DWF2

Chapter 5

Kason followed in his master’s footsteps as they made their way through the dimly lit landing cavern, surrounded by the eerily silent hulking shapes of assorted models of spacecraft. Both Jedi peered into the lurking shadows on either side of them as they walked, searching for any sign of movement other than their own.

All of Charsa’s senses were on full alert, she reached out to the comforting ebb and flow of the force to quell her rising uneasiness. <This is just so weird,> came an unbidden thought.
She reached out to her pupil through their bond, could feel his eyes scanning the area around them for any clue that might explain the absence of other beings, or even droids.
Underlying his alertness, she could also sense his chagrin about his behavior on the landing ramp of their transport.

<What could have possessed him to act in such a fashion,> she mused to herself, <I’ve never witnessed him doing something so rash and…and…Childlike during a mission before, we could both end up in a lot of trouble if he pulls something like that again> She could tell that he regretted the way he acted, but she would have to talk to him about it in order to find out the "why" of his behavior. Charsa allowed a tiny corner of her mind to lapse back in time, seeking any clues as to what may have spurred the padawan’s outburst. In retrospect, her senses told her, Kason seemed to be acting somewhat oddly ever since the beginning of their space flight here…but again, why? Could it be the length of the flight? Charsa quickly discarded that hypothesis almost immediately; they had been on far longer assignments together with no adverse effects. Could Kason have a problem with Obi Wan? Surely not, both boys got along well together, and even competed as a team from time to time in training exercises held at the Temple. What about Qui Gon? <Humph, I doubt…well, wait a minute. Qui Gon can be quite an imposing figure to those who don’t have much contact with him, and Kason had virtually no contact with him aside from the occasional greeting now and then. Could it be that he felt inhibited by Qui Gon’s stoic nature, and was just blowing off steam when the first opportunity presented itself?> Yes, that must be it! Just as Kason said, he needed to work out some ‘kinks’. Charsa made a mental note to discuss this further with her student in order to discover if that was, indeed, the case. She had no doubt that Kason would learn from what had happened since not only was his ego bruised by the incident… but his backside as well.

Kason’s nerves were raw by the time the debarkation entrance came in to view. He had to keep reminding himself to use the Force to calm himself and warn him of danger. All would go well for a while, and then his mind would start replaying the scene on the landing platform. <Stupid, stupid, stupid,> he berated himself, <Charsa is going to grill me alive for that slip up. And the worst part about the whole mess is that I deserve every bit of grilling I get!>

As the pair approached the debarkation concourse portal, they saw the hatch spiral open silently. There were no lights activated in the chamber, giving it a chilling, uninviting look.
Charsa turned slightly to face Kason, "Me first," she mouthed silently. At his quick nod of acknowledgement she turned back and stepped through the circular opening.

As soon as her body weight fell fully upon the floor panel of the darkened chamber, lights covering the ceiling activated, bathing the room in frosty, unpleasant fluorescent illumination. With the activation of the lights, a protocol droid whirred to life behind a metal block. "The registration desk, I presume," stated Charsa as she motioned for Kason to join her.

"That would be correct, Madame," whined the protocol droid in it’s metallic, almost nasal voice, "Please state your name, business here, and then place your hand on the scanner for identification purposes."

<Identification purposes,> thought Charsa, <yeah...I’ll bet. Still, in order to get inside this place…>

Charsa slapped the palm of her right hand on the scanner imbedded in the desk before her, "Name: Charsa Malon, I have no business issues here, my colleague and I are just taking a break during our journey."

"Very well, Madame," intoned the droid, "and now you sir."

Kason stepped forward and followed his master’s example, placed his right hand on the scanner, "Name: Kason Storm, no business other than a rest stop." He removed his hand from the quietly humming scanner and stepped back to stand nest to Charsa.

"Identities have been recorded," the metallic voice replied as the droid’s viewscreen beeped at it, "welcome to Llakret." The droid moved its arm to touch a press a toggle switch.

******CLICK******

And the floor beneath the two Jedi suddenly dropped away and disappeared leaving them momentarily suspended above an unlit vertical shaft.

"Kason!" yelled Charsa as her right hand shot out, grabbing Kason’s left arm, "hold tight!"

Kason hugged Charsa tightly to himself as they plummeted through the darkness. He knew in his heart that he must protect her at all costs, <she is the only family that I have ever known.>

He tried to draw on the power of the force… and could not. He was too distracted by the jumble of thoughts racing around in his mind and his conscious thought were nothing short of chaotic. <What if what I do is wrong?> His mind screamed at him, <what if what I don’t do is right?> Once again he tried to touch the bond that tied him to his master, for just a split second he felt a glimmer of strength, then chaos erupted in his mind and he lost the connection.

