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An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adventure) Ch19 Updated 10/16/05
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Knight_Dilettante
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
10/31/04 1:01pm
Subject:
An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adventure) Ch19 Updated 10/16/05
- Date Edited:
10/16/05 1:49pm (23 edits total)
Edited By:
Knight_Dilettante
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I'm not sure how long this is going to end up being. It may only be a short story of 3 posts. Or it might end up going longer. We'll all find out together I guess.
This is the result of trying to come up with a response for the Action Qui challenge posed on the Qui-Gon Jinn characterization thread. For more fun responses see the Qui-Gon Jinn Challenge thread.
Mace is Qui-Gon's Padawan in this story because that idea, once it lodged in my brain due to first padawan and timeline discussions on the Qui-Gon thread, has refused to leave.
Without further ado:
Title: An Improbable Mission
Author: Knight_Dilletante
Timeframe: Pre-Jedi Apprentice
Characters: Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, Padawan Mace Windu
Genre: action
Keywords: Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu
Summary: Some 20-30 years prior to the events that would later become known as "The Battle of Naboo" A Jedi Master and his first Padawan undertake an improbable mission for the Jedi Council.
Disclaimer: Obviously, all film and EU characters and other elements recognizable as from or related to Star Wars belong to George Lucas and/or Lucas Film Limited. I have not received financial renumeration of any kind for writing this tale and no disrespect is intended.
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He dropped a good few feet before the cable caught again, stopping with a painful jerk. His body had reacted badly to the sudden free fall and his limbs had all curled inward. Now he was twisting back and forth, and getting much too close to the alarm sensors. He extended his arms and legs again to slow the turning.
How did I get into this? Qui-Gon thought dizzily. This is the sort of thing padawans are for.
The harness was cutting into his body where his limbs joined his torso in a most uncomfortable way. And unless he was very careful it was all going to be for naught in any case. Because if he set off the alarm, there'd be no getting out in time, not even with the Force and Mace Windu to assist him.
He spoke quietly into his commlink. "Just another few feet, Mace. Not so fast this time though, please."
"Sorry, Master. The controller slipped, I think we must have miscalculated the weight of the harness and cable. I've tightened it up a bit."
Qui-Gon felt his body slowly lowering again and focused once more on the jewel encrusted box below, ignoring all the other jewels and artifacts on display in the large room. As it wavered in his view he recalled his first shock on hearing about it. And hearing what the Council proposed to do about it.
"Mission we have for you, Knight Jinn, Padawan Windu. Difficult it will be. Steal you must, Sith artifact from wealthy businessman on Malastare. Knows not what he has, we hope. But sell to us, he would not. Allowed to keep such a dangerous device, he cannot be."
The jewels were mainly blood rubies from Iago. Interspersed with obsidian carvings that glowed with the dark fire indicative of an origin on one of the Bespin moons. The jewels moved in a mesmerizing dance as he was lowered the last few inches. "Stop, Mace."
"Yes, Master"
He came to a halt just above the sensor beams. Reaching out with the Force he traced each one end to end, building a mental map in three dimensions. There was no way to reach through and pull up the jeweled case. He could not even simply float it up using the Force. He would have to use the Force to levitate the box through some rather interesting maneuvers in order to thread it through the openings available and out of the nest of sensor beams.
"We entrust you with this mission Qui-Gon because your skills in manipulation of the Force rival Master Yoda's in areas. Perhaps this is due to your affinity for the Living Force, perhaps it is something else. In either case, your impressive skill in Force Levitation will undoubtedly be useful.
"Master?" Mace's voice interrupted his musings.
His padawan sounded concerned so he paused before beginning his levitation of the artifact. "Yes, Mace?"
"Someone's coming. The warning sensor we put on the lift just lit up."
"Very well. Still, better not set off the alarms if we can help it. If they get too close let me know. And be ready to escape yourself if necessary. We can't both get caught."
Mace's "Yes, Master," was so tinged with his real feelings on the matter that he might as well have said 'I won't leave without you, Master!'
"One of us must return even if we do not get the artifact." Qui-Gon put every ounce of stern he could muster into the reminder as he started floating the case up and then around one of the sensor beams.
Mace sighed before acknowledging his wisdom. "Yes, Master."
