Kadavo, Kenobi and clone commander Rex
When Dooku is convinced to allow the queen to keep her Jedi slaves Obi wan and Anakin find themselves in between a rock and a hard place. Obi wan is struggling to keep up with his workload on Kadavo and Anakin is put to work under a woman that makes him physically sick. They must work together in the force to free themselves, find Ahsoka and save the people of Kiros. Warning for gratuitous obi whump, Anakin angst and a badass ahsoka!
Authors Notes
Because I feel that cartoon network couldn't do this arc justice because they had to present it to young children and also because I don't know that I think Dooku would be so staunchly opposed to the idea of Obi wan and Anakin as slaves. This story is not entirely original, this is me acknowledging that so no need to send me a revolutionary review telling me how unoriginal this is k? :) Enjoy
Anakin's hands are shaking but no one seems to notice even when he walks in front of the roaring crowd onto the small, raised platform. Obi wan is kneeling before a bloodthirsty stadium and Anakin can feel his masters solid presence in the force even while the guards push him to his knees.
The closer he gets the more hyper-observant he becomes and the more he notices the more his anger builds. Obi wans wrists are raw, his face is bruised and his back must be awful, Anakin has had more than his fair share of beatings and knows all too well that a tunic is just about useless against an electrowhip.
The crowd yells "whip the Jedi" and Anakin feels Obi wan quake in the force. It's not fear; it's a potent mixture of sadness and guilt. Anakin's grip draws blood in his palm and he knows that his emotions are a swirling sandstorm in the force but its ok. He wants his master to know how much this situation bothers him. He watches as obi wan is struck in the face for struggling as his captors forcibly remove his tunic and it's all Anakin can do to keep from breaking their necks with a particularly vicious force push.
His master is a very private man and Anakin looks away out of respect, knowing that Obi wan would never willingly remove his shirt. He looks instead to the queen who smiles seductively, encouraging him to lay into the Jedi.
"Anakin" Obi wan whispers, his hands above his head "It's ok, do whatever you must to convince the queen"
"Obi wan" Anakin is out of time and the queens' smile has been replaced with an expectant sneer. Anakin hesitates but then he remembers how Watto used to beat him and that 50,000 people will be subjected to the same agony if he refuses this request. Anakin digs deep and thinks of tattooine, of Jabba, of his mother of his pain and loss and releases just this once, his inner monster. Anakin is Vader now, not because he wants to be and not out of hate or anger but out of necessity. Anakin Skywalker can save star systems but only Vader is capable of this kind of cruelty.
Obi wans spine tingles in anticipation and he feels a sudden shift in the force that makes him sick to his stomach. Something is not right, Anakin is not right.
"Anakin?" Obi wan snaps over his shoulder trying to see what his former apprentice is doing.
Without warning Vader snaps the whip across his face tearing a smooth line above the Jedi's eye.
"shut your mouth Jedi scum" He growls through clenched teeth and brings the whip down as hard as he can, mercilessly on Obi wans already tender back and the man can't help but scream.
The strength of the blow alone is enough to send him crashing forward and blood splatters on the surrounding guards who exchange looks of fear. Lars is a powerful man.
"Force, Anakin" obi wan thinks somewhat sarcastically "don't take it easy on me"
The next blow is impossibly harder and it knocks the breathe out of the Jedi master. Ahsoka and Rex gasp in unison but only Ahsoka can sense the disturbance in the force emanating from her master. One doesn't have to be a Jedi to see the pain Master Kenobi is in and it makes her sick to see the queen smiling and the crowd roaring with jeers.
Vader grabs thick, auburn hair and throws the descending body flat on its stomach on the podium.
"Learn your place, scug" Then its blow after blow after blow and Obi wan struggles to reign in his cries of pain, blood slicking his back and confusion etched in his features. When Vader kicks him over, he arches his back trying desperately to keep his torn back off of the rough stone but Vader slams his foot onto the Jedi's chest forcing him flat onto the ground.
"stay" Vader commands and obi wan groans as his wounds receive unfair treatment.
