Adventure on Myrkr: A Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan story

It's not complete, and the title is lame, but here goes my first fan fic. Geek out!

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon
Adventure on Myrkr



My saber flashes before me like a white-hot shield, cutting branches and scattering frantic animals. I fly down through the forest, my legs pumping hard, seeking each new foothold within each new moment. The Force guides my actions, I feel the path before me, almost as if it is cut into the thick underbrush. And I feel my fear and panic, but they are elsewhere? it?s as if another Obi-Wan is following me, two meters behind. A frail human Obi-Wan, filled with fear and sheer terror, chasing after this calm one, racing through an impossible obstacle course.
But this is just my mind playing tricks on me. Of much greater importance are the two very real beings in this forest with me. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the first. He is my master, Qui-Gon Jinn, following me to the left and slightly behind, moving quickly and steadily through the branches and small gullies. The other is more felt than seen. A landslide of anger and primal rage. An immense beast with the power and speed of a tumbling boulder, smashing bushes and uprooting trees in its ferocious pursuit of us. I?m not even sure what kind of creature it is, but I can feel its anger, and hear the thunderous pounding of its descent.
For a brief moment, I consider slowing down and taking the flank. The detached part of my mind remembers a military lesson, fleeing forces should take turns covering one another, lest one unit should tire quickly and be overcome. But the better part of me knows it is all-important that the Master protect the Padawan at all times. This is not a rule to be disobeyed?ever.
A tree trunk hurtles down the hill to my left, smashing and spinning off a larger tree. Rocks and leaves rain down on my head. The beast is fast closing in on us. I am deeply and steadily breathing now, almost in battle meditation, but it isn?t enough. There is no more speed to be had. My legs were long-ago exhausted, and though I feel the Force, my body is still limited by its own biology. Master Qui-Gon is slowing, and he is lost from my sight.
I dare not turn, my saber cutting a large branch just in time to miss my head. One of my sleeves is becoming unwrapped, the battle ties dangerously fluttering out. Not now! If my loose robe should become caught on a branch? Blast! Where is Qui-Gon?!
A small clearing approaches, I leap into it, and with my last burst of energy, spin around to catch a glimpse of the beast overtaking my master, an explosion of dead wood and a whirlwind of leaves enveloping them both.

*****

?Master, no??

?Defy me, would you?? I remember Master Yoda wrinkled his mouth and glared at me. ?Know best how to train yourself, yes?? He paused.
?No, master, of course not. It?s just that I think I would be better served by another Jedi.?
Master Yoda grunted. He sat back in his chair, and I continued to kneel in his tiny apartment on Coruscant. It was specially sized for the diminutive Jedi, and I could no longer stand up in it, as I did when I was a child. Outside, the orange sky flamed, reflected in the silver towers of Coruscant.
?Master Jinn has a? reputation.?
Again, Master Yoda grunted, and then placed his gimer stick in his mouth and began gnawing on the end. I couldn?t stand the chewing noise, it never sat well with me. He knew this, and smirked happily.
?Master, if possible, I wish to be trained by a Jedi who is in good standing with the Council, someone who is in a position of respect? not a? maverick.?
?In good standing he is? with me,? Yoda nodded. ?Power you crave.?
?No, master, I don?t. But I know the importance of politics?? I didn?t wish to continue. Both Master Yoda and I knew that politics ran the Council, but neither of us wished to admit it out loud. But neither could we deny it. Yoda broke the silence by knocking his stick on the floor.

 

?Decided it is, by the one you now call Master,? Yoda tapped his chest. ?Master Qui-Gon shall teach you. Unbalanced is your training, young one.? He leaned forward and gazed at me serenely. Then he jabbed me with his stick. ?An inflated sense of power have you!? He sat back and looked out the window onto the Coruscant traffic. ?A destiny have you, and clouded it is. But converges it does with that of Master Qui-Gon, somehow. Complete you training he will.? He sat quite still. ?Ends the lesson!? The gimer stick rapped my knees painfully.
?Ouch!?
?Am I interrupting?? A low voice came from the doorway. I looked up and hunkered down on his haunches was a man with long hair, a ceremonial braid, and a thick beard.
?Master Qui-Gon,? Yoda nodded at me, ?your new apprentice?Obi-Wan Kenobi.?
I?d never seen a Jedi with long hair before, he looked like a civilian. I must admit, I just? stared at him.
?I assure you, the length of my hair has nothing to do with my commitment as a teacher, Padawan.? He looked first at me, then at Yoda and smiled tightly.
I realized my rudeness and swallowed hard. ?Yes, Master!? I quickly pulled up my sleeves, placed my hands on the ground, my fingers forming a diamond, and touched my forehead to the floor: the majess?the deep bow of a Padawan to his new Master. ?Master Qui-Gon Jinn, I am? honored to be your student.? Still looking down, I asked, ?Master, do you wish me to sit krika?? Krika is a difficult meditation a student must endure when changing Masters. The padawan sits in meditation, as open and receptive as possible, while the two Masters talk about the student?s performance and potential, pointing up all his past and future weaknesses. It?s very difficult for some to endure.
He waved his arm. ?No, Obi-Wan. You?ll find I?m not strong on formalities. I only ask that you are are honest and obedient. In return, I will try to instruct you in the ways of the Jedi, and I will protect you, with my life if need be.?
He folded his arms inside his cloak and set his eyes on me. ?Someday it may come to that.?
********

