Chapter 16: Transition

"Our individual roles we think
Not so important to the plot
The big picture unseen
Leaving life in between
Destroyed and Overrought

There's no need to point the finger
We understand who takes the blame
Delinquents caught red-handed in the act
Crooks disguised as you and I." - World go 'Round (No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom)

Instantly, Qui-Gon took a position in the middle. His hands raised up to stop anything from happening prematurely. An appeal to remain calm, he reminded them, "Please, we have come this far. Don't let this end in bloodshed after all the work that has been done." He glanced around looking pointedly at the leaders on both sides. What he also found surprised him, Obi-Wan had taken up a similar pose just behind him, their backs to each other.

Nev Obser stepped forward, he did not have a weapon to wield other than knowledge. And he used it accordingly, "The device they brought looks like the one we found. What are we supposed to believe?"

"Why would we want to sabotage an already useless ship?" Tuuvu rebutted harshly. They could tell the vessel was failing. It was a miracle that Obi-Wan was able to land it before it failed completely. And above all, he wanted nothing more to do with the ship once they determined its value - or the lack thereof.

Narrowing his eyes and frowning, Nev pointed out, "That device was planted before we crashed. Do you pick your targets so far in advance?"

Laughing without mirth, the Togorian argued, "Our targets are only ships that cross our path. We have no knowledge of their passengers or cargo until we board it. And if we did know before hand, we wouldn't have bothered with you lot. We knew what we had to lose, and we would have never willingly placed Cub in danger." Tuuvu glanced at Obi-Wan who was peering up at him through ginger bangs. A fleeting sense of sympathy passed between them.

The quiet exchange and meaningful words seemed to effect more that the pair. The human engineer's voice lost some of its edge. "Then why do they look so similar?"

Annoyed again at the unfounded accusation, Tuuvu barked, "How are we supposed to know? You asked for a homing beacon that is what we brought. We don't even know what this other device of yours looks like. Maybe you are making it up."

Now that the tables were turning, Nev took up the defensive, "Why would I do such a thing?"

"How would I know? It is your fiction not mine."

Qui-Gon felt it was time for intervention, while they were in a somewhat rational mindset. "Gentlemen, please this bickering is getting us no where. At least put down your weapons so we can discuss this in a civilized manner." It took another few tense moments before the first blaster was lowered. Shortly after more followed, but none were holstered. Tensions still ran high and another outburst could be detrimental to their futures, but there was peace for the moment. "Now, I highly doubt that the Togorians would have brought a destructive device when they have agreed to so much already. But we cannot over look any similarities."

"How can you be so sure that they are similar in any sense?" Obi-Wan asked the engineers.

"It's true that both have black casing and could probably be mistaken," Nev accepted the challenge and laid out his reasoning, "but it's the locking mechanism that gave it away. Ours still is not released. Damage to the rest of the body allowed us to get inside." Having been the first to discover the anomaly within their systems, Nev was their primary investigator. He had gone over the device numerous times since his return. And his familiarity of the object gave him the means to recognize the resemblance.

Many eyes moved to examine the homing beacon quickly. Most of the Togorians stood confused, the whole scenario just seemed too outrageous to them. The Zenah crew eyed the pirates unsure whether or not they should believe them. Meanwhile, Nev went to another cabinet and pulled out the foreign device that had been extricated from their system. Moving purposefully, he laid it down on the counter next to the homing beacon. When placed beside each other the similarities were definitely uncanny. Obi-Wan walked over to the table and scrutinized them. The smooth casing of the beacon was unmarred by any other markings. It looked plain yet pristine almost elegant in its design. The bent shell next to it at one time probably looked exactly like it. However, the casing was bent in on one side along the hinges damaging them. He could see that they pried it open from this side to reveal the circuitry within. His hand hovered over it for a moment hesitating to touch it. Deciding to go for it, he grabbed the lid and opened the box. The lock that the engineers could not override released and the entire top came free. He heard a small gasp of shock behind him and he knew that this only solidified their suspicions. Ignoring them, he leaned over to look closer at its contents and saw the familiar design but under further scrutiny he could see there were differences as well. Still perplexed, he glanced up at the Engineer, "I don't understand, how did you get our technology?"

"How did you get yours?" Nev immediately countered.

Obi looked toward his Captain, Tuuvu stepped up to fill in the gap, "We acquired it from the previous Captain. He said it was provided by a private distributor, for a job well done. It was customized prototype technology."

