Ordeal (JA) Sequel to Brewing **Completed 3/9!!**

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I'm here waiting for ya, Ginger!

KenobisGirl

 

Well...I'm hoping to post next week I've got some essays I need to do for college first though...

Ahh the life of a student... *sigh*

Thanks for reading KenobisGirl!

 

Up!

Please post soon. A post would be a lovely holiday gift, don't you think?

KenobisGirl

 

KenobisGirl You must have read my mind!

As always, apologies for the slowness of this post but hey! Tis the season of goodwill and what not so maybe I?ll get another post done before the Christmas holiday is over

Enjoy and thanks for reading! ^_^

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND THANKS FOR BEING SUCH WONDERFUL READERS IN 2002!

Ordeal: Part Seven

Qui-Gon?s first instinct was to run after Obi-Wan. The boy?s frenzied rush of memories and emotions were being unwittingly thrown across the Master/Padawan bond and Qui-Gon was forced to close them out and shield his mind from the bond in order to focus on what he had to do. Despite his feelings, Qui-Gon knew he had a duty to perform and his emotions could not stand in the way of that duty ? especially when the Force was telling him that the two culprits were directly above him, looking over the balcony utterly dumbfounded, as if they could not comprehend the outcome of their actions.

Yet as Qui-Gon took an almighty Force-leap upwards, he resented doing his duty. His Padawan was in danger and Qui-Gon felt he did not have time to waste by chasing after a pair of overgrown bullies ? even if the pair were extremely dangerous and quite capable of committing murder. After all, even Qui-Gon knew Runt?s fate. The Force had told him of the young boy?s plight. He also knew there was to be no salvation for the child.

Qui-Gon amplified his speed with the Force and it was not long before he caught up with the two troublemakers. With the aid of the Force, he tripped the pair up and held them down to the ground. Qui-Gon sensed that the two minds were far too wound up to be successfully mind-tricked into sleep so he simply kept them pinned down.

He recognised them now. Recognised them as the Installation?s two most notorious troublemakers. The larger, more stupid looking of the two was in a state of numbness ? as if his conscience had been somehow reawakened and informed its owner that he had gone one step too far. The thin, gangly one looked untroubled and uninterested in what was going on. Qui-Gon had to slow his sickness at the evil nature of the two laying in front of him. The Jedi Master reached for his comlink and quickly informed the person at the other end what had happened. Qui-Gon waited with a mix of impatience and fear. He wanted to get going, not waste valuable time on this pair of lowlifes. He had to find Obi-Wan quickly. If the boy had run outside into the snowy wastelands of Yanave, he would not last long in the subzero temperatures. Qui-Gon reined his thoughts back in, realising his attention was slipping so much that the Boss was beginning to get up. Emptying his mind, Qui-Gon shoved the boy back down and focused entirely on the situation at hand. Obi-Wan, he thought with a sickening twist of guilt and apprehension in the pit of his stomach, would have to wait.

Soon, doctors were pouring down the corridor. Most were out of breath after hurtling themselves up the stairs as fast as they could. Doctor Balf was there, slightly out of breath but still able to talk. While others stun-cuffed and sedated the Boss and 2IC, Balf turned to Qui-Gon.

?We found the other child ? the one the boys here refer to as ?Runt? I believe. His real name is Tai,? Balf bowed his head. ?We can?t do anything for him. He will die a very horrible death. There is nothing we can do to even make him more comfortable. The poison in his system is incredibly advanced.? He cast a glance over at 2IC. ?It?s the same reason he?s in here ? creating a poison that killed his entire hometown. He?s a very angry young man and now, an innocent child who shouldn?t have even been here has been made to suffer.?

?Tai shouldn?t have been here?? Qui-Gon asked, deeming such an issue to stretch his patience just that little further.

?He was brought here a few years ago from Tatooine. We were waiting for a family to adopt him while we dealt with a few of his emotional problems. In fact we had just found him a family. What a tragedy it had to end this wa

 

Ohhh umm WOW

 

ditto on that


WOW!!!!!!

 

*Squeals with delight* You posted! You posted! Thanks so much for the Christmas gift. It's greatly appreciated. Poor Obi! I think he needs a hug...

Great post, Ginger! Merry Christmas!!!

KenobisGirl

 

Jumping Jupiter!

You sure know how to hang a cliffy, Ginger.

Wonderfully intense post! Can't wait for more.

Sad about Runt though

 

Thanks for reading PadawanKitara, Arwen, KenobisGirl and Jovieve

Yup Obi needs a Christmas hug KenobisGirl I can think of several people who'd be only TOO willing

A cliffhanger indeed Jovieve It's been a while since I did one of those and seeing as I plan on posting much faster I'm sure it'll all get resolved fairly soon

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all! *hugs and mince pies to all*

Thank you all again for reading!

 

Up!

Ginger, I'm still here waiting!

 

Great post, eagerly awaiting for more.

