"Concentrate..." Qui-Gon told himself. Click. Click. Through the Force, he turned the locks of his chains, opening and closing them. That was not a problem. He looked over at Trog, who was busy showing copious amounts of attention to a Togorian female who was in turn flirting heavily with the pirate leader. She was admiring one of his more resent trophies, Qui-Gon's lightsaber. Trog wore it on a chain about his neck, along with a Rodian scull, a braided Wookiee scalp and some other object that Qui-Gon did not recognize and whose origin he did not care to guess at. He could get the lightsaber too, when the time was right. But how he was going to get off the ship... that was still a puzzler. All the pirate's smaller vessels and escape pods were tied into the mothership's computer and could not be activated without permission from the bridge. Besides, none of them had hyperspace capabilities and without that, the bigger ship could simply blast him out of the sky.
"Captain Trog," one of his subordinates interrupted the amorous mood of the pair.
"What?" Trog snapped, obviously displeased at the intrusion.
"The smuggler, Ralla is here to see you," came the cowering reply.
"Ralla? Oh, yes," Trog apparently recognized the name. "Very well, I'll see you later pretty," he crooned the last part at his former object of interest and she tittered appreciatively. Trog strode out of the room, the chain necessitating that Qui-Gon follow.
"Ha, come on dog," Trog yanked the chain as if the Jedi were his personal pet on a leash.
Qui-Gon remained as impassive as ever on the outside, inside of course, it was another story. He chaffed bitterly at his captivity. His body ached everywhere from Trog's constant abuse and his strong spirit revolted at the treatment. He was also aware that his time was running out. Once he was no longer a novelty item to the despicable pirate captain, his usefulness was over and he did not doubt that Trog would kill him.
The woman who had identified herself as Ralla, a semi-well
known spice smuggler, waited for Trog. Her long brown hair
was done up in a sweeping bun, pulled tight against her head
and shiny gold Vanishan beauty streaks ran across both
cheeks at opposing angles. She wore a blaster strapped to
her thigh, yet she did not quite possess the hip tilt
peculiar to sharpshooters.
"Hey there big guy, long time no see," she purred smoothly when Trog's massive form came through the door.
"Too long Ralla, too long," he agreed with a canny wariness, which showed that he respected, if not necessarily trusted, the spice runner.
Ralla's eyes flittered across the human man that followed Trog unwillingly into the room. He wore nothing from the waist up and his bare chest and back showed the signs of repeated cruelty. His long brown hair was tangled and his neck and wrists raw from the chains, but his face held a quiet strength that gave no quarter to defeat.
Outwardly, Ralla's expression ever faltered, but inside she had to suppress a flicker of recognition.
At first glance, all Qui-Gon noticed was the smuggler's garish front and the persona she was projecting, but then he caught her eyes; just for an instant, but it was enough.
"Depa?" he thought in surprise. "Depa Billaba?" Dolled up in smuggler's garb Depa looked markedly different from the quiet girl who favored clean, plain lines and modest colors that he had known when she was Mace Windu's padawan. He reminded himself that she was a padawan no longer, but a Knight, and soon to be a Master as her own padawan approached knighthood. Had the years flown by so fast? He could still remember the day Mace had rescued her from the Pirates that killed the rest of her family and brought her back, a six-month-old baby, to the Jedi Temple to be trained. He had been with Mace that day and had known that Mace would take her as padawan from the moment he held her in his arms... and look at her now. It almost made him feel old.
"What's this Trog? A new trophy?" she glanced calmly in Qui-Gon's direction, but Qui-Gon could tell that she remembered him as well.
"Indeed, do you like him? He's a Jedi you know," Trog laughed, flaunting the lightsaber about his neck.
"Really?" Depa raised her eyebrows. "They're not easy to catch." She circled around Qui-Gon, pretending to be looking him over. "Master Jinn, we thought you were dead!" she thought at him without losing her demeanor.
"Well I'm not," Qui-Gon replied, also without outward change. "Yet."
"Quite an interesting specimen," Depa commented coolly to Trog. "I've never seen one up close before."
"I'm glad you approve. Now, getting on to business, what is this I hear about a missing Glitterstim shipment?"