Qui-Gon now inquired, "And do you know who this distributor was?"

"No, not really. He never said any names only hinted. He disliked sharing any information that could prove detrimental to his position. But once our Captain was killed, I severed relations with a number of his contacts. It could have been any one of them."

"Why should he withhold the information from his own men?" Nev inquired. He was used to being included with virtually full disclosure with his Captain. Of course their roles were not simply that of crewmembers but friends as well. And that being they were a public passenger vessel, it's not like there was ever really much to withhold.

Tuuvu regarded the engineer with a sarcastic tilt of the head. "Some of the people he dealt with had no issues about assisting underlings usurp their leaders. You've seen the technology, highly advanced. If any of us could obtain similar or upgraded tech we could easily oust him. Now wouldn't you consider that good enough reason not to share?"

Once again Qui-Gon intruded, intent on bringing the group back on topic. "This appears to be a puzzle we will have to solve once we have the means and resources to examine the evidence better. We do not have a lot of time to ponder this issue right now. Our priority at this point is to get the children and the crew back to safety. Let Engineer Benhd help install the beacon while the rest start moving over to the other ship."

"I am obliged to agree with you Master Jedi," the Captain of the Zenah finally joined the conversation, he added pointedly, "for now. But this mystery must be investigated immediately upon our return. This cannot be coincidence." The ominous words hung in the taut air that filled the room. Captain Lessick, however, understood that fighting now would get them no where and they needed to get back to Coruscant.

"It matters little to us. We will be long gone by that point. Good luck. Now hurry so we can get this over with." The Togorian leader dismissed the dilemma with a wave of his hand. He glanced at his companions and they all turned to leave, except for Benhd.

The trio of Engineers worked quickly to install the homing beacon while the others went to prepare for departure. No further incidents occurred during the transition, many were preoccupied with other concerns to cause trouble. It only took them a total of twenty minutes to move all the passengers on the Zenah over to the Night's Scream. As soon as they were all settled in their respective rooms, the Pirate vessel lifted off toward Onderon.

Once the brilliant veins of hyperspace surrounded them, did things begin to cool down. Settling into their surroundings, the Pirates concentrated on their duties while the visitors made the best of their situation. The groups were divided and placed into their designated rooms. Tahl, Bant and their group of initiates had been brought to Obi-Wan's room. As soon as Bant entered she received a strong feeling of his essence dominating it. At first it was exhilarating to sense him so strongly, but soon her thoughts drifted to what he had become. She felt she no longer knew him. Tahl could see how these thoughts and emotions conflicted her apprentice. Doing everything in her power to ease the transition, the Knight suggested that they all do some more meditation exercises. The captivating woman smiled at the light groans of their students. Still she was determined to make sure that the trials of this adventure did not negatively effect them.

Amidst the silence, Bant could not maintain her hold on the tranquility that meditation often brought and soon found herself alert. Not wishing to disturb the others, she slowly rose and walked to the other side of the moderate room. She sat on his bed and glanced over his dresser. Despite her desire not to invade his privacy, Bant found herself opening the top drawer. At first it looked like any other, filled with knick-knacks and clothing. She was closing it again when she caught sight of something she recognized all too well. Carefully, Bant reached over to pull it out. Tears welled up at the bottom of the large silver bulbs as she clutched the small item to her. A moment later, hands touched her shoulders and she knew her Master had come to comfort her.

"What is the matter, Padawan?" Tahl asked as quietly as she could so not to disturb the other students.

A sniffle escaped the young Calamarian. Composing herself, Bant opened her eyes to gaze at her confidant. Slowly, she opened her hand to reveal a length of braided cording. It was a colorful mix; red, blue, green and white. Tahl peered down at the fraying braid not understanding its import. Bant recognized her confusion and quickly pulled something from her utility belt. She opened her other hand to reveal an identical braid, albeit less wear.

Bant tried to explain her swell of emotions, "There are two more like these. Garen and Reeft each have one. The four of us were friends," her eyes took on a misted appearance, lost in memory. Her tone as well softened with the remembrance of a happier time, "Good, good friends. From as far back as any of us could remember and we vowed that that would never change. During one of our classes, there was a discussion of how warriors in the ancient wars would carry items from home to remind them of who they fought for. And who would be waiting for them to return. We also discussed how comrades and friends would bear emblems or other markings to bind them together and remind them they are never alone."

