If I Die Before I Wake

Obnoxious jerk, Nora thought to herself, trying to stifle her anger. It wasn?t going to be easy to escape from this pair, but she had to try. She glanced back up at him, his face still flushed. Why does he keep watching me? she wondered, and as that thought slipped out, he glanced away, studying the ground. Abruptly, he stood and began dusting himself off, obviously trying not to look her direction any more.

Obi-Wan finished dusting himself off and felt confused. He could still hear her thoughts coming off of her in waves, but he tried to ignore it, feeling guilty about scanning them for useful information. Suddenly, nameless worry and dread came rolling from the Force, reminding him of waves he had seen on a shore once. Master, what is that? he questioned worriedly.

A disturbance, padawan, and a dark one at that. Something is here on the planet, something that responds to the dark side. I will go look for it now. Guard Nora and protect her. I will return shortly.

Obi-Wan sent affirmation back to his master, then he turned his gaze back to the girl. He sighed and didn?t know what to say. Her thoughts told him that she was trying to figure out a way to escape from him. Finally, she shifted moodily, reached into her pack and produced a sizable piece of bread from it. Eyeing it hungrily, the apprentice realized he hadn?t eaten since early that morning.

Noticing the pleading glances her meager meal was attracting, Nora rolled her eyes, tore the bread in half and handed it to the boy, who sat down near her. She continued eating her piece and received a grateful look from him. ?Thank you kindly,? he said, taking a bite from the bread. Nora?s brow furrowed as she tried to place the accent. His words were soft and connected, some vowels pronounced differently that she was used to.

?Where are you from?? she asked curiously, digging through her bag again. I may as well learn about my captors, she decided resignedly.

A confused look crossed his face then disappeared. ?I?m from Coruscant, although I don?t know where I?m from originally.? He grinned a little self-consciously, although the icy feeling he was getting from the girl across from him was not thawing. ?I guess I?ve started to pick up the accent of my master,? he finished, taking another bite. ?How about you? And what?s your name, if I may ask??

She produced a wedge of cheese and, feeling benevolent, offered him half again. ?I?m called Nora,? she said, breaking a chunk from her piece of the cheese. ?I?ve always lived here, at least I think I have.? Obi-Wan nodded, taking in her accent as well. Everything that came out of her mouth was crisp and elegant. Extremely precise. It reminded him of the singers that occasionally performed in the Temple. The inflection almost could have been considered harsh, but he reminded himself that she had just had her parents die and been chased by him, Qui-Gon and who knows who else.

?Well, I?m Obi-Wan Kenobi,? he said, offering his hand. She looked at it coolly, a hint of mystification in her face. Then, she stuck hers out, mimicking his gesture. He grinned and shook her hand. ?It?s nice to meet . . .? he trailed off, noticing movement behind her. On his feet in a flash, Nora?s eyes widened at the sight of his activated saber.

Obi-Wan darted directly in front of her and Nora heard a crash overhead. Glancing up, she saw his green blade, supporting a red blade. Twisting around, she saw an average sized man, who was grimacing at Obi-Wan menacingly. Suddenly, the blades twisted to the side, and Nora caught a glance of the attacker. ?Senator!? she gasped, regretting it as soon as the attack turned on her.

He snarled, his face once again hidden by the robe he was wearing. Fear filled Nora, as she tried to back away, leaning on both wrists painfully. Then, Obi-Wan was between them again.

The older man appeared and attacked from behind, trying to trip the attacker with his foot. Unfortunately, the attacker whirled on him, giving him a sharp blow across the chin with his empty hand, sending the olde

 

I certainly wouldn't run away from those two either.
Come on, Musical, more, more, more.

 

I'm here! I read the story and I like it. Great writing as always. Keep up the good posts.

 

Hey, Nora, why don't you sharpen the end of your quarterstaff and the next time that cloaked figure comes around, you can make him into "Senator on a stick". But whatever you do, stick with the two men that saved your life. They might just do it again.