Unlike her padawan, Charsa herself was deeply immersed in the Force. She could sense Kason’s struggle trying to stave off the effects of nearly overwhelming fear and panic, but she didn’t dare take her concentration from her current task to help himself find peace and calm. Her mind was centered on her manipulation of the force channeling through her body and psyche, it was only through her efforts that the two of them had not yet careened out of control and smashed into the walls that surrounded them.

The shrieking wind of their passage through the tube caused the tendrils of Charsa’s silvery mane of hair to whip wildly, even frantically around and, unseen in the dark, stinging both of their faces repeatedly with its wild uncontrolled lashing.

Charsa had no idea where the ultimate destination of this gut wrenchingly journey lay, but she fervently hoped that their passage would slow significantly before their arrival there. Otherwise…she didn’t want to think about otherwise. Her bond within the Force offered a glimpse that she instinctively interpreted as a bottom to this seemingly endless fall. All would be revealed in time.

"You know…this can’t continue much longer," Charsa yelled over the sound of rushing air, "if we keep on at this rate, we’ll just pop out of the other side of the moon!" <Hmmm,> she thought to herself, <perhaps that wasn’t the best thing to be said, considering our current circumstances.>

"Great!" Kason hollered back sarcastically, "that makes me feel ever so much better. You sure know how to cheer a person up." He rolled his eyed dramatically, a gesture that went totally unappreciated in the pitch dark.

Before Charsa could respond, both Jedi noticed a slight change in the pitch of the howling of the wind. It was no longer so loud and piercing that it hurt their ears. The sound continued to fade, a little at a time, until it more resembled a murmur to their strained hearing.

The trappings of their ship suits, as well as Charsa’s hair no longer whipped around frantically, lashing about in the tempest. Master and student had to assume that their descent had slowed, but they were unable to verify that due to the total absence of any light around them.

The assumed deceleration worked wonders on Kason’s nerves and frame of mind. He was no longer mind-locked in panic. He was no longer afraid that his heart was going to hammer itself out of his chest with its panicked pounding. Eventually, his pulse slowed its race and began to return to normal.

As Kason regained his composure and Charsa slowly extricated herself from her commune with the force and brought her awareness back to their physical surroundings, a faint glow of illumination flickered into life below them. They both looked around and could see stained, jointed walls of the tunnel slowly moving past them as they drifted downward, almost as if they were standing on an invisible platform. As they cautiously peered past their dangling feet, it was obvious that they would be standing on a firm surface very soon. Below them was a circular area marked very much like a shuttle bay landing pad.

The Jedi touched down gently on the spongy surface and gazed around warily, stains and unidentifiable matter on the pad and the walls gave mute testimony that many who had followed this tunnel before them had not been so lucky. The two of them quickly averted their eyes from the larger piles on the pad.

"What the hell was that?!?" Kason almost shrieked.

"Evidently, some sort of transportation," replied Charsa shakily, sliding her left forearm over her forehead to remove the perspiration beaded there, "one that I’d rather not use again."

Charsa mentally shook herself into action and stepped forward to the only portal that marked the side of the cylinder. She carefully touched the activation panel, and stepped back holding her right hand next to the hilt of her lightsaber. The door irised open to reveal…

"Huh?" was all that escaped Kason.

"A tavern?" Charsa spat incredulously, "a friggin’ tavern?!?"

"Welcome to Llakret," a spindly, spider legged droid said from just outside the doorway, "please relax and enjoy yourself while your accommodations are readied."

The two Jedi stepped forward into a chamber filled with beings of differing species and dialects seated at tables and gambling consoles. Music from a small band drifted on the smoke filled air, almost drowned out by raucous laughter and the occasional shout or two between, evidently, long lost comrades.

"Well, I knew this was going to be different," Charsa muttered to herself.

Chapter 6

Even thought they had finally stopped walking for a bit, Obi-Wan was far from pleased at the moment. Sweat ran down his body in rivulets underneath the soggy jumpsuit he wore, the built up moisture made the suit very uncomfortable. At least the ravenous biting insects were gone since in a fit of desperation earlier; Obi-Wan had used the force to send the aggravating, blood sucking swarms arrowing into the forest in search of other food.

Obi-Wan stood next to his master on a high bluff overlooking the only major city on the entire surface of Osiris. It was fairly large as cities went. <Not anywhere near the scope of Coruscant’s grandeur,> thought the young man, <but still of a respectable size.>

As his piercing blue eyes scanned the cityscape, he was somewhat surprised to see hardly any air traffic moving among the many towers and spires that jutted upward toward the sky.

