[fic] part two
title: The Fifth Trial
rating: PG
fandom: Super Junior
pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
summary: The life of a Jedi is never a simple one and Zhou Mi, alongside his unruly, new apprentice, must learn how to handle all the situations this life can throw at them. Even the unexpected ones.
Kui Xian shared no similar worries to his Master. Truth be told, he was excited. He'd come a long way, and much had changed from the unruly, defiant young boy he'd been, unwilling to learn and to behave. And now was his chance to truly prove how much he had changed. Though he and his Master got along well now - sometimes, beyond their teacher-student relationship, Kui Xian liked to think of Zhou Mi as friend - he couldn't forget the rocky start they'd had, and he still felt as if he had to make it up to Zhou Mi, to really prove his worth. It was stupid, he knew, because Zhou Mi never mentioned it, and Kui Xian knew that his Master had long ago seen the difference in him. Stupid, but a feeling and a sense he knew he wouldn't be able to put behind him until this assignment had been successfully completed.
He had arrived over an hour ago at the designated meeting point for his group, and now they were all simply waiting for their transporter to show up. Kui Xian himself had been subject to the Indies - the Independants, the faction lobbying against the current for a different system of self-government - paranoia, and even in his dark brown Jedi tunic and cloak, and the sight of his lightsaber, hadn't dissuaded their suspicions. He'd had to prove himself a real Jedi, twice. First with a, what Kui Xian thought of as stunning, display of skill with his lightsaber - and all six members of the party had looked suitably awed as they'd watched the flaming arcs of Kui Xian's yellow blade as it cut precisely and without fault through the air. And secondly, by performing the Jedi mind trick on one of the Indies. It had been, admittedly, a little amusing getting one of them - a man on the wrong side of middle-aged, and one who seemed quite snooty in Kui Xian's opinion - to call himself Bantha fodder.
Suddenly, Kui Xian sensed within the Force someone approaching. He knew it was a someone, because the Force rang differently through sentient species. The transporter, then. "Wait here," he ordered the Indies, and strode outside, only to see that he was right, it was the passenger landspeeder. It came to a hovering stop over the rocky ground that made up most of Angratha's surface.
Here was Kui Xian's first real decision to make. The pilot was an outsider, as far as the Indies were concerned. And as far as Kui Xian was concerned; these people had valid reasons for their extreme suspicions, after a number of them had already been assassinated over the past few weeks. So he had valid reason to be suspicious, too. He'd get them all killed, if he didn't try to think like them now. The only answer then was to get rid of this pilot. Kui Xian would have to fly the speeder himself, then, which he didn't really want to do. He was a fine pilot, even by Jedi standards, but it might prove hard to protect any other possible attacks with himself up front.
Still, there was no way around it. Decision made, Kui Xian walked with a determined step up to the transporter, with only a hint of an attempted polite smile on his face as he approached.
"Thank you for arriving so promptly, but I'm going to have to ask that you remain here. I'll transport the Independants myself."
"Understood, Master Jedi," the pilot answered. Kui Xian decided not to correct him on his mistake, his decisions might be questioned, if it was known that he was still only a Padawan.
Quickly and with all efficiency, the pilot shut down the landspeeder and climbed out, joining Kui Xian as he made his way back towards the building where the Indies awaited him.
"Must admit, I'll be glad if they can all come to an agreement," the pilot admitted. "All this suspicion and treachery, gets kind of tiring after a time."
"I imagine it would," Kui Xian answered, only half his mind on the words themselves. There was something, something itching at him, that he should be able to see, poking at his mind like the sharp point of a dagger thorn. There was a ripple in the Force, a hint of disturbance. Kui Xian was instantly on edge.
"Master Kui Xian, are we ready to leave now?" One of the Indies was walking out of the safety of the building to meet him. Kadpur, his name was. Mr Bantha Fodder.
"Wait inside," Kui Xian snapped, gesturing at the man to go back inside.
There was a sudden surge of disturbance, as if the Force had just drop-kicked him with the realisation.
Before Kadpur could retreat to the safety of the building the pilot beside Kui Xian was pulling a blaster from his side, his movements fast, stealthy, and deadly. Kadpur would never make it in time.
There was the distinct buzz of an ignited lightsaber, and Kui Xian's blade cut through the air in a flash of yellow fire. It was too bad for the pilot, because Kui Xian's reflexes were faster, stealthier, and even more deadly. The blaster fell, sliced clean through, to the ground, broken and useless. The blade of his lightsaber had missed the pilot's hand by the barest of millimetres. None too close, judging by the pilot's expression, and he must have felt the heat of the blade close to his hand.
"Now, how do you expect anyone to come to an agreement after you've killed them all?" He said dryly, deactivating his lightsaber before clipping it back onto his belt. It was a familiar, comforting weight against his thigh once again.
He turned to make sure that Kadpur, and the rest, were fine, though the pilot-assassin hadn't even managed to fire a single bolt. Kadpur's eyes were wide, but as Kui Xian approached, the pilot in a firm hold beside him now, he recovered himself quickly.
"Good work, Master Jedi. My thanks."
It was stiff, as if the words didn't want to be spoken, but Kui Xian accepted them as they were. "Just part of my duty. Now, if you want to leave this assassin to your own security here, and then we can all get on our way. There is a treaty to be discussed, after all."
When Kui Xian met up again with Zhou Mi back at the neutral zone, it was with a quiet sense of pride that he informed his Master about how he'd managed to ensure every Indie in his care had arrived alive and unharmed.
It didn't have quite the effect on Zhou Mi that he had hoped, and his Master frowned thoughtfully. "The pilot? Well, that's predictable. And far too easy. All the information I've gathered about the situation has suggested the situation to be more volatile than that." Rising from his own thoughts, Zhou Mi seemed to notice the look on Kui Xian's face, and he smiled. "All the same, you did well, my young Padawan." Zhou Mi's hand was a familiar, comfortable weight as it rested on his shoulder. "That's at least one less assassination attempt we have to worry about. Was it the only trouble that you sensed?"
Kui Xian nodded. "The rest of the journey was fine. There were no further incidents, and I felt nothing in the Force."
The frown was on Zhou Mi's face again, and he hadn't removed his hand. "This is strange. I had no attempts made against my group, at any point. There were no disturbances, either. It can't be as simple as that, though. These men have been highly suspicious for a reason."
A thought that was now troubling Kui Xian, and he wondered why he hadn't realised it sooner.
"Where are both parties now, Master?"
"In the conference room, discussing terms of agreement. I expect-" he stopped mid word, and looked at Kui Xian.
"I feel it, Master. The conference room."
They both sprinted through the lengthy hallways of the government building, using the Force to speed their path. Just ahead of Kui Xian, Zhou Mi was Force pushing objects out of their direct path, mindless of what it was he might have sent crashing against the walls, only that they had to get to that conference room, and they had to get there now.
Even as he ran, Kui Xian dived into the Force, wading through to find the source of the disturbance. It didn't have the distinctive ring of a human, or any other sentient species, but there was the press of human intention behind it. It rippled with the desire to harm and destroy, and set Kui Xian's teeth on edge.
They burst into the conference room moments later, Zhou Mi and Kui Xian both Force pushing at the heavy doors to open, heedless of the shocked looks the occupants of the room, gathered around a large, center table, were giving them. There was now practically a large, flashing red sign of Warning, Warning circling the room, and Kui Xian knew that the center of the disturbance was right here, close at hand. With a Force pull, his lightsaber was in his hand, humming with readyness.
"Kui Xian, the window!"
He didn't think, only reacted to Zhou Mi's order, sensing the urgency in his voice, and Kui Xian didn't hesitate, using the Force to jump into the air, somersaulting as he propelled himself over towards the one large transparisteel window in the room. There was a crash as his lightsaber slashed through it, and the window shattered outwards, the metal alloy it was made of falling to the street below like shards of rain.
Zhou Mi had found the source of the disturbance before him, and Kui Xian had only a moment to turn and watch as a particularly strong Force push sent something flying out of the now open window, just bare seconds after Kui Xian had broken it. For a moment, all he could see was the humanoid body, and he thought that Zhou Mi had just sent a person falling to their death, levels below. Until it registered that the disurbance hadn't been organic, and that he could see the light of one of the planet's suns reflecting from the shiny, silver coverings of a protocol droid. A spy droid, he mentally amended.
Before any questions could be asked, there was a loud explosion down on the street below, and Kui Xian ducked back from the open window to avoid the blast, his eyes smarting a little from the sudden, bright flash of light.
Slowly, he turned, looking past the surprised faces of the Angrathians, and locked gazes with his Master. Both of them seemed short of breath.
"Well, that wasn't easy or predictable," Kui Xian said dryly.
Geng looked thoughtfully at the Jedi Knight that sat across from him. Young, he was still so young. In years and in experience. And still, Zhou Mi was one of the best of the Jedi Order. He was smart, resourceful, skilled, patient. Every quality that was required, expected in a Jedi, nurtured within them all from infancy. It was because Zhou Mi was one of the best that Geng had asked the Jedi Knight to talk with him. He had had a vision, during one of his meditations, of a possible future. And even for someone who was strong and knowledgable in the ways of the Force could not always see all the threads that led to a possible outcome.
It was only an informal talk, the two of them seated comfortably in Geng's own quarters, the sun slowly beginning to sink down beyond the Coruscant cityscape, bathing the room in the dying light of day.
"The Council," Geng spoke up, directing Zhou Mi's gaze from the transparisteel he'd been gazing through, "are impressed with the effect you've had on your Padawan."
"I'm pleased with his progress myself, Master. He's come a long way."
"He did well during your mission to Angratha, didn't he?" Geng was careful with his questions, casual enough, but he watched Zhou Mi's face, waiting for the expressions that would give him away, responses that Geng was still hoping not to see.
"Even I was surprised. And I admit, if it hadn't been for his quick grasp of the situation, and his fast reflexes, we might still be there, caught up in an all out war. Or dead, even," Zhou Mi amended after a pause for thought.
"Do you think he's ready for the trials?"
Zhou Mi didn't hide the slight surprise he felt at Geng's question. "Actually, I intended to recommend him for the trials, when you asked to speak to me."
"So you do think that he's ready?"
There was a pause, and he could see that Zhou Mi was seriously considering the question, and his own answer. Another of his qualities, his careful consideration when it mattered. Eventually, the Jedi Knight spoke up, his words firm and sure. "I do, Master. Kui Xian is clever, resourceful, brave. He's skilled, and strong with the Force. I'm confident that he's ready, and that he'll be a good Jedi Knight. I've taught him everything I know, there isn't anything else I can teach him now."
Geng considered these words. But more importantly, he considered Zhou Mi, as he spoke them. There was a pride in his words, not the boastful kind, but the quiet pride that came with seeing a Padawan become a full Knight.
"It's interesting, how a boy so much later to the training, and so troublesome to start with, has progressed so quickly. You've been a good teacher to him, Zhou Mi, and I doubt anyone else could have done half as well as you have."
"I can't take all the credit, Master. If it hadn't been for Kui Xian's curiosity, and his desire to learn, I wouldn't have gotten so far." Zhou Mi smiled, his gaze wandering almost absently back towards the window. "He's taught me a few new things over time, as well. He's been a pleasure to teach, for many years now."
There was a look in Zhou Mi's eyes, as he spoke about his apprentice, unmistakable. Fondness. Of course, that wasn't unusual. The bond between Master and Padawan was a special one, that could never be replicated anywhere else. Even now, Geng thought of his own, old Master with affection, though she was long since dead. He'd have gone to any lengths to ensure her safety. Had, on a number of occasions.
So it wasn't this that bothered him. But as he had seen in his glimpse of a possible future, this fondness could quite easily turn into something more, and it was that which worried him. Attachment was forbidden by the Jedi Code, for good reason. And Geng couldn't lose two of the Order's best Jedi to this fall. Didn't want to. It wasn't there yet, he didn't think, but the look on Zhou Mi's face as he talked about his Padawan did nothing to soothe Geng's concerns. Nothing at all.
"Then, if you're confident in your Padawan's abilities, I will discuss it with the Council, and Kui Xian shall attempt the trials." He said this as if he had just reached the decision now, but truthfully, Geng had already decided on this before he had even requested Zhou Mi to see him.
There was another decision he had already made, but it felt as if he was consciously making it only when Zhou Mi made his way to leave. "Zhou Mi," Geng called, making him stop in the doorway. "You're a good teacher. Perhaps you'll consider taking on a new Padawan, after Kui Xian?"
