~Present time.~
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It happened so abruptly; one second Master Kain was preventing two men from trying to steal the boxes off the trolley that Obi-Wan was pushing, and the next moment a third man was firing a blaster aimed at them.
The echo of blaster fire resounded through the spaceport and people were ducking for cover as security guards rushed towards the shooter.
A panicked cry was heard "Shooter – shooter, stop him. - Someone has been shot - call for the healers."
Master Kain registered the sound of the voice, but he was concentrating on reaching the victim before he fell to the ground. People were moving out of the way as Master Kain reached out and scooped him into his arms.
"Layback - just relax, help is coming try not to move!"
A porter yelled over the noise of screaming people running away from the area. "Master Kain! I've called for the port medic, he is coming now."
The medic managed to push his way through the bolting crowd and crouched down next to Master Kain. "Is he dead?"
"No, put the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, he's having difficulty breathing."
"Let's get him onto the stretcher; I've called for a shuttle to take him to the medical centre, it will be here in a few moments." The medic said as they lifted him up.
Master Kain drew on the Force to help him stem the flow of blood seeping through his fingers as he pressed down over the gaping hole in Obi-Wan's chest.
He sensed the boy's life force slowly dimming and he feared that he wouldn't be alive by the time they reached the Medical centre.
He couldn't believe how a simple initiate pick-up had turned into a life and death struggle in just a short time.
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The shuttle trip took a few minutes and while the healers connected Obi-Wan to tubes, other healers lifted him from the trolley to another wheeled bed.
The grim look on their faces told Master Kain that they didn't hold any hope for the young one either.
He stood solemnly as they rushed the critically injured boy away and he felt his own legs trembling as he tried to comprehend what had just happened…
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ooo
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Thinking back, he'd stopped the two men from reaching the trolley and drew his sabre. One of the men pulled out a blaster, and master Kain knocked it out of his hand; using the Force to push the other man to the ground.
However, he didn't notice that there was a third thief who'd aimed his blaster at him.
A flare spiked through the Force of impending danger, and he lifted his eyes up toward Obi-Wan who stood at the interception point as the blaster bolt barrelled toward them.
Kain called out, but Obi-Wan seemed frozen in place. He could see what was happening, as if in slow motion. An orange streak of fire was slicing its way toward him, and Obi-Wan's hand moved automatically, to reach for a sabre that he didn't have, then it hit him...
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The voice of a healer pulled him from his recollections. "Master Kain, is this one of your students? He's losing a considerable amount of blood, what's his name we need to access his medical records."
"No, no he's from the Jedi temple, he just arrived on the shuttle, and I don't have his records with me they are in my office. His name is Obi-Wan Kenobi I'll have to contact my office and the Jedi temple. Oh Force! He wasn't meant to be here! I have to contact the Jedi temple."
"You'd better come with me to the communication room… What happened to him?"
Master Kain followed the Healer into the room and while he waited to be connected to the temple he explained what happened.
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He hoped that Master Yoda would answer his call as he didn't feel like speaking to any of the other council members at this point; not now that the youngling was surely going to die.
A needless death could have been avoided. Why did they send such a potential apprentice here in the first place? The more he thought about it the more he felt like putting in an official complaint about the whole sordid affair. He was going to make sure that someone from the council came to explain their actions to him.
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000
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Unexpectedly a disturbance in the Force had each and every member of the council drawing on the Force to pinpoint the disorder.
Soon Master Windu's com-link buzzed; startling them all.
The tremor they felt was overflowing with sadness and they sensed that the call coming in had something to do with the disruption of the peace in the Force.
Normally, no calls would interrupt a council meeting; with the exception of an emergency and the sense they were getting through the Force told them that it was.
"Master Windu here!"
"This is Padawan Ventra at reception, and I'm sorry to disturb you, but you have an urgent holo-projector transmission from Master Kain on Bandomeer. He says it is most urgent."
"Please connect the transmission to the holo projector; Padawan."
The call was transferred and a shimmering image lit up the centre of the circle and drew their attention. Each one leaning forward in their seats to see closely the grave features of Master Kain.
A look of despair etched on his face and Mace could see a dark splatter on the front of Kain's Tunic.
