Songbird

Qui-Gon woke to rain.

Even inside their small shelter, the air was thick with moisture and the temperature had dropped fiercely. He sensed along the bond he shared with Obi-Wan and found his padawan shivering slightly in his bed roll, his dreams troubled by images of snow and ice.

�Obi-Wan.� He reached across the small space that separated them and touched the cool forehead. �It�s time to wake up now.� He sent some heat along their bond to help regulate the boy�s temperature and was rewarded with the opening of sleepy eyes.

�When did it get so cold?� Obi-Wan shivered for effect, though Qui-Gon knew he wasn�t quite that cold.

Qui-Gon sat up and stretched out into the Force. �The storm must have come up during the night. It�s moving pretty fast, which is why I didn�t feel it before we went to sleep.�

Wrinkling his nose, Obi-Wan buried himself back under his blankets. �Sounds like it�s raining really hard. Are we going to have to walk in that?�

Images of dragging his muddy, wet and miserable padawan through ankle deep mud flashed through his mind, making Qui-Gon have to contain a shudder. �I don�t know. Like I said, it�s moving fast, it should even be clear in an hour or so. We�ll see how it plays out. It might even turn into something of a nice day. There�s nothing like a little rain to clean things off and make everything shine.�

Obi-Wan�s eyes peaked out from the edge of his blankets staring at him with a skeptical air he must have picked up from Bel-San, or maybe Payter. He should have known his friends would be bad influences on his padawan. �Don�t look at me like that. It�ll be lots of fun. You�ll see.�

Qui-Gon stood within the confines of their shelter and opened the door to the outside. Trees blocked his immediate view, though through the leaves he could see patches of blue sky already clearing in the distance. �See, Obi-Wan, I can already see some clear sky in the distance. It�s going to be a beautiful day.� He stepped out of the shelter fully, spinning to appreciate the view, and stopped dead. �Oh.�

�What?� his padawan called from the shelter, sounding more interested.

�Well, that�s never happened before.� He breathed deeply, releasing his irritation and frustration to the Force. He�d just wanted to spend a few good days with his padawan on a planet he found particularly beautiful.

He could hear Obi-Wan scrambling out of his bed roll and a second later he was tucked against Qui-Gon�s side for warmth. �I�m not walking through that.�

Had Qui-Gon not thought much the same thing when he saw the lake spread out before him that had once been the valley they had traveled the day before, he would have scolded his padawan for his tone of voice. Instead he sighed, looking at the new lake and thinking how much water would have had to fall during the night for it to fill so quickly. �Go get the com, Obi-Wan. We�ll have to call to have someone collect us.�

***

A muffled clank from the back of the ship caught Qui-Gon�s attention.

He entered the last information into the nav computer with a frown, trying not to imagine what his padawan was up to. When it accepted his course and the ship took off without further need of his assistance�not that he would be able to offer that much given the opportunity�he stood and went in search of Obi-Wan.

�Obi-Wan?� He moved through the small ship, back to an access corridor where he could hear continued sounds of a troubling nature.

�Uh, just a minute.�

Qui-Gon rounded the corner to find Obi-Wan laying on his stomach, looking into the open panel of one of the ships circuit boards. �On the contrary, it seems that now is the perfect time.� He knelt next to the boy, peering into the panel trying to make some sense of the maze of wires and circuits. �What is it you�re doing?�

Obi-Wan looked up at him, a guarded, shifty look on his small face. �I was just looking. I haven�t seen this model before and I was just wondering how they configured some of the systems.� His small fingers twitched the way they did when he was aching to touch something he shouldn�t.

Taking up a more comfortable position at the boy�s side, Qui-Gon nodded. �Let�s just make sure we only look.�

A fleeting frown flitted across his padawan�s face. �Okay, but just so you know,� he held up a hand in a way that reminded him of Bel-San in an argument, �If this wire were here, and this breaker was in the middle of these two, this ship could go a lot faster. I don�t know why they didn�t do that in the first place. Anyone can see it.�

�I�m sure the people who designed this ship had a very good reason for not doing that way. We can only see a small part of the ship�s systems from here, if you change those things, you have no way of knowing what else might be affected.� Although he looked intently where Obi-Wan pointed, and nodded sagely at the boy�s words, Qui-Gon in fact was not sure at all that the designers knew what they were doing.

�Oh. I didn�t think of that.�

�Exactly.� As the thought occurred to him, he pulled his data pad from on the pockets from his uniform and called up the schematic of the ship in the small device. He handed the pad to his padawan. �Here. This is the plan of the ship. Can you tell me what would happen if you changed the things you just showed me?� Obi-Wan took the device from his fingers and began studying it intently. Qui-Gon wasn�t sure there would even be a reaction to what Obi-Wan had suggested, but it wouldn�t hurt for the boy to look.

After a few moment, Qui-Gon had a sick feeling in his stomach that there wasn�t a reason for the design and he�d just signed himself up to an afternoon reconfiguring a ship when Obi-Wan made a sound.

