Silent Storm (JA) - On Hold Until July 10 -

I apologize if this post isn't up to my usual standards, but I'm having a bit of trouble not falling asleep at the keyboard. RL strikes again! Please bear with me and I'll try to have a longer and better post up tomorrow.

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Qui-Gon was sitting on his sleep couch reading an article on the latest legislative action being taken by the Senate. He was sipping a cup of his favorite herb tea and had just finished eating a light snack consisting of fruit and toast. He was relaxing for the first time in days. He glanced at the chrono on the wall. Almost time to go pick up his apprentice and bring him back to his quarters. But he still had a few more minutes.

He was half way through his article when someone started to ring the buzzer on his door furiously. Wondering who could be in such a hurry and why they were, he slowly made his way to the door, stretching his muscles to wake them up and get his blood flowing again.

The holo cam on the door showed his visitor to be Bant, and a small trickle of worry traveled up his sign when he caught sight of her distressed state. She was supposed to be having dinner with Obi-Wan while he caught up on some rest. Why was she here?

He opened the door to a bawling teenage girl.

"Master... they.. took him. I'm.... sorry! Couldn't stop them. Didn't know.. what to... do!" Her words were barely audible through her tears. She was shaking visibly and seemed to be having some trouble breathing.

He led her into his quarters and sat her on the couch. He touched her forearm gently. "Bant, settle down," he said calmly, even though the trickle he had felt earlier had turned into full blown worry. "Use the force. It will help you find your center and help you find peace."

She struggled for a moment. Qui-Gon went into his kitchen and fixed her a mug of steaming tea and brought it back to her side. There were still tear marks on her cheeks, but her shaking had ceased. Her control had improved, but her huge silver eyes betrayed how frightened she was inside. He gave her the tea and she sipped it slowly.

"Are you all right now?"

She nodded.

"Can you tell me what happened. Why aren't you with Obi-Wan?"

She took a deep, yet shaky breath and looked him squarely in the eye and relayed to him all that had just happened, her voice cracking occasionally. Her control was hard fought for, and by the end of her story she was in tears again.

Qui-Gon shook his head. This was totally unexpected. How could his apprentice be brought up on murder charges? It had been self defense, hadn't it?? He hadn't questioned his apprentice yet. He had wanted to wait until he had been back in their quarters to ask him what happened. Now it appeared he was too late.

"Bant, do you remember if they said who had brought up the charges?"

"Anna Malenske and Brunker & Brunker."

A fierce anger came over him suddenly, and his gripped the side of the sleep couch so tightly his knuckles turned white with effort. How he wanted to get to that girl... No. Those thoughts were not appropriate for a Jedi Master. Justice, not revenge. But revenge smelled so sweet. The girl who had tried once to take his padawan from him by blaster was trying another route. The law.

He used the force to calm his body. Justice. It would be served, he would make sure of it. But he would have to act quickly. He knew the Brunker & Brunker firm by reputation only, but the things he had heard about them made him realize he had a battle in front of him. They fought hard, and if rumor was true, they fought dirty. But he was not about to let an angry street girl and an expensive law firm steal his padawan away from him. His anger was replaced by pure resolve to win.

"Bant," he said with calm he was starting to feel. "Contact Dana for me. Ask her to get in touch with that lawyer friend of hers. I'm going to see the council."

She nodded, but fear still haunted her large silver eyes.

"Don't worry about him, Bant," he said, laying his broad hand on her shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. "He's been through worse than t

 

Wonderful, Kade! Loved it! More tomorrow? Can't wait!

 

No, this post was great, Kade! It was short, but if you post again soon, that won't be too bad! hint, hint!

I like where this is going!

 

More More!!! 7

 

Wow, two wonderful posts in quick succession! Obi's confidence is almost ominious - the lawyers are bound to have a few tricks up their sleeves. Eagerly awaiting more!

 

I wonder of Anna know what her little comments wrought?

 

Finally! I'm being released! It seems like I've been in this bed forever. I hate being off of my feet. Two years ago I had a bad cold. I thought nothing of it, even when the doctor at the free clinic around the corner told me I needed to stay in bed. I learned my lesson, though, when I woke up one morning and couldn't breathe. I had to stay in the free clinic for a week before I was healed.

