Choices

Rating: T+
Summary: Obi-Wan has a major decision to make concerning his future either with or without the Jedi
Disclaimer: All cannon characters are owned by the Great Flanneled One, and now Disney. All others are mine. I make no money off this.
Note: This is a sequel to The Crucible

Timeline: 40BBY

Speech: " "
Training Bond communications: /
Internal thoughts: italics

Chapter Seven

Obi-Wan woke only to find himself in complete darkness and strapped to a chair, while his hands and feet were bound. Raising his head, he was almost overcome with nausea. Hold it, he told himself. Closing his eyes, he tried to center himself and control the sensations that were threatening to unleash themselves on him. It was obvious that he was captured, and it would do him no good to have vomit all over him, though he suspected his captors would be smiling in glee.

Only when he felt as if he had regained some sort of control over his traitorous stomach, did Obi-Wan tentatively open his eyes once again. Raising his head just as slowly, he looked around. He realized that if he didn't make any sudden movements, the nausea could be kept firmly under control.

Where am I? What happened? Obi-Wan had a vague recollection of an explosion, but that was it. Reaching out with the Force, he was hit with nausea once again. Just as he dropped his head and squeezed his eyes shut, the sound of metal screeching and then groaning sounded throughout the room, if it was a room.

"I see you're awake. It took you long enough," a harsh voice with an odd lisping accent came from before him.

Obi-Wan raised his head once again and had to squeeze his eyes shut when a light was shown directly into his face, effectively blinding him. A prick on his neck, and then it felt as if a clear bag was placed over his head, silencing everything. The nausea he was dealing with was now replaced by a growing unease. Something was missing, but he didn't know what it was at this point.

"You don't like that, do you," the voice answered in glee. Apparently Obi-Wan didn't hide his thoughts as well as thought he did. "You've been brought back down to everyone else, Jedi. Now you're just like everyone else, and maybe even worse since you don't know how to function without your precious Force. It's only the beginning. In less than seven rotations you will be dead."

Obi-Wan shook on the inside. Taking a centering breath, he tried reaching out to the Force, but found deafening silence instead. The unease he felt earlier grew to something close to panic. He swallowed hard, "What do you want?" the words were forced out. Soon the panic seeped into his very soul.

"Nothing. You're just a means to an end." The light went off and hands were all over him, manhandling him. What bound him to the chair, and his feet together were removed, though his hands remained behind his back, and he was pulled to his feet. It was at that point he realized that his feet were numb. His captors forced him to take a step, but he collapsed.

"Get up." Hands pulled Obi-Wan to his feet again and forced him forward. It really didn't work for this time his legs gave out once again.

The problem was, Obi-Wan just couldn't walk. Hands now grasped his arms and he found himself drug across the floor and then unceremoniously dropped. Through the floor he could feel more than hear the sound of a door closing, or was it opening? Then there was nothing.

Master, help. Obi-Wan called out into the silence.

With no answer forthcoming, he rolled onto his side and then managed to sit up. The nausea he was plagued with earlier came back with a vengeance. He doubled over, trying not to give into the desire to vomit up what was in his stomach, which was probably little at this point in time. His insides constricted once again and then slowly relaxed. Inside, his stomach rumbled again. Oh dear, not good. Obi-Wan groaned as rolled over onto his side and curled into a fetal position. All he could do was wait for the nausea to pass, all the while the Force was silent around him.

No telling how long it was before his stomach finally calmed down. When it felt safe enough he began focusing on what was around him. Without the Force he had to rely exclusively on his hearing. There was a soft hitching sound somewhere off to the side. Rolling once again so he could sit up, he scooted towards the sound and eventually bumped into what turned out to be a flat surface. The hitching sound was louder this time. Eira, his still semi drugged mind pulled forth from the depths of his memory. It has to be her. "Eira?"

The sound stopped. "Obi-Wan? Is that you?"

Obi-Wan felt his shoulders drop in relief. "Yes."

"Please get me out of here," she whimpered. For a moment Obi-Wan thought it sounded more like she was whining.

"I can't." At least right now.

"Why?" It sounded like she sniffed.

"Our captors did something to me, I'm not sure what it was. Plus, my hands are tied behind my back. There's no way I can do anything right now," he ground out, trying not to be too snippy.

Shuffling sounds moved around him and then he felt nimble fingers touch his shoulder. They worked their way down to his hand and what bound them together. The bonds loosened and then fell away, leaving his hands finally free. Bringing them around, he rubbed his wrists then reached down to massage his ankles through his boots.

"Thank you," his voice soft. Turning around he peered through the darkness. He could barely make out the form before him. It looked like Eira, and it sounded like her, but he couldn't really tell at this point, at least not without the aide of the Force.

