Chapter 29 – Of Monsters and Men
The floor vibrated underneath her body, rousing her back to consciousness. Ahsoka awoke slowly, her head pounding terribly. She let it rest against the cool metal tiles a little longer before the memories came rushing back to her. Dex's Diner. The transport crash. That Zabrak who attacked her.
The teenager shot up faster than she probably should have done. As soon she reached an upright position, Ahsoka was hit with an enormous wave of nausea. Black spots were obscuring her vision and she felt like she was going to be sick. Her stomach twisting and churning, she dragged herself over to one of the walls and began to take stock of her surroundings.
By the rumbling noise and slight vibration, Ahsoka could tell that she was on a ship. More specifically inside a cargo hold, she mused, as she let her gaze wander. The ship was in terrible condition, the wall plates rusty and threatening to fall off every second.
Even the Twilight was in better condition. Where were they going? And who was the guy who took her? Ahsoka tried to reach her master in the Force, only to find her connection gone.
That bastard had drugged her. She clenched her jaw and tried to calm herself. It wouldn't do her any good if she started to panic right now.
Ahsoka centered her breathing like she had been taught as a youngling. It didn't help much but it was better than nothing. She hoped that the others were okay. But somehow, she had that ugly feeling that that was not the case.
The padawan drew her knees up to her chest and tried to suppress the shiver that wrecked through her body. It was so cold in space. When she was flying together with her master, he always made sure that the cockpit and sleeping quarters were warm enough. As a man from a desert planet, the jedi tended to be cold more often than not. Ahsoka did never mind though, she liked the warmth.
Now she couldn't find any comfort. Her master wasn't here and the Force wouldn't provide warmth for her.
Ahsoka studied the cuffs around her wrists. They were electrified, sending small jolts through her body when she tugged to hard.
Maybe she could try to pick the lock. Looking around, she spotted a slim, rusty nail in the wall. That would have to make do.
Her hands trembled as she began to peel it out. The rusty surface scraped her skin and soon Ahsoka found that her fingertips were bleeding a little.
"Come on", she grunted, giving the nail a final tug. It came lose with a scratching sound, bits and pieces of the metal crumbling to the floor.
"Got it", the padawan breathed exhausted and returned to her place on the wall. She gingerly tried to prod the lock with the nail, trying to find a way to wedge it in.
Ahsoka didn't know how long she fiddled with the lock, but after what felt like an eternity, she felt one of the cuffs loosen a little, as a part of the lock sprang open.
She grinned with triumph and focused on getting it open all the way.
Ahsoka noticed to late how the door to the cargo hold swished open and a shadow was looming over her.
"And what do you think you're doing?", a dark voice growled angrily.
She knew it was a futile attempt, but the padawan hid the nail inside her palm either way. She looked up then, studying her captor.
"I don't know what you're talking about", she said defiantly, meeting the Zabrak's gaze with confidence.
"Oh really", the beast chuckled, "how about I enlighten you then."
He let his fingers close into a fist and Ahsoka began to feel the pressure on her hand. The padawan looked up alarmed but was only met with a wicked, toothy grin.
"You shouldn't lie, Tano. That's unbecoming for a jedi." Then he closed his fist in a fast motion.
It took Ahsoka a moment before her body finally registered the pain. Her hand had been crushed around the nail, driving it inside a bit. She screamed sharply, cradling her broken hand with her other arm. That had been her dominant one. Breathing through the pain, Ahsoka gritted her teeth.
"Who are you? And what do you want?", she hissed.
"I'm pretty sure you know my face", he barked, throwing his head back with laughter.
The padawan studied the creature in front of her closer. He looked sick; his features gaunt. Even though his skin was red, she could see that his nose was badly swollen and oddly bent into one direction. Someone must have broken his nose. Amber, bloodshot eyes were boring into her. Definitely a Sith, as he had used the Dark Side of the Force on her.
Her gaze trailed downwards, coming to rest on his legs. Prosthetics. Somehow that fact began to ring a bell.
Suddenly remembering, she snapped her head up. The training videos they showed in the lightsaber classes. The Battle of Naboo. The day Master Kenobi lost his master and slayed a Sith. "You're supposed to be dead. My grandmaster killed you."
His eyes darkened. "I'm very much alive as you see. Kenobi failed. Like he did again now."
"He's stronger than you'll ever be", Ahsoka challenged.
Growling, Maul leaned into her face. "And yet you're here. On my ship. Snatched away from right under his nose."
"Says the man with the broken nose", she snarked, knowing that she was already walking on very thin ice.
Growling, he rightened himself again and turned towards the door. "But don't worry, you can deem yourself lucky that you're with me now. Soon the jedi will be no more."
