Before The Sky-Fallen - OC, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan - COMPLETE - 20-June-2008

Title: The Sky-Fallen
Author: ardavenport
Timeframe: Pre-TPM, Before the Saga
Genre: drama and maybe a little mush
Characters: Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, OCs
Keywords Jedi, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, walking, plains
Summary: Jedi take care of their own. Three perspectives
And: typo is my middle name, with missing words and errors that spell checkers don?t catch being my speciality ? if you see any, just post a reply or send a PM with the what and where and I will kill them with no mercy.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to George and Lucasfilm; I?m just playing in their sandbox



Auurrr-uuh heard another distant thrumming rumble. She looked up, listening, staring off into the sky.

It was Rrruuu-uph's call and his clan mates. Another heavy pod had plunged into the plains beyond the sunward hills.

Only mildly interested, Auurrr-uuh listened long enough to identify some of the voices she recognized before turning back to look down at the sky-fell that had come down in her clan's territory. Rrruuu-uph's sky-fell could be the last of the small swarm that had come down. Or there could be more. Sometimes they struck and killed people when they came down, hot and plowing black burned troughs in the packed ground. This time not. So far.

There was movement around the sky-fell below and Auurr-uuh watched. A creature not of the plains was attending the pod, peering and bending toward it, sometimes touching.

The pod itself was well over twice her height and round. The grasses around the long hole it had dug still smoked. She sniffed the air, scenting a little heat remaining from the violent impact. Sky-fell often cooled quickly. Unnaturally so.

Auurrr-uuh's descended the rise down to where this sky-fell had come to land. Others of her clan were coming, but for now she had the sky-fallen to herself. She lifted her head above the tops of the grasses, just high enough to watch.

The being was typical of the sky-fallen who sometimes came out of the pods. How they got into them, no one knew. Or asked. Or cared.

It was taller than she, but thin and standing straight up like a plant, on two legs with small round head held highest on top from which hung long, limp brown hair. This one wore a dark brown covering over its whole body and tough coverings over its feet and legs. All parts of it were covered by brown and white, except for the head and tips of its side limbs. It had no claws, no visible teeth, no protective mane, no tail to strike with. Its coverings were thin and easily pushed aside by the breeze.

Auurrr-uuh tensed to spring up out of the grass to charge. Her jaws would easily snap the small head off the top. It would be quick. And satisfying.

The sky-fell's head turned and its tiny eyes, the color of twilight sky, locked on hers. She froze.

Auurrr-uuh's legs relaxed as she lifted her head, no longer concerned about surprising her prey. There was no surprise now. No fear. No panic. This sky-fell had defenses under its flimsy coverings. Probably a flame sting. A careless Rrrraaauuff could be killed instantly with a smoking hole through the skull or down the throat before even getting close to their target. Auurrr-uuh had feasted on the flesh of young fools like that.

The confidence she read in this sky-fell promised a quick, lightning-like death if she attacked.

She began to circle the sky-fallen and feigned only mild interest.

The sky-fell returned its attention to the round pod and feigned no interest in her.

The pod was half buried in its blackened hole. Char and ash obscured the usual scents of soil and grass along with the smell of the sky-fell and the stinging tang of the singed pod. The sky-fell prodded the curves of the pod before jumping down into the hole. It pressed its long body to it. Pressed the side of its head to it. It probed with the thin extensions at the ends of its two arms as it slid around the exterior of the pod.

No Rrrraaauuff had ever found a breach in the strange, s

That was an interesting point of view, but I loved it. I can't wait for the next update!

I was so glad to see that you're writing another story, ardavenport!

I think that was the most unique POV I've ever read, I loved it!

These Rrrraaauuff sound really scary- their blood lust and cannabilism and all that, eep! And the way Auurrr-uuh followed Qui and Obi all day, just waiting for her chance to eat them, yikes! I love their language, though, definitely unique!

Well, at least I'm assuming it was Qui and Obi! I wonder what that confrontation at the other escape pod was all about just before those Rrraaauuff attacked them.

I would love to be on your PM list for this one, ardavenport, pretty please! I can't wait to read the mushy parts!

Loved the odd POV. The way she looked at things and how she kept harrassing the Jedi without any luck. How she finally let her kill lust overcome her good sense. And so she died.

Great job.

Bravo. That was a really wonderful piece, with a stellar pov. Now I want to now more about the fate of the sky-fallens.

I certainly liked it as well!
it was very fun to read and very interesting!

