Prepare for a healthy does of angst and fluff. Oh, and a fight scene. ::Grins::

Rough copy, there will be mistakes.

Unexpected Awakening

Chapter 16

Understanding

The sands of Tatooine spread out before him like a never ending blanket, dotted here and there with craggy hills and cliffs. He stared at them for a moment more before turning away. His feet took him across a well traveled path and towards the hut nestled between the rock faces. It was small, worn and somehow utterly familiar, though Obi-Wan had never seen it before. Yet he knew somehow deeply and instinctively, that you had to push the bottom of the door with your foot to force it open as the pressure seals had warped after years of weather. He deposited his cloak and boots in the provided places at the front door, moving into the kitchen and reaching for the kettle with practiced movements.

In the same manner that this familiarity hadn’t bothered him, Obi-Wan wasn’t surprised when he found Anakin’s lanky form sitting at his kitchen table, dirty bare feet propped up carelessly and hands clasped behind his head. He wiggled his toes at him in greeting. At Obi-Wan’s sharp look the teen smirked and pulled his feet from the table.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and joined the boy at the table moments later. There was a comfortable silence between them as the water boiled. He brought a hand up to his face, running it down the sides of his beard. The smirk was still on Anakin’s face as Obi-Wan observed him, grey blue eyes running hungrily over the teen’s face.

They didn’t speak of it, though the past hung heavily between them. He didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to think about it. He was content to simply sit here and be. As if sensing his thoughts the smirk muted itself and Anakin finally brought his hands down from the back of his head.

“You can’t stay here forever.” The words were soft, hesitant even. Not Anakin’s style and the blonde boy seemed distinctively uncomfortable. Obi-Wan stood and took the hissing kettle from the burner, pulling down two cups and filling them with a rough, desert moss that he knew would make the brew taste slightly sweet. He returned to his seat, offering the other cup to the frowning boy. “Look-”

A strange look passed his face before Anakin made a sputtering sound, slamming the cup down with enough force that it spilled tea on his hands.

“Bloody hell!

“Language.” The reprimand was out of his mouth before Obi-Wan realized what he was saying, as was Anakin’s knee jerk answer.

“Sorry, Master.” He froze at his words, suddenly flushing against his tan. They stared at each other awkwardly before Obi-Wan looked away, forcing himself to stare at his tea. He could feel Anakin’s eyes on him like a weight. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“You don’t have to call me that.” He said quietly after a moment, refusing to look at anything other then his cup.

“I…yeah.” The blonde finished lamely. Obi-Wan watched mutely as Anakin’s toes curled against the rough floor of his hut. “It’s just, er, I rather think I’m being born.”

That caught his full attention and he looked up at Anakin sharply, his brows knitting together as he stared at him. “You’re two months early.”

Anakin nodded quietly, “Yeah, but I guess a lot of things are changing now.”

A thick silence fell on them and Obi-Wan found himself unable to look away from his former apprentice. It hurt to look at him. It hurt to remember him.

“Will you come for me?” The question caught him completely off guard and Obi-Wan visible recoiled from the blonde, staring at him with narrowed eyes. He couldn’t keep the sudden welling of resentment from overwhelming him. How could he come for Anakin? He had thought of it before but now, faced with this moment, the thought of Anakin anywhere near the Temple made something inside him snarl in a very un-Jedi like way.

“I was rather under the impression you were done with my teachings.” He snapped, the cup in his cracking under the force of his anger. Anakin’s eyes darkened, his lips setting in a familiar scowl. The splash of hot tea against his hand brought Obi-Wan back from whatever plain of anger he had temporarily disappeared to and he forced himself to take a deep breath. When he spoke again, it was with a measure of diplomacy that only came from twenty-six years of field work.

“Is that what you want? To become a Jedi again?”

“I want Padmé.” His eyes were dark and Obi-Wan leaned backwards into his seat, watching as the blonde’s appearance twisted in front of him. Almost at once his hair seemed to grow darker, his eyes flashing as red crept across the iris. Desire and fear made his expression wild and suddenly he was staring at a Darth, a practitioner of the Sith Arts. “I want you to bring me to her. I will keep her from dying this time!”

