Silenced 2: Bonds of Friendship

Authors: Durhelediel and Layren

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: George Lucas owns all Star Wars characters that are recognizable. Layren owns Kyran and Devin. Durhelediel owns Jayla. Please ask before using characters. Thanks!

To the reader: This is the second part of a two part fic. The first one is Silenced. This one picks up immediately where the other left off. We suggest strongly that you read the other one first. Enjoy!

Qui-Gon fidgeted in his bed in the Healer's Wing. He was positively starving. He was due to have surgery to remove the scarring that Syfo Dias had inflicted on him within the hour and therefore he'd had nothing to eat or drink since the night before. The lack of food was making him very cranky and irritable. "Padawan, please get me something to eat?" he pleaded to Obi-Wan who sat in an uncomfortable chair next to his bedside.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes for the millionth time. "No, Master," he said gently. "You know that before the surgery you are not allowed anything to eat. When you get out, I'll get you whatever you want. Just wait a few more hours."

Qui-Gon crossed his arms over his chest and sulked. "Please? Just a bit of toast? Just a few hours. Sure. Easy for you to say; you can have whatever you want."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Master, please remember that I promised to fast with you to share in your torture. Now, your surgery is in the hour. Just a little longer without food will not kill you."

"Well that's not my fault," he griped. "I told you to go eat. I went for almost five days without food and now he's starving me again."

Obi-Wan let out a chuckle and shook his head. His master had been going on for the past day like this. For such a strong and fearless Jedi when in battle, surgery sure did bring out the child in him. "Master, you'll be fine."

"Oh, sure. Laugh at your poor Master. I'll pass out and die from starvation." He suddenly went limp. "See. I'm dead."

Obi-Wan burst out laughing. He really couldn't help himself. "Master!" He sputtered. "You're worse than me!"

At that Qui-Gon sat up and scowled. "I am not. I could have you grounded for disrespect, so mind your tongue, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan kept giggling. They both knew that Qui-Gon was just cranky and really didn't mean his threat. He let out a relived sigh as Jedi Master Kyran Josel walked in.

"Hi," Qui-Gon said to his best friend, still frowning at Obi-Wan.

Kyran caught the look from master to padawan. "What's going on?" He inquired as he keyed a seat to appear next to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

"Would you mind going to fetch me a snack from the dining hall?" Qui-Gon asked his friend, hoping Obi-Wan was too busy giggling to notice their conversation.

Kyran shook his head and smiled. "No way, my friend. And I just wanted to remind you that today is the day Jayla is scheduled to return so if I'm running a little late to see you in Recovery just know that I'll soon be there--with Jayla." He smiled with pride at the thought of his former padawan being a Knight and on her own mission.

Qui-Gon scowled heavily and barely restrained himself from sticking his tongue out at Kyran the way he had when he'd been in the crèche. "Well do tell her hello for me as I'll probably be heavily drugged and unable to tell her myself." He sulked. This was really getting to him more than he liked to admit.

Kyran rolled his own eyes. "Qui, cheer up old friend! You've made it through numerous surgeries safe and sound. 24 hours of no food has never hurt you in any way before. Plus, I just passed Chief Healer Han'yaie in the hall. He should be here soon so you've got to pull yourself together!"

Qui-Gon pouted. "Fine. While I 'pull myself together,' go meet Jayla and don't distract me."

Kyran ignored his friend's surliness, and his request, and remained where he was. "So, Qui, how are you feeling?"

Qui-Gon sighed deeply as he leaned back. "Tired," he admitted. "Tired of being stuck in here and tasting nothing but bacta on my breath."

Kyran nodded. "Just think...after this surgery only six more days."

"Only six days." He laced his fingers together and put his hands behind his head looking in that moment comfortable and relaxed, even though he wasn't.

Kyran shook his head, amused. "Yes. You're halfway out of here."

Qui-Gon arched a brow. "Halfway still stuck."

Kyran and Obi-Wan laughed.

"Master," Obi-Wan choked out. "You know that Han'yaie said that if you healed with no problems he'd let you take short walks in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. So you're not even really half stuck."

Qui-Gon opened his mouth to retort when Han'yaie poked his head in the door. "We're ready, Qui-Gon. We'll put you into a deep healing trance along with a local anesthetic so you won't feel a thing. Obi-Wan, Kyran, I'm afraid you'll have to wait in the waiting room." He touched Obi-Wan's arm. "I'll try to give you updates on how he's progressing throughout the surgery."

Obi-Wan nodded and pressed his lips together, all mirth gone from him now. "I'll be there for you in the Force, Master," he promised as he and Kyran stood.

"As well I," Kyran added. "And I'll bring Jayla in to see you. In her last transmission two days ago she begged me to let her see you."

Qui-Gon nodded, unable to say anything. He hated medical exams of any type and surgery he found especially troublesome. He sighed as he was wheeled with the bed into the surgery room. He wondered how Jayla was doing as he saw Han'yaie readying the anesthetic, and then he tried to focus his mind on other thoughts as the needle slid under his skin. The last thing he remembered before passing into the bliss of unconsciousness was the look on Obi-Wan's face as he burst out laughing during their previous conversation when he "played dead."

Kyran waited in the hanger for two hours. Two hours passed in which Jayla's ship should have landed. Worry started to eat at him inside when he received a call on his comlink. "Josel," he bit out as his eyes searched the skies.

