Frostbite (JA story by Cassia)

Hello everyone, I am posting another story by Cassia. I hope you will all enjoy it as much as I did.

*Sniff* this was dedicated to me by Cassia, (it was really nice of her). More of the reason why I enjoyed this peice.

Please feedback on the JC or to Cassia directly at Cassia_a@hotmail.com


Kim B
(by now all of you know.. NOT the author)

____________________________________________________



Title: Frostbite
By: Cassia
Email: cassia_a@hotmail.com
Category: Story, adventure, drama, H/C, um... the usual.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Minor ones for the JA books
Disclaimer: All recognizable Star Wars characters are the
exclusive property of George Lucas. All others belong to me.
I have no official permission to use these characters, but
I'm not being paid for it either, so that's okay.
Feedback: Yes Please!
Archive: Early Years, Jedi Apprentice and anyone I've given permission to
for previous stories. Others please ask.
Time Frame: 12 years before TPM. Somewhere between JA 10 and JA 11.
Obi-Wan is 13.

Summary: When the Jedi arrive to negotiate between a group of
settler/farmers and their grabby landowners, Obi-Wan is disappointed to be
left behind. He is about to learn that no task is unimportant, and
assignments do not always turn out the way you think they will.

Things bracketed by *'s are *italic*.

~~~I am dedicating this story to my friend Kim B. without whom my stories
would be listed on about three sites and who is long overdue for a story
dedication after everything she has done on my behalf. Thanks so much Kim!
Sorry I don't say it near as much as I should.~~~


-Frostbite-


PART ONE:


"But Master, I don't see why I have to stay here with the other children. I
am *not* a child!" Obi-Wan Kenobi argued, on the verge of being petulant.

"You are thirteen years old Obi-Wan, and on this planet, that classes you as
a child. Besides which, age aside, you are acting like one now," Obi-Wan's
master, Qui-Gon Jinn said in no uncertain terms.

Stung by the rebuke, Obi-Wan lowered his head. "What good am I to you
here?" he said in a softer, almost sad voice. "What have I done wrong?"

Qui-Gon sighed. In another few months, Obi-Wan would be fourteen and they
would have been together as Master and Padawan for a year. Obi-Wan was a
good student, but sometimes he showed that he still had so much yet to
learn.

"Padawan, I'm not punishing you by making you stay here. All the Remrafar
children fourteen and under always stay here in the colony while the elders
go across planet to pay the LandOwners tribute," Qui-Gon pointed out.

Obi-Wan knew that. But it certainly *felt* like a punishment to be kept
from the center of events.

The planet Nedrag was a mostly desolate wasteland, except for the one valley
that the Remrafar farmers had settled in centuries ago. There, the
geothermal conditions created an ideal growing condition. The original
Remrafar had leased the right to farm there from the corporation who owned
the supposedly worthless rock for a tiny gratuity.

Then, last year, rare and precious Ionite was discovered to dwell in large
pockets beneath Nedrag's cracked surface.

Instantly the Remrafar's tribute was quadrupled to impossible proportions.
Nedrag's owners wanted the little colony of farmers gone so that they could
use the heated valley for their new mining bases, but the original contract
gave the Remrafar unconditional tenancy unless they should fail to meet
their tribute payments. When the small colony refused the LandOwner's
offers to buy them out, the LandOwners had turned to other methods.

The Remrafar saw no reason why they should be forced out of their homes and
tensions grew taught. The LandOwners agreed to a meeting to discuss a
compromise and the Jedi were called upon to moderate.

After waiting for several days with no word, the owners sent a message that
they would convene tomorrow evening and every Remrafar over fourteen had
better be there.

"I'm almost

 

Did I mention....?... just incase I forgot

PLEASE FEEDBACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim B

 

No feedback yet?

Summary: When the Jedi arrive to negotiate between a group of settler/farmers and their grabby landowners, Obi-Wan is disappointed to be left behind. He is about to learn that no task is unimportant, and assignments do not always turn out the way you think they will.

Things bracketed by *'s are *italic*.



-Frostbite-


PART TWO:


Remi stomped across the field to the barns, not waiting for Obi-Wan who
followed like an unwanted appendage.

Inside the barn, Remi thrust the long handle of a three-tined farm
instrument into the Jedi's hands.

"Fork that feed into those bins," he growled, gesturing from a pile of
lavender hay to the large, rotating feed bin that would distribute the feed
to all the animals in proportion.

Biting back his irritation, Obi-Wan took the fork and did as he had been
instructed. Remi left to inspect the thermostats.

Obi-Wan filled the bin. As the lavender mass filled the bin, he wondered
how it was supposed to move with a load like this...

"That's too full idiot!" Remi snapped, coming up suddenly and shoving
Obi-Wan so hard that the apprentice, caught off-guard, actually tumbled
sideways into the haystack.

"Should have known better than to let you do it," Remi muttered, removing
several fork-fulls of feed. "What's a Jedi boy like you know about farming
anyway?"

Picking himself up, Obi-Wan brushed the stray strands of hay from his
clothes. That was it. Remi had no right to act like this!

"Look," Obi-Wan tried to be calm. It was difficult. "I know you're
disappointed that you can't go with the others, I am too, but that's no
reason to act like a..." Obi-Wan struggled to find a more diplomatic word
than the one he had in mind.

"Jerk?" Remi supplied, turning around with fire in his eyes. "Go on, say
it. You fancy Jedi think we're a bunch of backwater clods just like the
LandOwners do! I heard what you said to that other Jedi: "Why don't they
just take the money and go? Do they really want to live on this desolate
rock?" Like we're the stupidest people in the galaxy or something!" Remi
was almost shouting.

With a shock, Obi-Wan realized that this wasn't just about Remi not being
allowed to go. The Padawan realized how his words must have sounded to the
young Remrafar. It wasn't what he had meant, but from Remi's point of view
