Sienna stumbled and fell, mind reeling as she processed that she had been stabbed. Her lightsaber fell limp at her side as her other hand instinctively flew to the wound. Kriff, kriff, kriff. She needed to stabilize the knife, keep it from moving around, or else it might sever something vital, and the Force was ringing in her ears, shouting at her not to move, not to make the injury worse, kriff.
Maul smirked. The human body was so delightfully fragile. Had it not been for her armor, he would have struck between the ribs, and that would have had her dead in a matter of minutes. Oh well, he'd just have to finish this himself.
He raised his lightsaber to deliver a killing blow, but the Force shrieked, bellowing a decisive NO. Of its own accord the Force stayed his blade and threw him back with the same concussive power of an explosion, sending him sprawling in the sand.
Maul grunted as the air was knocked from his lungs, and for a moment he just lay there, gaping like a fish as he tried to breath.
He was, to say the least, extremely confused.
He had never felt the Force behave in such a way. It didn't actively interfere. As a Sith it was his to control, to wrangle, to subdue and make to do his bidding. It sometimes fought him, but the harder it fought the more powerful the Sith became when they made it bend to their will. It was nothing but power for him to weild. The Sith don't obey the Force, the Force obeys the Sith. That's what made them greater than the Jedi.
And yet the Force had defied him. How? Why?
When he found his breath again he picked himself up and looked at the Jedi girl. She was lying down now, having fallen on her back, with the hilt of his blade sticking up from her abdomen.
If the Force didn't want him to kill her, fine. She would be dead soon anyway from blood loss.
Maul hopped on his speeder and raced away across the dune. He had other Jedi to face.
"Where's Sienna? I can't leave without saying goodbye!" Anakin slowed to a stop as he and Qui-Gon drew nearer to the Nubian cruiser. The boy had been hoping that Sienna would be there, but he didn't see her standing beside the ship. When he tried to sense her like she had taught him, it became clear that she wasn't already on the ship either. She wasn't there.
"It appears we must," Qui-Gon said apologetically. He was disappointed too. He had been hoping to ask the girl to come to Coruscant with them and to bring her to the Council, but it seemed that wouldn't happen now.
"But I might never see her again!"
"Anakin-" Qui-Gon turned, growing mildly frustrated, because they were short on time and the Force was upset and whispering half-warnings Qui-Gon couldn't make out, but then he saw a flash of red and he swiped his lightsaber from his belt, "Anakin, drop!"
Thankfully, the boy obeyed, and narrowly missed getting beheaded by a speeder. Qui-Gon met the crimson blade with his green one and shouted another order. "Go, tell them to take off!"
Wide-eyed, Anakin ran to the cruiser and up the ramp as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Mister Qui-Gon's in trouble and he says we have to take off!" He shouted into the ship.
Padmé looked at Anakin in alarm, and a man Anakin had never met immediately dashed to the cockpit, relaying the message. Anakin followed, and when they reached the cockpit a different man in a brown cloak took charge of the situation.
"Take off," he said, sitting beside the pilot, "over there, fly low."
Anakin pushed his way to the front of the group so he could see over the man's shoulder. From the viewscreen, he could clearly see the fight, and even in broad daylight the two lightsabers flashed brightly. Who was Mister Qui-Gon fighting? And why did the Zabrak feel so icky in the Force? Maybe he was one of the Destroyers that Sienna had told him about, the evil Force-users that had pushed her through a portal and trapped her on Tatooine.
The ship flew low above the pair, and then the cloaked man turned and strode out of the cockpit, Anakin following close on his heels. The door slid open to reveal Qui-Gon lying on the floor, leaning back on his elbows and trying to catch his breath.
Anakin broke into a run. "Are you alright?" He asked, dropping to his knees beside Qui-Gon. He tried to use the Force to sense for injuries the way Sienna could, but it didn't work.
"I think so," The Jedi replied, pushing himself up into a sitting position.
The cloaked man crouched beside Qui-Gon as well. "What was it?" He asked.
Anakin glanced at him quickly, having nearly forgotten his existence in his panic over Qui-Gon, and then looked back at the Jedi.
"I'm not sure," Qui-Gon said between gasping breaths, "But it was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is, it was after the Queen."
"What are we gonna do about it?" Anakin asked, wide eyed and worried.
Qui-Gon exhaled, then looked back at Anakin. "We should be patient," he said. Then, lifting a hand and entirely changing the subject, "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Anakin turned to the cloaked man and leaned up on his knees, extending his hand. "Hi," he said.
The cloaked man accepted the handshake and offered a tight smile and a nod.
Anakin continued shaking his hand. "You're a Jedi too? Pleased to meet you." He gave a few more shakes and a wide smile, and then finally let the other have his hand back.
