Divided we Fall: The reposting, back by popular request.

Hello all, I'm going to be reposting this in some fairly large chunks. Thank you to all of you who asked to re-read this, or read it for the first time. And MANY MANY thanks to my sis Mouse2 for editing out the UBB code from the old forum, you're a goddess. Here we go, and comments are still welcome!

********

Twin ion engines screamed as a scarlet hued courier vessel erupted from hyperspace. The streamlined craft shuddered slightly as it entered real-space, which caused the two combatants within the ship to momentarily pause in their graceful, almost dance like, duel.
"Your concentration through only a few bumps and shakes seems to falter easily," commented a female voice, the statement bordering on a chuckle, "I sense your loss of control through the Force."

The emanation of the Force suddenly redoubled in the spartan cabin and was almost palatable as the duelists circled warily around each other, each ready to exploit even the barest of openings in the other?s defenses so as to gain a battle advantage. Seventeen year old Obi-Wan Kenobi kept his blue eyed gaze and his concentration directed at his practice opponent, waiting for the force to guide his actions against the younger Padawan. They had been sparring for the better part of two hours now, Obi-Wan knew that the stress and constant concentration was wearing both of them down, it was only due to the quiet strength and guidance of the Force that one of them had not yet made an error.

Kason Storm, though a year younger, was no less concentrated than his foe. His green eyes, pupils slitted vertically like a feline, did not miss even the slightest movement made by Kenobi. Watching for any opening, idly swishing his lightsaber back and forth in small twitches, testing to see if the hum/hiss of the blade would distract Kenobi for the nanosecond Kason would need in order to strike. He knew that patience was his ally, it was only a matter of time. Kason lashed out with his lightsaber hoping to put Obi-Wan?s defenses to the test. He could feel the Force flowing through him, guiding his movements and keeping him out of harm?s way while simultaneously moving him into a position to better press his attack.

On the surrounding bulkheads of the combat area, blue highlighted shadows rallied against opposing shadows tinted orange while the hiss and clash of the blades filled the cabin with the cacophony of battle. Saber blades howled as they seemingly split the air itself, dancing in intricate weaving motions that accelerated until the combatants were nothing but elusive blurs, moving so quickly that the illusion of the two boys overlapping each other was almost continuous now.

They were no longer in the realm of conscious thought, the golden warmth of the living Force was flowing freely around them and through them controlling every nuance of their actions.

A third consciousness carefully yet deliberately entered the fray, delicately touching the edges of the two boys? awareness. Their movements slowed gradually, the finesse of their sparring remained but now without the mind-numbing speed that they had previously displayed. The boys were now fully aware of their surroundings and their battle slowed even further. A cloaked figure stepped calmly out of the shadows.

"Stand down, Padawans, " Jedi Master Charsa Malon ordered, "your display of control today was impressive indeed, but now is the time to rest, and meditate upon which you have learned from this experience."

Qui-Gon Jinn spoke up at that point, "There will be time enough for that soon enough Charsa, but for now I think all of you should know the orders from the Council. As instructed by them for security reasons, I have not mentioned much about this assignment until our exit from hyperspace, even still?I am troubled."

Three sets of eyes gazed silently at him, waiting for him to continue.
The Jedi Master sighed, his green eyes looking into his Padawan?s questioning gaze. He looked to his fellow Master Charsa Malon, and then down at her Padawan standing next to her. "The mission that we h

 

Obi-Wan kept his gaze centered on his master?s broad back as they made their way through the tangled undergrowth of the untamed jungle environs of Osiris. The warmth of the midday sun made the humid air uncomfortably warm and stifling.

They had been walking for seemingly endless hours - ever since they were dropped off by the courier ship the night before under the cover of darkness.

Obi-Wan had enjoyed the exercise at first after being cooped up on their transport for so long, but now the humidity and the seemingly endless swarms of stinging insects were making his journey decidedly unpleasant. As yet another trickle of sweat crept down his forehead and stung his eyes with its saltiness, he decided to break the silence that had endured for the last few hours.

"Master," Obi-Wan said half jokingly, "you DO know where we?re going, don?t you?"

Qui-Gon stopped in his tracks and turned to face his padawan. "Nope," he replied, "I?ve just been waiting for you to take the lead and get us there."

<Qui-Gon looks decidedly odd without his Jedi robes,> Obi-Wan mused silently, <and wearing that weird jumpsuit almost makes him resemble a holovid pirate.> He chuckled inwardly at the image that appeared in his mind.

"I saw that," said Qui-Gon in mock surprise, his mouth quirked in a half smile, "though I think it?s better to resemble a pirate than someone who resembles an apprentice nerf herder."

Obi-Wan felt his jaw drop in surprise, <Qui-Gon joking while on a mission? That?s a new one!>

As if reading his student?s thoughts again, Qui-Gon?s expression sobered. "We are close to the main city, probably about another hour?s walk," he informed Obi-Wan, "once there we must concentrate on blending in. I?m hoping that once we arrive, if the person that contacted the Council is indeed there, they will notice our true identity, and the authorities will not.

