Jedi Go Home (JA)

Just a short post to-day, but I had this insane desire to end it with a cliff-hanger!

*****

It seemed like an eternity went by as he lay there, shivering with cold, but trying otherwise to remain as still as he could so that it didn?t hurt as much, occasionally dozing off. Eventually, however, the door was opened again, and the Jedi came in. He laid a pile of neatly folded clothing on the bench next to Ben, then removed the knee-high boots from the top of the pile and placed them on the floor.

"I?ve brought your clothes, you can get dressed,?he said.

Ben looked at them with disgust. Jedi clothes!?Those aren?t mine.?

"You can either wear them, or walk out of here stark naked,?said the Jedi calmly.

Defeated, Ben got up slowly and began to dress, demonstrably turning away from the Jedi. At least they would be warm. He couldn?t seem to stop shivering.

"You don?t remember me. My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, I am a Jedi Master,?the Jedi said after a moment.?And your real name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. You are my apprentice.?

"I am what??Ben whirled around to face him, barely registering the pain caused by the sudden movement as he stared at the Jedi in horror.?You?re telling me I?m a Jedi, too??

"Yes, Obi-Wan, you are a Jedi, too.?

"Don?t call me that. I don?t want a Jedi name. I don?t want to have anything to do with the Jedi!?

The Jedi was silent for a moment, then asked,?Which name would you prefer??

"Ben,?he said sullenly, pulling on the boots.?Ben Maethum.?

"All right, Ben. I?ve spoken to a Healer at the Jedi Temple. He?s heard of a treatment for amnesia. It?s still in the experimental stage, but he says the results have been astoundingly good. I?ll take you back to Coruscant and he?ll start treating you there. He?s certain that he can retrieve at least sixty percent of your memories.?

"If I?m a Jedi, then I don?t want my memories back,?Ben snapped, although it was not quite true. He felt torn. On the one hand, he wanted badly to know who he was, but on the other hand, the thought of being a Jedi was sickening. His mind still ached dully from the mental invasion.?Just leave me here, because I?m not going to come with you and start manipulating people?s minds and tricking them into doing things they?d never do otherwise.?

"Is that what you think Jedi do??

"Well, isn?t it??Ben challenged.

"We are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy--?the Jedi began, but Ben cut him off.

"Oh, yes, and we know exactly how you do that, how you keep peace in the galaxy. You manipulate people into not wanting their freedom, accepting compromises that keep them enslaved, torturing them into betraying their friends--?

"That is not true, Ben,?said the Jedi calmly but emphatically.

"You helped them torture me!?Ben shouted.?You went into my mind and forced me to tell them where that Getter brat was hidden!?

"I had expected the Get-tro-wens to merely interrogate, not to torture. I was wrong, and I am sorry that you had to suffer that. I did not help them. I went into your mind, that is true,?the Jedi agreed.?I broke down your shields, which I know was very painful and frightening. I sorted through your memories to discover if you were telling the truth about having amnesia, which you were. I did not do anything else.?

"You made me do it,?Ben repeated stubbornly.?And I am not coming with you.?

The Jedi sighed.?Obi-Wan--Ben. I know you don?t remember, but you are my apprentice and I am your master. I am pledged to guide you and protect you, even from yourself. I am not going to let you stay here to be executed.?

Ben sat down on the end of the bench farthest away from the Jedi and turned his face to the wall.?I?d rather be executed than be a Jedi!?

"No, you wouldn?t. You really do want to remember, I can feel it. You?ve just heard too many untrue rumours about the Jedi, that?s all. When we get back to Coruscant and you?ve regained your memory, then you will know that we serve the greater good.?The Jedi banged on the door, and it was opened immediately f

 

Yup, that was an insane desire to leave on a cliffhanger.

 

When will we get the rope to climb down from this cliff?

 

Poor Obi-Wan! *sob*

 

Okay, now you're just being rude, Jane! You can't just leave it there!! ::looks around guiltily for being a hypocrate::

 

Please, you must post more today! I don't think we can survive waiting till tomorrow!

 

Hmmm... an insane reader torturer... or should that be an insane torturer of readers? ;-) Well, you've got me where you want me. On tenterhooks. Great post.

 

The Jedi bent down to look into the car.?Ben? You can say good-bye to your--family--before we leave.?

Awkwardly, Ben scrambled out of the back seat, and the Jedi turned to one of the guards.?Can you take the handcuffs off now??

The guard hesitated.?It?s regulations that the prisoner be handcuffed at all times until deportation, but--uh--I could put them in front, Master Jedi.?

"That would be acceptable, thank you,?the Jedi nodded.

