CHAPTER 5: DÉJÀ VU
Darth Maul stared back at his two opponents. They could see the anger burning in his eyes. Qui-Gon raised his lightsaber in anticipation of a strike. The mysterious stranger did the same. Qui-Gon was curious who this person was and whether or not they were on his side. They had saved his life, so it was obvious they wanted him alive. But for what reason. The stranger stood between Qui-Gon and his Sith assailant, with his back to Qui-Gon. It was apparent that the stranger considered Qui-Gon as no threat.
Instead of raising his lightsaber, Darth Maul raised his arm. Using his gifts of the darkside, Maul called to an object from Qui-Gon's belt. Qui-Gon reached down to try and catch it, but it was too late. The object was already in the Sith's grasp. In one fluid motion the Sith deactivated his lightsaber and flipped over his opponents heads, right into the melting pit. Qui-Gon rushed to the edge of the pit to watch the Sith fall. He could hear the sounds of the Sith's clothes rustling as they caught the wind.
The Sith then activated the device he had stolen: Qui-Gon's liquid cable launcher. The cable caught hold of one of the various metal rungs along the pits' walls, he then swung to the side and disappeared through what Qui-Gon figured must be a vent in the pit's wall.
Qui-Gon turned to the mysterious stranger who was deactivating his lightsaber. "Why did you save me?" Qui-Gon asked, frankly. "Just returning the favor." The stranger answered in gruff, yet aesthetically pleasing voice.
Qui-Gon was still a bit confused. He'd helped so many beings, (often despite being asked not to), that the answer still left him in the dark. It could be anybody. But before Qui-Gon had a chance to continue his questioning, the stranger removed his hood and revealed his face.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon exclaimed with an audible gasp. He then looked to Xanatos, who was still stranded behind the laser-wall. The Jedi Knight's eyes were wide and his jaw was dropped. Qui-Gon could not believe his eyes. The young boy he once knew was now grown. He looked awful. He had long hair, the whispers of a beard and a large scar across his left cheek, but it was Obi-Wan, no mistake.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stood staring at each other for a few moments, taking one another in. Then Obi-Wan smiled. "You haven't changed a." he began and then disappeared out of Qui-Gon's eye line.
Shocked, Qui-Gon looked down to see Xanatos wrestling on the ground with Obi-Wan. He slapped a pair of wrist binders on Obi-Wan and held his lightsaber to Obi-Wan's throat. "Don't move." Xanatos said, reaching for Obi-Wan's lightsaber.
Once Xanatos had Obi-Wan's lightsaber, seemingly minimizing the threat, he turned to face Qui-Gon. "Keep an eye on him." Xanatos said, clipping Obi-Wan's lightsaber to his belt. Qui-Gon merely nodded. He knew he should be taking charge but he was in such a state of shock, he just decided to let Xanatos take the lead.
Without another word, Xanatos leapt into the melting pit, activated his own liquid cable launcher and lowered himself to the length the Sith had left his swinging at. Xanatos then pulled himself into the vent to pursue the Sith.
Obi-Wan sat up. He looked up at Qui-Gon. The way the Jedi Master towered over him, it reminded him of when he was a child at the Jedi Temple, looking up at the large man. "You're pretty handy with a lightsaber." Qui-Gon said. Seconds after the words left his mouth it hit him. Qui-Gon realized those were the same words he had spoken to Obi-Wan the first time they met after one of Obi-Wan's training sessions at the temple.
History had repeated itself. For one reason or another, the force had brought Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan back together again. It was rare that the force gave someone a second chance. I must seize this opportunity. Qui- Gon thought. He would correct the mistakes he had made. He would help Obi- Wan correct his own mistakes, as well. This time, things would be right.
Darth Maul stared back at his two opponents. They could see the anger burning in his eyes. Qui-Gon raised his lightsaber in anticipation of a strike. The mysterious stranger did the same. Qui-Gon was curious who this person was and whether or not they were on his side. They had saved his life, so it was obvious they wanted him alive. But for what reason. The stranger stood between Qui-Gon and his Sith assailant, with his back to Qui-Gon. It was apparent that the stranger considered Qui-Gon as no threat.
Instead of raising his lightsaber, Darth Maul raised his arm. Using his gifts of the darkside, Maul called to an object from Qui-Gon's belt. Qui-Gon reached down to try and catch it, but it was too late. The object was already in the Sith's grasp. In one fluid motion the Sith deactivated his lightsaber and flipped over his opponents heads, right into the melting pit. Qui-Gon rushed to the edge of the pit to watch the Sith fall. He could hear the sounds of the Sith's clothes rustling as they caught the wind.
The Sith then activated the device he had stolen: Qui-Gon's liquid cable launcher. The cable caught hold of one of the various metal rungs along the pits' walls, he then swung to the side and disappeared through what Qui-Gon figured must be a vent in the pit's wall.
Qui-Gon turned to the mysterious stranger who was deactivating his lightsaber. "Why did you save me?" Qui-Gon asked, frankly. "Just returning the favor." The stranger answered in gruff, yet aesthetically pleasing voice.
Qui-Gon was still a bit confused. He'd helped so many beings, (often despite being asked not to), that the answer still left him in the dark. It could be anybody. But before Qui-Gon had a chance to continue his questioning, the stranger removed his hood and revealed his face.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon exclaimed with an audible gasp. He then looked to Xanatos, who was still stranded behind the laser-wall. The Jedi Knight's eyes were wide and his jaw was dropped. Qui-Gon could not believe his eyes. The young boy he once knew was now grown. He looked awful. He had long hair, the whispers of a beard and a large scar across his left cheek, but it was Obi-Wan, no mistake.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stood staring at each other for a few moments, taking one another in. Then Obi-Wan smiled. "You haven't changed a." he began and then disappeared out of Qui-Gon's eye line.
Shocked, Qui-Gon looked down to see Xanatos wrestling on the ground with Obi-Wan. He slapped a pair of wrist binders on Obi-Wan and held his lightsaber to Obi-Wan's throat. "Don't move." Xanatos said, reaching for Obi-Wan's lightsaber.
Once Xanatos had Obi-Wan's lightsaber, seemingly minimizing the threat, he turned to face Qui-Gon. "Keep an eye on him." Xanatos said, clipping Obi-Wan's lightsaber to his belt. Qui-Gon merely nodded. He knew he should be taking charge but he was in such a state of shock, he just decided to let Xanatos take the lead.
Without another word, Xanatos leapt into the melting pit, activated his own liquid cable launcher and lowered himself to the length the Sith had left his swinging at. Xanatos then pulled himself into the vent to pursue the Sith.
Obi-Wan sat up. He looked up at Qui-Gon. The way the Jedi Master towered over him, it reminded him of when he was a child at the Jedi Temple, looking up at the large man. "You're pretty handy with a lightsaber." Qui-Gon said. Seconds after the words left his mouth it hit him. Qui-Gon realized those were the same words he had spoken to Obi-Wan the first time they met after one of Obi-Wan's training sessions at the temple.
History had repeated itself. For one reason or another, the force had brought Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan back together again. It was rare that the force gave someone a second chance. I must seize this opportunity. Qui- Gon thought. He would correct the mistakes he had made. He would help Obi- Wan correct his own mistakes, as well. This time, things would be right.