| As Long As There Is Hope By Jemmiah |
| "Kriff!" Nadine hissed under her breath. "Merdan's put a guard on the wine cellar!" Qui-Gon was beginning to rue this little venture into insanity, torn between wanting to get away as fast as he could and staying true to his word. The longer they delayed the more chance there was of this all ending in tears and he was finding it very hard to justify, especially with the Council forbidding him to get involved… But a promise was a promise. And he HAD given his word. If he backed out he would not be able to look himself in the mirror ever again. He held his honesty very dear and he would be a poor man to turn tail and run just because the matter was getting more complicated than he had expected. Still he hung back. "I can deal with him." Qui-Gon said grimly. "However if more of his comrades decide to show up we could be in for some trouble. Padawan, stay here until I give the signal. Then it's your turn to be on guard." Obi-Wan set his face determinedly and felt the reassuring contact of his fingers against the metal guard of his lightsabre, nodding to Qui-Gon. "I'll be fine, master." Jinn turned to Nadine and apologized with his eyes for the liberties he was about to take. "Please excuse me." He offered, mildly amused. "Why, what are you…oh, I see!" Nadine felt a splayed out hand fall upon her backside. "Acting again, huh?" "A little too much enthusiastically, if you ask me." Muttered Obi-Wan as Qui-Gon shot him a warning look. "Not in the least." Jinn instructed his padawan. "This is an example of the sort of behavior I never expect to see from you until you are thirty five." "Thirty five?" whispered Obi-Wan disbelievingly. "You said thirty!" "Not so, I lied!" Qui-Gon pointed at the corridor. "Keep a look out, young padawan and watch the rear. Then maybe I will have cause to review the situation in ten or so years time." Obi-Wan watched fascinated as Nadine minced and wiggled her way towards the guard outside the cellar door with Qui-Gon's hand still pressed against her right buttock. He shook his head in resignation and set to work keeping a watch as instructed, eyes still affixed to Nadine. "Well, you said to watch the rear master." He murmured. The guard flinched as Qui-Gon and Nadine approached, she seemingly holding the big jedi up as if he were drunk. His legs appeared to go wobbly and bend in directions they should not, whilst Nadine would haul him up by the armpits and set him straight again. Obi-Wan had to admit that his master was thus far giving a virtuoso performance. The guard made some remark that set Nadine off into peels of laughter, and thus whilst distracted his master simply knocked the guard out with a burst of force energy, sending the man crashing to his knees. Gesturing to his padawan to stand outside the door, Jinn rummaged through the man's jacket until he found the switch key that activated the lock on the cellar. "I wish I could learn to do that." Nadine said enviously. "What do we do with him?" "We're going to do a little switch." Qui-Gon grabbed the man under the arms and began to drag the man backwards into the cellar, with Nadine following on behind. The first thing that Qui-Gon could detect was the damp, musty smell that inevitably accompanied most cellars. He reckoned that the room was old judging by the brickwork and the dusty floor. As soon as he stepped away from the entrance the dark swamped him, and even using the force it was very difficult to avoid bumping into things on the nearby storage bins and racks. He heard a bottle smash on the ground after he nudged it with his leg, and outside he could feel his padawan's mild worry. The boy was really learning to control himself well and Qui-Gon knew that joking apart he never gave the boy enough credit for his achievements. The truth was he was scared to do so. He didn't want another overconfident failure on his hands like Xanatos… "Jemmiah, sweetheart. Where are you?" Nadine whispered. She was surprised when she received no answer, and more than a bit worried too. Nadine called out again, this time a little more loudly and when no reply was forthcoming Qui-Gon tried to sense where about the girl was, using the force to home in on the fourth presence within the room. Walking swiftly to the right side wall, booted feet sounding against the floor Qui-Gon activated his lightsabre and held the glowing green beam of light aloft so that he might see better. At the sudden column of light and the snap-hiss sound of the blade the little figure huddled against the wall shrunk away even further, back pressed as near to the stone as possible. Qui-Gon managed to pick out a pair of terrified eyes amidst a small, pale face reflected green from the blade. There was something rather