Hospitality

Part 7

When the meal was over, Qui-Gon and Khian asked Governor Betwioh if they could speak to him in private. The man showed them into his private office on the ground floor of the castle, and they sat down on opposite sides of the desk. After a moment, Qui-Gon spoke.

"Governor Betwioh, may I present to you Governor Teokhian Harjis.�

"What?�the man laughed.

"This is not a joke, Governor. Her father, Sceatt Harjis, died yesterday. She is his heir, and is now the unofficial governor of Harjis Territory. As such, it is legal for her to negotiate in the peace talks. Would you prefer to fly to No Man�s City, or can we finish it here?�

"If this is true, Master Jinn, then I would prefer to finish it here.�

"I wish you to be perfectly aware that Governor Harjis is under my protection. Whatever decisions she makes will be her own free will, and not because she feels threatened.�

There was a pause, and then Betwioh said,�I understand. Let�s talk peace, then.�

Khian�s voice was steady and clear as she said,�First, I demand an apology for being tortured.�

Betwioh looked surprised, but said,�I considered it a political necessity at the time. However, I formally apologise for torturing you, Governor Harjis.�

"Apology accepted,�Khian said coldly.�Thank you. Now, as Master Jinn pointed out, I am making these decisions of my own free will. I am willing to give in to most of the demands you originally made to my father, but not all of them. I am counting on your willingness to compromise a little as well.�

Betwioh was amenable, and they spent the afternoon discussing the details, not arguing, but merely clarifying each individual situation. At long last, they had covered everything, and Qui-Gon witnessed as they each signed the treaties.

When they had finished, Qui-Gon suggested,�I know that Governor Harjis would like to return home now and tell her people the good news.�

"Of course. It was my pleasure to have you as my guest, Governor. I am sorry to see you go so soon,�Betioh said.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Governor,�Khian replied icily. She stood up and left the room, and Qui-Gon followed her upstairs. When they were alone in the corridor, she shook her head.�Of all the two-faced politicians I have ever met...!�

Qui-Gon said nothing, but he had had to use a great deal of self-control not to agree with her. Khian went to change her clothes, and Qui-Gon turned away to check on Obi-Wan, but was surprised to hear someone racing up the stairs behind him.

"Master Jinn!�

"Arun?�

"My father tells me that Khian is leaving?�Arun asked, his distress written all over his face.

"Yes, she has asked me to convey her home again,�Qui-Gon confirmed.

"Are you taking Obi-Wan with you, or would you like me to stay here and make sure nothing else happens to him?�

"I�ll take him with me,�Qui-Gon said. He was determined to carry Obi-Wan to the ship, if needs be, but he was not prepared to leave him here a minute longer than necessary. A moment later, Khian�s door opened and she came out, her face brightening visibly at the sight of Arun.

"Khian, I�d like to come with you, if I may? I--don�t really want to stay under the same roof as my father anymore,�Arun blurted out, his hand playing nervously with his new braid.�If you�ll allow me to accompany you, that is? Not as a hostage, just as a friend?�

"Of course you may,�said Khian, smiling and reaching out for his hand.�But not just as a friend, I hope...�

Qui-Gon moved silently away to Obi-Wan�s room, giving them the chance to be alone for a few moments.

*****

Obi-Wan opened his eyes, glancing suspiciously around the room. He felt better. Not perfect, but much better than he had felt. His clothes felt damp and yucky from sweat, and he sat up, hoping he wouldn�t be too dizzy to strip them off and take a shower. Actually, he discovered upon standing up, he only felt a little weak, not dizzy at all. He stripped down, reached for a towel, and barely had time to knot it around his waist before the door opened and Qui-Gon stepped in.

"Master! You�re here!�he croaked. His voice was even hoarser than the day before.

"Yes, Obi-Wan, I�m here.�Qui-Gon smiled.�I�ve been here most of the night and all day to-day. In fact, I think we had a brief conversation before lunch in which you agreed that you were dying. I�m glad to see you�re still alive, and on your feet, too.�

"I thought it was a dream,�Obi-Wan admitted.

Qui-Gon took a closer look at the bruises on his face.�Did Betwioh give you those?�

"One or two. Arun gave me most of them, actually.�

"Arun. Was that before or after you suggested that he give himself up as a hostage?�

Obi-Wan knelt down immediately and bowed his head.�I am so sorry, master. I really thought it would work. I never dreamed that anything could go wrong. I didn�t know I was sending him into a trap! I was selfish, master and I was scared, but I just didn�t want to be tortured again!�

"Stop, Obi-Wan, slow down. What do you mean, sending him into a trap?�

"Cyning Harjis has him by now and he said he�s not going to give him back, master. Now Governor Betwioh has lost his son and it�s all my fault!�Obi-Wan felt so miserable that he buried his face in his hands in shame, unable to look his master in the face like a Jedi.

