Snippet 57

"All right, this is how it's going to work."  Payter turned over his shoulder to look at each of them before continuing.  Even though Qui-Gon wanted to break in and help plan, he knew Payter would ignore him and they would end up wasting time they didn't have.

After Qui-Gon had pinpointed Slade's location through the bond he shared with Obi-Wan, Payter had maneuvered the small craft to the entrance of a large hotel.  It was not the sort of place Qui-Gon had expected to find the kidnappers.  It would make their entrance into the building easier, but the potential for others to be injured was much higher.

"Kerge, you stay by me."  Payter strapped a holster for a blaster around his waist and left leg before checking the settings on his lightsaber.  Qui-Gon could feel Obi-Wan's curious eyes on the blaster, but the other Jedi was already moving on in his speech.  "Obi-Wan, you need to stay with your master.  No exceptions."  His eyes flickered to Rian before he tossed a lightsaber in his direction.  "We go in, stay calm, and look like all we're doing is going to our rooms.  I searched the records of the hotel while we were in flight and found only three rooms that had a single non-human child occupant.  We'll check those first, but Qui-Gon, you need to be our guide.  Time is precious.  Once we're close, you will do exactly as I say."  He turned his gaze to Qui-Gon.  "Without argument.  We go in, we get him and we get out.  If we can, I'd like to take at least one of them alive, but if not, that's fine too.  Any questions?"

The silence of the small craft continued and Payter nodded in something close to approval.  Qui-Gon didn't like the distance he saw in his friend's eyes.  "Let's go."

They climbed out of the craft and Payter pulled a long coat on to cover his various weaponry.  Qui-Gon didn't doubt that he had other devices hidden within the coat as well.  There were times he was very glad he'd chosen the path he had when the same opportunity had been offered to him.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Qui-Gon adjusted his hold on Obi-Wan, settling the boy more comfortably against his chest.  He refocused his thoughts on the connections he'd managed to forge with Slade, hoping for some sign of the other boy.  It frightened him in ways he didn't like to think about that their connection had been cut off so quickly before.

"He's in one of the upper levels."  Slade was still there, not as aware as before. There was certainly no contact between them this time, but he was there.  The heavy, almost painful pressure in his chest eased slightly.

Payter shook his head as they swept through the doors of the hotel.  "Sloppy work.  It would have been better to stay nearer this level," he muttered, almost too softly to hear.  "That might mean we're working with non-professionals."

"That's good though, right?"  Rian spoke for the first time and Payter glared over his shoulder at the Knight.

"It means they don't know what they're doing and they'll scare easily.  It means that more than likely when they see us, they'll try to ki--"

"Payter."  Qui-Gon spoke softly, but with enough force to stop the other man.

His friend rolled his eyes and let out a snort.  "They'll do whatever they have to in order to buy themselves time."  Turning back towards the lifts at the far side of the lobby, Payter let out a low growl as one of the hotel's attendants stopped them.

A youngish man stood in front of them with a false smile and overbright eyes.  "I'm sorry, but this is for guests only.  If you're meeting someone, they'll have to clear it with the front desk."  He pointed to the left side of the room where a large sign proclaimed 'Front Desk.'

Payter stared down the attendant.  "We are guests.  You have seen us before and you will let us by."

A blank look passed over the young man's face and he stepped aside.  "My mistake, you are guests.  Have a nice evening."

Following behind Payter, who brushed past the man without a word, Qui-Gon held back a shudder at the intensity of the mind suggestion he'd used on the attendant.  He tightened his hold on Obi-Wan and followed Payter into the lift.  As they went up, Payter looked at him.

"Anything?"

Qui-Gon searched along the link to the boy and shook his head.  "Nothing specific, just up somewhere."  Noticing the look directed at him, Qui-Gon blew out a breath.  "I told you, it’s a tenuous bond a best and he's drugged, Payter.  It's amazing I managed to get through at all.  How else do you think they could manage to hide him this close to the Temple?"

With a short jerk of his head, Payter checked a small datapad.  "The next floor is one of the ones we should check."

"He's up further.  We'd be wasting out time."

"You're sure?"

Qui-Gon nodded.

"We keep going then."

The atmosphere in the small lift grew thick with tension as they passed each floor; both other rooms they might have searched were passed over at Qui-Gon's word.  Obi-Wan clung to him with tightening arms and Rian wouldn't look at anything other than the floor.  Payter looked more and more as though he would like to break something, or someone.  Only Kerge seemed to be handling the situation with anything close to normalcy, though his fingers did twitch slightly at his lightsaber.

"We're close."

"We'd better be.  Two more floors and we run out of hotel."

Qui-Gon ignored him, straining to catch the elusive mind of the other boy.  "The next floor, that's it."  It was a good thing; he could feel the drain from the imposed bond beginning to affect him and Obi-Wan as well.  Neither of them would be able to sustain it much longer.

As they waited for the next floor, Payter drew his lightsaber from his belt and in his other hand pulled his blaster.  "When we get in the room, Qui-Gon, you get Slade.  Kerge, Rian, you keep them safe.  I'll go after them."  He waited for their nods and stepped off the lift.

