Qui-gon had not resisted, so Obi-wan hadn't either, though he did not like being manhandled as several strong Echothalians all but pulled them from their hideout. The young man who had discovered them glared at them almost triumphantly as the Jedi were poked and prodded down the street.
Holding up his hands, Qui-gon tried to reason with the boy. "You don't have to force us, we will accompany you without argument...we mean you no harm, my friend. We are here on a mission from the Senate-"
"We've heard all that before," the boy interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Your buddies had the same story, so you can save it." He spat on the ground. "Stinking Jedi."
Obi-wan gave Qui-gon an incredulous look, but Qui-gon remained neutral. "You must let us go. We are here to help free your people from the grip of a terrorist."
Ignoring the Jedi, the boy led them to a battered structure several blocks away, calling out as he approached. "Rella! We've got some more Republic visitors." The Jedi were shoved in front of the building, where a woman had come out to see what all the commotion was about. The boy's chest puffed up with pride, and he extended his arm towards his "prisoners." "We found these gundarks skulking around in abandoned cart. They make the same claims as the other two."
Rella looked dubiously at the Jedi, then at the young man. "Soren, why did you bring them to me?" she said with a sigh.
Sensing an opportunity, Qui-gon spoke up. "I understand that you are afraid, Rella. I understand that you feel there is no reason to trust anyone, let alone a faceless government that exist halfway across the galaxy. But all that we are asking is for you to listen. We are not asking for your trust, nor demanding your cooperation. All we ask is for you to listen to us." His words rang through the street, and Obi-wan could see that they had resonated with many of those in the crowd. Soren, though, looked angry.
Rella tilted her head thoughtfully, her eyes flicking from Qui-gon to Obi-wan and back again, though she seemed indecisive. In response, Obi-wan tried to show that he was compassionate. They are terrified, he thought. They have been so for a long time. It's no wonder they will not trust us. They have no reason to.
"Fear has ruled this place for too long," he heard himself saying. "It is time to set it aside and reclaim what is yours. That is what we are here to help you do." He felt a small thrill of elation run through him as Rella nodded slowly.
"Very well, Jedi. Come inside; it seems we have much to discuss." They followed her inside the rickety building, which at one time must have been a market, for there were scattered shelves and displays across the ground that they had to step over.
Leaping after them, Soren paused only to glare angrily at the Jedi, then turned to Rella. "How can you trust them? They are liars, can't you see that?"
"Brother," Rella said with an exasperated sigh. "You're getting on my nerves..." She glared at him, but he looked up at her remorsefully. "Fine," she said. "Come with me, if you're so worried. Just be quiet, okay?"
She led them to the back room, which had once been a warehouse. Now it was filled with broken pallets and upended barrels, with a long table and several chairs in the center. Candles were placed around the room, which provided an ambient, flickering light. Obi-wan and Qui-gon were seated, and Rella handed each of them a pack of juice and a protein bar, insisting that they eat before any business was discussed. As Obi-wan munched the dry bar, he recalled Kali's claim of fine cuisine on the planet, and felt a pang of fear for her. I hope that she and Jonas are okay, he thought.
"Kali, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. You?"
"A few scratches, but nothing serious."
Kalinda picked herself up off of the rock-strewn floor, and squinted in the through the cavern. She could barely make out traces of smoke where the explosion had gone off, but hardly anything else. "That was close," she said, watching as Jonas shook stray bits of rubble out of his cloak.
He nodded, his light hair faintly visible in the darkness. "Come, we must be on the right track if we've come across a trap."
"If he wants to meet us, why set a trap?" Kali's voice echoed in the hollow space, but Jonas made no reply, only stepping forward carefully, making his way through the place where the bomb had gone off. They walked for some time, stopping every few minutes to check for any indication of another explosive device. Finally they reached the end of the tunnel, and, after a few moments of investigation, they discovered a fissure in the rock that looked to be the only way forward.
"I have to say," Kali said as she felt around the fissure's jagged edges. "I'm not thrilled with the idea of climbing through that little hole."
Jonas nodded. "I don't like this," he replied, more to himself than to her. "I'm going to see if I can contact Qui-gon." He closed his eyes, and slipped into a kind of meditation, while Kalinda tried to peer through the gap.
