Chapter 3: Homecoming

"Where is Obi-Wan?"

After Padawan Jaa had reined in Garen and returned to the rest of the group on top of the stairs Ali-Alann found it best to count his troops, or in this case, his initiates. He found 19. Counting once more. Still 19.

"He was at the bottom of the stairs when Garen ran off," Padawan Jaa explained. "I thought he had caught up with the rest of you so when Garen and I came back I didn't search down there." Jaa hung his head and looked slightly ashamed.

"Well, we must find Obi-Wan. He cannot have come far in the short time he's been out of sight. You start looking now and I'll call the Temple and ask them to send out a search party. For the rest of us, we will return to the Temple as soon as the search party is in place. We can always come back here another day. Until then, stay close together and keep an eye on the initiate next to you. We don't want any more to wander off on their own."

A thin voice chimed in: "Master? I didn't think of it then, but half way up the stairs I stopped and looked down, and then I saw a man, a human, run away with a child in his arms. What if that was Obi-Wan?"

Ali-Alann startled. Through all the years this excursion had been arranged there had been no problems related to it. The worst case they had experienced was when one little initiate was left behind in the shuttle and had to be picked up from the end station later on. Someone kidnapping a Jedi initiate was unheard of, and if the suspicion was true, what would be the motive?

"I believe that couldn't have been Obi-Wan you saw, but we will inform the search party about it anyways so they are aware of the possibility. Most likely Obi-Wan saw something interesting like Garen did and wandered off to take a closer look, and then couldn't find his way back to us. I'm sure we will find him pretty soon," he added soothingly.

"Wake up, kid. We have to go."

Obi-Wan woke up from his sleep by a firm grip on his shoulder, and for a moment he believed he was happily back in his own bed in the creche. Then he noticed the rough brick floor he was sleeping on and yesterday's events caught up with him.

He blinked and saw the Weequay's leathery face right above him.

"Up. Now!"

Reluctantly he rose and rolled his sore shoulders. Really, a good mattress could not be overestimated compared to sleeping on a stone floor.

"Yes, Ma…uh…Sir."

"Come on. Let's get out of here. We don't want your 'friend' from yesterday to wake up and start looking for you again."

"My friend?"

"Your kidnapper."

Hondo opened the door and peeked out. The walkway outside was deserted as it for some reason he hadn't yet fathomed used to be in this part of the city. Actually it was quite weird. Coruscant was basically overcrowded on all levels, but this particular area was almost deserted. He had never really found a reason for the phenomenon, but he was grateful for the effect. Though he had learned to fight and fight well while he still was on the run from the slavers, he preferred some…well…peace and quiet in his little home.

The unlikely pair stepped quietly out on the walkway, and set off down towards the more populated area of the city.

Obi-Wan followed his guide quietly.

Is this the way it will be when I grow up and get a Master? Will we be on the run and sleep on floors and be hungry all the time? No, I don't think so. Mr. Hondo is NOT a master, that's for sure, so Master and I won't have to hide like this. I think. If I ever get a Master that is. Maybe they will expel me now? Nobody have been so clumsy that they have been taken away on an excursion before, so maybe I'm too stupid to be a Padawan? What shall I do then? I don't know my birth parents and if they throw me out I may have to live on the street. Maybe Mr. Hondo would take care of me if so? He's not, I think, a really good person. I can sense it. But he's not evil either. I think maybe he's just…doing what he must.

"Hurry up, boy. We need to get up some levels and fast, before too many wake up down here." Hondo's voice interrupted Obi-Wan's trail of thoughts and he looked up at his companion.

"We will have to climb. There are no turbo lifts down here. There used to be one in that building but I know there are people staying there now so we don't take the chance of using it."

Obi-Wan merely nodded. He could climb. That was a part of the basic training for the initiates and he was quite agile for a human.

