Disclaimer: Star Wars brings in tons of money and as I have not seen a single cent of that money, I am not George Lucas and therefore don't own Star Wars. And sadly, that means I don't own Obi-Wan either.

Summary: The second story in the Jedi Trials series. Obi-Wan's been captured, Qui-Gon's left the Jedi Order, and Anakin must learn to trust his new Master. The Republic is on the brink of war and only Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Anakin can save the galaxy.

Author's Notes: This is the sequel to Jealousy, Love and War. It would be a wise idea to read that one before reading this one; otherwise, you may not understand some parts of this. Of course, if you are set on reading this one without reading the first one, don't be afraid to ask me questions about the story line. I'm happy to answer them.

I'm very excited to finally be writing Torture. I've got a lot of twists and turns planned out, and I can't wait to write them! Thanks for the continued support of Jealousy, and I hope you guys will like this story even more.

Reviews from Jealousy:

The Strange - Or perhaps its not even poison at all... Maybe Obi-Wan was wrong. Hehe. I'm so glad I got you hooked. Your reviews make me laugh.

Darth Vengeance - Those are both very real possibilities. You'll just have to wait to find out.

Funyun - Yes, I had that all worked out. I was wondering if anybody would remember his dream/vision. Dooku? Maybe or maybe not. My lips are sealed.

Ally127 - Hopefully this was fast enough for you, though it probably wasn't. I was dying to write it during the week, but I had homework until midnight and a football game to attend. Stupid school.

Starfish - Please don't hurt me! I told you I was evil.

Katieelessar - Who says I'm killing anybody? And who says I'm not killing everybody? That is the great mystery of this fic. Moohahahaha!

Doreenthatshot - Here's the sequel for you. I hope you enjoy it.

Torture and Death

By Kekelina

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Chapter One: The Lightsaber

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Juke Halar sat in the back of the noisy club sipping on a stiff drink. The shadowed interior made it highly improbable that anyone would recognize him; it was a perfect hideout for a thief like him, and much nicer than that shabby cantina where he spent so much of his time. But that was how his life was; he lived in shadows, wherever those shadows may be. The Blaster had brought him lots of money and kept him very safe. It was only because of the money he had made there that he was able to venture to one of the nicer nightclubs of Coruscant.

Music thumped in the background; cheering and scuffles echoed across the room as bets that had been placed on one of the many games flashing over the holoscreens were won and lost. Scantily dressed women seduced drunken men out onto the dance floor as the rhythm grew faster and louder. Sweat dripped from their bodies; light danced around them. The air vibrated with excitement.

But the Neimoidian paid no attention to this lively commotion going on around him. His silver eyes were focused on one of the holoscreens, shedding its dim light on the intoxicated spectators. Someone at the bar had been smart enough to change one screen to the HoloNews, and it was that screen that caught Juke's attention. It showed a small diner crawling with security forces.

"…And in local affairs, Coruscant Security is investigating the death of Coco town diner owner, Dexter Jettster. He was found murdered in his kitchen earlier this morning."

Juke took his eyes from the screen and shook his head. Coruscant had always been a dangerous place to live in, but he had never expected Dex to be murdered. Everyone loved Dex, and even if they hadn't, most were too afraid of his four large arms to do anything. There was more to his death than the security forces were letting on. Whoever had killed Dex was powerful, and knew he had something they didn't want him to have.

Juke shuddered. If it wasn't safe for someone like Dex in this city, then it certainly wasn't safe for someone like him. He would catch the next shuttle off this planet tomorrow. First, he needed another drink.

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Snap-hiss. The emerald green lightsaber vibrated with power as it ignited to life. It was the only source of light in the room, and cast an eerie light over the young boy holding the hilt of the majestic weapon. The lightsaber was a symbol of the entire Jedi Order. It stood for simplicity, elegance, and peace. It was not to be used for offense, but defense instead. It was only used to kill when there was no other way.

For Anakin Skywalker, that lightsaber stood for none of those things anymore. Now it stood for doubt, worry, and insecurity. It stood for his failure, and his inability to prevent things from happening. It stood for every question he asked himself about the Jedi Order, and his place within its circle. But mostly it stood for his loneliness and his regret.