"How?" asked Obi-Wan.

"They will know." Qui-Gon said offhandedly as he turned to resume walking.

"WHAT?!" Obi-Wan yelped as he resumed following his master, "I don?t understand, how will they know?"

"All in good time padawan," the Jedi Master said over his shoulder, "calm yourself?have patience."

<OOOOH, I hate it when he says that,> thought Obi Wan, <I have a bad feeling about this?>

Chapter 5

Kason followed in his master?s footsteps as they made their way through the dimly lit landing cavern, surrounded by the eerily silent hulking shapes of assorted models of spacecraft. Both Jedi peered into the lurking shadows on either side of them as they walked, searching for any sign of movement other than their own.

All of Charsa?s senses were on full alert, she reached out to the comforting ebb and flow of the force to quell her rising uneasiness. <This is just so weird,> came an unbidden thought.
She reached out to her pupil through their bond, could feel his eyes scanning the area around them for any clue that might explain the absence of other beings, or even droids.
Underlying his alertness, she could also sense his chagrin about his behavior on the landing ramp of their transport.

<What could have possessed him to act in such a fashion,> she mused to herself, <I?ve never witnessed him doing something so rash and?and?Childlike during a mission before, we could both end up in a lot of trouble if he pulls something like that again> She could tell that he regretted the way he acted, but she would have to talk to him about it in order to find out the "why" of his behavior. Charsa allowed a tiny corner of her mind to lapse back in time, seeking any clues as to what may have spurred the padawan?s outburst. In retrospect, her senses told her, Kason seemed to be acting somewhat oddly ever since the beginning of their space flight here?but again, why? Could it be the length of the flight? Charsa quickly discarded that hypothesis almost immediately; they had been on far longer assignments together with no adverse effects. Could Kason have a problem with Obi Wan? Surely not, both boys got along well together, and even competed as a team from time to

 

Even thought they had finally stopped walking for a bit, Obi-Wan was far from pleased at the moment. Sweat ran down his body in rivulets underneath the soggy jumpsuit he wore, the built up moisture made the suit very uncomfortable. At least the ravenous biting insects were gone since in a fit of desperation earlier; Obi-Wan had used the force to send the aggravating, blood sucking swarms arrowing into the forest in search of other food.

Obi-Wan stood next to his master on a high bluff overlooking the only major city on the entire surface of Osiris. It was fairly large as cities went. <Not anywhere near the scope of Coruscant?s grandeur,> thought the young man, <but still of a respectable size.>

As his piercing blue eyes scanned the cityscape, he was somewhat surprised to see hardly any air traffic moving among the many towers and spires that jutted upward toward the sky.

"Come along padawan," Qui-Gon said as he started to make his way down the steep incline leading towards the city, "just a little bit farther."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes in exasperation as he wordlessly complied.

Chapter 6.1

"Couldn?t we have landed a little bit closer to the city, Master?" Obi-Wan asked after a short while.

"I?m afraid not," came Qui-Gon?s calm reply, "if any of the scanning equipment these people posses had detected a ship unlike their own landing and taking off, there would be a major furor among the populace. Remember, these people don?t like off-worlders."

"Great", Obi-Wan mumbled to himself.

<Walking downhill puts more stress on one?s legs than walking uphill,> Obi-Wan reminded himself as his thighs and calves again protested the abuse he was subjecting them to. <At least it?s not nearly as humid now.>

As if hearing Obi-Wan?s commentary to himself, Qui-Gon stopped and turned to face his apprentice. "This is more tiring than walking through the jungle, walking sticks will help ease some of the strain," he said, "I?d rather not arrive at the city gates exhausted, so keep an eye out for fallen branches that would be suitable."

In a short time, both Jedi were sporting relatively straight staffs that were roughly equivalent in height to their bearer.

"Oddly enough," Obi-Wan said to his master after a short time, "these do seem to help, I can already tell a difference."

"Many hill and cliff dwelling civilizations use them," answered Qui-Gon in the lecturing voice that Obi-Wan had come to appreciate over the years, "I knew a Jedi Knight once who even valued her walking stick above her lightsaber. Though, when things got bad, her walking stick didn?t help her save her own life as her lightsaber would have."

Obi-Wan and his master were roughly halfway down the face of the high cliff, following the zig zagging cutbacks of the trail that led gradually downward. As they slowly made their way down the brush lined path to the level of the city; Obi-Wan inspected the occasionally visible bits of wall that surrounded it. <Is that to keep the wildlife out,> he wondered, <or the population in?>

Interlude

Yellow eyes peered out of the cover of dense foliage at its prey. Hunger was all it felt. It had been many darks since it had fed last. Saliva gathered at the corner of its mouth and dripped to the rocky ground in anticipation of its next meal. PATIENCE, instinct spoke within its mind, PATIENCE. A pink tongue darted out of its mouth between needle-like teeth. It gathered its rear haunches beneath it, preparing to spring upon its intended target.