"Oh, I wouldn't say it was missing exactly Captain, it's just waiting for the right person to find it," she replied coyly, rubbing her thumb across her index finger suggestively.
"Ah," Trog grinned. "Indeed."
Obi-Wan sprawled on the floor, his ears ringing.
Vu Kaa stood over him, shaking his head. "You disappoint me Padawan," he reprimanded softly. "This persistent rebellion is unworthy of you. You're not even trying."
It was true. Try as he might to convince himself he was wrong, Obi-Wan could not seem to put any real effort behind putting his former Master out of his mind. If that meant he was rebellious, well then he was. He made no apology for it.
Vu Kaa felt the boy's defiance and frowned deeply. "Very well, I see this is a lesson you must learn in another fashion. Get up," he ordered. Crossing the room he returned with a long, thin strip of flexi-steel ribbing. "Hold out your hands," he commanded the boy, "Palms up."
Obi-Wan reluctantly complied. He was not sure what Vu Kaa intended. Before he had a chance to figure it out, Vu Kaa raised the ribbing and let it fall sharply, cutting a painful red welt across Obi-Wan's outstretched hands.
Obi-Wan yelped in surprise and pain, pulling his hands away quickly.
Vu Kaa's face was immovably stern. "I said hold them out," he commanded in a tone that left no room for argument. "Provoke me further and I will report your behavior to the Council." Vu Kaa had struck home and he knew it. The last thing Obi-Wan wanted was for the Council to think that perhaps training him was a mistake. He had gotten off to such a rough start in the beginning, if Vu Kaa started telling them that he still could not control himself . . .
Obi-Wan bowed his head and held out his hands.
Vu Kaa laid into him without emotion, delivering the beating with perfunctory calmness.
Obi-Wan bit his lip against the pain. He tried to block it out, but felt Vu Kaa in his mind, not allowing him to do so. "No, Padawan," he silently remonstrated. "You must not shut this off."
Vu Kaa did not let up until his strokes drew blood. When he finally stopped, Obi-Wan pulled his hurting hands up close to him, trying to deal with the burning pain that was emanating from them.
Vu Kaa laid the ribbing aside, placing a hand on the boy's hunched shoulder. "There," he said sadly. "Now you think I'm a terrible man. But I'm not Obi-Wan," he turned the Padawan around so that he could look in his eyes. "I'm not. I told you I would punish disobedience, please don't make me do anything like this again," vu Kaa let the Force carry his words into Obi-Wan's mind, willing him to feel sincerity and warmth.
Obi-Wan felt ashamed that he had pushed Vu Kaa to these drastic measures. What was wrong with him?
"Let this act as a reminder," Vu Kaa laid his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Every time you move your hands, you will remember the need for obedience and focus."
Obi-Wan gingerly curled and uncurled his raw fingers. The motion set his already hurting hands on fire. Yes, it would certainly remind him.
"Here," Vu Kaa handed him his lightsaber. The usually comforting feel of the handle in his grip was now an excruciating one.
Making him remove his shirt and tunic, Vu Kaa turned the cabin temperature down to nearly freezing and had him drill for several hours that way.
His body freezing, his hands on fire, Obi-Wan had no strength left to think of anything other than the moves, the Force, and Vu Kaa's instructions, which was precisely what Vu Kaa wanted.
Trog and Depa were deep in negotiations when another pirate
interrupted, tapping Trog on the shoulder and whispering in
his ear.
"Oh ho!" he exclaimed in surprise, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
Qui-Gon had tried to hear what was said, but it had been whispered too soft. Yet he did not like the change he felt in the pirate captain.
Depa felt it too, but kept her calm. She had not maintained this charade for the past six months by being easily flustered. Her dislike of pirates was deep rooted and strong, so she had jumped at the chance to help bring down this group when it was offered.
"Well Ralla, or whatever your name really is, it's a pity you're not on the level, your plan has the markings of genius," Trog said, pressing a button, which called half a dozen pirates into the room.
"Trog darling, I don't know what you're talking about. Do you want to make a deal or not? I don't know what game you're playing, but it's unbecoming. If you're interested say so, if not I won't waste my time." Depa rose out of her chair.
