ooo
Qui-Gon had been spending a lot of time meditating, and delving into the Force to get a fix on Obi-Wan, and he knew he was neglecting Anakin. He'd allowed Anakin to visit Palpatine more times than he should of and he was feeling guilty and needed guidance. It was time to discuss Anakin's future with Yoda, and he went to the old Jedi in his meditation chamber.
"Sit with me you will, have something on your mind you do; worried about your new padawan you are." he remarked as Qui-Gon sat on the cushion opposite him.
Qui-Gon wasn't sure what it was that worried him, but Anakin seemed to be hiding something from him and he couldn't pin point what it was. "There's a change in Anakin and he doesn't seem to care whether he makes friends with the other padawan's or not, but he lights up when I tell him that he can go to the senate building with me and once we get there he asks if he can visit with Senator Palpatine. I have allowed it on several occasions, but I'm beginning to believe I've made a mistake in allowing it so many times.
"Understand what the attraction is...I do not... show any aptitude toward politics does he?" Yoda asked.
"No, I don't think it has anything to do with politics, I'm not sure why he likes the senator, but I'm sure once we begin going on missions his attention to training will return."
"Settle into a routine Anakin will, new to him this way of life is."
"Yes, and I need to give him more of my attention. I've contacted Xanatos and told him that I have to concentrate on Anakin's training and he's agreed to continue the search for Obi-Wan without me."
"A wise decision it is Qui-Gon."
"It pains me greatly to abandon Obi-Wan, but I have faith in Xanatos and it's the right thing to do for Anakin, however, Master Yoda, I would like to continue coming here when Anakin is in class and meditate with you if that is possible?"
"Yes, yes, continue to meditate we should, learn something new we could; Anakin in class now is he?"
"Yes Master and I wondered if you've sensed anything of late."
"You refer to the disturbance we felt in the force, shortly after Obi-Wan was abducted?"
"Yes Master," Qui-Gon said remembering that day vividly:
~Memory~
It was a couple days after Obi-Wan was abducted and Qui-Gon was in need of some meditation and guidance. He and Yoda meditated in Yoda's private rooms and while they were in a deep meditation, they both felt a disturbance in the Force in the form of an anguished scream that split and shattered the calm of the Force, flinging both Jedi Masters out of their meditation.
"What was that?" Qui-Gon whispered, almost afraid of the answer.
Yoda sat up, after the disturbance knocked him backwoods lowering his head and sighed. "A horrible realisation has befallen someone."
Qui-Gon stared at Yoda. "It was Obi-Wan, wasn't it?"
"Reluctant I am to suggest it was, unheard of it is for a scream to be discernible through the force." Yoda remarked.
Qui-Gon got to his feet. "Then what could it have been, it must mean something, we both heard it, and to sense it within the force it has to be from a force sensitive being. What being would have that much power?"
"Powerful scream it was; ask Master Windu, if felt it he did." Yoda stated.
~End memory~
"Sensed anything have you since?" Yoda asked.
"No Master and it was strange that Master Windu or other masters we asked didn't feel or sense anything."
"Yes, yes strange it was, but called to us whoever it was. The answer lies in meditation it does." Yoda nodded.
"Master do you think we'll ever know what happened to Obi-Wan?"
"Trust in the Force we must and listen carefully to what the Force is trying to tell us."
"I'm unable to sleep at night thinking of Obi-Wan's plight, I try not to think about what may be happening to him. Sith were never known for their compassion; they are treacherous and sadistic. Torturing Obi-Wan would be high on their list of punishments and I wake up sometimes in a cold sweat thinking that he is being tortured or that he may submit to their will and turn to the dark side."
"Submit to the Sith, Obi-Wan will not do." Yoda was confident. "Find our way in the Force we must, to help Obi-Wan if we can." Yoda was resolute in his answer, and had a far away look in his eyes.
"I wish I had your confidence Master Yoda?"
