Notes: Here there be implied slash. I think it is a case of you
see what you want to see (as this seems to be with most of what
I write). Either way, I hope you like what you read.
Summary: An attack while on a mission, and the results for both
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.
Feedback: waves hand you will click reply on your email.
Did it work? Ah, well, dang it. He he, wanna write me back
anyway? :-)
Disclaimer: Um, I won them playing sabbacc? Didn't think so.
Dang it. Okay, great George, they are yours. But I like the way
we play with them better at times. Meesa maka no monies.
Again, mee-sa must thank holly for being an overall wonderful
person and putting up with helping me with my stories - your
beta help was awesome as always!
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been dispatched to help
negotiate a treaty between two warring divisions on the planet
of Ooliea. Hostilities had cooled, and it had been hoped that a
lasting peace might be possible. Much was left to be done, but
Qui-Gon felt sure that the treaty they had organized would
work.
The negotiations completed, Qui-Gon had left Obi-Wan to collect
their belongings while he spoke with the Ooliean Ambassador one
last time before they were to leave.
The blast seemed to spark out of no where, sending waves of
emotion through the Force as the physical waves rocked the
land. The meeting interrupted, both Qui-Gon and the Ambassador
raced from the formal discussion room to seek out the source of
the disturbance.
Rounding a corner, Qui-Gon was faced with a sight that forced
him to pause, if only for an instant. The building where he had
left Obi-Wan only moments before had been reduced to
smouldering rubble.
Faced with the chaos and destruction, Qui-Gon inhaled sharply
and his eyes widened. //Obi-Wan.// The thought was mere
reaction, as much a cry within the shocked Master as a call to
his student.
Already walking into what remained of the building, he pressed,
//Answer me, my Padawan. I need to know if you are safe.//
The rumbling of the ground had stopped long before the dust
settled out of the air. Reaching out with the Force, Qui-Gon
sought to find the ripples of energy that he knew to be
Obi-Wan.
//I'm here, Master,// a faint voice replied through their
connection.
Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan struggling against his pain, replying,
//I'm coming to find you, Obi-Wan. Don't move.//
//No.//
Qui-Gon shook his head, pushing onward. //Obi-Wan?//
The pain in their connection waned, leading Qui-Gon to believe
that Obi-Wan was focusing a healing Force within himself.
//Your duty is to the other victims first, Master. I must not
come first simply because I am your student. You taught me
this.//
//Jedi first,// Qui-Gon sighed inaudibly.
//Jedi first,// Obi-Wan repeated. //I'll be waiting, Master.//
Hearing the cries of those trapped, Qui-Gon accepted the logic
in his Padawan's assertions. //I will find you.//
He could feel the acceptance and trust that Obi-Wan directed at
him. //I know.//
Knowing his duty was to all life, as Obi-Wan had been wise to
remind him, he painfully forced himself to not seek through the
rubble specifically for Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon was peripherally aware
of several other brave individuals also searching the building
for survivors and victims.
It was obvious to Qui-Gon in that moment that the unrest he and
his Padawan had been sent to disarm wasn't as cooled as it had
appeared. That or one remaining remnant of the unease between
the fighting factions was accidentally detonated.
Finding a young woman, covered in the rubble, Qui-Gon carefully
freed her from a large beam, sought to calm her with the Force.
Cautious of the shifting debris, he hurried to carry her out of
the building. Once he had handed his burden over to a medic,
Qui-Gon again ventured inside the crumbling building.
Closing his eyes, he shut out the sounds of the area, instead
focusing through the Force. Tendrils of energy wound through
the debris, brushing against a fleeting life force. Qui-Gon
worked his way carefully through the unstable structure,
maintaining a connection with the next injured person.
After finding and helping to stabilize several additional
victims, Qui-Gon allowed himself to slow down long enough to
specifically reach out for Obi-Wan. Instead of the reassuring
presence he had felt just a few moments before, he was met only
with a faint shimmer in the Force.
The concern that he had dutifully pushed down surged in his
chest and the elder Jedi quickly began searching for any sign
of his apprentice. Medi-beds were scattered around the area,
holding the forms of those who survived the attack, and the
covered bodies of those who weren't as fortunate.
Qui-Gon relied more on the Force than his other senses as he
searched for Obi-Wan. Seeing one of the men who had been
leading the search, Qui-Gon pointed toward a back section of
the building. "Has anyone checked back there?"
The man shook his head. "It's too unstable. A quick scan was
done, there's no indication of anyone being trapped there."
Qui-Gon turned his attention from the dirty worker back to the
rubble. Unstable or not, the Force was guiding him there. The
connection to Obi-Wan, which had enabled him to rescue those
others that were trapped without guilt, had faded. Taking a
deep breath, Qui-Gon headed into the building, ignoring the
warnings of the other workers.
As he pressed further into the building, the flooring quaked
uneasily beneath his feet, and rubble shifted around him. Wisps
of dust slid from uneven surfaces and clogged the very air he
sought to breathe.
Pushing his own exhaustion aside, Qui-Gon immersed himself in
the Force. Streaks of light filtered in from outside,
illuminating the shadowed darkness. Qui-Gon ignored all else
but what remained of the bond he held with Obi-Wan, fighting at
the nervousness that longed to fill him.
