Darsant Avat
First Encounter
The rain was so heavy that the air seemed saturated with water. Xanatos came on a small ship that was undecorated. Authsola, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon waited in the shadows, keeping quiet and tightly shielded, especially the little one because Obi-Wan was especially bright in the Force, and watched the governor stalk out with that familiar black cloak, right into the rain, not even waiting for his ruffled pilot to bring an umbrella out for him.
The child huddled close to him, noticeably nervous when Xanatos appeared. Authsola also seemed unnerved.
"I don't like his face," She whispered. "It can probably make babies cry."
Qui-Gon doubted anyone would look too likeable if they were sporting the frown the governor had. The man looked around and appeared to be waiting impatiently for someone.
"What do you know?" Qui-Gon murmured, "Maybe we'll see both after all."
"Both what?" Authsola asked.
"Ac-ac…accomplice," Said Obi-Wan. He huddled tighter to Qui-Gon and his teeth chattered a little.
Qui-Gon hugged the boy close to keep him warm as rain continued to fall. His cloak was not very waterproof, but he was big and Obi-Wan was small. It was Authsola he was actually more worried about, but her cloak was more waterproof than his.
Authsola frowned, turning her head to regard the boy, and for a moment Qui-Gon was many years in the past—from here her profile was so similar to a stance she once took as a fifteen-year-old padawan. Was it just the trick of light, or was he actually seeing the part of his former padawan that had been that child?
Someone appeared to comm. the governor, though the rain made it difficult to hear. Qui-Gon enhanced himself through the Force to listen to the conversation.
Xanatos spoke first, without preamble.
"The master is all over the place," He growled, "He is not like other Jedi. He's ratted out some pirate bases ahead of schedule and has come to Naboo. Should I take care of the Queen?"
"Not unless necessary," Came the reply, "The master is…more than I have anticipated. Perhaps he does not care for the safety of his padawan after all, but the boy is not here. The Queen is a waste of time. Kill the master and take the boy. Use whichever means you deem fit, but be sure to maintain your cover."
"Yes, Master."
Authsola frowned even more, turning a questioning glance Qui-Gon's way. She had used the same trick and had heard.
Padawan? She mouthed, glancing at Obi-Wan, Padawan?
Qui-Gon gave her an affirmative glance.
It seemed like the Sith master had factored in the Queen of Naboo into his plans somehow; he spoke of her with familiarity, as if they had discussed her before. This, combined with what Handmaiden Andwé told Qui-Gon about the senator, suggested that Palpatine was probably influenced by the Sith somehow. The Queen was in grave danger.
He waited until Xanatos disappeared off the ramp before turning to Obi-Wan.
"Padawan, I want you to go to the Queen, stay with her." This way, he could protect the two of them at once. "Tell her that Authsola and I are chasing after a possible assassin."
Anxious, Obi-Wan tugged on the bond as he murmured, "What if something happens?"
"I will tell you what to do through our bond," He pointed at their temples, "I'll be right there with you. If anything happens, you let me know, alright?"
Authsola blinked at this; she probably did not know the extent of their bond.
"Come," Qui-Gon said to his padawan, "We'll go together to the palace, and you go to the Queen."
OoO
Ten minutes later found Qui-Gon and Authsola dashing through the forests of Naboo in the pouring rain as the governor raced ahead. Xanatos had taken the trouble of donning a black cloak like those Dark Jedi like to wear. It was a little hard to keep track of him, even with the Force.
Authsola ducked away, intending to cut the man off. Qui-Gon was not sure how she intended to, since so far they had been moving in a straight line. Sure enough, however, Xanatos made a turn, and he saw the bright green lightsaber of his former padawan clash with his red one. The blades sparked in quick succession as Xanatos tried to overwhelm her, but Authsola merely had to keep him occupied until Qui-Gon caught up, so she held her ground without actively seeking the advantage as long as they were evenly matched.
The Force helped Qui-Gon navigate across the muddy paths, but could not negate how heavy his drenched robes were, and running was very difficult. By the time Qui-Gon caught up, Xanatos was able to break away from Authsola, and the chase was on again, this time toward civilization.
