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Author	Topic: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
Anonymous	Date Posted: 1/26/00 4:32pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	I still don't seem to have a lot of readers. Perhaps I should have put that I wanted critiques in the title. Oh, well. Live and learn. Anyway - I'm pretty "set up" heavy so I'm going to post a whole bunch of sections and get to the action. ***** "How did you jump up from the lower terrace?" Menalu asked. Obi-Wan tried to explain, but found that once again he couldn’t. There was a big difference between knowing how to do something and explaining to someone how to do it. Finally he had an idea. "This is an exercise that Master Yoda had us do," he said. He instructed Menalu to sit down on the ground and then sat across from him. "Okay, first you have to open yourself up. Do you remember what you did when we first met"? "Yes, but it just happened. I didn’t mean to." "That’s okay. You don’t have to do it, you just have to open yourself up to me doing it to you." Menalu nodded and closed his eyes tightly. Obi-Wan shut his eyes and reached out to see if Menalu was really listening for him. He wasn’t. "Don’t try so hard. Let it, um," Obi-Wan thought for a moment. "Let it flow through you." Menalu’s features relaxed somewhat, and after a few minutes Obi-Wan could feel tentative fingers of the force reaching out, listening. He waited until it got stronger, like a warm white light, then he reached out to Menalu and said hello. Menalu jumped. "I heard it!" he cried. Obi-Wan shushed him. "Don’t. Keep concentrating." Obi-Wan remembered the first time he and Master Yoda played this game. He smiled, and instead of saying something, tried to project the scene of he and Master Yoda to Menalu. Menalu laughed. "I see you as a little boy. With… With. A puppet?" "Not a puppet. A Jedi Master. Master Yoda is very small, but very powerful." Obi-Wan realized that with Menalu so open to him that at this point he could have tried Qui-Gon’s tickling trick, but that didn’t seem fair. Instead he said, "You can go the other way. Instead of accepting me, you can push me out." "Why would I want to do that?" Menalu asked with his eyes still closed. "Just pretend you have a secret to keep from me." Menalu nodded. This time Obi-Wan felt Menalu resist his attempts to touch his mind. He was much better at this than he had been at listening and accepting. Obi-Wan could push quite hard before Menalu was unable to keep him out. He stopped and relaxed, releasing the force away from him like flowing water. "You can stop listening," he told Menalu. Menalu visibly relaxed, his smile as wide as ever. "Now I understand," he said. Suddenly, they heard Qui-Gon and Dash-te’s voices above them. Menalu looked mischievous. "I have a game of my own. Come, I will show you," he whispered, and motioned Obi-Wan to follow him through another trip into the maze of hallways. Menalu’s game turned out to be sneaking around and eavesdropping on the goings-on in the temple. Obi-Wan’s training made him uniquely skilled in this area and the two of them were able to listen in on a great many conversations. They heard the cooks discussing what would be prepared for dinner that night. Two monks quietly debated the meaning of a certain mantra. The temple workers were the most interesting. They lived outside the temple and gossiped openly about village life in the capital city. "This is how I learn everything," Menalu confided. Obi-Wan nodded. He knew this trick well, though it was much harder to do in the Jedi temple where the masters could read one’s thoughts whether they were visible or not. Menalu motioned him to follow. They entered what looked like a large library and crept along the stacks of manuscripts and scrolls. They heard voices and ducked down. "I trust, then, you will bring this matter up to the council when you return to Coruscant." It was Dash-te Dey. "I will." Qui-Gon’s voice. Obi-Wan motioned frantically to Menalu. "We’ll get caught," he whispered and pointed to the door. They started to creep out, and then Obi-Wan froze. "I think it is a matter that they will definitely want to look into. Don’t you agree, Obi-Wan?" Menalu nearly laughed aloud but covered his mouth quickly. At a loss for what to do Obi-Wan answered, "Yes Master. What ever the matter is, I’m sure the council will want to look into it." Qui-Gon and Dash-te looked on as the heads of their students popped up amongst the stacks. "It’s just as well that you’re joining us," Dash-te said. "Qui-Gon and I were about to discuss the plans for our journey into Talus."
