SeraphimXII: Well, this chapter gets back to the main man. I wanted to get that stuff out of the way so I can move on with things. I'll get to Palpatine in a little bit, but first it's all about the Obi! Thanks again for the reviews!
Obi-wan felt tired. Obi-wan felt sore, everywhere. But most of all, Obi-wan felt old. He was a fit guy, he kept himself in shape and was only in his mid thirties, he shouldn't be feeling like this, but his last few encounters in this galaxy had pretty much drained him of years of his life, or at least that's how he felt right now. He tried to pull his eye open to look on the world he had been placed in, but his body didn't want to respond right now and though his other senses were returning to him, his sight seemed to be in need of a little more time.
He sighed heavily, realizing his breath was obstructed by something soft. His left arm came up to feel what it was and immediately the flesh of his back protested against such a move and he couldn't help releasing a groan as he slowed the movement enough to get the hand to his head without so much discomfort. He found he was lying on his stomach, hugging a body pillow for support. He tried again to open his eye and this time it obliged him, as the scent of doleena flowers reached his nose, one of Qui-Gon's favorites. From what he could see of the room it was very well furnished and very large with a high ceiling and large oval bay windows. The light cascading in was turning a deep orange red as the sun was beginning to set and it bathed the room in a warming glow. The tightness in his back was easing and he was able to pull both arms up to his head and pulled himself up stiffly into a sitting position. From here he could take in the rest of the room, his host's impeccable taste in décor reminiscent of the suite he had on Geonosis. The royal insignia of the house of Dooku confirmed his suspicions and he gazed out over the dense rainforest now turning a deep purple with the sun having almost set. So, he was on Serenno with Dooku, but who else was with them?
The last thing he remembered clearly was feeling Maul's oppressive power suffocating him from the inside out and that was about it. Wait, there had been a moment, a need to comfort Boba, the boy had sounded so lost. Obi-Wan was suddenly hit by the boy's presence in his mind and he spun around on the bed, immediately regretting his decision as his back angrily resisted this new, fast movement.
"Damn it!" he exclaimed as he turned more slowly and slipped his legs off the bed. At least they seemed to be working for him better than the rest of his body and he moved slowly to the sleep couch where Boba was dozing. The boy was restlessly moving under the blanket covering him and a quiet moan escaped his lips as Obi-Wan laid a hand on his troubled forehead. Dark rings under Boba's eyes indicated he had not been sleeping well, and although Obi-Wan wanted to talk to the boy, it seemed that right now, Boba needed a proper rest, not this draining sleep he found himself in.
"It's all right, Boba, it's all right," said Obi-Wan as he gently stroked the boy's head, smoothing out the furrows on his brow which Boba had created in sleep. Boba began to relax under Obi-Wan's influence and his breathing became calm and deep as he sank into a more restful sleep. "We'll talk when you wake up, OK?" He pulled the blanket up to Boba's chin and patted him gently on the shoulder, then rose to greet the visitor he had sensed arrive while he took care of Boba.
"Count," he said quietly, turning to face his rescuer, "I take it 'thanks' are in order."
"It's good to see you up, Obi-Wan. Boba has been very concerned about you." There was something distant about the former Jedi Master that Obi-Wan hadn't noticed before. He seemed uncomfortable with this meeting but Obi-wan didn't have time for that now. He wanted answers of a different kind.
"Where are the others?" he asked suddenly urgently needing to know Padme, Anakin and Jango were alright. He couldn't sense their presences on Serenno and that worried him.
"As far as I know, Padme, Anakin and Jango are with Master's Yoda and Windu. The Senator's confiscated cruiser arrived just as we were leaving with you. I have no doubt they have been well taken care of."
"And Maul and Ventress, what were their fates?"
"Of Maul, I have no news at this time. I believe he escaped before he could be apprehended. He had certainly abandoned you by the time I reached you. I would imagine Master Yoda had something to do about that. As for Ventress, she decided to refuse my hospitality. A pity really, I think she would have been most useful to our cause."
"We have a cause, Count?" asked Obi-Wan skeptically.
"Please, call me Ryn, Obi-Wan. You are among friends here. And there is much we can learn from each other." He moved closer to Obi-Wan, his hand outstretched to guide him to a large couch in the room. Obi-Wan just gave Boba a quick glance to check he was still sleeping soundly and then moved to sit.
"Delna, bring in some tea for us, please," said Dooku into a small comm. station in the room, as the two men sat down. "As you wish, Master Jard," came the crisp accented reply.
"Jard? So not Ryn, then."