Chapter 6.2

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rounded another switchback turn and startled a flock of scarlet and blue striped avians into flight, the distressed squawking and thunderous beating of feathered wings filling the air. Both Jedi instantly dropped their staffs and snapped their arms protectively in front of them, also startled by the sudden flurry of explosive movement and sound. It quickly became obvious that the avians were interested only in escape as the flock leapt into the air and soared in triangle formation away from the cliff face and circled to land a

 

The darkness swirled and spun around him like a vast, savage, roiling ocean. He slipped from the pinnacles of waves into the troughs that separated them. All the time images flashed in his mind, gruesome images that twisted and changed shape before him, grotesquely deformed visions of his master as well as other beings he had encountered.
He struggled to separate the real from the imagined, but his mind whirled chaotically and he tumbled adrift in the prison that his awareness had become.

He felt a searing pain permeating every fiber of his being, almost unbearable in it?s agony as he felt what it was like to be set aflame and burned alive.

Obi-Wan focused on that pain and used it to center himself?to give him a place of stability that he clung to among the tumultuous visions flashing through his mind?a place from which to gather his strength and try to combat the images that floated before him.

Angry, yellow eyes glared balefully at him from the surrounding darkness?emerald energy blazed across his mind followed by a thrum/hiss of sound, only this time the energy was directed at him!!!


//Master!!// he called, trying to reach out to Qui-Gon through the force. His cry for help was met only by silence.

His complete surprise at the total lack of response ripped him away from his focal point of agony, and once again he was adrift in a sea of chaos.

Chapter 6.5

Qui-Gon gazed worriedly at his padawan while the young man moaned softly and writhed in pain due to the influence of the poison that coursed through his veins. The muscles of the boy?s neck were rigid and Qui-Gon could see Obi-Wan?s pulse thundering there, fueled by the boys feverishly pounding heart.

Qui-Gon raised his eyes to meet the cool, brown eyed gaze of the young woman standing beside him. "Why are the herbs you used not working?" he asked in no small amount of concern, "they don?t seem to be helping at all."

"Trust me," the green robed healer replied, "the treatment is going remarkably well, I?ve seen grown men almost twice the size of your friend here absorb much less poison than he has and suffer convulsions so intense and violent that their own bones snapped due to the strain."

"So, he?ll be able to travel soon, do you think?"

As if inspired by that comment Obi-Wan?s body suddenly arched violently, almost throwing him completely off the bed. The herb packed dressings on his back split open and the contents fell to the floor, bits of blood tinged cloth clinging to the edges. Kithera noticed the muscles under the skin of Obi-Wan?s as a brief spasm appeared and blood gushed from the young man?s mouth.


"He bit his tongue," she briefly explained to the startled Jedi Master as she swiftly knelt next to Obi-Wan?s cot, "it happens."

The failing beams of sunlight from the cave mouth glinted on the healer?s red hair as she quickly reset bandages and re-applied her herb mixture to Obi-Wan?s lacerated back.

When she had everything arranged to her satisfaction, she stood and turned to the Jedi Master.

She looked at Qui-Gon calmly, with one eyebrow slightly raised. "As far as when he can travel, it?s too soon to say for sure," she broke eye contact and looked again at her patient, "he?s doing well, as I said, but the fight is not over yet."

She turned her attention back to Qui-Gon, noticing how his shoulders slumped wearily, and the dark circles of fatigue and worry that surrounded his eyes. "Sleep Jedi," she said softly, " you need it. I will watch over your friend while you rest."

Qui-Gon felt a protest building within him, but his better sense asserted itself and he knew that exhausting himself would not benefit his padawan?s struggle against the poison. He hesitantly nodded and moved farther back into the cave and settled his large frame onto another cot stationed up against the cave wall.

"You will notify me of any changes in his condition?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"I will, Jedi," Kithera replied in a near whisper as she mentally tapped into her limited access to the force, "I will."

 

Kithera?s knees and back ached from kneeling next to the body of the young Jedi for the past few hours. A small glow rod bathed the cave with a soft comforting light.

Despite the lateness of the hour and her various aches and pains, Kithera?s brown eyes were alert and attentive; her mind centered on the young mans condition. He had suffered two more attacks since the first, and though each bout of convulsions was less violent than the last she knew that his progress still needed to be carefully monitored.

When she was a little girl, and as she was growing up, her grandfather had told her many astonishing stories of the Jedi, and while she accepted that they were a remarkable order, some of the stories were so far fetched that she convinced herself that the old man had made them up for her amusement. She was now seeing first hand just how remarkable the Jedi actually were.

