Thank you for all the nice reviews, you're all so sweet and kind!
Yes I know the chapters are short, I'll try and make them longer, that seems to be one of my biggest problems
Yes I also know there are quite a few questions to be answered, such as 'How did Xanatos survive?' 'Where is Obi-Wan?' 'What the heck is going on?' and so fourth. A lot of you have been guessing, and I must say some of them are quite impressive. Well they will all be answered I can promise you that, but when even I don't know. *Grin, the life of a ff.net author.* But keep guessing, some of you have come close.
Sorry if my posting seems to be slow, I am currently working on three different stories, one in Lotr, another in Original fiction, and another that I have to do for school, so I am a little busy with writing now, but I am trying to move along.
Keep on reviewing! I love reading them!
Chapter 6: An Unexpected Find
The store was closed for the day, due to recent thefts. A large sign posted on the front double doors stated this clearly. The store was dark, and no signs of life could be seen. Qui-Gon stood in front, his arms folded.
"This way," Andra called to him softly as she entered the alleyway.
Qui-Gon followed, confused. "Andra, no one is here."
She nodded. "No one is their, yes. But there is someone back here," she smiled softly as she approached an old metal door.
Knocking softly they had to wait but a moment before the door opened a crack. A pair of small eyes searched them, before they softened.
"Andra!" the voice cried, as a woman opened the door further. She was short and skinny, her orange hair bound in coils. Her brown eyes glittered as she pulled Andra into a warm embrace. "It has been so long my friend."
Andra nodded, pulling away gently. "That it has Layla." She turned to Qui- Gon. "Layla this is Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Qui-Gon, this is my friend Layla," she said, introducing the two.
Qui-Gon bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure meeting a friend of Andra's," he said softly.
Layla nodded. "Yes it always is. Please come inside," she said, waving them in.
Qui-Gon found himself in a small house, almost the same size as a resting room Jedi teams often found themselves on most planets. In one corner rested an old worn bed, decorated with a few new throw pillows. A stove sat against one wall, and a fire pit against another.
"Sorry, I don't have any refreshments to offer. I was just resting, the place is kind of messy," Layla said, picking up some garbage.
"We did not mean to intrude," Qui-Gon said softly, but Layla waved him off.
"Nonsense, Andra never intrudes. And what brings you here?" Layla asked softly.
"Well, Qui-Gon here has offered to help solve the mystery behind the thefts," Andra said, sitting in a chair.
Layla gave a sigh, "They were only small thefts before, but now more expensive equipment is disappearing. Last week 27 guns were stolen, from my store alone. A total of 64 has gone missing."
Qui-Gon nodded, taking in this new information. The numbers were overwhelming. Who could possibly make use of so many guns? "Can you show me where they were kept?"
Layla nodded, "Follow me."
********
That night was cold, despite the enormous amount of children in the cell house. Obi-Wan sat in a corner of his cell, his legs crossed. He rested his head against the cold wall, closing his eyes. He gave a heavy sigh.
His legs still burned from the whip he had received earlier, and he felt extremely hungry. The small piece of bread and warm water had hardly been enough to satisfy him. Then again hardly anything satisfied his natural hunger.
He was suddenly startled from a slight sound above. He opened his eyes as a small form dropped down in front of him. For a moment he stared dumbly at the person in front of him, before realizing it was the girl from earlier.
"Hi, hope you don't mind me dropping in," she said softly.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "How did you get here?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
"Vents, in the ceiling," she said with a small smile. "Hungry?" She offered him a pouch.
Obi-Wan took it, opening it to reveal small pieces of dried meat. He looked at her questionably.
"Every night after they bring the meal I sneak out to the pond. I catch a few fish, and hang them in a tree so that they dry in the sun. It's rather good, I assure you," she motioned him to try a piece.
The meat was incredibly delicious, as Obi-Wan ate a few more. He gave the bag back to her but she motioned for him to keep it. "I have plenty more. I want to say thank you for what you did earlier.."
"Obi-Wan," he said, introducing himself.
"Obi-Wan," she said with a small smile, "My name is Reena."
Obi-Wan nodded. "So, what are you doing here?"
