Obi-wan stood before the grand doors to the council chamber frozen with indecision. At this point he had lost track of just how long he had been standing there. Time had a way of slipping from his grasp quite often, seeming to be something intangible. He knew it was there, that it governed the majority of other people's lives. He understood the concept just as anyone else, but his relationship with it had always been skewed. It was too easy for him to slip away and get caught up in his own thoughts only to realize large portions of time had come and gone without him having the sense to feel it's passage.

Right now although the number of hours escaped him, he knew it had been a significant stretch of time, nearly taking up the whole day. All the while he was locked away in the confines of his mind deliberating.

It was a sort of mental gymnastics, trying to come up with the right words in the right order, wondering how he would manage to stay calm enough to say any of them, feeling pathetic for even thinking to voice any of it at all. He felt trapped by the words that formed and dissolved in his mind over and over, an inescapable chill creeping over him as he imagined them leaving his lips, never to be taken back ever again. It was almost as if to breathe life into them would make all of the gut wrenching things that had happened to him even more horrific, that if he could only keep quiet about it all, it might not be so bad.

But as time escaped him, he knew with each moment he so carelessly threw away, he was putting both himself and Anakin in danger. It should have made it easier to take action, but somehow it felt like lead in his veins, weighing him down making everything feel so much more impossible.

Still, the hour was quickly growing late- soon the sun would be setting. He could already see it falling near to the edge of the horizon through the transparisteel windows of the council reception hall. Soon his master would be searching for him. His stomach tied in knots at the thought, making his attempted plea for help feel even more hopeless than it had all day.

He knew master Yoda had been in session with a few of the others, he had seen them go in as he had been stalking outside the chamber, pacing to and fro, waiting for them to arrive, then trying to work up enough courage to make his move once they had. He had hoped that perhaps some of them would have noticed his presence by now and approached him. Even then, he couldn't have said if it would have been any easier. Mostly likely not, he thought. Soon, either his master would find him, or the council would end their session and all of them would wander off leaving him to face the nights atrocities again.

It didn't help that all the while that same voice remained, playing over and over in the back of his mind on loop, as if to remind him in case he forgot it's message. He had heard it so many times it was all he could think of between anxious planning on how and when to approach master Yoda, and the thoughts of what would await him if he failed.

But this time, failure was not an option. Never again, he vowed to himself, muttering the words under his breath, clenching his sweaty palms into trembling fists as he recanted. He wasn't a slave. He wouldn't be treated as one. He couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't immagine serving his master even for one more night. Too many times he had been pushed to the brink of sanity, too many times he had been used.

Never again.

The thought of it bolstered his resolve just enough to throw a gust of wind in his sails. Just as he felt he might have had the strength to walk through the doors, he heard voices inside growing louder as footsteps approached. The session was over.

Obi-wan's tenor left him quicker than it had arrived as he scurried away from the doors to appear as if he had been meandering down the hall, instead of looking as if he were lurking right outside.

His face grew hot with nervous tension as he rushed off, instinctively begging for the various members of the council to walk right by him, to treat him as if he were invisible, just as they had done most of his life. As much as he had planned to seek help, he didn't really know how. He knew how to act like everything was fine- it was so much easier. It was all he knew.

He began to grow angry with himself at the thought of how he had done nothing but stall all day, only to give up so easily. The weight of it pulled him back into his personal hell of conflicting emotions, fear, anger, disappointment all emanating through him loudly- too loudly. He cursed that haunting voice. It always seemed to lead him in impossible directions against insurmountable odds. Between the restlessness and the voice that had etched itself in his mind, he felt as if he were going mad. Perhaps he had lost his sanity long ago, only clinging to a fragment of it, if anything at all.

As master Yoda approached him, Obi-wan was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice his presence, or the words that were coming from his mouth. It was only after receiving a sturdy rap from Yoda's gimer stick to the shin that he was able to escape his thoughts and return to the moment. As Obi-wan realized master Yoda was waiting for a response to a question he had completely missed, he stood there in an awkward silence instead, furiously blushing as his mind filled with too many doubts and fears to be able to come up with anything to say.

In response to his silence, Yoda began to eye him suspiciously, placing a hand on his chin contemplatively as he studied him. Obi-wan's body tensed anxiously as he felt the animal urge to run away, to do anything other than talk to master Yoda about anything, but it was already too late.

