Master Apprentice
Archive
Ties That Bind
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Pairing: Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon
Archive: Yes to m_a and Anne's Sandbox. All others please ask.
Category: pre-slash, AU
Rating: Series - PG to PG-13
Warnings: None. If you consider the Jedi Apprentice series canon, then you will consider this AU.
Spoilers: Only for my previous bonding fic, Field Trip. Read that one first.
Series: Part of Anne Higgin's Bonding Universe Series
Summary: Qui-Gon goes on his first mission after Obi-Wan's "Field Trip". Things are never as easy as planned, of course. Adventure insues. Meanwhile, Mace has promised to watch after Obi-Wan.
Feedback: Loved and adored.
Disclaimer: I know people confuse us alot, but George Lucas owns the Star Wars Universe, not me. I'm the one who's poor and writing simply for the love of the story. He's the one who made tons of money and tried to pawn Jar-Jar off on us. I love him, so he won't sue me. Right George?...buddy? I gave you all my money buying merchandise, I swear!!
Notes: Many thanks to Anne Higgins for allowing others to play in her universe. Her stories were the first slash I'd read, and what inspired me to try it myself. This story stands by itself, but will tie into my previous bonding fic, Field Trip. I suggest reading it first. Thanks to everyone who sent me support and ideas from the last time. Thanks to you I'm trying it again!
Many heartfelt thanks to all who have supported me through feedback throughout this story. It is the longest story I've written, and at times your support was really what kept me going. Special thanks to Master Rose, Hilari, Linda J, Yvonne, and Raina. You've been with me through to the end, and I hope I've made it worth it. To my Master, Jenn, who has been there every day for me, reading the latest parts and giving me encouragement: my undying loyaly, love, and gratitude. To Emerald: give me a couple more days, then prepare for a haircut and a braid. ;o)
This story was a labor of love; love for Star Wars, for the boyz, and most importantly for Anne Higgin's wonderful bonding universe. She gave us all this wonderful world where Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon share a love that's beyond measure, and where it's always been there, since Obi-Wan's birth. And then, she let us use her creation, expand on it, and add to it our thoughts and dreams. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for allowing me the joy of sharing in this creation, and hope she thinks I've done her stories justice.
Why do I feel like I'm sending my only child off to college??? LOL *sniffle* It's just a story, right? ;o)
Thank you again to you all, and I hope you enjoy the tale.
Part 1
Six months was not long enough, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn thought to himself. It had only been six short months since his bondmate had been captured and held hostage, and already the Council was sending him on a mission. Duty was duty, however, and his was to the Order.
He'd promised Obi-Wan that they'd spend the night together, but even that time was now being cut into. The only transport that could be arranged to bring him to Dantaree left in seven hours. It was just past fourth hour now, which meant he'd have just enough time to have last meal with his bondmate and spend a few hours with him before it was time to put the four-year old to bed. His little Imp wasn't going to be pleased, and he hated to leave with an upset Obi-Wan on his mind.
Reaching Obi-Wan's classroom, he stood at the doorway and watched the young Initiates as they practiced basic lightsaber moves with their low-level training 'sabers. With the visors lowered on the training helmets, the Initiates couldn't see their target, Master Mel'toth, walking around them. The Feeorin walked silently around the room, her many blue lekku twitching in amusement when one of the children would take a swipe at her. They were being taught to use the Force to see, something every Initiate learned at a very young age.
"Quigee!!"
Qui-Gon held back the laugh that threatened to escape him as Obi-Wan stepped out of line and ran towards him. He knelt down and was rewarded with an armful of Imp a few seconds later.
"Why are you here so early? Class isn't done yet, Quigee."
Qui-Gon lifted the visor up so he could see the little boy better. "I came to watch you, but since you've broken out of line, maybe I can take you out of class a little early." He looked up at the training Master with what could have been easily described as "puppy dog eyes", something he used rarely, and only if it meant making his bondmate happy. He wasn't sure if it would work on the woman.
"That's hardly fair Master Jinn," the Feeorin replied with a shake of her head. "Go on then. He won't be able to concentrate now anyway. You might as well take him."
"My thanks, Master Mel'toth." Qui-Gon stood, still holding Obi-Wan in his arms. He bowed deeply to the Master. "I am in your debt."
"I'll remember that, Master Jinn, I assure you," she said with a grin, showing several rows of very sharp teeth.
"And then Bant fell over and knocked everyone down!"
Qui-Gon laughed and picked up his plate. "Finished?" he asked Obi-Wan.