Wow definitely a very unique pov, ardavenport, but really enjoyed it just the same. Looking forward to the mushy stuff next

I agree. Very interesting. It's great to experiment with other pov's and this is a good one. I think you handled it very well without going overboard. I look forward to the mush. Please add me to you pm list as well.

Wow. That was pretty cool. I would never be able to pronounce the names (or spell them either for that matter) but I could understand how and why the names and forms of communications were what they were. I though it was pretty cool, having a charcater more like a lion or saber toothed tiger than human. And now I can't wait for the mushy parts you promised were coming up next.

Hmmmmmm, I took longer to update this than I planned. I always find having more than one multi-part story going at the same time to be confusing. I had originally thought about using this for Monday Mush (thus the mushy parts), but the set-up for the mush took on a life of its own.


dimyavie: Thank-you!

Bastet: Thanks for the reply! I have lots of plot bunnies to write, but not enough time and I don't seem to be writing any faster. I wanted the creatures in this story to be rather scary from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's POV. And the creatures themselves like being scary and fearsome. So, everyone's POV would agree on that, they would just feel a lot differently about it.

dianethx: Thanks! In the end, lightsabers to trump instinct.

Princess_Arulmozhi: Thanks, and thanks for the reply! It was an intriguing POV to write from, but it's time for more familiar POVs now.

ClaudiaR: Thank-you!

Jinngerbread: Thanks and glad you enjoyed it!

p_stotts: Thank-you! It is different writing from a POV of one character who wants to eat the others. But that's how I get to the mushy bits.