"My Queen" Vader turns and addresses Miraj "I believe the Jedi has been well taught"
Obi wan is barely conscious and though he feels the sweet relief of darkness clouding his eyes he fights it off desperately trying to get a clear thought in his mind. Who was that? That was not Anakin, that man had been intentionally cruel, brutally strong and that force signature. It burned slow and hot, not at all like the bright and sporadic signature Anakin carried.
"You see?" She announces to the crowd "even the Jedi will fall to our new slave empire, have Kenobi sent to our processing facility"
Ahsoka can feel the force constricting around her in anger and she struggles to let it flow into the river of the force. Obi wan is being half dragged out of the arena and when he falls the guards lay into him freshly with their electro whips. Only Anakin's hand clamping firmly on her shoulder keeps her from signaling R2 and cutting them all down.
Something has changed yet again in her master, he is himself again and she can feel his trepidation and guilt in the force even as he smiles coyly to the queen. If what she just saw is the cruelty that can be required of a Jedi Knight she's not sure that she can ever be one.
Later that evening the queen takes special care to see a certain Jedi off on his flight to Kadavo. When she arrives at the hangar she finds the Jedi on the floor being kicked back and forth between several of her guards.
"What is the meaning of this?" She snaps, Kenobi needs to survive and Kadavo will be a challenge for someone in good health so if her guards are being unnecessarily rough with him she will need to search for some new staff. New guards to replace her old ones, and new slaves to bury the corpses.
"Jedi Scug thinks that he has the right to protect the others, used his magic to keep us from giving that old governor a proper beating" He snarls and slams his heel into the Jedi's ribs; she can see Kenobi nearly come off the floor with the force of it.
Why are her guards so dumb? She thinks to herself, the proper punishment would have been to hurt the other slaves, but he will learn soon enough during processing. With that thought she too indulges herself.
"you will learn to be compliant, Kenobi" she says with a dark smile, leaning down next to him to better see his suffering.
"I wouldn't wager on that" Obi wan snaps his head up as hard as he can and even the slaves gasp. He cracks the back of his head against the queen's face, and it brings him satisfaction to hear the Miraj growl in pain. Anakin would be proud of him he thinks distantly before the woman draws her whip. She makes Anakin's beating feel like a fond memory but Obi wan refuses to beg for her forgiveness. He sinks into the force until the agony of his body is instead a pulsing throb. Finally, the darkness overtakes him and he welcomes it with a smile, I won't be your slave.
Miraj stalks back to her room in the palace furiously. The audacity, she bears her teeth and part of her wishes that she could be the one to break him. Kenobi wouldn't last long with his defiance in her care though, she would beat him to death. Best to leave these things to the professionals, she smiles but quickly frowns when she receives a hologram from Count Dooku. As far as she is concerned, the only difference between the Jedi and the Sith is the color of their lightsabers.
"Miraj" he drawls in his affluent accent, it reminds her of Kenobi and she scowls.
"Your guests are being tended to I trust?" There is a hint of sarcasm there and Miraj pastes on her best malicious smile.
"Oh, yes count. Kenobi has proven to be quite irritating and has received his fair share of retribution."
Dooku smiles noting the bruising on her face and with a hint from the force he briefly allows himself to remember when he had taught Qui Gon a similar move. The head butt, perfect against opponents who have too much pride and not enough sense to know that even a restrained Jedi is dangerous.
"I see that" Dooku states with his signature brand of condescension and then revels in the anger she radiates in the force.
"No matter, I will break him too, he has been sent to our processing facility" the Queen sneers angrily.
"What are your plans for Kenobi?" The count asks in genuine interest.
" I will sell him to the cruelest master I can find" she snaps " He has no place at my palace"
"So then to a Sith lord?" Dooku's implication makes Miraj smile, if the count wants Kenobi, he is more than welcome to him. She imagines Kenobi busting the counts noble face and suddenly this conversation is worthwhile. The Queen has no use for Obi wans resolve, she needs Lars, his passion, his anger and his strength.
Obi wan shudders, feeling a tremor in the force, there has been a change of plans and the future is clouded now more than ever. He can make out one familiar presence and it brings him no comfort. Count Dooku has made his move.
So Heres the deal guys, I wrote this forever ago but I am just now posting it. I never wrote anything past the first chapter so if you want more, show me there is sufficient interest, REVIEW :)