With a nod, the little boy shoved the last spoonful of Quallaberry frost in his mouth and handed his bowl to Qui-Gon with a smile. The older man placed both in the sink alongside the rest of their dished from the evening meal. He hated leaving dirty dished in the sink, but he'd make an exception this once. He wasn't going to waste what precious time he'd been given with Obi-Wan to wash dishes.
Obi-Wan had already moved into the common area, and was climbing onto the couch when Qui-Gon scooped him up in his arms, causing the little boy to giggle.
"Quigee! You're supposed to wash the dishes!"
"I decided the dishes can wait. How would you like to sit with me and watch some holovids? Maybe Captain Maverick and the Space Cadets?"
"Yay! Really? I thought you didn't like Captain Maverick!"
"I don't particularly, but I'm willing to watch them this once, for you."
He was thrilled when little arms wrapped around his neck. "You're the best bondmate ever, Quigee."
They sat, Obi-Wan tucked securely in Qui-Gon's arms, for several hours before Obi-Wan began to fall asleep. Qui-Gon's mind had turned off about ten minutes into the program. He never did understand how Obi-Wan could watch such meaningless dribble. Certainly the boy didn't believe people went around saving the galaxy with rocket packs on their back? And these evil minions they vanquished in each episode: why was it that they always wore black? Wouldn't they be smarter to dress like everyone else? With a sigh, Qui-Gon shut of the vid viewer and carried Obi-Wan into his room.
Placing the little boy on the large bed, he made quick work of changing him into his sleep pants and tunic. He fondly remembered a time when it hadn't been so easy, when he was just getting used to having a child to take care of. He'd been so flustered, trying to get used to what Obi-Wan should and shouldn't eat and attempting to always keep some of Obi-Wan's things in his quarters incase they were needed. Now Obi-Wan had his own drawer in Qui-Gon's dresser, and a toy chest in the common room. He smiled at the thought, and at the realization that this boy had taken over his life as much as his heart.
Pulling back the sheets to his bed, Qui-Gon placed his bondmate in and curled up behind him. Within seconds the little one had turned over and tossed his arm across Qui-Gon's chest, placing his head over the older man's heart. With a contented sigh Qui-Gon pulled up the sheets and turned out the light.
Qui-Gon woke to the sound of the door chime a few hours later. He gently moved out from under his sleeping bondmate and made his way to the door.
"Don't you look ever the picture of a Jedi Master. Hair tussled, eyes bleary...and is that drool on your chest?"
Qui-Gon looked down at his sleep tunic and saw that indeed, there was a wet spot on the right side of his chest. He looked up into the amused face of Mace Windu and yawned.
"You try sleeping with a four-year-old and see if you can wake up without a little drool on you. He insists on using me as a pillow."
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Qui-Gon motioned the Councilor into the common room.
"It's that time already?"
"Afraid so, old friend. Your transport leaves in an hour."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Thank you for agreeing to stay until Obi-Wan wakes up. I didn't want to bring him back to the crèche at this hour. It's best just to let him sleep."
"Glad to help. How will he react when he wakes up and you're not there?" Mace asked, concerned at what he'd have to deal with.
"He knows I have a mission and that I was leaving, but I hadn't told him it would be so early. I didn't want to ruin last night. He'll probably be upset, but he can use our bond to talk to me if he wants. If he yells at you, tell him to yell at me instead and I'll explain."
"Right. Then I drop the upset bundle of four-year-old off with Aronna. Won't she love me? I suddenly think I know why you're sneaking out like this, Qui-Gon."
Qui-Gon smiled mischievously. "Whatever do you mean? I'm going to grab a quick shower and change. Make yourself at home. Obi-Wan won't wake up; he's out until morning, if not longer."
Half an hour passed, and Qui-Gon found himself sitting on the edge of his bed, playing with a piece of his bondmate's blonde hair. "I'll be home soon, my Imp," he said as he leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of the boy's head. Taking a deep breath he pulled himself up, grabbed his bag, and closed the door behind him as he left.
"Take care of him for me, Mace."
The other man nodded knowingly. Though Obi-Wan had taken his place in Qui-Gon's heart, he still held a place in his own heart for the Jedi Master. How could he deny the man's request when he was being trusted to protect something so precious as his bondmate?
"Don't worry, Qui-Gon. He'll be in one piece when you get back."
"Thank you. I owe you," he said with a smile. "I seem to be saying that a lot lately."
Mace raised an eyebrow, but was waved off by the other Jedi.
"I'll see you soon," Qui-Gon said, stopping to squeeze Mace's shoulder in thanks before heading out the door to catch his waiting transport.