Qui-Gon picked up speed, because he did not want Xanatos to reach Obi-Wan and the Queen. Naboo forces stood no chance against the Sith apprentice, and neither, really, did his padawan, unless the Force decided to act on its own through the boy. Unbidden, the thought of Darsant Avat penetrated his thoughts, but it was fleeting because he had to focus on the task at hand. Either way, his main goal was to stop Xanatos, hopefully before he gets too close to innocent bystanders.
He caught up to the younger man and swung his lightsaber for the lethal blow, but Xanatos had the Force as well and blocked. Qui-Gon's acrobatic style was less efficient in the wilderness and mud, so he shifted to a more subtle form that would also allow Authsola to strike her own blows. Thunder cracked overhead as lightning illuminated the governor's face with dark shadows.
Xanatos managed to break away again, and the two Jedi gave chase. Instinct made Qui-Gon raise his lightsaber just as lightning shot from the man's fingers. He blinked, dumbfounded, as the sparkles dissipated against his blade.
What Sith trick was that?
They neared the walls to the city, leaving the trees behind, Xanatos with his red blade and Qui-Gon and Authsola close behind. The Jedi Master was just about to send a warning to his padawan when from the tops of the walls came blasterfire, all aimed at Xanatos. The Sith deflected all of them, but veered away from the wall. Authsola slowed, and Qui-Gon followed suit. They would continue giving chase, but the blaster bolts would then be fired from behind them and that was a nuisance they could do without while it was raining.
"Force take it," Authsola swore, as the Sith disappeared into the trees, "Was that a Sith?"
"Undoubtedly," Qui-Gon replied, his attention focused on his own padawan. The boy seemed fine, if a bit agitated. "That lightning trick is probably one of their techniques."
"Force take it," His former student exclaimed again, "What are we going to do? He'll be back."
"Stay in the present, padawan mine," Qui-Gon reminded her, "We did the best we could, there is nothing but to let him go for now. I suspect we shall meet again soon." Especially if he is after my Obi-Wan. He wondered if he should consult Sifo-Dyas about this—the Jedi Master had warned that Qui-Gon had been kept in the dark about the Sith back when Obi-Wan was nine. Now that the boy was ten, did that mean he was old enough to play a decoy?
This is why I hate visions.
Meanwhile, in the present, Xanatos is gone but his ship was still here.
"Quick!" He called out to the soldiers, "Disable his ship! And get the hard drive out of there!"
OoO
Obi-Wan was not in the palace—he was with the Queen, now dressed as a regular handmaiden and mingling among the soldiers stationed at the top of the walls. It was his little rascal who told the captain to order his men to shoot at the "man with the red lightsaber." Maybe it was because Naboo was use to young authority figures—Qui-Gon himself had a difficult time imagining why anyone would follow the instructions of a ten-year-old, but in this case, the boy might have saved himself and the Queen, and he praised the child as was his due, which earned him a bright smile of pure happiness, before heading out to find the governor before he got too far.
Hours later yielded no results—the Sith had used the planet's rich life signature to hide himself, which was an impressive feat considering his dark nature. Sensing that the governor was likely lying low for now, he and Authsola came back to the palace. Searching an entire planet under these circumstances was not ideal, and Qui-Gon suspected that even if the Force could direct him to Xanatos, which it usually would have, Xanatos was traveling far enough away that if he followed, he would be stranding Obi-Wan.
"We should inform the Council," Authsola told Qui-Gon. "The governor is himself a Sith Lord. There's always two, which means…" She scowled, "Did you know he was a Sith Lord already?"
"…Ah?" Qui-Gon faced her with an oblivious expression.
"Don't do that," The girl exclaimed, annoyed, "Don't play dumb with me. I've been your padawan for years, I know when you're faking it. Obi-Wan talked about an accomplice, and you didn't seem the least bit surprised that this man turned on a red lightsaber at us."
Shoot. Qui-Gon had to brush up on his acting skills. "I knew he was a Dark Sider." This much was true.
Authsola was still irritated.
