SMALL WORLD .....Obi-Wan--Qui-Gon

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

SMALL WORLD
by Anne Davenport


Obi-Wan Kenobi took carefully measured steps between the marker rows. He breathed with the motion forward, slow, meditative, his arms folded into the sleeves of his brown robe, the hood covering his head. He walked the patterned, stone floor, one foot forward, then another, then another...

The markers led him around another curve and he followed it, doubling back to the direction he’d come from. Step...step...step...forward. And back. His robe brushed the floor, barely a whisper of sound, his deliberate steps even more silent in the great hall. His master made no sound at all, though Obi-Wan could feel the tiny motion of air from his matching steps just behind him.

The labyrinth of knee-high markers wound around and around, a pattern of tightly packed rows, snaking through the room, along the walls, filling its center with winding, curling lanes. The markers marched on and on, in pairs, elaborately carved in grained stone with curling leaves and flowers, sinuous animals, dripping fungus and lichen, insects, fish, globs and many limbed things that Obi-Wan did not recognize. At first glance they all appeared to be the same, but subtle differences between them accumulated as the Jedi progressed through the labyrinth. None of them, not even the matched pairs they walked between, were quite the same in either color or shape.

Another turn. Another long stretch of markers led along a final, columned wall and turned around a corner. Obi-Wan lowered his gaze, back to the floor and the markers, and away from the temptation of anticipation. Of finishing and getting out of the labyrinth.

The Temple of the World Mothers was not an easy place to enter.

Behind him, Master Qui-Gon Jinn’s concentration was perfect. Obi-Wan felt the Living Force strongly from his master and he let his anticipation slide away. The World Mothers’ labyrinth was as arduous as any Jedi training. Obi-Wan smoothed his momentary distraction, feeling the Force around him, and proceeded at the same steady pace.

The labyrinth was a meditation. The World Mothers would not welcome anyone into their sacred realm who had not shown them the courtesy of demonstrating their sincerity. One way or another. When they had petitioned to enter at the great door of the Temple the robed young acolyte had bowed to them and silently led them through the huge anteroom, down a long, well-lit hall and through a great archway to the first pair of markers, inviting them to enter through the labyrinth.

They could have strolled across the great hall, through the lines of markers to reach the inner entrance to the Temple. And endured whatever rumored trials and perils that lay in wait for those who chose to circumvent the contemplative path. But the Jedi had not been sent for a confrontation. And it was obvious that they were expected. Other petitioners at the Temple door were being turned away when they’d arrived. They were ushered in immediately. No one else walked the gray, stone labyrinth with them.

The Jedi had bowed deeply to the acolyte, thanking her for the World Mothers’ welcome and entered. Qui-Gon had Obi-Wan go first to set the pace. Obi-Wan knew that his master was testing him, just as much as the World Mothers. Patience was one thing that his master often corrected his seventeen year-old student about.

They neared the end of the wall and Obi-Wan cleared his mind, preparing himself to accept whatever the labyrinth would lead them to. He slowly turned the corner...

Obi-Wan’s resolve wilted when he saw another great hall, even larger than the one he’d spent the last few hours traversing filled with row after row of larger and even more elaborate markers.

He felt his master’s hooded presence looming behind him, almost touching. Obi-Wan resumed his pace, careful not to show any hurry. He swallowed his disappointment in himself and in the obvious fact that they would not be finished for many hours. They were not in a hurry.

Their mission was merely to retrieve one being, apparently held at the Temple against his will, though in no imminent danger. Salit Yaz had been the chair of an interstellar charity that had recovered damaged ecologies on hundreds of worlds for many decades. The World Mothers had been a strong supporter of it along with many other groups and philanthropies. But something had gone wrong, funds had gone missing, promised work had not materialized. Members of the board of directors had been arrested. While Chair Yaz was not indited, he was wanted by the Republic courts as a witness. And for possible prosecution, depending on what his story was.