Mace was watching Captain Maverick and The Space Cadets when he heard the door to the bedroom open. Turning, he found a sleepy Obi-Wan clutching a stuffed Wookie and looking very unhappy.
"Where's Quigee?" he demanded.
"He had to leave for his mission, Obi-Wan. He asked me to stay until you woke up. Ready to go back to the crèche?"
"Not going back. Why'd Quigee leave without saying goodbye?"
Mace sighed, but kept a smile on his face. "His transport left early and he didn't want to wake you up. Ready to go?"
The pout said it all. Obi-Wan crossed his arms, Wookie tightly ensconced, and glared at the Master.
"Now Obi-Wan, don't be like that. It's not my fault the ship left early. Why don't you get dressed and I'll walk you back to Master Aronna so you can start your day."
"You're on the Council, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then you choose what ship he takes, right?"
There was a long pause as Mace tried to work his way out of this trap that had been set.
"The Council does their best to accommodate everyone when scheduling transport."
Obi-Wan simply gave him a questioning look.
"The Council chooses what ship he takes," he admitted with a deep sigh. "We do our best to make sure everyone's happy."
"I'm *not* happy."
"So I see." Mace's eyes were locked with the four-year-old's. 'When did he learn manipulation like this?' he wondered to himself. 'He's going to make one Sith of a negotiator.' "How about watching this vid with me and I'll make us some breakfast before we go back to the crèche? We can even use the com and you can say good morning to Qui-Gon."
Obi-Wan broke the staredown to look at the screen. "You're watching Captain Maverick?" he asked in shock.
"Surprised?"
"Yes. Quigee doesn't like Captain Maverick. He thinks it's silly."
"Of course it's silly, it's supposed to be. Qui-Gon wouldn't understand that though." Mace winked at the little boy. "Now sit up here and I'll make us something to eat. Do you like Calla flakes?"
Obi-Wan nodded and pulled himself onto the couch, still watching the older man warily out of the corner of his eye.
Mace held back a laugh as he went into the kitchen. Maybe this wasn't so bad? After all, he could negotiate peace treaties with angry diplomats, certainly he could handle one four-year-old.
Coming back with two bowls, he placed one on the table in front of Obi-Wan. Within minutes Mace realized his mistake. He was sure that there was more food on the carpet in front of Obi-Wan than in his stomach. In the boy's eagerness to watch the vid, he'd managed to miss his mouth quite often. Sending Obi-Wan to get washed up and dressed, he scrubbed at the carpet and got most of the mess cleaned. He located Obi-Wan in the bedroom, half of his uniform on. Following a trail of water from the bedroom, he found a rather large puddle of water under the wash basin in the refresher. With a sigh he grabbed a towel and wiped up the mess.
"Obi-Wan? How did all this water get here?"
The blonde head poked in the doorway. "I couldn't reach the basin and a lot splashed out. Quigee usually helps me with it."
Mace nodded and was glad to see that the boy had at least managed to get himself dressed without incident. "Come on, let's get you to Master Aronna. I'm sure she's anxious to see you."
Obi-Wan nodded and put his Wookie on the large bed.
"Aren't you going to take that with you?" Mace asked.
"Nope. It stays here so Quigee doesn't get lonely without me."
"Ah, I see. Ok then, ready?"
Obi-Wan nodded and took the hand offered to him. Walking back to the crèche was easy, and Mace was relieved when he found Master Aronna waiting for them.
"I could sense you coming down the hall, young man," she said to Mace as the two approached. "Have an interesting morning?"
"It was full of surprises, Master."
Aronna reached out her hand and took Obi-Wan's from Mace with a smile. "You didn't give Master Windu any problems, did you little one?"
Obi-Wan shook his head and Mace had an urge to say otherwise, but kept his mouth shut. Master Aronna smiled knowingly.
"I promised Obi-Wan he could use the com to contact Master Jinn; I hope that's all right?"
"Oh, that's fine. Obi-Wan, why don't you go into my office and I'll be in directly so you can call Master Jinn, all right?"
"Yes, Master Aronna. Thanks Master Windu, it was fun."
"It was nice to see you again, Obi-Wan," Mace commented as the boy hurried off. He turned to find Master Aronna giving him an amused smile.
"What?"
"You did very well, Mace. You got him back with no debilitating injuries, even! Now go back to your happy little job and do something easy for the rest of the day; make a new policy or something."
Mace made a flourishing bow to the older woman. "Thank you, Master Aronna. I think I'll do just that. Perhaps one that keeps Council members from ever having to serve crèche duty."