The hallway was empty as the small group moved silently down the carpeted corridor.  Qui-Gon could feel Slade's presence grow nearer with each step and he could also feel the boy fighting the effects of whatever it was they had given him.

:Slade?:

:Master Qu, Qui-Gon?:  Even in his thoughts the boy's words were slightly slurred and distant.

:Hang on, we're coming to get you.  But I need you to pretend you're still asleep.  Can you do that?:

:I can't move.: 

Qui-Gon closed his eyes briefly at the sound of desperation and confusion in the boy's voice.  :It's okay, Slade.  We're on our way to get you, just hold on.:  Qui-Gon slowed as he felt the boy's signature come closer.  "It's that one," he said softly, pointing at a door just down the hall.

Payter nodded and crept up to the door.  He knocked lightly.  "Room service," he called in a bright and completely un-Payter-like tone.  He motioned for the rest of them to line the walls on either side of the door and be ready to move in. 

They waited impatiently and Qui-Gon wondered if they had been fooled at all by Payter's call.  Within moments, however, he could feel the signature of another lifeform approach the door.  It slid back and a tall, dark haired man leaned out into the hall. 

"It's about time--"

Payter brought  his fist around quickly, cutting off the other man's speech and dropping him to the ground in one move.  "Go," he hissed as he ignited his lightsaber and ran into the room.

Qui-Gon had no thought to spare the other man as he entered the room and began searching for Slade.  He was dimly aware of the others moving through he room and the fights breaking out between them, but once he caught sight of Slade, everything pushed to the background.  The small boy was held in restraints in the corner of the room, despite the fact that Qui-Gon could feel the drugs running through his system to keep him unconscious and passive.

:Master Qui-Gon.:  Slade's eyes sought his slowly, the glassy sheen sickening to behold in eyes so young.

:I'm right here, Slade.  We're going to take you home.:  The boy's gaze locked on his own and he seemed either unaware of what was happening in the rest of the room, or he didn't care.

Qui-Gon dropped by his side, snapping the restraints with a sharp, directed use of the Force and scooped the boy up in his other arm.  Holding the children close to his chest, he began running for the door, knowing the others would be covering his retreat.  Even though he now had the boy with him, Qui-Gon was reluctant to let go of the tenuous connection they had forged.  Slade’s terror reached him through the link, and he had no wish to frighten him any further by breaking that connection.

***

Kerge deflected another poorly aimed shot as Master Qui-Gon ran across the room and out into the hallway.  His own master had already subdued two of the men in the room, leaving three for he and Rian to protect Master Qui-Gon against.

"Master!"  Kerge began backing to the door, unwilling to leave Master Qui-Gon alone in the corridor without backup.

His master spared him a glance and nodded in silent communication.  They didn't know if there would be reinforcements and Kerge had a feeling this was another thing his master didn't want him to see.  There had been a lot of those moments during the past day.

As he backed towards the door, Kerge stumbled over the corner of a chair leg and missed the initial sound of blaster fire.  By the time he recovered, he was able to move out of the way to avoid a fatal shot, but the sting of the blaster ripped through his arm and he cried out unintentionally.  His lightsaber fell from his nerveless fingers as he gripped his arm and tried not to fall.

"Kerge!"  His master whipped around, his eyes wide and terrible.  He growled loud enough that Kerge heard him across the room and Kerge cringed.  He'd been trying to help.  He sat heavily on the floor, legs giving way, and watched the spread of blood as it seeped through his fingers.

His master aimed his blaster and with two quick, successive shots, he downed the remaining men.  As he ran across the room to Kerge, he threw his comlink to Rian and shouted to him, "Call the temple.  Don't change the frequency and don't let them move."  His master skidded to a halt and slid across the space between them on his knees.  "Kerge?" he asked softly, his entire demeanor shifting as he laid a gentle hand on Kerge's uninjured arm.

His eyes unexpected filled with tears.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"

"Shhhh."  His master sent a wave of the Force through him, deadening the pain, and pulled him to his chest.  "It's all right."  He brushed a hand through Kerge's hair and bared his teeth in what Kerge had come to recognize as a smile.  "Can you walk?"

Kerge nodded, trying to ignore the burning in his eyes that he wouldn't allow to turn into tears.  When he tried to stand, however, the room spun and he master caught him before he fell again.  He leaned into the warmth of his master as he was lifted and carried into the hallway.

***

Payter paused in the hallway as a group of Jedi emerged from the lift.  The cleanup crew had arrived; he was no longer needed here.  He looked down at Qui-Gon, who was kneeling on the floor, trying to keep the two padawans calm.  His own had since gone still in his arms, just resting.  He could hold on just a little longer.  Just a little longer.

"We should go.  Get them to the Healers."

Qui-Gon nodded and stood, swaying slightly once he was on his feet.  His friend looked exhausted and the children in his arms didn't look much better.  "Can they handle it?"

Payter nodded and began walking down the hall to the lift.  It was a long silent ride to the main floor of the hotel; neither one of them much felt like talking.  He could tell Qui-Gon was feeding energy and support to both the padawans in his arms while Payter did the same, trying to heal Kerge as best he could under the circumstances.  Or as much as he could with compromising himself.  Something could still go wrong.

