Archive: Uh sure...
Category: Drama
Rating: R - Eventually
Warnings: none
Pairing: Obi/Other
Spoilers: none
Summary: Obi-Wan saves a mysterious stranger from his burning
ship, only to discover that the fair young man knows him all to
well......
Feedback: Always welcome... please? Don't make me beg!
Disclaimers: Characters are not mine... no profits made.. you
know the bit...
Obi-Wan rolled over in bed and opened his eyes for a brief
moment. The room was still dark and he sighed with relief
realizing that it was not yet daybreak and he could relax his
exhausted body for a few hours more. The spar with Bruck the
day before had taken a bigger toll on him than he liked to
admit, and every muscle burned like liquid fire. Although he'd
won the session, Bruck had been a formidable opponent and the
outcome was closer to a tie than he liked to admit.
"I beat the asshole, that's all that matters," he thought to
himself, and relaxed back into the cool, soft sheets.
As quickly as he had awakened, he fell back into sleep and a
most curious dream, with images and landscapes like none he'd
ever encountered, and filled with unknown, yet somehow familiar
faces. Without warning, all around him a terrifying noise
erupted. Explosions in the air breaking apart the stillness of
the night. Obi-Wan jerked up, and sat listening in horror as
whatever it was plunged to the ground just outside his window.
The flames lit up his room, he could smell the smoke before he
was out of the bed.
Without thinking, Obi dashed outside and into the midst of the
horrible destruction. He could make out the fact that it was a
ship of some sort, but he'd never seen anything like it. Yet
despite the strangeness of the scene, something in him felt a
deep connection, a sense of responsibility, of recognition, of
the Force calling out to him from the wreckage. He darted into
the burning fuselage and spotted an unconscious young pilot,
bruised and bleeding. No longer aware of anything but the power
of the Force and a sense of destiny, he gently lifted the young
man from the burning ship as it continued to disintegrate,
scorching the ground beneath it.
When he reached what seemed a safe distance, he turned to look
back at the destruction. Fire and emergency specialists had
arrived and were quickly extinguishing the flames, revealing
what was left of the strange craft. The technicians stared and
speculated among themselves about the origin of such an oddity.
Obi-Wan studied the young man's face for a moment then shouted
to the healers,
"What are you waiting for! Stop gawking at the ship and do your
job! Can't you see this boy needs help?!"
The healers moved in, surrounding the boy and pushing Obi-Wan
out of the way, but he stood watching, unable to disconnect
from the event he'd just witnessed. He was caught in the place
beyond time, where everything is known and yet he felt lost,
lost inside that unknown, yet familiar face. The healers worked
quickly to stop the flow of blood from a deep gash above the
boy's right eye.
"He'll be all right.... won't he? You can heal him... you have
to.."
The concern and fear in his voice surprised the healers and one
turned to him and said, "You know this boy?"
"Yes... uh no.... I mean, just take care of him. Do whatever
you have to do, but see that he's healed. He must
survive."
The crash and the mysterious ship was the topic of conversation
on the temple grounds that morning. Everyone had a theory, but
even the engineers were baffled as to it's origin.
Obi-Wan searched the crowd for Qui-Gon, spotting him next to
the fountain in the center of the temple compound. He needed to
talk to his Master to get some explanation for this sense of
connection he felt towards the young man and the powerful, yet
unnerving attraction he felt for him.
Qui-Gon had sensed Obi-Wan's discomfort and was waiting for him
to approach.
"You seem unsettled, Padawan. The strange traveler has created
a disturbance within you."
"Yes Master, I can't explain it, but somehow it's as if.... I'm
not sure it's just....as if I know him, but of course, I
realize that's not possible. He's clearly from somewhere
outside the galaxy or from somewhere outside of...."
"Outside of time, perhaps? Do you believe in such a possibility
or have you narrowed your mind to rule out such events?"
"I don't think....I mean, I'm not sure at this point what's
possible and what is not. But he has caused a strange stirring
of feelings in me. I just want him to be all right. I
need for him to survive. Does that make sense? Do you
understand?"
