Chapter 28

Kyran awoke slowly, feeling groggy, uncertain about where he was and how he got there. Wherever it was, it was dark and cold. He attempted to raise his hand to rub at his eyes, when it was jerked up short by a length of chain bolted to the cold floor. His situation came flooding back: the bounty hunters attack, the flight through the woods, going back for Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon! Kyran looked around frantically, reaching out with his Force sense for his friend. He didn't have to search very long. Qui-Gon was stretched out on the floor a few feet away from him. Like Kyran, chains ran from his neck, wrists and ankles to heavy bolts on the metal floor.

Qui-Gon appeared to be uninjured. Well, Kyran amended to himself with no new injuries, but he was still unconscious. No surprise, the bounty hunters had focused their attack on him. He had taken far more of the sleep darts than Kyran had.

The background humming and slight vibration finally registered on Kyran. They must be on a ship, headed back to C'lasi. Where was Devin, Kyran suddenly wondered. His stomach twisted for a moment with the fear that Devin might have been killed. No, the bond between them let Kyran know that Devin was alive, although quite far away and quite worried. Kyran wasn't surprised at that, he was a bit worried himself. Despite their efforts, Qui- Gon was being taken back to Tuvlat. He had just begun to deal with the emotional trauma of his original stay there. What would happen when he awoke and realized that he had been recaptured?

Kyran tugged on the chains that bound him, which stubbornly refused to give. They must be in a cargo hold. Besides himself, Qui-Gon and the chains, it was empty. They had been stripped of everything but their under tunics and pants, Kyran noted. Even their boots were gone. No wonder it had felt so cold. Well, one thing that they hadn't touched was his connection to the Force.

Concentrating, Kyran focused on the chains that bound him, only to discover they had been welded together. No locking mechanism to disable, just solid metal. The bolts had also been welded into the floor. Take out the bolts meant taking out the floor and Kyran wasn't sure how close to the hull they were. He might accidentally create a hole out into space. That would certainly end any escape plans.

Well, they would have to move them eventually, he would just have to be ready. But would Qui-Gon be ready? How was Qui-Gon going to react to his recapture? Images flashed through Kyran's mind, memories Qui-Gon shared with them after he finally opened up to his friends about his experiences in Tuvlat. The casual brutality horrified Kyran, not just because his best friend had born the brunt of so much of it.

Kyran forced himself to focus on Qui-Gon's current state of mind, rather than the events that contributed to it. Qui-Gon was healing, but coming face to face with his memories and feelings rather than the brutal suppression of them that had been his way of dealing with them for months resulted in . . . well, to put it nicely it meant that right now Qui-Gon was in a very delicate place mentally. In the midst of this, he was thrust back into the same situation that had done so much damage. A moan from the other side of the room, had Kyran stretching out as far as his chains would allow. Still too far to reach his friend, he quietly said, "Qui-Gon?"

Qui-Gon groaned as he came to. It felt like a reek had been trapped inside his skull and was trying to ram it's way out. "Kyran?"

"I'm here, Qui-Gon. How are you feeling?" Kyran kept his voice calm. This was going to be hard enough on Qui-Gon as it was, he had to make sure he did all he could to help his friend survive this.

Qui-Gon moaned. "Like I lost an argument with an angry Wookie. Where are we?" He tried to sit up only to find that something was restraining him.

"Go slowly, we were drugged. Focus on clearing the last of the sedative from you system." Kyran said.

Qui-Gon ignored his friend's advice and instead tried to see what was keeping him from sitting up. He tried to move his hand to his face but it was jerked short woefully short of its goal. Now fully awake, he craned his neck to get a good look and his eyes widened seeing that he was chained down to a bolt in the floor. His gaze flicked to Kyran, noticing that he was restrained in the same way.

Kyran felt his friend's rising panic, "Center, Qui-Gon. Focus on finding your center,"

Qui-Gon's breathing was fast and uneven. He struggled against the chains holding him to the floor, but they stubbornly refused to budge.

"Listen to me, Qui-Gon. You must stay calm. Look at me, look at my eyes. Breath with me. Slow in, slow out." Kyran's voice adopted the firm, gentle tone of a teaching master. He hoped that Qui-Gon's own training, begun when he was still a toddler in the crèche would respond to the tone and the words. Kyran reached out along their bond, sending as much serenity as he could towards his friend. "I am here with you, you are not alone. Breath with me, in and out."

Qui-Gon continued his relentless struggle against his chains, desperately hoping that he was having a nightmare and he winced at the flash of sharp pain as he pulled too hard and wrenched his right shoulder. The pain calmed him down somewhat--and he began to focus on what Kyran was telling him. He took a deep breath...and then another.

