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Author	Topic: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
p_stotts Registered: Jan '01	Date Posted: 3/10/01 10:07am Subject: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Two of my favorite fictional stories are Star Wars and the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. I wrote this story several months back as a sort of tribute to both. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. “Mission To Pern” BY: p_stotts CATEGORY: AU, Crossover with Dragon Riders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey. SETTING: Pre-TPM, Obi-Wan is 21. RATING: G SUMMARY: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent to the planet Pern to find a missing team of archeologists. Qui-Gon runs into the locals, almost literally. DISCLAIMER: They are not mine, much as I wish they were. I make no money off this, but wouldn’t it be a dream job come true? FEEDBACK is very much appreciated. SPECIAL THANKS to Moonscribe, for all your help, support, and beta. Part 1 Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi approached the office of Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum after having been informed by the Council that he had a mission for them. Valorum’s secretary smiled as they entered the Supreme Chancellor’s outer office. “Hello, Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi,” she greeted, “he’s expecting you.” “Thank you, Terci,” replied Qui-Gon, before entering his old friend’s office. Valorum was at his desk talking to another man seated across from him. Both men rose to greet the Jedi as they came in. “Hello, Qui-Gon!” said Valorum enthusiastically, as he extended his hand in greeting. “How are you, Finis?” inquired Qui-Gon as he grasped his friend’s hand. “Fine, fine,” he said with a smile before turning to greet the padawan. “Hello, Obi-Wan.” “Good afternoon, Supreme Chancellor,” answered Obi-Wan politely, accepting the older man’s handshake. “I’d like you two to meet Professor Cor’l Quidrom,” said Valorum, indicating the other man in the room. “Professor Quidrom is Dean of Archeology and Antiquities at Coruscant University.” Both Jedi nodded politely to the professor and took their seats. “I’ve requested your presence here today,” Valorum continued, “because the president of Coruscant University has requested Republic assistance in locating a missing team of archeologists.” Qui-Gon cocked an eyebrow in surprise but remained silent. “Yes, we’ve had a team working in the Rukbat system,” said Quidrom. “I’m afraid we haven’t heard from them in over a month.” “If I may ask,” interjected Qui-Gon. “Why did the University wait so long to ask for help?” “Well, the planet suffers from sporadic atmospheric disturbances that interfere with communications,” explained the professor. “Prior to this, it wasn’t unusual to not hear from them for weeks at a time, but never as long as a month.” “Which planet are they on?” asked Qui-Gon. “The local inhabitants call it Pern,” said the professor. “Have the locals been any help in trying to find the missing archeologists?” asked Obi-Wan. “Well, you see, that’s the trouble,” answered the professor. “They’re rather primitive, and we’ve been trying not to come in contact with them at all. Which hasn’t been much of a problem since the team was excavating a site on the planet’s southern continent, which also happens to be for the most part uninhabited at the present time.” “Any chance the locals could have stumbled across them anyway?” “No, Master Jinn,” the professor shook his head, “I don’t think that would be very likely. The only settlement on the southern continent is a hundred miles or more to the north of the excavation site, and the inhabitants have no modern conveyances at all.” “Think you can be of help, Qui-Gon?” asked Valorum. “I’d need to look at whatever data is available on Pern, first,” answered Qui-Gon, “but, I don’t see why not.” ***** The master/padawan pair stood on the bridge of the Republic cruiser, Stratton, looking out the viewport at the surface of the planet Pern. “It looks fairly peaceful,” commented Obi-Wan. “Yes, but looks can be deceiving,” answered Qui-Gon. “Sir, we’re picking up more of those atmospheric disturbances the archeological team reported about,” the captain informed them. “Where are they located, Captain?” asked Qui-Gon. “The eastern part of the northern continent,” the captain informed him. “Obi-Wan, I’d like to take a closer look at that disturbance,” his master informed him. “It might give us a clue as to what happened to the archeologists.” “Yes, Master,” answered Obi-Wan automatically, although something about the way Qui-Gon said it didn’t set well with him. “We’ll take separate shuttles,” Qui-Gon went on. “You proceed to the archeologist’s camp on the southern continent, while I check out this atmospheric disturbance on the northern continent.” “But, Master,” Obi-Wan started to protest, but was silenced by a look from his master. We’ll talk on the way to the hanger, sent Qui-Gon. Don’t argue in front of the crew. Yes, Master, answered Obi-Wan, chagrined at having embarrassed his master. Qui-Gon placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder as they left the bridge. “You didn’t embarrass me, Obi-Wan. But, Jedi should not be seen arguing among themselves.” “I understand, Master,” answered the padawan. “I still think it’s a bad idea for us to separate. We don’t know what we may find down there.” “All will be fine, Padawan,” Qui-Gon reassured him. “I’m going to be very circumspect in my observations. I don’t want to be noticed by the locals.” Obi-Wan felt a little better at that. Besides, the professor had said that the locals didn’t have any modern conveyances, and certainly not something as advanced as a transport. “Exactly,” agreed Qui-Gon, following Obi-Wan’s thoughts. “So, you see? I’ll be fine, and so will you.” Obi-Wan smiled, a little embarrassed at having made such a big deal out of seemingly nothing. “Yes, Master,” he answered, before heading for the