Again my apologies for the late update! Work has been very hectic as well as trying to sort everything out for the return to Uni this week. Where has the summer gone? Not that I can say much for the weather. Oh wells.

Anyway- seeing as it's an important day I'm updating on (may be a birthday...) I thought I would give something back by updating and giving you chapter 7. Finally you may say lol. This was still hard to write even though I'd planned it and it looked pretty simple on paper.

But- read and enjoy :D The usual disclaimers apply still...

Chapter 7- Voice of Nightmares

Something was beeping softly beside him. It was like a lifeline, dragging him back to consciousness, the steady, rhythmic pulses guiding him back towards the light. It was as though he was rising up through dark, murky water, unable to see, unable to breathe until he broke through the surface…

However, the surface was deceptively far away even as he strained to reach it. He began to panic as the blood roared in his ears; he still could not breathe even as he struggled to. Pain ripped through his mind and his body felt like it was on fire. Then there were voices, everywhere, all around him, suddenly breaking out above him, chattering too quickly for him to make any sense of words or meaning. It felt as though his body was convulsing, shaking so violently he could almost feel his teeth rattling in his head. The beeps were quickening, shrill now and urgent.

Please…would it only just STOP!

There was a soft hiss and a momentary sting at the back of his neck and he managed to exhale slowly, then draw in a wonderful lungful of oxygen as his body sank back down, tremors easing until he was still. Something mercifully cool was placed on his forehead, easing the terror coursing through his system.

"Sleep," a voice he now understood commanded softly.

Unable to resist and too tired even to try, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep, the now gentle beeps fading away even as he did so.

There was a voice talking again. He could hear it, though it did not sound as frantic or muddled as last time. And there was definitely only one. He could even pick out the words being said despite the woolly sensation, the cloying feeling in his eyes and ears and nose.

"Come on…that's it…there we go…" The voice was even familiar as he awoke for the second time. Unlike the previous time, there was no panic from his body, no difficulty in breathing, no pain. In fact he felt numb. It was almost a relief to finally open his eyes. For a moment, everything swam before him, his vision blurred as his retinas reacted to the light. He blinked, feeling moisture welling up behind his eyelids and when he opened them again the light had been dimmed and he could see without squinting.

A face materialised beside him and he matched it to the voice he had heard from a few moments before. "Don't try to speak," the voice gently commanded, "I don't think your throat can handle it,"

He blinked, eyes moving away from the face and looking around, predominantly directly above him. From what he could tell, he was lying flat on his back. Cautiously, he flexed his fingers, checking they were still where they were supposed to be and he felt soft bed sheets beneath his fingertips. He was in bed?

"Here, drink this…slowly," the voice said. A straw was guided to his lips and refreshing liquid soothed his throat immediately, easing the tightness in his chest as he took small sips as instructed. Never had anything tasted more wonderful at that moment. He tired quickly and his head fell back onto the pillows beneath it, unable to drink anymore.

"…Bant…" he managed to gasp after the straw was removed.

"Oh Obi…" the Mon Calamari said with great relief, an undisguised smile stretching across her face. "That's better isn't it?"

Obi-Wan managed a small nod as he tried to gather more strength to speak. He felt weary, tired beyond all belief. What had happened? What was he doing here and why was Bant sitting beside his bed? Why was he so tired? Where…where was Qui-Gon? Why wasn't his Master here? Foggy thoughts were clogging up in his brain as he struggled to answer even one.

"It's ok Obi…just relax," Bant soothed, seeing her friend's brow crinkle in confusion as he tried to understand what was happening. "You're going to be fine. The healers say you need to rest. You're safe, it's ok…"

And with that, Obi-Wan allowed himself to let go, sinking back into oblivion with Bant's comforting words echoing in his brain, silencing the clamouring of thoughts for at least the moment.

This was becoming rather an annoying habit, Obi-Wan Kenobi decided as he gradually made his way back to full awareness. Without opening his eyes he allowed his somewhat limited senses to sweep around. He was lying in a bed, with cool sheets and soft pillows but it wasn't his bed. He was not in his quarters. The distinct smell in the air confirmed the fact that he was in the Healers' Wing.

/Force what have I done *this* time/ Obi-Wan thought to himself. /Qui-Gon is not going to be impressed…/

Opening his eyes, grateful that the lights were not so bright, the bemused padawan looked about him, tilting his head but not sitting up. He was in a single room in the Healers' Wing. To his left was just about every monitor he had ever seen in the Healers' Wing. For a moment he watched his vitals flash across the screen, noting his pulse, respiration rate and lots of other complicated stats Obi-Wan knew very little about. However, to his surprise he was the only one in the room. Turning his head to the other side he saw no chair beside his bed.

