The Most Dangerous Game
by RushlightPart 10
Qui-Gon had them up at dawn, and they set off once again into the wilderness. Very little was said as they dismantled their camp and moved into the woods. This was unfamiliar territory, even for Dr. Markham, and they moved with tense wariness as they made their way through the dense foliage. The only route they could find led them further up into the mountains, away from New Utopia, but the only alternative was to go back down into the valley of the thorne. No one seemed very keen on that suggestion. It didn't seem to faze them a bit that their chances of survival were less than generous in any case.
But, as Dr. Markham was fond of reminding them and experience had twice proved, there was always a chance. Markham proposed that if they could make it through the mountains and turn south, they would add only a couple of days onto their journey, if they came out north of the ravine. It was the best they could hope for given the circumstances, and Qui-Gon was adamant about accepting fortune wherever it chose to favor them.
It was a weary, wounded, and disheartened band of travelers who made their way through the jungles of Bealial that morning. Perhaps the planet took pity on them, for they had no further encounters with the thorne. What predators they did run afoul of were easily subdued or avoided.
Two days' trekking brought them out of the mountains and to the edge of the ocean. The salt-scented air wrapped them in a warm embrace, invigorating them, and each of the companions was grateful for the relatively easy passage across the sun-warmed sand. Grey birds wheeled and dipped in the air above them, calling to each other over the wind. It was a remarkably peaceful scene, and Dr. Markham especially seemed affected by it.
When Jerjenna questioned him on his reaction, he answered, "It's so easy to forget why I love this planet. It's moments of beauty like this that remind me why that love exists. It reminds me of the reasons I bother to go on, despite all of the chaos and the sadness and the pain."
Jerjenna's gaze slid toward Qui-Gon, to find him already watching her. He smiled, and she felt a rush of profound love and gratitude, that this man was a part of her life. There was a strange parallel here that she was only beginning to discover, and the knowledge of it frightened her. Her pain over Master Garinham's death had become like armor to her over these past months, and while the temptation to finally let it go was near to overwhelming, she was afraid.
By letting go of her pain, she would be opening herself up to the possibilities of love, with all of the joys and the losses that came with it. It was a frightening thought, to one who had already suffered loss so many times in her life. Her pain and her anger had filled that vacuum, not comfortably, or pleasurably, but it had filled it nonetheless. Without it she would be empty. She would be vulnerable.
She would be loved.
Sudden tears stung her eyes, and the sunlight seemed suddenly extraordinarily bright. It reflected off the waves of the ocean with stunning clarity, blinding her, and the cries of the birds overhead were like music over the steady crash of the surf.
Behind her, Obi-Wan was a bright point of warmth and friendship, sending waves of support and reassurance across their bond. Qui-Gon was a solid presence in her mind, unshakable. Jerjenna closed her eyes and leaned against them both, letting them cradle her in their thoughts. Love. Acceptance. Joy. These were the rewards of giving in to them, of letting her walls come down.
It was not a total healing, but it was a start. A possibility, a hope of future reclamation. For the first time, Jerjenna dared to hope that she would be able to let her former Master go.
Above her, the birds sang their joy.
Eventually, they arrived at New Utopia. True to Dr. Markham's prediction, the detour they had been forced into had added only three days to their journey. The shimmering blue field of the Wall surrounding the great city was the most welcome sight that Jerjenna could ever remember seeing. She had to fight back an irrational fear that it would turn out to be nothing more than a dream, even as Crispin keyed in the code to open the door of the tunnel leading under the Wall.
They were met by a surprising lack of fanfare. Jerjenna wasn't sure why she had expected a more effusive welcome; theirs was only one of many Outrider parties that arrived daily from beyond the Wall. Perhaps it was only in her mind that they were more, and in the trail-weary expressions of those who had been through this crucible with her.
The streets of New Utopia spread away bleakly before them, offering welcome and solace. Qui-Gon paused a moment to glance up at the iridescent arc of the forcenet that spread over the city, cutting off the sky. There was a metallic tang to the air, and already he mourned the loss of the rich, loamy scents of the Outside.
He turned to Crispin. The Outrider was regarding him with a solemn expression, and it occurred to Qui-Gon, not for the first time, how very young he was.
"Thank you," Qui-Gon said, inclining his head in a gesture of respect to the young mercenary.
Crispin smiled slightly. There was a lingering sadness in his eyes that was not entirely chased away by the expression. Perversely, he looked suddenly ages old to Qui-Gon. "We promised we'd get you back safely."
"That you did." Qui-Gon felt a sting of compassion for the young man.
"What will you do now?" That was Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon smiled inwardly as he remembered his padawan's initial aversion toward the mercenaries.
Crispin shrugged. "What I always do. It won't take me long to find another group that's willing to take on an additional 'Rider."
Qui-Gon wondered for a moment what kept the young Outrider here, especially now that this planet held such painful memories for him. A sudden glance at Markham answered the question for him. Both of these men were in love with Bealial, despite its ferocity, despite its pain. Qui-Gon wondered suddenly how many friends that Markham had lost over the years. He felt a surge of quiet admiration for the people who chose to live their lives here. Certainly it was no easier than the path he had chosen for himself.
Markham cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I think you should be getting back to your ship now. If you'll give me a second to stop at a comm booth, I can...ah, I can call and arrange for your pilot to meet you there."
Qui-Gon had to smile. As awkward and uncertain as this man appeared to be here in the city, he had flowered Outside, in what Qui-Gon now recognized as the biologist's home environment. "Thank you," Qui-Gon said gravely. "Your help has been invaluable to us. You put your life at great risk to assist us, and we will not forget it."
Markham colored slightly. "What else could I do? People are dying." As if that explained everything. And, in a way, it did.
Markham and Crispin accompanied them to the hangar where their ship was docked. The Tarellian pilot was already there when they arrived, warming the engines. Qui-Gon handed over the vaccines to Maril, who went immediately onboard with Terrance to secure them in the ship's refrigeration unit.
Qui-Gon stood outside the open airlock door while his padawans said their good-byes to their friends. He took a moment to reflect on the fact that their mission was truly over now, except for the brief hyperspace jump to Rualyn. It seemed odd; he felt as if he had aged years during the few weeks he had been on Bealial.
He allowed Obi-Wan and Jerjenna to precede him up the loading ramp of the ship, admiring the supple if exhausted grace with which they both moved. His padawans, his legacy, and his love. They were his family, and no matter what hazards they had yet to face in the future of their partnership together, he knew that they would be facing them together. It was the one bright point among the trials of their relationship, the one spot of beauty amongst the chaos.
It was time now, as Karn had said, to save the world. The irony of it was that the people they were about to save would in all likelihood never be aware of the lives that had been lost in order to bring them their salvation. That was the way the universe worked.
The last thing of Bealial that Qui-Gon saw was Dr. Markham's searching eyes before the airlock closed with a quiet hiss behind them.
He didn't look back.
The End.
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