Jedi Council Forums - "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Part Nineteen 8/16/08

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Author	Topic: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Part Nineteen 8/16/08
Lady_Misty Registered: Mar '07	Date Posted: 1/25 3:38am Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, PART 12 "Negotiation" 1/25/08
	I agree with Prime Krishna is a little sith brat and I'll reframe frol strangling her until your finished with her. Maybe Dark Child should just follow Krishna with just a dash of Xanatos to keep things intresting. -----signature----- 'Lumious beings are we, not this crude matter.' Kenneth Cope and Yoda The Clone Wars is wicked good!!!! I got Kenneth Cope's autograph!!!
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silverfighter Registered: Apr '07	Date Posted: 1/25 6:02am Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, PART 12 "Negotiation" 1/25/08
	Considering Xanatos is one of my favorite characters, I think you know my answer. Yes!! “I may be a Jedi.” I said softly, coldly. “But I’m not your average goody-two-shoes Light Side wannabe.” Oooh, I really like that line. It really shows just how gray she really is... I loved Isca and Krishna together. They both kinda have the same personalities and both are kinda dark in the Force, so those together can't really be too good. How did Isca learn to control the Force so well, I wonder? Hmmm... Very good update! -----signature----- I praise my God with uplifted hands and sing 'till I can't sing no more. "You believe there is one God. Good! Even the devils believe that--and shudder." -James 2:19 Dreams = Plotbunnies Plotbunnies = Bad Dreams = Bad (Geometry CAN be useful. Ha.)
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Iowaweezer Registered: Jun '05	Date Posted: 1/25 10:20am Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, PART 12 "Negotiation" 1/25/08
	Great update, I loved the line "....Light Side wannabes"....classic! I dunno about more Xanatos, you write him really well but I think the story is about her so stick to her story. -----signature----- "What's your operating number?" - some guy on Com system
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Lady_Misty Registered: Mar '07	Date Posted: 4/2 4:17pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, PART 12 "Negotiation" 1/25/08
	picks up the computer moniter adn peers under it then sets it down. Picks up the printer/copier/ scanner looks under that then sets it down again. Picks up computer desk and searches under it. sighs and sets it down again. Stares out the window and wishes the snow would hurry up and finish melting. Gets up to search the rest of the house for Quigonjecca. -----signature----- 'Lumious beings are we, not this crude matter.' Kenneth Cope and Yoda The Clone Wars is wicked good!!!! I got Kenneth Cope's autograph!!!
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Obi-Odd13 Registered: Feb '08	Date Posted: 5/11 3:30pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, PART 12 "Negotiation" 1/25/08
	I can't say much at the moment, but I like where this story is going. And I especially loved little Obi-Wan, and how he wasn't afraid. Please add me to the PM list, I wanna see what Krishna has next planned. -----signature----- When life hands you lemons, make grape juice, and then sit back and let the world wonder how you did it. “We are one, after all, you and I, together we suffer, together exist and forever will recreate each other.” ~Teilhard de Chardin
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Quigonjecca Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 5/11 3:57pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, PART 12 "Negotiation" 1/25/08
	Finally an update! Hey guys-- all my faithful readers-- I'm so sorry I haven't written in so long. I'm currently co-authoring an original(!) novel, and it's sucking up my Star Wars time )o: And with high school and all that... And THEN we had to reformat the hardrive on our computer and...well, I'm not trying to make excuses, but I want you to know you why I haven't posted (o: Anyway, I'm sorry there are no author replies. I thought I'd go ahead and post this part (which isn't very long, but it's a chapter nonetheless!!!) and I'm going to try and write the next part soon. Thanks everyone for being patient with me. Anyway, here's the PM list so far: [/b]Iowaweezer Lady_Misty 1Yodimus_Prime Icecruncher_Amidala Alexis_Wingstar Jedi_Karen EGKenobi Silverfighter C1-J2 XANI Obi-Odd13 And, without further ado, Part 13 In the Gray[b] As soon as I was out of sight from the bounty hunter, I put my makeup back on. There was no point running into my master as Krishna, and