Reena gave him a wry glance, "The same reason why you're here."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't know why I'm here though."
She smiled, "Neither do I. No one does. I lived with my parents on the planet of Gwain, but a storm killed them about a year ago. When I was wandering around afterwards I was captured and taken here. I'm one of the lucky ones though."
"Lucky ones?"
Reena nodded. "Yes, some people just disappear, they aren't seen again. I don't know what happens, but some say that they are taken to the Great River and thrown in to keep it settle. But I never believed that. I think that something worse happens, but I don't know what it could be."
Obi-Wan gave a sigh. "So you've been here for a year and haven't found anything out yet?" he asked.
"Now wait a minute," she said her brown eyes turning fierce. "I never said that I didn't find anything out."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Well then what did you find out?" "Well I know my way around the cell house by heart, and I know the way to the main Guard hall. I know where meetings are held, and I know that whatever is going on is far worse than what most people here think."
"Well then," Obi-Wan said, standing up, "Show me the way."
Reena's eyebrows furrowed. "Show you the way to what?"
He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. She pulled back, watching him. "The main Guard hall? But we can't. It's to dangerous."
Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders. "Well I don't blame you for not knowing the way," he said softly, leaning against the wall.
"I do too know the way," she said fiercely.
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Then show me."
*********
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Reena muttered under her breath as she pressed herself close to the wall.
The two of them stood outside the main Guard hall, on the backside. Reena glanced upward to a small window. A small tree stood across from it, a fair jump was required in order to get to it.
"Okay, I'll go first. Climb the tree after me, wait till I'm off though, the tree isn't very strong." Reena said, grabbing a lower branch.
She climbed easily, the tree swaying under her weight. She made the jump look easy, though it had taken her months to do so. She turned and called down for Obi-Wan to follow.
Obi-Wan smiled softly. Using the force he easily jumped to the window. Reena watched him, wide eyed. Obi-Wan tried hard not to laugh. "I'll tell you later," he said softly, motioning her to lead on.
Finally she complied and led him through the twisting maze of the vents. Obi-Wan hoped deeply that what she had said earlier was true.
She paused for a moment at a splitting, then waved her hand toward the left. "This way. We're almost there."
Sure enough the end of the vent could be seen. Light flowed from it, and voices could be heard. The two pressed closer, peering out at the room below them.
Obi-Wan saw that it was and enormous room. It was filled with many kids, ranging from the ages of 9 to 18. There were easily over 100 kids that they could see. Who knew how many more there were underneath them? They sat in chairs lined in perfect rows, with room for walkways both side to side and front to back. They were dressed in black, and they seemed to be listening intently to whoever was speaking. Obi-Wan tried to locate the speaker.
"Look," Reena gasped. "It's Tom, and Jewey. They both went missing several months ago," she pointed down to two occupants in the room. Obi-Wan's concern raised a notch. He was brought back when the speaker began talking again.
"The time draws near. Soon we will be ready." The speaker paused. "All of you have proven well. The training has paid off."
Obi-Wan sighed softly. He knew that voice, but who was it?
"All of you will serve your purpose well. Within days the near equipment will arrive, and you will leave off on your first missions, then the new recruits will be brought up. Revenge will be sought, and you all will get what you seek."
Obi-Wan stiffened. Now he knew who it was. "Xanatos," he breathed softly. Reena looked at him worriedly.
"Tell me, my children, what is your purpose?"
All of the sudden the children chanted in unison. "We will reclaim what was once lost. We will take each world one by one, galaxy by galaxy. We will not fail. The element of surprise is our advantage."
Reena gasped slightly, "They're going to start a war!" she said softly.
Obi-Wan nodded, listening closer to the meeting.
Xanatos laughed, "And where is your first assignment?'
"Coruscant."
Obi-Wan's heart skipped a beat as he shifted back near Reena. Their weight combined was far too much for the thin vent shielding to hold them, and it broke, dropping both to the ground below.
Before he even hit ground Obi-Wan could hear Xanatos' raged voice shouting.
"Get them! Bring them to me alive!"
TBC.
Hehe, was that longer for all of you who are so impatient? *Evil Grin* Let me know what you think.