"Oh I don't know about that, Master," Zhou Mi replied with a smile, "I think Kui Xian has cured me of the desire to teach anyone else. Once was enough for me."
It was the kind of response Geng had been expecting, but not one he had hoped for.
The stream of falling water was broken by Kui Xian, sitting thoughtfully beneath the waterfall, entirely dry. He remembered a time when even this simple trick had been impossible for him. How the water had managed to soak entirely through robe and tunic, and had left him feeling like a drowned gully rat. Seven years later, and he could create and maintain a Force shield with ease. Seven years later, and he was a Jedi Knight.
He still couldn't quite grasp the reality of it. All the years of training, learning, trying, of being an apprentice, and he'd passed the trials. Had been knighted and officially inducted into the Jedi Order. He was no longer an apprentice.
The trials were not an easy thing. All Padawans had to successfully complete them in order to become a Jedi Knight, and there were four of them, all designed to test the different aspects that a well-rounded, true, Jedi Knight was required to have. There was the Trial of Skill, to test the lightsaber abilities and skill with the Force. Trial of the Flesh, where a Padawan had to learn to cope and overcome physical pain and loss. Then the Trial of Courage, which required the Padawan to fight courageously, and overcome a superior enemy. And lastly came the Trial of Spirit, perhaps the most difficult of them all, a quest of self-discovery, that required a look deep within the self.
And Kui Xian had passed them all.
He was a Jedi Knight.
Would his parents be proud, he wondered, if they knew? Not that they did, and probably never would. Giving a child to the Temple meant never seeing them again. It was why the Jedi took infants, too young to have formed a connection, attachments to their family. It was why his own situation had been a tricky one, because he'd been much older, and had grown up with his family. But he had never been particularly close to them, in all honesty. Had never felt like he'd quite fit in. And in the end, after all his years in the Temple, among the other Jedi, this was what felt like home to him, and those he was close to were his family.
He was sure that his parents were already proud of him, of the fact that they had a son at the Temple. Kui Xian didn't dwell on it anymore, he didn't need to, it was past, and it didn't matter one way or the other.
And still, he was a Jedi Knight. An equal, amongst the other Knights. And now almost, almost, an equal to his Master. As usually followed, after a Knight had successfully trained an apprentice to knighthood, they in turn were promoted to the rank of Jedi Master. Zhou Mi was now officially a Jedi Master. There was something about that that also gave Kui Xian a small swell of pride. It hadn't been all Zhou Mi's doing, after all, his achieving knighthood.
But he was no longer an apprentice. No longer Zhou Mi's apprentice, and this too was a difficult thing for him to grasp. It was a strange thing, having to re-align himself as something other than the student to his teacher, even though, and Kui Xian freely admitted it, he hadn't always treated Zhou Mi like a teacher. Were they friends? These changes were still all so new to him. But Kui Xian respected Zhou Mi, enjoyed being around him - when he hadn't been receiving lectures, or gentle scoldings - and liked him, as a person. They laughed, and joked and teased each other. They had discussions. And even if Zhou Mi had claimed, up and down across the lengths of the galaxy, that it was not just a game but also an excercise in thought and strategy, they had played dejarik together, many times. And they...
Kui Xian could feel his thoughts starting to drift, and he wasn't sure they were heading towards a place he wanted to follow. And he was supposed to meet Henry soon; his friend was returning from what had been a successful mission to a system in the Inner Rim, and Kui Xian wanted to hear all about it.
Unfolding himself from the rock he'd been sitting on, Kui Xian slowly made his way to true, dry land again. Behind him, the waterfall resumed it's natural course.
"Ah, there you are!"
Kui Xian paused to look behind him, and saw Zhou Mi walking quickly to catch up with him.
"I was looking for you," Zhou Mi said, smiling as he fell into step beside Kui Xian.
"You found me."
Despite their sedate pace as they walked through one of the Temple's high, arching hallways, Kui Xian could sense a feeling of...almost of urgency, from Zhou Mi. He glanced over at him, curious.
As if he could sense Kui Xian's curiosity (and, Kui Xian conceeded, he probably could) Zhou Mi said, "There was something I wanted to tell you." He paused briefly, but Kui Xian said nothing, and he continued. "I've been given an assignment. I'm going out to the Javin system. Nothing terribly dangerous or time consuming," Zhou Mi added, "more investigation than anything. There are rumours of a known pirate gang hiding within the system, and I'm to find out if there's any truth to it or not."
The news had a strange effect on Kui Xian. This would be the first time that his Master - former Master, former Master, he reminded himself - would be away from him. It left an odd, unfamiliar feeling, settling heavy in the pit of his stomach. When would Zhou Mi have to leave?
Seeming to sense the question again, Zhou Mi answered before Kui Xian could voice it himself. "I'm leaving soon. Immediately. I just needed to tell you first."
Kui Xian slowed to a stop, turned to face Zhou Mi completely. He could have almost sworn that the smile he received then was apologetic.
"I don't know whose idea it was to send you out on your own." It was almost an effort, to call up his usual dry, teasing humour. "Don't the Council know that I'm always the one having to be incredible and save your behind?"
It seemed to work though, and even made Zhou Mi laugh, as Kui Xian's jokes usually did. He received a playful cuff to the ear, for his efforts. He almost wanted to laugh himself.
"You're only 'incredible' thanks to my wise and excellent training!"
Kui Xian did laugh, this time. "That's just what I let you think, Master."
"Oh, very kind of you, Jedi Kui Xian." Zhou Mi's expression sobered a little then, the smile fading into a slightly more serious look. Without either of them seeming to realise, Zhou Mi reached out, taking one of Kui Xian's hands in his own. "I have to go now. Rumours to confirm, and all that."
Kui Xian nodded. "Clear skies, Master." He looked down then, and noticed their hands. Zhou Mi's fingers were cool against his own.
And then they were gone, Zhou Mi taking a few steps back. "I'll see you soon."
As he was turning to leave, Kui Xian called out, "Zhou Mi!" As his former Master turned back, Kui Xian gave him a brilliant smile. "May the Force be with you."
"And with you."
The smile on his face faded as soon as Zhou Mi turned and walked away.
Zhou Mi finished putting the co-ordinates into the nav computer for his flight to the Javin system. "Everything all set, Emone?" He said, speaking to R2-M1, his astromech droid. There was a twittering beep of affirmation.
Glancing through the transparisteel cockpit canopy he saw that he was approaching his designated hyperdrive ring. The system was out in the Outer Rim, and the usual Jedi starfighters were too small to contain a hyperdrive to cross the distance so far through space. Zhou Mi, with the aid of the Force, slipped his starfighter to dock smoothly into the hyderdrive ring, and there was a twittering from R2-M1 that signalled a successful connection.
This was going to be his first solo assignment in a long time. It was a strange feeling, almost as if he were leaving something behind.
There is no emotion. There is only the Force.
Zhou Mi repeated the words, until he was successfully free of emotion. He needed to remain focused, centered in the Force if he was to quickly get to the bottom of these rumours, and he didn't need such thoughts distracting him. He was a Jedi Master now, and above such things.
He took a deep breath, and as he found his balance within the Force, as all emotion washed away from him, Zhou Mi found he was left with a strange, almost heavy, feeling. Not emotion. Something else, vague and undefined, but there all the same, like a haze of black smoke through the light of the Force.
"I have a bad feeling about this," he mumbled to himself.
R2-M1 whistled at him, that translated into an impatient 'Are we going to get moving anytime soon?'
"Sorry, Emone," Zhou Mi said, pushing the feeling aside. "Whenever you're ready, make the jump to hyperspace."
There was a brief jolt, and the bright pinpoints of stars fuzzed into the white hot streaks of starlines that signalled hyperspace. And Zhou Mi found that he had never felt quite so alone before.
"He's been gone for too long."
Henry glanced over at Kui Xian. Shrugging his shoulders he said, "I don't know, he's got to be cautious, doesn't he? It's pirates he's looking for any sign of, and if they are out there, he doesn't want to get caught."
Kui Xian shook his head. "No, it's been too long," he insisted. He leaned towards Henry, his voice quiet but firm with the conviction of belief. "If he sees any sign of the pirates, he's to get out of there straight away and contact the Temple for backup. If there's nothing, then he'd come back straight away, no problem. Either way," Kui Xian continued, looking serious, "we should have heard from him by now."
Henry still didn't look quite convinced. He shook his head, "But you already went to the Council, and they don't think it's anything to worry about."
That had left Kui Xian feeling a little disullionsed towards the Council and their efficiency. He'd gone to them just yesterday to ask that they send someone - himself, anyone - to see what was keeping Zhou Mi. The feeling had begun to uncoil within Kui Xian a week ago, a single tendril of doubt and worry. And then he'd had a dream, or a vision, something, that left him with the distinct thought that Zhou Mi should have made contact by now, and that he hadn't because he was in trouble. He'd immersed himself within the Force to meditate on the matter, and that single tendril of worry had fanned out into a smoke, a warning signal, it felt like.
And yet the Council had told him that they weren't worried - and that he shouldn't worry either, it wasn't the 'Jedi way' - and that Zhou Mi would make contact soon. They were confident in his abilities, they'd said.
Well, so was Kui Xian, but he still knew that something was wrong.
"What are you going to do?" Henry continued, his tone light, an attempt to ease the conversation. "Go out there and look for him yourself?"
It was supposed to be a joke. But Kui Xian looked at Henry, no sign of humour on his face as their gazes locked. "That's what I was thinking."
Henry leaned back, obviously surprised, his eyes widening. "It's not an authorised assignment, you won't even make it to the Temple starfighters!"
Kui Xian had already considered that. "Then I'll just have to go find someone who will take me there."
"Kui Xian," Henry spoke, almost urgently, leaning forward again, grabbing one of Kui Xian's hands, "this is crazy. Master Zhou Mi is just being careful and taking his time. And besides that, he's a Jedi. He can handle any trouble that comes his way."
"Even Jedi aren't immortal, Henry," Kui Xian said, his jaw tightening. "You don't get it," he continued, firm, insistent, decided. "He was my Master. I know that something has happened to Zhou Mi. I can't just leave him out there."
There was nothing Henry could do or say to dissuade him. Even a terribly transparent threat to tell one of the Council members about Kui Xian's plans. It was already decided in his mind.
What had it been, that he'd told Zhou Mi just before he left, over three standard weeks ago? 'I'm always the one having to be incredible and save your behind.'
He'd been teasing at the time, and even Kui Xian hadn't thought that his words might come true.
It wasn't an official assignment and so Kui Xian couldn't go about it in the usual way. He was determined to go through with it, though. Ever since a certain Jedi Master had given him a verbal kick in the cargo hold, Kui Xian had learned to stand by his decisions. Then, he'd set his mind to proving his Master wrong, that he could learn, behave, and become a Jedi in his own right. This time, he'd set his mind to finding out just why Zhou Mi hadn't contacted the Temple yet.
Being unauthorised, it was going to be harder to get himself a ship, but not impossible. Whilst he hadn't gathered very many contacts during his time as a Jedi, Kui Xian did remember the names of several people who might prove helpful, from his days before. He'd spent time in the wrong places, with the wrong people, doing questionable things, and it had come in handy now. He'd managed to track down a few of the old gamblers he'd known - and cheated - once upon a time, and gathered enough information to know which spaceport to hang around, and who to wait for. Between the five people he'd asked, only one name had come up every time.
Donned in civilian attire, his lightsaber out of sight, Kui Xian looked like anyone else. Anyone else who needed a ship offworld.
It was, he thought, good foresight that, not only did he have some idea who he was looking for, but that Kui Xian had also put about that he was looking for this person. He'd been told, besides the name, that the guy he was hoping to meet had a curious nature about him. Kui Xian was hoping that this man would come looking for him, before long.
Eventually, his foresight seemed to pay off. Kui Xian was instantly aware of the young man who approached him. For a moment he thought that perhaps it was a trick of the light, or perhaps the passers-by that the man had to weave his way around and through, but when he was - and quite quickly - closer, Kui Xian realised that it wasn't a mistake. There was a small amount of surprise; the man approaching him looked young, not as young as himself, but certainly no older than Zhou Mi. He must have done something fairly impressive then, to earn a reputation at such a young age.
Keeping his eyes on the man the entire time he approached, Kui Xian let his other senses spread out towards him, using the Force to try and get a better grasp on who he was, and his intentions. Not even a ripple. There was no trace of dark intentions. The smile on his face as he stood in front of Kui Xian was genuine, then.
