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Author	Topic: Spirit Warriors of Angharad COMPLETE Link to MS Word version available 8/4
ophelia Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 5/17/04 8:47am Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (8/?) 5/17 - Date Edited: 5/17/04 8:52am (1 edits total) Edited By: ophelia
	Yay!! Thank you for your comments. Feedback always makes my day. solojones wrote: He would say that, wouldn't he? Well . . . he does have that little . . . problem, doesn't he? ** The swoop lurched forward, and after a wobbly start, it began to pick up speed as he guided it onto the main street. For the moment, it did not seem inclined to fall apart. He spared one hand long enough to hold the comlink transmitter closer to his mouth as he said, "I'm leaving Nidawi now, Anakin." "Yes, Master," Anakin replied. A horrendous explosion echoed up from the valley and static interrupted the signal once again. As the noise receded, Obi-Wan could hear R2 squealing. "I know--I noticed," Anakin said. "Master, I've got crossfire from the canyon lip. They . . . uh, seem to be firing on Perahta's scouts, but some of those shots are coming awfully--" Rounds of blaster fire drowned out his voice, and again they lost contact. Perhaps it was just as well, since Obi-Wan's comments didn't set a very good example for his student at that point. He deeply regretted settling for "responsible" but unreliable continuous-wave comlinks. Traditional comlinks used subspace signals that were unaffected by radiation, but their use was strictly regulated within the atmospheres of most worlds. However, the mountain wilderness of Angharad was not a place likely to suffer channel jamming. He resolved that in the future he would opt for standard comlinks and tell the Republic Communications Service what it could do with its "reasonable use guidelines." As the disruption passed, Anakin could be heard uttering a string of Huttese monosyllables. Apparently Obi-Wan had set a poor example for him in the past, too. He nudged the swoop into greater speed as he passed the white stone posts that marked the boundary of the village. The surrounding trees grew dense almost at once, and the going was treacherous. Woody vines and vertically-dangling buttress roots turned the mountain forest into the terrestrial equivalent of an asteroid field. Shouting over the swoop's engines, Obi-Wan said, "When I get down there, I'm going to try to draw them off you. Once they follow me, I want you to get out of there as quickly as you can. I'll meet you back in Nidawi." "I'm not leaving you down here alone," Anakin said, as if surprised Obi-Wan would even suggest such a thing. "Once I get out of this canyon I can at least turn around and return fire." The first response that came to Obi-Wan's mind involved the word "insane," and he wisely bit his tongue and waited for the second response. He had managed to learn a thing or two since the days when he was Anakin's arrogant and impatient young Master. "Have some faith in me. I'm doing what I can to protect you, not to get myself killed." Fear had always been the boy's besetting vice, and he had never forgotten the pain of losing both his mother and Qui-Gon in such a short period of time. Anakin made no immediate reply. Just as Obi-Wan was beginning to dread the start of an argument in the middle of a pitched battle, his Padawan answered unhappily, "Yes, Master." "A wise decision, young one," Obi-Wan said, with quiet gravity. The terrain was a little hard to assess at the speed he was traveling, but he thought the slope was starting to become shallower. Cava trees, massive succulents that supported themselves with buttress roots, were more numerous here. Obi-Wan knew the river must be nearby. Moments later, he sighted the green-and-white surface of the Shasti River through the trees. He had just guided the swoop onto the riverside trail when another explosion echoed through the valley. This time he was close enough to feel the vibrations through the vehicle's frame. "Anakin!" He got nothing but interference over the comlink for a few heart-stopping seconds. //Force, protect him.// "R2, can you do anything with that frequency?" The droid whistled a frightened-sounding reply. At last, Anakin's voice resolved out of the static. He sounded shaken: "I'm down to just four scouts coming after me, but I wish those guys on the ridge would stop shooting so close." Obi-Wan wished so too. However, it was his job to teach calmness and acceptance in the face of unpleasant reality--even if he had to ask for those things himself first. "The Force is with you, Padawan," he said. "There is no fear." "No, Master . . . I mean, yes, Master," Anakin said. When the boy was frightened he tended to be dangerously unpredictable, and Obi-Wan became more determined than ever to get him out of the line of fire. ** End 8/? -----signature----- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
