Chapter Twelve

The more he swam, the more concerned he became. No Pennetians could be seen—again. He couldn't place it, he didn't know why, but their lack of pursuit disturbed him.

Have you noticed something...odd? He asked Kyran as they floated in place for the third time to rest their arms and legs on the long journey back to the surface and their waiting skiff.

Kyran could be seen nodding in the lighter blue of the water. Oh, you mean the fact that we seem to have gotten away with Obi-Wan without a single Pennetian coming after us?

Yeah, that would be it, Qui-Gon told his friend dryly. So Kyran had noticed it, too.

Kyran looked back down to where they had come. Nothing was visible in the dark blue of the water. Qui, this worries me more than even I want to admit.

Yeah, well, you said it earlier, Qui-Gon tried to joke to push his own unease away. You're getting old.

Kyran ignored him. Any change in Obi-Wan?

Qui-Gon and Kyran had both hoped that the farther Obi-Wan was taken from the Pennetian city, and the Mother Planet's stronghold, the more he would improve. No change, Qui-Gon had to admit. Obi-Wan still glowed and what was worse: he was growing more transparent by the hour.

Then let's get out of here, Kyran determined, kicking upward again. I don't think we have much longer to go.

Qui-Gon merely hoped his padawan did not also have 'not much farther to go' until he lost him.

With relief Qui-Gon's head broke the surface of the water beside the skiff. He yanked off his breather and called out, "Hello there!" to get the pilot's attention. He had lost all track of time while under the water and was vaguely surprised to see stars shining above him.

The pilot peered over the side of the hovering skiff, surprise etched on his face. "I thought you were never coming back!" he called to them as he lowered ropes for them to grab on to and pull themselves onto the skiff with. "Them merfolk came up once or twice and tried to run me off, but I just ignored 'em."

Qui-Gon waited until Kyran was on the skiff before untying Obi-Wan's limp form and handing it up to his friend and the pilot. Then he hoisted himself into the skiff and lay there, panting, for a moment. "Thank you," he finally said to the pilot. "After that swim we could have never swam back to shore on our own."

The pilot nodded matter-of-factly, then gestured to the faintly glowing Obi-Wan. "Found your padawan, I see."

"Yes," Kyran spoke up from where he was digging through their robes for his comlink. "And we need to get to the Mainland as soon as you can get us there."

The pilot took the hint with a smile and they were soon skimming back the way they had come. Qui-Gon cradled Obi-Wan's head against his chest and covered the younger man with his cloak, though the night air was chilly and caused Qui-Gon to shiver with his exposed body. Kyran felt his cold and dragged himself over to his friend to share his cloak with him.

Kyran toggled on his comlink and adjusted it for a clearer frequency. "Lana, love?"

It took a moment but finally Lana's voice came over the comlink. "Are you back? Did you find him?"

Kyran sadly regarded the fading youth held protectively in Qui-Gon's embrace. "Yes, we found him."

"Is he...?"

"He's alive," Kyran affirmed. "Though I'm not sure for how long. We're starting on our way back. It'll take us a few hours to get our things and set out for Coruscant."

"We're not going to Coruscant."

Kyran glanced at Qui-Gon, confused. "What? Why not?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I can't explain it, but I know that he'll never make it there alive. He needs attention now. The Mainland has a fairly good medcenter. We'll have to take our chances with it."

"Our healers are the best in the galaxy..."

Qui-Gon nodded. "I know, and if I thought Obi-Wan would make it, we would go to Coruscant. Yet Coruscant is a week's flight away—five days if you have an extremely fast ship. I do not believe he has that long."

The two friends stared at each other, forgetting Lana on the line until she cleared her throat and said, "Okay, so he stays there. Do you want me to see if I can get a healer team to come your way?"

Qui-Gon sighed. If Obi-Wan could not make it to Coruscant, then a healer team certainly couldn't make it to Penne't II, but how could he deny his padawan that hope, however small it was? He sighed. "If one will come within the next few hours, yes."

There was a smile in Lana's voice when she flippantly replied, "Oh, I think one will make it."

The men were both confused. "What?"

"How?" demanded Qui-Gon.

"Well..." She stretched the word out for a moment. "I talked to Master Yoda shortly after Kyran left, and he departed with a healer team as soon as he could get them to pack up. He should be there by now."

Qui-Gon couldn't believe his luck. A healer team and Master Yoda on Penne't II? "Lana, if you weren't married to my best friend, I could kiss you," he breathed.

Kyran laughed, though the sound was mostly swallowed by the biting wind as the skiff tore across the water to reach the safety and security of dry land.

Lana's reply was a tease and he could almost see the black-haired woman wink. "Who says you still can't? Just remember that when you and Obi-Wan get back here."

"It's a promise," Qui-Gon told her solemnly.

"Well," Kyran chuckled into the comlink. "Now that you two are done flirting in front of the jealous husband and we have a healer for Obi-Wan, I will save money on this conversation and tell you good-bye, my love."

"Put the comlink to your ear, love," was Lana's sultry reply.

Kyran did so and, although Qui-Gon did not hear what was said, he could plainly see his friend's face grow red in the moonlight. The older man put his comlink away without further comment, though it took many minutes for his face to return to normal.

Love. Normally forbidden for Jedi, but Kyran and Lana had fought for their right to stay together. Some Jedi had agreed while others had not, but even after a year they were still madly and passionately in love. Their attachment to each other grew stronger every day.

Attachment. Another thing that Jedi were not encouraged to have. Yet attachment grew where it wished, and most especially between Master and Padawan.

Qui-Gon studied the unnaturally glowing face in his arms. Obi-Wan was so transparent now that he could plainly see his own legs that were underneath his padawan's head.

Attachment.

Qui-Gon was definitely attached to his padawan. Obi-Wan was loyal, brave, and determined. His sharp sense of humor arose to brighten the darkest moments of their missions and to tease his master whenever he could. He would make a fine Jedi Knight someday—if the planet of Penne't II did not take that away from him first.

For Qui-Gon felt the planet's will now. All he had to do was direct his thoughts to his padawan, to try to sense Obi-Wan's strong presence, and he felt an overwhelming force that was sucking the life from his padawan. He had taken Obi-Wan from the embrace of the planet, but the planet was still going to win this tug-of-war for his precious padawan. He knew now why it had been so easy to take Obi-Wan away from the Pennetians: he did not have to be with them in order for the ritual to be completed, not at this stage, not that it was almost complete.

He was going to lose Obi-Wan. A tear leaked from his eye to roll down his cheek and land on his leg, passing completely through Obi-Wan as if he were not there, though Qui-Gon could still feel the young man's body in his arms.

"Stay with me, Obi-Wan," he whispered hoarsely to the only thing that mattered more to him than life itself. "Fight for me. Stay with me."

As the moon rose higher in the sky, matched in its brilliance only by Obi-Wan's own glow, and the skiff sped across the water to the approaching lights of the Mainland city, his padawan did not stir.