The Waith (JA fanfic by Sharon Nuttycombe)

Another one of my favourite authors. Sharon Nuttycombe. I am sure many(if not all) of you have read this story already from another archive. But reading it again is also very refreshing. Lot of Obi-torture in this story(at least obi-hurt-suffering). So read it if you have not read it yet, and read again if you have already read it.

Please feedback to the author or feed back here as I am sure she(Sharon) will check.

Kim B


****************************************************

The Wraith
by Sharon Nuttycombe


Something was wrong. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was definitely something wrong. Obi-Wan
frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His Master was behaving...oddly. Ever since they had arrived
yesterday on Kheros to help with the peace talks, there had been something...different about the Jedi. It was
nothing obvious, just little things that weren't ringing true -- things he hadn't realized he knew about Qui-Gon until
they were no longer there. And there was something else... Obi-Wan shook his head and glanced at the empty
chair across the table, then at the chronometer. He was late. His Master was never late.


* * *


It had begun earlier that morning during the negotiations. Qui-Gon had sat quietly in his chair, absorbing
everything and making brief contributions to the conversation. There was nothing out of the ordinary in that.
Obi-Wan admired his Master's ability to sit back, see the whole picture, and pinpoint the one thing that
everybody else was missing. But this time there had been no moment of insight, no new outlooks on the
problem. He had simply stood with the rest when the talks had stalled and turned to leave. Obi-Wan had risen
hastily to his feet to follow him from the room.

"Master."

Qui-Gon had stopped but not looked back. "Yes, Padawan?"

There it was again. That vague feeling of wrongness, of overt formality. Obi-Wan had frowned. "Is everything all
right?" He shouldn't really have been asking this. It wasn't an Apprentice's place to question his Master...and
yet...

The Jedi had stiffened. "I'm fine. It's just...a mild headache."

Concern had gone through Obi-Wan. "You should see a healer."

"I'll be fine." His voice was sharp. "In the meantime, I suggest you study the treaties we discussed yesterday.
You might learn something." There had been a curt note of dismissal in his Master's voice that Obi-Wan could
not ignore.

"I...yes, Master."

Qui-Gon had nodded briefly and continued down the hallway, leaving Obi-Wan alone with a growing sense of
unease.


* * *


Obi-Wan's misgivings had not dissipated with the hours but had grown until he was jumpy and ill-at-ease.
Telling himself not to fidget, Obi-Wan buried himself in the pile of old treaties on the table before him and tried
to ignore the impatient stares from the diplomats seated nearby. Furtively he glanced at the chronometer again,
his gaze sliding over the ceremonial guards flanking the entrance.

It was several minutes before the door slid open and Qui- Gon entered the conference room. Without a word,
the Jedi crossed the room and sat down beside the Padawan, leaning back in the chair and folding his arms.
Across the table, the Kherosian Prime Minister gave him a reproachful look, then began to speak.

Obi-Wan took a quick glance at his Master, frowning slightly. There was definitely something different about
him. Something wrong. And he didn't know what. Obi-Wan could feel tension beginning to prickle behind his
eyes and he looked away, rubbing his temples and struggling to concentrate on the Prime Minister's words.


* * *


He suspects. Yes. That's it, Obi-Wan. Look a little closer. Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. Trust
your instincts.

Qui-Gon struggled once more against the bonds that held him. As ever, his efforts failed and he coiled himself
once more into the back of his mind, watching and

 

Yes, I've read this elsewhere and absolutely loved it and I quite excited to see it here.
There's something about the serial version of this site that will make it even better.

Again, thanks Kim-Kenobi for bringing it here and a big thank you to Sharon Nuttycombe for writing it.

I eagerly await each installment.

 

WOW, this is great!! Poor Qui abusing his Obi and not being able to control it, whats he gonna do????????

 

I read this and it's absolutely awesome. Don't miss this one, it's a great, great read.

Kate

THE JEDI APPENTICE LAIR
http://www.geocities.com/cicilean/ja/front.html http://www.geocities.com/cicilean/ja/front.html -- JA Fanfic and More!

