group of flustered Mon Keftians met them half way up.
"Greetings!" Qui-Gon managed a smile and bowed,"We are Jedi."
"Jedi," one Keftian rolled the word off its tongue, thick with accent.
His apprentice played along and smiled to the angry faces. His grin faded as a sharp prong was placed against his chest.
"We come in peace, I can assure you," Qui-Gon tried to reason with them. More weapons were pointed at them as a result.
Obi-Wan brought his hands up and looked to his master,"Was this the chat you were expecting?"
"Manro jou sue clayp!" the weapon tighted on his chest. He always knew a 'shut up' exclamation when he heard one. Then they roughly grabbed them and began parading them in the streets for all the others to see. Taking it all in, Obi-Wan noticed hardly any of them seemed over twenty years old, but things aren't always what they appear, especially on alien planets. Finally they paused, and the crowd glared at them. The following silence was tense and thick.
"Um...take me to your leader?"
Qui-Gon shot a glare at his Padawan and inwardly groaned. The next lesson when they got home would definitely be about using sarcasm in the wrong situations. He then stepped up.
"We come in peace. We are Jedi, here to help."
They all glanced at their neighbors and continued staring at them.
"Jedi!" one shouted.
The two glanced at each other. Maybe they were finally getting some where.
"Jedijedijedi!" another added, until the entire crowd was shouting the word and seemed to be laughing. They were definitely mocking them, and it was obvious they didn't understand a word they had said. Why hadn't the Council said anything about this? Were translators a thing of luxury these days? They still would have mentioned it though.
The older Jedi ignored it and continued,"You have the outside world quite concerned. We've come to-"
An odd sound resembling a horn in the distance suddenly interrupted him. The Force surged as well. Everyone was now scrambling with panic to get away. The ground began to quake, knocking some off balance in the process.
"I think we have a visitor!" Qui-Gon ignited his lightsaber. The escaping inhabitants ignored him completely.
Obi-Wan mirrored his master and took a fighting stance next to him,"And just in time!"
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Obi-Wan paced shortly behind his master in the barren city of Kareem. The area was once a key port near a river for bacta shipments from the farms. Nothing remained of its citizens now, merely a ghost metropolis. The pavement of what must have been streets and walkways were shredded and crumbled, an obvious remnant of that creature's destruction.
"Master," Obi-Wan was briefly surprised at how loud his voiced echoed.
"Yes, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon's voice came from ahead, soothing and less awkward.
"Could that monster be the cause of their disappearance?"
"Possible, but there would have to be many more. It certainly doesn't belong here or the natives would have accommodated by building this city higher."
Obi-Wan quickened to walk beside the older Jedi,"So somebody brought it here?"
"I believe so, in some fashion or another. Maybe someone created it here instead. Genetic experimentation is not unheard of."
The Padawan said nothing as he turned that thought over and in his mind. It seemed a bit far fetched, but there could have been some sort of disastrous accident resulting to the mass disappearance. How the monster linked to it without being a direct cause, he wasn't sure. And what if this "accident" was actually intentional? Things seemed to have gotten much more complicated very quickly. All the questions buzzing in his brain made him suddenly tired. Qui-Gon seemed to read his mind or perhaps felt his weariness through their Force link.
"The blue sun is setting quickly. According to our information, this is similar to our evening or night. The red will stay up much longer due to heavier gravitational pulls. When the red finally sets and the blue rises alone, that signals dawn. In the afternoon both will appear again."
"So they don't have any darkness at all?"
"No, these peoples' physical makeup depends on light. Their bodies rely on photosynthesis for energy, very similar to plants."
"Fascinating," Obi-Wan yawned. Why was he tired so suddenly? Usually he paid grave attention to details about missions and planets. Even Qui-Gon's steps seemed a little more heavy then usual.
Still strolling down what was left of the empty streets, they gazed left to right for an appropriate place to stay. The air became much cooler as everything gradually transformed into a crimson hue. Most of Kareem's buildings maintained a spiral shape, several quite tall. Small blocks of a reflective substance resided in the structures inside and out. The rainbow sparkles it captured from the suns dazzled the eye. It was almost difficult to look away. Obi-Wan supposed the blocks somehow had a prism effect and broke the red and blue rays into more colors, as if to allow for more complete light for photosynthesis.
After the two found an abandoned hotel, they explored it for a room. Finally finding one with two beds, they immediately entered and settled in. Qui-Gon gracefully sat on his bed while pulling out his holofile, and Obi-Wan flopped on his. It was silent for a moment besides his master's quick punching on the device.