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Anonymous	Date Posted: 1/26/00 4:39pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	The journey would not be easy, even with the fast shuttlecraft that would fly them over the dense rainforest. General Ruusk had a battery of powerful weapons hidden in the trees that had shot down travelers from Rengaia before. The forest itself was said to not be navigable due to its density. It consisted of three canopies of lush greenery and was home to countless unnamed species of wildlife. Rescue from the forest would be impossible, so it was imperative that they out-maneuver any attacks on the shuttle. "It’s time you saw exactly who we are dealing with," Dash-te Dey said. He and Menalu lead the group to a part of the temple that was blocked by closed doors. They were unusual in the openness of the temple. Until then, the only closed doors they had encountered were the doors to the Divine Prince’s audience chamber. Dash-te swung them open. Where there had been a large meditation pavilion and many rooms stood ruins. The walls were crumpled and blackened by blaster fire. Bits of singed tapestries hung in shreds from the damaged balconies. The damage was extensive. Obi-Wan could see evidence of the attack many floors below and above. Splintered furniture and bits of manuscript paper were strewn about like an echo of all that had once been there. The only thing not singed or damaged was a garland of yellow fringe that was strung about the wreckage. "They came during our morning meditation ritual. We used to gather here to welcome the rising sun," Dash-te said, his voice low and quavering. "They fired without warning or provocation." Qui-Gon found it hard to speak, the power of the act and the meaning behind it was so great. "How many?" he managed at last. "These yellow threads you see," Dash-te gestured to the garland, "Each thread represents the soul of a monk released." Obi-Wan ran his hand along a length of threads. They were such fine threads and there were so many of them. Hundreds, maybe thousands. All those people, killed while simply practicing what they believed in. It was so unfair. So cruel. In his life he had never encountered such tragedy, such base evil. It was incomprehensible to him. He looked at Menalu, a mix of sadness and anger welling up in him. Suddenly he couldn’t understand his friend. Why didn’t they fight back? They allowed this to happen and now stood by complacently. How could they live knowing so many had died because they hadn’t protected them? He struggled with these emotions, but found himself unable to control them. He ran from the charred remains of the pavilion into the darkness of the temple.
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Anonymous	Date Posted: 1/26/00 4:44pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	Qui-Gon found Obi-Wan back in the library, between two tall stacks of manuscripts. He sat on the floor with his knees drawn up and his head buried in his hands. Qui-Gon waited for his pupil to become aware of his presence. After a few minutes, Obi-Wan looked at him. "I don’t understand Master. How could they just let so many people die without doing anything?" Qui-Gon sat down on the floor beside Obi-Wan. "There are a lot of things that we can’t understand," he said. "I couldn’t do what the Divine Prince did. If someone tried to destroy the Jedi, my friends, my peers, I would want to fight back, even though I know there are better alternatives." "Me too." "But, they are different from us. Imagine the courage it took not to act, not to fight. The Yebbi don’t believe in fighting and so they won’t. It’s not easy to follow your deepest beliefs when it means losing people you love," Qui-Gon said. "I hadn’t thought about it that way," Obi-Wan said. He paused. "But, they’re not so different from us." "What do you mean?" "You were thinking that they’re not so different from us. And, I’ve seen that they aren’t." Qui-Gon smiled, surprised that Obi-Wan had read him so easily. "It’s getting harder and harder for me to hide things from you Padawan. Come, the monks have given us accommodations here in the temple. It’s been a long day, why don’t we go there. I’ll tell you what I learned today and you can tell me what you saw." The next day Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon rested for most of the morning. Obi-Wan liked the temple and enjoyed the company of his new friend Menalu, but he found himself with a growing burden. He wasn’t sure if he could face the people who had killed so many innocents without feeling anger. He knew not to let anger and fear control his actions, to accept those emotions and learn from them maybe, but not to allow them to consume him. Yet they threatened to. He wondered if perhaps Qui-Gon had been right in the beginning when he had not chosen him as his Padawan. Perhaps he was not meant to be a Jedi. It was too hard. Qui-Gon had accepted the horrors in the burned out temple too easily it seemed. Was it because he had seen worse? Obi-Wan didn’t think he wanted to see anything worse. Qui-Gon’s tale about the Yebbi and Jedi being connected confused him as well. If this were true, what would it mean for their futures? Would they be rejoined? What about Menalu, taken from his home at such a young age to be the ruler of his planet? Was that any different from his past? Was it any less fair? He spent a distracted morning with Qui-Gon and then was released to find Menalu. Their shuttle would depart at first light the next morning, so it was their last day to spend together as friends.