So I had tolerated the bed this time. But no more! I spent the morning packing the few things I can call my own and attempting to bathe, which was no easy task. On Nibues Wasin and I went down to a fairly clean creek on one of the land reserves and washed there. Here they have some thing where you turn knobs and water comes out from three jets mounted on the wall and spray you all over. I nearly jumped from my skin when the healer first turned it on.

And then theres the soap! Or rather, the lack of it. I always managed to get my hands on some back at home, but here they say you don't need it, that those jet things have something special in it so you don't have to do that. Some technical garble. I still think that when I get out of here I had better give myself a proper cleaning with soap. I can't believe these Jedi don't use it. They're so advanced in other areas!

I had just finished combing out my rats nest of hair when Karlota and Huun Brunker enter wearing those eerie pasted on smiles. I give them a little nod.

"Are you all ready, dear?"

"Yep."

"Where are your things? The driver is ready to take them."

I'm quite confused. All I have in my little bag was the clothes and I had been brought here in (they were blood stained, so the Jedi had given me a pair of their clothes to use) and a model of an aircraft one of my Jedi caretakers had given me. It's quite good, however I keep half expecting it to blow up in my face.

"All I have is this," I hold up my little bag much to the horror of Karlota.

"You poor, poor dear. Is that all you have with you?"

I roll my eyes. "The Jedi didn't exactly give me time to pack before he knocked me out." I wouldn't have had much to take with me anyway, but I didn't see the point in mentioning that to her.

Karlota ignored my remark, but I did notice an even bigger, even more scary smile split her face. "Oh yes, the Jedi. I have very good news for you, dear."

I wish she'd stop calling me that. It's starting to get on my last nerve. "What good news?"

"The one that killed your brother, named Obi-Wan Kenobi," she paused for effect, he scarlet lips pursed together and her eyes twinkling with mirth.

I was getting impatient. "Well...?"

"We have successfully convinced the government of Coruscant to bring him up on murder charges for your brother's death! He should be in jail as we speak."

I stepped back. This was unexpected. Here I was expecting to go to jail at any given moment and it ends up being the Jedi going? It was almost comical. Almost. For some reason it gives me a prickling feeling in my back. I don't like the feeling, and I don't want to figure out what it is or why it's bothering me, so I push it away.

"That... that's great."

"Yes," she says calmly, obviously slightly disturbed by my lack of enthusiasm. "I have more good news. You will not be joining him, at least not for the time being. Your benfactor has already payed your bail, which was quite high I must tell you. You should be greatful."

I am! I am! I don't want to go to jail. I've never been, but I've heard awful stories about it. I even had a friend who went for a few months and came out with two of his toes missing. No, jail was the last place I wanted to go.

I don't say a word to Karlota though. I just nod.

"You must be wondering where you will be staying."

Actually I haven't, but I have a feeling I didn't need to.

"Your benefactor has graciously agreed to put you up in the Four Planets hotel in Coruscant until the trial is over. You are also to be fitted for a new wardrobe. We can't have you going to court in that," she says motioning to my clothes.

I guess she expe

 

At least Anna seems to be feeling guilty.

 

Yes, that's a good start. But WHO is this mysterious benefactor??

 

Well, Obi-Wan is still calm and contained and not worried about his future - which definitely worries me. Keep it up!

 

I'm not quite sure why I agreed to this. What was I thinking? That's what Karlota had asked me. I sigh. For a reason I can't explain, I need to see him. I need to talk to him. I need to face my demons if I'm ever gonna get over this.

I recieved the message from Obi-Wan Kenobi this morning. He asked for her to come down to the Coruscant jail so they could talk. He didn't say what we're supposed to talk about.

The butterflies in my stomach are turning into flying volops as the guard takes me nearer to his cell. I am an idiot! Why did I ever agree to this? They're going to stick me in a cell with a Jedi and leave me alone!

I clasp my hands together in an attempt to keep them from shaking as we stop in front of a small gray door. The guard presses his hand to the green panel on the wall, and the door slides open.

"You got a visitor, kid."

I raise my chin into the air. I will not let him see how frightened I am. I march into his cell with a false air of confidence. He smiles at me.

He looks different now. He's got some color now, and as he rises I can see how tall he is. Much taller than me. My hands start shaking without permission. I clamp them together again, but he sees anyway.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Anna. I won't even touch you while you're here."