The case floated sideways to Qui-Gon's right and he watched it carefully, overlaying his mental map on the image his eyes gave him. There. Now up again, Back to the left. Now up again, then left. And then toward the only door in the room, currently seeming to hover between his feet. Almost a dozen beams to get past still.
Several tense moments passed. Then, quietly, Mace said, "The lift is only two floors down, Master. No stops yet."
Sweat was beading on Qui-Gon's forehead. The twin efforts of holding his limbs spread and gyrating the artifact through the alarm beams was becoming a strain.
"Mace, if that lift stops on this floor, I want you out of here the second those doors open." Qui-Gon left no room for argument in the command.
He heard but did not concentrate on the obedient response. He was only one layer of beams away from having the artifact. But... "Blast!" his annoyance flew out of him in an explosive breath. The last layer of beams was ever so slightly tighter woven than the others. He would have to rotate the case. Which meant adding in the element of keeping it closed to his Force manipulations of it.
"Master?" Mace sounded more worried than the exclamation deserved. But Qui-Gon had no energy to spare for asking what was wrong. The case, now narrowest face up was slowly sliding up through the opening in the last web of sensors. Qui-Gon moved his hand slowly toward the case. The last thing he needed was to set himself to twisting about again. Just as the case lifted free of the last of the sensors and his hand closed on it, the lift doors started to open.
"Master?" echoed more urgently in his ear.
"Up as fast as you can, Padawan. Set the winch and then get out. That is a command, Padawan." Qui-Gon replied loudly enough for the mic he wore to pick it up and send it on to Mace, but not loudly enough for the people talking in the lift to realize there was someone in the vault. As he spoke he wrapped the jeweled case in a piece of dark fabric and tucked it into a perfectly sized pouch on his belt.
His body began to rise and the moment he was clear enough of the beams to let his legs drop, he did so. Grabbing hold of the cable he began to climb up it hand over hand even as the winch turned and shortened it. The lift doors opened fully and three people, all laughing, entered the alcove of the room that the doors formed the back wall of. The owner of all the jewels and artifacts in the room paused in his movement toward the control panel that would turn off the alarms and peered at the pedestal 5 meters away before reacting.
"Stolen! One of my artifacts has been stolen." With a roar of rage he stepped into the room, and set off all the alarms.
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An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace) updated 10/16/05 http://doiop.com/Mission more in bio  I'm so happy because I'm writing again!
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PadawanKitara
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Dec '01
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Date Posted:
10/31/04 4:47pm
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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Wheeee- I get first reply!
This is great- Kind of like Qui does Mission Impossible!
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We are Dufi...Resistance is Futile!
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Layren
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Oct '03
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Date Posted:
10/31/04 6:39pm
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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Excellent KD!!! I read this on the challenge thread and I can't wait to read the rest of it! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks Qui would be good for thievery when the Council needs it to be done 
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tangled_sphere
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Dec '03
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Date Posted:
10/31/04 9:34pm
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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They are in for some trouble now. I have a feeling its not going to be easy getting out of it. Great job with the action, KD!
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Paddy sis to Kyn  By Your Side (Obi-Wan, Xan, Granta) http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/24157129/p1/?14 Shattered Mind (time travel ESB,JA)
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Jedi_Chani
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Aug '04
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Date Posted:
11/1/04 7:23am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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Well that is quite a beginning! Looking forward to more very soon. 
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"I've got a bad feeling about this..."
"The enemy to be feared the most is the one who wears the face of a friend."
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Kynstar
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Mar '04
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Date Posted:
11/1/04 7:43am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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Oi! What a twist Mace being Qui's Paddy! hehehehe maybe he won't be such a stick in the mud now!
Loving this so far! Def action packed!
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Paddy sis to t_s & SarkaVrae/Master to hyperspace_police
Member of Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly (Kynstar Lans)
Long live fanfiction...for in these tales do our heroes still exist.
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Healer_Leona
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Jul '00
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Date Posted:
11/1/04 7:48am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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Finally getting the chance to read and reply.
Ha! I really enjoy the thought of Mace Windu as Qui-Gon's first padawan and I can so hearthe Mission Impossible theme playing in the background. I found myself holding my breath as Qui-Gon manipulated the box through the sensor beams.