Obi-Odd13: Thank-you! Non-Human perspectives on familiar SW characters are great ways of looking at them. You see new things.

~~~~~ O ~~~~~ O ~~~~~ O ~~~~~ O ~~~~~ O - - - part 2



The lock clicked, yielding easily to the subtle push of the Force.

The door to the observation station slid open. A dim yellow light came on inside, but still bright against the blackness.

Qui-Gon Jinn hurried to get his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who waited on the ground with his back to the outer wall. He scooped the young man up. At seventeen, he was no longer the slight young boy he had taken as his apprentice. Qui-Gon lifted, pushing up from his knees as if the Force lifted him up. It did. It had, all day and through the night.

He sprang into the safety of the building, the door closing behind him. Up seven flights of stairs.

Another door at the top yielded to the Force.

The lights and power were on. He entered a minimal work room with bare walls and inset screens and computers apparently going through start-up routines initiated by his entry into the station.

Qui-Gon went beyond that into a living area with bare shelves, storage cabinets and tall narrow windows in the thick walls. Qui-Gon set Obi-Wan down on the wide sleeping platform, careful of his immobilized leg. After many hours of silently being carried, his Padawan winced.

"I'll be back," he said, his hand on his apprentice's shoulder. Obi-Wan nodded his understanding.

Back in the work room, Qui-Gon sat at the main console. There were map displays of the region, sensors, weather satellite feeds and communications. Their sanctuary usually served as an ecological monitoring station for the region. Or a haven for anyone able to reach it.

Taking out his com, Qui-Gon linked it to the console before him. He tapped the selectors, looking for a channel. He found interference, the same that had blocked any signal outside and in the escape capsules. But the observation station had a ground generator to draw from, and some direct tight beam satellite links. Qui-Gon tapped through the menu of available filters and signal boosters until he got a response. The holo-imager at the base of the chair activated.

"Prefect Ulahoo's Suite," the bluish hologram of a tall straight private secretary answered.

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn to speak with the Prefect. Immediately."

The private secretary's expression slipped into shock before recovering.

"Immediately." The holo image vanished. A cloud of static remained, the connection still open. Sitting back, Qui-Gon, exhaled, feeling the Force flow more slowly through him. Finally free to let go of his concentration on direction, Obi-Wan's injury, predators, lightsabers and survival, he felt detached and cleanly separated from the brutal plains below. He waited, no thoughts disturbing his repose.

The blue static before him took form.

"Jinn!" The Grand Prefect of Torik-Sen stood there, clutching a casual robe over a well-maintained and naked body. "Where are you?"

"Station Tah-hef-chu on the Plains of Penance," he stated, glancing at the ID insignia on the screens before him.

"And the Ermatz delegates?"

"The ones who were sensible and did not panic and stayed in their escape pods should be alive. And waiting to be picked up. Eager I would say," he added, remembering their one meeting with a couple of the delegates sheltering in their pod.

Ulahoo nodded curtly. "Of course they will. Immediately." The senior politician waved a hand, presumably a signal for the secretary to initiate the order. "After that, we will come for you as well."

Qui-Gon remained silent.

"You have done the Consortium a great service, Master Jinn."

"I come to serve," Qui-Gon replied flatly, without a trace of enthusiasm.

"We reported to Coruscant that you were missing and probably dead. But the Jedi Council said you were not." The Prefect looked concerned. "How did they know?"

"That question you will have to ask of the Jedi Council."

Qui-Gon cut the connection before the Prefect could continue.

Qui-Gon exhaled, closing his eyes. His head fell back; the back of the chair was not even high enough t

Sheer perfection - always a lesson, but a gentle lesson that guides the learner forward to a new lesson and growth in the Force. You have a unique way of writing these two (that is supposed to be a compliment, if that's not clear).

"You have surmised correctly, Master Qui-Gon. The Council was so informed. After the report of your demise and that of the usurpers. The Council was not pleased that any member of the Jedi Order would be so used to settle an internal political squabble. The Prefecture will be censured by the Senate."

Qui-Gon supposed that the Jedi Council needed to care about such things as censures and Senates, but he did not. He mutely answered with a nod

I like how you worked that in that delved right back into the story.

"You did well. You recognized the weakness in your own focus, so you supplemented it with mine."

"But should I not be strong enough to focus. . . . to control my fears on my own?"

"Under such circumstances, injured and constantly in immediate danger of being killed, if you were that strong and disciplined, I would have to recommend you to the Jedi Council for the Trials. But I think that is still a few years away," he told his seventeen year-old apprentice. "That kind of focus only comes with time and experience. Patience. It will come.

Again, the praise and gentle lesson that there is more training to come, the reassurance that becoming a Jedi is a process both of mental and physical skills.

i liked how you expanded it,and loved the interactions between master and apprentice
with Jinn taking the time to teach and plan more lessons from their experience running
also how the Council decided to censure the prefecture!

very interesting that maybe those predators whose name I cannot spell
might have the potential to be Jedi...

I am very curious as to where you will take this.

I liked the way Qui-Gon handled the Council. Plus Obi-Wan is getting a lesson even with his broken leg.

"You did well. You recognized the weakness in your own focus, so you supplemented it with mine."