Where was his Master? Had Qui-Gon stepped out for something? Obi-Wan let his head flop back onto the pillows. It was very rare that he had ever woken up in the Healers and Qui-Gon had not been sitting at his side. Perhaps the Healers had forced the stubborn Jedi Master back to their shared quarters for some rest, the padawan's lips twitched at the thought.

/Master? Master where are you?/ Obi-Wan called out along their bond, too tired to call out vocally. /Master? I'm awake now. /

His words seemed to echo inside his brain. Then his blood ran ice cold and his heart plummeted in his chest. He couldn't feel it. He couldn't feel the bond that linked him to Qui-Gon's mind, usually humming contentedly in the back of his mind. Pulse rapidly picking up, Obi-Wan struggled into a sitting position in the bed, his whole being focused on trying to find the bond as he grew more panicked. Where was his Master? Why wasn't Qui-Gon responding? Had something happened? He wasn't…he couldn't be…

"Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan Kenobi calm down," a voice commanded beside him.

It took a few moments for Obi-Wan to comply with what he was being told. Beside him the heart monitor was shrieking shrilly as his pulse skyrocketed. There had to be a mistake, where was his Master? He had to be here. Why couldn't he feel their bond? Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Obi-Wan relaxed for a couple of moments before the dread seized him again. "W-where-" his voice croaked.

A glass was held in front of him and a straw guided to his lips again, in a funny moment of déjà vu. Not that Obi-Wan complained as he drank. He needed to find Qui-Gon. Needed to know now what was going on. Recovering his voice he recognized the person bending down beside him as Master Healer Y'Chiryō. His Master's friend- maybe he knew something.

"Master Y'Chiryō!" Obi-Wan gasped.

"Take it easy Obi-Wan," the healer instructed, removing the glass. "Nice and slowly. Your heart rate is much too high for my liking."

"But...my Master-" Obi-Wan protested as Y'Chiryō helped him to lie down, watching the monitors with a keen eye as he soothed the anxious padawan. "Please…tell me…what happened?"

Y'Chiryō frowned and it was not at the monitor readouts. He looked quizzically at his patient. "You don't remember?" he asked, raising the bed slightly to Obi-Wan was lying at a reclining level.

Obi-Wan shook his head and shivered.

Grabbing a warm blanket, Y'Chiryō made sure Obi-Wan was warm before starting. Obi-Wan's whole body was tense and his face very pale.

"You were brought in yesterday evening after you collapsed suddenly in one of the hallways," Y'Chiryō began to explain. "You were with another Padawan- one of your friends. She said you were going back to study in your quarters. When you arrived here, we could not understand what was wrong with you. Your organs were just…shutting down. Dying." The Healer did not sugar-coat the situation.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "Dying? W-what? Am I…?" He was dying? A sudden terror lanced through his chest at that moment. Force…he was dying. Death shouldn't scare him, there was no death- only the Force as Jedi were taught from the beginning. But even so…

Y'Chiryō placed a calming hand on the padawan's shoulder, projecting calm and soothing thoughts through the Force. "Calm down, it's ok Obi-Wan." He squeezed his patient's shoulder gently. "You're not dying now. We managed to find out what was wrong."

Relieved beyond words, Obi-Wan took a few deep breaths. "Where's…Master-" Obi-Wan's voice failed him his vocal chords struggled. "My Master…I can't…feel him. He's not…please…"

Y'Chiryō still looked solemn. "You remember he isn't here Obi-Wan. He's still on his mission. Master Windu has left him messages but he hasn't responded yet." The Master Healer was quickly growing frustrated with the situation. It could not be a coincidence that Obi-Wan had collapsed and Qui-Gon could not be contacted or found on the planet. Especially after the evidence Y'Chiryō had found whilst finding the cure to save Obi-Wan from organ failure whilst his body was perfectly healthy and toxin free otherwise.

Obi-Wan tried to keep his face impassive but it was impossible not to let the emotion seep through: the hurt, the confusion, the pain. He had been dying and Qui-Gon hadn't even replied to the healers? Was the mission of that much importance that Obi-Wan's death did not mean enough for Qui-Gon to at least comm. the healers to find out his Padawan's condition?