?Master!? My heels dig in and I skid to a stop. A storm of dead leaves and twigs showers me, as I sprint up toward the impact. My senses are burned clean, acutely focused, nothing will stand between my Master and myself. I will shred that beast with my bare hands and teeth if need be. As the dust clears up ahead, I see the mound of the monster, fallen like a meteor and half-submerged in the hillside. It has come to rest against an enormous tree, likely as old as the Republic. Quite possibly the only tree in the forest capable of stopping the one-ton behemoth.
I thread my way cautiously back, watching for signs of movement from the creature, but I saw nothing. I feel nothing, no waves of pain, no sparks of anger. It is dead. And my master is nowhere to be seen.
I shut down my lightsaber and call out: ?Master Qui-Gon??, feeling like a stupid child. I approach the beast, and began examining it more closely. It has thick, grey, reptilian skin, with a few patches of filthy matted hair. A huge neck supports a massive, blunt head. And the sharpened tusks are clotted with blood and a chunk of cloth dangles gruesomely off the one nearest me. An involuntary shudder courses through me. I?m not sure I?m ready to see this.
But what other recourse do I have? Am I to run home crying to Yoda? Ask to start my training all over again? I can?t remain a boy forever. If Qui-Gon has died, then it is the mere shell of him that remains. Nothing but biology. And still? I have no desired to see the smashed or mutilated body of my master, the man who has been most like a father to me. I scarcely even know what that means.
I draw a breath. This is foolishness. I must at least give him the respect of laying out his body. I move toward the jaws, and begin digging mud and loose dirt away with my hands, trying to remain clear, focused.
The snout of the beast lurches suddenly. Fear courses through my body and I ignite my blade

 

the snout, and stands to his full height, drenched in the pungent blood and gore of the dead animal. I exhale in relief, as he wipes a dirty hand across his face.
?Obi-Wan,? he says hoarsely. ?Remind me to listen to you next time, boy.?
*****


To tell the truth, it didn?t even begin as a mission. It was intended to be a simple lesson, mainly for me.
When I first met Qui-Gon, he identified my weakness in the Living Force rather quickly. It wasn?t obvious to everyone, because I was always quite attuned to the unifying Force; I had visions, premonitions, I could sense conflict in the future, far across the galaxy sometimes. I could also sense how those around me would treat me and react to me. So some thought I was also strong with the Living Force, but Qui-Gon saw through that, and knew that I was only sensing the future actions of the people, and not as much their feelings and thoughts.
Actually, it rather annoyed me. I had done quite well in the Academy, I was considered quite advanced for my age. No one had ever criticized me before, really. But he saw my weakness, and decided to fix it.
Master Qui-Gon?s solution was to take me to planets teeming with life, planets stuffed with organic beings, and not necessarily paved-over or covered with technology. We hiked a lot through barren outbacks and deep forests, meditated, and I learned to become more attuned to the creatures and energies around me. In fact, returning to civilized worlds became something of a shock, as I felt an emptiness in the Force, replaced by the uneven pulses of nervous and agitated city-dwellers. I didn?t prefer the wilderness, necessarily, but I could certainly train more easily in its peaceful environment.
And that is why we had come to far-flung Myrkr, a planet of forests and savannahs, mostly uninhabited, except for a few trading outposts. There were the requisite hyperdrive scam shops, ready to fix up failing ships for inflated prices, but not much else. A few smuggling operations, I?m sure. But mostly just deep forests and quiet windy grasslands.
As we headed into Hyllard Outpost, Qui-Gon checked me over quickly. In the shuttle, we?d prepared to look less like Jedi and more like mere travellers. Myrkr was not a Republic world, and there were many factions of the underworld who?d pay bounty on a Jedi?s head. On the other hand, it was no good for Jedi to act hunted or ashamed. There were also many who respected our order, and would welcome us. So we struck a balance of inconspicuous appearance. I tucked my Padawan braid down into my robe, and wore my hood up. I also shoved my saber into my belt, at the small of my back. Qui-Gon uncoiled his braid and wore his great mane loose, much to my displeasure. But it served its purpose. We looked like normal pilgrims.
Hyllard Outpost was only a cluster of stone buildings, carved out of the forest, and we easily travelled the distance from the gates to the main thoroughfare, a dirt-packed plaza with multi-colored tents and flags. Swarming through the tiny arena were a multitude of creatures of all different races and species?Rodians, Trandoshans, humans, Bothans, Ithorians, furred beasts the likes of which I?d never seen, and every other manner of space debris.
?Master, must they all gather in one spot? It?s horrifying??
Qui-Gon laughed mirthlessly. ?Just keep your eyes out for a supply depot, Obi-Wan,? he murmured. ?We?re going to need provisions.? He stopped short, put his hand on my chest and said, ?And try to blend in. You look nervous.?
?Yes, Master.?
I shuffled along, keeping my eyes to the ground, as we began to press into the dusty crowd. My eyes darted around to the various shops and fruit stands, selling beads, and smoked chuba, and dried chokie, and a number of items I couldn?t identify, nor did I want to. In fact, as I was shoved and jostled by a group of brutish Trandoshans, I realized I didn?t want to be here at all, that we were in fact in a rather dangerous environment. And to make matters worse, Master Qui-Gon?s noble war