<He?s fighting back> Kithera gasped in astonishment as she felt the force flowing through Obi-Wan, <it?s helping his body repair the damage left by the poison.> She could feel his body slowly strengthening a little bit at a time.

Another hour of observation passed for Kithera and she could hear clearly that his breathing pattern was no longer accompanied by a constricted wheezing sound and had stabilized into a normal rhythm. His body no longer shivered spasmodically under the light sheet she had covered him with. Even the shredded edges of the lacerations on his back were taking on a healthier look, no longer an angry-vicious red, but now more of a pinkish color that indicated progressive healing.

By the time the rays of the rising sun peeked over the horizon Kithera was in awe of the seeming miracle that was happening before her very eyes. While the young Jedi was far from being completely healed, he was very much on his way. She used her limited force ability to scan Obi-Wan and could find no lingering traces of poison at all and could feel that the damage caused by the toxin was quickly being repaired.

****

The surrounding ocean of darkness was no longer churning in chaos and hostility. Obi-Wan floated gently and serenely as he felt the force respond to his summons. The force was flowing through him with its comforting warmth, adding its strength to his body?s healing processes. He could still feel considerable pain, but now it was identifiable and not all consuming in its searing agony. He knew the sparks of pain came from his wounded back and directed the force to the most painful areas in order to speed up the knitting together of severed muscle and flesh. As he felt the slight tingling sensation as the force went to work on his back, he also felt the beckoning of consciousness.

Like a silver fish gliding upward toward the surface of a dark and silent sea, Obi-Wan?s consciousness slowly rose through the inner depths of his mind until he was fully aware of his physical surroundings.

His eyes were gummy and he struggled to open them for a moment with no success. He felt a cool damp cloth gently caress his eyelids, obviously guided by compassionate hands that possessed a delicate touch. His second attempt was more successful and he blinked fitfully at the early morning light that filled his sight, blinding him momentarily until he became more accustomed to the brightness.

His first instinct was to roll over, but at the first hint of movement a sharp lancing pain from his back persuaded him to change his mind rather quickly. Instead of aggravating his injury further, he turned his head slightly in order to try to get his bearings and was suddenly staring into a pair of calm and encouraging brown eyes.

****

Despite her best efforts, Countess Neila simply could not relax enough to go to sleep. Her mind raced as she replayed the day?s events over and over as if viewing a holovid. <Lemur has finally followed in his father?s footsteps and completely lost all touch with reality>, she thought as she rolled onto her side in the oversized bed, <now that the wasting sickness has taken hold of his mind, things are going to

 

Vicetta Mermil slouched sideways on his throne of state in the Council Cavern of Llakret with his right arm supporting his chin against one side of the throne and his left leg thrown over the opposite arm of his seat, his foot bobbing up and down idly. His rumpled and food spotted uniform gave mute testimony to his indolence, his outward appearance was that of complete boredom as one petitioner after another approached him with their seemingly endless petty gripes and grievances concerning the conditions on the moon colony. Each petitioner was waved casually away without comment on his part as soon as they finished their polished rhetoric. As this insulting treatment continued over and over again, the disgruntled grumblings of the assembled advisors and dignitaries began to get a little louder with each occurrence.

Despite his lackadaisical appearance and behavior during this audience, inwardly, Mermil?s mind and thoughts were racing at lightspeed assimilating and processing information that he was continuously receiving through a small communicator chip planted in one of the gem encrusted rings on the hand that supported his chin. <So,> he thought to himself, <the threat of invasion has finally reared it?s ugly head. Following in the footsteps of his father, Lemur has joined the ranks of his ancestors and completely lost his marbles.> Mermil paused his silent musings momentarily as another report came in, it?s softly whispered message heard by him alone. <Ahhh, the plot thickens,> Mermil suppressed the urge to snicker out loud, <Lemur has managed to gather combat troops to follow his lead, good for him! Too bad the old chap hasn?t visited?ever, or he?d realize that most of the ships standing idle in Llakret?s landing cavern belong to smugglers and mercenaries that are here for the sole purpose of being paid by me, either in coin, or by using this moon as a ?safe? base. He?s going to get quite a surprise once he tries to get any of his troops here alive.>

<Still,> his mind murmured to him in his father?s voice, <there?s no sense in being over confident, use your resources to their fullest.>

This time he did snicker out loud, and quickly raised his left hand to forestall the indignant sputtering of the insulted current petitioner standing before him. "My apologies," Mermil lied, "I beg your indulgence, I must have a short recess, I think I?m coming down with a cold and need to remedy that. We will re convene in 20 minutes."

The grumbling in the chamber became even louder for a few moments, but began to subside as Mermil beckoned to his personal healer standing nearby. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the gloating figure or Jrakior standing off to one side on the dais, at other times the Chief Advisor would be having a fit at such a delay in the days schedule. <Thanks Dad>, Mermil sent his thoughts out to his late, mostly unlamented father, < for teaching me to be sneakier than that bastard over there, you will be avenged>.

