Chapter 21:

Obi-Wan raised his head slowly as the door to their cell was opened. It had been several days since the door had been unlocked, leaving them in complete darkness. The intensity of the light streaming in from the hall made his eyes ache and he had to look away. When he looked back up, he half expected to see Xanatos standing in the door way, but was surprised instead to see the guards dragging in another prisoner. He groaned slightly.

Not another execution, Force, please not another execution!

Xanatos had become more ruthless, executing any and all prisoners before Obi-Wan, some of whom Obi-Wan knew not to be members of the resistance. But Xanatos refused to reason. He seemed to find amusement in the brutal murders, and in the pain it caused Obi-Wan. That was why the Jedi Master was even more shocked to find the new prisoner being chained to the wall adjacent to Obi-Wan. However, as the guards moved away to leave, Obi-Wan realized why the prisoner was being left in that particular spot.

Anakin groaned as his arms were raised above his head and his wrists thrust into binders. He could only be thankful that the chains attaching him to the wall allowed him to remain on the floor. He wasn't sure his legs could hold him after the beating he'd just been through. His eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness when the guards left, locking the door behind them and blocking out all light. His chin fell to his chest and the Apprentice sighed. This was not what he had been expecting when he came to Telos.

"Anakin?"

The young Jedi looked up with a start, surprised that he hadn't noticed the other occupants of the room before now. Anakin groaned again. He recognized the voice that called him. Obi-Wan was going to kill him!

"Master?"

"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan ground out. He struggled to remain calm.

"I sensed trouble, Master; I knew that you needed help," Anakin replied heavily. His head hurt too much to be having this conversation.

"I don't need your help, Anakin. I gave you specific orders; you were to remain on Coruscant!" Obi-Wan was abnormally aggravated. Generally speaking, the Jedi Master did not get angry. However, he was concerned for Anakin's safety now that the boy was in captivity as well, and he found his worry coming out as anger.

Anakin started at his master's words. "Master!" Anakin's voice cracked as he shouted, his voice raw, "You're in prison! You're drugged, shackled, and you're not getting away anytime soon, you do not have this situation under control. You need help!"

Obi-Wan glared as his disobedient Padawan, and ground out in an icy tone, "You gave your word to me that you would not, under any circumstances, seek me out! Now I have your welfare to worry about as well. I cannot properly complete my mission here if I am focused on my errant apprentice."

Anakin flinched. "That's not fair!" Anakin shouted. "I came to help, Master and you're calling me a burden. You're being completely unreasonable!" His voice cracked and he coughed painfully.

"You will be mindful of your place, Padawan!" Obi-Wan snapped. Anakin looked away, revealing a large gash on the side of his head in the process, and Obi-Wan's tone softened. "You are injured." Anakin nodded in reply. Obi-Wan sighed. "I'm sorry, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. His words carried a dual meaning, and his Apprentice understood that; Obi-Wan was apologizing for both the wound, and his harsh words spoken moments before.

Anakin shrugged before raising his head again. "Master? Why does Xanatos hate you so much? I can feel it in him, the hatred and the anger. What happened?"

This time it was Obi-Wan's turn to look away. "That, my apprentice, is a very long story."

Anakin gave a bleak smile. "I think we have the time, Master. We're not going anywhere, anytime soon."

Obi-Wan sighed and nodded, "I suppose you're right, and you deserve to know." He paused for a few moments to collect his thoughts. "Xanatos was once a Jedi, as I have already told you. He was Qui-Gon Jinn's apprentice, before me. During his last mission with Qui-Gon, they came here to Telos, and Xanatos discovered, and was sucked into, the powerful and corrupted life his father was leading here. A revolt broke out. I don't know all the details, but Qui-Gon ended up killing Xanatos' father to save the people of Telos and end their civil war. Xanatos and Qui-Gon fought. Qui-Gon won, but he left Xanatos, unable to kill him.

"Years later, Xanatos came back for revenge. Throughout my apprenticeship to Qui-Gon, we often came up against Xanatos during our missions. It seemed he was somehow involved in a great many evils. During one of our missions, Xanatos died. Or at least, that's what we had supposed. I watched him jump into an acid pit, preferring to die rather than be captured by Qui-Gon. Recently the Council received word that he may have been alive and hiding out on Telos. And you know the rest of the story."

