| Title: Silent Nights (Part Seven) Author: Ginger Ninja ***** Qui-Gon arrived back at the Temple and located Yoda in the little green Master's quarters. "An idea I have had," Yoda said by way of greeting. "Dangerous it is but only chance we have left is it." "What is it?" Qui-Gon asked. "A mental connection Obi-Wan and his attacker must have. Before now, used was baby Leezal as a conduit to establish the connection," Yoda explained. "This bond we can use to locate Maari and free Obi-Wan." "I'll go now," Qui-Gon said, standing up. "Come with you I will," Yoda said, standing up with the aid of his gimer stick. "Help you will need." Qui-Gon nodded and allowed Yoda to climb up onto his back. They needed to get to the infirmary fast and Yoda's short legs were not up to the job whereas Qui-Gon's unusually long legs where. Qui-Gon was fairly accustomed to piggybacking the ancient Master around. He had spent a lot of his apprenticeship doing so. They made it to the infirmary in record time. Qui-Gon was in a rush to save his apprentice and for once Yoda wasn't admonishing him for a lack of patience. In any other situation that didn't involve one incredibly endangered Padawan, Qui-Gon may have grinned and laughed. Once at the infirmary, Qui-Gon, Yoda and Master Healer T'Gaz stood around Obi-Wan's bed. Qui-Gon held his Padawan's hand, and found it trembling lightly within his grip. Qui-Gon gently stroked Obi-Wan's hair. //Relax Obi-Wan,// he called to his Padawan through their bond, knowing he wouldn't be heard but calling out anyway. //I'm coming for you now.// "OK Qui-Gon pay attention," T'Gaz said, drawing the Master's attention away from his Padawan for just a moment. "This is not going to be easy. You must travel into Obi-Wan's mind and find out where this bond is and then travel along it to find out where Maari is. However, only Obi-Wan can destroy this bond even if you do find and imprison Maari. "Keep you connected to the real world I shall," Yoda said. "Lose you as well to this powerful illusion we must not." "I'm warning you now Qui-Gon, it won't be pretty in there and there will be little you can do to help Obi-Wan," T'Gaz cautioned gravely. "You may be able to warn him, or talk to him but it will be brief. Try to think of something that will give him the strength to fight this." "Humph," Yoda all but snorted. "There is no try. Do or do not Qui-Gon." Qui-Gon nodded and sat down on the edge of Obi-Wan's bed. Careful not to bang any of the machines, Qui-Gon placed his fingertips on Obi-Wan's forehead. Sensing Yoda creating a life line around Qui-Gon's life force, Qui-Gon prepared himself to make the leap into the dark abyss that was Obi-Wan's mind. Qui-Gon preparedhimself for the horror he was about to see and would be almost powerless to stop. And then he jumped. ***** "Run little boy! Run!" Obi-Wan ran. The silent hallways around him whizzed by as he sprinted down them for all he was worth. Bodies of Jedi hung from the walls. Not one of them moaned. They were long since dead. "Boo!" Obi-Wan skidded to a halt as the shadow-woman began to pull herself away from the shadows masking the lifeless walls around him. "S-stay back!" "Oh but my dear, sweet Obi-Wan," the shadow woman purred. "The fun is just beginning!" "No!" Obi-Wan stumbled backwards but the shadow-woman continued to close in on him from all sides, smothering him in a blanket of darkness. "Come to me my little one," she whispered seductively, stroking his face. "Get away from me!" Obi-Wan cried and pushed his hands in front of him, as if to push the wispy woman away. But his hands passed right through her. She once again began to close in on him. Her darkness entered his mind, blanketing his thoughts, his perception of the horror around him. //Obi-Wan!// Obi-Wan's head snapped up. //Master?// ***** Qui-Gon had been disgusted by the images he received of his Padawan's mind, the bitter carnage that had clearly tormented the boy. The sheer brutality of the illusion was appalling and left Qui-Gon wondering what kind of twisted person Maari really was. Qui-Gon could hear his Padawan's cries of fear and feel his terror. Qui-Gon wanted nothing more than to free his Padawan of this mental prison. Mindful of what he had been told, Qui-Gon reached out to Obi-Wan. //Master?// Qui-Gon had never been so thankful to hear Obi-Wan's voice. Knowing he didn't have long, Qui-Gon gave Obi-Wan the only message he could. //Light chases away the shadows Obi-Wan.// Sure that his Padawan had received the message; Qui-Gon continued to travel down the dark bond Maari had created between herself an Obi-Wan. Soon this would all be over, Qui-Gon would see to that. He was very close to the origins of the bond. Maari would not remain hidden for much longer. ***** Obi-Wan frowned at Qui-Gon's cryptic message and it led Obi-Wan to wonder if it truly was his Master or just another apparition from the world around him. "Your 'Master' is dead boy," the shadow-woman snarled. "There is no Light in this place, only Darkness. An eternal night!" "No! Even if my Master is dead I won't allow you to kill me as well!" Obi-Wan struggled to focus on his vague memories of the Light a place with no Darkness, where no creature of the silent night could get him, where no horror could reach him. The shadow-woman's dark mental tendrils thrust themselves into