My apologies on the lack of posts for so long… its finals time and it's the time of do or die for we art majors. Heart your reviews as always.
Chap 12
Rynik was dozing, head pillowed in his arms, which were pillowed on his reports, which were on top of his computer terminal, which was not pleased at the constant input from its keypad and was getting rather upset, beeping frantically in soft tones. Like a Terak shark, Obi-Wan's head, hair first, rose on the other side of the desk, until his eyes were peering at him from over the chaos of paperwork.
"… Rynik?"
"What!" He gasped, jumping, papers flying everywhere. "Geeze, kid," the man panted, rubbing his neck. "Warn a guy!"
"I need to talk to you, Rynik," he said softly, head still half above the plane of the desk.
"Yeah, well, ok-"
"I'm going back, Rynik."
"…oh."
Obi-Wan crawled around to the other side of the desk, facing the elder man with his head bowed.
"Something… is going on. Even from here, I can feel it. I'm worried about my master." He looked at the Commandent guilty.
"Soooo… whats the problem?"
"You're not angry at me?"
"Why would I be angry at you?" He asked quizzically.
"Be-because I made you drag me all the way out here, and now I need to go back," was the soft reply.
"Obi-Wan," Rynik placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, "Remember what I told you? About running towards hope?"
The padawan nodded.
"Well, its time to run towards hope again. Only this time, its back home. Nothing wrong with that."
Rynik smiled, his eyes crinkling warmly. He grunted when the small body catapulted itself into his arms, clinging with all its might. The pilot returned the gesture, rubbing the boy's back soothingly.
"Don't worry, its ok," he soothed.
"Come with me?" Came the muffled question.
"Oh, kid, I'm so sorry-"
Watery eyes popped away from his chest, the padawan quivering.
"Obi-Wan – my place is here for now. I have to stay for a while, things are happening politically –"
Sadly, Obi-Wan sniffed, wiping his face.
"I'll miss you, Rynik."
Rynik gave a lopsided smile, ruffling the boy's hair. He frowned, then opening one of his desk drawers, and obviously not finding what he wanted, he stood and walked across the room, rummaging through a set of compartments. Obi-Wan watched with interest. Rynik's posture announced success, and he knelt before the boy.
"This," he announced, holding up a small cylindrical object, "is a Ghannen long range communications device. It works all over the galaxy, and farther. It's a long, long way from your world to ours, so a message you send will take a couple days to get to me but –" he grinned, "I'll get it. But hush! I'm not supposed to give these out."
Obi-Wan watched with wide eyes as he placed the small object into his hands, the thing surprisingly heavily. Obi-Wan held it as if it was precious, looking back to Rynik with happiness.
"Thank you so much," the boy said in a hushed voice, pocketing the treasure in his robes.
Rynik raised a palm to the boy's cheek.
"The best will come to you, Obi-Wan. Go back, and I'm sure your master will see what he's been missing. And be damn glad you're home. And with that device," he poked Obi-Wans chest, "I'll be a hop, skip, couple hundred light years away."
Obi-Wan thinned his lips, determined not to let the sting of tears show.
0ooooooooooooooooooooooooo0
Bareli found Spire in the memorial gardens, a lush lawn of ancient stone and flora located on the roof of the west wing. She knelt as if in prayer, her head bowed low, her Ghan imperial robes flowing around her like ruby water. She knelt before the statue of Scehesh, an ancient and renowned Scehault warrior from many generations ago.
The elder leader stepped lightly, the memorial fires casting shadows on his face. Despite the traffic of Ghan, the night was clear, a warm breeze flowing in from the ocean. Bareli's feet crunched lightly on the gravel path, surely alerting the woman to his approach.
But she did not stand, or even acknowledge him, which was odd. He frowned and knelt beside her. The king mimicked her pose, kneeling before the legendary knight's statue.
"What brings you to Scehesh, Spire?"