 

Aha! I've read this one before! Last week, when this forum was down for two days and I had to go in search of my daily fanfic fix somewhere else. I don't remember all that happened though, so I will be reading it here too. But I do remember that it was really good.

 

This is great! I am anxiously awaiting the next part of the story.

 

I will post two parts(due to my lazyness, sorry) I did try to post earlier today but for some reason it didn't go through so enjoy!!! and FEED BACK PLEASE


Stars trailed past the shuttle in a continuous stream as
Obi-Wan and his captor sat in strained silence. Finally
the Apprentice spoke again. "Where are you taking me?"

"My home planet. I have...some...unfinished business."

Obi-Wan was somewhat surprised that Eidolon had even
bothered to reply. Following up on his momentary advantage
he pressed for more answers. "Why did you kidnap me?"

"I needed a pilot. Now shut up or I shall shut you up
permanently." The conversational tone of his voice was
belied by the very real threat lying just beneath it.

Obi-Wan ignored the warning. "Why?" he said.

Eidolon shot him an annoyed glance. "Why what?"

"Why did you need a pilot? You obviously have enough
knowledge to start up the ship's shields and to use the
weaponry system. Why do you need a pilot?"

Eidolon laughed sharply. "I was bluffing."

The Apprentice blinked. "What?"

"Bluffing. The shields were easy - they're marked. But as
for weapons or taking off -- no, I needed you to do that."

"So..." Obi-Wan's voice trailed off.

"So the security forces on Kheros were never in any danger.
If you had just stayed put, you'd probably have been
rescued by now."

Obi-Wan felt like kicking himself. Frustration and
annoyance shot through him but he hastily shoved them
aside. At least the alien was talking. Information - any
information - might be valuable. His own, not to mention
Qui-Gon's life, might depend on it. "How can you know
about me and my Master, about Kheros...yet not know how to
pilot this ship?" Obi-Wan asked.

Eidolon answered almost absently. "Qui-Gon never piloted a
Kherosian shuttle. Therefore, *I* don't know how to pilot
one." The alien waved a hand in the air. "Yes, I probably
could have figured it out, given time and his knowledge,
but time is something I'm rather short of. Now are you
going to stop asking questions?"

"Probably not." Obi-Wan paused. "Why me?" he said
insistently. "Surely anyone would have done..."

He was cut off in mid-flow. "I can't imagine why Qui-Gon
put up with you," Eidolon said. "You are *definitely* the
most annoying human I have met."

"Fine." Obi-Wan didn't pause. "Give Master Qui-Gon back
his body, and you can be rid of me. No problem."

"I'm afraid that's not an option right now, Padawan." Obi-
Wan flinched at the term. "It bothers you, doesn't it?"
his captor continued.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked harshly.

"The fact that I took your Master's thoughts and memories
before I killed him."

Obi-Wan flinched again. "He's not dead," he said firmly.
He couldn't be. Obi-Wan wouldn't let him be dead. The
alien might have stolen his Master's body, but Qui-Gon was
still in there somewhere. He was sure of it. He had to
be...

Eidolon laughed suddenly. "You know, this is all really
quite amusing. Would you like me to tell you what your
Master really thought of you? He only took you as his
Apprentice because he felt sorry for you, you know."

Obi-Wan's hands clenched into fists but he carefully kept
his voice neutral. "I don't believe you because you've
given me no reason to," he said. There's no proof that
what you've told me are anything but lies. And as for
Master Qui-Gon's thoughts, they're *his* thoughts and
they're private. I don't want to hear any more."

"But Padawan," Eidolon said mockingly, "I could tell you
such things about him. And what he thought of you. How
often he regretted his decision..."

"Stop it. Or the shuttle goes off-line right now and we
drift through space until the Kherosians catch up with us."
Obi-Wan's tone held no compromise.

For a moment Eidolon hesitated then decided that the boy
probably meant it. "As you wish," he replied tauntingly.
A strained silence fell.