Turning to look at her Master, a sad grin on her face, she continued, "There was so much more said during that class but we all had the same idea. We each found a long strip of cloth or ribbon, whatever we could find, that would represent us. In the deep of the night we gathered in the Room of a Thousand Fountains and braided the strips together. It was there that we vowed to always be there for each other no matter what the Force had in store for us. We were young and idealistic. Garen brought red, he said it was for strength. Reeft brought blue for honour. Mine was green for friendship and Obi's was white for unity."

The smile had since faded during her tale. Awash with fresh emotions, Bant's voice hitched. "When he was lost, we didn't know what to do. But we soon realized that we must remember our vow. We borrowed each others' strength when we felt we had none left. We honoured his memory by continuing on. Our friendship is as strong now as it was then, if not more so. But we were not whole. Without him in our lives, we have never felt complete. We continued to hope and pray that somehow, someway we would find him and feel whole again. And now, now that I know he's alive and he's here with me, I still feel like something is missing. My thoughts stray constantly and I can't help but wonder if he has felt the same as us, like there is a part of him missing. I wonder, if he does feel as we do, is it smaller or thrice as big as ours? But what plagues me most is, why didn't he contact us? We would have helped him no matter what happened."

"I know how much he has meant to many of those in the Temple," Tahl began gently, trying to comfort his Padawan. But she knew there would be little she could do, the hurt was something the girl would have to overcome on her own, just like Qui-Gon and all the others this would effect. "And I know you are just the first to ponder these questions. I wish I had a simple answer for you. And somehow, I think he wishes he could give you an answer that you would understand and accept, but I fear there is more to it. Often we find there is no solid explanation we can give for doing the things we do. No perfect answer to all the questions we have. And I think you will have to be patient to even glimpse some of his reasons. Try to keep your mind open, we are in his world now, perhaps you can learn something about his motivations by observing our surroundings."

Sighing, Bant placed the braid back into the drawer and closed it. "His presence is so strong here. With each breath I feel like I am choking on the emotions that fill this room. I can feel so much of him, his anger, his rage, his happiness, but it is his melancholy that is strangling. The others flare briefly before being replaced by the lingering despondency. He hides it, I can feel that too, but it's always there, lurking." Abruptly, she breaks away from her Master's caring touch and heads for the door. "I cannot stay here any longer. It's too overwhelming."

When the door closed behind her, a large imposing figure blocked her path. Bant didn't even bother to look up at the guard. She simply stated her request, "Will you take me to Master Qui-Gon? I believe he is a few doors down." He never answered, only gestured and she followed him half way down the hall. There he stopped and opened the door for her to step inside. She did so willingly, happy to have her mind clear again. Inside, Qui-Gon immediately made his way to her.

"Is anything wrong, Bant?"

Not able to look at him, she mumbled, "I couldn't stay over there." She wasn't sure what his reaction to her weakness would be and hoped she would not have to go into further detail. Unfortunately, he wish was ignored.

"Why?" The tall man questioned, a mixture of curiosity and concern. "I thought you wanted to be in Obi-Wan's room."

Sighing, she said, "I thought so too, but I just couldn't stay. There was history in that room that was clouding my mind." Hoping that would be enough to suffice, she headed toward the bed. Siri came up and offered her support.

Qui-Gon nodded, accepting her reason for the moment. He could sense her reluctance and decided not to press her. He had known Bant for many years now, she was always levelheaded and not very easily disturbed. But the past few hours had left her rattled. If she felt that she had to leave than it was for a good reason. He stared at the Padawans and his mind began to form a plan. The small group of children had huddled together to whisper amongst themselves. Bant and Siri spoke softly about nothing.

The Knight stood by the door lost in his thoughts. Obi-Wan was an enigma, not just to him but to many people. All this time he had been hoping to find the boy again and now that he had, he didn't know what to do. He realized that he needed more information. He could feel that the youth was in turmoil, now he needed to know all of the reasons. And something just didn't feel right. He had to justify the boy's motives for himself. Putting his plan in action, Qui-Gon spoke to the older Padawans. "Watch over the children. I will be back before we land." With that he turned and left.

Outside the Togorian that admitted Bant into the room still stood his position. Qui-Gon did not flinch by creature's harsh glare, instead he spoke clearly and purposefully, "I would like an audience with your Captain."