I wonder what Obi-wan is doing now, she thought absently, then, on a whim, decided to see if she could reach him as well. Since she wasn't certain exactly how Jonas planned to "contact" Qui-gon, she simply pictured Obi-wan's face in her mind, as if he was next to her. She said his name, and he turned to her, a look of confusion on his features, but then she simply said "Durena Caverns," and he nodded, his expression serious. Her eyes opened. Did I do it? She wondered. It can't be that simple...if it were, Jedi would never need comlinks.
Jonas was studying her, perplexed. She gave him a small grin. "I was trying to help, though I don't really know what you were doing."
Before he could respond, a bright light appeared suddenly beyond the fissure, nearly blinding them after so long in the darkness. Kali could make out the shadow of a figure approaching them, though she had to crouch down to get a good look. She jumped backward in alarm as a strange, masked visage suddenly appeared in the fissure, a grotesque grin etched in its surface.
"Oh dear, oh dear, did I startle you, sugar?" The voice from the transmission was recognizable, but even if she hadn't heard his voice before, Kali could not have mistaken it for any other. "And I thought that you Jedi were supposed to be unflappable." He giggled again, the high-pitched sound giving her chills of foreboding. "I guess you can be flapped, after all, huh?"
"You know why I've come, Non." Jonas' voice rang out in the darkness, and Kali felt the feeling dissipate. "Let them go, and I will speak with you."
The giggle sounded again, and Kali watched as the figure stepped away from the wall. She and Jonas glanced at each other and were just able to leap backwards and avoid the smaller blast that opened up the fissure, revealing a huge cavern, lit by a series of small, independent lanterns. Jonas entered first, and Kali followed, her hand resting on the hilt of her saber out of habit. The moment that she entered the room, her jaw dropped at the sight met her eyes.
"I understand that your friend thinks that he can reason with Non," Rella said, folding her legs beneath her has she sat across from Qui-gon. "But I must tell you, it is folly. They will not succeed, and will be lucky to escape with their lives."
"Jonas has dealt with him before," the Jedi replied. "He is more prepared than any other Jedi to handle this matter."
Rella shook her head, and gazed at Soren, who was cleaning one of the blasters with a dirty rag, looking up every now and then to glower at Obi-wan and Qui-gon. "Many people have tried, since he came here. We even formed a special militia that tried to deal with him. They failed. They perished. He is unreasonable, unshakable. He is not like any being I've ever known." She turned her eyes back to the Jedi, and brushed away a tear that had slipped down her cheek. "Our parents were part of the first group of people that tried to catch him. They died when he rigged an explosion that demolished a quarter of the business sector." She patted her limp arm. "That's how I got this, too."
"Why did he come here, to Echothalia?" Qui-gon's voice was gentle, but Rella looked at him blankly.
"Why does he do anything?" she replied. "We don't know. It was as if he threw a dart at a map of the galaxy, and it landed here; so he it was here he came. He has never made any demands, except one."
"What?" Both Jedi leaned forward, and Rella looked at them, confused.
"I thought you knew," she said, glancing between them. "He wanted to meet your fellow Jedi. I have a contact in Nereus' guard: he said that the Minister received a transmission from Non, saying that he had taken Nereus' wife and son hostage, and that he would kill them unless the Jedi met with him."
At this, Qui-gon stood up, as did Obi-wan. "Does the place 'Durena Cavern' sound familiar to you?" Obi-wan asked, after exchanging a glance with his master. "We think that's where they are."
Rella's brow furrowed. "Yes...it's a series of caverns that run below the city-but they've been closed for years-they're unstable and practically unreachable. "
"I can take you there," Soren said suddenly. He had stopped cleaning the blaster several minutes ago, and was listening intently. "I used to poke around them, when I was a kid. I know all kinds of shortcuts."
"Absolutely not," Rella said, shaking her head. "It's too dangerous."
"I agree," Qui-gon added. "Please, just tell us how to get there, and we can do the rest. Don't endanger yourselves any further."
"Come on, sis," Soren said, ignoring Qui-gon. "I want to help. No one ever gets to do anything to stop that gundark." The siblings studied each other for a moment, before Rella sighed, and turned to Qui-gon.
