Chapter 7. Crossroads

Obi-Wan awoke, feeling a cool calloused palm settle on his forehead and move down to gauge the pulse under his jaw. It felt… unusual. His whole life as a padawan he had to face the world one-to-one. This small gesture – since for sure Tur was just being his compulsively professional self – held something Obi-Wan wasn't accustomed to. This was care. Of course, he had his friends, and Tahl, since Bant had become a padawan herself. But they had their own affairs to attend to and didn't really have much chance to spend time with him. Tur, however cool-headed and detached, took the trouble of looking after him, a complete stranger, a disruptor of peace of the ex-Jedi's isolation. Saving Obi-Wan from the crash – even that was a good will action. The rest Tur really didn't have to do. Sheltering him, helping him. It felt different, and the awareness of Tur's care filled Obi-Wan with warmth able to thaw whatever nightmares plagued him.

– I know you're awake, – the ex-Jedi muttered, his hand extended in a Force-scan and face impassive in concentration.

Obi-Wan blinked at the daylight flooding the room.

– I slept in.

– You need to keep your strength up. Besides, – Tur added with a wry grin, – it isn't as if I had no hand in your sleeping so soundly.

Obi-Wan scowled and propped himself on his elbows, trying to sit up, but a hand stopped him.

– Not so fast, – the man placed his hands at the youth's temples. – Raise your shields. Higher, if you can, – he looked at Obi-Wan, searching traces of discomfort, then his face softened. – That's fine. Good as new. – Tur got up and walked to the door. – Well, if you're hungry, you'd better follow me, room service is on vacation.

Obi-Wan grinned. This banter had become their usual routine, and he suddenly felt sad. Before everything was black and white: train, pass the trials, earn the Knighthood. Now… Always in motion the plans are, he muttered to himself ironically, and, having made the bed and got dressed, he left the room to join Tur for firstmeal.

Firstmeal was a strange affair. Tur was silent, as usual, though now an ever so slight frown betrayed his concentration on some questions he was quietly pondering. But whatever it was that he was deciding on, he made no attempt at discussing it with Obi-Wan, and that was driving the teen impatient.

- So… - tried Obi-Wan, breaking the silence, - what are we going to do now?

- I can't put a Force collar on you again, - Tur winced as if the idea physically pained him. He stared at his plate for a good few seconds then shook his head, as if shaking off some recollection. - I just can't. After the reaction you had yesterday, we can't risk it.

- But what happens if he tries to reach me again?

- Well, that's the big question, isn't it? - Tur barked a humourless laugh. - I still can't figure out what he was trying to do and why. It has been what, weeks since you came here? Why didn't he try to search for you earlier?

Obi-Wan recalled the unsettling sensation of his mind being overtaken by some alien force, control slipping away, and a cold dread crept up his spine. He had felt that before. He just couldn't place that feeling.

- I… for some reason I think he hasn't ever lost track of me. It's almost… I think he actually allowed me to escape from the Temple then. I mean, he was occupied with the others -

- How in the galaxy could he escape a room full of trained Jedi?

- I don't know. It was chaos. They might have been more after me…

- … and he didn't try to escape with you because he was perfectly aware that he had created a dark bond imprint that would allow him to find you, - finished Tur, nodding gravely. - Though how it was possible for him to this, I've got no idea. He must want you for something.

- Did you know this might happen?

- If I did, I wouldn't have told you, - Tur's attempt at sarcasm fell flat, his face so tense that the smile looked more like a grimace. - I've never seen anything like it. The dark bond remnant I saw was killing its bearer from the inside. It didn't connect to anyone. It fed from the Force and the life force of its host, - Tur's voice resembled a low hiss, as he was dragging every word out through clenched teeth. - Cutting it off from the Force helped in a way, helped to slow whatever it was doing to her, at least, but it was still sucking at the life force. I couldn't dissolve it.

- Maybe Rhad has a way of getting in through the Force? - wondered Obi-Wan aloud. - You said the remnant was feeding itself from the Force.

- This is the only explanation I have. This is why I used the Force collar in the first place, - Tur shook his head in angry frustration. - But what matters more now is how to keep you safe while I look for a way to dissolve the bond. I've already failed at this once. I don't know what went wrong and I'm not going to lose you to this as well. I can't try doing it the same way if there is a risk it kills you.

- But what will happen if he… connects with me? Maybe we just… let him? What can he do from a distance?

Tur scowled.

