Chapter 10

Siri and Garen had been sold to a slave owner named Barab, and on the way to his home world, he stopped on Bespin. He had purchased Ten slaves over the last few weeks, and while on Bespin he bought a couple of humongous Gladiator beings to add to his collection. Barab owned a diamond mine and thought the two gladiators would make a fine addition to his miners.

By the time the slave ship reached Corrigan, and Barab's Diamond mines, a month had passed since that fateful day on Hesperidium.

Once the ship landed Barab's guards lined up all the newly acquired slaves, and the healer was checking them over for disease or injury before they were put to work in the mines. The slave owner, to Siri's surprise, was a family man and had two children of his own. They were sitting with their father watching the inspection. Bracko was eight and Bale was ten.

Unexpectedly one of the Gladiators started swinging his fists and attacked the guards. Barab yelled for his guards to protect his kids as the Gladiator rushed towards him. The youngest boy Bracko panicked and tried to run past the Slave, however in the commotion the Gladiator grabbed the young boy around the neck…. Everyone froze in the room.

Barab growled "You dammed fool Slave, Let my kid go, you'll never get out of here alive, if you hurt my kid"

The gladiator had stolen a knife off one of the guards, and was holding it against the boy's neck. He backed up towards Siri and Garen. "Drop yer weapons or I'll kill the brat" the Gladiator yelled.

Barab motioned to his guards who all dropped their weapons. Siri looked towards the doors and could see guards rushing down the corridor; she knew the Gladiator wouldn't get far. As there was no where to go. She could see the fear in the gladiator eyes, and knew he would kill the boy anyway. She had to do something, no matter what her own predicament was she couldn't allow an innocent child to be killed.

As he moved past her she barrelled into him, knocking him over and pulled the child from his clutches. She rolled away still holding the boy. The guards saw the action and picked up their blasters and fired, killing the gladiator instantly.

Siri dare not move in case she was shot too, so she released the boy and laid very still. Barab raced over and grabbed his boy. "Bracko you alright my boy?"

"Yeah Father…..She saved my life" the boy pointed at Siri. Barab looked down to where Siri was lying.

"Get up slave" he snapped.

Siri got up and stood very still. "Why did you do that?" he questioned

"He is just a child….. no matter what you are…. I could not stand by and watch an innocent child be killed". Siri stated.

The man stared at her for a long moment, and then he burst out laughing. "You are a spunky one, I think I like you…… what's your name?"

"Siri" she said, as she glanced at Garen.

"Barab noticed and said "Is he your friend".

"Yes we were 'kidnapped' together" she emphasised kidnapped. "His name is Garen, and we are not slaves!"

Barab glared at her and thought (I wouldn't want to tangle with her, she's a spitfire) "Guards, bring' em along" He snapped as he and his two boys started to leave the room. The Guards pushed Siri and Garen to follow along behind.

As they walked along Garen whispered "What did you do that for you could have been killed?."

"I don't know I just felt I had too". she replied.

They were taken to a room where they were told to wash, and then they were given fresh clothes to wear. Once they were clean, they were taken back to see Barab. He was in his sitting room by a big fire. The slave owner knew these two were force sensitive because of the force inhibitor collars, but he didn't know anything else about them. All he knew was that someone, who he couldn't identify, gave him a lot of credits to take them, with no questions asked. They stood in front of him for several minutes while he studied them.

"You girl… I have a job for you; I have decided that you will be my boys' protector. You will make sure they are well looked after, and if you do as you are told, I will remove that collar from your neck. However before you get any idea's of escaping, Let me tell you there's no way off this planet except one and that is in a box.

Siri was a spirited girl who didn't take kindly to being ordered around. "What makes you think I will obey you?" she snapped.

Barab stood up and smiled at her as he walked behind Garen. He pulled out a blaster and aimed it at her friends head. "Well my courageous one, If you want him to live you will do exactly as I say."

She could see the calm calculating look that he gave Garen, and she knew he would kill him."

"All right" she said.

"Now just to make sure you don't try any thing, once I take that collar off" he motioned to the guards.

and they came over. "Take this slave to the mines, fit him with a finder and make sure he is well guarded." The guards pulled Garen out of the room leaving Siri with Barab.

"Just so you know…. my lively one, a finder is an implant that transmits a signal. I can find you anywhere. You will be fitted with one also, so don't get any ideas about trying to escape"………..