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Anonymous	Date Posted: 1/26/00 4:46pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	One more. Action begins tomorrow. ********** Qui-Gon wandered the halls in search of Dash-te Dey. Their conversation the day before had been enlightening, yet he felt there were still questions to be answered. And he had the growing conviction that Dash-te was hiding something. He was worried about Obi-Wan as well, and it was good to spend some time alone to sort out his feelings on the matter. The boy radiated doubts about his own integrity, his abilities, and his future. And while Qui-Gon knew that this was normal for a boy his age entering the role of apprenticeship, he still had to act on it. As the master it was his job to guide Obi-Wan through this difficult period. But Obi-Wan could be so difficult. Sometimes he had a sensitivity to the world around him that went beyond his years, showing a natural maturity in so many situations. And then there were other times when he seemed so young and overeager to just jump into things without so much as a thought. Qui-Gon paused at one of the windows overlooking the great forest. Had he ever been so young? Sometimes it was hard to imagine it. Qui-Gon fingered a small scar on his left hand that he had gotten as a young apprentice fighting a much bigger and stronger opponent than he should have. He smiled. Of course he had been that young. Nevertheless, the morning had been a strain on his abilities as a teacher. Part of him was glad that for the first time since leaving the Jedi temple on Coruscant, Obi-Wan had someone his own age to spend time with. Qui-Gon continued on, noting that the horn blasts they had heard the day before were not the only music at the Yebbi Temple. The instrumentation and melodies changed throughout the day. Now, with the sun low on the horizon, the evening meditation music of bells and women’s soft voices drifted over the temple. He rounded a corner and bumped into Dash-te and Sheniko. "I think it is time you heard the rest," Dash-te said. The three of them retired to a small room at the far end of the temple. It had only a few cushions on the floor and an altar of candles and smoking incense at one end. Sheniko, her long braids brushing the floor like a veil, slid a wooden screen shut behind them. Dash-te settled himself on one of the cushions. He looked like he was about to say something, but it was Sheniko who spoke first. "I’m sure you have noticed that not all of the monks here are men," she said. Before Qui-Gon could answer that yes, he had noticed that though the robes and shorn scalps were the same, he had noticed women as well as men, she continued. "I am the forty-third reincarnation of the great monk Dorjing Morgay." "Yet, you are not a monk," said Qui-Gon. He did not know this for sure, of course, but if mode of dress was any indication, then it was true. "Yes. I was stripped of my privilege of office when, at fourteen, I became pregnant. The oracle spoke that it was a conception with no father and when my son was born, I left the temple. This was done to protect the order and avoid an investigation into how I became pregnant. Politics are everywhere, Master Qui-Gon, even in religion. I knew there was a father." Qui-Gon was struck by the sound of her voice. He’d heard it during the lesson before their first audience and he was once again aware of how old and wise her voice was. It filled up the room and resonated the very walls. And in an instant Qui-Gon realized who the father was. He looked at Dash-te Dey. He nodded. "Yes. I was only an initiate. We fell in love. I did not know the consequences." "The oracle’s words protected Dash-te," Sheniko continued. "I took my child, his child, and went to live in the village. I renounced my true name, Dorjing Morgay, and once again was called by my given name, Sheniko. I named the child ‘E-yadu’ which means ‘light’ in the sacred tongue. Dash-te looked after us. In our culture your station is not determined by your birth, so a child with no father has no disadvantages. I wanted to raise him in the Yebbi way but when E-yadu was six months old I heard his voice in my head." "That’s about the age when Jedi first awaken to the force," Qui-Gon said. "Yes," Dash-te said. "E-yadu was clearly force sensitive at an early age as I had been. However, I did not wish for his abilities to be stifled as mine had. I convinced Sheniko to allow me to take him away." "And where did you take him?" "I was an apprentice to a scholar of the old manuscripts who was sympathetic to my dilemma. He found me a transport, fabricated an alibi, and I took E-yadu to the Jedi temple on Coruscant. I was short on time, the transport was a freighter due to leave as soon as her cargo hold was emptied and refilled, so I did not know if they even tested E-yadu. I simply hoped. "When I was appointed tutor and political advisor to the 111th Divine Prince of Enlightenment, I saw to it that Sheniko was given the office of guardian." Dash-te continued. " She is a strong woman and would have been a good mother to her own child. As the caregiver to the young Divine Prince, we had a family again." "And so the fate of E-yadu remains a mystery to you." "Yes. For many years we wondered. Did E-yadu