"But should I not be strong enough to focus. . . . to control my fears on my own?"

"Under such circumstances, injured and constantly in immediate danger of being killed, if you were that strong and disciplined, I would have to recommend you to the Jedi Council for the Trials. But I think that is still a few years away," he told his seventeen year-old apprentice. "That kind of focus only comes with time and experience. Patience. It will come.

"But perhaps I have been remiss in broadening your experience in your training." Qui-Gon's thoughts slowly felt their way toward his own answer. "There are other species with instincts as primal as the Ha-Rarrum. Even among the Jedi. We shall seek some of them out when we return."

Good job.

Aaahhh, another great mixture of action, drama and lovely, lovely mush. Seeing the first post from a creature perspective seemed to bring an almost frightening immediacy to everything. Very creepy, because there is so little emotion attached. The second post balanced the first so well, with Qui-Gon's calmer view and his compassion for his apprentice. I loved Obi-Wan's admission that he had relied so totally on Qui-Gon, with Qui-Gon answering "You were a light burden to carry, Obi-Wan. I would not have fared so well without your help. Beautiful writing.

tbc .... more? yay!!

I love your alien POV's, which you have done stellarly, more than once. And of course the mush as well.

These predators as Jedi ... That would be an interesting proposition to explore. Perhaps any sentient being can, in theory, become a Jedi?

Reminds me of a haiku I read ages ago.

"Not yet having become a Buddha
This old pine tree
Idly dreaming."

Absolutely lovely post. You write Qui-Gon with a perfect balance of compassion and attention to duty. I was a little confused as to why the Prefecture arranged their little detour and how it solved their diplomatic dilemma though.

"Aaaah. I see that one can be too focused on the moment."

Good observation on Qui-Gon's part. It makes me wonder if he's ever encountered this problem before.


"Master?" Obi-Wan's voice said in the dark.

"Mmmm," Qui-Gon answered, his head sunk in the soft pillow.

"Could any of the Ha-Rarrum be a Jedi?"

Now wouldn't that be something? But I think the Ha-Rarrum need to evolve just a tad before that would be possible. As they are now, it would be like inviting Attila the Hun to a tea party. He'd be more likely to kill his hosts than accept their hospitality. However, the idea is thought provoking.

Great job! Is there more coming?

Excellent update.

Aww, that was some lovely mush there, I especailly loved how Qui and Obi admitted how much they were relying on each other during their trek across the plains.

I remember wondering in the first post how it was that so many escape pods crashed in the plains, but now we know they were all sent there on purpose, yikes!

Looking forward to more, and thanks for the PM!

The first part was an ardavenport alternate pov classic and I have to agree with Bastet that it is your most unique so far. Those creatures were just intelligent enough to make them plain creepy.

And of course the second post was lovely. I particularly liked this

"Yes, their thoughts and especially their instincts were very intense. Very strong," he whispered the last words without meaning to.

Obi-Wan swallowed and inhaled loudly as if he were coming up for air.

"I did not sense that you. . . . were aware of that."

"What did you sense?"

"Calm. Purpose. The Force." Obi-Wan's eyes flicked toward him and then shyly away. "I relied on you very much when we were on the plains."

"I know," the older man answered. "I carried you the entire way," he finished lightly.

Lovely story. And there is more to come

Sorry for the delay in posting this. DRL last week and costume-making is cutting into my writing time for the next couple of months.


Valairy_Scot: Thank-you! I always like to keep the teaching aspect between them, especially if Obi-Wan is younger and the difference in their skill level is more pronounced. It's also a good source of mush.

ClaudiaR: The possibility of the Ha-Rarrum being Jedi is sort of an afterthought, but they are intelligent and could have the potential. It would be an interesting situation. Thanks for reading!

dianethx: Aaaaah, but with Obi-Wan with a broken leg, Qui-Gon has quite a captive audience for his lesson. Thanks for reading!

LuvEwan: Thanks! Unless they're very short, I like a mix of moods and activities in my fics. Too much of anything can be too much. And a story where Qui-Gon has to carry Obi-Wan; the mush is practically automatic.

ratna: Yes, just a little bit more. It needs Obi-Wan's POV. In theory, the predators could be Jedi though their training would be unique. Even a killing instinct isn't automatically dark, though they would have to give up that attachment - - eating people is not a good way of 'serving' the galaxy.

"Not yet having become a Buddha
This old pine tree
Idly dreaming."

Aaaaaaah, nice haiku. I sometimes wonder if Jedi have any similar art forms. Something that would be terribly boring in high school english class, especially if badly done, but could have great depth when examined closely.

p_stotts: I think that Qui-Gon is often the teacher with Obi-Wan. You even see it in the beginning of TPM. I suppose Qui-Gon has gotten caught up in the moment sometimes. The Prefecture (and the delegates) just wanted to use the Jedi to redeem the delegates without the Prefecture taking responsibility for pardoning them. And if they all died they probably wouldn't have minded that either - - but that wasn't going to happen with Qui-Gon at least. Yep, there's one more installment. Thanks for the reply!

Bastet: When characters is rely on each other, you can generate some of the best mush. Thanks for reading!

azizah: Thank-you! I think it is the intelligence that makes the creatures so disturbing. Stupid creatures are never as scary as smart ones. In some ways, the creatures were really meant to be just the set-up for the mushy parts, but they developed their own personality and took up the whole first part of the story.