The healer, her body totally concealed by a cowled cloak of green silk that trailed on the granite floor behind her approached the throne and leaned down close to meet the tired eyes of the monarch seated there.

Mermil looked up and met the sparkling brown eyed gaze of his friend of the last two months, her grin beneath the cowl of her robe was infectious and he had to concentrate hard not to return it lest the assembly see his reaction.

Mermil stood up and the two of them moved off to a nearby chamber so that his healer during the recess of the council could attend him. As the door whooshed shut behind them, Mermil chuckled slightly, then his expression sobered. "Rela," he said, "I don?t know how you keep your cheery outlook, and I wish you could teach me how. But not now, I think we have a problem."

Rela looked Mermil straight in the eye. "No," she said, " YOU have a problem, I?ll be glad to help though."

"Contact those two that were picked up on the sensors the other day," Mermil whispered, looking around for monitoring devices within the room, "the silver lady a

 

Okay, I think that's enough for now, I'm starting to go cross eyed.

More tomorrow!

 

Hey it was fun!

Now uppers!!!

 

Just upping this, I think I'll wait to post more until someone gets to this 'breather' space. I know of at least 1 person wading through all that.

 

Phew, made it!

I'm soooooooo glad you reposted Gryph! This is absolutely wonderful!!! And it's got alot of my favourite people in it.

I'm looking forward to the next bit now!

 

Thanks so much Calam!! Here's the next bit, I'll do my best to avoid post overload. *grin*

*******

Obi-Wan stared out into the darkness of the night, keeping his mind tightly shielded and cocooned himself in a mental image of slumber in case Kithera sought to probe his thoughts in order to check on her handiwork. With nothing to focus his eyes on except the inky blackness before him, every second seemed as if it were an eternity. He dared not try to contact his master through their bond since the healer may very well sense that oh-so-slight surge in the force surrounding them.
The night dragged on inexorably, he could hear nothing except the night breezes sighing through the surrounding trees and the rhythmic breathing of Qui-Gon and Kithera as they slept. With his lack of movement and the relaxing sounds around him, his eyelids became heavy with fatigue more than once. On the first occurrence he caught himself just before sliding into a doze and chomped down hard on the inside of his cheek, the pain of his self induced injury brought him to full wakefulness, but he realized his mistake as he had to risk waking the others as he had to move quickly to spit out the resulting trickle of blood.

As Obi-Wan reclined again he discovered the method which he thought would keep him awake for the rest of the night. Whenever he felt his eyelids become heavy, if he slowly moved one of his shoulderblades just right, he could tear open a small bit of the, once again, rapidly healing injuries to his back. The searing pain of reopening his wounds quickly brought him to full awareness, though a few times he overdid it and had to bite back a shriek of pain.

Despite all of his efforts, he must have dozed for a short while, he opened his eyes and sensed the impending arrival of dawn, and it was not too far off now. Obi-Wan felt his eyes grow heavy once again and brought himself to wakefulness by abusing his injuries once more. <For now, pain is my best ally,> he thought tiredly, <at least until morning. She will try to dose me again before we continue, only this time I?ll have a surprise for her.> Slowly, so as not to make any noise he moved his hand beneath his Jedi robe for the comforting hilt of his lightsaber on his right hip?<huh? Did I put it in one of my pockets?>

His slow, deliberate search of the pockets within his robe became faster and more hurried, then frantic. Obi-Wan sat bolt upright as he checked the last of the hidden pockets within his Jedi robe, he looked over the dying embers of their small campfire at the healer?

"Master!" he shouted, his voice echoing back mockingly from the nearby cliff face as he leapt to his feet.

Like lightning made mortal, Qui-Gon was beside his padawan, lightsaber at the ready, and peering into the shadowy vegetation around them for danger. When nothing presented itself to his inspection, Qui-Gon relaxed somewhat and turned to face his student.

"She?s gone, master," Obi-Wan said, pointing to the healer?s vacant bedroll, "as well as my lightsaber." He pulled his cloak aside to show the empty belt clip positioned just above his left hip.

****

Although her force ability was limited, it was more than enough to guide Kithera as she hurtled gracefully along the path to the city in the pre-dawn darkness. She had tried igniting the purloined lightsaber for illumination, but it dazzled her eyes rather than lit her path, so she had shut it off and relied solely on the force. Her mind trilled to itself as she effortlessly leapt over a burbling stream that bisected the path, her feet made contact with the opposite bank and she continued on her race through the whispering, shadow filled night.

"Oh, Leeemuuuur," she crooned to the silent night in a singsong voice, "too bad you weren?t a gooooood boooooy. Now the Witch of Dzur Mountain is coooooominnng to geeeeet youuuuuu!"