having him ask questions. The rest of the day passed rather uneventful. I just wondered around Mos Eisley, waiting for the proper times to comm. my master. The only remotely interesting thing that happened all afternoon was that I met my master for lunch… yippee. “Mahla,” he said, coming to sit by me. “Did you find any competitive racers today?” I grinned. “No, not really. There doesn’t seem to be one decent racer on this whole dust ball.” The whole time he asked me questions, I just looked down at my food or past him to a spot on the wall where there was an odd green stain. I hope he didn’t realize I was avoiding his eyes—I just couldn’t believe I had lied to him. Of course, all I had to do was get through the night and I was home free. Qui-Gon couldn’t find out Shmi’s surname until morning the next day—preferably after the race, nor could he find out I had told Shmi that we were Jedi. Shmi couldn’t find out I was a Skywalker until after the race, and neither of them could find out where I was going, or what I was doing. Easy, right? When we got back to Shmi’s hovel, I was kept her busy with conversation. I helped her cook and clean and managed to keep her away from my master all night. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, I forced myself to sleep, although I wasn’t tired. I had a big day coming up, and the last thing I needed to do was to fall asleep in the racing pod. The morning dawned clear and bright—perhaps a little too bright. I changed into my old black clothing and touched up my disguise makeup. Qui-Gon was still asleep when I left. Shmi however, did stop me before I exited the house. She seemed a bit surprised in my sudden change of wardrobe. “Mahla—where are you going? Would you like some breakfast first?” I almost couldn’t lie to her. Something was just so good, and simple. I assumed she had gotten the day off because of the race—Gardulla the Hutt was a gambler through and through. “I… I’m going to get an early start. Tell Dorian that I went scouting.” I walked quickly out before she could ask any more questions. My chrono read an hour before the race—good, I had time to pick up my pod. Cautiously, I walked through the doors of the old, used pod shop. The Rodian, Bathlazam, or Zam for short, was behind the desk, wiping the grimy counter off with an old rag. “Ah, it’s the little missy from yesterday. I was hoping you wouldn’t return.” He said in heavily accented basic. Although he was difficult for me to understand, I got the gist of his message. “Yes. Do you have that pod you promised me?” Before I had finished my sentence, Zam had brought out a small, green racing pod. To me, it looked more like a child’s toy than a racing vehicle. The cockpit was small, but Qui-Gon would have easily fit into it. It had simple controls and a tool kit in the back. A power coupling was attached to three long threads of some strange metal, and, to top it all off, it looked like it was held together with duct tape. Sighing, I handed over three of the largest gems, and six of the smaller ones. I had no other bargaining material. The Rodian laughed, thinking that he had charged far too much for the junk heap he had lent me. If ruined, I would have to pay back three times that amount, as well as other things I had skipped over in the contract. I rode the pod to the racing arena, used the last of my money for a good tank-load of fuel, and settled in for the ride. A long line of eager racers wound around the arena complex. Pedestrians were talking and getting autographs from some of the more prominent and famous of those. Isca sat up front, occasionally gunning the engines of her pod. Her pod was sleek, and three times the size of mine, painted in odd designs of turquoise and scarlet. I met no resistance when I reached out to her through the Force—although, I didn’t let myself be felt either—she was concentrated, determined, focused. She was convinced she would win. I hardened my resolve. No, I had to win. I didn’t have a pit crew, I didn’t have a reputation—I didn’t even have my own racing pod. I’m sure Isca thought she had the upper hand with her minor Force sensitivity, but no matter how well she could learn to manipulate her talents, she was no Jedi… A loud voice echoed through the gathered crowd over the loud speakers. “All racers, report to the starting line.” It then repeated its message in Huttese. A trickle of sweat prickled at the back of my neck… this was it. I gunned the engines, and took my place at the back of the line. * “Good morning.” Shmi’s bright face met the tall Qui-Gon Jinn as he entered the kitchen. “Did you sleep well?” “Quite well.” Qui-Gon gave her a small smile. “I’ve never slept in a storage room so comfortable.” Shmi