Then he let his physical senses take in the man, his eyes looking over him. Young, yes, with brown hair that looked rather unruly. Someone who wasn't overly concerned with their appearance to others? The outfit the man was wearing was a bit of a puzzle for Kui Xian, too. Clearly some kind of semi-uniform, but not a planet's that he recognised. Interesting.
"I heard you were looking for me?"
No pre-ambling, beating around the bush, then. Just the way Kui Xian liked his business to be. "I'm looking for Donghae Lee," he said. He raised one eyebrow, and sounded as if he didn't quite believe that he'd found who he was looking for. Deliberately.
The smile only widened, and still there was nothing from the Force but honesty.
"Then you've found him."
Honesty, and a little open curiosity.
"What can I do for you?" Donghae asked. It was his turn to eye Kui Xian, and he could feel the questions beginning to bubble in Donghae's mind.
"I need to get to the Javin system. Fast."
"That's what any pilot can do for you," Donghae pointed out. "What can I do for you?"
"Look, I asked around and yours was the name that kept coming up. I just need to get there as quickly as possible." Kui Xian paused, gauging the situation. There was no sense telling him not to, within the Force, or his own common sense. "And I need to go unnoticed," he added, looking hard at Donghae. He was going to get into trouble for this, he was sure, but at least he'd have a chance to get out to Javin and find out what had happened to Zhou Mi before the Council could track him down.
There was a look of understanding on Donghae's face, and just the slightest shift of his weight from one leg to the other. Kui Xian wondered if it meant something; an unconscious movement as a decision was made, perhaps?
"Now we're getting to the point. So what's your name?"
There was a moment of hesitation. But Kui Xian knew that giving a fake name would be a bad idea, he didn't have one already in mind, and he knew, with all his focus having to go to Zhou Mi, he'd slip up somewhere and forget to respond to it. He wasn't known outside the Jedi Temple, anyway. "Kui Xian," he answered simply.
"Nice to meet you, Kui Xian. Okay, I know all these formalities are really boring," said Donghae, sounding almost sympathetic, "but this is the last part. What're you offering?"
It was still a little baffling for Kui Xian, if he was entirely honest. Donghae defied every expectation he might have had for him. He remained open and honest and curious, and he looked and sounded truly friendly. He had to wonder about the man, really; this was who all his old gambling contacts had recommended him? But he couldn't sense any hint of deception.
"I don't have much in the way of credits," Kui Xian admitted. Donghae raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, but Kui Xian continued before any objections could be made, "So I thought we could bet on it."
Now both eyebrows were raised, disappearing under unruly bangs of brown hair. He could feel Donghae considering the proposal, and hoped that would go in his favour. He could have tried the Jedi mind trick, to try and influence Donghae's decision, but that kind of mental persuasion only worked on the weak-minded, and despite the open friendlyness of the pilot, Kui Xian didn't think he seemed weak-minded.
Pushing the hair from his eyes with one hand, Donghae's gaze met Kui Xian's. He could see the decision in them. "What's the bet?"
Kui Xian suppressed a smile; it wasn't a done deal yet. With one hand, he gestured behind him, indicating that they should make their way to somewhere a little less full of moving people. With a nod, Donghae followed him over towards an alcove, offering them a little more privacy, for a public spaceport.
"If I win, you take me to and from the Javin System, free of charge. If you win, you get all the credits I have on me, and I'm stuck looking for another pilot."
There was another seemingly unconscious shift in Donghae's stance. A pause, and then, "Alright. Deal."
It was almost as good as done now, but Kui Xian didn't let that show on his face; Donghae didn't know that it was as good as done.
"I've got a chance cube on me." He reached into a pocket, slowly, and pulled out a small cube, three of the sides coloured in red, the other three coloured in blue. Offering it to Donghae, he added, "Check it out if you want. It's not weighted."
Donghae did just that as he took the small cube, holding it in the middle of his palm to judge. Seemingly satisfied by the even weight, he took a closer look, testing the sides to make sure the colours were solid. This seemed to satisfy him too, and he looked back up at Kui Xian. "Red I win. Blue, and you have yourself a pilot." He pushed the hair from his face again, a seemingly pointless reflex, Kui Xian noted, as the unruly strands fell right back in place again.
And then, without warning, Donghae threw the cube into the air, and they both watched as it dropped. Kui Xian did a little more than simply watch it decide his Master's fate for him, though. The motion of his hand was small and close to his side, the only indication that he was reaching forward with the Force. With just a tiny push, the cube landed blue side up. As Kui Xian knew it would. Made sure it would.
He gave nothing away as he looked at Donghae. "I guess I have my pilot."
With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Donghae said, "I guess you do." And then, to Kui Xian's slight surprise, the other broke out into a smile. "It'll be nice to have a change in company. Eunhyuk was beginning to get so boring."
Kui Xian suddenly had a dubious feeling about this.
"You're lucky you caught me when you did, really," Donghae was saying, as he led Kui Xian towards the hangar-bay his ship was at. "We were going to be taking off soon. But don't worry," he turned and flashed Kui Xian a smile, "this sounds more interesting than what we had planned, anyway."
Having silently assessed Kui Xian during their initial meeting, and having his odd new passenger pass every little silent test Donghae had conducted (there weren't many) he had settled quite easily into his usual, friendly, self around the man. His somewhat chatty, friendly self, he had to admit. But then, with only Eunhyuk and Sungmin to talk to all the time, it was no wonder that someone new was going to be interesting. Besides, if they were going to be spending some time together during the flight, then they might as well start getting used to each other.
"What's in the Javin system, anyway?" A rather large Bothan almost ran right into the both of them, but Donghae managed to weave around and avoid a collision; he didn't want to go upsetting any Bothan's, especially rude ones. Looking over, he noticed that Kui Xian had managed to avoid the same fate. Quick reflexes, then. "I don't remember there being much there," he continued, as if there had been no interruption. "Javin planet, of course, and a few others, but nothing really of interest."
"I'm looking for someone there."
His eyebrows creased together in a curious frown. "I don't know how you plan on searching an entire system, then."
Kui Xian glanced over, meeting his gaze, and Donghae could see the silent determination reflected in his dark eyes. "That's my job to worry about. I just need you to get me there."
"Alright." Holding his hands up in a gesture of defeat, Donghae flashed a smile. "It's your money. Well, actually it's not," he corrected himself upon reflection of their bet. "But you know the saying! Oh, here we are, hangar 27. Come on."
They entered the large hangar-bay, and there she was, one of the pride and joys of Donghae's life. His ticket to freedom. She was a standard, Corellian model light freighter, perfect for his small crew of two, and all of their trading, shipping, passenger (and sometimes smuggling) needs. And she was the most beautiful lady Donghae had ever flown in. She was The Eastern Sea.
"Say hi to your ride." Donghae gave Kui Xian another grin, before leading him over towards the ship. The ramp was down, and there was no one in sight, but Donghae had already communicated with Eunhyuk via his comlink, and knew that his co-pilot was ready and waiting for them inside.
"Mind your head," he shot over his shoulder as he climbed up the ramp. There was no thud or sound of pain, and Donghae again assumed that Kui Xian must have quick reflexes. His warning would have come too late to anyone else.
Entering the ship proper, Donghae neatly avoiding a rather questionable wet puddle splashed across the main corridor, he called out, "Eunhyuk! Come meet our new crewmember! And why didn't you clean up after Sungmin?"
"I thought you said there were only two of you?" Donghae heard from behind him.
"There are. Oh, you mean Sungmin?" He turned to look back at Kui Xian. "He's my pet dwarf bantha. Don't worry," Donghae added, at the look on Kui Xian's face, "I don't let him take the controls. Often."
With a wave of his hand, he led Kui Xian through the main corridor and up through the cockpit access hall, where Eunhyuk was waiting for them.
"Ah, Eunhyuk, this is Kui Xian. Kui Xian, Eunhyuk." Introductions over, Donghae dropped himself into the pilot's seat. "So, are we all set to go?"
"Just waiting for clearance from spaceport control," Eunhyuk confirmed. Then, less seriously he added, "and that bantha is your stupid pet, not mine. You should clean up after it."
Donghae looked as offended as he sounded. "How can you say that? He's really fond of you!"
"He pees in my room. And if you--"
There was a crackle as the communications came to life, and the steady voice of one of the spaceport controllers broke through the bickering, informing them that The Eastern Sea was now clear to leave.
"Okay, sit down and strap in. She's a fast ship, and we'll be off in just a minute." Donghae didn't spare a look behind him to see if Kui Xian was doing what he said, the guy seemed pretty good at following instructions. Both he and Eunhyuk spent several moments getting the ship ready for flight, and then with a word, they were rising through the open-ceilinged hangar, and up through the planet's atmosphere.
"Did you set the co-ordinates?"
"I did," Eunhyuk confirmed, after double-checking the nav computer. "You didn't mention anywhere specific, so I set it for the first open space in the system. Is that okay?" He asked, turning to look back at Kui Xian, who simply nodded in response. "Quiet, isn't he?" Eunhyuk said, voice lowered as he turned back to Donghae.
"Very," Donghae said, sounding disappointed. Before Eunhyuk could ask what that was supposed to mean, he hit a few buttons, readying the hyperdrive. "Far enough from the planet's gravitational field for lightspeed."
And with a slight jolt, starlines streaking through the viewport, they burst into lightspeed.
"Approaching Javin system," Eunhyuk announced.
Kui Xian had joined Donghae and Eunhyuk in the cockpit, and he watched out of the viewport as the starlines of hyperspace collapsed into the bright stars of real space. Already he began reaching through the Force, waiting for the ripple of energy to bounce back at him, and help locate his missing former Master.
There were a few long moments of silence, before Eunhyuk finally voiced his concerns. "I know it's not a particularly large one, but, uh, how are we supposed to find one person within an entire system?"
Ignoring the question, Kui Xian leaned forward, pointing at a land mass on the datascreen. "What's that?"
Eunhyuk clicked a few buttons, and brought the image closer. "A small moon," he answered, sounding only a little put out that his, quite valid, concern had been brushed aside. "Uninhabited, though the atmosphere is suitable to sustain human life." A few more clicks, and the map of the moon in question was brought into closer focus. "Lot's of plant life, though. And ocean life. Oh, that's odd."
"What is it?" Instinctively, Kui Xian leaned closer, as did Donghae, all three of them now crowding around the datascreen.
"The computer's picking up readings of technology. Only small amounts and..." Eunhyuk trailed off, pressing another button, and they had a view of part of the planet's surface. "All coming from right here." He pointed at the display, to a small, circular area on the map.
"He's there," Kui Xian said, leaning back. "The man I'm looking for, he's right there."
Eunhyuk turned, looking at him dubiously. "How in the worlds do you know that?"
"I know."
Eunhyuk shared a look with Donghae, who only shrugged in return; there was no point questioning such determined conviction.
"Okay, so what do you want to do?" Donghae asked, turning back to study the image on the datascreen, reaching out to adjust the view a little.
"That space, where all the technology readings are coming from," Kui Xian said, gesturing at the image, "that's the pirate's base. That's where they're keeping him. And I'm going to go in and get him out." There wasn't the slightest waver of doubt in his voice, and even Eunhyuk seemed to have given up questioning how Kui Xian knew these things.
Though, just because he was less inclined to question it, didn't stop the doubt in Eunhyuk's own voice as he spoke. "And do you know how you're going to do that?"
Kui Xian gave him a smile. "As a matter of fact, I do."
"Of course you do," Eunhyuk mumbled.
Over top of him, Donghae said, "What's the plan?" He, at least, seemed to suffer no doubts about Kui Xian.
"If you fly low over the tree tops, here," he pointed at the datascreen, "you can drop me around this point," Kui Xian's pointing indicated a spot that was within walking distance of where he thought the base to be located. "Once I'm off, turn here, and make it look as if you're heading for atmosphere. Then, fly back around to this spot," he pointed at another clearing on the map, "and if you shut down your systems fast enough, they'll think you made it into space. I'll meet with you there, when I have Zhou Mi."
"Wait a minute, hold on!" Eunhyuk turned to look back at Kui Xian, shaking his head vehemently. "We agreed to take you here, and even take you back, but we never agreed to be part of your rescue mission! Donghae," he added, looking imploringly at his friend, "this is crazy!"
Kui Xian met Donghae's eyes, and a look of silent understanding seemed to pass between them. He knew that Donghae would help him with this, despite his co-pilot's doubts. Which was a relief to Kui Xian, but also something to wonder about. Later. Right now, he had to focus all his attention on Zhou Mi, and getting him off this moon.