"You wouldn't have believed me," Qui-Gon pointed out to her. "Come, you know that as well as I do."
She refused to be appeased. "Why are the Sith after Obi-Wan?"
Something made Qui-Gon reply, "We don't know they are after Obi-Wan."
"But you have a feeling," Authsola said knowingly, "Otherwise, why suddenly bring him here, close to you?"
"Doesn't mean it had to do with the Sith."
"Fat nerfs it doesn't, Master!"
Any more of this, Qui-Gon knew, and his former padawan would actually feel hurt.
"I don't want the Council to send Obi-Wan out as bait," He whispered from the corner of his mouth, "Which they might do if we knew for sure the Sith were after him, so we don't know for sure." He gave her a meaningful look.
"That's preposterous. You don't know that they would do that!"
"I actually do," Sifo-Dyas had said it blatantly enough that there was no room for doubt.
Authsola scowled, still not convinced, but her irritation had solidified, which meant her feelings would not be hurt.
The city security was in an uproar, the Queen speedily returned to the palace with Obi-Wan in tow, and the Master and Knight pair was soon broken up as they were questioned after each were given a bathrobe to wrap around themselves. The Naboo officials had no idea they were dealing with a Dark Force user. How long had that rogue been on planet? Where did he go?
It was hours before Qui-Gon was able to collect Obi-Wan, who was so tired that his face was bleached white.
"It's bedtime," Qui-Gon announced, guiding the youngster to one of the spare rooms in the palace that was set aside for them. The Queen had already retired, but Obi-Wan had been anxious without his master. "I want you to go to sleep. I still have some work to do, but I will come in the morning, alright?"
"Aw," Obi-Wan pouted, "I want you to stay with me."
"You're a big boy, Padawan," Qui-Gon helped the child change into more comfortable sleepwear, "Get some rest, alright?"
Obi-Wan was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow, his breathing so deep he sounded almost like he was snoring.
Outside, Authsola was still with the guards, though they had finished questioning her.
"Looks like a sleepless night, Master," She said to him. "Do you think he will return?"
"I doubt it," Said Qui-Gon, "But it does not hurt to be vigilant tonight. We should contact the Council first, however, tell them what is going on, and I think Mace would want to hear this as well."
OoO
"Troubling, this is," Yoda said rather redundantly.
"You are certain of this," Shaak Ti inquired.
Nooooo I am not certain of this, Qui-Gon thought sarcastically, I'm totally making this up because I enjoy it. "This man is no untrained rogue, nor even a turned Jedi. He used a dark technique during our duel, some kind of Force lightning." Next to him, Authsola remained quiet, as she was wont to do when she felt Qui-Gon was in charge.
"Hm." Yoda's ears drooped as he mused. "Good thing, it was, to send Master Billaba with Master Windu. However, escaped, the governor has."
"For some reason," Ki-Adi murmured, "I sense that young Kenobi is at the heart of all this."
Oh no you don't, Qui-Gon scowled mentally, though he kept his features smooth. "Maybe in terms of visions," He said, so he would not sound too defensive, "The child did seem to sense something was amiss with the governor from the beginning, from what Kit has told me." He did not think it was necessary to mention the scene Obi-Wan caused at the hangar when Qui-Gon first departed for Telos.
"Perhaps," Said Ki-Adi, though Qui-Gon knew the Jedi was very suspicious now.
"Send us the contacts Telos has had," Adi Gallia told Qui-Gon, "I know you hacked into their servers—I'm wise to you now. It's why you're standing on Naboo, of all places. Give us a list of the other planets that associated with Telos. We'll send teams out to these planets in case the governor decides to escape there."
"There's a lot," Said Qui-Gon, "I also have his ship's hard drive, we might be able to pull the last hyperspace coordinates from it, but so far the technicians have not finished. As for the rest, I'd use an algorithm to optimize the locations but my R2 unit is…well, dying." Mace might have gotten it fixed again, but he doubted he would want to use the droid for anything at the moment. "It's also not with me, but with Mace. You'll have to tell him to forward the list, and maybe have the temple computers filter the list."