*****

Rela glanced over her shoulder as she and the two Jedi walked swiftly down the darkened corridor. The stranger behind them had neither gained nor lagged in distance, he was just far enough behin

 

I am so glad that this is back!!!!
YIPPPPPEEEEE

Kithera

*goes to press the post button and then realises that she has forgotten the very thing that all good threads need*

CCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

 

THANK YOU Jedi Gryph Grin ! ! ! ! !

What a fantastic surprise to find after a long stressfull week [even if the experiment was perfect].

just sitting here with my latte reading, blissfully reading. This is about where I 'left off' the last time when work expanded to fill my entire life. AArgh.

Any chance there is a new post on 'A child cries in the night'? Just greedy.


E3J

 

Me too! More!

 

*I'm glad you folks are enjoying this. Yes, there will soon be another post for "When A Child Cries ..." it's been a busy weekend and I didn't get many chances to work on it. For now, here's a bit more of DWF.

********

Qui-Gon stared aghast at Obi-Wan; his eyes wide with shock and his mouth hinging open and closed although no sound emerged.

The Jedi Master slowly regained his composure and finally managed a coherent sentence. "So, she stole your lightsaber while you were sleeping," Qui-Gon almost snarled, "I hope you had sweet dreams."

Obi-Wan recoiled in shock, it had been years since he had witnessed his master in this sort of emotional state. "But Master," he stammered, caught off guard, "it wasn?t like that at all. I?ve been trying to figure out a way to signal you since yesterday afternoon. I knew Kithera was up to something, but without knowing what, I thought it too dangerous to confront her without your foreknowledge."

Qui-Gon?s eyes narrowed to slits as he considered the words of his padawan. "Open your mind to me," he told Obi-Wan, " let us search your memories of the last few days, perhaps that will help shed some light on this situation."

Obediently, Obi-Wan opened his mind to their bond and felt his master?s consciousness join his own. He could sense Qui-Gon?s startlement at the murky, directionless state of Obi-Wan?s recent memories. Both were immediately aware that Obi-Wan had been operating solely on instinct for the last few days with virtually no conscious thought on his own part. The only points of memory that stood out were the occasional times when the padawan?s memory cleared for a bit, then the image of Kithera sprang up with her familiar cup of herbs, and his memory again dulled into an unrecognizable stupor.

Qui-Gon gently released his end of the mind bond and looked directly into his student?s ice blue eyes. "My apologies for my behavior, Obi-Wan," the tall Jedi said softly, "it never occurred to me that her potions were affecting you in such a way. Kithera may well have had your lightsaber the entire time. I didn?t think to make sure you had it with you, and you were in no condition to even think of checking on it."

"I place no blame on you master," Obi-Wan replied in an equally quiet voice, "if there is any blame to be placed, it belongs on the healer, for whatever reason she has done this."

"Then I suggest we go find out the answer to that mystery, "Qui-Gon said as he place a large hand on his padawan?s shoulder, "do you feel up to a run in the forest?"

Obi-Wan looked up at the slightly smiling face of his master. "After you," he said, returning the smile.

Both Jedi turned and ran down the trail leading to the main gates of Lemur?s city, both of them intent on finding the healer turned thief and getting Obi-Wan?s lightsaber back, as well as getting some answers to some rather pointed questions.

******

Kason and Charsa stepped out of the turbolift almost on Rela?s heels into the gloomy hallway that was almost indistinguishable from the one they had vacated moments before.

"Not much further now," Rela murmured over her shoulder, "session is almost over, we?ll go wait for Mermil in a side chamber. We?ll just take the back way so no one sees us in the Great Cavern."

Rela guided the two Jedi swiftly and unerringly through the numerous twists, turns, and branching that the corridor made. They finally arrived at what appeared to be a dead end in the hallway. Rela glanced behind them to make sure that they were not being observed, and when she was confident that they had not been followed, she reached out with her right hand and pressed it firmly against a small outcropping set to one side of the featureless granite wall. She was rewarded with a muffled click, and the granite door swung ponderously inward to reveal a fairly well lit chamber with a mechanical door set in the far wall. As soon as all three were within the room Rela turned and pushed the granite door in the opposite direction. The heavy stone slab again swung without the merest whisper of

 

WOW.........

 

Upity up up upity up!

That way Gryph can find you and post more!

 

Now c'mmon!! This is the first time I've read this and you're leaving me hanging. And you know what the next bit is!!!

Post it please Gryph!

 

Oopsie!! Sorry Calam! You have to wake me up from time to time. *grin* Here's some more!

********

Two sets of eyes peered intently from the concealing cover of leafy undergrowth at the edge of the forest. Before them was an obviously recently constructed tarmac in front of the main entrance to Lemur?s city on Osiris, and perched there were roughly 30 scout ships of medium size.