"We'll help him, Eunhyuk." Donghae's tone brightened and he reached out, smacking his co-pilot on the arm in a gesture of familiar camaraderie. "It's been awhile since we've had some fun, hasn't it? Since when did we become boring?"
Eunhyuk shoved Donghae's hand away, but despite himself seemed to almost smile. "We're not boring." That seemed to be his own form of agreement.
"Good. Can you do it?" Kui Xian asked, bringing back the subject of his suggested plan.
Donghae frowned. "It'll require some fast flying, to get back to the clearing and make it look as if we're gone. But if anyone can do it, it's Eunhyuk and me!"
"Right then. Let's get started."
With that, both pilots turned back in their seats towards the viewport, slipping back into what passed for their professional mode. A few switch flicks and button pushes, and they were steadily making their way through space towards the moon.
Despite his firm orders and determined appearance, Kui Xian couldn't help but begin to feel just the smallest bit of doubt, worming its way slowly through him. It was as solid a plan as he could come up with now, but he didn't know what state Zhou Mi was in, or how much trouble these pirates really were.
He shoved the doubt away; there was no space for it, not now. He had the Force as his ally, and he had never led him off course before. There was no room for doubt in a Jedi. It was one of the paths that led to the dark side of the Force, a path that Kui Xian wasn't going to follow. He could do this. With these thoughts firmly in mind, he centered himself within the Force, letting it flow through him, balance him, and fill him with it's light.
"Hey, there's an empty hyperdrive ring," Eunhyuk pointed out, as they approached the moon. Out of the viewport they could all see the hyperdrive ring, hanging there suspended in space, waiting. He turned in his seat enough to send a quick look back at Kui Xian, a curious, considering look. "I guess you were right."
"I guess I was," said Kui Xian simply. He'd known already that he was right, though.
They made it through the planet's atmosphere, switching from space flight engines to repulsorlifts for planet-side travel, descending through the thin layer of clouds, and Eunhyuk began the run over the tree tops.
"Come in slowly," Kui Xian informed them. "Lower the boarding ramp, but don't stop and don't slow down. I'll signal you when I'm off. Continue at this speed for several more metres, and then fly your fastest."
"Right," said Donghae and Eunhyuk in unison.
Leaning over, Kui Xian entered his comlink number into the ship's communications system. "Here's my comlink information. Don't call me, I'll signal you when Zhou Mi and I are free of the base."
They were flying low right over the forest top now, slowly. It was almost time.
Kui Xian stood up. "This is my stop, thanks for the ride."
Donghae turned briefly in his seat, shooting Kui Xian a grin. "Good luck!"
He smiled back, and left the cockpit, making his way quickly through the corridor and towards the hatchway, the entrance ramp lowered enough for him to drop from. Kui Xian didn't say it, but he thought it, as he readied himself, in body, mind and Force, for the jump to the forest floor; he didn't need luck, he was a Jedi.
Things hadn't gone quite as Zhou Mi had first expected that they might. He'd arrived in the system three weeks ago, and had begun his investigation into the rumoured presence of a notorious pirate gang. The investigation throughout the system had taken a little longer than expected. He'd landed on Javin planet and asked around the spaceports and cantinas, but the only information he'd been able to gather were the same rumours he'd already heard. Eventually, after over a standard week of nothing, he'd figured that that was all there was to the situation, rumours. He'd been planning to leave the system entirely and return to the Temple, when he'd felt it. Coming from the small moon he'd been nearing. A ripple in the Force, unmistakable. He'd decided to land on the moon and check it out for himself, before sending a message back to the Temple through his R2 unit.
As soon as he'd landed, Zhou Mi had felt that ripple in the Force turn into a wave of hostile intent. Underlying it was the feeling that there was something more going on here, something that the was supposed to find out, and put an end to.
He knew, well in advance, that the pirates were going to ambush him. He could sense their intentions, and eventually even felt the quiet, cautious approach of a group of them after night had fallen. Zhou Mi was on his own, which didn't concern him, he could handle himself, but it gave him only one real option of finding out what these pirates were up to. He'd prepared himself as well as he could for it, taking what rations he had left from his starfighter and hiding them on himself, and recording a holomessage on R2-M1 for the droid to later project to the Temple for him, letting them know what he was planning. And then he'd slipped into Force meditation, waiting.
Zhou Mi had sensed when they had him surrounded, and with a nudge from the Force knew split seconds before it happened when they were going to start shooting. He'd already jumped into the air, using the Force to propel himself forward in a flip, his lightsaber ignited in his hand. The Force had already told him when one of the pirates was going to react first to this move and aim his blaster at Zhou Mi. It was simple enough to let himself falter, aim his body for where the blaster shot would be, and get himself stunned.
He'd fallen to the ground unconscious, and the pirates had confiscated his lightsaber. And in a move even Zhou Mi hadn't been able to foresee, one of them had taken to R2-M1 and with several, well placed shots, destroyed the astromech droid beyond repair.
Later, he'd come to in the smallest room he'd possibly ever seen. The ceiling was too low for him to stand to his full height, and it was only just wide enough for him to be able to lay himself down in. Apart from himself, there was nothing else in the room. Not even a lock on his side of the door; the only other thing he could gather about his whereabouts what that this definitely where the pirates had been hiding out, and it was underground. He'd woken with a headache, but was otherwise fine. And was now a prisoner of the pirates, just as he'd planned.
That was when things had really begun to turn out different. He'd been taken to see the leader of the gang, who had kindly informed Zhou Mi that they had destroyed both his droid and his ship. That was the first of the bad news. Later, Zhou Mi had also overheard a couple of the gang members talking together, discussing the possibilities of taking control of one of the main trade routes through the Outer Rim. It was then that he'd realised there was more to these pirates than he'd first assumed, if that was their lofty ambition; they would do anything to make sure it happened.
The one piece of good news for Zhou Mi had been what his presence had done to disrupt their plans. They hadn't expected a Jedi to route them out, and they thought that he already knew what they were up to. And they had no idea what to actually do with him. It was a subject that obviously required much discussion, because even after a week they hadn't done anything to him, beyond a little physical 'roughing up' - his ankle had suffered when one of the bigger, meaner, men assigned as one of his guards had pushed him forcefully back into the tiny room, and Zhou Mi suspected that it was only twisted.
He didn't get the feeling that they were going to try and kill him though. Not yet, anyway, and Zhou Mi thought that they might try to ransom him. They were pirates, after all.
He spent most of his time meditating, immersing himself as deep into the Force as he could, letting it wash over him, hoping it would give him some kind of clue, or nudge in the right direction. It was during one of these times when Zhou Mi first felt the flicker of a sense, a sense he recognised. It was just that, like a flickering flame, a flash of it's light and then it was gone, leaving behind only a lingering memory of warmth. He'd felt concern, towards himself. Could he, he wondered, really be feeling Kui Xian, from all the way back on Coruscant, and half a galaxy away?
Whether real or some kind of flash of false hope, it had been what Zhou Mi needed to get his focus back, and he began to piece together a plan. A plan that could be put into motion, the next time someone opened that door.
Zhou Mi reached out with the Force, hoping that it would guide him into his next move, and instead he felt a presence close by. A presence that should not have been here, on this tiny, out-of-the-way moon, and certainly shouldn't have been here in the hideout of pirates. On the other side of the door.
He heard a noise coming from beyond, the now familiar sound of the door being unlocked, and Zhou Mi was already on his feet, ignoring the ache in his ankle. Seconds later, the door slid open to reveal Kui Xian. Seeing him had never felt so good.
Trying to hide the sheer relief he felt, Zhou Mi said instead, "What are you doing here? Did Coruscant get too boring for you?"
"Just thought I'd come visit," Kui Xian said, throwing him a grin. "It's nice to see you too, Zhou Mi." He threw a look around the room, or what there was of it, it was too small to require more than a sweeping glance. His gaze came back to Zhou Mi, and as if he'd just remembered something, he reached into his jacket and pulled something out from an inner pocket. "I even brought you a present, Master." It was Zhou Mi's lightsaber.
Zhou Mi took it, and for a moment just savoured the familiar weight of it in his hand; it was the weapon of a Jedi, and as his own Master had once told him, long ago when he'd been just a young Padawan himself, this weapon was his life. The crystals that made up the blade were connected to him through the Force, and holding it in his hand again was like the return of a good friend.
His moment over, Zhou Mi dropped his arm to his side, still holding the lightsaber firmly in hand - he knew he would need to use it soon enough - and looked back to Kui Xian. "How thoughtful of you."
Kui Xian waved a dismissive hand. "I know, I'm wonderful. But you won't have long to appreciate me if we don't get out of here now."
That reminded him. "How did you get in here, anyway?"
Kui Xian looked a little grim as he answered, "It wasn't easy, but I'll explain later. When we have more time." Slinging an arm around Zhou Mi's shoulders, Kui Xian propelled him from the tiny room that had been his prison, and began to lead him quickly through the narrow corridor of the underground base. "They won't like the surprises I left for them, so let's try and get out of here quickly."
Zhou Mi, summoning what he could focus of the Force to hide the pain in his ankle, followed quickly alongside Kui Xian. Every corridor looked identical, every one of them long and narrow, all the walls the same dark brown. Kui Xian seemed to know where he was going though, and even Zhou Mi thought he could pick up a vague sense of the right direction to head towards. Air, and freedom, both had a distinct feel.
"Later, you're going to have to explain to me how you even got yourself caught by pirates in the first places," Kui Xian said, shooting a brief glance over at Zhou Mi, a tiny grin on his face. "How does that happen to a Jedi Master, anyway?"
"When the Jedi Master lets it happen," Zhou Mi shot back, a little indignant. "I wanted to find out what they were up to, and when they decided to ambush me, I let them."
"And decided you liked it here so much that you'd stay on for a bit?"
"Hey, I was a Jedi Knight before you even knew what a lightsaber was. I've been on more assignments than you've been alive, and I got out of all of those without your coming 'to save me'."
Kui Xian looked over long enough to shoot Zhou Mi a grin. "Yeah, but you had Shiwon with you then, didn't you?"
"Insufferable brat," Zhou Mi muttered, sending Kui Xian a look. Though a part of him was glad for the usual banter, it took his mind from other things. And felt as familiar to him as the weight of his lightsaber.
They rounded another corner, and entered another corridor that looked exactly the same as the last. Except this time, at the end of it was a split, instead of the single corridors they'd been walking through so far. The hair on the back of Zhou Mi's neck prickled, and there was a ripple in the Force. Looking over, he saw that Kui Xian felt it too; he already had his own lightsaber in hand.
"You take the right-hand corridor, I'll take the left," Zhou Mi said, and with a nod of understanding, they each rounded their own corner. And were faced with a number of angry pirates holding blasters. There was the snap-hiss as they both ignited their lightsabers, joined a moment later by the sound of blaster fire.
Zhou Mi's green blade swept easily through the blaster bolts, guided by the Force, knowing when to move and where to step and how to block each bolt. It was an autonomous act, requiring no thought, only the Force, and letting it guide his movements. Blocking the shots, Zhou Mi worked his way closer to his group of five pirates, his blade slicing swiftly through the neck of the nearest, cutting his head clean from his body. With his free hand stretched out before him, Zhou Mi Force pushed one of the assailants into the pirate behind him, hard, and before either could regain their equilibrium, shoved his lightsaber clean through the both of them. There was the sound of another blaster shot from behind him, but Zhou Mi was already in the air, somersaulting over the shooter. The shot went right through another pirate, a convenient accident, and with one final blow, Zhou Mi had the last of his assailants down. It had taken no longer than thirty seconds.
Turning, Zhou Mi ran to where Kui Xian was still engaged with his own group. Zhou Mi was in time to watch as a red blaster bolt shot towards Kui Xian, and heard the crackle as bolt met lightsaber, red connecting with the yellow blade in a brief flash of colour, before the shot bounced back towards its origin. It struck the shooter straight to the head, and he fell like a sack of used ship parts to the floor, lifeless.
"Need a hand?" Zhou Mi asked, coming up alongside Kui Xian, deflecting a blaster bolt away from himself. Kui Xian still had three assailants left.
"I can handle this, Master." And with that, in three swift, sweeping strikes, Kui Xian had the last three falling to join their lifeless comrade on the ground. He turned, and gave Zhou Mi a smug little smile.
They were both only a little out of breath from the exertion, but nothing that would slow them down.
"Okay, let's actually try to get out of this hole in the ground now."
