Title: "If At First You Don't Succeed"
Author: Siobhan
Spoilers: None
Series: Yes a small 5 part one.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Pre-TPM. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan try for a second attempt to get away
for some time alone. Obi-Wan is around 20 years old.
Feedback: Please, to Siobhancl2@aol.com
Disclaimer: Don't own anything or anyone. All the characters and their
universe belong to George Lucas
Notes: Everything in // // is Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan talking through their
bond.
Obi-Wan never tired of space flight. The starlines expanding into shooting
rays of elongated light never ceased to amaze him as he pushed the lever
forward that engaged the hyperdrive. The white pinprick stars jumped and
became long streaks of multi-colored light that pressed around the small
shuttle in varying degrees and speeds capturing his imagination.
Qui-Gon watched his student with hidden amusement and envy; to still be so in awe of the simple things, it must be youth he thought.
"Is it true, Master," questioned Obi-Wan without breaking his gaze on the pulsating lights, "that Ryliss is only habitable for 50 years every millennium?"
"Yes, Padawan, it is true," he replied. "In fact Ryliss only has a couple of more decades before it will become completely uninhabitable again."
Ryliss was their destination. An odd planet within a binary star system and an elliptical orbit that took it a millennium to complete. At this stage in the planets path through the galaxy it was located in, the planet was stable and livable, experiencing the tail end of it's fifty years of prosperity in this millennium before beginning it's glacial period as it reached the farthest point in it's orbit. For the next year and a half the people who had chosen to make Ryliss their temporary home were treated to the rare cosmic event known as "crystal storms". At dusk every evening just as the sun was setting, the orbiting planetary ring of comet fragments would rain down pieces of frozen ice and rock that burned brilliantly upon entry into the stratosphere. Sulfuric compounds and metallic salts found in the comets would ignite into various dazzling colors streaking through the twilight sky. It was said that it resembled a rainbow breaking into a thousand pieces and falling to the ground. In most cases the pieces of ice and other compounds burned up before impacting the planet, but every year there was someone that would actually find a lump of the still burning material. Upon cooling and polishing, the stones took on the translucent beauty of an opalescent diamond or so the tales went. They were known as Ryliss Gems and those that existed were priceless. It was to this planet to witness this phenomenon first hand that Master Qui-Gon Jinn had made arrangements to bring Obi-Wan Kenobi his Padawan apprentice. They had tried several times to get away just the two of them for rest and relaxation and each time they had been disrupted by some unfortunate event. On their last attempt to get away their shuttle had crashed. Mace Windu, a long time friend of Qui-Gon's who sat on the Jedi Council, had been forced to come to their aid that time.
"Do you think we will actually get there?" Obi-Wan tore his gaze away from the view ports to focus on his Master.
"I hope so, Obi-Wan."
"I don't think Master Windu would take kindly to our returning his ship in the same condition we returned Master Yoda's," teased the apprentice.
"Oh really." Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow at the smiling young Jedi. "You think that might be a problem do you?"
"Well, Master, I did hear Master Windu threaten you if we...... how did he put it? 'If we pulled the same sort of stunt', I believe those were his exact words, that he would take it out of your hide." Obi-Wan tried hard to hide the smile that threatened to over take him. "Not one scratch now you hear me?" the young Jedi imitated almost perfectly his Masters long-time friend. Turning back to the console to conceal his laughter he proceeded, "I guess we should be glad that Master Windu doesn't have a walking stick."
"Obi-Wan!" reprimanded the older Jedi barely concealing his own laughter. "I shouldn't think Master Windu would take kindly to being imitated by a Padawan either. Perhaps Master Yoda will lend him that walking stick if you aren't careful."
The laughter of both men filled the cockpit. It looked like it might actually be a good trip after all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The hours stretched into their flight occupied by conversations and practice
in using the force to alter one's perception of time.
