Thanks again to Katieelessar! She has contributed to every chapter so far, and as long as she continues to edit my story she will definitely get partial credit. Oh, and I have recently rewritten every chapter, so please check them out and let me know what you think of the changes!
Well, Chapter 4 is finally up! I hope you all LOVE it! I worked even harder on this one than any of the previous ones. There will be an explanation as to how Xanatos could possibly be alive after jumping into those gross acidic pools on his homeworld of Telos. I will also describe Princess Caryna. Oh, and Katie, in response to your question, Caryna is not supposed to look similar to Cerasi. In an earlier chapter, Obi-Wan said, "I didn't even recognize the girl…" Just FYI! Once again, I thank all of you for your kind reviews and hope you enjoy the story!
Qui-Gon stood, shocked at seeing his old Padawan alive. Beside him, Obi-Wan seemed to be in similar shock. "But how can you be alive?" Obi-Wan asked, a hint of fear in his otherwise calm voice.
"You forget, I am a master at technology and inventing! I invented an invisible suit that covered me so that the acidic pools on Telos could not harm me! There was only one problem, though- your lightsaber passed too close to my cheek and disabled the shield there, so I no longer had protection for that spot," he sneered, pointing to a patch of synth-flesh on his left cheek.
"I see," Qui-Gon said calmly. "You fooled us into thinking you had died by releasing your cloak once you were in the pool."
"Quite clever, wasn't it, my old Master?"
"I remember your biggest flaw even when you were my Padawan was your tendency to give yourself more credit than was really due you. Your pride will be your downfall."
"No, Qui-Gon! I've had enough of your shallow Jedi wisdom! Pride serves merely to strengthen your powers. Thus, my pride will be your downfall!"
"Yes, now I remember your other flaw. You've always had a tendency to talk too much," Qui-Gon added.
With that, Xanatos lunged at them. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon quickly raised their blades, the Force flowing between them. Like every other time they had fought, they could each tell exactly what the other was going to do and when. They fought as one, blocking Xanatos' blows with precision accuracy that could only be gained through the Force. They moved gracefully, quickly, never stumbling, not even breaking a sweat. They gradually drove Xanatos back, until they had him against a window. Then, Xanatos smiled darkly and lowered his blade.
"I hate to break up this joyful reunion, but I'm afraid I must be going. You'll see me around. I guarantee it!" he avowed before jumping through the window. Seconds later, the two Jedi saw him speeding off on a speeder. They deactivated their lightsabers; then they looked at each other.
"We definitely need to contact the Temple," Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon just nodded in agreement.
Minutes later, they were back in their room. They quickly contacted the Temple and informed the Council of the new developments.
"Serious, this is," Yoda agreed.
"Keep aware of your surroundings," Master Kit Fisto added. "And keep an eye on this vision young Kenobi had. If he has it again, or it seems to be coming true, contact us at once."
"And keep your senses alert for Xanatos as well," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi continued. "If he shows up again, contact us."
"May the Force be with you," Master Windu concluded. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed to the holograph of the council before ending the transmission.
As soon as they had done so, they heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," Qui-Gon called. Princess Caryna rushed into the room.
"We heard you were attacked!" she cried worriedly. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, we're fine," Obi-Wan assured her, unable to stop a smile from crossing his face. He had already come to like her warm, caring personality. Anyone could tell after a few minutes with her that, despite her caring, regal personality, she was a person who liked to get things done. He knew that, though she was fussing over them now, she would soon be busy discussing what should be done to prevent it from happening again.
As it turned out, Obi-Wan couldn't have been more right. Thirty seconds later, she was sitting down to discuss some things with Qui-Gon. They sat there talking about security issues and other things for thirty minutes. Then Princess Caryna stood up.
"It's time for the evening meal. I would be honored if you would join me downstairs. We could maybe talk a little more about this. Of course, if you'd prefer to stay here in your quarters, I can have someone send something up," she offered.
"We'd be happy to join you," Qui-Gon agreed.
Later, after the meal, Princess Caryna took Obi-Wan on a tour of the palace. Qui-Gon had decided to retire early. During that time, they talked quite a bit and found they had many things in common, quickly becoming good friends. Obi-Wan walked Caryna back to her quarters. He looked at her, taking in her full appearance. She had the stature of a Selonian, standing 2 meters tall, slightly higher than an average Human, but had no fur. She had long, wavy brown hair that fell to her knees, which was now braided and wound into a bun on her head, a very long, very muscular tail, and blue eyes. She was wearing a very beautiful light blue dress that was pretty against her pale skin and matched her eyes perfectly. Her teeth were sharper than a normal Human's, but not quite as sharp as a Selonian's. Unlike most Selonians, she had a wonderful sense of humor, but like all Selonians, she carefully weighed her actions, feeling that if she were to make a wrong decision, it would endanger the health and happiness of her people.
"Are you sure you can find your way back from here?" she inquired anxiously.
"Yes," he assured her. "If nothing else, I can feel for my Master's presence and make my way to where he is. I'll be fine."
"Well, then, goodnight," she bade him softly.
"Goodnight to you, too," he whispered.
Sometime around midnight, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan awoke to a very insistent knocking on their door.
"Come in," Obi-Wan yawned.
A very panicked Selonian bodyguard came running in. "Sirs, you must hurry! Something terrible has happened!"
"What is it?" Qui-Gon inquired.
The Selonian gulped. "Princess Caryna has been kidnapped!"
Ok, I hate to do this, but I want to make sure people really want to read this story. I plan to have at least twenty chapters, like a traditional JA book. I hope to have Chapter 5 finished by the end of the month, depending on how much free time my three Pre-AP classes give me. After that, I will require at least two reviews to post Chapter 6, and the more reviews I get, the more likely I will be to write a sequel (or at least a JA #20!). Once again, I really hate to do this, and I will still write the story, I just won't post the next chapter unless I get at least two or three reviews! So, please R&R! This is my best story yet and I'd like to continue posting it!