"Distracted you are, young Kenobi. Much to speak about, I sense you have?" Yoda spoke kindly, as if he were a very young child. Obi-wan hated it. Yoda no doubt could feel the waves of fear and anxiety rolling off of him. The thought of master Yoda pitying him made him sick to his stomach.

Although Yoda's words were meant to be consoling, soothing even, they seemed to have the opposite effect. The voice in his mind grew louder, reminding him of it's truth. His own doubts seemed to be much more powerful. Doubts in himself as much as the entire Jedi order. The fear that even if he reached out, he might not be believed, or worse, perhaps they might just ignore him outright. He wasn't sure what he might do if that were to happen.

If he opened up to Yoda, he would have to accept the reality that he might not get the response that he was hoping for, not that he really knew what that was. In taking that risk, he would become vulnerable, more so than he was comfortable with. "In private, you wish to speak?" Yoda continued, motioning towards a small council conference room just down the hall from where they stood.

A mixture of relief and apprehension took him over. He felt like he was about to do something terribly stupid, something nearly impossible. At the same time he didn't feel like he could do anything, much less move his feet towards the room that Yoda had set out towards. His feet felt solidly glued to the floor where he stood. For a moment he didn't believe he even had the strength to move them at all.

Before he had too much time to worry about following him, Obi-wan heard solid footsteps nearing the chamber from the hall that lead down to the apartment wing. He was too afraid to look in their direction, but didn't need to see to know who they belonged to. Fear flared about Obi-wan brightly, a sense of hopelessness engulfing him while he looked toward Yoda helplessly as the little green Jedi master turned back towards him.

He must have sensed the heightened fear coming from him, or at the very least saw it written all over Obi-wan's face. Or perhaps he wondered who might be trekking towards the council chamber at such a late hour. Either way, Yoda looked back at Obi-wan, then towards Qui-gon as he hastily approached, a look of interest falling over his wrinkled green face.

Obi-wan froze, too scared to turn back and look at his master, completely mortified to the situation that unwound before him, afraid to even breathe. All the meanwhile cursing himself for getting himself into this predicament in the first place.

"Master Qui-gon, late it is. What is it that brings you here?" Yoda spoke with an even tone, no emotional inflections in his voice.

"Obi-wan and I had some business to discuss, I've been looking everywhere for him." Qui-gon spoke with a friendly tone in his voice that would have passed for genuine to anyone who didn't know his true nature.

"Found him you have. Although about to talk in private, we are. Go to you after we are finished, he can." Yoda's words made Obi-wan cringe with horror, for what it might mean for Anakin if he did make him wait.

Suddenly, all of his anxious fear fell to the background of his consciousness. It was still there, and it was screaming quite loudly, competing with the gentle but pervasive voice that had continued to drone on endlessly. But Anakin was more important than anything. It gave Obi-wan a sense of focus that seemed to channel all of his fear and adrenaline into a forward motion.

"No, that's quite alright, I completely forgot about our engagement. I'm afraid I will have to catch you at a later time, master Yoda. Please forgive the intrusion." Obi-wan spoke, giving a formal bow as he turned towards the apartments, walking at a quick pace before his master that trailed behind him. He tried to steady his trembling, hoped that Yoda wouldn't notice his unsteady tone too much, or perhaps that he would dismiss it easily. It was highly unlikely. Caustic acid churned in his stomach painfully as he walked away, his masters eyes searing into the back of his skull with mal-intent.

Obi-wan's change in demeanor had Yoda extremely suspicious of him as now, he didn't even try to hide the skepticism that bubbled to the surface of his expressions as he watched the pair of them stroll away.

As they ventured down the corridor towards the apartments Obi-wan's mind began to race, running through scenarios, anything to get himself and Anakin away from their master. The moment they were behind closed doors, Qui-gon was bound to lash out at him. It was obvious Qui-gon had known what he was trying to do. There was no sense in trying to lie to him about it, it would only end up much worse. After their last encounter, Obi-wan didn't want to think about what horrible thing he might have in mind. Surely he would find a way to make it so much more cruel, he always did, especially when he was punishing him for an offense such as this.

