Flames of Fear (JA)

An intensely emotional post--I understand just how Obi-Wan feels (for me, it's loose electricity.)

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Wow amazing post. Poor Obi-Wan's going through a tough time - being thrown into a situation like that.

More sooner than Wednesday or Thursday please!

 

I'll be watching for another post.I know with your schedule at school,sometimes you are hard pressed for time,so I will be patient.Just glad to see you have found time to start writing again.PEACE Ewen

 

Hi! I'm sorry that I didn't post yesterday but I've had a lot of homework this weekend. Anyway, I'm soooo happy 'cause I was invited on this trip to Rome and when I asked my mom she didn't say no! She didn't say yes, but she didn't say no either, so this is a good first step! I hope I can go, it sounds soooooooooooooooooooooo cool!!

I hope you enjoy!!!!


~ Part Five: Shame ~

Obi-Wan:

I came to when I felt a cold splash of water against my face. I instinctively opened my mouth and lapped some of the liquid onto my parched tongue. The water was so soothing in contrast to the suffocating dry air I had choked on. A gentle hand touched my forehead and ran down the side of my face but it lacked the soothing touch of my Master. Qui-Gon! My mind suddenly came completely awake and my eyes snapped open.

Doctor Ayla was sitting on the side of my bed with a concerned look in her eyes and a smile tracing her lips. "Doctor..." I rasped, "Where's Qui-Gon? Is he...?" the word caught in my throat before I could utter it. I almost didn't want to know. I didn't want to carry the blame for something like that.

Her smiled broadened, "He's fine, Obi-Wan. A team of doctors went looking for you and your Master when we realized that you both had disappeared and they found you just as you were losing consciousness. We pulled you out before the fire reached you but Qui-Gon suffered some pretty serious burns. Fortunately he is doing well and will make a full recovery."

My soul soared but the pain in my chest didn't case. The news should have eased my heaviness of heart but it didn't. Of course I was relieved and joyful that he was alive but I was devastated and incredibly disappointed with myself that I had failed - that I hadn't been able to save him. If it hadn't been for the doctors, he would be dead right now.

How could I have been so afraid? If I had only run down the hallway and dragged him out we both would have escaped without burns. I had rescued people from fires before and I had never been so afraid, so terrified. The flames had never given me cause to tremble or panic. I had never collapsed to the floor before - completely horrified and unable to move. Of course, that had been before one had nearly robbed me of my life but still, I should have been stronger. For my Master I should have overcome my fear. Qui-Gon's life had been in my hands and I had failed him.

I couldn't remember a single time when I felt more guilty or unworthy as I did now. It was like a growing expanse of clutching failure, filling my heart with empty worthlessness. He had almost died because of my fear. He deserved a Padawan who would be at his side no matter what - not a coward who couldn't stand the sight of fire. Force, would I be this terrified of it for the rest of my life?

"Can I see him?" I asked softly, almost pleadingly.