"Only to my close friends, Obi-Wan. Jard is my more official name, but slightly less formal than Count Dooku, which I always thought a little pretentious! But it does the job adequately," he said with a smile, the distance Obi-Wan had felt earlier dissolving away as Ryn seemed to become more comfortable with the situation. Obi-Wan guessed he was unsure of how Obi-Wan would react to him and had been apprehensive about that, but there was still something that Ryn was holding back and Obi-wan continued to remain cautious around the man.
"How is Boba, really?" he asked, "I seem to remember he was injured somehow." The boy had taken the time to inform Obi-Wan of their situation in the shuttle, but it was incredibly hard for Obi-Wan to remember details.
Dooku looked grave as he spoke about what the boy had endured.
"His leg has healed well. A night in the bacta pool had it fixed and there was no need for a bone knitter, he just wore a protective brace for the first couple of days you were both here."
"How long have we been here?" asked Obi-Wan, knowing he was not going to like this answer.
"It's been seven days since the battle on Geonosis." Actually, that didn't sound so bad, thought Obi-Wan, although he was rather surprised his back was still bothering him after that time, especially if they had bacta pools here. He would concern himself with that later, Dooku was continuing to address the issue of Boba.
"There is something else you should know. He won't let me examine his mind, but it has been entered without his consent and, I believe, tampered with."
"What!" exclaimed Obi-Wan, and he pulled himself off the bed and back over to the sleeping form. Boba was still deeply asleep and looked content, but now that Obi-Wan truly examined him, he could sense the tendrils of Maul's dark energy remaining twisted around Boba's thoughts. He couldn't see what they had left inside Boba's mind, but he wasn't about to let the boy suffer their presence any further and held his hands to Boba's face, drawing on the force to sweep away the wisps of dark power that remained inside the child. As the tendrils felt themselves being dissipated, they attempted to lash out at Obi-Wan, but something within him batted the attempts away, something familiar, the scent of the doleena flowers assailing his senses again. With the darkness washed from Boba's body, Obi-Wan removed his hands and rose on unsteady legs. Dooku was at his side to guide him back to the couch, just as there was a light knock on the door. Obi-Wan sat down heavily, breathing hard at the exertion, his back once again protesting all the recent rapid movements of his body.
"Come in," called Dooku as he helped Obi-Wan sit. The young man waved him away, feeling frustrated at his obvious weakness. "Ah, Delsa, just in time it seems," he said moving to take the tray the young woman brought in. She looked over at Obi-Wan who was leaning forward, his head in his hands, trying to get the dizziness that enveloped him to leave. Once Dooku had the tray he noticed her interest in the young man.
"Thank you, Delsa, that will be all."
"Yes, Sir," she said with one last glance at the pained figure on the couch and then she left.
"Here," said Dooku suddenly at Obi-Wan's side, startling the man back to the room. He looked up to see the cup of tea handed to him and he grasped the saucer, his hands shaking slightly causing the cup to tinkle. He used his other hand to hold it in place, the warm steam from the liquid warming his chilled hand.
"Thank you," he said and he sipped at the brew, which coursed through him, re-heating his trembling limbs and helping him relax into the seat. Dooku sat next to him, a comforting hand on Obi-Wan's knee.
"You're still recovering from a brutal assault on your body and mind, young man. You need to take things easy for a while."
"So I see," agreed Obi-Wan whole-heartedly. "I've been injured worse than this before, though. I thought I'd be coping better than this."
"I studied your force signature when we got you stabilized. It seems you were invaded by something that had to be purged from your system, I'm guessing it was Maul's influence over the force that was trying to corrupt you. You effectively had something similar to an allergic reaction to it and -"
"Qui-Gon!" gasped Obi-Wan as the events he was barely aware of thrust forward in his consciousness. It had felt like his old master had been wrenching the infection of Maul's force presence from his body and releasing the dark energy back out into the flow of the living force to be cleansed.
"I thought as much," said Dooku, slowly nodding his head.
"But, how?" asked an increasingly confused Obi-Wan. The dizziness was returning with the sudden revelation and he rested back on the couch, only to have to sit back up quickly as his back once again made its protest. He hissed air through his clenched teeth and Dooku rose, allowing him to sprawl on the couch face down.
"I don't have any easy explanations for you," Dooku replied, honestly. "But I have a notion that might explain some of what happened to you. Do you remember when I gave you Qui's saber? How you felt, what you saw?"
The dazed Obi-Wan nodded gently, trying not to aggravate the pounding in his head. Dooku, who had moved to an armchair opposite him leaned in to examine his face.
"Perhaps we should wait until you've had a chance to rest."
"No!" came Obi-Wan's desperate cry, "No, I need to hear this, please." His breathing was back under his control and he had managed to maneuver a cushion under his chest and head for support.
"Very well," said Dooku continuing, uncertain about the young man's health. He decided to get through this as quickly as he could so the boy could rest properly.
