Saga Wild Knights: Grasping an Ancient Fire (Obi-Wan, Siri, Garen) - Digital Specters/Completed 5/5

Poor Obi-Wan! I wonder if he will remember anything or what he will think when they tell him what happened.

So the Twi'lek didn't die afterall.

 

She's alive! I like Janua.

Obi-Wan's feeling a bit hung over hum? I imagine having someone as different as Ben'al in control would be rather disconcerting. Over soon?

 

Janua works for the pirate? I really shouldn't be surprised. But then why did she bring them to last known owner of the praksha? She could have just let them wander lost on their own.

 

If moving had not been so difficult he would have looked about for the herd of Bantha that had trampled him.

I guess he would feel like that. Benal wasn't exactly gentle with him

 

Kynstar?If Obi-Wan is lucky, he will never know.

Jedikma?Nope, Janua is a wiley one.

Moldy-One?I can't imagine why someone like Ben'al would be so difficult. He wan't particularly mean to him or anything.

PK?Who knows why she does what she does.

Zebra3?At least Ben'al didn't get him into any fights.

Thank you everyone. Just think, this is your third from last post, then it will be all over. Whew!

 

Chapter Ninety-Three

The bright afternoon had faded as a grayish-green cast stretched across the evening sky. Only the glow from Tyrian's fiery peak remained undiminished as Tobos traveled toward night. Darkness would rule without even the pale light of a distant moon to break through the ashen sky. Garen turned his back to the cool wind that whipped across the smooth plain that surrounded the rocky outcropping of the shrine and stared back at the lights beneath the Obsidian Raptor's wing that illuminated the small land speeder sheltered beneath it. Siri sat perched on the side speaking softly to the still wrapped form of Obi-Wan.

Into the swirling energies of the Force and beyond the ever-present ghost of darkness that seemed so much a part of the landscape, he found the familiar signature of his friend.

He had been so afraid of the alien presence in a familiar face, but now, could only be grateful that it was not permanent.

Siri reached out and brushed her fingers under Obi-Wan's hood, pushing back a few wild ginger strands. She laughed and withdrew a little. She was back in the Y'Beggar coat and tightly pulled it around her. He could not hear what she was saying, but Obi-Wan seemed to respond, straightening and smiling.

A part of him wanted to pronounce that everything would be all right, but in truth, he was not really certain. "Will anyone be the same?" he wondered softly.

Heavy footsteps drew close behind him, but he did not turn to face the Draigon. Quim's deep snort gave the beast away as he stopped at Garen's side. "No," he said without any further explanation.

For a time, Garen waited, hoping Quim would say something that made sense of it all. Something that would make him understand what had happened at Orrisus. More importantly what had happened to his friend. When no enlightenment came, he looked up to the great Draigon. "You can always come back to the Temple with us."

Quim laughed. "No. I no longer belong there. I find my path is guided elsewhere."

?But??

?No. This is my place now.? He twisted, looking back at the pirate barking orders to his crew. ?I will follow Maka until the Force decides that we should part. I have strayed too far to return to the life I once lived."

Shaking his head, Garen then followed Quim's gaze and watched Koth guide his crew as the thamite doors were hauled up the loading ramp. "He stands against everything the Jedi do. How can you follow him?"

Laughter. "He is different, but not an antithesis to the Jedi. You cannot justify my actions, young one,? the Draigon said before resting his paw on Garen?s shoulder. ?So do not try.?

? ? ?

"Bad things happened here," Siri said softly as she glanced over her shoulder toward the shrine's entryway. She saw Garen and the Draigon abandon their place and cross the distance toward the Raptor. Koth was striding across the rocky floor carrying something.

Obi-Wan frowned as he pushed the hood back. At first he squinted, then opened his eyes brightly in the weak light of the evening. "I know."

Smiling she pressed a hand to his shoulder. "You are lucky. You really weren't there for most of it."

Pale blue, wide and curious eyes met hers and it brought even more of a grin. The specter that had known so much death was gone. She could see it. All that remained were Obi-Wan's own ghosts, the ones that were quickly hidden.

"Personally, I cannot wait to see how you and Garen are going to explain all this to the Council." Obi-Wan chuckled as he looked across the distance at the three standing in silent conference.

"Us?"

"I slept through it."

Looking a little perturbed, Siri lightly punched his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You started this mess."

"How?"

"You couldn't leave well enough alone. You had to fix that lightsaber."

Rubbing his arm, he muttered, "It was not like I had a choice. I do not think I was entirely there after that first jolt that laid me out in the canal." He met her curious stare. "I was in and out. Mostly dreaming, so

 

Loved the humor part about Siri lightly punching Obi in the arm! But he is right though, he can't explain what happened!

Great chap! Wow... almost done, eh?

 

Finally caught up. Loved Ben'al's history. Wow, that was really intense and intriguing all at the same time. Glad that it all worked out in the end (although as an archeology buff, I hated that they blew up the tomb). Hope Obi-Wan doesn't have any lingering aftereffects.

Great job with this. Loved the language, the complexity of plot and the characters. Go, Red!