laughed. The Jedi master loved the sound—it seemed to brighten up the little hovel. “Well, I’m glad,” Shmi said, walking over and handing him a cup of tea. “Although I am sorry I couldn’t give you more spacious quarters during your visit.” Qui-Gon sipped the tea. It was soothing, and fruity, and hot, unlike anything he had ever tasted. This woman—Shmi—she had a soft, hospitable Force-era surrounding her. She was so simple, and truthful, and yet… intelligent and aware of her surroundings. She was a slave who had opened up her home to total strangers—racers as far as she knew—and had asked nothing in return. The mistruth of his identity hung heavily on Qui-Gon’s shoulders—he knew he could trust her with the truth. However, before he could tell her the truth, he noticed that Krishna was missing. That was odd—she didn’t seem the type to just run off without telling anyone. “Have you seen my racing partner?” Shmi blinked. “Oh yes of course. She said she was going to pick up her pod from the service area down the block.” They were silent for a moment. Qui-Gon didn’t know how to tell her that he had lied… he had never been very good at that sort of thing. “This is quite a show.” Shmi said at last, sensing the tension building in the room. “Show?” Qui-Gon furrowed his brow in confusion. “I know you are Jedi.” Shmi said quietly. “Mahla told me when we first met in the cantina.” She laughed at Qui-Gon’s raised eyebrows. “And why didn’t she tell me she told you?” He wondered aloud, sipping his tea again. “She said that she shouldn’t have told me, and wanted to keep it a secret.” Shmi laughed. “Your apprentice acts much older than she is… until it comes to keeping her story straight.” Now it was Qui-Gon’s turn to laugh. “Ah yes. When we first got here, Krishna put on that insane, purple makeup, and wanted to pose as a Twi’lek smuggler and—,” “Krishna?” Shmi asked, interrupting the Jedi’s sentence. “Oh,” she said at last. “Is that her real name?” “She kept our names a secret?” Qui-Gon scratched his head. “That’s odd. But yes,” he continued. “My name is Qui-Gon, and my apprentice is Krishna. And yes, we are Jedi.” “And you’re looking for Isca Dolomine, the bounty hunter.” Shmi stated. “Yes, she told me that as well.” Qui-Gon laughed. “I really don’t know what to say.” “And you said ‘insane, purple makeup’—does that mean she isn’t half Twi’lek, like I assumed?” “No actually she’s—,” The master thought for a moment. “You know, I think she’s human, but I’m not sure where she comes from.” Shmi laughed, which made Qui-Gon smile even broader. “And I always thought Jedi were stogy, old book-keepers.” Qui-Gon chuckled. “You know, Krishna really did want to race—quite badly, actually.” “Oh, I know, she told me.” “No surprise.” “Yes, I played along for a bit, told her where the pod shops were and such.” Shmi finished cleaning the kitchen and sat down next to Qui-Gon. “She seemed very enthusiastic about wanting to race.” “Yes I know.” Qui-Gon sighed. “She’s different from most Jedi. Krishna is perceptive, and mature. The only thing that concerns me, is her tendency to slip into the Gray… Oh never mind.” The Master gave a weak smile. “Non-Jedi wouldn’t really understand.” The sun was well over the horizon when Qui-Gon rose from his seat. Shmi and he had talked for at least an hour. “I must ask,” he said at last. “What did you put in that tea? I need to give it to Master Yoda so he can serve it instead of that ugly, green broth he makes.” Shmi laughed, and her eyes twinkled. “Sorry Master Jedi—it’s an old Skywalker family recipe.” Qui-Gon stopped dead in his tracks. “Skywalker? Did you say Skywalker?” Shmi looked at him curiously. “Yes, that is my name—Shmi Skywalker.” “Does Krishna know about this?” “Yes of course.” Shmi furrowed her brow in anxiety. “What’s wrong?” A sudden dawn of realization hit Qui-Gon like a rock. Suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, and he was left feeling sick, with the color fast fading from his face. “Come with me.” He grabbed her hand. “Why?” Shmi asked as he led her out into the Tatooine sun. “We’re going to the race track.” “But why?” Concern etched itself deep into Qui-Gon’s features. “I’ll explain later. For now… let me say that my apprentice really does intend on entering herself in that blasted pod race.” They ran. * “Racers—start your engines!” The two-headed announcer proclaimed to the gathered crowd. I sat in my pod, hands on the thrusters, leaning into the wind. Thousands of beings sat in the stadium—I couldn’t even begin to count the species. Everything I had was focused on the race. I had no idea where the track would lead, or where were the strategic points. I was going to rely completely on wit and determination… and the