Into the Mouth of Madness

It was dusk and the final rays of sun were beating down on the skyscrapers of Coruscant giving of a metallic glare. In the pshyciatric ward of the Jedi Temple a dark figure walked among the patients and healers. Her name was Portia Kai, a healer from the planet of Benal 3. She was sent for by the council with a disturbing case. A young apprentice, not much older than herself came back from a mission and just, as some people would say, snapped. The council couldn't explain what happend. And by them sending for Portia when many other qualified healers where on Coruscant showed that no one could explain. She got to a large metal door and knocked on it.

"Name?"

"Kai."

"Verification number."

"Verification number is 78279277."

"Entrance granted, you may proceed." The door opend and a tall man stood patiently by a large window. She expected it was the man's master.

"Are you the paitent-"

"His name is Obi-Wan." The man gritted through his teeth. His eyes were fixed into the room where they held the Padawan. "What's your name?"

"Portia Kai." She announced. "And you are?"

"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, I am Obi-Wan's master." He said. "Are you ready for this."

"Yes." Kai turned as one of the hands opend the door and she headed into the room.

The sight she saw was unspeakable. "Obi-Wan?" She called out...hoping to get a answer. The man was curled up like a cat in the corner looking at her with blue eyes that were sunken in and had bruises around them. *I must get through*

Kai moved closer to Obi-Wan, hoping to get some response. But all she got was a flinch. Then, he surprised her. "D..Don't." He warned. "Don't come near me."

"Allright." Portia backed off. Yes, contact. Obi-Wan looked at her with some confusion. "My name is Portia."

He just continued to stare at her. But all of a sudden he lunged at her and knocked her to the ground and pinned her there. Before the gaurds could get to her he slipped something in her pocket.

A little bit frazzled she headed back to her quarters she remember what he had done. She pulled out a small peace of cloth that had some writing on it. From the looks of it, it was blood. Her heart sank when she read the note.

"Help Me."

***

I know it's lame, but that was my try at it.

 

deleted by popular demand

[This message has been edited by Jane Jinn (edited 05-05-2000).]

 

"Lame it is not!" Yoda barks. "Post more you will!" (Alli-Wan agrees.)

 

It's not lame at ALL!! Please please continue. Just flesh things out a bit more. Describe sounds, sights, and smells. All these things help (and they take up room)

 

Makes strangled sounds of annoyance No! This fanfic has grabbed my whole attention and it was only with one post.

POST MORE SOON!

Kithera

 

Intruiging.

You have my attention. Write On!

 

Lame, hardly. Exciting and intriguing are more like it.

 

Wow! I didn't think I would get this kinda response. Well thanks for the positive response! Here is more.

But I warn you this will be a short post...I have to go to work.
*****

Portia sat in the darkness of her quarters trying to comprehend what she had just seen. From her reports, Obi-Wan had been one of the best apprentices in the temple. What had brought him to this? No... she would not let this case get to her. She had a tendincy to do that. Not this time. Her eyes began to sink quickly. Portia hit the light on her chronometer. It was really late.

As she began to get ready to sleep the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

There was someone else in the room with her.

****

I'm mean, I know but it is time for me to go so I will post more today. I promise.

 

MORE!!!!!!!! please???

Kithera

 

"You don't think I will be able to get through to him do you?" Portia asked to the presence. "You don't trust me." Portia turned on a dim light to reveal the face of Mace Windu.

"I have every assurance that you can." He walked up to her. "I just don't think you can deal with going back into a place you worked so hard to get away from."

Portia thought about it. She remembered being in Obi-Wan's posistion when she was eight. It was torture, something she never wanted to experience again. "Do you really think what happend to me is what happend to Obi-Wan?"

Mace Windu looked surprised that she didn't see the connection. But on the other hand, he understood why she would question it to be the same. "I do, he has the same symptoms you did." Portia felt really uncomfortable talking about it. Mace Windu put a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "You know I wouldn't have called for you if I didn't think you could help him. You have been in his posistion. You have felt what he has felt. Portia, you are the only one who can comprehend what he is going through."

Portia cleard her thoughts, she owed it to Obi-Wan to help him get through this nightmare. Get out of the madness that is eating him alive. "I'll get him back, I promise." Mace nodded in relief. "May I go and watch over him? So I can be there quickly for when he needs someone."

Mace sighed. "I seriously don't know. I would give you permission right now if it wasn't for his Master, Qui-Gon who has a tendency of being very protective of his padawan."

Portia thought for a moment. "You said that he and Obi-Wan were close right?"

"Yes. They almost have a father son relationship. Why?" He asked with curiosity.