"Obi-Wan, don�t you remember last night?�

"Betwioh tortured me--�

Looking briefly at the still-red scars that crisscrossed his Padawan�s back and wincing inwardly at the memory of so much pain in the last few days, Qui-Gon placed his hand on Obi-Wan�s head.�Stop. Listen to me, Padawan. You sent Arun to Harjis Territory and told him to find me.�

"And you weren�t there, master, and now Cyning has him--�

"Ssshhh. I told you to listen to me. I was there, Obi-Wan. He came to me.�

"What?�Obi-Wan glanced up.�But Cyning Harjis said--�

"The disguise worked, Obi-Wan. Cyning Harjis saw only what he thought to be my Padawan, and I helped him forget even that. I brought Arun back here for his own protection, but I also came back to tell Khian that her father is dead. Cyning Harjis killed him and he is keeping it secret. He does not know that I know, otherwise he would not have let me come. I suspect that he hopes Betwioh will carry out his threat and execute Khian, and the way will then be free for him to become Governor of Harjis Territory. Arun would not have been safe there if Cyning had known who he was, so we came back. Arun is home again and there is no harm done.�

"Arun�s safe now?�Obi-Wan sighed in relief as Qui-Gon nodded, then said,�Khian said Cyning was her cousin. She also suspected he might be planning a coup, but we thought he was just hoping that her father would die.�

"Yes, but now that her father is dead, Khian is now Governor Harjis. And while you�ve been asleep, the new Governor has negotiated with Governor Betwioh and the peace treaties have been signed. Peace is official. I was just about to fly Khian home and advise Cyning of these new facts.�

"I wouldn�t be allowed to come, would I?�Obi-Wan asked plaintively.�I don�t mean to be disrespectful, but I just don�t want to be a guest here any longer.�

"To tell the truth, Padawan, I am refusing to let you enjoy the Betwioh hospitality even a moment longer. I�m just glad you�re on your feet so that I don�t have to carry you into the ship.�

"I�ll get dressed quickly.�Obi-Wan reached for the trousers and shirt he�d been wearing. To his surprise, Qui-Gon motioned towards a nearby chair, and Obi-Wan was delighted to see his Jedi clothing, cleaned and neatly folded in a pile. His boots stood side by side underneath.

"You have time for a quick shower if you like. I�ll get your light saber back from Betwioh in the meantime.�

"I really am sorry, master--�

"It was a good plan, Padawan. If things had been different, I would have insisted on the exchange, and it would have worked. You simply had no way of knowing what I had discovered. We�ll have more time to talk later, now go get cleaned up.�Qui-Gon paused, then asked,�Why did Arun hit you?�

"It was a misunderstanding about Khian, master. She kissed me once, and he happened to see it, and he thought--�

"I see.�

"I never thought about kissing her. I never thought of her that way.�

"Of course you didn�t, Padawan,�Qui-Gon smiled.�And a good thing, too. After everything else you�ve gone through, I�d hate to have to tell you to take a cold shower as well.�

*****

After saying good-bye to the Betwioh family, they boarded the ship. Khian and Arun sat in silence, simply holding hands. Arun had told his father he would be bringing back the ship that he had borrowed, and Betwioh had reluctantly agreed to let him go. Obi-Wan offered to pilot, but Qui-Gon took the controls instead, and they flew through the darkness into the dawn on the other side of the planet, landing outside the Harjis palace. Seeing the bomb crater and the scratches on the wall of the palace, Khian was shocked.�The Betwioh Estate wasn�t damaged at all.�

"We�re farther away from the capitol,�Arun explained.�I�m sorry.�

"It�s not your fault. I just hope there never has to be a war again.�

"So do I.�

They were escorted into the dining room where Cyning Harjis was expected for breakfast. Khian was recognised and greeted by almost everybody, and was still in conversation with them when Cyning came in.

"Well, Master Jinn, I hear you�ve freed the hostages. Has Betwioh agreed to resume the negotiations?�

"Actually, Counselor, the negotiations are over and the peace treaty has already been signed,�Qui-Gon reported. There was a gasp of delighted surprise and then a few cheers from the officials around the table.

