Chapter 12
The presence of Obi-Wan in Qui-Gon's mind diminished as the ship that carried him and his padawan left Coruscant and entered lightspeed. The Jedi master did not allow his apprentice to see the frustration that he felt for his lover, he did not think that Anakin needed any more confusion and disruption in his life. However, inside his own mind, Qui-Gon privately allowed his irritation to blossom.
The master thought back on the argument he and Obi-Wan had had before the ship was due to depart. It had not occurred to Qui-Gon that Obi-Wan would not be accompanying him on his most recent mission. Obi-Wan himself had said that when his duties permitted he would be by Qui-Gon and Anakin's side. And yet, here he was, heading towards a volatile situation with the Chosen One while his Shadow remained at the Temple.
'Obi-Wan,' he whispered through the bond, knowing his lover would be unable to hear him. 'Why?'
Qui-Gon already knew the answer, he had been told firmly the evening before when Obi-Wan had told him he was staying behind. However no matter how much his head understood, his heart did not.
'And in truth,' Qui-Gon admitted only to himself. 'My head doesn't understand either.'
The master knelt in his quarters trying desperately to find his centre and not think on Obi-Wan and what was keeping him from his bondmate's side. Qui-Gon did not think it was because Obi-Wan wanted to become reacquainted with the other Jedi, nor did he really believe it was Obi-Wan's fear, although the other Jedi did feel fear, keenly so. No, Qui-Gon believed that it was Obi-Wan's way of dealing with his feelings of being torn between two duties.
'And in typical Obi-Wan fashion, he is choosing to rebel against his own feelings.'
Qui-Gon loved his old apprentice, dearly and passionately, but at times the other man made his head spin with his bloody mindedness.
'And I am just as bad,' Qui-Gon allowed, resigned to the fact that he and Obi-Wan were destined to clash for the rest of their lives.
"Master?"
Qui-Gon was glad of Anakin's interruption, although he did not show it, he had found some peace with Obi-Wan's decision and now wished to focus on something else, Anakin's presence gave him that focus.
"Yes, Padawan?" he asked the boy as he opened his eyes to find the apprentice knelt before him.
"Where are we going?"
"A planet named Hydra, we have been requested to represent the Republic at the marriage of the heir to the throne and her betrothed."
"Again?"
Qui-Gon chuckled at Anakin's whine.
"A Jedi's life is not all excitement, my young apprentice and soon you will wish for such a 'boring' mission." Qui-Gon could tell that Anakin did not think he would ever wish for a boring mission, but the boy seemed content, at least for now.
"Hydra is still a monarchy," Qui-Gon continued. "A peaceful one at that, but it wasn't always so. About one hundred and fifty years ago the planet was almost torn apart by civil war; the people felt that the ruling class was not serving them well."
"So why didn't they get rid of them?"
"Many worlds have, but the Hydra are a traditional, conservative people. It was decided that the royal line would be allowed to continue, but only if the ruler married a commoner. And so it has been and while their solution is not a common one, it is one that works well for them."
"So, we'll be there as witnesses?"
"The Jedi traditionally do more than that," Qui-Gon explained, pleased that his padawan was taking an interest without being forced to. "We will be escorting Blyne, the Princess's intended, to the Palace from his home."
"Will there be any problems?"
"None that I or the planet's security has foreseen."
And so the master-apprentice team made themselves ready for the mission that lay ahead, not realising that soon their peaceful mission would become deadly.
"Honoured Jedi, welcome to Hydra."
The man who greeted Qui-Gon and his apprentice as they walked down the boarding ramp was short and large, he was gruff and his clothes ragged, however his welcome was genuine enough.
"Greetings," Qui-Gon said. "I'm Master Qui-Gon Jinn and this is my apprentice, Padawan Skywalker."
The man, whose name was Dylon and was the father of the groom, led the Jedi away from the ship. Once they were a safe distance away, the vessel took off and headed for the Palace where the pilot would wait for them until the wedding was complete and they were ready to return home.
"Please forgive my appearance," Dylon said as he ushered the two Jedi towards his home. "But we are so busy preparing for the wedding that I scarcely have time to eat let alone dress in my formal robes every time a new guest arrives. All those sashes and tunics take so long to get into."
Anakin found that he liked Dylon; he was jolly and friendly and although his words could have been taken as an insult, his manner was such that you could not take offence.
"Quit understandable," Qui-Gon reassured their host, smiling warmly at the shorter man. "I expect that your entire household his preparing for tomorrow."