Force if needed. Everything looked hazy through my slim pair of goggles. Not having time to buy a real helmet was certainly looking worse by the minute. I tried not to think of all the projectiles that could come flying at my pod during the race… but that only made it worse. Vaguely, in the background, I heard the final set of instructions repeated in Huttese. I saw the monstrous Hutt—Jabba, I think was his name—ooze out onto the platform, with all his dancing slaves following behind. That’s when the danger sense prickled at the back of my neck. Whirling my head around, I sensed a familiar Force-presence—my Master. Biting back a curse, I refused to look in his direction. * Qui-Gon skidded to a halt as he entered the racing arena. His heart was pounding as he called out her name. “Krishna! NO! Stop!” It was too dangerous. He couldn’t lose another apprentice. * He called for me. I remember it so clearly. But I didn’t look over to him, instead I focused solely on the track in front of my pod. I heard the countdown. 3 My adrenaline started pumping, and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. 2 I did a Force-check of the pod. One of the back thrusters was a little loose, but I thought it could hold on for one race. 1 I bent into the hot, Tatooine wind, and gunned the thrusters as hard as I could. ************************** Thanks everyone for reading! If you would like on/off the PM list, please let me know! -----signature----- Voted Best New Author in the 2008 Saga Awards! "Dark Child" http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/27658856/p1/?14
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Alexis_Wingstar Registered: Sep '06	Date Posted: 5/11 4:39pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, FINALLY! PART 13 "The Gray" 5/4/08
	BUSTED! I'm happy to see this update. I loved it. I can't wait to see what happens next! -----signature----- "Change. It can be good. It can be bad. It can be expected or come as a thief in the night. Invited or not, it always comes." ~Koria "Tender Shadows", co-written w/ The Musical Jedi Padawan to DarthIshtar NaNoWriMo participant 2nd year in a row.
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Icecruncher_Amidala Registered: Sep '07	Date Posted: 5/11 6:02pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, FINALLY! PART 13 "The Gray" 5/4/08
	Wonder what her punishment will be? So glad to have you back Jecca! -----signature----- 'No one is totally worthless. They can just serve as a bad example.'---Something often said by my dad.
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JediKaren Registered: Apr '07	Date Posted: 5/11 6:06pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, FINALLY! PART 13 "The Gray" 5/4/08
	ohhh how dare you stop there! oh well, I will just have to wait. Please update sooner next time! -----signature----- Bring Light Into Darkness Reaching Through Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28415147/p1/?0 Healing Hearts: http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28282728/p1
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Obi-Odd13 Registered: Feb '08	Date Posted: 5/11 11:31pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, FINALLY! PART 13 "The Gray" 5/4/08
	Oh Boy... pieces are falling together now... Qui-Gon knows, but Krishna doesn't know that he knows, and Shmi knows part, but not all, and is probably feeling fairly confused, and thruthfully I feel sort of confused myself after writing that. And that would have come out in one breath had I said it out loud. And although I am quite anxious to see what is gonna happen with the pod race, I really can't wait 'till they get back to the Temple and see Obi-Wan again. I admit I'm a bit obsessed with him, 'specially when he's fairly young. Either way though, I really can't wait for your next chapter! -----signature----- When life hands you lemons, make grape juice, and then sit back and let the world wonder how you did it. “We are one, after all, you and I, together we suffer, together exist and forever will recreate each other.” ~Teilhard de Chardin
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Lady_Misty Registered: Mar '07	Date Posted: 5/12 4:09am Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, FINALLY! PART 13 "The Gray" 5/4/08 - Date Edited: 5/12 4:13am (1 edits total) Edited By: Lady_Misty
	Your back!!! Now I don't have to look for you up in the county, even though most of it is underwater!!! Krisnha is so busted!!! I wonder if Shmi taught Anakin how to make tea using the Skywalker secret recipe? -----signature----- 'Lumious beings are we, not this crude matter.' Kenneth Cope and Yoda The Clone Wars is wicked good!!!! I got Kenneth Cope's autograph!!!
