Qui-Gon swept from the Council Chambers muttering curses under his breath, heading for the lift. The Council hadn't even consulted him, hadn't even asked Obi-Wan if he'd help them. He could feel Obi-Wan, feel his fear, and it tugged on him, the Force exerting as much a pull as his Padawan's fear. He wished he could understand the Force - the last time he'd felt this kind of compulsion to be somewhere it had led him away from his Padawan. He'd left the Council Chambers as soon as Toman found the boy, and he didn't even know if any of the Council had protested. He had no time to deal with them right now.
Once he'd reached the level they'd said Obi-Wan had left from, he headed for the door. A hand fell on his arm as he reached to open the door to the outside, and he looked up to meet Tahl's eyes. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"To find Obi-Wan."
Her hand tightened on his arm as he started to move past her, out the door. "What happened?"
"I don't have time right now," he said shortly, trying to curb his anger. It was not her fault.
She let him go and followed him from the Temple; he slowed marginally so she could keep up. "What happened?" she repeated, drawing her cloak tighter about her. The wind on this walkway was always cold, no matter what the temperature on the rest of the planet, and the sun was beginning to set. He barely noticed the chill.
"The Council was going to cast him out." They made him think they were going to cast him out, he corrected himself silently. Angry as he was, he knew that if he broke this charade, they might not find out who might have been helping Toman get into the Temple. "I was trying to change their minds when he ran." And as soon as the door closed behind Obi-Wan, Mace had explained exactly what they were doing, and why he had to wait to go after his Padawan.
"Do you know where he is?" Her hand tucked itself neatly into his elbow, and he lengthened his stride again.
"I asked him not to block me. So far, he hasn't. He's down on the lower levels somewhere near the Temple." He took the next ramp down, but slowed as Obi-Wan repeated some directions he'd heard. They didn't make any sense, at least not until Qui-Gon found out where Obi-Wan had been when he'd gotten them. The boy was working hard on keeping his fear from getting in the way. Casting out with the Force when he reached the next level, Qui-Gon caught the barest hint of his Padawan's Force signature, left by his passage, and bolted forward, following it even as it faded. Tahl pounded behind him, her fingers laced in his cloak to keep up with him.
They wove through a marketplace, but slowed on the other side only long enough for him to find that hint of Obi-Wan's Force signature, and he was off again, twisting through alleys. Suddenly he stopped, staring at a narrow alcove that seemed to ooze darkness. A darkness he recognized, from the pain in his head when he'd woken up. "His directions came from here," he said softly. "Keep sharp. It's dangerous down here."
Tahl snorted, but said nothing. He was glad.
It was difficult finding the landmarks in Obi-Wan's directions; it had been near dusk when they'd left, and it was considerably darker on this level. Walkways and buildings hid the lights of the upper levels, and most of the lights here no longer worked. It didn't help that the alleys were not straight, twisting around on themselves as he tried to find the mark, an old statue, counting mouths of alleys they passed to find the right one. He had to move slowly, and could feel the frustration building up in him. Taking a breath, he let it out and the frustration with it. This was necessary. Otherwise, they'd get lost and it would take longer.
He froze suddenly as anger, fear, and horror lanced through the training bond, sharp enough that he wavered and might have fallen if Tahl hadn't taken his arm. "Qui-Gon?" she asked, worry lacing her tone.
Qui-Gon steadied himself. "Something happened," he said, and he cleared his throat to steady his voice. "But not to Obi-Wan. To someone else." The horror eased to sorrow, flashed through with anger, but the fear and the panic that had been in the bond remained.
Tahl nodded. "Where do we go next." Her voice was calm, steady, all that he should be and was not, and he pulled that calm into himself with the Force, trying to reach a state in which he could think and work - and find Obi-Wan.
"Left," he said, and they started off again.
He realized then that they hadn't been accosted yet, and at the same time hoped it would continue to be the case. He didn't want or need any more distractions. On the other hand, while the gangs on the lower levels probably preyed on any Jedi Padawan they saw, two full Knights would certainly give them pause. He shook the thought off, focusing on finding the cracked wall on the left that was the next landmark to finding his Padawan. They went on, deeper and deeper into the maze of alleyways, following the directions Obi-Wan had given his Master.
The last one led them into an alley on their right. Just as Qui-Gon stepped in, pain and fear blasted so strongly through the bond that he staggered backwards, gripping his head. The wall behind him stopped his movement, and he groaned low, fighting to keep himself from blacking out. The pain was debilitating, but he would not cut Obi-Wan off now. The boy needed him. Slowly, he gained control again, looking up into Tahl's worried face. "He's...." he started, but couldn't go on. It felt as if Obi-Wan's arms were being pulled from his shoulders.