 

Suddenly there was a commotion up ahead. A chorus of garbled voices rang out, and the crowd cheered wildly. I followed Master Qui-Gon quickly through the crowd as he made his way forward. He parted the swarm easily, and I could see what was going on.
Two emerald-green Rodians were on a small stage, using a crowd-talker to rile up their audience, while a third rattled a large cage, inside of which was another Rodian?this one had beautiful irridescent red skin.
As if sensing my question, Qui-Gon whispered back to me. ?Rodians with this type of ruby skin are quite rare. They often fetch a high-price on the slave and collector?s market.?
I nudged him with my fist. ?Master, why would the Rodians sell one of their own??
He shrugged. ?Greed.?
I nudged him again. ?Are we going to intervene??
This time he turned and put his hand on my shoulder. ?This is not a Republic world, and we haven?t been invited. It?s important to remember, there are limits to our authority.? He turned away from me, slightly embarrassed, I think. I still felt angry, as if we should at least try. Perhaps we could secretly? But no, I understood. If the Council had discovered our involvment, it almost certainly would have censured Qui-Gon, and I would have to find a new master, once again. And my ascension to Jedi Knight had been delayed long enough.
Master Qui-Gon continued pushing past the stage, and on through the plaza. I reluctantly followed. As we left, a scruffy-looking human was frantically bidding against a shiny protocol droid for the ruby-colored alien.
As we shoved and elbowed our way through the crowd, I felt something strange attract my attention and I stopped, grabbing Qui-Gon?s robe to signal him. He turned and we both stared at a small alcove, where a man sat cross-legged with two chance cubes and several sticks of illegal spice. Around him crouched several beings, a Rodian, a Nikto, and a human about my age. None of them looked particularly reputable or interesting, but there was something about this older man. Then I realized, he was blind.
We slowly approached and realized it was a standard gambling game. The blind man rolled the chance cubes, and covered one with a cup before it stopped rolling. Players bet on the combination with spice sticks and then he uncovered the cube. Qui-Gon placed his hand on my shoulder and nodded for me to watch.
?Master, why are we interested in petty gambling but not slave tr??
?Shhh,? he silenced me.
The blind man rolled again, and put his own bets in. Uncovering the cube, he felt its face and realized he?d done well and smiled. ?Bet again?? He chortled. The gamblers frowned at each other, but grunted their agreement. The blind man started rolling the chance cubes around in his fist and threw them down on the blanket. As he slammed the cup down, he missed the cube, and now both were exposed. The players grinned evilly at each other, and began placing their extravagant bets. ?Red-blue, red-blue? they said.
?Such money!? The blind man exclaimed. ?Well, I?d be a fool not to take a chance. I?ll bet against you, just for sport. Blue-blue.? And he leaned forward to push his spice sticks into the pile. His fingers grazed across both uncovered cubes, and his face turned to a sheepish grin. ?Well, gentlemen, it looks like I?m a clumsy old fool. My extra cube has fallen out of my sleeve.? And with that he grabbed the red-faced cube and threw it in his sleeve. ?Now, shall we continue??
The gamblers sat slack-jawed as he lifted the cup and revealed another blue-face cube. ?I was right!? he chortled again, and began collecting his rewards. ?Well, gentlemen, it?s been a very nice diversion, playing with you---? The Nikto wrapped its claw around his wrist. The blind man stopped. ?I won fair and square.?
The Nikto growled, but moved no further.
?I won? fair and square,? the blind man repeated.
?He won fair and square,? said the human, nudging the Nikto reluctantly. It was true, the blind man had won. These gamblers had no quarrel with him.

 

The Nikto released his grasp on the blind man, who stood, and felt around for his sense-cane. He picked his way through the sitting gamblers, turned his head briefly toward us, and then back again toward the gamblers. ?Please,? he said, ?wait here and rest while I walk away.?
?I?m gonna wait and here and rest for awhile,? said the human, leaning back on his elbows.
The blind man sniffed the air briefly, and then slowly melted into the crowd.
As I stood with Master Qui-Gon, I realized that I too, was quite tired, and couldn?t understand why we had to be standing in the hot sun, in a dusty market, watching an insignificant gambling game. When I couldn?t stand the silence any longer, I nudged my master again. ?Master Qui-Gon, I?m in need of rest. Can we sit here for awhile??
He turned quickly on me, his eyebrows knotted. ?Obi-Wan!? he said sharply, ?Snap out of it.?
I took a deep breath and my mind cleared. The blind man?s voice had weaved quite a spell over me. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. ?What a con-man!? I smiled.
?He was no con-man,? Qui-Gon steered me down the street. ?He was a Jedi.?
A Jedi! Impossible, I thought. I would have sensed it.
Master Qui-Gon looked down at me again. ?And he had you completely under his control, evidently.?
A rush of embarrasment surged through me. I mentally played back the scene, yes, a mind trick. I wasn?t expecting it. ?I?m? sorry? Master.? I shoved my hands deep in my sleeves and bowed my head.
?Supply depot, Obi-Wan,? he replied, changing the subject.

