Author's Notes: It's been a while… again. Sorry, but my head's been something skin to the Spaghetti Junction as of late, and I've had too much to think about, as well as "Harry Potter" distracting me (gotta love HP!). This story isn't the hardest of mine to write by a long shot, but it's just finding the time and the patience to sit down and do it. I offer my apologies, again, and hope to get this finished, along with "Eclipse", well before "Revenge of the Sith" rears its much anticipated head! My thanks for your support, and MTFBWY!
SilverWolf47: Thanks for reading more of my stuff! I'm trying to get both "Eclipse" and ToF on toward the finishing stages. I just need the time and patience.
Seung Mina6: Sorry about yet another long, long lull in the updates department. I'm really going to try and get this finished now!
Layren: Here's your birthday present! Two chapters of Qui-Dooku galore (well, more Qui, ATM, to be frank). Enjoy.
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A Test of Faith
Chapter 14 - The Rescue
The Simara 'action squad', as Qui-Gon christened them, were divided into two factions - one that would accompany Allyaah and the other that would accompany Qui-Gon. The Simara espionage network knew the exact location of the plant where the Sohta Nest experimented on their grubs, and they were confident that Master Dooku would be held there. They had never attempted to infiltrate the base before, though…
Allyaah's troops were playing the part of diversion, whilst Jinn's were to infiltrate the base itself. Both roles carried great risk, and Jiao and Jinn were at least grateful for the fact that they were being aided by the Simara Colicoids, for they and they alone knew what the best routes would be to take into the core of the Sohta Nest, with the minimal chance of being caught…
Before they charged in, however, they were forced to rest by the Simarans, who insisted that they'd need all their strengths before the foray.
Jinn sighed as he lay back on a makeshift bed, in the hollow of a wall in a tunnel. Allyaah was by his side, her head facing toward the east whilst his pointed west; "This mission has been really strange," he said plainly, "I hope - considering we get out of here, that is - that the next mission I go on isn't like this."
Allyaah smiled, "Believe me, this isn't anything like the majority of assignments we're normally sent on."
"Good," Qui yawned - he was a bit tired, but he could hardly be expected to sleep when his Master was in danger.
"I want you to be careful once we leave tomorrow, Qui-Gon - the last thing I want is to come back with your Master, but not with you."
"And vice-versa," Jinn insisted, "We're all going to go back together."
Allyaah nodded, "Yes - together."
/Me, you and Qui-Gon, 'eh? It should be an experience/
/It will be an experience, if we get back alive/
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The time came. Qui-Gon was raring to go, lightsabre by his side and belt tightened about his waist. His eyes were narrow as he meditated on the possibilities of the day ahead, his mind fuelled with determination and courage. It was time for him to prove himself to his Master.
Allyaah was equally prepared, though somewhat more sombre than Jinn, as though a shadow loomed over her mind that she couldn't cast aside. She placed her hand on the tip of her sabre hilt, by her hip, and stood by Jinn at the head of the expedition whilst they awaited the arrival of the remaining members of the company.
"Are you ready, Qui?" she asked.
Jinn nodded resolutely, "I've never been more ready in all my life."
She couldn't help but smile, "I admire you, young master Jinn," she said, "You'll make a fine Jedi Knight one day."
He gave her a charming smile, "Thank you, Master Jiao."
She put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it affectionately.
"We will get through this, won't we, Allyaah?" Jinn suddenly asked, as though the thought had only just occurred to him.
She nodded, reticently, "Yes, Qui… we will."
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["I told you he was strong,"] Captain said.
There was an aristocratic Colicoid by Captain's side, complete with head crest and all, who was proving to be another one of the select few heading the twisted operations of the Sohta Nest. They were both stood observing Serenn, as he unwittingly became part of their contrivance.
["Yes,"] it concurred, viewing the Jedi as merely another part of the experiment, ["Do all these humans have red humours?"]
["Oh, yes… strange, isn't it?"]
["Inexplicable…"]
Serenn was still hung lifeless against the wall, two large needles now inserted into a vein on each arm, drawing blood from his body. Large pads were stuck upon his chest and temples, wired up to a console on his left, monitoring his heart and internal bodily activity, simply making sure that he was still - and would remain - very much alive…
["How much blood are you drawing out of him?"]
Captain shrugged, ["Two to four pints a time should be sufficient… We then must let his body replace what has been taken before we draw more from him again."]
["Sounds like a lengthy process…"]
["It could be."]
["And how long do you think his body will be able to keep this up before it gives in?"]
Captain again shrugged, ["We will see…"]
The two continued to chatter as they left the room, abandoning the pale Dooku to his lonely, dark thoughts, his mind still void of the Force that he'd relied on so much throughout his life...
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"I recognise this place," Qui-Gon said as he shuffled from out of a tunnel onto a ledge overlooking a vast, cavernous chamber. The entire entourage was behind him, including Allyaah and all of their party. The female Colicoid rolled to the head of the group and shot up onto her tripod of legs by Jinn's side; "Yesch…" she said, "We have reached the heart of the Schohta Nest - Drykosch."
Allyaah brought up the rear, weaving through the masses of shells of their fellow Colicoids; she stared down into the familiar precipice of the Drykos outskirts, recognising the rocky walkway over which they'd first entered the city; "Now what?" she asked
Already, most of the other Colicoids had rolled back into their shells and moved on; "We muscht go further into the underground mazesch," Female replied, "We know of a channel that leadsch schtraight into the nucleusch of the Schohta Nescht'sch engineering complexesch. We muscht go there…"
Jinn looked to Allyaah, "Back into the darkness," he sighed. Allyaah nodded and they followed Female back into the subterranean tunnels.
"It must be like this living in the depths of Coruscant…" Qui quipped as they trod carefully through the lightless tunnels.
"I prefer it here, Qui…" Jiao said.
"Why?"
"There aren't any ladies of very negotiable affection down here…"[1]
Jinn just laughed.
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Back on Coruscant, the days flowed as normal. In the high council chambers, Syfo-Dias stood alone, looking out across the cityscape. He wondered how his rival, the 'esteemed' Master Dooku, was doing on his quest. And then he found that he did not really care.
TBC…
[1] Phrase taken from the "Discworld" novels by T. Pratchett - it's just so to-the-point without being too blatant.