Turning down the right-hand corridor, stepping easily around the fallen bodies, they made their bid for freedom.
previous part | next part
rating: PG
fandom: Super Junior
pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
summary: The life of a Jedi is never a simple one and Zhou Mi, alongside his unruly, new apprentice, must learn how to handle all the situations this life can throw at them. Even the unexpected ones.
Kui Xian shared no similar worries to his Master. Truth be told, he was excited. He'd come a long way, and much had changed from the unruly, defiant young boy he'd been, unwilling to learn and to behave. And now was his chance to truly prove how much he had changed. Though he and his Master got along well now - sometimes, beyond their teacher-student relationship, Kui Xian liked to think of Zhou Mi as friend - he couldn't forget the rocky start they'd had, and he still felt as if he had to make it up to Zhou Mi, to really prove his worth. It was stupid, he knew, because Zhou Mi never mentioned it, and Kui Xian knew that his Master had long ago seen the difference in him. Stupid, but a feeling and a sense he knew he wouldn't be able to put behind him until this assignment had been successfully completed.
He had arrived over an hour ago at the designated meeting point for his group, and now they were all simply waiting for their transporter to show up. Kui Xian himself had been subject to the Indies - the Independants, the faction lobbying against the current for a different system of self-government - paranoia, and even in his dark brown Jedi tunic and cloak, and the sight of his lightsaber, hadn't dissuaded their suspicions. He'd had to prove himself a real Jedi, twice. First with a, what Kui Xian thought of as stunning, display of skill with his lightsaber - and all six members of the party had looked suitably awed as they'd watched the flaming arcs of Kui Xian's yellow blade as it cut precisely and without fault through the air. And secondly, by performing the Jedi mind trick on one of the Indies. It had been, admittedly, a little amusing getting one of them - a man on the wrong side of middle-aged, and one who seemed quite snooty in Kui Xian's opinion - to call himself Bantha fodder.
Suddenly, Kui Xian sensed within the Force someone approaching. He knew it was a someone, because the Force rang differently through sentient species. The transporter, then. "Wait here," he ordered the Indies, and strode outside, only to see that he was right, it was the passenger landspeeder. It came to a hovering stop over the rocky ground that made up most of Angratha's surface.
Here was Kui Xian's first real decision to make. The pilot was an outsider, as far as the Indies were concerned. And as far as Kui Xian was concerned; these people had valid reasons for their extreme suspicions, after a number of them had already been assassinated over the past few weeks. So he had valid reason to be suspicious, too. He'd get them all killed, if he didn't try to think like them now. The only answer then was to get rid of this pilot. Kui Xian would have to fly the speeder himself, then, which he didn't really want to do. He was a fine pilot, even by Jedi standards, but it might prove hard to protect any other possible attacks with himself up front.
Still, there was no way around it. Decision made, Kui Xian walked with a determined step up to the transporter, with only a hint of an attempted polite smile on his face as he approached.
"Thank you for arriving so promptly, but I'm going to have to ask that you remain here. I'll transport the Independants myself."
"Understood, Master Jedi," the pilot answered. Kui Xian decided not to correct him on his mistake, his decisions might be questioned, if it was known that he was still only a Padawan.
Quickly and with all efficiency, the pilot shut down the landspeeder and climbed out, joining Kui Xian as he made his way back towards the building where the Indies awaited him.
"Must admit, I'll be glad if they can all come to an agreement," the pilot admitted. "All this suspicion and treachery, gets kind of tiring after a time."
"I imagine it would," Kui Xian answered, only half his mind on the words themselves. There was something, something itching at him, that he should be able to see, poking at his mind like the sharp point of a dagger thorn. There was a ripple in the Force, a hint of disturbance. Kui Xian was instantly on edge.
"Master Kui Xian, are we ready to leave now?" One of the Indies was walking out of the safety of the building to meet him. Kadpur, his name was. Mr Bantha Fodder.
"Wait inside," Kui Xian snapped, gesturing at the man to go back inside.
There was a sudden surge of disturbance, as if the Force had just drop-kicked him with the realisation.
Before Kadpur could retreat to the safety of the building the pilot beside Kui Xian was pulling a blaster from his side, his movements fast, stealthy, and deadly. Kadpur would never make it in time.
There was the distinct buzz of an ignited lightsaber, and Kui Xian's blade cut through the air in a flash of yellow fire. It was too bad for the pilot, because Kui Xian's reflexes were faster, stealthier, and even more deadly. The blaster fell, sliced clean through, to the ground, broken and useless. The blade of his lightsaber had missed the pilot's hand by the barest of millimetres. None too close, judging by the pilot's expression, and he must have felt the heat of the blade close to his hand.
"Now, how do you expect anyone to come to an agreement after you've killed them all?" He said dryly, deactivating his lightsaber before clipping it back onto his belt. It was a familiar, comforting weight against his thigh once again.
He turned to make sure that Kadpur, and the rest, were fine, though the pilot-assassin hadn't even managed to fire a single bolt. Kadpur's eyes were wide, but as Kui Xian approached, the pilot in a firm hold beside him now, he recovered himself quickly.
"Good work, Master Jedi. My thanks."
It was stiff, as if the words didn't want to be spoken, but Kui Xian accepted them as they were. "Just part of my duty. Now, if you want to leave this assassin to your own security here, and then we can all get on our way. There is a treaty to be discussed, after all."
When Kui Xian met up again with Zhou Mi back at the neutral zone, it was with a quiet sense of pride that he informed his Master about how he'd managed to ensure every Indie in his care had arrived alive and unharmed.
It didn't have quite the effect on Zhou Mi that he had hoped, and his Master frowned thoughtfully. "The pilot? Well, that's predictable. And far too easy. All the information I've gathered about the situation has suggested the situation to be more volatile than that." Rising from his own thoughts, Zhou Mi seemed to notice the look on Kui Xian's face, and he smiled. "All the same, you did well, my young Padawan." Zhou Mi's hand was a familiar, comfortable weight as it rested on his shoulder. "That's at least one less assassination attempt we have to worry about. Was it the only trouble that you sensed?"
Kui Xian nodded. "The rest of the journey was fine. There were no further incidents, and I felt nothing in the Force."
The frown was on Zhou Mi's face again, and he hadn't removed his hand. "This is strange. I had no attempts made against my group, at any point. There were no disturbances, either. It can't be as simple as that, though. These men have been highly suspicious for a reason."
A thought that was now troubling Kui Xian, and he wondered why he hadn't realised it sooner.
"Where are both parties now, Master?"
"In the conference room, discussing terms of agreement. I expect-" he stopped mid word, and looked at Kui Xian.
"I feel it, Master. The conference room."
They both sprinted through the lengthy hallways of the government building, using the Force to speed their path. Just ahead of Kui Xian, Zhou Mi was Force pushing objects out of their direct path, mindless of what it was he might have sent crashing against the walls, only that they had to get to that conference room, and they had to get there now.
Even as he ran, Kui Xian dived into the Force, wading through to find the source of the disturbance. It didn't have the distinctive ring of a human, or any other sentient species, but there was the press of human intention behind it. It rippled with the desire to harm and destroy, and set Kui Xian's teeth on edge.
They burst into the conference room moments later, Zhou Mi and Kui Xian both Force pushing at the heavy doors to open, heedless of the shocked looks the occupants of the room, gathered around a large, center table, were giving them. There was now practically a large, flashing red sign of Warning, Warning circling the room, and Kui Xian knew that the center of the disturbance was right here, close at hand. With a Force pull, his lightsaber was in his hand, humming with readyness.
"Kui Xian, the window!"
He didn't think, only reacted to Zhou Mi's order, sensing the urgency in his voice, and Kui Xian didn't hesitate, using the Force to jump into the air, somersaulting as he propelled himself over towards the one large transparisteel window in the room. There was a crash as his lightsaber slashed through it, and the window shattered outwards, the metal alloy it was made of falling to the street below like shards of rain.
Zhou Mi had found the source of the disturbance before him, and Kui Xian had only a moment to turn and watch as a particularly strong Force push sent something flying out of the now open window, just bare seconds after Kui Xian had broken it. For a moment, all he could see was the humanoid body, and he thought that Zhou Mi had just sent a person falling to their death, levels below. Until it registered that the disurbance hadn't been organic, and that he could see the light of one of the planet's suns reflecting from the shiny, silver coverings of a protocol droid. A spy droid, he mentally amended.
Before any questions could be asked, there was a loud explosion down on the street below, and Kui Xian ducked back from the open window to avoid the blast, his eyes smarting a little from the sudden, bright flash of light.
Slowly, he turned, looking past the surprised faces of the Angrathians, and locked gazes with his Master. Both of them seemed short of breath.
"Well, that wasn't easy or predictable," Kui Xian said dryly.
Geng looked thoughtfully at the Jedi Knight that sat across from him. Young, he was still so young. In years and in experience. And still, Zhou Mi was one of the best of the Jedi Order. He was smart, resourceful, skilled, patient. Every quality that was required, expected in a Jedi, nurtured within them all from infancy. It was because Zhou Mi was one of the best that Geng had asked the Jedi Knight to talk with him. He had had a vision, during one of his meditations, of a possible future. And even for someone who was strong and knowledgable in the ways of the Force could not always see all the threads that led to a possible outcome.
It was only an informal talk, the two of them seated comfortably in Geng's own quarters, the sun slowly beginning to sink down beyond the Coruscant cityscape, bathing the room in the dying light of day.
"The Council," Geng spoke up, directing Zhou Mi's gaze from the transparisteel he'd been gazing through, "are impressed with the effect you've had on your Padawan."
"I'm pleased with his progress myself, Master. He's come a long way."
"He did well during your mission to Angratha, didn't he?" Geng was careful with his questions, casual enough, but he watched Zhou Mi's face, waiting for the expressions that would give him away, responses that Geng was still hoping not to see.
"Even I was surprised. And I admit, if it hadn't been for his quick grasp of the situation, and his fast reflexes, we might still be there, caught up in an all out war. Or dead, even," Zhou Mi amended after a pause for thought.
"Do you think he's ready for the trials?"
Zhou Mi didn't hide the slight surprise he felt at Geng's question. "Actually, I intended to recommend him for the trials, when you asked to speak to me."
"So you do think that he's ready?"
There was a pause, and he could see that Zhou Mi was seriously considering the question, and his own answer. Another of his qualities, his careful consideration when it mattered. Eventually, the Jedi Knight spoke up, his words firm and sure. "I do, Master. Kui Xian is clever, resourceful, brave. He's skilled, and strong with the Force. I'm confident that he's ready, and that he'll be a good Jedi Knight. I've taught him everything I know, there isn't anything else I can teach him now."
Geng considered these words. But more importantly, he considered Zhou Mi, as he spoke them. There was a pride in his words, not the boastful kind, but the quiet pride that came with seeing a Padawan become a full Knight.
"It's interesting, how a boy so much later to the training, and so troublesome to start with, has progressed so quickly. You've been a good teacher to him, Zhou Mi, and I doubt anyone else could have done half as well as you have."
"I can't take all the credit, Master. If it hadn't been for Kui Xian's curiosity, and his desire to learn, I wouldn't have gotten so far." Zhou Mi smiled, his gaze wandering almost absently back towards the window. "He's taught me a few new things over time, as well. He's been a pleasure to teach, for many years now."
There was a look in Zhou Mi's eyes, as he spoke about his apprentice, unmistakable. Fondness. Of course, that wasn't unusual. The bond between Master and Padawan was a special one, that could never be replicated anywhere else. Even now, Geng thought of his own, old Master with affection, though she was long since dead. He'd have gone to any lengths to ensure her safety. Had, on a number of occasions.
So it wasn't this that bothered him. But as he had seen in his glimpse of a possible future, this fondness could quite easily turn into something more, and it was that which worried him. Attachment was forbidden by the Jedi Code, for good reason. And Geng couldn't lose two of the Order's best Jedi to this fall. Didn't want to. It wasn't there yet, he didn't think, but the look on Zhou Mi's face as he talked about his Padawan did nothing to soothe Geng's concerns. Nothing at all.
"Then, if you're confident in your Padawan's abilities, I will discuss it with the Council, and Kui Xian shall attempt the trials." He said this as if he had just reached the decision now, but truthfully, Geng had already decided on this before he had even requested Zhou Mi to see him.
There was another decision he had already made, but it felt as if he was consciously making it only when Zhou Mi made his way to leave. "Zhou Mi," Geng called, making him stop in the doorway. "You're a good teacher. Perhaps you'll consider taking on a new Padawan, after Kui Xian?"
