Author's Note: I was just looking at my story on ffn.net and I realized the italics aren't working. Not only that, but half the time the slashes don't either. It would also appear that the dividers I've been putting in when I change from Qui to Obi are disappearing. Why didn't someone tell me? From now on, I'll type thoughts and mental communications in all caps, and I'll double space between sections. I'm still going to do the italics, just to see if they work, but I don't want to confuse people who can't figure out why it's suddenly in first person. Disclaimer Oh, and I don't own anything, so please don't sue.
Qui-Gon was off the ship almost before it touched down in the field. On his right was a forest, and on his left a golden, grain based crop waved in the wind. Directly in front of him, an escape pod, obviously the same make as that of the ship he had departed from, lay, looking as though the rider had at least landed smoothly. /OH OBI-WAN, WHERE ARE YOU?/ Qui-Gon looked around, trying to determine which way his Padawan had gone. He was so caught up in looking for his apprentice that he didn't sense the men behind him until it was too late.
"Put your hands up now! Don't move or you'll be shot!" An angry voice rang out, and Qui-Gon decided it was in his best interests to obey it. Obi-Wan had been captured, and his best chance of finding him probably lay in getting captured himself. If he could somehow mind trick them into letting him keep his lightsaber, he would almost certainly be able to find his Padawan and stage an escape. Thankfully, the pilot was waiting for him in orbit, so he would have a means of transportation when he managed to escape.
The soldiers wasted no time in binding him. As he was bound, he felt his connection to the Force being cut off, and he winced. If only he had the advantage of the Force, his escape would be assured, but it appeared that this was going to be one mission that wasn't going to cut him any slack. The last thing he saw before they blindfolded him was the face of his captor, eyes filled with hate and a slight trace of fear. Fear? What did this man have to fear from him? He was unarmed and bound, completely at his captor's mercy.
Qui-Gon had no idea how long it took to reach the town. Blindfolded in the back of a utility swoop, unable to access the Force, he lost all concept of time. When they arrived, the soldiers roughly hauled him out of the back of the swoop and onto his feet. The soldier closest to him removed his blindfold, and he blinked for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. In front of him was a majestic building, with huge windows and spires reaching up as high as the eye could see. The building looked familiar, but he couldn't place where he might have seen it before. "You will now have an audience with a judge to decide your fate. I wouldn't worry though," the man said with an evil smile, "There's absolutely no way you'll be found innocent. They never are." Qui-Gon suddenly found himself being dragged, rather roughly, towards the doors. "Make your self presentable, scum. The judge is a busy man, and this trial is far more than most strangers get. I don't see why you're so special, but five minutes of the judge's time and you'll be getting the same as everybody else. Enjoy the special treatment while it lasts, because I'm sure it won't," The man who had spoken was tall, unshaven, and stank of alcohol and spice. Qui-Gon could only hope he wasn't a standard example of soldiers on Reikalla. If he was, Qui-Gon was certain that his stay wouldn't be a pleasant one. /I HOPE OBI'S OKAY. HIS RIBS ARE STILL INJURED, AND IF A PRISON GUARD ROUGHED HIM UP.../ Qui-Gon refused to allow himself to continue that line of thought. His Padawan was FINE. If something had happened to him, Force or no, Qui-Gon would have felt it. It was said, no matter when or where, that a parent always knew when their child was in danger. Obi-Wan wasn't his child biologically, but the boy couldn't have been dearer to him even if he had been. He was certain he would have felt it if something had happened to his beloved Padawan.
"The Judge will see you now." A voice brought him out of his thoughts. Straightening his tunic, Qui-Gon, flanked on either side by a soldier, entered the judge's chamber. Looking around, he noted the exquisite quality of the rugs and the beauty of the paintings adorning the walls. One was the building from the outside, one was the judge in front of him, and the other was...him? Qui-Gon looked at the picture again. It looked exactly like him. He gasped.
"What do you think you're looking at scum?" The soldier to his left elbowed him in the side, causing him to wince, but he kept his gaze steady on the portrait.
"Who is that man?" He didn't really expect an answer, but he felt that he had nothing to lose by asking.
