Before - Legends One Path (Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Oc's) Updated 5/18

Hehe, you want to now something slightly ironic, when I first read this story a long time ago I think I was still in grade school, but now I'm a nursing student so this story touches me on a different level, and I just love it.

And I think I already guessed what made Obi and the girl unable to become infected with the virus but I don't remember if I've read further than that, so I'm excited to see if I was right.

Can't wait for more! Lovely update!

 

I loved the updates! Hopefully everything will work out for the better! As for Qui and Obi, I love their interaction and how your write their personalities. Thanks for writing and please be sure to update soon!

 

I thought this was a great post. At first we see one kind of fight - between father and son although they are Jedi first. Then we see another fight with Eiva and herself, trying to stay away from the memories.

For so long she had avoided anything that might remind her of her father and their time together. She believed her precious memories of her father were too fragile to stand the overwhelming power of her anguish, so she had buried them where they would be safe and had run from all that was dear and familiar. She had used anger as her shield, anger at the man who destroyed her father, anger at all who had blamed him, and anger at herself for leaving him.

Good job. Looking forward to more.

 

Up!!

 

Valairy_Scot - Thanks so much

earlybird-obi-wan ? Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Gkilkenny ? Yes, she will find a cure, then she will no longer have Obi to herself

Bastet - Thank you, there will be more soon and we are getting close to brand new chapters for those of you who have read this elsewhere.

Cole_Kenobi ? Ack! This story can?t really be that old. But nursing school that takes a special kind of person.

Dimyavie ? Thank you for reading.

dianethx ? Thank you, I?m glad you liked it.

AngryWarrior ? Oops, I did mean to post this on Friday.

 

&

This is impossible, Eiva told herself for perhaps the twentieth time, resisting the urge to throw something. But she was impatient even with her own frustration. She roused herself with a shake of her head and a sigh, and began again, concentrating on the screen before her once more, pulling up image after image, searching for a pattern.

She had been through these so many times she could close her eyes and reproduce the images in her mind down to the finest detail. She was wasting time, there was just nothing here.

She sighed and sat back in her chair, chewing thoughtfully on the stylus in her hand, frowning. For days now she and the healer, Marayanna, had worked non-stop, poring over tissue and blood samples, studying history and genetic structures, searching unsuccessfully for the puzzle piece that would make sense of it all, the piece that she and Obi-Wan shared, the thread that somehow tied them together. Eiva wished her father were here.

It was time for a break. Eiva tilted her head to one side, stretching the tired muscles in her neck and glanced across the room to where Obi-Wan sat cross legged on the floor, eyes closed, brows drawn together in concentration. In his lap was the tiny prism casing from the lab?s most powerful microscope. He held his hand outstretched over the small silver box, his fingers extended just above but not touching the smooth surface.

Somewhere inside the unassuming palm sized metal box was a single prism filament, too small to see without the aid of powerful equipment. The strand was really a chain of organic light-emitting particles that allowed scientists a glimpse into the mysterious world of subatomic matter.

In the corner of the lab, the massive machinery that housed the filament sat unused and useless. Somehow the tiny prism at its core had become dislodged; even a hair out of alignment rendered the microscope inoperable. Hard to believe that the power of such an imposing piece of equipment lay in a single insubstantial thread.

Eiva had worked hard to hide her skepticism of Obi-Wan?s offer to repair it. Even with the proper tools, to be found only on the far side of the galaxy for a price Eiva could not even begin to imagine, the precision required to place the filament was almost incomprehensible. She had not discouraged his attempt in truth because she was grateful for his presence in the lab. He had a calming influence on her.

Obi-Wan had been silent for more than an hour and he had yet to touch the fiber casing. Eiva wondered if maybe he had given up.

Suddenly his eyes flew open, a brilliant flash of blue that caught her gawking. His face lit with a delighted grin. Had it been anyone else she would have turned away, put them at a safe distance with a biting comment or disdainful glare. But something about this young Jedi let her be herself, she did not have to hide from Obi-Wan. Eiva found herself returning his wide smile.

He was on his feet and in one smooth movement dropped the small box into her hands. ?Try it now.?