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ophelia Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 5/18/04 6:32am Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (9/?) 5/18 - Date Edited: 5/18/04 9:02am (3 edits total) Edited By: ophelia
	"I'm not far from Three Sisters Falls. Where are you?" Obi-Wan asked. "Maybe half a kilometer north. I should see you just about any second," Anakin said. "Good. I'm going to pull off the trail on the east side of the river mouth. Get a few lengths ahead of them if you can, and lead them by me," Obi-Wan said. "Yes, Master." Something in Anakin's voice made Obi-Wan worry that he was going to start arguing again, but all he said was, "Good luck, Master." "I've never had good luck in my life," Obi-Wan answered, with a trace of humor. The phrase referenced a much earlier conversation held under safer circumstances, and it reminded him how fond he was of this boy. The two of them had essentially agreed to disagree about the role blind fortune played in the workings of the galaxy. There was little time for talk, however. At the speed Anakin would be traveling, half a kilometer would take no more than several seconds to cover. Obi-Wan detached his saber from his belt as he began decelerating. The ancient swoop shuddered hard, and there was an alarming moment where the frame seemed ready to buckle. Fortunately, the strongest of the vibrations ceased as he slid to a stop beside the dense foliage of a mourning lace bush. A moment later, Anakin tore by, sending dark, scallop-edged leaves flying in his wake. In the blur of his passage, Obi-Wan glimpsed some sort of green-energy producing device attached to the front of his speeder. Obi-Wan had never seen anything quite like that before. He could only surmise that this was one of Anakin's mechanical "improvements." Shaking his head, Obi-Wan swung halfway out of the swoop's seat. He planted his right foot on one of the swoop's outrigger bars and dug his left boot toe into the soft dirt of the ground behind him. His unlit saber rested loosely in one hand. It was the classic Jedi swordsman's stance, modified slightly for pressing circumstances. Obi-Wan remained still, wasting no movement, as the enemy speeders roared closer. The Force would tell him when to act. The lead scout was practically on top of him before he lit his blade. At the last possible instant, Obi-Wan slashed upward through the scout's steering vanes. Sparks flew as the severed vanes arced awayinto the bushes. The damaged speeder spun wildly out of control and mushroomed into a ball of fire as it struck a tree. Although Obi-Wan had aimed the blow at the machine and not the man, the scout's death had been a certainty from the moment he lit his saber. Even still, Obi-Wan always regretted having to end any life, however necessary it might be. Blaster fire began to rain down upon him, tearing apart the bush he'd used for cover. He dropped back into the seat and pulled out in front of his attackers. Apparently, they didn't share his philosophy of restraint and reluctance to endanger sentient life. The air around him was luminous with blast energy, and the sharp tang of ozone stung his nostrils. The scouts' small, speeder-mounted blaster cannons appeared difficult to aim, but they made up for any inaccuracy by sheer volume of firepower. Obi-Wan held his blade one-handed over his shoulder, using a series of circular wrist-snaps to catch and deflect those blaster bolts he couldn't dodge. He quickly discovered a problem, however. The swoop's engines stuck out some two-thirds of a meter behind the pilot's seat, forcing him to hold his saber at a shallow angle that badly lessened its blade coverage. He could defend his head or his engine housings, but not both at once. Worse, the rusty old frame had begun trembling again. He doubted any part of the swoop could take much of a hit without the whole thing disintegrating. **** End 9/? -----signature----- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
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Kynstar Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 5/18/04 6:54am Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (9/?) 5/18
	Uh oh! Obi-Wan in possible danger! Possible? snrk to say the least! hehehehe Great work! Can't wait for more love the play between Obi-Wan and Anakin! -----signature----- Paddy sis to t_s & SarkaVrae/Master to hyperspace_police Member of Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly (Kynstar Lans) Only thru fear, hatred, and pain will the true power of the Force be revealed. See stories/viggies in bio
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ophelia Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 5/19/04 6:28am Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (10/?) 5/19 - Date Edited: 5/19/04 4:49pm (1 edits total) Edited By: ophelia