 

---*laughs* "Senator on a Stick"? I like it!!! ---

Obi-Wan drifted back into consciousness, his head throbbing. He could hear his Master?s voice somewhere but couldn?t place it. Opening his eyes, he discovered he was in a small room, lying on a pallet that lay close to the ground. The world around him kicked and heaved, making him feel queasy. He closed his eyes again, and the world settled back into place. He slipped into back into an uneasy sleep.

Nora was in the hall, opposite the older man, who had introduced himself as Qui-Gon Jinn. She was perched on the wall of the hallway, which over looked the courtyard. He was pacing back and forth, asking endless questions. For her, each one was hard to follow due to his accent, which reminded her of Obi-Wan?s, only much more pronounced and therefore more difficult to understand. ?What do you mean, they didn?t like the senator from Naboo?? he asked, pausing in his pacing to consider.

Nora furrowed her brow, slowly piecing the words together. ?They said he was too ambitious. They told me he never seemed to care about Naboo, unless it involved more power for him. Apparently, the Queen never saw it in her kindly senator.? Slightly bored, she produced an orange from beneath her cloak and began to play with it, rolling it across her palms and tossing it.

As the orange rose up in a high arc, it started to crest as Qui-Gon resumed his pacing. Nora?s eyes widen in alarm when it appeared it would hit the older man. Without a pause in his movements, Qui-Gon caught the orange, still in thought. ?So the senator is the only person who would have reason to prefer your parents be permanently detained?? he asked, not missing a beat. Then, he tossed her the orange.

Nora caught it, startled. How did he do that? she wondered, looking down at the orange in awe. Qui-Gon grinned, and she realized he was waiting for an answer. ?The only one I know of,? she replied. Then she eyed him suspiciously. ?How am I supposed to know that you aren?t the master and apprentice sent to find me?? she inquired, tossing the orange to herself again.

Qui-Gon?s eyes twinkled. ?You?re not dead yet, are you? All joking aside, the man who attacked us in the street was a Sith, who also have masters and apprentices. Or, rather, just one of each. While the Jedi are dedicated to the defense of those who cannot, the Sith are simply the Dark Side users of the Force. I can only assume that he and his comrade are the ones who want you dead.?

Her head swimming from understanding his accent and the information she just received, Nora jumped down from her perch. ?I believe your apprentice is due for a new cold compress,? she said, tossing the orange back to him and disappearing down one of the hallways. Qui-Gon glanced at the orange and chuckled to himself. She reminds me of my padawan, or a younger version of myself, he thought ruefully. At least she doesn?t think we?re out to kill her now, though. Not to say that we?re out of danger yet, he added, tossing the orange to himself.

Nora reappeared with a wet, cold rag and walked into the room where Obi-Wan laid. Kneeling down next to the pallet, she carefully stripped the old rag off and stood to ring it out over the wall into the courtyard. Accidentally bumping Obi-Wan?s pallet as she stood, he shot up and was looming over her with his saber ignited, a hair?s breadth away from her eye. Letting out an instinctive scream, Nora fumbling backwards, tripping over her own feet and crashing to the ground. Obi-Wan deactivated the saber, a sheepish look on his face. He proffered her a hand to get up, which she angrily brushed aside, standing up on her own with a fiery look on her face. She tossed the wet rag to him and disappeared out the door, leaving an amused Qui-Gon Jinn in her wake. ?She has the pride of a padawan,? he grinned to Obi-Wan.

?Yeah, and the disposition of a Master,? he retorted, hurling the rag at him.

[This message has been edited by The Musical Jedi (edited 03-13-2000).]

 

Back, foul beast of the night, back!!! I hate homework!! I have a page report for zoology, research stuff for an English research paper, trig work, algebra II work . . . Ick. Plus, I had an Academic Super Bowl meet today, and I have to work the middle school ISSMA contest (a friend and I are joint-Lords-of-the-Walkie-Talkie) tomorrow and Saturday! No time to write! AUGH!!!!!

 

*listens as her footsteps echo eerily in the room*

*rubs a finger across it, picking up a trail of dirt and inhaling the scent of decay and disuse*

'Tis sad. So empty.

