It's been a while- sorry for the delay in writing in this! Lost and Found is almost done and my muse has up and left me for this story- which is very sad as I was enjoying writing it! Sorry to keep you hanging with that rather mean cliffhanger!

Anyways- I've completed my first year at Uni- yay :D Wow- the year has literally flown and I don't know where it's gone. Exams are over- I passed (yay!)- did better than I thought and have the whole summer ahead (til October!) to just...write. And work- I'm a Lifeguard at my local pool!

So- enjoy! :D

Chapter 4- Alone in the Dark

Vena jolted awake. Something was wrong, the Force was telling her urgently. Instantly aware of her surroundings, she sat up, eyes wide and quickly growing accustomed to the dark. She was in Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi's quarters, staying with Obi-Wan whilst his Master was away on a mission. The former Crèche Master frowned. She was very much used to waking up in the middle of the night if a child was distressed or she was needed, but nobody had called out to her and there were no crying children.

She sat still for a moment, senses on alert as her eyes took in the darkened living quarters, the shadowy sofas and the dim kitchen to her left. Nothing moved. To any normal person everything seemed perfectly fine. Then why was the Force nagging at her, whispering it anxieties?

Without warning, a pained cry rent the air. Not even needing to think, Vena was up, reaching for her lightsaber. That had definitely come from Obi-Wan's room; the Force was positively swirling in agitation. In another breath, Vena was through the bedroom door, lightsaber in her hand now, ready to face whatever was in the room.

"Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan what's the matter?"

Obi-Wan was sitting bolt upright in his bed, sweat beading his temples and he gulped down air as though he had just completed a mad sprint. His hands twisted the bed sheets violently as his eyes displayed a horror and fear Vena rarely saw in a fourteen year old boy's eyes. A sweep of the room informed the master that there was no one else present; it was just Obi-Wan and herself. If there was nothing else...then...nightmares? Obi-Wan had been known to suffer from them as a younger child and Vena had often comforted him in the wake of one.

Slowly, she moved towards the bed. "Obi-Wan?" she called softly. It was as though he was back in her care in the crèche again. "Obi-Wan are you alright?"

Jerkily, Obi-Wan turned to look at Vena, his eyes out of focus so he seemed to look right through her. "You're not my Master," he surmised croakily after a moment. Why wasn't Master Qui-Gon there? He was always there to help him now. The confused Padawan tilted his head to the side, trying to look past Vena. Was he still coming? "Master?"

The hurt splashed across the young face squeezed Vena's heart tightly as she witnessed the raw emotion that bled into the Force. Hastily she pulled up mental shields around the room to keep the emotions contained- much as she had done in the crèche with upset children at night.

Was it all a terrible dream? Obi-Wan thought. If Qui-Gon isn't here...did he never take me as his padawan? Did I imagine it? The wild thought grabbed his confused and nightmare-shrouded mind in a vice like grip. No! No, that wasn't true- it couldn't be. He was padawan to Master Qui-Gon Jinn- Obi-Wan was sure of it.

"Where is Master Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan demanded of Vena, voice thick with emotion.

Vena almost frowned, but it was not unusual for one to wake up from a nightmare completely disorientated. "Your Master is on a mission Obi-Wan. You're still here in the Jedi Temple. Can you tell me who I am?" Vena gently reminded the boy, crouching down beside the bed, making sure to keep her voice low and calm in order to keep Obi-Wan from hyperventilating or becoming more agitated before she got to the bottom of the problem.

"Master Vena Kaa," Obi-Wan relaxed slightly in his bed, eyes becoming more aware as he calmed down.

Vena felt the Force beginning to calm down from its swirling maelstrom a few moments ago; though there was still great unease present. Obi-Wan suddenly stiffened in his bed, shaking his head, hands rising to clutch his hair in distress. "No, no, something's wrong," he muttered, more to himself than Vena.

