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(continued from part 7)

Qui-Gon felt his consciousness drifting, as if through a dense fog. He sensed Kenobi nearby, and followed him. The young man seemed to know where he was going.

The haze around them cleared, slowly exposing a grey wood. Featureless trees stood all around them, leafless and devoid of life, as if they had been burned or frozen. Barren trunks stood around them like grave markers.

“He´s close," Kenobi whispered.  “I can feel it."

A small clearing appeared ahead of them, revealed by the retreating fog. They made for it unhurriedly.

Qui-Gon glanced at his companion, noting that Kenobi´s attire had changed. Instead of civilian clothes he wore the simple homespun tunics of a Jedi. In rich tones of cream and brown, he was the most colorful thing in this place of visions; every thing else was flat and unreal, until they entered the clearing and saw the man they sought.

Knight Chun sat in a meditative pose. His clothes looked like Jedi tunics spun from spider silk, white and deceptively fragile-looking. His hair fell straight around his shoulders, as fine and white as his garments. His bronze skin glowed, unreal amid the cold, colorless surroundings. His feet were bare.

“Knight Chun." Qui-Gon spoke softly.

Two eyes as pale as ice opened and regarded them. A moment passed when no one spoke.

“You´re really here." Chun´s astonishment was evident in his voice. “Master said help was coming, but I never thought--"

“Knight Chun, you must wake up," Kenobi said.

“Oh, yes, of course! I hadn´t thought of that." Chun´s tone was low and bitterly sarcastic. “Do you think I´d be here if I knew how to get out? And what are you doing here, dressed like a Jedi?"

“It´s your head we´re in, Knight Chun," Kenobi retorted.  “I think you have more say about how I look at the moment than I do."

Kenobi´s hair turned lavender, but he did not seem to notice. Bruck Chun blinked twice. “Hmm. I suppose you´re right."

“Kenobi had a vision that we were to come and help you," Qui-Gon said, hoping to diffuse further conflict.  The young Knight turned to face him.

“I am grateful for your help. I do not mean to be hostile, but little in this place is what it seems."

“You were not alone, even before we got here, were you?" Kenobi asked.

“No." Knight Chun shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. “The Sith was here, the one I killed. He followed my Master."

Qui-Gon did not attempt to hide his astonishment. “Master Leem?"

“Yes. Somehow, he left part of himself with me, through the training bond. It could not close, and left me vulnerable to the Sith."

“This … Sith guy… is here?" Kenobi peered into the haze that still clung under the trees.

“When he left, he said I would not see him again." Chun´s calm Jedi façade broke into a wry, closed smile.  “I am not so naïve as to believe he meant that he would not trouble me further."

There was no gentle way to say what needed to be said, so Qui-Gon was blunt. “He is trying to take control of your body. We must find a way to stop him."

“I don´t know how!" Chun shook his head as the horror of what was happening dawned on him.  “My master only told me I must go to Lentrebi Prime.  The healers there will know how to remove this … graft, he called it.  Otherwise, we will both be one with the Force very soon."

“We will help you." Kenobi spoke with unusual certainty. The white-haired young Knight glanced at him, expressionless.

“That is very comforting." Chun turned his gaze to Qui-Gon.  “Have you any news of Xanatos?"

“The Council said he had not missed a scheduled report. They refused to recall him on your warnings alone."

“I see." The wood around them darkened ever so slightly at his words, but Chun´s appearance remained still and passionless.  He thought for a long moment, and slowly stood.  “My first duty is to my Master. What remains of him must be delivered to Lentrebi Prime. Perhaps my visions of Xanatos were only the machinations of the Sith, meant to torment me."

Qui-Gon did not entirely believe that was the case, and sensed that neither did Chun; however, they had no evidence to the contrary. Knight Chun and whatever remained Master Leem would certainly be lost if they delayed, and they had no proof that Xanatos needed their help.