"Oh no, I don't think you're going anywhere spy! Except maybe the interrogation room!"
Three of Trog's men went for her with their blaster's drawn. In one quick movement Depa whipped her lightsaber from where it was hidden up her sleeve. The purple-blue blade quickly parried a volley of blaster bolts aimed at her.
More pirates came running, attempting to box Depa in the corner. Fighting the ones before her, she did not sense the one who crept up behind her until it was too late. Too late her senses screamed the warning, even as she knew she could never turn in time.
The pirate aimed his blaster squarely at her back and squeezed the trigger. The shot went wild as the surprised pirate found the weapon torn out of his hands by an invisible grip.
Qui-Gon sent the blaster skittering across the room. Unhooking his chain from Trog's belt through the Force, he whirled it around, snapping it like a whip. Wrapping around ankles and scattering blasters, Qui-Gon used the chain as a highly effective weapon. Somersaulting through the air over Trog's head, Qui-Gon used the Force to rip his lightsaber from around the pirate's neck, calling it to his hand. Landing sure footed behind the pirate, he unlocked his chains and sent them snaking about the Captain's neck and arms, brining him down.
"Depa, let's go!" he called urgently, igniting his blade and backing towards the doorway. Twirling over the heads of the few pirates left standing, Depa joined him and together they ran down the hall in what Qui-Gon hoped was the direction of Depa's ship.
Alarms wailed and all the doorways started vomiting brigands, choking the Jedi's path. Leaping, twisting, turning, the two Jedi desperately fought to make their way through a raging sea of enemies.
Obi-Wan shivered. Even with three blankets, he couldn't
seem to get warm. The hours of bitter cold seemed to have
drained his body of all it's warmth, and yet there was more
to it...
He tried to pull the blankets closer around him and his hands screamed at him. They hurt so much...
Loneliness like he had never known gnawed his heart and a darkness deeper than that of the night about him pressed at his soul. Had he been a normal boy, he might have wept for the sheer weight that hung over his heart, but he was a Jedi, he told himself, and he would not cry again. He was not sure he could have anyway. All his tears seemed to have frozen up, turning to an icy ball of pain, confusion and fear inside him.
The hall before them was completely impassable. No way they could make it that way. Depa felt Qui-Gon's hand on her arm.
"Where is your ship?" he asked silently.
"In the hanger," she replied, letting him see the image of the bay she referred to in her mind.
"Follow me."
Without hesitation she followed him down a side passage.
Qui-Gon led her through a mind-boggling array of twists and turns, corkscrewing through a confusing tangle of halls and passages at top speed. He had not spent the past three weeks being dragged around this ship without memorizing its layout. Putting that knowledge to good use now, he brought them out of the dizzying maze and into the bay where Depa's ship waited. The sleek little vessel was surrounded by pirates, but although the number of bodies at the bottom of the ramp spoke of their efforts, they had not yet been able to subdue the young Twi'Lek Jedi who held the entryway.
Qui-Gon recognized the girl as Mal'ah Rurr, Depa's Padawan.
Charging the group from behind, Qui-Gon and Depa broke through them, charging up the ramp.
"I'll hold them here, get this ship in the air!" Qui-Gon told them, taking a wide defense stance at the top of the entry ramp. The two women responded quickly as Qui-Gon fenced blaster bolts left and right.
Depa raced to the cockpit, flinging herself into the pilot's seat. She punched in the take-off sequence, glad that Mal'ah had taken the precaution of keeping the engines warmed. If they had had to wait for the engines to be ready they never would have survived. As it was, the ship responded quickly to her touch, lifting off the floor of the larger ship's hanger bay.
Mal'ah cycled the hatches, and the ship's landing ramp pulled shut in front of Qui-Gon, the last several laser bolts impacting harmlessly on its resilient exterior.
"Come on," Mal'ah called to him. "Master Depa needs a copilot and I've got to man the weapons."
Qui-Gon joined Depa in the cockpit as they blasted their way out of the hanger. The bay doors were sliding shut, but Depa gunned the engine of the little ship, rocketing it through the tiny gap before it clicked shut.