"That is our exalted ruler," The judge paused, looking between the painting and Qui-Gon, before adding, "who you happen to bear a striking resemblance to. Tell me, how did you come upon our planet?" He seemed curious now, more about the Jedi Master's resemblance to their "exalted ruler" than how he had arrived on the planet, and Qui-Gon suspected he was merely stalling for time to sort the matter out in his head.
"I am a Jedi Master," The judge and the soldiers exchanged glances, and Qui-Gon wondered briefly if that had been the right thing to say, "My apprentice and I were escorting a Senator to his home planet when we had a disagreement. My apprentice left, and I am searching for him. I did not mean to intrude on your land or your way of life, and I apologize for any difficulties my presence is causing." He looked the judge straight in the eye as he spoke, hoping to convince him that he posed no threat.
"I can personally assure you that your apprentice has not landed on this planet. If we can be of any assistance in finding him, let us know, and we will provide whatever help we can," Qui-Gon was confused. The planet was known for discouraging visitors, and the things the soldiers had said only increased his suspicion that, had they found Obi-Wan, they might already have killed him.
"Well, I suppose you could start by unbinding me," Qui-Gon's voice was light, almost joking, not belaying the desperation he felt. He wanted, no needed to contact his Padawan, to make certain that he was alright, which he could not do with the Force repellant ropes on.
The judge looked embarrassed. "Unbind that man at once! What were you thinking, treating a guest of the palace in such a manner?" The soldier to his right quickly unbound his hands, folding the rope up and fastening it to his belt. Qui-Gon felt carefully along the bond he shared with Obi-Wan, and was surprised to find that his Padawan seemed fine. OBI-WAN? CAN YOU HEAR ME?His mental voice was tentative. Despite their earlier conversation, he wasn't certain whether or not his Padawan was still angry with him for his callous behavior on the ship. Regardless of Obi-Wan's feelings towards him, he was determined to get the boy off planet as soon as possible, even if that meant dropping him off at the first inhabited space port they passed. He considered the planet dangerous, and whether or not Obi-Wan wanted to have anything to do with him, he wouldn't leave the boy in such peril.
I'M RIGHT HERE MAS-QUI-GON. A FARMER PICKED ME UP, AND I'M STAYING ON HIS FARM.The boy sounded hesitant, almost as if he were unsure why Qui-Gon was questioning him. Qui-Gon noticed that Obi-Wan had avoided the term 'Master' and wondered why. Was it because he was unsure of his place, or because he no longer wanted it? Qui-Gon hoped it was the former, and was fully prepared to show the boy exactly where his place was, but he feared, in light of recent events, that the latter was the case. He wouldn't force his Padawan, but there was one way to know for sure.
PADAWAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?Qui-Gon hoped that the boy would either be calmed by the mention of his title, which had, over the years, become something of an affectionate nickname, and held his breath as he waited for the boy's angry insistence that he was no longer the man's apprentice. DON'T CALL ME THAT!.Obi-Wan's voice was choked with tears. Qui-Gon's heart broke at that statement. He had lost him. His little boy no longer wanted him around, and he knew, hard as it would be, that he was going to have to accept it. The boy's next words took him by surprise. I DON'T DESERVE THE TITLE.The voice was so quite Qui-Gon almost wondered if he'd really heard it, but Obi-Wan continued. I FAILED YOU. I BEHAVED IN A MANNER UNBECOMING OF A JEDI, AND THEN I RAN AWAY. BEFORE THAT, I LIED TO YOU AND BETRAYED YOUR TRUST. YOU DON'T NEED A PADAWAN LIKE ME. GO FIND SOMEONE WORTHY. I'LL STAY HERE AND WORK AS A FARM HAND.
NO! PADAWAN NO! YOU DID NOT FAIL ME. YOU ARGUED WITH ME. THERE IS A DIFFERNECE. YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO SPEAK TO ME THE WAY YOU DID, BUT I REACTED BADLY. THIS MESS SHOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR OUT OF HAND. WE SHOULD HAVE TALKED THINGS OUT INSTEAD OF FIGHTING AND RUNNING AWAY. I'M COMING TO GET YOU AND WE'RE GOING HOME RIGHT NOW.