"Obi-Wan!" Bant's voice filled the room as she entered and saw her friend was awake again and sitting up. Within another breath she was by his side, motherly checking up on him, her face falling as she took note of his expression. Being an intuitive young Padawan she correctly guessed the reason for Obi-Wan's countenance. "Oh Obi…I'm sure he's just… very busy- once he finds out I'm sure he'll be burning up the comm. waves to try and talk to you."

/It could have been too late by then/ Obi-Wan thought with a slightly bitter twinge. Then he suddenly felt ashamed. Qui-Gon was needed by the planet to help bring peace there. That was the role of a Jedi and Qui-Gon honoured it- Obi-Wan would have it no other way. However, there was a small part of him that felt selfish. Why couldn't Qui-Gon be by his side if he was dying? Could not another Jedi have been rotated out? He would have wanted to be by his Master's side if anything had happened to the older Jedi. Obi-Wan's feelings raged within him, against each other and the Padawan was at a loss at what to think.

"I was… lucky," he said quietly.

"The Force was certainly with you," Mace Windu agreed as he entered the room behind the Mon Calamari. "How are you feeling Obi-Wan?"

"Tired…and achy Master…Windu," Obi-Wan inclined his head as much as he could towards the Councillor.

"Master Y'Chiryō says you're out of danger now; your body is recovering well," Mace looked at the Mirialan Healer.

"What…happened?" Obi-Wan asked.

The Master Healer looked thoughtful for a moment. "I've never seen anything like it. I gave you a clean bill of health that morning- or as close to healthy as you were having just shaken off Dentari Flu. Then that evening you were brought in having collapsed in a hallway. You readings were off the charts- you were going into a coma and your organs were failing. However, your blood work was clean, there was no toxin- there was nothing in your body that could have brought this on. Then we did some mental brain scans. And that's when we realised- you were being affected by something coming along your bond with your master. So we had to close off the bond- temporarily - until your body stabilised and the damage could be repaired."

Obi-Wan sat bolt upright as though he had been shocked. "That's why…I can't feel the bond?" he demanded weakly. "He's still alive?"

Mace exchanged a glance with Y'Chiryō. Obviously the healer had not fully briefed the Padawan on the situation and Mace could understand why. A shock to the system by telling the Padawan that Qui-Gon was currently missing-in-action could adversely affect the recovering boy.

Y'Chiryō looked slightly uncomfortable. "We don't know Obi-Wan. Your Master hasn't responded to any of our attempts at communication for over forty eight hours now. But your primary concern is rest. Let the other Masters deal with contacting your Master. It might just be a comm. fault or atmospheric problems."

"No," Obi-Wan began to argue. "He could…"

"We do not know anything for certain yet," Y'Chiryō calmed the Padawan. He certainly wasn't going to let the recovering boy in on the masters' concerns. It would do nothing to help his body heal. Somehow he knew this boy wouldn't believe them for very long though. "You need to sleep more. Some of these ion levels are not where I'd like them to be. Rest and then we'll see where things stand."

Obi-Wan did not look pacified. He sank deep into his own thoughts, focusing on the bond he shared with his Master. It was quiet and seemingly inactive at the back of his mind. Was that because his Master was far away…or in trouble? Obi-Wan didn't know, but either way he did not like it.

Bant excused herself from the room, promising Obi-Wan she would be back later on to check on him. Y'Chiryō stayed for a few more minutes, checking more readouts and scans before he left too, ordering his patient to rest and sleep. There would be no way to help his master if he was still recovering in bed.

It was the next day when Y'Chiryō allowed Obi-Wan back into the care of Master Vena Kaa and back to his own quarters. Still weak from his sudden and nearly inexplicable conditions of his collapse, he went straight to his room and sat down on his bed, staring out at the Coruscant evening.

Where was his Master? Somewhere out there amongst the stars- possibly missing? In danger? Obi-Wan cursed his helplessness and weak body as he twisted the bed sheet beneath his hand in trepidation. Something had to be wrong. His end of the bond was definitely open but it was as though he met a complete dead end along the bond where it disappeared into a blind darkness. It sent chills down his spine every time he tried to explore it.

He glanced over at the side of his bed and saw his communicator lying there. Reaching over, he seized it and held it for a moment. His Master had explicably said to contact him if he needed to. This definitely was one of those moments. After hesitating, he placed the call to Qui-Gon's communicator, praying to the Force that the Jedi Master would answer, that it was just an atmospheric problem preventing Qui-Gon from communicating with the Temple.

There was a few clicks as the call connected and then Obi-Wan heard a voice reply.