“Very well."  Qui-Gon nodded and extended his hand in the young Knight´s direction.  “Hold on to each of us. When Kenobi and I emerge from meditation, we will attempt to bring you with us." Qui-Gon grasped Kenobi´s hand to complete the circle, finding it warm and damp where Chun´s was cool and dry.

The fog closed around them again, obscuring each man from the others until only silhouettes remained visible.  He could feel Kenobi´s uneasiness, his urgency to escape the eerie netherworld where Bruck Chun´s consciousness had been imprisoned.

“Easy, now," Qui-Gon cautioned.  “Haste can be an enemy, even when time is short."

Then he saw it – the faintest shadow began to coalesce around Knight Chun´s form. Qui-Gon focused his Force-sense around the young Knight, and was not surprised to feel the faint presence of the Sith. Hissed whisperings floated through the mist around Qui-Gon as he sent strength and reassurance to Bruck through the Force.

It was not enough. Chun began to shake all over, though his grip did not loosen. His thrashing cleared some of the mist around them, allowing Qui-Gon to see the oily sludge of the Sith´s presence slip around Chun´s neck. Tendrils of darkness caressed his ears, and the whisperings increased.

Qui-Gon could feel fear and despair blossoming inside the young Knight as he thrashed. With a sudden, shouted denial, Chun began to scream.

“NO! It´s a lie. You´re a liar!"

The darkness pressed into the young Knights mouth and nose as he struggled. Qui-Gon and Kenobi fought to keep their hold on his hands as they once again sensed the sickroom around them. They emerged slowly, feeling uncommonly drained.

“Did it work?" Kenobi looked a little pale, but otherwise seemed fine.

“I don´t know."

They both looked down at the patient between them. He was still and silent. Slowly, his pale eyes opened.

“Knight Chun?" Kenobi seemed wary.

Bruck nodded. When he spoke his voice was hoarse, but entirely his own. “He was keeping me there. I think he—“

A violent coughing fit came on, cutting off Knight Chun´s words. A dark, sludgy sputum sprayed out of his mouth and nose, spattering the linen. Qui-Gon´s tunics were also hit, but Kenobi had avoided it by deftly stepping behind the young Knight´s head. When the fit passed, Knight Chun jerked his wrists against their restraints.

“Sorry," he said sheepishly. “Couldn´t cover my mouth."

Qui-Gon could no longer sense the presence of the Sith. “Is he gone?"

Chun closed his eyes, concentrating.

“I think so," he said at last.

The Jedi Master released the Knight´s restraints and let him clean himself as best as he was able. Kenobi tossed Chun some clean tunics from a storage locker. Qui-Gon helped Chun dress, for it was obvious that he was not entirely well. His limbs shook and he seemed weaker than two days abed would account for.  Qui-Gon could sense that Chun was embarrassed by his weakness, and did not draw attention to it.

Kenobi crept up to Qui-Gon and smiled mischievously. “Should I steal a transport, or would you rather?"

“Oh, allow me." Qui-Gon could not help but smile back. They were all in three worlds worth of trouble.

Chun´s borrowed tunics fell onto his shoulders. He looked from Qui-Gon to Kenobi, then glanced at the deactivated med droid. “You didn´t have authorization to help me."

“No." Qui-Gon looked down to conceal his grin.

“Tand?"

“Drugged him."  Kenobi bowed slightly as he opened the door.

“Wish I could have seen that." Chun looked almost wistful as he stepped, barefoot, into the hall outside. He staggered a little, catching himself with a hand on the wall. Kenobi moved to steady him.

“Lean on me for a bit, okay? We have to hurry."

Qui-Gon expected the haughty Knight to object, but he only nodded. They made their way as quickly as possible without drawing attention to themselves. Qui-Gon found an out of the way place for Kenobi and Chun to wait while he went in search of a computer terminal to check on available transports.

