Resolution
By Sam Singing Wolf
Email: SngngWolf@aol.com
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Note: I watched the movie again last night, and the look in
Qui-Gon's eyes in the moments just before Maul hit him in the
face struck me as almost suspicious and maybe a little confused.
I couldn't get that look out of my mind, and so this story just
begged to be written.
Archive: Anywhere, just let me know so I can visit your site.
Disclaimer: I don't own them any of them, nor am I making any
money from this.
Feedback: Yes! Yes! Yes! Please? ;-)
Resolution
Part One
The lightsaber blades crackled, sending vibrations and tiny
sparks along the nerves of Qui-Gon's arms. He hardly noticed as
he concentrated on the enemy before him.
The Sith Lord was staring at him with hungry eyes. The red glow
from his blade reflected off his grotesquely tattooed face and
the horns that protruded from his head. For all that, that which
made his appearance unmistakably alien, he still looked, felt,
familiar to the Jedi Master. But that familiarity was twisted by
the Dark Side, the evil presence that rolled off him in waves.
Qui-Gon allowed his years of training to take over, to allow the
force to guide his arms in the intricate series of movements that
kept his enemy's blade from him. Then he turned part of his mind
to the Sith himself. Who was he?
He reached out to the other's mind with the Force. As he did, he
became more aware of Obi-Wan's presence behind the laser wall.
His apprentice was not exercising patience as he had been taught.
Instead, his sense in the Force fairly radiated urgency, a
desperate need to reach his Master.
*He's worried,* Qui-Gon thought with faint amusement. *Does he
think I'm too old to fight this enemy?* He blocked another set of
vicious blows with practiced ease. Although the Sith was truly
skilled with his double bladed saber, and unnaturally quick, the
Jedi Master was better. He felt no pride in that knowledge. It
simply was the truth. He pulled his thoughts from Obi-Wan, and
focused on the alien before him.
And found he was not alien after all. *He's a human,* he
realized. That was apparent from the first touch of his mind. He
saw the startled, angry look in the other's eyes as he recognized
what Qui-Gon was doing. For a moment, he looked almost afraid,
then his expression became feral and hungry again. Qui-Gon probed
deeper, past the dark outer layers, into the swirling maelstrom
that was this Sith Lord's mind….
He slowed slightly. The thoughts were unfamiliar, the purpose
alien, but the path those thoughts took was well known to him.
His gaze narrowed. *No…. It couldn't be…* He hesitated.
How could he kill him? This man before him wasn't his enemy….
That moment of distraction was all the Sith needed. He struck out
at the Jedi, both with the handle of his saber and with his own
mind, back along the slight link Qui-Gon had formed when he
touched his thoughts. A wave of hate, of darkness and evil, meant
to overwhelm the Master's mind. He had tried it before, with no
success, but now Qui-Gon had opened to him, he was vulnerable. He
knew who he was, and the Sith reveled in it.
Qui-Gon's eyes widened with the shock of the fierce attack on his
mind, so unexpected, then gasped at the burning pain in his chest
as the Dark Lord's saber pierced his body. He heard his own
lightsaber clatter on the floor, he heard Obi-Wan scream, and the
silent laughter of the Sith. The saber slid back out so slowly,
Qui-Gon would have cried out at the pain, had he been able to
draw breath to do so.
The pain spread through his body, every breath was agony. The
battle continued. Obi-Wan was fighting, he could feel the bright
light that was his apprentice. But Obi-Wan was fighting with
anger, and fear for him. *It's not your fault, Padawan,* he
thought. *I should have taken my own advice, kept my attention on
the here and now, not in the past I left behind so long ago.* He
felt Obi-Wan fall, and his heart constricted.
*No!* His mind cried out, even as he reached out with the Force
to try to help. He was still alive, hanging from a precarious
handhold in the pit. His thoughts touched Obi-Wan's. After a
heartbeat of resistance placed there by his anger, he felt his
Padawan calm and open to the familiar presence of his Master.
*The lightsaber,* he whispered.
He could feel Obi-Wan's thoughts follow his own. He had trained
too long to question his Master's guidance now. The Force coiled
around him, between them and the lightsaber lying at Qui-Gon's
feet.
The Jedi heard the familiar hum of his blade, and the sickening
sound of that same blade slicing through flesh. *I'm sorry
Xanatos,* he thought.
Resolution
By Sam Singing Wolf
Email: SngngWolf@aol.com
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Note: I watched the movie again last night, and the look in
Qui-Gon's eyes in the moments just before Maul hit him in the
face struck me as almost suspicious and maybe a little confused.