We continued on through the tiny streets, up alleys and under makeshift bridges, with no luck. I watched for the blind Jedi, but I could sense him nowhere. He had disappeared somehow. Qui-Gon appearred uninterested, only occasionally stopping to ask a local about various shops or locales.
As the sun began to set, and the largest moon was high in the twilight sky, we stopped in front of a drab building, strung with condenser readouts as an improvised decoration. In Huttesse, the sign said ?Drink-Food-Supply-Drink.? Alarmingly, Qui-Gon began to casually go in.
?Master,? I stopped him. ?It appears to be a cantina.?
He pointed to the character for ?Supply? and smirked. ?Beggars can?t be choosers, Obi-Wan.?
As we passed the droid-stop boxes, I could hear the tones of a bouncy prerecorded tune over the loudspeakers. All manner of guttural chirps and squeaks permeated the air, but it wasn?t loud. A low spice smoke hung near the floor, and I couldn?t make out who exactly sat in the darkened cavernous booths in the back. To our immediate right was an improvised supply depot, though, brightly lit in contrast to the cantina proper. We made our way over.
?Standard provisions, two humans, two weeks.? Qui-Gon told the tiny shopkeep. His rodent face squinched in approval and he began skimming a chart as he moved into the back to get our supplies. The keep stopped and shrieked something back at Qui-Gon.
?Fifteen minutes, he says,? shrugged Qui-Gon. ?Let?s relax.?
I stood stock still as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn walked casually over to the bar.
?Corellian Ale,? I heard him order. I had to see this. A Jedi drinking intoxicants? What next? Would he order up a spice stick?
?Master!? I couldn?t help but exclaim. No other words would come to me.
He sipped deeply of the ale, and sighed. Then he turned slowly toward me and smiled. ?Obi-Wan, life is too short, and too dark, to deprive oneself of the few pleasure it offers you.?
?The Code forbids it!? I still couldn?t believe him, standing there, drinking a Corellian ale.
?The Code says nothing about it. The Council forbids it. There?s a difference.? He rested his elbows on the bar, and took another deep drink.
?It is not allowed, at any rate,? I could see I wasn?t going to convince him.
?All things are allowed, in moderation, Padawan,? he said slowly. ?In moderation.?
I ordered a Byss tea, and stood beside him, surveying the crowd in the smoky cantina. My Jedi education, I laughed to myself.

 

The music droned on, electronically bouncing up and down, and the crowd chattered. Suddenly the droid-stop went off. I glanced back over to see two human men by the supply depot window. They didn?t belong to the crowd, they wore the simple clothing of harvesters or maybe prospectors. In fact, the heavier of the two had a small portable claim-droid attached to his back. They were arguing with the shopkeep, who stood on the counter to be eye-level with them. Actually, I got the distinct impression they were pleading. Suddenly, the keep whipped out a small gleaming rod and touched the larger man?s arm. He dropped limply to the ground, the claim-droid rolling around loosely on the ground. The other man shot a comment at the keep and then knelt down to tend to his friend.
The keep glanced in my direction and bared his long front teeth in annoyance. That?s right, you little runty thing, I saw you stun him. I put my tea down and walked over.
?What?s going on here?? I looked straight at the keep. The little hairy beast chattered noisily at me, gesturing at the two prospectors, and back into his shop. I couldn?t understand a word. He seemed to grow more angry, so I turned to the prospector.
?Is he alright?? The man nodded. ?Why was he stunned??
The prospector wiped his chin and looked up at me. ?We been trying to buy rifles here for about two weeks. We gotta defend our claim against the local? riff-raff. But he won?t let us.? He jerked his thumb up at the keep, who shot a piece of spittle between his yellow teeth.
?Go to hell, gutterspawn!? The man growled, springing to his feet. The rodent reached below the counter and drew a spiny-blaster and levelled it at the man?s head. Instinctively, I reached back into my belt and drew my saber, raising my arm to block any blaster bolts the shopkeep might fire, when I ran sharply into something hard and immoveable. The staff of the blind man rested solidly on my arm, and he had his opposite finger in the business end of the keep?s blaster. He smiled and said ?Wando, don?t shoot paying customers, uh??
Wando chattered quickly at the blind man, and pulled the blaster back. He stuffed it under the counter and ran off back into his inventory. The stunned man was now awake and staring wide-eyed at my unlit saber and his friend was trying to catch his breath after his brush with death.
?You?re a Jedi?? said the heavy man.
?No,? said the blind man. ?I?m just a simple gambler.?
?Not you,? gulped the other prospector. ?Him.? He pointed at me.
?Yes,? I nodded. ?I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. My master is Qui-Gon Jinn,? I moved to gesture to Qui-Gon at the bar, but he was standing right behind me.
The prospectors bowed and introduced themselves as well. The heavy man was called Shane and his partner was Gull. I was constantly distracted by the blind man standing there. I wanted to ask him who he was, this mysterious fallen Jedi.
He answered me unprompted. ?And my name is Anno Dintaro.?
?Thank you for intervening, Anno,? Master Qui-Gon interrupted. ?I?m sorry if the boy caused you any trouble.?
?None,? smiled Anno. Then he lifted his strange sense-cane off my arm, and poked me lightly in the chest. ?But Padawan, try to remember always, *where* you are, and *what* you are doing, hm??
?Please, sirs,? Shane interjected, ?we desparately need your help.?
Qui-Gon shook his head. ?I?m sorry, we?re not on a Republic world. All I can do is take you to Coruscant with me.?
I couldn?t believe my ears! My so-called ?maverick? master refusing to help someone who asked it? ?Master, can we not hear them out, at least??
?Yes, please, sirs,? said Shane. He looked at me directly now. ?When we came to Myrkr, we were assurred there was good mining here, good claims to stake. We established ourselves, but then these spice merchants moved in. They?re chasing everyone out!?
Gull nodded and added, ?They also control cargo to and from the planet. It?s awful, we can?t defend ourselves, we can?t buy rifles, we can?t even ship cargo off the planet.?

