~*~Widows and Orphans~*~ (JA, some Obi-Torture)

Hey guys! I'm back!

Title: Widows and Orphans

Summery:

Rating: PG
Rating Reason: Violence, tense parts

Timeframe: JA
Central Charecters:

Genre: Drama/Action
Spoilers & Disclaimers: ----Recognizable charecters belong to George Lucas, Scholastic and/or Jude Watson, all non-recognizeable charecters are mine.

Approx. Word Document Length: 30 pages

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Widows and Orphans

Chapter 1

Tight closed in space. A little girl. Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan! I can't go on! Heat. Where was Qui-Gon? The fire, the fire, the fire, the fire, falling down. The fire! Nareen, no! no! no!

"NO!" Obi-Wan Kenobi sat up straight in bed. He was breathing hard and he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He turned with a start. It was his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn.

"It's alright Obi-Wan. It was just a nightmare." But it wasn't just a nightmare, it was the same nightmare he had had every night for two weeks. Qui-Gon knew it too, he would always wake Obi-Wan up from his dreams. Obi-Wan stared at his lap.

"It's the same one." He said without being asked.

"I know." Qui-Gon nodded. The older man sighed. "Obi-Wan, are you sure you don't want to tell me what happens in your dream?"

"It doesn't make any sense." Obi-Wan shook his head. "I can picture it, but I can't explain it!" Obi-Wan felt frustrated.

"The thing I can't understand is how you always wake up hot." Qui-Gon studied his apprentice. "Most people wake up from nightmares sweaty like you do, but you are always hot." Qui-Gon put hand to Obi-Wan's forehead. "Are you coming down with a fever young man?"

"No," Obi-Wan shook his head. "I feel fine, just hot." Qui-Gon nodded.

"Well, you tell me if you are coming down with something, I don't want you pushing yourself through this mission if you're sick. From what I've heard this isn't going to be an easy or pleasant mission." Obi-Wan knew what Qui-Gon meant. He had done the review as well, and he wasn't sure he was going to like this mission.

"Attention. Will be landing on the planet Kala-2 in ten minutes, please gather your belongings and wait for the tour guide at gate 13, thank you."

Obi-Wan grinned. He had found it very funny that he and his master had snagged a ride on a tour cruise ship. They had made two stops before Kala-2, and one had been Phindar. The two Jedi had visited the Derida brothers; Guerra Derida was in the supply shipping industry, and Paxxi Derida, the new governor, was married to Kaddi. They already had a little two-year-old girl, Terra who had become good friends with Obi-Wan during their brief visit.

Kala-2 was a pretty little planet, it was also very hot which added greatly to Obi-Wan's discomfort. The planet, along with the other two planets in the system, Kala-1 and the uninhabited Kala-3, revolved around two suns. One was a small sun making Kala-2 hot, but not unbearably so, like Tattoine. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan didn't know were to start. Kala-2 was run by it's neighboring planet, Kala-1. The governor of Kala-1 had been the one to request Jedi assistance. The leader of Kala-2 was pretty much the security force. No sort of government on the planet. Obi-Wan shook his head. That had been how the the catastrophe had happened.

Kala-2 was not a very thriving planet, and with the lack of order the only thing that kept the planet from falling apart was it's Wood Chambers. The Wood Chambers were mazelike catacombs that had been tunneled out of the wood by a large variety of insects known as Riffens. The Riffens had unfortunately grown bigger, (scientist had still not managed to figure out how this had taken place but there had been many theories) and in the end, the Riffens had grown so big that the food that they had been eating, small animals, had switched larger animals. Riffens for the most part didn't show any interest in eating people unless the people were being a bother, but the residents of Kala-2 had grown restless and in the histo

 

Intriguing. More soon!

 

Well done.

That was a great start to your new story

Looking forward to more soon.

 

That was very good! Nice and interesting.

More soon please!

 

Well thank you

Here's another post:

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Chapter 2

"Hello Marx." Qui-Gon said getting up off the floor shortly after Obi-Wan sprung up like a loaded spring. Marx turned to a young woman next to him.

"Aleezia honey, do you suppose you and Tendri could take over for me for a little bit." The girl nodded and eyed the two Jedi warily. "Thank you. This way Jinn." Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan followed Marx. The man had black hair and almond shaped brown eyes. He led them into a small dusty office.