I raise my left eyebrow. He chuckles, and it makes me mad. He acts like this is all a good joke! I sit down on the bed beside him, determined to show him that I am not afraid of him.

"So what did you call me down here to talk about? Not the weather, I suppose."

He shakes his head slowly. He rises and walks around the cell for a minute, massaging his neck. "Anna," he finally says. "I want you to tell me why you're prosecuting me for murder."

I freeze. That was the last thing I expected him to say. Yet I feel a wave of anger breaking over me too. Arrogant Jedi! He knows damn well why I'm prosecuting him!

"You know why," I snap.

"No, no I don't," he says, still rubbing his neck. He stared straight at me. "Please, tell me."

My eyes are shooting razors at him. He doesn't flinch. "Because," I say, barely able to talk my teeth and clinched so tightly. "You killed my brother!"

I dare him to deny it. He looks away. "True," he says. "But Anna, I want you to know something. I didn't mean to kill him. I-"

"[/i]The bloody Sith you didn't mean to kill him![/i] I've heard about you Jedi!" The last word is spit out of my mouth like poison. "You kill when it suits you, and let live when it suits you! You care nothing about human life, only making a profit for yourself! I've heard so many people who planned to rid the galaxy of you, only to have their plans foiled by your puppets in the Senate!"

I'm seething now, and he knows it. I'm ready for the kill. Just say one more thing!

Yet for some reason I don't understand, he doesn't get angry with me. He looks at me intently. "Where did you learn all that?"

"The rest of the galaxy is not stupid."

"Anna, why would I kill your brother?"

"Spite! He hit you in the shoulder, didn't he?!"

"Just answer me this, Anna. Do you really think I killed him for spite? Truly? Really? Because if you do, by all means prosecute me. It's the only right thing to do. But if you're just looking for a way to get revenge you had better think twice before going through with this. Look inside yourself, Anna. Do you really think you could live with my death knowing that there was that shadow of a lingering doubt that maybe it was an accident? Could you?"

"I know what you did, Obi-Wan," I say, putting firmness and anger into my voice. "And I'm going to make sure you pay for it."

"But what about me?"

I look at him like he's a half wit.

"After all, you shot me."

"Self defense."

"It could be self defense in my case as well."

I smile, thanking my lucky stars that Karlota had taken the time to explain the laws concerning Jedi to me.

"Jedi can kill in self defense only if there is no other alternative. You had an alternative, Kenobi. You could have run."

"And have him

 

Your benfactor has already payed your bail, which was quite high I must tell you.
I'm still smelling Sith here!

Poor Obi and poor Anna - there's some serious manipulation going on around here on all sides. Please think Anna, it's not about who you both are, it's about doing what's right.

Don't leave us hanging Kade. Looking forward to more .

Rogue

 

Oh... I don't care if Anna was being manipulated- I still don't like her... though I am sorry she lost her brother. Arg! Sympathy! I feel sympathy for her! I just... oh, never mind.

Great post, Kade! Don't leave us hanging! err... for too long atleast!

 

Anna just reeks of Sith manipulation.

 

Hey Kade!
Just found this and it is great!
Can't wait for more.....poor obi!

 

I can't believe it!! She used Bruck to get him mad! This accident is the worst thing that happened to Obi-Wan as an apprentice and she pulls it back to the surface. And noone will make me believe that she didn't mean to hurt him when she said that!

Hem... *clears throat* Sorry, I always get a bit touchy when someone hurts Obi...

 

Obi was being eerily logical about this whole thing - even inviting his own prosecution - but then Anna brings up his most hated nightmare. What now?

 

Due to some circumstances I can't control I have to postpone my work on this story for a couple of weeks.

I'm sorry!!

 

Kade - I hope everything is all right and wish you the best.

Knowing and understanding completely how real life has a way of sneaking up on you , it was very nice of you to give us a heads-up and look forward to your return.

Rogue

 

cool story.

 

Hey Kade,
No problem....hope everything is OK and we will be waiting patiently for whenever you get around to completing this great story!

-Snowbee-Wan Kenobi

 

This story isn't dead, is it?

 

up

 

I was hoping that those few weeks were over, but it looks like you havn't been on line in almost a month.

Hope to see you and more story soon.