Doctor Ayla hesitated but upon seeing the spark of determination in my eyes she relented, "Very well. Just don't overdue it, you're still weak."

~~~~~~~~~~

I stood in the doorway to Qui-Gon's room, almost afraid to enter. Did he know of my failure? Did he know what a coward I was? What would he say to me if he did? Would he tell me how disappointed he was in me or would he be gentle and understanding? Would he tell me that we would work through my fear or would he be angry? What if he didn't know? Would I have the courage to tell him what had happened?

"Obi-Wan," his gentle voice breached my thoughts, "why are you just standing there?" he asked softly, "come here."

I slowly walked forward until I was standing next to my Master's bed. Most of his body was covered by a thick blanket but his bandaged arms were resting on top of it. The burns had most likely been treated with bacta and were now healing underneath the gentle cloth that surrounded him. Ayla had told me that his limbs had suffered minor burns but that it had been his chest and stomach that the fire had directly burned. He was lucky to be alive. With the pr

 

Great post

 

Great post. Its good that your are going to the Concert,but have you seen AOTC.If so, PM me and let me know what you thought.Have fun this weekend,I'll check Sunday for a post.PEACE Ewen

 

Wonderful, Firedrake very thoughtful. 7

 

Very good post. I like how Qui used his dreams to get through Obi's shielding. It was also a nice change to have Obi realize how much Qui cares for him.

Can't wait for the next post.

 

Hi! I'm sorry that I didn't post yesterday but the day went haywire on me and I barely had time to do anything other than homework! Thankfully, today I only have a history test to study for (yay!).

Thanks for reading!

This is another one of the parts I'm not really happy with, but I hope you enjoy it.


~ Part Six: Creeping Terror ~

Obi-Wan:

I was drifting between the world of dreams and reality when the noise of pattering footsteps brought me to a state of wakefulness. I opened my sleep heavy eyes and blinked a couple of times to clear my blurred vision. It was still eerily dark in this part of the compound and even after my eyes had adjusted I could barely make anything out. I looked down either side of the corridor but all I could see was the outline of the walls and computer consoles.

There was no one here. Perhaps I had simply imagined the sound.

How much time had I been asleep? Minutes or hours? However long it had been I probably should return to the other side of the compound. There were still patients to attend to. Qui-Gon would be worried, even though he now knew why I had run off. I had planned on telling him of my failure after meditating and gathering my thoughts but he had given me the chance to do neither. Now I didn't know what I had to do. I was still afraid of fire and I had still shamed myself by not being able to reach past that fear to save the person whom I loved the most.

A loud creak broke the silence.

Someone was here. I looked around but nothing had changed. I touched the Force to see if I could sense anyone's presence but as with the other compound it reeked of desperation. Beyond that, I could feel nothing.

Another set of footsteps reached my ears and this time a figure appeared at the end of the hallway, bathed in the dim light of a portable lamp. From what I could see he was a doctor - he was wearing the long white overcoats they all used - but I didn't recognize him. There had only been one male doctor at the other facility and his hair had been very short; this man's hair hung loosely about his shoulders. That meant nothing though - this was another compound which would have a set of doctors and nurses that I hadn't met yet.

I slunk further back against the wall. Whoever it was wouldn't be able to see me, hidden in the darkness as I was, so I remained completely silent so as not to alert him of my presence. I felt foolish for concealing myself but there was something about this man that didn't feel right. Why would he be here when this part of the compound was obviously out of use? There were no patients to help here. If he was resting he'd be in his room or in the kitchen getting something to eat. He wouldn't be in an abandoned part of the facility.

The man stopped walking and set down the lamp, letting it cast its glow in a circle over the floor. He approached one of the computer consoles but the darkness prevented me from seeing what he was doing. All I could make out were his feet and part of his legs. He was wearing black boots that appeared to be caked in chunks of mud. In fact, now that I looked closer, his pants where also covered in specks of dirt and grass. Now where, in a medical facility, would he find a muddy field of grass?

He had come from outside. Something Qui-Gon had told me earlier today clicked in my mind. The Mintra had learned the locations of all the Ritnal's compounds and were destroying them by sneaking in and setting them on fire. What if this was a Mintra soldier in disguise? What if he was making sure that all the systems were deactivated in this section before setting it aflame?