it certainly sounded bad.

"Remi, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant-" Obi-Wan tried to explain, but
the other boy wasn't listening.

"Well I'll have you know that this is our HOME! We have always lived here
and we WILL always live here and I don't care who I have to fight to see to
that!" Remi's short temper flared and his frustration at everything that had
been happening to them over the past few months exploded.

Obi-Wan ducked only just in time to miss the sweeping arch of Remi's fist,
which had been aimed at his face.

"I know that," Obi-Wan backed up, his hands palm-out in a non-threatening
gesture. Invoking a fight with Remi was the last thing he wanted to do.
Well... maybe not exactly the *last...*

"Master Qui-Gon and I came here to help your people, not-"

"Well what if we don't need your help you stuck up, arrogant little prig!"
Remi spat, lunging for Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan sidestepped and the other boy ended up lunging into the hay.

Enraged, Remi grabbed the end of the floor-mat that Obi-Wan was standing on
and yanked it hard.

Thrown off balance, Obi-Wan stumbled and also fell into the hay.

Pouncing on him, Remi slammed his fist into Obi-Wan's face, splitting the
younger boy's lip.

Obi-Wan tasted blood and saw red. All right, if Remi wanted a fight, he had
one. Catching the other boy's wrists before he could strike again, Obi-Wan
grappled his opponent and they rolled over and over in the hay, struggling
for the upper position.

It would have been very easy for Obi-Wan to totally flatten Remi, he had the
training and the ability, but the Padawan refused to use the Force to aid
him. Remi was n

 

Poor Obi! Out there freezing! This is *very* good. I love it! Please hurry with more!!!

Kim, I'm sure you deserved the dedication of this wonderful story.

 

No, I think you deserve the dedication

It's just that I've read this fic before that's all...

Still good tho! Post more soon!!

 

I have decided to post all parts and thank-you for the kind words everyone .. *sniff*

I have on good athority that Cassia is writing another story as I post this... it's really good but it's R rated. I think R rating isn't allowed here isn't it?(no sexual contents I don't think... I think it got to do with little violence).

So those who wish to read this story please send me your email address through to me on a PM (hopefully before 10 April) and you will have the story sent to you.

Kim B

PS lot of feedback appreciated...


PART THREE:


The young Jedi's mind blurred and one moment became very like another as he repeated the same steps, over and over again. The biting cold penetrated his body like needles and the stiffness it created in his joints made him feel older than Master Yoda.

The Padawan tried to create his own warmth through the Force and for a while it had worked to a certain extent. However, as he continued to push himself hour after hour even that became beyond his ability.

The teenagers had worked through most of the night and now Obi-Wan worked on alone as the frozen canyon slowly moved towards morning. The young Jedi felt ready to drop, but he was so close to the end now that he just couldn't give up.

*"Just one more field, just one more field..."* he repeated to himself over and over.

With a final tug and fastener clip, Obi-Wan secured the last cover and straightened his aching back to survey the night's work.

The first grey light of morning was etching its way up the sky and the watery rays glinted dully off the undulating fields of silver thermal-protective covers. The fields stretched off as far as the eye could see and Obi-Wan realized he was miles away from the farmhouse.

Looking at it from here it seemed an impossible feet for a handful of children to have accomplished; yet, somehow, they had done it. No doubt the frost had claimed some of the crop, but hopefully they had saved enough.

A leaden weariness hung over Obi-Wan's body and he told himself he it was from lack of sleep and hard work. It was over now, he could go back. Wearily putting one frozen foot in front of the other he started the long trudge back to the farmhouse.

As he walked, the bitter cold that had been assailing him seemed to vanish. Obi-Wan thought that the morning must be warming things up, but in reality he had gone completely numb.

Despite what he had told Remi, Obi-Wan had overestimated how much his body could handle, or at least, he had not counted this hour-long walk into his considerations.

Numb, frozen legs stumbled, at first once, then more and more frequently until Obi-Wan began to realize that something was wrong. Yet there was nothing he could do, his strength was expended and his body shutting down without his permission.

Falling again to his knees, Obi-Wan slid into a sitting position and leaned back against one of the covered rows. He was so tired... so tired. If he could just rest a little, then he would be able to return to the farmhouse. Rest...

A small part of Obi-Wan's mind screamed for him to get up, running wildly over everything he had ever learned about hypothermia. *"You're freezing to death, you can't stop! You're freezing!"*

But Obi-Wan was helpless to respond to that thought, his body refused to move again and his thoughts clouded hazily. A pleasant, warm feeling began to spread over the young Jedi as his eyes closed and his body at last succumbed to the deadly grip of the freezing cold.


PART FOUR:


"Remi?" Jemima laid her hand on his shoulder. They were the only two still awake; the others had finally drifted into an exhausted sleep an hour ago.

Remi however had remained glued to the frost-crusted window, watching, waiting...

The boy shook himself and turned away from the window. "It's been hours, he's been out there too long," Remi murmured, beginning to pull on his previously discarded wraps and coat.

"Where are you going?" Jemima asked as Remi pulled on his boots and headed for the door. She thought she ha

 

hmmmm... feedback
okay...
Great Story!!!!
And I'd like to read Cassia's story
email: christinejade86@hotmail.com
I really don't care if everyone knows my address

 

I've read this one, it is one of my favorite Cassia stories.

 

thanks everyone, please remember to PRIVATE MESSAGE ME if you want to recieve Cassia's story(coming out on 10 April).

Kim B