	Thank you. ** A slight prickling through the Force alerted him that at least one of the scouts had just gotten the same idea. Obi-Wan risked a glance over his shoulder and saw his remaining pursuers hunkered down over their handgrips, streaking along in a wing formation about a dozen meters behind him. As he watched, the closest one drew a blaster from his thigh holster and took careful aim at his head. Suddenly, Obi-Wan's Jedi senses alerted him to a more immediate danger to the front. He turned just in time to dodge a massive buttress-root barring his way. The scout's shot vaporized a chunk of root at approximately the spot Obi-Wan's skull would have slammed into it. He didn't need the Force to know what his enemy had in mind. The shot was meant to force his guard as high as possible, leaving his engines vulnerable. Obi-Wan had no intention of escaping until Anakin was well away, but it was obvious he needed a more defensive strategy. He nudged the swoop to greater speed, hoping to put as many obstacles as possible between himself and his pursuers. The riverside path was a twisting, narrow tunnel through the dense vegetation, and he had to follow it precisely or meet an explosive end against a tree. At first his crazily-shifting trajectory helped prevent the scouts from drawing a bead on him. Then the path began straightening out, and he entered a long stretch where the only available cover was the thick buttress-roots and hanging vines that walled him in on all sides. The scouts opened up their laser cannons on him, taking full advantage of the situation. Obi-Wan rolled away and under the hail of blaster bolts by throwing his weight to one side and sending the swoop into a sickening, semi-controlled corkscrew. This was starting to look like a good way to get killed. "I'm going to need to get off the trail," he told Anakin through the comlink. "Where are you?" "I'm where you told me to be, Master, heading east up the slope toward the village." Anakin said. "An admirable observance of duty, Padawan," Obi-Wan said, with gentle authority. He knew it was very hard for Anakin to walk away from a friend in trouble. “I'm heading west over the river.” "Yes, Master," Anakin said. He sounded unhappy but resigned. After another glance behind him to gauge the scouts' location, Obi-Wan began scanning the thicket to his right for a gap big enough to admit the swoop. Now and then he could see flashes of the river through the vines, but none of the spots seemed safe enough to plow through. Then a blaster bolt scored his engine housing and sent a heart-stopping jolt through the rusty frame. The swoop lurched to one side, nearly throwing Obi-Wan off. That caused him to refine his definition of "safety." The next time he caught a glimpse of pale green water through thetrees ahead, he pulled his craft into a neat arc and sped straight toward the wall of hanging vines. He whirled his lightsaber overhead to cut some clearance, and after a tremendous crash of breaking branches and an alarming squeal of something inside the swoop, he was through. He'd plainly surprised the scouts; he could hear the engines of their speeders drop in pitch as they overshot the place where he'd turned. His satisfaction was short lived, however. The swoop shuddered and slowed as soon as he had water under him. "Oh, don't you dare," he told it. "Master?" Anakin asked. "I'm having sort of a . . . minor repulsor problem," Obi-Wan said. Many older repulsorlift craft didn't function well over water. The constantly changing surface could cause the relatively slow lift processors to miscalculate, throwing the vehicle into uncontrollable convulsions. As he struggled with the non-responsive steering vanes, Obi-Wan could hear the scouts circling back toward the gap he'd created. He supposed it served him right for stealing a vehicle from the town drunk. "Have you tried engaging the manual override?" Anakin asked. Obi-Wan flipped the proper switch, and the toggle popped out in his hand. He jerked his fingers away from the sparking wires as the acrid smell of burning insulation came up from the instrument panel. "It didn't work," he said. "You could, uhh . . ." Anakin was probably struggling to put an automatic physical reaction into words. Obi-Wan could practically see him moving his hands over imaginary swoop components. "Gestures aren't very helpful over a comlink, Padawan," Obi-Wan said. He glanced behind him. By the sound of the scouts' engines, they'd be on him any second. "You need to pull--you need to reset your stabilizer tolerances. Can you get the front panel housing off?" Anakin asked. There was no time for that. Obi-Wan improvised a solution by kicking the swoop over its processor housing. "Break down on your