 

The Draigon stared at the two Jedi in the speeder, his attention focused on the living embodiment of his friend. "I want to remember them when they were alive."

I really loved that part. Probnbly best the tomb was destroyed. Even though they were Sith, they shouldn't be disturbed in death.

 

Looking a little perturbed, Siri lightly punched his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You started this mess."

LOL! How very Siri

Thank you everyone. Just think, this is your third from last post, then it will be all over. Whew!

Thank you for writing this wonderful story Red!

 

I can't focus tonight to give a sound review other than I love it!!!

All I can think is that it's almost over!!!!

I may turn out to be just like oe...crying over your stories ending, only I'm upset because I won't get my siriwan fix anymore.

 

I am reading, just haven't got a chance to respond.

 

And still the ending I'm dreading is drawing near; I'll miss it when it's gone. This fic is so much fun, both in the story line and the characters. I wish there were more fics out there where these characters can interact like this. There's something in the way you write the comradery that I really enjoy.

 

I don;t wanna see this end

 

Kynstar?Poor Obi-Wan, always getting abused.

diane? Thanks!

Evil-One?But Ben'al wasn't a Sith. He just went dark, he didn't practice the tenants of the Sith religion. Amare on the other hand?

Zebra3?

Jedikma?Sorry about losing the Siriwan fix. I'm sure there might be a few fun viggies here and there. Who knows.

Noi?That's okay. You've been on vacation.

Neo-Paladin?Thank you very much!

PK?Sorry.

Yup, just today's little post and one really long one tomorrow and that's it. I've enjoyed this story but I'm kind of glad its ending as new plot bunnies are biting.

Besides, I have finally broken down and decided to right another series of stories, kind of like how I am writing Tale of a Jedi. Yes, don't worry, Tale3 will be appearing shortly, but I think I am going to do a series of short stories about Obi-Wan's life on Tatooine, but write it in the same style of WK. Tale is so dark and gloomy and I kind of want to have some fun. I mean Tatooine couldn't have been a tragedy everyday. [face-wink]

 

Chapter Ninety-Four

Looking rather worse for the wear, Obi-Wan strode slowly across the Council chamber and carefully handed the shining form of the Prak'sha to Mace Windu.

The tall master leaned forward and gratefully accepted the weapon but paused to look the knight over. "You have sought the care of the healers." It was not a question.

Obi-Wan frowned and tilted his head forward slightly. The shadows around his eyes seemed to darken. "Yes, Master. They deem I have a mild concussion nothing more."

Nodding as if satisfied with the response, the master turned his attention back to the weapon. "And it functions?" he asked as he tilted it to better see the carved text in the hilt.

"Not since Tobos," Obi-Wan replied as he returned to his place at Garen and Siri's side. Folding his hands into the billowing sleeves, he added, "I admit, my repair may have been only a temporary fix."

"You seemed so sure of yourself in the Selvax transmission that the weapon was stable and functional," Adi Gallia coolly pointed out.

Garen thought he caught a hint of a grin tug at Siri's lips before he about the circle of masters. Though calm masks hid their expressions, he knew they were all silently sharing a chuckle at his friend's expense.

Biting back the look of chagrin that briefly blushed his cheeks, Obi-Wan offered a slight smile. "Some things seemed clearer then, than they do now."

Yoda broke the following silence with a chuckle as he shifted in his seat but said nothing more.

Still intently studying the Prak'sha, Mace held it out, allowing the afternoon light cascading through the tall windows of the High Council tower to splash across the ancient characters. "I had doubted it really existed and half believed we were sending you and Knight Tachi on a fool's errand, Master Kenobi." The usually even tone was lost to awe. "If nothing else, I had hoped to prove that it no longer existed." After a moment he regained his composure and placed the weapon, almost reluctantly on the floating table hovering near his chair. It also held the plate and the H'Assari Pyramid. "Excellent work, you all are to be commended for retrieving what was once thought impossible." Seriousness painted his features as he leaned back and twined his fingers together. "Now, an important question. Is the tomb destroyed?"

Stifling a frown Garen nodded. "Yes, Master."

"Difficult to destroy, was it?" Yoda asked as he stirred his gimer stick but never raised his large gaze from the floor.

"Several well placed thermal detonators was all it took," the knight replied. "The shrine was severely damaged by the constant quakes from Tyrian."

Raising his head slightly, the little master's ears drew back. "Difficult it was for you to destroy?"

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he studied the unreadable expression of the little master. "It was history. Maybe not one the Jedi are proud of, but our history nevertheless." He waited patiently for a response but the Council remained infuriatingly silent. "We had help in the tomb's destruction from Maka Koth and his crew." Stealing a glance about at the circle of masters, he noted neither surprise nor unhappiness at his words. In fact, many of the masters seemed almost disinterested and he could not understand why. "Everything inside was destroyed save two thamite doors and this." From the folds of his cloak, he produced the holocron that had carried the memory of Dormus Escario. He held the gray shape out for examination.

"What became of the thamite?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

"It is solely my responsibility, Master."