Im hoping this turns into a long, goodly piece myself K-D, this first bit was excellent!
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To me, you're strange and you're beautiful,
You'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see,
You turn every head but you don't see me.
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Knight_Dilettante
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Jul '02
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Date Posted:
11/1/04 8:46am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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Thanks Kitara Well, as you probably know, on the challenge thread someone said something about Mission Impossible and I immediately got this image of Qui-Gon in Cruise's harness from MI. I'm very susceptible to suggestion. 
Layren I always say Great Minds... Maybe that's how he got his "rogue" label?
tangled_sphere Why what ever would give you an idea like that?  Stay tuned, and... Thanks!
Hi Jedi_Chani Thanks, and Hello. Unfortunately my dsl is being irritating again this morning so more will be arriving this evening but I don't think I will manage to post until after work today. But for more Qui action you should check out the challenge stories thread.
Kynstar! Hiya! Once I had the idea of Mace as Qui's mysterious first padawan I just couldn't get rid of it. I'm not sure it would do anything about his stick-in-the-mud-ness though. Sometimes we react to a parent/mentor who is significantly to one side by becoming very much the opposite. Especially if something happened to cause a rift. I admit that one of the major attractions of the idea of Mace as Qui's first padawan, is the really intriguing twist it puts on the interactions between them that we see in TPM.
Leona Hi! Thanks for coming. I'm glad you're enjoying Mace. I'll have to see if I can get him to talk to me before I can promise it will go further than about 3 posts...
Thank you all for reading! I will post more as soon as I can manage it. Right now I have to get to work and see if I can replace myself this week.
KD
43 and counting
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An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace) updated 10/16/05 http://doiop.com/Mission more in bio I'm so happy because I'm writing again!
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Kynstar
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Mar '04
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Date Posted:
11/1/04 8:55am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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Once I had the idea of Mace as Qui's mysterious first padawan I just couldn't get rid of it. I'm not sure it would do anything about his stick-in-the-mud-ness though. Sometimes we react to a parent/mentor who is significantly to one side by becoming very much the opposite. Especially if something happened to cause a rift.
Hehehehe so true too! I'm sooo enjoying this outtake
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Paddy sis to t_s & SarkaVrae/Master to hyperspace_police
Member of Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly (Kynstar Lans)
Long live fanfiction...for in these tales do our heroes still exist.
See stories/viggies in bio
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Knight_Dilettante
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Date Posted:
11/1/04 7:36pm
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response)
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Kyn I'm not even sure it is "stick-in-the-mudness" now that I think about it. But that is a pondering for a different post.
Tonight we have a reader poll instead of the post I promised. I hope you will forgive me.
Some of you have very kindly said that you have enjoyed this enough that you hope the tale will be relatively long running. I thought about that today and have decided that I can come up with a full story instead of a 3 post short-short. But, then I will need to delay the next two or three posts so as to be sure of having enough time to get more written before I need it. So here's the poll:
Would you prefer that I post every 3 days and keep that consistant from now on, or would you prefer that I go ahead and post what I have every other day or even every day even though then there might be a week's wait or longer  before there was any more?
I can't post the second bit today anyway because I need to tart it up a bit if it is going to be a longer fic. I can post it tomorrow morning probably though if faster posts to start with is desired.
KD
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An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace) updated 10/16/05 http://doiop.com/Mission more in bio I'm so happy because I'm writing again!
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Kynstar
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Mar '04
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Date Posted:
11/2/04 4:46am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response) Reader Poll!
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If the every 3 day is easier for you then by all means do that one instead  We can wait! I know I'm in the predicament myself and can only post on my story every other week due to this major exercise coming up. Afterward I'm hoping to do the every week bit like I was once before.
So if you need to do it every 3 days or juz once a week, you still have my eyes! Glad you're gonna make it into a story! This idea for Mace being Qui's Paddy is sweeeeeet! Loving it so far
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Member of Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly (Kynstar Lans)
Long live fanfiction...for in these tales do our heroes still exist.
See stories/viggies in bio
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Layren
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Oct '03
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Date Posted:
11/2/04 5:42am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response) Reader Poll!