The spell broke when a sob came from the dark form. "We'll get out of here. Don't worry." Obi-Wan tried to keep confidence in his voice, but he wasn't sure if he was successful or not.

The dark form shuffled away. "No we're not. No one will ever find us here. We might not even be on Vasda anymore."

For someone who had lived a very sheltered life, Obi-Wan wasn't all that surprised at her reaction. "Everything will work out, don't worry." He reached out and placed a hand on what looked like her shoulder.

"No it won't." She shoved his hand off then scooted away. "We're going to die in here," her voice raised to something close to a keening wale.

"Not if I can help it." Obi-Wan grit his teeth, then took a deep breath, trying to remain calm through her growing hysteria. She was weeping now. "Eira," he called out again, but her actions didn't change.

"Listen to me," he moved towards her once again. Eira was huddled against the wall, visibly shaking. Sitting back, he searched through his mind to see if his instructors at the Temple ever discussed something like this. All he could think of was scenes on some of the holovids he had seen. He moved towards her once again and this time wrapped his arms around and held her tight. At first she tried to fight him off, but he was stronger. His one regret was that he didn't have the Force to call upon at this point. "Calm down," he deliberately lowered his voice to just above a whisper.

They remained frozen like that for some time until her tears and shaking subsided. "Are you all right," he finally murmured.

"No," her voice muffled because of his tunic. One hand had a fist full of the material while her other had slipped around his back. The tingling sensation, and his heightened sense of touch was extremely familiar, and one he wasn't sure he wanted to pursue, especially not in this place or with Eira.

"Everything will be all right. Master Qui-Gon will find us, so don't worry."

"I'm not worried about that," Eira pulled away enough so that she could wipe her face with one and then both hands. "I'm embarrassed by my actions. It was unbecoming of someone of my position. I should be stronger than this."

Obi-Wan gave her a ghost of a smile. "Don't worry, it's all right." He felt like he was constantly trying to encourage her. "Like —"

There was a grinding sound followed by a shaft of bright light that spilled through the room. Because of the almost total darkness, the light blinded Obi-Wan for a moment. He raised a hand to shield his eyes before they finally adjusted again. Within the brightness a form appeared. Without thinking of the consequences, along with the poison still blocking Obi-Wan's access to the Force, he lurched to his feet and rushed the form, effectively knocking him out.

With escape now possible, Obi-Wan pulled Eira to her feet and led her out of the prison and through a twisting maze of metal corridors. It was looking more and more as if they were on a ship. If that was the case, then he would have to search for an escape pod. Yet, there wasn't that low level humming sound that a ship made. At least he had the forethought of grabbing a lamp on the way out. They paused at a doorway. Leaning against the wall Obi-Wan turned his attention back to Eira. "I need you to do everything I tell you, and without question, okay?"

He wasted precious minutes to make sure that she understood what was happening. "All right," she finally answered.

It was obvious to Obi-Wan that she didn't like taking orders from anyone. "My goal is to make sure I get you out of here and back to safety. Please don't fight me on this. I know what I'm doing." I think.

When she nodded Obi-Wan turned his attention back to what was before him. They turned another corner and came up to what looked like an exit. This is almost too easy, the words floated through his mind as he pushed the door open. The walls glinted before him, and then everything disappeared as the door shut behind Eira. He turned on the lamp and held it high.

They were in a room, but it was nothing like he had ever seen before. The walls glittered once again as if covered in gold while the images drawn, or carved into the walls had faded almost to nothing. "Have you ever seen this before?" he turned to look at Eira who was still behind him.

Her light eyes were wide as she shook her head. "No."

Taking a step forward, his booted feet crushing the rubble on the floor. Making it to the wall, he could just make out a circle with two bars inside and perpendicular, meeting at the center. Below that was a ledge. Leaning down, he blew the dust off revealing a polished surface. The craftsmanship was obvious. "Are you sure?"

"Obi-Wan," she huffed. "The only thing that is remotely similar are some of the ancient myths where the people would offer food and drink to the gods and goddesses they worshiped, though it was never underground, at least that I know of."

"Do you know their names?" Obi-Wan looked around again. Deep down he felt something off. The feelings built until there was a deep rumbling coming from far beneath them. It sounded like a ship taking off, but he couldn't be certain.

Walls shuddered, and dust and dirt began falling from the ceiling. Spreading his feet, he tried to keep his balance. Looking up, the arched ceiling appeared as if it were trying to collapse, but somehow it held. To the right of the ledge a hidden door slid open and revealed a dark passageway. "We need to get out of here." Obi-Wan reached for Eira's hand once again,and pulled her through into an ancient looking corridor.

After working their way through the connecting halls for some time they finally emerged onto Vasda's surface, and into a wasteland covered in rocky outcroppings that held stunted trees and scrub grass.

TBC….