"Do that, we will," Said Yoda, "Meanwhile, stay in one place, you should not. When finish investigating hard drive, the technicians are, look in to the sites, you should."
"I will," Qui-Gon nodded, "Though for now, I have reason to be concerned for the Queen's safety. Until I am assured of it, I do not feel comfortable leaving Naboo."
"I can stay here and guard her," Authsola volunteered, "Obi-Wan might enjoy spending a little more time on Naboo."
"I can leave you here," Said Qui-Gon, "But Obi-Wan is going to have to come with me."
"Why?" The girl was obviously confounded by this. "Wouldn't it make more sense to keep him here? It's probably safer here. You wouldn't want the child confronting a Sith lord!"
No, he would not, but he would much rather be present in such a situation than not. "I may need his visions," He provided, since the alternative would be to admit that the Sith were after his padawan and that was the last thing he wanted to say in front of the Council.
"Do what you must," Yoda spoke before anyone else could say anything, "But careful, we must be." Adi had already left the room to contact Mace for the list. "Tell no one of Governor Du Crion, you must,"
Fair enough, since Telos IV would hardly appreciate hearing their own governor slandered in such a manner, and frankly it was easier to be subtle when people were not in a panic or otherwise agitated. "Understood, Master."
The vision fell over his eyes then, Xanatos, staring up from beyond the palace walls, hidden from the guards. It was brief and to the point.
"Have to go, see you all, bye," Qui-Gon cut the connection before grabbing Authsola. "He's outside."
What do you know? Vigilance indeed.
OoO
The rain had not eased, which meant there was now mild flooding going on all over the place except the elevated parts that could drain the water away. Qui-Gon and Authsola were still wrapped in bath robes, and they tossed them into the mud in order to gain more flexibility.
Xanatos, however, must have sensed them coming, because he was nowhere to be found in the shadows of the storm, and Qui-Gon could not sense his presence.
"What's going on?" Authsola asked, shivering in the rain and sneezing. "Master?"
"I'm sorry," He apologized. "He was here, earlier." The footprints were still in the mud, though the tracks led nowhere Qui-Gon could follow.
"He's definitely here for Obi-Wan," Authsola covered her mouth, "This is absurd! We have to tell the Council!"
"So they could do what, exactly?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Well, protect him, of course! Why would the Sith be interested in Obi-Wan anyway? Do they know something we don't?"
That was an interesting question. Qui-Gon himself had never given it much thought, being more concerned with the fact that the Dark Side had been after the child in the first place and less concerned with the reasons behind it, but now that Authsola mentioned it, perhaps it did warrant some investigation.
"The Council wouldn't protect Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said lowly, "Since when have they ever hidden one of us to protect us? We either overcome the danger or we perish. Think about it."
Authsola was silent for a moment. "You are frightening me, Master," She said quietly, low enough that her words were barely audible over the splatter of the rain. "Since when did you become so cynical?"
He rarely touched Authsola out of affection, but this time he allowed himself to cup the back of her head for a moment.
"For some reason," He told her, "Obi-Wan is more important than the Sith. I don't know why, I just know this to be true. You have to work with me here."
"Of course," Authsola blinked, "I just think the Council would do a better job, if we tell them—"
"The Council's part of the problem."
"I don't understand."
"They have rules they must follow," He told her, "You know your history. What happened the last time the Council decided to let people suffer and die for the sake of something they sensed in the Force? They're not going to make that mistake again."
"Well at least tell Master Yoda!"
"Hm!" Qui-Gon glanced into the distance, where he suspected Xanatos remained out of reach, "I would not be surprised if that green troll already knows. The fact that he isn't saying anything makes it all the more suspicious, don't you think so?"
OoO
Authsola came down with illness by dawn, sporting a fever so dangerously high she was delirious. Qui-Gon abandoned seeking Xanatos in order to look after her; his healing skills were not among his best, but any little bit helps, and the Force was not urging him to find the governor. Obi-Wan lingered close, small face worried as he contemplated the young woman's sick countenance, and dutifully soaked cold compresses to press over her burning forehead.