"Oh I don't know about that, Master," Zhou Mi replied with a smile, "I think Kui Xian has cured me of the desire to teach anyone else. Once was enough for me."
It was the kind of response Geng had been expecting, but not one he had hoped for.
The stream of falling water was broken by Kui Xian, sitting thoughtfully beneath the waterfall, entirely dry. He remembered a time when even this simple trick had been impossible for him. How the water had managed to soak entirely through robe and tunic, and had left him feeling like a drowned gully rat. Seven years later, and he could create and maintain a Force shield with ease. Seven years later, and he was a Jedi Knight.
He still couldn't quite grasp the reality of it. All the years of training, learning, trying, of being an apprentice, and he'd passed the trials. Had been knighted and officially inducted into the Jedi Order. He was no longer an apprentice.
The trials were not an easy thing. All Padawans had to successfully complete them in order to become a Jedi Knight, and there were four of them, all designed to test the different aspects that a well-rounded, true, Jedi Knight was required to have. There was the Trial of Skill, to test the lightsaber abilities and skill with the Force. Trial of the Flesh, where a Padawan had to learn to cope and overcome physical pain and loss. Then the Trial of Courage, which required the Padawan to fight courageously, and overcome a superior enemy. And lastly came the Trial of Spirit, perhaps the most difficult of them all, a quest of self-discovery, that required a look deep within the self.
And Kui Xian had passed them all.
He was a Jedi Knight.
Would his parents be proud, he wondered, if they knew? Not that they did, and probably never would. Giving a child to the Temple meant never seeing them again. It was why the Jedi took infants, too young to have formed a connection, attachments to their family. It was why his own situation had been a tricky one, because he'd been much older, and had grown up with his family. But he had never been particularly close to them, in all honesty. Had never felt like he'd quite fit in. And in the end, after all his years in the Temple, among the other Jedi, this was what felt like home to him, and those he was close to were his family.
He was sure that his parents were already proud of him, of the fact that they had a son at the Temple. Kui Xian didn't dwell on it anymore, he didn't need to, it was past, and it didn't matter one way or the other.
And still, he was a Jedi Knight. An equal, amongst the other Knights. And now almost, almost, an equal to his Master. As usually followed, after a Knight had successfully trained an apprentice to knighthood, they in turn were promoted to the rank of Jedi Master. Zhou Mi was now officially a Jedi Master. There was something about that that also gave Kui Xian a small swell of pride. It hadn't been all Zhou Mi's doing, after all, his achieving knighthood.
But he was no longer an apprentice. No longer Zhou Mi's apprentice, and this too was a difficult thing for him to grasp. It was a strange thing, having to re-align himself as something other than the student to his teacher, even though, and Kui Xian freely admitted it, he hadn't always treated Zhou Mi like a teacher. Were they friends? These changes were still all so new to him. But Kui Xian respected Zhou Mi, enjoyed being around him - when he hadn't been receiving lectures, or gentle scoldings - and liked him, as a person. They laughed, and joked and teased each other. They had discussions. And even if Zhou Mi had claimed, up and down across the lengths of the galaxy, that it was not just a game but also an excercise in thought and strategy, they had played dejarik together, many times. And they...
Kui Xian could feel his thoughts starting to drift, and he wasn't sure they were heading towards a place he wanted to follow. And he was supposed to meet Henry soon; his friend was returning from what had been a successful mission to a system in the Inner Rim, and Kui Xian wanted to hear all about it.
Unfolding himself from the rock he'd been sitting on, Kui Xian slowly made his way to true, dry land again. Behind him, the waterfall resumed it's natural course.
"Ah, there you are!"
Kui Xian paused to look behind him, and saw Zhou Mi walking quickly to catch up with him.
"I was looking for you," Zhou Mi said, smiling as he fell into step beside Kui Xian.
"You found me."
Despite their sedate pace as they walked through one of the Temple's high, arching hallways, Kui Xian could sense a feeling of...almost of urgency, from Zhou Mi. He glanced over at him, curious.
As if he could sense Kui Xian's curiosity (and, Kui Xian conceeded, he probably could) Zhou Mi said, "There was something I wanted to tell you." He paused briefly, but Kui Xian said nothing, and he continued. "I've been given an assignment. I'm going out to the Javin system. Nothing terribly dangerous or time consuming," Zhou Mi added, "more investigation than anything. There are rumours of a known pirate gang hiding within the system, and I'm to find out if there's any truth to it or not."
The news had a strange effect on Kui Xian. This would be the first time that his Master - former Master, former Master, he reminded himself - would be away from him. It left an odd, unfamiliar feeling, settling heavy in the pit of his stomach. When would Zhou Mi have to leave?
Seeming to sense the question again, Zhou Mi answered before Kui Xian could voice it himself. "I'm leaving soon. Immediately. I just needed to tell you first."
Kui Xian slowed to a stop, turned to face Zhou Mi completely. He could have almost sworn that the smile he received then was apologetic.
"I don't know whose idea it was to send you out on your own." It was almost an effort, to call up his usual dry, teasing humour. "Don't the Council know that I'm always the one having to be incredible and save your behind?"
It seemed to work though, and even made Zhou Mi laugh, as Kui Xian's jokes usually did. He received a playful cuff to the ear, for his efforts. He almost wanted to laugh himself.
"You're only 'incredible' thanks to my wise and excellent training!"
Kui Xian did laugh, this time. "That's just what I let you think, Master."
"Oh, very kind of you, Jedi Kui Xian." Zhou Mi's expression sobered a little then, the smile fading into a slightly more serious look. Without either of them seeming to realise, Zhou Mi reached out, taking one of Kui Xian's hands in his own. "I have to go now. Rumours to confirm, and all that."
Kui Xian nodded. "Clear skies, Master." He looked down then, and noticed their hands. Zhou Mi's fingers were cool against his own.
And then they were gone, Zhou Mi taking a few steps back. "I'll see you soon."
As he was turning to leave, Kui Xian called out, "Zhou Mi!" As his former Master turned back, Kui Xian gave him a brilliant smile. "May the Force be with you."
"And with you."
The smile on his face faded as soon as Zhou Mi turned and walked away.
Zhou Mi finished putting the co-ordinates into the nav computer for his flight to the Javin system. "Everything all set, Emone?" He said, speaking to R2-M1, his astromech droid. There was a twittering beep of affirmation.
Glancing through the transparisteel cockpit canopy he saw that he was approaching his designated hyperdrive ring. The system was out in the Outer Rim, and the usual Jedi starfighters were too small to contain a hyperdrive to cross the distance so far through space. Zhou Mi, with the aid of the Force, slipped his starfighter to dock smoothly into the hyderdrive ring, and there was a twittering from R2-M1 that signalled a successful connection.
This was going to be his first solo assignment in a long time. It was a strange feeling, almost as if he were leaving something behind.
There is no emotion. There is only the Force.
Zhou Mi repeated the words, until he was successfully free of emotion. He needed to remain focused, centered in the Force if he was to quickly get to the bottom of these rumours, and he didn't need such thoughts distracting him. He was a Jedi Master now, and above such things.
He took a deep breath, and as he found his balance within the Force, as all emotion washed away from him, Zhou Mi found he was left with a strange, almost heavy, feeling. Not emotion. Something else, vague and undefined, but there all the same, like a haze of black smoke through the light of the Force.
"I have a bad feeling about this," he mumbled to himself.
R2-M1 whistled at him, that translated into an impatient 'Are we going to get moving anytime soon?'
"Sorry, Emone," Zhou Mi said, pushing the feeling aside. "Whenever you're ready, make the jump to hyperspace."
There was a brief jolt, and the bright pinpoints of stars fuzzed into the white hot streaks of starlines that signalled hyperspace. And Zhou Mi found that he had never felt quite so alone before.
"He's been gone for too long."
Henry glanced over at Kui Xian. Shrugging his shoulders he said, "I don't know, he's got to be cautious, doesn't he? It's pirates he's looking for any sign of, and if they are out there, he doesn't want to get caught."
Kui Xian shook his head. "No, it's been too long," he insisted. He leaned towards Henry, his voice quiet but firm with the conviction of belief. "If he sees any sign of the pirates, he's to get out of there straight away and contact the Temple for backup. If there's nothing, then he'd come back straight away, no problem. Either way," Kui Xian continued, looking serious, "we should have heard from him by now."
Henry still didn't look quite convinced. He shook his head, "But you already went to the Council, and they don't think it's anything to worry about."
That had left Kui Xian feeling a little disullionsed towards the Council and their efficiency. He'd gone to them just yesterday to ask that they send someone - himself, anyone - to see what was keeping Zhou Mi. The feeling had begun to uncoil within Kui Xian a week ago, a single tendril of doubt and worry. And then he'd had a dream, or a vision, something, that left him with the distinct thought that Zhou Mi should have made contact by now, and that he hadn't because he was in trouble. He'd immersed himself within the Force to meditate on the matter, and that single tendril of worry had fanned out into a smoke, a warning signal, it felt like.
And yet the Council had told him that they weren't worried - and that he shouldn't worry either, it wasn't the 'Jedi way' - and that Zhou Mi would make contact soon. They were confident in his abilities, they'd said.
Well, so was Kui Xian, but he still knew that something was wrong.
"What are you going to do?" Henry continued, his tone light, an attempt to ease the conversation. "Go out there and look for him yourself?"
It was supposed to be a joke. But Kui Xian looked at Henry, no sign of humour on his face as their gazes locked. "That's what I was thinking."
Henry leaned back, obviously surprised, his eyes widening. "It's not an authorised assignment, you won't even make it to the Temple starfighters!"
Kui Xian had already considered that. "Then I'll just have to go find someone who will take me there."
"Kui Xian," Henry spoke, almost urgently, leaning forward again, grabbing one of Kui Xian's hands, "this is crazy. Master Zhou Mi is just being careful and taking his time. And besides that, he's a Jedi. He can handle any trouble that comes his way."
"Even Jedi aren't immortal, Henry," Kui Xian said, his jaw tightening. "You don't get it," he continued, firm, insistent, decided. "He was my Master. I know that something has happened to Zhou Mi. I can't just leave him out there."
There was nothing Henry could do or say to dissuade him. Even a terribly transparent threat to tell one of the Council members about Kui Xian's plans. It was already decided in his mind.
What had it been, that he'd told Zhou Mi just before he left, over three standard weeks ago? 'I'm always the one having to be incredible and save your behind.'
He'd been teasing at the time, and even Kui Xian hadn't thought that his words might come true.
It wasn't an official assignment and so Kui Xian couldn't go about it in the usual way. He was determined to go through with it, though. Ever since a certain Jedi Master had given him a verbal kick in the cargo hold, Kui Xian had learned to stand by his decisions. Then, he'd set his mind to proving his Master wrong, that he could learn, behave, and become a Jedi in his own right. This time, he'd set his mind to finding out just why Zhou Mi hadn't contacted the Temple yet.
Being unauthorised, it was going to be harder to get himself a ship, but not impossible. Whilst he hadn't gathered very many contacts during his time as a Jedi, Kui Xian did remember the names of several people who might prove helpful, from his days before. He'd spent time in the wrong places, with the wrong people, doing questionable things, and it had come in handy now. He'd managed to track down a few of the old gamblers he'd known - and cheated - once upon a time, and gathered enough information to know which spaceport to hang around, and who to wait for. Between the five people he'd asked, only one name had come up every time.
Donned in civilian attire, his lightsaber out of sight, Kui Xian looked like anyone else. Anyone else who needed a ship offworld.
It was, he thought, good foresight that, not only did he have some idea who he was looking for, but that Kui Xian had also put about that he was looking for this person. He'd been told, besides the name, that the guy he was hoping to meet had a curious nature about him. Kui Xian was hoping that this man would come looking for him, before long.
Eventually, his foresight seemed to pay off. Kui Xian was instantly aware of the young man who approached him. For a moment he thought that perhaps it was a trick of the light, or perhaps the passers-by that the man had to weave his way around and through, but when he was - and quite quickly - closer, Kui Xian realised that it wasn't a mistake. There was a small amount of surprise; the man approaching him looked young, not as young as himself, but certainly no older than Zhou Mi. He must have done something fairly impressive then, to earn a reputation at such a young age.
Keeping his eyes on the man the entire time he approached, Kui Xian let his other senses spread out towards him, using the Force to try and get a better grasp on who he was, and his intentions. Not even a ripple. There was no trace of dark intentions. The smile on his face as he stood in front of Kui Xian was genuine, then.