"When he pinned me down in his room he slipped a note in my pocket. It said 'help me,' if he was so close to Qui-Gon why didn't he ask him to for help?"

"Well, when we first found Obi-Wan, he was very distraught.Then he saw Qui-Gon and he looked almost, terrified of him."

Portia looked at Mace. "You don't think?"

"I hope not." Mace told her. "Because if so...it will be very hard to bring Obi-Wan back to the way he used to be."

 

Dang I'm hooked again.

I'm hooked on about four fics now. Count this as nuber five.

 

Wow...ummm. I guess I must be doing something right, I have 7 readers! WOOHOO! Well anyway, I gotta go, I post more soon.

 

Portia hadn't fallen asleep the night before. After the talk with Master Windu she had spent the rest of the night planning how she would come across to Obi-Wan. Her mind was filled with thoughts. She couldn't too close to Obi-Wan without the council breathing down her neck. As the rosy fingers of dawn stretched across the sky over Coruscant Portia decided she would start early. She needed time with Obi-Wan in order to help him out. If she didn't...Portia didn't even wan't to think of those possibilites.

***

Mace Windu sat and stared at Obi-Wan's master, Qui-Gon Jinn. "Qui-Gon, you need to understand, she is the best at what she does. Portia can only be benifical to Obi-Wan. You can't order her not to see him. It would be a punishment to Obi-Wan if you did that."

Qui-Gon almost looked shocked that Mace had said that. "I don't trust her with him."

Mace was getting a little bit annoyed with him. "Well, the decision is out of your hands. You may not trust her, but the council does. She can help Obi-Wan." They both quickly silenced as Portia entered the room. She looked at the both of them, it was obvious that she was the topic of conversation.

"Should I leave?" Portia asked nervously.

"No." Mace told her. Portia looked at Qui-Gon who walked straight past her and stormed out of the room. "Don't worry about him, he'll get over it."

"What's wrong with him?" Portia asked.

"I guess he tried to speak with Obi-Wan today and it didn't work out too well for him." Mace shook his head worried. "The sooner you get Obi-Wan back the better."

"I came to speak to you about that." Portia told him. "I need to ask a favor."

Mace raised his eyebrow. "What?" Portia twisted her fingers unconsiously, it was obvious that she was nervous.

"I want to be the only one to work with Obi-Wan. No other healers, only me." Portia flinched not wanting to hear the answer.

"Why is that Portia?" He asked.

"I know some of the Healers here. Well, they think it's all in his head. It's not. I am the only one who knows the truth and I am the only one he can benefit from."

"Let me speak with the council." Windu told her. "You will have your answer within a hour." Portia bowed to the master.

"Thank you."

***

An hour passed an Master Windu came back into the waiting room. Portia quickly came to her feet. She didn't expect a good answer. "Well? What did they say?"

"Despite some argument, you request has been granted." Mace told her. "Would you like to start?" Portia shook her head with a renewed hope. "Follow me."

********
I'm just bad at leaving it at the wrong time huh. rolleyes.gif

 

deleted by popular demand

[This message has been edited by Jane Jinn (edited 05-05-2000).]

 

This is great. Your writing is so suspenseful. You are doing such a great job of drawing us in bit by bit. Wait is that a good thing. The state of my house would say not. Thanks for the great story!!

 

Before I post the next segment I would like to get a quick poll going but email me with your answer. What should I do with Portia? Anyway back to the story:

Portia walked to the room where they held Obi-Wan. She stood before the door trying to calm herself before she went in. It wouldn't help him any if she was a nervous wreck. Her hand reached for the door handle but Mace Windu took it before it could be reached. "I must warn you." He told her.

"What?" Portia asked him.

"If he attempts to attack you again...you can no longer supervise him." Mace said.

"I knew there was a catch." She twisted out of Mace's grasped and opend the door. Like the day before he was curled up tightly on the floor. Portia could notice that he was shivering like mad. She took off her pilot jacket and held it away from her expressing that she wanted to give it to him. With no response from him she walked over to him and put it over his shoulders. He looked at her with his blue eyes that wanted to make Portia weep looking into them. But suddenly, he spoke.

"Th...thank you." Obi-Wan told her. Portia sat next to him. This threw Obi-Wan off that she would sit next to him. "Wh..."

"What?" Portia asked.

"Why are you sitting next to me?" He asked almost child-like. "Aren't you afraid?" Portia pulled her right armsleve up to reveal a tattoo of numbers and letters. Obi-Wan jumped back from her. "You? You..."

"I've been there Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan looked almost shocked. "The tests, the drugs, the pain..."

"Stop!" He stood up and backed into a corner. His padawan braid whiped back and forth as he shook his head no. Not believing what was happening.