"Receiving the blade stirred up memories. But those memories were not your own, they belonged to Qui-Gon himself. When he died, you and he were still linked through your training bond, and a powerful bond it was that had formed between the two of you over the years. It was no wonder the pair of you were so highly desired for the many difficult missions you faced. When the bond broke, I believe there was a transference of part of Qui-Gon's force strength to your mind, but the overwhelming events of the Naboo incident within the reactor room would not have brought any of this to your awareness. You effectively still have a tenuous link to your old Master, Obi-Wan and a part of him resides inside you."
Obi could sense it now, it was like an echo of his dear master, which at that moment was sustaining him and keeping him focused enough to understand the conversation. His years of force suppression had prevented him from feeling any of this and his re-awakening to the force made more sense now, Qui's mastery of the living force having been perhaps part of this transference.
"Everything looks so green," he said as his vision did seem to take on a pale green hue. Dooku nodded in recognition of the statement.
"Yes, if the living force were to manifest a color, green would be it, my friend. There is so much to learn about this change you are experiencing. I can guide you, but ultimately you must be the one to follow your own path."
Now things were getting confusing again and Obi-Wan thought for a moment that he had missed part of the conversation.
"I don't understand, what path, what are you talking about?" His eye was suddenly feeling very heavy and the whole scenario was like a weight on his consciousness, dragging him down to sleep. Dooku quickly realized what was happening to Obi and went to his side and helped him up off the couch.
"Let's get some rest, it's been a trying visit for you and we'll need all our strength for what lays ahead." He led the wilting Obi back to the bed and positioned the pillow to best support the young man. Obi managed a muffled 'no', but was unable to put up any resistance, cursing his old feeling body again, especially as it was Dooku, so many years his senior, who was helping him. He sighed deeply as he lay his head on the pillow and sank into the darkness of sleep.
/Obi/ he was drifting through a fog covered swamp /Obi, it's this way/
"Which way?" he asked as he stumbled through the vegetation. He moved a hand to clear some branches out of the way and brushed his cheek, only to gasp in surprise. There was no eye patch there. He stopped for a moment and brought both hands to his face, feeling his unscarred cheek and eye lids. His hands moved down over his beard and he looked down to see the uniform of the Naboo security chief he had once been.
"Oh, it's a dream," he sighed and looked around again. There was no color here, everything seemed to be in grey scale except him, the deep colors of his uniform looking almost vibrant in the shaded world he found himself in.
/Of course it's a dream, now get a move on, I don't have much time./ The voice was rather insistent, so he followed the sound to a clearing with a small table and chairs where a robed figure sat waiting for him.
He moved to the figure's side and it indicated the chair opposite for him to sit, but he wanted to see who he was meeting. The figure rose when he got too close and towered over Obi-Wan to the height his old master had over him.
"Qui-Gon!" Obi gasped and wrapped his arms around his beloved Master, who enveloped him in his strong arms, the bear hug Obi had missed so much. The big man chuckled and the warmth and color of the place briefly filled the clearing until Qui pulled away from his former padawan.
/To business, young one,/ he said and sat back down in his chair, his hood remaining up, but the tell tale beard and chin protruding from the shadows cast by the hood. Obligingly, Obi sat opposite Qui as the taller man began to speak.
/There is a change coming, a change that will sweep away the Jedi way of life as we have known it. Something new must emerge from this purge and you must help to prepare the way of a new order./
"A new order?" asked Obi, "Is that this cause Dooku was talking about?"
/Dooku has seen some of what is to pass and takes his own path to weather the storm that approaches./
"Yes, he mentioned something about paths and I was wondering what he meant by that."
/Know this, padawan mine, for any to survive what is to come, there will need to be a blurring of the lines between the light and dark. This is how true balance will be achieved. You cannot have the light without the dark. But the polarization of our order to the Sith has created such imbalance, the force itself is taking action and has already begun what must be done. And you will see that soon enough./
The figure moved closer to Obi and Obi found himself leaning in to listen to Qui's words.
/It has been so good to see you once again, my dear Obi-Wan,/ came Qui's voice sadly, and he reached up to stroke Obi's cheek affectionately, /and my time in this place is almost up. We shall meet again, soon. But first, there is the small matter of rescuing an associate of yours./ And with that the hood was pulled back to reveal the bloodied and pained face of Ventress.
"Assajj!" gasped Obi, as he woke suddenly, his arms pushing him up off the pillow. His back felt itchy and stretched, but no piercing pain wrippled across the flesh, which was a great relief. He sat up, wiping the sweat that had suddenly formed on his skin, out of his eye, his hand pausing on his protective eye patch.
"Well, that was not how I expected that conversation to finish!" he said to the pitch black night around him.