The tarmac was a hive of activity with workers, pilots, and other personnel dashing back and forth here and there. Some going from ship to ship and others, presumably messengers, passing in and out of the city gates over and over again. Obviously low-grade droids moved about the landing field as well, some moving purposefully on some errand or another, others just milling about as if they had no specific tasks to accomplish.

If this situation had not been so precarious, Obi-Wan would have laughed out loud at the inefficient bumbling of those on the tarmac as they rushed around in barely controlled chaos, some narrowly escaping collision with someone else?others were not so lucky he conceded as he saw a pilot run full tilt into a stationary droid. <OUCH!> he thought, <I bet that hurt!> This was almost like watching a badly directed holo vid comedy.

Obi-Wan felt a light nudge on his left shoulder and turned his head to look at his master. Qui-Gon silently motioned at the ships standing on the landing field, arranged in no particular order that either one of the Jedi could fathom.

The young Jedi obediently moved his gaze to study one of the nearer ships. "Ugly things, aren?t they master?" he whispered to Qui-Gon, who nodded slightly in agreement. Snub-nosed and chunky looking, painted in drab, unappealing colors; these craft were nothing like the graceful corellian ships that soared through the starlanes of the galaxy.

After a few more moments of study, Obi-Wan realized that these gangly looking ships had probably been built where they stood. Most likely built by people using schematics that were hundreds of years old, and probably almost illegible to the inhabitants here who had shunned interstellar contact for centuries. A momentary surge of pity for these people rose in Obi-Wan for their backward ways of thinking. "I wonder how many of those ships have even been tested outside the atmosphere," he whispered to his master.

"I wonder how many have ever even left the ground," Qui-Gon replied softly in a concerned voice, his eyes still scanning the pandemonium before them. "And what do you suppose that is?" his right hand pointed to a raised platform that had obviously been hastily erected off to the side of the city gates, "it almost looks like a viewing stand you would see at a parade ground."

"Who would be stupid enough to be out in the open when these pieces of junk try to lift off?" Obi-Wan muttered under his breath, then realized his mistake as he felt his master?s disapproving gaze on him.

"It is not our place to judge others, padawan," Qui-Gon whispered sternly, "we are protectors, we must help others when they are in need. Placing judgement on them cheapens our efforts to help others help themselves."

"I know that Master," Obi-Wan replied, eyes downcast, "I don?t know why I blurted that out." He felt the comforting pressure of Qui-Gon?s hand on his shoulder and knew the older Jedi was not angry with him.

"Come," Qui-Gon said softly, "let?s move around the periphery and try to get a little closer to the gates and that platform."

They moved swiftly and silently around the edge of the tarmac, shielded from view by the low hanging boughs of birdle trees and bushy undergrowth that lined the edge of the immense forest. As they got closer and closer to the looming city wall, Qui-Gon was slightly surprised that the forest growth was allowed to flourish all the way to the city?s enclosing wall. <I know initiates who could design better defenses than this, what kind of idiot allows concealing growth right up to their own doorstep, they wouldn?t see an enemy until it was right on top of them!> He then mentall

 

I had forgotten about it too H.L. Darth Writer's Block has me stumped on where to go with "When a Child Cries..." but I think you just gave me an idea.

Here's a bit more, I think I'm gonna start posting this in regular sized posts so people don't have to wade through too much at one time.

********

Countess Neila arrived out of breath and just in time to join the assembled dignitaries as they marched through the city gates and arranged themselves in a half circle next to the raised platform that Lemur would shortly occupy for his speech. She kept her eyes downcast as the despair and helplessness she felt swelled within her once again.

A wave of emotion washed over the two Jedi crouched within the concealment of their leafy patch of verdant undergrowth a short distance from the platform. This time, though, it was not the dark fury of the teenager they had witnessed before, but the haunting, incapacitating despair of someone who knew that failure was the only fate they had to look forward to. Not a personal failure, but a failure of duty and responsibility.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan peered through the undergrowth and scanned the faces of the growing assembly of people standing next to the official-looking platform for any clue as to who was projecting such strong feelings through the force. Obi-Wan nudged his master?s left side and sent the image of a face through their bond. It took a moment for Qui-Gon to spot the person in question with his own eyes, then nodded to his padawan in agreement.

The tendrils of anxiety and hopelessness seemingly poured from a regal looking woman of middle years, soft robes of sky blue silk rained from her slim shoulders and her auburn hair blazed in the sunlight of the late afternoon, the woman in question kept her gaze fixed on the ground in front of her as if afraid to meet the eyes of those standing around her.

The Jedi?s observation of the woman was interrupted by a raucous, slightly off key trumpet fanfare that sounded from the battlements atop the city wall. As the ringing sound died away a group of guards surrounding a single, obviously overdressed figure exited the city gates and made their way to the viewing platform. At the foot of the access ramp to the platform, half of the guards moved to surround the construction while the others followed their leader to the top, all of them holding their blasters in plain view. A voice boomed deafeningly from the speakers arranged around the perimeter of the landing field, "All hail our Sovereign Lord and Master, Lemur!"

