Title: Lost in the Darkness II: When I Was Cruel
Author: Felicia Zezili
Rating: PG-13 (Violence and Gory dream sequences)
Time Frame: Obi-Wan 22
Summary: For the past two years Obi-Wan has wandered the galaxy trying to forget but he is soon forced to face his past when old friends come to him for help and an old foe returns to settle unfinished business.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars (as if you didn't know) or any of the characters from Star Wars (again a big surprise)
Author's Notes: Back by popular demand! Okay five people but still it's back. I'm not the biggest fan of sequels or prequels myself because they never live up the originals or have nothing to do with the originals (i.e. Casper: a spirited beginning) but the first was so much fun to write that I thought, why not? This is basically the healing portion of the story but there is action and a few lose ends need to be taken care of from the first Lost in the Darkness. Which I do suggest you read before this and not just to help boost my ego but you'll understand better why Obi-Wan is the way he is in this story. And keeping with the first, anything in between ** is a flashback and ~ is a dream.
Chapter 1 – Déjà vu~He walked a path. Around him there were trees and above him a sky, though it didn't seem natural. Ahead he could hear laughter and someone call out his name. He'd been in this place before. He stopped walking and stood behind a line of trees. The laughter he had head before was much clearer now. He pushed back one of the braches that was blocking his view to reveal a huge lake on the other side.
Now he remembered where he was. He was back at the temple. His friend Bant was calling to him so they could go for one of their swims in the temple gardens lake. He became filled with a sense of peace that had eluded him for what seemed like ages.
He watched as Bant jumped into the lake water, going under its surface only to come back up again a few seconds later. She called out to him again, her voice echoing in his mind. "Obi-Wan!" She waved to him to join her and then swam off towards the center of the lake. Obi-Wan grinned as he dived into the cool water. As he went under the water of lake He began to feel a sense of unease. He tired swimming to the surface but something was holding him back.
Suddenly his vision became impaired as a dark red substance began to mix with the crystal clear water. Obi-Wan continued to try and swim to the surface but was still being held back. He looked down and saw that something had grabbed hold of his ankle. He reached down and pried the object from his person.
When he pulled it up to get a better look he was shocked to see that it was a hand and even more shocked to see that the hand was attached to decapitated body, the body was wearing the uniform that Obi-Wan had come to associate with Runihura's organization. Obi-Wan jerked back and in doing so hit another form. He turned and saw that it was another body, this one with a gawking hole in its abdomen. Obi-Wan swam away from this form as well but nowhere he turned could he escape. All around him were dead soldiers he had killed two years ago blocking his way back up to the water's surface.
Then the bodies to the side parted and a new form moved closer from the dark red abyss. Obi-Wan felt his heart grow cold as he began to make out the outline of the form. It was obviously feminine with wild hair and flashing eyes. It was Runihura! As she drew closer she reached out to him, calling to him…Obi-Wan…~
A hand landed on his shoulder and out of pure reflexes Obi-Wan grabbed the hand by the wrist and twisted it around. The person whom the hand belonged to gave out a cry of pain and tried to pull away from Obi-Wan's iron grasp. "AHH...Kenobi let go!"
Obi-Wan's eyes flew open. He quickly took in his surrounding and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that he was on the star ship Constanza. A place he had become familiar with over the past year. Obi-Wan then realized that he still had his grasp on the person who had touched his shoulder. He quickly let go. "Sorry." He said dryly.
Standing beside him Mig messaged her wrist. "You know, if I wanted to be manhandled I would have stayed with my last boyfriend!" The Chattan woman stood up straight and brushed off her sleek, strawberry blonde colored fur. Her long pointed ears hung to the back of her head with a graceful arch, pierced at the tips with several gold loops that jingled when she moved her head. Her narrow eyes glared at the human sitting in front of her. She held out a folded piece of paper. "Here!" She said hotly as she shoved it in his face.
Obi-Wan took the slip of paper from her and opened it, reading the contents of the note. Then suddenly the young man jumped out of his chair, a look of pure terror on his face. He looked up, eyes blazing. Mig stepped back unconsciously when he turned to her, the look in his eye baring down on her. "What is this?!" He asked in a low voice. Mig didn't say anything but shrugged. "What is this?! Some kind of sick joke?!" Obi-Wan asked again his voice becoming louder and he began to walk towards her.
"I don't know what it is!" Mig said with a slightly shaky voice as she backed up further. "I found it after I came back from Telluride on a supply run." Mig was now pressed up against the wall. Obi-Wan stared down at her his eyes burning. Mig closed her eyes tightly. The claws at the tips of her fingers extended slightly ready for anything. After a few seconds and nothing happened, the Chatton slowly opened her eyes. Obi-Wan was gone. Mig let out a sigh of relief. "I have got to get a new gig."
***
The republic transport landed at the main spaceport of the planet Spenta Armaiti. The planet that could almost be considered an early version of Coruscant before all the natural resources had been depleted and landscape built over by level after level of building structures. Spenta Armaiti was mostly covered by cities that were scattered around the planet and connected with miles of large tubes that ran under water and through the air for various vehicles to travel from one place to another.