So focused was he on seeking out Obi-Wan, he almost missed the
sudden slide of debris beneath his feet. Reaching out with the
Force, Qui-Gon stilled the unsteady floor and continued
forward. It was a moment later that he saw his Padawan, lying
unconscious under a large slab of what was once a part of the
wall.
Qui-Gon hurried to Obi-Wan's side and kneeled down next to him.
"Obi-Wan?" he called out, brushing his hand over the young
man's forehead.
The injured Jedi didn't stir, and Qui-Gon stilled his hand on
Obi-Wan's forehead. He used the Force to feel Obi-Wan's
injuries, sensing the damage that his Padawan had manage to
shield from him through their link.
Again ignoring his own exhausted physical state, weary from
both the exertion of removing the victims and healing them as
best he could, Qui-Gon wrapped his headstrong apprentice with a
wave of healing. He then closed his eyes briefly before
carefully using the Force to lift the heavy object from him.
Pushing his control of the Force to its limits, Qui-Gon
hurried, carrying Obi-Wan through the rubble as fast as was
safe. He clutched him to his chest, Obi-Wan's spiky hair
brushing against his face.
//Obi-Wan?// Qui-Gon attempted to reach him through their link,
alternating between assuring him that he would be fine and
pleading with him to hold on. Working around a fallen beam,
Qui-Gon divided his attention between the building and Obi-Wan.
//Stay with me, Padawan. You're too stubborn to give up on me
now.//
Walking out into the daylight, Qui-Gon squinted against the
harsh light. Finding a free medi-bed, he attentively placed
Obi-Wan onto the yielding surface.
"We can take him from here, Sir," a medic said, activating the
medi-bed.
Qui-Gon nodded to the medic, but remained at Obi-Wan's side,
connected through their link, as they slowly made their way to
the crowded medical facility. Qui-Gon's tired gaze didn't leave
his Apprentice. He continued to concentrate a blanket of
healing around him, although it was considerably weakened by
the toll of the day's events.
Moments later, two medical droids were examining Obi-Wan, and
Qui-Gon felt a hand on his arm. "Ambassador," he said politely
before turning his attention back to Obi-Wan. Mentally, he was
already examining the events that had transpired.
A fresh wave of guilt assailed the Jedi as the ambassador
spoke. "You've done all you can, Master Jedi," he replied. "You
must rest as well."
Qui-Gon shook his head, not paying attention to the fine dust
that shook free from his hair. He couldn't tear his eyes from
Obi-Wan as he continued to speak with the ambassador. "My duty
now is to my Padawan. Not myself."
"As it should be," the ambassador agreed with a nod, hesitantly
placing a hand on the suffering man's shoulder. "However, how
much good will you be for him if you collapse on your feet?"
"Thank you for your concern, Ambassador. I will be fine,"
Qui-Gon insisted, briefly meeting his eyes.
The ambassador nodded and removed his hand. "I have arranged
for new quarters for you, for the duration of your stay with
us, Master Jedi. When you are ready, one of my aides will
direct you."
"Our thanks, Ambassador," Qui-Gon responded. It was only
natural to speak both for himself and Obi-Wan. He refused to
consider the alternative; the price for any failure of his
would not be paid by his Padawan. Although Qui-Gon spoke to the
Ambassador, his attention remained focused solely on Obi-Wan.
With a final glance at Qui-Gon and a nod, the Ambassador took
his leave to attend to the many additional duties the
destruction had caused.
Staying as near to Obi-Wan as the medics would allow, Qui-Gon
dropped into a meditative pose. He sought to use the Force to
balm both his weary body and spirit. Through his meditation,
Qui-Gon was connected to Obi-Wan, able to observe his condition
without being physically present.
Qui-Gon had not been paying attention to the passage of time as
he meditated. The logic of duty was battling with the emotion
of protecting Obi-Wan as he meditated, and he found no easy
answers. During this time, separated from that most important
to him, he struggled to center himself. He would be of little
use in aiding Obi-Wan's healing if he himself was unbalanced -
as he was very close to being.
Qui-Gon trusted in the Force to alert him to any change in
Obi-Wan; however, the change that indeed occurred was not what
he had anticipated. It was, instead, an outcome he had not
allowed himself to ponder. It was Qui-Gon Jinn's single
greatest fear.
Qui-Gon was meditating, looking almost as if he had fallen
asleep while sitting. In an instant, any certainty in the
future was ripped away from him.
When his head jerked up, a nurse walking nearby startled at the
sudden motion. "Sir?" he asked, looking at the stricken look on
Qui-Gon's face with concern. The Jedi's eyes were wide with
shock, his face pale.
Not hearing him, Qui-Gon stood quickly and hurried toward the
room where he had last felt Obi-Wan through the Force. The
empty place in the Force where Obi-Wan had been drew him toward
it like a beacon. Walking around a corner, Qui-Gon saw one of
the medic droids hovering next to Obi-Wan.
