Qui-Gon found Obi-Wan back in the library, between two tall stacks of manuscripts. He sat on the floor with his knees drawn up and his head buried in his hands. Qui-Gon waited for his pupil to become aware of his presence.
After a few minutes, Obi-Wan looked at him. "I don't understand Master. How could they just let so many people die without doing anything?"
Qui-Gon sat down on the floor beside Obi-Wan. "There are a lot of things that we can't understand." He said. "I couldn't do what the Divine Prince did. If someone tried to destroy the Jedi, my friends, my peers, I would want to fight back even though I know there are better alternatives."
"Me too."
"But, they are different from us. Imagine the courage it took not to act, not to fight. The Yebbi don't believe in fighting and so they won't. It's not easy to follow your deepest beliefs when it means losing people you love." Qui-Gon said.
"I hadn't thought about it that way." Obi-Wan said. He paused. "But, they're not so different from us."
"What do you mean?"
"You were thinking that they're not so different from us. And, I've seen that they aren't."
Qui-Gon smiled; surprised that Obi-Wan had read him so easily. "It's getting harder and harder for me to hide things from you Padawan. Come, the monks have given us accommodations here in the temple. It's been a long day, why don't we go there. I'll tell you what I learned today and you can tell me what you saw."
* * *
The next day Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon rested for most of the morning.
Obi-Wan liked the temple and enjoyed the company of his new friend, but he found himself with a growing burden. He wasn't sure if could face the people who had killed so many innocents without feeling anger. He knew not to let anger and fear control his actions; to accept those except those emotions and learn from them maybe, but not to allow them to consume him. Yet they threatened to.
He wondered if perhaps Qui-Gon had been right in the beginning when he had not chosen him as his Padawan. Perhaps he was not meant to be a Jedi. It was too hard. Qui-Gon had accepted the horrors in the burned out temple too easily it seemed. Was it because he had seen worse? Obi-Wan didn't think he wanted to see anything worse.
Qui-Gon's tale about the Yebbi and Jedi being connected confused him as well. If this were true what would it mean for their futures. Would they be rejoined? What about Menalu, taken from his home at such a young age to be the ruler of his planet? Was that any different from his past? Was it any less fair? He spent a distracted morning with Qui-Gon and then was released to find Menalu. Their shuttle would depart at first light the next morning so it was their last day to spend together as friends.
* * *
Qui-Gon wandered the halls in search of Dash-te Dey. Their conversation the day before had been enlightening and yet he felt there were still questions to be answered. And he had the growing conviction that Dash-te was hiding something.
He was worried about Obi-Wan as well and it was good to spend some time alone to sort out his feelings on the matter. The boy radiated doubts about his own integrity, his abilities, and his future. And while Qui-Gon knew that this was normal for a boy his age entering the role of apprenticeship, he still had to act on it. As the master it was his job to guide Obi-Wan through this difficult period.
But Obi-Wan could be so difficult. Sometimes he had a sensitivity to the world around that went beyond his years, showing a natural maturity in so many situations. And then there were other times when he seemed so young and over eager to just jump into things without so much as a thought. Qui-Gon paused at one of the windows over looking the great forest. Had he ever been so young? Sometimes it was hard to imagine it. Qui-Gon fingered a small scar on his left hand that he had gotten as a young apprentice fighting a much bigger and stronger opponent than he should have. He smiled. Of course he had been that young.
Never the less, the morning had been a strain on his abilities as a teacher. Part of him was glad that for the first time since leaving the Jedi temple on Coruscant, Obi-Wan had someone his own age to spend time with.
Qui-Gon continued on noting that the horn blasts they had heard the day before were not the only music at the Yebbi Temple. The instrumentation and melodies changed throughout the day. Now, with the sun low on the horizon, the evening meditation music of bells and women's soft voices drifted over the temple. He rounded a corner and bumped into Dash-te and Sheniko.
"I think it is time you heard the rest." Dash-te said.
The three of them retired to a small room at the far end of the temple. It had only a few cushions on the floor and an altar of candles and smoking incense at one end. Sheniko, her long braids brushing the floor like a veil, slid a wooden screen shut behind them.
Dash-te settled himself on one of the cushions. He looked like he was about to say something, but it was Sheniko who spoke first.
"I'm sure you have noticed that not all of the monks here are men." She said. Before Qui-Gon could answer that yes, he had noticed that though the robes and shorn scalps were the same, he had noticed women as well as men, she continued. "I am the 43rd reincarnation of the great monk Dorjing Morgay."
"Yet, you are not a monk." Said Qui-Gon. He did not know this for sure of course, but if mode of dress was any indication, then it was true.