"Always in motion is the force, whispers to me it does, but decipher it yet I cannot."
ooo
Qui-Gon waited in his apartment for Anakin to return from his classes. He wanted Anakin to understand that he would no longer be able to visit Palpatine. His training was important and he needed to concentrate on that. He heard the door open and turned to greet Anakin.
"Hello Padawan how was your class today?"
"It was good master; we are learning how to put an engine together."
"Excellent Padawan, come and sit down I would like to discuss something with you."
"Sure Master what is it?" Anakin seemed happy enough.
"I know how much you liked visiting Senator Palpatine, however, he is a busy man, and you are only just settling into your study courses and so I have decided that unless you have a class excursion to the senate, there will be no more visits to Senator Palpatine." Qui-Gon said with sincerity.
"Of course Master," Anakin did not flinch, but his eyes took on a strange look for just a split second, yet before Qui-Gon could look closely it was gone. Qui-Gon opened their bond; however Anakin's side was locked down tight.
"Padawan is there something wrong?" he asked
"Why no Master what makes you think there is?" Anakin said sweetly.
"Your shields Padawan they are closed tight, I am impressed that you have such magnificent shields, but I'm not happy that they are closed to me?"
The shields came down rapidly and Anakin smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Master, I was just picked on by a couple of older Padawan's that are in my astrophysics class. They were trying to get in my head and they said they wanted to know what made me tick. I just forgot to lower my shields after they tried to get in Master; please forgive me."
"I will speak to their Masters then Padawan, they should not be allowed to bully!"
"Well after today I don't believe I'll have anymore trouble with them. They tried to penetrate my shields, and they were impressed by the strength of them. They apologised for trying and I forgave them Master. I think they are going to leave me alone in the future."
Qui-Gon could see his Padawan's point, why stir up more trouble when it seems as though his padawan had sorted it out by him self. "Very well Padawan I will not speak of it again, as long as your shields are not raised in my presence."
"Yes Master, I am sorry."
Qui-Gon reflected. (That went well) he'd expected an argument from Anakin. He didn't know that Anakin had been given a com-link from Palpatine and his private code, so that they were going to keep in touch secretly anyway.
Ooo
Xanatos, walked down the dark alley heading for the back door of the local tavern on Axis prime, a well known way station in the galaxy for murderers, kidnappers, slavers and bounty hunters. He was disguised as a slaver and one of his personal guards Tally was disguised as his slave.
Xanatos stopped before they entered the Blue moon tavern to give Tally instructions.
"Now listen carefully Tally, keep your eyes and ears open. These deviants are a suspicious lot and they will slit your throat if they think we are anything but slavers, so play your part well and stay behind me at all times."
'Yes Xanatos, do you think that they will know this sith?"
"If they do I doubt that they will come out and tell us without expecting something in return."
The dingy tavern was full of smoke and the smell of sweaty bodies made the air rank. Xanatos strode across the room and ordered an expensive wine from the bar keeper and sat down in the corner while Tally stood behind Xanatos scanning the room.
It wasn't long before a well dressed man came up to Xanatos and sat down. "I haven't seen you here before, where are you from friend?"
Xanatos leant back in his chair and smiled. "What business is it of yours, where I call home 'friend'?"
"I own this establishment and I find it interesting that a person as well dressed as you are, with a slave in tow, would come to this part of the galaxy?"
"I had no choice, I had to land here because my ship has a faulty hydraulic ramp switch and the alarm was annoying me so I contacted the spaceport here and they put me in touch with a mechanic who is fixing it as we speak."
"I see, well my name is Delanco, and I'm impressed that you seem to know your wines.
"Sit down and join me Delanco, my name is Xavier, and fine wines are my speciality, besides slaves."
"Ah! I suspected that you may be a slave trader; we get a few of your kind coming here to check out the markets. Axis Prime is a popular place to find the right slave for the right price. Would you be interested in any slaves while you're here Xavier?"
"No, I'm in the specialty market; this little planet wouldn't have what I'm interested in." Xanatos said as he topped up his glass and Delanco's.
"May I ask what type of slave are you interested in?"
"You can ask, but I prefer to keep my business to my self. You never know when someone from the republic is listening."