Kyran tried not to flinch when he felt the burst of pain over their bond from the damage Qui-Gon had done to his own shoulder. At least the pain had helped him focus somewhat. Kyran continued his reassuring litany, relieved when Qui-Gon finally seemed to respond

Qui-Gon finally managed to slow his breathing down to a more normal level, but still a bit faster than it should have been. "Where are we?"

"I think we are on a ship. What do you remember?"

Qui-Gon racked his brain trying to remember. "Uh...the last thing I remember was...in the woods." He gasped as he realized Devin wasn't with them. "Devin!" He tried to sit up again, but only succeeded in tearing his shoulder even more.

"Devin is fine. Calm yourself, reach out along your bond. No doubt he's working out some clever plan to find us," Kyran tried to keep his tone light.

He winced at the pain in his shoulder and lay back down. He took several deep breaths, holding them each for a few seconds and releasing them slowly. Finally, he managed to calm himself down enough to think rather than just react. Of course, their situation was not really any better looked at calmly. He sighed deeply. "You shouldn't have come back for me."

"I won't go over that ground with you again, Qui-Gon. We stand together." Kyran paused. "Look at it this way, I think you have finally convinced me that, from a certain point of view, you were right in coming after me all those months ago to help me find Jayla."

Qui-Gon craned his neck to look at his friend and arched a brow. "Oh? That's not what you said—"He struggled to remember how long ago it was—"more than a year ago."

Kyran gave a wry grin and shrugged. "Even I can't be right all the time. The odds were that eventually I'd be wrong and you'd be right. Stranger things have happened. Not many, but a few."

Qui-Gon turned to look at his friend, focusing his attention solely on him. "Why?" He asked quietly. The cold metal of the chains, the terror of the situation itself, fading to almost inconsequential at Kyran's words. On the surface they sounded almost casual, but Qui-Gon sensed that this was at the heart of Kyran's own struggle against the Darkness.

"You. You needed me, despite your protests otherwise. I could no more have left you behind than I could have flown to Alderaan under my own power. And I realized that you felt the same." Kyran spoke softly, projecting his love towards the man who was a dear to him as any biological brother could ever have been.

Qui-Gon shifted his gaze to stare at the bare metal ceiling. As he had told Kyran, on that night weeks past when he had finally started to let go of the Darkness within him, he had long ago forgiven Kyran for his part in their quarrel. One thing remained unsettled though, a last lingering doubt. "Why . . . why did you shut me out?"

Kyran sighed, and studied his friend's profile for long moments. Qui-Gon face was impassive, but Kyran saw the slight tremble in his hands. When he finally spoke, his tone was hesitant, as if struggling to find the right words. "I had several reasons, some better than others. I was truly worried about leaving Jayla. She had just barely recovered from her abduction, both physically and emotionally. I also did think that at the time, you shouldn't have risked your own health to come after us. I think my fear for you became anger. And it wasn't just fear for you at that moment." Kyran paused, unsure how to best explain the vision he had had about Qui-Gon, that day on Coruscant.

"I was afraid that your impulsiveness would one day lead you to disaster so immense that it would destroy you. I couldn't let that happen. I was willing to do anything to drive that lesson home to you. I just didn't realize the cost of my own actions would be so high. I thought I was going to save you from disaster. Instead, I pushed you into it."

"And your impulsive actions at Tuvlat saved me from it," Qui-Gon said softly.

Qui-Gon's face grew serious. "You've saved me more times than I care to remember. Countless times when I'd gotten in a scrape, or something worse, you came to my aide at the risk of your own life several times. That's what hurt. I was just trying to help as you've so often helped me."

"Perhaps that's it. I'm used to being to one to protect you, not the one needing help. I was looking at the situation of how dangerous it was for you when you came after Jayla and me."

Qui-Gon frowned and then sighed deeply, tugging on his chains once more. "Well we're a pair aren't we? Now we're both in trouble. We have no idea where Devin is--and I'm headed back to Tuvlat." He spat out the name and glanced over at Kyran. His worst fears were rapidly turning into realities. They would both be handed over to the prison guards once they arrived. Qui- Gon's soul screamed in protest at the idea of watching his friend go through the same horror he'd endured.

"Devin knows where we are headed, he's probably racing to intercept us. He's not going to let all the effort we put into your rescue go to waste. And, Qui-Gon . . . even if we do end up in Tuvlat, this time you won't be alone."

Qui-Gon bit his lip. "That's part of the reason I'm nervous. I don't want you to have to endure what I did. They'll break you, Kyran. I don't think I could stand it if they made me watch."

For all his brave words, deep behind strong shields, Kyran felt an echoing fear. The memory of what Qui-Gon had looked like when they had pulled him out of Tuvlat was still vivid. The thought of having to watch Qui-Gon go through that again, and not to be able to stop it . . . "We'll just have to make sure it doesn't come to that, then. We have to watch for our opportunity. They can't keep us chained up in this hold forever. When we get planetside, we'll make our break. The Force is with us."

