Here, as promised is another post! Thank You for the feedback. I work and take a couple of classes so sometimes I am consumed with real life.
XOXOXOXOXO
"So you think you know who the man was that came up behind the boys?"
The beady eyed haggard looking Neimoidian that spoke to Dorrie pulled her to the side and lowered his voice.
"Yes, missus and for a nominal price I could possibly send you in his direction. You see he doesn't like others bothering him but…"
Master Starworth looked over her shoulder and from side to side. She wanted to make sure their conversation was indeed a private one.
"Wait, wait, and let me guess. For the right monetary amount you would allow me to interrupt his quite abode? How much? Cut with the theatrics. I don't need guessing games. You are wasting time I don't have."
"Very well, as you wish Missus Jedi. How about 15 grakens. Is that too rich for your purse?"
"Hold on there. Let me figure this out."
Dorrie held her fingers up to mentally count how much she would need. She had to convert grakens to credits.
"That would be 30 credits, Coruscant currency."
The being started to walk away.
"Whoa… hold up buddy, not so fast. Just where are you going? I am willing to pay what you asked."
"You might be willing to pay but I am not willing to take it, not in Coruscant currency. Your home world base is part of the trade federation. It is no good here."
"You most certainly are mistaken. I just rented a cottage with credits, good old Coruscant currency."
"Yes, for a business it is allowed. For everyday beings like me, with no banking establishment your credits are no good.
"Wait? I know. I can go to the proprietor I rented the cottage from. I am sure he will exchange them for me."
"Then do it and meet me down the street at the little café. You know, the one your boys were coming from when they were attacked?"
Dorrie scowled suspiciously.
"How do you know where the Jedi boys had been?"
At the moment the little female master did not trust anyone entirely.
"Oh so suspicious you Jedi are. I am the one that cleaned the bags of food from the front of this store."
A rumbling of Dorrie's stomach along with what the man said caused her to realize all too physically that he had a point. Her lunch had been destroyed.
"Very well, I will be back within the hour. Be there my friend. Don't make me track you down. I think I could find you easier than the one I search out. Keep your word."
"I will, in one hour. You must keep this to yourself. The Hunter does not like intrusion in his life when he is here. As I understand it, neither does his master. It would possibly mean death for me if this gets out."
"It's between us. Now go. My apprentice's life is at stake here."
XOXOX The Bounty Hunter has just entered Sidious' hideout
Sidious sat in his chair behind the desk and impatiently tapped his fingers. He heard the clicking of booted feet on the marbled stone entryway, just outside his office door. The familiarity of the thundering voice told him it was the one he waited so anxiously for, The Bounty Hunter.
"Step lightly now. Master Sidious will want his prize."
Jango Fett flung the door opened with as much enthusiasm as his master waited on his prize.
"My Master, you will be pleased with what I have for you."
Two droids dragged the still unconscious boy to where Sidious sat in anxious wait.
"Oh good, you have brought me the Kenobi apprentice."
Sidious rubbed his hands together like a child just about to receive a special gift. He reached over and pulled the hood from the boy's head.
A sudden gasp from Darth Sidious and Jango Fett knew something was wrong.
"What is it Sire?"
The dark lord angrily slammed his fist down on the ornately augger wood desk. The oily voice of Sidious' which had been a shrill screech filled with excitement abruptly transformed to an animalistic growl; akin to a fierce predator facing his less dominant prey.
"This is not Kenobi, you fool. I told you the light haired Jedi youth."
Jango Fett reached over to the still comatose boy and flipped his solid white braid up as if to prove the young man had the right colored hair.
"Well his hair can't get any lighter."
"I meant blonde rusty light, not totally white. This is not Kenobi. You imbecile, how could you make such a mistake?"
"The other boy had a hood on. I thought this was Kenobi, sir. We attacked in broad daylight with others around. It wasn't like I could stand andthere remove their hoods to verify their hair color. I did the best I could, as the circumstances allowed. I can go retrieve the other one should you wish."