Qui-Gon sat on the freighter Argonat, reading over the information he'd been given for his mission. It seemed that Dantaree, one of the smaller moons of Malistare, was having difficulty negotiating a new contract for mining rights. For almost one hundred years the inhabitants of Dantaree had allowed Gigorcorp exclusive rights to mine their moon. Now their government was prepared to sell those rights to other, larger, corporations. Normally, the Jedi would not be involved in such matters, but recently fighting had broken out between Gigocorp employees and the inhabitants of the moon, resulting in several deaths. The government requested intervention from the Senate, and the Jedi Council chose Qui-Gon to lead the negotiations. It didn't seem like a very difficult mission, but he would need to walk lightly. Tensions were heated on Dantaree, and a wrong move could result in more deaths.
The Jedi Master looked down at his suddenly beeping com unit and found an incoming message. Patching it through, he found his bondmates unhappy face waiting for him.
"You didn't say goodbye."
"I'm sorry, my Imp. You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you. Did you have a good morning, other than that?"
Qui-Gon could tell he'd waylaid any further complaints from the little boy, at least for awhile.
"Master Windu made me breakfast and we watched vids. It was ok."
"Good. You have story time soon, don't you?"
Obi-Wan nodded.
"Well that will be fun. What are you doing after that?
"Umm...art class, then mid meal."
"Are you still working on your painting?"
Another nod. Qui-Gon smiled.
"Maybe if it's done when I get home we can see about hanging it up in the common room. Would you like that?"
"Ok. When are you coming home?"
"When my mission is done. It shouldn't be too long."
Qui-Gon didn't hear his bondmates reply, instead hearing only a loud grating noise against the hull. Why hadn't he sensed that there was something wrong? He looked towards the bridge and felt the pilot's fear.
He glanced back at the com and saw that the transmission had been cut. Standing, he placed a hand on his lightsaber and made his way to the pilot, only to be nearly thrown to the floor as the ship was rocked violently.
"Captain? What's happening?"
"We're being boarded, Master Jinn. I suggest you get ready for a fight," the man's voice yelled out from the bridge.
Cursing his luck, Qui-Gon drew his saber and made his way towards the front of the ship. He could hear the ship's bulkhead being cut through behind him. His concern now had to be for the ship's crew; as he remembered, there were four people on board, all in the lower sections, except for the captain.
"Captain," he started as he reached the bridge. "Do we have any communications?"
The man shook his head. "Cut when they latched on to us. We're dead in the water, so to speak, and they're slicin' a whole through to us."
Qui-Gon took a deep breath. "Where are the other crew?"
"Below deck. I told 'em to evacuate as soon as I saw what'd happened. They'll have gone already."
"Good. We'll need to make our way down there as well. Move quickly and stay close."
The two men moved quickly through the maze of hallways that made up the ship. Qui-Gon could sense the raiders nearby now, and wondered why he hadn't been able to earlier. Something about this was very odd. Turning a corner, he pulled the Captain back quickly and found himself faced with three armed men.
"There you are! We were about to come looking for you. Welcome to hell, Jedi."
Before Qui-Gon could react he felt a prick on the back of his neck. He turned to find the Captain holding a needle right before his vision turned gray. He felt every synapse in his mind burn as if on fire, and then nothing; absolute silence. He gasped, and reached out for the bulkhead nearby, missing it and falling to the floor. His last thoughts before loosing consciousness were of Obi-Wan, and the horrible realization that his bondmate had felt the pain as well.
Part 2
Master Mace Windu ran through the halls of the Jedi temple, heedless of the odd looks that others were giving him. One did not *run* through the temple; they might stride purposefully, perhaps even walk quickly, but they never ran. If he had been anyone else, he might have been stopped by another Master to discuss such behavior; but he was Mace Windu. If Councilor Windu was running through the temple something was seriously wrong, perhaps Armageddon?
When he arrived at the crèche he found Master Aronna gently soothing back Obi-Wan's short blonde hair, while a healer examined the young boy lying on the pallet. The older Master's worried expression sobered Mace quickly, and he moved towards the bed slowly, steadying himself.
"What happened?" he asked softly.
"Something happened to Master Jinn," Aronna began. "After you left we commed him and while they were talking the line went down. Obi-Wan was confused, and kept telling me something was wrong. Before I had a chance to contact anyone about it he had fallen down screaming, crying for Qui-Gon." Looking down, the older woman caressed the boy's cheek. " Something is terribly wrong, Mace. He's terrified."