JediCandy

 

New post is *nearly* completed KenobisGirl

Thanks for reading JediCandy

 

Wow! I posted two parts in *just* under a month. Go me!

This chapter is dedicated to jedilittlebee for being so wonderful and giving me a whole bunch of reviews the night before I went back to college when I was feeling a little miserable because my 2 weeks of freedom were over. Perfect timing

And just so everyone knows I shall be continuing Changeover as soon as Ordeal is finished and then I shall be editing Hidden and Twisted so they both fit in a little better with the series I?m estimating another 2 or 3 parts of Ordeal left to come?

Ordeal: Part Eight

Zakura, so far, had lived up to expectations. This morning the day dawned bright and clear, with the promise of warmth in the glow of the radiant sun that was peeking up from behind trees on the horizon. Obi-Wan sat in the small garden of the apartment he and Qui-Gon were staying in, his still healing feet dipped in the small pond almost hidden from view at the bottom of the garden behind a large tree that had peach coloured leaves Obi-Wan swore were as big as his Master?s hands. Obi-Wan?s own hand wandered over the water, back and forth, creating a gentle ripple in the clear water. A gentle breeze eased around him, catching leaves as they tumbled delicately from the ancient tree.

Qui-Gon watched his Padawan for a short while, knowing the boy was lost in the moment. He hardly wanted to disturb Obi-Wan but some things had to be discussed as a matter of urgency and even the most sacred moments of tranquillity had to step aside and allow duty to take its rightful place.

Obi-Wan knew this. He knew duty always came first. Qui-Gon knew this too. He knew duty always came first but knowing something, and believing it were two different things. Qui-Gon always did his duty ? if it suited what the Force was guiding him to do. Few people understood Qui-Gon and why he did the things he did ? Obi-Wan included at times. Qui-Gon was a Jedi who was answerable to the Force first and duty later.

Right now, he knew he had to give Obi-Wan this lesson. Qui-Gon sighed and stepped forward to make his presence known without using any words ? out loud or over their Master/Padawan bond. Obi-Wan?s hand stilled, he knew his attention was required. Then, without any other kind of interaction, Qui-Gon delivered the lesson.

?Where there is darkness, there is light. The same can be said about anyone in this galaxy ? Jedi, Non-Jedi, Sith? No matter which is in greater precedence, the other will always exist at the same time. No one is wholly dark and no one is wholly light, that simply isn?t possible. There is counteraction in Dark and Light always.?

Obi-Wan, who had been paying attention the instant he was aware of his Master?s presence, spoke up. ?You?ll have to forgive me, Master, for not believing that exactly.?

?Why do you say that Obi-Wan?? Qui-Gon asked as he sat down beside his teenaged Padawan, his back resting against the old tree.

Obi-Wan looked over at Qui-Gon. The look on his face told Qui-Gon that Obi-Wan was still formulating his answer even as he began to speak. ?Because it simply doesn?t make sense Master. Take a Sith Lord for instance. If he had even an ounce of good in him, his conscience would eat into him every time he did something bad. And how about all the slave traders on the outer-rim and the murderers that kill innocents every day throughout the galaxy? Are you saying that even those kinds of people have light within them? And are you saying that even the greatest Jedi Masters have darkness within them? Sorry Master but that doesn?t seem right to me.?

?A fair point indeed Padawan.? Qui-Gon smiled enigmatically. ?So, are you claiming there is no dark within you simply because you are a Jedi??

Obi-Wan frowned and looked into the pond, as if he would find the answer swimming at the bottom with the fish. ?I?? he trailed off, a frown of concentration creasing his brow.

?Well? Don?t worry Obi-Wan I?m not going to bite your head off for disagreeing with me. You?re perfectly welcome to have your

 

Sweet. Funny too. Light and Dark sitting on someone's shoulders like the Devil and Angel. Good and bad, right and wrong. I'm glad they came to the right conclusion.

You can have both. Shades of gray. One doesn't exist without the other to define it. It's what prevails that defines one.

Good post, Ging.

Hate to see this one end, but boy howdy does Yoda have a lot of explaining to do.

I'd be surprised if some of that darkness doesn't come out in Obi-Wan as bitterness as to his treatment. And I bet they won't even tell him why he suffered in the first place!

 

Interesting method you used to hold a philisophical discussion. Glad to see to 'right" side won.

 

Nice post, Ginger. Your posts are always so long. Makes me feel so special!

I like the conversation with light and dark. Almost made Obi look like a schizophrenic guy. Hehe...

Seriously, great chapter, and I look forward to more, though I'll be sad when it ends. Though I do have Changeover to look forward to.

More soon, please!

 

Jovieve I'll be sad to see the end of this fic too. I've been working on it so long - longer than any of my previous works. But don't worry there's a few chapters to go yet...

KenobisGirl Glad I make you feel special

Thank you both for reading

 

WOW!!!

