Chapter Thirteen
With the patience born of years, Master Yoda awaited them on the dock. The small green Jedi Master seemed to blend in with this planet of natural colors and simple necessities of life, though his presence radiated power.
Qui-Gon had never been more happy to see the little troll in his life.
"Master Yoda!" he exclaimed as he carefully carried Obi-Wan off of the skiff. "I'm glad to see that you made it."
Yoda regarded the still boy in his master's arms. Qui-Gon could barely keep his grip on his padawan now; even Obi-Wan's outline was losing its solidarity.
"Long journey it was. Fear too late I am," Yoda said softly, his ears drooping slightly.
Kyran gave the little master a quick bow of respect. "I'm sure that now you are here, we can figure out how to keep Obi-Wan with us," Qui-Gon's friend said with forced enthusiasm.
Qui-Gon had his doubts and so, it seemed by the way that Yoda glanced at Kyran, did the most powerful Jedi Master in Temple history. Yet all Yoda said was, "Brought healers I did. At the medcenter they are."
The group of Jedi began walking toward a speeder that Yoda had rented for their use in order for quicker travel to the medcenter. Qui-Gon drew up closer to Yoda. Quietly, he confessed, "I am beginning to think that there is nothing to be done, Master Yoda. How can we fight the will of a planet?"
"Planet you say? Heard little of events I have. Fill me in you should," Yoda answered, one of his long ears twisting a little toward Qui-Gon for better hearing as they drew up to the speeder.
The Jedi swiftly arranged themselves in the speeder so that Kyran piloted, leaving Obi-Wan to lay on Qui-Gon's lap in the back and Yoda in the passenger side on the front. As Kyran drove through the streets of Mainland, Qui-Gon told Master Yoda all that they knew of the Mother Planet and the Pennetian ritual that was taking Obi-Wan away from life as he knew it. Kyran was cruising to a stop in front of the one story medcenter when Yoda finally spoke.
"Disturbing this is. Met a similar fate another Jedi did, you say?"
Qui-Gon nodded as he reluctantly handed Obi-Wan to Kyran so he could climb out of the speeder. "Lana found out that it was Knight Yant Justain."
Yoda froze. The reaction was so unexpected that both Kyran and Qui-Gon felt chills travel down their spines. "Knight Justain?" the Jedi Master inquired softly.
The two friends exchanged worried glances.
"Yes, Master Yoda," Kyran answered him, handing Obi-Wan back to his master. It unnerved him to hold something that existed according to his eyes, but wasn't there according to his sense of touch.
Qui-Gon wanted to stride straight into the medcenter and gather all available healers and doctors to come to his padawan's aide, but he sensed that Yoda was remembering something that could be vitally important to Obi-Wan's future. "What is it, Master Yoda?"
Yoda finally began walking into the center. "Promising Justain was. Like Obi-Wan. Strong. A long future he had. A certain Jedi asked for him to this area to go. Disturbing similarities I see."
Kyran frowned. "The same Jedi asked for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to come to Penne't II that had asked for Knight Justain to come over to this sector? But, Master Yoda, only you are that old..."
Qui-Gon immediately shook his head as they rounded a sterile corner to arrive in the Critical Ward. "There is one other."
"Ah, there you are at last!" came a loud exclamation to their left. A tall humanoid male was striding toward them, his head covered with salt and pepper hair.
Qui-Gon smiled and inclined his head in a warm greeting. "Glad to see you, Master Han'yaie."
Han'yaie chuckled. "Not so formal, Qui-Gon! We're too well acquainted. Now, let me see what I can do about your padawan." He peered at Obi-Wan, taking in his glowing countenance and transparent body. Half-closing his eyes, he passed his hands over Obi-Wan...and through him. Finally, he opened his eyes again and all joviality had left his face. "This is not good."
"Bacta, Master?" Han'yaie's own padawan, a petite human girl from Coruscant called Anya, asked as she hurried up to them.
To everyone's surprise, Han'yaie shook his head. "Bacta will not save this boy. He is suffering from his spirit, not a physical wound. No conventional medications can be used to save him."
"You can't...save him?" Qui-Gon asked in a whisper, feeling as if his own spirit had just died. It was hard for him to breathe as he stared at the healer that he had known from his youth.
Han'yaie gave Qui-Gon a sharp and reproachful look. "That's not what I said. I said that no conventional medications can be used. We'll just have to find an unconventional one. Bring him in here," he directed, showing them a round room that was colored a muted yellow.
Quickly, Qui-Gon obeyed, laying Obi-Wan on a softly padded table in the middle of the room. His padawan's disappearing body did not even crease the cushioning.
"Sit around him," Han'yaie instructed all the Jedi. Soon there was a circle of Jedi, from padawan to Master, surrounding the fading Obi-Wan. "I've been studying the effects of gathered powers in the Force on other Jedi. I know that some Masters have pulled their padawans from the brink of death, and visa-versa, merely by using their influence on the Force. I can feel something pulling Obi-Wan's life from him by using the very Force that we use to survive. One Jedi alone is not powerful enough to wrestle Obi-Wan back—my hope is that with all of us, perhaps we can save him."
Yoda, seated beside Kyran who was on Qui-Gon's right, was nodding. "Work it might. Join together we must if save Obi-Wan we will."
Hope threatened to blossom in Qui-Gon again and he firmly kept it away from his perception. He could not allow himself to hope too much for Obi-Wan or if they failed he would be destroyed by grief.
"Let us begin," Han'yaie intoned.
Qui-Gon and the other four Jedi closed their eyes to aid in stronger concentration—and to block the sight of the barely visible Obi-Wan. They came together in the Force, recognizing each other and orienting themselves toward Obi-Wan. Yoda directed them to the cord that bound the planet to Obi-Wan's body. They knew that if they traced it back to its source they would find Obi-Wan.
As one, they began their search for Qui-Gon's padawan.