Mace nodded and knelt at the edge of the small bed. "I felt it as well. Qui-Gon and I still have a weak link, from all our years together." The large man shuddered. "It's gone. It's simply not there anymore."
Aronna's eyes widened at the implication. "You don't think...oh, Mace."
"Master Jinn is not dead," the healer interrupted, waiting for both Masters to acknowledge her words before continuing. "The bond is still there, though weakened and very stressed. If I had a guess, I'd say that Master Jinn has been put under some type of Force inhibitor."
Mace nodded. "And Obi-Wan?"
"The pain he felt was quite intense, and was probably only a residual of what his bondmate was feeling at the time. We've sedated him for the time being, with the hope that the pain will fade by the time he wakes up. After that," the healer shrugged, "who's to know. If Master Jinn is in pain, Obi-Wan will feel it. That's how the bond works. I suggest you find his bonded and bring him home. That's the best thing for Obi-Wan right now."
Mace sighed and nodded knowingly. "That's exactly what we're going to do, I assure you." The large man stood, then leaned over, placing a hand on the boy's chest. "We'll bring him home, little one." He turned to Aronna. "Call me when he wakes." Not waiting for a response, the Master walked purposefully towards the Council Chamber, already contacting the other member he'd need to speak with through the bond the Council shared.
Qui-Gon woke to darkness. It surrounded him physically, but he could feel it inside of him as well. It felt as if his veins were filled with lead. He couldn't move; it hurt too badly. His head was throbbing sharply, making it difficult to concentrate. Worse than anything, he felt cold inside, as if his soul had been ripped out and been replaced by a piece of rock. He wanted to cry, to scream, but no tears would come. He felt dead.
Forcing himself to sit up, he moved slowly until his back was propped up on a wall for support. This wouldn't do. He was a Jedi. Surely with a bit of help from the Force...
The Jedi Master gasped in horror. He couldn't access the Force. He couldn't feel it. There was only an all-encompassing empty darkness.
Force or no, he needed to figure out what had happened and how to remedy the situation. He took a deep breath and folded his long legs beneath him. He began with the raindrop mediation. Visualizing the pool of water took time, but once done, the rain came easily enough. The drops fell on the water, causing thousands of small disturbances in the clear pool. One by one the drops became fewer and fewer. As they did, Qui-Gon's mind cleared.
He'd been on the ship. He and the pilot were going below to escape the raiders. The pilot was nervous, very nervous, scared even. He had thought it had been about the ship being taken and their lives being in danger, but examining the event more closely he realized he'd assumed too much. The pilot was afraid of the Jedi, not the raiders. The pilot was working with the raiders, and in the end had injected Qui-Gon with some sort of Force inhibitor, the likes of which he'd never felt before.
It was common practice for senior Padawans, before their trials, to undergo various forms of Force deprivation. At different times throughout their final years, the Apprentices were given different forms of drugs, as well as being subjected to several types of Force collars. None were pleasant, and Qui-Gon could remember each and every one vividly. This however...this was something different. Instead of feeling blocked from the Force, he felt ripped away from it.
Continuing his meditation, the Master was surprised to feel something familiar in the back of his mind. Reaching for the feeling, he felt like he was swimming through mud. It was worth it though. He latched onto his bond with Obi-Wan as if it were a lifeline and he a drowning man. The tiny sliver of light it gave off pierced the darkness around him, giving him a bit of peace. He could feel Obi-Wan, and knew the boy was deep in sleep. Obi-Wan was well, though, and that was what mattered. With a sigh of relief he watched as the pool of water in front of him calmed and became still again.
"Go to find Qui-Gon you must. Most qualified amongst us, you are. Take young Kenobi with you, you will."
Mace blinked and examined the diminutive green Master carefully.
"Insane I am not. Bonded they are. The only link to Qui-Gon he is. Go with you he must," he said with a sharp rap of him gimmerstick.
"Master, I understand that it would be a help to have Master Jinn's bonded on the mission...if he were only older. Kenobi is four, and is still living in the crèche with the other Initiates. He has no training in rescue missions. He would be in grave danger were he to accompany me. I feel the mission would be better served if I went alone, or perhaps with another knight."
Silence enveloped the room.
"Master Yoda, you can't be serious. He's a child!"
Mace shifted nervously.
"You're not going to give in, are you."
"Take Kenobi with you, you will. Speak further on this we will not."
Bowing his head, Mace left the small quarters and made his way back to the crèche.
"Good morning, Master Jinn," a voice called out from behind the bright light. "Enjoying your stay?"