"Signed? By whom? Governor Harjis is still too ill to even sit up.�

"Is he ill, Counselor? Or is he dead?�

Silence fell in the room, and everybody turned to look at Cyning. His expression changed to one of shock, and then anger.�Of course he�s not dead!�

"Who has seen Governor Harjis since he was taken ill?�Qui-Gon demanded, glancing around the room. Nobody said anything, and he continued.�The Force let me know that he is dead. Any of you can go and look for yourselves. The body is still in his private apartment, isn�t it, Cyning? Or have you had it moved in the meantime?�

"I--no!�

Several of the on-lookers broke away and scurried through the door, but most remained, staring at Cyning in shock and horror. After a moment, the Counselor said off-handedly,�He might well have died during the night, it is possible that I was not informed.�

"He has been dead for a day and a half,�Qui-Gon reported coldly.�And yet you said nothing, Counselor. Why was that? It would have changed things, wouldn�t it, if it were known that Khian was now Governor of Harjis? She would have been negotiating with Governor Betwioh, not you. And that�s exactly what happened. She is now Governor Harjis. She has negotiated, and she has signed the treaty.�

Khian pulled out the rolled documents and laid them on the table.�Here they are. We are now officially at peace with Betwioh Territory.�

Cyning scanned the treaties, becoming angrier as he read the terms that had been agreed on.�This is madness!�

"Do you know, Cyning, I think you wanted me dead,�said Khian provokingly, and both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan moved closer, ready to protect her.�You hoped that Governor Betwioh would have me executed. I also think you killed my father somehow. I don�t know how, but I am certain that you are responsible. Not to mention the fact that somebody betrayed my whereabouts to Governor Betwioh so that he was able to kidnap me in the first place, and I believe that was you, or somebody working under your instructions! You might even have found a scapegoat, but I know that you are ultimately responsible for everything that has happened here. Guards! Take Counselor Cyning to the dungeons!�

Cyning reached out and grabbed the blaster from the holster of the bodyguard next to him, then fired at Khian. Sensing his intentions, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon ignited their light sabers, and Qui-Gon deflected the blast into the wall. Cyning fired again, but Obi-Wan was already leaping over the table towards him. This was the man, his mind told him instantly with a surge of anger. It was Cyning�s fault that he had been tortured twice, and Khian once, and both of them very nearly executed. He wanted to kill Cyning, or at least make the counselor feel the pain that he had felt and ask him afterwards if it was really worth it. Landing in front of the man, Obi-Wan raised his light saber--and hesitated for a split second. He wanted to kill him while he had the chance--but he knew he should simply disarm him. A good Jedi, letting the light side of the Force flow through him, would only disarm the man. Obi-Wan was not sure if he felt regretful as he made his decision to ignore his anger and the memory of the agony he had suffered. There was no time for feelings, only for the decision, even though everything seemed to happen in slow motion. He saw Cyning point the blaster in his direction, saw the beam of light exit the barrel, and he moved automatically.

Even as Obi-Wan�s light saber sliced the blaster in half, the beam grazed his elbow, then continued on its new trajectory until it shattered the table behind him. Qui-Gon landed on the other side of him, having completed a high somersault over the table, and at the same moment, the guards rushed at Cyning, tackling him to the floor and binding his hands behind his back. Watching it all despite the searing pain in his arm, Obi-Wan found that he was staggering backwards, and then his foot hit something behind him and he sat down with a thump in the middle of the ruined table.

"Obi-Wan! Are you all right?�

"I almost killed him, master,�he whispered.�I wanted to kill him.�

"You didn�t kill him. I saw you hesitate,�Qui-Gon said, kneeling beside him and gently lifted his arm for a better look. Obi-Wan made a strangled sound, and he stopped immediately, staring down at the bloody, burned strip of flesh that showed through the narrow slice in the sleeve.

"You, get the physician immediately,�Khian said, pointing at one of the secretaries, and the man said,�Uh, it might take a while, Governor, he�s been away this last week and I�ll have to track him down.�

"Get some medical help now! Call Emergency Systems if you have to!�Khian looked hard at the guards who were pulling Cyning to his feet.�And you get that creature to the dungeons before he hurts or kills anyone else!�

"Yes, Governor,�they muttered, propelling Cyning to the door.