Obi-Wan was horrified. His Master wanted to bring him back to the Temple. /I WONDER IF HE'LL SEND ME TO A SOUL HEALER OR JUST HAVE ME FORMALLY KICKED OUT../ The thought of either option made Obi-Wan cringe. /I CAN'T DEAL WITH IT. I CAN'T GO BACK! I CAN'T!!/ To Qui-Gon, he responded NO!He would not go back. He wasn't a Jedi anymore and he knew it. His old Master had no right and no reason to order him to return to the Temple. There was nothing left for him there. He quickly closed his end of the link, erecting shields to prevent Qui-Gon from attempting to continue the conversation. He wanted to go back more than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life, wanted his master to want him back, to, dare he even think it, love him again. He knew that whatever chance he'd had of fixing things between them had vanished the second he'd left, and that wishful thinking couldn't bring it back, but he couldn't quite bring himself to admit that the whole mess wasn't some terrible nightmare. He was still almost certain he would wake up soon, safe in his bed on the ship, and that everything would be okay again. He could fix the gap forming between himself and his Master, and everything would be okay again. Sadly, it wasn't a dream, and he had lost all hope of bridging that ever-widening gap.
"You okay there Ben?" Jo-am's wife Ki-Key addressed him using the nickname their young daughter had inadvertently given him. To young to pronounce his name, she had called him "O'Bin" and the name had stuck.
"I'm okay," Obi-Wan forced a smile, trying to convince his kind hostess that nothing was wrong, "My old Master and I have this mind link, and we were talking."
She looked startled. "You looked like you were in pain. If it hurts that much to use the link, maybe you shouldn't even try," She sounded motherly and concerned, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile sadly as he shook his head.
"It doesn't hurt. The conversation we were having was rather," he paused, looking for a word, "difficult. Actually, it's been a long time since a conversation with my Master was anything but difficult." He looked down at his hands as he spoke. The original rift between the two had partially been of his own making, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Qui-Gon had been like a father to him, and losing him was a bitter blow.
"Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes telling people these things makes it feel better," Her voice was full of sympathy, and Obi-Wan felt bad for worrying her.
"It's a rather long story," he said, meaning of course, that it was too long and dull and that she wouldn't want to hear it, but Ki-Key was having none of that.
"I have time. You can help me peel the vegetables while we talk," she sat down beside him, placing a basket at their feet and handing him a knife, "Now why don't you start by telling me how this trouble with your Master got started?" Seeing that she wouldn't take no for an answer, Obi- Wan began his tale.
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Qui-Gon was off the ship almost before it touched down in the field. On his right was a forest, and on his left a golden, grain based crop waved in the wind. Directly in front of him, an escape pod, obviously the same make as that of the ship he had departed from, lay, looking as though the rider had at least landed smoothly. /OH OBI-WAN, WHERE ARE YOU?/ Qui-Gon looked around, trying to determine which way his Padawan had gone. He was so caught up in looking for his apprentice that he didn't sense the men behind him until it was too late.
"Put your hands up now! Don't move or you'll be shot!" An angry voice rang out, and Qui-Gon decided it was in his best interests to obey it. Obi-Wan had been captured, and his best chance of finding him probably lay in getting captured himself. If he could somehow mind trick them into letting him keep his lightsaber, he would almost certainly be able to find his Padawan and stage an escape. Thankfully, the pilot was waiting for him in orbit, so he would have a means of transportation when he managed to escape.
The soldiers wasted no time in binding him. As he was bound, he felt his connection to the Force being cut off, and he winced. If only he had the advantage of the Force, his escape would be assured, but it appeared that this was going to be one mission that wasn't going to cut him any slack. The last thing he saw before they blindfolded him was the face of his captor, eyes filled with hate and a slight trace of fear. Fear? What did this man have to fear from him? He was unarmed and bound, completely at his captor's mercy.