Laser fire rocked the little ship violently. A warning-light flashed, showing that their aft shield was gone.
Sending the ship into a spin, Depa dodged the pirate ship's cannons and Mal'ah sprayed strategic waves of laser blasts while Qui-Gon punched the hyperspace coordinates into the Navi-computer. As the brilliant white streaks of hyperspace exploded before them, all three Jedi breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Well, that could have gone worse," Depa breathed, leaning back against her seat. "Thank you for your help," she turned to Qui-Gon. "I almost didn't make it back there."
"My pleasure, I assure you," Qui-Gon replied, smiling wryly. "I hope this hasn't seriously set back your mission."
"Not really," Depa shrugged wiping the gold vanash off her cheeks with her sleeve. "Mal'ah, did you get that tracking device implanted before all the commotion broke out?" she asked her apprentice.
Mal'ah, who had just entered the cockpit, flopped down into the chair before the communications console. "Commotion, is that what you call it?" the Twi'Lek gave her head tentacles a shake. "Yes, Master, I did," she got quickly back to business. "The Republic forces will now be able to follow them wherever they go. They will no doubt, lead them right to their base." The pride in the young woman's voice told that she had picked up her teacher's loathing of pirates.
Qui-Gon smiled softly. Padawan's picked up so much from the Masters. Padawans. Obi-Wan...
"Are you all right Master Jinn?" Mal'ah inquired a second later when she took a moment to actually look at him. She had to struggle to recall his name, she really knew him only by sight and reputation.
"Better now," he assured, tossing Depa a mischievous grin. "Depa, I know it's been a while since I've seen you, but I had no idea that you had... changed so much." He could not resist teasing the girl he had known since she was a baby.
Depa threw him a withering glance. "You've looked better too."
Qui-Gon had to admit that point.
"No offence Master Jinn," Mal'ah broke in, her curiosity getting the best of her. "But what happened to you? We all thought you were dead."
"So I heard," Qui-Gon became serious again. "I suppose it was Vu Kaa who told you that?"
"No us directly," Depa took slight exception. "He told the Council and we heard it through the grapevine."
"I see," Qui-Gon stroked his beard thoughtfully, still trying to figure out Vu Kaa's motive in all this. "Well, I'm very much alive as you can see. What's happened with Obi-Wan, seeing as how everyone thought that I was gone?" he asked the question that was foremost on his mind.
Depa looked sober, Mal'ah looked puzzled. "But – didn't you, I mean-"
Depa interrupted her padawan quickly. "Qui-Gon, Vu Kaa told the Council that you were both dead."
Qui-Gon was shocked.
"I'm sorry," Depa started, misinterpreting Qui-Gon's reaction.
"No," Qui-Gon shook his head, calmly interrupting her. "You don't understand. I know he is not. I've felt him, although I have been unable to make contact." Besides, Qui-Gon had seen Vu Kaa carry the boy out, so if Vu Kaa had made it, Obi-Wan had. Vu Kaa was lying, but why? "Depa, I don't wish to interfere with your mission, but I've got to get back to Coruscant right away."
"No problem," Depa agreed easily. "Same place we're headed actually. What does all this mean?"
"I don't know," Qui-Gon's brows creased in concern. "But I intend to find out. I feel something is very wrong and I fear Obi-Wan may be in some kind of danger."
The dusty hills of Syridan undulated like gracefully
humping waves before them. Obi-Wan idly wondered how long
they would stay here. Vu Kaa had told him that the Council
did not think he was ready for another mission just yet, and
they should stay on Syridan for a while while they continued
his training. They lived on the ship and Vu Kaa used the
time alone to put Obi-Wan through the intensive and strictly
disciplined training he felt he needed to begin un-learning
the things he had been taught by Qui-Gon and others. It was
a slow process and Vu Kaa was not pleased with Obi-Wan's
progress.