The walkways and air lanes were relatively quiet at this time of the day and they made good progress towards the Temple. As far as Obi-Wan could see they were following another route than the one they had used the day before. In nooks and crannies between abandoned buildings he could see individuals of various species slumbering, a few of them stirring lightly as Obi-Wan and Hondo passed by. As they ascended the surroundings became less worn out and more daylight seeped down to the walkway. The central tower of the Temple could be seen from a distance.

They were approaching the Temple entrance level when Obi-Wan suddenly got a very bad feeling. Something was going to happen, and it would not be pleasant. He just knew it.

"Mister…Sir… I can feel something." He tugged Hondo's sleeve to get the man's attention.

"What is it, kid? If you need to pee this is not the right time or place."

Obi-Wan's face immediately took a deep crimson color. He was not used to such frivolous language about bodily functions. That was something you whispered to Master Ali-Alann if you couldn't find a restroom yourself.

"No! It's not that, it's just that…something is going to happen soon."

"Yes, soon we will be in front of that Temple of yours and I can hand you over to your Jedi superiors and hopefully get well paid for delivering you back safe and sound. Then I can get back to my life again."

"Yes, but…" Whatever Obi-Wan was about to say was interrupted by a blaster shot that hit the Weequay's shoulder. Hondo screamed out by the stinging pain and clasped his shoulder tightly. The scream was followed by a curse that definitely not was a part of the vocabulary taught in the creche of the Jedi Temple.

In that very moment a man stepped forward and grabbed Obi-Wan's arm.

"Now, kid. Come here with me and don't kick up a fuss."

Obi-Wan could feel the man dragging him along towards the buildings he had come from, and tried to wriggle out of the firm grip, but the man was too strong.

He didn't come far.

Over the year's Hondo had had his fair share of blaster shots and injuries and as soon as the first shock was absorbed he realized that the wound was only a light flesh wound that probably would heal in some days. Fortunately the Weequay's leathery skin formed a certain protection towards blaster bolts, so the effect was far less than it would have been to a human. For a moment he thought of just leaving and let the stranger wander off with the boy, but again some well hidden consciousness stopped him.

"You don't go anywhere with that boy! He's mine to deliver back to to his guardians."

And with that he threw himself towards the man. Bailed fists hit the man's jaw and a low grunt could be heard. Then he felt his opponent's fist hit his torso and obviously aiming for his jaw.

Obi-Wan stood speechless while the fistfight continued, but then - in a glimpse- he saw the attacker reach for the blaster he had tucked into his belt. From such a short distance even the Weequay's tough skin wouldn't be enough to prevent severe damage from a blaster.

"No! Don't shoot!" Obi-Wan screamed and in that very moment he felt his mind become very still and quiet. He was a Jedi. He should prevent harm from coming to people and Hondo was his friend… He would not let the attacker harm the man who had saved him twice in equally many days. He felt the Force gather and stretched out with it, very much in the same way as he did when they played Force ball in the creche. The blaster lifted from the attacker's belt in the same moment as he was about to grasp it. Instead his grip met thin air while the blaster flew through the air and over the edge of the walkway.

"Run, boy. Run!" Hondo's voice was shouting out in the early morning. For a moment Obi-Wan was reluctant to obey. Leaving a friend in battle was not the Jedi way, and the fistfight between the two men continued.

"Run!" Hondo repeated, and Obi-Wan took off towards the Temple stairs ahead. Maybe he could get help for his friend if he managed to get back home unharmed.

The Temple guards were awaiting change of guards when they saw something, or rather someone, came running up the stairs towards them. A small boy, clad in Jedi garments was stumbling up the last steps of the stair.

"Help!" he breathed. "Someone must help Mister Hondo."

The two guards cast a surprised glance at each other. Who was Hondo, and why did this initiate come running up the stairs at a time of the day when initiates were supposed to wake up and get out of their beds inside the Temple?

"Whoa! Who are you and why are you outside the Temple?" one of them asked.

"I was taken….yesterday….and Hondo helped….me. And…he's in trouble now," the boy finished, still very much short of breath after his sprint up the stairs. "Help him, please."

The two guards looked at each other again.