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Quigonjecca Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 5/13 4:54am Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, FINALLY! PART 13 "The Gray" 5/4/08
	Alexis_Wingstar- Busted is right! Thanks for reading! Icecruncher_Amidala- Punishment is right. I don't think even Qui can be that forgiving. Thanks for reading 'Cruncher! JediKaren- I dare to stop because... well, because that's all I had written! Don't worry though, I'll update again in a week or so, so you don't have too long to wait. Obi-Odd13- Ah yes, young Obi-Wan. I always enjoy reading and writing the characters when they're young, because it's always so much fun! There may not be much Obi in the next chapter (or any Obi at all actually...) but he's going to play an important part in the story later on, so you'll get to see lots of him . Everything is falling into place, and a lot more things are going to come out in the open soon! Lady_Misty- The search party finally found me in my underground lair! But I'm back now! Krishna, yes, she's busted. Completely and totally busted. And you know, I get the feeling that Shmi didn't tell anyone how to make tea using the Skywalker recipe! Thank you all for reading! I'll try to have the next part up by Saturday (maybe sooner). -----signature----- Voted Best New Author in the 2008 Saga Awards! "Dark Child" http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/27658856/p1/?14
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Quigonjecca Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 5/15 3:56pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, FINALLY! PART 13 "The Gray" 5/4/08
	Hello everyone! Well, it's raining, and I have some extra time on my hands, so I was able to come up with the next part of "Dark Child." I hope you enjoy it. If you'd like on/off the PM list, just let me know. Here's the PM list so far: Iowaweezer Lady_Misty 1Yodimus_Prime Icecruncher_Amidala Alexis_Wingstar Jedi_Karen EGKenobi Silverfighter C1-J2 XANI Obi-Odd13 Thank you all for your kind comments last post. This story is turning out to be a lot longer than I anticipated. Last I checked, I was just shy of 30,000 words (w00t!). But, thanks for hanging in there, and reading along! Part 14 Race At first, nothing really happened. At least, that’s what I thought. You see, as I was looking around, everything got kind of blurry, and then I felt my head crash against the back of the pod, and the rest of me lurch forward. My hands pulled my body back into reality as they gripped the steering device. Frantically I held on and ducked under an outcropping. A blue pod flashed by on my right, and I had to swerve to get out of it’s way, which, in turn, caused me to scrape the side of some giant rock formation. I foolishly slammed on the brakes in an effort to stop, but that only made me spin up and over the cliffs until I could hardly see the tracks. So, I was losing, obviously. I thrust the control sticks down, and closed my eyes. There was really nothing else to do. My goggles were worthless, and I could hardly see a thing. I kept reaching a hand up to wipe the sand off, but it was really no use. But I always had the Force. So I reached into the Force—deeper than I had in weeks—and I let go, completely and totally surrendering to it’s all-powerful grasp. The funny thing was that it felt benign in this circumstance; not tainted. Just a nice, murky Gray…and I kind of liked it. A sort of dark snake started weaving it’s way through the blurry picture I had imagined of the landscape. I hoped it was the track, and started following. I could feel the other racer’s presences up ahead. They were all ahead—some of them by nearly half a lap. At this rate, I would never catch up. So I gunned the engine. Hard. The wind whipped through my hair and the sand peppered my skin like little blaster shots. There were columns of stone up ahead. Left, right, left, I whizzed by so close I hoped they wouldn’t take my head off. Around the corner, I leaned hard towards the ground. My pod was nearly sideways. And then I could see the glint of the other racers in the distance as I finished the first lap. I began feeling deeper in the Force, using it to enhance my speed. The deeper I reached, the more blurred things became to my eyes. I couldn’t see anymore—it was all just a haze. My fingers felt the console, but I was numb to everything else. And then I felt like I’d lose myself, so I’d jerk out of my trance-like state, and be gasping for air. It was almost painful. I felt Qui-Gon reaching for me. He was worried, I knew, but what really startled me, was that he wasn’t shielding very well…or maybe I wasn’t