"Come along padawan," Qui-Gon said as he started to make his way down the steep incline leading towards the city, "just a little bit farther."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes in exasperation as he wordlessly complied.

Chapter 6.1

"Couldn’t we have landed a little bit closer to the city, Master?" Obi-Wan asked after a short while.

"I’m afraid not," came Qui-Gon’s calm reply, "if any of the scanning equipment these people posses had detected a ship unlike their own landing and taking off, there would be a major furor among the populace. Remember, these people don’t like off-worlders."

"Great", Obi-Wan mumbled to himself.

<Walking downhill puts more stress on one’s legs than walking uphill,> Obi-Wan reminded himself as his thighs and calves again protested the abuse he was subjecting them to. <At least it’s not nearly as humid now.>

As if hearing Obi-Wan’s commentary to himself, Qui-Gon stopped and turned to face his apprentice. "This is more tiring than walking through the jungle, walking sticks will help ease some of the strain," he said, "I’d rather not arrive at the city gates exhausted, so keep an eye out for fallen branches that would be suitable."

In a short time, both Jedi were sporting relatively straight staffs that were roughly equivalent in height to their bearer.

"Oddly enough," Obi-Wan said to his master after a short time, "these do seem to help, I can already tell a difference."

"Many hill and cliff dwelling civilizations use them," answered Qui-Gon in the lecturing voice that Obi-Wan had come to appreciate over the years, "I knew a Jedi Knight once who even valued her walking stick above her lightsaber. Though, when things got bad, her walking stick didn’t help her save her own life as her lightsaber would have."

Obi-Wan and his master were roughly halfway down the face of the high cliff, following the zig zagging cutbacks of the trail that led gradually downward. As they slowly made their way down the brush lined path to the level of the city; Obi-Wan inspected the occasionally visible bits of wall that surrounded it. <Is that to keep the wildlife out,> he wondered, <or the population in?>

Interlude

Yellow eyes peered out of the cover of dense foliage at its prey. Hunger was all it felt. It had been many darks since it had fed last. Saliva gathered at the corner of its mouth and dripped to the rocky ground in anticipation of its next meal. PATIENCE, instinct spoke within its mind, PATIENCE. A pink tongue darted out of its mouth between needle-like teeth. It gathered its rear haunches beneath it, preparing to spring upon its intended target.

Chapter 6.2

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rounded another switchback turn and startled a flock of scarlet and blue striped avians into flight, the distressed squawking and thunderous beating of feathered wings filling the air. Both Jedi instantly dropped their staffs and snapped their arms protectively in front of them, also startled by the sudden flurry of explosive movement and sound. It quickly became obvious that the avians were interested only in escape as the flock leapt into the air and soared in triangle formation away from the cliff face and circled to land again, far away in the distance.

Yellow eyes widened. SURPRISE…DISBELIEF…ANGER, it felt, HUNGER…ANGER…RAGE! The yellow eyes narrowed to mere slits…REVENGE!

Obi-Wan stooped to retrieve his fallen walking stick at the same time as his master. As his hand touched the bark covered branch he peripherally saw Qui-Gon whirl around and assume a fighting stance. <Wha…?>

A guttural roar echoed off the neighboring cliff faces as a green pelted creature erupted from the dense foliage only a few meters away from Obi-Wan. The four legged creature landed on the trail elegantly and glared at the young Jedi with animal hatred. It gathered it’s haunches beneath itself and leapt again straight at him, it’s fang filled mouth open, and razor sharp foreclaws extended for the kill.

Obi-Wan dropped his staff and grabbed for the hilt of his lightsaber, his hand closed around the cylinder of his Jedi weapon and…<It’s stuck!!!> From all of the walking and movement of his body, the coarse cloth of his sweat dampened jumpsuit pocket had twisted and folded around the hilt and held it securely enough that it would take some time to free it, time that Obi-Wan did not have.

He backpedaled, trying to gain a few moments until his left heel struck a loose stone on the trail and suddenly Obi-Wan felt himself falling backwards. When he hit, he fell on something that was softer than the trail. He heard a sudden exhalation and exclamation, and realized that he had knocked down, and fallen on Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan rolled to the side and tried to regain his footing, but at the same time the creature had leapt again and landed directly on Obi-Wan’s exposed back. He felt a popping sensation on his left shoulder as the creature’s claws punctured the skin and muscle there. Then he felt only searing agony as the creature’s claws ripped from his left shoulder all the way down his back to his waistline.