"Obi-Wan?" Vena asked in concern. She looked at him carefully. Had Obi-Wan…seen something? A vision? It was not unknown for Jedi to have prophetic dreams but…Vena trailed off that line of thought, shaking her head. She was jumping to conclusions. "What did you see?"

"Master…" Obi-Wan whispered. "Explosion…transport…darkness…no, flames. Master Qui-Gon!" he tried to get up from the bed but Vena firmly kept him on the bed. "I have to go!" Obi-Wan struggled. His chest was growing tight as he struggled to breathe. He was not fully well yet and Vena did not want his health to suddenly lapse due to stress. Qui-Gon would have her head.

"Obi-Wan, calm down. Breathe," Vena instructed the frantic Padawan. "Obi-Wan Kenobi listen to me," she injected more Force-suggestion into her voice, seeking to pacify the younger Jedi. "That's it," she soothed as Obi-Wan's ragged breathing became more even and controlled.

"Now Obi-Wan, now tell me what you saw," Vena said, once Obi-Wan was calm again.

"It was…fragments really," the younger Jedi exhaled slowly. "I could…sense my Master. Then there was an explosion and there were flames. I could hear screams. Then darkness, no sound…only a whirring and water dripping," Obi-Wan relayed his nightmare to the concerned looking former crèche master.

Vena pursed her lips. "Obi-Wan…do you often…have visions?" she asked.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Not really. I don't think so," he replied softly. "But this felt, it hurts…here," he laid a hand over his heart. "He's in trouble- I know it. I have to find him."

The older Jedi paused, looking at the imploring eyes that were gazing up at her. "Obi-Wan- it could just have been a bad dream," she began, quickly moving on as the padawan opposite her started to protest, shaking his head at her words. "But remember what your Master said- you can comm. him and talk to him if you need to."

Obi-Wan nodded quickly.

"Then let's do that," Vena suggested.

"-er Jinn! Master Jinn!"

A frantic voice was calling to him. Obi-Wan? The Master's mind immediately thought- was his Padawan in trouble? He struggled towards conscious, desperate to find the source of the problem. The voice was filled with terror...and had an unfamiliar accent.

The voice called again and Qui-Gon's mind caught up, it wasn't Obi-Wan- it was a female voice he realized, slightly bewildered.

There was a roaring sound all around him. Qui-Gon struggled to understand what was going on. What was that noise? He took a deep breath and immediately regretted it as smoke and soot washed into his lungs. Coughing and choking on the smoke, the Jedi Master forced himself to focus. There was a fire, he could hear the crackling of it close by and the heat seared his back as he tried to move. Suppressing a groan as even the slightest of movements caused pain, he looked around.

"Master Jinn!" the voice was now relieved and he saw a young woman, lying at an odd angle beside him. He knew who she was- he was sure he had seen her before. Force his head and back hurt he thought ruefully as he struggled to comprehend what was happening.

Kalia Gunter- she was the First Minister's Secretory. Or had been. The memories were all flooding back. They were on a transport- heading towards the Government Headquarters on Rhasta- the leader of the government had been assassinated. There had been a brief warning from the Force and then the transport had jolted and suddenly the world was turning upside down. Qui-Gon remembered throwing himself forward to protect the secretary from harm. By his estimates he had been unconscious for about thirty seconds- a small impact to the head.

"Secretary Gunter," Qui-Gon croaked, trying to clear his throat of the smoke he was inhaling. "We have to get out of here."

Kalia nodded, her face ashen beneath the soot that covered her face. She seemed uninjured, thanks to the Jedi Master's quick and selfless thinking. "Master Jinn…they're all… dead!" she coughed, weakly pointing to the guards that had been sitting with them moments ago.

"There is nothing we can do," Qui-Gon said as gently as he could. The flames were spreading and the Force was positively shouting a warning. They had very little time before the fire engulfed the whole of the transport and they were cooked. Carefully, Qui-Gon pushed himself upwards, ducking as a piece of smoking debris fell from the ceiling. He would have to cut a way out of the wreckage.

