Chapter 6

Rolling in the grass was something Qui-Gon Jinn usually enjoyed. In fact, it was one of his favourite past times. However, those were normally times when he had his incredibly beautiful padawan in his arms, and wasn't in danger of being trampled to death. This was so not his day.

"To think this mission had started so well," he sighed.

After sneaking into one of the transports, Qui-Gon had tried to remain composed. It wasn't the brightest move, but surely it couldn't be that bad? Once again, Qui-Gon's Force sensors had neglected to inform his brain of one vital piece of information: the transports were carrying droids. Droids are machines. Machines don't require any kind of atmosphere to breath. He, as a human, did. He couldn't breath.

Hidden inside the now sealed transport, he was trying to gag quietly. Forcing his lungs to slow down, and then calling upon the Force to smooth the burning lack of oxygen, he lulled himself in to a Force trance.

Deep in thought, it was at times like these he wondered how he was considered a Jedi Master. A Master wouldn't be making all these mistakes. A Master wouldn't hop into a battle droid transport without some kind of plan. A Master wouldn't. Except that was the point; he wasn't in control, he wasn't in charge, he wasn't the Master anymore. The serene padawan with the soft auburn hair was now the master of his heart. At first it made him stronger, fuelled by the will to keep his beloved safe.

But that had all changed when his young lover was stolen from his grasp. Obi-Wan had stolen his heart, and with him gone, his sense of being was scattered and his thoughts incoherent. Nothing mattered, but everything mattered. The ache in his soul hurt so badly he couldn't think straight. The boundary between the physical word and the vision he saw with help from the Force, blurred. Simple objects like walls and tables became intricate patterns of swirls and colours, indicating were the Living Force was, had been or would be.

The emotional trauma was affecting his ability to wield the Force. His powers were periodically fluctuating uncontrollably and at the most inconvenient times. Like, for instance, right now. The trance he was in began to falter. Breath! screamed his lungs.

Starting to shake, Qui-Gon began to panic. It would only be a few minutes before the transport touched down on Naboo, but what if he couldn't last that long? What if his quest to find his beloved ended abruptly in the cargo hold of a trade federation transport?

NO! his mind screamed. Snapping back into focus and control, Qui-Gon eased back into the dream-like Force-induced trance. His lungs numbed, and the older Jedi's vision cleared. As if the miracle he had been praying for had arrived, landing thrusters jerked the cargo hold and signalled the transports slowing descent. Relief washed over the cramped Jedi.

I'm not sure how much longer I could have stayed in control. This has to stop. I can't help Obi-Wan if I am a complete wreck.

As the mechanised troops poured out of the transport, Qui-Gon took in a breath of sweet air.

Taking care not to be spotted by the landing troops, Qui-Gon crept to the transport doors, ready to escape. He was looking for a clear path through the landing ships when a metallic voice cut through the echoing chamber of the transport.

Retrieve the scanning equipment and the operation card for the deforestation equipment from the storage bay

Roger roger!

Ah, nuts! Need somewhere to hide... thought Qui-Gon, starting to panic.

The droid unit had barely walked into the storage bay before Qui gon did a swan dive off the transport, into the long grass a few meters below. Sensing more troops approaching, he began to crawl army style through the field. A field that evidently had been occupied quite recently by a herd of bantha's. A herd of bantha's with big appetites.

This is so undignified. The possible saviour of this dinky little planet is crawling through god knows what. Great. Can my day get any worse…

The gods of irony heard Qui-gon's lament and did the only thing they could do. After serval minutes a large squelching noise could be heard from a patch of long grass.

Ewwwhhhh, I don't want to know what that was. Oh, Force, its on my tunic. I wonder how brown comes out in the wash? Never mind, focus on the task at hand. Saving my dry cleaning bill and Obi-Wan.

A few unfortunate stains later, Qui gon reached the end of the small clearing and began to walk upright. An increasingly loud rumble alerted him to the need for changing his leisurely stroll into a running-for-his-life dash. It was obvious the droids had found the deforestation operation card and were now enthusiastically putting it to work.

Qui-Gon was running through the forest and animals were running past him in panic. He had just attained a rhythmic stride when a large frog like creature grabbed him.

"Hey, help me! Help me!"

"Let go"

Oh sith… Duck!

An irritated Jedi and a confused Gungan dropped into the mud as the war machines passed over them and disappeared into the mist.

Not more dry cleaning!

Qui-Gon was wiping the dirt from his once pristine Jedi robes when the strange Gungan hugged him.