Even as he started forward, that pain stopped, but almost immediately another started, one he couldn't identify. The only good thing he could think of was that it was less intense, and he could focus on finding his Padawan. A few feet into the alley they found the body of a young boy, stabbed cleanly through the heart with a vibroblade that lay discarded beside him. Aside from the wound in his chest, he lay arranged neatly as if for a burial. "Obi-Wan," Tahl said softly. "His signature is all around here."
Qui-Gon only nodded, distracted by the next pains that slithered down the bond. Someone was twisting the boy's knee again, the same one that had been ruined before Obi-Wan was his apprentice. Reaching out almost desperately, he searched for a direction to go in. The Force indicated that they go down the alley.
The door was in a shadowed alcove, leading into what might have once been an office building. Qui-Gon thought he caught sight of a sign he couldn't read in the dim light. Shrugging it off, he pushed through the door, holding it open for Tahl. It was pitch black, and instead of reaching for a light, he ignited his lightsaber. Tahl's ignited almost immediately after. "I don't sense any immediate danger," she said softly.
"I can't see," he told her.
"Ah." Her lips curved briefly into a smile, then straightened again as they strode across what might have once been reception area to the door on the other side. It was locked. Drawing back, Qui-Gon prepared to destroy the lock, the need to get to his Padawan outweighing anything else.
"Wait. You're in no condition to see if this door has been trapped or not," Tahl said urgently, and probed at the door with the Force. Whatever she found reassured her, because she sliced neatly through the lock and they stepped inside.
Qui-Gon could barely think. Obi-Wan was in agony, pain coming from all sides. Tahl glanced at him. "Where next?" she asked. Her hand on his arm was steady, and only then did he realize he was shaking.
Slowly, he pulled himself away from the pain of his Padawan. It took him a while, sending reassurances back to him, but he finally looked at her. "Up," he said around the constriction in his throat.
Tahl nodded and he felt her cast out with the Force again. He was glad she'd come, because he knew he wasn't operating at his best in this. She took his arm. "This way," she said, and they began moving. It didn't take them long to find the stairs, and to his surprise, a light shone above them, lighting the way dimly. He deactivated his lightsaber, and Tahl followed his example.
One flight, two flights, Qui-Gon didn't know how far they had to go. Still the Force beckoned them up until they reached a landing. A high, thin, exhausted scream sounded from somewhere on that floor, and they both felt the tug, pulling them into the hallway. Qui-Gon could barely breathe and cast out in the Force for the darkness he knew was enveloping Obi-Wan. It tugged him to the left. Tahl went right. She paused, then raced after him. "Where are you going?"
"Toman is back here," he growled.
"Where is Obi-Wan? Are you sure they're together?"
With an effort, he curbed his anger and cast out for his Padawan. "Wonder how he did that," he murmured, wondering what she'd been following. Maybe just the will of the Force? "You were right."
She led the way down the hall and to a door. It was locked, and he waited for Tahl to do... whatever it was she did. She shook her head. "He didn't expect anyone to follow him," she said softly. "At least not so quickly. There is no real security here."
Shaking, Qui-Gon reached through the Force into the room. It was harder and the Force responded sluggishly because of his lack of focus, but he could not take the time to release his feelings to gather a closer connection. He didn't know if he had time. He could feel Obi-Wan on the other side of the door, in pain and surrounded by darkness. With him was a familiar Force signature - Toman. That was enough for him.
He burst through the door, barely noticing anything but an outdated surgical couch and his Padawan strapped to it, struggling weakly. The cuffs on Obi-Wan's wrists were rimmed in wet red, resisting as the boy struggled. The surgical droid, fastened to the head of it, was reaching with a heated element toward Obi-Wan's right hand. Toman stood near the end of the bed, one hand on Obi-Wan's injured leg, a look of shock and surprise on his face as he stared at the door.
Qui-Gon's lightsaber flew from his hand and bisected the droid; the heated element dropped to hang uselessly over the edge of the bed, missing Obi-Wan's shoulder by centimeters. Toman moved, lunging for the door, and Qui-Gon threw himself at the former Jedi, knocking them both to the floor. Toman struck at him, and Qui-Gon took the blow to his chest as his hands wrapped around the man's neck. Toman went still. Reluctantly, Qui-Gon let him go and hauled him to his feet. He could kill someone trying to kill him. He would not kill someone who had given in.
"You've done some good work on this boy," Toman said, glancing at Qui-Gon.
"Obi-Wan did it himself," Qui-Gon said, watching as Tahl carefully unstrapped Obi-Wan.
Toman scoffed. "That boy is useless and hopeless," he drawled. "There is nothing good about him."
