Need Chapter IX - Obi-Wan
by Esmeralda
Obi-Wan was trapped by walls of red, forced to watch helplessly as a horned beast ruthlessly drove his Master back. In a move almost too quick to follow the creature struck. Obi-Wan howled as his Master stumbled towards him, deep blue eyes already dulled to soulless black.
//Obi-Wan!//
"Nooo!" He shot up, to find himself crouched upon a cabin bed. Disorientated, he fell back gasping, trying to sort through the images.
//Obi-Wan!//
//Ma...master?//
//Get up here now!//
Still trying to shake himself free of his nightmare, Obi-Wan scrambled to his feet. Snatching up a robe from the bottom of the bed he raced out of the room, pulling it around him as he ran.
He tumbled breathlessly into the cockpit, his sense of urgency fuelled by the tension he could feel flowing from the older man. Qui-Gon sat in the pilot seat, face grim with effort as the Jedi Master wrested with the controls.
"We're losing power Obi-Wan, I can't stop our descent."
Obi-Wan looked past his Master to the viewscreen, and felt his stomach plummet - instead of distant stars he saw cloud vapour, growing rapidly more turbid as they plunged deeper into swirling gray mists.
"I don't have enough engine thrust to break us free of the atmosphere."
On the surface Qui-Gon's voice was deceptively calm, but Obi-Wan caught the edge of desperation beneath the level tones, and the seriousness of their situation struck him like a slap, shaking him free of his shock.
"I'll check the engines!"
Without waiting for an answer Obi-Wan stumbled back through the ship, hampered by his robe - which he now realised was Qui-Gon's. Hoisting it up he ran through the narrow passageway, bare feet slapping against the cold metal. The walkway grew warmer as he approached the engine room, and as he opened the door a wave of heat almost knocked him off his feet.
Inside the temperature was stifling. Pushing up his sleeves Obi-Wan opened a wall mounted tool box and selected a small hydro spanner. The ship began to shake as it was buffeted by the planet's atmosphere. Steadying himself Obi-Wan tried to remove the engine's control casing, only to release it quickly as the metal scorched his skin. Grimacing he carefully drew his sleeve over his burnt fingers, and managed to lever the panel off. Inside was a fused mass of molten wires and fused circuit boards; cursing he fumbled with the hot panel - pushing it clumsily aside.
Sweat ran down his forehead, trickling into his eyes; sore swollen fingers were already slippery with it. He wiped his sleeve across his face, trying to clear his vision; his eyes felt as though someone had poured salt water into them. Biting his lip he pushed back the pain, struggling to keep his focus upon the task in hand. Carefully he tried to pry away the fried circuits to look at the damage underneath. A shower of sparks made jump him back, just as the ship shuddered violently, sending him sprawling to the floor. The hydro spanner flew from his grasp - disappearing underneath an energy coil.
Obi-Wan lay dazed for a moment, then as the ship steadied itself he rolled over onto his belly and tried to retrieve his spanner...it was just beyond his reach. He tried to use the Force to draw it to him, but it seemed to twist away, eluding his desperate pleas. His sight seemed to be growing cloudy, alarmed he scrubbed at his eyes -...and found he couldn't feel his hands...everything was slipping away...he was drifting...falling...darkness.
//Obi-Wan!//
Obi-Wan shook his head groggily, he was still stretched out on the floor, his hand underneath the energy coil.
//Obi-Wan! Get out of there!//
He didn't hesitate, pushing himself to his feet he staggered unsteadily out of the engine room, slamming his hand against the door panel. As the door shut behind him he felt the impact of an explosion against it. The shockwave drove him forwards and he collapsed onto his knees. Almost at once the ship lurched, then it began to spin; sending Obi- Wan hurtling helplessly down the passage. He was thrown from wall to floor, clawing uselessly at them as he fell. The force of the ship's spiralling descent slammed him brutally into the bulkheads, battering his body, driving the air from his lungs.
He heard Qui-Gon's desperate //Obi-Wan!//, then the harsh groan of rendering metal, a terrible screeching as the ship itself seemed to cry out; before he was sucked into silent, bottomless black as everything crumpled around him.
Chapter X - Obi-Wan
Consciousness beckoned, but bruised and battered, Obi-Wan was reluctant to follow. Persistently it pulled at him, until slowly, painfully he responded. His senses were immediately overwhelmed with the acrid smell of scorched metal and burning rubber. Choking he coughed helplessly, jarring his body sending spikes of fresh pain shooting through him. Gasping for breath he almost slid back into the welcoming darkness, only to be jolted from it by the sharp metallic taste of blood.
Cautiously he ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth, discovering a loose tooth and enough little cuts and nicks to account for the blood filling it; allaying his fear of a more serious cause. He tried again to call the Force to his will, but it still seemed deaf to his cries. Almost sobbing with frustration Obi-Wan reached out slowly with his fingers, feeling the rough weave of his robe, and the smooth metal surface of the deck?
From touch alone he couldn't tell where he lay, but he was reluctant to open his eyes; he wasn't even sure that he could, they felt as though they had been repeatedly pummelled by sharp knuckled fists. Blinking to ease the stiffness of his lids, he eased them open slowly, whimpering as the cold bright light hit them. Tears flooded his vision, blurring everything into shapeless shadows.
Gradually his sight cleared, and it was then Obi-Wan realised he must have fallen the full length of the ship. He was sitting with his back pressed up against the cockpit door, however the ship was apparently twisted onto its side, as his legs were stretched out across a wall; the floor to the left of him, the ceiling to the right.
With the Force still refusing to answer his call, Obi-Wan drew his stiff swollen fingers down each limb and across his torso, checking for injuries. It appeared he had been fortunate; scarcely any part of him had escaped being bruised, scraped or scratched, but nothing was broken, and he had no deep lacerations. Gritting his teeth he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, and turned around to face the cockpit door.
"Qui-Gon!" An ominous silence was all that greeted his desperate cry. //Qui-Gon!//.Stabbing frantically at the door mechanism he called out again//Qui-Gon!// Realising the door's controls were useless he wrenched off the panel. Tears blurred his vision as he struggled to override the switch; his burnt fingers refusing to manipulate the wires. He finally succeeded in isolating the correct wires, only for them to slip from his grasp as he attempted to twist them together. "No!-" Distraught he tried again, but it was hopeless. Without the Force to aid him he could only beat his fists in frustration against the door, crying out his anguish, "Qui-Gon! Qui-Gon!".//Master...Master...Answer me...please...//
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Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14