"I did not ask for blame, I asked what happened to the doors."

Swallowing heavily, Garen shook his head submissively and stepped forward. "I brokered a deal with Maka Koth. I did not believe there was anything of worth in the tomb but allowed him to take anything not of Jedi interest for aid in finding the tomb and destroying it."

Ki-Adi nodded in acceptance of the response, but there was no admonishment offered.

"You found a holoc

 

Poor Obi not knowing all the facts!

I feel for Garen here cuz of the history aspect of it *nod* who would want history destroyed? Even if it was evil?

So Siri ain't looked on the data disk?? Oh man... that'd been the first thing I would have done! I'm surprised she hadn't looked.

Great chapter!

 

Okay, just got in so here's a quick response.

Poor Obi, having everyone laugh at him.

I liked Siri not wanting to give up the disk. I agree with Kynstar, I would have looked at it right away.

 

I guess Siri was around Ben'al the most, she could tell Yoda a lot.

I can't believe she didn't look at the disc, either.

Only one more chapter.

 

Can't wait to see what Siri has to say about Ben'al. Almost over? Yes I'm still crying.

 

I thought Obi-Wan handled himself well all things considered.

Of course the question on my mind now is did the information on the disk survive the centuries?

 

Great post! I can't wait to hear what Yoda will have to say about Ben'al. Bound to be interesting

 

Yoda didn't have to work very hard to figure out who Siri meant- what else does he know about it?

 

Kynstar?Maybe she didn't have anything that could read it before she went before the Council.

Noi?A little humility won't kill him.

Jedikma?Don't start crying yet!

oe?You big baby.

Neo-Paladin?You will find out about the disk shortly.

Zebra3?Possibly.

PK?Oh, I'm sure the troll knows a lot.

Thank you everyone for sticking with this long, drawn out tale. The last post is rather long, but I didn't want to split it over several days. I hope you enjoy.

 

Chapter Ninety-Five

"I would not believe it were I not staring at the proof," Ki-Adi Mundi said in his usually serene tone as he sat at a console in a closed section of the Archives. "They were lying."

Mace looked over the table containing the many artifacts that the three knights had retrieved. "I do not believe it to be so simple," he said calmly. "I am eager for their reports." He stroked his chin. "I think they are trying to figure out what happened as well."

Ki-Adi motioned toward the holocron that had been rescued from the shrine. "If there was any data stored within it, it is long gone. The crystal was shattered long ago. They no more saw the holoimage of Dormus Escario than we do now."

Frowning, Mace paced about then drew his long cloak to the side and took a seat at the adjoining station. "And the H'Assari Pyramid?"

"Data files are corrupted."

"Could it have been damaged upon activation? I've heard of crystals shattering after long periods of disuse. There could have been a power surge from an old cell."

The Cerean master shook his head. "No. There is no contemporary time stamp for usage. The last recorded activation was nearly seven hundred years ago."

Mace just shook his head. Then with a casual wave of his hand, the lightsaber that had found so much interest earlier in the day quivered slightly. The case shifted, and the hilt split apart, sliding along the pins that held it together. His own attempt at repair had left him as surprised as Ki-Adi had when examining the data keepers. ?At least we know for certain these objects will not find the wrong hands." There was a pause. "We now know their secrets are safe." A tight laugh escaped him when the guts of the ancient weapon were exposed to the bluish light of the archive. In the open body of the weapon sat a new power cell and a glittering blue focusing crystal among corroded, powdery innards. ?There is no way this weapon could have ever functioned. It is a shell, nothing more.?

"I can understand the data keepers," Ki-Adi began, "but Kenobi said the Prak'sha had functioned. Why would he outright lie?"

"Lie it was not," Yoda said, breaking his long silence from the corner where he had patiently watched the two masters.

Mace narrowed his gaze at the little being. "Then what is it?"

"Believe, they do, in what they told us. Saw something they did."

? ? ?

The soft tinkling of Velosian wind chimes danced through the near still air of the historical vault, deep within the archives. Garen dully wondered if the air circulators ever shut off as he sank back into the tall chair seated before one of the many information stations nestled in an alcove.

Sighing heavily, he pushed himself back into a sitting position and glanced about. Two standard hours, long before day began, and this section of the archives was still empty. Apparently no one else suffered his restlessness or desire to do research on Jedi history in the extremely early hours.

Sleep would have been a better use of his time, or even trying to write his mission report to the Council but neither was appealing. The truth was, he could not quite escape the mission he had just left behind. He had imagined that returning to the Temple and the flurry of life that surrounded it, things would come together and make sense.

Granted only a day had passed, but he still felt like he was floating in a salty sea. His mind kept revisiting the mission and everything that had changed.

Staring at the console in front of him, he watched the little blue standby light blink languidly on and off. He had been sitting there for more than an hour trying to find the courage to do what brought him up to the archives at the early morning hour.

Fear is the path to the Dark Side.

The truth was, Garen did not know what there was to fear. As if anything he had already seen could be taken back, he did not imagine anything he saw now as changing that.

"System, activate," he announced as he leaned forward to study the display built into the consol