shielding very well. I could feel every ounce of apprehension leaking through our bond. Moreover, I could feel the fear, the anxiety and… was that helplessness? A Hutteese curse from my left brought me back into reality. A disgruntled racer was clearly unhappy at being beat by the teenage girl. His twin eyestalks were swiveling alternately in my direction and at the track, giving me a death glare. I smirked, cursed back, and kept racing. Halfway through the second lap, the sand was starting to really get on my nerves. If I never came back to this Force-forsaken dust ball of a planet, I would be happy. It was everywhere—in my clothes, behind my goggles, in the console, clogging the engine—I cursed the Rodian dealer who lent me the junk-heap of a pod. And to make matters worse, it was slowing down. I was tired. The Lighter side of the Force was more difficult to access, and my pod desperately needed a tune up. But I couldn’t lose. So… I reached Darker. The Black that engulfed my being was so intense I stopped breathing for a moment. Everything went bright and sharp with clarity. I could see the individual faces of the spectators in the crowds, I could feel each of their presences. I could see each thing as it flew by; each dune of the landscape. I felt my Master’s presence recoil, before I remembered to start shielding. I gripped my pod as hard as I could and created a Black thrust of energy. I willed the engine to stay in tact, and suddenly, I was passing racers that had been hopelessly ahead only minutes later. They shouted and pushed, but I just barreled on through. I knew the pod would undoubtedly be damaged, but it wouldn’t really matter after I won. The winnings would be enough to pay back that stupid Rodian tenfold and free Shmi. The rest of the lap blew by in a whirlwind of colors. The two-headed emcee was ranting and raving about the ‘strange little girl’ when I passed the lap-mark. I assumed he was talking about me, and soon I realized why. Up ahead, there was only one other racer. Isca, in her sleek pod, was leaning hard into the wind. I touched her presence only to find she was also fueling her pod with the Force—although I suspected she did it unwittingly. A wicked smile flashed across my face as I pressed forward. *** Qui-Gon gasped as if he had been slapped. Shmi laid a concerned hand on his arm. “What’s wrong? What’s going on?” He took a moment to steady himself. “She’s… she’s okay, I think. She wasn’t shielding there, for a moment, and I… I got a glimpse of what she was really feeling.” He shook his head. “Can we find a place to sit down?” Shmi nodded, brows furrowed, and led the Jedi over to a bench. Qui-Gon rubbed his temples. What was his apprentice thinking? Or better yet, what was she doing? He had never felt something so Dark. It was like… a black hole waiting to swallow up an innocent life form. And that life form was his apprentice. He knew she had been teetering on the edge, but he’d just felt her jump off into the abyss, hadn’t he? And then, how quickly she had erected her shields, and how strong she had kept them… Did she touch the Dark often? Qui-Gon found himself remembering Xanatos. He had been a bright young padawan too—eager to learn, eager to please… He found himself looking back on when Xanatos had thought he had killed Krishna. There was that same sense of Darkness then too… but it was minute and childish compared to what he had just felt coming from Krishna. “Master Jinn.” The voice seemed to come from a long way off. “Master Jinn?” Shmi tried again, looking at the tired man with concern. Qui-Gon shook his head. “Ah… I’m sorry, yes?” “Your apprentice—she’s on her final lap.” The master Jedi immediately looked up onto the oversized vid-screen. The camera was trained on two pods. Krishna’s looked like a child’s toy next to the size of her competitor. “Looks like Dolomine is going to have some competition today!” The emcee said, surprised and delighted. “Dolomine?” Qui-Gon asked, feeling yet another piece of the puzzle fall into place. “Isn’t that the bounty hunter—“ “—we were looking for?” Qui-Gon finished. “Yes, actually it is. And I think I’m starting to understand why my apprentice lied to me and is racing when I explicitly told her not to.” his words were terse, and angry. A day earlier, Krishna lying to him would have seemed preposterous. But now… after he felt that burst of Dark Force energy embrace his apprentice—no, she embraced the Darkness—well, who knew what she was capable of? * Before long, I was side by side with Isca. In the back of my mind, there was a small voice of guilt telling me I shouldn’t be using the Force to win, but I ignored it, convincing myself that Isca was