shuttle he would be piloting to the surface. *** Qui-Gon double-checked the equipment on his shuttle as he negotiated the atmosphere over Pern’s northern continent. Sensors were still detecting a heavy atmospheric disturbance to the east. The Jedi master hoped they weren’t just picking up a storm, or something similar. Approaching from the north, Qui-Gon skimmed over the mountain range that bordered the region where the disturbance was centered. The shuttle’s sensors warned him that he was fast coming up on the disturbance, so he slowed the engines, and flew as close to the mountains as he dared. Banking around the side of one of the mountains, Qui-Gon finally spotted the source of the disturbance, a cloud of silver-colored, long, thin spores descending from the sky. Reducing his speed even more, he was astounded to see flying formations of fire-breathing reptiles, complete with riders, burning the spores from the sky before they could touch the ground. He was still too far away to see the display clearly, and he eased the shuttle closer for a better look. Suddenly, one of the dragons appeared in front of him out of nowhere! Using Jedi-quick reflexes, Qui-Gon rolled the shuttle onto its side and veered sharply to the left to avoid colliding with the dragon and rider. He just caught a glimpse of the rider’s astonished face as he barely missed hitting them. Unfortunately, he was still close to the mountain, and clipped the wing of the shuttle on a rocky outcropping as he rolled. The impact was enough to cause the shuttle to spin out of control, heading for the ground. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as Qui-Gon called on the Force to slow the shuttle’s rate of descent. Even as he worked feverishly to right the stricken craft, he knew he was going to crash. What’s more, he knew it was going to hurt, and cursed at himself for not using the seat restraints. Watching the ground approaching at an alarming rate, Qui-Gon made one last-ditch effort to pull the nose of the shuttle upward before the impact. The effect was that the belly of the shuttle hit the ground hard, cracking it open around the middle. Qui-Gon felt himself flung through the air. His body impacted with something solid, causing intense pain to radiate throughout his body. His head impacted with the same solid object a second later, and he slipped to the floor unconscious. *** Jaxom didn’t know what it was he and Ruth had almost ran into. They’d been flying with two wings from Benden Weyr, attacking thread as it fell from the sky. A gust of wind had blown a patch of thread their way and Ruth had made a quick jump between to avoid getting scorched. Coming out from between had been even more of surprise when they’d come face to face with a huge silver bird. The bird veered out of their way to avoid a mid-air collision, and had then lost control after its wing had scraped the side of a nearby cliff face. Jaxom watched, horrified as the bird plunged toward the valley floor. At the last minute, it’s nosed pulled up, but it couldn’t shake the downward momentum, and hit the ground with a loud bang. The center of the bird cracked wide open upon impact, revealing a hollow center. Wide-eyed, Jaxom coaxed Ruth to descend so they could investigate. Ruth landed on the ground next to the mangled wreckage, and Jaxom jumped down. Running over for a closer look, he was amazed to see that the thing wasn’t a bird at all. It was some kind of an air vehicle! “Ruth! “ he called to his dragon excitedly. “Come over here and look at this!” What is it, Jaxom? “It’s some kind of an air ship!” said Jaxom. Although air ships didn’t actually exist on Pern, the concept wasn’t unknown, and it was generally believed that their ancestors had traveled to the planet in such vehicles. A sickening idea suddenly occurred to the young Lord Holder. “If this is an air ship, then there are probably people inside.” The crack in the center of the air ship was wide enough that Jaxom could climb comfortably into the ship without having to struggle. The inside was a tangled mess of wires and metal. It reminded Jaxom of a the entrails of a gutted fish. I guess if anyone’s in here, they’d be up near the eyes of the thing, he sent to Ruth. Jaxom walked toward the front of the shuttle until he couldn’t go any further. Poking his head through the cockpit door, he saw broken glass everywhere from where the viewport had shattered on impact. His eyes widened in shock as he spotted the body of a large man laying on the floor among the debris that had broken loose. Careful to avoid sparks from the severed wires, Jaxom made his way over to the man and knelt down to see if he was alive. Feeling a pulse, he decided he’d better call for help. He didn’t know how badly the man was hurt, and he looked too big for Jaxom to carry out of the damaged craft himself. Ruth, Jaxom sent, there’s a man in here and he’s hurt. I’m going to need help getting him out. See if you can shake a few riders loose to help me. Jaxom, sent Ruth, his voice holding a note of warning, the thread is headed this way. Then you’d better get help over here quick! The window is broken out in here, and if the thread comes in, it will kill him, Jaxom sent back. In the meantime, I’m going to try moving him away from the window. Ruth sent that he understood, and took off toward the contingent of dragons and riders. Jaxom grabbed the unconscious man under his arms from behind and tried to drag him out of the cockpit. But, the man was so much larger than him, and he was hardly able to move him an inch. “Oomph!” gritted Jaxom as he lost his footing and fell backwards with the man’s upper body falling on top of him. “Shells, you’re heavy!” Jaxom worked his way out from under the other man’s body, just as he heard the ominous hiss of thread hitting the ground in front of the ship. Ruth! he sent desperately. I need help quick! He looked in horror as the silver veil of thread overtook the ship, sending streams of the burning spores into the crippled ship through the window. Unfortunately for