Nice post, I'm glad it's all worked out.

One thing...what heck is Yoda gonna get into??

 

Arwen: What's Yoda getting himself in to? Ahhhhh...well let's just say it's going to be interesting

Thanks for reading

 

Up!

 

Happy Valentine?s Day to all! ^_^

This, I do feel, is the penultimate part of Ordeal. Thanks for reading so far and enjoy this part!

To make up for not posting in far too long, I?ve made this post somewhat longer than the previous posts. Enjoy

Changeover will be reposted in a new thread seeing as the old one is lost in the massive pile that is the fan fiction forum Plus I want to go over all the old parts and sort out any mistakes etc?

Ooh and a question to you all. Would you like me to repost Hidden and Twisted while I work on Changeover?

Anyway, on we go!

Ordeal: Part Nine

?It won?t be much longer now Tai,? Doctor Frent reassured the suffering, semi-conscious child. ?Soon you will be at peace and there will be no more pain.?

Tai made no obvious response. Setaina didn?t take the nonsense mutterings he made as a response ? he?d been in the same sorry, incomprehensible state for well over an hour now. Previously he had been vomiting so hard Setaina feared he would never stop. Nothing, not even the meek painkiller that was all Tai could be dosed with due to the poison, made even a slight difference to his condition now. The pain he was in was still perfectly clear to Setaina and her colleagues. Tai?s ashen hands were rigid and claw-like as they clenched the greying, sweat-soaked bed sheets. His teeth were clenched behind blue lips and his grey brow was lined with agony. Occasionally he twitched and even writhed as the pain became so great his still body had to expend what little energy remained within to move with the tidal wave of torment.

Setaina had been tempted a number of times to end Tai?s suffering but her colleagues forbade it. There were numerous reasons, they had argued despite Setaina?s request. She had argued it was the humane thing to do but her protest was counterattacked quickly. It was likely, Setaina had been informed, that any overdose administered into Tai?s system would only cause more pain due to the nature of the poison within him already.

What none of them mentioned was the moral dilemma posed by Euthanasia. Setaina was not opposed to the idea when the only alternative was watching someone die in relentless and heartrending agony. However Setaina knew her colleagues were right. Any medication put into Tai?s system could possibly make him far more ill and make his death even more drawn out and excruciating than it already would be. So Setaina and her fellow doctors and nurses just waited for the inevitable, no matter how upsetting it was.

Setaina tried to convince her all jobs in the galaxy had days like this but she knew it wasn?t the truth. Most people in the galaxy never had to deal with watching a young child once full of life wasting away on a bed as a poison killed him from within, created by a boy not a great deal older than Tai himself.

No, Setaina realised, most people never had to witness such evil.

***

Two beautiful ocean blue, green-flecked eyes slowly began opening. The slight figure luxuriated in the warmth he was awash with for a moment. The blanket covering him kept him snug and comfortable ? so comfortable he felt he might just drift off back to sleep...

Images flashed through his mind; silent images of pain and agony. With a gasp Obi-Wan sat up straight, as if pulled by a large string attached to his head. He looked down, and saw someone slumbering peacefully on the edge of his bed. For a moment, his heart pounded with fear before Obi-Wan?s memories, back in their rightful place, informed the worried boy that this was his Master and no longer someone he needed to fear. Obi-Wan noticed the man?s short hair cut and the ruggedly handsome face usually concealed by a beard. Noticing his Master?s hand resting beside Obi-Wan?s pillow, the boy placed his own, far smaller hand on top of it, as if to ensure that this was not merely a dream too good to be true.

Startled by a soft snore that was so uncharacteristic of Qui-Gon it simply could not be him, Obi-Wan looked to his right and saw none ot

 

It's a Valentine's Day up

 

Sucking the offending pinpricks as he went, Obi-Wan shuffled out of his room

The minutia of detail you include that is neither excessive nor totally irrelevant or incongruous, yet makes a scene or a character that much more real is astonishing, Ginger.

Yet another superior post. Always worth the wait. It seems to me Obi-Wan knows Yoda is - while not exactly lying from a certain point of view - is commiting the sin of omission. But perhaps even at his tender age, Obi-Wan realizes the necessity. I wonder if Qui-Gon will take Yoda to task. Yoda knows his fate as well. I wonder if Obi-Wan does.

 

Wow, Ginger. That was an amazing post. And so long, too!

I'm so glad that Obi managed to heal Runt. Obi was already guilty enough over him being poisoned.

Great post, and more soon please!

 

Jovieve

The minutia of detail you include that is neither excessive nor totally irrelevant or incongruous, yet makes a scene or a character that much more real is astonishing, Ginger.

Thank you so much for saying that Jovieve! That means so much because I always worry that I have this awful tendancy to just...rant...to fill up space *hugs*

KenobisGirl Glad you liked the length I'm hoping to post relatively quickly. One more week and then I'm on holiday from college for a week

Thanks for reading!