She could only stare. Surely it was not possible?

He?s a Jedi, remember. Impossible just did not seem to apply.

?P12?? A small silver and red equipment droid at her elbow blinked to life, rotating toward her expectantly. ?Please return this housing to the prism scope and run through the start up alignment cycle.?

The droid took the piece from her hand and turned it over and over in its pincher like claw. She thought she heard skepticism in the hum and buzz of its cursory analysis. It stopped suddenly and let out a long low whistle. Then with a click and a resounding beep the droid spun on its wheels and glided smoothly to the large ugly machine on the far side of the lab and began the complicated process of placing the prism.

Eiva stared at Obi-Wan in amazement. ?So tell me, are all Jedi padawans perfect??

Obi-Wan just laughed. ?None of us are perfect, and I am far from it, one of the farthest. Just ask Qui-Gon. He can probably make you a list of everything I still have to learn.

?Hmmm, and you think he

 

Obi-Wan's words about what he wants to hold onto were absolutely beautiful...you have a gift for balancing the serious and the light in your dialogue, which creates magnificently crafted interactions between the characters. I'm looking forward to the next update!

 

Great update, azizah!

I loved the Obi-Eiva interaction, those two are cute together.

Eiva stared at Obi-Wan in amazement. ?So tell me, are all Jedi padawans perfect??

Obi-Wan just laughed. ?None of us are perfect, and I am far from it, one of the farthest. Just ask Qui-Gon. He can probably make you a list of everything I still have to learn.

Loved Eiva's concern for Obi-Wan, and how she felt comfortable enough to be herself around him. I already feel sorry for how much she's going to miss him when they finally get out of there. Or should I say if?

Actually, I?ve read your file and your ancestors make nerf herders look refined. I happen to know you come from a long line of stubborn thick skulled halfwits.?

Obi-Wan turned and flashed her a brilliant grin, ?Well then you?ve already solved it.?

Eiva looked at him puzzled, ?Solved what??

?What we share in common.?

Thanks for the update, and the PM I know you just sent, though I haven't read it yet since I was already here.

 

I love the way you show the relationship between Eiva and Obi-Wan. Very nicely done.

 

loved the interaction between Obi-Wan and Eiva. Yes he has so much to learn from Qui-Gon

Great update and waiting for more.

 

Hmmmm what could it be that Eiva and Obi-Wan have in common.....

youth

stubbornness (not sure that's even a word.... )

precious stones

father issues

maybe midichlorians

...

...

wonder which of these it is that confers immunity to the virus?

Or maybe something completely different ...

 

Ahah. I absolutely love the banter between Obi-wan and Eiva, those two are cut from the same cloth when it comes to their caring compassionate, witty, stubborn side(s).

I love how Obi-wan remembers his mother, and refuses to look at the datapad. True to his character.

Lovely update. Thanks for posting.

Cole_Kenobi ? Ack! This story can?t really be that old. But nursing school that takes a special kind of person.

Seriously, I believe I was a senior in high school. Ahah.
And, thank you.

 

That was lovely. They were so cute together. Poor Evia, not understanding what Obi-Wan thinks about his family. She can't figure out why he doesn't grab onto the info with both hands and find out but that's not what he is.

Good job.

 

you wrote their conversation so well.

Who?s arguing, you stubborn bull-headed gundark.?

?Besides, I lack your finer debating skills.?

She was laughing through her tears in spite of herself. ?We can agree that you are an impossible pea-brained son of a nerf herder?

?Quite possibly.? He had said it jokingly, but instantly regretted it when he saw the change in her expression.

Eiva stopped laughing and looked at him intently. Again, he knew before she spoke exactly what was coming but was somehow still unprepared for the impact of her words when it came.

?You don?t know anything about your family do you?? She asked quietly.


I loved Obi-Wans explanation, why he did not want to look at his hereditary. that his mother loves him and that was enough.


brilliant

 

Dragonlady ? What kind words, thank you very much.

Bastet ? You?re welcome and thank you. And yes someday they will get out of there.