"The household?" Dylon gave a chuckle. "Try the entire village."
It was then that Anakin noticed that most of the people in the street were either hurrying towards or away from a single house, the same house they were also headed towards.
Dylon and his son Blyne lived in a quiet rural village situated on the edge of the royal hunting forest. Most in the village were employed in some way by the royal house, which was how Blyne and the princess had met. It had been love at first sight and although the couple were a little younger than normal for the heir and chosen to get married, neither side saw any reason to delay a marriage so obviously coveted by the two involved.
In the morning, Blyne and his Jedi escort, followed by family and other villagers, would make their way to the Palace where Princess Fi awaited her husband.
"Come, come," Dylon hurried the Jedi inside his home. "Come meet Blyne."
All had been going as planned when the explosion struck. Qui-Gon, Anakin, Blyne, Dylon and two other family members were seated in a speeder making their way through the forest, followed by dozens of other speeders, when from the ground a missile was launched and struck their left side.
"Brace yourselves," cried the driver. "We're going to crash."
The driver managed to keep control of the vehicle long enough to direct the speeder into a clearing, however he inevitably lost control and the occupants were thrown side to side as the speeder span and finally stopped with a jolt as it crashed into a tree.
"Is every one unharmed?" Qui-Gon asked, seeking out his apprentice with his eyes, to make sure the boy was unhurt. His question was met with shaky nods of heads and grunts of affirmation.
"What happened?" Blyne asked, sitting up, trying to see out the cracked front windscreen.
"Someone fired on us," the driver told him, unsympathetically.
"Why?" Blyne demanded, this time of his father, "No one objected to Fi and my joining."
"It would seem that someone did," Qui-Gon told him. "We had better get out of here before whoever attacked us decides to show up and make sure we're all dead."
The speeder's occupants cautiously left the crashed vehicle and headed for the cover of the trees.
"What about the others?" Dylon asked. "The other guests that were following?"
"We span pretty wildly as we went down," the driver told them all. "We are a long way off course, it'll take them time to find us."
"Far longer than it'll take our attackers to find us," Qui-Gon said. "We must head towards the Palace, hope that we run into the rescue party before we run into whoever it was that attacked the speeder."
The Jedi master looked at those gathered around the groom; not one face did not show fear.
"I am here to protect you," he reminded them. "I will not allow harm to come to you."
The five Hydra and two Jedi set off into the forest, heading towards the safety of the Palace, knowing that somewhere out there someone was trying to kill them.
Obi-Wan was annoyed, no he was angry, angry with himself.
'I should have gone with him,' he cursed himself. 'I let my fear get in the way.'
Obi-Wan piloted his ship down into the Hydra atmosphere.
'Now, you're punishing me aren't you,' Obi-Wan spoke to the Force, knowing he would get no answer. 'Punishing me for not listening.'
In his mind, the Shadow saw the Speeder that carried his bondmate as it was shot down and hurtle towards the ground.
'Damn it,' he swore. He knew that the crash was not what ended Qui-Gon's life but he had hoped to get to his lover before the bounty hunters.
'Now, I'm going to have to hurry along and I hate that.'
Obi-Wan landed the small, compact ship. He opened the cockpit and jumped from the fighter and landed soundlessly, lightsabre in hand. There before him was the twisted remains of the speeder. Qui-Gon was ahead of him, but not far, he could catch him; but could he catch him before the hunters that even as he stood in the clearing were closing in on his bondmate did? That was the question. Sparing no more thought for the crash site, Obi-Wan gathered the Force and ran into the forest, becoming a blur as the Force surged through him, carrying him faster than any human could move.
Qui-Gon stretched his senses to their maximum, trying to get some sense of their pursuers. He felt nothing and then he felt… something.
"Anakin?" he asked, halting immediately. "Do you sense that?"
"Sense what, Master?" The boy was clearly puzzled by his master's behaviour.
Qui-Gon concentrated and finally recognised what he felt. He felt a void within the Force; where the Force should be there was nothing, no trace of Light or Dark.
'Obi-Wan?' he asked into the silent bond, but received no answer.
"Wait here," he told his companions. "I will return soon."
Qui-Gon left the six confused survivors and moved off, heading back the way they had come, back towards Obi-Wan.
The Jedi master had not been walking long when he saw movement up ahead. He paused, unsure if it was Obi-Wan or a more dangerous pursuer. He crouched low, trying to see whatever it was more clearly. He knew that Obi-Wan, the void within the Force, was close, but now that he was almost on top of the presence he could not pin point its location.