The breath seemed to leave him all at once and suddenly all Obi-Wan could feel for his former apprentice was pity. He knew from the sudden tensing of the Anakin's wide shoulders that he could read the emotion in his stare. He snarled at him, leaping to his feet.

“Don’t look at me like that!” He brought his hand forward in a pinching movement and Obi-Wan felt his heart sink when he realized what the blonde was attempting to do.

“The Force will not respond to either of us here.” He said softly, knowing somehow that it was a truth. For a moment Obi-Wan thought the boy was going to physically attack him but Anakin managed to reign himself in.

“You will take me to Naboo!”

Obi-Wan stared at the blonde in disbelief. “I will not. Do you think me so mad that I would place you on the same planet as him?”

“I need to be with her! Is it not enough that you took her from me the first time?”

“You did that yourself, the moment the first Jedi fell to your blade.”

With a strangled scream Anakin threw himself at him. Obi-Wan moved with the motion, tipping the chair backwards and flipping the tall teenager. The tussle was short and awkwardly done in such a small space, leaving them both breathless. But in the end he managed to pin his former apprentice.

“Are you so jealous of what I had that you would deny her to me?” Anakin hissed, seething in his grip. Obi-Wan felt the pity from before fill him – he knew the boy well enough to see the desperation in his movements.

“Jealousy, Anakin? Is that what you think this is about?” He couldn’t keep the disappointment from his voice.

“Yes!” Scarlet eyes stared up at him angrily and it seemed to Obi-Wan that they almost glowed with the boy’s fury. “Jealousy that someone wanted to love me, jealous of my talent! My power! You were always holding me back! I could have had everything if it wasn’t for you!”

The words shouldn’t have hurt nearly as much as they did, he had heard them before after all. Still, it felt rather like being stabbed in the heart all over again.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan’s voice cracked and he stopped, steeling it as he set his heart against the boy underneath him. “Do you not remember the platform? Do you really think Padmé would have stayed after the Temple?”

Resentment flared across his face. “She would have understood, she didn’t know about the plot and-”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan managed around clenched teeth, “Do not disgrace her memory.”

He let out a grief ridden choking sound. “She can’t die!”

“Everything dies, Anakin.” He withdrew from him, hunching slightly as he stood at his full height under the curved roof. Anakin stayed on the floor, glaring at him with a look of hate. Grief filled him, overwhelming in its completeness. “I wonder when it is the boy I loved died?”

There was a bitter snort, “When did you ever know me, Obi-Wan?”

The emotions he felt flaring across the bond were complex to say the least and Qui-Gon hovered over the still Obi-Wan, watching the deepness of his sleep uneasily. He wanted to awaken the boy – it was clear that whatever dream Obi-Wan was having wasn’t pleasant. Qui-Gon couldn’t help but think of the nightmare the boy had had all those years ago in the cell. Or the words he had said after them. But the Force had stilled his hand and he knew that whatever dream it was that his newly minted padawan was having, it was something that had to play out.

That didn’t mean Qui-Gon had to like it. He sat next to his padawan unhappily, arms crossed as he monitored the boy’s condition, ready to step in and awaken him should he consider it necessary. From what he could tell, the boy was an early riser so he had been surprised when Obi-Wan had continued to sleep well into the afternoon. He was even more surprised when he failed to respond to Xi’s clumsy attempts to awaken him.

The Geaugan boy sat clear on the other side of the cave now, driven there as Qui-Gon's reactions became more and more agitated and was staring at Qui-Gon nervously. He was frightening the boy with his anger but he was hard pressed to care. A frightened Xi was a silent Xi – a rare thing where the teen was involved. And silence was exactly what he needed at the moment and Qui-Gon took this unwelcome break as a chance to sort through his thoughts.

The memories that Obi-Wan had shared with him had ingrained themselves into his own psyche in a way that he hadn’t been aware they could. He would have to ask Master Yoda if he’d ever heard borrowed memories becoming one with the viewers own. The memories were vivid. Qui-Gon found he could recall the temperature, the smell, the feel of fabric on his skin. To add to the bizarreness he found that he could remember some of them in reverse. It had taken him a few times of reviewing it to realize that he was no longer looking out from Obi-Wan’s eyes but rather observing him from the ‘Qui-Gon’ of the memories. To his dismay, Qui-Gon found the few memories that the boy had shared of his adult life were already fading from his memory. He remembered them as he remembered the fantasy holos he used to read when he was a child.