"So, you finally married Aleezia I see." Qui-Gon smiled. Marx nodded with a fond look in his eyes.

"She looks more beautiful every day and I decided I had better ask her to marry me before she got so pretty that I couldn't muster up the courage."

"I don't think she likes us very much." Obi-Wan smiled.

"Oh, she's been very protective since the disaster, son. She probably doesn't remember Qui-Gon very well, he was just a little saucy eyed kid the last time she saw him." The man looked Obi-Wan up and down. "Say Jinn, you haven't introduced you friend."

"My apprentice. Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Marx smiled with approval. "You're a good looking kid."

"Thank you." Obi-Wan said politely, blushing slightly.

"Now," Marx said getting some tea for the two Jedi. "I'm guessing you didn't just come here to break my sky light Jinn, so let's hear it. Is this about the disaster?"

"Yes." Qui-Gon nodded. "Governor Lockton called for Jedi assistance."

"Figures, I would have thought that this little mess would get that political slug to give us some real government control on Kala-2." Marx handed Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan cups of tea, then sat down with his own mug. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon sat down across from him.

"Well, maybe it would be best to hear the story from you Marx." Qui-Gon sipped his tea. "We heard the story from a ragged amount of sources." Marx leaned back in his chair.

"Well, there isn't a whole lot to tell, Jinn. I mean, we're pretty much in the dark, no one's sure who attacked either. Basically three weeks ago, there was a night attack. Almost all the men were killed. The lack of political stance made it easy; no one expected to be murdered in their beds. There was no pattern to the killings, but the male population has been brought down to a third of what it was. Everyone tried to explain what they thought happened. Some people think it was a massacre, you know, kill all the strong men that could be a threat, I don't know.

We do know that they came, killed a bunch of men, kidnapped the children, and left a whole lot of widows. There was a method to the kidnapped children, they were all little kids. I'm not sure why; though I'd guess, it's because whoever it was couldn't handle too many big kids. But all children seven and under were kidnapped except for a few they missed. No one knows where they are being kept, but I can tell you, that wherever they are, they are in danger." Marx shook his head. "The whole thing is one big tragic mess, it will take decades to replace the male population on this planet. Tourists or no, no one wants to live here after what happened, and no one wants to live on such an unsecured planet anyway. The widows have to get work to support what's left of their families, and the few families that still have all the members, or at least their husbands, are leaving before they get killed. This planet has become defenseless." Marx sighed. "Despite what Lockton says, Kala-1 depends on Kala-2, a one planet system is always dangerous and since Kala-3 is uninhabited the whole big mess could get worse.

"So what is your theory?" Qui-Gon asked.

"My theory is that someone wants to take over the system." Qui-Gon cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

"You're not serious. Take over all three planets? The Senate would intervene long before then."

"Think about it." Marx said. "They already have an uninhabited Kala-3, they are degrading Kala-2, then they would have two, they would have there easily distructable, one planet system." Qui-Gon shook his he

 

Smashing, if I do say so myself. DO continue, by all means.
LP

 

This is interesting, do continue.

x Clare x

 

*nods* Yes, yes! More you must write!

 

Thank you guys!

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"Home sweet home." Marx announced.

"Ours is the condemned apartment building." Aleezia said with a teasing toss of her shiny black hair.

"It's not condemned Leeza love." Marx smiled at her fondly. "It just should be. Anyway, I got it cheep and it easily houses the thirty-two people who live in it. So it suits our needs."

The inside of the Laigh's house was much prettier than the outside. Probably from all the feminine influence, Obi-Wan thought with a smile, but his smile disappeared at the look of people in the building. There were several young women in the kitchen cooking, and a couple women mending clothing in chairs in the sitting room. There were seven teen girls and three teen boys sitting in the corner quietly playing a sabacc game. One woman was sitting on a seat by the window staring out at the slowly darkening sky. The sense from every being was despair, sadness, and loneliness. Aleezia smiled at Obi-Wan weakly.

"Honey, if you want you can go up to your room on the third floor."

"No, it's okay." Obi-Wan assured her. "Do you want some help." Her eyes sparkled.

