Joint Strenth(JA fanfic by Rene Austin)

This story is one of my favourites I had to share with all of you(but I am sure many of you have already read it). Please be sure to email the author with a feedback.

This story was written by Rene WAY~~~~ before JA #7 it was written straight after #4 came out

Kim B


TITLE: Joint Strength
AUTHOR: Rene mailtoadawan30@hotmail.com">padawan30@hotmail.com
RATING: PG SPOILERS: "Jedi Apprentice" novel 1, 2 & 3
SUMMARY: Just after JA #2, back to Coruscant to be approved by the Council. Leads into #3. Bruck tries to get back at with dark help, someone traps Qui-Gon.


Part One

"Two are better than one. For if either of them falls,the one will lift up his companion. And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."
from the Book of Ecclesiastes


Coruscant's metallic silver glow filled the viewscreens of the boxy commercial transport. Although most of the passengers were jaded by many approaches to the capital planet, they drifted over to watch the cityscape grow ever nearer, for the capital's beautiful strangeness was unique in the galaxy.

Two passengers stood slightly apart from the others. Their pale tunics and brown cloaks were simple, their stance casual, but, still, an aura of controlled power drifted subtly about them. The other passengers gave them a little extra space, without really recognizing why.

The older of the two, a tall man, glanced down at his young companion's serious face, and felt a tug of concern. The circular journey that had brought them together to Bandomeer and back had been a difficult one , and yet, he thought that the boy had grown much through it. Would those fragile lessons stay with him when he returned here, to his old environment, with its old challenges?

For his part, the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn felt great hope for his brand-new apprentice.

The thoughts of the apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, rested not on their approaching destination, but on his own approaching future. He was overjoyed that Qui-Gon had accepted him as a Padawan learner, but a deep well of insecurity flowed beneath that happiness. Their new partnership had not been made known to the Council, or formally approved by them. It was true that this was usually done in person, but Qui-Gon could have called the Council from Bandomeer and requested their approval. He could have saved them this long trip back to Coruscant. Why was he so determined to see the Council face to face? Perhaps he felt that the Council might not approve. After all, this was the same Council who had sent Obi-Wan away, to Bandomeer, to the Agricorps! Maybe they would think that Obi-Wan was not worthy. Qui-Gon himself had hesitated for a long time before accepting him.

Maybe. . .

"And my birthday's in just a few days. . ."

His 13th birthday. His last chance to be a Jedi.

He didn't realize he had spoken that thought aloud until he felt Qui-Gon's reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Your birthday is no longer a day to dread, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said quietly.

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan looked down, embarrassed that Qui-Gon had recognized so easily the panicky tenor of his thoughts. "I guess old worries are hard to get rid of."

Qui-Gon smiled. "They are, indeed. But you can let go of this one, I think. The Council will approve."

"You're certain." It was not a question.

"Yes, I am. The Council has desired me to take a Padawan for some time now."

A Padawan, yes, thought Obi-Wan. But perhaps not such an uncertain one.

Qui-Gon gazed down at the boy's bent head, and felt deep regret. He saw clearly that his delay in accepting Obi-Wan had opened deep rents in his confidence.

Feeling regretful isn't the answer, he thought. I must find a way to repair this.

He started by squatting down so that he could look up into Obi-Wan's face, and saying, "Not just any Padawan. You and I share a destiny now. The Council will see that as clearly as I do. Their approval of our decision will be complete, I promise you."

Obi-Wan smiled, trying to show his gratitude for his Master's assurance

 

Is it just me or is it a little quiet here???

Kim B

 

//noise

 

Hello? No replies?? Please continue posting this story!! It draws you inside the story so you feel that you're there!!

 

Wow! This story is really interesting! Please continue.

Jess

 

I will post more tonight
but it is bit quiet here(I know most of you have read it) but please reply.

Kim B

 

Here is the next part enjoy!!

Kim B

"Joint Strength" part 3


WIP Story


Title: Joint Strength, Part Three
Author: Rene
Rating: PG, maybe PG-13 for the whole story
Notes: See Part One
Disclaimer: All for fun, not a whit of profit
Summary of this part: Obi-Wan's "old struggles" resurface, and Qui-Gon's Trikan situation may not be what it appears.