own time," he told it. The machine squealed again as its compensatory function started up. It began to gain speed as Obi-Wan's pursuers burst out from the cover of the trees. "What did you do?" Anakin asked. "I hit it," Obi-Wan said. The scouts' blaster fire began splashing down around him, and he ducked reflexively. "You should mark the spot, in case you need to hit it again," Anakin said. "I'm a bit too busy for that, Padawan," Obi-Wan said. Sorely low on tactical advantages, he headed westward toward the middle of the river, where the setting sun turned the Shasti into a ribbon of fire. Obi-Wan didn't like flying blind, but he could do it if he had to. Force willing, Perahta's scouts couldn't. ** End 10/? -----signature----- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
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solojones Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 5/19/04 3:38pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (10/?) 5/19
	"I'm having sort of a . . . minor repulsor problem," Obi-Wan said. Many older repulsorlift craft didn't function well over water. "You dope, McFly! Hoverboards don't work on water! Unless you've got power! Ah ahahah!" Sorry, couldn't resist. I absolutely love the way you've written this. I don't know how to describe my appreciation for your writing ability. You manage to work in believable technical details of the fight and chase that are just enough to make it really interesting and suspenseful but not too much to be boring. Honestly, this is really briliant! As if that weren't enough, your characterizations are spot on. I especially loved the idea of Anakin trying to explain with his hands and Obi-Wan knowing that was exactly what he'd be doing. You manage to display what their relationship is like and what they are like with seemless effortlessness. I love Obi-Wan's wry comments and Anakin's playing down of serious situations, trying to keep calm Keep up the great work. -sj loves kevin spacey -----signature----- 6 x 9 = 42 Proud member of the Colbert Nation My short films: http://www.youtube.com/solojones1138
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ophelia Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 5/20/04 8:54am Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (11/?) 5/20
	Thank you, solojones. I'm writing ch. 7 as we speak (this bit here would be the middle of ch. 2). I hope people like the later bits as much. They are not going to take me two years to finish . . . unlike this first part. ** Unfortunately, the poor visibility didn't alter their willingness to open fire. Blaster bolts vaporized the river surface all around him, sending up plumes of chemical-smelling steam. Half-submerged tree trunks and boulders formed obstacles in this slower and wider part of the Shasti. Obi-Wan sped toward a boulder large enough to provide some cover, hoping to use it for an instant's respite from blaster fire. He sensed a hound-like instinct rise up in his pursuers as they guessed what he was doing. In their minds, their prey was quavering in the face of superior force, and this was their opportunity to run him to ground. Obi-Wan heard their engines kick into high gear. When he glanced back, he saw the scouts fanning out, hoping to come at him from both sides once he reached the far side of the boulder. Obi-Wan stretched his senses out to the Force. He asked it to guide his hand, so he would not stray into darkness despite what he was about to do. The scouts had stopped firing in their eagerness to pull ahead of him. Obi-Wan allowed two of them to draw close behind his own craft, and they matched the arc of his turn as they neared the boulder. Obi-Wan stood up on the outrigger bars just as the huge rock blocked his view of the lone scout on the other side. He sensed the puzzlement and alarm of the scouts just behind him as he raised his saber to a one-handed defense position, the blade right of midline and the tip pointed downward. One man began to shout a warning. His comrade on the other side of the rock never stood a chance. When the hapless scout emerged from the far side of the boulder, the Jedi's reflexes were faster. Obi-Wan's blade became an arc of light an instant before his adversary fired. He caught the blast bolts in a whirling overhand snap, flinging them back at his attacker as if throwing water droplets from his saber. Deflected blast energy pelted the scout's speeder, and the man flung one arm up in a futile attempt at defense. For an instant as their craft passed, Obi-Wan and the doomed scout looked straight at one another. A second later, the speeder blew. As violent turbulence spread across the normally-glassy Shasti, Obi-Wan was nearly blown into the water himself. The wild fluctuations in the water level were too much for the swoop's limited processors. Bone-jarring vibrations