"Can you now? You think the Jedi masters are just going to release the other one to you? No, they will be on constant guard over him now. That is how the Jedi are with their younglings, too protective. If I didn't need you, I would carve you into little pieces and feed you to a stray bantha. Take that one away. Put him in a cell downstairs. Make sure to keep him pumped full of force inhibitor medicine until I decide what I want to do with him. Oh and You, Jango Fett."
Sidious pointed his long gnarled finger threateningly at Fett.
"You go fetch Darth Dyas for me. He won't make the same mistake as you. You will be under his direction with him right beside you next time."
Fett turned immediately to do as he was told.
"Oh… and Hunter Fett!"
The hunter turned back around and bowed to his master.
"Be very thankful that I harbor no illwill against you for this. This kind of screw up normally would cause your death. Because of your usefulness is the only reason I overlook such a blunder, this time,uderstand?"
Fett bowed again and backed out of the room.
"Yes My'Lord"
XOXOBack at the Jedi cottage.XOXO
Before Master Starworth put her foot down on the porch of the cottage she had her saber drawn.
She hadn't heard any unusual noise coming from the Jedi's temporary dwelling, it was a feeling through the force that got her attention just as she reached the walkway.
She jumped from the steps and slammed her body against the front door. With help from the summoned up force, her momentum sent her rocketing through the door and very close to falling.
She directed her attention first to the bed she knew Obi-Wan should be laying in and he was.. However, he seemed to be in the most uncomfortable position for someone ill. His eyes darted wildly around the room before they landed on her.Hecould not speak was her guess. Obi-Wan's hands were stretched over his head as if suspended there, though no visible binds held them.
Dorrie let her gaze drift to the floor where she thought she heard a moan or low growl.
"Sith spit Master Starworth, get over here and help me."
On the other side of the bed she saw Qui-Gon's boots move before he struggled his way up and leaned against the bed.
"What in the world happened to you? What is wrong with your apprentice?"
"All in due time Dorrie.. I will tell you, all in due time. Right now, could you help me up."
Dorrie felt ridiculous now with her saber still drawn and quickly deactivated it before she ran to Qui-Gon.
The dazed blue eyes of Qui-Gon Jinn thankfully looked up to the other Jedi master.
He drew in a long cleansing needed breath of air.
"If you must know what happened, I formed a bond with my new apprentice."
"AND! Can you tell me how you ended up on the floor?"
"Well as I suspected even though partially unconscious, he tried to reject the bond. It took all the power I had to stay connected. I must have over extended my powers"
"And so what happened next Jinn? Get to the point."
There was no sympathy for Qui-Gon in Dorrie's voice.
"He tried to toss me from his mind. In order to protect myself and Obi-Wan, I had to put him in the force hold. That is why he can't speak or move. Just as I got Obi-Wan under control, I must have momentarily blacked out.
"So you did complete the bond?"
"Yes of course I did. I can still hold my own against a padawan's mind suggestion. Nevertheless, I have to admit this young one is strong in the living force. I wonder what his midichlorian count is?"
"I don't' know Jinn. Now is not the time to discuss it. Just tell me, is the boy well?"
"He is fine.. Well he will be once I convince him to settle down a bit. Though he definitely is not too receptive to this, we have bonded and I can guarantee you it is unbreakable at this point. Much too his chagrin, I might add…. I now have only one problem before we can begin our search for your apprentice."
"Just what is that may I ask. We do need to hurry ya know."
"I have to figure out how we can takeKenobi with us. You see I don't think my apprentice will be any more welcoming to our bond once I release the force hold on him. In fact, I think he will only be more disagreeable than before
XOXOX
Qui-Gon managed to gain control of his apprentice. With a sworn oath that he would behave himself, the apprentice's new master, released him from the force hold. The padawan had been healed sufficiently of his infection. Jinn's Jedi healing techniques worked twofold because they were bonded but Obi could not forgive himself for what had happened to Bruck.
