Return To Cardaria - JA, Obi-torture/angst, sequel to "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"

Okay, I won't be able to post every day on this one, because I'm helping Moonscribe write a story. So, my attention will be divided, but I'll try to get a post up several times a week. I'm going away for a long weekend in the Smokies this coming weekend, so I may or may not get another post up before Friday. If not, it will be next Tuesday. As always, enjoy:

Return To Cardaria
BY: p_stotts
SETTING: 5 years pre-TPM, Obi-Wan is 20.
CATEGORY: JA, Obi-torture/angst, Qui-angst.
SUMMARY: Obi-Wan returns to Cardaria to face the demons of what happened to him there, but finds out the demons may be more than just nightmarish images.
RATING: PG-13 for violence.
DISCLAIMER: I still don?t own them...drat! Still can?t make money off them...double drat!
FEEDBACK: Do you even have to ask?
SPECIAL THANKS TO: As always, Moonscribe.


Part 1

Obi-Wan wearily lifted his head, straining against his bonds as he desperately tried to see through the murky darkness. Here and there he could make out beings flitting just beyond his senses. They?d dart at him quickly, reaching out with whip-like tentacles to lash at his exposed skin.

He tried crying out in pain, but no sound came out. He tried calling to his master, but his bond was silent and dead. *No, * he cried in his mind, *please....merciful gods...not again. *

Obi-Wan?s eyes flew open with a start, his breathing ragged and harsh. It took him a minute to realize he was safe in his own bed, then he quickly sat up, scooting back against the wall and hugging his knees to his chest. /Force, you?re almost twenty-one years old, Kenobi, / he scolded himself. /It?s just a little nightmare. Get over it! /

But, he?d been telling himself the same thing for the past six months...ever since his return from Cardaria where he?d been brutally tortured and left for dead. The nightmares had been expected during his recovery...An-Paj had told him they were normal...his mind?s way of processing what had happened to him. The healer had also told him they?d pass. An-Paj had been wrong.

Over the past six months, the nightmares had not only not gone away, they?d become more frequent and more disturbing. It was getting so he hardly slept anymore, and he was almost to the point that he was afraid to go to sleep...afraid that the nightmares would come. During the day, he could bury the dark thoughts, and push them away to the nether reaches of his mind. But, at night, when he was asleep, the dark images came out to torment him...and he?d been helpless to stop it from happening.

Knowing from experience that trying to sleep anymore would be useless, Obi-Wan got out of bed with a defeated sigh, and quickly dressed. Checking to make sure he hadn?t woke his master, he slipped out of the apartment and headed for the training rooms. At least he could put all this restless energy to some kind of use before the day began in earnest.

*****

?It?s getting worse, An-Paj,? said Qui-Gon in a quiet, yet strained voice. ?Obi-Wan doesn?t think I know, but he?s still having nightmares. He never even sleeps through the night anymore. I?m getting worried about him.?

The blue healer leaned back in his desk chair, steepling his fingers in a gesture that reminded the Jedi master very much of his friend, Mace Windu. ?I?ve tried talking to him about this several different times, Qui-Gon,? An-Paj said finally. ?He?s refused help in dealing with it...says he can handle it himself.?

Qui-Gon leaned forward and fixed the healer with a serious stare. ?Well, that doesn?t seem to be the case.?

An-Paj sighed heavily. ?I know that, and you know that...but, Obi-Wan still thinks he can deal with this on his own. He?s not a child anymore, Qui-Gon. Until he realizes that he needs help, anything that you or I, or anyone else tries to do to help him will be wasted effort. I?m afraid he?s going to have to reach a breaking point before things start to get better.?

?Well, at the rate things are going, that shouldn?t be too far off,? commented Qui-Gon with a worried look.

 

Obi, when are you going to learn you can't handle things on your own!! Talk to Qui- Gon soon! On second thought, don't, cause then we'll get more Obi torture/angst......

I just love sequels p_stotts

 

Obi nightmares mean Obi angst!!! WOOHOO!

 

Yeah...poor Obi. Too stubborn sometimes for his own good. Hope to have more soon.

 

HERE I JUST FOUND THIS OH MY GOD I LOVE IT ALREADY HOPE THERE WILL BE MORE UP SOON I AM DYING HERE AND I HOPE OBIWAN SEE'S HE NEEDS HIS MASTER'S HELP!!!!!!!

 

sequal WAHOO!!!!!!!

 

You've started another one! Great! Poor Obi(TM). So determined to be strong and not be a bother. Looking forward to your next and hope you have a good trip.

 

Great way to start it off...
All the best on your trip...by all means, take your time with this one. We all love your quality over your quantity.

 

Can it be true!? Can it be true!?

Yes, a SEQUEL! YAY! Very interesting beginning. Poor Obi...more soon?

 

Well that's our stubborn and headstrong Obi.

A sequel so fast. YEAH!

 

A sequel! WOO HOO!!! Post soon PLEASE!!! Oh I'm soooo happy! (dances a jig)

 

A SEQUEL???? YAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Thanx soooo much for continuing the story, absolutely LOVED the first one! POST SOON!!!!
*~*AShley*~*

 

A sequal!

Boy, that's unoriginal. Hmmm, let me try again...