The guard released the handcuff from Ben?s right wrist, then came around to stand in front of him, and cuffed them together again. Feeling only slightly less humiliated, Ben glanced up at the house, and saw the curtain of the living room window twitch. The front door opened a minute later and Rixi came out, twisting her braid around her finger and looking as though she couldn?t decide whether to run out or back in again. He heard her call over her shoulder,?It?s Ben! Mum, Dad, it?s Ben!?

With the Jedi at his side, Ben walked up the path, and a moment later, Rixi had flung her arms around him. She pulled back when he winced with the pain, and looked into his eyes.?Oh, Ben, we were so scared! What happened??

"I got caught,?he mumbled, too ashamed to meet her gaze.

"You got caught? But they?re bringing you home--oh! Are they letting you say good-bye before they execute you??

"He?s being deported, not executed,?said the Jedi.?May we come in and explain??

They went in. Ben was relieved to see that the Getter guards stayed outside, close to the car. It was strange enough having the Jedi there in their living room. Moving with quiet dignity, the Jedi sat down in the chair that Bedec hesitantly indicated, and pretended not to notice the awkwardness as everybody else sat down, too.

"You?re being deported??Rixi asked before anyone else could speak.?But where to? Are they taking you to a prison on Get-tro-we??

"I?m taking him home to Coruscant,?the Jedi said.

There was a stunned silence.

"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, I am a Jedi Master. And this is my apprentice. He disappeared five weeks ago, I?ve been searching for him ever since. I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of him,?the Jedi continued.

"He?s--your apprentice??Dr. Maethum asked.

"Yes.?

"What?s his real name??Rixi asked.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi.?

Rixi bit her lip and turned her head away, making a strangled sound, and for a moment, Ben thought she was crying, until Bedec said sharply,?Rixi! You mustn?t laugh!?

"I?m sorry,?she giggled.?It?s just so funny. Listen to it! Obi-Wan Kenobi! Obi-Wan Kenobi!?

"Rixi!?Dr. Maethum said. He looked mortified as he turned to the Jedi.?I have to apologise for my daughter.?

"No apology necessary.?

"Ben suits you better,?Rixi said, trying to bite back her smile but not succeeding.

"Thanks,?said Ben morosely, looking down at the handcuffs around his wrists.

"I can?t believe you?re a Jedi,?she remarked, more serious now, and he could feel that she was looking quizzically at him.

"I?m not!?Ben replied heatedly, glancing up.?Rixi, don?t ever think that! I don?t want to be a Jedi! I don?t want to be your enemy!?

"You?ll always be Ben Maethum to me,?she smiled, taking his hand, and he felt himself relax slightly.

"We didn?t know he was your apprentice,?said Dr. Maethum, turning to the Jedi.?We thought he might be a fugitive--we thought we were saving him from the J--from the Getters.?

"You cannot be blamed for your ignorance in this matter,?the Jedi replied.

"I?m Dr. Fulk Maethum, by the way. This is my wife, Bedec and my daughter Rixi.?

"He already knows that,?Ben spoke up.?He read my mind, just like you said the Jedi do. He went through all my memories. He knows everything about you that I know. He helped them torture me, Uncle Fulk! He made me tell them about Wylan!?

"I did not help them torture you, Ben,?the Jedi corrected him in a quiet voice.

"It doesn?t matter, Ben. The whole thing was doomed from the beginning.?Dr. Maethum shook his head sadly.

"We saw it on the news,?Rixi said.?The Get

 

No cliff hangers, but that was soooo sad. I still wonder how he'll feel back on Coruscant before and after (if) he get's his memory back.

Will they go back and try to help that planet?

 

Sweet post, Jane! Its so nice and sad and sweet... The kind that makes you smile through your tears. And don't worry, getting bored with this story is impossible!

 

Bored? you think we can get bored with this tale... alas, your more out of touch then I thought. ... and no cliff hanger... well, I don't know if I'd agree with that...Obi still isn't very fond of Quigon yet... and well what about what the gettters are doing? and....umm I'll shut up now so that Jane Jinn can post more...<hope, hope>

;~)

 

Jemmiah suggested I read this story and I'm very glad she did! You have a wonderful way of captivating your audience.

I'll be eagerly looking for more.

 

Don't worry about us getting bored and leaving, not when a story is this good!

I am glad to see that Obi is returning to the Temple with Qui-Gon, although reluctantly. I was also pleased that Qui-Gon allowed him some time with his adopted family before they left the planet, his good byes to them were very sad and sweet. I hope they meet again. You can feel Qui-Gon?s anguish at Obi?s memory loss very deeply, it has to hurt to know that one you think of as son now has no memory of you and is in fact displaying a deep fear of you! I am very anxious to see how Obi reacts to returning to the temple, will being with even more Jedi only increase his fear, or will the calm of the temple be helpful?????

Look forward to more, you are doing a fantastic job Jane, keep up the great work!!!!!!!

 

I like it, but where's the promised Qui-Gon perspective?

