TITLE: Dark Sacrifice  16/36

AUTHOR: Cara & Quintus

E-MAIL:  [email protected]

RATING: PG-13

CATEGORY: Pre-TPM, Jedi Apprentice, Original Characters

ARCHIVE: Yes. Please keep headers intact.

DISCLAIMER: Star Wars is the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. No copyright infringement intended, no profit is being made from this fiction. All original characters and story belong to the authors. 

FEEDBACK: Constructive feedback appreciated.

TIME FRAME:  Pre-TPM @ 1-2 years

SUMMARY:  When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan join a diplomatic mission to the planet Sahmly II, they uncover a strange vergence in the Force, centered around a young padawan whose actions may determine far-reaching changes in the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan’s decisions about the padawan could save the boy's life, or drive him to the power of the Dark Side.

DARK SACRIFICE

By Cara & Quintus

Chapter 16

Adin Yeriamman spent more time with the young healer. They wrestled, explored the cube, then Remii played his flutepipe. The sound filled Adin with quiet joy and also a deep sorrow. There were depths to this padawan that had yet to be tapped. Why couldn't the others see it? Adin sprawled on his back in the grass and listened to Remii play a lilting tune. So captivated was he by the sound and his thoughts that he didn't sense Ak'ra Dushiko's approach until Remii's flute faltered.

"Master!" Remii jumped to his feet and gave a tentative smile.

"Padawan. I am pleased to see you. Although I would have preferred to find you in our rooms after mid-meal and doing your schoolwork."

"I finished my schoolwork. I did as I was told, I stayed on the Grounds," Remii said. He dropped his eyes to the grass.

Adin rose to his feet and stretched. "Remii was just favoring me with some music, Master Dushiko. He is quite a good flutepipe player."

"I'm sorry, I do not know you, Jedi."

"I am Adin-Duanath Yeriamman, Explorer." Adin bowed in respect.

"Ah yes, the knight…"

"I am honored to meet a venerable Weapons Master of the Jedi."

"I heard you were on planet. I would think you have better things to do today." Dushiko folded his arms across his chest. "The negotiations are hanging by a thread, and you are in the gardens… playing?"

"Play is important, Master Dushiko. It helps one find his center." Adin stepped closer to Dushiko. "It's especially important for children." He let his eyes drift to where Remii stood stiffly, clutching the flutepipe.

"Of course you would know all about being a child, wouldn't you, Knight Yeriamman?"

Adin grinned. "I strive to keep in touch with those things that bring me joy, Master Dushiko. If that makes me childlike, so be it." He turned and picked up his shirt, put it on, then fastened his light saber on his belt, and hung the blaster from his shoulder lanyard before picking up his cloak.

"Jedi should not carry a blaster, it is unseemly," Dushiko remarked.

Adin felt irritation flare, and pushed it down. He drew his cloak around himself, stepped up into the other man's face and said, "Jedi do a lot of things they should not do, Ak'ra Dushiko. But at least I do nothing to be ashamed of." Adin glanced pointedly at Remii's bruises.

"I made a mistake," Dushiko said stiffly.

"At least it wasn't a fatal one," Adin retorted, then immediately regretted his words. Bickering Jedi was not something Remii needed to see. It was something Adin did not wish to become. There had to be another way to make this Weapons Master see the value in his padawan. Healing required just as much dedication and finesse as a light saber, how could he make the other Jedi understand this? Is this what happened when one became a Master? Your view of the world narrowed and became rigid? Better that he never took on a padawan than suffer a similar fate. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." Adin took a cleansing breath and turned away from Dushiko to face the boy. "Better get your things together, Remii. It will be late meal soon. Thank you for playing your flute for me. It was very therapeutic."

Remii stood in the same place; flutepipe clenched so tightly his knuckles showed white. "You are welcome, Knight Yeriamman." He looked from Adin to Dushiko then back again, he clearly felt the undertones, but didn't know what was going on between the two men.