Barely perceptible, Spire took a deep breath. She looked upwards reverently to the statue, eyes dim in the firelight. It was aged, its edges worn with weather and time. Firelight flickered across its broad form, casting a magical glow to she whom knelt before it.
"I am presented with a problem, my lord."
"So I gathered," Bareli chided, breaking pose and sitting rather unceremoniously on the ground, tucking his legs beneath him. He clasped his hands before him and waited patiently for the onslaught.
Spire shook her head, practically radiating how unsettled she was. She continued to stare up at the huge, aging stone as she fiddled with her robes.
"I am a Scehault Knight, like he was. I know my oath. I bide by it with honor."
"Indeed, you do."
"I serve the peoples of these worlds with my mind, heart, and life. And it is my duty to protect those who cannot or are in need."
Bareli sighed. "And that is why our people are in our current predicament, yes."
Shaking her head, Spire looked at him with a pained expression. "And thus, I cannot leave you! Nor do I have any desire whatsoever," She huffed, looking back to the ground.
"What has happened, Karin?" He asked gently, his voice soothing.
"The boy wants me to go back with him," was the monotone reply.
"…ah."
She groaned, cupping her face to her hands. "I can't /do/ that, Bareli!"
He inched closer, "And why not?"
"Why not/Why not/"
His face was serene. She shuddered.
"Firstly, it's filled with all kinds of memories that I'd prefer to forget. Secondly, if they find /out/ what happened to me after my master died, they'll probably cut me down themselves," she ranted, eyes widening with each reason, "Thirdly, our people are in the middle of a precarious affair, and I can't just /leave! Fourthly, I'm a Scehault Knight, I can't abandon my people-"
"What of the code?" Bareli asked. Spire's jaw dropped.
"What!"
"It is your duty to protect those in need. Perhaps… Obi-Wan needs you. Perhaps your Jedi Order needs you."
"No, no, noOoo," Spire moaned, dropping her brow to the ground. Bareli patted her shoulder.
"You have demonstrated your loyalty time and time again, Spire. Otherwise, you would not be a Knight of our people."
She brought her face up again, staring at him blearily. He regarded her with solemn patience.
"If you were to return to your galaxy, it is permitted. Even if you … did not return, it is … permitted."
In a moment of aggravation, Spire tipped over and flopped onto the grass.
"That is not what I want to hear," she groaned as she stared up at the night sky The stars were bright from here, being so high up on the rooftop, it seemed that you could reach out and touch them. She felt Bareli settle next to her, the two dignified officials lying on the grass, staring up at the stars.
"Tomorrow morning, I have called a ceremony for you."
"What kind of… ceremony?"
"Renewal of Vow."
Spire brought her hands to her face, pressing hard. "You want me to go. I can't believe this. You want me to go /back/ there-"
Owlish eyes peered across at the woman. "I want you to have closure."
"I don't need closure."
"Then, just go with the boy. Make sure everything is fine, and come home."
Spire shook her head back and forth, hands still on her face. "I won't abandon our people during this time. What if we go to war, Bareli?" She removed her hands, eyes solemn. "What if the outlanders don't agree to our terms? Then what? I'm halfway across the galaxy and my people, my people are going to fight-"
"And that is alright. One person will not change the course of history-"
Her brow furrowed.
"I can."
Bareli said nothing, regarding her quietly.
Spire looked back to the sky, furiously swallowing. "I can save lives. I can help our people. I can deflect bolts, I can lead our people with less death, I can negotiate, I can-"
"You can do all these things, but you won't face your past? Won't help the boy?"
"…"
Bareli gestured to the sky. "It's a miracle you are here, Karin. By all rights, you should be waving that laser sword of you back in your own galaxy, doing the exact same things there, saving lives, helping people."
"But I am here now."
"And you can always come back again."
"Why do you want me to go so badly, Bareli?"
The elder man smiled softly, closing his eyes.