Hells, he thought, when he read the name of the nearest flight-ready Jedi ship. The Furlan. It was small, but it would have to do unless he wanted to ask for Council approval for a larger one. The very thought made his shins ache, anticipating a liberal application of Yoda´s gimmer stick.

No, he´d follow the will of the Force and give himself over to the Council for judgment when he was finished. If Chun was correct, there was no time to wait asking for permission. The request would likely take a day, at least, and the answer would still be “no".

At least he knew how to fly the thing.

Bruck felt strange. His every nerve on edge, a burning in his chest he could not explain, tremors in his extremities and a shameful weakness in his muscles all conspired against him, forcing him to rely on Kenobi. Yet, his dependence did not bother him. That was the strangest thing of all.

He could not remember ever being so accepting of his circumstances when he was obliged to receive help from another being, even another Jedi. But now he leaned on a common pleasure worker for support and felt no injury to his pride. Only duty mattered now; whatever it cost him to save his master, himself, Xan— he would pay it.

He rested his face in his hands, trying not to hear the taunting voice of the Sith. Even as Kenobi and Master Jinn had pulled him from the Sith´s grip, the horned devil had still managed to shatter Bruck´s hard-won serenity.

“Are you well?" Kenobi sat next to him on a narrow bench in the medical supply room where Qui-Gon had hidden them.

“Yes…no." He forced out a calming breath, cool across the sweat on his palms. “I don´t want to talk about it." He rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes, and ran his fingers through his hair, surprised to find it so short. Still growing out of the Padawan cut, he mused. Things were different here than in the dream wood where he had been trapped, but he felt much the same. In the wood it had been easy to change things around him; now that he was awake, he was once again subject to the will of others and laws of nature. But a flame burned inside him, a part of his consciousness that believed he could still affect his environment with his thoughts.

You've gone insane, he told himself. You're a Jedi, not a god. He tugged absently at his hair, telling himself the power he felt pulsing through his body—shaking it, eating it alive—was not what he thought it was.

“I´m sick," he said aloud. “I can´t trust what I feel… it isn´t real." It is.  He shook his head against the thought. “I´m imagining it."

“I thought you said you didn´t want to talk about it?" There was a laugh hidden in Kenobi´s voice, but it was not a mocking one.

“I´m not myself, Kenobi. I don´t know who I am." Bruck looked up from his hands, but not at the man next to him. “This thing inside me—even without the Sith, if he is really gone—is tearing me apart.  I… don´t want to die – to let everyone down. My master and…never mind."

“You are worried about Xanatos, too, aren´t you?"

Bruck nodded, refusing to let Kenobi see emotion on his face.  “You´ve met him."

“Tall fellow, black hair, striking blue eyes? I met him, briefly. And I saw that message he sent Jinn." Kenobi leaned against the wall.  “I don´t understand what it is between you two. I thought he had a thing for Master Long, Tall and Celibate, but he gave you that lock of hair.  I know that means something, but I don´t know what."

“If you figure it out, please enlighten me." Bruck sighed, surprised at the detachment in his voice. “Did he say something to you about Master Jinn?"

“He didn´t say anything to me at all. Just a feeling."

Bruck realized Kenobi must be very perceptive, for a whore, but prudently decided not to tell him so.  “I have a feeling, too, a feeling that he´s in terrible danger, or will be. Maybe there is still time." Bruck curled his fingers around the edge of the bench and squeezed, to still the trembling in his hands. “I have to get to Lentrebi Prime in time. I have to save my master´s legacy, I have to live! Xan needs me… I can feel it.  He will need me."

The tightness in his throat stopped him from saying more. What was he doing, anyway? Spilling his guts to a prostitute, like some drunken space rat. Bitter laugher bubbled out of him, something between a laugh and a sob. The power tore through him like burning claws, reminding him of its presence. Images from his dreams passed through his mind. “I can´t let it happen."

Kenobi patted Bruck´s shoulder. “Qui-Gon will get you to Lentrebi Prime in time."