"The republic-ha! Anyone comes in here from the republic and they'll be dead or enslaved before they can buy their first drink."
"Ah! You are making me like this place more and more; tell me Delanco what kind of slaves do they sell here?"
Just about anything, some of the slaves have even come from the centre of the republic, Coruscant itself!"
Xavier sat up and whistled, "Now I'm impressed, a bit dangerous isn't it taking people from the heart of the republic, especially with the Jedi living there?"
Delanco laughed, "the Jedi are too busy lining their own pockets to worry about a few lost souls, and they sit in their ivory tower and run around after the senate. They don't care about anything but the republic."
"You are a man who thinks as I do my friend."
"Have you ever had a run in with a Jedi Xavier?" Delanco asked.
"Funny you should ask me that… they are my speciality, well not actually Jedi, but force sensitive beings make excellent slaves."
"Really! You have them as slaves, how do you control them?"
Xanatos clicked his fingers and Tally stepped forward. Tally bent down and Xanatos whispered something in his ear and then pointed to Delanco.
"Tell my friend here what you see and sense in here 'Tally."
"Yes Master, I know that the bar keeper is pocketing the credits of every third drink he's selling."
Delanco said "What!" And went to stand up, but Xavier stopped him. "Relax my friend and hear the rest before you lose your temper." Xanatos motioned for Tally to continue.
"He's putting the credits in his apron and when you're not looking he puts them in his bag under the counter."
"How does he know all that?" Delanco asked.
"He's force sensitive, but he was rejected by the Jedi for training. I stole him from the agri-corps and gave him a purpose and in return, he makes sure no-one rips me off. He is very observant and I thought you'd like to know that your bar keep is dishonest."
"Can I buy him off you?"
"No, it takes another force sensitive to control him, and if he decided you were not treating him right he would kill you, so sorry my friend."
'Yeah I guess you're right, a year ago was the first time I crossed paths with a black hearted tattooed Force sensitive devil. Came in here and tore the place apart looking for a bounty hunter who apparently didn't do what he wanted and he killed him with a red laser sword."
"That sounds like one of them sith, they use a red laser, has he been in here since?"
'Yeah about six months ago, he came in and spoke to a bounty hunter called Sleg, they had a private conversation in this very corner and then the tattooed devil left. I told Sleg that he was risking his life doing anything for that guy, but Sleg just laughed and said business is business. I heard a month later that Sleg was arrested by the Jedi for kidnapping one of them."
"He kidnapped a Jedi, wow; a Jedi would be worth a fortune. Do you know who got him?"
"Not sure, but if the devil was keeping him… his name was Maug, or something like that. He uses a couple of bounty hunters from time to time, and when he pays them they come in here to spend their credits, I don't mind them, but I don't like it when he comes in."
"I've always wanted a Jedi slave and I would pay handsomely for one. Would you let me know if those bounty hunters came in or if you hear where that 'Maug' lives?"
"What's in it for me?" Delanco asked.
Xavier lifted the now empty bottle and said. "I will send you ten cartons of this wine in good faith and if you can find out the whereabouts of 'Maug', I will send you twenty more cartons free of charge."
"You've got a deal Xavier! That wine is the most expensive wine in the galaxy. How will I get in touch with you?"
"Give me your contact code and I'll contact you when I get back to my home and then I'll give you a code that you can reach me on."
Xanatos and Tally left the tavern and walked a few steps away when they heard a blaster fire. "I believe Delanco just punished his bar keep for stealing Tally. We better get out of here before someone recognises us."
'Xanatos, where and what is the agri-corps?" Tally asked.
"It's the place where they send Jedi who aren't suited for the life of a warrior, it's on Bandomeer."
"Bandomeer, you know I've never been off Telos, and what if he'd asked me questions about the Force? When you whispered that the bar keeper was a thief and that I should tell him I wasn't sure what you were up to?"
"Well I saw the man pocketing the credits and it seemed the perfect opportunity to get Delanco on our side. We have an informant now and maybe we will find out where they took Obi-Wan."
Ooo
Tbc…