 

Great post, Jane. It was nice to see Qui-Gon's patience with Obi-Wan. Very nice.

aa

 

This was nice. It was good of Qui-Gon to let Obi say goodbye to his "family." But I am worried about what will happen to the Maethum's now. Will the Getter's find out that he(doc) was part of the resistance, aren't they suspicious that Qui-Gon took Obi-Wan there? Uh... more? ;-)

 

Oh, I feel sorry for everyone in this situation! Will the Getters snatch the Maethums? (sp) Can't wait to read Qui-Gon's perspective of all of this.

 

No boredom award you you Jane Jinn!!!!

Kit

 

Jane any post today?

 

All the way to the space port, Qui-Gon was aware of Obi-Wan. Now that his apprentice?s shields were down, he could sense a steady stream of pain and fear and hatred coming from the back seat. Qui-Gon grimaced at the memory of the brutal torture and wished fervently that he?d been able to spare his apprentice that agony. Obviously, he?d been so caught up in Obi-Wan?s disappearance over the last five weeks that he hadn?t bothered to equate the word interrogation with torture for the simple reason that they had all believed they?d captured a member of the Theosnen Resistance and not a Jedi Apprentice. He might have thought twice about the Get-tro-wen methods if he?d only known before that they?d caught Obi-Wan! If only he?d gone outside the gates of the estate that night instead of appointing himself temporary bodyguard to the Mayor! Now he realised he?d slowly but surely been losing his focus. It was time to go home.

When they stopped next to the ship and Qui-Gon got out, Obi-Wan remained motionless where he was, and the guards had to pull him out of the car and force him up the ramp into the ship. They pushed him into one of the seats in the lounge, handed the key of the handcuffs to Qui-Gon, saluted him, and left. A bit taken aback, Qui-Gon undid the handcuffs, then invited Obi-Wan to come up into the cockpit with him for the takeoff.

Obi-Wan just glared at him, and after a moment, Qui-Gon went up alone.

Once they were in hyperspace, Qui-Gon left the cockpit and came back to the lounge. Obi-Wan had stripped off his Jedi tunics and was now wearing a purple pullover trimmed with blue, which Qui-Gon assumed had been his present from Rixi. A glance at the table showed the neatly folded wrapping paper and the empty box, and he discovered Obi-Wan?s tunics flung into a corner, which made him frown slightly. His apprentice was still sitting sulkily in the chair, his arms crossed defiantly across his chest, and his expression one of anger and contempt.

"How do I know I?m really your apprentice??he demanded.?You could be lying!?

"Jedi always tell the truth,?Qui-Gon said. He frowned as he wondered what he could offer the boy as proof. All the holos and pictures he had of Obi-Wan were at home on Coruscant.?Didn?t you ever wonder why the Jedi were looking for you so intensively? We?re not bounty hunters, you know. I wasn?t chasing you because you?d done something wrong. I was worried about you--I thought you?d been kidnapped.?

Obi-Wan snorted with disbelief.

"The genetic signature from the blood sample that they took from you in the prison corresponded exactly to the one on your identity disc--your real identity disc. The one that says Obi-Wan Kenobi on it, the one that I gave to the Get-tro-wens to help them locate you.?

"That?s only what you say!?

"No, you didn?t see the results yourself, that?s true. I?m sorry. I have nothing to offer you as proof at the moment. You?ll just have to trust me. I want to help you because I care about you like a son.?

"I?m not your son and I don?t want Jedi help!?Obi-Wan snapped, glaring angrily at him.

Qui-Gon decided to ignore this and asked instead,?Are you hungry??

Obi-Wan continued to glare. Qui-Gon knew that he was hungry, but didn?t want to admit it. Going to the food unit in the wall, he selected a meal. It appeared in the slot three minutes later, steaming invitingly, and he took it out and placed it on the table in front of his apprentice.

"Here,?he said.?Your favourite.?

"What is it??Obi-Wan asked.

Qui-Gon berated himself lightly for forgetting that Obi-Wan would not remember his old favourites.?Chopped onions and apples and tomatoes, all fried with bacon and hamburger, then baked under a layer of mashed potatoes.?

Giving it a cautious prod with the fork, Obi-Wan tasted it carefully, as though expecting to be poisoned, then proceeded to eat up every bite. Qui-Gon got his own meal and sat down, glancing at him occasionally. Under the blood and the bruises, Obi-Wan appeared to be in good shape. He had put on some weig

 

Man, that was so sad! Obi-Wan was acting like a typical teenager...I could see him so perfectly in my mind with your descriptions, Jane. He's going to feel like such a dolt when he gets his memory back!!

aa

 

Ditto. I can't wait for the next, but I'll have to.

 

And his reactions when he reaches the Jedi Temple! His friends won't know what to do with him. Poor Obi-wan is now total stranger. Wonderful addition as always, Jane!