Bruck ran his hands over his face again, surprised to find it wet. He looked down at his toes, wiggling them against the polished floor.  “Your unshakable confidence is more disturbing than inspiring, I should tell you. Where does this faith in the Great Master Jinn come from?"

“Just a feeling."  Kenobi shrugged.

“I know you´re Force-sensitive, or you wouldn´t have been able to reach me." For the first time since their little talk had begun, Bruck looked Kenobi in the eye. “Qui-Gon said you had a vision."

Kenobi shrugged again.  “He was teaching me to meditate. It was like a dream – like dreams I´ve been having all my life – only I wasn´t asleep."

“Does Qui-Gon think you´ve had Force dreams?"

“I don´t even know what that is."

“It´s like visions of the future, past, or present that the Force shows you when you sleep. I… think I´ve been having them for the last few days." A sudden wave of nausea swept over Bruck; he put his head between his knees and waited for it to pass.

Kenobi patted his back again, offering comfort; Bruck did not have the will to brush him off.

“Do all Force-sensitives have dreams like that?" Kenobi asked.

“No." Bruck took a deep breath. The nausea faded, but he decided not to risk moving just yet.  “It´s supposed to be really rare, even among Jedi. Until this past ten, my dreams were always about sex."

They shared a laugh at that, and Bruck marveled at how comfortable he had become with Kenobi, how easily they seemed to understand each other, now that  he´d given the man a chance.  It had been so hard to function when he´d first returned from his last mission as a Padawan, and he had not known what was wrong with him.

This strange power pulsing inside him had overcome him so easily at the pyre. Perhaps his meditations in the dream wood had helped him gain some control over it, but how long would that last? How long before the power running through him like a current would drive him mad?

Bruck looked up suddenly as an idea occurred to him. “Put some tranquilizers in a pouch to take with us. Those over there. Qui-Gon will be back soon, and we should be ready."

Kenobi moved to collect some of the ampoules he indicated. “You think we´ll need them to get out of the Temple?"

“No." Bruck rested his face in his shaking hands once again.  “You may need to use them to… control me."

“Think you´re going to freak out again, like at the pyre?"

“I hope not," Bruck answered.  “But it never hurts to be prepared."

Kenobi nodded his understanding as he stowed the tranqs in his belt pouch.  He filled it almost to bursting.

“Kenobi," Qui-Gon´s voice sounded over the comlink.

“Kenobi here. Did you find a transport?"

“There is one available now. It´s small, but fast enough. Can you and Knight Chun make your way to the north exit of the Healer´s Dome?"

Kenobi looked questioningly at Bruck.

“I know the way, but I´ll need help getting there," Bruck said.

Kenobi nodded.  “We´re on our way."

When he tried to stand up, Bruck discovered he was more wobbly than he had been when they had first entered their hiding place. Kenobi must have noticed it too, because he tightened his grip around Bruck´s waist and shifted his movements to compensate, though he didn´t draw attention to it.

The hall was clear except for a maintenance droid when they stepped out of the supply closet.

“That way," Bruck said, pointing back the way they had come. “It will take us past the Force-shielded rooms, but there is a little-used exit not far from there. It comes out near the main North exit."

“You were plotting an escape from the beginning, weren´t you?" Kenobi wore a large grin and a look of admiration. Bruck smiled back.

“A Jedi is always mindful of his surroundings."

After a few moments -- and several turns down small, barren halls -- they exited the Healer´s Dome. Bruck allowed himself the luxury of smug pride at the ease of their escape.

The feeling was short-lived, however. Just as they caught sight of Master Jinn approaching the main north exit, an alarm sounded. Kenobi tried to pick up the pace, practically heaving Bruck over his shoulders. Bruck resisted.

“Slow down, Kenobi," he urged. “That alarm is not on our account."

“Yes it is."

“But acting as if it is will only draw attention to us."

“You´re bootless and can barely walk. Isn´t that going to draw attention to us?"