A wave of bows and curtseys swept across the field and through the assembled nobles. The woman in blue, Obi Wan noticed, stood her ground and made no gesture whatsoever?<almost like a statue>, he thought, <even if she feels her situation is hopeless, she is still strong. What a Jedi she would have made.>

Lemur strode haughtily to the microphone stationed at the front of the platform and raised his arms to quell the nonexistent cheers of his subjects. He lowered his arms, a somewhat disappointed look on his face and he turned to gaze meaningfully at one of the guards behind him. The guard spoke quickly into a communicator and immediately his comrades surrounding the stage began to wave their firearms in the direction of the crowd of onlookers. A small smattering of applause and a few whistles broke the silence and Lemur again raised his hands for quiet?which was granted immediately.

?MY LOYAL SUBJECTS,? Lemur yelled into the microphone, then jumped backwards in response to the nerve wracking squeal of feedback from the sound systems. Two oversized speakers mounted on poles on the far side of the tarmac, evidently pushed past their volume tolerance exploded in brilliant pyrotechnic balls of flaming energy.

Qui-Gon glared balefully at his padawan as Obi-Wan covered his mouth to keep from laughing out loud and giving away their location. Obi-Wan shrugged a silent apology, and they returned their attention to the scene unfolding in front of them.

Lemur approached the microphone with a bit of trepidatio

 

This is SUCH a GOOD story Gryph! I'm so glad you decided to post it again. Looking forward to the next installment!

 

Oh wow, I actually got my act together and posted on both stories. *grin*

********

The hooting of the emergency claxons within the moon colony was definitely beginning to grate on Charsa?s nerves as she and Rela made their way through the flickering illumination of the twisting, turning corridors with the unconscious body of Vicetta Mermil supported between them. Kason staggered along behind them and she could sense the pain that coursed through him with every step he took. The power he had unleashed in the audience chamber had scoured the synapses of his mind raw and would undoubtedly take some time to heal before he felt like his old self again.

"You?re sure we?re going in the right direction," Charsa asked Rela for the third time, her voice coming in gasps due to the exertion of carrying Mermil?s unresponsive body, "I?d hate to get lost in this place."

"I?know?where?we?re?going," Rela panted back in exasperation, "I?m hoping the turbolift system hasn?t been damaged too badly, it would definitely be a help right now."

"If the last one was any indication," Charsa replied over the bobbing head of the Vicetta, "we?re in for a long walk."

They had found one turbolift access shortly after leaving the small council room that was obviously useless, it was nothing but a deep pit filled with sparking wires and falling debris, all controls were smashed beyond repair.

"There?s another one coming up soon," Rela almost snarled, "if this one turns out like the last, then I?ll agree with you."

As if on queue, another turbolift access panel presented itself, set into the right side of the corridor. Unlike the last one this one?s door was still intact, and when Rela touched the control plate, the door swooshed open with a hiss, and they could see an intact pod waiting there.

Both women sighed in relief and stepped into the pod with their unconscious burden still held between them, Kason stumbled in behind them clutching at the walls for support as his knees buckled beneath him.

The door to the turbolift closed with a soft hiss and Rela spoke aloud to the voice control system, "Hangar level, High priority." The metallic voice that answered her was garbled and accompanied by sparking static, but it almost sounded like, "acknowledged."

They felt the turbolift whir slowly?slowly to life, and suddenly the floor of the pod dropped sickeningly out from under them. After a nauseating ten meter drop, the sounds of emergency clamps engaging clanged through the small interior of the pod and they felt their descent slow?stop?and then the pod began to rise, hopefully on the way to where they wanted to be.

After several cuts in power and breathtaking drops, though none so bad as the first, the turbolift pod continued it?s climb and finally stopped, a chime sounded indicating that their destination had been reached.

Rela reached out with her right hand and keyed in a sequence on the control panel which caused the door to iris slowly open, the door groaning as if it?s abused mechanical parts were struggling to make any motion at all.

"Oh FORCE!", Charsa exclaimed as they took in the view of the all but destroyed hangar bay.

Huge monoliths of cracked granite stood where many of the ships had been when she and Kason had first arrived there. Twisted and crushed remains of ships could be seen beneath the giant boulders, while some of the spacecraft were untouched by falling debris. People swarmed all over the cavern, climbing over piles of stone and ruined craft, evidently looking for some way to escape the moon.

"Let?s just hope our ship is still in one piece," Charsa muttered to the others, "otherwise we?re going to have to fight our way onto one that is still spaceworthy, we still have to get to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, at whatever cost."

"We must hurry though," Rela added, "there may be others who are thinking the same thing, if your ship is intact, we may have to fight to keep it for ourselves, though I think we should help as many as we can to get off this stinking rock."

"Agreed," Charsa replied so