The Seduction

by Nicole D'Annais ([email protected])

***

For the next two days, Xanatos was as good as his word. Stieg Wa's continuous teasing was met with a smile and silence, but no anger. Though Jedi were not supposed to feel pride, Qui-Gon took a certain amount of pleasure in the quick attitude change. He would make a fine knight soon.

It was the only pleasure the Jedi Master would allow himself. Despite Xanatos' obvious frustration, and his own slightly better hidden desires, he refused to give into what he wanted. What they both wanted. But it was getting more and more difficult.

On the third morning, Qui-Gon was running through katas in the cargo hold when he sensed a sudden spike of danger through the Force. He barely had time to get to the door before an explosion rocked the ship, sending crates of droids smashing to the ground, the broken boxes cluttering the space where he'd been exercising moments before. More blasts slammed into the ship as ran to the cockpit. Xanatos hovered just outside the control area, watching Stieg Wa intently. The pilot banged on controls on the wall for a moment, scowled, then jumped into his chair and began steering them in all different directions.

"What happened?" Qui-Gon asked, unable to stop himself, even if the pilot did need to concentrate.

"Pirates," Stieg Wa responded grimly.

"Pirates? I thought you turned the cloaking device on when we entered their space."

"I did."

Qui-Gon frowned. "Then how did they find us?"

"The cloaking device wasn't working. The indicators were on, but the device itself had been tampered with." He glared over his shoulder at Xanatos, making it clear who he thought had deactivated the system.

"I told you, I didn't touch your cloaking device!" the younger Jedi protested. "Or anything else on your ship! You know, if you'd just stop being so stubborn and surrender to them we might make it out of this alive."

Stieg Wa shot Xanatos a heated glare. "Listen, kid, the next time I want your advice--"

"Now is not the time to argue about this," Qui-Gon interrupted. "Can we help, Stieg Wa?"

"Just stay out of my way. That'll be help enough."

The two Jedi stood just outside the cockpit, hanging onto handles built into the wall for a moment before Qui-Gon stepped inside. Despite the ungracious reception of his offer to help, he couldn't help himself. "He's coming up on the starboard side."

There was only the briefest flicker of hesitation before Stieg Wa moved to counter the unseen ship. After another warning from the Jedi Master kept them from a close call, Stieg Wa grimly indicated the co-pilot's seat. Qui-Gon took the seat, careful to keep his hands off the stick and offer verbal comments only. Grabbing control from an unsuspecting pilot never accomplished anything.

Finally Stieg Wa managed to elude the pirates and sat back in his chair, surveying the panels in front of him. "We're going to need some repairs before we can go back to full power. I'm afraid you're going to be a little late getting to Telos."

"That can't be helped," Qui-Gon said immediately. "What can we do?"

"You're welcome to help me with the repairs," the pilot said, nodding at Qui-Gon. "But I want your student here to keep his hands off my ship. He's done enough damage already!"

"But I--"

Qui-Gon silenced his apprentice with a look. "Why don't you wait for me in our room?" After a pause, the young man nodded stiffly and stalked off. "What proof do you have that he sabotaged your ship?"

"Proof? Nothing beyond the fact that you two are the only other ones on here."

"Oh? Why him? Why not me?"

He laughed. "Because you didn't even notice when I told you the wrong panels for the cloak and the warning device. Both of them were tampered with--not from the cockpit--and by someone who knows a lot more about mechanics than you. I'm betting your apprentice knows a lot about them."

"He does. But that still doesn't mean he did it."

"Well unless we've got ghosts running around here that I don't know about...."

The Jedi master thought for a moment. "You say the tampering wasn't in the cockpit? Where was it?"

"Near the back of the ship. The source of power for both devices was rerouted so only power to the indicator lights worked."

"And you checked this before leaving port to pick us up?"

The pilot blinked. "Well...no. I checked it when I docked at home because I was reading some power fluctuations. But I don't normally check that on a pre-flight unless the ship's been damaged. It's not something that goes wrong on a ship."

"So it could have been tampered with at any time since you last docked at your home port."

"In theory, yes. But--"

"I appreciate your hospitality, but I suggest you take great care before accusing Jedi--or anyone else for that matter--of acts of sabotage. I understand you and Xanatos don't get along, and that would make him your main suspect from your past experience. But I've known him all his life, and he would not do such a thing."

Their gazes clashed for long moments, then Stieg Wa nodded. "I will make sure I have more proof before I accuse anyone again." His eyes were shrouded, as if he was afraid to say more.

Qui-Gon excused himself and made his way to his room. Xanatos was sitting on the bed, but he jumped up as his master walked in. "Master, I would never be so foolish as to sabotage a ship I was on. Surely he must see that?"

"I know, Xanatos. It's all right. I believe the ship was tampered with before he left his home to pick us up."

The young man sighed in relief. "I was afraid he would convince you I was guilty."

"Do you think I know you so little? Have some faith in me."

"No, Master, it's just that lately...."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes for a moment. They did not have time to deal with this properly now. But he couldn't let it go. "Lately?"

"You...no, *we* have both been...not ourselves."

An understatement. "You're right. But now is not the time to talk about it. We need to help Stieg Wa."

Xanatos' lower lip slipped out further, testing Qui-Gon's resolve to put duty over desires yet again. "He will not let me help."

"I'm sure we can get him to find something for you to do. Let's go talk to him." He turned, his padawan falling in line beside him as they traced their way through the halls back to the cockpit.

***

Stieg Wa was reluctant to allow Xanatos to touch his ship, but after a little pushing on Qui-Gon's part, he relented.

"You can fix the wiring in cargo hold B. Part of the auxiliary power's been damaged--one of the blasts from the pirates hit it, but it's fixable."

Xanatos nodded and turned to leave. Stieg Wa placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "I'll be checking your work after you're through, so no funny business."

The young Jedi stiffened slightly, as he met the pilot's cool gaze with anger, then he gained control. No emotion showed on his face as he nodded again and left.

A small smile formed on Qui-Gon's face as he watched his apprentice's retreating form. Xanatos had learned much about controlling his anger on this journey. Perhaps that was the lesson Yoda had wanted him to learn.

He roused himself out of his musings and turned back to Stieg Wa. "What can I do to help?"

"The damage in the last cargo hold was more than just me losing some of my shipment." Both men began walking toward the back of the ship as he spoke. "The boxes are piled on a vent that needs to be clear to allow ventilation. If I go to full speed with that stuff lying there, the engine could eventually overheat, the boxes would catch on fire--you get the idea?"

"You need the boxes moved," Qui-Gon said dryly, summing up the long explanation.

"Right. There's a loader in the storage area, if you can get to it. I'm sorry I don't have any droids that can help you, but I never did trust those things much. They can be reprogrammed. I'll haul 'em, but I try to avoid using them. Besides," he added as they reached an intersection in the maze of hallways and stopped, "I kind of like doing the work myself."

"I understand. And don't worry, I think I can handle moving boxes."

Stieg Wa looked down at the floor, his cheeks tinged with pink. "I realize it's probably bad form to give a Jedi Master a menial task, but everything else that needs to be done is technical work, and you can't even tell one set of indicator lights from the other."

Qui-Gon smiled. "We frequently get handed 'menial work,'" he responded. "We serve the Force in whatever way is needed."

"Then I'll just say 'thank you' and let you get to work." The pilot returned Qui-Gon's smile and walked off, leaving Qui-Gon to head the opposite direction toward the cargo hold.

END PART 3

~ proceed to Part 4 ~