| Title: Silent Nights (Part Nine) Author: Ginger Ninja ***** It was the middle of the night, and all was silent. Qui-Gon sat by Obi-Wan's bedside, happy to just watch the boy sleeping peacefully. He looked more human now, T'Gaz had removed all the machines that had been needed to support his life. Now Obi-Wan was free of Maari's tyranny, he could breathe for himself. Obi-Wan had awoken earlier, when Qui-Gon first arrived back at the Temple but he was exhausted and soon fell asleep again after taking in a little water and allowing T'Gaz to prod him a little. T'Gaz said sleep was the best thing for Obi-Wan right now and Qui-Gon did not dispute him. Obi-Wan could sleep as long as he wanted, as long as it was a slumber not punctuated with hideous nightmares. Mace had visited earlier to inform Qui-Gon that Maari was currently locked within a cell in the bowels of the Temple completely blocked off from the Force. The Council would decide on her punishment within 24 hours. Qui-Gon couldn't wait until Maari was far away from the Temple. Her presence there made him uneasy. He was worried about Obi-Wan. He never wanted Maari to harm him again. Instinctively, Qui-Gon reached out and placed his hand gently on Obi-Wan's chest, as if to make sure the boy's heat still beat strongly and to ensure he was breathing easily. Obi-Wan's hand clamped on to Qui-Gon's own and the boy muttered something in his sleep. Obi-Wan rolled over, tugging Qui-Gon with him. "Ahhh..." Qui-Gon grunted as his arm was nearly wrenched out of its socket. "I may be a lot larger than you Obi-Wan but I'm not *that* long!" he muttered as he attempted to find a more comfortable position. Unable to do so, Qui-Gon sat on the edge of the bed and swung his long legs up. Obi-Wan instantly let go of Qui-Gon's arm and curled up at his Master's side, his head resting on Qui-Gon's stomach. "Mmmm much better Mah-star," Obi-Wan mumbled, his tone thick with sleep. "You're a biggggggg comfy pillow...yeah." Qui-Gon chuckled quietly, his shoulders shaking from barely repressed guffaws. His Padawan said the most humorous things in his sleep. "I...want a Mah-ster Que-Gee pillow!" Obi-Wan declared, "Birthday's comin'." Qui-Gon let out snort of laughter and all but descended into a fit of girly giggles. A healer came into the room. It was T'Gaz's apprentice Pascal. "Master Jinn could you please keep it down? You're disturbing the other patients," she said with a despairing tone. "Really, you of all people should understand." "I'm sorry Pascal," Qui-Gon said, clearing his throat and swallowing any more laughter. "My Padawan has been...musing in his sleep. It's all a little too funny for me." Pascal's eyes lit up. "Really? What's he been saying?" Qui-Gon grinned. "Oh, just sleep talk. Nothing that makes sense really but hilarious nevertheless." Pascal giggled. "Well OK, I admit there's nothing we can do about that but just keep it down alright?" The young healer left and Qui-Gon sighed calmly and closed his eyes. Obi-Wan had finally fallen silent and was sleeping restfully. There was an occasional grunt or sigh but other than that Obi-Wan remained silent. Listening to the sound of Obi-Wan's breathing, Qui-Gon was lulled into a deep sleep. ***** Morning dawned and the activity on Courscant slowly began to pick up. The air lanes soon became clogged with traffic, people walked around calmly while others ran and children hurried to school. Inside the Jedi Temple, activity came to life as Initiates rushed to class with their friends, Padawans' and their Master's chatted quietly in the gardens or on the way to a training session and Knights pleasantly greeted other Jedi as they went about their daily routines. In the Infirmary Obi-Wan Kenobi was safe. It was all he knew and all he cared about. The comfortable warmth and light around him assured him that he was where he belonged, not in that Force forsaken Dark place. He knew his Master was very close by and that reassured him to no end. If Qui-Gon was here, and he was alright, then Obi-Wan knew no harm would come to either of them. The teenager sighed gladly. His conscious mind began to surface and take account of the warm sun beating down on his body and the snug blanket that cocooned him. He became aware of a very comfortable and warm pillow underneath his head. A smile appeared on Obi-Wan's face. Nice, comfy pillow. Obi-Wan was going to have to get himself a pillow like this. His old one was old and thin and... "Obi-Wan?" Obi-Wan slowly opened his eyes. His face was pressed up against something brown and soft. He lifted his head and met the blue eyes of his Master. "How are you feeling Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked, placing an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders. Obi-Wan yawned and hugged his Master tightly. "Thirsty," he said and closed his eyes again. "Head aches, my back is sore and I'm tired. How are you Master?" "I'm good Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon replied, "Now I know you're back with me." Obi-Wan's eyes opened again. "I'm sorry Master. I didn't mean to scare you. I...I don't really understand what happened. I just remember being terrified." A shadow passed over Obi-Wan's face. "I saw terrible things. Many terrible things." Qui-Gon rested his cheek on the top of Obi-Wan's head. "I know you were scared Obi-Wan and I'm so sorry I couldn't do more to help you." A tear rolled down his cheek and the corner of his mouth twitched downwards with the worry he had been feeling for his Padawan. "I nearly lost you." Obi-Wan could feel his Master's sadness over their bond. Obi-Wan reached for his Master's hand. "I know Master," he said, placing Qui-Gon's large hand on his heart. "But I'm alive, can't you feel it?" Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan's heart thumping strongly under his hand. Obi-Wan twisted round to face his Master. "I thought I'd lost you at first," the boy admitted. "I...I saw things...nasty things that made me think you were gone. But I heard your voice telling me what to do, reassuring me that you were alive and nothing around me was real. You saved me." Obi-Wan snuggled closer to Qui-Gon. "Thank you Master. Thank you for helping me to see the Light again." Qui-Gon didn't speak at first. There didn't seem to be any words to say. He could have said: "that's alright Obi-Wan," or "it was the least I could do" but they didn't seem to cover the huge emotions Qui-Gon was feeling. He just held his boy tighter while his mind caught up with the rest of what was going on and the words slowly came. "When they first told me you might die, I couldn't believe it. No...I refused to believe it. I didn't want to think of you as gone. That I'd never speak to you again or see you smile again," Qui-Gon began quietly. He swallowed, trying to remove the lump in his throat. "I think in that one moment, I was more afraid then I'd ever been." Obi-Wan said nothing, he just pulled his blanket up a little more to cover Qui-Gon a little more. "More than anything I wanted to go inside that head of yours and rip Maari to pieces." "Maari?" "The woman who did this to you Obi-Wan." "Oh. Master? What will happen to her?" "I don't know," Qui-Gon admitted. "The Council is deciding on that now." "Oh. Um, you'll let me know right?" Obi-Wan asked. "I...I just...y'know want to know." "Oh, of course. Anyway, I couldn't do that to her but I knew I was losing you. When we came up with an idea to help you, I felt hope. I knew that my boy was coming home to me. And I did everything in my power to make sure that happened." "Always Master. I'll always come home," Obi-Wan said around a yawn. "And here you are," Qui-Gon said, closing his eyes to stop the tears of joy. "Here with me." "So what you're trying to say Master," Obi-Wan said, closing his eyes as sleep began to take over. "Is: 'You're welcome Obi-Wan'...Right?" Qui-Gon laughed, "Yes Obi-Wan, you're very welcome." "Thanks Master," Obi-Wan whispered. "Love you." "Ditto," Qui-Gon said, holding his sleeping boy close. ***** Meanwhile, in the Council chambers, a decision had been made concerning Maari. "Send her to the planet Tzaon we will," Yoda announced. "The mines there have natural minerals there that nullify the Force, much like Ysalamiri. It will ensure that she is completely without Force abilities for the rest of her life," Ki-Adi-Mundi added. "My Padawan and I will take her there early tomorrow morning," Adi Gallia said. "We will ensure that she gets there and does not escape." Mace Windu stood up. "I'll go and inform Qui-Gon," he said. "I'm sure he'll be relieved to hear this news." The rest of the nodded and let out a collective "hmmm" to Mace's statement. "If that is all then I shall be off," Mace said. "All that is," Yoda said. "To Padawan Kenobi you will give the Council's best wishes." "Will do," Mace said and left the large, circular Council room. ***** Obi-Wan was still fast asleep in Qui-Gon's arms when Mace arrived at the infirmary. "Darn, I should've brought my holo-camera," Mace said in an overly loud whisper as he entered the room. Qui-Gon looked up, a smirk on his face. "Funny Mace," he said without a hint of humour. "So, what brings you here into this little corner of the Temple?" "The Council have decided what to do with Maari," Mace explained, serious now. "I thought you and Obi-Wan would like to know." Mace looked at Obi-Wan who slept on oblivious to the Councillor's presence. "Or maybe just you." "No, Obi-Wan should hear this," Qui-Gon said. Reaching out to the bond he shared with his Padawan, he gently helped Obi-Wan awaken. "Oh, hey Master Windu," Obi-Wan said with a sleepy smile. "Hello there Obi-Wan," Mace said with a smile. "The Council asked me to inform you that they send their best wishes." "Oh, that's nice. So, what else brings you here into this little corner of the Temple?" Mace blinked. "Whoa, d�j� vu," he muttered. "I'm here because we decided on what's going to happen to Maari." Obi-Wan perked up a little. "OK." Mace informed the pair of the Council's decision. Both nodded, agreeing that it was a good idea. "Master?" Obi-Wan asked, sounding uncertain. "Would it be alright if I...if I spoke to her before she left?" Qui-Gon stared first at Obi-Wan, then at Mace (who looked as surprised as Qui-Gon) then back at Obi-Wan. "Why?" Obi-Wan bit his lip. "I just want to know why she did it to me and why she killed her own child." /And her husband and former Master/ Qui-Gon thought but didn't inform his Padawan of Maari's total kill count. "It's a valid question Obi-Wan but I doubt you'll get a straight answer from her." "No, I think I will. She liked to talk a lot before, when she was in here," Obi-Wan tapped his head. "I'll see if it can be arranged," Mace said. "She leaves tomorrow morning. Do you think you'll be strong enough by this evening?" Obi-Wan nodded, "I'll be ready." ***** True to his word, later that evening, Obi-Wan was ready to go. After spending the entire day resting and seeing Bant and some of his other friends from the Temple, he felt slightly better. If he was going to be perfectly honest, the last thing he felt like doing was getting up because he was so exhausted and his body ached from the rough treatment it had received in recent times. But he had to know. He had to know why Maari had chosen him and not someone else. Qui-Gon helped Obi-Wan into a hover chair and the pair met Mace outside the Infirmary. He led them down into the deepest, darkest reaches of the Temple where Maari was being held. With each passing moment, Obi-Wan felt increasingly nervous. Here he was, about to face the woman who had tried to use him to kill everyone he cared about and made him believe that everyone around him was being brutally murdered. //You don't have to go through with this Obi-Wan if you don't want to,// Qui-Gon told the boy over their bond. Obi-Wan took a deep breath to calm his nerves. //Yes I do Master. Don't worry, I'll be fine.// //Mace and I will be there the entire time. You're safe now// //I know my Master, I know// "Well, here we are," Mace said with fake cheer. The two Jedi on guard duty opened the door and allowed Qui-Gon to push Obi-Wan though. The room was large and lit with large, bright white lights. The walls were a dark blue and the air seemed frigid. In the centre of the room was a large cage, surrounded by a glowing force field. Maari lay flat on her back, eyes closed, in the middle of the cell. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," she said, without opening her eyes. "I was wondering when you would come." Her voice still held all the sophisticated charm it had had when she was inside his head. Obi-Wan did his best to not let it get to him. He was safe here, she couldn't get him. "I have some...um...I mean I wanted to know..." he was still a tad nervous, much to his dismay. "You wanted to know why I did it don't you?" she said, guessing at his question and getting it right. "Tell me," Obi-Wan said, regaining his composure. Maari let out a heavy sigh and rolled onto her stomach and met Obi-Wan's gaze for the first time. "Oh I suppose I might as well," she said, sounding bored with the idea. "I have so little else to do." Qui-Gon placed a hand on his Padawan's shoulder gently, as a gesture of support. //The answers may not be pleasant// //I know Master, but I'm prepared// Maari had begun to speak. "Nine years ago, as you probably know, I had a slight...disagreement with my dear old Master Yasleigh that eventually led to me leaving and her trying to find me. On that night I created a nightmare. A nightmare that was solely meant for her while I enjoyed all the pleasures Coruscant had to offer. But I was so intent on making sure she suffered every little detail of it, my mind reached out too far and connected with that of another." /Must be Obi-Wan/ Qui-Gon thought. "My so called 'husband' Jay'ro." /Of course I could be wrong/ Qui-Gon thought and listened even more intently. "He was several years older than me and had just returned to the Temple from Agricorps to work as a groundskeeper. I'd known him a little in my Padawan days and even developed a crush on him," Maari seemed a little embarrassed of her teenage crush on Jay'ro. "A typical teenage thing," Mace said, his voice devoid of the sarcasm Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both expected from him. "Yes but I wasn't a typical teenager and I didn't need him to complicate matters," she snarled. "Sadly though he became quite infatuated with me and the two of us got closer. He told me stories of the little children that passed through the gardens everyday and how he would someday like his own little one." "You granted his wish," Obi-Wan noted. "Nine years later," Maari said. "Leezal. Sweet child. Perfect for what I needed her to do but useless otherwise." "You needed her to channel your power through to get close to Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon surmised. "Exactly. And imagine my surprise when the boy I needed came right to my door step to take her to the Temple," Maari laughed gleefully. "How deliciously ironic." "Why me?" Obi-Wan asked. "Hush boy we are getting to that part!" Maari snapped, eyes blazing, spittle flying out of her mouth. Obi-Wan just stared at her stonily. Maari glared back. "Two years after I met Jay'ro and things with my Master had reached breaking point. We rarely saw eye to eye and I became frustrated with her pathetic ideas. I decided to use my power to overcome her once and for all. I told Jay'ro that I would be leaving and he could either come with me or never see me again." "He went with you," Qui-Gon interrupted. "Yes, he did. But first he came