"Yes. I was stripped of my privilege of office when, at 14, I became pregnant. The oracle spake that it was a conception with no father and when my son was born, I left the temple. This was done to protect the order and avoid an investigation into how I became pregnant. Politics are everywhere, Master Qui-Gon even in religion. I knew there was a father." Qui-Gon was struck by the sound of her voice. He'd heard it during the lesson before their first audience and he was once again aware of how old and wise her voice was. It filled up the room and resonated the very walls. And in an instant Qui-Gon realized who the father was. He looked at Dash-te Dey.
He nodded. "Yes. I was only an initiate. We fell in love. I did not know the consequences."
"The oracle's words protected Dash-te," Sheniko continued. "I took my child, his child, and went to live in the village. I renounced my true name, Dorjing Morgay, and once again was called by my given name, Sheniko. I named the child 'E-yadu' which means 'light' in the sacred tongue. Dash-te looked after us. In our culture your station is not determined by your birth so a child with no father has no disadvantages. I wanted to raise him in the Yebbi way but when E-yadu was 6 months old I heard his voice in my head."
"That's about the age when Jedi first awaken to the force." Qui-Gon said.
"Yes," Dash-te said. "E-yadu was clearly force sensitive at an early age as I had been. However, I did not wish for his abilities to be stifled as mine had. I convinced Sheniko to allow me to take him away."
"And where did you take him?"
"I was an apprentice to a scholar of the old manuscripts who was sympathetic to my dilemma. He found me a transport, fabricated an alibi, and I took E-yadu to the Jedi temple on Coruscant. I was short on time, the transport was a freighter due to leave as soon as her cargo hold was emptied and refilled, so I did not know if they even tested E-yadu. I simply hoped.
"When I was appointed tutor and political advisor to the 111th Divine Prince of Enlightenment I saw to it that Sheniko was given the office of guardian." Dash-te continued. " She is a strong woman and would have been a good mother to own child. As the caregiver to the young Divine Prince, we had a family again."
"And so the fate of E-yadu remains a mystery to you."
"Yes. For many years we wondered. Did E-yadu become a Jedi as I had hoped? We did not know." Dash-te shook his head.
"It is a difficult thing to give up your child in such a way." Sheniko added. "We knew that were the council to test him, he would live his life to his fullest potential. As a Jedi - with people like him."
"And yet we wondered if we hadn't done the wrong thing. The Jedi made no promises to me."
Qui-Gon nodded. It was a dilemma faced by nearly all parents whose children were found to be force sensitive. It was such an early age to determine one's destiny.
Dash-te continued. "It wasn't until I contacted the council that I learned of my son's fate. When I spoke to the leader of the council, I saw my son's face looking back at me."
"Your son is Mace Windu." Qui-Gon said. Despite the legendary Jedi composure, he was unable to hide the astonishment in his voice. "Does he know?"
"He does now." Dash-te said and sighed. "You must remember, you Jedi are trained in the ways of the force. And while the Yebbi may recognize its existence, we are untrained. When I realized who Mace Windu was, my mind was open to him like a window. He knew everything."
It was beginning to make sense to Qui-Gon. Mace Windu was legendary for his peaceful negotiation skills. There were rumors that he had never used his lightsabre in combat against any foe. Could it be that the ways of his peaceful ancestry were somehow a part of him, even though he never knew his parents. Qui-Gon shook his head in disbelief. So many questions answered all at once. Now he understood the reason for Mace Windu's special interest. Now he understood what it was about Sheniko's voice. He hadn't realized how old she and Dash-te were. Nor had he been aware of the burden they carried. Now he knew and he wanted to help them. But first, he had to help the Yebbi remain free.
* * *
The Rengaian shuttle was sleek and modern. Technology was scarce in Es-speeth and like the protective chambers in the temple library, it's shiny hull looked out of place in a city that so embraced the natural world. The pilot was young and from what Qui-Gon could tell, highly skilled. He worked the controls with an efficiency and practice of one who was well prepared to fly such a dangerous mission.
He and Obi-Wan saw to it that the Divine Prince, Dash-te, Sheniko and the political cabinet of 8 monks were on board and then gave the pilot the okay to lift off. The Divine Prince's wide grin was gone as the tension on the shuttle rose. This was the most dangerous part of the journey. Yebbis-Corta was a large planet and there was a wide gulf between Rengaia and Talus. It would take several hours to get there despite the craft's speed and during that time they would be vulnerable to General Ruusk and his army hidden in the jungle.
After an hour of peaceful flight however, the mood relaxed. It seemed that perhaps Astrid Stovall wanted to negotiate after all and was going to let them pass over the forest unharmed. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stayed in the cockpit and watched through the broad windshield at the green forest passing below. Qui-Gon was pleased to note the despite the more relaxed atmosphere in the passenger compartment, the pilot and co-pilot stayed alert and ready. It was a good thing too.
"Look out!" Qui-Gon cried, but the warning came to late. From somewhere in the thick trees came a powerful ion blast that rocked the ship.