"Well,�said Khian, looking down at Obi-Wan, and then over to Arun.�So much for that.�

*****

"The arm healed much faster than I expected, even with bacta,�said the physician at the hospital to Qui-Gon when he came by the next morning to check on his apprentice.�And there was no nerve damage at all, in respect to what you told me about that--um--piece of interrogation equipment. I can release him with a good conscience.�

"Excellent, because he has an official engagement at the palace this morning that he must attend,�said Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan was pleased to be getting out of hospital. He disliked being in any sort of medical center. If he was ill or injured, he preferred to recover at home in the small apartment they shared in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He especially disliked being poked and prodded and having tests run on him despite the fact that he felt fine, aside from his arm, and had told the physicians so several times. As he pulled on his cloak with a definite sense of relief, his elbow only a little stiff, he asked,�What engagement, master?�

"It�s a surprise, Padawan.�

"Master, I really need to talk to you about what happened,�said Obi-Wan as they walked down the hospital corridor.�I wanted to kill Cyning--I wanted to make him suffer for what he did to me. A Jedi should never act in revenge, but I wanted to, I wanted it so badly!�

"Obi-Wan, you might have felt that way, but you did hesitate. You were able to control your feelings at the last moment. I saw it,�said Qui-Gon.�Anyway, Cyning is dead now. He killed himself in his cell last night with a drug patch that the guards missed because--officially--they didn�t search him.�

"I hesitated that time, yes, for a moment or two,�Obi-Wan said, unsure of what to feel at Cyning�s death and therefore ignoring the information for the moment.�But I was so frightened of being tortured again. I wasn�t able to control my feelings then. That�s why I came up with the idea of exchanging hostages in the first place. Master, I feel horribly out of balance with the Force. I should go to the ship and meditate until we�re ready to leave. I�m sure you really don�t need me at this official engagement, whatever it is.�

"Yes, I do, and you�ll have plenty of time to meditate later,�Qui-Gon said firmly.

Obi-Wan lapsed into a weary silence as they travelled from the hospital to the Palace. He didn�t want to attend any official function. He just wanted to be alone and meditate, release his feelings to the Force, his fear and his selfishness, and most especially, his desire to get revenge. He did not want to ignore these feelings any longer--he wanted to purge them, and the quicker the better, he thought, afraid they would fester inside him.

The Palace had been colourfully decorated with banners, streamers, fresh flowers, and all sorts of festive things, and Obi-Wan groaned inwardly as he saw it. Some sort of coronation ceremony for Khian, perhaps? They could be stuck here all day!

They were shown into a great hall, with two ornately carved wooden chairs on a dais at one end, though it was hard to see more through the masses of people, all wearing their best, most colourful clothing, which had already gathered in the room. Trying to keep up with his master, he followed Qui-Gon through the crowd to the front, where they were met by a very old man.

"Ah, the Jedi. Please, hold these, one each, and come up here.�

Looking at Qui-Gon in wonderment, Obi-Wan received one of the necklaces made of flowers and weighed it carefully in his hands, then followed the man up onto the dais and stood where he was told, at the side of one of the chairs. Qui-Gon was guided to the other side, and as soon as the old man stepped off the dais, there was a sudden fanfare of trumpets.

A corornation? But why were there two necklaces of flowers, and not a single crown? Obi-Wan saw movement to his left, and turned his head slightly to see Khian enter the great hall through a small door next to the dais. She was wearing a beautiful white dress trimmed with blue, and right behind her was Arun Betwioh, wearing a formal outfit to match. Both were grinning widely in delight as they sat down, and Obi-Wan immediately wondered if it were their wedding day.

But it was not. The old man returned, holding a microphone in one hand, and stood at the edge of the dais, waiting for the sounds of the crowd to subside into silence before he spoke.�Yesterday, we mourned the death of our beloved governor Sceatt Harjis. To-day, however, we realise that life goes on. It is my great pleasure to announce to you all that our new Governor, Teokhian Harjis, has decided to take Arun Betwioh to be her husband and the father of her children. We will announce a date for the wedding later, but to-day, we will celebrate their engagement.�

There was an almighty cheer that lasted for several minutes without quite dying away. Turning around as both Khian and Arun stood up, the servant bowed, then reached out to Obi-Wan, gently removing the flower necklace from his outstretched hands and extending it to Khian. With a little giggle, she placed it over Arun�s head. The servant then took the flower necklace from Qui-Gon and gave it to Arun, and he looped it over Khian�s head, then bent down for a kiss. The cheers from the crowd became even louder.

"I wish you all the best,�the servant told them, giving Khian a quick peck on the cheek and shaking Arun�s hand. Then he stepped down from the dais as Khian turned to Qui-Gon.