"Master Kain, are you alright – what has happened?"
"Master Windu, members of the council I am most aggrieved to be the bearer of such terrible news. There has been a violent incident here at the shuttle port and it is with deep sadness that I have to inform you that one of your younglings has been gravely injured."
"One of our youngling's Master Kain! Who?" He asked anxiously.
"The initiate that just arrived to the Agri-corps; Obi-Wan Kenobi."
There was a unexpected sharp intake of breath resounding around the room as Obi-Wan's name was mentioned.
Master Yoda leant back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Mace Windu felt his throat constrict and he swallowed to clear it. "Please tell us what happened, Master Kain?"
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"I met Obi-Wan at the shuttle port and we were walking through to the exit, he was pushing a trolley of supplies for me when there was an altercation with some thieves. I was dealing with two of them and I didn't see a third one who fired his blaster at me, but Obi-Wan stepped in front of it and was hit in the chest by the bolt. I'm at the medical centre now, and at the moment I can still sense his life force, but I'm afraid it is faint." He spoke quietly and his voice was filled with sadness.
"Young Kenobi stepped into the path of a blaster, what was he thinking to do that?" Mace asked trying to understand why an initiate would do such a thing.
"I'm not certain, but he seemed to be going for a sabre that he didn't have. I did sense a fair amount of agitation and gloom radiating off him when he arrived, he was in a distressed state. Even though he tried valiantly to hide them from me. It all happened so fast."
Mace glanced at Yoda who sat deep in meditation, his first thought was 'what has Qui-Gon done'!
Kain's voice brought him out of his musing.
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"The prognosis from the healers is not good; nevertheless, they've taken him to surgery and are endeavouring to save him as I speak. I am truly sorry that I was unable to prevent this from happening and I will give the council a full report. I request that someone from the council comes here to see me and when the time comes, take young Obi-Wan back home to the temple."
"Yes Master Kain, we'll send someone immediately. 'May the force be with you and with Obi-Wan." Mace said as the holo-projector flickered and then disappeared.
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Ooo
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At that precise moment Qui-Gon pressed a code on his com-link, he'd felt another disturbance in the Force, and for some inexplicable reason his chest ached fiercely.
The bones in his arms and legs ached too, and he was confused by the sudden anxiety he was feeling.
For a fleeting moment he wondered if he was coming down with some illness.
The holo call connected almost immediately, but he felt uneasy when Master Windu's image appeared before him instead of Yoda's.
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"Mace, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was hoping to speak with Master Yoda!"
"Master Yoda is unavailable to speak to you at the moment, Qui-Gon. Where are you?"
Qui-Gon hoped that his terse words to Yoda earlier were not the cause of his refusal to speak to him now.
"I'm on Bandomeer and I wanted to apologise for my rudeness to Master Yoda in our last communication. He was right about me and I felt it was imperative that I inform him that I have come to my senses in the matter of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I do see that he is meant to be my apprentice. I am boarding the agri-corps shuttle at this very moment and I've sent a message to the corps administration to inform them that Obi-Wan will be returning with me to the temple."
Qui-Gon waited for a response, but he was getting the impression that he'd interrupted something important and a feeling of dread rose in him.
"Qui-Gon can you explain to me why you sent Obi-Wan on the shuttle alone in the first place?" Mace inquired.
Qui-Gon could see a strained look on his friends face and he presumed Yoda had already told them about their conversation earlier.
"I have no excuse, and I do regret my foolishness. I made a grievous error and I'm on my way to apologise to Obi-Wan and ask for his forgiveness for treating him the way I did."
Mace noticed Qui-Gon rubbing his chest. "Qui-Gon, are you in pain? Is there something wrong with you?"
"No, but I sense a great disturbance in the Force. I'll feel much better after I've spoken to Obi-Wan."
"Qui-Gon, we've just received a call from Master Kain…" Mace began, but Qui-Gon interrupted him.