"Indeed I do, and in time so shall you. But until then, rule
out nothing." Qui-Gon touched Obi-Wan's shoulder lightly and
walked away.
Though he sat through his classes and made every effort to hear
what the Masters were saying, Obi-Wan's mind was elsewhere.
When he finally found himself walking out of the last class for
the day, he went directly to the infirmary without thinking or
knowing why. There was no place else he could be until he knew
the fate of the young man and he hoped to be able to talk to
him, to question him, to discover whatever truth he might find.
The infirmary was designed to promote a soothing, positive
energy field to insure rapid recovery and enhancement of the
patients use of the force. Obi-Wan strolled down the corridor,
bathed in the low amber light and suffused with the faintest
hint of musk. He felt instantly calmer from the surroundings,
and even stopped to examine a painting, studying geometric
shapes done in soft pastels and charcoal. Form following
fuction, his eyes seemed to be led around the canvas through
the repeating patterns like those of a Sierpinski gasket. The
white noise machine sent it's messages of balance and mastery
but were so beautifully disguised in the sound of wind blowing
through aspens that Obi-Wan was unaware of their effect.
Pulling himself away from the painting, and remembering why
he'd come, he moved to the information desk.
"I'd like to know the condition of the young man who was
brought in this morning after he crashed his ship."
"Name?"
"I don't know...his name, I don't think anyone does... He was
in a horrible accident this morning, you...."
"Ah yes, he's been stabilized.. but his injuries are fairly
serious."
"What room?"
"164"
A touch of apprehension came over him as he palmed open the
door, but it was fleeting, and he entered the room feeling once
again the draw toward this stranger.
A thin blanket covered the body, outlining it's youthful
contours. The face was bruised and deep gash above the right
eye had not yet faded in spite of the healers efforts, but it
was mostly covered by the blond hair that fell across his
forehead. As Obi-Wan approached the bed, the young man stirred
and mumbled something softly in his sleep. Pulling a chair next
to the bed, Obi-Wan sat down, positioning himself as close to
the young mans face as possible.
And again the boy stirred, and whispered, this time the words
were clear.
"Obi-Wan...."
Hearing the sound of his own name from a stranger in such
unlikely circumstances broke the calm spell of the infirmary.
Who was this person? Where'd he come from? And most of all, How
does he know my name? Obi-Wan thought to himself. He searched
his memory for an explanation, someone he'd known in childhood,
some brief acquaintance that he'd not bothered to record. No,
none of that explained the feeling on his part, that there was
something much stronger than a casual acquaintance between the
two of them. But before he could go any further in this line of
thought, the boys eyes opened and he looked directly into
Obi-Wan's face.
"What is this place? How did I get here?"
There was no fear in the voice, nor any indication of pain or
discomfort. Instead, the questions sounded like genuine
curiosity from one who had mastered the lower emotional states.
This one has surely studied with an enlightened master..
Obi-Wan mused to himself.
"You're in the infirmary... on Coruscant. There was an
accident, your ship was nearly destroyed, but I'd say that fate
and the force are looking out for you. It seems your injuries
are not that serious, and you'll make a full recovery, I'm
sure. So tell me, where are you from, and what brings you
here?"
"Coruscant? I don't think that was my planned destination, but
I can't say for sure, I don't remember.... I'm not even sure
where I came from."
"And your name? Maybe we can learn something from that."
"My name is...... I don't know. How strange, I don't remember
anything."
Obi-Wan stood up. "Well, I'm sure it'll all begin to make sense
soon enough. You rest now, and heal, I'll check with the
engineers. Maybe they've discovered something on what's left of
your ship that will tell us more." He tried to smile, and
appear reassuring, but an uneasiness about just what he might
discover weighed upon him.
The young stranger however showed no sign of concern, and
smiled back at Obi-Wan, his clear pale blue eyes penetrating,
yet gentle in their gaze.
"I have no doubt," His eyelids closed, "No doubt in your
ability."
Obi-Wan stood watching the boy sleep, more confused than ever
by his last statement. He did feel doubt, yet a knowledge of
something in the force that would explain all of this seemed
beyond question.
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