The Togorian examined him carefully. Qui-Gon knew that he was trying to determine if this was some sort of ploy. After a moment, the guard took out a comlink and spoke briefly into it. The Jedi waited patiently while his captor discussed his request with another. After a moment, the commlink was turned off but no move was made. Qui-Gon stared questioningly toward the white/tan-speckled Togorian. He was about to inquire if his request was granted when the feline spoke, "I will take you to him as soon as my replacement arrives." Only a couple of minutes passed when another Pirate rounded the corner, then they were off.

*

Obi-Wan stood in the bridge next to his Patron as the ship smoothly left the atmosphere of the small planetoid into the vastness of space. When they made the jump to hyperspace, Tuuvu resigned to his office, intending to be alone for a while. Obi-Wan did not follow him, instead he wandered off hoping for solitude as well. He needed to work through his emotions and the course of action that was now set before him. At first, he thought to head back to his room, but realized that it was already occupied. Then he thought of the lounge only to remember that too was already full. He was about to head to the meeting room when his plans were thwarted again.

Sighing, he headed toward the last place he could think of and hoped it was vacant. As he approached, the sounds of people talking told him it wasn't. Still he entered the room, thinking there was no where else for him to go. Inside the rec room, he found some of the younger crew members, who greeted him immediately. "Hey Obi. We're glad you're back. Thought we lost you for a while. But we knew you would be ok." A stout orange Togorian, by the name of Rrooji, happily smiled.

"Yeah, it's good to see you. You want to join us?" Paold asked. They were in the middle of a workout and offered to include the little human.

With a small wave of his hand, he declined, "No, I was just trying to relax at the moment."

Paold stopped what he was doing and sat up on the bench. His voice was soft and thoughtful. "That's understandable, you've been through a lot."

"Yeah," Rrooji chimed in a bit excitedly, "Paold was telling me about the raid. I wish I could have gone with you guys. Two more cycles and then it'll be my turn." Tuuvu maintained a strict policy that no crewman under the age of 21 was permitted to take part in the raids. There was only one exception to this.

Obi-Wan sighed, cautioning, "Don't be so eager to join the fight. It's still very dangerous, no matter how many precautions we take."

A little disappointed with the warning, he countered, "But I hate waiting here for everyone when I could be out there helping. It's so boring and I want to be part of the excitement."

"What we do is not exciting for those at the other end of our blasters." Obi-Wan gently rebuked his friend. The gentle reminder had the effect he was hoping for, as the Togorian frowned. It was obvious that he understood what their career choice did to their victims. Continuing with this train of thought, he added wearily, "I had hoped that one day we could find a way out of this and earn honest credits."

"But Obi, what else would we do? This is all most of us have ever known." Paold had only just begun participating in the invasions, but was breed into this line of work. His father had been part of the crew for a number of years and only recently retired. Paold had joined up with his father just after Tuuvu took over as Captain, so he had not been witness to the brutal methods previously used.

Obi-Wan thought for a moment, "I don't know, I'm sure we could think of something." The young man stared up at his two friends for a while and he was suddenly remorseful. He had been planning to turn them around slowly but surely to a decent way of life, but now he had no chance of ever succeeding in that venture. All he could hope for was a chance to see them all again someday. This might be the last time he would speak to them, so softly, he offered, "You guys take care of yourselves."

"You too," they said in chorus. Then Obi-Wan turned and left. With his mind set on what was to come, he knew his time drew short. There was so much he wanted to do and yet now he no longer had the chance. If this was his last few hours amongst his family and friends he would make the best of it. But before he was gone completely, he decided he should pack a few things for the journey. Perhaps they would let him keep a few things while he was imprisoned. And he so desperately needed something to remind him of these caring people.

Purposefully, he made his way back to his room. There he found Maarl pacing the hallway. Perplexed he asked, "Where is Mrrogh?"

"Took the male Jedi up to the Captain." Inwardly, Obi-Wan groaned at this news. Don't you already know what a bad idea that is? Master Jinn, I hope you survive all the way to Onderon. Shaking his head, he entered his room. Inside, he found the small group of children deep in meditation. On his bed sat the honey-toned Jedi who tried blocking their initial entry. She was adjusting the bandage on her arm when he entered. Somewhat pleased with the results of the quick healing trance she had used, she looked up at him.

Carefully, he approached. Regret clearly read in the tumultuous seas, "I would like to apologize for wounding you."