"Obi-Wan?"

The Padawan froze, the communicator raised as he heard the voice. The very timbre made the blood run ice cold in his veins, his skin shiver and his heartbeat race in fear. It was not his Master. But he would recognize that voice anywhere. A voice he had never thought he would hear again: the voice that haunted his nightmares. For several long minutes he was unable to answer, unable to make his vocal chords respond. Finally he opened his mouth.

"Sony-Da."

The former Jedi Master chuckled softly. "Obi-Wan, I thought you would be happier to hear from your old Lightsaber Master," he chided.

"Where is…my Master?" Obi-Wan asked, concentrating very hard on keep his voice as emotionless and steady as possible. If he gave away even the slightest inkling that he was terrified of this man then all would be lost. This madman had his Master's communicator. Did this also mean he had access to Qui-Gon? Force he hoped his Master was alright.

"Patient little Padawan, patience. All in good time. They still do teach that in the Temple don't they?" Sony-Da's voice taunted as on Coruscant, in the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan went rigid.

"You're in prison," Obi-Wan tried another route.

"Was Obi-Wan. Not anymore. Haven't been for a couple of months now," the former Jedi admitted, a rather gleeful note in his voice. "Of course- your precious Master already knew this- weeks ago. I sent him a little message. He didn't tell you, did he?"

This conversation was fast going from bad to worse. Qui-Gon had known. He had known Sony-Da had escaped from jail- possibly even before he had gone on his last mission. Obi-Wan felt his heart stutter. Qui-Gon had still gone on that mission- knowing that Sony-Da was free. Obi-Wan could not believe it and was torn between horror and rage. How could Qui-Gon have gone when he knew? Knew that the madman would be out for revenge. And he had left Obi-Wan utterly in the dark about the whole situation…

"So I see the perfect team is not so perfect after all," Sony-Da filled in Obi-Wan's silence. "Do you want to speak to your Master Obi-Wan?"

"You…"

"Now, now Obi-Wan. What did Master Yoda teach you about anger?" the blonde man hissed, the comm. crackling as some interference passed through.

There was a slight fumbling on the end of the line and Obi-Wan sat very still, hand clenched around his communicator. Then another voice was on the end of the comm. line. A voice Obi-Wan would recognize in his sleep. A voice that breathed familiarity, home and safety to the Padawan. That now sounded so pain-filled, anguished and broken it made the Padawan's heart contract and skip a beat as he listened.

"No….O-Obi-Wan…Padawan…p-please!"

There was a sudden cry of pain and then silence.

"Master!" Obi-Wan called out in vain.

"He can't hear you Obi-Wan," Sony-Da's voice almost sounded sympathetic. "He's in a place no one can reach. I'm impressed he's survived even this long. But let me assure you. You breathe a word of this conversation to your precious masters…if I hear you've even looked the wrong way at Master Yoda or Mace Windu then I can promise you that it will all be over for the great Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

Obi-Wan's fist tightened around his communicator until he could feel it almost buckling under the pressure. "What do you want?" he asked, desperately trying to contain his emotions.

"You will come to me little Padawan. Come and see your Master. Then we will have a talk," Sony-Da said simply. Obi-Wan could almost see the wild grin that adorned the crazed former Jedi's face as he laid out his demands. There would be no contacting other Jedi. No asking for help in rescuing his Master. He would come alone and with all possible speed to the coordinates Sony-Da would later send him.

Obi-Wan thought everything over for a few moments. He had no choice. Qui-Gon's life was resting on the line. How many times had Qui-Gon jumped to save his padawan, not asking Obi-Wan to repay him? Obi-Wan owed it to the Jedi he loved like a father and respected as a friend, teacher and wiser Jedi. He more than owed it to Qui-Gon. He wanted to save his Master's life. The Master was worth so much more than the apprentice.

"I will come Sony-Da. I will save my Master," Obi-Wan promised through clenched teeth, as his free hand curled into a fist to prevent the tremors from coursing through his body.

When he clicked off the comm. the sound of Sony-Da's laughter and Qui-Gon's agonized cry were ringing in his ears for many hours as he lay, unable to fall asleep on his bed, staring unseeing up at the ceiling, his hand by his side, his communicator still lying on his palm.

Dun dun duuuun...Oh dear. Things are not good- not good at all. What's Obi-Wan to do when his Master's life is in the hands of a madman who has already tried to kill our beloved Padawan?

Reviews for the birthday girl? :P

Thanks for reading and being patient with the updates!

AldabaranFox