 

voice. ?Our families, sir.? He grabbed my robe. ?Our children. They need this claim. We can?t raise them or even move off-planet without this money.?
Gull nodded in agreement. ?We need your help, Jedi. Help us defend our claims against the spice merchants.?
Qui-Gon suddenly became very tense and in a tight whisper, he hissed at them. ?Not only have you now given your *intentions* away, you?ve given our *identities* away. You?ve asked us to participate in a war against illegal spice merchants on an unaffiliated world. Well, what should we do? Because your greed won?t let you leave, we?re supposed to save your claim for you? And how do we do that? We kill off every spice merchant and criminal on the planet? That just means a whole new batch moves in and sets up shop. So, do we destroy every last spice merchant in the galaxy??
?No,? came the low voice of Anno. ?Just one. Just Bezz Drexx.?
?Who is Bezz Drexx?? asked Qui-Gon, turning to the gambler.
?The man I work for.?
The prospectors? wide blue eyes fixed on Anno?s lifeless white ones. Master Qui-Gon?s gaze held solidly on me, and I began to feel I had done something extremely clumsy, interjecting myself into this situation.
?Obi-Wan,? he said at last. ?Please see these prospectors to the door. Anno and I are going to talk a little. Join us when you are done.?
I bowed, and as he began leading Anno toward one of the cave-like dark booths, Shane gripped my arm. He pulled me toward the door. ?That?s him! They call him the Assassin, he?s the bodyguard of Drexx, the one who?s raiding our camps all the time. Drexx wants to drive us out and steal our claims, I think. The Assassin comes in and kills whoever they think is the leader. They?ve done it three times so far.?
Gull nudged me, ?I think I?m probably next,? he said with undisguised pride.
?You are not,? Shane dismissed him.
As we walked into the night-time street, Shane turned to me a final time. ?Listen, you gotta convince your master in there, that we need your help. Republic or no Republic, people?s lives are in danger, and we need your protection. That?s all there is to it.?
I didn?t enjoy being pressurred by him, nor did I approve of Qui-Gon?s diffidence, in fact I didn?t like anything about where I was being forced to stand on this issue. Too much gray area, not enough action.
?All right,? I said. ?We?ll help you. We?re going west tomorrow, meet us on the main road out of Hyllard.?

I spotted Master Qui-Gon and Anno in the back, sitting in a booth. On their table were several vials and bottles of various intoxicators and spirits. Anno had obviously consumed the lion?s share, as his face shone red in the low light of the table luminator. He beckoned for me to sit.
?Let me tell you a story, young one.? I sat down warily and glanced at Qui-Gon, who nodded in approval. Anno began again, ?A story about a Jedi not too long ago, maybe the age of your master. He was a good Jedi, blind from birth, but strong in the Force. Some say his lack of sight made him even stronger. I?d say they were right,? he laughed and drank again.
?Well, gentlemen, this Jedi served the Council for many years, and was given a Padawan to teach. Of average ability was this Padawan, but she was eager to learn. And she had a strong and prominent Senator as her father. He had never truly given her up to the Jedi, always watching over and checking up on me.? He snorted.
?Regardless, I trained her well. But on one of our missions we encountered a group of fanatic terrorists, they invaded the hotel we were staying at, and captured us. She, and I, and a group of innocent Gand children. The little children were so frightened?? He trailed off here. I felt the sadness begin to seep from him. ?We didn?t reveal we were Jedi. It would have made them insane, and they would have killed us all. We were moved to a remote location and held captive. They mercilessly tormented the children, for whom they had no pity, but for me, because I was blind? heh?? He laughed sadly. ?For *m

 