Obi-Wan's brow raised at the boy's sudden enthusiasm, and an amused smile tugged at his lips. He glanced at Qui-Gon, who looked equally amused.
At least this pathetic life-form has manners, Obi-Wan sent across the training bond.
Qui-Gon huffed a half-laugh at that. Don't let your ego grow too much in the face of his awe.
Of course not, Master.
Sienna focused on keeping her breathing even and her mind calm. In... out... in... out... She knew how to deal with knife wounds. She'd taken care of plenty of them throughout her life. Usually she was helping someone else, but it couldn't be that hard to keep herself alive, right? Right?
She pressed slightly trembling hands around the sides of the blade, trying to keep it stable. That was most important right now. Keep the knife stable so it didn't do any additional damage and so that it kept the wound from bleeding too much. If she lost too much blood, she'd go into hypovolemic shock. Based on where she'd been stabbed, she would make it about forty minutes before that happened. But there would be other symptoms that showed up first - confusion, for example, and she needed to stay alert.
Sienna knew she couldn't move. Her speeder was trashed and she'd no doubt be dead before she could walk all the way back to the city. Her only choice was to lie here, and hope that someone friendly came upon her in time to help.
The chances of that were slim.
The Padawan closed her eyes, sinking into the Force, trying to preserve energy and slow her heart rate. The Force whispered around her, trying to offer some comfort. She reached out for it, seeking some kind of guidance. What do I do?
The tiny thread at the corner of her mind lit up, the Force moving towards it like air in a cave leading a trapped miner to a way out.
Anakin.
Sienna had no idea where he was right now. Probably at home, or playing with his friends. Surely, he was too far to find help.
But the Force nudged her in that direction again, wrapping the thread in an insistent glow.
Ok, she thought, I'll try.
She sunk a bit deeper into the Force, then let her consciousness move closer to the thread. She tugged on it, gently but urgently. Anakin!
Still kneeling beside Qui-Gon, Anakin stiffened. "Stop the ship!" He cried, scrambling to his feet.
"Anakin!" Qui-Gon lunged forward and snatched the boy's sleeve before he could run off. "What's wrong?"
Anakin twisted out of Qui-Gon's loose hold, his panic pouring into the Force. "It's Sienna she's in trouble, we have to help her!"
"How do you know?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I can feel it! Stop the ship!" Anakin was dashing for the cockpit now. He burst through the doors, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hot on his heels.
"Anakin!" Qui-Gon scolded again.
"There! Look!" Anakin pointed out the view screen. Though the ship had risen much higher than it had been a minute ago, they could all barely make out a smudge of color against the pale sand.
"Sir?" The pilot asked.
"Land the ship," Qui-Gon instructed, "but be ready to take off immediately."
He turned and headed back out to the entryway. Anakin followed, but Qui-Gon held out an arm to stop him. "Stay here with Obi-Wan. I'll get your friend."
"No! If you're going, I'm coming too!"
"Anakin-"
"I'll get her," Obi-Wan interrupted, "You and Anakin can both stay here."
Qui-Gon glanced at his Padawan. Obi-Wan was giving him a look, and Qui-Gon sighed and gave him a sharp nod.
Anakin wasn't done protesting. "But-"
Obi-Wan was already out the door though, dashing across the sand before the cruiser had even touched down, and Qui-Gon grabbed Anakin's arm before the boy could follow.
Obi-Wan skidded to a stop and dropped down to a crouch beside the young women. She appeared unconscious, and there was a growing red stain on her shirt, stemming from the knife buried in her abdomen.
Obi-Wan sucked in a breath when he saw it. "Kriff," he muttered. It looked bad.
"My thoughts exactly."
Obi-Wan startled, whipping his head to the side. The person's eyes had fluttered open, squinting at Obi-Wan in the sun. She offered a small smile that ended up looking more like a grimace.
"I need to get you back to the ship so we can get that knife out," Obi-Wan said.
"Sounds like a good idea," she agreed.
Obi-Wan lifted a hand just above her stomach and stretched out his senses, letting the Force show him the exact positioning of the knife. It didn't look precariously close to anything vital, at least not close enough that it would sever something while he carried her. "Alright, I'm going to carry you to the cruiser.
Sienna offered another attempt at a smile. "Thanks pal."
And then she passed out.
Obi-Wan cursed a second time and promptly scooped the woman into his arms. The wound was still steadily bleeding, and the fact that she was no longer conscious was not a good sign. Calling on the Force for speed he ran back to the ship, ignoring Anakin's panicked cry and heading straight for the medbay.
"She's lost a lot of blood," he informed the med droid, which started hooking up various monitors.
Since this was the Queen's transport, the medbay was fairly sophisticated. It needed to be able to provide emergency services if the Queen was attacked. But it was still just a ship's medbay, not a hospital, and what Sienna needed was a hospital.