become a Jedi as I had hoped? We did not know." Dash-te shook his head. "It is a difficult thing to give up your child in such a way," Sheniko added. "We knew that were the council to test him, he would live his life to his fullest potential. As a Jedi - with people like him." "And yet we wondered if we hadn’t done the wrong thing. The Jedi made no promises to me." Qui-Gon nodded. It was a dilemma faced by nearly all parents whose children were found to be force sensitive. It was such an early age to determine one’s destiny. Dash-te continued. "It wasn’t until I contacted the council that I learned of my son’s fate. When I spoke to the leader of the council, I saw my son’s face looking back at me." "Your son is Mace Windu," Qui-Gon said. Despite the legendary Jedi composure, he was unable to hide the astonishment in his voice. "Does he know?" "He does now," Dash-te said and sighed. "You must remember, you Jedi are trained in the ways of the force. And while the Yebbi may recognize its existence, we are untrained. When I realized who Mace Windu was, my mind was open to him like a window. He knew everything." It was beginning to make sense to Qui-Gon. Mace Windu was legendary for his peaceful negotiation skills. There were rumors that he had never used his lightsabre in combat against any foe. Could it be that the ways of his peaceful ancestry were somehow a part of him, even though he never knew his parents? Qui-Gon shook his head in disbelief. So many questions answered all at once. Now he understood the reason for Mace Windu’s special interest. Now he understood what it was about Sheniko’s voice. He hadn’t realized how old she and Dash-te were. Nor had he been aware of the burden they carried. Now he knew, and he wanted to help them. But first, he had to help the Yebbi remain free.
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 1/26/00 7:15pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	[cue the encouragement post]Well, I say this to all writers who don't like the feedback they're getting. I know of a lot of people who simply read and don't post, because I was one as well. It helps to get feedback because you don't feel like you're talking to a brick wall. I like to post encouraging words because I know that I would like them to do the same for my threads. So if you're out there reading, just know that it goes a long way when you post a "Great story!" post or a "You gotta post more now!" post. It makes the world of difference![end of cue] Excellent story! Keep it up! Trika Kenobi "I roam these threads..." -----signature----- http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com/thenest proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi Registered: Jul '99	Date Posted: 1/27/00 2:37am Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	"Great story!" "You gotta post more now!" Seriously, I do like this, and I haven't stopped reading it. I know how disappointing the lack of feedback can be. People aren't always going to post and tell you that they want more even if they check your story multiple times a day for more. It's not fair, but it's life. Don't let that stop you
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ami-padme Registered: Sep '99	Date Posted: 1/27/00 3:21am Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	Very good, keep going! -----signature----- The Anakin Skywalker Home Page: http://anakinskywalker1.homestead.com/home.html Forums Spotlight Thread: Anakin/Vader Comics http://www.aimoo.com/forum/postview.cfm?id=314579&CategoryID=278904&startcat=1&ThreadID=666233
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 1/27/00 7:26am Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	LOL~JOWK... Now, get back to posting! Trika Kenobi -----signature----- http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com/thenest proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Jane Jinn Registered: Jan '00	Date Posted: 1/27/00 7:37am Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	I like this story more and more. For a moment, I thought Sheniko was going to turn out to be Qui-Gon's mother, but what a surprise! I also liked the way Qui-Gon caught Obi-Wan and Menalu snooping in the library. Having Qui-Gon tickle Obi-Wan through the Force at the beginning was a great idea, too. I like the way you picked up on it again with Obi-Wan and Menalu. Keep going, because this is really good. I don't post every time, but I am hanging on every word. -----signature----- Mostly retired now Just making the occasional guest appearance