Part Three

During the noonmeal, Obi-Wan's mysteriously missing lightsaber was the sole topic of conversation. Garen and Reeft stumbled over each other in proposing a series of increasingly wild and improbable scenarios to explain the disappearance, until both Bant and Obi-Wan were choking with laughter. Their table was the most raucous in the room. Obi-Wan noticed many covert glances and open stares directed their way.

So much for attempting to look insignificant, he thought wryly.

A soft chime sounded, warning the students that only a few minutes remained before their afternoon classes. Obi-Wan's three friends shared a panicked glance and hurriedly stood.

"We'll see you tonight, all right?" Bant said.

Obi-Wan nodded, and watched them join the stream of students pouring out of the dining room. A tinge of melancholy had settled over his heart. He was surprised at this, for he had thought that reuniting with his friends would bring pure happiness. It _was_ good to see them, and talk in the old way, but Obi-Wan felt oddly disconnected. A few moments of meditation showed him the reason: he didn't belong here any longer, not as he had a mere two weeks before. He hadn't realized how much his sense of "home" had become centered on his Master, even after only a few short days of apprenticeship.

Unofficial apprenticeship.

He shook himself, flinging that thought away. Worry is a symptom of weakness, he thought. So Qui-Gon isn't here. I can still do as he asked and work ahead a little.

He needed to get a datapad from his room, so, scooping his cloak up from the table, he left the dining hall and turned toward the Student's Wing, taking a shorter route through a secondary hallway. He had nearly reached the main hall when he felt it: a dark ripple in the Force, so faint as to be hardly noticed, but present nevertheless. Receding deep inside himself, he tried to focus on it, pin it down, but it slipped away elusively.

He was concentrating so fiercely that he didn't perceive the footsteps behind him. A rough hand struck him, hard, between the shoulder blades, and sent him stumbling forward. He grasped a door frame, preventing a fall, and whirled around. In front of him stood his old nemesis, Bruck Chun, and several of his friends. Bruck's face was innocent, and his hands spread with exaggerated contrition.

"Oh, so sorry, Oafy-Wan," he said. "Didn't see you there. You really shouldn't stand around daydreaming, you know. Some people have places to go, and you're in the way."

Obi-Wan swallowed the quick anger that filled his throat, and managed a cool face as he inclined his head slightly, and said, "Hello, Bruck."

"So you're back already, Oafy? Not good enough to be a farmer either, huh?"

"My mission on Bandomeer was successful." Obi-Wan tried to speak formally, to distance himself from Bruck's provocation.

"Oh, your mission!" Bruck opened his eyes wide, mocking. "Big, important mission, huh, deciding where to put the dung heap? Or maybe the best way to sweep out the barn?"

Bruck's friends snickered loudly. Obi-Wan felt his face flush, and decided to leave, immediately, before this escalated into something he would regret. As he turned to go, however, he saw Bruck's hand raised for another contemptuous shove. Spinning back toward his antagonist, Obi-Wan blocked him with a forearm and easily deflected the blow. The taunting grin slid off Bruck's face, replaced with anger as he brought up his other hand and struck furiously at Obi-Wan's face. Obi-Wan flung himself back to avoid the blow, and allowed the fall to continue, rolling backward in a quick, graceful move that brought him to his feet again three meters down the hall.

He cocked one eyebrow challenging

 

Uppers!
This is just to know that I am one of the people who read this.

 

Part Four


The medic who applied the healing gel to Obi-wan?s injuries was required to ask their cause, but Obi-Wan was not required to answer. Mouth in a firm line, he said only, "It was a personal matter."

The droid scanned his chest, looking for any rib fractures. "You are fortunate, young sir," it said finally. "A blow of that severity is almost always accompanied by fracture, but you seem to have escaped."

It closed up the scanner and fixed him with a severe mechanical eye.. "No strenuous activity, of any kind, for at least 24 hours. You must allow the gel to do its work."

Obi-Wan nodded meekly, relieved that the pain in his knee was already subsiding. "I'll be careful," he said, sliding gingerly off the examining platform.

He deliberately tried to cultivate a new attitude as he walked back to his chamber. Even though Bruck's attack had been vicious and unexpected, he could not honestly claim that he had not provoked it. His conduct earlier had not been terrible, but it hadn?t been blameless either. The old Obi-Wan would have been imagining ways to retaliate; this newer one would try to let his anger dissipate. He would remain calm.

As he entered the corridor where his room was located, he was surprised to see a Temple Service Droid humming quietly to itself outside his door. As he approached, it beeped a recognition code, and said, "You are Obi-wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan nodded, although it wasn?t really necessary.