It was a minor mission for Jedi. But one that they were uniquely suited to, given where Yaz was, Obi-Wan noted as he slowly passed between the markers. He did not look at the rest of the pattern in the hall or even contemplate how much longer he would be walking. For a Jedi, this was hardly a taxing activity, save to one’s patience. Which Obi-Wan admitted to himself, he needed to work on anyway.

The markers in this hall gradually got larger, each succeeding pair just a little bit bigger, a little bit more elaborate. They also gradually changed in color. The previous hall’s markers had been entirely shaded in grays, from solid, flat neutrals, to swirling grains ranging from pale ash to near black. But the sum tone of all the markers had been a balanced gray, none of them too light or too dark, Obi-Wan realized.

Now subtle colors crept into the markers as well. Oranges and pinks and greens shaded the random patterns on the carved gray surfaces. The flat stones of the floor as well slowly shifted to subtle blues, yellows and purples mixed in the grays, a separate pattern of color amidst the patterns of grays and the shapes of the stones. The colors of the markers built up slowly until there were some mineral splotches of near pure colors in the markers. They reached the end of the lane column of markers and Obi-Wan saw the first unmatched pair in the labyrinth.

The one on the inside of the curve was very like its neighbors, carved with little many legged lizards eating round globes of fruit many times bigger than they were. Its mate had a similar motif, but it was larger, coming up to Obi-Wan’s chest. And it had a clear, inset window. Inside, deep purple spheres lazily drifted in all directions. Tiny, swimming lizards pursued them, some of them hanging on with their jaws. Swirls of blue and pink drifted by in the fluid. Obi-Wan studied it as he passed. This was what the World Mothers were famous for. And he was obviously meant to contemplate it as he entered their Temple.

At the next turn the marker window was even larger, with very long and thin, silvery snakes coiling throughout orange branches while little red ticks hopped about. Each little World was so completely self contained that all they needed was the radiation from a star for sustenance. This was the calling of the World Mothers. They planned, designed and lovingly built each one with religious devotion. They were so beautifully made that they could be set into orbit and still be well and living for thousands of years. Some of them had.

They slowly passed more and more varied Worlds inset in the markers of the labyrinth. Some more complex, others elegantly simple. Each one not just a self contained ecosystem, but also a priceless art object. The World Mothers’ works were highly valued throughout the galaxy. Obi-Wan had seen some large ones on Coruscant and they were amazing works that one could watch for hours without tiring. But aside from their beauty, Obi-Wan could feel them through the Force. Living, balanced, in motion, yet static. They amazed all his senses. He felt increasingly hyper-alert to them, the ones he’d passed and the ones to come. Behind him, his master’s presence reflected their increasing awareness of everything around them. Obi-Wan contemplated each World as they progressed. He realized how the pattern of the floor and the markers matched and foreshadowed the Worlds as well as the path in the previous hall.

A grinding sound rudely interrupted the silence, echoing off the vaulted ceiling above. A marker to Obi-Wan’s right moved to block his path and opened up a new one. He turned, still keeping the same slow pace. A single lane of markers led straight ahead for a hundred meters or so to an archway leading to an open room and hallway out of the labyrinth.

For a moment, Obi-Wan wondered if he was meant to simply exit now. But no, that didn’t feel right at all. He breathed deeply, arms folded before him and slowly walked the last path. His master followed. He didn’t turn around until both of them had entered the new room. It was a round well-lit chamber, with sunny yellow marble walls, ivory columns and a polished orange floor. A doorway lead to a long hallway opposite the labyrinth. Qui-Gon lowered the hood of his robe and Obi-Wan did the same.

“Master...” Obi-Wan could feel life all around him, as if he were in the midst of a teeming jungle. Yet, the room they were in was plain walls and floor, mostly unadorned.

“We are guests in their World, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon told him. “Always be aware of that my padawan.”