unnatural about the way the child's body was lying and at first Qui-Gon couldn't see what it was - until he recalled Nadine's words about her being clamped in restraints. The first thing to do was to get them off her wrists and Qui-Gon reached out a hand, but the girl flinched and tried to slink further away: an almost impossible task. "Easy," Qui-Gon sought to calm her, "there's no need to be afraid of me. I will not hurt you…I will never hurt you." He wasn't sure if his words had made much of a difference, and he could see that the girl was shaking like a leaf in the wind. Aware that they were pressed for time and yet not wishing to seem unkind, Qui-Gon treated her to a gentle if melancholy smile. "I need to take those restraints off your wrist." Qui-Gon continued. "Then we can all get out of here. Would you like that?" She gave a slow, single nod of her head, seemingly mesmerized by the lightsabre blade. Qui-Gon called over to Nadine, bidding the Corellian woman to speak to her whilst he set about releasing the girl from the restraints. "Jemmiah, honey." Nadine grinned at her. "Am I ever relieved to see you! Are you okay, sweetheart? Did they hurt you at all?" "No." Jemmiah's voice was a mere thread. "B-but the rats are really big down here!" "Yeah, I remember." Nadine pushed the grim memory from her mind. "But you're gonna be fine now sweetheart. This is Master Jinn from the jedi temple on Coruscant. He's going to make sure that you're alright." Jemmiah's eyes wandered back to the bearded face illuminated by the eerie light. She didn't think she'd ever seen anyone so tall in her life…and he was crouching down too! What was she supposed to make of him? "He's going to be taking you out of here." Nadine's voice became sharper, knowing that Jemmiah was now staring back at her, uncomfortable under the scrutiny. Somehow she couldn't bring herself to look at her. "You're not coming with me, are you?" Jemmy's question was more of a statement than anything else. "No sweetie. I'm not. Neither are the other girls." "But that's not fair!" Jemmy's voice quivered, shaking right along with her trembling body. "Other people should go before me!" "No they shouldn't." Nadine let her tone become tough. "I've talked with the other girls and they are all agreed. You are the youngest and if one person only can get out of this hellhole it's kriffin' well going to be you…pardon my vile Corellian tongue." "Nadie, please don't send me away…" "Sweetheart," Nadine ruffled the tangled, wavy hair, "it's time for you to go. This is your chance…you always said it would come and now it has. Don't make me ashamed of you." Jemmiah's face became instantly downcast. "I'll be running away…that means I'm a coward." She mumbled, wincing as a jolt of energy shot up her arm. "Sorry." Apologized Qui-Gon, working and listening at the same time, wondering what to make of the conversation going on around him. He'd thought Nadine's words were a little harsh but then he realized he did not know the girl at all. Perhaps she needed the stern words to get her to agree. "You are not a coward." Nadine rebuked her mildly. "You are brave. D'you know why?" "No." Jemmiah replied sullenly, not wanting to hear. "Because it takes real guts to do what you are going to…leave behind everything you know, starting anew, facing the challenges…staying here would be the easy way out." Nadine swallowed slightly; hoping that Jemmiah did not hear the catch in her voice. "This gentleman here will take good care of you. So will his boy." Boy? Jacen. Jemmy thought quietly. That's who she means…and this jedi must be his 'uncle'. Maybe he is good…perhaps he is a nice person. I can't remember ever meeting a good man before. Most of them have been like Keleskladt or Levinstowe… "Are you a good person?" Jemmiah asked Qui-Gon. The question rather took the master aback. How did he answer that? He was far from perfect and he had made many mistakes in his life. To a child the question was a simple one, whereas in reality it was nothing of the kind. "I like to think so." Qui-Gon nodded, still struggling to free the restraints. Somebody had made a very good job of wiring these things up, and evidently the girl had spent a lot of time trying to get out of them to no avail, judging by the scuff marks on the floor beside her legs. The thought angered Qui-Gon but he quashed the feeling swiftly, knowing that taking her away from this place was the right thing to do. He had no doubts whatsoever. "I and all my fellow jedi endeavor to uphold a code by which we regulate our actions and the way we live in general. Nobody can be good all the time, not even a jedi. Sometimes we make mistakes and get things wrong. But I have always believed that intentions are the most important