Valairy_Scot ? Thank you. fyi, brand new material next post.

earlybird-obi-wan ? Yes, he has much to learn from Qui-Gon, once the author finally lets them stay together. Thanks for reading.

ratna ? Or maybe something completely different ...Maybe they both had their travel shots. Thanks for stickin around.

Cole_Kenobi ? Ok, maybe this story has been around for a long time, but this chapter is fairly new and the next one is brand new.

dianethx - She can't figure out why he doesn't grab onto the info with both hands and find out but that's not what he is. Exactly, they are very alike and very different. Thanks for reading.

Gkilkenny ? Thanks for reading.

 

&

It was late, well past midnight as improbable as that seemed if you glanced at the window. Shutters pulled tight and heavy drapery drawn and still fine white rays of artificial day seeped through, exposing the random movement of trace particles in the still air, giving the light the illusion of movement and substance. The blanket stuffed in the window casing helped some, but the light still found a way, even when he closed his eyes.

It was no different from any other night, and he knew the intense generator-powered lights burning bright as mid-day outside were necessary. The light kept them safe, so they could rest without fear. Yet despite this knowledge he still found himself wishing the light away, as if it were the real cause of his restlessness, as if total darkness could really ease away this unsettled feeling, subtle but persistent, that had plagued him all day.

Funny, the light had never bothered him like this before. And the room was quiet, too quiet. If he held his breath and listened hard he imagined he could hear the minute hum of the cooling mechanism running smoothly inside the datapad in his lap.

Just two in the long list of reasons why Obi-Wan Kenobi could not sleep.

He wrenched his attention back to the third lesson of advanced physics displayed on the view screen. He sat cross legged on his bed, back to the wall, the bluish white light from the datapad casting odd shadows on his face, magnifying the worried crease on his brow.

He had direct orders from Qui-Gon to get some sleep. His master would not be interested in his excuses, but maybe if he spent his time productively the transgression would be overlooked. Possibly, but not likely.

Obi-Wan suppressed a sigh and allowed his focus to shift once again from the lesson in front of him, as he searched his feelings for the source of this nameless apprehension.

It was true he was worried about his master. Qui-Gon was sleeping in another part of the clinic tonight, the part of the clinic where the seriously ill patients were sent so they could be more closely monitored and cared for, the part of the clinic from which few ever returned.

The Jedi master was not in danger, not yet. He was still responding to the treatment the healer had prescribed, in fact the stasis of the virus in his system was holding better than was normally expected. Qui-Gon was spending the night in the monitoring unit voluntarily. He had been injected with an experimental drug Marayanna had developed to slow the growth of the virus once it emerged from stasis, an experiment she had abandoned even after it had shown some promise because of the damage the drug inflicted on the patient?s immune system. Qui-Gon believed he could control the damage by a Force induced healing trance. The healer had not agreed.

After a battle that had raged one-sided for days, Qui-Gon had won the argument, it seemed to Obi-Wan by not actually arguing at all but more by quiet persistent stubbornness. And although Obi-Wan had silently sided with the healer, he had known all along she would never succeed. He had never actually known anyone who could bend the iron hard will of his master.

Yes, Obi-Wan was definitely worried about his master, although he worked hard to set it aside, because they had agreed to set it aside. It was there nonetheless and he did not need to look hard to find it. But that was a familiar feeling, fixed to him like a crooked shadow he could not shake loose.

This new feeling was different, shapeless and remote, just out of reach. Nothing definite, just a feeling that something was about to happen, something that would affect them all. Obi-Wan did not like it, not now, not while his master was out of reach, deep in a healing trance that it would be dangerous to break.

He had tried to talk to Qui-Gon about it earlier, but although his master had listened silently and questioned him closely the older Jedi sensed nothing, and it took more than an edgy padawan to deter the man once he had decided on a course of action. No, that discussion had gotten Obi-

 

Obi-Wan IS Jedi now, no doubt, following the Force without doubt or questions. Yahoo. Great job.

