Author: Clarissa
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, (wish I did), I do not have a brilliant mind like George Lucas, (wish I did), I do not own Bant, Balog, the characters belonging to Jude Watson, (wish I did). George Lucas owns Star Wars!
Feedback: Please send me some
Rating PGIntroduction:
Qui Gon's POV
Tahl, why did you have to die? I cannot last without you. I need you! My heart cries. I just want to yell till my lungs give out! Why did the Force do this?! I.…I cannot last, without you. That Balog! Why did he do this to you?! I should have gone with you! There is only one last thing to do….REVENGE.
Qui Gon walked into the room where Tahl lay. He stopped for a few moments by the door, then walked to Tahl. She was sleeping, but her health was so bad. She was so frail, so weak, it hurt to speak. Qui Gon looked upon her with sad eyes. You have to wake up! Qui Gon sat next to her and waited.
In the waiting room sat Obi Wan. He was waiting for his master to emerge from the room. He was also waiting for Bant and Mace Windu to arrive. His master had asked for some quiet time alone with Tahl. A lot had happened in the last few weeks. Balog had captured Tahl, and Qui Gon had raced to rescue her. The last time Obi Wan saw Tahl, she was really weak, and she already looked dead.
Obi Wan was tired, and he fell asleep on the chair. The next thing he knew Mace Windu was shaking him to wake up. "Obi Wan, where is Qui Gon?" Mace asked.
"He's in the room with Tahl. She is asleep and I think Qui Gon was in there for some hours….." Obi Wan was cut off by a sickening yell coming from the room where Tahl lay.
Mace ran in with Bant and Obi Wan hot on his heels. Qui Gon was bent over Tahl. Tahl was just laying there, her chest not moving. She was dead. Bant rushed to her master and started shaking her to wake her up. When she figured she was dead, she leaned over onto her master and started crying. Mace gently pulled Qui Gon up and started to say gentle words, trying to comfort him.
Obi Wan walked to Bant and slowly pulled her into an embrace. She cried on his shoulder for a long time. They all walked out, Mace looking sad, Bant still trying to stifle her sobs and Obi Wan with a sympathetic look on his face. When Obi Wan looked at his master, he had dark, angry and faraway eyes.
After the day Tahl died, they were ready to escort Tahl's body back to Coruscant. A different Jedi team came to the planet to finish the job. Qui Gon had agreed to go, though he never seemed to be there anymore. He would never talk to anyone.
During the trip back to Coruscant, Obi Wan tried to talk with Qui Gon. Qui Gon was sitting at the table, with unfinished food before him. He was staring straight ahead, into nothing. Obi Wan sat next to him. "Master? Are you ok? You've…you've not eaten anything today. I know how you feel. I am heartbroken too. But you don't have to treat yourself like this everyday. Your going to rough on yourself, " said Obi Wan.
Qui Gon looked away with faraway eyes. After awhile, Obi Wan figured he was not going to answer, he was about to get up and leave by the time Qui Gon answered.
"How can you know what I'm going through? How can you feel the pain of a long time friend is all the sudden…gone? How do you know the pain?" Qui Gon answered, slowly.
Obi Wan looked away. He remembered the time he was sent away. To be a farmer, a failure. He had been sent away because nobody had chosen him as a padawan. Qui Gon had rejected him. He felt like no one wanted him. But Qui Gon had chosen him after awhile while being on the same planet with him. He knew what pain Qui Gon felt. Cerasi…the pain of remembering her was too great. She died while trying to negotiate with the Melinda/Daan and the Young. A shot rang out and Cerasi fell down. She died in Obi Wan's arms.
"Master, I do know the pain. I do know it. The time Cerasi died…I know what you feel."
"There is only one way to repay Tahl's death….." Qui Gon got that dark look into his eyes and looked away.
"Master…?"
"I just want some time alone right now, ok Obi Wan?" Qui Gon asked.
Obi Wan got up and walked away. He worried by what Qui Gon meant by saying that there is only one thing to repay…He also worried about Bant.
He went to her room and knocked on the door. "Bant? I want to talk to you…This is Obi Wan. Are you ok?" The door slid open and Bant rushed into Obi Wan's arms for a hug. "Obi, I can't believe she's gone. I can't, I can't!" Bant sobbed.
Obi Wan patted the Calamarian on the back and whispered some comforting words to her. "She's gone, what will happen to me now?"
"You'll be fine. It's ok. Everyone is upset. It's ok to cry. Don't worry," Obi Wan said. The Calamarian nodded and looked away. Her salmon colored cheeks had tearstains on them, and her silver eyes were filled with tears. "It's just so hard!
They spent the rest of the night with Obi Wan comforting Bant.
Obi Wan, Qui Gon, Mace Windu, and Bant arrived at Corusaunt the next day. Tahl had a big funeral ceremony. Many Jedi showed up for her funeral. It was a very sad day, full of pain. Qui Gon looked at the body of Tahl with dark, faraway eyes. Obi Wan had the look of sympathy on his face. Bant was trying to be strong, but there were tears in her silver eyes. Garen and Reeft were there also, with sad looks upon their faces.
