| Should As Strangers We Meet |
| Danian had been sitting quietly in the cell, her mind seething with anger at her helpless predicament. She knew it did no good to hold on to her anger, but it was in her unruly nature. Her oomi had called her ‘shana en tenera’ due to her quick temper, a phrase translated to ‘little storm’. Even Obi, who’s own temperament sometimes matched hers, was quick to point out the need to control one’s emotions. She had learned much from the boy who had assisted them two years earlier. Explaining the Force and midi-chlorians, he had de-mystified for her the unusual and sometimes frightening abilities she possessed. With incredible patience and perseverance, he taught her the basics of meditation and the comprehension of what she’d always considered her gypsy intuition. Growing ever closer through the instructions, she resisted the feelings she felt stirring for him. She was eight years his senior and though his maturity and knowledge were well beyond his years, she assumed he thought her too old. It had been the first time she had been able to reach out and connect with his mind in the Force that she discovered similarly harbored feelings. Having sensed her emotions, he had sent out thread, opening his mind a bit to her, allowing her access to those emotions. In that initial encounter she discovered not the hormonal desires of youth but the deep and tender affections of a soul-mate. Untrained in shielding, Danian poured herself out over that slender thread. Unwilling to hide, Obi-Wan accepted, offering himself in kind. Together they created the first connection of a strong life-bond. Sitting in the cell waiting, concentrating on what she had been taught, she sought refuge in the Force. It was always so much more difficult when her emotions were raging but as time passed and she could feel the Force around her, she cast out for her love. Instantly she felt a swirling presence in the Force with her. Fear overcame her when the power of the other touched lightly in her mind. Not Obi, her mind screamed and she pulled back hurriedly, her eyes exploding open, her breaths coming in ragged pants. Within minutes her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of weapons fire. Without looking back, Obi-Wan raced down the corridor, following his instincts. No blaster shots reached him as he rounded another corner, skidding to an stop. The hall came an abrupt end with a large perma-steel door. Using his weapon he blasted the door repeatedly, attempting to disengage the electro-magnetic lock. "Here, let me try," a soft voice startled him from behind. Extinguishing his lightsaber, Jedi Jinn closed his eyes. Gathering the Force he directed it at the thick, heavy door. There was an electrical buzz then the door swung smoothly open. Ignoring the Jedi, Obi-Wan dashed through, running past the row of empty cells. "Danni!" he cried out searching for her. "Obi?" A confused, feminine voice replied, as Danian crawled out from beneath the bench she had hidden under. Rushing to the bars, her eyes went wide with fear as a large man stepped beside Obi-Wan. "He's here to help," Obi-Wan reassured her, caressing her hand through the bars. "Step back, please." the man's soft, baritone voice stated. Igniting his laser sword, he sliced through the metal bars, allowing her an exit. Carefully stepping out, she flung herself into Obi-Wan's waiting arms, embracing him tightly. "This is for rescuing me." she said, giving him a deep, passionate kiss. "This is for taking so long." Danian stepped back, slapping him soundly across the face before he knew what had hit him. He raised his hand to his red, stinging cheek, rubbing it gently. "I was doing everything I could..." he tried to reason, his eyes full of hurt. "I suggest we leave further explanation and displays of affection for another time" Qui-Gon advised, "we're not out of danger yet." At that the trio cautiously began their way back through the building. Targ Koss waited until he was sure the trio left the building. He had been monitoring the men since they had first walked through the door, noting the ease at which they disabled his men. It was made quickly apparent he wouldn't stand a chance as each of his men were overcome by the bigger of the two intruders. And more than that, if his suspicions were correct the his employer would want to be informed immediately. Either way, he could be in a world of hurt. I knew there was something more to that girl, the obese man thought angrily. Had I beaten it outta her I wouldn't be in this predicament. Watching the intruders abscond with his prisoner, he hesitated his next course of action. The Lord would be none too happy with the escape of the girl and now with this new development, he shuddered to think what his reaction would be. Reaching across the desk, flipping a