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Anonymous	Date Posted: 1/27/00 1:35pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	Thanks for the encouragement guys. I guess I'm a little insecure because I'm not used to posting fan fic in this manner. (I usually just post the whole story at one time to the web.) But, I'll definitely post it until the end. Oh, yeah. Action starts now. ****** The Rengaian shuttle was sleek and modern. Technology was scarce in Es-Speeth and like the protective chambers in the temple library, its shiny hull looked out of place in a city that so embraced the natural world. The pilot was young, and, from what Qui-Gon could tell, highly skilled. He worked the controls with the efficiency and practice of one who was well prepared to fly such a dangerous mission. He and Obi-Wan saw to it that the Divine Prince, Dash-te, Sheniko and the political cabinet of eight monks were on board and then gave the pilot the okay to lift off. The Divine Prince’s wide grin was gone as the tension on the shuttle rose. This was the most dangerous part of the journey. Yebbis-Corta was a large planet and there was a wide gulf between Rengaia and Talus. It would take several hours to get there despite the craft’s speed, and during that time they would be vulnerable to General Ruusk and his army hidden in the jungle. After an hour of peaceful flight, however, the mood relaxed. It seemed that perhaps Astrid Stovall wanted to negotiate after all and was going to let them pass over the forest unharmed. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stayed in the cockpit and watched through the broad windshield at the green forest passing below. Qui-Gon was pleased to note that despite the more relaxed atmosphere in the passenger compartment, the pilot and co-pilot stayed alert and ready. It was a good thing, too. "Look out!" Qui-Gon cried, but the warning came too late. From somewhere in the thick trees came a powerful ion blast that rocked the ship. The pilot worked quickly to stabilize the ship, but a second blast shook it again. Even with their shields they wouldn’t survive a continued bombardment like that. A third and fourth blast sent the ship well off course. Claxons blared and the lights flickered as instrument panels sparked and shorted. The pilot, skilled as he was, never had a chance to take evasive action against the attack. He struggled with the controls. "I’m sorry," he said, "I have to land." "Yes, get us out of the air," Qui-Gon said. They would be safer where the powerful anti-aircraft guns couldn’t reach them. It didn’t look as if they had a choice. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan braced for impact as the shuttle tore through leaves and branches. The forest grew darker as they plummeted deeper, and soon it was difficult to make out the distinct shapes of trees among the dense foliage. Frightened birds and animals scattered. There was the sound of grinding metal as the pilot struggled to level off the shuttle and land it. Then there was darkness.
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Anonymous	Date Posted: 1/29/00 2:35pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	For a moment, Obi-Wan wasn’t sure where he was. He looked over at Qui-Gon who was dazed, rubbing his forehead where he’d hit the copilot’s chair. The pilot and copilot were dead. Obi-Wan knew without even checking for a pulse by the way they slumped over their controls with unseeing eyes still open. Qui-Gon rose unsteadily and looked around. "Are you all right Obi-Wan?" he asked helping him to his feet. "I think so. And you?" "Yes, I’ll be fine. Let’s see how our passengers fared." They moved carefully through the smoky cabin. The impact had twisted the shuttle so badly that the passenger compartment was above them now. The floor buckled unsteadily, making the hatchway to the difficult to open. After several minutes of prying, Qui-Gon got it open enough for Obi-Wan to squeeze through. The smoke was worse inside the passenger compartment, but Sheniko had mobilized everyone and they were working at the windows, trying to get them open. The air was stifling. If they couldn’t get out they would suffocate. But everyone was alive. "Stand back," Obi-Wan said. He went to the section of the shuttle that had the most damage. He took a deep breath, ignited his lightsabre and plunged it into the wall. The metal was thin and cut easily and he soon had a hole big enough to let air and light into the cabin. Qui-Gon was still caught below, unable to get the hatch open far enough. Dash-te and Menalu jumped on the door until it creaked open enough to allow him through. Obi-Wan climbed out of the hole and was waiting for Qui-Gon when someone fired on him. He saw three pairs of soldiers in mismatched uniforms streaking down from the sky on open speeders. One of them fired again. Obi-Wan used his lightsabre to try and volley some of the shots back, but the fire was too heavy. He retreated back into the hole with the others. Qui-Gon ordered the monks to the opposite side of the cabin. Outside, they could hear the speeders still buzzing around the fallen craft like hungry insects. They had no choice but to wait. The buzzing subsided after what seemed like hours. Qui-Gon motioned for Obi-Wan to come forward. Cautiously they peeked out the hole. For now, they were alone. "Quick," Qui-Gon said, "gather all the emergency supplies and get them outside." For a moment eleven pairs of eyes faced him in stony silence. He could feel their fear. "Hurry," he prompted, "There’s no time to lose." Menalu stood up. "Sheniko, you can fit through the opening. Get any supplies from below." She bowed and without another word, slid through the hatch below. Menalu directed the rest, giving each a meaningful activity. He was a born leader, and soon the small ship was bustling with activity as emergency shelters and blankets were gathered, along with food and water rations outside the ship. During all this Qui-Gon looked around nervously. Those speeders