Qui-Gon could hear the laughter from behind the door, taunting him.
"Who are you, and why am I here? I am a Jedi Ambassador on a diplomatic mission to Dantaree..."
"We know who you are, Jedi," the voice spat. "Did you think you'd get away with it? Did you really think you could just waltz all over the galaxy, doing as you pleased, and never pay for it?"
Qui-Gon focused his eyes in an attempt to see who was speaking behind the light, to no avail. "I don't know what you speak of, but I'm sure if we had a chance to discuss things, we could come to an agreement."
"No bargaining for your life. You're not a hostage, and you're not a diplomat anymore, not here. As far as we're concerned you're a steaming pile of Bantha Poodo that should have been dealt with along time ago. We're here to be your judge, your jury, and your executioners. And you've already been found guilty."
"Why?"
"Because the Jedi need to learn a lesson, and you're the obvious choice."
Qui-Gon looked up as the door opened and a young boy came inside timidly. He carried a small needle filled with a gray substance, and looked at the Jedi Master as if he were a wild animal that would lunge for him if he got too close.
"Go on boy," the voice behind the door called out.
The young man, who looked to be about six-years-old, with large brown eyes and curly brown hair, took a few more steps towards Qui-Gon.
"I have to stick this in you now," he whispered, his lower lip trembling. "Please don't hurt me. If I don't do it..." The boy turned back to look at the door.
Taking a deep breath, Qui-Gon followed the boy's gaze, then reached out and rolled up the sleeve of his tunic. "It's alright. Here," he pointed to a place on his arm, "stick the needle here, little one. I won't hurt you. I know this isn't your choice."
Nodding, a shaking hand held onto the Master's arm while the other placed the needle in and injected the fluid. The boy withdrew the needle and watched as Qui-Gon's face went pale. "I'm really sorry. Are you going to die?"
Taking short controlled breaths, Qui-Gon shook his head and swallowed down the bile that threatened to overwhelm him. "No, I'm not going to die. I'll be fine. They're just giving me some medicine, but they're afraid to do it themselves." It was a small lie, but Qui-Gon didn't wish to cause the boy any more guilt or pain. That was a good sign, he thought to himself. Earlier he felt so cold that he wouldn't have cared for the boy's feelings.
The boy shook his head. "That's not true. They want to hurt you. They're talking about how they're going to kill you, you know."
Qui-Gon could feel the drug invading his system, and he began to shake. "Are they now? Well, don't believe them. I'm tougher than I look. I'll be fine. I have to get home. I have a little boy waiting for me who'll be very upset if I don't return."
"That's enough. Get over here boy."
Scrambling to the doorway, the boy spared one last look for Qui-Gon, then was pulled out of the room. The Jedi barely noticed. All he could see was darkness. All he could feel was cold inky blackness invading his very soul.
Part 3
Mace Windu sat in a small chair next to Obi-Wan's pallet, waiting for the boy to wake. The healer had insisted that it would be best to let the boy come-to naturally, so Mace had no option but to be patient. He'd gone over the reports from Dantaree, as well as any information that might possibly pertain to the rescue mission. There seemed to be no reason for the attack on the ship, though pirate had been prevalent in the area. The ship's captain had filed a report with local authorities once his escape pod had landed, but Mace wasn't convinced that it was accurate.
According to the captain's report, the ship was boarded, and the crew ordered to abandon ship. The captain and Master Jinn had begun to make their way below when Qui-Gon told the captain to take a different route, and that he would keep the attackers busy. The captain had escaped, but there was no sign of Qui-Gon. It wasn't like Qui-Gon, for one. He would have kept the captain with him, so as to protect him. Second, it was now known by the Jedi that Qui-Gon had been drugged. Comparing estimates of time from the captain to when Obi-Wan had collapsed, Qui-Gon and the captain would have had to have parted almost immediately after leaving the bridge. That fact went against what the captain had reported, as well as what Mace knew of Qui-Gon's methods.
Mace looked over to the boy's pallet and was met by a pair of tired blue eyes. He sincerely hoped that Obi-Wan would be able to handle what was happening.
"Good morning, Obi-Wan. You've been asleep a long time. How do you feel?"
Lifting his hands to his face, Obi-Wan's fists rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Ok. Where's Quigee?"
Mace took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Do you remember, Obi-Wan? You were talking to him and then you fell down?"
Obi-Wan pulled himself up to a sitting position. "Remember. *Where's* Qui-Gon?"
"I'm hoping you can tell me that, little one."