“I shall.” Obi-Wan didn’t see how he could forget it. He noticed Qui-Gon close his eyes and inhale deeply.

“Master.” Qui-Gon opened his eyes. “You said you had been to a World Mothers’ Temple before. Was it like this?”

Qui-Gon had deliberately told his padawan only what he needed to know; the labyrinth of the World Mothers was best walked without expectation. “Yes,” he answered. They both turned at the sound of a door slowly sliding closed behind them, closing off the great hall. “But the labyrinth was different. They did not shorten it. I did not know they could.”

“We are expected,” Obi-Wan reminded.

“Yes. We are.” Qui-Gon nodded to the hallway before them. “The door we are meant to go through will be open to us. Do not disturb any of the others.”

“Are they any traps in any of the others if we try them?” Obi-Wan asked warily.

“I don’t know,” Qui-Gon answered simply. “I just think it would be rude if we walked in where we weren’t invited.”

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

They walked down the hall together at a normal pace. The walls were pale, cool gray, the floor a faded blue. Dark, ridged baffles covering the ceiling muffled the sound of their boot steps, killing any echo. It had many twists and turns, but always only one way forward, like the labyrinth. The doors they passed were of the same polished dark wood. Some had painted, multi-colored symbols on them, but most were plain.

Finally, one door in the middle of a long hallway was open. They walked in and it closed behind them. A wide, open window in the far wall led to a dark green, closed garden. There were several groups of tables and chairs as if the room were meant to accommodate a much larger group than the two of them. One table in the middle was covered with a cloth and set with tea and a tray of snacks.

“We will wait, here.” Qui-Gon gestured Obi-Wan forward.

“Do you think it will be long?” Obi-Wan asked as he inspected the attractively laid out tray, his thin, padawan’s braid hanging down off his shoulder. There were small sweet cakes and biscuits, dried fruit and puffed, savory grains with flowery garnishes.

“No. Not if they shortened their own labyrinth for us. But even if they hadn’t, they wouldn’t make us wait long. They are good hosts.”

Qui-Gon lifted the teapot. Obi-Wan looked up swiftly as Qui-Gon felt the warning through the Force. There was only one teapot on the tray. No water or juice to choose from. Only tea.

Ten minutes later, the door to the room slid open. A thin, dark haired Oset in a sleeveless white tunic and sandals emerged. He was pushed forward by a shorter, graying Oset in a sleeveless white World Mother’s gown. The multi-colored, painted and beaded border on her blue shoulder drape marked her as a Mother of some seniority.

The chairs by the tables were overturned, cups, utensils and biscuits scattered on the floor. The teapot had rolled away under another table, dribbling a long, green puddle behind it. The Jedi lay sprawled on the floor on either side of the center table, unconscious.

The World Mother seized the taller Oset by the tuft of his ear.

“Miggo, what did you do?!” she demanded in a booming voice.

“They’re OK, they’re OK!” Miggo insisted, his slitted eyes narrowing in panic. The Mother released him. “They’re only asleep. Really!”

“This is OK?” She asked scornfully, waving her arm at the scene before them.

“It’ll be fine. It was just something that would knock them out for awhile.”

The Mother stared. “They’re GUESTS! This is NOT FINE!” she nearly shouted back.

He backed away from her threatening tone, his furred arms up raised, placating. “No, it’s OK. It was something really gentle. It won’t even give them a hangover when they wake up.”

The Mother continued to stare. “They came here responding to Yaz’s message. They walked the labyrinth better than some Mothers I know. And you drugged them, “ she told him in a much quieter voice, her shock settling in. “By what measure is this fine?”

“It’s just for a little while.” Miggo seemed to mistake the Mother’s strained calm for acceptance. “We’re just going to...take their clothes and...take their ship. They were going to take us off planet anyway; we’re just saving them a little time.”

The Mother raised a slender, three-fingered hand to the dark brown fur of her cheek, her expression sad now. “Yaz told you to do this, didn’t he?”