Jaxom and the man, the front part of the ship had come to rest at a backward slant. As a result, when the thread bounced off the navigational console and hit the floor, it slithered toward the two men, burning a path through everything it touched. Jaxom took hold of the man from behind once more. A furious, desperate yank pulled the man a few more inches toward the doorway, but they weren’t going to make it out before the thread reached them. “Come on!” he cried in frustration. “Help me!” “Jaxom!” a familiar voiced yelled. Jaxom had never in his life been so glad to hear F’nor’s voice. “In here! Hurry! This man needs help!” F’nor appeared in the doorway a moment later, and quickly lent a hand in dragging the unconscious man from the ship. Once outside, Jaxom quickly looked around and was horrified to realize that they were in the middle of the thread downpour. Ruth and the other dragons were working furiously to keep the thread from getting to the ground where it could hurt them. F’nor’s large brown dragon, Canth, was waiting for them, and lowered his head as close to the ground as he could in order to make it easier for them to lay the unconscious man across his neck. F’nor climbed up into Canth’s saddle, in front of the injured man, while Jaxom climbed on behind him, effectively wedging the man between them. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t wake up until we can get him back to the Weyr,” shouted F’nor over his shoulder as Canth beat a path up into the air. Jaxom noticed that Ruth was following them, and he sent the white dragon back to Ruatha Hold so he could bring Sharra, Jaxom’s wife to meet them at Benden Weyr. Sharra was a journeyman healer, and could at least begin treatment of the stranger, and then call for additional help she needed it. Thread fall always produced injuries, and Benden’s own healers would be busy before long. ***** Obi-Wan eased his shuttle down into the atmosphere over the southern continent of Pern. He followed the coordinates given them by Professor Quidrom, as he proceeded to the missing archeologists’ camp. He soon spotted it out the viewport and eased his shuttle down to land just outside the camp. Exiting the shuttle, Obi-Wan surveyed the area with the Force. Evidence of excavations were all around him, but surprisingly nothing could be seen of the actual camp, no shelters, and no equipment except for a few apparently inoperable digging droids. Shaking his head, as if to tell himself it would have been simply too easy to find the archeologists right off the bat, he started walking around the campsite hoping to find clues. Finding nothing obvious, he continued to stroll around the perimeter of the camp, widening his search. He sensed something darting through the trees, just out of his line of vision. Turning quickly toward it, his boot scraped against something on the ground. Stooping down to see what it was, he picked up a belt buckle. Obi-Wan closed his eyes a moment in concentration as he brought the Force to bear on the buckle. A vision sprung to mind, one so intense that he dropped the buckle in shock, as if it had burnt his fingers. Carefully surveying the ground, he came across other clues that he’d missed, a metal hair clip, some wires, another belt buckle. He realized with a start that the only traces that the archeologists had been here were small metal objects. He frowned as he pondered how this new information fit in with the vision he’d just had, and again noticed a flitting of motion off to his right. Bringing the Force to bear in that direction, he detected a small, semi-sentient creature; some kind of flying lizard by the looks of it. Obi-Wan didn’t have time to wonder about the creature as a sudden flash over his bond with Qui-Gon warned him that his master was in trouble. He felt first shock and anxiousness, followed by intense concentration coming from Qui-Gon, then a brief surge of pain, followed by a sudden silence on the Jedi master’s end of the bond. Master! Master, answer me! he sent frantically. Obi-Wan didn’t think twice. He ran as fast as he could back to the shuttle, rocketed up into the planet’s lower atmosphere, and headed for the eastern portion of the northern continent. He only hoped he could get there in time. *** “Bring him in here,” directed Lessa, Weyrmate to the leader of Benden Weyr. F’nor and Jaxom followed Lessa’s direction as they carried the unconscious stranger to a room that Sharra had set up upon her arrival. “Lay him here on the bed,” Sharra instructed. “Let’s get his clothes off and see what can be done for him.” With Jaxom and Lessa’s help, Sharra completed her assessment, shaking her head in utter disbelief. “It’s a good thing he’s unconscious,” she said as she did a quick inventory of the man’s injuries. The man’s legs had been badly burned by thread, so Sharra started there. “Lessa, can you apply numbweed to his legs?” Lessa nodded and took the jar of pungent ointment from Sharra. She’d dressed thread burns so many times since coming to Benden Weyr that she could practically do it in her sleep. “What do you need me to do, Sharra?” asked Jaxom. “He’s got a pretty nasty head wound,” she commented, almost talking to herself, “which means he probably has a concussion. But his ribs also concern me. If he hit something hard enough to break his ribs, then he could have internal injuries. We’ll just have to wait and see on that score. Right now, we need to wrap his ribs so they don’t get injured any further, and then he’ll need a bandage for his head.” Nodding, Jaxom started unrolling some bandages to have them ready for his wife’s use. After she was done, Sharra straightened up and stretched. “I’d like to get some fellis juice into him, but I don’t want him to choke on it. I guess we’ll just wait for him to regain consciousness. He won’t need any until he wakes up, anyway.” *** Obi-Wan followed what he guessed to be the flight path of Qui-Gon’s shuttle. He tried to fly high enough so as not to be detected from the ground, but stealth was not his main concern at