From the other side of the room Maija's shifted slightly, and spoke for the first time since Anakin entered the room. "How did he survive the acid?" she asked.

Anakin looked stunned to see the woman in the cell, and he looked at Obi-Wan for explanation.

Obi-Wan answered Maija first. "I don't know. I've been going through the situations over and over in my head and I cannot figure it out." He nodded to his Padawan, "This is Anakin, my Apprentice. Anakin, this is Maija. She's the leader of the resistance."

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment before nodding an acknowledgement. It was silent in the cell for several minutes after that, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So, what's your plan Master?" Anakin asked quietly.

"Survival."

"Survival? What's that mean?"

"It means, Padawan, that I do not have any other plan for escape. Right now, my goal is just to survive. Perhaps someone will come to our aid. You did manage to procure the Council's permission before coming, I presume?" Obi-Wan paused as Anakin averted his eyes. "Padawan?"

Anakin shook his head slightly, "Not quite, Master."

"Not quite? But they do know that you are here, correct?" When Anakin didn't answer Obi-Wan gave a frustrated sound and lay his head back against the wall. "Let me see if I understand this situation - you stole a ship and sought me out with no back up, no information, and no plan?"

Anakin's voice was strained as he answered, "It appears that way, Master." He was mildly surprised at being chastised for his actions. Obi-Wan told him on a regular basis that he needed to pay more attention to the Force and what it whispered to him. The Apprentice was positive that the Force had been screaming at him to come to his Master's aid. And now he was being scolded for following its call.

Although, when he thought rationally about the situation, he acknowledged that he shouldn't be too surprised. He couldn't have expected Obi-Wan to be pleased that he'd wound up in chains and as Xanatos' captive. The situation certainly hadn't been helped by his arrival. Especially since Xanatos knew who he was, and seemed to think that he would make a good Apprentice to the dark man. Anakin chose not to disclose that information to his Master right away, knowing it would only distress the man more, and give him even more reason to scold him later.

Anakin watched as his Master struggled to find his center. He was obviously displeased with the Apprentice's arrival here on Telos. The younger Jedi was contemplating something to say that might make their situation seem a bit less glum, when his thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open. The prisoners looked up, Anakin in surprise, and the others in expectation.

"Ah, my dear Anakin, enjoying my hospitality are we?" Xanatos asked, stepping forward to stand in front of the boy. The smile on his face was cold and cruel and Anakin found his stomach twisting at the sight. The boy turned his face to the right, choosing to look at the wall rather than face his captor. The action caused a bark of laughter to erupt from Xanatos, albeit a cruel one.

"So you're ignoring me now, little Apprentice? I think you'll change your mind once you see what I have in store for you." With a sudden change of mood Xanatos brought back his arm and backhanded Anakin on the right cheek. Anakin's face jerked around, forcing him to look into the eyes of his captor.

Xanatos sneered. "Much better. Look at your elders when you're being spoken to. I would have thought Obi-Wan would have taught you better manners than that."

"Leave him be, Xanatos," Obi-Wan spoke up. "Your problem is with me, not my Apprentice."

Xanatos turned to Obi-Wan, "You don't appear to be in any position to be demanding things." He turned back to Anakin.

The boy started to turn away again but Xanatos bent down, and grabbed his chin roughly, keeping his gaze fixed forward. "You'll come around, little Apprentice. After a few weeks with me and my interrogation sessions… you'll be begging for a reprieve." He let go of the younger Jedi's face and roughly patted his cheek before straightening and turning on his heel.

"I'm warning you Xanatos, leave my Padawan alone!"

"Or you'll do what?" Xanatos brought his knee up sharply into Obi-Wan's stomach. He sneered as Obi-Wan gasped. "As I said, you are in no position to demand anything." He turned to glance back at Anakin, "Your Apprentice, however, can ease the suffering of you and hundreds of others."

Obi-Wan started at these words and gave Xanatos a measured look. "How is that?"

"All he must do is join me as my Apprentice." The dark Jedi laughed at abject horror that crossed Obi-Wan's face as realization set in. He leaned in and whispered almost silently in his arch nemesis' ear, "Oh yes, Obi-Wan. I have found the perfect way to ruin you."

He stalked out of the room.