“Yaz doesn’t tell me what to do, Mother,” Miggo responded defensively. “But...it was his idea.”

She shook her head. “I thought he was smarter than that.” She glumly looked at the bodies on the floor. “And they’re not going to let you take their ship.”

“It’s OK.” Miggo reassured as the Mother continued to shake her head. “They’re OK, but they can’t stop us. See.” He moved toward the larger Jedi.

“No!” The Mother leaped forward, grabbing him by an ear and jerked him back hard.

“Oooow,” Miggo howled. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I don’t want him to cut your arms off! Jedi can do that you know.” She let him go. “Faster than you move.”

“He’s out, OK.”

The Mother shook her head. “They’re faking.”

“I was watching them. They drank the tea,” Miggo insisted. With a disappointed look, the Mother went to a chair and sat down.

“Then they were faking that, too. You can’t poison a Jedi. They’ll know.” The Mother looked down at them. “This is just all kinds of bad,” she moaned to the room in general. The larger Jedi was a pale-skinned Human male with long brown head hair and shorten chin hair. He had to be a full Jedi, if not a master. The smaller one was a similar Human male, but his brown hair was cut short with a thin student’s braid behind one, flat ear. They both wore plain, white tunics, Jedi drapes and brown belts and robes. And lightsabers.

Miggo scrutinized them carefully as well. “You can’t tell they’re faking. They don’t look like they’re faking.” He sounded uncertain.

“Jedi can control their body functions. You can’t tell without a medical droid. And I don’t have one on me.”

“How do you know so much about Jedi?”

The Mother shrugged. “We get them every now and then. Pilgrimage, sabbatical...I’ve never asked. They like the atmosphere here.” She exhaled loudly through her nose, a noisy sigh. “They’re about the easiest visitors we ever get. They’re polite, mind all the rules, quiet, never complain.” She shook her head at the disaster before her.

The door to the room opened again. A tall being entered. He wore a shiny, maroon suit, excellently tailored; his step was sure, his motions fluid. He was a hairless humanoid with smooth, powdered features, a flat, ivory horn grew up from the bridge of his nose, extending closely over his head to a manicured point at the back of his skull. The door closed behind him. His sharp, blue eyes took in the scene.

“Mother Jalin.” He bowed to him. She scowled back. “I didn’t know you were back.”

“Looks like you don’t know everything after all.”

He nodded to her, ignoring the implied insult, and then turned to Miggo. “We have to hurry, their ship is at the spaceport.” Miggo hesitated.

“Mother thinks they’re faking.” Yaz narrowed his eyes at the bodies on the floor.

“You drugged the tea, right?”

“Yeah.”

“They drank it?”

“I saw them. Mother thinks they faked that, too.”

Yaz looked uncertain for only a moment. He leaned over and whispered into his companion’s perked up ear. He handed Miggo a tube from an inside pocket of his jacket.

“They can hear that, too, y’know,” Mother Jalin commented. “Even with those little ears they got. They can use the Force for that. And the poison, even if they did drink it.”

Yaz looked skeptical. “The World Mother’s don’t believe in the Force.”

“No,” she corrected leaning forward in her chair. “We don’t CARE about the Force. That’s very different.”

Yaz turned away from her and he motioned Miggo forward. He hesitated again with a pleading look toward Jalin.

“I am your redeemer, Miggo. NOT your accomplice.” She waved her hands at him as if to push him back.

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

The two carefully crept up on the prone Jedi. Miggo held the tube with its needle tip up warily as he scrutinized the neck of the smaller Jedi. Yaz approached the larger one stealthily, like a trained fighter. They were each within a step of their targets when the lightsabers flashed and hummed; the Jedi seemed to get their feet under them, springing up, flipping over the heads of their attackers to land with their blades ready.