Obi-Wan struggled to keep his mind blank...to not think.
Qui-Gon couldn't be dead. And Eidolon was lying about...
No. Don't think about it. Think about getting out of this
mess, getting that...par

 

Obi-Wan slowly lifted his head from the shattered
viewscreen, wondering vaguely if he were still alive. He
shifted slightly in his seat and abruptly decided he was.
He was in too much pain to be otherwise. Ignoring the
throbbing in his forehead from where it had connected with
the instrument panel, he turned to look at the man beside
him, wincing as his neck protested the movement.

Qui-Gon's body was slumped over the console, blood
trickling from a deep cut on his forehead. Obi-Wan's heart
gave a painful lurch and he quickly reached out to the
other's throat. Was he...? No. A pulse throbbed
reassuringly beneath the skin. Obi-Wan closed his eyes
briefly, a shudder of relief going through him. If he had
killed his Master, while trying to save him...

The Apprentice reached out shakily for his lightsabre which
was hanging from Qui-Gon's belt and sighed as his fingers
curled around it, instantly feeling much better. He
fastened it hurriedly to his own belt then bent over to
look for the other lightsabre and the Kherosian blaster.

He found them both under the co-pilot's seat. Flinching a
little at the pain the movement caused, he tucked the
blaster into the back of his belt and clipped his Master's
sabre onto the other side. Then, feeling a little odd with
all the weapons about him, he pulled himself slowly to his
feet.

It hurt, but not too badly. He must have wrenched his neck
during the crash, his head throbbed unmercifully and his
back and right ankle complained at every movement, but
overall things weren't too bad. He had felt much worse the
time he had fallen from the second floor of the Jedi
training room. Tentatively, Obi-Wan put his right foot
down...and revised his opinion as a shaft of agony shot up
his leg.

Gritting his teeth, Obi-Wan reached out hastily for the
Force, trying to begin a healing ritual...to no avail. The
healing energies danced around him but he couldn't bend
them to his will. After a moment he gave up in disgust.
He was obviously not in the right frame of mind for this...

"Fine," he thought grimly, easing his foot down once more,
"It's only a sprained ankle." He hoped. "And you have
other things to think about, Padawan..." Swearing under
his breath in several languages, he hobbled away from the
crumpled pilot's chair.

The ship had come to rest at a steep angle, one side half-
buried in the sand, the other leaning against a rock tower.
Obi-Wan had to brace himself against the unnatural tilt of
the floor as he moved toward the rear of the cabin. He
shot an uneasy glance over his shoulder at the motionless
Eidolon then quickened his pace. He had to be ready. The
alien would not stay unconscious forever.

It seemed to take an eternity but was probably only a
matter of seconds before Obi-Wan reached his destination.
Leaning against the bulkhead for balance, he pulled open a
maintenance access hatch, struggling for a moment with the
warped metal, then peered inside. There. Several lines of
fibre cables ran through the hatchway, disappearing into
the rest of the ship.

Behind him, Eidolon stirred and moaned. Obi-Wan hurriedly
ignited his lightsabre and cut free a handful of cables
then turned and limped back to the alien, as quickly as he
could. Once there though, he paused. It felt...wrong...to
bind his Master's hands like this...

Obi-Wan blinked and gave himself a mental shake. If he
wanted to stay alive, he had to stop thinking of this
person as Qui-Gon Jinn, had to suppress the instinctive
urge to obey and protect him... Not hesitating any longer,
the Apprentice dragged the other man's hands behind his
back and secured them tightly with the cables. Then he
stepped back and surveyed his handiwork. The man groaned
again but did not move. Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief
then turned to the main console.

The shuttle was dead. Absolutely and inexorably dead.
Obi-Wan scowled at the instrument panel. There wasn't
enough power left to send a distress signal, let alone
leave the planet...even if pieces of the ship hadn't been
lying in small pieces somewh

 

Great story Kim Kenobi. I just found this site a few days ago and I am enjoying all of the stories you have posted here.I can't wait to read more.

[This message has been edited by Obi-wan's Padawan (edited 04-13-2000).]

 

This story is Great! Very interesting, I like the way Obi-Wan is portrayed. Post!

Jess

 

Sorry, I am down with the flu. Here is the next part.