"No, no, that's alright, but," She leaned forward and whispered. "Maybe you could get one of these young ladies to talk to you, they need some comforting." Aleezia moved off to the kitchen. Marx and Qui-Gon sat down on a couch and began talking quietly. Obi-Wan moved over to the woman on the window seat and sat down. He didn't exactly know what to say, so he quietly stared at the sky for a long time. She didn't look him or say anything. Obi-Wan finally figured out that he was going to have to say the first thing.

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi." He said smiling. She turned and smiled lightly at him. "I like this window." Obi-Wan commented, he couldn't think of anything else to say, and it was a very nice window, the flowers painted on the sill were especially pretty. "These flowers are beautiful. Did you paint them?" She nodded.

"They are for my daughter." She said in a clear, sad voice. "Her name is Nareen, and that's the kind of flower they are."

"Nareen?" Obi-Wan was startled. It was the name from his dream.

"Yes." The woman smiled. "Do you like little children?"

"Very much." Obi-Wan ran his finger along the yellow painted flowers. "Does she look like these flowers?" He asked softly.

"Yes, she does, her hair is as golden as they are. She looks cheerful and a thin light radiates from her as if the sun reflected off her." The woman's eyes were glistening with tears. "And she was taken away from me, her father, my husband, was killed, and they took her away." She stared out the window. "I am all alone." Obi-Wan put a hand on her arm.

"No, you're not." He couldn't think of anything else to say. "I'm sure she's thinking about you, wherever she is." The woman smiled.

"I hope so, Obi-Wan." The woman returned her gaze to the window. Obi-Wan slid of the seat and started for the kitchen. He nearly collided with Aleezia who was staring fixedly at the woman by the window.

"Was she just talking to you?" Aleezia asked her eyes bright with tears. Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "Her name is Jone." Aleezia said softly. "She hasn't spoken to anyone since the disaster." Obi-Wan looked at Jone. He thought about the Nareen flowers, he thought about all those innocent little children. He couldn't almost hear them crying for help. He turned away and ran up the stairs to his room, threw himself onto his bed, and broke. The tears came freely and drifted across his pillow. He tried to stop the racking sobs, but they continued to come. He curled up on the bed and cried until he was exhausted, he fell into a peaceful sleep.

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That sickness is finally catching up with him

 

Up!

 

UP! Again I'll post again tomarrow, if anyone's reading

 

Please do post soon because I am reading!!!!!

Great story so far, I can't wait to see where you take it!!!!

 

I just realized that I haven't posted at all on this, even though I have been reading. Can't wait until tomorrow to read more.

~Swede

 

*sniffle* That was great!

 

I'm reading just not posting on many things lately. but very good story pLEASE keep with it I would hate to see this in the depth of the abyss.

 

Well thank you everyone! I'm glad you're still enjoying it

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"Yes, he has a bad fever." Obi-Wan awoke to the sound of someone talking above him, but he didn't open his eyes.

"How bad?" That was Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan knew that.

"Fair for a man, but...well how old is your boy?"

"Sixteen."

"A little boy wouldn't be able to pull through, but I think Obi-Wan will make it. The novelty of the sickness he has is that it comes on by three things; cold, wounds, and stress. Can you say that your boy has been exposed to any of those three things in a while?" Obi-Wan couldn't tell whether Qui-Gon had nodded or shaken his head, but he didn't care. He relaxed his muscles and slipped back into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter 3