ran through its frame. Scalding droplets of vaporized river water rained down upon Obi-Wan as he half-fell against the handlebars, his boot soles skidding against the worn treads of the accelerator pedals. The lift processors were making a horrible noise, and he recalled what Anakin had said about remembering where to hit them. He had no idea how to repeat what he had done earlier, and didn't dare release his grip on the craft to try. Worse, the blast's radiation had cause his comlink signal to dissolve into furious static. He silently willed Anakin to do the sensible thing and continue on back to Nidawi. The last thing he needed was one of Anakin's patented "rescues," which tended to be spectacular studies in disaster. Fighting for control of the shuddering vehicle, Obi-Wan glanced in the direction he'd last seen the remaining scouts. They had steered wide of the blast and continued some way down the river in apparent panic, but now they were arcing back toward him. It was clear that their more modern craft were not destabilizing. They forged ahead over the waves, making slower-than-usual progress over the peaks and troughs but traveling with the smoothness of bobbing corks. For once, they didn't seem eager to begin shooting up everything in sight. But then, this time they could afford to wait for a good shot. Obi-Wan was nearly defenseless as he clung to the ancient, disintegrating vehicle. He heard the squealing groan of a frame support giving way, and everything from the seat on back sagged slightly to the right. Obi-Wan glanced uneasily at the choppy water, which would provide as much resistance as duracrete at this speed. //This is not going to end well,// he thought. ** End 11/? -----signature----- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
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solojones Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 5/20/04 1:52pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (11/?) 5/20
	This is only the middle of chapter 2? I wish I had yet developed the skill to put the necessary detail into chapters to make them as substantial as yours. And to know you're that far ahead is great. And hey, I've had stories that took two years to complete before, due to months of writer's block and such. Keep at it, you're doing great now I really have to say that, honestly, in my opinion, this is professional quality writing. There's really good fanfic and then there are the very few elite pro fic quality ones, and I have to tell you this is one of them. Your writing style reminds me of Michael Crichton's, and he's my favourite So you have my utmost respect as a writer. Continue on! -sj loves kevin spacey -----signature----- 6 x 9 = 42 Proud member of the Colbert Nation My short films: http://www.youtube.com/solojones1138
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ophelia Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 5/20/04 8:22pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (11/?) 5/20
	solojones wrote: I've had stories that took two years to complete before, due to months of writer's block and such. For a long time I couldn't get the interaction between Obi-Wan and Anakin right. It seemed off no matter what I did. I finally decided that the problem was I couldn't bear to take Obi-Wan off center-stage, 'cause he's my favorite. Then Anakin would invariably get too obnoxious, because he's got to have center stage. For the purposes of this story anyway, Obi-Wan seems to work best as the "stable center" George imagines him to be. Of course, after a while Anakin goes off and has some adventures by himself, so then I can do whatever I want to Obi-Wan. Ahahahahahaaaha!!!!!! Your writing style reminds me of Michael Crichton's, and he's my favourite. Whoa! That's high praise indeed. Thank you. -----signature----- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
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solojones Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 5/20/04 8:33pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (11/?) 5/20
	You're welcome, you deserve it I know what you mean about making the story center around Obi-Wan... considering I'm writing the ENTIRE saga in relation to him However, I'm also working on a story that centers around Anakin, so that should be completely different and interesting. It's always good to challenge youself, eh? For what it's worth, I think you've done a great job thusfar of characterizing both of them. -sj loves kevin spacey -----signature----- 6 x 9 = 42 Proud member of the Colbert Nation My short films: http://www.youtube.com/solojones1138
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ophelia Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 5/21/04 12:10pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (12/?) 5/21 - Date Edited: 6/3/04 2:48pm (2 edits total) Edited By: ophelia