Then he let his physical senses take in the man, his eyes looking over him. Young, yes, with brown hair that looked rather unruly. Someone who wasn't overly concerned with their appearance to others? The outfit the man was wearing was a bit of a puzzle for Kui Xian, too. Clearly some kind of semi-uniform, but not a planet's that he recognised. Interesting.
"I heard you were looking for me?"
No pre-ambling, beating around the bush, then. Just the way Kui Xian liked his business to be. "I'm looking for Donghae Lee," he said. He raised one eyebrow, and sounded as if he didn't quite believe that he'd found who he was looking for. Deliberately.
The smile only widened, and still there was nothing from the Force but honesty.
"Then you've found him."
Honesty, and a little open curiosity.
"What can I do for you?" Donghae asked. It was his turn to eye Kui Xian, and he could feel the questions beginning to bubble in Donghae's mind.
"I need to get to the Javin system. Fast."
"That's what any pilot can do for you," Donghae pointed out. "What can I do for you?"
"Look, I asked around and yours was the name that kept coming up. I just need to get there as quickly as possible." Kui Xian paused, gauging the situation. There was no sense telling him not to, within the Force, or his own common sense. "And I need to go unnoticed," he added, looking hard at Donghae. He was going to get into trouble for this, he was sure, but at least he'd have a chance to get out to Javin and find out what had happened to Zhou Mi before the Council could track him down.
There was a look of understanding on Donghae's face, and just the slightest shift of his weight from one leg to the other. Kui Xian wondered if it meant something; an unconscious movement as a decision was made, perhaps?
"Now we're getting to the point. So what's your name?"
There was a moment of hesitation. But Kui Xian knew that giving a fake name would be a bad idea, he didn't have one already in mind, and he knew, with all his focus having to go to Zhou Mi, he'd slip up somewhere and forget to respond to it. He wasn't known outside the Jedi Temple, anyway. "Kui Xian," he answered simply.
"Nice to meet you, Kui Xian. Okay, I know all these formalities are really boring," said Donghae, sounding almost sympathetic, "but this is the last part. What're you offering?"
It was still a little baffling for Kui Xian, if he was entirely honest. Donghae defied every expectation he might have had for him. He remained open and honest and curious, and he looked and sounded truly friendly. He had to wonder about the man, really; this was who all his old gambling contacts had recommended him? But he couldn't sense any hint of deception.
"I don't have much in the way of credits," Kui Xian admitted. Donghae raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, but Kui Xian continued before any objections could be made, "So I thought we could bet on it."
Now both eyebrows were raised, disappearing under unruly bangs of brown hair. He could feel Donghae considering the proposal, and hoped that would go in his favour. He could have tried the Jedi mind trick, to try and influence Donghae's decision, but that kind of mental persuasion only worked on the weak-minded, and despite the open friendlyness of the pilot, Kui Xian didn't think he seemed weak-minded.
Pushing the hair from his eyes with one hand, Donghae's gaze met Kui Xian's. He could see the decision in them. "What's the bet?"
Kui Xian suppressed a smile; it wasn't a done deal yet. With one hand, he gestured behind him, indicating that they should make their way to somewhere a little less full of moving people. With a nod, Donghae followed him over towards an alcove, offering them a little more privacy, for a public spaceport.
"If I win, you take me to and from the Javin System, free of charge. If you win, you get all the credits I have on me, and I'm stuck looking for another pilot."
There was another seemingly unconscious shift in Donghae's stance. A pause, and then, "Alright. Deal."
It was almost as good as done now, but Kui Xian didn't let that show on his face; Donghae didn't know that it was as good as done.
"I've got a chance cube on me." He reached into a pocket, slowly, and pulled out a small cube, three of the sides coloured in red, the other three coloured in blue. Offering it to Donghae, he added, "Check it out if you want. It's not weighted."
Donghae did just that as he took the small cube, holding it in the middle of his palm to judge. Seemingly satisfied by the even weight, he took a closer look, testing the sides to make sure the colours were solid. This seemed to satisfy him too, and he looked back up at Kui Xian. "Red I win. Blue, and you have yourself a pilot." He pushed the hair from his face again, a seemingly pointless reflex, Kui Xian noted, as the unruly strands fell right back in place again.
And then, without warning, Donghae threw the cube into the air, and they both watched as it dropped. Kui Xian did a little more than simply watch it decide his Master's fate for him, though. The motion of his hand was small and close to his side, the only indication that he was reaching forward with the Force. With just a tiny push, the cube landed blue side up. As Kui Xian knew it would. Made sure it would.
He gave nothing away as he looked at Donghae. "I guess I have my pilot."
With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Donghae said, "I guess you do." And then, to Kui Xian's slight surprise, the other broke out into a smile. "It'll be nice to have a change in company. Eunhyuk was beginning to get so boring."
Kui Xian suddenly had a dubious feeling about this.
"You're lucky you caught me when you did, really," Donghae was saying, as he led Kui Xian towards the hangar-bay his ship was at. "We were going to be taking off soon. But don't worry," he turned and flashed Kui Xian a smile, "this sounds more interesting than what we had planned, anyway."
Having silently assessed Kui Xian during their initial meeting, and having his odd new passenger pass every little silent test Donghae had conducted (there weren't many) he had settled quite easily into his usual, friendly, self around the man. His somewhat chatty, friendly self, he had to admit. But then, with only Eunhyuk and Sungmin to talk to all the time, it was no wonder that someone new was going to be interesting. Besides, if they were going to be spending some time together during the flight, then they might as well start getting used to each other.
"What's in the Javin system, anyway?" A rather large Bothan almost ran right into the both of them, but Donghae managed to weave around and avoid a collision; he didn't want to go upsetting any Bothan's, especially rude ones. Looking over, he noticed that Kui Xian had managed to avoid the same fate. Quick reflexes, then. "I don't remember there being much there," he continued, as if there had been no interruption. "Javin planet, of course, and a few others, but nothing really of interest."
"I'm looking for someone there."
His eyebrows creased together in a curious frown. "I don't know how you plan on searching an entire system, then."
Kui Xian glanced over, meeting his gaze, and Donghae could see the silent determination reflected in his dark eyes. "That's my job to worry about. I just need you to get me there."
"Alright." Holding his hands up in a gesture of defeat, Donghae flashed a smile. "It's your money. Well, actually it's not," he corrected himself upon reflection of their bet. "But you know the saying! Oh, here we are, hangar 27. Come on."
They entered the large hangar-bay, and there she was, one of the pride and joys of Donghae's life. His ticket to freedom. She was a standard, Corellian model light freighter, perfect for his small crew of two, and all of their trading, shipping, passenger (and sometimes smuggling) needs. And she was the most beautiful lady Donghae had ever flown in. She was The Eastern Sea.
"Say hi to your ride." Donghae gave Kui Xian another grin, before leading him over towards the ship. The ramp was down, and there was no one in sight, but Donghae had already communicated with Eunhyuk via his comlink, and knew that his co-pilot was ready and waiting for them inside.
"Mind your head," he shot over his shoulder as he climbed up the ramp. There was no thud or sound of pain, and Donghae again assumed that Kui Xian must have quick reflexes. His warning would have come too late to anyone else.
Entering the ship proper, Donghae neatly avoiding a rather questionable wet puddle splashed across the main corridor, he called out, "Eunhyuk! Come meet our new crewmember! And why didn't you clean up after Sungmin?"
"I thought you said there were only two of you?" Donghae heard from behind him.
"There are. Oh, you mean Sungmin?" He turned to look back at Kui Xian. "He's my pet dwarf bantha. Don't worry," Donghae added, at the look on Kui Xian's face, "I don't let him take the controls. Often."
With a wave of his hand, he led Kui Xian through the main corridor and up through the cockpit access hall, where Eunhyuk was waiting for them.
"Ah, Eunhyuk, this is Kui Xian. Kui Xian, Eunhyuk." Introductions over, Donghae dropped himself into the pilot's seat. "So, are we all set to go?"
"Just waiting for clearance from spaceport control," Eunhyuk confirmed. Then, less seriously he added, "and that bantha is your stupid pet, not mine. You should clean up after it."
Donghae looked as offended as he sounded. "How can you say that? He's really fond of you!"
"He pees in my room. And if you--"
There was a crackle as the communications came to life, and the steady voice of one of the spaceport controllers broke through the bickering, informing them that The Eastern Sea was now clear to leave.
"Okay, sit down and strap in. She's a fast ship, and we'll be off in just a minute." Donghae didn't spare a look behind him to see if Kui Xian was doing what he said, the guy seemed pretty good at following instructions. Both he and Eunhyuk spent several moments getting the ship ready for flight, and then with a word, they were rising through the open-ceilinged hangar, and up through the planet's atmosphere.
"Did you set the co-ordinates?"
"I did," Eunhyuk confirmed, after double-checking the nav computer. "You didn't mention anywhere specific, so I set it for the first open space in the system. Is that okay?" He asked, turning to look back at Kui Xian, who simply nodded in response. "Quiet, isn't he?" Eunhyuk said, voice lowered as he turned back to Donghae.
"Very," Donghae said, sounding disappointed. Before Eunhyuk could ask what that was supposed to mean, he hit a few buttons, readying the hyperdrive. "Far enough from the planet's gravitational field for lightspeed."
And with a slight jolt, starlines streaking through the viewport, they burst into lightspeed.
"Approaching Javin system," Eunhyuk announced.
Kui Xian had joined Donghae and Eunhyuk in the cockpit, and he watched out of the viewport as the starlines of hyperspace collapsed into the bright stars of real space. Already he began reaching through the Force, waiting for the ripple of energy to bounce back at him, and help locate his missing former Master.
There were a few long moments of silence, before Eunhyuk finally voiced his concerns. "I know it's not a particularly large one, but, uh, how are we supposed to find one person within an entire system?"
Ignoring the question, Kui Xian leaned forward, pointing at a land mass on the datascreen. "What's that?"
Eunhyuk clicked a few buttons, and brought the image closer. "A small moon," he answered, sounding only a little put out that his, quite valid, concern had been brushed aside. "Uninhabited, though the atmosphere is suitable to sustain human life." A few more clicks, and the map of the moon in question was brought into closer focus. "Lot's of plant life, though. And ocean life. Oh, that's odd."
"What is it?" Instinctively, Kui Xian leaned closer, as did Donghae, all three of them now crowding around the datascreen.
"The computer's picking up readings of technology. Only small amounts and..." Eunhyuk trailed off, pressing another button, and they had a view of part of the planet's surface. "All coming from right here." He pointed at the display, to a small, circular area on the map.
"He's there," Kui Xian said, leaning back. "The man I'm looking for, he's right there."
Eunhyuk turned, looking at him dubiously. "How in the worlds do you know that?"
"I know."
Eunhyuk shared a look with Donghae, who only shrugged in return; there was no point questioning such determined conviction.
"Okay, so what do you want to do?" Donghae asked, turning back to study the image on the datascreen, reaching out to adjust the view a little.
"That space, where all the technology readings are coming from," Kui Xian said, gesturing at the image, "that's the pirate's base. That's where they're keeping him. And I'm going to go in and get him out." There wasn't the slightest waver of doubt in his voice, and even Eunhyuk seemed to have given up questioning how Kui Xian knew these things.
Though, just because he was less inclined to question it, didn't stop the doubt in Eunhyuk's own voice as he spoke. "And do you know how you're going to do that?"
Kui Xian gave him a smile. "As a matter of fact, I do."
"Of course you do," Eunhyuk mumbled.
Over top of him, Donghae said, "What's the plan?" He, at least, seemed to suffer no doubts about Kui Xian.
"If you fly low over the tree tops, here," he pointed at the datascreen, "you can drop me around this point," Kui Xian's pointing indicated a spot that was within walking distance of where he thought the base to be located. "Once I'm off, turn here, and make it look as if you're heading for atmosphere. Then, fly back around to this spot," he pointed at another clearing on the map, "and if you shut down your systems fast enough, they'll think you made it into space. I'll meet with you there, when I have Zhou Mi."
"Wait a minute, hold on!" Eunhyuk turned to look back at Kui Xian, shaking his head vehemently. "We agreed to take you here, and even take you back, but we never agreed to be part of your rescue mission! Donghae," he added, looking imploringly at his friend, "this is crazy!"
Kui Xian met Donghae's eyes, and a look of silent understanding seemed to pass between them. He knew that Donghae would help him with this, despite his co-pilot's doubts. Which was a relief to Kui Xian, but also something to wonder about. Later. Right now, he had to focus all his attention on Zhou Mi, and getting him off this moon.