"He's right," she said quietly. "But I must ask that you send him away at the first hint of danger."
The Jedi exchanged a glance. Obi-wan did not feel comfortable putting Soren in danger, and he could see that Qui-gon felt the same. However, it was growing clear that Non had intended all along to encounter Jonas, which meant that the other Jedi were in grave danger. Qui-gon raised his eyebrows at his Padawan, who nodded slightly. The older man nodded as well, and they turned back to Rella and Soren.
"Very well, Soren," Qui-gon said. "We would like you to guide us-but we must leave at once-and you must follow our instructions."
The boy's face broke into a wide grin. "Great! I promise, you'll barely regret it!"
The Minister's wife and child were tied to one of the protruding stalactites that were suspended from the ceiling of the cave. They were not hanging terribly high up, as the formation was quite long, and they did not appear to be harmed, from what Kali could make out in the dim light, but their terror was palpable and she resolved to help them as quickly as possible. Jonas must have seen them too, but all of his attention was fixed on the figure before them.
Non was not as tall as the image her mind had conjured. He appeared to be humanoid, slim and lanky, though the cortosis armor that he wore added a bit of bulk to his form. There was an incongruously colored, bright green hood over his face, beneath which rested the strange, grinning mask, which was scoured and scratched, and looked to be made of some kind of grayish, matte, metallic substance. He stood with his head cocked to one side, his hands on his hips, with an air of insouciance that somehow added to the gravity of the situation.
He spoke again in that strange, lilting tone. "I'm so glad that you made it-finally," he said, clapping his hands in delight. "Dear fellow, I thought I'd never see you again! How have you been since we last met?"
Jonas ignored the question, instead nodding to the prisoners. "Let my companion get them down, and we'll talk."
Non sighed, and shook his head, his hand coming up to his forehead dramatically. "You're no fun at all, Mister Jedi; you need to learn how to reeeelaaax..." He held up a small, blinking device. "If either of you tries anything stupid, it's the end of the road for all of us. You got that, sugar?"
He directed the last sentence at Kali, who simply glowered at him. Non chuckled, and then stepped forward, slowly, approaching the Jedi. Kali tensed, but glanced at Jonas, who remained still. Non stopped in front of her, and she could feel his eyes running along her body. "Nice," he said with a whistle. "You got a pretty student there, Mister Jedi. I'd like to do some Mind Tricks on her..."
"What do you want?" Jonas said sharply, cutting off the terrorist. Kali flinched at his tone; she could hear that he was growing impatient.
If Non picked up on it, he made no indication, he only sighed again, and began tossing the detonator back and forth between his hands. "You Jedi are all the same," he said. "Fools. Blind, stupid, wheedling fools."
Kali felt her heart skip a beat when he almost dropped the device, but he caught it at the last minute before it hit the ground. "Oh, don't even think of using your little 'Force' powers on me, Mister Jedi," he added. "I have many more tricks up my sleeves."
Jonas nodded. "Then stop stalling, Non, and tell me the reason that you summoned us."
"Reason? Reason doesn't have much to do with it, Blondie," Non replied, setting the detonator back in the pocket of his tunic. He began to circle the room, seemingly ignoring them as he began to lecture. "For instance: I don't see any reason for your precious Republic to even exist. Why should it, when it can't even stand in the way of one guy with nothing but determination and a bunch of pretty bombs, hmmm? What's it all in aid of, anyway? Do you ever stop swinging that laser sword around long enough to wonder whoyou are doing all of this work for? The Republic? You think those saps in the Senate give two damns about you and your little minion here? The people? Too stupid to see what's in front of their eyes." He gave a bitter laugh. "You Jedi, you have all this 'power,' but you won't use it. I'd say the Sith have the better idea, but how many of those nerf-herders do you see running around?"
"Part of having 'power,' as you say," Jonas replied, giving Kali the faintest of nods. "Is using it wisely. That is what the Jedi Order strives to do, and the Republic as well." Kali took his signal and began to slowly make her way towards the prisoners, trying to make her movements as discreet as possible. I could really use you here right now, Obi-wan, she thought grimly. Where are they?