	Thank you! ** The back half of the swoop dropped another few centimeters, moving the engines that much closer to the water. There was no help for it; it was either get blown up now or take his chances with the river. //Force help me,// he thought, briefly glancing upward at the great unknown. Then steam began pouring from his right engine housing, and there was no more time. Obi-Wan turned and planted his foot on the listing seat, then leapt from the back of the swoop. * Anakin was heading up the slope toward Nidawi when he sensed that Obi-Wan was in mortal danger. He couldn't be sure what had happened; a Jedi's far-sight seldom provided detailed images except when he was in deep meditation. All he knew was that the bright, brisk presence that had always been with him over the past seven years had suddenly faded. //Master!// he called through their connection in the Force. There was no reply. He could still feel Obi-Wan's life-force down there in the river valley, but now Anakin was picking up pain from him, confusion, faint shades of an uncharacteristic fear. "R2, see if you can re-establish the frequency," Anakin said. The alarmed-sounding droid whistled that he'd try. Moments passed, but the only sound that came through the headset was static. Anakin's anxiety mounted as seconds passed with no response from Obi-Wan. "That's it--I'm turning around," he said. R2 squealed a warning to him. "Anything's better than letting Obi-Wan die," Anakin said, wheeling his craft around and taking off down the slope again. He'd put his saber away, but now he drew it again, holding it loose and ready in his hand. The droid’s answering whistle sounded frightened. "They already tried to kill me and couldn't do it," Anakin said. "I haven't even shown them half of what I can do. I'd have taken them all out already if Obi-Wan hadn't ordered me not to." Grimly,he nudged his speeder into its maximum velocity. Fear flickered around the edges of his resolve as he sped back down toward the river. Obi-Wan was the only family he had besides his mother, whom his Jedi vows forbade him from returning to. If he lost Obi-Wan, he would be alone. Anakin repressed his weak emotions as best he could. Instead, he worked to focus on weakness' opposite: power. It had been the Force's will that he be passed over for many of the galaxy's joys and comforts, yet it had allowed him a great deal of power. He promised himself he would use that gift to the utmost to help his Master. ** End 12/? -----signature----- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
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solojones Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 5/21/04 2:11pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (12/?) 5/21
	Oooooh... I absolutely love this part. It's just a little bit but it's so perfect. It's not Anakin being completely hateful or anything but you've definitely shown his weakness. He really gets protective of those he cares for. The fact that you have him say anything is better than letting Obi-Wan die is so very telling. That was a great line especially, but that whole little part was great. Things are really heating up now! -sj loves kevin spacey -----signature----- 6 x 9 = 42 Proud member of the Colbert Nation My short films: http://www.youtube.com/solojones1138
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ophelia Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 5/22/04 2:07pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (13/?) 5/22 - Date Edited: 5/22/04 2:08pm (1 edits total) Edited By: ophelia
	Edit: solojones: ** Perhaps the Force had heard Obi-Wan's plea, since he didn't break his neck as he plunged into the water. Unfortunately, the Shasti was mostly snow runoff, only a few degrees above freezing. The current was swift in the deep center channel, and soon he was caught up and dragged along the stony bottom. Darkness nibbled at the edges of his consciousness. Not even a Jedi could remain in water that cold for long. Obi-Wan struggled to focus his clouded mind on the Living Force, that realm of exuberant anarchy lying just beyond the veil of nature. This Force aspect had never been his strong suit, and it was not terribly obedient to him--if indeed it was obedient to anyone. Nonetheless, he needed its cooperation if he was going to survive. //I could really use something to hang onto right now,// he told it. In its mercy, it provided. If only the "something" hadn't been a boulder. Obi-Wan slammed into it with the flat of his back at several kilometers an hour. If he'd had any breath left, it would have been knocked out of him. Aching and pinned against the stone surface, he thought, // . . . ah. Thank you.