Miggo, paralyzed and wide-eyed, stared at the bright blue light only a few centimeters from his nose. Yaz’s face registered his surprise for only a moment; he’d barely been able to pull back and turn. Now he calmly stared down the length of the bearded Jedi’s fiery green blade.

“Let me know how that new armless look works for you, Miggo,” Mother Jalin said sarcastically.

The older Jedi opened his mouth to speak...

The door opened. A small, stately being in a dark blue, long-sleeved robe draped in red entered. A team of others of various species in belted yellow tunics and sandals followed. They carried long staffs and quickly moved to encircle the center of the room. The Jedi didn’t move. Qui-Gon Jinn coolly observed the new arrivals, but kept his lightsaber fixed on Yaz.

The smaller being’s red shoulder drape hung heavy with its multicolored decoration. The crown of her tall head was styled with blue and red ribbons woven through her black hair. She inclined her head toward Jalin who looked back with dread.

“Mother Jalin. You have failed your task as redeemer to Miggo.”

Jalin’s expression changed from dread to shock. The fur at the back of her head stood up. Then she hastily got up, tipping the chair over, and prostrated herself before the smaller newcomer. She nodded down at the Oset at her feet and then turned her cool gaze first at Obi-Wan Kenobi, then at Qui-Gon Jinn.

“Master Jedi. I am Bluken, the Voice of the Mother’s Council. We deeply regret this poor welcome to our World. And we beg you to let our own Hands take the offenders into our own custody.” She gestured toward the others surrounding them. Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows, deactivated his saber and returned it to his belt. Obi-Wan’s blade vanished with a hiss as well. Voice Bluken nodded, her expression polite though she briefly eyed their sabers. Qui-Gon knew that the World Mothers did not allow energy weapons in their Temples. But they also recognized the Jedi as another holy Order and as the symbol of their status, the Mothers had to allow the lightsabers. The yellow-clad guards quickly surrounded Miggo and Yaz and pinned them with their staffs. Miggo meekly complied, his ears down in dispair. The Voice addressed Yaz.

“You betray us again, Salit Yaz.” He seemed to accept this pronouncement with some dignity. Qui-Gon sensed outrage from the Voice. And hatred. “Our sanctuary is not to be used lightly.”

Now Qui-Gon looked surprised.

“Sanctuary?” he asked. He turned to Yaz. “Did you claim sanctuary in this Temple?” Yaz appeared to hesitate before answering.

“Yes, I did,” he answered, looking Qui-Gon in the eye. But Qui-Gon sensed only deception from Yaz. This sudden honesty was simply the best option available at the time, until a better opportunity presented itself.

“That was not mentioned in your transmission,” Qui-Gon stated. “Nor did it mention that there was another person with you.” Miggo’s head lifted, his expression stricken. There was an indictment from the courts for Miggo, who had gone missing early in the investigation surrounding Yaz. He’d been the former Chair’s secretary and Yaz had denied any knowledge of his whereabouts.

Qui-Gon folded his arms before him. Obi-Wan moved to stand next to his master, assuming the same posture.

“We cannot help you. The Republic recognizes the sanctuary of the World Mothers. You are under their protection. And their authority.” The Voice gratefully nodded her approval at the Jedi.

Yaz straightened. “I understand,” he replied. But his bravery sounded theatrical to Qui-Gon’s ears. He was simply waiting for his chance to get away.

“Mother Jalin,” the Voice addressed the figure still at her feet. She rose, but kept her head and ears down, her hands pressed together before her. “You will accompany your offspring.” She bowed deeply. Qui-Gon noted the strong resemblance between the two Osets. The one un-alterable requirement of the World Mothers’ Order was that all of its members have been a life-giver. This meant that the Order was overwhelmingly female, though some males were admitted with medical assistance. Clearly, Magpo’s birth had fulfilled Mother Jalin qualification.

At a gesture from the Voice, the guards began to lead the prisoners away.