Darkness clouded the periphery of Obi-Wan’s vision, and he knew he was about to lose consciousness. He could feel himself falling, the darkness expanded, covering his mind. He heard a thrum..hiss, and saw an emerald blade come in to being. A harsh snikt, and he watched a green furred head with yellow eyes sail out over the edge of the trail. He felt his breath rattle in his chest and gave in to the darkness.

Qui-Gon was breathing heavily. He deactivated his lightsaber and knelt next to his padawan. Obi-Wan’s injuries were severe. The jumpsuit had offered no protection whatsoever against that thing’s claws and the flimsy fabric was shredded on his back.
He dug in his med pack and applied synthskin to Obi-Wan’s lacerations as much as he could, but blood was still seeping from the majority of the four parallel gashes that ran down his back. Obi-Wan needed a healer…now!

Qui-Gon reached out to the force and used it to slow his padawan’s metabolism, hopefully slowing the loss of blood. The Force brought an unasked for response, poison
.
Sure enough, Qui-Gon could see the edges of Obi-Wan’s wounds puckering up and turning a deep, dangerous, dark red color.

<That thing’s claws were poisoned!>

Qui Gon picked up his friend, cradling him in his arms as one would an infant, and resumed walking.

Chapter 6.3

After another three switchbacks in the trail, Qui-Gon had to struggle to keep his strides gentle so as not to jar his Padawan’s injuries. The Jedi Master’s long hair was matted with moisture and sweat trickled down his forehead, occasionally blinding him as it seeped into his eyes. But the steady drip of blood from his Padawan’s injuries that slowly soaked his arms gave him a reason and strength to continue.

He used the force to monitor Obi-Wan’s condition, and he was not pleased with the results of his probing. The young man was failing fast. Already Obi-Wan was twitching in his arms as his body’s natural defenses were fighting the poison as it worked its way deeper and deeper into his body.

A faint breeze blew across the cliff, making the surrounding foliage sway back and forth, as well as cooling Qui Gon for a few moments. He looked towards the seeming end of the path that marked yet another switchback, and noticed another side trail. The force whispered in his mind as if it were an echo of the cooling breeze that had so suddenly come upon him.

Sunlight glinted on something metallic within the side trail and Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes in order to shut out any distractions and focused on that metallic gleam. His connection to the force allowed him to augment his vision to a higher state, and he realized that there was a person standing at the juncture of the pathways, just inside the concealing protection of the shadows cast by the scraggily trees.

The force murmured to him in encouragement. He immediately knew that the figure was not a foe, not exactly a friend either, he noted; but there would be no need for battle. Holding his padawan in his arms, Qui-Gon walked closer and closer to the shadowy figure at the junction of the paths, as he drew near he realized that the shadows were cast by the trees, and the figure was wrapped in a light cloak of emerald green.

"I’ve been waiting for you," came a calm female voice from within a cowled hood, "follow me." She whirled, causing her cloak to swirl diaphanously around her, and started walking deeper into the overhanging boughs of the surrounding trees. Her tone of voice indicated that there was to be no argument. Qui-Gon followed uneasily, his senses alert for any trouble or deception that this stranger might cause. <I’ll take whatever help I can get,> he thought, <It’s not likely I can drop Obi-Wan and fight off an attack.>

In a surprisingly short amount of time they came to a relatively flat outcropping on the cliff face, there were a number of cave entrances that were easily accessible from where they were standing. The green clad figure turned to face Qui-Gon and pointed at a small cave to his right, "Go there and place your friend on the bed closest to the entrance, cover him well against the chill of night."

Qui-Gon was out of ideas to help his padawan, so he quickly complied. He entered the cave and found it surprisingly neat and clean. A number of sleeping cots were lined up against both walls of the cave, all of them covered in clean, neatly made up sheets and blankets. After a bit of twisting and turning, he laid Obi-Wan belly down on the cot so the wounds on his back would not be aggravated, and covered him with a light sheet.

Qui-Gon straightened from his crouch, turned, and almost jumped out of his skin in surprise as he bumped into the woman in the green cloak who was standing directly behind him.

She offered a brief chuckle as her hands moved to the edges of the cowl that kept her face in its shadows. "Your friend is lucky," she said in a musical, lilting voice, "most people who tangle with a dour don’t survive past the initial strike. Nasty buggers they are."

"Can you help him?" Qui-Gon asked, "we are new to this area, and I’m uneducated about most of the local predators."

"I’d have to agree that you are new to this area…Jedi," the young woman said calmly.

Qui-Gon was dumbstruck, "How did you…."