the moment. He needed to find his master, and quickly. He still couldn’t get an answer from Qui-Gon’s end of the bond, and he assumed his master was unconscious. Obi-Wan couldn’t imagine what could have gone wrong, but he hoped his master hadn’t suffered the same fate as the archeologists, whatever that was. At first, he thought he’d follow his shuttle’s sensors to the location of the atmospheric disturbance that the Stratton had detected earlier. He was horrified to find that the sensors weren’t showing a disturbance of any kind whatsoever. Periodically, he sent out entreaties over the training bond. Please Master, answer me! Where are you? *** Lessa and Sharra took turns sitting with the injured man that Jaxom had found. He still hadn’t woke up and Sharra was starting to get concerned. “That head wound might be more serious than I had first thought,” she said to Lessa. Both women looked up as they heard footsteps coming down the passageway. After a moment, F’lar and Jaxom came in the room. They’d called a meeting of all the Weyrleaders on the northern continent to discuss what had happened. The fact that Jaxom’s near miss involved an air ship was important news. “How did the meeting go?” asked Lessa. “We’re going to organize an expedition party to check out that air ship,” answered F’lar. “We’ll leave tomorrow morning. How’s he doing?” “No change so far,” said Sharra. F’lar nodded and strolled over to the other side of the bed. Glancing at the bedside table, he noted the stranger’s clothes and belongings. Frowning in confusion, he picked up a long metal cylinder and examined it more closely. “What do you suppose this is, Jaxom?” The Ruatha Lord Holder walked over beside F’lar so he could study the cylinder himself. Taking it from the Weyrleader, he turned it over in his hand, and looked at it from all angles. But, he couldn’t make heads or tails out of it either. Shrugging, he handed it back to F’lar, who set it back on the table. A groan from the man on the bed directed all eyes in his direction. Sharra was instantly alert as the man’s eyes fluttered open. Qui-Gon felt like he’d been in a fistfight with a Wookie, and had lost. Bringing years of experience to bear, he automatically reached for the Force to try and deal with the pain he was in. He felt a cup being brought to his lips, and he accepted the drink gratefully. It was a sweet juice of some kind, and after a tentative sip, he drank it down greedily. Too late, he realized that the drink was drugged, and he slipped into unconsciousness once more. *** Obi-Wan slowed his shuttle’s progress as he carefully scanned the area on the ground, looking for signs of Qui-Gon’s whereabouts. He’d been searching for hours with no success. It was starting to get dark outside, and he knew he was going to have to set down somewhere for the night and rest. He’d already tried contacting the Stratton, but more atmospheric disturbances further to the west were blocking his transmission. Sighing in frustration, Obi-Wan landed the shuttle in a sheltered rocky area, inaccessible from the ground. He didn’t want to have to worry about running into locals. Once the shuttle landed Obi-Wan leaned back against the headrest of the pilot’s chair and reached out again over the bond. His eyes flew open in surprise as he detected an answering flutter on Qui-Gon’s end. Master! he called excitedly. A mental groan answered him this time, but was followed by silence. Master! he sent again, but Qui-Gon didn’t respond. Obi-Wan hit the console in front of him with his fist in frustration. “So close!” he yelled. At least he knew his master was still alive. ***** Sharra looked worriedly at the injured man as he shifted restlessly on the bed. He was acting like he was in pain, more pain than he’d been in before, but for the life of her Sharra couldn’t figure out why. If anything, the fellis juice should have greatly diminished his pain. “I just don’t understand,” she said to Lessa. “Maybe you should give him some more,” suggested Lessa. The man was semiconscious, and she considered whether or not they could get him to swallow the juice without choking. Making a decision, Sharra nodded her agreement. “Let’s try it,” she said, “but only a little more. I don’t want him going into a coma.” Lessa held up the man’s head so Sharra could pour a small amount of the juice into his mouth. The man coughed violently in response, then groaned at the pain in his chest. But, the juice was swallowed, and Lessa eased his head back down onto the pillow. “If that doesn’t help, I don’t know what we’ll do,” said Sharra. TBC -----signature----- If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for your life. Proud master to Gkilkenny! Stories in my bio.
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anya Skywalker Registered: Jun '00	Date Posted: 3/10/01 10:42am Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Cool!!!! Let me just see if i'm not lost around time-lines(i don't like to go between in time ) This takes place during the events on "white dragon" rigth? Well,abyway,i think it's very well done, and you've putted togheter two great things. There's almost no fanfiction out there on those books, and this one is really nice. I'm waitting forward for more! -----signature----- Small amount of text shown at the bottom of each of your messages. 250 character limit.
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p_stotts Registered: Jan '01	Date Posted: 3/10/01 12:36pm Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Yes, this would take place during, or just after the events in "The White Dragon." Glad you like it! -----signature----- If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for your life. Proud master to Gkilkenny! Stories in my bio.
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p_stotts Registered: Jan '01	Date Posted: 3/10/01 6:12pm Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Up! -----signature----- If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for your life. Proud master to Gkilkenny! Stories in my bio.