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Whichever is most convienient for you, KD. Every three days sounds great if you can manage it
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AthenaLeigh
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Aug '04
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Date Posted:
11/2/04 11:07am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response) Reader Poll!
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Ah, I finally got to read it, and that was great. Very exciting. I could so see them doing that. What an interesting idea. I really like it so far. As for posting, do whatever is most convenient for you. I'm not one to demand updates.
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Master to jedi_artorius Imperturbable Serenity http://boards.theforce.net/Before_the_Saga/b10475/17159240/ "Hey, you monkeys are smarter than I thought!"  "I smile because it hurts too much to frown."
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PadawanKitara
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Dec '01
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Date Posted:
11/2/04 10:53pm
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response) Reader Poll!
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what ever is easiest for you, as long as you promise not to vanish until it is compelete
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Courtier of the Royal Order of Shambling Dufi
We are Dufi...Resistance is Futile!
UCLA BRUINS
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Knight_Dilettante
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Jul '02
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Date Posted:
11/3/04 12:27am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response) Reader Poll!
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Athena I'm so glad you came by to read. I hope you continue to like it. I've only got the skeleton for most of the story (now - a few days ago I had a completed three post story - how do these things happen to me?) but I do have that. We will all see where it goes together.
PadawanKitara Oh, you're not getting rid of me that easy. Particularly not if you feed the author with comments like that.
Lovely Readers Here is the plan. I will try very hard to post regularly on Tues evening late and sometime Saturday morningish (all times are Pacific aka board times) in posts of about the current size. I promise not to disappear completely but I may disappear for a week at a time now and again due to work or family "stuff".
Now, on to the story:
When last we left our heros, Padawan Windu had been told to scarper, Master Qui-Gon was hand-over-handing up a cable trying to escape back through his entrance hole in the ceiling, and the outraged property owner had set off the alarms
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Klaxons ringing in his ears, Qui-Gon used the Force to help him clamber the rest of the way up the cable in the flashing red light and through the recently cut opening in the ceiling from which he had descended. Unfortunately, one of the guests noticed the movement.
"Baden! There. The ceiling!" She called out, pointing at Qui-Gon's disappearing boots.
The Force told Qui-Gon to leap back from the opening, and he did so just in time. The blaster shot took another section of ceiling out, damaging the joist on which Qui-Gon stood. He leapt again, to his left, and ran along the beam toward the lift shaft. Looking up he could see Mace. His padawan was not moving nearly as quickly as Qui-Gon knew he was capable of. The master felt a burst of frustration that the boy had so clearly disobeyed orders in order to stay near enough to his master to help. Then he saw the guildsman guarding the lift shaft, and frustration turned to fear for the boy. The guildsmen of this world had a weapon that could hold its own with a lightsaber for a time. And they had an uncanny ability to know when one of their guild was in danger, so reinforcements would seemingly magically arrive. There was no time to deal honorably with the guildsman. Qui-Gon used the Force to close the distance between he and Mace, using an end over end flip to cover more ground than he could have at a run.
Just before reaching Mace's side Qui-Gon gathered more energy from the Force, and expelled it in a burst to knock the guildsman off his feet. The man staggered and fell, but recovered his footing almost immediately, and once more hefted his weapon. It was a metal staff, a bit over a meter and a quarter in length, the end of which held an expensive vibro-blade generator. The matching blade shapes were similar to that of a simple curved ax. Except that the returning metal formed a reverse curve, so that it looked like a round biscuit with two large bites taken out of it at top and bottom. And the reverse curves were also sharpened, the better to hamstring you with. The generators for such a blade combination were very expensive, as they had to be hand calibrated. But Baden had plenty of money with which to equip his guards. And plenty of money for guildsmen's wages, Qui-Gon knew. So the two additional guards that were climbing off the access ladders from the lift shaft another few meters away were probably not the last of the trouble.
"Be very careful, Mace," Qui-Gon said, and he touched the pouch on his belt before drawing his lightsaber.
Mace nodded acknowledgment of the silent instruction to take the pouch and run for their ship if a chance should present itself, and drew his own lightsaber. They needed to get down the seventeen stories to the ground, and over two blocks to the small shipyard where their two-man vessel sat pretending to be under repair.