Taking his lightsaber, Qui-Gon warned the Rhastan female to stand back as the emerald blade bit into the metal hull of the transport, slicing through the wall as the Master controlled the 'saber expertly, cutting a hole wide enough for them to escape out of as Kalia crouched behind him.

With a rush of fresh air that fed the oxygen starved people as well as the flames inside, Qui-Gon pushed the metal hard with his shoulder, forcing the circular metal piece he had cut to fall out. Grabbing the startled secretary, he pulled her out of the burning transport, leading her quickly away from it across the road. From a quick glance, there were lots of emergency vehicles around as Rhastan fire squads rushed in with water to try and battle the flames.

"Secretary Gunter!" a voice called.

Kalia turned and saw two officials hurrying towards her and the Jedi Master- their faces shocked as they approached.

"Are you alright Secretary?" the first asked, a short male, his eyes very wide as he took in the state of the two survivors and the flaming transport just behind them. "When we heard the news that your transport had been attacked?"

"It was an attack?" the Jedi Master demanded.

"The assassin?" Kalia's voice was more fearful as she looked at her two colleagues.

"We have no way of knowing- but your transport was thoroughly checked for any sort of tampering or sabotage before it left to pick you up. Nothing came up on the scanners," the second, another male, taller than his companion informed them. "We had surveillance cars following you but they saw nothing before your transport unexpectedly flipped. There are medics here to treat you," he began to usher the two survivors towards the healers.

"I'm perfectly-" Qui-Gon began to protest. He was not really injured- a small healing, meditative trance and he would be feeling better in no time. There really was no reason for any fuss.

"And Master Jinn there's an urgent long range comm. for you – it originates from Coruscant," the shorter male official stated, holding out a small communication device.

Those words were enough to make the previously un-rattled Jedi Master, who had been perfectly calm throughout the fire incident, feel a dread rise up in his stomach. Had something happened? He accepted the device as he and Kalia were guided towards the medics.

Activating the device, Qui-Gon waited for a few moments before a fuzzy blue image appeared in the centre. He would recognize that face anywhere as the young, boyish figure of his Padawan appeared before him, dressed in his nightclothes, a robe draped around his shoulders.

"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon felt numerous questions all arise in his mind- each clamouring to be asked as he worried over what the problem was. Was it serious- had something happened in the Temple? What was going on?

"Master- are you alright?" the Padawan asked immediately, voice crackling with the distance between Coruscant and Rhasta. "I- I…you…" he broke off not knowing what to say. Qui-Gon could see how the boy's eyes were checking every inch of him- as if looking for an injury…

"Obi-Wan- I'm fine," he began to say before being cut off by the hologram.

The Padawan shook his head. "But I- I saw…" Obi-Wan's voice was muffled, as if he had been…crying?

"Obi-Wan what's wrong?" Qui-Gon demanded. Obi-Wan was contacting him to see if something was wrong but there was something definitely up with his apprentice and the lead weight in the Jedi Master's stomach increased.

"Just tell me you're…alright Master," Obi-Wan said. "I need to know."

Qui-Gon could tell that his padawan was stressed as the boy moved restlessly, eyes wide, hair at all angles. He moved quickly to reassure the boy. "I am fine Obi-Wan. There was an accident but I'm not injured," Qui-Gon informed Obi-Wan gently, watching as his Padawan's face relaxed slightly in relief. That was what his Padawan had been worried about? But how had the boy known? He was all the way here on Rhasta and could it be coincidence that immediately after his life was in danger, Obi-Wan contacted him to check if he was alright?

Obi-Wan sucked in a breath. "What sort of 'accident' Master? Are you sure you're not injured? I'm not there to see if you are hiding anything," the boy warned, a little bit of life entering his tone.