- Do you want another turn of what happened yesterday? We don't know what he can do or what he'll do if he knows where you are.

- But you said yourself he was too far away, wherever he is. He can't do much… can he?

- I have no idea what he wants and what he can actually do. What I do know is we cut pretty close yesterday. You were unresponsive minutes after Rhad had tried to connect. What if he tried to control you somehow, take over your mind… I don't want to worry you too much, but I'd rather avoid "letting" him do anything again.

- So what can we do then?

- Alright, let's start from the beginning, - Tur pinched the bridge of his nose, dragging his hand down his face as if trying to wipe out his fatigue. It had just occurred to Obi-Wan he looked as if he had barely got any sleep last night. - When you arrived and I saw what exactly was in your mind, there wasn't a lot that could be done. You were still weak from what happened when the dark imprint was created. See, that's the point. I think Rhad influenced the training bond that had to be in place between you, twisted it somehow. But that wasn't what he was after. I've seen it before and it never occurred to me that the problem wasn't the bond. It was what happened when it was cut.

Tur stood up from the table, pacing in a barely contained agitation.

- See, when it is cut, it looks as if it turns on its bearer. It drains your life force. We thought - before - that Force collars might slow it. Now I don't know if that's true - and anyway, I wouldn't risk putting one on you at least for now. We'll have to keep it as the last resort. Now that we know Rhad can somehow reach you through this link, this is the only option to cut off any connection to him. But one thing is clear. We need to find a way to dissolve it. I really need my notes, - Tur sighed. - For all I know, they might be at the Temple by now. I didn't think I'd need them ever again. And obviously we can't stay here. We need somewhere quiet where he can't find us so easily.

- We can move upstream. Go as far as we can, - Obi-Wan suggested, but Tur shook his head.

- No. Aar is small. Besides, it doesn't protect you. We need to leave.

- You mean… another planet? But we've got nothing to fly in!

- I've checked the engines last night. Took a bit of work but - well, I'm not sure how far this will carry us but I hope we can safely make it at least somewhere where we can pick up some other transport. We leave today.

- But where?

- Z-1A88I. It's a small planet, those who live there came for research. I know a place to stay, but what's more important, its atmosphere blurs Force signatures. We'll be harder to find. We should be able to stay there for a while.

- Do you… think it will work? - asked Obi-Wan, wincing at how small his voice sounded.

- I have no idea, - Tur muttered darkly. - But we've got no choice. We have to make it work.

Living in a spacecraft was pretty convenient, Obi-Wan thought as he looked out the window. They took off very soon after their conversation that morning because there was nothing to pack, except maybe some more food they collected outside.

Tur was unsure if the old 'craft would carry them all the way to their final destination. In fact, he was so sceptical about it, he did not even try to hide it. The power panels were luckily solar rechargeable, obsolete but still in order, though that would hardly help them in open space. But Tur was right - they had to make it work - so he mapped out their route on the navicomp so that they would keep close to the planets they could make a stop on. One name on the map had seemed familiar.

- We could stop here if we need to, - Obi-Wan had said, pointing at a little dot he recognised.

- Eo'ra-A? I've never heard of it.

- It's one of the few places I've been to. We can make a stop - it's small but it's pretty much deserted.

- It's a bit off course, - Tur countered. - This one would be perfectly fine -

- Yes, but - I just think we could be safer here. At least I know it, - Obi-Wan had no idea what made him try to push his suggestion forward but Tur relented.

- Fine. So be it. You'd better be right, - he winked and moved on further on the map. - I doubt we'll get there but we'd better have it mapped still.

The journey was quiet. Tur was occupied with the navigation or writing or reading something off his holopad. Obi-Wan just looked out the window. Lights flickered gently, the dull remote purr of the engines was comforting, and Obi-Wan did not notice as sleep pulled him under like a slow current.

Obi-Wan woke up to alarms blaring and Tur scowling at the navicomp.

- We've got to make a stop, - he said. - Thank the Force we've made it this far. But now we'll need to recharge. Hope we manage to get to this Eo'ra-A on what we have, - he glanced at Obi-Wan with a shadow of mild reproach in his eyes. - I did say it was off-course.

Obi-Wan whispered some jumbled apology and rubbed his eyes. They were already in the atmosphere - Tur must have been overreacting. Dull empty land stretched ahead of them, and Obi-Wan was racking his brain to remember why this should be familiar to him. He was pretty sure he had been here - but his recollections were vague. He did not expect the grey slums ahead of them. He was sure he had imagined it… differently? The whole memory felt wrong, as if it was not his. Obi-Wan batted that thought away - it did not really matter now. He just hoped they would find someplace to land and recharge their spacecraft.