Obi-Wan all but glared at the older man. "You sent him away, now he's hurt bad and you don't know where?"
"Obi-Wan, I might have put up with your tirades earlier, but you're not going to push me around now," he said a bit too harshly. "Qui-Gon is in serious trouble, and I'm going after him. You're the only one that has a chance to find him, so you need to come along. Now are you going to help me find him, or blame me? If you say blame me I'm leaving you here in the crèche."
Mace thought for an instant that he'd been too hard on the boy, but slowly Obi-Wan's look turned from indignation to acceptance. "I'll help. Head's fuzzy though."
"How fuzzy, Obi-Wan?"
The little boy thought on this for a while then shrugged. "Don't know. Like I can feel him, but it's fuzzy, hard to *feel* him."
"Ok. If you think really hard does it feel less fuzzy?"
Obi-Wan sat back, his forehead getting little creases as he closed his eyes and furrowed his brows. After a few minutes he shook his head. "No. He's still fuzzy."
"Well, it will have to do. Master Aronna is packing your thing and will bring you down to meet me at the shuttle, alright?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "He'll be ok, right?"
"Yes, Obi-Wan. We'll find him and he'll be fine."
Screams in the darkness...death. He could smell the stench of death all around him. With every scream a part of him was dying. He didn't know how to stop the death, or the darkness.
Qui-Gon woke in a cold sweat. His dreams had become more vivid of late, and far more terrifying. Once he woke, the fear left him, as did most of his feelings. It was as if he was cut off from them somehow. If he could feel fear, he'd feel it at that thought.
Most of his time in this hell that had been created for him was spent in sleep, thanks to the drugs they injected him with. Twice a day they'd send in the little boy who'd give him the drug and slink back out. Salin, the boy's name was Salin, he reminded himself. He'd asked him the last time he'd come into his cell. He'd wanted to know, for some reason, but now it didn't seem important. But then why was he reminding himself of the boy's name? He'd remember it anyways, it might be important later, he supposed.
The Jedi Master looked up as a panel in the metal door slid open, and green eyes looked through at him.
"You're finally awake, good. How do you feel?" the voice called out.
"I don't," Qui-Gon said simply.
"Good." The man's smile could be heard through his words. "Then everything is as it should be."
The door swung open, allowing Salin into the cell. This time there was no needle visible.
"They want some blood," the boy said softly, a bit less nervous than the day before.
"Why?"
Salin shrugged.
"If you want my blood why don't you come in and get it yourself?" Qui-Gon yelled towards the door.
"Don't temp me, Master Jinn," the unseen man growled. "We know you won't hurt the boy. He's so innocent and sweet, after all."
Salin produced a small sampler and offered it to the Jedi. "He said you'd know to use it."
'I could snap his neck right now and destroy the device. It would keep them from using his against me. They'd have to do their own dirty work.' Qui-Gon thought. His eyes went wide as he realized what he'd just considered. It surprised him, and he knew it was wrong, yet he didn't feel any remorse about it. Obviously the boy sensed the thought, because he immediately backed away.
"Salin? Why did you back away? I told you, you needn't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you."
The boy shook his head, his brown curls bobbing in front of his eyes.
"I won't hurt you, Salin."
"Enough talk," the rough voiced called from outside the cell. "Get it over with, Jinn."
Flipping open the device, Qui-Gon placed it against his arm and felt the prick of pressure as the sample was taken.
"Give it to the boy."
Qui-Gon looked towards the door and threw the device across the floor. It skidded to a halt about two arms-lengths from the entrance to the cell.
"Damn you, Jedi. Boy, pick it up. If it's broken I'm going to beat the brat within an inch of his life."
Salin picked up the device and hurried to the door, holding it out in front of him, his eyes cast to the ground. A large hand snatched it away, and a few seconds later the same hand wrapped around the boy's neck. "It seems intact. It had better be. But for now," there was a pause, and the boy was released only to be struck across the face forcefully. "He'll stay with you. If it doesn't work..." The words drifted off, leaving Qui-Gon to wonder how far the man would go. The boy was pushed into the cell and the door closed and secured.
Salin looked over at the Jedi, his big brown eyes filling with tears. "Are you going to kill me?"
Qui-Gon sighed. "No, Salin. I'm not going to kill you."
Obviously not convinced, the little boy sat on the opposite side of the room. "They said they were killing you."
Qui-Gon thought on that. He'd felt fine physically, but he knew that there were serious problems with his mind. "I'm fine, Salin. I don't feel sick."
The boy shook his head. "They said they were killing your insides."
"What else did they say?"
