Chapter Two
Qui-Gon grumbled as he dangled his feet in the exam room. He wanted to leave. He hated the Healers Wing. He hoped his master wouldn't make him stay here of all places. he crossed his arms over his chest and sulked.
Dooku slowly walked into the room that Qui-Gon had been taken to. His padawan was sitting on a high table, swinging his bandaged feet impatiently. The other cuts had been bandaged and cared for as well, giving him an appearance of a mummy. "Well," he began, surprising both himself and Qui-Gon with how calm he was, "Han'yaie says that you are to be kept off of your feet for a few days so they can heal."
"What?" Qui-Gon couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But I can't do that I have training to do!!!"
Dooku fixed him with a deadly stare. In a very quiet tone, he said, "You are on probation, with or without being on your feet. Your training is on hold for now until you can show me that you can behave for a month. No visitors. No fun. Only work. Lots and lots of work."
Qui-Gon's mouth fell open in shock. "A month! But Master that's not fair!"
Dooku glared at him again, daring him to voice any more protest.
"But what about my classes! " he whimpered. "Can't I at least go to class? I'll be so far behind."
"No class," Dooku said sternly. "Your teachers will come here every afternoon to drop off your lessons and answer any questions you may have. Other than that, you are to do nothing unless you have my specific permission otherwise. Is that understood?"
Qui-Gon grumbled furiously. He couldn't stand the idea of being stuck in his room for a month. "Please Master can't I just clean up in the crèche or something? Ill do the dishes for a month please don't leave me in there for a whole month! .."
"SILENCE!" Dooku roared.
Qui-Gon immediately fell silent not daring to say a word having never heard his master quite like that before.
Dooku struggled for a moment to regain control over himself. When he thought that he was okay enough to speak, he resumed. "I want to hear very little out of you for the next month, Qui-Gon. Padawans are supposed to obey their masters--all the others do. You are the only one who seems to enjoy trying to get his master kicked out of the Order. But if you say one more thing..." His jaw flexed. He knew he was on the verge of control and Qui-Gon was not making it easy to stay there.
Qui-Gon flinched at that remark as if his master had slapped him. He never had thought about the idea that his actions might get his master kicked out. Deeply embarrassed and ashamed he stared at his bandaged feet unable to face his master. Dooku's words had cut him to the core. "Yes Master." He mumbled quietly.
Pleasantly surprised by his padawan's meekness, Dooku blinked and smiled a little. "Now, let's get you a transport out of here and back to our chambers." He left to go find Han'yaie and a hoversled.
Qui-Gon didn't say a word. He merely nodded tears in the corner of his eyes. Why hadn't he thought about how it would reflect on his master before now? What if he got his master expelled? His stomach churned at the thought. He would never forgive himself.
Kyran Josel tugged on Mace Windu's sleeve. "The coast is clear. Master Dooku has left to go get lunch. Let's go." For the past two days, Kyran had been spying on when Dooku came and left the rooms that the Master and padawan shared so that he could try to speak with Qui-Gon. Master Han'yaie told him that his friend was healing well, but still was not allowed to walk anywhere. He knew that Qui-Gon had to be going crazy by now. He had tried to go see his friend shortly after he was first released from the Healers but Dooku had nearly killed him when he saw who it was. "NO VISITORS!" The Jedi Master had snapped and then closed the door quickly. He just had to talk to his friend...make sure that he was all right. Now, he tip-toed cautiously into the hall as Dooku's cloak billowed out of sight around the corner. Timidly, he knocked on the door.
Qui-Gon looked up hearing the knock on the door but couldn't answer it. Master Dooku had locked him in his room when he left. If whoever was out there wanted anything they'd have to hit the override or wait until later. He sighed very deeply. How could he have been so stupid? He moaned softly.
Kyran glanced down the corridor. No sign of Dooku yet. "Come here," he hissed at Mace. His dark-skinned friend sighed and ran up to him. "Override the lock. I'll keep a lookout."
Qui-Gon frowned hearing the door hiss open. Whoever it was had hit the override on the door. Surely his master couldn't be back THAT quickly. He sulked. He hated being grounded but knew he deserved the punishment and all the extra homework assignments that came along with it
Kyran and Mace ducked inside the living room area as soon as the door opened. His heart was pounding. Glancing around, he saw that his friend wasn't doing work in the living area like he thought. Then he spotted his friend's closed bedroom door. He must be in there. He grabbed Mace's sleeve and pulled him over to Qui-Gon's door. "Qui? It's me, Kyran. Open up."
"I can't." Qui-Gon hissed through the door. "Master Dooku locked the door."
"He's got a special code for it whenever he leaves."
Kyran pursed his lips in thought for a moment, then gestured Mace closer to the lock. "Get it open," he instructed. "You're better at this thing than I am."
Mace darted forward and fiddled with the keypad for several long minutes. Soon they heard a click and Qui-Gon's door opened. Mace grinned, looking extremely pleased with himself.
Qui-Gon frowned once the door was opened. "What in the Force are you doing here? You're going to get me in trouble. Again."
Kyran sighed and plopped down on Qui-Gon's bed as Mace took the lookout. "We were worried. Dooku's been as bad as one of those wampa's on Hoth. I can't even ask about you--his face gets all red and I'm afraid he'll have a coronary. How are you doing?"