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p_stotts Registered: Jan '01	Date Posted: 3/11/01 4:15am Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Part 2 Early the next morning, Obi-Wan was awakened by an incoming message. Jumping off the sleep couch, he quickly answered it and was relieved to see the face of the Stratton’s captain on the other end. “Padawan Kenobi,” said the captain, looking concerned. “We’ve been trying to reach you and Master Jinn for hours.” “Master Jinn is missing,” Obi-Wan informed him, “and I couldn’t contact you due to interference.” The captain nodded his understanding, and directed his attention off to his right for a moment. Turning back to the screen, he continued his conversation. “Our sensors have picked up the location of Master Jinn’s shuttle. He’s about 50 miles to the east of your location. I’m transmitting the coordinates to your navicomputer now.” “Thank you, Captain,” said Obi-Wan. “I’ll let you know what I find.” Breaking the transmission, Obi-Wan hurriedly settled into the pilot’s chair and eased the shuttle into the air. It took him only ten minutes to reach the coordinates the captain had sent him, and he soon spotted the remains of Qui-Gon’s shuttle on the ground. Landing as close as possible, Obi-Wan bounded out the shuttle hatch even before the ramp finished lowering to the ground. Easing through the crack in the center of the crippled shuttle, he frantically searched the interior, but soon discovered that his master wasn’t inside. Calming himself, he reached out again over the bond. His eyes went wide as he detected pain, and jumbled incoherent thoughts. Master, he sent, and was shocked when he felt Qui-Gon’s mind withdraw from him. Master, it’s me, he sent again, but garnered the same results. It was as if his master didn’t know him, and was afraid for some reason. *** F’lar, his brother F’nor, Jaxom, N’ton from Fort Weyr, and T’bor from High Reaches Weyr, all came out from between with their dragons in close proximity to where the stranger’s air ship had crashed. F’lar’s eyes widened in surprise when they saw not one, but two air ships on the ground. One appeared to be undamaged, its occupants probably trying to find out what had happened to their sister ship. He quickly told Mnementh to warn the other dragons and riders to be silent as they descended to the ground in a semi-circle around both shuttles. *** Obi-Wan’s senses were alert to danger as he detected the presence of five humans with five other sentient creatures directly outside the shuttle. He couldn’t understand how he hadn’t felt them approaching, but knew he had to face them. They might know where Qui-Gon was. Slipping out through the crack, he stopped short when he saw that he was surrounded by four huge dragons, with riders, and one smaller dragon with it’s rider. Casting out with the Force, he detected surprise and caution in their minds, but no malice or harmful intent. Taking a deep breath, he prayed that they understood Basic as he opened his mouth to speak. “Hello,” he said experimentally. The man on the largest bronze dragon nodded to him, but remained silent. “My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi,” he continued, pointing to himself as he said it. “I’m looking for my friend. He may be injured.” “We know where he is,” said the man, whom Obi-Wan assumed was their leader. Obi-Wan silently thanked the Force that they understood him. “Can you take me to him?” The leader glanced at the man sitting on the large brown dragon beside him. Obi-Wan was astonished to realize that the riders were telepathically communicating with one another through their dragons. At the other man’s nod, the leader returned his attention to Obi-Wan. “Climb aboard,” he said, indicating space behind him on the dragon’s neck. “One moment, please,” said Obi-Wan as he ran over to his shuttle and secured the hatch so no one could enter it in his absence. Then, he cautiously approached the large bronze, and was surprised to detect curiosity, and amusement coming from the dragon. He was even more surprised when the dragon extended it’s front leg to give Obi-Wan a boost up to its neck. As soon as Obi-Wan had settled himself behind the rider, he felt the powerful beast’s hind muscles tense and release as it launched itself up into the air. Obi-Wan squeezed the dragon's neck more tightly with his legs in an effort not to fall off. After they were airborne, the rider shifted in his saddle so he could address Obi-Wan. “My name is F’lar,” the rider said. “I’m Weyrleader at Benden Weyr. That’s where your friend is. My dragon is Mnementh. We’ll be making the jump between in a moment, so stay calm and sit tight.” Obi-Wan was about to ask what “between” was when he was suddenly engulfed by a powerful surge in the Force, followed by complete darkness. He didn’t even have time to panic before they burst out of “between” over a mountaintop fortress that Obi-Wan guessed to be Benden Weyr. The contingent of dragons circled the Weyr in preparation for landing, F’lar’s dragon leading the way. Obi-Wan hopped down off the large bronze dragon as soon as Mnementh landed in the bowl of the Weyr. F’lar jumped down beside him, and led the way up a flight of stone steps. A petite woman was waiting for them as they reached the top. “Obi-Wan, this is my Weyrmate, Lessa,” said F’lar. Obi-Wan noted that the woman didn’t seem surprised to see him, and he wondered if F’lar had somehow been able to inform her that he was coming. “I’m pleased to meet you,” said Obi-Wan. “Please, I don’t mean to be rude, but I must go to my master. His pain is unbearable.” “You can sense what he’s feeling?” asked Lessa. I am apprenticed to Master Qui-Gon,” explained Obi-Wan. “We are bonded, much like the bond that I sense exists between F’lar and Mnementh.” Lessa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Amazing,” was all she said before turning to lead Obi-Wan to his master. Obi-Wan followed the Weyrwoman down a narrow passage. The passageway suddenly opened into a cavernous room, where a gold dragon appeared to be sleeping. The sound of beating wings precipitated Mnementh’s arrival into the cavern through an opening large enough to accommodate his mammoth size. The gold dragon opened its eyes at the arrival of the huge bronze, and warbled a greeting. Lessa walked past the dragons, unconcerned about her proximity to them. Obi-Wan was surprised to detect a note of affection that Lessa telepathically sent to the gold dragon, which if anything was even larger than her bronze mate. Lessa glanced back over her shoulder when she detected Obi-Wan’s hesitation to enter the cavern. F’lar chuckled from behind him. “Ramoth seems to have that effect on most non-riders, even