"Exhaustion, new planet, and the rainstorm," Qui-Gon squeezed her hand, "I do not treat you as well as you deserve, Padawan."
Obi-Wan regarded this gesture solemnly, and Qui-Gon reached out to ruffle his head.
"Don't worry," the child said, "We'll take good care of her."
Qui-Gon smiled. Something swelled in him, and he leaned forward to press a tender kiss on the top of the child's head, while holding on to Authsola's hand.
The Naboo computer slicers contacted him about the hard drive stolen from Xanatos' ship.
"We found some past hyperspace coordinates," They presented the locations on the holomap, and Qui-Gon noted that Naboo was not actually one of them. There was actually one area of the galaxy that showed up more frequently, and it appeared to be a small, isolated moon. Looking at it made Qui-Gon's heart tighten, which usually meant that there were strong Dark Side energies on the celestial body, which made sense if that was where the Sith lords convened.
"Are we going to go there?" Obi-Wan asked, looking small and young and totally not ready to go to a planet like that.
If anyone was going there, it was Mace and Depa, but no Council would lightly send Jedi to a place tinged with the Dark Side without some covert investigation first, and that was admittedly not one of Mace's strong suits, or Depa's. There were other masters who were better suited for the task. They were not as good with negotiations, but they were very good at sneaking around undetected and could probably handle a small moon, no matter how much Dark Side energies it had. It would have to be done carefully, because the Sith have not shown up for a thousand years, and there was no telling what sort of tricks they would pull, things that might not even be in the archives.
Either way, Qui-Gon was not going, and neither was Obi-Wan. "No, this is a task better suited for someone else," He told his padawan, "My talents don't encompass this sort of thing."
The youngster inexplicably relaxed at this, which made Qui-Gon feel a bit sad. It would not always be this way; later on Obi-Wan will have to face dangers that he might not walk away from. It was the life he had been thrown into—one of sacrifice, even for those who might be less worthy…but then was it not the same for everyone? In times of need, everyone had to do their part, and set aside their hopes and dreams to deal with the present conflict. With any luck, the Light Side favored the child enough that it will protect him for all of his time in this galaxy. And, of course, there is no death, there is the Force. Once Obi-Wan truly understood that, he might not be as afraid.
He glanced at Authsola and mused that there were actually other ways Jedi could die. It was not always in the heat of battle. Sometimes they died in bed, sick and feverish and failing.
Mace commed him.
"The governor has returned," The dark-skinned Jedi reported, rubbing his bald head, "I think he stole a ship."
Of course he did. It was something Jedi would do as well, if they really had to. Qui-Gon did not disable the ship to ground Xanatos so much as get the harddrive coordinates.
"I think you should wrap up," Qui-Gon told him.
"Why?"
"Because we need to approach from another angle. There's a moon that he kept traveling to, I suspect that this is important, but the moon looks suspicious. I'm going to tell the Council to send in a Jedi Shadow to investigate."
"Good call," Mace nodded, "Depa and I will finish here in that case. We'll let them believe that we're done here. Are you going back to Coruscant anytime soon?"
If Xanatos had gone back to Telos, then the Queen of Naboo might not be in danger. He still had issues with the senator, however, and from accounts, Palpatine was due to arrive soon. Qui-Gon wanted a word with him.
"I'm waiting for the Senator," Qui-Gon told him, "He's returning either tomorrow or the day after. Also, Authsola has taken ill, and I want her recovered before subjecting her to the hyperspace flight. You'll be seeing me soon, I expect."
"Be careful, Qui," Mace warned, "This business with the Sith, I'm still not sure I can wrap my head around the idea, but whatever it is, and whatever the governor is, this whole situation is probably more complicated than it even looks now. Watch yourself."
"I will," Qui-Gon nodded. One should never underestimate the Sith, after all. "May the Force be with you, Mace."
"And with you. Mace out."
He glanced at his two padawans, Authsola still sleeping and Obi-Wan checking the compress.
"I can't wait to go back home," Obi-Wan said mournfully.
"I know, Padawan," Qui-Gon rubbed the little one's head. "I know."