"There is everything good about him," Qui-Gon said. "I am sorry you did not try to find the gem in him."
Toman wrenched himself free and lunged, knocking Tahl from where she struggled with the strap that kept Obi-Wan's wrist pinned to the surgical couch. Qui-Gon followed, shouldering him aside when he reached for Obi-Wan's throat, only to realize he wasn't reaching for Obi-Wan, but for Qui-Gon's lightsaber. Toman drew it out with an evil smile. "Do you know now long it's been since I have been allowed one of these?"
"You should never have been allowed one," Qui-Gon snarled, eyes narrowed.
"Qui-Gon," Tahl said sharply, and threw her lightsaber to him. He caught it, ignited it, and struck in one smooth movement.
"Did you know what they did to my lightsaber?" Toman asked as he clumsily blocked the strike.
"Destroyed it, I assume," Qui-Gon said, and struck again. "I bested your Master. Are you better than she?"
This block was even more clumsy. "She nearly killed him."
"A thirteen-year-old initiate," he spat. "Hardly a challenge for a Master. He has done nothing wrong." He struck; the block barely kept his blade from Toman's vulnerable neck.
"Not yet, he hasn't," Toman hissed. "He will destroy us all, even you, Master Jinn. Her visions are never wrong."
"She is wrong this time," Qui-Gon said. His anger was growing, cutting off his connection to the Force, and he paused to breathe. Toman struck this time, and with an almost casual gesture, Qui-Gon knocked the lightsaber from his hand. Shutting down Tahl's, he rapped Toman over the head with it, and the man dropped like a stone.
Tahl had gotten back to her feet and had begun trying to work Obi-Wan loose. Qui-Gon retrieved his lightsaber and gave Tahl hers as he turned his attention to his Padawan.
"Obi-Wan?" he asked gently, and his hand brushed through the sweat soaked, sun-bleached locks. Then he used his lightsaber on the lowest setting to cut his Padawan free.
The boy's eyes opened after a moment, the gratitude and relief there to be seen. "Thank you," he whispered, but his throat was so raw Qui-Gon could barely hear him.
"Sleep," he said gently, using a light compulsion. Obi-Wan dropped immediately into a healing trance. Qui-Gon turned to Tahl, who had moved across the room. "I'm going to call the Council," he said.
She held up her comm. "I already did," she said, and tucked it back into her belt. "And now I'll see to him." She indicated Toman, who moaned low and stirred weakly. With narrowed eyes, Qui-Gon froze the air around him, holding the man still until Tahl could find something with which to bind him. Then she looked up with a quirk to her mouth. "So, are you in trouble again?"
He laughed mirthlessly. "Probably." He turned back to Obi-Wan, gently brushing the hair from the boy's face with a hand that trembled. "But I don't really care."
Tahl laughed. "That doesn't surprise me in the least."
Qui-Gon didn't try to move Obi-Wan; he wasn't sure how much damage had really been done. They didn't have long to wait. Much sooner than he'd expected, other Jedi, including some of the Council and two Healers, filed into the room. Those Healers had brought a grav sled with them, and they carefully moved Obi-Wan onto it. Qui-Gon watched as Toman was lifted to his feet and walked out, Saesee Tiin keeping a careful watch on him. Qui-Gon knew the Council member would make sure Toman returned to the Temple to face his punishment. Before long, they were on their way back to the Temple.
Qui-Gon remained close to Obi-Wan, trying not to catch the eyes of the Council members who accompanied them on the Transport. He managed simply by keeping his eyes glued to his Padawan's face, watching for any sign of pain or indication that the boy was waking up. Once they'd reached the Temple, he followed the grav sled to the Healers Wing, easily shrugging off the hands that tried to pull him away.
Theela met them at the entrance, and directed the two Healers as they moved Obi-Wan to a medical bed, then thanked and dismissed them. With a gentleness that belied her bulk, she arranged the boy so he was comfortable before straightening and turning to look at Qui-Gon. "I know you do not want to leave," she said quietly. "But the Council is waiting to talk to you, and I will be able to help your Padawan better without you."
Qui-Gon sighed, and Theela gave him a smile that was half amusement. He really did not want to see the Council, or talk to them, and she knew it. What she didn't know was that he really needed more time to calm down. He'd been very carefully not thinking of the Council, because every time he did, he wanted to strangle them. Each of them, individually and in private. Eventually, however, he was going to have to face them.
"I will call you the second he begins to wake up," Theela said, and Qui-Gon guessed that she had read his mind - or his expression. "It will be a while. They're readying a bacta tank now."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Very well," he said. "And thank you." He tried to control his anger all the way to the Council chambers.
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