“Not as much as you charging around like a bantha in heat, dragging me along behind you!"

Qui-Gon met them, looking stern, masterly and calm.

“The ship is close. I have spoken with the landing bay chief and we are cleared for a short flight to test the new thrusters for maneuverability within an atmosphere." Qui-Gon took hold of Bruck´s other arm, forcing Kenobi to his pace.

“Won´t it look suspicious, taking him up with us for a test flight?" Kenobi asked.

“Not if we don´t appear to be in a hurry."

Bruck snorted, and Qui-Gon addressed him next.  “Can you use the Force to help steady yourself when we get closer to the ship?"

The power that flowed inside Bruck seemed to pulse as he considered the question, but surely he could control it, still. “I think so."

In moments they stood before a ship called the Furlan, which was fully prepped for take-off. Bruck thought he felt a wave of Force energy flow from Qui-Gon; the landing bay chief waved them on without even looking up.

“No fucking way," Kenobi muttered.

The young man´s level of irritation did not seem in keeping with the circumstances. Bruck shot a questioning glance at Qui-Gon.

“It´s the ship we arrived on less than a ten ago. But it was close and ready to fly." Qui-Gon grinned at Kenobi. “We must accept the will of the Force."

Kenobi said nothing as the three of them made their way up the ramp.

“Wait right there, Master Jinn!"

Bruck turned to see Healer Tand running toward them with two Temple Security officers at his back.

“Just what do you think you are doing with my patient?"

Bruck smiled at the Healer, pleased beyond reason to see him looking so worn. He answered instead of Master Jinn, letting the power inside him unfurl as he did so.

“I am going to Lentrebi Prime." Bruck´s voice sounded strange to his ears; a brightness enveloped his body. Kenobi and Master Jinn both released their hold on him, but he did not falter.

“Qui-Gon, you can´t do this! It´s too dangerous!" Tand pleaded.

“I spoke to you, Healer, yet you speak only to these others?" Bruck felt the power burning all over his body, yet it was not painful; it was exhilarating. Tand blanched visibly when he looked at him. The Healer´s thoughts were easy for him to read.  He believed that Bruck´s strange power would run out of control and and bring harm to those near him. A useful thing to know.

“I must go to Lentrebi Prime; it is my duty to my fallen master. These two are willing to risk themselves to help me in this task."

“Come back, Bruck," Tand pleaded. “Let me help you!"

“Only Lentrebi Healers can help me now." Bruck felt his calm returning, felt the strange power that possessed him bend to his will.

“I apologize, Healer Tand, but Knight Chun is correct, and we are committed to helping him." Qui-Gon was as calm and serene as ever, though Bruck could feel his uneasiness in the presence of the alien power that pulsed so close to him.

“Stand down, all of you," Tand shouted. “Don´t make me arrest you."

Bruck laughed hard; it came from deep inside him. It was not a laugh of joy in the purest sense. It was a laugh of pleasure as he accepted the power inside him, and made the decision to use it when talk failed.

“I do not wish to go back to your little room, with its probes and needles." Bruck smiled as he felt his toes leave the ramp beneath him; he floated in brightness, showing the power inside him instead of concealing it. “Are you willing to risk what you must to keep me here?"

The Temple Security officers looked nervously at the mind Healer, who said nothing.

“Then I will go where I am no longer your problem."

The ramp was already lifting as Bruck spoke. He moved into the Furlan and managed to wait until it had closed completely before collapsing in a heap on the deck plating. He heard a low whistle from Kenobi.

“Let´s get out of here before he changes his mind," Qui-Gon said, rushing past them to the bridge.

“That was some show." Kenobi crouched beside him, grinning. “Is that all you got, or should I tranq you?"

“I think you´re both safe for the time being," Bruck muttered. In truth, he felt weaker than he had since Kenobi and Jinn had awakened him. The flame inside still burned, but he felt hollow. “Keep them handy, though."

He was only half joking.