"There was an initiate from Ali-Alann's group who got lost after the First Excursion yesterday. This must be him. Take him inside and ask Ali-Alann to come here. And while you're at it - try to get some Knights to take a look in the surroundings to see if there is something going on and to try to help this Hondo figure, whoever he might be."

The other guard nodded and gestured to Obi-Wan to follow him inside: "We will send someone to look for your…friend. What does he look like?"

"He is thin and very tan, and he looks a bit scary. But he is kind, I think."

And with that Obi-Wan was ushered into the Temple.

Ali-Alann came a couple of minutes later.

"Obi-Wan, there you are. What happened to you?"

"Master!" Obi-Wan was so happy to see his Creche Master again that he nearly began crying, but then he remembered that crying would be very little Jedi-like so he refrained from doing so. Then he straightened and gave a small proper bow to his superior. "It's good to be back."

Immediately he was scooped up in Ali-Alann's strong arms and got a bear like hug.

"What happened to you?" the master repeated.

"I saw Garen run and wasn't sure what to do, and then a man lifted me up and ran," Obi-Wan explained.

"A man? What did he look like?" Ali-Alann asked.

"I don't know. He was human, but he held his hand over my mouth and was behind me so I didn't see him. And then I kicked him and I fell."

"You fell?"

"Yes, and I did as Master Yoda said and tried to wrap myself in the Force, and when I hit Hondo's head I wasn't really hurt but everything ached though."

"You hit Hondo's head? Who is Hondo and why did you hit him?"

"I…he…he was kind and he took care of me. And I fell on his head from above after I had kicked the naughty man."

Ali-Alann tried to conclude: "OK, let me see if I got this. Someone took you and when you kicked him he lost his grip and you fell. Then you fell several levels down and managed to use the Force so you wasn't badly hurt by the fall, but you landed onto an unlucky bypassed named Hondo?"

"Yesss!" Obi-Wan confirmed happily. "And Hondo gave me bread to eat though it was almost like a stone and then we slept and today he followed me back, but then this guy came back again and wanted me to follow him and Hondo said no, and he fought the guy and then I used the Force to remove his blaster and…."

Ali-Alann felt slightly dizzy. This was too much to take in.

"But where is this Hondo person now? And who was trying to abduct you again?"

"Hondo asked me to run while he was fighting, and I think the man who grabbed me was the same who took me away yesterday," Obi-Wan explained.

"I see,"Ali-Alann confirmed thoughtfully. He really had to ask the Council for a meeting to discuss this. It didn't make sense that someone was out to abduct a single Jedi initiate, and for some reason they, whoever 'they' were seemed to go specifically after Obi-Wan.

"Well, now, after what you told me about your evening meal I assume you're quite hungry by now. I suggest we get you back to the creche and give you a shower and clean clothing, and then you'll have morning meal with the others. I think, under the circumstances you can be allowed to rest in your own bed for the rest of the morning and then join the others for the afternoon's activities."

"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan said politely. A decent meal was definitely on his list of "want to do" right now.

30 minutes later a neatly scrubbed Obi-Wan was sitting by the table in the creche awaiting his fellow initiates for the morning meal.

Bant Eerin was the first to recognize him.

"Obi! Where have you been?" she squealed. "We were so worried when you disappeared. Promise me you never do that again."

"Obi! Good to have you back. What happened?" Garen Muln tried to be a bit more mature in his greeting of his friend.

"Well, you see….When I was about to climb the stairs someone lifted me up and ran away with me and then….."

In-between munches of a long anticipated morning meal Obi-Wan continued to tell about his adventure.

….

In the lower parts of Coruscant a slim figure was slightly dragging his feet back to his hideout. The fistfight had been short lived after the Jedi kid somehow had managed to remove the attacker's blaster and with a last solid punch towards the attacker's chin Hondo had managed to get rid of the man and seen him fall into the abyss towards the level below.

"I hope the troublesome little rascal made it back to the Temple," he sighed. "I hope I never ever see Jedi raining down from heaven again. Actually, I never want to meet a Jedi again wherever they may come from."