I love this story so much. I am really glad I decided to rewrite it. It's about a hundred times better now, I think.
I'd love to hear your opinions!
VSLDT: Since I was one day late, I'm writing another chapter just for you on your almost birthday. I love you, I do.
Disclaimer: If only, if only, the fanfiction author cried, I could own them myself, and not have to try. (I apologize for the lame-ness. Haha.)
Trial By Error
Chapter 3
Master...
Obi-Wan felt a pleading call break through his shields. He tried to reach his Padawan through their bonds, but was unable to. Scared for her safety, and yelling at himself for ever having left, he took off in the direction of where she should be.
Small signs of a scuffle lead him into the woods, where he came upon a ship. Through the windows, he could see a tall woman, who saluted him before taking off, with Ari on board.
Running back into the open, he headed for the palace, telling the guards that he needed to make an off-planet call immediately. It was hard for Obi-Wan to remain calm, and he regretted the neglect he had exhibited the past couple days.
They led him into a room and left him alone for some privacy. They could sense his distress, though they were not force sensitive.
"Jinn," Qui-Gon said before realizing it was Obi-Wan. "Hello my former Padawan. What can I do for you?"
"I need to speak with the counsel. It's about Ari. But I don't have my commlink and I don't know the counsel's code offhand."
"I am actually leaving them right now. I'll turn around at once." he said, sensing Obi-Wan's anxiety.
"Master Jinn?" Master Windu spoke. Qui-Gon bowed hastily before connecting his small commlink to that of the counsel's rather large one.
"Masters," Obi-Wan greeted them.
"Master Kenobi," Master Windu returned. It seemed everyone could sense the anxiety Obi-Wan was emitting, the counsel could see it on his face.
"My Padawan, Ari Jinn, is gone. I wasn't able to connect to her through our bond, and her shields were stronger then I'd ever seen them. But then a pleading 'Master,' escaped through, and I rushed to where she was, but found a ship taking off. I should never have left her, but the force told me everything was safe." Obi-Wan said in a strained voice.
"Did you notice anything in particular about this ship?" One of the lower counsel members asked.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "It was just a normal, standard space craft. I got a look at who was inside it, though. It was a tall, blond lady, who saluted me before taking off. Ari was on that ship. That, I know."
The members nodded. "No other traces, find you?" Master Yoda spoke up. Obi-Wan shook his head. "Meditate on this I will. Follow the force, you must. Send another Jedi team to complete your investigation, I will, but wait for them to get there, you must."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master," he promised.
"May the Force be with you," Master Windu spoke.
"And with you," Obi-Wan replied before cutting off the transmission.
Qui-Gon disconnected his comlink.
"Thank you, Master Jinn. Inform you on anything relevant, we will." Master Yoda said, a clear dismissal.
Once Qui-Gon had left, Master Yoda spoke up. "Good news, this is now. Feel the darkside taking part, I do. Meditate, I must."
Master Windu nodded in agreement. "Counsel adjourned."
The Masters stood and began filing out the door. Only Master Yoda and Master Windu remained.
"Grave news, this is. Sith, I feel, are involved."
"You really think so? If it is true, then our worst nightmare's have been realized. The Sith have returned. Shall we tell the others?"
"Not yet. Wait, we must. Meditate, I must. Believe in Ari, we must. For now, hasty actions will result only in failure." Yoda said. Mace Windu nodded and stood up.
"Then I will go meditate."
"So will I," Yoda said, standing up also. Together, they exited into the now empty corridor.
Ari woke up with an earsplitting headache. She blinked a few times, but could see little in the dim light.
From feeling around her, she could tell she was shackled to the wall and wore a hideous force inhibitor collar around her neck. She wouldn't be able to get out of it without strangling herself in the process.
She was unsure how long she sat there in the dark. It could have been hours, it could have been days. Her lips were parched and her stomach was clenched painfully from lack of food.
Eventually, some dim lights began to flicker on, and she saw she was pretty much in a steel box. She had no idea if she was still on the ship or on land.
The cell door opened and the Sith – far Ari was sure she was a Sith now – from before walked in.
A wave of the darkside rolled in with the Sith, but Ari was unable to feel it with the collar on. Instead, she just felt extremely cold. She shrunk back against the wall, wanting to stay away from the cold. Not that the metal wall was particularly warm, either.
The Sith smirked at her.
"What's your name, girl?" the Sith hissed. Ari sat a little straighter, a defiant look in her eye.
Ari said nothing and watched as the Sith stalked closer, trying not to let her fear show.
"I said, what's your name?" the Sith hissed, closer this time.
"I heard you the first time," Ari said through gritted teeth.