"We'll help him, Eunhyuk." Donghae's tone brightened and he reached out, smacking his co-pilot on the arm in a gesture of familiar camaraderie. "It's been awhile since we've had some fun, hasn't it? Since when did we become boring?"
Eunhyuk shoved Donghae's hand away, but despite himself seemed to almost smile. "We're not boring." That seemed to be his own form of agreement.
"Good. Can you do it?" Kui Xian asked, bringing back the subject of his suggested plan.
Donghae frowned. "It'll require some fast flying, to get back to the clearing and make it look as if we're gone. But if anyone can do it, it's Eunhyuk and me!"
"Right then. Let's get started."
With that, both pilots turned back in their seats towards the viewport, slipping back into what passed for their professional mode. A few switch flicks and button pushes, and they were steadily making their way through space towards the moon.
Despite his firm orders and determined appearance, Kui Xian couldn't help but begin to feel just the smallest bit of doubt, worming its way slowly through him. It was as solid a plan as he could come up with now, but he didn't know what state Zhou Mi was in, or how much trouble these pirates really were.
He shoved the doubt away; there was no space for it, not now. He had the Force as his ally, and he had never led him off course before. There was no room for doubt in a Jedi. It was one of the paths that led to the dark side of the Force, a path that Kui Xian wasn't going to follow. He could do this. With these thoughts firmly in mind, he centered himself within the Force, letting it flow through him, balance him, and fill him with it's light.
"Hey, there's an empty hyperdrive ring," Eunhyuk pointed out, as they approached the moon. Out of the viewport they could all see the hyperdrive ring, hanging there suspended in space, waiting. He turned in his seat enough to send a quick look back at Kui Xian, a curious, considering look. "I guess you were right."
"I guess I was," said Kui Xian simply. He'd known already that he was right, though.
They made it through the planet's atmosphere, switching from space flight engines to repulsorlifts for planet-side travel, descending through the thin layer of clouds, and Eunhyuk began the run over the tree tops.
"Come in slowly," Kui Xian informed them. "Lower the boarding ramp, but don't stop and don't slow down. I'll signal you when I'm off. Continue at this speed for several more metres, and then fly your fastest."
"Right," said Donghae and Eunhyuk in unison.
Leaning over, Kui Xian entered his comlink number into the ship's communications system. "Here's my comlink information. Don't call me, I'll signal you when Zhou Mi and I are free of the base."
They were flying low right over the forest top now, slowly. It was almost time.
Kui Xian stood up. "This is my stop, thanks for the ride."
Donghae turned briefly in his seat, shooting Kui Xian a grin. "Good luck!"
He smiled back, and left the cockpit, making his way quickly through the corridor and towards the hatchway, the entrance ramp lowered enough for him to drop from. Kui Xian didn't say it, but he thought it, as he readied himself, in body, mind and Force, for the jump to the forest floor; he didn't need luck, he was a Jedi.
Things hadn't gone quite as Zhou Mi had first expected that they might. He'd arrived in the system three weeks ago, and had begun his investigation into the rumoured presence of a notorious pirate gang. The investigation throughout the system had taken a little longer than expected. He'd landed on Javin planet and asked around the spaceports and cantinas, but the only information he'd been able to gather were the same rumours he'd already heard. Eventually, after over a standard week of nothing, he'd figured that that was all there was to the situation, rumours. He'd been planning to leave the system entirely and return to the Temple, when he'd felt it. Coming from the small moon he'd been nearing. A ripple in the Force, unmistakable. He'd decided to land on the moon and check it out for himself, before sending a message back to the Temple through his R2 unit.
As soon as he'd landed, Zhou Mi had felt that ripple in the Force turn into a wave of hostile intent. Underlying it was the feeling that there was something more going on here, something that the was supposed to find out, and put an end to.
He knew, well in advance, that the pirates were going to ambush him. He could sense their intentions, and eventually even felt the quiet, cautious approach of a group of them after night had fallen. Zhou Mi was on his own, which didn't concern him, he could handle himself, but it gave him only one real option of finding out what these pirates were up to. He'd prepared himself as well as he could for it, taking what rations he had left from his starfighter and hiding them on himself, and recording a holomessage on R2-M1 for the droid to later project to the Temple for him, letting them know what he was planning. And then he'd slipped into Force meditation, waiting.
Zhou Mi had sensed when they had him surrounded, and with a nudge from the Force knew split seconds before it happened when they were going to start shooting. He'd already jumped into the air, using the Force to propel himself forward in a flip, his lightsaber ignited in his hand. The Force had already told him when one of the pirates was going to react first to this move and aim his blaster at Zhou Mi. It was simple enough to let himself falter, aim his body for where the blaster shot would be, and get himself stunned.
He'd fallen to the ground unconscious, and the pirates had confiscated his lightsaber. And in a move even Zhou Mi hadn't been able to foresee, one of them had taken to R2-M1 and with several, well placed shots, destroyed the astromech droid beyond repair.
Later, he'd come to in the smallest room he'd possibly ever seen. The ceiling was too low for him to stand to his full height, and it was only just wide enough for him to be able to lay himself down in. Apart from himself, there was nothing else in the room. Not even a lock on his side of the door; the only other thing he could gather about his whereabouts what that this definitely where the pirates had been hiding out, and it was underground. He'd woken with a headache, but was otherwise fine. And was now a prisoner of the pirates, just as he'd planned.
That was when things had really begun to turn out different. He'd been taken to see the leader of the gang, who had kindly informed Zhou Mi that they had destroyed both his droid and his ship. That was the first of the bad news. Later, Zhou Mi had also overheard a couple of the gang members talking together, discussing the possibilities of taking control of one of the main trade routes through the Outer Rim. It was then that he'd realised there was more to these pirates than he'd first assumed, if that was their lofty ambition; they would do anything to make sure it happened.
The one piece of good news for Zhou Mi had been what his presence had done to disrupt their plans. They hadn't expected a Jedi to route them out, and they thought that he already knew what they were up to. And they had no idea what to actually do with him. It was a subject that obviously required much discussion, because even after a week they hadn't done anything to him, beyond a little physical 'roughing up' - his ankle had suffered when one of the bigger, meaner, men assigned as one of his guards had pushed him forcefully back into the tiny room, and Zhou Mi suspected that it was only twisted.
He didn't get the feeling that they were going to try and kill him though. Not yet, anyway, and Zhou Mi thought that they might try to ransom him. They were pirates, after all.
He spent most of his time meditating, immersing himself as deep into the Force as he could, letting it wash over him, hoping it would give him some kind of clue, or nudge in the right direction. It was during one of these times when Zhou Mi first felt the flicker of a sense, a sense he recognised. It was just that, like a flickering flame, a flash of it's light and then it was gone, leaving behind only a lingering memory of warmth. He'd felt concern, towards himself. Could he, he wondered, really be feeling Kui Xian, from all the way back on Coruscant, and half a galaxy away?
Whether real or some kind of flash of false hope, it had been what Zhou Mi needed to get his focus back, and he began to piece together a plan. A plan that could be put into motion, the next time someone opened that door.
Zhou Mi reached out with the Force, hoping that it would guide him into his next move, and instead he felt a presence close by. A presence that should not have been here, on this tiny, out-of-the-way moon, and certainly shouldn't have been here in the hideout of pirates. On the other side of the door.
He heard a noise coming from beyond, the now familiar sound of the door being unlocked, and Zhou Mi was already on his feet, ignoring the ache in his ankle. Seconds later, the door slid open to reveal Kui Xian. Seeing him had never felt so good.
Trying to hide the sheer relief he felt, Zhou Mi said instead, "What are you doing here? Did Coruscant get too boring for you?"
"Just thought I'd come visit," Kui Xian said, throwing him a grin. "It's nice to see you too, Zhou Mi." He threw a look around the room, or what there was of it, it was too small to require more than a sweeping glance. His gaze came back to Zhou Mi, and as if he'd just remembered something, he reached into his jacket and pulled something out from an inner pocket. "I even brought you a present, Master." It was Zhou Mi's lightsaber.
Zhou Mi took it, and for a moment just savoured the familiar weight of it in his hand; it was the weapon of a Jedi, and as his own Master had once told him, long ago when he'd been just a young Padawan himself, this weapon was his life. The crystals that made up the blade were connected to him through the Force, and holding it in his hand again was like the return of a good friend.
His moment over, Zhou Mi dropped his arm to his side, still holding the lightsaber firmly in hand - he knew he would need to use it soon enough - and looked back to Kui Xian. "How thoughtful of you."
Kui Xian waved a dismissive hand. "I know, I'm wonderful. But you won't have long to appreciate me if we don't get out of here now."
That reminded him. "How did you get in here, anyway?"
Kui Xian looked a little grim as he answered, "It wasn't easy, but I'll explain later. When we have more time." Slinging an arm around Zhou Mi's shoulders, Kui Xian propelled him from the tiny room that had been his prison, and began to lead him quickly through the narrow corridor of the underground base. "They won't like the surprises I left for them, so let's try and get out of here quickly."
Zhou Mi, summoning what he could focus of the Force to hide the pain in his ankle, followed quickly alongside Kui Xian. Every corridor looked identical, every one of them long and narrow, all the walls the same dark brown. Kui Xian seemed to know where he was going though, and even Zhou Mi thought he could pick up a vague sense of the right direction to head towards. Air, and freedom, both had a distinct feel.
"Later, you're going to have to explain to me how you even got yourself caught by pirates in the first places," Kui Xian said, shooting a brief glance over at Zhou Mi, a tiny grin on his face. "How does that happen to a Jedi Master, anyway?"
"When the Jedi Master lets it happen," Zhou Mi shot back, a little indignant. "I wanted to find out what they were up to, and when they decided to ambush me, I let them."
"And decided you liked it here so much that you'd stay on for a bit?"
"Hey, I was a Jedi Knight before you even knew what a lightsaber was. I've been on more assignments than you've been alive, and I got out of all of those without your coming 'to save me'."
Kui Xian looked over long enough to shoot Zhou Mi a grin. "Yeah, but you had Shiwon with you then, didn't you?"
"Insufferable brat," Zhou Mi muttered, sending Kui Xian a look. Though a part of him was glad for the usual banter, it took his mind from other things. And felt as familiar to him as the weight of his lightsaber.
They rounded another corner, and entered another corridor that looked exactly the same as the last. Except this time, at the end of it was a split, instead of the single corridors they'd been walking through so far. The hair on the back of Zhou Mi's neck prickled, and there was a ripple in the Force. Looking over, he saw that Kui Xian felt it too; he already had his own lightsaber in hand.
"You take the right-hand corridor, I'll take the left," Zhou Mi said, and with a nod of understanding, they each rounded their own corner. And were faced with a number of angry pirates holding blasters. There was the snap-hiss as they both ignited their lightsabers, joined a moment later by the sound of blaster fire.
Zhou Mi's green blade swept easily through the blaster bolts, guided by the Force, knowing when to move and where to step and how to block each bolt. It was an autonomous act, requiring no thought, only the Force, and letting it guide his movements. Blocking the shots, Zhou Mi worked his way closer to his group of five pirates, his blade slicing swiftly through the neck of the nearest, cutting his head clean from his body. With his free hand stretched out before him, Zhou Mi Force pushed one of the assailants into the pirate behind him, hard, and before either could regain their equilibrium, shoved his lightsaber clean through the both of them. There was the sound of another blaster shot from behind him, but Zhou Mi was already in the air, somersaulting over the shooter. The shot went right through another pirate, a convenient accident, and with one final blow, Zhou Mi had the last of his assailants down. It had taken no longer than thirty seconds.
Turning, Zhou Mi ran to where Kui Xian was still engaged with his own group. Zhou Mi was in time to watch as a red blaster bolt shot towards Kui Xian, and heard the crackle as bolt met lightsaber, red connecting with the yellow blade in a brief flash of colour, before the shot bounced back towards its origin. It struck the shooter straight to the head, and he fell like a sack of used ship parts to the floor, lifeless.
"Need a hand?" Zhou Mi asked, coming up alongside Kui Xian, deflecting a blaster bolt away from himself. Kui Xian still had three assailants left.
"I can handle this, Master." And with that, in three swift, sweeping strikes, Kui Xian had the last three falling to join their lifeless comrade on the ground. He turned, and gave Zhou Mi a smug little smile.
They were both only a little out of breath from the exertion, but nothing that would slow them down.
"Okay, let's actually try to get out of this hole in the ground now."
Turning down the right-hand corridor, stepping easily around the fallen bodies, they made their bid for freedom.
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