The night made Qui-Gon restless. The doctor said they would know for sure that Obi-Wan was alright by morning. Qui-Gon was sitting by Obi-Wan's bed. As he placed a new wet cloth onto the boys head, he had time to think. They had been sent here to figure out the problem, but they hardly knew. If they told the Senate that an unknown group was trying to turn a group of children into trained warriors, even if they gave every detail to the Senate, it still wouldn't be any good. They needed to know the who and the where, and they didn't know either. Who was the group that was holding these children, and where were they holding them? The second question was the one Qui-Gon was pretty sure he could answer if he thought long enough. It would have to be somewhere that no one ever went. Kala-3? That made sense. It was uninhabited, but a ship could never leave Kala-2 without being spotted. It had to be on Kala-2. That's ridiculous. Qui-Gon shook off the thought and laid another cloth on Obi-Wan's forehead. He looked down at the boy and felt his mind race out of control. What if Obi-Wan was so young that he didn't pull through? He had told the healer that Obi-Wan had been stressed lately. He had been having those nightmares, but he had been having those for two weeks. Had something else happend since then? Qui-Gon remembered the look on Obi-Wan's face when they had figured out why the group of killers had wanted the children. Some how he felt that these childrens preicament had hit Obi-Wan very close to home. He was, after all, still a boy.

~~~Come on Obi-Wan, pull through~~~

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"The fever has broken." The healer said his eyes were relieved. "Obi-Wan will be fine." Qui-Gon nodded, he felt relieved and tired and he knew that the fatigue showed.

"Jinn," Marx said after the healer had left. "You need to get some sleep, I was informed by several different sources, namely Aleezia, that you never did go to bed last night."

"I slept a little by Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon shrugged. "Really Marx, I'm not tired."

"Oh great." Marx mumbled. "You're not going to tell me you still haven't grown out of that 'I'm not tired, I'm never tired, and I don't eat' thing?"

Qui-Gon gave him a good natured smile.

"I eat."

"Yeah, probably because you can't bare to see Obi-Wan starve." Marx pointed out the door. "To bed." Qui-Gon smiled.

"Marx, really I--"

"Bed." Marx said with conviction. "I'll make sure Obi-Wan's alright, and you'll go to bed." Qui-Gon nodded and moved out of the room. He really didn't feel like sleeping, but he knew that he should get some sleep while he could.

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More to come

 

Great post, and I'm glad that the sickness wasn't too serious... But of course, things aren't always as they seem!

More soon please!

 

"Oh great." Marx mumbled. "You're not going to tell me you still haven't grown out of that 'I'm not tired, I'm never tired, and I don't eat' thing?"

Great line!

 

Yeah KG you never know

 

Obi-Wan walked into the dining room and saw Jone was putting together some food.

"Hello there sleepy head." She said with a smile. "You gave us all quite a scare." Obi-Wan sat down at the counter.

"I'm sorry."

"That's alright," She smiled at him. "I got together some breakfast for you, but it's going on the mid day meal." She handed him his plate. Just then Qui-Gon came in.

"Obi-Wan!" His eyes were dancing. "How do you feel." Obi-Wan took a little time answering he still had a headache.

"Fine, master. I feel fine." Obi-Wan managed one of his impish grins. "Did I go delusional again?"

"Not this time." Qui-Gon smiled. Jone looked at him blankly.

"This time?"

"Oh, well when he gets high fevers like this one, he sometimes starts spouting off nonsense."

"You mean like the time I quoted the whole Jedi code?" Obi-Wan teased. Qui-Gon smiled.

"I was thinking more of the time when you thought Bant was me, Adi was Yoda and I was Siri." Obi-Wan blushed.

"Oh yeah that." Jone was still staring at them.

"Does he get these kind of fevers often?" She didn't get an answer. "The healer said it was caused by stress, are you usually stressed?"

"Well, no." Obi-Wan said honestly. "It's usually wounds, but it's different kinds of fevers different times." Jone sat down and nearly dropped the pitcher she was holding.

"And I thought my Nareen was an injury magnet." Suddenly Jone's and Obi-Wan's faces changed, and neither smiled. "I-I have to go help pull vegetables." Jone said, she got up and left. Obi-Wan stared at the table.

"Master, we have to save those children." His eyes were determined.

"Obi-Wan, we have no idea where they are."

"I know, but we have to save them, we have to figure out where they are." Obi-Wan was not faltering.

"I don't know Padawan, I just don't know where they could be."

"I have an idea." Obi-Wan said suddenly. Qui-Gon stared at him.

"You do?"

"Yes. I think they're in the Wood Chambers." Obi-Wan's statement took Qui-Gon completely off guard.

"Obi-Wan, that's impossible. They couldn't be in there, they would get lost."

"Not if they mapped it out." Obi-Wan stated softly.

"Padawan, it would be too dangerous trying to find them, we don't have a map."

