Yasona Black: And here you are :-)
jedi keliam Kenobi: (eyes glaze over) have updated, mighty jedi...
amber75 You bet he does:-)
DarkKnight92: Wow, thank you. :-)

Part 7

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"What was your first confrontation with the Ischila like?"

Qui-Gon paused before answering. Master and apprentice were now on their way to their own quarters, a day after Obi-Wan had been confined to the Healer's ward. True to his word, the apprentice had spent the whole of that day resting, flitting in and out of sleep. He had been rather apprehensive of the spectres he might meet in his dreams - thankfully, he had been spared any, due to his master's earlier healing energies, coupled with Healer Hanyaie's medication, he suspected.

Awake, however, his mind couldn't help but revert again and again, to the Ischila, and the final moments before he had lost consciousness.

I should have felt that coming, he thought, frustration seeping through his nerves.Why? Why couldn't I?

Amazement nearly always followed these confusing cogitations. The power contained in a tiny object the size of a youngling's marble was devastating. It was no surprise the Ischila wasn't allowed off the Temple premises...he could hardly imagine what they might have caused, centuries ago, when they had been floating around the galaxy, for the asking.

His master had certainly not exaggerated, it appeared -although, to give him credit, Qui-Gon was more a master of understatement, rather than over-emphasis of any given situation. No matter the elder's warnings - even Obi-Wan's complete belief in his master's judgement had not quite prepared the apprentice for the experience.

I should have focused more. I should have pinned its presence. I should have...blast, how it hurt.

On the heels of astonishment and remorse came more confusion, possible tactics, strategies...and then more dwelling on the energy bolts he had felt - until the venerable chief healer, who had walked by to re-assess his condition frowned at his creased brows, considerably incensed at his inability to rest.

"I forbade any conversation because it would disturb your rest - and you drive your mind to its limits by carrying on conversations with yourself, " he had muttered. "As bad as Jinn - no, worse. He did not, I remember, insist on travelling the road to swift insanity all at once. Mine," he added, Obi-Wan thought, with quite undue emphasis. "He preferred to do it in painful instalments," he'd chuckled. Barely giving a pause for the apprentice to protest, he had then placed a firm hand on a startled Obi-Wan's forehead, and sent a suggestion of sleep so powerful that the latter had fallen asleep before said hand had been removed.

Managing to snatch a few hours of rest, himself, Qui-Gon had walked into the Healer's ward, and found his apprentice awake - but pleasantly drowsy. True, he had had to lend both ears to a diatribe from Han'yaie about obstinate apprentices who refused to listen to reason, and equally headstrong masters who indulged them far too much for their own good - but managed to dismiss most of it with an affectionate smile, that had infuriated and mollified the healer at the same time.

A day later, master and padawan had been dismissed - and they were now making slow, if steady progress to their rooms. Qui-Gon made one more discreet investigation through the Force - one of the many he had conducted through out the day, and was relieved by the re-assurance he received. His padawan was, indeed, almost completely recovered.

"Master?" Came Obi-Wan's voice again, sensing that Qui-Gon had fallen into a reverie.

"To answer your question - would you like to hear the official, polished version of what happened...or the bare facts?"

Obi-Wan raised his eye-brows, faintly smiling. "There are two versions?"

"There are. The first was a rather modified version with which, I'm ashamed to say, I regaled my age-mates - my only excuse is that I was considerably younger, at that time. No one knows the other, with the exception of Master Yoda."

The smile broadened into a grin. "Which was...?"

"Frustrating." The Master sighed. "True to the Code, padawan, I waited for the Ischila to strike first...and I waited. And waited."

"And...?"

"And there was nothing. The Jewel of the Light chose to play with me, darting all over the salle. It led me on what I can only call a wild-golle chase...until Master Yoda decided that enough was enough, and de-activated it. Not a single bolt was released - and I did not use my sabre at all."

"Oh." Obi-Wan frowned, puzzling over this information. "Then why did it...?"

They had reached their quarters, and Qui-Gon's fingers flitted over the control panel. When next he spoke, the Master seemed to be weighing his words carefully. "I did tell you that the Ischila changed its tactics...in fact, I doubt if there is any kind of tactic involved, at all."

"In that case," Obi-Wan brought up hesitantly, as they walked in. "It wouldn't be of any help to do some research, would it?"

"I never said that. By all means, indulge in all the research you please..." Qui-Gon sat down on the couch in the living area. "But a word of warning: the material you will pull up is more likely to confuse you, rather than set you on a clearer path. You'll find accounts of dark and dangerous marbles, strange and unbelievable accounts and legends of possible confrontations..."

Obi-Wan elected to flop into a large chair facing the couch. "Why would confusing legends be preserved in the Temple archives?"

"Because, confusing or not, they provide some kind of insight into the Ischila's workings...besides, they're mostly for the purposes of research, and not active confrontation. Those are best done...in person."

"Know all this for a fact, you do?" Obi-Wan asked, smiling.

"I do. Since I came up with apparently the same idea you have - research."

"Ah. Great minds think alike, do they not?"

Qui-Gon raised his eye-brows. "Great minds, yes. In this particular instance, I have no doubt about the greatness of one - mine. You, my mimicking apprentice, however..." He threw a haughty glance at Obi-Wan as the latter cast a mock frown at him. "...will retire to your sleep-couch, and rest. And contemplate greatness - again, mine - in your dreams."

Obi-Wan blinked at him, eyes full of indignation, amusement, and chagrin. "Must I, Great One?"

"Yes. As you will be facing the Ischila tomorrow, again."

Qui-Gon watched the amusement flicker out of Obi-Wan's eyes, to be replaced by something akin to wariness. He sighed. "I will be supervising, padawan."

"As Master Yoda did you."

"Undoubtedly. The Ischila must not be faced without supervision - especially as it cannot be de-activated except by one who is absolutely assured of control over it."

"No one else can de-activate it, then?" Obi-Wan rose slowly, making his way to his room.

"Only two kinds of Masters can: those who have enormous Force potential, together with considerable training - the Ischila is practically unstoppable, once activated. The other kind, of course, being those who have already won the confrontation - and therefore, their powers are significantly increased. The first category, I'm sure you'll understand, is something of an...extremely rare commodity - there're Jedi with a bright Force presence, but the Ischila requires much more; luminescence, while an indication of strength, cannot translate into power. As for the second kind...well, that is rarer still - yet, it is much preferred."

Obi-Wan paused against the doorway. "I'm curious. How many Jedi have won over the Ischila, anyway?"

Qui-Gon appeared to ponder the question. "Surely you mean 'Jedi who have faced it', padawan."

Silence reigned for a few moments, as master and apprentice watched each other.

Obi-Wan drew a deep breath. "In that case, I'll rephrase the question. How many?"

"Seven Jedi, in total - the first five, more than a thousand years ago. The sixth, approximately seven hundred and forty years ago...and the seventh was within the last two decades."

"I can guess who the last two were. And...what was the fate of the first five who faced it?"

Qui-Gon was peering at his fingers, apparently mesmerized by the numerous lines criss-crossing his palms. "They lost. Later, all of them turned...to the Darkside."

Obi-Wan appeared to be motionless by the doorway. Oh, dear Force.

Qui-Gon raised his head, after a while. "Considering how he must have battled the Ischila - I imagine you know, now, why Master Yoda is revered as the greatest Jedi of our times."

The answer came in a voice so low, the master wasn't even sure if he had heard it. "Yes."

Conversation ceased to exist, after that.

00000000000000000000

Tbc...