"Oyi, mooie-mooie! I luv yous!" shouted the Gungan as he kissed Qui-Gon.

Oh, this is disgusting.

"Are you brainless? You almost got us killed!"

"I spake."

"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get outta here!"

Qui-Gon began to move away from the Gungan, but to his surprise and annoyance, it followed.

"No...no! Mesa stay...Mesa yous humble servaunt."

"That wont be necessary."

"Oh boot tis! Tis demunded byda guds. Tis a live debett, tis. Mesa culled Jar Jar Binks."

Two STAPS burst through the mist and aimed their guns at Qui-Gon and Jar Jar.

"I have no time for this now."

"Say what? Oh, nooooo! Weesa ganna... ...dieeee!"

Qui-Gon pushed Jar Jar into the mud. I know somebody who is about to die…

"Stay down and shut up!"

Droids never having very good aim, the pair of STAPs were firing randomly at everything. It was proving to be a devastating attack for the surrounding foliage, but other than that, Qui-Gon was quite safe. He deflected the wayward laser bolts back at the oncoming STAPs, and managed to blow them both up in record time.

Qui-Gon couldn't help thinking that he would have preferred to be protecting Obi-Wan from an enemy onslaught, rather than an annoying Gungan.

"Yousa sav-ed my again, hey?"

"Look, I'm leaving before more droids show up"

"Mure? Mure did you spake?"

Qui-Gon started to run in the opposite direction, but the Gungan still wouldn't leave him alone.

"Ex-squeeze me, but da moto grande safe place would be Otoh Gunga. Tis where I grew up...Tis safe city."

" A city! Can you take us there?"

"Ahhh, will...on second taut...no, not willy".

"Look frog face. I have just saved your sorry gungan behind several times now and I think that it's about time you do something for me"

"Iss embarrissing, boot... My afrai my've bean banished. My forgoten. Der Bosses would do terrible tings to my. Terrible tings if my goen back dare."

A pulsating noise sounded in the distance, which sent shivers up Qui-Gon's spine. "You hear that? That's the sound of a thousand terrible things heading this way..."

Thinking of what Obi-Wan would say to this funny little creature to make him co-operate didn't take much effort.

"When they find us, they will crush us, grind us into little pieces, then blast us into oblivion!" Hee hee, that should have scared him….

"Oh! Yousa point is well seen. Dis way! Hurry!"

Qui-Gon had no other choice to follow the Gungan. He prayed that this city would have a way to contact the royal court of Naboo, because, as much as he hated to admit it, as the only Jedi on world, his task was now to protect Naboo, as well as searching for his beloved.

Hang on Obi-Wan, I'm coming.

Obi-Wan looked around his cell. It must have been a good hour ago since an extremely agitated medic had quickly patched up his head wound and left him alone. Obi-Wan fought off the lonely feelings of terror and abandonment, by reasoning that every moment he was alone was a moment that he wasn't being tortured. Yes, that was a good thought. Not being tortured. A wish that would definitely not come true, but it was a wonderful dream. A dream that would sustain Obi-Wan through his trials.

The silence was eerie.

Obi-Wan knew that they hadn't forgotten him. He had been taught the ways of interrogating an enemy, and lesson 12 was to make your captive as uncomfortable as possible. It was vital to break the captive in body and spirit, and what better way than to leave them for days without any attention, uncertain of their fate. It broke them early, and provided a captive willing to provide any kind of co-operation, in exchange for sustenance or perhaps just human contact.

Despite the seriousness of his situation, a small smirk crept onto Obi-Wan's face. The further away his captors were, the better. And besides, this was giving him plenty of time to think. Think about what he would do to these creeps once he got out. Time to wonder about where his Qui-Gon was now, and time to concoct several escape plans. The thought of escape was tantalising, but for now a foolish thought. Better to store those particular fantasies away until the time was right. Revelling in the undisturbed time, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and thought about Qui-Gon.

He could picture the older Jedi, as clear as day in his mind's eye, adding the small details he had lovingly collected by studying his Master. The times when Qui-Gon had been lulled into sleep in his arms, the times when Qui-Gon had released a breath-taking smile after praising Obi-wan's lightsaber drill. And especially the times when Qui-Gon looked him in the eye with those beautiful pools of calm grey, and professed his love for Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan took comfort in these memories as he drifted into sleep, a name poised on his lips. Qui-Gon.

I am so sorry for not updating for so long. Let's just say my life has been plagued with computers blowing up and malfunctioning memory sticks. I hope to get the next chappie out in the next week or so because I feel a bit guilty for not doings for this story. Reviews mean a lot.