"It was noticed that you have lost your lightsaber. A new one is provided." The droid offered it expectantly.

Obi-Wan's face burned. Someone had seen him without it, and assumed it was gone because of his own carelessness. Suddenly, he remembered Master Adim, in the hallway earlier, her wise eyes studying him and Bruck so closely. An inward groan seized him. Was this her doing? The thought took hold, and crystallized. It would be very like the serene Adim to notice his lack of weapon and organize this pointed but subtle return. He would be so embarrassed when he next encountered her! And how would she react to the news that Qui-Gon had requested him as Padawan? Would she disapprove because she thought he was careless? Would she tell the Council about the scene she had witnessed in the hall?

The TSD was patiently waiting for him to take the lightsaber. When he slowly grasped it and attached it to his belt, the droid turned and glided away. Wrenching his mind from the worried circle it was running, Obi-Wan keyed his chamber's entrance.

At once, the acrid smell of burnt fabric assaulted him. All other thought disappeared under a wave of foreboding as he leaped forward and slammed his hand over the lightkey, and then stared in shock at the devastation illuminated by the glowing lamps.

A Jedi student's chamber is not large, but over the years Obi-Wan had filled this space with a significant accumulation of tiny droids, drawings and mock-ups of inventive new miniatures, datapads, holocubes, schematics of various lightsaber designs, and small gifts from friends. All were destroyed. The floor was covered with dismembered droids and smashed electronic components; his drawings were ripped into long shreds. The cushions and blankets on his sleep couch had been slashed with a lightsaber, and burnt in many places. His small bag, dropped casually be the door when he had arrived this morning, was cut in two, and the contents reduced to tiny scraps. His spare tunic was knotted contemptuously around one of the lamps, still smoking slightly.

Then his eyes fell on his small desk, and a low cry escaped him.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite all of the varied possessions in this room, owned only one object that he held truly dear. It was a tiny sculpture, about twenty centimeters high, depicting a many-pointed star surrounded by a swirling galaxy. When he had been taken from his family as an infant to become a Jedi student, his mother had carved the sculpture and sent it with him. The Knight who had discovered him and brought him to the Temple had told him of his mother's words as she tucked the little package int

 

Part Four


The medic who applied the healing gel to Obi-wan?s injuries was required to ask their cause, but Obi-Wan was not required to answer. Mouth in a firm line, he said only, "It was a personal matter."

The droid scanned his chest, looking for any rib fractures. "You are fortunate, young sir," it said finally. "A blow of that severity is almost always accompanied by fracture, but you seem to have escaped."

It closed up the scanner and fixed him with a severe mechanical eye.. "No strenuous activity, of any kind, for at least 24 hours. You must allow the gel to do its work."

Obi-Wan nodded meekly, relieved that the pain in his knee was already subsiding. "I'll be careful," he said, sliding gingerly off the examining platform.

He deliberately tried to cultivate a new attitude as he walked back to his chamber. Even though Bruck's attack had been vicious and unexpected, he could not honestly claim that he had not provoked it. His conduct earlier had not been terrible, but it hadn?t been blameless either. The old Obi-Wan would have been imagining ways to retaliate; this newer one would try to let his anger dissipate. He would remain calm.

As he entered the corridor where his room was located, he was surprised to see a Temple Service Droid humming quietly to itself outside his door. As he approached, it beeped a recognition code, and said, "You are Obi-wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan nodded, although it wasn?t really necessary.

"It was noticed that you have lost your lightsaber. A new one is provided." The droid offered it expectantly.

Obi-Wan's face burned. Someone had seen him without it, and assumed it was gone because of his own carelessness. Suddenly, he remembered Master Adim, in the hallway earlier, her wise eyes studying him and Bruck so closely. An inward groan seized him. Was this her doing? The thought took hold, and crystallized. It would be very like the serene Adim to notice his lack of weapon and organize this pointed but subtle return. He would be so embarrassed when he next encountered her! And how would she react to the news that Qui-Gon had requested him as Padawan? Would she disapprove because she thought he was careless? Would she tell the Council about the scene she had witnessed in the hall?

The TSD was patiently waiting for him to take the lightsaber. When he slowly grasped it and attached it to his belt, the droid turned and glided away. Wrenching his mind from the worried circle it was running, Obi-Wan keyed his chamber's entrance.