�Oh. There it is.� The boy showed him the pad with a network of wires and the engine highlighted. �The ship�s electrical systems and the engine aren�t meant to take on that kind of power. It might run for a little while�like you could do it if you were in a fight and had to get away real quick, but then had a place you could go to hide and get new parts, but it would short everything out eventually. It might even make the engine blow up.� Instead of being disappointed, Obi-Wan actually looked interested at the prospect of his discovery. He pulled the pad back and began typing, making small sounds to himself, his face set in serious lines of concentration.

After a moment, he handed the pad back over. �But look. If you make those changes, not only would the ship be faster, it would be more efficient too.�

Qui-Gon looked at the schematic that Obi-Wan handed him, impressed in a very vague way. From what he remembered of his classes when he was a padawan, the ones that Payter had had to drag him kicking and screaming through, it looked like what Obi-Wan had presented him might actually work.

�See,� Obi-Wan jumped up to peer over Qui-Gon�s shoulder, pointing. �All you have to do is increase the engine size and overhaul the electrical systems. Of course that means you need a bigger and more stable hull, but it�s not too bad. And look here. I added that to help with ship�s stability. It siphons off a little power, but it helps with the overall maintenance of the ship.�

�I see.� He clearly did not, but he smiled at Obi-Wan anyway. �Why don�t you put the panel back on and we can look at the next section. You can tell me what�s wrong there too.� As Obi-Wan moved over to reattach the panel, Qui-Gon saved the schematic his padawan had done, them moved with him to the next panel.

***

A message was waiting for him when he returned to his apartment.

He had both Obi-Wan and Kerge in tow, both muttering for their own reasons. His own padawan was disappointed at having his trip cut short and that Qui-Gon had refused to allow him to actually take anything apart on their ship. He�d promised to have Obi-Wan signed up for some more tech classes, maybe even a turn in one of the workshops, if they would let a child as young as Obi-Wan, but the boy hadn�t been mollified.

Payter�s padawan had been less than enthused at having his visit with Bel-San cut short and Qui-Gon would bet anything he had that Bel-San had let the boy get away with murder. When he�d announced the trip days ago and invited Kerge along, he�d shaken his head, commenting that he and his master had had to sleep in the mud on the run, and doing it when no one was chasing them didn�t seem much like sound thinking to him. Qui-Gon was pretty sure Kerge was just hoping to see more of Keleran when Alla did her good deed of the day and dropped food off for Bel-San.

He read the short message; something had been delivered for him that required a voiceprint for acceptance. It informed him that he could either come down to Temple processing, or they could have it sent up to him. Qui-Gon shook his head, trying to think who would send him something. On occasion a government would try and send him a gift on the anniversary of some treaty he�d been able to hammer out, or something like that, but thinking back over the years, he couldn�t remember anything that could have happened around this date.

Shrugging, Qui-Gon keyed the message for a delivery and put it out of his mind. He could hear Kerge and Obi-Wan arguing in the other room already and they�d only been together for twenty minutes.

�Are you two fighting, again?�

�No!� Came the simultaneous answer.

He walked to the room, leaning against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest. �What�s the problem, then?�

Silence met his question, Obi-Wan looked angry, but was controlling it better than he had over the past several months. He looked between the boys until Obi-Wan finally heaved a breath. �He called me runt again.�

�Kerge.� Qui-Gon massaged his temples with a free hand. In his travels he�d seen large families with several children, as many as eight to a single set of parents and now more than ever he had no idea how or why they did it.

�Sorry. Master Jinn, I�ve got class.� Kerge did look apologetic so he waved the boy away, knowing it was a difficult time for him as well.

As Kerge left, the hiss of the door signaling his departure, Qui-Gon came into Obi-Wan�s room and knelt at his side. �What�s wrong, Little One?� He reached out for Obi-Wan�s arm only to have the boy jerk it back.

�I�m not little!� His nostrils flared and his mouth was set in a tight line, though his padawan was careful to keep his tone from being too disrespectful.

Qui-Gon heaved out a breath and stood, extending a hand to Obi-Wan. �Come on.�

�Where are we going?� Obi-Wan took his hand and followed him from the room.

�I want to show you something.� He led the boy to his room and moved to stand them both before the full length mirror that was on his far wall. �I want you to look at that and tell me what you see.�

Obi-Wan frowned at their reflection. �Us.�

�Care to be a little more specific, padawan?� He looked at Obi-Wan�s eyes in the mirror.

Obi-Wan sighed, but turned more of his attention to the image in the mirror. �I see the two of us standing in your room. We�re both wearing our robes, you�ve got clothes on your floor near your closet that you haven�t picked up yet.�

�Should I tell you what I see?�

Obi-Wan shrugged.