"Bah!" Non said, throwing up his hands. "You all think that you see, but you don't. You're all blind to the truth, which is the biggest joke of all."
"And what would you have us do?" Jonas asked. "Throw out all of our government? Disband the Order and let everyone fend for themselves?"
"Why not?" Non replied. "We're all no better than animals after all. You saw how easy it was to make all those thick-headed sea-swallowers up there lose their minds, and all that took was a little 'kaboom' here and there...all that government does is set people up for disappointment."
Finally, she was beside the stalactite, and was faced with the dilemma of exactly how she was supposed to free the Minister's family. I wonder if my lightsaber is working yet? she thought. But, even if it was, it would draw too much attention. She studied the thick cord that he'd used to secure the woman and her child. After a moment, she had an idea, and pulled out a small fuser from her utility belt. Normally, it was a tool used in on-the-fly repair of ships or transports, made to weld together bits of wire that had been separated, but with the right adjustment, she decided that it could be used to sever the bonds.
"Without government," Jonas said, stepping over to Non, forcing his eyes away from where Kali was working. "There would be nothing. Don't you see that? It is our ability to work together that makes us great, makes up powerful. It would be folly to throw the galaxy into chaos...so many lives would be wasted."
Kalinda wanted to speak to the woman, to tell her of her plan, but she hardly dared to talk. Instead, she placed a hand on the Hestra's arm, and tried to touch her mind, sending her reassuring thoughts. After a moment, she could sense the woman's fear recede, just a little, and she removed her hand, and stepped to the back of the stone structure, where she could, hopefully, work unobserved.
"You talk about lives being wasted," Non replied. "Yet what would you tell all of the slaves in the Outer Rim? The indentured servants? I think they might have a few things to say to your Senate."
Jonas gave a hollow laugh. "How noble of you, to concern yourself with those unfortunate souls. I'm certain that all of your actions up until now have been in the best interest of those that you mention."
"I never said that I practice what I preach, Mister Jedi. I'm no hypocrite. Not like you and your little-" He paused, and glanced around, spotting Kali a moment later as she was helping a trembling Hestra to the ground. "Oh, you are a sly one, aren't you?"
Before he could pull out the detonator, Jonas was in action, his lightsaber a brilliant beam of yellow as he somersaulted between Non and Kalinda. "You've lost, Non," Jonas said calmly. "Surrender."
"Hmmmm..." Non said, putting his hand to his chin. "No, no...I don't think so." In a flash, he pulled out a small, round object from his sleeve and tossed it towards Jonas, who leaped backward to avoid it. The moment it hit the earth, a deafening blast shook the cavern, and Hestra and her little boy shrieked as chunks of stone began to fall from the ceiling. Jonas managed to use the Force to prevent anything from landing on the mother and child, but Kali had been knocked to the ground by one of the larger rocks. Disoriented, she struggled to her feet, only to feel Non's grip tightening around her throat and waist. He was stronger than he looked and he dragged her backward, to the center of the cavern.
She felt his hand run down her hips, her thighs, and her backside, and she felt sick. She tried to push the feeling away, tried to find her calm center, but she was unable to think of anything but his hands, and she struggled to get away, to summon the Force, anything, but she could not.
He chuckled softly. "She's a lively one, Mister Jedi. I can see why you keep her around." He spoke in her ear, and she could feel his warm breath against her skin. "A man might do some cra-azy things for a sweet thing like you, sugar. And it's been a while since I felt a...woman's touch." He giggled, and she felt his hands toying with the front of her tunic.
No, she thought suddenly. He cannot do this to me. She stilled her mind, and tried to use his own weight to throw him off of her. She managed to get him to loosen his grip, but she failed to notice the wicked-looking blade that he produced from his gauntlet until he had jammed it into her left knee. She screamed then, her voice echoing across the cavern, and fell to the ground in agony.
Suddenly, Jonas was beside her, using a Force push to knock Non farther away, but as he did so, the ground seemed to explode under his feet, throwing him in the air along with a shower of rocks and flame. Kalinda numbly watched his body tossed in the air, and land with a sickening thud on the cold stone floor.