The day after the funeral, it was very quiet. Obi Wan sat in his room, thinking of what had happened. Qui Gon has been in his room and has not come out. Obi Wan started to worry. Qui Gon was in his own little world, a world of sadness.
Obi Wan decided to stop being lazy, so he got up and went to go spend the time with Bant. He stopped next to her door and knocked. "Come in, " he heard. He walked in and found Bant on her bed sitting.
"Hey there, Bant. How are you doing?" Obi Wan asked.
"I'm doing ok. I just wish that none of this had happened, " she sighed, "That we could just go back in time. She should not have gone on that mission."
"It's not your fault. We didn't know that was going to happen"
"I know its not my fault…I just feel miserable." Bant sighed, then hugged her knees, "Obi Wan, what will Qui Gon do? He was silent and he won't talk."
"Bant, I'm not quite sure what he will do. He said something, that made it sound like he would go and try to find Balog. I hope he won't," Obi Wan said, looking away. Right now, his Master having a hard time focusing on what he was doing.
"Obi Wan, you can try to help him. I bet you can."
"Bant, there is also something else. I think…I think there was a relationship between Qui Gon and Tahl," he looked at her, "A very close relationship."
"You…you mean a love relationship?" a surprised Bant said. " I don't think I ever realized that. I mean, I was with Tahl so little."
"Yes, that's why Qui Gon went to help Tahl every time she went on a mission. He was worried about her."
Bant sighed again and looked away. "Obi Wan, lets get all this straight and help Qui Gon."
"Yeah."
Qui Gon looked out the window and sighed. He was deciding of what to do. Go after Balog? I should, he thought, after what he did with Tahl. He would repay of what he did to Tahl, make him suffer the same consequences that Tahl did. I should leave in secret. I don't want Obi Wan to follow me, he'll disagree and think of what I am doing is wrong. But Obi Wan will be wrong. I will get Balog, no matter what it takes.
The following night, he packed his bags and sneaked out of the temple. He left Obi Wan with no note, nothing of what might give Obi Wan clues. He felt a little guilty, but he had to do it. He grabbed a speeder and raced to the transports, and left the planet.
Obi Wan looked up from his bed and saw that Qui Gon's bed was empty, sheets neatly tucked in. He must be already up, he thought. He got up, threw on some clean clothes and fixed breakfast for himself. After breakfast, he walked to Bant's room.
"Bant, have you seen Qui Gon?" he asked as he knocked on the door. He looked at the time. It was 6:30 a.m., he grimaced, not knowing it was so early. He heard a moan of sleepiness, and then clump of feet walking toward the door.
"Obi Wan. Only you would have the gut to wake me this early. What do you want again?" Bant tiredly said.
"I'm sorry Bant! I didn't know it was this early. Anyways, do you know where Qui Gon is? He's gone from the room."
"No I don't. Maybe the council called him up. Or maybe he is just walking through the temple. He could be anywhere."
"No, I would have heard the call. But you're right, he could be anywhere. But…I don't sense him anywhere close," Obi Wan said. "You're right, I should just go look around for him. Sorry Bant."
"Your lucky that I'm going to let you off this time, so be thankful for that. I'm going back to bed now, so I'll just see you later. Don't worry, everything should be fine." She shut the door after getting a goodbye from Obi Wan. He heard the clump of feet and the sound of a person plopping on the bed.
Something was nagging at him, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He searched the halls, the Room of a Thousand Fountains, the lake, cafeteria, but came up with nothing.
"Something troubling you, I sense, Obi Wan," came the voice of the Jedi Master Yoda.
Obi Wan turned to the little green Master. "Yes Master Yoda. Have you seen Qui Gon? I've searched everywhere, but cannot figure out where he is. Did you send him somewhere?"
"Hmmm….afraid of this I was. Gone he has, Obi Wan. To find Balog, he has gone."
Obi Wan dropped to one knee to be at Yoda's height. "Gone? Why didn't he tell me?"
"Alone, he wants to be. To find Balog, he will try."
"I must go Master Yoda, I can bring him back. I can help him through this problem."
"Give you permission, I do. Be cautious and careful, you must be! Go alone, you must."
"Thank you Master Yoda! I shall bring him back, I promise." Obi Wan got up and bowed then he left. He packed some food and clothes and raced to Bants.
He knocked on the door several times. It opened and Bant's face popped outs the door. She motioned him in and he started explaining.
"Bant! Qui Gon has gone after Balog! I'm going after him and try to bring him back," he explained quickly.
"Oh! Let me help you! I can!"
"No, Bant, I'm doing it alone. I have to! I just wanted to say goodbye for now."
Bant's face fell. "That's exactly what Tahl would do. Leave me here. Am I not good enough with missions?" her voice hardened. "Well, I hope you have luck Obi Wan. May the Force be with you."
The door shut and Obi Wan felt helpless.
Beware: It may take awhile for the next chapter to come up…….