So began Siri and Garen's new life as Slaves. Siri remained in the main house while Garen was taken to the mines. Two months went past and Siri had endeared her self to the children, who didn't have a Mother. They had become quite dependant on her and she had gained their trust. Siri was watching the two boys practice, when by chance she saw Garen carting firewood to the wood shed behind the mansion. The boys were practicing with bows and arrows, and she had set up a target for them to shoot at. So while they were concentrating she slipped away to talk to Garen.

"Garen' I don't have much time, but I have grave news"

"Siri its good to see you are you all right" Garen asked

"I'm Fine Garen, are you OK?"

"Yes, although I wish I didn't have this collar on me!"

"Garen we don't have much time, I want to tell you something!"

"Ok what is it.?" he said.

"Some of the house servants were watching the holo-net. They get the news events of the republic. It's smuggled in on tape, and it is usually a few months old. I watched it with them and they were watching a trial in the Jedi Temple." she said.

"A trial, who's Trial?" Garen asked.

"Obi-wan's! I saw what happened to Obi-wan, He was tried for our murder and sent to Kessell"

"Tried for murder" But he didn't kill any one?"

"Bant testified against him" Siri explained.

Bant" Why would she testify against Obi, she is his best friend." Garen blurted out.

"She said she saw Obi-wan kill Bruck, just before she was knocked unconscious. So I guess she didn't know about the android.

"But you said ….our murder…. What about us?" he demanded

"They think we are dead, and that Obi killed us too." Siri answered.

"No….. how could they think that, surely they know we were kidnapped? To be dead there has to be a body, and I've still got mine". he snapped.

"Wouldn't Obi-wan have told Qui-Gon about the android, That it looked like him and it killed Bruck, and what about the man in the cloak. Who was he? Surely Qui-Gon wouldn't believe that Obi-wan would kill us…..Would he?" Garran shook his head "I don't understand what's going on? If they think we are dead, no one will be looking for us" he added.

"If they believe we are dead there must have been bodies or something?." Siri spoke as she was mulling it over in her mind. "You remember Obi sensed something was wrong, and we laughed at him."

. "Yes, I remember" Garen Nodded

"That man in the Cloak he was evil I sensed it. I could feel the hate he had for Obi-wan. He threatened Obi-Wan and he told Obi-Wan to drop his sabre if he wanted us to live. I told Obi to run. I had a bad feeling about that man." Siri said.

"You mean some one hated Obi-wan enough to set all this up. To make it look like Obi-wan killed Bruck, and us, but how did he make it appear we were dead then?" asked Garen.

"I don't know, but the man in the cloak must have convinced the Jedi that we're dead, and that Obi-wan did it. Some one wanted Obi-wan locked away." she remarked

Garen thought for a moment and then he said "But why didn't he send Obi with us."

"I am not certain, yet I felt so much hate from the cloaked man and he was vengeful, maybe it was Obi-wan he wanted revenge on?" she answered.

"Obi-wan did kill that Sith, and the Council Masters believed it was an apprentice. What if the cloaked man was the Sith Master, and we are the Sith's insurance that Obi-wan stays on Kessell." she ventured to say

"So our Masters and the Jedi think we are dead." Garen said shaking his head. "Yet I don't understand, what about Bant how come she wasn't sent with us?." he questioned.

Siri thought for a while and then spoke. "Bant is the Sith's witness, to prove that Obi killed Bruck"

"Everyone would believe her, and she wouldn't know any better, because she was unconscious before the real Obi killed the android. They all know that Bant would never hurt Obi; they were the best of friends. So of course they would believe her, 'she believes it." Siri explained.

"So what your saying is that the Sith wanted to punish Obi-wan for killing his apprentice. So he

pretended to kill us as well, that way he could get Obi-wan sent to the worst prison in the galaxy,

and no one would believe Obi-wan after Bants testimony." Garen stated.

"I cannot think of any other logical reason, and the Sith probably knows were we have been sent.

So if Obi protests, the Sith will threaten to hurt us, that way he keeps Obi in line." she reasoned

"Oh Force!, what can we do….. Kessell is a hideous place; I've heard stories, that being interned in Kessell is a death sentence." Garen implied as a cold shiver raced up his spine.

"I have a plan" Siri admitted.