captors, or their hideout.? He knocked back another small cup of fizzing liquid, and winced. ?A blind man? So I left my Padawan behind, and left the compound. Of course, I could describe exactly who they were and where they were, and I returned with a strike force of the best Jedi I could muster.?
Now he paused again, and I was overcome with a wave of anger, his anger. ?But it was too late. The terrorists slaughtered everyone, and burned the compound to the ground. The children, my Padawan, everyone? I?ll never know why. I?ll never be sure why. Did she reveal herself? Did she try to save the children? Or were they just brutes and decided to be done with it all? Savages?? He sniffed. ?To make a long story short, they blamed Anno Dintaro, and made sure he was dismissed from the Council!?
Anno slammed his fist into the table. Qui-Gon laid his hand on Anno?s shoulder.
?And her father? Oh, he chased me off Coruscant, took everything I had, my money, my home, everything. Cleared my files from CorSec. I don?t exist. I am dead.?
He shot back another cup and winced again. ?So now you find me, dead as I am, earning my money any way I can. Working for a wretched spice merchant, whose life isn?t worth anything but the credits he supplies me with. I am his bodyguard, his assassin.?
A sickening wave of revulsion passed over me as I stared at this depraved, fallen Jedi. A man wallowing deep in self-pity for a foolish mistake he made. Imagine leaving your Padawan like that! I tried to picture him as proud and noble, like Qui-Gon, but all I could see was his greedy smirk as he conned gamblers out of money, selling off bits of his honor as he used the Force for money, for gain. And not even ambitious! A two-bit bodyguard for a backwater drug lord!
?Master, I?ve heard enough, let?s go.?
?One more thing, Obi-Wan. Anno, tell Obi-Wan what you told me. About ?honor.??
Anno grunted. ?I may be fallen, in the gutter. I may be flawed, but I still have my honor. I am sworn to protect Bezz Drexx, and if you choose to help those prospectors, I will stand in your way. Don?t let?s be forced to kill one another, my brothers.? And with that, Anno slumped forward.
?Now we can go, Padawan.?

After having collected our provisions, Master Qui-Gon and I set out down the street to find shelter for the night.
?But I told them I would protect them, Master.?
He shot me another disapproving look. ?You?ll have to un-tell them.?
?I gave them my word.?
?It was not yours to give. You are not fully-trained.? He marched quickly on.
I struggled to catch up with him, the supplies clanking and weighing me down. ?Master, wait.? We were wandering down a dark street, and I suddenly had a premonition of danger. The lights were off here, for no apparent reason. And where once the streets had been still-crowded with nighttime activity, here it was deserted.
Qui-Gon was still ahead of me, a silhouette in the unlit street. I called out after him. ?Master, I have a bad feeling about??
Two large shapes stepped out in front of us, up the street. I glanced behind and saw three Trandoshans following us in off the main street.
More softly, I continued, ?Maybe we should??
?Straight forward, Obi-Wan. We are not intimidated.? Master Qui-Gon slowed for me to catch up and then squared his shoulders. As we neared the Trands, they cocked and loaded their long blasters.
<Dezz kakuda> One of them said. He was more green than yellow, and his tongue flicked out over his sharp teeth.
?Blasters? On the street? That?s not very friendly,? said Qui-Gon.
<Dozka, na kakuda, wormo> He patted his blaster. Then he made a grasping motion with his claw. <Beeta na toyo>
?Why don?t you let us pass?? Qui-Gon subtly waved his hand, his mind reaching out toward the creature.
<Na, na> the creature laughed dryly, flicking its tongue. <Beeta na toyo>

 

?You will let us pass,? Qui-Gon tried again.
<Faaka! Jedi!> the Trand screamed angrily and raised his blaster.
In a swift movement, Qui-Gon drew his saber and a flash of green fire cut the Trand and his weapon in two pieces. Then I heard a blaster erupt and I was shoved violently forward, into Master Qui-Gon, and we careened toward the other Trand. I continued falling, the weight of the pack falling on me and I saw Qui-Gon?s feet spin forward and I heard a slice and then a horrifying scream and gurgle. Another weight fell on me, and I could no longer see.
I heard the saber swinging, blaster shots pinging off its blade, and the piercing screams of two more Trands. Footsteps running away, and then boots walking toward me. I struggled to shove the weight off me.
?Let me help you,? said my Master. He lifted the dead Trandoshan off me, and threw it aside. Then I sat up, and dusted my robes off. ?Nice block,? Qui-Gon said, and showed me one of the cooking pans from my pack. It had a black carbon blaster burn sizzled into it.
?I?m sorry, Master. I was thrown off balance by the pack.?
?A trained Jedi can act under *any* circumstance, with confidence in his abilities.?
Shame burned my face again, and I said, ?I know, I?ll try harder next time.?
?Next time?? Qui-Gon admonished me again. ?Next time you may be fighting a squad of thugs, led by a fully-trained Jedi Knight. Did you think of that, before you promised those prospectors our help??
He stalked off, leaving me sitting uselessly in a pool of cold Trandoshan blood.


[TO BE CONTINUED....]

 

I like this! Good story, excellent characterizations, good descriptions, and a very interesting dilemma! I liked the part where Obi-Wan is not too excited about having a maverick for a master, and the way that Qui-Gon senses his weakness in the Living Force and sets out to strengthen it. Now it seems that Obi-Wan is following his heart and getting them into trouble. Everything about this story looks solid and well thought out, and very entertaining. I'm especially intrigued by the ex-Jedi Anno and the way that he's now the opposition. Keep up the good work--I'll be waiting for more!

Just a hint: It's easier to read if there is a space between each paragraph and if the posts don't end in the middle of a sentence.

 

thanks Jane! I will keep that in mind about the spaces...
and now I must help advertise my story, so I'm sending this thread to the top!

 

One final request (and an excuse to update!), if you are just lurking, I'd appreciate even the smallest comment, even if it's just "this was as necessary as t*ts on a fish" (not my quote), just so I know you're out there and reading.

Thanks everyone!

 

Just found this. I'm really enjoying it.

Keep it up!

 

Wow you were busy yesterday. I like the action and attitudes in this. I did find it a little hard to follow some of it. (That's just me)

 

thanks everyone, for responding.
you guys are great.
okay, here's

PART TWO.