His mind rejected any of it as possibility, converting all fear into fuel. It felt terrifying, and also strangely empowering as he continued to devise a plan. He had to find a way to get out of Qui-gons grasp before it was too late. With his master trailing so closely behind, it would be all about timing.

That meant it was all about speed, about who could get to the apartment first, he reasoned. Quickly, before he even had much time to think of what came next or to overthink what he was about to do, Obi-wan went into a full force dash towards the apartment, reaching it only seconds before Qui-gon who had quickly followed suit. The locked door only delayed Qui-gon the amount of time it took for him to manipulate the mechanism through the force, roughly five seconds. Enough time for Obi-wan to rush into Anakin's room and lock the door, giving them another five seconds. With generous amounts of adrenaline surging through his veins, it was more than enough time for Obi-wan to make his next move.

Obi-wan made quick work of cutting through the steel wall of the dorm, creating a small port, just big enough for Anakin and himself to fit through. Without enough time to wake the boy up, he gathered Anakin in his arms and jumped through, just as Qui-gon tried to scurry after them, hand only missing Obi-wan's cloak by inches. Even his master's attempt at force suspension was no match for the speed of velocity at which they were falling. Being so wrapped up in the rush of it all, so engrossed in the feeling of their small victory, he had nearly forgotten, they were still falling.

Right.

Quickly zeroing in on a speeder that would intersect their path, Obi-wan cushioned their impact as they fell into the back seat of their target vehicle. Anakin woke up abruptly upon impact, completely disoriented and freezing, still only in his nightclothes. He wrapped himself up in his arms and looked up at Obi-wan with a look of concern and worry- but not fear. The boy must have been through quite a lot for something like this not to jar him more than what he appeared, Obi-wan thought with a tinge of sadness.

"Wh-wh-what's g-going on?" Anakin spoke through chattering teeth, lips turning pale from the harsh wind that ripped through the night sky.

Obi-wan quickly took him under his cloak, warming him with his own body heat, sheltering him from the harsh gusts. "No matter, it's all going to be alright." Obi-wan said in a soothing tone as much to himself as to the boy, still unsure exactly how he would explain this to Anakin. Although admittedly, that was the least of his problems for the moment.

"What the hell are you doing?" The rhodian driver looked back at the pair of them, then back at traffic, continuing to toggle his starry eyed gaze between the two. "I ought to call the authorities! Jumping into the back of someone's speeder like that, you're completely insane!"

Obi-wan restrained the smile that tugged near the corners of his mouth as a few strange tears of disbelief welled at the corners of his eyes. Indeed, he felt quite insane. Everything about the last few moments was insane. But in the midst of the uncertainty of it all, Obi-wan felt more whole than he had since he could ever remember. The pieces of himself that he thought were certainly lost again fuzed themselves solidly with his broken parts, transforming him into one whole man- a mosaic of sadness and bravery, pain and strength.

It felt odd, but it also felt right. For the first time that he could remember, he had a sense of agency, that he could do for himself. It didn't even feel like he was living the same life. For a moment he wondered if this was all just some dream that he would wake up from to resume his tortured existence.

All the same, they weren't out of this mess yet. There was still much to be done before he could consider any of this a real victory. There was too much that could still go awry, and many ways he might find himself in the grasp of his master yet again, this time Anakin suffering along with him. The rush of victory turned bitter in his mouth as he thought of it. He could never let that happen. He would never let that happen. Dwelling on defeat would only make it harder to avoid, he decided, putting the darker thoughts out of mind for now, willing his mind to stay focused in the moment.

"You will take us to the nearest public transit station." Obi-wan spoke, employing the art of manipulation that had always been his favorite to practice. He was a bit embarrassed to admit to himself just how excited he was to be able to practice it in the field. As much as being on the run from his master could be considered in the field.

It worked like a charm. "I will take you to the nearest public transit station," the rhodian echoed in monotone, the flicker of anger leaving his expression.

"You will tell no one of this encounter," Obi-wan added, trying to be mindful of the need to cover his tracks.

"I will tell no one of this encounter." Perfect.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. Anakin had been completely silent the entire time, Obi-wan thought it must have been because he was so cold and shaken still from being so rudely awakened. He wondered what must have been going through the boys mind. There would be no easy way to explain this all to him. Telling him the truth would be more than Obi-wan was capable of. Undoubtedly Anakin was bound to draw his own conclusions, he thought with a pang of shame.