switch he glanced over the bank of monitors that showed selected views of the interior of the building. In the front office he saw one man sprawled on the floor against the counter and a pair of legs sticking out from behind the desk. In separate hallways were the rest of his men, each downed by their own blaster shots intended for the intruders. Careless imbeciles. Grimacing as he reached for the commlink, he sincerely wished he could exchange places with one of his blissfully unconscious men. Instantly the pale face of a man appeared on the vidcam. "You've run into a problem," the man said, his deep blue eyes calm. It was a knowing statement, not a question. Targ forced a dry swallow. All the moisture in his mouth having been replaced with the taste of fear. "Your Sovereign Lord" he bowed to the monitor. "The girl.. she’s gone. Two men came, incapacitated my men..." "Two men Targ?" the replying voice dripped with venom "what were your men, sleeping?" "No, Lord..." perspiration beaded on the fat man's face as he stammered out an explanation. "One of the men was armed with...what I mean is... I believe one of the men to have been a Jedi." "What did you say?" the Lord whispered icily, his eyes narrowing to small, dark slits. Clenching his fists tightly out of view, Targ tried to hold onto the last of his courage. "One of them carried a lightsword. It was him alone who bested five armed men single-handedly. I can transmit the surveillance video if you wish..." "Do it!" the man commanded. Targ observed the man’s head bend slightly forward, long, black strands of hair falling over his thin, pale face. "How can this be?" came the breathless whisper, his gaze burning into the monitor. Rewinding the video he watched it again with disbelieving eyes. Lord?" Targ inquired cautiously. The man on the other end of the vid monitor slowly raised his head. Targ took an unconscious step back at the look of depraved madness he saw on his lord's face. "Find them," came the snarl through clenched teeth. "But Lord, a Jedi..." Targ distressed. "I'm well acquainted with the Jedi. These others though, I want to know who they are and where they are." The Lord’s voice resumed a controlled calm. "Yes, M'lord." Targ answered obediently. "And Targ," he added with deadly intent as he turned away, "don't fail me again." The last thing Targ's eyes registered as the transmission was cut off was the small scar on colorless man's cheek. A scar that stood out in relief even against his pale complexion. A small white scar in the shape of a broken circle. It took almost two hours for the three fugitives to make their way through the city to where the shuttle awaited them. Though they were anxious to hurry, the Jedi kept them at a calm, leisurely pace. "Three people running down the street will attract far more attention and commit us to memory then if we blend in with the normal flow of traffic," the Jedi had reasoned. Obi-Wan had to admit it was sound thinking as no one paid any mind to them as they strolled down the street, the tall man in the lead, Danian and Obi-Wan following behind. "I didn't think you had any Jedi friends?" Danian commented quietly to Obi-Wan. "I don't," Obi-Wan said curtly in a manner that caused her to glance at him questioningly. "He showed up unexpectedly, wanting my help," he murmured softly, keeping his eyes on the big man's back. "Agreeing to help him was the only way I could get you out. " "What's wrong?" Danni mouthed silently, sensing his guarded manner. Obi only shook his head in a non-committal fashion and continued walking. Presently the trio stopped, having reached the outskirts of the city. By this time they passed hardly a soul and with great relief they found the shuttle left for them. Coding the shuttle's door open, Obi-Wan entered first. The ship had a large main cabin with rows of benches that lined the walls. The rest was open space used for cargo. A small door separated the main cabin from the cockpit. "Take a seat while I lift off," he told the Jedi evenly. Hesitating a moment, Qui-Gon regarded him with a raised eyebrow but did as suggested. Seeing the tense exchange Danian looked at Obi, her brows knit in concern. Taking her hand he led her to a seat on the opposite side of the cabin from the Jedi. Smiling down at her he kissed her forehead. "Don't worry jameela,” he said reassuringly, "everything's will be fine." Encouraged by his use of the private term of endearment, she relaxed, returning his smile. "Eldunasta jalil ta loofstani?" she asked in her native tongue. "Naum." he answered. Reaching out, his fingers gently traced the contours of her cheek. Turning he looked coolly at the Jedi, all traces of emotion suppressed. "Dolari Tunz should be our next destination," Jinn said with a measured glance. Obi-Wan's jawed tensed, his eyes flared imperceptively, then