 

It's not empty. I was just awaiting your next post and ... um, well, never posted anything. I'm sorry. I understand the overload of work. (I'm correcting my English essay right now.) Plus the forum's a little complicated right now. I'll wait for the next post. Keep up the great work.

 

I have enjoyed this story so far. Please keep going.

 

Can't you see us all hiding in the corner? Well, we're cloaked in the Force so as not to disturb you but we're here, we're reading, we're enjoying.

 

---Tah-Dah!!!! A lovely pre-bedtime surprise for all my readers. *tired grin* I wonder if my English teacher will take this instead of a research paper on E. B. White?---

Nora fled down the hallway, her embarrassment dissipating as she went. She knew he hadn?t meant too, but still she hated being caught off guard. Winding her way down the staircase, she stepped out into the courtyard and leaned against one of the large trees there. On one of the branches hung a large circular swing, an artifact left from Nora?s younger days. Stepping over to it, she rubbed the rope fondly and slipped her legs through the opening. It was still high enough that her feet didn?t brush the ground, although her skirts did. Draping her arms across the top, she laid her chin on her hands, looking down at the ground, suddenly melancholy.

I guess this means they?re really gone, she thought dejectedly to herself, gently swinging slowly back and forth. The news hadn?t really hit up until this point. Nora had been too busy to focus on it, but then everything came rushing, leaving her feeling dazed. She sat in silence for a while, letting her emotions sweep her into her mind.

?I?m sorry I snapped at you,? Nora said quietly.

A look of surprise flashed across Obi-Wan?s face as he tried to figure out how she knew he was there. He looked uncomfortably at the clean rags in his hands. ?My master told me to bring you these,? he said finally, offering her them. She took them and silently began unwrapping the other bindings around her wrist.

?I?m really not such a terrible person,? she added, making a neat pile of used rags. ?I feel kind of bad, what I?ve done, but I?ve never been completely alone before.?

Obi-Wan settled on the ground in front of the swing. ?It?s hard to be alone,? he agreed.

Nora shook her head, disbelieving. ?Alone? How would you know? You have him,? she said, gesturing to the room where Qui-Gon had been.

Obi-Wan laughed. ?I?ve not always had him. I had to fight my way to be his padawan, and even then he was cool and aloof. It?s taken a long time to reach where I am now. Besides, it?s not easy being an orphan.?

Nora finished wrapping her hand then laid her head on her arms. She had a pensive look on her face. ?I wouldn?t know,? she said finally, her voice soft. Obi-Wan studied the ground in front of him, unsure of how to respond.

Qui-Gon appeared in the courtyard, startling Nora. Obi-Wan glanced at him then stood. ?Nora,? he began, ?do you know where your parents kept important documents? Anything to do with their diplomatic trips??

Mouthing the words, trying to figure them out, she finally nodded. ?Yes, at least, I know where some are.? Gesturing for them to follow, Nora walked across the courtyard and to a bare stretch of wall, covered only in ivy.

Obi-Wan watched in fascination as she swung open a small, hinged panel beneath the ivy that appeared to be a tile identical to the others on the wall. Beneath the panel was a key pad, filled with characters he didn?t recognize, all spread out on a ten-by-ten grid. ?Ingenious,? he murmured as Nora punched out a long string of the characters. She grinned at him when the door swung silently open, revealing a dark hall beyond.

 

Ooohhh...secret passage ways. Please continue, Musical.

 

I'll echo that! Secret passages, wow! And good interaction between Obi-Wan and Nora. More than just architectual secrets are being revealed here, I see. Keep on!

 

Question: Has anyone else seen my other story, The Truth about Beginnings? I can't find it, and it was closed in the other forum! I would really appreciate anyone's help with this. Sithy server, losing my story. mad.gif

 

---Just an announcement, I'm going to be gone from Sunday evening (3/26) until Friday afternoon (3/31), so will my readers please keep the story up? Thanks! ---

Nora disappeared just inside, her body stretched to something beyond the Jedi?s sights. A light appeared inside the hall, revealing that is was fairly short, with five doors visible. Two were on each wall, and one was on the wall opposite the door. Nora reappeared, holding an old-fashioned lantern in one hand, a flame flickering inside. With a flick of the empty hand, she indicated the second door on the right. ?Their documents are in there,? she said quietly, motioning for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to come in the small hall.