“I think,” Qui-Gon spoke up, prompted by a twinge of foreboding from the Force. Obi-Wan looked at him curiously. “That it would be best if we discussed their disposition with the Council together. They are still wanted by the courts. Miggo especially. And we do carry a warrant for Yaz.” Qui-Gon had the official disk in his belt pouch, though now it was useless, given the new complication of the sanctuary.

The Voice’s polite expression turned icy. “No, we don’t think it would be.” There was a long pause as Voice Blunken’s gaze locked on Qui-Gon. He returned it, but then he nodded his head in assent. Bluken’s eyes flicked away in satisfaction. The prisoners were led away, Mother Jalin following.

Two new mothers entered and Bluken gestured them forward. They were identical Human females, young with blond hair, tied back in single braids. Only a very simple line pattern adorned the edges of their pink shoulder drapes.

“These are Mothers Ari and Fel. They will escort you to temporary quarters and refreshment. The Mother’s Council must convene to discuss this...incident. You will be called when there is a decision. You are free to wander the Temple at your own discretion, if you wish.” The Jedi bowed and the Voice left them. Ari and Fel led them out into the winding hallways and then up several spiral staircases. They were polite, but only answered their questions with as few words as possible. Qui-Gon sensed that they knew nothing.

At last, Ari and Fel led them to a door in a hallway lined with them. It opened into a simple, austere room with sleeping pallets on either wall and a wide, low table between them laid with a simple meal and water. No tea. This room had narrow window slits, letting light in from outside. Only the blue sun was still up; the day was nearly over. Left alone, Obi-Wan eyed the food suspiciously. Qui-Gon smiled, picked up a cracker and ate it.

“We do not have anything to fear from the World Mothers, padawan.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “No, Master. But...there is something to fear.” Qui-Gon frowned.

“Yes. I sensed something from Bluken. Something ominous.”

“What will they do to Miggo and Yaz?” Obi-Wan asked.

Qui-Gon looked out the window slits. The blue light added an eerie glow to the overhead lights. “They have given Yaz at least sanctuary. He cannot be harmed. But he can be punished.” He looked back at his apprentice. “And we cannot interfere,” he warned Obi-Wan. “I do not know what Miggo’s status is. But Yaz has clearly betrayed him as well as the World Mothers and they take that quite seriously.”

Qui-Gon removed his robe and laid it at the end of one of the pallets. Then he investigated the room’s other door. It was a private refresher, which he used and then Obi-Wan had his turn. They then ate together. Obi-Wan asked about his previous visit to a World Mothers’ Temple. He’d actually been to two of them. Obi-Wan listened intently, interrupting only a few times to ask questions. Words seemed inadequate to describe his experience, the harmony he felt from the World Mothers’ reverence for life, but Obi-Wan’s own connection with the Force let him understand without them. Qui-Gon’s foreboding lessened as he spoke to his padawan, the act of teaching relieving some of his anxiety.

They finished eating and Obi-Wan stood and suggested that they explore the Temple. But Qui-Gon shook his head. His unease had not left him and he had no ambition to clutter it with new information. Obi-Wan seemed reluctant to leave him alone, but Qui-Gon sent him anyway. There was much to learn in the Mothers’ World. And neither of them sensed any antipathy directed at them.

As soon as Obi-Wan was out the door Ari and Fel were there to ‘assist’ him. Qui-Gon had no doubt that one of them would be following his pupil while the other kept watch on their room.

Qui-Gon sat on one pallet and closed his eyes. The feeling of life all around was quite literal in the World Mothers’ Temple. They created the world they lived in, not just the self-contained bubbles they were known for. And they did not just built art object, but were also known for engineering life-support systems for space stations and barren asteroids. Qui-Gon sensed the Temple around him like a huge, living enclosure. But there was some disquiet, something prickled at its center, disturbing the whole.

Qui-Gon lay down and settled into a trance-like half-sleep. He sensed no danger, but their mission was not complete and his thoughts were too troubled. His periodic random thoughts were filled with shifting colors of floating creatures and wispy strings of algae. The blue light from outside sank into twilight. A small, pale yellow light panel over the refresher door faded on as day passed into night.