// After all, a good Padawan accepted his Master's help and correction alike with respectful gratitude, even when it was not entirely clear which was which. Perhaps his misfortune was a lesson to him about something. If so, he could only hope the Force would see fit to let him know what. Painfully, he managed to roll over onto his stomach and claw his way up above the water-line. His cold-numbed limbs were barely responsive as he dragged himself onto the boulder's exposed top. He had no idea where either of the remaining scouts was, and for the moment he didn't care. Breathing was good. Not being shot at was good. The afternoon sun had warmed the rock's dry topside somewhat, for which he was grateful. He could not afford to lie there long, however. The voice of duty was as demanding as ever: //All right, Kenobi. Get up. No one gave you permission to freeze to death.// It was only human to become self-absorbed in moments of pain, but the Jedi Order demanded more of its members than to be merely human. A Jedi must be a Jedi before he was human; before he was a Wookie or Trogruta or Nikto. A Jedi was only a vessel for the Force and an instrument of its will, and being such an instrument meant that others' needs came first. Obi-Wan reminded himself that Anakin was somewhere out on the mountainside, alone and without guidance. He might be in trouble . . . or causing trouble. With a groan, Obi-Wan rolled to his knees and began to disentangle his comlink from the sodden folds of his mantle. He soon realized he needn't have bothered. The comlink's mouthpiece had almost entirely broken off. The little fragment of duraplast remained attached to the headset by a few exposed wires. //Typical.// The Jedi engineer corps designed these things for polite little diplomatic missions. Such niceties were lost on a galaxy in which diplomacy was becoming a lost art. Giving up on the comlink, Obi-Wan reached out to Anakin through the Force. What he sensed through that connection chilled him more profoundly than the river had. There was a terrible bleakness in the boy's soul, an emotion hovering on the border between terror and rage. "Ani, I'm all right," Obi-Wan said. He tried to keep his own spirit steady and calm, like a hand held out through the swirling fog of anxiety and pain. Anakin's fears on behalf of his friends had always been unusually intense. This was not wrong in itself. Concern for others was one of Anakin's chief virtues. Yet the Jedi taught that all things, even virtues, must be practiced with due moderation. Concern for one's friends could grow into something blind and vengeful, more akin to hatred than love, if it was not balanced by the sister virtues of wisdom and perspective. Obi-Wan knew this from experience. He had not forgotten the searing moment seven years ago, when he saw his own Master struck down by a Sith. Never in his life had he been so close to the Dark Side, before or since. "Anakin," Obi-Wan said, his voice containing a note of warning this time. "This is no place for you to be. I want you to return to the village." He sensed his student's emotions shifting like swirling clouds. Helpless fury shaded into uncertainty, and Anakin's sense of duty warred openly with a strong desire to strike out and punish the soldiers who had nearly killed him and Obi-Wan. "There's nothing you can do for me, young one," Obi-Wan said. ** End 13/? -----signature----- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
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ophelia Title: Ex-Mod Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 5/23/04 9:40am Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (14/?) 5/23
	Obi-Wan's exact words did not transfer through the Force, but Anakin picked up their meaning. He was still hurtling through the trees at top speed, blinking windblown sweat out of his eyes. At this rate, he would reach the river in seconds. A familiar argument began in his mind: //Your Master gave you an order. He wants you to turn around. //Yes, but what does he know? I sense things he doesn't all the time. They'll kill him if he stays down there.// He felt the pressure of Obi-Wan's mind on his own, urging him to let his misguided rescue mission go. //If he wants to die in your place, that's his business. He's supposed to protect you, and you're supposed to obey. That's how this works. //I can't leave him. //Master Qui-Gon once told you, 'You must do the thing you think you cannot do.'// Slowly, Anakin backed off on the throttle. Helpless tears had joined the sweat in his eyes, and he wiped them away with angry contempt. //Act like a Jedi. If this is the end for him, you have to accept it.// He'd almost totally released the pressure on the speeder's accelerator pedals, and was close to a full stop. //Now turn around,// he told himself. He must go back to Nidawi, climb up into the barn loft where he and Obi-Wan had been staying, and wait. He would meditate to calm himself as night fell. He would not give in to panic, even as the air grew cold and damp down in the river valley. Even as the moons rose and the nighttime predators came out. //Turn around now.