At once, the acrid smell of burnt fabric assaulted him. All other thought disappeared under a wave of foreboding as he leaped forward and slammed his hand over the lightkey, and then stared in shock at the devastation illuminated by the glowing lamps.

A Jedi student's chamber is not large, but over the years Obi-Wan had filled this space with a significant accumulation of tiny droids, drawings and mock-ups of inventive new miniatures, datapads, holocubes, schematics of various lightsaber designs, and small gifts from friends. All were destroyed. The floor was covered with dismembered droids and smashed electronic components; his drawings were ripped into long shreds. The cushions and blankets on his sleep couch had been slashed with a lightsaber, and burnt in many places. His small bag, dropped casually be the door when he had arrived this morning, was cut in two, and the contents reduced to tiny scraps. His spare tunic was knotted contemptuously around one of the lamps, still smoking slightly.

Then his eyes fell on his small desk, and a low cry escaped him.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite all of the varied possessions in this room, owned only one object that he held truly dear. It was a tiny sculpture, about twenty centimeters high, depicting a many-pointed star surrounded by a swirling galaxy. When he had been taken from his family as an infant to become a Jedi student, his mother had carved the sculpture and sent it with him. The Knight who had discovered him and brought him to the Temple had told him of his mother's words as she tucked the little package int

 

Oh wow! I'm so glad I finally had time to read this! Very nice indeed! And no, I've never read this before, so please don't take too long to post more! I must find out what happens!

 

I am the author of this particular story, and, unbelievably, I have never before encountered this forum. Kim asked to post my story here, I came to check it out, and I'm glad I did, if only to bask in the pleasant glow of the kind comments!

Thanks!!

Rene

 

HERE IS THE NEXT PART I KNOW EVERYONE WILL LIKE IT

"Joint Strength" part 5


WIP Story


Title: Joint Strength
Author: Rene
Rating: PG, maybe PG-13 for the whole story
Notes: See Part One
Disclaimer: All for fun, not a whit of profit
Summary of this part: Beginning exactly where part four left off, Qui-Gon and Molu encounter a dangerous surprise, and Obi-Wan's life is complicated by another inexplicable event.

Part Five

Avoiding Molu's questioning gaze, Qui-gon stared into the deepening dusk, past the flaring torches. Unbidden and unsought, a memory unreeled itself there, in the darkness: a young face, twisted with hatred, the eyes staring at him unblinkingly as the boy pressed a burning circle of gold to his own face. A broken circle. Qui-Gon closed his eyes against the memory, but he could still hear the faint hiss as the fiery metal made its permanent mark.

When he opened his eyes, his face was completely calm. "It is the mark of an old enemy. Whatever evil he was planning through Teek, he was aiming it at me. I'm very sorry that my past should be the cause of a young man's corruption."

Molu shook his head. "You bear no blame in this. Teek made his own choice. He knew the right path, and forsook it willingly."

"Perhaps." Qui-Gon paused, thinking, and then said slowly, "May I examine Teek's quarters? I might find some clue there to their larger plan, whatever it was."

"Of course. I'll go with you."

"That's kind of you. I can do it alone, though, if you have other duties."

"No. Teek was one of my soldiers, a boy I trained. I am as concerned with the scope of his folly as you are."

Qui-Gon nodded, silently admonishing himself. He should have been mindful of the general's grief at the loss of his soldier. My focus is too inward just now, he thought. Leave it. The past is past.

He followed Molu down another wooden walkway, this one parallel to a small, lazily-flowing stream. The torches were soon left behind, and the only illumination came from starlight and the huge glowing moon, reflecting brokenly in the stream. Molu glanced up at it, and then stooped, dipping a handful of water and flinging it up toward the sky.

"The gods walk tonight," he murmured.

Though he didn't understand the small ritual, Qui-Gon felt it soothe his spirit. The gods are walking, and the Living Force is flowing strong, he told himself.

The quiet interlude ended abruptly as they rounded a huge tree and approached a clearing filled with tiny round buildings, many soldiers and dozens of torches. The stream gurgled off into the dark jungle, and Qui-Gon and Molu walked into the light, their presence causing an immediate dampening of the raucous talk and loud laughter enveloping the compound.

"This is a Soldier's Circle," Molu said. "Teek lived here, but I'm not sure which house was his."

He beckoned to a soldier in the nearest group, and she jogged over to them, trying unsuccessfully to hide a look of foreboding.

"You have a duty for me, General?"