Moving a little closer to the Jedi, Salin sat within arms-reach of the large man. "I heard them say that if it worked they'd use it on all the Jedi, and that they'd finally have their revenge. They don't like you at all. I think the Jedi did something bad to them once, and they're still mad."
"You're probably right. I wonder what, though. Salin, do you think you can find out?"
"No. I can't help you, they'll hurt me more."
"Salin, you're a very brave boy. I can see that. I know you don't want to be here, and if you help me I might be able to help you. Do you understand? I need your help so that I can get better and help you too."
It took a few minutes, but finally the boy nodded. "I'll try, but no promises. They don't like me either."
"I understand, just be careful. Don't get yourself hurt." Where'd that come from? Concern? With a sigh of relief, Qui-Gon realized the drug was again wearing off. The period's in-between injections were becoming longer and longer now though, and maybe soon there would be no need for them at all.
"Master Mace?"
Mace turned to find Obi-Wan's head peeking in the door of the ship's control room. They'd been on-board for a few hours now, and so far Mace was quite impressed by Obi-Wan's level of control.
"Yes, Obi-Wan?"
"Can I sit up here with you? It's cold in my room."
The Master smiled. "And maybe a little lonely too?" He patted the seat beside him and watched as Obi-Wan quickly squirmed up onto it.
"You brought your Wookie," Mace noticed.
Obi-Wan nodded. "I thought that it would make Quigee feel better, incase he's really sick. When I'm sick it makes me feel better. Well, that and having Quigee there."
"I think it's a fine plan, little one."
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Mace saw the boy moving around in his seat.
"Is something the matter, Obi-Wan?"
"Will it be very long until we get there?"
"Not too long. Are you bored?"
Obi-Wan shrugged. "Not really. Maybe a little. I've only ever been on two other ships. Did you know that?"
Mace smiled. "I wasn't aware of that. Would you like to steer the ship?"
The Jedi Master almost laughed as he watched Obi-Wan's eyes grow larger. "Really!? Me?!"
"No, your Wookie. Yes you, come on," he said lifting the boy into his lap. "Now put your hands here and here, and watch this." He pointed to the instrument panel. "You have to keep it even, ok? You think you can handle that?"
Obi-Wan nodded, looking at the panel intently. Smiling to himself, Mace was silently glad that the ship was on autopilot.
The hour passed quickly, Obi-Wan asking questions about the controls, and Mace glad to have something interesting to discuss with the boy. Finally, Obi-Wan began to nod off, curled up against Mace's chest, his tiny hands still on the controls.
//Obi-Wan?//
//...hmm...?//
//Imp, are you all right?//
//Ok, Quigee.//
//Oh my precious Obi-Wan. I miss you. I need you so much.//
//Miss you too, Quigee. You sick?//
//Yes, Obi-Wan. I'm very sick. I need you to hold on to me. Can you do that?//
//You're scared, Quigee. I can feel you.//
//I know. I'm sorry, my Imp. I'm scared because I can't feel you anymore.//
//Can feel me now though?//
//Yes, I can feel you now. Is Mace with you, Imp?//
//Yes. We're coming to find you and make you better.//
//*sigh* You shouldn't be coming to find me. It's too dangerous.//
//Gotta come with him. He can't find you without me.//
//I don't have time to argue that point right now, Imp. I need to tell Mace something very important. Can you do that? I need you to remember. Tell Mace that the Captain set the trap. He'll understand.//
//The captain set a trap. Ok, Quigee. I'll remember. So this isn't a dream?//
//No Imp, it's not a dream. I love you, Obi-Wan. Always remember that. No matter what.//
//Love you to, Quigee, lots and lots. I won't forget.//
Obi-Wan began to stir, and immediately looked up in to Mace Windu's eyes.
"Obi-Wan? You were very deep in sleep. Are you alright?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm ok. Quigee talked to me. He told me to tell you something important, and that he loved me, and that he was very sick."
Mace stroked the blonde hair with his big hand. "What did he say, little one?"
"He said the Captain set the trap. I don't understand. Do you? He said you would."
The Master nodded. "Yes, I understand. Did he tell you anything else? Was your head still fuzzy, Obi-Wan?"
"No, not really. It's not very fuzzy right now. He said I shouldn't be with you, that it's too dangerous."
Mace gave a little smile. "I'd be worried if he didn't. Now why don't you get some more sleep. We'll be to the spaceport soon enough." He watched as Obi-Wan fell easily back to sleep, cradling his stuffed Wookie close to him. "And when we arrive I have some questions for Captain Malcolm."