Qui-Gon was leaned fully back in the pilots chair eyes closed completely relaxed. Obi-Wan on the other hand was fidgeting unconsciously, running out of patience. He found himself glancing over at his Master again. The starlines, which had so fascinated him hours ago, had lost their appeal. He had decided to go into the back and rearrange something, anything, maybe even start a meal. He was trying to move quietly out of his seat for fear of waking his Master when the older Jedi spoke, surprising him and causing him to fall ungracefully back into his seat eliciting a small laugh from his mentor.
"I was not sleeping. And yes, a meal sounds like a good idea, Padawan." Qui-Gon glanced at him through half open eyes. "Do you need help?"
"No, Master, I believe I can handle it." Obi-Wan smiled, color reddening his cheeks at his awkwardness and being so easily read by the man next to him. Qui-Gon simply nodded and straightened in his chair.
"Don't worry, Obi-Wan, we only have five more hours," teased the older Jedi checking the chronometer. "Perhaps you should meditate on patience when we are through eating though." A smiled tugged at his lips.
"Master...." groaned the apprentice with a small laugh and a glare at his teacher. Passing the aisle between the two stations he had almost cleared the cockpit when an alarm sounded. Returning quickly to his seat he identified the flashing light. "Oh no, not again!"
"What is it, Obi-Wan?"
"Master, it's the hyperdrive."
"Has it shorted out?"
"No, Master, it's going off line." The younger Jedi responded as the craft abruptly reverted to realspace. "It's almost as if....."
"As if we were pulled out of hyperspace by a gravity well," Qui-Gon finished for him, his eyes fixed on a ship hanging ominously off their starboard side..
"Master! That's an Interdictor!"
"Interdictor's are experimental. I had thought the Senate outlawed them."
"Master, there." Obi-Wan pointed to the far side of the monstrous ship. Several smaller snub-nosed fighters swung around the front of the Interdictor heading straight towards them.
"Pirates. Obi-Wan, take us out of here as quickly as possible."
The young Jedi threw himself into the task. Bringing the flight systems up quickly he shoved the small craft into a steep inverted dive looping back on their initial trajectory.
"Head there." Qui-Gon pointed to a small planet with several moons, "Perhaps we can loose them in there."
The ship bucked as the first salvos of laser fire hit their rear deflector shields. "Master, I......" Obi-Wan's words were cut off as one of the fighters cut straight up in front of the view port, nearly sheering off the nose of their craft in an attempt to stop their escape. It took all of the young man's concentration to keep the shuttle on course and remain in his seat. Qui-Gon glanced at him, noticing the difficulty his Padawan was having, reached over and brought Obi-Wan's seat harness down over his head snapping it into place across his lap.
//Thank you, Master// The Padawan didn't even spare a glance as he used every ounce of training to avoid the laser fire coming at them from all directions..
"Shields are down to 40 percent." Qui-Gon called out. Obi-Wan was so focused on escaping the attack that he did not respond as he threw the craft into a diving spin straight at the nearest moon now filling the viewscreen. The older Jedi could feel his student wrap himself in the force, calm his fears and abandon his thoughts into the weave and bend of the force all around them. His movements imperceptible to others aligned him with the power that surged around him; dodging, juking, turning always in tune with the movement and shift of the force. It was as if he had created a bubble of the force around their ship and could sense the decisions being made by their attackers seconds before they happened. Qui-Gon was proud watching his Padawan work, someday the young man would be a great Jedi Knight perhaps even surpassing his Master. Obi-Wan smiled at the emotions flooding the bond he shared with the older Jedi. As the ship bucked under a renewed onslaught from their pursuers Qui-Gon returned his attention to the instrument panels in front of him boosting auxiliary power to the shields and life supports systems, intent on finding a way of escape.
Skimming low into what little atmosphere the closest moon had, Obi-Wan pushed the craft to the limits of its speed. He was hoping to use their combined momentum and the gravity of the lifeless rock below them to sling shot their craft around the other side into free space.
Qui-Gon, sensing his intentions, brought the hyperdrive back on line and calculated an escape vector. A small jump anywhere would get them out of harms way.