 

azizah, i sure hope you've got another update in your pocket! i don't think i can stand waiting to find out what happens next!!!

some lovely images/thoughts in here, along with the action and suspense:

Obi-Wan was definitely worried about his master ... a familiar feeling, fixed to him like a crooked shadow he could not shake loose.
What a beautiful description of his devotion!

Every detail of the yard was lit with painful perfect clarity yet he felt like a blind man unable to read the warning sign, about to step unwittingly into the riptide. He stamped his foot in frustration.
Awesome image. And I love the bit about him stamping his foot. Grounds the narrative in his personality and still quite young age.

The pacing shadows ebbed and flowed but took no individual form, the ground itself seemed to have become a living swirling vortex, ready to swallow him whole.
Whoa!! I can just see that. Wow.


He felt as light and free as the wind.
How rare it is to be so right in the moment. Beautifully put.

 

Great post, azizah!

I loved the action, go Obi-Wan!

But what happened? Where's he going? Hmm... Can't wait to find out!

Thanks for the update!

 

That was a great action scene. I loved how Obi-Wan just knew what to do when he let the Force take him.

Wonderful.

 

what are you up to Obi-Wan? Eager waiting for the next post.

And great action scene, beautiful writte.

 

A wonderful action scene,
great post.

 

Valairy_Scot ? Thank you.

ratna ? sorry my dear, you won?t find out what happens in this next post. This thing just goes on and on.

I am glad you liked the crooked shadow bit, I did too when I reread this.

Bastet ? What happens next? We switch back to Qui-Gon, of course. Thanks for reading.

dianethx ? Thanks, I am always glad when the action works because I have a hard time with it.

earlybird-obi-wan ? Thank you, next post coming up.

Gkilkenny ? Thank you and thanks for reading.

 

&

The Force surrounded him, cool and pure and utterly still. Timeless. Marked only by the barest ripple of distraction, distant and unimportant, as the wind ruffling the surface of a lake has no meaning in the untouched depths of stillness.

The disturbance ebbed and flowed, but never entirely disappeared, growing stronger, tugging at the edges of his tranquility, persistent now and refusing to be ignored.

Awareness was still distant, like looking through water, and Qui-Gon allowed it to come to him gradually, at first reluctant to leave but soon ready to start again, renewed, the call of the living Force powerful and heady.

Emerging from a healing trance was rebirth. His body jerked out of its slow steady healing rhythm with violent muscle contracting spasms, pushing the air from his lungs so his first breath came as an audible, ?Aah? as he gulped to refill them.

Opening his eyes was a mistake and he quickly shut them again and lay his head back on the smooth comfortless pillow of the clinic?s sleep couch, unable to regulate the painfully loud beating of his heart and sudden shortness of breath. His senses were overwhelmed as he experienced a hyper awareness of the Living Force. Even the sterile emptiness of the clinic?s recovery room buzzed with the static charge of living energy.

He found himself performing a calming exercise he had learned as a very young child, one of his earliest memories of the crèche at the Jedi Temple.

He drew a breath and held it tightly, contracting and tensing his muscles, counting with the beat of his heart. With a slow exhale he let everything go, the tightness, his emotions, his instinctive need for control, easing away the tension of each muscle until he was limp and empty. He repeated the process, paying attention to the contrast, allowing the powerful current of the Living Force to pass through him. Slowly his heart rate and breathing returned to normal.

Once again he opened his eyes. The Force was still bright around him, but his awareness had now subsided to a level where he could function. He sat up carefully and stretched, feeling light and loose. He knew immediately that the healing trance had worked. A shining silver medical droid beside the bed whirred to life at his first movement and immediately began to take readings of his life systems.

Qui-Gon ignored the droid?s instructions to lie still and stood up, causing it to cluck disapprovingly. He took a deep breath and was immediately struck with a powerful sense of well being, more so than he had ever experienced from a healing trance. The Force around him swirled with lightness and he was filled with an emotion he could not quite identify, anticipation, expectation? Hope? Maybe. He didn?t know, but he did not let it bother him. He had long ago stopped trying to name his feelings, wasted effort and distraction from the important task of feeling them.