Before exiting, he made another motion with his hand and Ahsoka felt the cuffs lock around her hands again.
The padawan watched as the Sith disappeared through the door before she looked at her hand again. As gently as she could she unclenched it, grunting as the movement sent jolts of pain through the small breaks inside her fingers. She should have known better than to challenge that monster, she scolded herself. With trembling hands, she yanked the nail free from her palm, biting back another cry.
"Blast", she cursed, throwing the destroyed tool away angrily. Ahsoka tore small strips from her robe and bound them around her hand before she let her head rest back against the wall.
Panic and fear were starting to creep up inside of her. Where were Satine and Master Kenobi? Were they alright? What has happened on Coruscant? And what did Maul mean with the vanishing of the jedi?
Her heart hammering in her chest, Ahsoka closed her eyes. Even though she couldn't reach the Force, she tried to call for her master.
"Please, master. I need your help", she mumbled.
Tick. Tack. Tick. Tack.
The small ticking noise was the only thing to be heard in this room. Obi-Wan contemplated when he had seen an analog chrono last, as he watched its hands move. The thing must be ancient, maybe even older than himself. It did its job though.
The ticking noise began to rattle through his bones as the jedi master waited for whatever was to come.
One hour and forty-seven minutes. That's how long he had been sitting here, wrists chained to the table in front of him, ankles to a hook on the floor. After the droids had arrested him a few hours ago, they had taken him to the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. A high security prison. He had regained consciousness halfway through the process.
'Funny thing', he mused. Obi-Wan had lost count of how many criminals he had brought here himself. Now, he was going to meet their fate as well.
They had stripped him of his clothes and replaced them with a bright orange overall with a number on its back. At least he had been allowed to wash Satine's blood away from his skin before they had proceeded. A slim metal band had been clasped around his neck, replacing the force-inhibiting drugs they had injected into his system. It was no less cruel.
No word has been spoken to him as the droids had brought him into the interrogation room. Not caring that Obi-Wan had trouble keeping up with their pace. He had stumbled more than once when they had yanked him particularly hard forward, his knee screaming in protest of the mishandling.
And now he sat here, staring at the clock. Obi-Wan suppressed another shudder that threatened to run down his back. He was feeling cold and tired since they had taken him in. He hoped Satine and Ahsoka were alright. Guilt gnawed at him; he should have known better than to ignore his bad feeling about their little trip. It was all his fault.
He shifted his gaze from the clock to examine the room again. There wasn't much to look at to be honest. A camera hung from the top right corner, its red light blinking occasionally. There was a mirror on the wall opposed to him and Obi-Wan could see the yellow specks that were surging through his otherwise blue iris.
Clenching his jaw, the jedi master quickly averted his gaze and fixed it on the metal table he was chained to. Even though his hands were clean now, his knuckles were still swollen where he had punched Maul's nose. He hoped he broke it.
Maybe closing his eyes a bit would help with easing his mind. But as soon as he did so, the images came flashing back into his mind. Maul forcing him to shoot Satine. Kidnapping Ahsoka. Stabbing his master through the gut.
Balling his hands into fists, Obi-Wan made a vow to himself.
He would end Maul once and for all when the monster would step under his nose again. He won't let him get away again. Whatever it would take to do so.
The click of the door lock made him perk up again.
Through the mirror he saw how a middle-aged man with a disgruntled look on his face entered the room. The man obviously didn't want to be here. Obi-Wan could only agree to that silently, it was still in the middle of the night.
The man sat down on the other side of the table, slapping a folder down on the surface, together with a small recording device. He didn't even look him in the eye. Obi-Wan realized that he already has been branded as a murderer. He didn't know if he could talk himself out of this.
The great Negotiator. Suddenly that nickname sounded more like a bad joke, mocking him.
His opponent was flipping carelessly through the papers, still completely ignoring Obi-Wans presence. The jedi caught glimpses of the contents of the folder. Pictures of him, the weapon, fingerprints, the transport wreck and even the bodies and the destroyed droids.
His stomach churned as he watched the photographs being laid out in front of him. At least Satine wasn't on one of them. Which meant he had healed her enough. She just had to be alive.
The man flicked a switch on the recording device and finally looked Obi-Wan in the eye. His gaze was cold, a mix of disgust and uncaringness.
"Everything you say will go on record and can be used against you in court, do you understand?", the man grunted.
Obi-Wan straightened himself on his chair. "Yes."
"Good, now state your name and profession."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi, jedi master and general of the GAR."