And then there were the memories themselves. Qui-Gon was still unsure of what to take of everything he saw. Was Obi-Wan from the future? He couldn’t bring himself to think those words completely but there was no denying the images he had seen were real. The only other explanation he could think of was that Obi-Wan had had a vision. Most Jedi had at least one in their life, but for it to be so…epic was unheard. Even the most renowned Seers of the Order had only ever seen bits and snatches.

Qui-Gon was hesitant to bring up that possibility. The trust between the two of them was still so new, so fragile he was afraid the boy would take it as a sign of disbelief and close himself off to him once more. Qui-Gon groaned, bringing a hand up to rub his forehead.

I keep calling him boy, but in his mind he’s only thirteen years younger then me.

It was clear that what had happened had shaken Obi-Wan to his very core. The confident, agile man Qui-Gon had seen in the visions was no where present in the broken boy he’d been dealing with. A part of him mourned to see such a loss. No matter what Obi-Wan thought about himself, Qui-Gon had seen the great man he had been. And he was determined to find that man again.

He would restore his padawan’s faith in himself, even if he had to fight Obi-Wan every step of the way.

Next to him Obi-Wan’s breath hitched and Qui-Gon turned, relieved to know he was finally awake. The relief died the moment he saw the heavy grief across the boy’s face, the unshed tears that made his eyes seem glossy and bright. For a moment he felt the grief swallow him as well, a tangible presence in his mind as it bled through their link. And then it was gone muffled by heavy shields as Obi-Wan rolled away from him, turning to face the wall.

Qui-Gon frowned and reached a hand out, fully intent on comforting his apprentice – only to freeze as Obi-Wan’s faint voice reached him.

“Don’t. Please.” His voice was strained, shoulders quivering as he brought a hand up to cover his face. “Just…I don’t think I can if you touch me.”

He nodded mutely, clenching his hands together in his lap. Qui-Gon swallowed against the uncomfortable feeling in his throat. It bit at him that Obi-Wan felt like he had to hide his feelings from him. It made sense, he supposed. Obi-Wan had been on his own for a very long time. It was to be expected really, after what he’d gone through. He tried not to feel rejected but Qui-Gon found he couldn’t stop the bitter feeling from filling him. Qui-Gon breath caught as Obi-Wan’s hand grasped his wrist, squeezing it reassuringly. He felt his mind blanch slightly as he stared into a set of kind eyes.

“Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan’s was soft, “I’m not rejecting you. It’s just if you comfort me right now I’m going to loose it and bawl like a baby.”

Shame filled Qui-Gon at those words and he ducked his head in a stiff nod. How was it that whenever he was around Obi-Wan, things never went the way he wanted them to? He should be giving solace, not receiving it. Frustration suddenly bloomed its ugly head in his chest, coupled with a helplessness that made him grit his teeth. The hand squeezed again and disappeared as Obi-Wan sat up next to him.

“I’m okay now.” The boy gave him a small smile. “Really.”

Qui-Gon stared at him, incapable of even processing such a blatant lie.

You would think that at his age he would know better.

With a shake of his head Qui-Gon reached out, hooking his hand on the back of Obi-Wan’s neck and pulled him forward until the boy’s forehead was pressed against his chest.

“Cry.”

And with a shudder he did.

The Government Broadcasting Headquarters was an impressive structure, with four tiers and a large central tower that dominated the skyline. From the armored truck that Xi had ‘acquired’ (much to Obi-Wan’s amusement and Qui-Gon’s annoyance) the two Jedi discussed their options.

“Once we get in there, we’ll have two Sith to deal with for sure, maybe more children like at the academy. Plus whatever security we run into.” Obi-Wan critiqued with a sigh. There was a high chance that there were going to be a lot of dead people before this was over. “I doubt she’ll let us just walk into her office. It’ll be best if we split up.”

Next to him Qui-Gon shook his head. “No, that’s too dangerous. We don’t know what kind of skill this Sith Mistress has. Her apprentice alone managed to injury you greatly.”

He shot the older man an annoyed look. “I was distracted.”