using it—so why shouldn’t I? I don’t think she even noticed me until I was beside her, because she jumped a little and jerked her pod away when I got right up on her. Not that her pod would have been damaged by the pitiful chew-toy of a racer I was using, but I did scare her. We were on the final half-lap, side by side. Over the desert dunes our pods whipped, pretty much without touching, until Isca realized hers was three times larger than mine. Then things started to get ugly. She yanked the controls to the side, nearly smashing into me. If it wasn’t for the Force, I wouldn’t have had any warning at all, and would have become something like a squashed bug on the side of her racer. Thankfully, I swerved just in time, and managed to get out of her way. Isca only watched me half way. Most of her concentration was on the track, and, more importantly, the finish line. We were neck and neck until that last final run. It was a straight shot into the arms of a welcoming victory march, so I gunned the engines. Isca slipped in front of me. I hated that bounty hunter for that. She cost me the nose of my racer, and I began to wobble. The balance of the pod was completely off kilter, and I was exhausted from the race. The Darkness was leaving… the passion that so fueled me only moments earlier was gone—vanished like a mirage. I was groping in the fog without a light or beacon to direct my path. Barely did I stay on her tail, arms sore from trying to keep the pod steady. I had a death grip on the control stick, and I wasn’t about to let go. My eyes were wandering from the track though. I looked lazily out at the audience, who was cheering wildly, and the emcee’s two heads were talking two different conversations and getting them all the more stirred up. I chanced to see a child, no older than two, toddling along, after one of the vendors. A slave child. That did it. That was all I needed. I gunned the engine, and fueled it with a white-hot passion that did not wane. The sand seemed to split in front of me and shoot up on both sides as I slid underneath Isca’s monstrous pod, and across the finish line. I crashed shortly thereafter. It was a nosedive really, straight into the sand. Isca shot over me, and my pod caught fire. The crowd quickly went from wildly cheering to… well, more wild cheering. I swear, those Tatooine race fans really just want a good show. They could care less if it involved injury or not. But the pit crew was out there in a minute; trying to quell the flames with some strange powder I had never seen. Of course they would use a powder—there’s no water on Tatooine. They never did manage to put the fire out. Thankfully, I was able to crawl out from the cockpit. My sleeves were burning, but I quickly patted them out. Shmi and my master came running out on the track to meet me. “Krishna!” Shmi called, looking with concern at my fiery sleeve. “Krishna, are you burnt? Are you okay?” “I’m fine.” I whispered, my voice coming out cracked and dry. “I don’t burn.” Qui-Gon caught me before I could fall. He was worried—I could see it clearly on his face. But more than that, he was angry at me… that, I could feel without the Force. “Master.” I said, quietly. “We need to get you back to Shmi’s house.” He said firmly, picking me up as easily as if I had been a child’s toy. “You need help.” “No.” my voice was a little stronger. I put the Force to my legs, willing them to walk. “It’s okay Master. Go ahead and set me down—I’ll be fine.” After a moment of just staring at me, he put me back on the sand. It was difficult, but somehow I managed to stay standing. “I’ve only bought us a little time.” I said, trying to sound as if everything was under control. “Isca—she’s at the finish line now—you need to go catch her.” “Krishna I—“ “Please Master!” I pleaded. “I can’t fight right now, but we need to finish the mission.” “You need medical assistance.” He answered. “I will not let my padawan suffer.” “More people will suffer if you don’t catch that girl!” I shrieked. “Krishna!” He thundered back. “The mission is not that important!” I remember I started to say something back, but didn’t finish. The Darkness was gone—completely vanished. I couldn’t find a connection to the Force anywhere, and so, all the power that had invested itself in my being vanished, and I fell. * “The mission is not that important!” Qui-Gon yelled. No, he thought to himself. What’s more important, is the fact that my apprentice completely broke the code, lied, and is teetering on the edge of self-destruction! And then he saw her eyes—her fiery, passionate, black eyes—go completely dull as she began to fall. He caught her, and she was as limp as if she was dead. He