"No. Just a question. You know the soldier Teek, son of Jira?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I haven't seen him all day."

"Which was his house?"

She jerked her chin toward the darkened edge of the clearing. "Over there. The last one. He used to live near the center, but he traded quarters to be near the edge. We all thought that was strange. I mean, who wants to live right up tight with the trees? More snakes that way."

She smiled at them invitingly, obviously hoping for a hint about the nature of their business here. But Molu gave her an uncommunicative nod, and said only, "We thank you, soldier." His tone was dismissive.

Slightly reluctantly, she dipped her head and crossed her wrists in front of her face, palms inward. Molu repeated the gesture, and she walked away, not without a subtle backward glance.

Molu and Qui-gon exchanged a faint smile and strode over to the indicated house. Set somewhat apart from the others, its isolated look was magnified by tightly closed doors and windows. Qui-Gon frowned. The other houses had every portal wide open, to catch the slightest breeze.

It'

 

I've been checking this fanfic for new posts, but somehow, my computer just cuts off the second half of the page. Sorry, but is something wrong?

 

Sorry, it's better now.
(shakes a finger at Obi-Wan) Now, did you here the story of the young Padawan who did not go to the Masters when someone was trying to kill him? (I can sense something big is going to happen.)

To put it in a better way:
"I have a bad feeling about this."

Uppers!

 

Oooh, this is so good! Excellent action. I'm curious to see what it will take to get Obi to tell the masters what's been going on, if he ever does. And I'm really curious to see what Qui-Gon's old enemy is up to. So please hurry and post more!

 

Post more!

 

TWO POST TONIGHT(AS I DIDN'T POST ANYTHING YESTERDAY). HOPE EVERYBODY ENJOY THIS STORY AS MUCH AS I DO!

RENE! YOUR WORK IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!

KIM B

************************************************

Joint Strength

By Rene



Part Six


Qui-Gon slipped through the thick Trikan darkness. Outside the king's Residence, the torches had been extinguished, but he sensed movement inside, and, as he drew nearer, the faint, jovial sounds of a party in its final stages. Without pausing to knock, he pushed open the small side entrance, and strode quickly into the Main Court.

Here muted light reflected off stone and wood. In a far corner, Qui-Gon saw several figures hunched over a game table, shouting encouragement to a tall, thin courtier who was spinning a multicolored diamond-shaped die on one end. As Qui-Gon approached, it whirled to a stop and tumbled on its side, revealing a black face which caused good-natured groans from the small group. A muscular arm reached up and patted the thin man sympathetically on the back of his head; Qui-Gon recognized it as the king's. As he stepped into the brighter light around the table, Orthu Bela glanced up, and then stood, a genial smile lighting his face.

"Master Jedi!" he called, his voice an understated version of its usual bellow. "I didn't realize you were a late-night sort of person!"

"It's not by choice, your majesty," Qui-Gon said. "I have an urgent need to contact Coruscant. May I use your transceiver?"

Orthu Bela's smile slid off his face, replaced by a stricken frown.

"No one can use the holonet tonight." He gestured upward, and his voice softened reverently. "The moon waxes. The gods are walking."

The Trikans at the table behind him dipped their fingers into their cups and goblets, and flicked droplets of liquid toward the ceiling.

Qui-Gon frowned. "I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"There is no need for apology. It is our way, not yours. But I will tell you that, when the gods walk, nothing may share the sky with them. No ships, no lights, no communication beams. The gods walk in purity."

"For how long?"

"Until the moon begins to wane. Tomorrow night."

Qui-Gon tried to keep frustration from coloring his tone. "Forgive me, your highness, but since I am not Trikan, perhaps I. . ."

"No." Orthu Bela's voice was suffused with regret. "No. All who walk below our sky are beneath the gods' tread. Even the Jedi."

A silence wrapped itself about them, as Qui-Gon's mind searched desperately for a way out from beneath the tread of the gods. But none presented itself. He knew as well as anyone the absolute firmness of Trikan taboo. No communication. And his ship would not return until the next evening.

The king's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I'm truly sorry. Can we help?"

Qui-Gon slowly shook his head. "No. No, I think not, though I'm grateful for your concern."

Orthu Bela nodded, and gripped Qui-Gon's shoulder warmly. "You will tell me at once if there is something we can do."

"Yes, at once. Thank you."

