Miles To Go (JA-Drama/Angst) COMPLETE 6/15/02

Love it, Cascadia... what a perfectly despicable character in Tennosa. Don't suppose we will get a post soon? Heh heh...

 

UP!

 

Thanks for the replies. Sorry if it took too long for you, but I don't want to post it until I'm sure it's ready.

Tahiri - I'm glad you found it believable. And thanks for upping.

TheFallen - Oh, thank you so much. That makes it so much more rewarding to hear that readers will read your story again.

PadawanKitara - You're welcome. I'll give you the whole chapter in one post this time.

CYN - Thank you so much, CYN. You mean I've actually impressed YOU? [face_shocked] I like those Qui scenes, too. Oh, and you sorta guessed what's coming up. There's some Qui-angst here in this chapter.

sheleigh - Tennosa isn't exactly a likable person, is he? I guess I did something right. Anyway, here's your next post. For some reason this happy face won't show up right. I've tried three times now.

Now that (almost) everybody's got a happy face, here's the next chapter....

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CHAPTER 3 - SHARD OF HOPE



It was dark. Void. And as he stared absently in the indistinguishable distance through the window, Obi-Wan's Jedi master was swept away once again in suspension - an abeyance of life. His mind aimlessly tossed about in a sea of worry unbefitting a Jedi master of his experience. Deeply inhaling to fill his lungs to capacity, he held his breath a few seconds before letting the air escape.

How long had it been?

Carefully counting each day - desperately running through every activity - since his padawan's mysterious disappearance, Qui-Gon quickly - and thoroughly - relived the initial horror of realizing that Obi-Wan might never be found and every agonizing minute since then.

Everything felt unreal - a cruel illusion. Each day was more like walking through a horrifying dream. Subtle reminders here and there of the one person that had taken up so much of his life for the last six years, pressed into his awareness, sending him reeling at each turn of the page.

Now with no single shred of evidence in sight of where Obi-Wan could be, the Jedi master was near to giving in to despair. A cluttering of images - gory and gruesome - instantly sprang to mind when he considered what could have possibly become of his padawan.

He missed the youth's curious questions, the quiet replies when rebuked, the cocky sense of humor, and that unmistakably unique voice that traced a long, unbroken cord connecting one day to the next.

As Qui-Gon imagined his padawan's sweet smile, the memory now seemed bleak - not at all comforting, but bittersweet and colored in deep sorrow.

The constant absence of that youth - and the buzzing silence of their training bond - had nearly driven him to his knees to plead with the Force for some kind of explanation - any explanation.

For all the years that Qui-Gon had fought to keep his heart from ever feeling anything again, one small child had slipped past his carefully constructed armor and claimed a large share of his scarred heart - bringing the bright, sunny warmth of morning and the gentle, cool rinse of rain... the bubbling joy of laughter, and the lyric of music.

Despite the grating rejection and the disappointments peppered throughout their relationship, the child had fiercely latched onto him - and never turned away. Through it all... the child had remained faithful.

For once in his life, Qui-Gon knew what unconditional love was. He was taught that lesson by that same child, who never let 'no' change his mind or turn him from the path he felt compelled to walk.

And now that child was gone... somewhere, where he undoubtedly wanted not to be.

When he had awoken earlier from a nightmare, Qui-Gon had given up on sleeping and retreated to the common room of his apartment to try to meditate. As the ease for meditation that he usually experienced shriveled away, indifferently withdrawing fr

 

I hate being busy; I miss too much that way.

What's Obi-Wan got in his hand and why did it make him so hopeful? Is he going to drop it now that he's unconscious? Will Tennosa find it and take it away?

Tennosa meditates? And he learned it from somebody? Makes me wonder if the teacher was willing ... or unwilling. Another captive?

I liked the way that Yoda reminded Qui-Gon that it is the most foolish fool who does not act according to what he knows. And the way that Qui-Gon felt guilty when he learned that Obi-Wan had been planning to buy him a birthday present even though he'd been upset that his master had not confided in him.

 

Cascadia this story is exelent!

 

That was a great chapter! I love how the descriptions made everything seem so much more real to me, you're really good at that! I'm also with Jane, wondering about what made Obi so hopeful all of a sudden. And I'm still waiting to know what Yoda and Qui-Gon were talking about

 

Very, very nicely done. You have managed to continue the development of your plot while planting lots of confounding clues that intrigue and titillate - and the vivid descriptions just add to the sense of foreboding. Oh, really, really excellent, CAS. Looking forward to more.

 

Cascadia, this is great! I just love your descriptions. Everything seems so real with your writing. This story is getting better with each post! (As if it wasn't great from the start!)

I'm definitely looking forward to more!