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

Qui-Gon sensed Obi-Wan’s nearness before he entered the room. He opened his eyes and breathed deeply, returning to wakefulness. He felt only marginally rested. Obi-Wan looked agitated.

“Has the Council summoned us?”

His padawan nodded. “Yes, Master.” Qui-Gon rose, stretching his muscles in place as he did so. He felt a tension in the Force, somewhere deep in the Temple; it had been building for hours, disturbing his rest. He picked up his robe and stood, putting it on.

“Then we shall see what they have decided.” They left the room.

“Did you enjoy your exploration of the Temple, Obi-Wan?” Qui-Gon asked as they followed Fel and Ari through the corridors.

“Yes, I did. They have a great hall with a World that takes up an entire wall. I spent a great deal of time studying it.” He looked embarrassed. The passed through an elaborately carved archway into a stairwell to descend to the council chamber at the heart of the Temple. The World Mothers didn’t seem to use lifts very much.

“Did you see anything else?” Qui-Gon asked.

“Um, no. I was still studying the wall World when Ari told me about the council’s summons.”

“Ah. A wonder indeed then.” Qui-Gon smiled. If nothing else this mission would help sharpen Obi-Wan’s meditation skills. “I shall be sorry to miss it.” They reached the bottom of the stairwell. Ari and Fell led then down a wide, elegantly decorated corridor. Mothers of all ranks and colors of drapes clustered in groups along the sides. All eyes followed them. Both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon straightened and folded their arms before them.

“We shall not be staying long then?” Obi-Wan asked curiously, but still keeping his eyes forward toward what was obviously the archway leading to the World Mothers’ council room.

“I do not believe we will wish to linger here,” Qui-Gon answered softly, his eyes forward as well. The crowds grew thicker on either side of the corridor, but the way cleared for Ari and Fell, the Jedi following.

The council room was round, large and columned with a bowl of steps and seats in the middle. Carved and colored decorations adorned the walls all the way up to the high, arched ceiling. There were no Worlds inset in the walls here, only elaborate paintings, long embroidered drapes and curling, carved surfaces. Fel and Ari stopped. Qui-Gon sense sudden tension in his padawan as he grasped the discord in the room.

“Qui-Gon...” Obi-Wan whispered.

“Yes. There is something,” Qui-Gon finished. “There is a disturbance in the Living Force here. It has been building for hours.” Their escorts turned and bowed to the Jedi before stepping aside. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon descended the stairs down to the center of the well.

All around them sat the members of the World Mothers’ Council. There were dozens of them of various species, dressed in all colors, their shoulder drapes bearing decorations of the highest ranks. Voice Bluken stood, posed on a pedestal, her slight figure regal. Dark blue and red, every fold and crease of her gown and drape positioned perfectly, her styled black hair and matching ribbons precise. The Jedi bowed deeply before her.

“The World Mothers’ Council has made its decision, Master Jedi.” She addressed Qui-Gon. “It was not an easy one.” This last statement was thick with emotion. She gestured. Miggo and Mother Jalin emerged from the crowd above and descended the stairs. The Jedi stepped back and the two prostrated themselves before Bluken. Ears low and tense, Miggo looked terrified, Jalin only a little bit less so.

“You have reprieve, Miggo.” Bluken pronounced. There was a mummer from the council around them. Qui-Gon sensed some disapproval, some pity, some sympathy, but nothing very intense. Miggo trembled and accepted the long list of punishment tasks he must complete to earn forgiveness. Near the end, Bluken’s severe tone seemed to soften a bit. They hurriedly rose when she dismissed them. Jalin wiped at the wet fur on her cheeks as they fled up the stairs.

“You came to take Salit Yaz to the Republic to answer for his actions, Master Jedi.” They took there place again before Bluken again.

