Claptrap is the best word to describe this story. Sometimes I get carried away, so that's why this is so long and elaborate but in the end- it's just a contradiction of itself. Convincing smut. Trashy, epic space-romance. A blatant disregard for Wookiepedia and creating the rest of the SW world as I go along. Basically… don't take it seriously. If it ever gets too ridiculous to where you roll your eyes, just remember; I told you. The original idea isn't even mine, but based heavily off of Amelia's Hope in the beginning chapters. Enjoy.
If there was anything that she could discern from the void, it was the concrete feeling of being alone. Her eyes could not prove anything, except for the blank void of fatigue that had no care for the rest of the world other than the hunger that gnawed at her stomach, crawling up, into her lungs to finally produce itself as a moan.
The noise reverberated in short wave against her ears; she was in small quarters. That was for sure, instinct told her. It only compounded her loneliness. But it was at a higher level of loneliness, it was the dregs of hopelessness that entered her mind.
Like looking up from the bottom of an ocean- where the black oblivion of death lingered at the edges of her eyes- where nothing made sense and her body refused to respond… a hand burst through the surface, endlessly reaching down, never wavering in its attempt to reach her, and with it, brought the light.
Language was lost on her, but she didn't need a translator to hear the malice in the words. Her eyes tried desperately to focus on who was gripping her, but the strength of her brain seemed to no longer have connection with her body.
Like a swift brushfire, a powerful pain ripped through her consciousness. A foreign force took up residence in her body, draining her painfully. She felt her mouth open for a scream, but her ears no longer registered sound. The pain was now an echo and her body had crumpled to the ground. The man, (was it a man? she thought) had dropped her, holding instead a pulsating globe of red in his grasp. Inside, her blood swirled against the confines of the orb, as if to move away from his satisfied gaze. He left, stirring up the thin air of the cell.
She wondered how many times this particular exchange had happened, and how many more that she could endure. She was particularly frightened that the sensation was familiar, and was not surprised to see her blood controlled within his hands. Thinking about anything besides the pain that was now subsiding in her, she struggled to remember a time when her world was not one the dark room, with odd fittings, and strange robes, but she could remember nothing. Even her name sounded foreign to her. She was weak… and with her memory fading, Thera knew she was dying. Desperation had set in and it wasn't long before she was at borderline panic. If she wanted to survive she had to get out, now.
There was a quiet sizzle of electronic wiring. It was the panel door, but now jerkily pulled aside to reveal the bleak hallway beyond. It wasn't long before she flew out the door and down the narrow hallways, searching for a final exit.
Anxiety came to her again; she was being followed. Sucking in a gasp, Thera fought to her feet as a pressing sensation began to cover her skin. It felt like she was sinking into deep water; a slow building pressure. She took a step forward, then another, until the footsteps came fast and in uneven succession. It was not long that the giddiness of her blood loss led to panic and that every cell in her body ached for help. She pressed a button for one of the lifts, and drew in ragged breaths until the hum of the compartment come to her level.
Propping herself against the inside panel of the lift, she slammed her hand onto the console and felt it descend. The terror in the ship was growing. The feeling of it coming closer was overpowering, and she could do nothing but wait until the lift doors opened. And yet, slowly, in her mind, she sensed the approach of something good; a strong feeling, similar to a beacon that encircled her chest and began to grow. She dared not take comfort in it just yet.
The Sith had sensed it too and his thoughts snarled; a Jedi.
Quickening his pace, he cut through the corridors and down through the emergency shaft to the landing bay. He had not worried of the escape at first. There was nowhere for her to go, and no one dared to approach the ship at this altitude. No matter, a Jedi was coming. He needed a challenge.
Thera burst through the doors and out into a spacious landing bay; two large openings flanking each side of the platform. There was nothing around that could come to her aid, and her last option was to see how she could get down. Looking wildly about, she saw a glowing diagram next to the lift; the distinct picture of a shield around the landing bay. Lifting a nearby storage crate and with her last ounce of strength, she hurtled it towards the computer. It sent out a dazzling array of sparks on impact and she watched as the light outside the landing bay became clear, crisp. Next to her the lift was humming again.
In an ungainly stumble, she took off towards the platform edge. She had to see- had to know that she did everything that she could, but as she neared the edge it was apparent that they were several thousand feet from the surface. More so, that it looked nothing like her home. Thera's heart sank as she took in the green, yellow and brown mineral lakes that made up the surface. Not only was she still trapped, but it was too foreign...she was in another world entirely.
