Spoilers: Jedi Apprentice #1 - #13 for now.
Disclaimer: This story is not intended to infringe upon the copyrights of George Lucas, LucasFilms, Scholastic Books, Jude Watson, or any other party affiliated with the Star Wars universe. This story is written for entertainment purposes only and not intended for profit. I don't own them, I'm just playing with them for a while...
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Touched by Darkness
by danakate ([email protected])
Chapter 1
Obi-Wan Kenobi stared out his bedroom window, marveling at how Coruscant never seemed to sleep. The air traffic was not nearly as congested as during the day and early night but there were still numerous beings out and about. He blinked slowly, ignoring the burning sensation in his eyes, and rested his forehead on the cool glass. He remained that way for several minutes, watching the morning sun's rays creep slowly across the Jedi Temple towers.
With the Force as his guide, he began pushing aside his body's fatigue. A mere month before meditation of this caliber would have taken all his concentration. Now, he slipped into it with the ease of a seasoned Jedi. He was still a Padawan, however, and his technique rough. Abruptly, he realized he was falling asleep. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he nearly missed the small ripple in the Force telling him that Qui-Gon was awake. Quickly, he slid under the covers of his sleep-couch. A light knock sounded at his door. Sitting up, feigning grogginess, the young apprentice greeted his Master. Qui-Gon was up much earlier than usual, but the boy did not press.
"The Council has summoned us." Concise and to the point, business as usual. But a trace of concern seeped into the comment.
Obi-Wan nodded, rising to prepare. Most likely they had another mission. He had mixed feelings about the possibility. On one hand, he was excited about the prospect of traveling to some distant planet and helping whoever needed help. On the other...he knew his body could not take much more abuse and neither could his mind. He and his Master had been on many long missions in recent months. The last was particularly grueling for him. Although he was rapidly learning and gaining experience, he was not a Jedi yet, and the missions were constantly pushing his limits. Even the simplest of missions could turn deadly and if he were not in tune with the Force he would be of little help to his Master or the people they were assisting. The strain he was subjecting himself to was slowly starting to show, although he tried desperately to hide it. At least Qui-Gon was unaware...for the moment.
The pair made the trip to the Council Chambers in silence, each preoccupied with his own thoughts. Obi-Wan was grateful as it gave him some time to focus his mind and allow the Force to flow through him, keeping him awake and alert. Qui-Gon appeared distracted. Obi-Wan surmised he knew something of why they were summoned so early.
Lost in his own thoughts, it was several moments before Obi-Wan noticed his surroundings. The hallways, which should have been virtually empty, had several Knights and Masters milling about. The air seemed thick with tension and uncertainty.
"Master?"
"Not now, Obi-Wan."
He was shocked to see strain on Qui-Gon's features. Probing carefully, he sensed turmoil floating just outside tight mental shields. Something was definitely wrong.
Obi-Wan felt very ashamed. He had been so preoccupied with his own selfish needs that he failed to notice the atmosphere. Something dangerous was in the air, yet he had not sensed it. It was a testament to his degrading abilities. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mind to the Force, sifting through all that it was telling him. He was nearly overloaded with numerous warnings from the Force, but there were no immediate dangers. It was something just out of his reach.
Arriving at the Council Chambers moments later, Obi-Wan was surprised to find most of the Council conferring outside the massive room. Immediately, the two Jedi strode forward, bowing respectfully.
"What has happened? I was informed only that Master Windu had been injured," Qui-Gon asked, tension in his voice.
"Attacked, we have been. For me, this was intended."
Qui-Gon raised a questioning eyebrow at Master Yoda.
"Master Windu was the first to arrive for this morning's session," Plo Koon interjected.
"From what we can gather, a delayed trap was set for the chamber," Master Koon continued, pointing to the great doors of the chamber. Looking closely, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could just make out what appeared to be a sensor that blended almost perfectly with the doorframe.
"The sensor released four poison darts. Windu was able to deflect three of them." Plo handed Qui-Gon the remains of the deflected darts. Two were melted into unrecognizable bits of metal. The third was stunted as if the very tip had been disintegrated by Master Windu's lightsaber.
"The fourth dart came from above and struck him in the neck," Master Koon finished. "We found him unconscious on the floor. We were all near the chambers when we felt a disturbance in the Force. We think we arrived just after the attack concluded."
"What is his status?" Qui-Gon inquired, gazing into the chamber.
"Currently, he is comatose. The Healers have administered an antidote, but it is slow working. They expect him to make a full recovery. Master Jinn," Plo Koon gave the other Master a careful look, "Yoda was correct when he said this attack was intended for him, or possibly Master Yaddle."
"It was a species specific poison?"
"Yes and a deadly one at that. Had Yoda or Yaddle been exposed to the poison, they would have died nearly instantly. It was tailored specifically for their species, but it is still deadly for other species. If we had not found Master Windu when we did, he most likely would be dead."
Obi-Wan shivered at the thought of the Temple under siege again. His eyes turned to the open doors of the Council's chambers. The majestic room, normally filled with great knowledge and power, was now tinged with a deadly presence that had nearly claimed one Master's life. He listened with half an ear as Qui-Gon conferred with the other Jedi, gathering as much information as possible and formulating a plan to discover the culprits and their motivations.
Standing in the doorway, Obi-Wan replayed his interpretation of the events that had transpired earlier that morning. He could imagine Master Windu striding through the great doors, his large frame moving solidly, his cloak billowing behind him. He imagined the wise Master pausing as the Force told him something dangerous was about to happen and the sound of his lightsaber as it sprang to life. He could hear the noise of the darts as they all released simultaneously and the hum of Windu's lightsaber as it cut through the air, incapacitating all but one of the poison darts. He envisioned the brief look of surprise on the Master's face as he realized he was too late and one dart had slipped through his defense, and then --
Movement caught Qui-Gon's attention. Turning, he was surprised to see Obi-Wan staggering toward the Council room as if some unseen force was pulling him.
"Obi-Wan?"
Qui-Gon moved toward Obi-Wan, concern on his features, when the boy toppled over, sprawling out in the center of the chamber. Suddenly, Qui-Gon stumbled, brought to his knees from the mental onslaught crashing into him from his Padawan. Obi-Wan was screaming in his mind.
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To be continued.
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Author's notes: The perpetual modifications continue. I think this is revision 3 of the first 3 parts. Thanks to James for initial constructive criticism. Thanks to Kelly for additional proofreading and sanity checks (in the grammar/spelling/structure, not the content). ;)
This is my first fan fiction in the Jedi Apprentice world. It's taking a ridiculous amount of time to get the parts out. Oh, well. Feedback is greatly appreciated.
Take note that Obi-Wan Kenobi is supposed to be in his teens. I debated whether or not to make him older, but it makes more sense for him to be about 16. This story ignores the events in Jedi Apprentice #14 - "The Ties that Bind" and beyond.
Created:
Unknown
Revision History:
Unknown
2002-04-23
©2002 Jennifer Kahng