Dushiko walked over to his apprentice and brushed dirt off his shoulders, then picked sapphire grass out of his hair and held it up, raising an eyebrow. "Get your tunics on, Padawan," Dushiko said gruffly. "You should not have taken them off in public. It is improper."

Remii sat in the grass and quickly pulled the tan under tunic over his head, then the cream over tunic and tabards. "I did not wish to get them dirty, Master. I thought you would be pleased.” He buckled the utility belt and hung his light saber from it, and rubbed the flutepipe a moment before placing it in the case on his belt.

"I am pleased you are thinking ahead. You will have just enough time to jump in the 'fresher when we get back, Padawan," Dushiko replied. "What were you doing to get so filthy?"

"We were wrestling…" Remii looked at the ground, one hand playing with the braid behind his ear. "Just wrestling."

Dushiko waved a hand in dismissal. "Run on ahead to the doors, Remii. I wish to have a word in private with Knight Yeriamman."

"Yes, Master." With a last look over his shoulder at Adin, Remii headed for the hedge opening.

Dushiko tilted his head, listening. Apparently satisfied Remii did as he was told; he turned to the tall knight. "Stay away from my padawan."

"Why?"

"I do not want you influencing him."

Adin smiled. "I cannot influence Remii as you do, Dushiko. He will listen to me or not listen to me as he sees fit. I am not his master. So that's not why you want me away from him. Try again."

"Because I don't trust you," Dushiko said.

"That's better. A more honest response, at least," Adin replied. "But you do not even know me. Why do you not trust me?"

"You are arrogant."

"So I've been told. I've meditated on this failing and cannot seem to vanquish it."

"You have no respect for other Jedi."

Adin laughed. "I have an inordinate amount of respect for Jedi that deserve it, Master Dushiko. I would walk through fire for Master Billaba." He stepped up until he was eye to eye with the other Jedi. "Respect is a funny thing with me. I don't give it for hitting children."

Dushiko gave a derisive smile. "Things must look so easy from where you sit, Knight Yeriamman. You listen to a stubborn, disobedient child. You fail to listen to a master who raised several guardians to their knighthood. Yet you call yourself a Jedi Knight." Dushiko pulled his robes close around him. "I have been reduced to this method of getting Remii's attention, because if he does not listen, he will die. If he does not gain discipline, he will die, if he does not learn to defend himself, he_ will_ die. Is that clear enough for you, Knight? It has been seen in the Force, and it will come to pass. My padawan will not face his end unprepared. This I will not allow." He whirled; the Jedi robes billowed then settled tightly against Dushiko as he walked away.