The pilot worked quickly to stabilize the ship, but a second blast shook it again. Even with their shields they wouldn't survive a continued bombardment like that. A third and fourth blast sent the ship well off course. Claxons blared and the lights flickered as instrument panels sparked and shorted. The pilot, skilled as he was, never had a chance to take evasive action against the attack. He struggled with the controls.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I have to land."
"Yes, get us out of the air." Qui-Gon said. They would be safer where the powerful anti-aircraft guns couldn't reach them.
It didn't look as if they had a choice. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan braced for impact as the shuttle tore through leaves and branches. The forest grew darker as they plummeted deeper and soon it was difficult to make out the distinct shapes of trees among the dense foliage. Frightened birds and animals scattered. There was the sound of grinding metal as the pilot struggled to level off the shuttle and land it. Then there was darkness.
* * *
For a moment, Obi-Wan wasn't sure where he was. He looked over at Qui-Gon who was dazed, rubbing his forehead where he'd hit the copilot's chair. The pilot and copilot were dead. Obi-Wan knew without even checking for a pulse by the way the slumped over their controls with unseeing eyes still open. Qui-Gon rose unsteadily and looked around.
"Are you all right Obi-Wan?" he asked helping him to his feet.
"I think so. And you?"
"Yes, I'll be fine. Let's see how our passengers faired."
They moved carefully through the smoky cabin. The impact had twisted the shuttle so badly that the passenger compartment was above them now. The floor buckled unsteadily making the hatchway to the difficult to open. After several minutes of prying Qui-Gon got it open enough for Obi-Wan to squeeze through.
The smoke was worse inside the passenger compartment, but Sheniko had mobilized everyone and they were working at the windows, trying to get them open. The air was stifling. If they couldn't get out they would suffocate. But everyone was alive.
"Stand back." Obi-Wan said. He went to a section of the shuttle that had the most damage. He took a deep breath, ignited his lightsabre and plunged it into the wall. The metal was thin and cut easily and he soon had a hole big enough to let air and light into the cabin.
Qui-Gon was still caught below, unable to get the hatch open far enough. Dash-te and Menalu jumped on the door until it creaked open enough to allow him through. Obi-Wan climbed out of the hole and was waiting for Qui-Gon when someone fired on him. He saw 3 pairs of soldiers in mismatched uniforms streaking down from the sky on open speeders. On of them fired again. Obi-Wan used his lightsabre to try and volley some of the shots back, but the fire was to heavy. He retreated back into the hole with the others.
Qui-Gon ordered the monks to the opposite side of the cabin. Outside they could hear the speeders still buzzing around the fallen craft like hungry insects. They had no choice but to wait.
The buzzing subsided after what seemed like hours. Qui-Gon motioned for Obi-Wan to come forward. Cautiously they peeked out the hole. For now, they were alone.
"Quick," Qui-Gon said, "gather all the emergency supplies and get them outside." For a moment 11 pairs of eyes faced him in stony silence. He could feel their fear. "Hurry," he prompted, "There's no time to lose."
Menalu stood up. "Sheniko, you can fit through the opening. Get any supplies from below." She bowed and without another word, slid through the hatch below. Menalu directed the rest, giving each a meaningful activity. He was a born leader and soon the small ship was bustling with activity as emergency shelters and blankets were gathered along with food and water rations outside the ship.
During all this Qui-Gon looked around nervously. Those speeders had left too easily. That hadn't been the end of the offensive. They would be back and most likely with greater numbers. He had to get everybody away from the ship as soon as possible. While Qui-Gon kept watch Obi-Wan helped the monks carry the supplies to a thick stand of trees a ways from the shuttle. The work was done in the hurried silence of those who know they are being hunted. Obi-Wan picked up one of the containers, it held water. His throat still burned from the smoke of the cabin. Surely no one would mind. He was about to open it when he heard shots fired the location of the ship. He tucked the container into one of his pockets and ran to help Qui-Gon.
The soldiers were coming on foot now, firing as they emerged from the bushes. Qui-Gon had the group behind him and was using his lightsabre to block the bolts as they retreated. Obi-Wan ran up, lightsabre drawn and ready to join in. Qui-Gon held out one hand.
"Get the Divine Prince out of here. You must protect him. Go!"
Without a response Obi-Wan grabbed Menalu's hand and ran in the opposite direction. They dove into the thick ground foliage and pushed through as fast as it would allow. He didn't know where he was leading them, but something told Obi-Wan to keep moving forward. The sharp leaves and branches hindered their progress and snapped back to slash their faces and arms as they pushed through. The force is guiding me, Obi-Wan thought. Then Menalu cried out.
"Look!" And he pointed at some bushes. Then Obi-Wan realized, they weren't bushes; they were the speeders, hidden under camouflage.