Dismissing his sorrow, she tried to convey her thoughts, "There is no need for apologies. I realize now that you were just trying to save me from a worse fate. And for that I thank you."

Turning away, he whispered harshly, "Please don't. I don't deserve it." Tahl watched the youth pull a small pack from a cabinet. His cowed movements spoke volumes to her along with his words. She could see it now, a glimmer of the charisma that captured so many hearts. There was something about him that said his own self-preservation was at the bottom of his list. That others were foremost on his mind and their well being took precedence. However, his life was hard and full of contradiction. He hated what he had become but loved those he spent his days with. Those that saved him from a horrid reality. It was a arduous emotional strain and she was able to begin to sense the residual effects of those emotions flittering about the room. Her introspection was interrupted by the gentle cultured voice, "Master, I have a favour to ask of you. I am packing a few personal effects that I would like to keep with me. Could you watch over them for me until I am able to take them back?"

"Of course." Her gold and green striped eyes were full of compassion. He moved toward the drawer they had opened earlier and he pulled a few things out. Amongst them was the fraying braid that she had only recently become aware of. Not wishing to reveal their invasion, she bent the truth as he held the object, "Bant has one of those. Is there some significance behind it?" Tahl was hoping to find an answer for her Padawan.

Obi-Wan let out a shuddering breath as his hand clutched it tightly. It took him a moment to respond, his voice a little gruffer than before, "Yes. Very significant." His sea-change eyes glazed over from memories.

Recognizing the look, Tahl muttered, "Then I am glad you still have it."

"I almost didn't. When I was first brought on board I…." Swallowing hard, Obi-Wan pushed through the pain of that time to speak. "I thought I had lost everything. After Drrov was killed and Tuuvu revived me, he told me that he managed to keep my things. He then returned them to me when I was well again." There was so much more to say, so much more he wanted to say but couldn't find the will to speak them. All the times he had cried himself to sleep, clinging to the braid, while praying this was some twisted nightmare and he would wake safely in his bed at the Temple. But that was mostly in the beginning when he was still lost and confused. Now he had accepted his life and tried to make the best of it. But all that was about to change again, he needed to prepare. "Forgive me, I need to finish packing so I can – tie up loose ends before I leave."

Tahl did not disturb him again, and for that he was thankful. Obi-Wan gathered a few more items and then bid his farewell. It was time for him to say good-bye to the rest of the crew.

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Well, it looks as if the Holidays and my extended absence have taken their toll on my reviews for this fic. Oh well. Hopefully as I continue to post I'll see some familiar faces again. If not, I look forward to new ones. ;) So, if you have a moment a quick review would be nice, and a BIG review would be AWESOME!! :D But either way I would be much obliged. Until next week!! Thanks for reading. :D

Shan – You are such a sweetie!! :D Thanks for all your help. You'll notice the subtle changes I'm making based upon your suggestions. I hope you like it! :D :D I think it'll be great. I'm still worried about keeping up with all the chars I have going. But as the story progresses they'll be changing and drifting in and out of the fic. I hope it will be enough to give them depth. ;) I check in with you this weekend.

Meggie – OMG I totally forgot about the dogs!! Lol. Hmmm, I guess that's not too funny considering I'm a pile of bones now. But somehow, I'll pull myself together and get back to work. ;) Awww, thanks! :8} I do try to give my chars depth and I've poured my heart and soul into this fic. I hope it shows a little through how much this fic means to me as well. That's why I felt so bad with not posting. But I felt I needed to take a break and work through some family issues as well as story issues before I attempt to post again. Honestly, I haven't been on the boards much. Work restricted access to a lot of sites so in a sense my internet was neutered. :( That really irked me. I guess the only good thing to come out of it, is since I can't read anything, I have more time to write. ;) Thanks again for all your wonderful words of encouragement. It really means a lot to me that you are enjoying it. I hope this chap wasn't too much of a disappointment, I wasn't too please with it but hey, at least it's done. Hope your Holidays were great too!

Death Rider – Yeah, I finally decided it was time to return. ;) Well, they think somebody did something bad. You'll just have to wait to find out who. ]:) As for Obi teaching, well, the code kinda discourages 'failed' Jedi from teaching. Because those who are being taught may not use their powers for good. So it's kinda like a responsibility thing and the line of who caused the chaos. If you teach someone to build a bomb there's a possibility something and/or someone could get blowed up. That sort of thing. Well, I'm glad to see you're still enjoying! Thanks for reading!! :D