"Our transport…broke down," Qui-Gon said vaguely. There was no need to unnecessarily worry the boy. He knew his Padawan's stubbornness. The moment he found out what had really happened there would be nothing that could stop Obi-Wan from boarding the next transport from Coruscant to Rhasta. Qui-Gon knew that if the situation was reversed- which thankfully it wasn't- he would do exactly the same.

"Broke down?" Now the boy sounded sceptical.

"Are you alright Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon checked, raising an eyebrow at his Padawan's apparel. "You are in your nightclothes- surely it is the middle of the night…" the Master trailed off as he began to connect the dots. A frantic communication in the middle of the night, his Padawan looking worried and agitated… "You had a nightmare didn't you Padawan." It was not a question.

Obi-Wan's blue image wavered as some random interference passed through. "N-no…" he tried to defend himself. "I'm ok Master- everything's fine here," he tried to offer a smile to the Master, who saw right through the boy's pretence.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon warned his Padawan as the younger Jedi shifted as sheepishly as a holo-image could. Qui-Gon could feel the tendrils of guilt rising up. He had not been there for his Padawan. Obi-Wan had been alone to deal with his nightmares- this one seemingly centring around his Master. Qui-Gon paused. Had Obi-Wan seen what had happened? "Obi-Wan what did you see?" he asked.

"A transport…then fire…" the youthful voice shivered. "Explosions, noise, death…"

Qui-Gon watched as his Padawan's eyes slid shut as he remembered the terrors of the nightmare and frowned at the light years separating them. He had promised to be there for the boy…but where was he when his Padawan had needed him?

"Master- it's not your fault," Obi-Wan spoke up, reaching forward as if he could touch his Master and then realizing where he was. "You are doing your duty- which is more important. Please – don't…don't worry about me. Think about the mission and stay safe."

"Wise words young Padawan," Qui-Gon tried to make the situation more light hearted. "I will endeavour to follow your advice. As long as you can follow your own?"

"Of course Master. Though there's nothing in the Temple that will hurt me- now you have taken your cooking skills away with you," the apprentice teased back.

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "Insolent boy," he smiled, glad that the tension was gone. "Obi-Wan I must attend to things here," he said ruefully.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I understand. May the Force be with you Master."

"And with you Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "If you need anything else- you can call later. Sleep well my Padawan," he nodded, watching as Obi-Wan tried unsuccessfully to hide a yawn. It was the middle of the night on Coruscant after all.

"See you…later…" Obi-Wan yawned again before his blue image wavered and then disappeared back in to the communication device the Jedi Master was holding. Everything now seemed quiet as his Padawan's image and voice vanished and a strange feeling of loneliness arose in Qui-Gon. He had not felt that in a long while. He had not whilst Obi-Wan had been his Padawan for the last year. Mentally he shook himself. He had been a solo Master for years before him and before meeting Obi-Wan. He could handle this.

Admit it Jinn, he thought to himself. You miss the boy. Great- he was going soft.

"Is everything alright Obi-Wan?" Vena's voice broke through Obi-Wan's musings as he watched the now empty communication device he had placed on the table in the kitchen area of his quarters.

Obi-Wan looked up and saw the former crèche master walking towards him from the living area, having stayed a respectful way away from the communication between master and padawan, but close enough to offer any assistance should it have been asked for. "Yes Master Vena," Obi-Wan said gratefully.

"Your master?" Vena asked.

"There was…an incident. But he is fine," Obi-Wan said with a small smile. "I think…I'll go back to bed," he announced.

Vena nodded. "Of course. I hope your dreams are more pleasant this time Obi-Wan," she matched his smile. "Sleep well young padawan." She sincerely hoped that the boy's sleep would be untroubled this time. The young boy did not need such disturbances when trying to recover from a nasty illness.

Well- no major cliffhanger there to be mean to you guys with :P But the angst is still to come and there shall be plenty of cliffhangers! *evil laugh* Hopefully the next chapter will not take as long!

Hope you liked- please review :D

AldabaranFox