Master Qui-Gon Jinn exited the ship followed by his colleagues Master Adi Gallia and her padawan Siri who was close to facing her trials to becoming a knight. "Let us say that you do find him Qui-Gon, what exactly will you say to him?" Adi asked.
"First thing first." Qui-Gon replied as they began to walk towards a nearby bar where they were to meet with a contact. It had been two years since Qui-Gon had last seen his former Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. The young man had sent messages to Qui-Gon every couple of months but they had stopped a little over a year ago. The last one had mentioned a person named Rayv.
Qui-Gon had to give whoever this "Rayv" person was commendations. It had taken the Jedi master months to track them down and every time he thought that he was close, Rayv would disappear again. It was frustrating work and Qui-Gon would have preferred to be searching for Obi-Wan but with the last transmission from his ex-padawan being so long ago the chances of finding him were slim to none. The young man could be halfway across the galaxy by now. That left Rayv as the only real link Qui-Gon had to Obi-Wan's new life. When the Jedi master had finally caught up with the elusive Rayv, the woman had been unwilling to talk with him. She claimed to want nothing to do with the Jedi but when Qui-Gon had mentioned Obi-Wan, the woman had paused for a long moment then told the Jedi that she would meet him at the Rimbauer Inn.
The three Jedi entered the bar. The place wasn't sleazy like one would expect a spaceport bar to be but this place held a certain amount of class. The floor was made out of a polished wood and heavy dark green curtains hung over the windows to keep out natural light. The light that filled the room came from antique looking lamps that hung from the ceiling. Speakers that were propped up in the corners of the room pumped out music that was set at such a low volume level that it had become impossible to understand what the balladeer was singing and so the music just blended in with the rest of the background noise. Patrons of the bar sat at the few tables that were spaciously positioned in the center of the room, at cushioned booths that lined the right wall and stools at the bar that lined the left wall. "So, what does this Rayv person look like?" Siri asked as they walked in.
"I don't know." Qui-Gon confessed. "But she said that she would find us." They walked past some of the booths that lined the wall. A few of the occupants would look up at the three Jedi briefly but then only returned to their drinks. They stopped when they reached the back wall.
"Perhaps we missed her." Adi commented scanning the bar once more.
"Not quite." A voice to their right said. They turned and saw a woman who looked to be in her mid fifties with graying curly black hair cut short above her shoulders. She sat with her elbows propped up on the table, holding a half filled glass in her hands. She stared into the glass as she said, "Almost though. I've been waiting here for nearly an hour. I thought Jedi were punctual. " She downed the rest of her drink and then turned her head to look at them. Though the side of her face that had been visible before was unmarred, save for a few wrinkles brought on my age, The other side was covered with burn scars that ran from her hairline down to her chin and a cyborg eye glowed an angry looking red in contrast to the pale blue of her remaining natural eye. "Please, have a seat." She motioned to the empty seat across from her. Qui-Gon and Adi slide into the booth while Siri grabbed an empty chair from one of the tables and slide it over to the booth.
"Thank you for agreeing to speak with us." Qui-Gon said.
"No need for thanks, Master Jedi." Rayv said. She signaled for a server droid and ordered a round of ice blasters for them. When the woman looked back at the Jedi, she noticed Siri staring at the scars that lined the side of Rayv's face. When Siri found that she had been caught, the young Jedi quickly diverted her gaze. Rayv chuckled. "Oh, don't pay any mind to these old scars, girly. Their almost to be expected in my line of work."
"And what might that be?" Qui-Gon asked as the server droid returned and set a tray of glasses in front of them.
Rayv took up one of the glasses and took a sip of the drink, savoring the flavor. "Bounty Hunter."
(Two years earlier)
** The Beurre Club was a popular hang out for first class citizens of the planet Melchoca to kick back a few, gamble their fortune away and congratulate themselves on being masters of the universe. Rayv leaned back in her seat at one of the club's many tables. From where she sat, the agency bounty hunter could survey the entire establishment and it's occupants. Her target was known to be a frequent customer of high class establishments such as The Beurre Club and if Rayv's contact was on the level then she would be collecting the final bounty of her career tonight.
Rayv swirled the glass Dorian Quill that she held in her left hand and looked down at the small data-pad that lay on her lap "How's the Youki?" Rayv looked up from the data-pad to her fellow bounty hunter, Nad Romani who was reading from a menu on the table, loose strands of her dark hair falling out from under the crimson hood she was wearing.
"Expensive and it taste like bantha poodoo." Rayv said taking a sip of her Dorian Quill as she took in another survey of the room.
"And people actually eat it?" Nad asked looking up at Rayv with disbelief.
Rayv shrugged and looked back down at the data pad in her lap. "You'd be surprised what people will do for status."