I had to stop him. If this compound was destroyed there'd be nowhere to take the patients and they'd all die. Everything we had done at the other facility would be for nothing. The patients we had rescued would die anyway. My Master would have nearly lost his life for no reason. I couldn't let that happen. I was still a Jedi and despite my failure I could stop this man fr

 

Ohh- nice twists and turns

 

WONDERFUL WRITING!!!

You have talent!!


UP!!!

 

Please don't say you are going to leave us there for a fews days.You are, aren't you!!!Go figure.Poor little Obi,its almost cruel what you FF writers do to him.Remember I said ALMOST!!!!PEACE Ewen

 

Hi!! Here's the last part! See, I'm not that mean...I didn't make you wait too long for the end. Thanks for the FB and thanks bunches for reading!


~ Part Seven: Overcoming Obstacles ~

Obi-Wan:

Fear solidified in the pit of my stomach as I realized exactly what was going on. With the soldiers on either side of me, holding me back, it left my chest and stomach completely open and defenseless to whatever they had planned for me. And judging by the wicked gleam in their eyes, it wouldn't be pleasant.

Desperately, I used every bit of my strength to push back against their hold but as soon as they felt my muscles tense they leaned in even further and kept me completely pinned back. I felt like I was smashed against the wall and I was beginning to loose the sensation in my arms and lower legs. They were much too strong for me.

The man who had originally held me against the wall was standing less than a foot away from me and a grin of pure anticipation had formed to cover his lips. "Mintra scum," he spat out viciously, "you rape our women, murder our children, massacre our wounded, and then expect that by sending in a child we will let you live," he laughed loudly and a moment later was joined by the cackling of his companions, "tell me, boy, how does it feel to know that you are responsible for the deaths of more than four hundred wounded soldiers?" he stepped closer to me until our noses were less than an inch apart and bore into me with the intensity of his gaze.

"Do you hear their screams at night?" he hissed, "in your dreams do you see their bloodied bodies? Do you enjoy picturing the horror and pain in their eyes as the fire, the hot, ruthless fire, sinks its burning tendrils into their helpless bodies?" With every word the man barked out I could feel his anger increasing, and it scared me, as did the images he was evoking.

I snapped my eyes shut. Flashes of dancing, merciless fires appeared in the blackness of my mind, cracking and cackling at me as they threatened to consume my mind. The man's words wrung in my mind, increasing the intensity of the vicious illusion of my imagination until fear coursed through me.

I was weak. I was so weak. I felt pathetically pitiful. How could I ever hope to become a great Jedi Knight if the very mention of fire would send sparks of terror cascading through my pulsing veins?

My heart leapt up into my throat and left me breathless when I felt the sharp nails of hatred sinking into the skin of my cheeks. I struggled to pull my head back but the grip on my face only increased as the fingers dug in further. Five points of bitter pain flared as he twisted his hand, breaking the skin but still not releasing his hold.

"Look at me, vermin!" he snapped loudly, jerking my head forward painfully and then slamming it back against the wall. Sparks flashed in the night of my vision and pain exploded in the back of my head, raw and throbbing.

I opened my eyes and stared into the dark green gaze of hatred of the infuriated soldier. "You're a monster!" he yelled, tearing his hand away from my face and showing me the blood on the tips of his fingers. "You go around killing our defenseless and innocent, our untrained civilians, and for that we will exterminate you from this planet!"

My face stung and I could feel the imprint of where his fingers had been. Blood trickled from the five small abrasions in my skin and rolled down my face like the tears of confusion that I wanted to shed.

How could these people hate each other so much? I had spent hours helping to heal hundreds upon hundreds of Ritnal soldiers and for some reason my mind had classified them as "the good guys". I had known from the beginning that they were as guilty as prolonging the bloody war as the Mintra were but I had mistakenly thought that they weren't as bad because of the kindness of the doctors I had worked with. It reality, that wasn't true.

The Mintra were ruthless and had no sense of mercy but neither did the Ritnal. The Ritn

 

A lot of powerful images.

 

Such a great fic. I would read a sequel, but i think this is great as it is.

I read for Qui and Obi and you tidied that up just fine, no loose ends there

I look forward to more from you soon.

 

I'm....speechless....

I agree...it's sequel worthy, but I think that it would be much more...I don't know...much better, if left alone...

 

Up!!!

Very good indeed No worries about not resolving every issue. Obi conquering his fear was a great idea for the story anyway and most enjoyable

 

Hi! Sorry that it took me so long to respond! I took the SATs today so right now I'm in the process of unwinding. I just wanted to thank everyone who read this story and I'm glad you enjoyed it. THANKS for the FB!