"The nights here are half of Coruscant's. So you sleep for three hours while I keep watch, and then we'll switch after that."
The Padawan nodded while stretching out on his bed. How could people sleep decently around here with so much light anyway? Before he could answer himself, he was fast asleep.
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"Obi-Wan!" someone was shaking him," Come quickly!"
The young Jedi snapped his eyes open and quickly rolled off the bed to stand.
"Hmmm? What? What is it?" he stumbled groggily next to Qui-Gon at a small round window. It was still uncomfortably bright, and he had to wait for his eyes to adjust.
"Look there," his master pointed to the torn streets threading far below. He squinted in that direction until flitting shadows caught his attention. Tuning into the Force, he heighten his senses for a better look. Now he could hear soft conversation and see several beings carefully weaving among Kareem.
"If I'm not mistaken, I think we've found our lost souls," the older Jedi whispered never taking his gaze from the window," Notice the variety of colors to their skin? They're natives."
Obi-Wan was flabbergasted. Why would they just suddenly appear? Had their presence triggered this? Many more came until the roads where humming with life as if nothing was ever abandoned at all. Suddenly, the Force tugged and the Jedi quickly assumed hiding places before the door opened. A small girl stepped in and glanced around. Her shining silver eyes stopped on the Jedi belongings. Looking around again, she began to rifle through their packs. Still hidden, the two observed her quietly, letting her indulge in her curiosity. Her hair was pure white and piled in a spiral fashion on her head. She also wore simple black clothes that covered the bare minimum. It nearly made Obi-Wan blush. Then, despite her color and some unusual texture in some areas of her body, she almost looked human.
Sampling a food pellet, she grimaced and threw in on the bed. Obi-Wan stifled a laugh until she got ahold of his lightsaber.
"No!" he rushed out and she dropped the hilt, quite startled. It smacked the floor and spiraled in a circle like a credit spinning out. He picked it up slowly, her frightened eyes watching his every move.
"That's very dangerous," Qui-Gon slowly stepped out behind his apprentice. The child whimpered and bolted out the door.
"No wait!" Obi-Wan dropped the hand reaching towards her," That went well."
"Yes, I was hoping to meet more formally. She'll alert the others. Be ready for a small chat," the Jedi Master added.
Obi-Wan stashed his lightsaber in his belt and covered it,"Always. Let's go."
As they headed down the stairs, and group of flustered Mon Keftians met them half way up.
"Greetings!" Qui-Gon managed a smile and bowed,"We are Jedi."
"Jedi," one Keftian rolled the word off its tongue, thick with accent.
His apprentice played along and smiled to the angry faces. His grin faded as a sharp prong was placed against his chest.
"We come in peace, I can assure you," Qui-Gon tried to reason with them. More weapons were pointed at them as a result.
Obi-Wan brought his hands up and looked to his master,"Was this the chat you were expecting?"
"Manro jou sue clayp!" the weapon tighted on his chest. He always knew a 'shut up' exclamation when he heard one. Then they roughly grabbed them and began parading them in the streets for all the others to see. Taking it all in, Obi-Wan noticed hardly any of them seemed over twenty years old, but things aren't always what they appear, especially on alien planets. Finally they paused, and the crowd glared at them. The following silence was tense and thick.
"Um...take me to your leader?"
Qui-Gon shot a glare at his Padawan and inwardly groaned. The next lesson when they got home would definitely be about using sarcasm in the wrong situations. He then stepped up.
"We come in peace. We are Jedi, here to help."
They all glanced at their neighbors and continued staring at them.
"Jedi!" one shouted.
The two glanced at each other. Maybe they were finally getting some where.
"Jedijedijedi!" another added, until the entire crowd was shouting the word and seemed to be laughing. They were definitely mocking them, and it was obvious they didn't understand a word they had said. Why hadn't the Council said anything about this? Were translators a thing of luxury these days? They still would have mentioned it though.
The older Jedi ignored it and continued,"You have the outside world quite concerned. We've come to-"
An odd sound resembling a horn in the distance suddenly interrupted him. The Force surged as well. Everyone was now scrambling with panic to get away. The ground began to quake, knocking some off balance in the process.
"I think we have a visitor!" Qui-Gon ignited his lightsaber. The escaping inhabitants ignored him completely.
Obi-Wan mirrored his master and took a fighting stance next to him,"And just in time!"
