I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
And for all this
There's only one thing you should know
I've put my trust in you
-Linkin Park
Varn
"I'm going to kill whoever that is," Varn mumbled as he headed for his door and the incessant knocking.
The door slid open and Gannen rushed in, his robe swirling around his legs. "It's coming apart Varn, it's all falling to pieces!"
"What are you going on about?" Varn demanded. "Do you realize how late it is?"
Gannen turned to Varn, his face horrified. The weight of the issue hit him then like the scent of bantha fodder.
"By the force what's happened?"
Gannen trembled, a cold sweat dotting his skin. "There's a Jedi Master onboard. If this slave ring gets out we're ruined! Our fortunes, our prestige, everything will be gone! We'll rot in prison. I can't…"
"Be quiet," Varn said, his eyes darkening and his face calm. "Just stop. We're not ruined. I've come too far to let Qui-Gon Jinn stop me."
"So what do we do?"
Varn smiled. "We made a plan, just in case something like this happened, now didn't we?"
Gannen's eyes widened. "We're really going to blow the Abductor up?"
Varn didn't respond. He walked silently to his desk and pulled out a small bar the size and length of his index finger.
Gannen fidgeted nervously. "Shouldn't we get Xanatos and Obi-Wan?"
"No."
They left the room in a whirl, not bothering to take anything but the trigger. They ignored the guards as they boarded Varn's private ship.
"Trigger it now," Varn ordered as they shot away from the Abductor. "A freighter that size will need some time to shut itself down, but no one will know to evacuate until it's too late."
Gannen did as he was told, still shivering with apprehension.
"Varn?"
"What?"
"How did you know the Jedi's name?"
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Qui-Gon
The ship rocked viciously beneath his feet. He pressed himself againt the wall tightly to keep from falling.
"That can't be good," he said to himself. He glanced into the medbay windows. Siri and Bant looked so helpless and weak. So tragically young. If he didn't know how to read the life support machines, he would have thought they were dead.
I have to find Obi-Wan. I have to get the cure.
The thoughts coursed through his head over and over again until he didn't know which was more important.
He hurried back to where he had left the unconscious guards and lifted a datapad off one. It wasn't coded, and Qui-Gon found what he was looking for easily: a roster of the room allocations. He could only assume that Xanatos had returned to his quarters, where he was probably keeping Obi-Wan.
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Obi-Wan
Xanatos's hands covered his eyes. "Things aren't that simple."
"Why not?" Obi-Wan demanded. To him, his plan seemed far easier than slaughtering a ship full of innocent people.
Suddenly the Abductor shook under them. Obi-Wan stumbled. "What was that?"
Unease was written on his lover's face. "We have to get out of here."
"What about Qui-Gon?"
"He'll find us." Xanatos studied the young Jedi closely. "Are you sure that you can do this?"
That was one of the hardest questions Obi-Wan had to ask himself. Everything had become so different so quickly.
"Yes, I can do it."
"Then let's go," They left the room, only to be greeted by the silhouette of familiar man.
"Qui-Gon," Xanatos said, not bothering to hide the venom in his voice. "I see you escaped the guards."
Qui-Gon shrugged. "I was actually disappointed. Usually you have something more challenging in store. Maybe you're losing your touch."
Obi-Wan suddenly felt very tired, as if he had heard this same argument many times before. He'd spent too much time listening to them fight. They'd wasted too many years resenting each other.
"Losing my touch?" Xanatos asked, the corner of his mouth lifting sardonically. "Perhaps you should tell Siri and Bant that."
"They've done nothing to you."
"They're Jedi," Xanatos hissed.
"Enough."
Obi-Wan stepped in-between them. The two most important people in his life, who wanted nothing more than to defeat each other.
"Enough," he repeated, then looked at Xanatos. "I want to speak to him alone."
Xanatos's eyes narrowed. There were so many emotions in those eyes: suspicion, jealousy, anger…
"Please," Obi-Wan said softly.
Xanatos stepped back.
"You know where to find me," he said, turning deftly on his heel and walking down the corridor.
Obi-Wan was silent until the sound of his boots against the floor faded.
"Qui-Gon-"
"Do you know where the serum is?" Qui-Gon asked quickly. "We have to get Siri and Bant out of here quickly, not to mention ourselves-"
"I have the cure," Obi-Wan said, his voice hoarse. This would be harder than he imagined.
"You have it?" Qui-Gon said incredulously. "Why would Xanatos-"
He stopped speaking, realization dawning on him.
"You're not coming with us."
Obi-Wan stared at his boots. "No."
"Xanatos is making me choose between you and the lives of Siri and Bant."
Obi-Wan nodded.
Qui-Gon took a deep breath. "Then he was a fool to give you the serum and leave us alone. You can just come with me now. We don't have to choose."
Obi-Wan looked up at him, pain in his light blue eyes. "Qui-Gon, I'm not his prisoner."
There was disbelief on his face. "He's tricked you."
"No, he hasn't."
"He must have. Why else would you be saying this?"
Obi-Wan reached into his robe pocket and pulled out two vials. "Injects these into their arms."
"You're not leaving with him."
"You don't understand-"
"Of course I don't," Qui-Gon turned away from Obi-Wan. "He's a monster. Look what he did to Siri and Bant. Your friends."
"He doesn't have to be like this," Obi-Wan stepped closer to his former master. "That's a part of why I'm going with him. He can change."
"Can he?" Qui-Gon demanded.
"Qui-Gon, he needs me."
Facing the wall he extended his hand for the vials. "Then go."
The words stung, but not as much as Obi-Wan's guilt. He thought of Melida/Daan, where he had betrayed Qui-Gon and his fellow Jedi for the sake of love and a cause.
He carefully pressed the vials against Qui-Gon's palm, his fingers brushing the warmth of the Jedi's hand. Obi-Wan realized that his own hands were ice cold.
He turned down the corridor. "I hope that you can forgive me."
Qui-Gon didn't answer as he followed Xanatos's path.
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A/N: Words cannot express how bad I feel for taking so long, and for such a short chapter. I know it's frustrating when you want to know what happens, but the writer doesn't update for months. For all of you who were checking back constantly, I am so sorry. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, there is only going to be one more for this particular segment, though I may not be done with the storyline. I was talking with my beta, and I just don't feel I can give the characters proper closure when I'm done with this, so there may be a third installment. I'm not making any promises though, I want to make sure I have the plot completely ironed out before I start it because I don't want you guys to have to put up with long waits like you did for this story. Anyway, if you made it to this point of my obscenely long author's note congratulate yourself. Thanks for reading, please review!