The Rising Force by Dave Wolverton Page A

grey, and his small scales were beginning to flake off. Qui-Gon had been gone for hours now.
    When Clat‘Ha had told him that Qui-Gon had gone in search of the dactyl, frustration had filled Obi-Wan. He accepted that he could not be the Jedi‘s Padawan, but couldn‘t Qui-Gon ask him for help, just once?
    Of course he had not. Of course he had gone alone.
    In the dark cave, Obi-Wan studied his friend with a frown. The Hutts and Whiphids had taken the only lights into a larger cavern, so that only reflected light had worked its way in.
    The Arconans had settled into the back of the highest cavern – and what strange caverns they were. Each cave measured four meters wide at
    its narrowest point, and ten meters tall. Perhaps a dozen passages led to the surface. But tunnels opened wide into huge hollows in many places. Claw marks on the floors showed that an animal had dug them, yet the Arconans found nothing in the lair.
    The Offworlders guarded the entrance to make certain no one fled. Stalactites hung overhead like glittering spears, and there was nothing to sit on but broken stones. In the dank shadows, the eyes of the Arconans glowed faintly.
    Si Treemba was humming in Arconan. Others nearby did the same. Obi- Wan leaned closer to his friend.
    ―What are you humming?‖ he asked softly.
    ―We sing a song of thanksgiving,‖ Si Treemba said. He Translated for Obi-wan.
    ―The sun in finally hidden, and here our world is black. In this
    cave we have the stones And our brothers at our back.
    ―Outside the storms may threaten But here the day is calm. We‘ll
    cleave to earth like flesh to bone. With out brothers we belong.‖
    It seemed a sad song to Obi-Wan. But he was not an Arconan. He was not used to making a cave his home. Perhaps to Si Treemba, the song sounded more joyous.
    The Arconans sounded as if they were resigned to their deaths. He could not understand such resignation. The urge to act, to fight, was becoming stronger by the minute. Obi-Wan struggled against the feeling.
    He‘d he been warned about his impatience again and again? This was his
    test. He must live by the Jedi Code and wait, even while his friend
    faded. It was the hardest thing he‘d ever done. But he trusted Qui-Gon.
    ―Promise me,‖ Obi-Wan said quietly to Si Treemba, ―that you won‘t let yourself die here.‖
    ―We won‘t let ourselves die,‖ Si Treemba promised.
    ―Do you mean it? You‘ll hold on until Qui-Gon comes back?‖ Obi-Wan asked urgently.
    ―We will try to live, Obi-Wan,‖ Si Treemba promised. ―But the dactyl must come soon.‖

Starwars jedi apprentice the rising force

Chapter 19
    Cautiously, Qui-Gon Jinn inched up a ledge that no Humans should have been able to climb. In a pouring rain, he grasped small crevices with his fingers and toes, barely holding on.
    He knew that he had to hurry. He had spent extra time approaching from the side of the mountain, knowing he would be too east to spot if he climbed directly up.
    But at last he‘d come to a point where he had to risk exposure.
    From now on, his path was straight up.
    At the moment, he was more concerned about the draigons than the Hutts. The creatures were active now. Many had landed on crags above, as if to wait out the storm. He remained in the shadows, moving beneath rocks, afraid he might be spotted. Sometimes, he had to wait painful minutes until some draigon would turn its scaly silver head.
    Patience, he told himself over and over again. We must have patience. That was the unwritten part of the Jedi Code. Yet it was hard to be patient when so many lives hung in the balance.
    His fingers were chafed and bleeding. Nearby, lightning split the sky and thunder snarled. The sky was dark and lowering. Wind gusted and whistled among the stones.
    He felt terribly exposed. He was a big man, a large target for the draigons. A flash of lightning could expose his position – or even knock him to his death.
    He stopped for a long moment, panting. Rain poured down