Instead of studying the emotion he let it wash over him, and immediately thought of Obi-Wan and his restlessness. Despite what his young padawan probably believed, he had not dismissed the boy?s apprehension.

No, he had not doubted that his padawan had sensed something, Qui-Gon would be the first to admit that his student was more in tuned to the future than his master. But Obi-Wan?s feeling had lacked direction, at least none that the inexperienced boy could recognize or put in to words. And in the Jedi master?s experience, tenuous bad feelings about the future were best ignored. He had always found his way in the moment.

And besides, the future was always in motion, as Yoda was eternally fond of saying. Better to live in the here and now.

But it seemed the moment had come.

Qui-Gon shouldered past the fussing droid to the cupboard where his clothes were hung and quickly began to dress. He was just pulling on his boots when Marayanna, apparently alerted to his consciousness by some communication from the attendant droid, came into the room.

?You?re awake.? The healer seemed uncharacteristicall

 

Ok, that seemed a little short and I am not around next week so...

&

Outside the morning air was surprisingly cool, but then technically it was only just morning, the first slim edge of sunlight had only moments ago broken the horizon. The distant trees stood black against the brightening sky and the ground loomed in shadows. The air was stagnant. Lingering smoke trapped by the morning dampness pooled low to the ground, swirling around Qui-Gon?s boots as he slowly walked the perimeter of a single perfect charred circle of earth. At the far edge of the circle, the farthest point from the walls of the clinic, he stopped, folded his arms across his chest and stared into the distance.

Eiva stood nearby, electrobinoculars pressed to her face. She turned in a slow sweeping search of the horizon, and then purposefully turned back to search again over ground she had just covered, her movements unhurried. Her desperation only made her more methodical.

Marayanna walked up behind the young girl and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Eiva paused and lowered the binoculars but did not turn, her eyes distant, her young face tight and closed, unreachable. She said something in a low voice, shrugged off the hand, and returned to her scanning.

After a few unsuccessful attempts to get the girl?s attention, Marayanna gave up and drifted off to supervise a pair of cleanup droids, occasionally talking in low tones into a comm unit.

The healer kept her eye on Qui-Gon as promised. If she had been afraid that he would overexert himself, she need not have worried. He did not move from his place amidst the debris and destruction, motionless and expressionless.

She watched from a distance for some time before she made her decision. She had just taken a determined step in his direction when her comm unit sounded with a distinct two toned chime. Marayanna answered, listened briefly, her face falling in dismay. After a wary last look at the Jedi master, she reluctantly turned back toward the clinic and to deal with the latest crisis.

Workers from the clinic and a handful of droids used great shovels to lift mangled bodies and unidentifiable scraps of Bala onto grav-sleds. Some wore breathers and those with none had stripped off tunics and belts to wind round their noses and mouths, trying to mask the putrid stench of burnt flesh and fur. They kept their heads down as they worked, careful not to look at the Jedi Master.

No one knew what to say to him, he just stood there, saying nothing, doing nothing, as emotionless as a droid. They worked silently and quickly in the half light, each dreading to be the first to find what they all expected to find, a bit of cloth, the melted remains of a light saber, or something worse. Something that might shatter that great mask of stoicism, they neither understood nor admired.

Qui-Gon was grateful that no one spoke to him, he had no use for their pity, the air was heavy with the weight of their despair, and each breath filled him with weariness where there had been only lightness a short time ago.

He took an uncertain step forward and his boot kicked something hard in the blackened earth. He squatted to pick it up. The object was a small cylinder, easily held between his finger and thumb, unmistakable burn marks scored one end, and although he knew instantly what it was, he stayed crouched low to the ground and pretended to study it closely. He needed a minute to still his thoughts.

Obi-Wan was unharmed, he had no doubt of that, at any other time the bright sense of victory flying across the bond from his apprentice might have made him smile. But instead of easing the worry from his face it only increased the tense lines across his forehead, setting his jaw and turning the lines of his mouth down into a hard frown.

The joy winging across their bond had no color of sacrifice, it was bright and clear and unadulterated. That feeling was entirely his own. And that was what disturbed him.

Qui-Gon was certain of one thing, the Force had