without a word he left for the pilot's seat. Watching Obi-Wan depart, Qui-Gon considered the young man's change of mood. Granted he hadn't exactly been cordial before, but now there seemed to be an undercurrent of hostility that the boy was taking great pains to hide. And it was no use trying to read him through the Force, his shields had been up since they had arrived at the jailhouse. From the private exchange between Obi-Wan and his companion, it appeared that she also sensed his altered state. Qui-Gon couldn't understand the words of their conversation, but the emotions were easy enough to interpret. She had voiced concern and he had reassured her. The prickling at the back of his mind continued. Danni saw the hard gaze the large man held in Obi's direction and it did nothing to alleviate her already growing fears. "I didn't have the opportunity before to thank you...er..." she broke the awkward silence. "Jinn," turning his attention to the woman, "and though appreciated, your thanks are unnecessary." he said in a soft voice. The sound of the engines igniting filled the cabin. The pull of gravity heightened as the thrusters engaged and the shuttle rose, leaving the solid contact of the planet below them. "Oh, believe me" she said without exaggeration, "they are. There's something going on down there, something that is not what it seems." "What do you mean?" the Jedi inquired with interest. Danni stared at the man unsure whether to answer. Obi's reaction to him had been harsh and yet she felt nothing that led her to distrust him. In fact, the Jedi exuded an air of compassion and honesty. She may have never had dealings with Jedi before but she was use to going on gut instinct. "The men that caught me acted as though I had breached national security or something," she said. Her head shifted slightly and her eyes lost focus and she thought back. "Whatever cargo they were unloading, I can guarantee it wasn't factory parts." Looking across to him she saw no disbelief or trivialization of her insights, only kindness and understanding that bade her to continue. "One of the guards had said his boss was coming to interrogate me." She glanced at the closed door that hid Obi-Wan, lowering her voice, " this guard had wanted to....to hurt me." she whispered with shame. Qui-Gon frowned in anger at the implication and distress it caused her. Rising from his seat, he went to her side, sitting next to her. "You're safe now." he said laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, sending calming waves through the Force. Looking up at him, she smiled ever so slightly and in her large, gray eyes he could see the fiery strength that would attract many a man, had in fact bewitched Obi-Wan. "Whoever this boss was, the guard appeared terrified of him and somehow I sensed it was justified," she added with a visible shiver. Qui-Gon stared blankly at her, deep in thought. He could no longer deny the disturbances he had felt. There was a darkness at work here and even with their departure from the planet the energies he felt had increased, not decreased. He would have to speak with Obi-Wan. Whatever he felt could very well be what was making the young man so hostile. Walking to the cockpit, Qui-Gon opened the door. Obi-Wan sat facing the large view port, his hands nimbly working the controls. "I’ve just set the auto-pilot," he said briskly, without looking around. "You've set the co-ordinates for Dolari Tunz?" the Jedi asked. "Well, actually, no," Obi-Wan answered coldly. Quickly swinging the chair around to face the Jedi, blaster in hand, Obi-Wan instantly pulled the trigger. The blast struck the Jedi in the chest. The force of the shot at so close a proximity threw him back out the door and into the thick metal wall where he collapsed to the floor. Danian watched as the Jedi opened the door, heard the discharge of a blaster accompanied by a bright flash of light, then suddenly the large man was flung into the wall. "Obi!" she screamed wildly, having no idea what had happened, her priority of concern being her mate. Instantly, Obi-Wan stepped through the door, rushing to where the Jedi had fallen. "What are you doing?" Danni asked in shock as Obi-Wan rummaged through the downed man's clothes, a determined look on his face. "Here, take this," he passed the lightsaber to her. "Is he dead?" she stammered, gazing sickeningly at the Jedi's chest. His shirt and jacket were still smoking from where the energy blast had burned them away, leaving a large blistered wound. "I only stunned him, but I had to use a strong setting to make sure he’d be incapacitated.” Obi-Wan started checking for any other weapons hidden among pockets. "But he's injured." she reasoned. "He'll survive," came the indifferent answer. Danian stared at Obi-Wan in disbelief. She had never seen him so