The early morning air was hot and dry with a faint hint of
something floral on the breeze. Obi-Wan stood just outside
the downed Kherosian shuttle, staring gloomily at the
landscape. Beyond the rock pillars and boulders where the
ship lay was a flat, rocky expanse of desert. Small plants
grew here and there in rock crevices but only the
occasional stunted tree broke the horizon.

"Obi-Wan." The Apprentice stiffened at the sound of his
name then turned.

"What is it?"

Eidolon tilted his head a little. "I can't see."

The Padawan's jaw tightened. The cut on the alien's
forehead had almost closed, but a thin trickle of blood
still ran into his eyes. Eidolon gave him a mocking smile,
his hands still bound securely behind his back.

"Would you mind?"

With a muffled curse, Obi-Wan reached up with one sleeve
and roughly wiped the blood from the alien's eyes.
Eidolon's smile grew wider. "Lovely bedside manner you
have. Ever considered a career in medicine?"

Obi-Wan suppressed a growl then turned his attention back
to the landscape, trying to match the sensor readings he
had seen earlier with what lay before him.

"I was planning on killing you, you know," Eidolon said
conversationally, blinking in the sunlight.

"Yes, I know. Why else do you think I crashed the
shuttle?"

"I thought perhaps insanity was prevalent in Jedi
Apprentices."

Obi-Wan glanced down at the blaster, checking its power
supply. "Only this one," he said. "Now get moving."

"As you wish." With a mocking grin, the man in Qui-Gon's
body turned away from the shuttle and began to pick his way
carefully over the rocky ground. Obi-Wan watched him for a
long moment then shifted the blaster back to his right hand
and set out after him.

Qui-Gon felt an involuntary surge of satisfaction when he
realized how difficult Eidolon was finding it to maneuver
over the uneven terrain with his hands tied. The alien --
or rather *his* body -- hadn't escaped the shuttle's crash
unscathed. Eidolon walked stiffly, turning his head as
little as possible, and his vision kept blurring at regular
intervals. Concussion, probably. Good. That should help
Obi-Wan. Another shaft of irony struck him. It wasn't
often that one was pleased to have a concussion...

Obi-Wan. The Jedi managed to get another look at his
Apprentice when he crossed Eidolon's line of vision. The
boy was limping heavily and it looked as though his back
and neck were hurting. Then again, there was also a
stubborn glint in his eyes that Qui-Gon recognized. The
Jedi Master suspected that Obi-Wan could outlast Eidolon
*and* make it to the power source and back, if necessary.
It was becoming evident that there was very little his
Padawan could not do...

Obi-Wan wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. The
temperature had increased as the distant orange sun had
risen higher, the sky turning a vivid electric blue. He
paused for a moment and reached for the Force, using it to
adjust his body temperature to cope with the heat. Beside
him Eidolon started and frowned, as if something unseen had
brushed against him. Obi-Wan's mouth went dry.

Did the alien know about the Force? The thought had been
bothering the Apprentice for over an hour now. If Eidolon
truly had accessed all of Qui-Gon's memories, then he must.
But perhaps "knowing" and "using" were two different
things. Otherwise, the alien would surely have freed
himself already. Wouldn't he? More questions chased each
other through Obi-Wan's mind but unfortunately there were
no answers. And he didn't dare ask. He couldn't risk
giving Eidolon knowledge that he might be able to use. If
only he could talk to someone...but he was holding a
blaster on the only person he could ask...

"So why are you using that to threaten me rather than your
lightsabre?" Eidolon interrupted his thoughts, nodding
toward the blaster and coming to a halt. "I thought Jedi
didn't use offensive weapons."

Obi-Wan glanced down at it. "We don't. Generally. But
somehow I don't think my Mas

 

Wow! Poor Obi-Wan! Hopefully him and Qui-Gon will get through this alive.
More! Please?

Jess

 

Part 5

Obi-Wan had not slept. He had sat motionless through the
long night, staring blindly into the darkness, his thoughts
turned inward. Only when the first rays of dawn appeared
did he move.

