Authors thanks. Here is the final chapter. Took me awhile to settle into my new house and finish this last chapter and I hope it's not too mushy at the end.
I still love writing about my fav. Jedi Obi-Wan and I hope to begin a new story soon. Thanks for all the reviews.
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A burning heat slowly filled his veins, sluggishness crept through him. It was impossible to resist even though he tried when the straps holding him down were released.
His brain was willing but his body was not and the man pulled him to his feet easily. Putting one foot in front of the other barely registered in his lethargic body as he moved forward down the hall.
Breathing was difficult because the man had secured a wire cable around his throat and was holding it tightly.
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The walk to the next room seemed to take forever in his weakened state, but seeing Jyl tied to a ring in the wall with cuts on her face did little to ease his mind.
Thankfully, she didn't appear badly injured and their eyes met; he hoped she wouldn't do anything rash and stay calm.
Sitting along the other wall were the missing townsfolk with their hands tied behind their backs.
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Obi-Wan could barely speak, but he tried anyway. "Y-you have m-me; let them go..
"Still trying to tell me what to do? Do you think I went to all this trouble to get them; just to let them go on your say so!" he laughed.
"They are my insurance to make sure I can leave here with you. Jinn is very single-minded; I know him well and he will not give up his prize possession that easily."
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"You don't know Qui-Gon at all, if you think he will bow to your demands. I'm not his prize possession. He is a Jedi and he will not bargain for my life, and you are a fool if you believe he will." Obi-Wan stated.
Rage bubbled in the devils ice blue eyes and Obi-Wan felt the power of his rage and wrath as he was thrown across the room hitting the far wall; crumpling in a heap.
Laughter bubbled insidiously from the crazed man and like a predator he stalked over and tugged on the wire pulling it tighter around his throat.
"I know him better than you ever will; you were so pathetic and stupid. You fell for everything I threw at you, Oafy- Wan."
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Obi-Wan struggled to breathe as he heard that long ago nick name. It brought horrible memories back of his young initiate days. Bruck Chun his childhood nemesis was the only one to call him that!
He hadn't died and now was determined to have his revenge.
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"It was so easy to manipulate you and the great Qui-Gon Jinn." he said sarcastically leaning in.
"Yes! It was me Bruck Chun, who deserved to be Jinn's favourite padawan, not you! He took 'me;" slapping his hand on his own chest.
"He sent you to Thyferra. That should have been the end of you; yet even when we all hoped you were dead, his thoughts were always on 'You!" he screamed as he threw Obi-Wan against the wall again.
"Well he won't have you, I will make sure of that and then I'll kill 'our Master', and you will serve me until I decide to kill you too!" he cackled.
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Pain shot through Obi-Wan's limbs as he hit the wall. "B-ruck….W-why are you doing this! Y-you had the best Master in the order, you had everything." and then Obi-Wan added. "You got what you wanted."
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"Yes I got what I wanted, but he didn't want me! He felt guilty about you almost from the moment he accepted me, and I hated him for it. He was arrogant and his thoughts betrayed him. So I decided that 'I' didn't need him either." he screamed.
Obi-Wan heard real loathing in his voice; Bruck was truly insane, that's why they hadn't recognised his aura; it was so twisted with madness and rage.
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"Bruck p-please let them go, and I will come with you willingly."
Pale blue eyes glared at him with abhorrence in them. "I don't want you to come willingly; I want you to be terrified of me!"
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Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon would find them soon, but he was afraid that Bruck might begin killing the other prisoners. He had to keep him off balance, confuse him.
"All that time when we were growing up, you could have been a great Jedi? We all saw your potential Bruck, but you never did."
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"What? I don't believe you! You hated me!" Bruck screamed and rammed him against the wall; stabbing his sabre into Obi-Wan's shoulder.
The red blade hummed and stuck out holding him painfully firm against the wall. A feral grin lit Bruck's face. "Does that hurt; I'm sure it does, because I hated you!"
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He grinned, when Obi-Wan didn't answer him, and he turned away unclipping Obi-Wan's sabre. Igniting it, he slashed at thin air trying out the blue blade.
"So did Qui-Gon help you build this! It's pathetic; nothing like the one that's residing in your shoulder. It's the best sabre in existence." Bruck said walking away from him engrossed in waving the sabre around.
While he was distracted; Obi-Wan set a plan in motion.
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Through the pain he whispered to Jyl to cut her bonds on the sabre, and as soon as he and Bruck were gone she was to release the prisoners and get out of the room quickly.
"Do not dawdle I suspect the room is rigged to blow up." he whispered.
She stretched across burning her ropes, and then pretended to still be tied up.