Qui-Gon had no idea how long it took to reach the town. Blindfolded in the back of a utility swoop, unable to access the Force, he lost all concept of time. When they arrived, the soldiers roughly hauled him out of the back of the swoop and onto his feet. The soldier closest to him removed his blindfold, and he blinked for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. In front of him was a majestic building, with huge windows and spires reaching up as high as the eye could see. The building looked familiar, but he couldn't place where he might have seen it before. "You will now have an audience with a judge to decide your fate. I wouldn't worry though," the man said with an evil smile, "There's absolutely no way you'll be found innocent. They never are." Qui-Gon suddenly found himself being dragged, rather roughly, towards the doors. "Make your self presentable, scum. The judge is a busy man, and this trial is far more than most strangers get. I don't see why you're so special, but five minutes of the judge's time and you'll be getting the same as everybody else. Enjoy the special treatment while it lasts, because I'm sure it won't," The man who had spoken was tall, unshaven, and stank of alcohol and spice. Qui-Gon could only hope he wasn't a standard example of soldiers on Reikalla. If he was, Qui-Gon was certain that his stay wouldn't be a pleasant one. /I HOPE OBI'S OKAY. HIS RIBS ARE STILL INJURED, AND IF A PRISON GUARD ROUGHED HIM UP.../ Qui-Gon refused to allow himself to continue that line of thought. His Padawan was FINE. If something had happened to him, Force or no, Qui-Gon would have felt it. It was said, no matter when or where, that a parent always knew when their child was in danger. Obi-Wan wasn't his child biologically, but the boy couldn't have been dearer to him even if he had been. He was certain he would have felt it if something had happened to his beloved Padawan.
"The Judge will see you now." A voice brought him out of his thoughts. Straightening his tunic, Qui-Gon, flanked on either side by a soldier, entered the judge's chamber. Looking around, he noted the exquisite quality of the rugs and the beauty of the paintings adorning the walls. One was the building from the outside, one was the judge in front of him, and the other was...him? Qui-Gon looked at the picture again. It looked exactly like him. He gasped.
"What do you think you're looking at scum?" The soldier to his left elbowed him in the side, causing him to wince, but he kept his gaze steady on the portrait.
"Who is that man?" He didn't really expect an answer, but he felt that he had nothing to lose by asking.
"That is our exalted ruler," The judge paused, looking between the painting and Qui-Gon, before adding, "who you happen to bear a striking resemblance to. Tell me, how did you come upon our planet?" He seemed curious now, more about the Jedi Master's resemblance to their "exalted ruler" than how he had arrived on the planet, and Qui-Gon suspected he was merely stalling for time to sort the matter out in his head.
"I am a Jedi Master," The judge and the soldiers exchanged glances, and Qui-Gon wondered briefly if that had been the right thing to say, "My apprentice and I were escorting a Senator to his home planet when we had a disagreement. My apprentice left, and I am searching for him. I did not mean to intrude on your land or your way of life, and I apologize for any difficulties my presence is causing." He looked the judge straight in the eye as he spoke, hoping to convince him that he posed no threat.
"I can personally assure you that your apprentice has not landed on this planet. If we can be of any assistance in finding him, let us know, and we will provide whatever help we can," Qui-Gon was confused. The planet was known for discouraging visitors, and the things the soldiers had said only increased his suspicion that, had they found Obi-Wan, they might already have killed him.
"Well, I suppose you could start by unbinding me," Qui-Gon's voice was light, almost joking, not belaying the desperation he felt. He wanted, no needed to contact his Padawan, to make certain that he was alright, which he could not do with the Force repellant ropes on.
The judge looked embarrassed. "Unbind that man at once! What were you thinking, treating a guest of the palace in such a manner?" The soldier to his right quickly unbound his hands, folding the rope up and fastening it to his belt. Qui-Gon felt carefully along the bond he shared with Obi-Wan, and was surprised to find that his Padawan seemed fine. OBI-WAN? CAN YOU HEAR ME?His mental voice was tentative. Despite their earlier conversation, he wasn't certain whether or not his Padawan was still angry with him for his callous behavior on the ship. Regardless of Obi-Wan's feelings towards him, he was determined to get the boy off planet as soon as possible, even if that meant dropping him off at the first inhabited space port they passed. He considered the planet dangerous, and whether or not Obi-Wan wanted to have anything to do with him, he wouldn't leave the boy in such peril.
I'M RIGHT HERE MAS-QUI-GON. A FARMER PICKED ME UP, AND I'M STAYING ON HIS FARM.The boy sounded hesitant, almost as if he were unsure why Qui-Gon was questioning him. Qui-Gon noticed that Obi-Wan had avoided the term 'Master' and wondered why. Was it because he was unsure of his place, or because he no longer wanted it? Qui-Gon hoped it was the former, and was fully prepared to show the boy exactly where his place was, but he feared, in light of recent events, that the latter was the case. He wouldn't force his Padawan, but there was one way to know for sure.
PADAWAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?Qui-Gon hoped that the boy would either be calmed by the mention of his title, which had, over the years, become something of an affectionate nickname, and held his breath as he waited for the boy's angry insistence that he was no longer the man's apprentice. DON'T CALL ME THAT!.Obi-Wan's voice was choked with tears. Qui-Gon's heart broke at that statement. He had lost him. His little boy no longer wanted him around, and he knew, hard as it would be, that he was going to have to accept it. The boy's next words took him by surprise. I DON'T DESERVE THE TITLE.The voice was so quite Qui-Gon almost wondered if he'd really heard it, but Obi-Wan continued. I FAILED YOU. I BEHAVED IN A MANNER UNBECOMING OF A JEDI, AND THEN I RAN AWAY. BEFORE THAT, I LIED TO YOU AND BETRAYED YOUR TRUST. YOU DON'T NEED A PADAWAN LIKE ME. GO FIND SOMEONE WORTHY. I'LL STAY HERE AND WORK AS A FARM HAND.
NO! PADAWAN NO! YOU DID NOT FAIL ME. YOU ARGUED WITH ME. THERE IS A DIFFERNECE. YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO SPEAK TO ME THE WAY YOU DID, BUT I REACTED BADLY. THIS MESS SHOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR OUT OF HAND. WE SHOULD HAVE TALKED THINGS OUT INSTEAD OF FIGHTING AND RUNNING AWAY. I'M COMING TO GET YOU AND WE'RE GOING HOME RIGHT NOW.
Obi-Wan was horrified. His Master wanted to bring him back to the Temple. /I WONDER IF HE'LL SEND ME TO A SOUL HEALER OR JUST HAVE ME FORMALLY KICKED OUT../ The thought of either option made Obi-Wan cringe. /I CAN'T DEAL WITH IT. I CAN'T GO BACK! I CAN'T!!/ To Qui-Gon, he responded NO!He would not go back. He wasn't a Jedi anymore and he knew it. His old Master had no right and no reason to order him to return to the Temple. There was nothing left for him there. He quickly closed his end of the link, erecting shields to prevent Qui-Gon from attempting to continue the conversation. He wanted to go back more than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life, wanted his master to want him back, to, dare he even think it, love him again. He knew that whatever chance he'd had of fixing things between them had vanished the second he'd left, and that wishful thinking couldn't bring it back, but he couldn't quite bring himself to admit that the whole mess wasn't some terrible nightmare. He was still almost certain he would wake up soon, safe in his bed on the ship, and that everything would be okay again. He could fix the gap forming between himself and his Master, and everything would be okay again. Sadly, it wasn't a dream, and he had lost all hope of bridging that ever-widening gap.
"You okay there Ben?" Jo-am's wife Ki-Key addressed him using the nickname their young daughter had inadvertently given him. To young to pronounce his name, she had called him "O'Bin" and the name had stuck.
"I'm okay," Obi-Wan forced a smile, trying to convince his kind hostess that nothing was wrong, "My old Master and I have this mind link, and we were talking."
She looked startled. "You looked like you were in pain. If it hurts that much to use the link, maybe you shouldn't even try," She sounded motherly and concerned, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile sadly as he shook his head.
"It doesn't hurt. The conversation we were having was rather," he paused, looking for a word, "difficult. Actually, it's been a long time since a conversation with my Master was anything but difficult." He looked down at his hands as he spoke. The original rift between the two had partially been of his own making, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Qui-Gon had been like a father to him, and losing him was a bitter blow.
"Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes telling people these things makes it feel better," Her voice was full of sympathy, and Obi-Wan felt bad for worrying her.
"It's a rather long story," he said, meaning of course, that it was too long and dull and that she wouldn't want to hear it, but Ki-Key was having none of that.
"I have time. You can help me peel the vegetables while we talk," she sat down beside him, placing a basket at their feet and handing him a knife, "Now why don't you start by telling me how this trouble with your Master got started?" Seeing that she wouldn't take no for an answer, Obi- Wan began his tale.
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