KenobisGirl

 

a nice long chapter
what is Obi-Wan holding, is it his rock?

 

Wow, Cascadia... [face_shocked]

What DOES Obi-Wan have in his hand? Another amazing addition... hope to see more soon!

 

Interesting story, just found it! Poor Obi. He can´t stay out of trouble, can he? And we love him this way

NEED MORE P L E A S E

Angel

 

I'm chasing entirely too many stories right now, but I can't bear not to read yours! It's so good so far! Please post more soon!

EJ

 

UP!

 

UP! Post!

 

Thank you all for all the replies. This part was EXTREMELY difficult to write, and my online dictionary/thesaurus has not been available for days. I hope it'll come back soon or I'll be very upset.

Jane Jinn - Smile. One of your many questions will be answered in this chapter. But probably not the one you're most wanting to know.

jodiwent -Thank you.

Tahiri -One question will be answered, one will not... yet. And thanks for upping.

CYN -Thank you, CYN , but my writing ventures can't touch yours. Thank you for reading and for your wonderful comments.

KenobisGirl -Thank you so much. Here's more.

PadawanKitara -What is Obi holding? Read to find out.

Sheleigh -Thank you so much.

Angel_Skywalker -I'm glad to get a new reader. No, Obi can't stay out of trouble.

Enigma_Jade -Thank you. Thanks for upping.

Thank you, my wonderful reviewers. Why did all those faces not work?

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CHAPTER 4 - FREEDOM?



Fire mixed with ice in a mind-jolting onslaught of pain. The crash of a throbbing ache originating at the back of his head, burning and spread like a blanket - a cover of flame - encompassed his entire skull, while the ice-chilled floor beneath him sent its frozen fingers up, stroking his skin, held ever damp by clothes drenched from the numerous mists of rain the padawan had been subject to. The insensitive war of hot and cold cruelly lashed into his dawning awareness.

Suppressing a mild shiver, he slowly rocked his head to the side, wincing from the uncomfortable effect of the hard surface he lay upon, and opened his eyes - with an immediate regret of the pain that small action had caused. He weakly moaned and closed his eyes again, becoming aware of other aches and a general soreness throughout his entire body, and, finally, of a surging wave of nausea forecasting its evil intention to hold him at its mercy.

A confounding spray of questions imbued his mind in a precipitant blur. Where was he? Why did he hurt so much, feel so sick? Why were his clothes wet, and where was Master Qui-Gon?

As the confusion of twisting vapor swirled and drifted through his mind, it slowly dissipated to a faint spindrift - until it ebbed away, leaving visions of his distressing predicament growing increasingly clearer.

The murder. The kidnapping. His captor. The shipwreck. The rainforest. The thing in his hand.... It all came rushing back in flagrant, vivid detail - detail that he would prefer to forget.

In an uncertain moment of shock, as the harrowing memories of the last few days returned, the padawan hesitantly accepted them for what they were and tried to focus on how to help himself. It remained true that he felt lost without the Force, but even in the most trying of circumstances was a Jedi expected to behave as such, and he would do his best to live up to that expectancy.

He turned his thoughts back to the object he had found shortly before his loss of consciousness. Was IT still there?

Lying still, he carefully peered through his eyelashes. The chamber he was in was mostly dark, but a faint glow emanated to the side, crawling up the alabaster walls and disappearing into the near-blackness overhead. Following the light to its source, Obi-Wan ignored the pain and turned his head to find Tennosa sitting cross-legged a few feet away from him. He appeared to be entranced by something in his lap.

Slowly, the padawan looked back to his hand - where he hoped IT still was.

He gently opened his hand, seeing the small stone blade - still secretly concealed and still relatively sharp, despite however many years of lying lost within the tower. Feeling a small pain accompanying his hand's mo

 

Holy flying nerfs! Out of the frying pan and into the fire -- or could the creature be friendly?

You know, I can imagine Qui-Gon taking time to help someone learn to control and use the Force a little bit, especially if that person were afraid of his gift or close to going mad because of it, or for another reason that would bring out Qui-Gon's helpful instincts. But it seems that Tennosa didn't develop in the way that Qui-Gon hoped, as he seems to be headed towards the dark side, if he's not there already.

Fascinating post! I do like how resourceful Obi-Wan is.

 

Way to go, CAS - You ought to call this "How to Build Suspense in One Not-So-Easy Lesson." Excellent plot twist and character development.

Post again soon, OK?

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! This is so intense! But why'd you have to leave it there?!

MUST HAVE MORE!!!!!

Oh yeah, Go Obi!

KenobisGirl

 

Very nice post Cascadia I love the longer posts.