thing in life. I give you my word that I will not harm you or let you come to any harm, Jemmiah." He heard the mechanical click as the restrainers fell onto the floor. "There. You are free." He added. Jemmiah rubbed at her wrists, examining the painful flesh where the energy jolts had entered her body. Her arms felt weak and buzzing with being tied back for so long, as if she were being stabbed by thousands of tiny pins. She could feel both the jedi and Nadine looking at her uncertainly, waiting on her to speak. "Do you really mean that?" she stared Qui-Gon directly in the face. "Jemmiah," Qui-Gon took one small hand in his own larger one and squeezed it delicately, "I promise you." The Corellian girl surprised him by reaching forwards and burying herself in his chest, giving him a thin yet strong little bear hug of gratitude…or was it plain exhaustion? Qui-Gon couldn't tell for certain, although he had an overwhelming feeling the child had more or less come to the end of her physical and mental reserves. She's reached the end of the proverbial tether. Qui-Gon sighed as he hugged her back. I think she truly doesn't care what happens anymore, at least not to her. But she will leave for Nadine's sake. "I'll go then." She looked up at him with large, rounded eyes. "I'm glad to hear it." Qui-Gon remarked, wondering why the little, well meant hug felt so right...so perfect. "My padawan would be rather upset if you didn't come with us." "Padawhat?" "My apprentice…Obi-Wan?" he helped the girl shakily to her feet, thinking how small and thin she was for someone supposed to be ten years old. "Jacen?" "The boy who likes icedvanilla." Jemmy agreed. "The one with the horrible hair. I know who you mean." "Er…yes." Agreed Qui-Gon with a chuckle. "That's him. He's waiting outside." He passed Jemmiah over to Nadine and let the woman lead her towards her first glimpse of light for more than eight hours, watching as she helped the younger Corellian to hobble out, leaning against her for support. Qui-Gon wondered if the energy bolts from the restrainers had done the girl any permanent damage but then decided from the way she walked it was most likely some other injury that was causing her disability. Damn, he cursed inwardly as they disappeared from sight. That's the last thing we need…somebody who cannot run easily. It might well come down to that in the end. Still, it is not the girl's fault. I have to say she has impressed me more than I expected…or maybe I am going soft in my old age. Who could help but be moved at her plight though? The council will just have to condemn my foolishness once again, that's all there is to it. He dragged the guard over to the wall where Jemmiah had been sitting only moments before and clipped the restraints around his wrists. It was justice of a sort but most importantly it was one less guard to deal with when they finally escaped. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of two blaster shots outside the wine cellar, followed by the familiar noise of a lightsabre connecting with both discharges and returning the fire. Qui-Gon hastened to the door just in time to see the figure of a black clothed guard sliding down the wall at the opposite end of the corridor. "Sorry, master." Obi-Wan lowered his face. "It was either Jemmy or him." "It's of no odds to us now, padawan." Qui-Gon gave him a friendly pat on the back as he walked past. "But well done all the same." Jemmiah looked pale and tired and somewhat petrified at what had just happened. She'd seen plenty of people die before but never had she felt so vulnerable as she did now. Qui-Gon recognized her shock and crouched back beside her. "We have to go now. Master Ashdal will be joining us in a moment. We're going to hopefully escape on the speeders across country until we get to our ship." "What about the guard?" Jemmy looked over her shoulder and bit her lip. That first bolt had got very near to her. "He's dead." Qui-Gon replied. "We'll leave him here. It might help Merdan to think he's got trouble close to home." He glanced at Nadine, who nodded and stood beside the child, whispering something in Corellian that Qui-Gon could not make out. Obi-Wan looked away, not wanting to intrude on the girl's private farewells but Qui-Gon watched, knowing that what was happening was effectively a transfer of power: a change of guardians, one for another. "Be good, sweetheart." Nadine kissed her on the forehead. "Or at least try to be. Here, this is for you." Nadine pressed a satin white handkerchief into Jemmiah's hand, one that was embroidered with two little initials in the corner in Alderaani silk thread. "See, it's got J for Jemmy and N for Nadine in it. I did it this morning. Thought it might help you to remember