The young woman freed her flowing red hair from the concealing cowl of her robe and smiled at him, revealing white even teeth, no hint of devious thoughts in her eyes. "I’m outcast," she grinned halfheartedly, "I too can feel the force, I hear things, although I’m not trained as a Jedi, I know who you are. The people within the city exiled me because of what I can see and perceive. I healed a lot of people, and they thanked me. In the long term Mermil wanted no one to detract from his reign, so I was branded a witch." She shrugged as if it was nothing to be concerned about.

"Do you think you can help Obi-Wan?" he asked the young woman, "there are no bacta tanks in here that I can see."

"Nope, no bacta tanks, but you can be sure that I’ll do my best," she replied, "nice to know the name of the person I’ll be tending."

Qui-Gon stood and held his hand out to the young woman that was tending to the injuries that his student had sustained. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn."

The young lady wiped her hands on her green robe and clasped the Jedi Master’s hand warmly. "Nice to meet you Qui-Gon, you may call me Kithera"

Chapter 6.4

The darkness swirled and spun around him like a vast, savage, roiling ocean. He slipped from the pinnacles of waves into the troughs that separated them. All the time images flashed in his mind, gruesome images that twisted and changed shape before him, grotesquely deformed visions of his master as well as other beings he had encountered.
He struggled to separate the real from the imagined, but his mind whirled chaotically and he tumbled adrift in the prison that his awareness had become.

He felt a searing pain permeating every fiber of his being, almost unbearable in it’s agony as he felt what it was like to be set aflame and burned alive.

Obi-Wan focused on that pain and used it to center himself…to give him a place of stability that he clung to among the tumultuous visions flashing through his mind…a place from which to gather his strength and try to combat the images that floated before him.

Angry, yellow eyes glared balefully at him from the surrounding darkness…emerald energy blazed across his mind followed by a thrum/hiss of sound, only this time the energy was directed at him!!!

//Master!!// he called, trying to reach out to Qui-Gon through the force. His cry for help was met only by silence.

His complete surprise at the total lack of response ripped him away from his focal point of agony, and once again he was adrift in a sea of chaos.

Chapter 6.5

Qui-Gon gazed worriedly at his padawan while the young man moaned softly and writhed in pain due to the influence of the poison that coursed through his veins. The muscles of the boy’s neck were rigid and Qui-Gon could see Obi-Wan’s pulse thundering there, fueled by the boys feverishly pounding heart.

Qui-Gon raised his eyes to meet the cool, brown eyed gaze of the young woman standing beside him. "Why are the herbs you used not working?" he asked in no small amount of concern, "they don’t seem to be helping at all."

"Trust me," the green robed healer replied, "the treatment is going remarkably well, I’ve seen grown men almost twice the size of your friend here absorb much less poison than he has and suffer convulsions so intense and violent that their own bones snapped due to the strain."

"So, he’ll be able to travel soon, do you think?"

As if inspired by that comment Obi-Wan’s body suddenly arched violently, almost throwing him completely off the bed. The herb packed dressings on his back split open and the contents fell to the floor, bits of blood tinged cloth clinging to the edges. Kithera noticed the muscles under the skin of Obi-Wan’s as a brief spasm appeared and blood gushed from the young man’s mouth.

"He bit his tongue," she briefly explained to the startled Jedi Master as she swiftly knelt next to Obi-Wan’s cot, "it happens."

The failing beams of sunlight from the cave mouth glinted on the healer’s red hair as she quickly reset bandages and re-applied her herb mixture to Obi-Wan’s lacerated back.

When she had everything arranged to her satisfaction, she stood and turned to the Jedi Master.

She looked at Qui-Gon calmly, with one eyebrow slightly raised. "As far as when he can travel, it’s too soon to say for sure," she broke eye contact and looked again at her patient, "he’s doing well, as I said, but the fight is not over yet."

She turned her attention back to Qui-Gon, noticing how his shoulders slumped wearily, and the dark circles of fatigue and worry that surrounded his eyes. "Sleep Jedi," she said softly, " you need it. I will watch over your friend while you rest."

Qui-Gon felt a protest building within him, but his better sense asserted itself and he knew that exhausting himself would not benefit his padawan’s struggle against the poison. He hesitantly nodded and moved farther back into the cave and settled his large frame onto another cot stationed up against the cave wall.

"You will notify me of any changes in his condition?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"I will, Jedi," Kithera replied in a near whisper as she mentally tapped into her limited access to the force, "I will."

She brought her will to bear and sent her mind into the body of the young man before her. Seeking…questing…<I must seek out the venom coursing through his body and destroy it,> she thought, <if any of it lingers too long, the next bit of travelling he’ll do will be to his grave.>