"I want you to find peace that you cannot find here. Just like Obi-Wan."
"You told me my place was with Ghan," She said accusingly, grey eyes flashing in the firelight.
"It is. You will always have a place here. But… take a vacation. And come back refreshed."
Spire folded her arms behind her head and rested in silence. The lord regarded her for a moment. "He would have been proud of you, you know. Your master."
Spire closed her eyes, the breeze tugging her hair gently, the wisps tickling her face. "I'm not so sure." Her eyes opened, to look at the towering statue before them. "It told him once, that I'd never leave the order. That I'd serve the ideals of the Jedi until the day I died." She barked in sardonic laughter. "Ends up I couldn't have gone darker, couldn't have traveled farther away to what we stood for. I'm not so sure he'd be too happy about that."
"And yet, here you are, racing to defend a people, aching to bring peace."
Sitting up, the girl wrapped her hands in the loose robes she wore and allowed the tension in her face, released her aggravations into the force. A moment later, she looked to Bareli.
"Protect life. And yes, I will go with the boy. To protect his life."
0ooooooooooooooooooo0
Obi-Wan meditated, balanced on a smooth rock in the gardens. He concentrated, letting the force fill him, extended him. He tried and tried, but could not reach his master again. It was as if there were some kind of massive wall between them. One not of space, but of the force.
He opened his eyes, sighing. It was awkward to him, holding the learner bond open. Oh, this was not how he had imagined his relationship with his master to be. He'd always hoped, prayed for easy communication, trust, maybe even the love a father shows his son. But he would have no other master, no one else. Regardless of how poor their relationship was, Qui-Gon Jinn was the only one he would ever accept as his master.
As the capitol building quieted into late evening, he sat upon the rock and reflected upon his time here. Perhaps it was being away from the temple, that environment, that allowed for some sense of clarity of the situation. Obi-Wan was now determined – the cold of being alone was something that he could no longer bear. Upon his return, he would face Kinah. Tell her just what he thought of her antics. He would face Bruck, calmly, and tell him just where to go and how to get there. And his master…
Well, he'd play that by ear.
0oooooooooooooooooo0
Light came slowly to Qui-Gon. It was relative – light from a source or the light of consciousness, it was too soon to tell. All he knew was that his head as throbbing louder than a herd of bantha and he needed a drink of water to sooth his parched throat. Completely without his consent, a soft moan escaped his mouth.
"Sshhh, it's alright, Qui," a tender, familiar voice soothed. Braving the unknown, the Jedi master opened his eyes, blinking rapidly.
The blurry face of Tahl came into view, her hair draped over her face, falling down upon him. Thus, he must be lying down…
"Why is everything so… fuzzy?" He asked blearily, bringing a large hand to scrub his face, trying to clear away the cobwebs.
"Injured, we are," Yoda rasped from somewhere behind him. Qui-Gon shuddered, trying to get his bearings. His head was cradled in Tahl's lap, and he concentrated on the soothing motion of her hand in his hair. He rather wished his head would stop pounding.
Seeking comfort in the force, he reached out with his mind to gather strength to himself.
The tall man shot up, gasping – it, it was just/gone-/
"Shh, its alright," Tahl struggled to sooth, but Qui-Gon brought his hands to his face, groaning like a man in pain. He tried, tried to remember-
/ He, Adi-Gallia, and Tahl were the first three into the smoking Senate hall, the stench causing the tall master to clench his jaw. There was no power in the building – emergency lights flickered an eerie blue in the smoky haze. A hoard of Jedi masters were infiltrating the complex from multiple sides for a better chance at catching the culprits behind this atrocity.
"We need to restore power," Windu said over his com unit, his voice hoarse, most likely from the smoky air.
"The main generators are in the lower levels," Adi-Gallia chimed.
"First, power and life support we restore. Then, search survivors we do. Find the terrorists, we will."