~~~~~ O ~~~~~ O ~~~~~ O ~~~~~ O ~~~~~ O - - - part 3



Obi-Wan started awake. He heard nothing in the strange room but his own breathing and his Master's, and the shifting movement of his body and the blanket on the sleeping platform. And the distant chirps and buzzes from outside. The tiled ceiling above was gray with natural light. Turning his head, he saw the sky brightening to a cloudless blue through the narrow windows. It was almost morning.

His leg hurt. Testing it, he moved it a tiny bit and flexed his toes poking out of the bottom of the brace. The pain had dulled to a soreness that told him it was beginning to heal on his own. But he would be glad when they returned to the Jedi Temple where the medical droids could greatly accelerate the process.

Another long heavy breath drew his attention.

Next to him, his Master lay on his side, his features pale in the dim light. Normally, Obi-Wan found his Master awake before him if they were sharing the same sleeping area on a mission. But he now sensed the weariness in the older man. Even a Jedi could not indefinitely draw on the Force. The needs of the physical body eventually took precedence, though Obi-Wan sensed that his Master had been nowhere near the limits of his body's strength. But he was still tired and quite thoroughly asleep.

Tired as well, Obi-Wan yawned. His Master did not have a broken leg to keep him wakeful when he needed rest.

Qui-Gon's arm draped over the blanket covering him. He lay so close that Obi-Wan could feel his body heat, smell the faint staleness of his breath. Normally, he might have edged away from such an intrusion on his personal space, but they had just spent a day and night in even closer proximity. Obi-Wan was too tired to care about the minor inconvenience. And he had drawn badly needed strength and stability from his Master. He was content to remain close to that serenity for now.

Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan let himself drift into the moment. They had found sanctuary, safe away from the dangers below. The sounds of morning from outside slowly increased. In the distance the low roar of the Ha-Rarrum rumbled like thunder. Memory shivered through his thoughts and he sheltered in the calm presence of his Master next to him. It mattered little that his Master's calm was the serenity of unconsciousness. He chose that moment and let it become his reality.

Until a new sound at the edge of his perception resolved itself into the low hum of a ship's engine, coming toward them.

It was the ship coming from the Jedi Temple that would take them back to Coruscant.

Obi-Wan did not stir. He really could not get up to greet them, anyway. But his Master remained oblivious, quiescent. There was no threat, no disturbance in the Force to warn about a danger that was not arriving. Obi-Wan opened his eyes. Qui-Gon remained unmoving, features relaxed.

When a shadow passed over the lightening sky through the windows, the engine sound reached a peak before powering down. Obi-Wan prodded his Master's shoulder.

"The ship from the Temple has arrived."

The dull, slightly aware and mildly annoyed look in Qui-Gon's deep blue eyes changed instantly to full wakefulness. He rolled away and threw off his blanket in one motion. Obi-Wan saw him duck down onto the floor and them pop back up to sit on the sleep couch with a boot that he first tried to put on his right foot and then on his left. After pulling on the second boot, he was up and out the door without a backward glance.

Grinning, Obi-Wan pushed himself up into a sitting position. He stuffed Qui-Gon's pillow behind him along with his own. His lightsaber was on a stand next to the sleep couch next to Qui-Gon's. He used the Force to call the rest of his things to him, boots, robe, belt, clothes. The sides of the boot that Qui-Gon had sliced off his leg flopped around his hands and he tossed the pair of them back onto the floor before putting the clothes on.

He had just put his belt and lightsaber back on when heard multiple fo

"This communication is ended," Windu finished. Nyrin cut the com. "We're leaving."

Heh, heh, heh! You tell 'em Mace!



I loved these little details:

The ramp closed, cutting off the natural greens and browns outside and sealing them into artificial whites and silvers, and the safe smell of technology.

One little sentence, yet so telling of their entire experience. Wow.



And of course the space cadet nerd in me just loves this:

Obi-Wan felt the familiar wavering change in the interior gravity as the ship lifted off.


From your description, the Ha-Rarrum seem rather like great, giant lions. Indeed the whole piece had a bit of a "Daniel in the Lion's Den" feel to it. Just superb.

Loved it and again great writing, beginning first with that unusual perspective.

And the interaction between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon

Aww, just lovely.

I'm so glad that they were rescued, and that those Ha-Rarrum didn't give them any more trouble.

It's over, Obi-Wan thought intently. We're finished. It suddenly seemed desperately important to him that his Master know this.

His dark blue eyes turning toward him, Qui-Gon seemed to hear his thoughts. A moment later, his furious expression melted. Obi-Wan felt relief flow through him as Qui-Gon's earlier calm detachment returned, the same calm that he had clung to for so many hours on the plains. A gentle smile curved Qui-Gon's lips and he sat back in his chair, folding his arms before him into the opposite sleeves of his robe.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with us!

Obi-Wan doubted that he would ever see them or their inhabitants again in his life. Feeling comfort from that thought, he looked toward his Master, who still sat tense in his seat, intent on breaking into Ulahoo's narrative though Windu showed no signs that he would give his permission.

It's over, Obi-Wan thought intently. We're finished. It suddenly seemed desperately important to him that his Master know this.

His dark blue eyes turning toward him, Qui-Gon seemed to hear his thoughts. A moment later, his furious expression melted. Obi-Wan felt relief flow through him as Qui-Gon's earlier calm detachment returned, the same calm that he had clung to for so many hours on the plains. A gentle smile curved Qui-Gon's lips and he sat back in his chair, folding his arms before him into the opposite sleeves of his robe.

Another fantastic story from a fantastic author.