After making sure that the med-droid had everything under control as best it could, Obi-Wan left the medbay and moved swiftly back to the cockpit. "How long until we reach Coruscant?" he asked.
"We're about to jump to hyperspace now," the pilot said, "ETA six days."
"That's too long," Obi-Wan muttered, "she won't make it."
"Rodia is nearby," Qui-Gon said, appearing just behind Obi-Wan, "And it is part of the Republic. We'll stop there."
"But Her Majesty-"
"Senator Farr is an old friend of mine," Queen Amidala interrupted. She too had appeared in the doorway. "We will be welcomed and safe on Rodia."
"But what of our people?" The pilot protested. "They're dying at the hands of the Trade Federation! We've wasted enough time already."
Sabé glanced at Padmé, who stood to the side holding the hand of a frantic Anakin.
"We have to stop! We can't let Sienna die!" Anakin cried. "She's my friend, we have to help her!"
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," Qui-Gon said softly.
Anakin burst into tears and Padmé sent Qui-Gon a sharp look. She then glanced back at Sabé and gave a small nod.
"We will stop on Rodia," Sabé stated, "Just long enough to bring the girl to a medical facility, and then we will resume our mission."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The pilot punched in the coordinates for Rodia, and then the cruiser leapt into the blue of hyperspace.
Padmé led a still crying Anakin away to a lounge, the Queen returned to her quarters, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made their way back to the medbay.
"Are we really going to just leave her there on Rodia?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm afraid we must," Qui-Gon said. "Our mission is to protect the Queen and ensure her safe arrival on Coruscant so she can plead her case to the senate. Her people need her. We don't have time to spend a few days on Rodia."
"I suppose you're right."
They stepped inside the medbay and took in the sight before them. The droid had spread bacta on Sienna's face and hands where they were sunburned and wrapped a bandage around her torso. Monitors tracked her vitals, and an IV fed a blood transfusion into her arm. Her armor and vest were piled on a chair in the corner of the room.
"So this is the supposed Padawan," Obi-Wan said after a moment.
"Indeed. This is Sienna Retrograde."
"Did you find out who she is?" Obi-Wan inquired. "I've never seen her before. I thought perhaps even if I didn't recall the name I would recognize her face from one of my classes, but I do not."
Qui-Gon crossed his arms under his poncho and leaned against the doorway. "I spoke with her last night. She says she is a Padawan of a different Jedi Order, one which exists in another galaxy."
Obi-Wan turned to him in surprise. "But there is no other Order, is there?"
Qui-Gon sighed. "I don't know. I am inclined to believe her, as strange as her story sounds. I sensed nothing but truth in her words."
"If there is another Order, why have we never heard of it?"
"I don't know, Obi-Wan. She spoke of many strange things. I plan to spend some time in the archives if we have a spare moment once we arrive back on Coruscant."
Obi-Wan nodded, accepting that he would get no further answers from his Master. "She feels strange in the Force."
Qui-Gon chuckled. "She does indeed. That is one of the first things I noticed when I met her."
"And what of the other Force-user? I know you did not wish to say anything more in front of Anakin, but I can sense that it troubles you. Who was he?"
"I don't know for sure, but I have my suspicions. He was trained in the Jedi arts, skilled with a lightsaber and knowledgeable in the Forms. That leads me to believe he was a Sith Lord."
"A Sith?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised and disturbed.
"Indeed."
"What would a Sith be doing out here on Tatooine? What was he after?"
"Perhaps he was seeking to destroy the Queen. Perhaps he was there for other reasons. Either way, his presence is troubling."
Obi-Wan hummed. Troubling indeed. "Do you think he is the one who stabbed Sienna?"
"I do not think it is a coincidence that we found Sienna in this condition. But it also complicates the situation. Sienna has no real affiliation with the Queen, nor with the Jedi Order, so why attack her?"
"Perhaps she stumbled upon or attacked him?"
"Perhaps, but that creates its own list of questions."
"Such as why he would leave her alive when it would have been easy to kill her after stabbing her."
"Precisely. We have a very many questions and no answers to any of them. And I'm afraid we won't find any answers at the moment. As I said to Anakin, we should be patient." He pushed away from the door and turned to fully face Obi-Wan, glancing over the latter's clothes. "You should clean up, my young Padawan."
Obi-Wan looked down and realized he had some small bloodstains on the front of his tunic and tabbards from where he had held Sienna against him while he brought her to the cruiser. "I suppose I should."
"I am going to go debrief the Queen on our adventures thus far. Once you are cleaned up, come find me. We should be arriving on Rodia shortly."
Obi-Wan dipped his head in a gesture of respectful acknowledgement. "Yes, Master."