Quickly, they made their exit from the speeder before the driver came aware. Obi-wan still held Anakin close to him beneath his cloak for warmth and modesty. The first order of business would be getting the boy dressed. The next would be finding a way to get rid of the force inhibitor that was bound to his ankle. So long as he was saddled with it, he would never be able to confront Qui-gon and win. And of course, he was coming for them. Obi-wan had no doubt about it. He would find them, too. It was only a matter of time. Obi-wan was determined to have that be on his own terms, rather than that of his former master's.

Everything they needed, including a sense of anonymity, would be in the lowest levels of the city- just a turbo lift ride away. The terrain worked to their advantage, it was easy to get lost in the lower levels. Just as easy to lose anyone who might be in pursuit, due to it being absolutely crawling with all manners of life forms, from human to humanoid to the more exotic varieties like water dwellers in breather rigs and species that Obi-wan thought he might have never seen before.

Thankfully due to the large quantity of street vendors on every corner, It didn't take long at all for Obi-wan to find Anakin some clothes to layer on top of his sleep garments. It wasn't the most comfortable of garb, but it did put some color back into young Anakin's face and quelled his shivering. As Obi-wan helped Anakin climb into his new clothes, he couldn't help but notice the look of concern on his young face.

His chest burned with hate, all anew. Hate for his master, for pushing him to this. Hate for himself, for dragging Anakin into this with him- not that there seemed to be any other way. Anakin didn't deserve this, being toted around the lower levels of Coruscant, fleeing in the middle of the night, no explanation as to why. For a slave treatment like this would have been commonplace. But Anakin was not a slave. Neither was he- not any more, he reminded himself. The best he could do for either of them was assure that they would never have to be ever again.

Obi-wan gave Anakin a pat on his head, tousling his hair while he gave a reassuring smile that Anakin returned without hesitation. Obi-wan had to stifle tears of sadness for Anakin. So young and already so full of an endurance that could only have been earned through the hardest of trials. And he still held on to his innocence, his kind heart. Obi-wan wanted to make sure Anakin never had to suffer again. Not that life wasn't akin with suffering now and again, but never like he endured on Tatooine. Nothing like Obi-wan had ever experienced at the hands of his former master. Anakin was young, his life was full of promise. Obi-wan was intent on giving him every opportunity to succeed.

As they headed a few levels deeper into the city, Obi-wan set onto the next order of business. This would be the harder part. It would involve dealing with the more undesirable types. The kind of beings who would rather rob you blind than lift a finger to help you. Feeling a sick sense of dread fill his stomach, Obi-wan hoped they would have better fortune. Only time would tell.

To start he would have to find the slums. It proved to be difficult at first, since it all looked very slum like to him. But as the scenery changed from market vendors and bars to dark alleys and strung out spice fiends littering the edges of the streets, he had a feeling he had reached the right place to start asking around. And with all of the possible onlookers being more than likely spiced out of their right minds, the chance of someone remembering their faces was next to none. Any public surveillance would most likely be broken or damaged in this end of town. All of it would work to their favor.

In the back corner of an abandoned loading dock, he found the most likely target for his query. A young yet weathered looking zabrak wearing tattered rags as clothes, a newer looking messenger bag slung across his chest. He certainly looked like he had most of his wits about him, so if he was using he was at the very least, mostly cognisant. All the signs of someone who was open for business.

Obi-wan approached him, letting go of Anakin's hand and signaling him to hang back a bit. The boy heeded his unspoken commands with perfect accuracy, still not saying a single word, his eyes careful to not rove about too much in case he see something he wasn't supposed to see. The manner in which he came to be so prudent still pried at Obi-wan's heart. But still, there was no time for that right now. They had to keep moving, stay alert. Anakin was doing everything he needed to be doing to keep things status quo. Obi-wan needed to keep his mind on track as well.

Surprisingly enough, he didn't have to struggle too much to keep the gnawing horrid thoughts at bay. When Anakin's safety hung in the balance, he felt like a different person. Like a man, instead of the broken pleasure slave he had been for too long.