the ones who know her well,” he said. “Don’t worry,” said Lessa, “she won’t hurt you. Not unless you attack me,” she added wryly. Obi-Wan couldn’t imagine anyone being crazy enough to attack the small Weyrwoman, knowing they’d have to deal not only with her, but also with Ramoth. They’d also have me to contend with, said a voice in Obi-Wan’s mind. Startled, he looked around the chamber to find Mnementh staring at him intently. It was the first time any of the dragons had communicated directly to him. Don’t worry, Obi-Wan sent back, I have no intention of hurting anyone. F’lar gave Mnementh an odd look, as if he couldn’t figure out who the bronze was talking to. Mnementh returned the look with an innocent stare. “Come,” urged Lessa, “he’s this way.” As they walked, Lessa explained about Qui-Gon’s injuries caused by the crash and the burns from exposure to the thread. Following her through a series of passageways, they soon came to a small windowless room, lit only by lanterns. Sharra looked up from her place at the injured man’s bedside when she heard approaching footsteps. She stood up as Lessa entered the chamber, followed by F’lar and a young stranger. The young man immediately approached the bed and sat down in the chair Sharra had just vacated. He reached out and gently took the injured man’s hand, a look of intense concern coloring his features. It was obvious to everyone present just how much the young man cared for his master. Obi-Wan frowned in confusion. His master was in a great deal of pain. But, a quick scan with the Force told him that the injuries caused by the crash and the thread were not the cause of his intense discomfort. Even though their healing skills were primitive as compared to other parts of the galaxy, those taking care of his master had done a great deal more for him than Obi-Wan could have hoped. But, despite their best efforts Qui-Gon was still writhing in agony, the source of which Obi-Wan was finding hard to pinpoint. /Sometimes you must look beyond the obvious to find the cause of a problem, / Obi-Wan remembered Qui-Gon telling him once. Reaching out along their master/padawan bond, Obi-Wan gently brushed up against Qui-Gon’s presence in the Force. His master’s mental recoil was so violent; Obi-Wan almost physically fell out of his chair. /That’s it! / he thought excitedly to himself. Qui-Gon’s mental shields were totally down, leaving him fully exposed to the psychic barrage of the hundreds of mental voices belonging to the dragons and riders who resided in Benden Weyr. But, what could have rendered his master so helpless, that he didn’t have enough control over the Force to maintain even minimal shielding? /Ah, there’s the culprit, / thought Obi-Wan as he performed a cursory exam of Qui-Gon’s systems using the Force. These healers had never encountered Jedi before. Thus, they didn’t know that Jedi shouldn’t be given strong pain medication if at all possible, as it could interfere with their ability to access the Force. The amount of the pain medication in Qui-Gon’s system had so drugged him, that he was unable to use the Force at all. As gently as possible, so as not to cause his master any more psychic pain than necessary, Obi-Wan reached out along their bond again, and erected shielding around Qui-Gon’s mind. It didn’t totally shut out the mental pandemonium, but it did mute it enough that Qui-Gon gave off the mental equivalent of a sigh of relief. Again Obi-Wan reached out and carefully touched his master’s mind. Qui-Gon’s mental whimper in response, told Obi-Wan that his psyche was still a raw, jagged bundle of nerves. It was something akin to the after-effects of a burn. The pain lessened when the cause of the burn was removed, but the affected area was still extremely sensitive to touch until healing could take place. Trying to make his touch on Qui-Gon’s mind as much like a soothing balm as possible, he sent comfort and strength to his master through the Force. It’s all right, Master. I’m here now. You’ll be fine. Obi…Wan? sent Qui-Gon in a confused and weak mental voice. Shh, Master, he sent back. Rest. You’re safe. I’ll be right here. Obi-Wan continued to send comfort and support to his master over their bond, coaxing his mind to relax. Obi-Wan suspected that Qui-Gon hadn’t understood what had happened to him, and had probably felt he had been mentally tortured. Which was probably why he had withdrawn from Obi-Wan’s earlier attempts to reach him over their bond. A touch on Obi-Wan’s shoulder brought him back to awareness. Dividing his focus so he could still maintain his master’s shields, Obi-Wan opened his eyes to find Lessa standing beside him. “Whatever you’ve done, it seems to be working,” she said. “The pain medication in his system is preventing him from shielding his mind from the telepathic voices of your dragons and riders,” explained Obi-Wan. Lessa’s eyes widened in surprise, and she glanced at F’lar. “Are you telling us that he can hear not only all the dragons, but the riders as well?” asked the Weyrleader, astounded that a non-rider would possess such a rare ability. Among dragon riders, only a handful could hear and communicate with dragons other than their own. Rarer, still, was the ability to telepathically communicate directly with another rider. “We are Jedi,” said Obi-Wan. “We are extremely adept at perceiving telepathic communication, especially if it’s not shielded. Usually we can use the Force to dampen and filter the amount of what we hear, but Qui-Gon couldn’t do that because of the pain medication. The affect was like receiving a continuous beating, with no way to stop it.” Lessa closed her eyes in response to Obi-Wan’s explanation. Suddenly, all telepathic communication in and around the Weyr ceased. The mental silence was almost deafening. As Obi-Wan stared at Lessa incredulously, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. “What happened?” he asked. “I had Ramoth send out a command to all the dragons that all telepathic communication between dragons, and between dragons and riders was to cease until further notice, unless absolutely necessary. If they need to communicate, they can leave the confines of the Weyr,” she explained. “That should give your master the relief he needs in order to rest.” Obi-Wan nodded. “Thank you, that should be a big help. I’ve erected shields around his mind, but that can’t completely shut out the noise. What you’ve done will be a great help to him.” “Is there anything else we can do for him?” asked Sharra, who’d been silently observing since Obi-Wan’s arrival. “Yes, don’t give him any more pain medication,” said Obi-Wan. “But, the pain from his injuries will be severe without medication!” she protested. “We’ve been trained