Obi-Wan shuffled his boots slightly on the dusty earth. He was sorry that the Council had such questions about him, and determined to prove to them that he was going to carry through all right. He looked around. They did not leave the ship very often and he wondered where they were going. He wondered if they would see any more Syridians. It was with a bit of surprise that he realized that with the exception of their meeting with the Syridian leaders when they first arrived, he had not seen or spoken to another sentient since Vu Kaa had saved him from the Reliant. Vu Kaa called the Council regularly, or so he told him, but never while Obi-Wan was present. Obi-Wan felt a little... lonely. He wondered why Vu Kaa never let him call the Council, or Yoda, or... well, he didn't know anyone else. Qui-Gon had always made it clear that if he ever wanted, or needed to-
Obi-Wan caught himself too late, instinctively trying to put up a guard around his thoughts so that Vu Kaa wouldn't hear that. The Jedi Master had done a good job of making the apprentice afraid to cross him.
Obi-Wan succeeded in as far as that Vu Kaa did not hear the offending thought, but he was immediately aware that Obi-Wan was blocking him out of his thoughts.
Reaching into the boy's mind he pulled the block down. Obi-Wan could not put up a wall between them that would stay because he had shown Vu Kaa his mind, enabling the older Jedi to easily move around any barriers he tried to create. Vu Kaa turned sharply.
Obi-Wan braced for the blow he knew was coming and rolled with it, managing to keep his footing on the steeply sloping hill.
"Don't ever try to keep me out of your thoughts Padawan," Vu Kaa warned. "It is neither necessary, nor respectful."
By now, Obi-Wan was used to being slapped when he did something that Vu Kaa strongly disapproved of; it was the Master's way. Anger was wrong, but Obi-Wan never felt anger in Vu Kaa when he would strike him, just sternness and disappointment. Obi-Wan rubbed his cheek; he did not like Vu Kaa's methods, but could not say they were wrong. Vu Kaa was so persuasive, and spoke with such intelligence and reason that he actually had Obi-Wan convinced it was entirely his fault when he lashed out at him.
"I'm sorry Master," he apologized. He did a lot of that lately. It seemed to Obi-Wan that he was forever asking Vu Kaa's pardon. It was a great point of frustration for him that he seemed to do so many things wrong. "What's wrong with me?" he wondered. "Why can't I seem to do anything right?"
"What were you trying to hide?" Vu Kaa was not about to let him off the spot that easily.
"Nothing, Master," Obi-Wan cringed inside. Now he was lying to his Master. That went against everything he'd been taught, but he was afraid to tell the truth. Afraid? Oh no, that wasn't right! Now he was letting fear guide him? Vu Kaa was right, he needed much discipline.
"Don't lie to me Obi-Wan," Vu Kaa said quietly.
Obi-Wan had to resist flinching at the pain that exploded in his head. "I-I was just wondering if I might contact the Temple," Obi-Wan told half the truth. "Half a lie, is still a lie," Qui-Gon's words came back to haunt him.
"Why?" Vu Kaa wanted to know.
Obi-Wan felt foolish. He didn't have a reason really. He was lonely, but he couldn't very well tell Vu Kaa that. He was confused, but what about?
"No reason, really," he said, flushing. "I was just thinking about it."
"I see, and is that all you were thinking about?"
Obi-Wan looked at the ground. Dare he lie again? What did that make him? Besides, he had a feeling Vu Kaa knew the truth anyway. "No, Master," he admitted softly. "I thought of Master Qui-Gon again. I did not mean to, but I did." Obi-Wan felt ashamed. Not only had he disobeyed, he had lied about it, which was worse. He deserved to be punished.
Vu Kaa sighed heavily. "What am I supposed to do with you Obi-Wan?"
"I don't know Master, I'm sorry." Obi-Wan unconsciously rubbed his blistered hands. He was not anxious to go through anything like that again, but figured he probably deserved it.
"No, Obi-Wan, I am not going to punish you this time," Vu Kaa answered his unspoken thought. "You are learning. You stopped as soon as you caught yourself. So, this time, we shall overlook it. But don't try to shut me out again. All right?"
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan nodded. He was relieved that Vu Kaa would not beat him again, but he did not feel good. The wrong he had done was not excusable, even if Vu Kaa excused it. Vu Kaa said he was learning, but learning what? All he felt like he was learning was fear and deceit, but that could not possibly be what Vu Kaa wanted to teach him, so he simply must not be trying hard enough.
Vu Kaa started walking again and Obi-Wan fell back in step.