had left too easily. That hadn’t been the end of the offensive. They would be back and most likely with greater numbers. He had to get everybody away from the ship as soon as possible. While Qui-Gon kept watch, Obi-Wan helped the monks carry the supplies to a thick stand of trees a ways from the shuttle. The work was done in the hurried silence of those who know they are being hunted. Obi-Wan picked up one of the containers; it held water. His throat still burned from the smoke of the cabin. Surely no one would mind. He was about to open it when he heard shots fired near the location of the ship. He tucked the container into one of his pockets and ran to help Qui-Gon. The soldiers were coming on foot now, firing as they emerged from the bushes. Qui-Gon had the group behind him and was using his lightsabre to block the bolts as they retreated. Obi-Wan ran up, lightsabre drawn and ready to join in. Qui-Gon held out one hand. "Get the Divine Prince out of here. You must protect him. Go!" Without a response Obi-Wan grabbed Menalu’s hand and ran in the opposite direction. They dove into the thick ground foliage and pushed through as fast as it would allow. He didn’t know where he was leading them, but something told Obi-Wan to keep moving forward. The sharp leaves and branches hindered their progress and snapped back to slash their faces and arms as they pushed through. The force is guiding me, Obi-Wan thought. Then Menalu cried out. "Look!" and he pointed at some bushes. Then Obi-Wan realized, they weren’t bushes; they were the speeders, hidden under camouflage. "Good work," he said and climbed on top of one. They were like the speeder bikes used on many planets to maneuver quickly through tight spaces but they were bigger, with more powerful engines. The sides were built up to protect the rider’s legs from tree branches and a fairing windscreen protected the front. It was a little different, but fundamentally a speeder bike. That meant he knew how to operate it. "Get on!" he called to Menalu. Menalu climbed on the back and Obi-Wan hit the ignition. The engine turned over. He hit the accelerator and the two of them took off into the jungle. The blur in the corner of Qui-Gon’s eye had been Obi-Wan and the Divine Prince taking off on one of the speeders that had followed them down. Good, he thought and then, even better, when two of the soldiers also caught sight of one their speeders leaving and took off in pursuit. That left four for him, a much more manageable number than six.
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Anonymous	Date Posted: 1/29/00 2:36pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	Obi-Wan ignored Menalu’s screams of protest and directed his entire focus at steering. Speeder bikes were meant to skim above the ground at high speeds. This one seemed to have two speeds, fast and really fast, but the ground was a treacherous obstacle course of branches, vines, and tree trunks. He had so far managed to keep them alive by dodging them, but he didn’t know how long his luck would last. The vegetation was too thick. He had to do something. In a desperate move Obi-Wan ascended into the second canopy. There it became clear why these speeders were so different. They were designed to travel between the second and third canopies of the rainforest. That way they were under the cover of the upper canopy yet above the madness of vines and trees below. The second level of the forest was still tight, but it was much better than the first. The flying was much better and he felt Menalu’s death grip on his robe loosen. Obi-Wan was almost feeling relaxed and had considered turning around when a blaster bolt rocked the speeder, nearly knocking the two of them off. Damn, they’d been followed. The remaining two bikes, with one soldier each, skimmed the vegetation layer behind him. Obi-Wan tried to lose them by making erratic turns, but they were too good. They followed his every move and they were even gaining on him. He had to surprise them. In an instant he remembered the night before the mission had begun, how he’d surprised Qui-Gon by diving through his legs. Now he could do the same, only backward. Obi-Wan released the throttle and the engine stalled. His pursuers passed him before they knew what had happened. With them safely in front and before they lost altitude, Obi-Wan restarted the engine and gave chase. He caught up with one of the soldiers as he circled back and fired. The speeder’s engine caught fire and a moment later it exploded in a ball of flame. "I’m sorry, Menalu," Obi-Wan yelled to his passenger. "It is okay. You do what you must," Menalu answered back. The second speeder was behind him again and he doubted he could use the same trick twice. He had to think of something new, but with dodging blaster bolts from behind and tree branches ahead, he didn’t have much time to come up with a plan. He tried raising up and skimming above the forest altogether, but that was clearly pushing the engine too hard so he had to return to the canopy below. A blast rocked the speeder hard and Obi-Wan felt Menalu’s grip loosen. "Hold on tight," he yelled back. Before Menalu could react, a second blast sent the speeder bucking and shuddering. Then it seemed suddenly lighter. Obi-Wan turned in horror to