me." "Thank you." Jemmiah whispered, thinking that her ribs would explode through the unrelenting pressure of Nadine's hug and the bruises left to her from Keleskladt's beating. "And I won't forget you ever." "See that you don't kid." Nadine tidied Jemmiah's long hair behind her back. "Coz wherever we both are I will always walk by your shoulder. Remember that." Suddenly Nadine ran out of words and without any warning she turned silently away and continued walking until Jemmiah could no longer follow her with her eyes or her footsteps with her ears. After a brief, respectful pause the warm, giant hand of the tall jedi descended upon her shoulder again, quietly comforting her. "Come on." He said gently. "I think we had better go to the speeder bay." The three figures moved cautiously, not wishing to encounter any further trouble although Qui-Gon had difficulty in reducing his normal long stride to match with the limping Corellian girl. Instinctively she had started to shadow him rather than his padawan, accepting his natural authority over the apprentice. Qui-Gon knew that should they happen across any more of Merdan's men the likelihood was they would shoot first and question later. One sight of Jemmiah no longer imprisoned in the cellar would alert them immediately to what was going on. The lightsabres seemed to make Jemmiah nervous but they were a ready source of light as they descended into the darkness once again and towards the stairs. Qui-Gon could tell by the way Jemmiah was walking and the tentative way she was making her way down the steps that something was causing her a certain amount of discomfort. "Are you hurt?" he asked in a hushed voice, still keeping all his senses alert to potential danger. "Not really, sir." Jemmiah answered truthfully. "It doesn't feel bad but my ankle is all swollen and it makes it difficult to walk." "I can take a look at it when we get onboard the ship." Qui-Gon guided her down the stairs, making certain she kept her footing in the dark, disconcertingly aware of Obi-Wan's eyes boring into his back. No doubt his padawan was wondering what was the cause of the miraculous conversion before him where before he had been severely tempted to leave the girl behind. "Sir?" Jemmiah asked hesitantly. "Yes?" "Is your ship far?" the voice was small but sounded even more muted amidst the cavernous dark. "It is a fair distance, yes." Admitted the Jedi as gently as he could. "We were collected in a speeder by an associate of Merdan's." "Don't go back to your ship." Jemmy grabbed his hand. "They put devices inside the hatches and then blow them up if they don't like you. Merdan's men will have been all over it the moment you left your ship. As soon as they find you've gone they will explode the device. I've seen it done before a few times." Jemmy shrugged miserably as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan turned to stare at her in dismay. "You won't get very far, and they'll be expecting you to go back there." "Where else can we go?" Obi-Wan frowned. "Is there anywhere else we can get off this planet." "Yes." Jemmy fished down the front of her dress, watching Obi-Wan avert his eyes. Once more, even though in the dark, Jemmiah had cause to feel ashamed of the nature of her clothing. What must the tall jedi think of her? Bringing out a scrap of flimsy she placed it firmly in the palm of the master's hand, which he proceeded to study under the green light of the sabre. "What is this?" he frowned. "Co-ordinates?" "Sir, it's the location and the start up codes to Merdan's ship." Jemmiah felt her confidence suddenly grow. "They won't blast Merdan's ship because he is the only one who knows where it is and the pirates that patrol the space lanes have an agreement to leave his craft alone so they won't touch it." Qui-Gon stood silently amazed for a moment. It would seem that appearances were deceiving: on the surface this child looked as unsubstantial as a gossamer wisp, like a little fragile doll that had been dressed up and thrown aside, neglected and abandoned. Delicate she might well look but there was obviously a lot of determination and resolve behind the glass mask. "You found this?" he indicated the flimsy sheet. "Yes, sir." Jemmiah wondered if she was about to be on the receiving end of a lecture and hung her head. "Where did you get it?" "From Merdan's office when I was cleaning it." Jemmy swallowed, raising her eyes hopefully to see if he was annoyed with her. But the row she expected never came. "I went to find evidence for Vernice about the envoy." She lowered her voice out of honor. "I couldn't find anything but I did find that." "Is that why you were put in the cellar?" Qui-Gon tucked the flimsy into his pocket and continued to guide her