The king stepped over to a table overflowing with platters of fruit and bottles of varying sizes. He lifted one of these and raised a questioning eyebrow, but Qui-Gon shook his head, declining. Wishing the king "good sleeping", he left the Court. His face was calm, his stride smooth, but one clenched fist showed the agitation of his spirit. First, the broken circle, he thought, and then that blast of fear. Had it really been Obi-Wan he had sensed? He could think of no other being whose emotions he would be able to detect so strongly, and yet, he had only known the boy for a few short weeks. It was true that those weeks had been fraught with experiences destined to bind them together, but, still,. . .

He straightened his shoulders. No matter whose fear it had been, there was nothing he could do about it right now. He must be patient. He must wait.

Tipping his head to study the glowing moon, Qui-Gon Jinn sighed, a brief exhalation of frustration and concern heard only by the gods under whose sky he walked.


"How close?" The man called Mo

 

NEXT PART I KNOW ALL OF YOU WILL ENJOY READING THIS! WONDERFUL WORK RENE!!!!

KIM B

************************************************

Part Seven


Seated on the dingy floor of Teek's house, two men and a sleek creature regarded one another solemnly. The long-remembered voice echoed hollowly in Qui-Gon's heart. He turned to Molu, whose face reflected the gravity Qui-Gon himself was feeling.

"Your old enemy?" Molu asked, jerking his chin at the _sinna_, who responded with a low chortle.

Qui-Gon sighed. "Yes. His name is Xanatos. He was . . .an apprentice of mine, who turned to evil." He flashed a sudden, wry smile. "An interesting parallel between us, General. Lost protégés."

"It seems that your lost protégé bears a grudge."

"He does indeed. He's tried to kill me twice in the past month."

"Twice? Teek's attack and also. . .?"

"My last mission took me to a planet called Bandomeer. Xanatos arranged the circumstances so that he could rid himself of me and my apprentice, Obi-Wan. . ."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi." The _sinna_ scrambled up Molu's arm, and perched on his shoulder, blinking rapidly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi." The voice was Xanatos' again, though the repetition was surely the product of the _sinna's_ quicksilver mind.

A cold foreboding swirled through Qui-Gon's spirit. Why would Xanatos have been discussing his new apprentice with Teek?

He focused on the little creature, catching its luminous gaze with his own. "Obi-Wan Kenobi?" he prompted.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi is young and insecure, unsure of his Master's acceptance."

The surge of dismay that flooded him took a long moment to subdue. He knew that those words were at least partially true, and the truth is a powerful weapon in a skillful enemy's hands. On Bandomeer, Xanatos had preyed on Obi-Wan's youth and inexperience. Was he repeating that tactic somehow? How? Obi-Wan wasn't here; he was on Coruscant. With a sickening lurch, he recalled the overwhelming fear that had wakened him in the night. What was happening back there?

He stretched his hand out toward the _sinna_. "Coruscant?' he asked.

"Coruscant." The hard voice issued eerily from the creature's toothy mouth. "We've a new plan. _Don't_ kill him here, keep him here. Death will visit Coruscant is his absence."

"What?" Molu leaned forward. "That sounds very bad."

"Death?" Qui-Gon prompted, his voice urgent.

"Death will visit Coruscant," the _sinna_ repeated obligingly.

"What does it mean?" Molu's hand reached up to stroke the animal's snout. It ran its jaw along the man's fingers, trilling with contentment. Qui-Gon shook his head, concentrating fiercely, searching his mind for another cue to encourage the creature's helpful tongue.

"Vengeance?"

The _sinna_ bobbed its head twice, and began snuffling in Molu's hair.

"Kill?" He winced slightly at the word's bald harshness.

The _sinna_ stared at him, and then stretched its jaw in a wide yawn. Qui-Gon was opening his mouth to try again when the creature finished its yawn and said, "Kill them all."

It paused, grooming one ear with a slim paw, and then continued. "I will use his apprentice to kill them all."


* * * * *

Bant had never tried to follow anyone before, not when the stakes were this high.

As she pressed herself as flat as possible in a tiny niche behind a potted tree, she reflected grimly that, whatever the virtues of stealth training, she would have preferred to learn it from a Master in a classroom, instead of acquiring practice in the field, so to speak.

Although she was inexperienced, her natural tendency toward discretion had so far kept her safe from Bruck's detection. When he had left the meditation room, he had gone, by a very roundabout route, to one of the library rooms, where he had stayed for some time. She had crept gradually closer, using the various workstations and study circles for cover, until she had been able to gain a vantage point which clearly showed his frustrated expression. Despite his muttering and cajoling and forceful tapping, the computer had apparently not divulged the informat

 

ReneAustin fabulous story. Just loved the the sinna, ingeneous and inspired.