"I also wish you all the best, and every happiness,�the Jedi Master said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek as well.

"Thank you, Master Jinn,�she replied.�Without you, none of this would have been possible.�

"It was the will of the Force,�he replied with a smile.

"Thank you anyway,�Arun added, shaking Qui-Gon�s hand.

Khian turned to Obi-Wan, who repeated his master�s words, then asked teasingly,�If I kiss you, will he hit me again?�

"I�ll make sure he doesn�t,�Khian laughed, and after Obi-Wan had given her a gentle kiss on the cheek, she added,�Actually, it was seeing him hit you that made me realise for the first time how Arun really felt about me. I�m sorry for you that we had to find out that way, but--well--I suppose it was the will of the Force, as Master Jinn says.�

Obi-Wan smiled.�I�m glad I didn�t suffer in vain, then.�

"No, you didn�t. Neither of us did.�Her face was solemn for a moment, then her natural vivacity bubbled through again and with a happy smile, Khian turned away to greet the first of the well-wishers that were starting to form a line on one side of the dais.

Shaking Arun�s hand, Obi-Wan said,�I�m sure you�ll be very happy together, and I wish you all the best.�

"Thank you, Obi-Wan. I�m sorry for all you had to go through while you stayed with us, but it--you really helped bring us closer together, you know.�

"I�m glad.�Obi-Wan could feel his residual anger beginning to break up now as he realised anew that there really was a purpose for everything, even pain and suffering. The knowledge would make it easier for him to meditate about it when he got the chance. It no longer seemed so urgent. He could wait awhile. Now, however, he wanted to know,�Arun, what about your father?�

"I spoke to him last night. He admits that he�s an opportunistic creature and it�s too easy for him to separate politics and people, but he likes Khian and I know he�ll never declare war on us as long as I�m here at her side. Actually, I think he�s quite pleased that this peace will have a very good chance of lasting for a very long time, and he�s just angry because he didn�t think of it himself.�

"I hope it does last,�said Obi-Wan.�I really hope it does.�

He shook Arun�s hand again and then they moved in opposite directions.

"Have you had breakfast yet?�Qui-Gon asked as Obi-Wan finally joined him.

"Just that hospital stuff.�

"Let�s see if we can find something better for you, and then you can go meditate.�

After sampling some of the delicacies, Obi-Wan let Qui-Gon direct him to the bedroom he had occupied so far, and they sat down together. Obi-Wan began with their last mission and explained everything to Qui-Gon, the torture and rough treatment he had undergone, then moved on to what had happened in Betwioh Territory. He talked, and when words failed him, he simply opened his mind and showed his feelings to his master through their bond. When he finished, Qui-Gon simply nodded.�Meditate now, Padawan, release your feelings to the Force, and come down again when you�re ready.�

It was evening before Obi-Wan appeared again in the great hall, and the celebrations were all but over. He was surprised when Qui-Gon announced they would be staying a day or two.

"But, master, don�t we have to get back to Coruscant? The Council might have another mission for us.�

"We�ll go back to Coruscant soon enough, but there�s no hurry. I have already asked for time for a retreat, Padawan. I realise I�ve been pushing you too hard lately. You need time to meditate without being interrupted, time to become better attuned to the Living Force, have light saber practise without having to save your own life, in short, time to simply relax and recover.�

"I am recovered, master, after talking to you, and meditating. I�ve released those feelings into the Force. I�m not afraid of being tortured anymore, and I no longer seek revenge on Cyning, Betwioh, or anybody else.�Obi-Wan spoke calmly and confidently, but Qui-Gon could also tell that he felt just a little annoyed at having his judgement questioned.

"That�s very good, Obi-Wan, but I feel you need more time than just these few days. To tell the truth, I know that I could benefit from a retreat as well. I thought we could go to Malastare--I�m looking forward to it already.�

"Well...if you need the time, master...�Obi-Wan tried hard not to sound condescending.

"Of course, if you�re really not afraid of torture anymore, I could always go on the retreat by myself, and you could give our report to the Council--alone.�

His face showing pure shock and dread, Obi-Wan struggled for words and finally cried,�I need the retreat, I need the retreat! Forgive me for questioning your wisdom, master, and take me with you!�

Laughing, Qui-Gon saw his Padawan�s panic fade into chagrin, and decided that he didn�t get the chance to tease Obi-Wan often enough. That was going to have to change. What were retreats for, after all?

The End

written February-March 2000

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