up with a brilliant plan. He suggested that I use my power to the very limit. He told me that the Jedi had not let me do so before because they were afraid of me and of what I could do. He told me to target a child as well as my former Master. Despite his love for children, he did not mind hurting one or all if it was necessary to protect and help me get my point across. He told me that if I hurt more than one person with my nightmare, then everyone would know I was serious about getting revenge on the Jedi for holding me back. Poor, deluded Jay'ro. If only he knew," Maari said with a melodramatic sigh, "how annoyingly pathetic his dreams of a happy marriage were. Me? A housewife who would carry out his every demand? Stupid! He deserved all that he got!" /That was overkill/ Qui-Gon thought as he remembered Jay'ro's brutal death. "So I told him to choose a child," Maari went on. "And he picked the perfect little brat." Her eyes locked onto Obi-Wan's. She let out a evil little cackle. "Yes you my dear, sweet Kenobi. Jay'ro chose for me the only child that had the potential for my later plans. I gave you a nightmare the same night I gave Yasleigh one seven years ago and then I started giving you nightmares again to prepare you for what was to come after I killed her a few weeks ago. It was after she died that I needed to get Leezal into the Temple. I couldn't reach Obi-Wan on my own until I had formed a connection." Maari's eyes snapped to Qui-Gon's. "And before you ask, I killed Yasleigh with one, simple horrific nightmare. Terrified her so bad she had a heart attack and died." Maari wiped at a mock tear. "Poor soul," she whimpered and then giggled. "Potential? What potential do I have that no one else has?" Obi-Wan asked in confusion. Maari crawled over to the edge of the cage, careful not to touch the glowing force field around her that was capable of shocking her with a pulse strong enough to knock her unconscious. "My dear, dear boy. You are so very special. You have a strength the Jedi have never seen. If I had taken control of you, the Jedi wouldn't have stood a chance. You are the most powerful Jedi to date Kenobi and you are destined for one crap life because of it. I may have failed in what I wanted to use you for, but somewhere along the line, you will see everything I hoped for come alive and consume the Jedi. My nightmare will rule all. You Obi-Wan Kenobi will see the downfall of the Jedi before your very own beautiful blue eyes." With a surprising amount of energy, Obi-Wan stood upright. "No I won't," he replied coolly, his eyes simmering with passion. "You failed and where anyone else tries, we will stop them. The Jedi will *never* fall, even if there are only one or two of us left. You, and all the other twisted people out there may as well give up now. The Jedi will never lose." Maari seemed taken aback by Obi-Wan's strength and certainty. She remained gob-smacked for a moment. But she soon regained some of her confidence and made an immature boast. "If you think that you are a fool!" Obi-Wan shrugged as much as his burnt back would allow. "Who's the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?" And with that final comment, he walked out of the room. Qui-Gon and Mace shared an astonished glance and quickly followed the boy, leaving a gaping Maari behind them. She had finally been put in her place. ***** Outside the cell room, Qui-Gon found his Padawan slumped against a wall. He crouched down by Obi-Wan. "I am so proud of you," he whispered to the exhausted boy. Obi-Wan raised his head. "Thanks." "I think my seat on the Council is in danger," Mace said, his eyes sparkling. "Since when did you getso wise kid?" Obi-Wan was leaning heavily on Qui-Gon. "On your influence for sure Master Windu," he said with a wide grin. Mace laughed aloud. "If you weren't injured and if you weren't Qui-Gon's Padawan, I'd hit you for that. Obi-Wan pulled on his Master a little harder. "Don't let the bad man get me Master!" he said with a high-pitched voice and a scared looking face. Qui-Gon stepped in front of Obi-Wan. "Are you picking on *MY* Padawan Mace Windu? So help me Force I'll make you regret it!" Mace was all but rolling on the floor laughing his head off by now. "I don't know about that but maybe you should just pick him up." Qui-Gon looked over his shoulder and found Obi-Wan fast asleep, his face pressed up against Qui-Gon's leg. "Awww," Mace said as Qui-Gon lifted Obi-Wan up. "What a picture that would make." "Watch it Mace," Qui-Gon said. "Or I'll let Yoda know Obi-Wan here's eyeing your Council chair. "Council Member/Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," Mace mused. "Got a nice ring to it wouldn't you say Qui?" Qui-Gon laughed. "I look forward to the day I get to see Obi-Wan take your chair Mace," he said fondly. Mace threw an arm around Qui-Gon's shoulders. "You and me both Qui, you and me both." And future Council Member/Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi slept on in his Master's arms. ***** Maari sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her gaze deadly. "If only you knew boy. Your destiny is not a pleasant one." ***End*** |
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