Nad made a disgusted face as she looked back down at the menu. "Status is overrated. I'll stick to the Karkan Ribenes." Nad lifted her head and flashed a smile. At the age of 32, she was still a good two decades younger then Rayv. With her caramel colored skin and big brown doe eyes, she could make a Lago Angel see green. And she knew this. She used it to her advantage. Luring the prey into a false sense of security with her looks and charm then by the time they realized they were caught it was too late. She called it her secret weapon. Rayv thought it was mockery to the profession and degrading to womanhood but Nad would simply shrug and say, "I'm just using the gifts that the almighty powers that be bestowed on me." Rayv would then make a rude sound, thinking that the girl could do so much better if she started using the other gifts she had instead of playing with the hormones of her targets. But Rayv would admit it was better then her usual approach of shooting first and asking questions later.
Nad's smile soon faded as the door to the café opened and a familiar face walked in and moved to the end of the bar. "That our girl?" She asked in hushed voice. Rayv's eyes remained on her data pad but she could see their target out of her peripheral vision. Kiara Bronsin, a.k.a "The Black Widow". "Doesn't look like a killer…" Nad mused as she took in Kiara's appearance: Small frame, height about 5'2. She had soft features and pale blue eyes. She wore a midnight blue tunic, made of rich silk, that fell past her knees. She looked harmless.
"I believe that's the point, Nad." Rayv said with an exasperated tone. "I'd think you above all people would realize that. Like you she uses her looks to her advantage."
Nad snorted, "I don't go around seducing men for their money and then kill them." Kiara had gotten her nick name as "The Black Widow" by marrying men with considerable bank balances and then slowly poison them to death. By the time anyone began to suspect her, she would hope a transport and disappear into space. It had worked for a time but Kiara had gotten greedy and decided to go for a bigger kill, Emperor Harkin ruler of the Taman dynasty.
Dismissing her usual routine of getting off planet as soon as possible after the death of her husband, Kiara had stayed and assumed the title as the new ruler but suspicion began to circulate and soon Kiara found herself once again on the run only now with a hefty bounty on her head issued by the Taman government.
"Yes, luckily for all of us you use you powers for good instead of evil." Rayv chanced a look up then and saw Nad's hand begin to inch towards the blaster that was hidden under her crimson cloak. "Don't even think about it."
Nad rolled her eyes and let her hand drop. The two sat in silence for a moment just listening to the clustered chatter of the crowded club. Nad crossed her arms and stared at Rayv. "You're gonna miss it you know." She said simply, knowing perfectly well that the older woman knew what she was talking about. "A person like you can't do this kind of work for more then three decades and then just walk away."
Rayv snorted, "Believe me I'm more then ready to do just that." She brought the glass up to her lips and took a sip. When people talked about Bounty Hunters the words ruthless, relentless, fearless and thrill of the hunt came to mind. No one ever mentioned how the job can suck the life right from you without you even realizing it.
After 36 years of being one of the fearless, the first ten doing freelance work and the last twenty-six being part of the agency that she helped co-create with her long time friend, Jilt, she had little to show for her life except an extraordinary back account. She knew she was lucky to have lasted this long with only a few scars and a lost eye. She's seen more then enough associates fall in an attempt to get some unreachable bounty.
No one mourned them either. That was the cost. You had no ties. No home. No legacy. These were the things that haunted her when the lights went down at night and she was left with her thoughts as she laid in bed. Memories of lost opportunities would pop up and taunt her. She should have gotten out of this business a long time ago but every time she thought she was out they would suck her right back in.
Rayv took a deep breath as the memories began to surface again. She finished her drink and ordered another one, wanting to rid herself of the phantoms the only way that she knew how.
She supposed it was a difference experience for each person. Nad for instance seemed to thrive in this type of environment. She watched as Nad reached into her tunic pocket and pulled out a death stick, putting it between her lips and started looking for a light. Rayv leaned over in her seat and snatched the death stick from Nad's lips. "I need you crisp and functioning. Get high on you own time." She flicked the death stick to the ground. "Besides you need all the brain cells you can get."
"Awww…Rayv, I didn't know you cared." Nad said with mock sweetness. "Relax Rayv. It's not like we're going after the Bando Gora." She looked down at the glass in Rayv's hand. "It's kind of a funny statement coming from you." Rayv gave her a confused look and Nad nodded her head towards the glass of alcohol "How many is that for you so far?"
Rayv was about to reply but noticed movement from the bar. Kiara had began to move towards one of the gambling tables. She lifted her wrist and activated the comlink that was built into her arm band. "Erik, she's moving your way."
A low voice muffled even more with slight static replied, "I see her." **
Rayv eyed the three Jedi before her suspiciously. "What do the Jedi want with Kenobi anyway? He's not in any kind of trouble is he?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "It's nothing like that. Obi-Wan is a former student of mine and we have a favor to ask of him. I contacted you because we have been unable to track him down."
Rayv gave a start and leaned back in her seat slowly. "Kenobi's a Jedi? That explains a lot actually." She gave a small laugh and shook her head as though it had been the most obvious thing. Taking another sip of her drink leaned on her elbows and looked directly at the Jedi. "Alright Master Jedi, I'll help you reunite with your former student. I'll take you to him personally."
"We do not wish to be a burden."
"No burden. It's just a quick transmission and a transport ride. You'll see Obi-Wan in no time. Besides I've been meaning to have a talk with a few old friends for a while now."