"Good work." He said and climbed on top of one. They were like the speeder bikes used on many planets to maneuver quickly through tight spaces but they were a bigger with more powerful engines. The sides were built up to protect the rider's legs from tree branches and a fairing windscreen protected the front. It was a little different, but fundamentally a speeder bike. That meant he knew how to operate it. "Get on" he called to Menalu.
Menalu climbed on the back and Obi-Wan hit the ignition. The engine turned over. He hit the accelerator and the two of them took off into the jungle.
The blur in the corner of Qui-Gon's eye had been Obi-Wan and the Divine Prince taking off on one of the speeders that had followed them down. "Good", he thought and then "even better", when two of the soldiers also caught sight of one their speeders leaving they took off in pursuit. That left four for him, a much more manageable number than six.
* * *
Obi-Wan ignored Menalu's screams of protest and directed his entire focus at steering. Speeder bikes were meant to skim above the ground at high speeds. This one seemed to have 2 speeds, fast and really fast, but the ground was a treacherous obstacle course of branches, vines, and tree trunks. He had so far managed to keep them alive by dodging them, but he didn't know how long his luck would last. The vegetation was too thick. He had to do something.
In a desperate move Obi-Wan ascended into the second canopy. There it became clear why these speeders were so different. They were designed to travel between the second and third canopies of the rainforest. That way they were under the cover of the upper canopy yet above the madness of vines and trees below. The 2nd level of the forest was still tight, but it was much better than the first. The flying was much better and he felt Menalu's death grip on his robe loosen.
Obi-Wan was almost feeling relaxed and had considered turning around when a blaster bolt rocked the speeder nearly knocking the two of them off. Damn, they'd been followed. The remaining two bikes with one soldier each skimmed the vegetation layer behind him. Obi-Wan tried to lose them by making erratic turns, but they were too good. They followed his every move and they were even gaining on him. He had to surprise them.
In an instant he remember the night before the mission had begun, how he'd surprised Qui-Gon by diving through his legs. Now he could do the same only backward. Obi-Wan released the throttle and the engine stalled. His pursuers passed him before they knew what had happened. With them safely in front and before they lost altitude, Obi-Wan restarted the engine and gave chase.
He caught up with one of the soldiers as he circled back and fired. The speeder's engine caught fire and a moment later it exploded in a ball of flame. "I'm sorry, Menalu." Obi-Wan yelled to his passenger.
"It is okay. You do what you must." Menalu answered back.
The second speeder was behind him again and he doubted he could use the same trick twice. He had to think of something new, but with dodging blaster bolts from behind and tree branches forward, he didn't have much time to come up with a plan. He tried rising up and skimming the above the forest altogether but that was clearly pushing the engine too hard so he had to return to the canopy below.
A blast rocked the speeder hard and Obi-Wan felt Menalu's grip loosen. "Hold on tight." He yelled back. Before Menalu could react a second blast sent the speeder bucking and shuddering. Then it seemed suddenly lighter. Obi-Wan turned in horror to catch a momentary glimpse of Menalu falling through the tree branches calling out his name.
With the remaining speeder still in pursuit Obi-Wan couldn't turn around like he wanted to. He sped up and took greater risks as he weaved in and out of the branches. Every piece of him was awake and aware, reaching out to find the obstacles and dodge milliseconds before he hit them. It didn't seem to matter. The soldier slipped in and out of Obi-Wan's traps easily and still managed to have time to fire.
The engine began to cough and sputter and Obi-Wan realized he had a new problem. The power cell was failing. Of all the things to happen at the wrong time. As the power cell indicator light ebbed low Obi-Wan formulated a plan. He waited until the engine stalled and then he leapt of the front of the speeder using the power of his leap to kick it back into this pursuer's vehicle. The two bikes exploded on impact as Obi-Wan fell away.
He hit the first tree with a crash and then another and another. He knew how to fall and how use the force to turn himself in the air to soften his landing, but the trees prevented it. Instead he was bounced from branch to branch like a rag doll. They tore at his clothes and ripped his skin. Unable to control his fall he landed with a thud on the hard ground.
For a moment Obi-Wan couldn't think or breathe. Darkness threatened to close in on him but he couldn't allow himself to lose consciousness. After a few moments the dizziness passed and wheezing, he managed to draw in air. He put his hand to his face and took it away and saw it was bloody. He sat up and took inventory.
His tunic and robe had great gashes in them where they'd been caught by tree branches. Likewise there were gashes in his skin, which bled freely. He could feel blood in his hair, which was most likely running, down his face. Sitting up had hurt and he could feel his ribs were tender. He wiped the grime and blood from his face with the edge of his tunic. The injuries were bothersome, but he would live.
He stood up and for a moment had to hold onto a tree branch while the world spun and tilted. As that subsided, it was replaced by a new queasiness.
He was lost.
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