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And to answer a question: the story that comes after this, tentatively titled What Comes of It, has already been written and is completely finished.It has a completely different plot overall, but some lingering "issues" from this story remain.

Chapter 13

He was moving far too fast.

Shaking off the effects of the sedative, Obi-Wan became aware of this as well as the fact that he was being held in a rather uncomfortable position on a swoop bike of some sort. Then he remembered – it was Marcall, the Aurën guard from the Palace.

He remained limp, and then 'slid' to one side, causing his captor to shift. In that instant Obi-Wan sprung into action and made a grab for the controls, but Marcall's grip was too strong for him to break. Instead, Obi-Wan wriggled upwards and leaped over and behind Marcall, and then shoved him forward with all of his weight.

Startled by the sudden move, Marcall was pushed up against the controls. The swoop bike plummeted downwards, headed straight for a building side. Obi-Wan took a spinning leap off of the doomed vehicle, and landed gracefully on the walkway below. Marcall also jumped off, but landed a few buildings up. Looking first at his destroyed vehicle and then at Obi-Wan, his eyes narrowed as he took off swiftly in the opposite direction.

Obi-Wan took off just as quickly, leaping up and after him.

"Master!" came a yell from nearby.

Obi-Wan took a quick glance back and registered his apprentice's presence, but did not stop his pursuit.

ooOooOoo

Anakin cursed loudly as Obi-Wan raced ahead, but quickly started after him, trying not to let his fear get the better of him. Obi-Wan had just gotten free of his kidnapper, and Anakin couldn't help but wish that he would have just stayed put and let him deal with it.

Obi-Wan and his kidnapper quickly outpaced him, though, and even at his fastest Anakin just managed to keep them in sight. The dark haired man was blindingly fast – but so was Obi-Wan, to Anakin's surprise. They were led on a dizzying chase, over buildings, through them, and down into the levels below. Anakin experienced a brief flash of panic as he thought he lost them, but they soon reappeared as Obi-Wan practically flew off of a rooftop, slamming into the dark-haired man and taking him down with him.

Anakin winced as he expected to see them to roll to the ground in a heap, but miraculously the grappling pair landed upright. Though perhaps miraculous was the wrong word, as Anakin could feel a foreign Force-like undercurrent rushing around them. Strangely enough, it only served to ease his anxiousness.

By the time Anakin reached the rooftop where the fight was taking place, it was as good as over. With a final and rather impressive flying kick, Obi-Wan knocked the dark haired man to the ground, and he lay unconscious where he fell.

"Master! Are you all right?" Anakin asked solicitously, looking Obi-Wan over critically. His Master had a few scrapes and bruises, and looked rather winded, but he could detect no serious injury.

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan replied briefly, offering Anakin a reassuring smile. "Thanks for the rescue," he said teasingly.

"You're very welcome," Anakin replied in a similar tone as he flashed a grin. Toeing the unconscious man, he asked, "Master, who could this be? I can't imagine anyone who'd want to kidnap you."

"This, Padawan, is one of the head guardsmen from that lovely planet of the Aurën. If I recall, this one is named Marcall." He paused for a moment, looking pensive. "I suppose the King was more upset by my departure than his son thought he would be," Obi-Wan commented wryly.

"Shall we take him back to the Temple, then?" Anakin inquired. Given what he'd seen of this man, he didn't trust him to law enforcement.

"I suppose so. The Council may want to speak with him – or the Senate may, for that matter," Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin nodded in agreement, and quickly bent down to hoist the unconscious man over his shoulder. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow as he did so. "You caught him, let me carry him." he said, a bit defensively. "I wouldn't want to have come chasing after you for nothing." He was impressed by Obi-Wan's astonishing new speed, and had to admit that his Master had shown that he was more than capable in a fight despite his slim stature. And though Obi-Wan obviously didn't need any rescuing, Anakin still wanted to be useful. "Shall we go now?" he asked dutifully.

Obi-Wan lifted his eyes to meet Anakin's, and grinned. "Certainly." he replied with a small smile. "I don't suppose you have a speeder anywhere nearby?"

Anakin just rolled his eyes.

ooOooOoo

"He may present his case to the Senate if he chooses to, as he claims to have been acting on the direct orders of the planet's monarch."

Obi-Wan looked at Master Windu in surprise as they paused outside the Council Chambers. "Master, I hardly think that he will want to have any interaction with the Galactic Senate. From what I've seen of them, the Aurën are isolationist to the point of being xenophobic."

"I'm afraid you may be right, Obi-Wan, but we will still offer him the option." Master Windu told him.

"And if he refuses?" Obi-Wan queried.

"We'll have no choice but to try him in the criminal courts." he admitted.

"No." Obi-Wan shook his head. "If it comes to that, I won't file charges. The Aurën have enough dislike for outsiders as it is." Obi-Wan said resignedly. He certainly didn't appreciate the King's forceful attempt to bring him back to Aurën, but he couldn't fault the guardsman for doing his job.

Master Windu looked at him skeptically. "We'll see."

ooOooOoo

Anakin had given up trying to sit still as he sat outside the Council chambers. He had never been good at waiting, and today was no exception. That morning he had received a summons that was quite possibly the vaguest that he had ever gotten, so he wasn't quite sure what the Council wanted to see him for. But since it had been for him alone, and not for Obi-Wan as well, he suspected that it was in regards to the matter of his apprenticeship under his current Master.

Anakin knew that the Council wouldn't go so far as to revoke his apprenticeship for his behavior, but he wasn't so sure that they would let him keep Obi-Wan as his Master. Silently, he pleaded to any part of the Force that might hear him not to take Obi-Wan away from him.

One more chapter to go! Thanks for sticking with me, guys, and please feel free to let me know what you think.