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Bruck continued his gloating as he reached the other side and then turned around and strode back holding the blade triumphantly in front of him.
He held the point on Obi-Wan's chest burning his tunic and causing a hiss of pain from his prisoner's mouth.
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"Ah! And that hurt too." Bruck sneered. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you." he said as he pulled his sabre out of Obi-Wan's shoulder.
As he did Obi-Wan gathered what strength he could muster and kicked Bruck in the knee causing him to drop the blue sabre and stagger back.
Obi-Wan charged; head butting Bruck; falling over with him in the process.
Bruck overpowered him; hitting him hard with his fists. Blood gushed from his split lip as he was pummelled into submission.
"Do that again and I will kill them all right now!" Bruck said pointing to the prisoners.
He hit him again and undid the wire that dug into his neck; replacing it with a heavy metal collar; with a long length of chain attached to it.
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As Bruck dragged him to his feet two of his guards came rushing in. "My Lord, we have to hurry, the ship has arrived and is landing on the roof."
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"Good, I'm tired of this game. Let's go, Oafy-Wan!" Bruck said pushing him to the door, forgetting the lost sabre; leaving with his prize.
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000
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Jyl waited until the door shut, then ignited the sabre, cutting the bonds around her ankles.
"Quickly everyone get to your feet we must get out of here."
As she spoke the door burst open, and Qui-Gon stepped into the room.
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"Master Jinn, we have to get out of here, Obi-Wan said that the room is filled with explosives!"
"Yes, I sense it, we must hurry; this way." he said pointing down the hall where the commander's men were waiting to help them.
Qui-Gon followed the stragglers out of the building keeping them moving. Just in time as they heard the sound of explosions rock the building again.
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"Master Jinn! That man has taken Obi-Wan, he said he has a ship waiting. I believe he wants to kill him! We have to rescue him!"
"He won't get away Jyl, the Commander and his men are securing the ship and are waiting for the rest of them to appear. We shall intercept them."
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"Is my master alright?" The young padawan asked as they ran up to the roof.
"Yes, she is having her head wound seen too, I'm certain she will rejoin us soon."
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000
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By the time the first criminals made it across the makeshift bridge spanning the two buildings the commander and his men had secured the ship and opened fire on them.
Bruck heard blaster fire, and sent his men on ahead as he dragged Obi-Wan along with him. He couldn't go back as he'd blown up the room and the corridor behind him.
Bruck surveyed the area, but he'd miscalculated and had to get across the bridge before Qui-Gon caught up to him. If he could get to the side door he could escape through to the next building while his men battled on against the security forces.
Insanity did many things to your common sense and Bruck was at the end of a rope that had nowhere to go. The bridge spanning the two buildings was above a water channel that was full due to the heavy rain. And even though a make shift bridge joined the two buildings together, it was a dangerous crossing with large pieces of twisted metal laying all around.
He pushed his prisoner forward as Qui-Gon and Jyl came into view holding the sabre close to his throat.
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"Don't come any closer Jinn!" he screamed. "Let me go or I will kill him!"
They were at a standoff as Qui-Gon called out. "You cannot escape, there's nowhere to go. You're surrounded!"
"I'll kill him first!"
"Why are you doing this?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Because I hate you Jinn, I wasn't good enough for you. You chose me, but you really wanted him! Well you're not going to have the agri-corps reject!"
Qui-Gon, was mortified at the sight and recognition pressing in on him even though the aura was twisted and unrecognisable. He remembered those eyes It was clear now; it was Bruck.
"Bruck! Obi-Wan never hurt you; Let him go, take me instead. It is me your angry with." He said as he stepped onto the bridge.
Obi-Wan felt the rage bubbling through Bruck and knew this would end badly. He had to pull free of Bruck's grip.
Bruck was losing control and he tried to stop Obi-Wan, but as they fought he pushed him back against the railing. It gave way and Obi-Wan fell backward hitting some of the twisted metal on the way down. His strength was gone, and he disappeared into the water.
Bruck's laugh became hysterical as he leaned over watching Kenobi disappear. He turned wild eyes back to Qui-Gon.
"Your precious pet is gone for good now, his shackles will drag him to the bottom, and you will have lost another apprentice Master Jinn!"
Qui-Gon knew he had to stop Bruck, but his thoughts were filled with worry for his apprentice. He had to get past the crazed man, but the eyes were feral with hate and vengeance.
The mad man swung wildly with his sabre preventing Qui-Gon from getting past him.
Qui-Gon prepared to advance on him when he heard someone call out behind Bruck. Master Laura had recovered and was edging her way toward Bruck from the other side.
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"Go Qui-Gon, leave this one to me!" Master Laura said as she held her sabre at the ready behind him.