“And if you get distracted again?” Qui-Gon asked dryly before folding his hands in his robe in a move of finality. “No, it is far too dangerous. This is what we shall do -”

Obi-Wan pursed his lips as he listened to the plan the older Jedi laid out. He had been afraid of this. He loved Qui-Gon, he truly did. But sometimes the Jedi Master could be a rather patronizing. What was the world that Mace had used? Ah yes, tyrannical. He needed Qui-Gon to stop seeing him as a sixteen year old boy. He interrupted his Master with a sharp movement of the hand.

“I am not a child, Qui-Gon.”

Qui-Gon looked at him in surprise. “I know that, Obi-Wan.”

“With all respect, I don’t think you do.” He brought a hand up to rub at his eyes in frustration. “I have been a field agent for twenty six years, a Master – to whatever ends – for fourteen of them.” He shook his head, leveling the older Jedi with a serious stare. “I did not come back from the dead to be coddled like a blind toddler. Though I may bear the title of Padawan, I am a Master in my own right. This will not work if you can not see that.”

The range of emotions that passed over his Master’s face was astonishing, especially considering that it was Qui-Gon. He could visibly see the moment Qui-Gon truly understood. He gave Obi-Wan a grim, apologetic smile.

“Forgive me, Obi-Wan. Of course.”

Obi-Wan sighed. He felt like he’d just killed something between them once and for all. And he had, for he knew that Qui-Gon finally understood that he was no child. He couldn’t help but feel sad, as ridiculous as it was. For even though he just spoke those words to Qui-Gon, a part of him wanted to be coddled. A heavy hand rested on his shoulder and he was surprised to find Qui-Gon still smiling at him, though this time it was much brighter.

“As a binary partnership then.”

Obi-Wan nodded dumbly as he felt a warmth bloom in his chest. Binary partners were two Jedi usually of equal standing that chose to complete their missions as a pair. It was not odd to find former Master-Padawan teams as binaries, though more often it was used by close friends simply because of the level of equality such a partnership usually demanded between the two.

He gave the older man an even smile. “I believe that would be accetable."

“Though I reserve the right to act like your Master should I feel fit.”

“That’s a bit open, don’t you think?” He asked dryly as he eyed his Master wearily.

Qui-Gon snorted and threw the truck door open. “Somehow I think you’ll let me know if I overstep my bounds. Xi!”

A black shaggy head appeared through the rear window. “What?”

“You should get out of here, chances are it’s going to get messy.” Qui-Gon shot the teen a dangerous look as he opened his mouth to object. “I mean it.”

Obi-Wan gave the irritated Geaugan a grin and a shrug before following his Master out. The cold whipped at his bare face before he yanked his face covering up. The gates of the GBH towered above them as they drew near and Obi-Wan could already see the guards breaking away to move towards him.

“How do you want to do this?” He asked as he gave the guards a friendly wave. He caught the sight of a brief grin on Qui-Gon’s scarf less face before he too yanked his scarf up.

“Don't worry. Can you handle the background noise?” Obi-Wan nodded, falling in step behind his Master. Qui-Gon greeted the guards, the Force whispering between them as he influenced their mind. Obi-Wan set out to eliminate the background observers, sending out a general current of will, less direct then mind suggestions. A gentle urging for anyone watching them to look away, slide their eyes over them as if they were no longer there. They made their way into the crowded lobby and he felt himself sweat slightly as the number of minds he needed to convince to look away increase. A few minutes later and Qui-Gon had gotten them an appointment with Terlius.

Obi-Wan let out a breath as the elevator doors closed, releasing the Force. “She didn’t even bother using an alias.”

“And her pride now serves us.” Qui-Gon said calmly, folding his hands into his arms. The lift shook slightly and Obi-Wan sighed, taking in the image of them side by side in the lift glass. He would have to get used to being dwarfed by someone other then Anakin, Qui-Gon was a giant of a man.

Anakin.

It had been ages since he had allowed himself to cry, to simply grieve and Obi-Wan had truly needed it after the encounter. He didn’t know what to make of it all really. How could he have been talking to his former padawan if the boy hadn’t been born yet? And it was clearly his Anakin. He knew it couldn’t be a dream, so how?

“I want Padmé.”