wondered for a minute if she was dead—if the Dark had made her pay such a terrible price for momentary power. The thought made his heart skip a beat, as he looked down into her face, and saw how she was little more than a girl. Then he realized their connection was dead. “Krishna?” He asked, kneeling down on the sand, and lying her on the ground. He felt for a pulse. “Krishna?” A shallow breath, a faint heart beat. Qui-Gon breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that at least that she was still alive. “What’s wrong?” Shmi asked. She felt like that was the only thing she had asked all day. “Is she…. Is she…?” “She’s breathing.” Qui-Gon said, scooping his padawan back up in his arms. “But I don’t know for how long.” His blue eyes scanned the small city. “Hopefully she put herself in a deep Force healing trance, but if not…” he looked at Shmi. “Do you have a medic?” Shmi slowly shook her head. “Not here. The nearest medic is hours away—and that’s if we had a landspeeder.” Qui-Gon sighed. “We’ll just have to take her back to your house. I’d take her to the ship but—“ Shmi was already walking ahead. “No. Come back to my house—please. Your apprentice needs help now.” So they walked quickly back to the small home, and laid Krishna down on a pallet in the back. Qui-Gon thought she looked so young and helpless… and then her hair moved, and an ugly, black scar from Xanatos’ lightsaber resurfaced. “I must say,” Shmi said softly when Qui-Gon emerged from the back room. “I am really very confused right now.” Qui-Gon ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Me too… well, a little at least.” Shmi sat down in her rocking chair and began mending a torn sleeve. “So… your apprentice’s name is Krishna, correct?” Qui-Gon nodded. “And… she can’t burn?” “Yes that’s right. You see,” Qui-Gon began. “I actually had another apprentice before Krishna—his name was Xanatos. He was a bit older than Krishna, but the two always got along well. One day they decided to duel with full-power lightsabers, and Xanatos stabbed Krishna through the neck.” He almost chuckled at Shmi’s surprised expression. “When Krishna came to, we figured out she was immune to lightsaber wounds. And I guess she’s immune to all kinds of burns.” “And… Xanatos?” “He was expelled from the Jedi Order.” Qui-Gon shook his head. “I don’t know where he is now. Shmi,” he said suddenly. “I failed him—I failed my apprentice—and I fear I might be failing Krishna too.” “No.” Shmi answered, firmly and without hesitation. “You did not fail Xanatos, and you’re not failing Krishna. We all come to a time when we have to make our own decisions. Yes, it’s your job as her instructor to guide her down the correct path, but if she chooses the wrong path it’s not—,” “But what if she falls off the path altogether?” Qui-Gon asked quietly. “She’s already jumped, Shmi. She’s jumped and embraced something I cannot fathom or follow.” “There’s always a way back onto the path.” Shmi said softly, looking Qui-Gon dead in the eye. “And from what I’ve seen, Krishna is just a confused little girl.” She gave a small smile. “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll come around.” Qui-Gon wasn’t so sure. *** Comments are welcome! The next part is already written, so I'll be posting fairly soon. Thanks so much for reading! -----signature----- Voted Best New Author in the 2008 Saga Awards! "Dark Child" http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/27658856/p1/?14
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JediKaren Registered: Apr '07	Date Posted: 5/15 5:34pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Part 14 "RACE" 5/15/08
	ohh that was SO good! More more! -----signature----- Bring Light Into Darkness Reaching Through Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28415147/p1/?0 Healing Hearts: http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28282728/p1
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Obi-Odd13 Registered: Feb '08	Date Posted: 5/15 8:51pm Subject: RE: "Dark Child" AU, Xanatos, OC's, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Part 14 "RACE" 5/15/08
	Come on Qui-Gon! Don't let Krishna down just because she used the Dark Side! Listen to Shmi - she knows what she's talking about on some level. Probably a lot more than even she realizes. Can't wait for the next post (or the next time Little Obi shows up! ) -----signature----- When life hands you lemons, make grape juice, and then sit back and let the world wonder how you did it. “We are one, after all, you and I, together we suffer, together exist and forever will recreate each other.” ~Teilhard de Chardin
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