Chapter 13
(It's all starting to unfold, piece by piece. The puzzle is near complete, but the finished product is still a mystery.)
"Qui-Gon got in trouble…Again. He answered a distress call. The Council told him not to, they told him that it was a trap; but Qui-Gon did not listen. And you know what? It was a tra…, I got held hostage for hours. It was no fun. But then we get back to Coruscant and of course the Council decided that Qui-Gon needed to learn his lesson. And of course that lesson involves the worse mission possible, and since I'm Qui-Gon's Padawan I have no choice but to suffer the consequences as well. See, that's how we ended up on this dismal ship, with the grumpy pilot and the disgusting, smelly, rude passengers. But Qui-Gon will never hear those words pass from my lips."
Qui-Gon chuckled softly at Obi-Wan's choice of words as he listened to them pour from his journal. But a giant void in his mind and heart quickly replaced the light atmosphere. What seemed like a permanent frown settled upon his face. If only he could go back to that fateful day. If only he had told Obi-Wan how much he really meant to him. If only, if only he had done something instead of being a pigheaded monster. If... If only he could take everything back. If only I had tried harder. If only…If only…
"Qui-Gon..?"
"I'm sorry Tahl, I really thought that this feeling would lead us somewhere, but yet again, we are in another nameless hostel, with another worthless owner. We are no closer than we were before."
"You don't know that Qui-Gon. There is still hope. Trust in the force. It led you here for a reason." Qui-Gon simply remained silent, pondering her words. Could he still trust in the Force, had it lead him here for a reason? Or was his lonely mind playing tricks on him?
"I'm not normally like this Tahl." Qui-Gon answered after a few moments of silence. "I'm the one that always keeps my composure, I don't get upset. I don't show my feelings like this. It's just...Obi-Wan."
"You're only human, Qui-Gon, and no matter how much you want to follow the code, no matter how much you want to deny it, you can't hide that fact that your human, you can't hide the fact that you have emotions. You care about Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan cares about you. You can't hide what your heart bleeds for. You've been through some rough times lately with Obi-Wan, but it's only made you stronger, just like I told you it would."
"Maybe that's what Arthenia meant then?"
"What?"
"She said that this was supposed to be, that this was supposed to happen. Arthenia is never wrong. I couldn't see the wisdom in her words for I was blinded by my desperation and anger, but I see it now."
"What do you see?"
"I see Obi-Wan in the future, by my side as it was meant to be. I haven't been able to trust him, haven't been able to put my faith in him and in return, Obi-Wan could not put his faith in me. He doesn't notice that I care for him. He's sunk deep into despair and I didn't ever realize it till now. As much as it pains me to say this, Arthenia was right, this was meant to be. It was meant to bring us together."
"But that doesn't mean that we have to sit by and let this go on any longer. We will find him Qui-Gon."
"I sure hope that you are right. Since Obi-Wan vanished nothing has been the same. I don't know how I know it, but we don't have much time left Tahl. Soon, very soon, something is about to happen, something that will drag this whole situation away from mystery and towards the light. There are whispers are in the Force."
"Then we must be ready to face the challenge."
Kimone…The voice rang through his hazy mind, clearing the fog enough for Obi-Wan to think rationally.
"What's your name?" the child repeated.
"Obi-Wan."
"That's a funny name."
"Where did you come from?"
"Ohh, I've always been here, just not in this room. I'm a servant to Helena." The answer was cryptic, a double meaning, but Obi-Wan's pain filled mind saw no reason to question the child's answer. Silence fell through the room, Obi-Wan's ragged breathing echoed off of the silent walls as they glared back at him, forcing the abyss in his mind to threaten for control once again.
"Are you okay?" Kimone's soft voice once again broke through the haze of the darkness.
"No…" A half sob escaped from his lips. Sorrow filled the child's eyes, a sorrow that should never be in one so young.
(I'm sorry…)
"Is there any way that I can help you?"
"No…" Silence reigned through the room once again as Obi-Wan valiantly, but futilely beat back the darkness. This time it didn't budge. He could think of nothing or no one that could successfully banish the darkness.
"Kimone?"
"Yes?"
"You're a child, you have dreams and ambitions. Is it worth it?"
"Is what worth it?"
"Is it worth it to dream? Is it even worth it to try, when you have nothing to live for?"
"Dreams bring hope, Obi-Wan. Dreams are what have brought me this far. If we give up on our dreams, we give up on our existence, we give up on life. We give up on everyone and everything that made our life possible, we giveup on everyonethat made are dreams to begin with."
A gasp left his tired lungs, his heart stuttered…
"But what if there is nothing left to dream about?"
"There is always something, you just have to dig deep enough to find it. You have to find hope Obi-Wan. You must trust in what you cannot see. Believing is seeing… Just because you can't see it now, doesn't mean it isn't there."
A silent nod…A cold shudder ran down his spine…His heart skipped a beat…A sudden gasp stole away his breath...
"Do you know what I see now?"
"What?"
"Nothing… Just four walls and darkness so thick that not even hope can penetrate it. How do I find something to believe in now, Kimone?"
"You must look beyond the walls Obi-Wan; they cannot hold you beneath their confines forever. Beyond these walls Obi-Wan, someone is waiting for you, someone that loves you. You just have to look beyond your prison cell. For somewhere, there is still hope, floating around like a butterfly, just open your palm and let it fly to you. Let it flow through you."
Obi-Wan let it flow through him, let it wash over him like the waters at a baptism. The vortex of suffering settled down just a bit, and the darkness did not appear so absolute. Perhaps there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
From a distance he heard Kimone's next words. "Remember, Obi-Wan, you are not alone. You will never be alone. When you need it the most, seek the strength that lies inside of you, seek the way that has been marked by the light. Don't believe everything that you see..." These were the last words that Kimone would speak to him, for when he opened his eyes next, she was gone and was never seen nor heard from again.
"This is good news Helena. The young Jedi is finally mine. All shall fall under shadow, all shall cow tow before my name. Nothing can stop me now. Nothing! The universe shall be mine. Make sure the boy is ready to leave when I arrive. Do not screw it up this time or I will make sure that you do not have another chance. You shall be rewarded as soon as I see the child. May the Force be with you next time you run into him."
I know that the story seems to drag on, but there is an end, and it is coming very soon. As Arthenia said, the puzzle is almost complete. I have plenty of free time right now to finish cuz I just got some surgery done. So I'm bound to be bored and when I'm bored that's when the best ideas come to me. Anyways, sorry for rambling...