Eidolon had done him a favour, he decided, uncoiling stiff
limbs. Exhausted though his body might be, his mind had
not allowed him to fall asleep. Not with thoughts of...
what the alien had said...going round in circles in his
head.

Was the alien telling the truth? Did his Master really
feel that way about him? Part of Obi-Wan said no,
absolutely not. But the rest, the deepest part of himself
that he kept hidden and showed to no-one...that part
wondered.

The worst thing was that some of what Eidolon had said was
correct. It was true that no Jedi Master had chosen him to
be his Apprentice within the allotted time, despite all
that he had done to be noticed...despite all his attempts
to live up to everyone's expectations. Nothing he had done
had ever been enough. If it hadn't been for Qui-Gon, Obi-
Wan *would* be a farmer now. And...as for the rest...

Did Qui-Gon regret his decision? Had Obi-Wan been a
disappointment to him? He didn't know -- but the doubts
that must have always been inside him had chased themselves
through his mind all through the night, until he had
thought he would go mad.

"Not dead yet?" A mocking voice interrupted his musings.
Eidolon watched him from a few feet away, amusement in his
eyes.

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw and did not reply, concentrating
instead on dealing with the pain that swept over him as he
moved. It hurt. Everything hurt, right down to his
eyelashes. Yesterday he had thought nothing could hurt as
much as Eidolon's attempt to take control of him; today he
wasn't so sure. But at least it took his mind off...
everything else.

With a grimace Obi-Wan reached back with his free hand and,
using the tree behind him, slowly climbed to his feet. It
took a good deal longer than it should have -- all his
muscles seemed to have seized up and the pain increased
with every movement. Finally though, he was standing,
albeit leaning heavily against the tree. Only then did he
look across the clearing at Eidolon and meet the alien's
eyes.

Obi-Wan looked terrible. When Eidolon had first opened his
eyes in the early dawn light, Qui-Gon had felt a sharp
burst of dread go through him. His Apprentice was so
still, leaning against the tree, his skin the colour of old
ashes and his eyes unblinking...but then he had moved and
the relief that had poured over Qui-Gon had left him
reeling in its wake. His Padawan was alive. For now. But
unless he did something soon, he wouldn't stay that way.
"Think," he told himself. "Obi-Wan needs you."

For a moment, rage at the memory of what Eidolon had done
to the boy the night before swept through him. The Wraith
had tormented his Padawan, manipulated his feelings...
Qui-Gon shuddered inwardly then he carefully filed his
anger away. Anger would not help him. It would not help
either of them. He would deal with it...and everything
else...later.

Once more his thoughts returned to the moment when Eidolon
had flung him aside and usurped his body. The trance.
That had to be the key... With an effort, Qui-Gon put his
fear and concern for his Apprentice out of his mind, and
focused on the Force. And freedom...

It was a little better, now that he was standing, Obi-Wan
found. The pain seemed to ebb to a manageable level, and,
if he took quick, shallow breaths, the roiling of his
stomach subsided. Somewhat. He looked at Eidolon, trying
to ignore the starbursts of pain exploding in his temples.

The Wraith was smiling again -- a cold smile he had never -
- ever -- seen on Qui-Gon's face. He was just waiting for
him to fall over and die, Obi-Wan realized. "Well, I'm not
going to give him that satisfaction," he thought grimly.
"I'm a Jedi Padawan. Surrender is not an option." With an
effort he straightened his shoulders and stepped away from
the tree. It felt as if someone had tied lead weights to
his ankles, but he was standing. And mo

 

Cliffhanger!!
Wow. I haven't had a chance to read this before on another site, and I'm impressed with the masterly portrayal of Obi-Wan (his doubts, loyalty towards Qui-Gon, physical pain, etc.) Qui-Gon is also done well, though he's not really able to participate much in the action.
On a side note, I'm surprised Obi-Wan hasn't turned towards the dark side by now.

*Interesting dilemma: should Obi-Wan shoot his master and risk killing him, or not shoot him, and risk losing him to the wraith? I'd like to see how this ends.

 

Getting this off the ground. Up!

 

WOW already part 6(there are 7 parts). Enjoy!