She looked about her holdings, trying to take it in as she fought the terrible vertigo. She could see they were high above land, with mauve clouds floating past and the evening stars starting to show on the horizon. The air was thin and wispy; there didn't seem to be enough oxygen to breathe.
She allowed her weak knees to buckle and fell against the edge of the platform. The sensation that once encircled her heart had now spread to her fingers. Despite the warm feeling, Thera could not ignore the sound of the lift opening.
They were both coming.
Raising her head, her hair hung like thick brown cables against the cold flooring. The sound of a heavy rumbling- a speeder came racing into the hold, terrifyingly close. With the new vessel partially blocking her view, Thera curled into herself and listened as there was an electronic hiss and a blaze of blue light.
The Force had never called Obi-wan that strongly before. Master Windu had been hesitant to turn their craft around and head for an unregulated planet of the Oberon system, but when Obi-wan jumped in the speeder and began heading for the detra lakes, his hunch had turned into a magnetic pull. He didn't even wait for the speeder to land before he threw himself between the girl and the Sith.
Lightsabers crashed, sizzling and throwing the shadowy landing bay into sharp blue and red shadow. Thera watched through the twilight wind as the two fought furiously, seamlessly. Then with a swift counter attack, blue sliced through the red, and it was with a hushed gurgle that the shadow of panic and fear dissipated from her senses and sunk to the floor.
There was a pause as Obi-wan regarded his dead opponent and silenced his lightsaber. The Jedi turned to the girl, taking in her appearance. A humanoid, he saw, covered by an old medical tunic. Her eyes were wide as she watched him approach and took in his form. Out of habit from her captivity she backed away, the whipping wind reminding her that she was already at the end of the platform.
He tucked away his lightsaber and knelt a few feet away. He held a hand out before her, palm up.
"My name is Obi-wan Kenobi."
Again the language was lost on Thera, but this soft voice was soothing. The emotion in her eyes was raging; fear, doubt, fascination, and a hard sort of determination that did not match her pallid appearance.
"Come with me," he said, catching her eyes and holding them. "Please," he added, his hand giving an unconscious beckoning motion.
Thera swallowed visibly and with effort she slowly held out one hand. It was all Obi-wan needed. Leaning forward he took her hand and swept the girl up in his arms. She had the strength of a rag doll as he placed her in the speeder, and it was without a look back that Obi-wan jumped in and threw the craft into gear.
Her stomach lurched as the ground left them and the speeder shot out of the bay and into the open atmosphere. Gripping the sides, her dizziness turned into nausea and fought to keep her eyes on the horizon. The gesture was not lost on Obi-wan, but he felt speed was necessary. He didn't know how long she had been in captivity, but the Force inside of her was flickering.
"Try and keep your eyes open- do you understand me?" he called over the rushing wind. The girl made no indication that she had heard him, and blinked sluggishly.
Mace saw the young Jedi approaching at full speed and opened the landing dock on the cruiser. As the speeder smoothly landed, he pulled the girl out after him. Trying to set her on her feet, she swayed dangerously, her knees buckling. Mace approached, his face set in a frown.
"And who is this, Kenobi?"
"I do not know, Master Windu," Obi-wan replied, still holding the fainting girl upright. He put two fingers to her forehead, attempting to view the surface thoughts of her mind.
"Her thoughts are alien," he said. "And she's frightened senseless." Obi-wan took pity on her state and sent a strong sense of sleep into her. When her limbs eased and her forehead abruptly fell onto his chest, he picked her up and headed deeper into the ship. "I suggest we get out of here quickly, Master. Send a medidroid to me, I'll have her in the bacta tank."
The medidroid had worked on the girl through most of their hyperspace travel. It was only an hour after she had been submersed in the bacta tank that Mace announced they were approaching Coruscant. He and Master Windu had been returning from a mission for the council, but it was with trepidation that Obi-wan now realized the responsibility he had to this girl.
The main obstacle seemed to be communication; she had shown no recognition to Basic. He shook himself out of his reverie; there were translators on Coruscant, he reasoned as he turned away from the medidroid that was lifting the girl out of the bacta tank.
The skyline of Coruscant was clear and busy in the fading twilight, and the Jedi made quick time of landing on the main platform of the temple. Normally Obi-wan was made to oversee the decommissioning of the ship, but Mace waved him on ahead as the loading ramp opened.