The slew of masters crept their way slowly down the broken descending corridors of twisted metal. Qui-Gon kept a hand on the small of Tahl's back, assuring she did not fail to note the dangerous materials that poked out of the damaged building.
"How could the perpetrators have bypassed this most advanced building's security? And how do we not sense them within the force?" She mentioned to Jinn and Adi-Gallia.
They didn't answer.
Several dead republic guards lay mangled in a heap past the basement level. Qui-Gon stopped, kneeling before one. He tilted the dead man's head with two fingers.
"It is as if he choked to death," Qui-Gon murmured, frowning.
"I've reached the powergrid's entrance door, Qui-Gon. Help me activate it," Gallia inquired. Perturbed, the tall master proceeded to aid her, and within moments, their green and yellow sabers' had opened the heavy door. Simultaneously, several masters, but not all, advanced upon the damaged units that powered and controlled the systems of the Senate building.
The techy, more mechanically oriented masters began tinkering with the jutting wires and consoles. Master Chunnuk frowned.
"Master Yoda, this looked… sabotaged, but… its as if someone left it repairable."
"Most odd," Windu murmured, accessing the damage.
The next ten minutes was spent trying to get the system up again, to assure at least life support and breathable air. In that time, the rest of the Jedi Masters found their way to the chamber, and those not repairing the damage stood defensively around them.
It was Yoda, who's ears suddenly perked up, whirling in the direction where there was nothing but smoke. Yoda, whose eyes widened but not even Yoda could prepare for the shockwave of agony that rolled over his body. Qui-Gon watched as the little master fell, and didn't even have time to shout, before his world went black . /
Qui-Gon lifted his head from his cupped hands, meeting the large eyes of the tiny green master.
"No… force?" Qui-Gon blinked, remembering, and reached for his lightsaber- "No lightsaber?"
Yoda sighed, pointing a gnarled claw to the edge of Qui-Gon's vision. He looked, and found that the masters, most still not conscious, were gathered in a circle shape, and were ensnared by a large, sickly yellow force field. Small, red pulsing droids circled the radius of the cage.
"Force depressors," Tahl said softly.
"How? How did this happen?"
Yoda shook his head slowly.
"A weapon, before unseen to the Jedi. Shocking force, painful force, paralyzing force, like a grenade."
Qui-Gons voice lowered.
"A trap."
Something caught he corner of the wounded master's eyes. They turned to see a shape, dark, enshrouded in smoke, seemingly pacing beyond the force field. They watched warily as he stalked the masters, his patterns irregular.
"Did this, you have," Yoda accused, tapping his gimmer stick on the charred ground. The figure stopped pacing.
Those conscious raised their eyes to the figure. A small gasp went up through the collective as the familiar sound of a light saber igniting was heard and a bright, blood red beam of light cut through the darkness. Even without the force, a shiver crept its way up Tahl's spine.
The smoke itself seemed to part for the dark man. The ill colored light of the force field lit a man's face. Bald, scarred, with some kind of triangular tattoos running down his cheeks and jaw, down his neck, disappearing behind cloaks as dark as a starless night. Eyes the color of freezing ice. No expression.
The man stopped short of the zoning force depressing droids, a few feet from the field.
Yoda came up to the man's shins, but the little master stared defiantly up at the stranger.
"Seen you before, I have not. Not a fallen Jedi, are you."
A deep, ominous chuckle emerged from the throat of their captor.
"Why, pray tell, be a Jedi, waste half your life and fall," he asked as he touched the tip of his saber to the force field, energy sparks falling towards the small master, "When you can spend a lifetime learning a power you will never know?" he brought the saber tip violently to the shield, the crackling startling the shocked masters. A sneer carved his sharply angled, perhaps hansom if not so twisted, face.
"I am Darth Fenris."
"Oh, Sith," Chunnuk swore, choking softly.
Fenris laughed again, the sound grating and unnerving.
"Precisely."