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"Yes, I was abrupt with Master Kain as well, and I will apologise to him when I see him. I assume he could sense that Obi-Wan was upset when he arrived and as a consequence of Obi-Wan's state of mind he's contacted you. I realise my behaviour towards Obi-Wan was unbecoming that of a Jedi and I'm ashamed of every hurtful word I said. I've contacted Master Kain's office and told them that I will be there shortly, however, Master Kain hasn't returned from picking him up yet."
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"Qui-Gon that isn't why he contacted us, there has been a terrible incident at the Agri-corps."
"An incident; what do you mean, what happened?"
"I'm sorry to have to inform you like this, but Obi-Wan was critically injured a few minutes ago."
"Obi-Wan! No, you must be mistaken Mace! That's impossible. I just put him on the shuttle a few minutes ago!"
"Master Kain said that there was a robbery attempt at the shuttle port by several armed men, and Obi-Wan prevented one of the men from shooting him. Unfortunately, the blast hit Obi-Wan in the chest."
Qui-Gon was shaking his head, he couldn't accept what Mace was saying and he felt nauseous.
"Mace you're my friend, and I feel bad enough for my thoughtlessness, but I don't appreciate your bad taste in humour. My shuttle will be landing in a few moments and I 'will' find Obi-Wan safe and well. Now please contact Master Kain and ask him to bring Obi-Wan back to the shuttle port!"
Qui-Gon folded his arms across his chest; he didn't appreciate being treated this way, even if he knew he deserved to be berated for his lack of judgement. He waited and surprisingly, Master Yoda stepped into the viewing area.
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"Master Yoda, thank the Force you're there, please tell me that this nonsense Master Windu is saying isn't true?"
"Qui-Gon, true it is that critically injured young Obi-Wan has been. Sense the disturbance in the force you do, know that it is true, you do also. Deny the facts you cannot anymore."
Qui-Gon's guilt filled him and a shiver ran up his spine. "I shouldn't have sent him by himself. It's my fault."
"Too late it is to place blame, go to the medical centre immediately you will; be with our youngling during his transition into the flow of the Force, if that is what the Force decrees."
The image of Qui-Gon flickered, but he didn't answer Yoda straight away. His face was fixed in a frown and Yoda's words were too horrible to hear.
"Master Yoda! Don't say that the Force would decree that this boy should suffer because of me! I won't allow it!"
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None of the Masters said a word. What could they say, Qui-Gon had refused to accept Obi-Wan time and time again and now he was probably dying.
They all knew he was correct when he said he'd made a mistake, however, it was a mistake with far reaching consequences. They sensed the upheaval and a shift in the Force as his image shimmered before them. The future was in motion and it was changing for the worse.
Qui-Gon's image shimmered again and an unnatural gaze filled his eyes.
"The shuttle has landed, I'm going and I 'will' make him survive." He said as his image faded away.
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Ooo
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Master Kain paced back and forth, it had been ten minutes since he'd informed the Council of Obi-Wan's injuries and the healers hadn't come out yet to tell him anything. He wondered if he'd been presumptuous in declaring that Obi-Wan was dying.
He certainly didn't want the boy to die, but he'd seen his injury and in his opinion nothing would save Obi-Wan except a miracle, and they were hard to find in this galaxy.
He was startled out of his musings when his com-link made him jump.
"Master Kain speaking."
"Master Kain, this is Master Windu, have you received any word on how young Obi-Wan is?"
"No I haven't heard from the healers yet, and I'm hoping that because of the length of time I might be wrong about the seriousness of his injuries. Nevertheless, his life sign is very weak and the injury to his chest was quite extensive."
"A team of Jedi have left for Bandomeer and will arrive as soon as possible. Master Yoda and Master Gallia are on their way and Master Jinn who is already on Bandomeer should be there in a few minutes. I've sent his com number to yours, if you could contact him and explain what is happening."
'Yes, I will contact him immediately."
"I must warn you Master Kain, Master Jinn will be rather upset when he arrives, he has come to the realisation that Obi-Wan was meant to be his padawan and he contacted us a few minutes ago stating that he had changed his mind and was heading to the corps to bring Obi-Wan back with him. He didn't believe us at first when we told him about his injuries."
Great! Thought Master Kain, all I need is a boorish and obstinate Jedi Master to make things more difficult than they already are.
TBC...