He saw movement up ahead once more, which was why he did not see the bounty hunter spring from the trees to his left. The would be killer held a blaster pointed directly at Qui-Gon's head and his shot would have found its mark if not for the blue blade of a lightsabre that intercepted it seemingly from nowhere. The bounty hunter had enough time to show fear on his face before the same blade plunged through his chest and pierced his heart.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said in a breathless greeting.
"You idiot," Obi-Wan shouted, angry beyond words. He had been angry with himself as he had made his way to his beloved, but now he was furious with Qui-Gon. "What were you thinking?"
"I sensed you, or at least the space where you should be," Qui-Gon explained, not understanding why Obi-Wan was so angry.
"Qui-Gon, I'm the Shadow; if I'm here and still hiding myself from you what do you think that means?"
Qui-Gon immediately saw his error. He had not thought that Obi-Wan's presence was in response to a threat to him or Anakin. It had not occurred to him that it was the Shadow that was on Hydra not his lover.
"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, I didn't think."
"Good," Obi-Wan grunted out. "Call Anakin, tell him to come here, we're leaving."
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon objected, not sure if Obi-Wan was being serious. "The others from the crash…"
"Are not in any danger," Obi-Wan interrupted.
"But they were attacked."
"No, Qui-Gon, you were attacked. You remember the bounty hunters from Tyron? Well, these are their replacements." Obi-Wan started walking towards where he sensed Anakin was waiting with the Hydras.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon tried again, not quite believing Obi-Wan's words.
"For Force sake, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan was incredulous. "I am the Jedi Protector and I'm telling you they are after you."
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said once more, however this time his voice held something else, something that forced Obi-Wan to stop and turn to look at the other Jedi. "It doesn't matter, I can not abandon those I am sworn to protect."
Obi-Wan studied his lover and saw the stubborn look in his eyes. He could not fault the Jedi master, not really. It was his devotion to his duty that Obi-Wan loved about Qui-Gon the most. He had been honoured to call Qui-Gon his master, respected the older Jedi even when he disagreed with him. He knew that he could not now force the master to leave Hydra when there were still people to protect.
"You are the target, Qui-Gon, if you travel with them you'll make them a target, also."
"I know," Qui-Gon said. "Which is why you and I are going to go find the other bounty hunters before we rejoin them."
"Fine," Obi-Wan relented. "But you can tell them."
"Anakin?"
"Yes, Master?" Anakin answered his communicator hurriedly, surprised, but relieved to hear his master's voice.
"I need to speak to Dylon, can you give him your communicator?"
"Yes, Master," Anakin said again, obediently passing his communicator over to the groom's father.
"Master Jinn? What's happening? Where are you?"
"I've found one of the men tracing us, I'm going to attempt to find the others who attacked the speeder."
"But, what about us? You can't just leave us."
"You won't be in any danger as long as you stay together and stay where you are."
"Master Jinn," Dylon began to object, but Qui-Gon cut him off.
"You have to trust me, Dylon, I will explain everything when I can, but for now I need you to stay there and please make sure my apprentice does not try and do something… foolish."
"I will keep an eye on your apprentice, Master Jinn, but I expect a full explanation when you return."
"You'll have it. Thank you."
Dylon broke the connection and turned to see five anxious faces looking at him, waiting for guidance.
"Master Jinn says to wait," he told them simply.
"There," Qui-Gon said to Obi-Wan as he put away his communicator. "All done."
"I see you neatly side-stepped the issue of who it was that was being attacked," Obi-Wan observed, failing to conceal his amusement.
"It was the speeder that was attacked," Qui-Gon defended. "Shall we go?"
The two Jedi began to make their way through the trees, keeping alert for the bounty hunters.
"How long do you think it'll be before Anakin comes into the forest after us?" Obi-Wan asked his old master, scanning the trees up ahead, hoping to see one of their targets.
"Unlike my last apprentice, Anakin does as he is told."
Obi-Wan stopped searching the trees and turned to his companion.
"You don't really believe that, do you?"
"While he maybe reckless and tries to find loopholes in rules and orders, he does not blatantly disregard them."
"Am I suppose to find some hidden meaning in that?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to look innocent. He was not successful, Qui-Gon knew him far to well.
"Why don't you tell me about the bounty hunters? For example, why can't I sense them within the Force."
"They have injected nanites into their blood stream. I'm not sure how the technology works, but it's a bit like a Force collar, but instead of suppressing Force abilities, it cloaks a person's presence."