What was he suppose to do? Obi-Wan couldn’t just leave Anakin to live his life out as a slave. He still loved the boy, no matter what he had done. But he knew he couldn’t bring himself to have Anakin among the Jedi again. Nor could he bring Anakin anywhere near that snake of a man. Next to him Qui-Gon cleared his throat.

“Center yourself on the present, Obi-Wan.” His Master’s voice was even. Obi-Wan sighed, dropping his eyes to stare at the blinking floor light.

“Yes, Master.” The lift doors opened with a bing and both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan blinked in surprise filled. Their lightsabers ignited with a hum and Obi-Wan found himself slipping into step behind his Master. “I’ll take the left flank.”

Qui-Gon nodded. “Keep the causalities as low as possible.”

It took them less then ten minutes to clear the hallway, what the guards didn’t have in skill they made up in raw numbers. Both Jedi were panting when they finally stop streaming in from the emergency lifts.

“At this rate she’ll escape.” Obi-Wan said crossly as he followed Qui-Gon across the hallway, stepping over groaning injury with every step. Qui-Gon grimly nodded in agreement.

“Not much we can do about that.” With a jerk of his lightsaber Qui-Gon fried the door controls and with a hiss the doors opened. He paused as he stepped into the room, a look of confusion flashing over his face. Obi-Wan stepped into the room behind his Master and groaned. A row of army droids were lined up neatly before them. As he watched, the lights along their base flared to life and the droids began to move.

“I’ve dealt with them before, they’re prototypes.” He pointed to the lengthy, thick cables that connected each droid to wall mounted generator. “Limited reach but quick. Cut off their power cables if you can, or else the head. That usually stops them.”

Qui-Gon nodded, easily deflecting the first row of blaster bolts. “Let’s make this quick then.”

The two of them made short work of the droids and Obi-Wan nearly screamed when the hallway behind them began to fill with more guards. Qui-Gon shook his head, pushing him towards the doors

“We’ll make a run for it. Find a door we can rewire close.”

Xi really didn’t know how this had happened. One moment he was happily sitting in the truck, watching the snow fall and wondering if his dear savior and his creepy wizard friend was dead yet and the next his head was in a bag and was being dragged, rather painfully he might add, up numerous flights of stairs.

He’d pissed off a lot of people in his short life; he sort of always thought that something like this would happen. He rather expected one of the various loan sharks had finally caught up with him. Yet when the hood was ripped off and Xi was already half way through his spiel of his innocence he realized rather abruptly that this wasn’t a loan shark at all.

The sight of the breathtaking blonde woman with ferocious red lips hovering over him scared him far more. Xi felt the blood leave his face in a rush.

“Iianna.”

There was a flash of perfectly white teeth. “Hello Fuan Yi. How ya been?”

Qui-Gon was breathing heavy as he leaned against the door, ignoring the sound of blaster bolts being deflected on the other side. By his side, Obi-Wan was drying his sweaty palms on his pants. They were trying to exhaust them. A tried and true action that was certainly beginning to work. They were currently trapped in a small antechamber, unable to unlock the door in front of them and backtracking was impossible.

Xi hadn’t been kidding when he said this place was built like a fort. They had enough men to build a small army. He shared an annoyed look with Obi-Wan. The younger man was in better shape then Qui-Gon, his breath only slightly strained, but that was to be expected. Qui-Gon wasn’t as young as he used to be. He was pleased to finally have an unobstructed view of Obi-Wan’s lightsaber abilities. The younger Jedi saber play was top notch, incredibly so. He would have to ask for a spar when they got out of this, so he could truely measure the depth of Obi-Wan's skills. Though Obi-Wan couldn’t help but wonder why the boy had stopped using Ataru. Qui-Gon was considered a master of Form IV, surely he would have taught it to Obi-Wan.

“Was that Soresu I saw you using?”

“Yes. I dropped Ataru as my primary after you died.”

“Ah.” Obi-Wan sent him an apologetic smile. Qui-Gon waved it away. “Everyone dies.”

There was a hissing sound and they both looked up in surprise as the door in front of them opened. The large office was empty saved for Terlius, leaning casually against her desk. She looked devastating beautiful and utterly collected. She gave them a cheerful smile and Qui-Gon felt his breath catch as a memory rose to the surface. He knew this woman from the Temple.

Iianna Terlius.