Well it certainly seems that Obi may have been a bit premature with his escape plan. Looks like he may have been better off biding his time with Tennosa, atleast Tennosa wants him alive...so far. Not so sure the creatures of the forest care for his well being.

What is the deal with Tennosa's past with Qui though? I'm sure its not as he led Obi to believe, but there is history there. I guess we will just have to wait to hear the real story.

Another excellent post. It flowed well, even if you did struggle with it

 

Wow, that was pretty good. Poor Obi, now he´s allone in dangerous forest with lots of hungry animals. But at least, without Tennosa´s "medcin" he´ll be able to feel the force again, in time. Perhaps he´ll be able to call Qui-Gon through it.

I can imagine that Qui-Gon told him something, too. It´s typicle for Qui-Gon to help, though this time it ended in the wrong direction. But what had happend later, why did Tennosa hate Qui-Gon that much?

BTW, what is the jedi master doing right now?

NEED MORE SOON !!!!

Angel_Skywalker

 

just upping

 

Yay! A new post That was absolutely wonderful! I hope that the snake won't hurt Obi-Wan, his "bloodied wrists" seem bad enough... Ah, gotta love Obi-Torture... I like how this post showed some insight into where Tennosa came from -- he had seen Obi-Wan as a child, with Qui-Gon. But I wonder how Qui-Gon came to meet such a character, and -- possibly help him. Great job!

 

Nooo. Don't stop there- need more.

Great job on the story Cascadia

 

Great job, Cas! That was a wonderful post; just the right amount of action vs. Obi-torture.

EJ

 

Wow! It's only been two days. This part was so much easier to write than the last, and almost came in a flash. I hope you enjoy, but don't get too spoiled. BTW, if anybody knows of a good online dictionary/thesaurus, send me a PM.

Jane Jinn - or could the creature be friendly?
What do you think? [face_mischievous]

CYN - Thank you, CYN. Is this soon enough?

KenobisGirl - Here's more.

shanobi - Don't worry. You'll find out more about Tennosa later, and thanks.

Angel_Skywalker - BTW, what is the jedi master doing right now?
Read to see.

Tahiri - I reiterate. You'll find out more about Tennosa later.

PadawanKitara - Thank you. Here's more.

Enigma_Jade - Thank you.


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CHAPTER 5 - FADING HOPES



As if staring through darkened glass would bring to light all the unknown, safely guarded, stored knowledge of the eons of the ages, and bring some imaginary order to the chaos of things, Qui-Gon Jinn stared out the front viewscreen of the shuttlecraft he had borrowed, searching for the tiniest of hints of where to look for his missing padawan.

There was nothing to go on - no subtle Force vibrations, no beaming signal, nothing with the barest, minimal clue as to what direction to fly in, or what planet to go to. In essence, he was wandering the galaxy, flying here and there with no cause for direction. He was drifting... alone. There was no one else to accompany him. There was no cause for anyone else to come.

If there was any reason - though one should not call it reason - for the direction he took, it remained purposely cloaked, masked behind his armored heart, fearful of being seen and revealed as a tragic hoax, and the haggard man behind the craft's controls would never dare let that occur.

When the time came for him to acknowledge that all of this had been a waste of time - if it ever came to that, and he prayed that it never would - then, and only then, would he return to the Jedi Temple. And if that time ever came, then he would not only return without his padawan, but also without his heart.

Where was the Force on all of this? Qui-Gon had wondered in agitation. Where was its sublime, magnificent hand in this? Did it not care that one specific - very important, very loved padawan - was missing?

His midnight blue gaze intensely glared at the prismatic dust shining like polished crystals on a beach of ivory sand under the burning Catarman sun. The beautiful display of the Plianatudes gleamed purest crimson, dazzling lime and gold - luminous and unyielding in a corner of the heavens claimed all its own.

Yet even in all its surpassing transplendence, even this eye-catching nebula grew strangely dim in the light of the wonderful, bright presence of the one, young soul who had captured the heart of the Jedi master as sure as a tropical ocean captures the light of the rising morning sun.

Tearing his eyes away, the Jedi master fought the swell of tears rising from his eyes of sorrow. The Plianatudes was a source for endless staring and contemplation by a certain Jedi padawan. That agonizing thought - and a dreadful million others - served to drag Qui-Gon's misery out in the open, to expose his vulnerability to the heavens and the stars who could all care less.

With a simple remembrance of a system nearby, the Jedi master hesitantly entered the coordinates in the navi-computer and prepared to enter hyperspace again. He would follow his instincts. He would pray that the Force would guide him... wherever he needed to go.



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If there was a word - or even a simple phrase - for how it feels to suddenly realize you might end up the midnight snack of a very large, very long, and very intimidating looking creature, then that - by all explanations