He nodded and leaped high up into the beams of the bridge, jumping and catapulted himself over the bridge into the water below.
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000
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Laura's blade clashed with Bruck's as he tried to decapitate her. In return she brought her sabre crashing down towards Bruck's head and he had to block her more experienced strikes. He screamed, but she kept pushing him backwards across the bridge towards her apprentice and the armed guards waiting for him.
Anger flared through the Force when he saw Qui-Gon dive into the water. He couldn't let Jinn save Oafy Wan, all his planning and years of training, would be wasted if Jinn succeeded.
He had to stop him. Screaming he attacked ferociously slashing wildly at Laura, his sabre hit the beams of the bridge and anything else that was in his way.
Master Laura sensed the rage and insanity flowing all around the black clad devil, but she held him back with her sabre. She had to give Qui-Gon time to rescue Obi-Wan.
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Qui-Gon swam deeper and deeper into the murky waters, stretching out with his senses he found a light flicker of Obi-Wan's aura, and touched his life force far below.
Qui-Gon swam deeper, and finally after several moments he saw Obi-Wan lying on some twisted pieces of metal.
The metal shackles were weighing him down, and he was unconscious.
Qui-Gon picked him up carrying the dead weight to the surface.
Obi-Wan wasn't breathing when Qui-Gon laid him on the ground. Medical droids brought a breathing apparatus and they began pumping air into his lungs and extracting the water.
His skin was pale and lifeless as the droids worked pumping his heart. Qui-Gon wanted to do something, but the droids were highly efficient so he gave them room to work.
It seemed like forever to Qui-Gon, but soon Obi-Wan coughed and spluttered and began to breathe.
Relief crossed Qui-Gon's face and he took a breath that he hadn't realised he was holding.
Master Laura and Jyl hurried across to where Obi-Wan lay. "Qui-Gon is he alright?" Laura asked.
"Yes, he will be, he's breathing now." Qui-Gon uttered thankfully.
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He glanced past Laura, "What happened to Bruck?"
"He is dead Qui-Gon! When he saw you going after Obi-Wan he went berserk, and in his moment of madness he tried to follow you. He dived over the railing head first, only he missed the water and hit the ground. He broke his neck." she confirmed as she pointed to where Bruck's body lay.
"He was insane and there was nothing I could do to stop him. I hope he finds peace in death." She said as Qui-Gon lifted his apprentice onto a stretcher for the ride back to the healers.
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It was a long wait before the Doctor came out and explained his injuries. He had several broken ribs, a broken arm; a gash on his forehead, a sabre wound to his shoulder and minor cuts and bruises, but nothing that bacta wouldn't remedy.
The three Jedi were allowed into the room and watched him float in the Bacta. Padawan Jyl was the first to break the silence.
"Obi-Wan is a special Jedi." she whispered. "Everything he did in that room was to save us, I didn't know there were explosives in there, yet Obi-Wan did. He saved us all."
Qui-Gon touched her shoulder. "He will be happy to hear that Padawan Jyl, because he doesn't think he is very special." Qui-Gon smiled.
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"I just hope his days in Bacta tanks have come to an end." Qui-Gon sighed.
000
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Master Laura and Jyl left to return Bruck's body to Coruscant, while Qui-Gon remained at Obi-Wans side. They would return to the Temple just as soon as Obi-Wan was ready to travel.
Obi-Wan woke after being removed from the bacta to find a worried faced Qui-Gon staring out the window.
"Master Qui-Gon, you seem worried, what's wrong?"
He turned changing his troubled features to a smile. "I hope nothing, but I must admit I will not be surprised if you decide not to continue as my apprentice."
"Why do you think that?"
Qui-Gon sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I have caused you nothing but grief and trouble since I first met you. All the pain you endured because of me. I am so sorry."
"Master, I learnt a lot in my travels, and I have no regrets. I have met some very interesting people and perhaps some influential ones as well."
Qui-Gon placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I've learnt some valuable lessons too and I'm certain you will teach me more."
"Aren't you supposed to be teaching me Master?"
"We will teach each other Padawan and keep each other out of trouble. I have come to the conclusion that we both have stubborn streaks in us and perhaps you would have been safer marrying that nice girl Padmè."
Obi-Wan grinned. "I'm not sure how 'safe' I would be married to Padmè! She has a wild streak in her and I think she craves excitement Master."
"Oh! And you don't Padawan?"
"No Master, I've had enough excitement to last me a lifetime. I think a few years going on mundane missions and living in the temple with a bit of peace and quiet is just what the healer ordered." he said.
"Are you ready to go home to the Temple and be the great Jedi I know you will be?"
Obi-Wan dipped his head and smiled. Finally he felt like a Jedi.
The End.