Iian’s sister! How could he not have recognized her? She’d been just a little older then Xanatos’ clan. Supposedly she was killed in route to her assignment to AgriCorps. Iian knew, Qui-Gon realized darkly. He must have known. Obi-Wan stepped away from Qui-Gon, a look on his face that he instantly disliked.

“I’ll handle this.” He said as he slipped his cloak from his shoulders. “You shouldn’t be involved.”

Qui-Gon frowned, “Obi-Wan wait, we need to bring her back to the Temple and-”

“No.” He interrupted darkly, “I can’t take that risk.”

“Obi-Wan, don’t-” Qui-Gon reached determinedly for his arm, but the younger man danced out of his reach into the office. The door hissed shut, Qui-Gon’s finger tips were so close they brushed across the cool metal as it closed. “-do something you’ll regret.”

A conversation in the cave came unbidden to the forefront of his mind, filling him with a sharp feeling of dread.

“There is still one more I must find before I can leave this place.” Xi froze, nearly dropping the meat. A look of pure horror crossed his face as he stared at Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon could almost hear the boy’s thoughts. He thought Obi-Wan sought to kill this woman. He quickly moved to correct and reassure the boy.

“He does not seek this woman to kill her Xi, he seeks to bring her to justice. It is not the Jedi way to kill without reason.”

Xi did not look convinced.

And now neither was Qui-Gon. The Force sent a warning a split second before the crimson blade descended. He bent over backwards, spinning out of the way, his own blade parrying. The monster of a humanoid stood before him and Qui-Gon fought to recall its name as he ducked again. The antechamber was the tiny, hardly enough for a fight and Qui-Gon growled as he ducked again, crossing the width in seven wide steps. The beast lunged at him again and Qui-Gon switched tactics, stepping into the strike and catching the Sith off guard as he twisted behind him, green blade slashing across the humanoid’s back.

He had to finish this quickly and get to Obi-Wan, he couldn’t stifle the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Iianna Terlius gave him a winning smile as she sipped from the wine glass in her hand. “Obi-Wan Kenobi. So nice to meet you in a more agreeable situation. I do hope you don’t hold that slave thing against me.”

Obi-Wan ignored her, a flick of his wrists igniting his lightsaber. Iianna set the wine glass down with a shake of the head.

“What is wrong with males these days?” She asked forlornly before pulling her own lightsaber to her hand. She played with the hilt before letting out a long sigh. “We don’t have to do this, Obi dear. I really don’t feel like I deserve being hunted down so. I rather feel put out, honestly. I mean, have I ever done anything to you personally?”

“That’s not important.” Obi-Wan answered darkly. “You’re a Sith, you must be contained.”

“Contained or murdered?” She asked with a snarl, her crimson blade flaring to life as she leapt towards him. Obi-Wan met her blade easily and reversed it, bringing his own down in a wide arc. Terlius jerked backwards, reaching out with the Force and sending a series of wall directions hurtling at him.

Obi-Wan cut them down as they reached him, catching the desk she sent flying at him moments later and sending it back at her. Obi-Wan threw himself after it, using the distraction of it to land a blow across her chest. Terlius veered out of the way at the last moment and deadly blow was rendered a burn. She snarled at him, one hand coming to clutch at the front of her destroyed robes.

“You think you’re so much better then me? So high up on you’re pedestal, little Jedi!” She backed up until her back was pressed against the wall and Obi-Wan cursed as a door suddenly slid open behind her.

You’re letting her dictate the battlefield!

Obi-Wan pushed passed the warning and followed the woman outside, cursing against the freezing wind that bit at him.

It had been snowing heavily when they’d arrived at the building and the blizzard was in full force now. Obi-Wan could hardly see a few feet in front of him, much lest Terlius. The Force screamed out a warning and Obi-Wan instantly brought his lightsaber up to block, dropping to his feet and sweeping Terlius’ feet out from underneath her. The Sith cursed, catching herself with her hand before shifting her weight and flipping away. Obi-Wan lunged after her but she’d already disappeared into the snow.

“What’s wrong, Obi-Wan? Can’t see to well?” He spun around, lightsaber pointed threateningly towards where he heard the voice. He threw himself to the side as the crimson blade slashed from his right. “That was slow Obi-Wan! Almost to slow. It’s the cold, five more minutes of this and you’ll be dead.”