- Well, this is as good of a place to land as any, - Tur declared, cheerfulness mingling with a touch of sarcasm so closely that it was impossible to decide which sentiment prevailed. - Get ready, kid, - he smirked, - this has turned out to be quite a reliable piece of old junk, but it's a piece of old junk nonetheless. I doubt very much our behinds will appreciate the landing.

Tur for sure compensated being a bit rough around the edges by turning out to be right about most things: the landing was quite tangible. Obi-Wan sent a quiet prayer to the Force that the spacecraft would not break apart at the first impact. Tur kept saying he was no Jedi, but one look at him suggested that in situations like this, the Force appealed to practically everyone. However, no danger awaited them here - the spacecraft made a couple of ungracious jumps, like an elderly frog hitting the brakes if it had any, but stopped quite neatly in the middle of a plain covered with some kind of wilted grass. Ahead was what appeared from afar a tiny settlement. Tur sank down to the ground, sitting cross-legged and leaning his head against the wall of the spacecraft, and pulled up some notes on his holopad.

- Alright, we're halfway there, - he nodded contentedly, eyeing the maps and looking at the readings from the engines. - I'd say there's enough light to recharge here but while we wait, we have plenty of time to go see about any provisions we can pick up at the settlement, - Tur pulled out of nowhere a small pack of age-worn credits, extending them to Obi-Wan. - Do they still make those?

- Surprisingly, yes, - squinted Obi-Wan at the faded symbols. - Considering how old you are.

- You know, I'm not much of a teacher, - drawled Tur bemusedly, - but in a matter of weeks I've managed to teach you something that would actually stick.

Obi-Wan grinned and sat down beside him, tearing off a blade of local grass and twisting it in his fingers. It's never been like that for him - to be able to chat and banter with his master, allow himself to sit light-hearted on the grass, regardless of anything that future could hold, just because someone's presence made him feel that everything would be alright. And surprisingly, he did not even care if it would.

At length, Tur seemed to have finished whatever notes or calculations he was making and stood up, shaking fine grey dust off his pants and patting two blasters nestled snugly in his back pockets.

- What? - he quirked his eyebrow at Obi-Wan's amused glance. - Nobody's too old for a space cowboy look. Come on. Let's see if any friendlies in the area would like to part with their last stocks for a couple of credits.

As they got closer to the settlement, Obi-Wan's skin started to prickle as if sensing something sinister, but at the same time his mind for some reason felt eager to dismiss it. He felt almost safe, sure in his destination.

Welcome home, my little padawan.

He barely had time to realise he was hearing the same voice in his head when -

- Down! - Tur growled in his ear, grabbing his shoulders from behind and pulling them both down to drop flat on the dusty grass. Automatic blaster fire swished past them. - Sounds like droids. - Tur spat out the grime out of the corner of his mouth. - Sith, they aren't after us. They are targeting our ship. Go! - he shoved Obi-Wan behind himself, pulling out a blaster and throwing the other one at Obi-Wan, at the same time unclipping a very familiar-looking metallic cylinder from his belt. - Go! I'll hold them off. It's no use if we're both stranded here. If I can't make it, don't wait for me. - Tur swiped his arm, the cylinder blossoming into a shining blue lightsaber, the arc reflecting the blaster fire. - You'll have to go alone. There's a course set on the maps. Wait for me there. I'll find you. I promise I'll find you. You'll be safe there in the meantime. On the planet, ask for Ri'ilen at the space port. He'll remember me. Go!

Obi-Wan shook himself out of a momentary stupor and broke into a run. He had to at least get the ship out of the line of fire, then maybe he could somehow turn around - he burst into the cabin, skimming the controls with his eyes - and then he would… Sith. Of course they had no real weapons, and not nearly enough energy to use even those they had. He slammed his hand on the panel, then angrily punched in the course command. I'll come back for you, Master. Below he saw Tur deflecting the fire, his lightsaber dancing like a blue flash, then falling to his knees grasping at his leg. A figure was moving towards him, the robes billowing in the wind, and it looked so familiar that Obi-Wan did not want to think anymore. Then, gathering all the effort left in it, the ship jumped to hyperspace, leaving the planet of Eo-ra'A far behind.