Kim B

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Part 6


The blaster bolt caught Eidolon high on the left shoulder.
The Wraith was flung backward, freeing Obi-Wan. Dizzily,
fighting to keep the blaster aimed, the Apprentice dragged
himself to his knees, leaning heavily on one hand, watching
the other man through clouded eyes.

He had shot him. He had just shot his Master. But it
wasn't Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan reminded himself once again.
Trouble was, this time the arguments didn't work. It was
Qui-Gon's body and he had just had proof that his Master
was still in there...somewhere. And he had shot him...

Obi-Wan gave himself an inward shake. "Don't think about
it," he told himself. "Deal with it later." If there was
a later. It was taking all of his strength just to hold
the weapon. As for getting the rest of the way up...his
spirit quailed at the thought. He couldn't seem to draw
enough oxygen into his starved lungs. The world spun
hazily around him.

Eidolon rolled over, clutching his shoulder with his right
hand. Agony contorted his...Qui-Gon's...features, and the
sickening stench of burned flesh wafted toward Obi-Wan.
The Padawan's stomach lurched and he fought down the urge
to retch.

Finally, Obi-Wan gathered what little remained of his
strength and attempted to stand. And failed. Try as he
might, he couldn't seem to get to his feet. He just...
couldn't. Gasping for air, he sank back to the ground.
Slowly, reluctantly, his eyes began to flicker shut.

Qui-Gon returned to consciousness slowly. As the darkness
receded he recognized his surroundings. His prison. The
part of his mind that Eidolon had banished him to. He was
back. Damn. Damn, damn, damn! More curses sizzled
through him as he tested the bonds that held him. The
mental chains were still there, weaker now, but still too
powerful to break. Frustration swept over him. He had
thrown everything he had at the alien, had used all of his
reserves. Nothing remained. He had failed Obi-Wan. His
Apprentice was going to die. *I'm sorry,* he thought
silently at the boy. *Forgive me...*

Something made Obi-Wan open his eyes again. Some part of
him that refused to accept defeat, that kept him fighting
on when everything in him cried out to stop... Whatever it
was, Obi-Wan's eyes flickered open. He blinked and the
grey fog obscuring his vision receded slightly. Eidolon
still lay nearby clutching his shoulder, conscious but
unwilling or unable to move.

Something ahead caught the Apprentice' eye. A flash of
light. Obi-Wan blinked again, not trusting his vision. It
was still there...a bright flare coming from the rocks just
ahead. He squinted, trying to ignore the pounding in his
head and the pain in his throat. There. It was coming
from an opening in the rocks...

"A cave." he breathed the word aloud. Eidolon frowned
and, with a grunt of effort, twisted himself around to
follow his gaze. Relief mingled with pain on the alien's
features. Then slowly, holding his shoulder, he rose. Obi-
Wan watched him, a faint flicker of astonishment going
through him. The injury should have knocked him out, kept
him unconscious for hours, if not days -- done an
incredible amount of damage to his system... Instead, the
alien was setting out for the cave, moving slowly but
surely away from him. Obi-Wan frowned. Human bodies
weren't built to take that much punishment. How was he...?
Then the realization sunk in. Eidolon was moving away...

That was enough to bring him to his feet. Obi-Wan hadn't
gone through all of this just to watch this alien wander
off with Qui-Gon's body. He wasn't sure how he did it, and
he didn't really care, but somehow he found himself
wavering on unsteady legs. The Apprentice swallowed once
then focused on the retreating form ahead of him. Quelling
the rather ridiculous urge to shout "Hey, bring that body
back at once," he forced himself into motion.

Each of the hundred metres from the ravine to the cave were
written in agony. Obi-Wan had forgotte

 

Definitely still as good as the first time. Maybe even better.

 

Arghh! I can't read the last part of that post!

 

Last Part!!!!!!!!!!!! remember to feedback
I have posted another story by Shaon called Cast My Soul to the Sea. It is a total tear jerker!!!!!! Check it out!!!!!!!!