Obi-Wan followed his master in, feeling the dampness of the room as soon as he crossed the threshold. It smelled of old stone and disuse, making the padawan think of the lowest rooms in the Temple, which stored things no longer used by the Jedi. The mustiness hung like a curtain, reminding him of lessons about the histories of the first Jedi, who hid in cellars, afraid of others discovering their secrets. This is what my predecessors must have felt like in those tiny rooms, Obi-Wan thought to himself.

Qui-Gon tried to open the door, giving a small grunt in surprise when the door refused to budge. He studied it for a moment, figuring out if it was age or some other problem. Nora produced a set of keys on a ring from the same place that the lamp came from, which Obi-Wan noticed was a small inset shelf, also hidden by a swinging panel. He shook his head, still amazed at the resourcefulness of the people who had built it. She unlocked the door, pushing it open after the small gratifying click.

Nora stepped in first, filling the room with light by holding up the lantern and hooking it onto a length of thread attached to the ceiling by a small clip. It swung slightly, making eerie shadows in the small room. Qui-Gon followed her, and Obi-Wan brought up the rear.

The room was lined with more inlaid shelves that appeared to have carved from the stones themselves. Each of the shelves were labeled, although they were all in the same characters on the ten-by-ten grid. Obi-Wan blinked curiously as he watched his master lean forward, puzzling at one of the labels. A small wooden desk sat in one corner, another little lamp sitting on its surface. Nora pulled out a stool from underneath the desk and settled onto it, watching Qui-Gon questioningly. He fingered a few of the labels, silently mouthing something to himself. Then he laid a hand on the shelf, leaning on it, and began rubbing his beard thoughtfully.

?Nora,? he began quietly, still looking extremely pensive. ?What language is this??

Confusion rushed into Obi-Wan?s mind as a musical sound that sound rather inhuman emitted from her lips. ?What?? he asked, hoping he might catch it the second time.

?Chay-ah-lick-kra,? she repeated slowly, enunciating each syllable carefully. ?Gaelicra is an ancient language my grandparents learned from their grandparents. I suppose my parents learned it from them as children in an effort to preserve their heritage. Outside of my family, I?ve never met anyone who speaks it. My parents used it for their filing so if someone broke it, they would be more likely not to disturb anything in here,? she added slowly, unsure if either of them had wanted that much information.

The tall man gave an interested grunt then made an encompassing gesture with his hand. ?Can you translate these for me?? he inquired. Nora?s face registered with surprise at the question after a moment.

?But,? she paused, unsure of what to call him, ?there are over a hundred fifty files!? she responded incredulously. Obi-Wan widen his eyes in astonishment at that number, taking a quick look around the room.

Qui-Gon chuckled. ?Well, how about this one?? he asked, pointing to a small label that read Feria-ni-Luias. Nora grinned at the random choice of subjects.

?That means, literally, Guardians of the Light. The Jedi,? she replied, the smile still evident on her f

 

I'll help keep it up. I'll wait patiently for the next post, and look for The Truth About Beginnings.

[This message has been edited by Jaya Solo (edited 03-26-2000).]

 

I'm gonna move this to the bran spankin new fanfilms forum, "TFN Theater."

 

Your icon is of Mara Jade in case your still wondering.

 

To the TOP!!!

 

NO IT'S A HAPPY FACE WITH HAIR!

 

What? Not one Metallica reference at all?! tongue.gif

 

*shrugs* I'm sorry, I don't know enough about Metallica to make any references. Oh well. I'll just stick with Broadway.

 

Hello? Anybody out there?

 

Yes I'm here. Its great. Please don't stop

 

Yes I'm here. Its great. Please don't stop