Obi-wan approached the would be dealer slowly yet assuredly, keeping a hand near his saber for good measure. "You look like a man with connections, someone who could help me find something i've been looking for." Obi-wan spoke with a discreet tenor in his voice to convey he wasn't to be trifled with.

"Everything for a price," the zabrak spoke sly, eyeing Obi-wan down as to judge how much he could shake him down for.

"Price is no matter. I'm looking for someone who knows how to work with force inhibitors," Obi-wan said, studying the reaction of the young man. "More to the point, how to remove one." He added in a quieter tone for discretion, hoping Anakin wasn't catching his meaning, but knowing better than to believe that was the case.

"Yeah I know someone, I could connect you, but I would need a little something. A… finders fee, if you will. Payment for services rendered, you understand?" the man spoke, tilting his head to the side with a spice induced swager to his movements.

Obi-wan reached into the pocket of his cloak, withdrawing a few credits. "50 credits will suffice," he spoke, interjecting his persuasive skills to ensure the transaction went as smoothly as possible.

"50 credits will suffice," the man repeated flawlessly monotone.

"So tell me, where can I find someone who would be able remove a force inhibitor?"

"Block 309, level 7. Scruffy black hair, scar on his face, one eye, red overalls, goes by the name of Harpy. You can't miss him."

"You will tell no one of this transaction."

"I will tell no one of this transaction." With a grim smile and a nod, Obi-wan turned away, taking Anakin's hand again as they walked towards the nearest turbo lift to descend deeper into the city. Level 7. Obi-wan had never been that deep. It was the cradle of filth and treachery of Coruscant- the underbelly of the black market. Of course it made perfect sense for someone who dealt in force inhibitors to be working so deep in the city.

After the turbo lift ride there was quite a bit of a trek ahead of them to reach their destination, just a tad over eighty blocks. It wouldn't have felt like so much if Qui-gon wasn't hunting them down, every second getting closer and closer to their location. Obi-wan could feel his haunting force presence manifesting in a chill across the back of his neck and prickles down his spine.

It certainly didn't help that the air of the wretched place was eerily still and silent, punctuated with a few screams and cries here and there all steeped in pain and sadness, a pervasive darkness enveloping it all, twisting Obi-wan's stomach with dread. So much suffering. It made him want to save all of the poor souls trapped in this place and leave the evil ones to wallow in their own misery. But he had not come here to rescue these people. He came to rescue himself. To protect Anakin. Right now, that's all that could matter.

As they pressed on, they made a habit of checking corners of alleys as they entered and exited, making sure no one was tailing them. Through it all Obi-wan couldn't help but think. Anakin was hearing, seeing, everything.

The realization of it sparked a fear deep down within himself, one that was heavily laden with shame, constricting his chest with panic. Obi-wan regarded with horror, the thought that Anakin might not ever look at him the same ever again, not after all this. The kind and happy young eyes sparkling with innocence and life, the little soul that had reached out to him for comfort when he was scared, the youthful joy and smiles he freely gave to him, all of it might be gone. Turned to distrust, revulsion. Just the thought alone deeply distressed him. The thought that he might lose the only thing that mattered. A problem for another time, he thought. He willed himself to stay in the moment again, putting all else in the back corners of his mind for later.

Finally, they had made their way to block 309. Once they arrived it didn't take more than a few moments to spot Harpy. Obi-wan found him comically true to description. He successfully stifled a laugh at the man's ridiculous appearance as he walked towards him purposefully.

"I was told you're the man to see about removing force inhibitors." Obi-wan spoke low and quietly, face hooded and arms fully hidden beneath his robes. Anakin hung back still as instructed, still careful to keep his eyes low.

Harpy looked at Anakin, then back up to Obi-wan and chuckled as if there was some sort of joke that only he knew about. "Sure, sure. I can do that for you." He spoke with a languid pause in between words. "How you going to pay?" He added more gruffly.

"I have credits. Payment won't be an issue, just name your price."

The man looked down at Anakin, then back up at Obi-wan, laughing a bit more this time. Obi-wan wanted to shove the man up against the wall and ask if he thought losing a limb would be as funny, but restrained himself. However the fact remained that time was constantly moving, and every second that he had the bind on his ankle, he was vulnerable, meaning Anakin was as well.