Kim B


***************************************************


Qui-Gon opened his eyes. He hurt. All over. Pain shot
through his shoulder like fire, balls of light streaked
across his vision, and his head was pounding in time with
his heartbeat. Funny -- the concussion hadn't seemed so
bad when Eidolon had been in control of his body...

Eidolon. With a groan Qui-Gon sat up, his gaze going
immediately to his Apprentice, laying motionless nearby.

"Obi-Wan?" With unsteady fingers the Jedi reached out,
checking the boy's pulse, wincing inwardly at the bruises
on his throat.

At his touch, Obi-Wan stirred and moaned. Remorse turned
to relief within Qui-Gon. "Padawan?"

Obi-Wan's eyes flickered open. "Master?"

"Yes."

Obi-Wan stared at him blankly for a moment, then stiffened
as memory assailed him. The cave, the Guardian,
Eidolon...that awful moment when the alien had brushed him
aside, slamming him into some dark corner of his mind. He
shuddered. But there was no trace of the Wraith in his
mind...just the bitter echoes of something he would rather
forget. He forced himself to relax. It was over. For a
moment he allowed himself the luxury of staring into a pair
of brown eyes that did not contain an unknown entity.
Just...Qui-Gon.

"Is that really you?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes. Although I might ask you the
same..."

"Eidolon...is gone." Astonishment rippled through Obi-Wan
as he realized that the overwhelming agony had also
disappeared, vanishing as if it had never been, leaving
only more mundane aches and pains in various parts of his
body. He drew a deep breath and this time his lungs
responded. "Master - the poison... It's gone... But the
Guardian said..." His voice trailed off in confusion.

Qui-Gon sat back, trying to ignore the pain that stabbed
through him as he moved. "I would imagine that with
Eidolon in your body, the Guardian was able to deal with
him *and* the poison at the same time..."

Obi-Wan blinked up at him. "Then...by taking over my
body...Eidolon saved my life?"

"Yes. Ironic, isn't it?"

Ironic. That was one word for it. Obi-Wan sat up
cautiously and glanced over his shoulder at the now-buried
cave entrance. "What happened?"

Qui-Gon said wearily: "I think the computer self-
destructed. Either that or there wasn't enough power left
to sustain its energy fields."

Obi-Wan swallowed, a shadow crossing his face. "So what
happened to Eidolon?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I don't know." There was a
strained note in his voice. Obi-Wan turned back to his
Master, looking more closely at him. There were shadows in
Qui-Gon's eyes that hadn't been there before, the
Apprentice noticed. The few fleeting moments when Eidolon
had been lodged in his own mind had been enough to give him
nightmares for weeks. So what must it be like for Qui-Gon?
"Master?" he asked softly. "Are you all right?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes." He hesitated. "And you?"

Obi-Wan ignored the question. Suddenly he was noticing the
blaster burns on his Master's shoulder and the bruises
forming on his jaw. "I shot you," he said abruptly, dismay
evident on his face.

Without warning, Qui-Gon laughed, suddenly very pleased to
be alive and in control of his body, despite its condition.
The shadows in his eyes had vanished. "Remind me never to
make you angry, Obi-Wan," he said, smiling. "Or to be
prepared to duck, if I do."

"Master, I'm sorry. I.."

"No. *I'm* sorry. For not recognizing the doubts you've
been carrying around all this time. For not realizing how
you felt."

"Master..."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No. Let me finish. Eidolon
lied. I have never regretted my decision. Not once. I
chose you as my Apprentice...or perhaps we chose each
other...and I have no regrets. You're my Padawan learner
but in the time we've been together, and especially these
last few days, you've taught me many things. No, I have no
regrets.

 

no one replied

Kim B

 

Well I've read this before, BUT I loved it.
Still do

 

Just wanted to thank all of you who have taken the time to post your thoughts in the forum as well as sending the email. Tons of work goes into these things and it's so incredibly gratifying to hear people's responses. We can't wait for the rest of you to give us your feedback. This is what makes it fun. Thanks again.

PA Wars Crew

 

Much welcome Qui-Stay-Gon. Keep it up, cause we love it!

 

So what if I decided to force-grow my hair. What's it to ya? It's one of the perks of being a Jedi. Punks.