cold. And to act so seemingly out-of-hand. She may have only met the man hours before, but she had always had a keen sense of people. There had been nothing she sensed to warrant such abnormal behavior from Obi, such downright maliciousness. The man had only moments before shown her compassion, offered her comfort, and now here she stood back in paralyzed shock while her mate rifled the man's pockets. Obi-Wan looked up from his position over the fallen man seeing the stricken look on Danni's face, sensing her thoughts. "Danni, you don't understand," he said mournfully. The appalled look in her eyes sent a stabbing pain to his heart. "He's not who he says. I don't have time to explain. Please Danni," he implored humbly, "trust me." Torn by what her mind told her was wrong with what she felt in her heart, that Obi would never do something like this without good cause, she hesitantly nodded in agreement. "Find me something to tie him up with and a med-kit," he directed hurriedly. Danni quickly searched the cabin. Finding a coil of rope, she tossed it to Obi and continued her search for a med-kit. By the time she found one hidden under the control panel in the cockpit, Obi had the Jedi's legs tied together and his arms secured behind his back. Opening the med-kit, Obi dumped the contents out, grabbing each item and examining it closely. "What are you looking for?" Danni inquired, still somewhat disturbed by his behavior. "Something to keep him sedated," he answered holding up a vial. "Is that really necessary. He's injured and you've got him restrained. I wouldn't think he'd pose too much of a problem," Danni couldn't help but feel a measure of sympathy for the man, who moved slightly, moaning in the process. "Believe me, you have no idea what this man is capable of. I've witnessed his Force abilities and even without his weapon or use of extremities he could be a considerable threat." "But if he isn't a Jedi?" Danni questioned. "I don't know what he is, but he's been trained as well as any Master from the temple." Obi stated, glancing worriedly at the man. Moaning in obvious pain, the Jedi began to stir. "I want you to go in the cockpit and stay there," Obi-Wan rose to his feet, escorting her to the door. "Obi," she voiced fearfully, resisting his leading her to the door. "It's only a precaution. Our guest is going to be none to happy when he wakes and I'd rather you not be in full view." "What are you going to do?" "Hopefully just talk," he answered through the closing door. Turning back he quickly found a syringe, stuck it into the vial of pain medication and drew out a dose big enough, he hoped, to retard the man's use of the Force. Plunging the needle into the man's arm, he slowly injected a full five cc's into the heavily muscled arm. Qui-Gon's mind had awoke to consciousness by degrees. Its first perception was that of the Force. All encompassing and pervasive, it filled his being, an exhilaration of raw, white light. On the heels of perception came sensation and with it a torrent of pain that threatened to overwhelm him. Instinctively, he gathered the Force, setting its healing properties to work on his body. As awareness grew he could pinpoint the injuries. His chest, seared and screaming, his head throbbing madly. Cognitive thought floated into his grasp hand in hand with memory. Obi-Wan had done this. Obi-Wan had indiscriminately shot him. His mind edging out of the murky darkness, circled around thoughts of betrayal. Had he misjudged the young man so completely simply because he wore the face of his own Padawan. Could he still be so blinded by pride and what he wanted to believe that he would unwittingly become a pawn of yet another dark-sided mind. Sensing a presence near him, he was unsurprised to feel a sharp needle stab in his arm. Had his misguided trust lead him to his final downfall. Trying to pull away, he realized his arms were restrained behind him and his legs wouldn't move. In a matter of minutes he could feel his pain receding along with the tenuous grip he had on consciousness. Suddenly he could sense himself roughly hauled up to a sitting position. Funny, he thought, had I been lying down? "Qui-Gon! Qui-Gon!" a voice called through a long tunnel, as something landed stinging blows to his face. Prying his weighted eye open, a blurred face danced before him. "Pad...Padawan?" he mumbled, unsuccessfully trying to reach out to him. Smack, another slap across his cheek brought the face into focus. Obi had waited until he thought the drug had worked its way into the large man's system. Struggling with pulling him up, he leaned the man against the wall. Attempting to rouse him, Obi slapped the man briskly across the face, calling his name. After repeated attempts the man finally opened his groggy eyes. Padawan? Is that what he said? Obi pulled back