catch a momentary glimpse of Menalu falling through the tree branches, calling out his name. With the remaining speeder still in pursuit Obi-Wan couldn’t turn around like he wanted to. He sped up and took greater risks as he weaved in and out of the branches. Every piece of him was awake and aware, reaching out to find the obstacles and dodge milliseconds before he hit them. It didn’t seem to matter. The soldier slipped in and out of Obi-Wan’s traps easily and still managed to have time to fire. The engine began to cough and sputter and Obi-Wan realized he had a new problem. The power cell was failing. Of all the things to happen at the wrong time. As the power cell indicator light ebbed low, Obi-Wan formulated a plan. He waited until the engine stalled and then he leapt off the front of the speeder, using the power of his leap to kick it back into the pursuer’s vehicle. The two bikes exploded on impact as Obi-Wan fell away. He hit the first tree with a crash and then another and another. He knew how to fall and how to use the force to turn himself in the air to soften his landing, but the trees prevented it. Instead, he was bounced from branch to branch like a rag doll. They tore at his clothes and ripped his skin. Unable to control his fall, he landed with a thud on the hard ground. For a moment Obi-Wan couldn’t think or breathe. Darkness threatened to close in on him, but he couldn’t allow himself to lose consciousness. After a few moments the dizziness passed, and, wheezing, he managed to draw in air. He put his hand to his face, took it away and saw it was bloody. He sat up and took inventory. His tunic and robe had great gashes in them where they’d been caught by tree branches. Likewise there were gashes in his skin, which bled freely. He could feel blood in his hair, which was most likely running down his face. Sitting up had hurt and he could feel his ribs were tender. He wiped the grime and blood from his face with the edge of his tunic. The injuries were bothersome, but he would live. He stood up and for a moment had to hold onto a tree branch while the world spun and tilted. As that subsided, it was replaced by a new queasiness. He was lost.
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Jane Jinn Registered: Jan '00	Date Posted: 1/29/00 2:55pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	All right! Now we're getting somewhere! Good action and completely believable. Keep going. -----signature----- Mostly retired now Just making the occasional guest appearance
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 1/29/00 6:52pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	Whoohoo!!!!! That was cool!!!! Post more right now!!!!! You hear me???!!! This rocks! Trika Kenobi -----signature----- http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com/thenest proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Anonymous	Date Posted: 1/30/00 2:06pm Subject: Re: Certain Points of View (a JA adventure story)
	As Qui-Gon heard the last soldier cry out and then fall silent he breathed a sigh of relief. Normally four men with blasters wouldn’t have been such a problem, but these men were exceptionally well trained and the thick forest foliage provided excellent cover. He’d been dodging their fire and using his lightsabre to defend the huddled group of monks for over an hour now and it hadn’t been easy to do alone. Twice they had been flanked and Qui-Gon had been forced to split his attention as the attacks came from two sides. The thick jungle air was oppressive and sweat ran down his forehead and back. But the battle was over, for now. All the shuttle’s passengers were accounted for, except Obi-Wan and the Divine Prince, but Qui-Gon wasn’t worried. Obi-Wan showed a certain aptitude for piloting, and driving the speeder through the dense woods should have been no problem for him. It was simply a question of waiting for him to return. Sheniko and Dash-te weren’t so easily convinced, however. For the first time, Dash-te showed signs of irritation with Qui-Gon’s decision. "You shouldn’t have let His High Holiness out of your site," he scolded. "Without him this mission is nothing and Rengaia is finished." Qui-Gon scanned the landscape of trees and hanging vines. "I trust Obi-Wan," he said. "You must be patient. How quickly can you expect your government to rescue us?" Still clearly flustered, Dash-te did some figuring. "It will take several days to get a ship ready to fly. And even if it does fly, what’s to stop them from doing the same to them as they did to us? We have effectively been imprisoned in our own country." "Then we’ll need to be creative. Do you have any sympathizers in the Talusian government?" "Yes, but I don’t see how that will - " Qui-Gon held up a hand before Dash-te could finish. "Contact them. It is important that they know that those they are allied with have sabotaged the negotiations. Tell them we need someone to pick us up." "And the Divine Prince?" Sheniko added. "We need only wait for Obi-Wan to return with him," Qui-Gon said. He separated himself a ways from the group. With Menalu gone they seemed scattered and confused, as though his very presence was glue. He needed to focus. Obi-Wan was somewhere out there.
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