"Master Josel, your presence is requested in the Council chamber immediately," Mace Windu's voice said on the other end of the comm.

Kyran frowned, and, with one last look at the skies, turned to reenter the Temple. "On my way."

Mace Windu sighed as Kyran stood before him in front of the Council room. "We lost contact with Knight Bro'ak over five hours ago. She was supposed to have arrived on Coruscant by now. It is our belief that she never left the planet she was on."

Kyran felt a lump settle in his stomach. "What?" he barely managed to whisper.

"We received this transmission from her just before she was due to depart. See if you can recognize anyone in the background." Mace gestured to the holovid.

Jayla stood, cowled in her robe with all the lights around her darkened. She spoke only in a whisper. "Things here have gone extremely wrong, Masters. So far I don't think I've been found out so I am leaving as scheduled. I will give a further report once I return." She spun around, hand on her lightsaber, and tensed for a moment. Finally, she relaxed. "Knight Bro'ak out." The transmission darkened.

Kyran's gazed darkened. "I don't recognize anything," he said finally. "I will depart for Dwingal immediately and look for clues."

Master Yoda held up his three-fingered hand. "Careful you should be. Much danger I sense on Dwingal for you…and Knight Bro'ak."

Kyran bowed deeply. "I will report in as soon as I arrive."

"Take others will you, you should," Master Yoda cautioned.

Kyran frowned deeply. "If Master Ly'rath will consent to go with me then I will request that he go along. Qui-Gon is still in surgery recovering from the wounds he received from Syfo Dias."

Yoda thought for a moment, then nodded. "Report often you will," he commanded.

"Yes, Master Yoda." He bowed deeply, then headed out of the room to go tell Qui-Gon he was leaving.

Obi-Wan stared at Kyran as he described what had just happened. They were both waiting for Master Han'yaie to tell them that Qui-Gon was awake from surgery. "Can I go with you?" He blurted out once Kyran had finished.

"Go with me? Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon will need someone to stay with him. I'll be going and so will Master Ly'rath, if I can convince him," he said as he leaned back against the wall.

Obi-Wan's face fell. "I just...think of Jayla like...a sister." Hurriedly, he added, "I know Jedi aren't supposed to get...attached, but she's always been there for me."

Kyran sighed as he ran a hand through his curly blonde hair. "I just don't know Obi-Wan. I'll have to talk it over with your master. He has the final say. Am I clear on this?"

Obi-Wan nodded as he visibly brightened. "Yes, Master Josel."

Just then Han'yaie came out looking tired, but pleased. "Qui-Gon is awake. Still groggy from the anesthetics, but he is awake. He has bandages on his face and where the acid burns were for now that will keep the tender tissue from getting hurt. You can see him if you like. He's in Recovery Room 3."

Obi-Wan jumped up and raced to the Recovery room to see his master leaning, propped up by pillows. "Master!" He said, relieved. "How do you feel?"

Qui-Gon yawned. "Sleepy. Have you been sitting in the waiting room all this time, Obi-Wan? You didn't have to do that."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "It was only a few hours, Master. Where else would I go?" He took his master's hand gently.

"Was it?" Qui-Gon said sleepily. "Did Jayla come home yet?"

Obi-Wan glanced up at Kyran, who had followed him in. Kyran took the cue and told his friend, as gently as he could, what had happened. "I'm about to leave to go after her, but I have to wait on Devin to finish up with some kind of medical scan."

Qui-Gon frowned deeply. "So you want to take Obi-Wan with you is that it?" He sighed. "I suppose he can go since I'm going to be stuck here for a few more days."

Obi-Wan beamed. "Thank you, Master!" He hugged his master gently and stood beside Kyran.

Kyran gazed at his friend for a moment. "He can go only if you are positive, Qui-Gon. If you want, or need, him to stay here with you, that is fine with me."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," he said after a few minutes.

Kyran frowned but didn't contradict his friend, though he knew it wasn't all right with him. "Well, we'll be going in about twenty minutes. I need to check up on how Devin is doing and Obi-Wan needs to gather supplies for himself." He gave Obi-Wan a stern look. Obi-Wan nodded, hugged his master again, and bolted out the door, leaving the two friends alone. Quietly, Kyran said, "He can stay here if you'd like, Qui-Gon. I know you need people around you right now."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No. I'll be fine. Really." He tried a smile, then he sighed. "I know how much Jayla means to him. He needs to be able to do this more."

Kyran nodded. "We'll check in with you more often than with Yoda." He hesitated, then confessed, "Master Yoda said he felt incredible danger for me and Jayla where she is."

Qui-Gon bit his lip at that. "You'll be alright I'm sure. You have Devin and Obi-Wan." He smiled slightly.

Kyran smiled, though he seemed strained to do it. "I suppose. I wish you felt better to come with me, my friend." He sighed. "But you just stay here and concentrate on getting better."

Qui-Gon sighed deeply as Kyran left the room. After about ten minutes, he closed down his end of the bond and grabbed the saber from his belt. He glanced down at his clothes. He looked like a hospital escapee. Oh, wait: he was. Stealthily, he followed after Kyran and stowed away on the ship in the engine room after grabbing several containers of supplies from a Healer's cart.