Qui-Gon feinted right, and the guildsman directly in front of them fell for it. While he was trying to recover, Qui-Gon swung at his battle-axe and knocked it to one side. Flipping over the man to land on a rafter behind him, Qui-Gon forced him to back away, so as to keep from having either Qui-Gon or Mace at his back. Gathering the Force again, Qui-Gon threw a burst of energy at the man that was more intense than his first effort. The man was lifted off his feet, and flung toward his fellows, knocking the leaders off balance, and trapping the rest behind the temporary bulwark.
Then, in unison, Mace and Qui-Gon turned, and ran along the rafters toward option B, the roof access stairwell. The guildsmen had blasters in addition to their long axes. But, as Qui-Gon had known they would, they had left them holstered to favor their classic weapon. Guildsmen were very like Jedi in some ways.
"Be careful Qui-Gon." Master Dooku's voice was pitched low. This piece of advice was for his former padawan alone. "Baden has Ventari Guildsmen providing his security. They may not use the Force as we do, but they can be a formidable foe. They are more like us, I suspect, than we would like to admit."
As the two Jedi ran for the spiral stairs to the roof, the guildsmen untangled themselves, and switched to the more modern weapon. Pings of blaster shots echoed in the attic space, and sent chips of duracrete flying from the opening to the stairwell as the Jedi ducked into it. Qui-Gon was leading by a half step.
"Ah!" Mace staggered, and Qui-Gon pulled him into the stairwell. Then stopped him long enough to check the wound. It was not too bad. A burn, not deep, in the muscle of his sword arm. Qui-Gon sent Mace up first with instructions to not get too far ahead in case the guildsmen had sent reinforcements to the roof via some other route. The Force told him the roof was still empty, but he would take no chances with his padawan.
They started up the stairs, Qui-Gon moving backwards, and keeping an eye on the area outside the opening for as long as he could with the curve in the stair. Just before the step that would take the opening out of his line of sight, the guildsmen rushed the opening, firing their blasters rapidly. Mace was behind him, deflecting what he could with his off arm. Qui-Gon himself surrendered to the Force, and let it guide his lightsaber. When he bent forward to check a last time, he found he had managed to cut the odds somewhat by sending many of the bolts back into the clump of guildsmen.
The guildsmen were quick to clamber over their wounded, and continue the pursuit. The Jedi continued up the stairs, and the guildsmen followed. But, now, they switched back to their axes. With the longer reach, and the advantage of going upstairs facing forward, they pressed the Jedi until Qui-Gon could no longer justify simply swiping at them to slow them down. He and Mace would not get away unless they had time to plan once they were on the roof.
He stopped on his current stair, and waved his lightsaber in a challenge movement. The closest guildsman charged up two stairs swinging his poleax in a figure eight of his own. Qui-Gon caught the blade with his lightsaber, and sparks from the two energy fields lit up the stairwell in an eerie shower of yellow and green fireworks. Qui-Gon twisted his body to maximize his leverage, and forced his lightsaber down on the haft of the ax. Green sparks mingled with red this time from the heating metal.
With a grunt of effort, Qui-Gon forced his blade further into the shaft of the guildsman's weapon, and then twisted the shaft out of the man's grip. Kicking it off his own blade with his boot, he moved his lightsaber to his left hand alone and threw a punch with his right that carried all the weight of his shoulder and upper body with it. The guildsman went down, and the first of his followers tripped over him or each other. Qui-Gon turned and ran up the rest of the stairway, pulling Mace along with him, and relieving his padawan of the equipment pack as they went.
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An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace) updated 10/16/05 http://doiop.com/Mission more in bio I'm so happy because I'm writing again!
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Kynstar
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Mar '04
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Date Posted:
11/3/04 5:19am
Subject:
RE: An Improbable Mission (Qui/Mace action/adv Qui-Gon Challenge response) Ch2 Updated 11/3
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Oh great action there! Hehehe loved how Mace was showing that slight defiance in not wanting to get too far away from Qui hehehehe
So those guildsmen are similar to Jedi... well some of the training at least. Definitely a challenge there! Run guys!
Excellent chappie!
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Paddy sis to t_s & SarkaVrae/Master to hyperspace_police
Member of Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly (Kynstar Lans)
Long live fanfiction...for in these tales do our heroes still exist.
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