"And having you and Devin around doesn't hurt any, either." Qui-Gon smiled.

Kyran smiled back. "Why don't you meditate for a bit? I'll keep an eye on things for awhile."

Qui-Gon nodded slowly. "Will you help me? I can't seem to focus enough to meditate."

In reply, Kyran reached out over their bond, sending the image of one of the first meditative images they had learned as children. A leaf floating in a tranquil pond. Together they allowed their minds to still, letting their tensions, fears and thoughts drift away from them.

Mediation had allowed Qui-Gon to find enough peace to go back to sleep, a true restful sleep, rather than the drugged one he had emerged from hours ago. True to his word, Kyran kept a watch over his friend.

He felt the presence of the man before he entered the room. His aura was one of vicious gloating, cruel and merciless. Kyran's eyes widened as he shifted his position into as much of a defensive stance as he could manage with the chains binding him. The alien striding over was enormous. He was at least three standard meters tall with orange skin, yellow eyes and sharp, vicious claws. He sent a warning nudge along his bond with Qui-Gon to wake him.

Ignoring Kyran, Yomar strode over to Qui-Gon, in a loud voice saying, "Wake up, Duursema. Time to renew old friendships."

Qui-Gon came to slowly at Kyran's warning, having been deeply asleep.

Yomar reached down, grabbing Qui-Gon by the throat, allowing his claws to dig into his neck. "Miss me?"

Qui-Gon gasped for breath as he grabbed Yomar's wrist, reaching out to the Force trying to tug his hand away from his throat. He managed to gasp out, "Not really."

Kyran growled, "Release him."

"Mind your own business, human. You'll get yours soon enough. As for you, Duursema, "Yomar tightened his grip, claw tips now drawing blood, "I've been waiting along time for this." Yomar's other hand lashed out, catching Qui-Gon in the gut. Bright red lines appeared across his stomach.

Qui-Gon gasped at the pain as his stomach was slashed and Force-pushed Yomar away from him. He winced and glanced down seeing his undertunic and stomach were now slashed; bright red blood came from the wounds.

"You pulled that trick on me before, scum. But we found out back in Tuvlat that you can't do it so well with broken bones." Yomar unhooked a thick, metal baton from his belt. Quick as lightening, he brought it down across Qui-Gon's shoulder; unerringly hitting the one Qui-Gon had injured earlier.

Qui-Gon cried out at the pain as bone crunched beneath the blow to his wounded shoulder, gritting his teeth at the fire that blossomed through it. Gasping at the roaring agony in his shoulder, he tried to reach up to hold it protectively, but was jerked short by the chains around his wrists and he stared at Yomar, remembering when his leg had been broken by this man.

Yomar was thrown back against the wall, the air slammed from his lungs. "Don't touch him again," Kyran warned coldly, gathering the Force around him if another Force push was necessary.

Yomar gasped, forcing air back into his lungs. Pulling a comlink from his belt, he ordered, "Get down here, now. Time for you boys to share in the fun."

Qui-Gon moaned at the pain in his wounded shoulder, knowing it was just fraction of what was going to happen next. Kyran you should have just let him take me... now it'll be twice as bad.

If he wants you, he'll have to go through me first.

I don't think he'll hesitate to try it.

Yomar scrambled to his feet, rushing back across the room he brought his metal baton down hard. Kyran twisted slightly, so that it hit across his side rather than his stomach. Without pause, another heavy blow hit Kyran across the small of his back. It was enough pain to break his concentration, so that the Force push meant to send Yomar flying across the room again, instead only shoved him slightly off balance. It also increased the tempo of the beating, keeping him from repeating the attempt.

Qui-Gon tensed seeing the bounty hunters stream into the room armed with metal rods, remembering a previous beating in prison with metal. But the grunt of pain from Kyran made his next act almost instinctual. "Hey you sithspawn! Think you can handle me? Bring it on, sons of mynocks!" There was nothing he could do to prevent what Yomar was doing to his friend, but if he could only draw the attention of the guards to himself, it would at least save Kyran some pain.

One of the bounty hunters nearby viciously kicked Qui-Gon hard in the side of his head hard enough to ring his ears. This puny human was quite an annoyance. If it wasn't for the bounty requesting that they be brought in alive, the tall fur-covered alien would've loved nothing better than to slash him open. However the bounty requested that he be brought in alive-- so the least he could do would be to see how much he could damage him and see if he survived. He dug his claws into Duursema's broken right shoulder and twisted hard. Duursema's friends had killed several of their crew and one of them--he didn't know which, humans all looked alike to him -- had given him a nasty slash with his lightsaber -- for which he intended to pay back in full.