They made it out of the hotel without incident, however, other than the curious stares of the people in the lobby as the room began to fill with Jedi in uniform.

Kerge stirred as he settled the Padawan in the passenger's seat next to him in the front of the craft while Qui-Gon secured himself in the back.  "Master?"  The boy's eyes were slightly fuzzy.  He'd lost a good amount of blood.

"Hold on, Kerge, we'll be home soon."  He rested his hand on the side of the boy's neck as he pulled the craft out of its space and began heading back to the Temple.

"My lightsaber, I dropped it."  Kerge searched the cockpit worriedly, trying to sit up.

Payter gently pushed the boy back, keeping a hand on him.  "I've got it.  I picked it up before we left.  Don't worry."  He kept his eyes trained on the intricate traffic patterns of Coruscant.  "It's okay."  He could hear Qui-Gon murmuring in the background.

Payter flipped on the comm unit with the Force so he wouldn't have to take his hands off either his Padawan or the controls of the ship and called ahead to the Temple.  "This is Knight Payter, coming in to docking bay 321 in approximately two minutes.  Please have healers standing by."  He waited long enough for the affirmative response from the communications station before breaking off the link.  He didn't want to talk to any of them right now.  He just wanted to get everyone home.

"How're you doing, Kerge?"  Payter asked, sparing him a quick glance.

"Okay."

Payter could tell without looking that the boy was biting his lip, an unfortunate habit he would have to lose if he ever wanted to become a successful liar.  "Does it hurt?"  He tried again.

"Uh, a little."

Squeezing the boy's neck gently in sympathy, Payter pushed more of the Healing Force into his Padawan and did what he could to deaden the pain.  Blaster wounds could be tricky to heal and were always very painful, as they burned the tissue slightly but not enough to stop bleeding.  He could feel Kerge relax under his hands.  "We're almost there."

As he pulled the ship into the docking platform, Payter could see the forms of several Healers waiting for them.  He settled the ship carefully on the platform to avoid jarring any of the passengers and moved to help Kerge out of his seat.  The boy looked as though he wanted to be able to do it himself, but also seemed grateful for the help.  When he tried to stand, again his legs would not support him.

"It's all right, I have you."  He picked up his Padawan and made is way to the hatch.  Qui-Gon was already waiting by the door, the two padawans tucked tightly against him.  The Healers met them outside as Payter stepped out after Qui-Gon and stretched out their hands to take the padawans away.

Payter shook his head.  "You're just going to carry him there.  I can do the same."  He stared down at the small Healer who stood before him, her eyes unwavering.

"We'll take good care of him, I promise."

"I said no!"

***

Qui-Gon turned at the sound of Payter's shout after he'd relinquished his hold on Slade.  Although he wanted to carry the boy to the Infirmary himself, he wasn't entirely certain he could make it and thought it would be better not to have Slade end up on the floor.  Obi-Wan, however, he had refused to give up.  The boy wouldn't let go of him anyway.

He walked across the platform to his friend to see him tighten his hold on Kerge while the Healer looked as though she were ready to fight with more than words.  Stepping between them, Qui-Gon rested a hand on the Healer’s shoulder.

"Let it go."  She looked for a moment like she would argue, but instead gave a sharp nod and turned to the entrance of the Temple.

"I can fight my own battles," Payter nearly snarled as he strode past.

Qui-Gon lengthened his stride to keep up with the other man.  "She's a Healer, Payter, not the enemy."

They walked in silence.  "You're carrying your padawan," he said, his tone half- accusing.

"I didn't say anything about that.  I just think it might be a good idea not to shout at the Healers.  They only want to help."

"I'm not shouting!"

Qui-Gon didn't comment.

When they reached the Infirmary, Qui-Gon allowed the Healers to push him over to a bed only after he made certain Slade was all right.  He settled Obi-Wan next to him and let his aching arms rest at his sides as the boy clung to his side.  Obi-Wan had been extremely quiet since they'd first arrived at the hotel and it worried him, though in truth he doubted it was anything he would be able to deal with while they were still in the Infirmary.  Qui-Gon stroked the boy's blonde head gently and within moments, Obi-Wan was asleep.

Qui-Gon looked across the room to Payter, who had thankfully released Kerge into the care of the Healers, though he hovered near his padawan and glowered at everyone who passed.  Within minutes, the staff had Kerge's arm wrapped in a bacta patch and he looked far less pale than he had been.  The Healers surrounding the boy began to thin out and finally Payter was the only one standing at his side.  They looked at each other for a moment before Payter pulled Kerge to him in a fierce hug.  A flash of surprise crossed Kerge's face before he leaned in and returned the embrace.

When Payter finally pulled away, Qui-Gon could see the distance in his eyes, which had been present since Rian’s return, suddenly disappear.  Qui-Gon quickly settled Obi-Wan in a more comfortable position on the bed before rising to his feet and crossing the room to stand beside his friend.  The break Qui-Gon had been expecting for some time now had finally come.

Payter was shaking.

TBC