"Get her settled, Kenobi. I'll meet with you to go over the report before the council."
He nodded, "Thank you Master. Could you also send her medical readouts to the healers ward?"
Mace returned the nod, understanding the implications, and watched as the young Jedi activated the levitation for the gurney.
It was not everyday that new occupants were unconscious while entering the temple. Obi-wan felt an odd disconnect between himself and the silent parade. Down the long archways, he led the caravan to the guests' quarters. He walked slowly next to the stretcher and allowed himself a moment to take in her features. Dirty, wounded, and terrorized in the cargo hold, she looked to be a young girl. Now healed and clean, she was more so a woman. He noted her face was quite strong when it wasn't expressing absolute terror.
He would have placed her in the mediward, but he knew the calming effect of the guest quarters would be more suitable when she awoke. In the formal bedchambers, Obi-Wan dimmed the windows and activated the room's system to send notice to his comlink when she would awake. He absently looked on as the medidroid carefully deposited her in the bed and took a final vitals reading before it left with the gurney.
Turning to examine the room, he felt unsettled. Here she would be protected; there was no safer place than the Jedi temple, but a sliver of the Force felt out of place. He compared the feeling to the sensation of an oncoming sickness, but he could do little until the actual symptoms showed.
Looking back towards the bed, her slow breathing showed she was already deep into dreams. He was loathed to leave her in such a state, but there was little else that was necessary. In the end he resolved to set up security surveillance to her suite connecting directly to his comlink, but that would have to wait. He needed to speak with the council.
He closed the door behind him and headed to the main congregational room, where Yoda had already called the members to order. Obi-wan made his way to the center of the room, facing the congregated masters. His robes swayed, settled, and the room was silent for a moment, each master examining him.
"Obi-wan Kenobi," Yoda announced, breaking the silence. "Of your mission for Oberon, inform the council."
Obi-wan nodded, and took a deep breath. "Master Windu and I had been patrolling the southern trade routes of Oberon's third system, as requested by Delegate Adavar. There had been some threats to the production supply lines for the settlements and Master Windu felt it best we observe under foreign clearance to see if we drew any attention. We did not. Returning from this mission, I felt a great disturbance in the Force along the outer planets of the Oberon system. I insisted that we follow my intuition, until it led us to the Detra Lakes of Porthan's moon, catalogued as Molgovale.
"By speeder, I found a rogue Cardassian cruiser and a girl in the landing bay, being pursued by a Sith. Whether he was an apprentice or a Sith lord, I could not discern. We dueled; he was struck down. I could feel her life force flickering and I felt it best to remove her as quickly as possible. I could sense no other presence aboard the vessel."
A collective tension swept through the council at the mention of a Sith. At the declaration of his defeat, a new glimmer of respect developed in their eyes. Depa Billaba leaned forward, "And why is she not here before us now?"
Obi-wan swallowed and continued. "When I brought her aboard the ship, she was weakened to the point of unconsciousness. Treated her in bacta. Her skin was-" he paused as the memory flooded him. The medical droid drawing back the fabric- "Scarred. She had been detained months, at the very least. But she healed well- she rests now in the guest chambers."
"Met this young woman, you have." Yoda grunted. "A strong call from the Force you have received?"
"She has a connection with the Force as well?" Depa interrupted, her eyebrow quirked at the unorthodox notion.
"She is far too old," Mace Windu cautioned as he caught wind of the direction the discussion was going. "I too have seen with the girl, and Master Yoda is right to call her a young woman. She is more woman than youth, and far beyond the years of a Padawan."
"Knight Kenobi has noted great strength, and to endure the captivity of a Sith…" Sura Majjin said.
Depa ruefully shook her head at the notion of captivity with Sith. She indeed was strong for someone to have survived, as only Jedi are trained to endure. Her deep voice was thoughtful as she spoke, "A notable discovery you have made, Jedi Kenobi. She is recovering, yes? I think it would be in her best interest that during her recovery that she remain here… and learn more of her, Obi-wan. A home world she must have, but guidance with the Force she may need more. Time spent here would allow us to observe her manner before making exceptions."
"Master Billaba, a wise suggestion," nodded Yoda. "Agreed, has the council?" There was a murmur of assent, and he turned back to Obi-wan."
"Speak to her, Obi-wan. Recover well, she will."