"What about the boy?" The man spoke coarsely, nodding his head towards Anakin.

"What about the boy?" Obi-wan echoed nearly in disbelief, a furocity quickly taking him over as he glared into the man's single sunstained eye with deadly intent, core trembling with rage as every part of his body yearned to be unleashed at the disgusting life form that stood before him. A sick knot twisted and heaved in his stomach as he thought of what the man was alluding to, only the thinnest veil of willpower keeping him from striking him dead where he stood.

"No credits, just fifteen minutes…" He spoke groping himself grossly as he stared hungrily at Anakin.

Not a heartbeat later Obi-wan had the man pinned up against the wall, unlight saber pressed firmly against the man's temple, thumb poised on the ignition as he growled low in a voice that didn't sound at all like his own. "At the press of this button, I can release you from your sorry mortal existence. I would even be doing the galaxy a favor."

Obi-wan took a nauseous moment to contemplate how many children this monster had hurt over the years, then quickly took to relishing the thought of killing him. The flash of his saber lancing through his skull, the thud of his lifeless body falling to the duracrete below their feet. Obi-wan couldn't suppress the disgusted smirk as he entertained the idea. It was nearly too tempting. He would have been surprised about the murderous impulses that taunted him, but it was Anakin the monster wanted. Obi-wan would do anything to protect him.

But this was a shade past defense, several shades darker in fact. It was something more, something personal. But he didn't care. Every fiber in his being was aching to kill the man that cowered under his grasp.

But time wasn't stopping for him. Qui-gon would still be looking for them, getting even closer as they stood here. As much as his pent up hate begged to be unleashed on this slime, he simply didn't have time for it.

"But you're in luck." Obi-wan spat in disgust, a tangible disappointment staining his voice. "I need your services. Credits will be the only form of payment. You so much as look at that boy again and I will sever you in half. Do you understand?" He said, sneer of repulsion across his face as he still pensively lingered on the tantalizing thought of ending the filthy creatures life.

Harpy shook his head rapidly in response, too afraid to speak. Obi-wan released him from his grasp in return, still eyeing him with contempt. Shakily brushing off his jumper and without a word, Harpy guided Obi-wan into the unit to their left, Anakin following after them silently. Trailing through dimly lit damp and dirty hallways, they eventually came to a small workshop. The space was littered with different collars and binds hanging on the walls with the tools needed to repair them in various boxes and benches scattered about the place.

"So where is it?" The man asked timidly, afraid to make eye contact with either of them anymore as he glowered at the ground beneath his feet.

Obi-wan stood for a moment in silence, heart overwhelmed with too many horrible emotions. He hated this man, hated the fact that he needed his help. He was terrified. Terrified for Anakin to see him like this, to see the bind that their master had bestowed on him, even more horrified for Anakin to draw conclusions as to what it all meant. Within it all was the seed of self hatred, how much he despised himself for letting everything get so far, for letting himself be deceived by their master. For ever thinking that Qui-gon would let him go.

"My ankle," Obi-wan said shamefully, heart pounding in his ears. Still, Anakin was obediently silent, eyes cast to the floor. Obi-wan was thankful he didn't have to contend with whatever questioning or saddened gaze Anakin would have to offer. He didn't think he had the resolve to fight the tears that would ensue if he did.

Harpy pulled up a chair next to his desk and motioned for him to sit. Obi-wan did as directed, placing his ankle on the desk before him, unlacing his boot and tugging up his leggings to reveal the evidence of his bondage.

"Wow, really fancy model. Only seen a few of these pass through my hands in my lifetime." Harpy spoke immediately regretting it. He could see it on the man's face, the memory of the one he sold it to. There were only so many people in Coruscant who sold them after all. Force inhibitors were outlawed except for use in republic detention facilities. To even possess one was a crime within itself. Due to the nature and cost of their manufacturing, they were extremely hard to come by. Obi-wan tried to not focus on it, although it only added to his intense hatred for the man. He could hardly stand his fingers brushing against his skin as he worked on the anklet. Every cell he came into contact with screamed murderous thoughts, only amplified by his own shame and self loathing.