his mind, covering the memories that Obi-Wan wanted. "Get out of my head!" Obi-Wan thrust his hands forward again, and this time came in contact with a very real body. With a firm shove, Obi-Wan knocked his attacker off balance and resumed his search through his memories. Crucified Jedi. Tortured Jedi and a dying Bant. Dark unending corridors full of silence. His Master's horrifying mutilated body. The baby Leezal controlling him while he attacked his Master and Master Windu. The fire. The speeder accident. The dreams. The Light... The Light was a place where his Master was still alive, where all the Jedi still lived and were not suffering unimaginable torture. A place he lived in a defended against the Dark. It was the shadow-woman's turn to scream. Obi-Wan began to glow with a pale blue light. It continued to strengthen and the shadow-woman's cries became louder. Her anger replaced her anger and she stood erect, hands held out at her sides, a dark red light growing in each palm. The shadow-woman brought her hands together and the red glow shot towards Obi-Wan, aimed at his chest. It hit him hard and sent him tumbling backwards but it didn't destroy his blue glow. When he managed to raise his head, Obi-Wan saw the walls around him shifting, getting further away from him. The ground below him became colder, like stone. Obi-Wan focused on the shadow-woman as he got to his feet. The red light in her hands took another shape, the shape of a lightsaber. Obi-Wan reached down to his belt, where his saber was always kept. It wasn't there. He wasn't wearing a belt. "And now Jedi," the shadow-woman snarled, "you die." ***** Qui-Gon was nearly there, he could feel it. He tried to ignore the horrendous images around him but it was difficult. Never before had he seen such sickness. The images of the slain Jedi around him were more than disturbing. It was enough to make someone insane with fear. He himself struggled to not let the images of tortured friends and colleges get to him. /It is an illusion, an illusion, not real/ Qui-Gon chanted over and over. He sensed a subtle change in his Padawan. The desperation had somewhat dissipated, replaced with a sense of purpose. Qui-Gon knew the end of this nightmare was within reach. All it relied on was Qui-Gon finding where Maari was and Obi-Wan finding his own strength to hold off her attacks. /Nearly there, not much further.../ Suddenly he was there, in Maari's mind. He instantly knew she had discovered his presence. //What are you doing in my head?// she demanded. Qui-Gon reached outwards with the Force. He could see Maari lying on a carpeted floor in a rundown apartment. He could just about hear the sound of buzzing traffic lanes outside. /Good,/ he thought. /She's still on Coruscant./ //Answer me!// Maari demanded. //Who are you and what are you doing in my mind?// Qui-Gon didn't bother replying. He had everything he needed: evidence that Maari was still somewhere on Coruscant and he knew how to recognise her potent Force-signature. Silently, he fled back to his own body, using the lifeline created by Yoda. ***** Maari travelled back to where Obi-Wan stood waiting for an attack. The boy still glowed blue. /Damn, they reached him before I could completely break him./ Maari was seething with rage. /Never mind, I can still defeat him./ Her lightsaber extended once again from the glowing red energy encasing her hands. She watched as the boy took a step back, uncertainty written on his features. Maari grinned, this was going to be easy. ***** Qui-Gon opened his eyes. He was disorientated for a moment and had to wait for the room to stop spinning around him. Taking some deep breaths to calm down, Qui-Gon turned to Yoda and T'Gaz. "I know where she is," he said with unquestionable certainty. "I can still feel her. She's on the other side of the planet in the downtown district. I tapped into the bond she shares with Obi-Wan enough for me to be able to get a good sense of her location." Yoda and T'Gaz nodded. "What of Obi-Wan?" the healer asked. "We've been noticing some changes in the readouts. I think you got through to him." Qui-Gon turned to look at his apprentice who still seemed lost among the many machines that supported his body. "I hope so, I really hope so." Feeling well enough to stand, Qui-Gon did so and began to leave the room. "I will go to Maari at once." "Accompany you Master Windu will," Yoda said and followed the tall Master out of Obi-Wan's room. "Caution you must use. Return Maari here if you can." "Yes Master," Qui-Gon replied and went off to meet Mace outside the infirmary. ***** Obi-Wan dodged yet another attack from Maari, knowing he was in serious trouble if he didn't get a weapon soon. //Light chases away the shadows Obi-Wan.// And Maari was nothing but shadows. Obi-Wan knew he was light. The light surrounding his body blazed stronger. Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan focused the light into one single stream of light. If he couldn't have his normal 'saber, he would create another one. Maari stepped back, shock registering on her features as a blue lightsaber extended from Obi-Wan's hand. /No! How can this be?!/ Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open, a grin forming on his lips. "Let's even the odds." ***End Part Seven*** |
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