Briefly, Qui-Gon's heart and mind conflicted. He could see his
apprentice, but he could not feel him. The reassuring presence
that had been a part of him for so many years was suddenly
missing, and Qui-Gon felt as if a cold hand had reached into
his soul and ripped part of it out of him.
Pushing the droid out of the way, Qui-Gon rushed to Obi-Wan's
side. Placing a hand on Obi-Wan's chest, he felt for the
familiar pulse that should beat there - only to find it
missing. The heartbeat that was true to only one was absent.
Looking up, he saw the youthful features, smooth and lax.
Unsure, shaking fingers reached out to run lightly along his
cheek.
He blinked, his heart not wanting to accept what his senses
were telling him. Clutching his fists in the sheets that
covered Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon felt a surge in the Force all around
him as a scream tore from his throat.
"No," he said, shaking his head in defiance. "I won't let you
leave, Obi-Wan. NO!"
"Master! Wake up, please." Obi-Wan had felt his Master's
distress, even through sleep. Sitting next to Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan
pulled the sleeping Jedi into his arms, and sought to comfort
him.
Obi-Wan held Qui-Gon close, reaching out to assure him both
with his touch and through the Force. It had been two months
since his narrow escape on Ooliea. In that time, Obi-Wan had
used the Force to deal with both the physical and emotional
effects of his extremely close call with death.
His Master, he had come to realize, had denied any emotions.
Instead Qui-Gon had focused on the necessities that needed
dealt with. His Master was ever the professional.
After leaving Ooliea, they had returned directly to Coruscant.
Still weak, and something of a mystery to the Jedi healers,
Obi-Wan had been separated from Qui-Gon. While he had been
recovering, Qui-Gon was a constant presence, always near
whenever he should need him. However, Obi-Wan could feel the
blocks that his Master formed between them, the distance that
was forming as Qui-Gon pulled away.
Before decorum had allowed him an opportunity to find out why
Qui-Gon had distanced himself from him, Qui-Gon had been called
away. Obi-Wan had remained on Coruscant, having needed for some
time to complete several training tests as soon as he was
healed.
Their first night together since Qui-Gon's return, the two Jedi
had fallen asleep quickly. Obi-Wan was content to once again be
with his Master. It wasn't long before he discovered the
dreams.
Running his hands through Qui-Gon's sweat-soaked hair, Obi-Wan
whispered, "I'm here, Master."
The voice cut through the fog in Qui-Gon's brain, pulling him
away from the gruesome scene. Gasping for breath, Qui-Gon
opened his eyes and struggled to focus on the face that hovered
near his.
"Obi-Wan?" he asked, his voice rough with unshed emotion.
"Yes, Master," the concerned young man replied.
Qui-Gon took a deep breath, calming his racing heart. As a Jedi
Master he knew how to control his dreams, instead of letting
them control him. He looked up into Obi-Wan's concerned eyes
and tried to smile. "I'm sorry I woke you, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Don't be," he replied, reaching out
through the Force as he brushed his fingertips across Qui-Gon's
forehead. He knew without question what was distressing his
Master. "It did happen, Master," he sought to reassure him,
"but you saved me."
Qui-Gon raised a hand and gently cupped Obi-Wan's cheek. "The
Force saved you, Obi-Wan. Not I."
Obi-Wan took Qui-Gon's hand and moved it over his heart,
feeling the pulse that beat there. "Does it matter?" Brushing
his mind with the Force, Obi-Wan added //You didn't fail me,
Master.//
Rarely seen emotions swirled in Qui-Gon's eyes for Obi-Wan to
see. "You didn't fail me," he added aloud, his voice a whisper
as soft as his touch on Qui-Gon's cheek.
Qui-Gon could feel the waves of comfort that Obi-Wan was
layering over him, and smiled at his Padawan's concern. "Thank
you, Obi-Wan," he replied. Raising a hand to his cheek, Qui-Gon
was embarrassed to find the moist trails of tears on his cheeks
from the nightmare.
Obi-Wan realized his Master's discomfort, and stilled Qui-Gon's
hand with his own. Leaning forward, Obi-Wan kissed Qui-Gon's
cheek softly, erasing the faint tear marks. He then wiped away
the marks from the other cheek with his thumb.
"You have nothing to feel badly about, Master," Obi-Wan
insisted once he pulled back to look in Qui-Gon's eyes.
Qui-Gon nodded. "I am forever grateful you are here to remind
me, Obi-Wan. More than you can know."
"As am I," Obi-Wan replied. A moment later, Obi-Wan continued,
"You should rest, Master."
"And what of you, young Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked with a hint of
humor in his eyes that Obi-Wan realized he had not seen in
quite some time. "Shall you rest, or watch over me?"
Obi-Wan smiled. "I shall do what my heart tells me to do,
Master."
Qui-Gon pulled Obi-Wan down next to him on the bed so that they
rested next to one another with just their arms touching - each
seeking reassurance from the mere presence of the other.
"Do that, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon murmured with the hint of a smile.
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said, very much taking comfort from
Qui-Gon's renewed presence in his life. Qui-Gon closed his
eyes, and felt the familiar tendrils of sleep reaching for him,
and the consoling pattern of Obi-Wan's heartbeat echoing in his
ears.
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