Obi-Wan grunted and brought his blade up hastily to block a series of attacks. He pressed forward, easily taking the offensive from the woman but she managed to dance away again, disappearing into white.

“Wanna know a secret about my kind?” He swung around, nearly catching the Sith before she slipped away once again. “We Iillam don’t feel cold. Not like you humans do.”

He cursed himself, trying to fight off the bone chilling cold that was steadily making it harder to react. A trap Obi-Wan realized bitterly, and he’d walked right into it. Willing into it. Terlius was trying to even the playing field, hoping to make up for what she lacked in combat skills.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes – they were useless anyway, serving only to distract him. How many times had he done sightless exercises in his life? This was practically Jedi basics here. He had to calm down, clear his mind and focus on what the Force was telling him.

Obi-Wan allowed himself to relax, feeling the tension fall free of his shoulders as he did so. The cold bit at him, but he forced himself to ignore it. Steady, deep breathes. Reach with the Force, let it tell you where –

His eyes snapped open and Obi-Wan leapt forward, blade crackling angrily as it was parried. He kept on her, striking fast and hard, determined to keep her from being able to slip away. Terlius gasped and for a moment she met his strikes one for one but he could feel her weakening. There was a flash of silver to his left and Obi-Wan broke away, barely missing the vibro shiv that Terlius had pulled from seeming out of no where. She broke away from him but Obi-Wan followed at a sprint, determined not to loose her this time.

Terlius clumsily threw the shiv at him, not even looking over her shoulder as she did so. Obi-Wan easily avoided it and closed in on her, blue blade half way down in a strike – only to stop so violently he actually sent himself tumbling forward. He was on his feet in an instant, staring furiously at the Sith. Terlius had Xi by the hair, the Geaugan teen kneeling painfully before her, back arched as he tried to ease the pressure on his scalp. Xi stared back at him pitifully, lips blue and frightfully pale. Ice had frozen over his nose completely and the poor boy was panting heavily. Terlius’ blade hovered close enough to his neck that the ice there was melting.

“Move and I kill him!”

Qui-Gon used the impact against the wall to shoot himself forward, slashing down with his lightsaber as he did so. The humanoid was good, but his Master either was poor in the combat area herself or really didn’t care if her apprentice died or not. It was raw force that was keeping the Sith alive. Qui-Gon blocked another one of his blow, hissing at the vibrations race painfully down his arms. He had taken to wielding his lightsaber like a two hander as much as possible, the extra force helped defuse the power of the blows.

Qui-Gon growled, disliking the scattered emotions he could feel coming through the bond. Deactivating his lightsaber, Qui-Gon caught the humanoid by his cloak and tugged, using the momentum of its charge to catch it off balance. It stumbled and he lunged forward, using the Force to leap over it, hooking his fingers underneath its breathing apparatus and yank.

The humanoid gave a shriek, trying to grasp at the flailing tubes. Qui-Gon ignited his own blade and leaped forward and slit the creature open from nose to naval. The red blade slid limply from his hand before the behemoth collapsed. Qui-Gon hesitated only for a moment, calling the dead Sith’s lightsaber to his hand and clasping it onto his own belt before carving a hole in the door with his blade.

The Force was driving now. He needed to get to Obi-Wan. Now.

He kicked the dislodged circle out violently, ignoring the burn of the hot metal as it scrapped against him as he all but leapt through the hole, sprinting towards the flaring Force signatures. He stepped in the cold, blinking against the low visibility. Obi-Wan’s force signature stood out like a beacon though and Qui-Gon carefully made his way through the white out. He clamped down on his Force signature, muting it as he glanced around wearily.

Qui-Gon could just make out the tense figures a few feet in front of him. He felt his stomach twist as he stepped closer, finally able to see Terlius’ figure looming over a second which he suspected with a sinking heart to be Xi. Obi-Wan’s fierce demand seconds later confirmed his fear.

“Release him! He has nothing to do with this!”

“Why on earth would I do that?” Terlius barked sharply, her voice tight and ugly. She tightened her grip on the Geaugan’s head and gave it a shake for good measure. “I’m walking out of here, Obi-Wan, or your little friend here’s going to get it.”