He hadn't been able to keep Qui-Gon from leaving. He had known as soon as Qui-Gon approached him with that grave look on his face, lightsaber hilt in hand, that something had been very wrong. He had sensed his Master's worry through their bond, but he had never expected it to go like that. He had never expected Qui-Gon to put his hand on his shoulder, tell him he had been a fine apprentice, hand him his lightsaber, and then simply leave.

Anakin had stood in shock for what seemed an eternity, clutching his Master's lightsaber. For one Jedi to give another Jedi his or her lightsaber was a great gift. The lightsaber was a Jedi's most prized possession, and letting someone else have it meant they trusted the other with their entire being. As the shock wore away, and Anakin ran out of the small, dirty hut after his Master only to realize it was too late, the lightsaber in his hand made the whole situation real. It wasn't a dream. His Master had left him, and Anakin didn't even know why.

Padme and the Lars family had quickly followed Anakin, having seen Qui-Gon's goodbye back in the hut. They arrived just as Qui-Gon took off, the sand and dust that had been kicked up by the ship's engines blowing hard in their faces. They shielded their eyes and mouth, but Anakin just stood there, his body rigid, watching his Master fly away.

His body was numb as Padme led him back into the hut. He didn't even acknowledge her gentle touch, or the pity on her face. His feet felt like lead, his arms hung at his side like dead weights. His hand still clutched Qui-Gon's lightsaber. It was the only thing that had kept him sane.

It took Anakin two days to realize he needed to contact the Jedi Council. In those two days, he questioned everything about Qui-Gon's reasons for leaving. Was it him? Had Qui-Gon become fed up with the Senator Amidala ordeal? Had the clash between them in the night made Qui-Gon lose his trust in him? Was there something wrong with the Jedi Order? Was there something wrong with him? Had Qui-Gon ever wanted him as a Padawan? Had he finally taken heed of the Council's warnings of long ago? What would happen to him now?

He contacted the Temple, trying and failing to give a report without any emotion in his voice. But he found it impossible. He had just been abandoned by his Master – his father – on the Force forsaken planet of Tatooine. Anakin felt lost and vulnerable without his Master by his side. He longed to speak with him – to find out exactly why he had left. He wanted his Master's wisdom, for he felt like an Initiate without any answers. Not even Master Yoda's wisdom took that feeling away. Only his Master's could.

The Council ordered Anakin to return to Tatooine immediately. As Qui-Gon had taken his transport, the Council sent another one with Jedi Knight Bant Eerin. The Council also ordered that Senator Amidala remain on Tatooine with the Lars family, as Knight Kenobi had not been able to track down her assassin yet, but was well on his way to catching him. Padme hadn't like this idea, for she had never like the planet to begin with, but even Anakin had realized it was the smartest thing to do. Reluctantly, she agreed, and Cliegg, Owen, and Beru promised to take very good care of her.

The transport arrived a day and a half later with the Calamarian Jedi, and Anakin boarded in a daze. He was lost in his own thoughts; he had no idea what to do. His feel of being lost and confused lasted the entire trip back to Coruscant. Knight Eerin tried and failed to make small talk with him. He just didn't want to talk. He didn't even know her that well. All he knew was what he had heard from Qui-Gon and the other Padawans. She was Knight Kenobi's best friend, and she worked mostly in the med center as a Healer. But she had gone on plenty of missions, and was a skilled Jedi Knight. Anakin had also heard from the Temple Initiates that she was looking for a Padawan, but hadn't chosen one yet.

They arrived back at the Temple late at night, and after Anakin was ushered into the Council chambers to describe in full what had happened on Tatooine, he was sent back to his and Qui-Gon's – now just his – quarters to go to sleep. But Anakin couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. That is why, during the late hours of the night, he had activated Qui-Gon's lightsaber and simply stared at it.

He remembered the many battles it had been through, the countless sparring practices he had had with it. He could see it glow and hum as his Master wielded it with ease. He remembered the first time Qui-Gon had let him hold it, how he had gasped at the power flowing through it. The green glow had always been a source of comfort for him. It was his Master's lightsaber, but he would never see it in action again.

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The Other Author's Notes: Well, the first chapter is complete. Sorry about the shortness. For all you Obi fans out there, there will be plenty of him in the next chapter. And as a warning, this fic is much darker than its predecessor is. And I mean, much darker. Now that I've scared everyone away... Send me a review with your questions, comments, or predictions. I love to hear from you guys!