Obi-Wan's feeling of betrayal by his new master slipped to the back of his mind. His Jedi instinct came out. He readily agreed that Bruck had to be found and found quickly. No there was no love loss between the two apprentices, it was the Jedi thing for Kenobi to do and he WAS through and through, a Jedi.
Had I not been ill I could have staved those droids and Chun wouldn't be kidnapped right now. Wonder why they wanted just him anyway?
Once things had been squared between the master and the apprentice, enough for the moment, they did not speak again. Obi-Wan was very aware of the fact that he had not gained control of his force abilities entirely and that the only way his shields stayed in place was with the help of his master. He also was very aware of the fact that the master could at any time if he so chose, read his mind. Everything even the most hidden of hidden secrets back in the recesses of Kenobi's mind, normally never brought up, could be examined by Jinn if he wanted to seek them out.
Dorrie led the other two Jedi to the café and there they completed their talk with their informant. It turned out he knew very little except that Gunray had droids similar to the ones that attacked Obi-Wan and Bruck. He also mentioned that "Fett the Hunter" as he was referred too around the city also possessed such droids. Were they connected, he could not say. Who was Jango Fett working for, he did not know.
Dorrie reluctantly paid him the credits converted to grakens. All the while she was counting out the coins; she mumbled her displeasure at paying for what she considered such minuscule information.
Once outside the café the two Jedi masters discussed what should be done. They came to the same conclusion; their first stop should be Viceroy Gunray's mines.
Public transportation was unavailable for where they needed to go. The only way they could reach the mines outside the city, in the mountains was to travel by foot.
Qui-Gon touched Obi-Wan's mind through their unwelcome bond just enough to satisfy himself that the apprentice was well enough to travel. He used his eyesight with a quick once over at the apprentice more than anything to see how Obi-Wan was faring. Other than a set-in melancholy and dark circles under the teen's eyes he appeared to be fine.
It pained him as much as it did Obi-Wan to have the bond. That distress over bonding with his new apprentice had to be kept hidden when he did make mental contact with Kenobi.
Dorrie broke his thoughts of the bond with Tahl's apprentice.
"If what this guy told us is true, Gunray could in some way be connected to Sidious and his dealings here. It is like connect the dot. Sidious, droids, Fett, droids, Gunray. I have to believe they are all in some way involved."
"If what he said is the truth, yes."
"What makes you think we can't believe what he said, Qui-Gon?"
"I just find it hard to believe Gunray would associate himself with someone so evil and corrupt. He does have to have some appearance of an honest, conscientious leader."
"There are stranger things happening in this galaxy Jinni my man. It wouldn't be the first time a leader of a world would align themselves with someone powerful and corrupt to push their agenda."
"Just what is his agenda?"
"I suppose we have to find that out."
"I suppose. By the way have you felt any stirring through the bond with Bruck? Kenobi seems to have gained some of his force signature and he was extremely ill. Bruck should have fully recovered by now."
"No nothing. I suspect he might have been given more of the inhibitor drug to keep him compliant."
"You have a point. Far easier to deal with a Jedi, even a padawan Jedi if he is not lucid and can't generate his force abilities."
"I tell you, if they have harmed a hair on that boy's head, I'll…. well I'll……."
"Calm down Dorrie. I don't think Bruck was kidnapped to be harmed. What purpose would that serve? If they only wanted him dead, they could have just killed him there and saved the time and effort it took to kidnap him."
"Then why did they take Bruck? Do they want information? They should know a padawan is not the one who would have it. I hope they don't torture him."
"Now Dorrie, don't think of what could happen. Let's just find him."
Dorrie gave up discussing her apprentice with Master Jinn. She knew what he said was right. She had to release your worry into the force. She decided to check up on the other apprentice, the one with them, Obi-Wan. She slowed her pace until she was back where Obi-Wan walked his customary three steps back and to the left of his master.
XOXOX
The next part has a lot of our Obi, our very cranky padawan with a grudge against his new master,QGJ.
ewen