Ari felt herself be lifted away from the wall as far as the chains would allow – a good two feet – and was slammed against the wall. Ari couldn't tell if one of her ribs had cracked, but still said nothing.
Ari could feel the Sith getting agitated. Maybe being difficult was not the best idea ever. She could feel the Sith gathering strength for another attack, so she whispered, "Ari,"
The Sith smirked. "Last name, too, girl."
Ari felt defeated. She didn't want to be in anymore pain, yet she didn't want to succumb that easily. "Jinn," she whispered, finally giving in.
The Sith's smirk grew. "Ah, so you're the one that was labeled an outcast and the product of an unwanted love affair. I've heard about you."
Ari's eyes grew wide. How did she know that much about Ari? It wasn't possible unless she had been stalked or something.
"You're Master only took you as an apprentice because he felt like he owed your father. He wasn't there to save you cause he didn't want to be. Letting me capture you was a great way to get rid of you. Then he could live his life how he wanted. Taking on a Padawan that he wanted."
"No, that's not true!" Ari denied it.
The Sith laughed. "But who needs the Jedi? We could rule the galaxy. No one would need the Jedi or the senate. Things would run so much smoother."
Ari looked at the Sith with wide eyes when she realized what the Sith was asking. "I'll never join you." Ari spat.
The Sith immediately grew angry. "Have it your way, apprentice," she matched Ari's tone, before reaching her hand out and sending bolts of force-lightning at Ari. Ari cried out in pain, before she felt her head being split open by the Sith's mind probe.
She could feel the Sith rooting through various memories, looking for a weakness.
Ari stood out on a balcony, silently crying from how mean her classmate had been to her that day. She sported several bruises and a black eye.
The Sith dug deeper into more memories.
Obi-Wan's head snapped around in Ari's direction, blue eyes landing directly onto her. His piercing gaze held her for what must have seemed like eternity, before he spoke harshly. "Go back to bed, Ari. Now."
But the Sith wasn't happy with that. She dug even deeper, into memories Ari had pushed to the back of her mind.
"I know," her father admitted to a Jedi Master Ari couldn't see from her hiding place. Her shields were jammed up, hopefully they couldn't sense her presence. "It was a mistake. A mistake I payed dearly for, and I regret it. She was a mistake."
Ari screamed in pain. The mind probe was painful, and it was horrible to not be able to fight back. Still, the probe searched.
It found what it was looking for.
Ari was lost in an unfamiliar area. Out of nowhere, people began attacking her. She pulled out her lightsaber, but was knocked out first.
When she woke up, she was tied to a stake. Burning brush laid around her. The people who attacked her thought her to be some sort of which.
She cringed from the flames. She had always hated fire, and now, unable to escape from the fire, and force eluding her, she was unable to do anything as the flames crept closer.
They caught her upper left arm first, the fire burning her clothes and hair first. It began to burn her left arm terribly.
She hated fire. More then anything else. She felt herself get dizzy from the stench of burned hair, and felt herself pass out as the flames steadily grew.
That night, maybe a year and a half ago, was terrible. If her Master hadn't of found her, she would have been burnt to ashes. Immediately, she was taken to the temple and put int Bacta. It took a whole for her hair to grow back and her scars to fade, but eventually they did, leaving only a terrible scar covering the length of her left arm.
Ari screamed again as the probe withdrew, even more painful then when it was in her head.
Sort of like when you get blood drawn. The initial prick hurts, and withdrawing the needle hurts, but when it sits in your vein not moving, the pain lessens.
Except the probe was five times worse. It was like a first time nurse with shaking hands and couldn't let the needle rest.
Wanting to make sure the memories were real, the Sith tore fabric from the sleeve of Ari's tunic, baring her left arm and showing off the grotesque scar that adorned it. Ari shrunk back, trying to cover her arm out of instinct.
Satisfied, the Sith smirked and stalked out of the cell, leaving Ari alone with her newly uncovered memories.
Obi-Wan felt guilty. Maybe if he hadn't of been so harsh on his Padawan, then he wouldn't have let the trap slip his mind. He left her to do her thing when the guards called him, he never guessed what happened could have.
The horrible image of the Sith saluting him replayed over and over in his mind. He tried to think of something else, but everything reminded him of Ari or something that tied in with someone who associated with Ari, therefore replaying the clip of the Sith.
It was terrible, and he swore to find Ari and kill the Sith. Even if he died doing it. He'd do it for his Padawan. No one else.
Well, there's chapter three. If it wasn't midnight, I'd make it a bit longer, but I'm about to fall asleep while typing.
Hope you liked it, please review!