Yes I know the chapters are short, I'll try and make them longer, that seems to be one of my biggest problems
Yes I also know there are quite a few questions to be answered, such as 'How did Xanatos survive?' 'Where is Obi-Wan?' 'What the heck is going on?' and so fourth. A lot of you have been guessing, and I must say some of them are quite impressive. Well they will all be answered I can promise you that, but when even I don't know. *Grin, the life of a ff.net author.* But keep guessing, some of you have come close.
Sorry if my posting seems to be slow, I am currently working on three different stories, one in Lotr, another in Original fiction, and another that I have to do for school, so I am a little busy with writing now, but I am trying to move along.
Keep on reviewing! I love reading them!
Chapter 6: An Unexpected Find
The store was closed for the day, due to recent thefts. A large sign posted on the front double doors stated this clearly. The store was dark, and no signs of life could be seen. Qui-Gon stood in front, his arms folded.
"This way," Andra called to him softly as she entered the alleyway.
Qui-Gon followed, confused. "Andra, no one is here."
She nodded. "No one is their, yes. But there is someone back here," she smiled softly as she approached an old metal door.
Knocking softly they had to wait but a moment before the door opened a crack. A pair of small eyes searched them, before they softened.
"Andra!" the voice cried, as a woman opened the door further. She was short and skinny, her orange hair bound in coils. Her brown eyes glittered as she pulled Andra into a warm embrace. "It has been so long my friend."
Andra nodded, pulling away gently. "That it has Layla." She turned to Qui- Gon. "Layla this is Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Qui-Gon, this is my friend Layla," she said, introducing the two.
Qui-Gon bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure meeting a friend of Andra's," he said softly.
Layla nodded. "Yes it always is. Please come inside," she said, waving them in.
Qui-Gon found himself in a small house, almost the same size as a resting room Jedi teams often found themselves on most planets. In one corner rested an old worn bed, decorated with a few new throw pillows. A stove sat against one wall, and a fire pit against another.
"Sorry, I don't have any refreshments to offer. I was just resting, the place is kind of messy," Layla said, picking up some garbage.
"We did not mean to intrude," Qui-Gon said softly, but Layla waved him off.
"Nonsense, Andra never intrudes. And what brings you here?" Layla asked softly.
"Well, Qui-Gon here has offered to help solve the mystery behind the thefts," Andra said, sitting in a chair.
Layla gave a sigh, "They were only small thefts before, but now more expensive equipment is disappearing. Last week 27 guns were stolen, from my store alone. A total of 64 has gone missing."
Qui-Gon nodded, taking in this new information. The numbers were overwhelming. Who could possibly make use of so many guns? "Can you show me where they were kept?"
Layla nodded, "Follow me."
********
That night was cold, despite the enormous amount of children in the cell house. Obi-Wan sat in a corner of his cell, his legs crossed. He rested his head against the cold wall, closing his eyes. He gave a heavy sigh.
His legs still burned from the whip he had received earlier, and he felt extremely hungry. The small piece of bread and warm water had hardly been enough to satisfy him. Then again hardly anything satisfied his natural hunger.
He was suddenly startled from a slight sound above. He opened his eyes as a small form dropped down in front of him. For a moment he stared dumbly at the person in front of him, before realizing it was the girl from earlier.
"Hi, hope you don't mind me dropping in," she said softly.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "How did you get here?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
"Vents, in the ceiling," she said with a small smile. "Hungry?" She offered him a pouch.
Obi-Wan took it, opening it to reveal small pieces of dried meat. He looked at her questionably.
"Every night after they bring the meal I sneak out to the pond. I catch a few fish, and hang them in a tree so that they dry in the sun. It's rather good, I assure you," she motioned him to try a piece.
The meat was incredibly delicious, as Obi-Wan ate a few more. He gave the bag back to her but she motioned for him to keep it. "I have plenty more. I want to say thank you for what you did earlier.."
"Obi-Wan," he said, introducing himself.
"Obi-Wan," she said with a small smile, "My name is Reena."
Obi-Wan nodded. "So, what are you doing here?"