�I see a Jedi Master more than forty years old next to his seven year old padawan. I see a very tall man standing next to his growing padawan. I also see a padawan who is about the same size as the Master was when he was seven.� He knelt next to Obi-Wan, turning them away from the mirror. �It�s one of the most important things in your life to learn not to lie to yourself, or see yourself as something you�re not. You are small, Obi-Wan. But only because you�re growing. I know it�s hard, because everyone else you�re around is older and bigger, but give yourself some time and don�t let the things Kerge says upset you. He�s really worried about his Master and he�s not thinking about the things he�s saying. Do you understand?�

Not completely placated, Obi-Wan shrugged again. �I guess.�

Qui-Gon smiled. �All I ask is that you consider it. It may sound small, but it�s a big thing to learn and some of us still work on it, even when we�re masters. Okay?�

�Okay.�

�Okay. Now, didn�t I see a message from Slade? Do you want to give him a call and tell him about all the things you saw?�

Qui-Gon followed his padawan out to the common room, who was grinning. �Yeah, I bet he�s never been anywhere that turned into a lake.�

�How did I know that was the part you would remember?� He gave Obi-Wan a gentle push to the comm station before moving into the kitchen to make some tea for himself. He could already feel the stresses and minor irritations of his daily life piling back up on him, the small things that together seemed so much bigger and from which he�d been given a break for the last few days.

It was the most normal his life had felt in a long time, and Qui-Gon found himself glad to be back home.

�Master? Slade wants me to come over, can I?�

He carried his cooling tea with him to the common room. �As long as Heri says it�s all right.�

�She already did. So I can go?�

Qui-Gon waved a hand. �Just let me know if you�ll be late. You still have class tomorrow.�

�Master says yes. I�ll be right over.� Obi-Wan punched the comm unit with a finger and sped to the door.

�Don�t run in the halls,� Qui-Gon managed to call out as the boy ran out, certain his padawan hadn�t heard him, or would at least pretend he hadn�t.

***

The door chime rang, eerily loud in the apartment, pulling Qui-Gon from his reading.

He reached out with the Force, wondering who might have stopped by and found the signature of the person on the other side unfamiliar. Marking his place, he stood with a sigh and crossed the room to open the door.

An older padawan, probably only a year or two away from her trials stood at his door next to a large container.

�Master Jinn?�

�Yes.�

The padawan nodded holding out a datapad. �Delivery for you. I just need a voice confirmation, please.�

�Jinn, Qui-Gon.� He spoke clearly into the pad and handed it back to the padawan. �What�s inside?� It was huge, he couldn�t imagine who could have sent him something so large or what it could be. The container was easily four feet deep, wide and tall, so big it would barely squeeze through his door.

�I don�t know, sir. I�m just here to deliver. There was a message that came with it though.� She handed over a small chip, and bowed before hurrying off no doubt to deliver something else.

Qui-Gon moved the container inside then turned off the hover mechanism so it descended the two inches to the floor with a muffled thump. He turned the chip over in his fingers, unable to shake the feeling that he didn�t want to open the container, or read the message. Gripped by a sudden and bewildering panic, he almost called back Temple Processing and asked them to take it away unopened. He even went so far as to walk to the other side of the room and touch the com station, but he couldn�t make himself call. Not after the speech he�d given Obi-Wan just a few short hours ago about not lying to oneself.

To turn the container away was to turn a blind eye to something he knew in his very bones was important and he couldn�t turn away. Instead, he slipped the chip into his data reader. The message was so cryptic it took him a moment to make any sense of it at all.

Q�think this belongs to you; K & O must be away. Access via pass. P

After a moment when the meaning was clear, Qui-Gon shook his head. Sometimes he thought all the sneaking around Payter left his friend with an overdeveloped sense of stealth. Still, the icy feeling gripped him, only intensified by the message. He couldn�t imagine what would be so important that Payter would risk his mission to send him, or what could be so dangerous that he wanted Obi-Wan and Kerge to be elsewhere when it was opened.

He checked the chrono, noting it would be several hours before Kerge would be home from class and the contentment along the bond told him the same was true for his own Padawan. Smoothing a hand along the chill surface of the container, Qui-Gon looked for the final part of Payter�s message and found the small indention that indicated a speaker.

Over the years, he�d found it necessary to leave important messages with the people he cared about on unsecured lines. As a result he had a codeword for each of the people who were closest to him that only that person knew. He leaned in, speaking directly into the indention. �Songbird.�

The container hissed, and Qui-Gon jumped, not exactly expecting that reaction. As he stood back, the top of the container slowly moved up and away from the main body of the box, a billowing cloud of cold fog radiating from the container. Qui-Gon tool another step back, suddenly certain he was not ready to see what Payter had sent him. But the fog cleared before he could turn or close his eyes.

Everything stopped. For one instant, Qui-Gon was certain that everything everywhere stopped. It felt that way to him.

There, emaciated, with a face that was lined older than his years and utterly unconscious, was Xanatos.

TBC