// If Obi-Wan came back before morning, then everything would be all right. If he were not back by then . . . Images from a possible future flickered through his mind: himself stoking a massive fire down the Vale, his Master’s lightsaber hanging at his belt. Master Windu’s usually impassive face transformed with compassion as he said, “I’m sorry.” An awkward meeting with the stranger who would be his new teacher, and the hopeless feeling of starting his apprenticeship over--this time without his one real connection to the Jedi Order. //No.// **** End 14/? -----signature----- In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
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Mistress_Renata Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 5/23/04 4:31pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (13/?) 5/22
	Obi-Wan was rather prescient, with the Anakin in trouble... or causing trouble line. Loved Anakin's mental argument and his over-vivid imagination. Yes, obeying his Master and going back is what he SHOULD do... which is why, of course, he's not going to do it! I've said it before... "Padawan" is an old Jedi word for "trouble magnet!" -----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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solojones Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 5/23/04 8:22pm Subject: RE: Spirit Warriors of Angharad (14/?) 5/23
	In its mercy, it provided. If only the "something" hadn't been a boulder. Obi-Wan slammed into it with the flat of his back at several kilometers an hour.... //All right, Kenobi. Get up. No one gave you permission to freeze to death.// Ahhh, good old Obi-Wan. I love how he has that knack for making a wry joke out of almost any bad situation. You do a great job of portraying that. I always love this sorts of 'Obi-Wan' moments in fics. So much fun to write, too, eh? A Jedi must be a Jedi before he was human; before he was a Wookie or Trogruta or Nikto. A Jedi was only a vessel for the Force and an instrument of its will, and being such an instrument meant that others' needs came first. Very good interpretation of Obi-Wan's POV on such things. It's a very mainline Jedi, by-the-code sort of perspective. It's an extremely noble goal for the Jedi to strive for, but something tells me coughVadercough that it can backfire Obi-Wan reminded himself that Anakin was somewhere out on the mountainside, alone and without guidance. He might be in trouble . . . or causing trouble. I like how you portray Obi-Wan as thinking Anakin's fairly helpless without his guidance. It's not that Obi-Wan is intentionally being arrogant about it, I think it's just a good example of how he can be overprotective of Anakin. And of course he would think Anakin's causing trouble Anakin's fears on behalf of his friends had always been unusually intense. This was not wrong in itself. Concern for others was one of Anakin's chief virtues. Yet the Jedi taught that all things, even virtues, must be practiced with due moderation. Concern for one's friends could grow into something blind and vengeful, more akin to hatred than love, if it was not balanced by the sister virtues of wisdom and perspective. Exactly! This is how I understand the Jedi view on being free from attachments. They shouldn't, however, fool themselves into thinking they can get rid of such virtues as friendship, though. And it would be wrong to. I think when Luke establishes the New Order, he finds the balance the Old Order here was too afraid to try for. //Yes, but what does he know? I sense things he doesn't all the time. They'll kill him if he stays down there.// And in a great bit of irony, Anakin also thinks Obi-Wan is fairly helpless without him sigh these men Images from a possible future flickered through his mind: himself stoking a massive fire down the Vale, his Master’s lightsaber hanging at his belt. Master Windu’s usually impassive face transformed with compassion as he said, “I’m sorry.” An awkward meeting with the stranger who would be his new teacher, and the hopeless feeling of starting his apprenticeship over--this time without his one real connection to the Jedi Order. //No.// I would think something more along the lines of 'Noooooooo!' would be appropriate. That was a very disturbing possible image of the future you gave. The little details you added, like him envisioning Mace saying he's sorry, made this passage a succint but poignant bit. Great subtle connecting to Qui-Gon's funeral, too. -sj loves kevin spacey -----signature----- 6 x 9 = 42 Proud member of the Colbert Nation My short films: http://www.youtube.com/solojones1138
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