Reena gave him a wry glance, "The same reason why you're here."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't know why I'm here though."
She smiled, "Neither do I. No one does. I lived with my parents on the planet of Gwain, but a storm killed them about a year ago. When I was wandering around afterwards I was captured and taken here. I'm one of the lucky ones though."
"Lucky ones?"
Reena nodded. "Yes, some people just disappear, they aren't seen again. I don't know what happens, but some say that they are taken to the Great River and thrown in to keep it settle. But I never believed that. I think that something worse happens, but I don't know what it could be."
Obi-Wan gave a sigh. "So you've been here for a year and haven't found anything out yet?" he asked.
"Now wait a minute," she said her brown eyes turning fierce. "I never said that I didn't find anything out."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Well then what did you find out?" "Well I know my way around the cell house by heart, and I know the way to the main Guard hall. I know where meetings are held, and I know that whatever is going on is far worse than what most people here think."
"Well then," Obi-Wan said, standing up, "Show me the way."
Reena's eyebrows furrowed. "Show you the way to what?"
He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. She pulled back, watching him. "The main Guard hall? But we can't. It's to dangerous."
Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders. "Well I don't blame you for not knowing the way," he said softly, leaning against the wall.
"I do too know the way," she said fiercely.
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Then show me."
*********
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Reena muttered under her breath as she pressed herself close to the wall.
The two of them stood outside the main Guard hall, on the backside. Reena glanced upward to a small window. A small tree stood across from it, a fair jump was required in order to get to it.
"Okay, I'll go first. Climb the tree after me, wait till I'm off though, the tree isn't very strong." Reena said, grabbing a lower branch.
She climbed easily, the tree swaying under her weight. She made the jump look easy, though it had taken her months to do so. She turned and called down for Obi-Wan to follow.
Obi-Wan smiled softly. Using the force he easily jumped to the window. Reena watched him, wide eyed. Obi-Wan tried hard not to laugh. "I'll tell you later," he said softly, motioning her to lead on.
Finally she complied and led him through the twisting maze of the vents. Obi-Wan hoped deeply that what she had said earlier was true.
She paused for a moment at a splitting, then waved her hand toward the left. "This way. We're almost there."
Sure enough the end of the vent could be seen. Light flowed from it, and voices could be heard. The two pressed closer, peering out at the room below them.
Obi-Wan saw that it was and enormous room. It was filled with many kids, ranging from the ages of 9 to 18. There were easily over 100 kids that they could see. Who knew how many more there were underneath them? They sat in chairs lined in perfect rows, with room for walkways both side to side and front to back. They were dressed in black, and they seemed to be listening intently to whoever was speaking. Obi-Wan tried to locate the speaker.
"Look," Reena gasped. "It's Tom, and Jewey. They both went missing several months ago," she pointed down to two occupants in the room. Obi-Wan's concern raised a notch. He was brought back when the speaker began talking again.
"The time draws near. Soon we will be ready." The speaker paused. "All of you have proven well. The training has paid off."
Obi-Wan sighed softly. He knew that voice, but who was it?
"All of you will serve your purpose well. Within days the near equipment will arrive, and you will leave off on your first missions, then the new recruits will be brought up. Revenge will be sought, and you all will get what you seek."
Obi-Wan stiffened. Now he knew who it was. "Xanatos," he breathed softly. Reena looked at him worriedly.
"Tell me, my children, what is your purpose?"
All of the sudden the children chanted in unison. "We will reclaim what was once lost. We will take each world one by one, galaxy by galaxy. We will not fail. The element of surprise is our advantage."
Reena gasped slightly, "They're going to start a war!" she said softly.
Obi-Wan nodded, listening closer to the meeting.
Xanatos laughed, "And where is your first assignment?'
"Coruscant."
Obi-Wan's heart skipped a beat as he shifted back near Reena. Their weight combined was far too much for the thin vent shielding to hold them, and it broke, dropping both to the ground below.
Before he even hit ground Obi-Wan could hear Xanatos' raged voice shouting.
"Get them! Bring them to me alive!"
TBC.
Hehe, was that longer for all of you who are so impatient? *Evil Grin* Let me know what you think.