to deal with pain,” said Obi-Wan, “and I can help him until he’s strong enough to do it himself.” The look Sharra gave him told Obi-Wan she was skeptical, but she nodded her acquiescence. “One other thing,” he continued, “I need to contact our transport. With your permission, I’d like them to call for Jedi healers. My master has extensive internal injuries that are beyond my ability to heal, and I don’t think he should be moved until a Jedi healer can examine him.” F’lar’s gaze flickered from Obi-Wan to Qui-Gon, and back again as he weighed the ramifications of such a decision. If he didn’t allow help to be summoned, Qui-Gon could die. If he did allow it, they could be exposing Pern to a whole lot more than they’d bargained for. “Obi-Wan,” he began, “why were the two of you here in the first place?” “We were sent to find a team of archeologists that had been excavating a site on your southern continent,” he explained truthfully. “Their University lost touch with them over a month ago.” “What were they digging for?” asked Lessa. “And, why Pern?” “I’m afraid we weren’t told the particulars of their expedition,” answered Obi-Wan. “We were just supposed to locate them, and bring them home. It was never our intention to come in contact with any of you. Interfering in your way of life is not something we want to do.” F’lar nodded. “I’ll have to confer with the other Weyrleaders.” “How long will that take?” asked Obi-Wan, concerned that a long delay could make things worse. “Hopefully, not too long,” said F’lar. “They’re already here. News of your arrival has created quite a stir.” “I could address them if you think that would help,” offered Obi-Wan. Ordinarily, Obi-Wan wouldn’t leave Qui-Gon’s side when his master was so vulnerable. But, Obi-Wan felt that time was of the essence, and anything he could do to speed up their decision would give Qui-Gon that much more time. “If you wouldn’t mind,” agreed F’lar, “that might be the quickest way to do this.” Obi-Wan got up from his chair, and glanced over at the bedside table for the first time. Then he looked at Lessa and Sharra. “You’ll look after him?” “Yes,” said Sharra, “and we won’t give him any more fellis juice.” “Thank you,” said Obi-Wan with a smile. Then he walked around to the other side of the bed and picked up Qui-Gon’s lightsaber off the bedside table. Clipping it to his belt, he nodded to F’lar that he was ready to follow. “What is that thing?” asked F’lar, pointing to the lightsaber. “I notice you have one as well.” “It’s called a lightsaber,” answered Obi-Wan as he followed F’lar out of the chamber. “It’s the weapon of a Jedi.” F’lar frowned at the explanation. “What does it do?” “It’s purely defensive a weapon,” explained Obi-Wan. “We use it to defend against and repel attacks.” “I see,” answered F’lar. “And, do you have any offensive weapons.” “No,” said Obi-Wan shaking his head. “The role of a Jedi is to defend and protect, and to uphold justice. We do not attack.” Nothing else could be said as they were entering a chamber clearly designed for gatherings. A group of men and women were seated around an oblong table. They looked up as F’lar and Obi-Wan entered the room. Obi-Wan followed F’lar around to the head of the table and stood silently as F’lar introduced him. He made sure to meet the eyes of each person there, to let them know that he had nothing to hide. “This is Obi-Wan Kenobi,” said F’lar. “We found him at the crash site of the air ship. He is apprenticed to the injured man, whose name is Qui-Gon Jinn.” “Why are you here?” asked a man down the far end of the table. “My master and I were sent here to find some missing scientists from our world. They’ve been doing archeological excavating on the southern continent,” explained Obi-Wan. “We lost contact with them over a month ago. No one was supposed to know we were ever here.” “Oh? Why is that?” asked a woman half-way down the table to Obi-Wan’s right. “It was not our intention to interfere with your culture,” he explained. “Our scientists were studying something, what I don’t know. We weren’t told because it wasn’t necessary to our mission.” “Well, now that you have come in contact with us,” asked a man sitting next to the woman, “what are your intentions?” Obi-Wan reached out to the Force for guidance. He knew that what he said here could mean the difference between life and death for his master. If they refused his request for additional help, then he’d have no other alternative but to move Qui-Gon; something he felt he definitely shouldn’t do. “My master is badly injured,” he began. “He has grave internal injuries, and he shouldn’t be moved. I’d like your permission to call for a Jedi healer to help him. Perhaps your healers could even benefit from this, as well.” The assemble group murmured among themselves, as they discussed the request. Finally, one of the older men turned to F’lar. “What do you think?” F’lar, who hadn’t taken a seat out of courtesy to Obi-Wan, regarded the man with a steady gaze. “I think that to deny Obi-Wan’s master the help he needs because we are afraid of something that might never happen, would be a great injustice. I also think that, judging by what we’ve seen of their technology, they could have forced themselves upon us had they wished to do so, and we couldn’t have done anything to stop them. The fact that he has asked our permission to send for help speaks well of their integrity.” The man smiled as he listened, nodding his agreement at the appropriate places. “That’s what I think, too. Young man, my name is Robinton,” he said to Obi-Wan. “I’m the Master Harper, and I do wish you’d sit down. You’re making me nervous.” Obi-Wan returned the man’s smile and graciously accepted the offered seat. He remained silent as the others debated the matter, and patiently waited for them to make their decision, all the while monitoring Qui-Gon’s condition to make sure he wasn’t getting worse. Finally, they took a vote, and Obi-Wan was relieved to see that the majority was in favor of letting him make the request for help. “Thank you,” was all he could say. The assembled group rose and made their way out of the chamber, leaving Obi-Wan, F’lar, F’nor, Jaxom, and Robinton behind. “Well, Obi-Wan,” said Robinton, “how do you propose to call for help?” “That part is easy” smiled Obi-Wan, “as long as there are no atmospheric disturbances.” Taking out his comlink, he signaled the Stratton, and was relieved to hear the captain’s voice. “Padawan Kenobi, where have you been?” asked the captain. “Have you located Master Jinn?” “Yes, Captain,” he answered. “He was gravely injured when his shuttle crashed. I need you to relay a request for me to the Jedi Council.” “Hold on a moment,” said the captain. “Okay, tell