The next morning, Master Qui-Gon and I set off from Hyllard with no further distractions. I wondered if the Trandoshans had marked us earlier and just wanted to rob us, or were connected somehow with Bezz Drexx and his gang. My master had said nothing further to me since the incident, beyond the essentials: Wake up, boy; get ready, boy, we?re leaving, boy. That sort of thing. He could be quite ?charming? in the morning.

Unfortunately, I needed him to be in better spirits. I hadn?t yet told him we were set to ACTUALLY meet the prospectors, a little ways out of town; that we were ACTUALLY supposed to start helping them; and here we were, marching past the city gates already. I jogged forward to catch up with him, my supplies jangling and banging against each other.

?Master!? He slowed, and I came up beside him. I forced myself to think of some scholarly topic I could get him to talk about. Something relevant? ?Master, please tell me about? tell me about destiny.?

Qui-Gon shot me a suspicious glance. Then he tossed a Corellian nectar-date in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. ?What do you wish to know??

?Is destiny?.? My mind scrambled to think of something I wished to know about destiny, something he could explain to me, which would make him feel like a good teacher, and me like a good student. ?Is destiny inescapable? Carved in stone??

?No, of course not.? He munched away, and looked off into the distance. We continued walking. ?One can escape one?s destiny, if one truly wants to. It?s like being swept along in the current of a strong river. Chances are, you won?t be able to swim to shore. You?ll be swept wherever the river takes you. You may avoid obstacles within the river, grab onto passing logs, this kind of thing, but you will go where it takes you. There are very few strong or lucky enough to make it to shore.?

I sighed, and adjusted my pack. ?It sounds rather depressing. The river seems to want to drown us.?

Master Qui-Gon laughed, ?That?s typical of the young, Obi-Wan. Don?t center on yourself, your own relevance to the world. Remember, the river is merely the river, it knows nothing of US. We fail in life when we believe the river wants to drown us, or dash us on the rocks. The truth is?? A landspeeder full of hooting, drunken Rodians sped by. ?The truth is? the river doesn?t care.? As the dust cleared, a small tiny astromech with police markings rolled by in slow pursuit of the landspeeder.

We hiked for awhile in silence, but I still felt the tension uneased. I had to work him into a more passionate frame of mind, get his Jedi blood boiling, so that when we met the prospectors, he?d be in full swing, and agree to help. Then I hit on it. ?Master, if the ?river? doesn?t care about us, and the river is basically the Force??

??Or life, or whatever you wish to call it,? he added. ?Continue.?

 

Somehow, I can't imagine that Obi-Wan will succeed in his plan to get Qui-Gon's Jedi blood boiling, but I can't wait to read about him trying his best! Good formatting now, very easy to read. Keep up the great work.

 

?If the Force doesn?t care about us, then what is the meaning of the Prophecy?? By this I meant, the Prophecy Foretold by the ancient Jedi historians, the one that had divided so many Jedi, and the one that had embroiled him in many an argument with none other than Mace Windu, and even Yoda himself!

His nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched. ?Yes, the Prophecy, indeed.? His hands came free and he rest his fist on the butt of his saber hilt as he walked. ?Listen closely, Obi-Wan. There are those in our order who believe the Prophecy is an abstract description, something not intended to be taken literally. They believe that its description of a ?vergence? around a person or a living being is impossible, or illogical. They believe a being cannot be created in any way counter to our ?knowledge? of this world and this life. Well? I say to you, Obi-Wan, if the Force wills it, it can be done. If the Force wills a creature to be created from itself, a child of the Force, and if the Force wills a balance, then who are we to say it cannot be so??

I couldn?t resist throwing a log on the fire. ? But Master Mace says we needn?t interpret the Prophecy literally in order to understand it.?

?I see?? Master Qui-Gon strode on. ?As I told him myself: I suppose the ancients saw fit to transcribe a Prophecy they didn?t intend anyone to pay attention to, hm?! I suppose we should reshape and refit any ?troublesome? or ?mysterious? aspects of the Code, or our understanding of the Force, mm!?

Now, I must admit, he was sounding like Master Yoda. He continued on, at full steam now. ?Master Mace says he doesn?t appreciate me or those who think like I do ?confusing? the others. He wishes to present a united front. Well,? he fumed, ?try this maxim, Mace Windu: Better an honest disagreement, than an ingenuine unity!?

Then he spun and grabbed me by the shoulders. He drilled straight into me with his clear blue angry eyes. ?Obi-Wan, I have something very important to tell you, and I want you to listen.? I nodded nervously. ?If you learn nothing else from me, learn this: Don?t ever let anyone else tell you what to believe in, or what can and cannot be, if it runs counter to your heart. Listen to the Force. Let everyone else talk, but listen only to the Force.?

?I?m glad you said that, Master Qui-Gon, because now I have something to tell YOU.?

Before I could continue, he whirled around with his sword drawn. From out of the forests on either side of the trail, men were clambering down the hillsides. I let the pack down, and waved at Shane, who was approaching from my side.

?Obi-Wan, what is this?? Qui-Gon hissed at me.

?Were you followed?? Shane said, as he trudged up. ?Good,? he answered himself. ?Glad to have you aboard, we?ll need you,? he extended a large rough hand to Master Qui-Gon, who took it warily, looking sidelong at me.