"Aaand, voila! There you are." Harpy said, anklet hinging open. Obi-wan took a relieved sigh, rubbing at the place where the cuff had left marks on his skin. At last, for the first time that he could recall, he was free. Truly free. Well, nearly free. There was still Qui-gon to deal with. He hadn't quite worked out how he would handle him yet.

Pulling down his pant leg over his ankle and making quick work of lacing his boot, he retrieved a handful of credits from his cloak and tossed them on the table, sending them scattering about the room. "Here is your payment," Obi-wan spat, watching in disgust as the wretched being got on all fours to collect all the bars as the clattered about on the floor as he and Anakin turned to walk away.

Just as Obi-wan left the room, Anakin quietly shadowing him, Obi-wan paused. A flare of sick rage took over his senses. Without giving his impulse a second thought, and with much satisfaction he reached out through the force, coiling around Harpy's brainstem, quickly and effectively killing him without a mark to show for it. After hearing a soft thud followed by silence, Obi-wan continued to walk away, sated snear curling up at the edge of his mouth that left the residue of a shameful gratification on his heart.

He had acted recklessly, giving the life of the man he had just killed little thought. For a moment he found himself conflicted by what he had just done. Mostly he was glad to rid the city of that disgusting filth. A small part of him told him what he had done was unforgivable, unacceptable. Not at all within the code. He could hear the echo of his former master taunting him in that wicked tone.

You're no knight.

He wrestled with it, with the part of himself that agreed with Qui-gon. The part of himself that remembered how he had earned his knighthood, how he had never deserved it. You're a glorified slave who has forgotten his place.

No!

Obi-wan became lost in his thoughts, losing sight of the man who had escaped Qui-gon only hours ago, who had saved both himself and Anakin. Again he was the scared subservient slave, the one that was used like an object. The one that Qui-gon toyed with and lorded over. He became paralyzed by the thoughts of what he had done, all of the things Qui-gon would do to him to punish his disobedience.

A small hand tugged at his own, blue eyes gazing up at him worriedly and confused. "Obi-wan what are we going to do?" Immediately Anakin pulled him back into his body, back into the moment, regaining his momentum from the temporary lapse in focus- giving him the will to keep going.

"It's time to go back to the temple," Obi-wan said distantly, still coming back to himself. Looking back down at Anakin, he gave the boy another smile, trying to push back at the tears that welled in his eyes. "It's all going to be alright."

The boy nodded and clasped his hand tighter on Obi-wan's as they continued on towards the turbo lift. Anakin took to silence again as he walked close to him. A guilt laced sorrow donned on Obi-wan as he thought what a terrible example he was setting. It was against the Jedi code to murder in cold blood as he had, no matter what justification there might have been. Obi-wan couldn't help himself.

He had the rest of their lives to be a better man, set a better example. This night was anything but ordinary, he thought as his conscience began to settle around the deed. There was still the fact that he had just saved countless innocents from the horror of having to serve that man. That in itself was enough justification to put the matter to rest in his mind.

Now was time to go to the council, explain his actions. After that, it would be over for Qui-gon. He nearly couldn't believe it. It felt like Qui-gon would always hold some type of leverage over him. The thought of him out of the picture, didn't feel real. He would have felt more disoriented by the events of the last few hours if he had given himself more time to think about any of it, but this was no time to stop and contemplate. It was time to go back home.

Taking the public transit as they headed back felt risky, so he settled on getting a cab instead. He continued to head in the direction of the nearest major traffic stream to call one over. It wasn't too far away, but it was just far enough to run into trouble.

It started with someone following them, at a distance to begin with. Then two more took to following closer, flanking them. As Obi-wan reached out to sense them, he could tell they had multiple weapons on them. Bounty hunters, he thought with a sense of dread. Qui-gon had been quick to commision them. No doubt his former master was not too far behind them. He pulled Anakin closer to him, bringing him beneath his cloak subconsciously at the thought.

Getting caught was not an option. At this point he figured he was most useful to his master dead if not captured. Neither of those outcomes were acceptable. Coming up on an elevator to the right, Obi-wan quickly took Anakin's hand and force dashed towards the platform, pushing the lift button, hiding in the corner as blaster bolts tore past causing the few pedestrians to scatter and run from the scene.