with a frown as the man drunkenly leaned into him. Pushing him back, Obi swung one last time, satisfied the man was conscious enough to provide somewhat coherent answers. "Wh..what did you…" Qui-Gon forced out, his head bobbing slowly under the weight of the drug that coursed through his body. "I injected you with a pain killer. I need to give myself every edge I can," Obi answered, settling back on the bench against the far wall. He leveled his blaster at the hunched over man across the room. He may be injured, bound and drugged, but Obi knew better then to take any chances. "Why?" the Jedi asked no louder than a whisper, his head cocked at an angle to conserve the tremendous amount of energy it took to hold it up. He tried casting the Force in effort to unbind his hands, but it proved as elusive as higher reasoning, slipping out of his grasp as his mind closed on it. "I know who you are, or at least who you use to be," Obi-Wan stated in a flat tone, "I remembered after seeing you take on those men at the constable's office. I may have been only eight but the name Qui-Gon Jinn was a legend among the initiates." Obi-Wan waited for a denial or maybe an explanation but was greeted with only a silent stare. "I remember you at the temple. You were the greatest swordsman of our time. As children, we would play mock battles, arguing over who got to play you. We would talk about what it would be like to be apprentice to Qui-Gon Jinn." Obi-Wan's quiet voice took on an almost wistful quality as he recalled his past. Even through his drug-induced haze Qui-Gon could hear the longing as the young man looked back. "Obi-Wan," he said softly, breathing heavily. In a heartbeat, Obi-Wan's gaze hardened, his voice cold. “They said you were killed. That your Padawan turned to the dark side and during a rescue mission you were slain.” “Not me,” Qui-Gon chuffed through visible exertion, “alternate.. di. dimension.” “What?!” Obi-Wan stared . “From another.. world.. trying to get b… baack,” the injured man’s head hung down, the drug finally wearing him down, sending him back to the unknowing void of unconsciousness. Obi-Wan walked over the man, poking him with the blaster to determine if he was indeed out. He had expected any number of excuses or explanations. But nothing as far-fetched as what the man had referred to. Did he really think I could be so easily duped? Unless of course, it was the drug that had him talking nonsense. Either way he had to figure our what to do with the man. He couldn’t kill him, but the idea of a former Jedi Master wandering the galaxy with a grudge against him wasn’t exactly comforting. Maybe if... “Obi!” Danni cried loudly through the closed cockpit door. “We’ve got trouble.” Obi-Wan rushed to the cockpit, staring out the view port. Directly ahead of the small shuttle on an intercept course was an immense ship of unknown design. A sleek, state of the art battle-ship with four huge revolving cannons rotated forward were aimed at their small transport. A threatening black rod protruded from the nose of the ship, topped with a large orb. It’s use unclear, but Obi-Wan knew looks were deceiving. “Have they tried to hail us?” concern filled his voice. Danian, now sitting in the lone pilot’s seat worked the controls of the communication system. “No, and my transmissions are either not being understood or ignored.” Leaning over her shoulder, Obi-Wan grabbed the directional controls. “Let’s see if they’ll just let us quietly go our own way.” Rotating the joystick and pulling it stern, the shuttle turned away from the ship slowly cruising on a different course. A great sense of danger filled Obi-Wan and he looked out through the view port. They were totally defenseless and the best they could hope for was that whoever was on that ship only had a mild case of curiosity. Suddenly dark space was alight as white arcs of energy began to form at the prow of the ship. “We’ve got to get out of here!” Obi-Wan commanded as he first pulled Danni from the pilot’s seat then pushed her out the open door. Turning once behind him, he saw the energy collect on the large sphere at the end of the rod, fingers of electric current crawling across it. Instantly it was launched at they’re shuttle, covering the distance between them in seconds. Almost the size of the shuttle, the energy ball collided, sending bolts of electric energy that penetrated the hull. Reaching the cockpit first, the control panel exploded in a flash of sparks and smoke. Halfway out the door, Obi and Danni were paralyzed as they were engulfed by the electric bolts. They’re mind and bodies assaulted by the traveling energy bands, they fell to the floor as senseless as the Jedi. Abruptly, the energy blast exhausted itself, winking out, leaving the shuttle powerless and drifting in the blackness of space. |
 |
|
|
|