?Obi-Wan was not within his rights to promise our help, I just want you to know that,? he said. The prospectors stopped cold, their faces falling. ?He means well, but he?s only a Padawan. He was speaking out of turn.?

?I was listening to the Force, master,? I bowed at him. My heart was racing. This was something of a risky move. Master Qui-Gon could very easily turn me down and add disciplinary tasks to my training for the next year! I didn?t want him to think I was being sarcastic, so I added, ?honestly.?

I could feel the tension melting away. He shook Shane?s hand once more, and looked the large prospector in the eye. ?We both agree, to help your cause,? he looked around as the men cheered. In a louder voice, he said, ?It is not legal, it is not ethical, it is not even very SMART,? he let this word hang. ?But it is RIGHT.? And the prospectors began cheering again. Even I had to applaud him. A true maverick indeed.

*****
*****

 

*****
*****

At the mining camp, we huddled in Shane?s cabin with a few other key men. They laid out a topo-chart, and had a mining droid projecting images on the wall. Shane filled us in on their plan.

?Well, since you two are Jedi, we thought we could use your abilities to the maximum. Okay, now on top of this hill, there?s a big compound. Lots of cabins, some fortified bunkers, all kinds of equipment up there. I know this because it used to be OUR base camp. Now it?s all Drexx?s.? The men around us grumbled, and Shane continued on. ?The hill is surrounded by forests, but the compound?s got some really good guards, so we can?t sneak up there if there?s too many of us.?

Shane lit a cheroot and started pointing out various pieces of the compound. ?We can tell there?s about fifteen men in those huts, about ten armed men in these here, and across the back, about fifteen more, maybe twelve. Now, that makes about forty guys, give or take.? He paused and smiled. ?We figure, no problem for two Jedi, right??

Qui-Gon glared at me. I smiled back weakly.

?Now, you with me? So after you kill all those guys, okay, this is where that assassin guy lives, the blind one, kill him, and then this is where the satellite stuff is, anything you can steal would be great, and here?s where the Drexx keeps his pet?? Qui-Gon silenced him, loudly placing his saber on the table.

?Shane,? he said, ?Where is Bezz Drexx himself??

Shane looked puzzled. ?Well, he sleeps HERE,? his finger moved to a building in the center of the compound, his eyes never leaving Qui-Gon. ?But? I mean, all these other guys??

?Are unimportant,? Qui-Gon pronounced. ?Tell me, Gull,? he addressed the other miner. ?What happens when you cut the head off a serpent??

Gull looked around at the other miners, before answering unsteadily. ?It... dies.?

Qui-Gon nodded. ?And can anyone tell me when the camp is the most empty? Sometime Drexx would be there.?

Shane cleared his throat. ?Well, the early mornings are when we do our recon, because everyone?s got hangovers and they?re all dead asleep. We can practically walk right into camp then.?

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. ?Then that is what we shall do. Tomorrow, at first light, Obi-Wan and I shall walk discreetly into camp, fetch Drexx, and leave with him. And then what shall we do, Obi-Wan??

All eyes were on me. I could tell this was one of my master?s ?test? questions, so I chose my words carefully. ?Yes, master,? I bowed. ?Then we shall subdue him, and take him off-planet to a Republic detention facility. Because this isn?t a Republic world, we can?t charge him with anything he?s done here. But we could easily trump-charge him with? assault of a Jedi, for instance, and the charges will at least hold him in court for a month, possibly two.?

Qui-Gon smiled, and I felt all my muscles relaxing again. ?Good. Yes, and in that time, you will use your OWN resources and talents to ensure that when he returns, you are fully armed, and ready to stake your claims. If I were you, I?d encourage one of the weaker, more incompetent crime bosses to take over his operation. That will, in turn, encourage his current staff to leave the planet in search of more prestigious employment.?

Shane scratched his chin and looked disappointed. ?So, there?s not gonna be any killing??

My master folded his arms resolutely. ?There will be no killing, there will be no assassinations, there will be no theft of satellite or any other equipment. There won?t even be light vandalism.? Shane dropped his cheroot and stubbed it out with his boot. ?There will be a quiet kidnapping, a favor done to our friends here,? Qui-Gon drew his arm across the room magnanimously.

?That?s still pretty good,? said Gull. ?We can take it from there.?

The other miners nodded in agreement, and began talking with each other quietly. A few thanked us, and patted us on the shoulders. A tall man with sandy blonde hair motioned to Shane, who stepped over to check on the droid?s fold-out monitor.

?

 

This is really great Zev!!!

 

I love the way Obi-Wan brought up the idea of destiny, and the way Qui-Gon told him to listen to the Force. I liked the humour when Obi-Wan said that he was listening to the Force, and then added,"honestly." And I was surprised when Qui-Gon agreed to help the men, telling them it wasn't very smart, but it was RIGHT. True maverick indeed. Now I'm wondering if they're going to get to execute their plan at all, let alone have everything go right (probably not) and who it is who has breached the perimeter. I'm loving this story, young yev. Post more soon!

 

I like!

 

I admit it, I've been lurking. This is a sort of different view of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, but so far I like it.

 

thank you all!
I thought someone might enjoy perusing this tonight, so, to the top!
Monday night, next installment.