“Yaz’s legal status is still undecided,” Qui-Gon corrected, his voice loud and firm in room. A wave of disapproval rose in the council’s mutterings. Bluken’s eyes flashed with anger.

“He petitioned for our sanctuary, Jedi.”

“He did not tell us this in his transmission. He only asked for the Republic’s assistance because he claimed he was being held against his will.” A louder muttering filled the room, some voices distinct with rage as Qui-Gon confirmed what they already knew.

“Our sanctuary will not be abused by the like of Yaz,” Bluken declared to the room before returning her attention to the Jedi.

“The Council has agreed that you should remove Salit Yaz from our Temple. Take him back to whatever justice he may face.” Bluken gestured. A chill of horror went through Qui-Gon even before he saw what the yellow clad guards escorted into the room and down the stairs. The Jedi backed away from it.

It was a clear, upright capsule, almost three meter tall and supported by antigravs at its base. The liquid inside glowed faintly. Spongy, bright purple growths clustered at random places on the inner walls. Swarms of multi-colored dots flitted around thick, ropey veins that melted into every joint of Yaz’s body. He skin looked paler than before, but still perfectly groomed. He was an excellent specimen. His eyes were wide and he twitched, but the veins only allowed him small motions in the center of the capsule.

Qui-Gon felt unwell. Obi-Wan looked the same, but Qui-Gon was glad to see his padawan did not turn away. Members of the council did. Others put their heads down in their hands. Still other expressions glowed with righteous vindication. The World Mothers’ Council had put an unwilling being into one their Worlds. They had twisted all of their reverence for life into a monstrous act of revenge and members of the Order clearly felt the weight of this terrible decision.

But amidst all the conflicting emotions, the one expression that surprised Qui-Gon was from Yaz. The Jedi sensed that Yaz did not comprehend why this had happened to him. Why there were members on the council who hated him this much. A little swarm of dots lighted on Yaz’s chest; he twitched and they sped away.

Qui-Gon felt relieved somehow, as if the discord in the Mothers’ Temple had crested. It would pass. After a long time, it would. But in a room that was filled with shock and fear, anger and revulsion, at the center of it all was a being of impossible optimism. Qui-Gon sensed Yaz’s feelings, exactly the same as they’d been a few hours ago when Yaz had been staring down at the tip of a lightsaber. He would wait out this difficulty until he found a way out of it.

Qui-Gon supposed that with enough medical attention, the droids could free Yaz from the capsule. Eventually. If anyone wanted to. But when weighing information that they might get from him against the convenience of not having to prosecute him, Qui-Gon wasn’t sure that the prosecutors back on Coruscant would opt for Yaz’s freedom. Qui-Gon could see that Yaz’s World had been kept to a minimum size and that it would fit into their ship. The trip back to Coruscant was going to be horrific.

“Yaz destroyed decades of work with deceit and lies and greed. And he left others to take the blame. He was warned many times; we saw our works being abused years ago and petitioned for Yaz’s removal, but he was cleverer than we. So much has fallen to corruption. And he was the source.” Bluken’s voice hardened with outrage. “And then when the Republic finally acted, he came here to beg our sanctuary, after everything he destroyed.”

Bluken waved her hand at the World before them.

“Now he has it.”


–– FIN ––

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

Wow. :-) excelleant.

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

Thanks.

Back at CIII, when we were waiting in those preposterous lines, I told Kai that I would somehow find a way to put the experience into a story. It turned into this.

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

Ani,
Can you rename your story threads with the story name please? Cuz entitling them'"Obi wan/QuiGon short" on them all makes them seem like it's one story posted over again and it's confusing. I want to make sure people read all your stories.

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

Ah yes, it was starting to get confusing. Subjects changed, but I left the Qui-Gon--Obi-Wan in there to indicate the topic. Fortunately my titles were all short. I'd originally thought I'd just post one or two, but I guess I got inspired. ;D