Qui-Gon?

The touch of Obi-Wan’s mind was hesitant, though Qui-Gon embraced it fully.

I’m here.

He could feel the younger man’s frustration and Qui-Gon pressed his calm onto him as he deftly made his way around the pair, nearing the Sith as much he dared too. He gathered the Force around him quickly and reached out with it, yanking the boy from her grasp even as Terlius’ head snapped towards him in alarm. He’d barely caught the flailing teen before Obi-Wan was on the woman. Cursing, Qui-Gon dropped Xi, barely catching the blue blade before it decapitated the Iillam. He grunted under the force of Obi-Wan’s strike, trying to keep his own from cutting into the downed woman’s throat.

“What are you doing?” The rage he felt on the other side of the bond almost made him take a step backwards.

“Don’t do this, Obi-Wan.” He said breathlessly, trying to deflect the blue blade to the side. Obi-Wan refused to move. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Move!” He cried out in frustration, leaning further into the move.

“No.” He groaned, his shoulders popping. This was all a bit much after the day he’d had and he called effortlessly on the Force, using its strength to keep from giving an inch. “I won’t let you do this. She’s defeated Obi-Wan, stop this!”

“You don’t understand, Qui-Gon, move.”

He pressed himself through the bond, fighting against the shields that Obi-Wan had slammed down. He willed his padawan to feel him, to hear reason. “Take her to the Council to be judged, we have to-”

“No! I can’t take the risk that she’ll escape. I can’t - I have to do this!” Obi-Wan was putting his full weight behind the blow now and Qui-Gon groaned. He knew he couldn’t hold out much longer.

“Can’t you see what’s happening? If you kill her now, it would be murder!” His padawan wasn’t listening to him and Qui-Gon struggled to keep his hold. He refused to lose Obi-Wan like this. He gathered his concern and threw it at his padawan in the desperate hope that it would break through the shielding. “You can not kill her out of fear! Can’t you see where that will lead you?”

Obi-Wan gasped next to him, stepping back as if Qui-Gon had physically pushed him. He kept his blade pressed against Terlius’ throat, keeping the Sith pinned as he watched the conflict on Obi-Wan’s face. Slowly the younger man nodded, deactivating his lightsaber.

Qui-Gon sighed in relief. The danger had passed, at least for now. This was something that would have to be discussed at another time. The Force hummed around him and Qui-Gon glanced up in surprise, eyes widening as he recognized the red form of Secon II – Iian Terlius’ ship.

He caught the searching wave of the Force and sent it back, digging his foot into the soft skin of the Sith’s stomach as he removed his blade, before reaching into his belt and digging out a bare of magnetic cuffs. Seconds later and he had Terlius secured and yanked her to her feet – to his right Obi-Wan had lifted a half frozen Xi easily to his feet.

The Secon hovered before them and Qui-Gon leapt easily into the open cargo bay, ignoring the shocked look on Iian’s face as he moved towards the small detainee capsule. He secured Terlius before slamming the capsule door shut. A moment later and Terlius was asleep, suspended until they reached Coruscant. Iian was staring at his sister’s face, looking rather disgruntled.

Qui-Gon stepped into Iian’s line of sight, staring down the other Jedi. “Can you handle this, Iian?” It spoke volumes of what he thought of the Iillam that when he nodded, Qui-Gon believed him. “You knew she was alive.”

Iian looked away. “Qui-Gon, I-”

“We’ll talk about this later. Just get us home.” Qui-Gon turned from the other Jedi, turning his attention to his pale padawan and the half frozen Geaugan teen. They could easily arrange for Xi to return home at another date. He sunk into a seat across from his padawan, observing the two teens as he brought a hand up to rub at the growing sourness in his left shoulder.

He was getting entirely too old for this sort of nonsense.

See, I don’t always leave it at cliffhangers! This chapter was hard for me to write, so I'm eagerly looking forward to your input. I'm so happy I got them off the planet. Iianna's not down for the count, she's a Mistress of words more then of combat. And yes, the hut at the beginning is the infamous one from IV.

I’ve started a yahoo group at my friend’s suggestion, if you’re interested check it out.

http: // movies. groups. yahoo. com/ group/ ua_sleepless/ (just remove the spaces)

Please review!