"What could be taking them so long?" Constella wondered to herself, concerned. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have been gone for nearly an hour. As she stood outside, she closed her eyes and started to think. Around her, the earth had grown silent and the sky was dark with stars twinkling like billions of little diamonds. Crickets filled the air with small noises and lighting bugs lit up like light bulbs on a Christmas tree. The trees were still and not a breath of wind.
It should not take this long to buy a gallon of milk, she thought to herself. Something has happened. She opened her eyes and quickly picked up Nathaniel and Chloe
She strapped Nathaniel in his carseat and Chloe in her booster seat. For five minutes she drove around the block, to the market then around the block again. Still there was no sign of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. The streets were silent and dark as the sky, the market was nearly deserted. Something began to stir down in Constella's stomach, an uncomfortable fear that she has felt before. She prayed that her feeling wasn't true. Looking back to the road, she gasped and slammed on the breaks. Qui-Gon was limping in the middle of the street.
"Qui-Gon."Constella gasped, staring in terror, jumping out of the car. She ran to Qui-Gon as he fell onto her shoulder. She looked around, hoping that nobody was going to come out and attack her. She searched for a disturbance in the Force, just like how her mother taught her. Even though she lived on Earth her whole life she was trained in the Jedi ways. It's in her blood, her mother couldn't deny Constella her place as a half blood Jedi. She felt nothing and opened her eyes.
With all her might she carried the injured Knight to her car. Opening the back door she gently set Qui-Gon down. She sat him up and looked around, frantic. " Where is Benjamin?"
Qui-Gon heard her question, but he couldn't find the strength to tell her. He couldn't bear seeing her spirit break because of him. Constella shot up and ran in front of the car.
"Benjamin!"She started screaming as she searched the empty street."Benjamin!"
A light came on from a nearby house and a man stumbled out with a bat in his hand. The man was balding and wore his night robe. He looked around, confused. Constella looked at him, trembling.
"Please help me. My son...I cannot find him." Constella pleaded, shivering in the night cold. "Please, he is only a boy."
"Where'd they go?" The old man asked, looking back and forth between the streets."I saw these guys fighting off two hooded punks. One was punched, went flying and landed in those bushes over there. The other guy was tied up and dragged into a van." Constella walked over to the man tembling with fear, trying to fight the pain in her heart."I heard the commotion and tried to get out here before anything really bad happened. But I think I'm too late."
"What did they look like?"She asked, praying that the one taken wasn't her son.
"The one that was abducted must've been a teenager, no older than 14 or 13. The other was..."He looked at Constella's car."Him. He was the other guy. Hey buddy, you ok?"
Constella covered her mouth in horror. She slowly stumbled away from the old man. Dispair and fear filled her heart like water in a river. Images of her son being taken away filled her mind. Images of Be-Ji and his wrongful doings to Obi-Wan filled her soul. She looked at Qui-Gon, hoping that it wasn't true. Qui-Gon felt his heart break when she looked at him. Her large blue eyes were pleading, tears began to dwell in those eyes. Eyes that have shown him nothing but love and kindness. Eyes that now show terror and pain. Qui-Gon couldn't understand what was happening to him, but his eyes were starting to sting and his heart was starting to break. She covered her face and fell to her knees, screaming and sobbing. The old man crouched down and put his hand on her shoulder.
"You ok lady?" He asked.
"My son...no..."She cried. Qui-Gon closed his eyes in pain. His heart reminding him that he has yet again failed another apprentice. Only this time, he didn't fail just his apprentice. He failed his apprentice and his mother, he failed the Jedi Council and the Jedi Code. And there was nothing he could have done to help him.
"Hey Qui-Gon,"Aclear said, looking at him."Where's big brother?"
"I'm sorry."Qui-Gon repeated the word over and over again, but no amount of the word would erase his guilt or his pain.
Obi-Wan:
Obi-Wan woke but kept his eyes closed. His body ached, his head throbbed and he felt pressure against his mouth and hands. He could feel the ground below him moving, his hands and feet were bound and his mouth was covered. He opened his eyes slightly and noticed that he was in a dark place, probibly a trunk.
Stay calm and think, Obi-Wan told himself. I remember being attacked and then thrown...
Obi-Wan realized that he was in a van, tied and gagged like a hostage. Either this was a ransom kidnapping or...Obi-Wan knew what the other was and this was not a ransom kidnapping. The technology and objects in this van are far too complex to be human engineering.
He closed his eyes and focused on how to unbind himself. By using the force he untied the ropes and waited patiently for the van to come to a stop. Finally the van stopped and the door was opened. Obi-Wan jumped up and kicked the hooded figure. He ripped off the tape around his mouth, ignoring the stingy pain. He took the opprotunity to run.
Then a man in a Jedi Cloak stepped in his path. Obi-Wan bumped into him and fell backwards.
"Not so fast boy."Obi-Wan looked up, recognizing the voice.
"I knew this was no ransom kidnapping."He said, standing up."Leave me alone."
"You will obey me Obi-Wan Kenobi, my son." Be-Ji demanded with a hard voice. He lowered his hood and fixed his light brown hair. He looked down at Obi-Wan with hard honey colored eyes.
"Never."Obi-Wan said, trying to stand strong against his father.
"What makes you think you have a choice?" Be-ji shot.
"You can't force me." Obi-Wan growled.
"You are wrong."Be-Ji smiled maliciously.
"Father-"
Two hooded figures grabbed his arms and twisted them til Obi-Wan fell to his knees. One grabbed his hair and pulled him back.
"You will do what I say."A voice said from behind.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Be-Ji threatened.
"How else am I going to calm him down?"
"With time and pateince dear Sceintist."Be-Ji said with a smuk grin."Besides, with the right incentive, one can be forced into anything."Be-Ji turned his back."Take him to the cages."
Obi-Wan strugled and kicked as he was dragged down a flight of stairs and shoved into a cold room. The hooded figures locked the doors and walked away, leaving Obi-Wan in the darkened dungeon. He sat on the cold,wet floor, brought his knees up and rested his head on his knees.
"Mother." He whispered.