"Alright. Still not allowed to walk anywhere until my feet are totally healed. I had three very large pieces of glass in my right foot. Master Dooku was so angry with me he pulled me by my braid intending to go to lock me in right t hen and there until I told him I needed to go to the Healers first.."
Kyran whistled. "Wow. Never seen a Master that mad before. He didn't hit you or anything, did he?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No. He managed to restrain himself from doing that. Although I think just barely."
Kyran gazed at his friend silently for a moment. He wanted to say something to his friend, but wasn't sure how it would be received.
"What?" Qui-Gon studied his friend. It had been awhile since he'd gotten to talk to him but he could still tell when something was wrong.
"Well..." Kyran started, slowly. "You do tend to like to push things with Dooku, Qui." He waited to see how Qui-Gon would react to that.
Qui-Gon frowned indignantly. "If you'll recall, this disastrous idea was just as much yours as it was mine if not more so. How come YOU"RE not grounded until the Chosen One appears?"
Kyran cleared his throat awkwardly. "Maybe because I'm not the one who missed the ledge and crashed in to the Council chambers?" He said pointedly.
Qui-Gon glared. "I didn't do it on purpose now did I? Do you REALLY think I have a death wish?"
From behind both of them came a soft squeak, and a very deadly voice that said..."Hm, it would seem so, Padawan."
Qui-Gon let out a strangled gasp of surprise. "Master!" He whirled and gulped at the look on his master's face as he stood in the door way.
Kyran closed his eyes. Maybe, if he didn't look, Dooku wouldn't be there...
Qui-Gon's breathing came in short uneven gasps. He was terrified about what his master would do to him. He knew his master would consider this deliberate defiance of his orders. He glanced at Kyran as if to say "this is all your fault."
Dooku pointed at the door. "Josel. Windu. Out. NOW."
Mace scurried out the door. Kyran made as if to say something...
Qui-Gon shook his head. Get out of here Kyran. Go.
Kyran closed his mouth. He looked stricken. He might not be so angry if he knows you had nothing to do with it,he sent back as he slowly started to back out of the room, inches away from the irate Jedi Master.
If you would just obey he wouldn't be as angry! Go on!
Kyran ran as if the room were on fire. Leaving the two alone.
Qui-Gon swallowed and tried to open his mouth but no sound came out.
Dooku folded his arms, his knuckles white, and briefly closed his eyes. "Did I not say, no visitors, Padawan?"
Qui-Gon swallowed and managed to gasp out , "yes master."
"Then what in the name of the SITH was your friends doing over here!!" Dooku yelled.
Qui-Gon gulped. "Master please ..I .. "He stammered out but the rest of his sentence was lost as he looked at Dooku's face
Dooku took a long step toward him, leaving bare inches separating the two. He leaned down and narrowed his eyes. Anger burned within him. "Any back talk now, Padawan, could mean serious...SERIOUS...trouble," he warned.
"I'm not back talking. " he whimpered. "Kyran and Mace hit the override some how on your lock code. I have no idea how. Please master I swear." He said in a rush as he backed up a few inches and felt wall discovering he had nowhere else to go. He swallowed hard.
Dooku scoffed. "Neither of them are advanced enough to figure out how to override that lock. Well, maybe your friend Kyran...but even I seriously doubt that he can. So tell me the truth...how did they get in here?" He interrupted his own thought. "I bet you got up, walked on the feet you are supposed to be letting heal, and let them in." He stood, glaring, after his accusation.
Qui-Gon's eyes narrowed. If there was one thing he hated it was being called a liar--but he said nothing. He'd never felt anger like that coming off him in waves so strong the padawan felt he could almost touch it. It frightened him. His master had never been that angry at him before.
"So now the Great One has nothing to say?" Dooku mocked.
"Why does it matter what I have to say if you don't listen?" Qui-Gon answered in a very calm voice.
Dooku snapped. His right hand came out from the folds of his cloak and struck Qui-Gon on the cheek...hard.
Qui-Gon's head snapped viciously to the side with the force of the blow to his cheek. He stared speechless at his Master and put a hand to his cheek to try to lessen the sting. In all the years he'd been a padawan and trouble he'd gotten in before his master had never struck him in anger.
Even Dooku seemed to know he had gone too far. He stared at the reddening mark on his padawan's cheek for a moment, as astonished as Qui-Gon. "Padawan..." His voice failed him and he reached out to draw his padawan near to him.
Qui-Gon ducked automatically and moved away. He continued staring at his Master and he managed to stammer out. "I'm sorry Master."
Dooku sighed and turned away. He mumbled, "Your punishment is over," and then locked himself in his rooms.
Qui-Gon stared confused as his master left the room. Over? His head spun. He felt a little dizzy from the force of how hard his master had hit him. Perhaps he hadn't heard correctly. Just to be safe, he closed the door on his room and decided to finish his assignment that he was working on before Kyran came over.
In his rooms, Yan Dooku stared at the walls, not really seeing them. Had he really hit his own Padawan? Sure Qui-Gon could be annoying and very vexing, but he usually never got to him this badly. He knew he had just shown a very dangerous dark side tendency in himself. What was he to do? Should he tell Yoda? Or just try to keep this from becoming know? He thought again to the red handprint on Qui-Gon's young face. No, someone would see. He needed to find someone to confide in. But first... He took out his comlink. "Padawan Josel, please return to my chambers. Qui-Gon needs you right now..."