"I know it hurts to think about it." Portia stood up cautiously. "I know what happend to you Obi-Wan. It happend to me." Obi-Wan locked eyes with her and tears were streaming down his face.

"I was so scared." He admitted. He was giving into her. "I never..."

"Felt that kinda pain before." She finished. "You've never seen that kind of evil." He nodded as he slumped back down to floor, she joined him. "You were taken by a group of men in black."

"They knocked me out cold."

"They draged you to their labortory." Portia remembered way too clearly. "They put you in a cage. They treat you like an animal."

"You wish that it's just a nightmare." He added. "That you would wake up warm and safe in your room. But when you wake up..."

"The nightmare is still there." Portia herself was now shivering. Because of his outburst the put Obi-Wan into a straight jacket. Obi-Wan was as scared as she was. "Let me help you Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan looked into Portia's stormy grey eyes. He looked into her mind to see if she was speaking the truth, she was. He sighed. "I welcome your help Portia." Obi-Wan put his head into Portia's shoulder and began to weep sliently. "Please help me."

*****
To be continued...

 

I am so glad that people like this! I am so happy. With TPM on video Tuesday and now this! HEhe...I will post more soon..

 

deleted by popular demand

[This message has been edited by Jane Jinn (edited 05-05-2000).]

 

Jane Jinn...
I like your choices, I'll post later. eek.gif

 

You've got me hooked! What happened to poor Obi-Wan???? Qui-Gon didn't do anything to him, did he? Ahhhhhhhhh, Post soon!

Jess

 

ooooo...cool story! Keep going!

 

Personally, I vote for H. She falls madly in love with Qui-Gon, they have Obi-Wan committed, then they flee the planet and live happily ever after.

There Jane Jinn thinks to herself, rubbing her hands together in glee, if that doesn't get a reaction out of her, nothing will!

 

Qui-Gon is scowling. <see!>

Jedi Milan-Kenobi please write more!

 

Hi there! I'm not Milan, I'm just using her computer. I'm ZfileB, and I come in peace!! Sorry, couldn't help it. Milan owed me a favor, so I forced her to let me write w/ her, but no one else! Ya hear?! Or else I get in trouble. And now...

As Obi-Wan's supply of tears ran low Portia untangled herself and got up.

"Don't leave me." Obi-Wan cried in panic

"Don't worry, I'll come back. I need to go collect any information about you that I can find. I'm on your side. I'll be back soon."

"C can you get them to take this jacket off? My arms are tingly."

"No, I can't take the jacket off, then they might know that you are more coherent than they think. But I can make the tingling go away."

Portia knelt by his side and breifly touched his arms throught the jacket. Instantly Obi-Wan could feel his arms again as the soreness of unuse left his muscles. He gazed up at Portia in gratitude.

"I'll be back soon," she whispered "don't go anywhere."

"K"

Portia pressed a light kiss to his forehead and sliped silently from the room as he slid slowly into the void of sleep. As she stole down the silent corrodors of Temple Portia couldn't help but remember the warning she had given herself earlier.*Too late, I've already fallen in love with him.*

As she stepped arround the corner she felt the whoosh of air just soon enough to avoid the blow by tucking herself into a ball and rolling to the other side of her attacker. As she bounded back onto her feet and into a deffensive possition a flame and a glowing red dot was all she saw. But it was what she heard, not what she saw that scared the force out of her.

"You have seen enough Master Kai, you needn't trouble yourself any longer with Kenobi's problems."

Portia's blood ran cold, then hot, then cold again.

"All I seek is the truth."

The truth you seek may very well kill him and get you killed in the crossfire. I advise you for your own safety to back out and stay out."

"I made him a promise, that I would help him."

"What makes you so confident Master Kai? Just because you have traved the same road and ended with your life intact dosen't mean the Kenobi will also. yes Master Kai, I know all about you, there are those that would go so far as to say that I know everything."

At Portias look of utter shock and disbeleif the man who was smoking added.

"And you owe me your life, the only reason that you do still have your life is because of my interferance, you should be thankful."

"Of what," Portia snapped "if you saved me then why didn't you do it sooner? And why don't you save Obi-Wan?"

"Sometines for the good of the flock one sheep must be sacrificed, we all have our own agendas Master Kai, what's on yours?"

With that disturbing question he faded back down the hallway, and was swallowed up by the darkness. As he turned the corner Portia saw the red tip of his Bunta light, and then he was gone. Leaving Portia wondering who he was, how he had gotten past Temple security in the middle of the night, and just what was he doing slinking arround the halls.

 

deleted by popular demand

[This message has been edited by Jane Jinn (edited 05-05-2000).]