AN: This chapter took a little longer then I meant, but here it is and in good timing too! Happy birthday Master Layren! *wink* I couldn't find you a decent riverstone, so this will just have to do :) Hope you all enjoy!

Qui-Gon awoke slowly as if trying to push through a distant fog. As his senses gradually came back to him, he first noticed a dull throbbing pain in his left arm. The last whispy tendrils of sleepiness finally wafted away, and his soft blue-green eyes opened. They suddenly widened, startled to see thick thorny bars enclosing him.

Frowning with confusion, he looked over noticing three darts embedded in his shoulder. Disgusted, Qui-Gon pulled them out and accessed the Force to douse its effects. But to his surprise, nothing happened. He could feel nothing except the fear creeping up his spine. Had he lost contact with the Force? His blurry and weak state of mind told him it was so. But how? Checking himself over again, Qui-Gon found no indication of the cause. Often times the Force felt like a comforting blanket, and now he shivered in cold. The sensation of being like everyone else.

While Qui-Gon adjusted to his surroundings, a sudden groan caught his attention. To his right, Obi-Wan sat up in a similar cage and tugged two darts from his thigh with a moan.

"Padawan? Are you all right?"

"I feel like a bantha landed on me, but other than that, great," came the grumpy reply.

Qui-Gon stifled a chuckle. That wasn't too far off from what he was thinking either.

"What happened?" Obi-Wan came close the spiny bars without touching them.

"I believe we're on trial, but it's possible they've skipped that minor detail and went ahead with the punishment."

"Because of the old man? Whatever happened to guilty until proven innocent?!"

"They seem to have primitive ways. It's not all too surprising," Qui-Gon stated not arrogantly, but simply as an observation.

"Well, whatever was on those darts didn't feel quite so primitive," Obi-Wan rotated one his hand, glaring at the bloody tip.

"Good observation, Padawan. Certainly a sedative, but something else as well. Possibly a Force-blocking chemical."

"Force-blocking?" Obi-Wan paused for a moment to test their Force-link. His eyes widen in surprise, "I thought something was . . . off. But how could they make such a chemical being as simple as they are?"

"Perhaps we underestimated them. They did, after all, build that city."

"It's possible," Obi-Wan's expression grew more perplexed, "But I still feel someone else is toying with us here. We don't need the Force to sense that much."

"Your feelings do not betray you, Obi-Wan. I feel similarly."

The apprentice nodded, "Either way, we're no longer in a position to negotiate."

"Yes, this could be a problem," Qui-Gon tighten his robes about him, now missing the comfort of his lightsaber and comlink.

The two meditated in their cages to pass the time until a native approached with food and water trays. Using a spear, he prodded them away while he slid the provisions in.

"Thank you," Qui-Gon offered.

The Keftian let out a bark and issued a string of threats before stalking off.

The Jedi blinked in mild surprise before turning to their trays.

Obi-Wan prodded the green mush with a grimace, "So that's it? We just stay here forever eating greasy poodoo?"

His master took a sip of dirty water, "I'm having my doubts."

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The next morning, or at least at what he guess was morning, Obi-Wan awoke to a crowd gathering near their prison. Having had little sleep with the constant light and rude accommodations, he grew increasingly moody.

"Oh, look, our jury finally arrives."

Qui-Gon, already awake, glanced toward him then returned his gaze to the Mon Keftians.

The gathering parted down the middle as the strongest and fiercest-looking of the bunch approached Qui-Gon's cage.

"Hoja maeco," he pointed threateningly, "dep lonma Kareem jou!"

All broke into a cheer while surging forward, opening the cages, and throwing the occupants on the ground.

"Hoja! Hoja! Hoja!" they all chanted as the master and padawan were restrained with ropes again and led roughly through the forest.

The two had to duck and dodge without any assistance of the Force as they were deliberately shoved toward thorns. The natives laughed as Qui-Gon crashed into a patch, nearly shredding his tunic away. Obi-Wan rushed over to help, but they pushed him on top of his master causing the thorns to sink deeper into his back. Pain flashed through him and accidental reflexes shoved the apprentice off into the thorns.

Obi-Wan rolled away, using his cloak to shield himself. His face, however, remained unprotected resulting in rake-like wounds across his brow and eyes. Jumping back to his feet, he stumbled forward now blinded by his own blood.

Qui-Gon detached himself and followed beside Obi-Wan, both using each other as a guide through the treachery. The torture continued until the cactus-trees thinned out into a deserted clearing. In the distance, the city of Kareem wavered in the heat, but even closer than that greeted an empty post. When arriving, the Keftians pinned them each to the opposite side of the wood and tied them securely. After being spit upon by each native before taking their leave, the Jedi stood in stunned silence. Both favored deep wounds that already grew tender with heat and infection.

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"I've been better," Qui-Gon shifted as splinters from the wood aggravated his back wounds, "Are you?"

"No. I can't see, where are we?"

"In the middle of nowhere."

"Wow, I've never been to Nowhere. Is it nice?"

The older Jedi couldn't quite bring himself to laugh at the remark because of the pain, but no matter the situation he could always count on his apprentice's humor.

Since he had nothing better to do, he decided to indulge as well, "Oh, it far surpasses the sunsets of Teknorla."

Obi-Wan tried to laugh but it vanished in a coughing fit. They exchanged no more words and focused instead on healing. Even though the Force was mysteriously absent to do any REAL healing, they wasted no more breath than necessary.

Time drug on, and they slumped in their ropes with defeat. Qui-Gon, remained as alert as possible, scanning the hazy horizon for danger. Behind him on the other side of the post, he could hear Obi-Wan's breathing becoming ragged with fever. He knew the same effects were happening to him, but for their lives' sake he fought it.

After nearly giving in to exhaustion several times, he finally noticed an approaching figure. Not until he felt vibrations in the ground, did panic surge through his veins. A ground-shark was drawing closer and closer in their immediate direction. Qui-Gon squirmed and fought the ropes, but it was no use without the assistance of the Force. The monster continued forward, its lightning speed never faltering.

In no time it came upon them, eyes wide with hunger. He could smell its acid breath as it slithered in circles around the post. Qui-Gon shivered as the thing's cold scaly skin brushed up against his legs. It was looking for a way to pick them off, he realized. Before it made the first attempt, however, a laser blast zipped through the air and singed the monster's neck. The shark screamed and immediatly burrowed into the ground to escape.

A surreal shadow stepped in front of Qui-Gon pointing the source of the laser at him. He gazed upward, studying the stranger with dull eyes.

"I've been waiting for you."

Before the Jedi Knight could reply, blackness overwhelmed him.