me what you want me to say.” “Tell them that Master Jinn is seriously injured, and that I believe the injuries are too severe for him to be moved,” said Obi-Wan. “Tell them also, that I’m requesting a Jedi healer be sent to our location immediately. The inhabitants here have given their permission. Also, tell them that I’ve been to the archeological site, and I think I know what happened to the scientists.” “Anything else?” “No, but my comlink will be on if you should need to contact me again,” said Obi-Wan. “Right,” said the captain. “I’ll let you know what they say.” Obi-Wan returned the comlink to his belt, and turned to address the others. “I’d like to go back to Qui-Gon now.” “Of course,” said F’lar, in a state of shock. They’d been completely amazed at how the comlink worked. “May I ask where that man was that you were talking to?” “He’s captain of the transport vehicle that brought us here from our home planet,” explained Obi-Wan. “They’re currently in orbit around Pern.” F’lar nodded to acknowledge the explanation. He knew that the others were thinking the same thing he was. If their ancestors had had the same level of technology as Obi-Wan’s people, then they’d regressed much more than they’d ever suspected. Obi-Wan’s comlink beeped before they ever made it back to Qui-Gon’s room. He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he stopped in the passageway to acknowledge the incoming message. “That didn’t take long,” he commented to the others. “Kenobi here,” he answered. “Padawan Kenobi,” replied the captain. “Master Yoda wished me to inform you that he understands your circumstances and they are dispatching a team of healers along with a knight immediately to your location.” “Captain, I didn’t…” F’lar placed his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Obi-Wan. Let them come.” Obi-Wan smiled his gratitude. “Tell Master Yoda that I am awaiting their arrival.” “Will do,” replied the captain. “They’ll notify you when they arrive.” Obi-Wan acknowledged the captain and signed off. “Come on, let’s get back to Qui-Gon,” said F’lar. The five men entered the chamber, and Obi-Wan was relieved to see that Qui-Gon was still resting comfortably. “No trouble, I hope?” “No trouble at all,” said Sharra, as she walked over to greet Jaxom. Robinton walked over to the bed and looked down at Qui-Gon with concern. “My shells, he is in bad shape, isn’t he?” he said, and then realizing how he must have sounded, turned to apologize to Obi-Wan. “I’m sorry, my boy. I didn’t mean that to come out the way it did.” “That’s all right,” answered Obi-Wan. “I just hope he doesn’t get any worse before help arrives.” TBC -----signature----- If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for your life. Proud master to Gkilkenny! Stories in my bio.
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JediCandy Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 3/11/01 8:13am Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	great story line---two of my favorite! Just curious--you said this takes place after "The White Dragon." Robinton is a former Masterharper, Sebell is the current one. Of course, Benden Weyrleaders would probably prefer to have Robinton's advice in this matter, anyway. Also, they had already excavated the shuttles and the original Landing and had an idea as to some of the technology lost--that explains why they weren't overly surprised by the shuttles of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. I like the way the fellis juice interfered with Qui-Gon's ability to use the force to shield himself from the telepathic communications surrounding him. Can't wait for more story..... -----signature----- OK, who stopped payment on my reality check?! I don't suffer from insanity...I enjoy every minute of it! Consciousness: That annoying time between naps. Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
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Cate Registered: Jan '01	Date Posted: 3/11/01 8:50am Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Oh! A saw the title and my mouth dropped open! I had toyed with the idea of a crossover like this a while back, but nothing came of it. Great start, hope to see more soon! -----signature----- There is a time and place for everything, I believe it's called fanfiction. Joss Whedon Master and Padawan OT AU http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=10933928 You Can Never Go Home Again http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=10934011
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p_stotts Registered: Jan '01	Date Posted: 3/11/01 10:39am Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Thanks Jedi Candy and Cate! Sorry for the mistake with Robinton. I lost my Dragonrider books when I moved and I was pretty much going from memory and what I could pull up on different websites. Of course it is an AU, which means anything is fair game! Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion. -----signature----- If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for your life. Proud master to Gkilkenny! Stories in my bio.
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anya Skywalker Registered: Jun '00	Date Posted: 3/11/01 11:06am Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	That was another great post! Well, I guess I'll just have to stay tuned in for the next chapter... -----signature----- Small amount of text shown at the bottom of each of your messages. 250 character limit.
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Mistress_Renata Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 3/11/01 12:18pm Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Hm, doesn't matter WHO the current Masterharper is, you just KNOW that Robinton would find a way to be on hand! Great premise, PS! -----signature----- "For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the Guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times." Denizen of the Crotchety Old Mods' Home... approach with caution...
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Liz Skywalker Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '00	Date Posted: 3/11/01 12:45pm Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	this is great!@!!!!! .... more? -----signature----- Hey, is slash still banned?
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p_stotts Registered: Jan '01	Date Posted: 3/11/01 3:10pm Subject: RE: Mission To Pern - JA, AU, X-over with "Dragonriders of Pern"
	Oh, of course! I'll post the rest tomorrow! -----signature----- If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for your life. Proud master to Gkilkenny! Stories in my bio.
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Abbi_Cee