Adin stared at the master's back, a hundred questions left on his tongue.

~~~~

It was late that night before Ak'ra Dushiko was able to sit down to late meal with his apprentice. He could sense how tired and hungry the boy was, and while it pleased him that Remii waited to eat with his master, it also made Dushiko feel guilty that he hadn't broke away earlier to tend to the padawan. An older padawan would have taken care of himself. How can I encourage independence in this child? Dushiko sighed and scanned through the notes on the data pad with Remii’s schoolwork. He frowned, paged back, then read through the last page again.

“Did I get it right, Master?” Remii watched Dushiko anxiously. 

“While you have found a solution to the Saktarian Problem, Padawan, it is not the preferred solution.” Dushiko paged through the information one last time. “Your solution is simplistic, and frankly, too benevolent. Sometimes the answer to a problem requires a firm hand.”

“But in the other solutions, people died.”

“Sometimes people do die in conflicts, Remii. A Jedi must decide what is an acceptable amount of loss.” Dushiko pushed his plate aside, food largely uneaten.

“So I didn’t get it right?” Remii looked at his master, disappointment plain on his face.

Dushiko handed the data pad back. “Elegant as it is, your solution only delays the inevitable, Padawan. I want you to do the exercise over and come up with three more solutions.”

“Three!”

“Three. Do you disagree with me, Remii?” Dushiko frowned at the youth. He sensed the defiance rising, it peaked short of its goal, and ebbed. The boy shows control. Finally.

“No, Master.” Remii stared down at his plate and stabbed at the cold Breek with his fork. “I will do as you wish.”

“Good. You can reread the problem before bed tonight, and work on it tomorrow while I am in negotiations. Master Toock may have me visit a few more castes to gather information. We are nearing an answer.”

Remii looked up, eyes alight. “Can I come with you?”

“No, Padawan.”

“Why not? I should be with you! Obi-Wan gets to go with his master. He even gets to go out on his own!”

“Obi-Wan is almost a Knight. You are not old enough yet, Padawan. It is dangerous out there."

"But that is why you need me! What if something happens? You need me. I can guard you."

"And you think you have the skill with a light saber to help rather than hinder, Padawan?" Dushiko replied without thought.

Remii's fork dropped to his plate with a clatter.

Dushiko winced. "Remii, I-"

"You don't want to let me do anything!"

"When you show me you are disciplined, then I will reconsider."

"Then I will never get to do anything. Never! Nothing I do is good enough!" Remii leapt to his feet, snatched up the data pad from the table and threw it to the floor. "Why don't you just send me back? You hate me!"

He turned and ran for the exit. Dushiko could have stopped Remii with a Force hold, but he let the boy go and watched as Remii disappeared out the door

Ak'ra sat back down with a loud sigh, leaned an elbow on the table and placed a hand over his face. Force give me patience…

A few minutes later Qui-Gon Jinn picked the data pad up off the floor and sat across from Dushiko. He paged through the information and read quickly before looking up. "He is a compassionate boy, Ak'ra. He seeks to minimize loss of life."

"He does not think ahead. His solution will result in greater loss of life later on."

"That kind of insight comes from experience. The more knowledge he has, the easier it will be for him to arrive at the proper solution," Qui-Gon said. He set the data pad on the table.

"Unfortunately, the proper solution seems to be the one that will most anger his master."

Qui-Gon leaned across the table. "Are you angry, Ak'ra?"

"Yes. I am angry about his lack of discipline, and total disregard for Jedi ideals."

"But you do not chase after him."

"I do not trust myself right now," Dushiko admitted. "Besides, it would be unseemly for a master to chase after his padawan."

Qui-Gon blew out his breath. "Then perhaps you should let me retrieve the boy. I will talk with him."

"I do not need another Jedi interfering in my problem. I already have a knight questioning my competence."

"Young Adin-Duanath."

"He is arrogant, meddlesome and entirely too egotistical for a Jedi Knight."

"Yet I am told those are fine qualities for a Jedi Explorer." Qui-Gon looked at the expression on Dushiko's face and sighed. "What has Adin done now?"

"He attempts to interfere with my relationship with my padawan. I would like to know what he is up to."

"I shall talk to him, also. I, too, have questions."

"And who appointed you galactic counselor, Qui-Gon Jinn? I can handle my own problems."

"I merely wish to help. Let me retrieve the padawan at least. If we do not hurry, there is no telling where he will get to."

"He is in the gardens. If he was further, I could not feel him as readily." Dushiko sighed heavily. "He is upset, and angry. Angry with me, and angry with himself. I do not understand this child. Where does such anger come from? That emotion is unseemly in a Jedi." Dushiko shook his head. "I cannot help but wonder if I can do anything right with this boy. It might best if you did find him for me."

"I will return him to your rooms. Perhaps you should just send him to bed when he gets back. Things will look better in the morning, Ak'ra. Remember how young he is, and untrained."

Dushiko stood. "He makes a mockery of my attempts to teach him discipline. None of my other padawans questioned my methods. Obi-Wan does not question yours." Dushiko shook his head again. "I will meditate on this. Return Remii if you find him. He will have to answer for his actions. Maybe now you see why I must instill discipline in the boy. He does not think before he acts. That habit could be disastrous."

"I will find him and return him," Qui-Gon said.

Dushiko gave the other master a tight smile, then left the dining area.

Qui-Gon watched the other master leave the room, then turned back to the table where Obi-Wan waited, manfully containing his curiosity.

"Master?"

"We need to find Remii. Come, he is in the gardens."

Obi-Wan jumped up. "I think I know where he'll go."

--Continued in Chapter 17--