Great start!

Worse. How about...

Yehaa! A new story!

*pulls her own hair in frustration*

Forget this.

I especially like that Obi doesn't realize that Qui knows that he's not okay. Good work Qui! We are so proud of you!

How's that?

Sarah >^,,^<

 

That was fast [face_shocked] but then a sequel to a good story really can't come fast enough I notice you seem to be going for psychological, not physical, torture so far. Do you plan to keep it that way?

 

Well, Artemis, that's the trouble with my stories...I never know exactly which direction they'll end up taking. So, to answer your question about physical torture...uh...I don't know.

 

Okay, I read all of The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and what you have of this so far in two sittings, so I'm going to have to learn to be patient while waiting for another fantastic post, but in the meantime, keep UP! the good work.

 

Glad to have you, DarthIshtar! Got the rest of part 1 back from Moonscribe. Since she gave it her blessing, I'm posting it. I might possibly have another post before we leave on Friday for the weekend, but realistically, you probably won't see anymore of this story until Tuesday.

Enjoy!

*****

Cestra sighed. Leaning her head on one hand, she stared listlessly at the computer screen as she used her other hand to scan through more records about Jedi history. While she found the subject more than fascinating, and was thrilled at the many connections she?d discovered between the Jedi and her own sorcerer?s clan on Cardaria, she still wasn?t happy.

In her honest moments, Cestra had to admit she was homesick. She missed the lush green
fields and dense woodlands of Cardaria. She missed her master, Balen. But, most of all,
she missed Minah. She was eighteen seasons old now, and had at one time been Minah?s
apprentice...that is until the young sorcerer had given up his training to become chieftain of the Cardarian people.

She?d been able to stay in contact with her people over the previous six months because
Master Yaddle?s padawan, a young girl named Bria had been staying with Balen on
Cardaria, doing research into their own ancient history.

Smiling, Cestra remembered how happy she?d been to learn that Balen had been able to
restore Minah?s connection to the ancient power, an ability the sorcerer had suppressed
when Minah had challenged Draco, the previous chieftain, to a duel. Balen told her that just because Minah had given up his training was no reason why he shouldn?t be able to use what he?d already learned. The knowledge eased Cestra?s heart somewhat, knowing how painful it had been for Minah to willingly cut himself off from their ancestral powers.

Minah...her thoughts kept going back to her former master, and she found herself
daydreaming about him more and more. She?d realized early on in her relationship with
the young sorcerer, that she?d developed a crush on him. He was, after all, only ten years her senior, and was quite a handsome man. But, Cestra was sure he only viewed her as a younger sister, and had resigned herself to enjoying the daydreams while they lasted. Once she returned to Cardaria, she?d be too busy with her training to see very much of Minah...and he was certainly busy with his duties as chieftain. No, it was a fool?s dream to think that anything would ever come of her infatuation, and she knew it.

*****

?A mission we have for you, Qui-Gon.?

Yoda and Qui-Gon were strolling through one of the many Temple gardens, taking time to
spend with one another, a pleasure neither usually had time to indulge in. Taken off guard by his former master?s statement, he turned to Yoda in shock and surprise.

?Master? You know Obi-Wan is not ready for any missions yet, and I will not leave him
alone when he?s in such a vulnerable state of mind.?

?Cleared him for this mission, An-Paj has,? replied Yoda, calmly countering Qui-Gon?s
objection.

?Master?? Qui-Gon certainly didn?t want to question Yoda?s sanity, but he couldn?t
understand what had happened since that morning to make the master healer do such a
drastic about-face regarding Obi-Wan?s readiness for missions. ?I just spoke with An-Paj earlier. He said he was keeping Obi-Wan and me planet-bound until Obi-Wan?s mindset is a little more stable.?

Yoda sighed heavily, closing his eyes a moment and humming to himself...a habit that
Qui-Gon was finding most irritating at that moment. ?Ill, Master Yaddle?s padawan has
become,? he said finally. ?To go home, young Cestra wishes. Escort the girl and Master Yaddle to Cardaria you and young Obi-Wan will. Feels some good it might do your
padawan, An-Paj does. Accompany you also, Healer Da-Mar will.?

?How serious is Bria?s condition?? asked Qui-Gon with concern. Master Yaddle?s
teenaged padawan was approximately the same age as Cestra and from all accounts had
been doing a marvelous job of researching the sorcerer?s history on Cardaria.

 

oooooooooooooo

 

OK, we have one love(and home)-sick apprentice, one psychologically sick apprentice, and one physically sick apprentice. Perhaps you should have put "apprentice torture" in your subject line Looks like this will be a very interesting story.

 

Hey! That's an idea! Apprentice-torture/angst

 

but if you only put aprentice, then we won't be sure if it's Obi!

 

god this is getting really good.
any way'z i hope you have a good vacation peggy and and can't wait for the next chapter
but i will untill you get back

 

If p_stotts is writing it, then it's probably Obi-torture-even if it doesn't specifically say so

 

OOoooo. I like! I especially like how you have Cestra liking her er, used-to-be Master.

I had an inkling that maybe she did in the last one, but thought it was just me. Well, I'm all for it. Only ten years younger after all. I hope it works out!

And as usual, Poor Obi.