Finally the lift began to shakily rise as more bolts lanced the side of the tattered structure. Obi-wan ignited his saber, deflecting some of the shots targeted to disable the lift. They managed to rise almost two levels before one fateful bolt tore through the central control panel, causing the lift to lurch to a halt, throwing Anakin from the platform into the levels below, dangerously close to the bounty hunters.

"Anakin!" He cried after him as he dropped, frantic tears streaming out of the corners of his eyes as the soft thud sounded as his tiny body hit the pavement beneath them.

Without a moment to lose, Obi-wan quickly dashed from the lift, back to the street where Anakin had fallen. Reaching out through the force, he could tell the boy was significantly injured with a few broken bones, but sustained no life threatening injuries. Obi-wan was both relieved and enraged all at the same time.

Anakin was alive, that was the most important thing. Still, he was hurt badly, knocked out from the fall. A fire lit in Obi-wan's chest as the force pooled about him preemptively, a violence growing in his heart.

Posed protectively over the boy's broken form, Obi-wan drew his saber with a roaring scream, instantaneously deflecting the first in a barrage of bolts that were aimed to tear right through him, with ease. Within mere seconds he successfully injured one of their pursuers with a swift bolt to the brain causing their body to twitch morbidly as they fell to the ground.

He took a distorted solace in killing them, for how badly they hurt Anakin, who was still curled up on the ground beneath him, suffering. But it was so much more than that as well. The sensation that danced in his aura as life force of the being bled out by his very hand felt… satisfying. As the other two continued to gain on him seemingly unconcerned with their fatally wounded colleague, skillfully dodging the reflected bolts as they advanced, he couldn't help but let out a sadistic laugh. They had no idea what they had done, or what it had earned them.

With a flick of his free hand Obi-wan pulled the remains of a wrecked speeder from the ground where it had rusted out and hurled it towards the two as they advanced on him, effectively knocking one of them down and crushing them into the duracrete as the other rolled to the side, avoiding the flying chunk of mangled durasteel.

Without missing a beat, the last bounty hunter leapt to their feet again, pressing onward to Obi-wan's position, not letting up the spray of futile blaster bolts that were relentlessly deflected back towards them.

Each kill had Obi-wan more and more hungry for the next. As the third and final bounty hunter descended down on him, Obi-wan reached out, coiling around the hunter's limbs, freezing them in place. His mind reeled with the possibilities of how he would have them meet their end, a ruthless smile forming on his lips as he positioned the hunters blaster on their skull, coiling around their finger until a bright bolt of green tore from the muzzle, charring a hole through the bounty hunter's forehead.

As the fleeting satisfaction of victory left his senses, Obi-wan rushed back down to Anakin, seeing the boy's tortured blue eyes flicker to life as he yelped from pain as he tried to right himself.

"Shhh, don't move. You're badly hurt." Obi-wan said, hand stroking through the boys muddied blonde hair. "I'm going to get you back to the temple," He said, throat choking on his words as he tried to stay calm for the sake of the boy. "You're going to be just fine."

Anakin said nothing, scared blue eyes boring up into his as he became more aware of his situation. They tore right through Obi-wan's soul. For once, Anakin looked scared. Terrified, even. He couldn't stand it.

"I promise, it's going to be alright." Obi-wan said, placing a hand to the right side of the boys temple, sending him into the best healing trance he knew how to employ. After he was soundly asleep, Obi-wan placed his hands gently under his knees and behind his back, raising him up to carry him out of this awful place.

Obi-wan quickly made way to the nearest turbo lift, tears of anger and regret falling from the corners of his eyes as he went. Finally, the lift was in sight after walking for too long. Anakin was going to need medical attention quickly if he was to recover properly. In the best scenario, they would reach the temple in just under an hour. Even that was too long for his comfort.

Just as he neared the transit area, a harsh sting pierced the back of his neck, a numbness spreading out from it. His heart sank in defeat as he fell to his knees, placing Anakin down as gently as he could before all of his muscles completely gave out on him. Falling to the ground beside the boy, Obi-wan reached back at his neck, pulling a poison dart from his skin and holding it up to his eyes as he examined the means of his downfall. No, I was so close, he thought in futility, as a familiar pair of boots walked towards him, stopping just shy of where he lay as he struggled in vain against the darkness that came over him as he fell unconscious.