"A little like you do when you conceal your presence?"
"Yes, like that, but you don't need to be Force sensitive to be able to do it."
"Good," Qui-Gon said firmly.
"Good?" Obi-Wan did not see the up side to their situation.
"If it is like the way you cloak yourself, then we should be able to track them?"
"How?"
"It's easy, you just have to know what to look for," Qui-Gon explained, closing his eyes so that he could concentrate better. "When I first sensed your presence on Naboo, it wasn't you that I sensed but a void."
"I remember, I have since compensated."
"I know, but they cannot."
Obi-Wan smiled, finally seeing their advantage.
"Tracking them will be difficult," Qui-Gon went on. He stretched out his senses as far as he was able, and he could feel the void of six cloaked bounty hunters, for the presence was fleeting and hard to maintain a grip on. "I'm not sure if we can find them and fight them."
"Don't worry about that," Obi-Wan said.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes in time to see a predatory grin spread across Obi-Wan's face, while he pulled his lightsabre from his belt.
"You track them, I'll kill them."
Part of Qui-Gon was shocked by the ease with which his lover spoke of killing living creatures. He looked at his partner and remembered the vision he had of him on Naboo when he had fought the Sith Warrior. The young Jedi had been ablaze with the Force; Light and Dark sweeping around him in swirling competition. He looked like that again now, but this time Qui-Gon was close enough to see the death in Obi-Wan's eyes. He studied his bondmate for an instant before nodding.
"I will show you where they are through the bond."
"See you soon," Obi-Wan said cockily, before immersing himself completely into the Shadow. He loped off into the Forest, disappearing into the Force and out of Qui-Gon's sight.
'Obi-Wan?' Qui-Gon asked.
'I am still here, beloved.'
Qui-Gon knelt on the forest floor, and closing his eyes, he reached deep within his sense of the Force so that he could find those who intended to do him and his padawan harm. He spoke no words to Obi-Wan, but through the bond he led the Warrior to his enemies, leading shadowed death directly to the living. Qui-Gon kept his guilt at bay, knowing that he was giving each of the beings in the forest a death sentence; he wondered how Obi-Wan did it, mission after mission, being the bearer of death.
'It took me along time to accept it,' Obi-Wan's voice told him in his mind as the Shadow removed his blade from the corpse of one of the bounty hunters. 'It was Master Yaddle that reminded me that while I was death, I was life, too.'
Only one remained now, one soul who remained alive, seeking them, wanting to destroy them. With a shock, Qui-Gon realised that the bounty hunter was standing before him.
"No!" someone screamed.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes to see the final hunter ready to kill him where he knelt, while behind him his apprentice, Anakin, stood, frozen in horror as he watched his master be murdered. It happened so quickly, quicker than the Jedi master thought was even possible. A blur rushed from the trees, a voice whispered his own denial in his mind and then the bounty hunter lay dead; his neck snapped. Qui-Gon looked up into the stormy green eyes of the man's killer.
Obi-Wan stood over his final victim, panting, but he did not see Qui-Gon nor Anakin, instead he once more saw the vision he had witnessed on Coruscant, when he had seen his beloved master murdered as Anakin watched. It had been that vision and that vision alone that had made the Shadow flee back towards where he had left the man he was supposed to be protecting.
"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon tentatively asked, seeing in his mind also, Obi-Wan's vision, understanding how Obi-Wan came to be with him when he had not called to him to tell the Warrior where the final killer was. "That was the last."
"I know," Obi-Wan said, still unable to catch his breath. "You must go, you have a mission to complete."
"I can't leave you, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon stood and started towards his bondmate. Obi-Wan seemed lost and in a haze and Qui-Gon had no intention of leaving his lover alone.
It was Qui-Gon moving towards him that shook Obi-Wan from his stupor. He saw his soulmate coming towards him and knew that for the present he could not stand to be touched by him; it had been too close. He needed time to find his centre.
"You will," he commanded as forcefully as he was able. He took one last look at Qui-Gon before gathering the Force to himself and running, running as far and as fast as he could.
Qui-Gon felt the stirring in the Force a moment before Obi-Wan disappeared from sight. The denial was on his lips, but never had a chance to be heard as Obi-Wan fled from him.
"Master?" Anakin asked, unsure of what had just happened.
"Come, Anakin, we have a mission to finish," Qui-Gon answered the boy's open question. He mentally pulled himself together before heading back towards those he and his apprentice had been charged to protect and escort to a wedding.