onwards. "Yes, sir." Jemmy nodded. They reached the bottom of the steps and Qui-Gon located the light source and activated the switch. "Looking for someone?" Vernice drawled, arms folded. "What have you been doing?" Qui-Gon creased his brow impatiently. "Is this a new dress by any chance? I preferred the old one, the color suited you better." "I had to change it." Vernice walked over to where Jemmiah stood and rested her hand on her shoulder. "It got covered in the blood of the last poor soul who asked me what I had been doing." "A perfectly legitimate question." Replied Qui-Gon. "If you must know I have been pulling out cables, rigging the wiring and tampering with things that a girl shouldn't be tampering with." Vernice's voice became ultra-practical and crisp. "I think they are going to be in for a few problems if they try to stop us on anything more sophisticated than a swoop, and even then they might find some difficulties! Now IS the right time to go…there seems to be some confusion about getting Merdan out of his locked office." Vernice looked down at Jemmiah. "I'm glad you decided to come with us." She smiled. "And," Vernice turned to Qui-Gon; "I'm glad you decided to take her." "I hardly had a choice in the matter." Qui-Gon said gruffly. He noticed that the child's face fell a fraction and he realized that what he had said hadn't come out the way he had meant it. "If I had been inclined to say no you would both have worked at me until I had relented. And she is most welcome to come with us." He offered Jemmiah by way of reassurance. "Master, how do we get out of here?" Obi-Wan sighed. "I want to get back home. I even miss my uncomfortable bed…" "Your bed is not as uncomfortable as your master's." Vernice led the way to the speeders, hands pulling at one of the tarpaulins. "Master Ashdal, how do you know how uncomfortable my master's bed…is…" he let his voice trail away into nothingness. "How does Vernice know how uncomfortable HIS bed is?" Jemmy nodded at Obi-Wan, which caused Qui-Gon to hurry up just a little. "Let's get moving, shall we?" he said out the corner of his mouth in an attempt to hasten the still grinning Vernice, the embarrassed Obi-Wan and the confused Jemmiah along. "I cut the fuel to the speeders, well most of them." Vernice said breathlessly. "I couldn't get all of them and I left three for ourselves. We'll have to ride pillion." "Yes," Jinn nodded. "We're going to have to make this fast and furious." "Don't take the speeder on the left." Jemmiah heard Vernice say quietly to Qui-Gon, fixing him with a meaningful look. "It's already occupied." "Have you ever sat on a speeder bike before?" Qui-Gon asked Jemmiah, only to be rewarded with a small shake of the head. "Nevermind, as long as you hold on tight you will be fine. Vernice, you are going to have to go first. Let them think it's a breakout. These are the ship's co-ordinates and entry/start up codes." He handed her the flimsy. "Make your way there as fast as you can and we will follow." "Why aren't we going together, sir?" Jemmiah asked, concern easily detectable on her face. "Because Master Ashdal is going to make them think there's been a breakout. Whilst they are busy reeling from that we are going to escape when nobody is looking. The last thing we need is for them to think that you've got away." "Merdan will come after me." Jemmiah stated. "I think Rufus Merdan will have other things on his mind." Jinn tried to be as cheerful as possible. "Jemmiah, you will ride behind Obi-Wan. Just remember to hold on, okay?" "At last, I get to operate a speeder." Obi-Wan smirked, patting the seat contentedly. "Just make sure it's not your last time." Qui-Gon warned him, looking at the assembled group before him. Depressing the door switch, Qui-Gon took a steadying breath and then walked to the exit to take a look about him. Jemmiah stood looking anxiously between the two people she had been left with. They both seemed so utterly calm! How could they be so at peace…as if they were taking a stroll in a garden? After a few minutes passed the Corellian began to feel alarmed. "Will he be alright?" asked Jemmiah, her mouth feeling terribly dry. "Ask him yourself." Vernice smiled. "Here he is." Qui-Gon jogged back to the group, shaking his head. "Four guards, and they are the only ones we can see." He breathed. "I'm going out to distract them. Vernice, you make a break when you can. When the guards are running about in a state of panic, Obi-Wan you will fly the swoop to collect me. Is that understood?" "Yes, master." Obi-Wan was suddenly serious and Jemmiah could feel herself begin to shake. "Are we all ready?" he asked, watching Vernice clamber onto the back of her swoop, receiving three nods in the affirmative. "Then let's go…" |