 

Cool cliffhanger! Yes, this is VERY good.

 

Exciting and alot of action!
Poor Obi-Wan, I sense that something bad is going to happen to him! eek.gif
And I hope that Zanatos and Bruck get what they deserve! mad.gif

Jess

 

Thanks so much, everyone, for the kind comments! And thanks again, Kim, for posting my story here! I'm wishing I had discovered the excellence of the Jedi Council earlier.

Rene

 

Wow, those two posts were very excellent! I love this story! I can't wait to see what happens to Obi-Wan next. And Qui-Gon too! Aaaahhh, I can't stand the suspense! What's gonna happen?!
Post more soon, please!

 

Part Eight

Silence.

The abrupt cessation of the spider-mine's piercing squeal created a momentary vacuum, quickly filled with an inrushing cacophony of bird and insect song. From his position at the tree's base, Molu slowly straightened, flexing shoulders that had unconsciously hunched against the coming explosion. An awed light glimmered around the edges of his impassive expression as he watched Qui-Gon lower his hand and open his eyes.

"The gods walk with you, my friend," Molu said, jerking his chin upward in the _sinna's_ direction. "The explosion would have destroyed everything in a one-hundred-meter radius."

Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows. "There was indeed a venomous snake in Teek's house."

"So it seems." Molu's face darkened. "The trigger must have been planted in the door frame. If the _sinna_ ever left the house. . ." He thrust his hands upward in an explosive gesture.

Qui-Gon nodded. "I find it difficult to believe that Teek would have planted such a device in his own pet. I sense the cold-blooded efficiency of a darker mind."

"Your enemy?"

"Perhaps." Qui-Gon rubbed his jaw, eyes intent on a faraway thought. "It hardly matters now, since we've avoided the trap. The fact remains that, whatever his original plans here, he's changed them to make my whole visit an elaborate decoy of some sort, and the true danger lies in Coruscant. I must go there. Now."

"There is no way to go."

"I will speak to the Oracle."

"Even if it grants you leave, your ship will not return till dusk, and by then the taboo will be lifted. Why not wait?" But even as he said the words, Molu shook his head, rejecting them. "No. No, I understand your urgency. This. . .fear. . . you felt, back in the house. You think it comes from your apprentice."

"Yes."

The two men stood facing each other, as the jungle sang around them. The _sinna_, freed from the torment of the spider-mine, eased down the tree's trunk in a loose spiral, chattering cheerfully. It leaped the short space to the general's shoulder and curled easily around his neck, hindquarters trailing off one side, front paws off the other. Molu reached up absently to stroke its head, but his face was tight with conflict. Although, like all Trikans, he was completely tied to his homeworld, he well understood that a larger galaxy existed around it. This Jedi possessed integral ties to that larger galaxy, and Molu felt that, through the friendship which had grown between them, he possessed those ties too, however tenuous. Only a week ago, the death of Jedi on faraway Coruscant would have meant little to him, only a moment's unfocused regret for the loss of lives. But now. . .

Could he stand impassively by and watch the evil wrought by his own soldier rip the heart out of this man, who had now twice saved his life?

Qui-Gon sensed a struggle in the general's emotions, but he made no effort to interpret it. His own spirit was wrapped in something very like fear, though he rode above it grimly.

Xanatos is wholly given to darkness now, he thought. Whatever light he possessed snuffed out by greed and rage and lust for vengeance. The darkness of the old apprentice threatens to bury the new.

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

He would not allow that to happen.

"General," he said, his voice almost as brittle as the silence between them, "You seem doubtful of the Oracle's help, and I am inclined to agree. I must take more drastic measures."

Molu's face grew wary. "Such as what?"

"I know from my study of your world that Trikans rarely leave it, but I also know that the Trikan senator transports herself to and from Coruscant on a government ship. True?"

"Yes. But. . ."

"Where there is one government ship, there may be others. I ask nothing of you but that you direct me to where they might be. And walk away."

Molu did not answer, his eyes drained of warmth.

Qui-Gon stared directly into them. "Surely you break no taboo by providing me this small bit of information. Do the gods not reward the preservation of life?"

Molu's voice was low and flat. "They reward