As they rounded the far side of the moon, they were moving at speeds that the shuttle was never created to keep. The older Jedi felt his student shrink the size of the force bubble surrounding their craft in order to hold it together as they reached the height of speed he could coax from it. They had almost reached the point of escape when one of the pirate ships closed on them, firing quad laser cannons into the port engine of the shuttle. The small craft was knocked out of its trajectory, rolling out of control. The console in front Qui-Gon erupted in a shower of sparks and small debris shoving the man back into his seat. Had it not been for his flight harness Qui-Gon would have been thrown from his chair by the blast.
//Master!// Obi-Wan's attention now divided between trying to regain control of the vessel and assessing the seriousness of the injuries to his unconscious teacher.
The craft was out of control, coming in hard, spinning straight toward the moon they had been using as a shield moments earlier. He knew he only had seconds to reverse their motion and speed before the slight gravity of the planet below him became too much to escape. He cut the engines counting down the seconds and then slammed them full into reverse jerking the small craft straight and giving him the precious time he needed to adjust their heading.
The vessel edged out into free space and stilled with a violent shudder exhausting the limits of its capability.
"Nice flying, Collor Mark IV." A male voice crackled over the comm. "Stand down and we'll tow you back, resist and we'll vape you."
"We are Jedi, we have nothing you could want," Obi-wan responded desperately.
"Right, and I'm the Supreme Chancellor. Give us a break will you. You have any idea what a brand new Collor Mark IV will fetch on the black market? No tricks now."
Obi-Wan shook his head ignoring the threats he removed his harness, his whole attention focused on his injured Master.
"Master?"
//Master?// he pressed worriedly at the bond that he shared with the other. There was no response. Kneeling next to Qui-Gon's seat he gently lifted his Master's head resting it against the back of the chair. His breath caught in a sharp hiss as he saw the deep cut above the others eye and the burn marks to his face, chest and hands. There was a spreading stain of blood high on his left shoulder where a piece of the console had torn through the muscle. Carefully Obi-Wan unbuckled the seat harness that held Qui-Gon in place and pulled the man into his arms. He slowly turned holding the older Jedi against him for fear of hurting him further and lay him down on the deck of the cockpit, cradling his head in his hands.
//Please, Master// there was no response. Working quickly to stop the bleeding Obi-Wan removed his robe and pressed it inside Qui-Gon's tunic holding it tightly to his shoulder. He was breathing, that had to be good the apprentice kept reminding himself and he could still feel his Master through their bond. They were going to be okay, they had to be okay.
So preoccupied was he, that Obi-Wan took no notice of the turn of events out the view port until the pirates voice came back over the comm unit once more.
"You got lucky this time Mark, IV. If I were you I wouldn't visit this quadrant of space again. You won't be so lucky next time. 'Nice day."
Obi-Wan jerked his attention forward. A ship even larger than the Interdictor was rounding the small planet below them, firing on the fleeing snubnose fighters. In moments the pirates all winked out, entering hyperspace. The new ship resembled a Baudo-class star yacht only three times as large with elongated fins that gave it a more organic look.
//Obi-Wan// his Master touched him weakly through the force.
//Master!// The apprentice immediately refocused on the injured man. //Lie still, Master, you've been hurt//
"What happened, Padawan?"
"Sshh, don't talk we'll be okay. I think."
"Collor Mark IV, are you in need of assistance?" the voice over the comm cut off any response Qui-Gon might have had.
"Yes I...we are. My Master's been hurt and I don't think our ship can fly."
"Okay, just hold tight, Mark IV, we'll get a tractor beam on you and pull you in."
Obi-Wan turned back to Qui-Gon. He seated himself carefully next to his Master and pulled him gently into his lap. Keeping up the pressure on the still bleeding wound he touched his forehead to the older Jedi's, mindful of the cut above his left eye. He pulled the force around them filling their bond with peace and healing.
Qui-Gon moved his hand to cover his Padawan's. //It will be all right, Obi-Wan// he could feel the tremors in the young Jedi as the adrenaline began to wear off.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TBC
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