Kyran grunted as Yomar slashed his legs viciously causing bright red lines of blood to appear. He knew what Qui-Gon was attempting to do but at the moment he didn't have the energy to stop him. A sharp hit in the stomach knocked the wind out of him and he gasped trying to get air back into his lungs. He couldn't breathe -- then he realized that Yomar had grabbed him around the neck and was digging into his throat with his sharp claws as if trying to see just how little air humans needed to survive.

Yomar grinned savagely as Kyran started choking trying to get air. He released Kyran's throat and one of his other cronies had grabbed Kyran's right foot and slashed the sole of his foot with his sharp claws.

"That's enough. Gaikusan said damaged was okay, but they have to be alive." With a few parting hits, the bounty hunters filed out of the room. Yomar was the last to leave. Grabbing Qui-Gon by the hair, Yomar taunted, "I'm going to miss these little chats with you. At least I know that you'll make lots of new friends back at Tuvlat more than willing to take up where I left off."

Turning to Kyran, his foot lashed out, catching Kyran in the small of the back. Yomar grinned at the moan. "And you've learned an important lesson about minding your own business. No need to thank me, your blood and the bounty is payment enough." Laughing, Yomar strode from the room.

Qui-Gon moaned at the pain and winced and he coughed a few times and glanced over at Kyran. "Kyran?"

"You need to make a better class of friends, Qui-Gon." Kyran spat out a mouthful of blood.

Qui-Gon grimaced at the pain in his wounded shoulder and at the new aches and pains. "I'm sorry. I told you to leave me."

"Don't even start that, again." Kyran shifted slightly, trying to find a comfortable position and failing.

Kyran made a quick inventory of his hurts . . . "Qui-Gon, how badly are you hurt?" The thugs had seemed to spend most of their aggression on his friend.

Qui-Gon grunted. "Uh..... "He tried to take stock of his injuries. "My right shoulder collar bone is completely broken. I can't move it."

"Okay, we'll start there then. Center yourself as best you can then open yourself up to me." Kyran drew a deep breath, pushing aside his own hurt and exhaustion to gather as much healing energy as he could.

Qui-Gon coughed several times and struggled to reach out. "I can't. It hurts. I can't focus." He bit his lip as he moved too much and the shoulder bone screamed fire.

Kyran knew it wasn't the pain alone that was making it difficult for Qui- Gon to concentrate. He could feel the waves of fear rolling off his friend. "Qui-Gon, you can. Live in the moment. The future can take care of itself."

Qui-Gon gasped at the agony of his broken right collarbone and struggled to calm down, the beating having brought flashbacks of previous beatings and he took a few deep breaths and managed to calm himself.

"I think we should start with that shoulder. Since you have limited range of motion in your left hand, we need to get your right side healed as well as we can before we land. Between the two of us we should have enough energy to at least speed up the natural healing enough to give you some range of motion."

Qui-Gon nodded his expression tight with the pain in his broken shoulder. He sighed. "Han'yaie is going to have a fit when I get back to the Temple."

"Are you kidding? Without you think how bored our chief Healer would get."

Qui-Gon grinned slightly. "Thanks to me he has a job, right?"

"A purpose each being has," Kyran said in the raspy tones of Master Yoda. "Now concentrate with me," Kyran closed his eyes, focused on the intense pain emanating from Qui-Gon's shoulder and let the healing energy of the Force flow through him. He felt the torn muscles, tissues and bone begin to knit together. Before long, however, he had to open his eyes, breathing hard from the exertion, no strength left to continue to send to his friend. "Any better," he panted?

Qui-Gon winced as sharp pain shot through his shoulder, but he noted that he could move it a bit more than he could before. "Still hurts, but it's a bit better."

"Good. Glad to hear it. We'll work some more on it in a little while," Kyran said.

Qui-Gon heard the exhaustion in his friend's voice. Calmer now, he realized that he had ignored the fact of Kyran's own injuries. He looked reproachfully at his friend. "You shouldn't have done that. You should've healed yourself first. You had fewer injuries that could be tended to faster."

"Haven't we had this argument before? Think about it logically, Qui-Gon. Our chances of escape are better if you can use both hands. Nothing's wrong with me that a little bit of sleep won't help."

Qui-Gon sighed deeply. "Then sleep. I won't allow you to heal me anymore until you sleep."

Kyran laughed softly. He couldn't have gathered the energy at that moment to heal a splinter, but there was no harm in letting Qui-Gon think he'd won this argument. "As you wish. Make sure you wake me if there's any problems though, okay."

Qui-Gon nodded, though he had no intention of waking his friend unless Yomar came back. "Sleep...."