"I know, but if they're there, I'm going after them."

"You're not going alone Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon said firmly.

"I wasn't thinking you would let me, but if you want to stay with the widows here, I could probably find my way and get the orphans out to you." Obi-Wan offered.

"There is no way I'm letting you go by yourself." Qui-Gon was quiet for a moment. "I think you're right though, that that is the most logical place to hide two hundred children."

"We should really come up with a plan." Obi-Wan said leaning across the table.

"Yes, the difficulty shouldn't be finding the children, we follow our senses we will know where the life forms are, but after that, we won't be able to get out."

"Somehow we have to leave a trail." Obi-Wan frowned. "Some thing like threading string through the tunnels would be to hard to count on."

"Marks on the wall."

Obi-Wan turned suddenly and Qui-Gon rolled his eyes.

"If I have to grow out of my never sleep never eat habit, Marx, you have to grow out of that listening at doorways habit you have." Marx came out from around the door frame.

"It could work though." He said with conviction.

"Maybe, but the question is how we're going to get the children away from these men, and where we're going to take them." Qui-Gon's difficulties, Obi-Wan knew, would be hard to solve.

"Master, I know you don't want me going alone, normally I'd agree, but the truth is, that someone has to be there to take the children to Marx's house or somewhere like that, and someone's going to have to protect them. I am smaller and would have an easier time not getting noticed. I think I'm the one to do this." To Obi-Wan's surprise, Qui-Gon did not immediately say no. Obi-Wan had been expecting heated argument, but his master was just staring at him.

"He's right." Qui-Gon sa

 

More soon please!

 

Just found this story today, very cool. Please post more soon!!

 

Good story- post soon? until then...UP

 

Thanks guys!

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Chapter 4

Obi-Wan twisted in his sleep so as to face the opposite wall. The plan had been decided. Qui-Gon would go with Obi-Wan up until they reached the fourth entrance, which was the farthest mapped area of the chambers after that Obi-Wan would be on his own. He would find the children and get them back to Qui-Gon. The apprentice had been restless all night, they had decided the best way to get two hundred children out was too take them through the upper chambers. The whole structure was made of large tunnels and big clearings, and there were smaller tunnels that ran along above them for the smaller creatures, their were occasional points were the two would connect. The forth entrance where Qui-Gon would be, had one of these points in it, Obi-Wan would have to find one when he found the children. It was imperative that he not get lost, so he was bringing along a knife to gouge in the wall along his way. Obi-Wan flipped again to face the other wall and pushing his braid from his face. This was not going to be easy. Obi-Wan's central worry was that his master would not hesitate to go in after him if things took too long. Obi-Wan twisted around in the covers tangling his legs. He sat up trying to untangle himself. He hadn't realized how close he was to the edge of the bad until he tried to flop back down on his bed and fell right off. He hit his head on the floor with a hard thud. For a moment he remained on the floor. He realized he didn't even know what he was going to do when he got to the children. There could easily be guards everywehere he wasn't sure if they would be chained up or not. Obi-Wan slowly drifted off to sleep. He knew he had to stop worrying but for some reason he could not.

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Qui-Gon couldn't sleep. Was he doing the right thing? He stood up and pulled out his comlink and contacted Yoda. The slight green figure appeared immediately.

"Master Qui-Gon." Yoda looked half pleased, and half anxious.

"Hello Master Yoda." Qui-Gon quickly explained the situation.

"Trouble this is." Yoda agreed. "Agree the Senate will not with your theory."

"I know, do you agree?"

"Yes," The master nodded. "It is evident that these children are in danger, I also agree that young Kenobi should go alone."

"Why?" Qui-Gon asked a little anxiously. The green being smiled.

"Your apprentice is not the only one who has dreams." Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. Dreams again. Suddenly Yoda frowned. "What time have you, Qui-Gon?" Qui-Gon looked at a chrono on the wall.

"Two hours after midnight." He said with a dismissive shrug.

"Rest you need." Yoda said decisively and personally cut the transmission. Qui-Gon nodded. He moved out of the room, and went to check on Obi-Wan he didn't see the boy in his bed, for a moment he was worried, but then he saw a mass of blankets on the floor and Obi-Wan sleeping soundly. Qui-Gon smiled and gently lifted his apprentice up off the floor and back into his bed. Obi-Wan stirred slightly but fell back into a peaceful sleep. Qui-Gon quietly moved out of the room and into his own. Tomorrow would come too soon he knew.

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Why does Yoda think he should go alone?? More, please!