I couldn't get that look out of my mind, and so this story just
begged to be written.
Archive: Anywhere, just let me know so I can visit your site.
Disclaimer: I don't own them any of them, nor am I making any
money from this.
Feedback: Yes! Yes! Yes! Please? ;-)
Resolution
Part Two
*Master?* Obi-Wan's pleading voice reached through their bond.
Qui-Gon felt himself being lifted into his Padawan's arms.
"It's too late," he whispered. "It's too…"
"No!" Obi-Wan cried out. *Master, don't leave me….
I'm sorry, I should have been here… I'm sorry…. Don't
leave me…*
Qui-Gon gasped in pain. Obi-Wan's hand was pressed to the wound,
trying to heal him. The Master almost smiled at the gesture.
Nothing could save him now, but trust his Padawan to try.
"Obi-Wan, don't," he breathed. He wrenched his thoughts
from his apprentices, both the one kneeling beside him who was as
a son to him, and the former one whose body lay at the bottom of
the pit. "The boy… You must train the boy…"
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied, but his thoughts were
not on Anakin Skywalker. He drew on the Force more than he ever
had in his life, pouring energy into his Master, and even drawing
from his own life force.
"He is the Chosen One… He will bring balance….
Train him…"
Obi-Wan nodded. He felt Qui-Gon's fingers brush his cheek and
dimly realized the tears that had fallen. He tried to answer, but
no longer had the strength. He felt Qui-Gon's love wrap around
him like a warm blanket, and he bent over him, shoulders shaking
with silent tears. The Force continued to flow between them, and
he pushed harder, giving his Master all he had to give.
He felt Qui-Gon relax in his arms as the pain and weariness
overcame him. But Obi-Wan continued on. He could not, would not
let him die. Not like this.
Voices shouted unintelligible words and hands tugged gently at
his tunic. Obi-Wan shut them out, clenching his fists. He had to
hang on to Qui-Gon. He wouldn't let him go….
His eyes snapped open. His hands had closed around empty air.
*No!* He tried to call out, but his throat closed around the
sound, and it was all he could do to gasp short, painful breaths.
A mask was placed over his mouth and nose by an expressionless
medical droid.
Obi-Wan struggled to rise, his only thoughts of his Master.
Nothing made sense. Where was he? Hands pressed him back down,
and he was too weak to stop them. Nevertheless, he struggled
fiercely.
"Master!" He choked out. The tears began anew. He
couldn't sense him.
"It's all right, Padawan Kenobi," a soft voice tried to
reassure him. "He's here. It'll be all right."
He turned his head to see Padme standing over him. *No, not
Padme,* he thought. *She's someone else….* But he couldn't
figure out just who. It didn't matter. Only Qui-Gon mattered. He
ripped off the oxygen mask, to the droid's dismay. "You're
lying," he rasped. "I can't feel him. I have to get to
him…. Before it's too late!" Again he struggled to get
up, but this time his own body betrayed him by not even
responding.
Padme laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You're very weak
right now. The healers despaired of your recovery. You will be
all right, in time." She smiled and looked over her
shoulder. "And so will he."
His eyes shifted to follow her gaze as the One-Bee, muttering
imprecations that were rather startling coming from a droid,
slipped the mask back over his face. He gasped, and reached for
the mask again.
"Leave it, Padawan," said a stern, gentle voice.
"You need all the help you can get, after your
actions."
Qui-Gon Jinn stepped up beside him, leaning heavily on Mace
Windu. His face was pale, his eyes were tight with pain and his
breath ragged, but he was the most wonderful sight Obi-Wan had
even seen. Qui-Gon laid a large hand on his apprentice's
forehead.
"Transferring one's life energy is a very dangerous thing,
Padawan. I never taught you how to do that." He paused a
moment, fingers lightly brushing back his spiky hair. "You
could have died, Obi-Wan," he said.
The Padawan's eyes began drifting closed. *I just couldn't let
you leave me, Master.*
Qui-Gon sighed. *I'm here, Padawan. I'm here.* His love
accompanied the words, and Obi-Wan let out a slow breath, too
exhausted to even reply. But he reached up a trembling hand and
Qui-Gon grasped it tightly. *And I'm not going anywhere.*
End
© 2000 The characters mentioned in this story are the
property of LucasArts Ltd. The Jedi, Sith, and all other
characters who have appeared in the StarWars movies together with
the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property
of LucasArts Ltd. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement
upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other
characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole
property of the author.