"You are accused of dangerous manipulation of a public transportation vehicle with a crash as a result and six murders, as well as attempting to kill Duchess Satine Kryze", his interrogator read out loud as he studied his documents.
"Is Sat- the duchess okay?", he blurted out, nearly accidently slipping her name out. It would only make things more difficult if they knew about their relationship.
The man stopped and emerald eyes met his blue ones again. "I'm not authorized to tell you that."
His gaze wandered down again. "If you care so much about her health maybe you shouldn't have shot her."
Obi-Wan's hands curled into fists, but he tried to stay calm. "I'm innocent."
"Oh really?", the man almost began to laugh, "how about I fresh up your memory then."
He jabbed his finger on one of the pictures, sliding it forward until it rested in front of Obi-Wan's bound wrists.
It showed the blaster. "Care to explain how your fingerprints got on the weapon?"
The jedi sighed but kept his posture. "There was a zabrak, he had a robotic hand with which he held the blaster", he stated calmly, "he shot these six people." Obi-Wan motioned at the other pictures on the other side of the table. "I tried to wrench the weapon away from him but he grabbed my hand around the weapon and forced me to shoot at the duchess."
His opponent lifted his eyebrows. "You expect me to believe this?"
"Why should I lie?", he tilted his head trying to read the other man's expression.
"You may be convicted of murder. There are enough reasons to start lying."
"Jedi don't lie", Obi-Wan retorted undeterred.
"Let's just say I believe your story…", he grabbed a datapad from a bag next to him, "can you describe that Zabrak you claim who was there?"
Something wasn't quite right with that man, even without the Force Obi-Wan could tell that. "Why start believing me now? You seemed pretty sure that I'm guilty", he tried.
"Mr. Kenobi, please answer my question. It won't get easier for you if you don't cooperate."
"Why should it get easier if I answer your question? You can always twist my words in court."
"If you want it that way, fine."
He tapped on the button of the recorder, stopping it shortly. He grinned at Obi-Wan like a maniac. Too bad he was sitting with his back to the camera.
The jedi was beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable.
"Just for you to know, I don't need your words. You're already deemed guilty. The emperor just has special plans for you", the man gleaned.
Obi-Wan's face twisted in confusion. 'Emperor? What is he talking about?' "I don't think I can follow you."
The man just pushed the recording button wordlessly and pulled out a small holo projector.
"Evidence Nr.7 will be played in front of the suspect", he stated to no one in particular.
Still not grasping the new information, Obi-Wan looked at the small hologram that started to play in front of him.
The image was fuzzy, but still it felt like the floor had been pulled away from underneath his feet.
It showed him shooting Satine. But the catch was that Maul wasn't to be seen.
Like the Zabrak had never been there. Erased. Just his simple imagination.
"No", he mumbled, staring blankly at the flickering video, "that's not how it happened."
Who was he even speaking up to? His words would fall on deaf ears either way. This was a dead end.
"You're saying this evidence is faulty?", the man asked him like he didn't know a thing.
Obi-Wan had a hard time with clamping down the anger that started to boil up inside of him. That didn't keep him from listening closely to his opponent's words though.
"You're the one who said that it's faulty", he said, eyes narrowing a little. He caught the man with his own words. "It seems that you know something I don't."
His opponent sneered as he realized that he had made a mistake.
The jedi laughed and leaned back as much as the chains would allow him to. "What?", he asked with a smile, "Afraid that you're revealing more than you're supposed to?"
He had nothing to lose, time to play with this sleemo.
"Mr. Kenobi, I must ask you to stop this or you'll get into even more trouble."
Snorting, he shook his head in amusement. "Trouble for what? A crime I didn't commit?", he leaned forward coming close to the other man's face, "a fact you seem to be very aware of."
Obi-Wan let himself fall back again. "You can't sentence me for asking questions."
"But I can question something else", the man hissed, grabbing the recorder on the table.
Holding it next to his mouth, he stared at him with a cold expression.
"I hereby question the suspect's mental health. Obi-Wan Kenobi seems to be hallucinating about a certain Zabrak who he claimed was there at the crime scene. He also denies that he is guilty."
He started to look at his datapad.
"Regarding his files, I see that there had been an incident a little over 20 years ago on Naboo. The suspect fought a Zabrak in the reactor room and killed him successfully. I would like to assume that the defendant has not processed this incident and has suffered from it psychologically. Furthermore, it is possible that he has developed a post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his many years of service on the war front. I recommend that my client be placed in a psychiatric hospital."
The man then ended the recording and studied him again. "You won't get out of this. You're alone."
"You're more trapped than you think. You'll never walk free as long as you let others control you", Obi-Wan countered.
The interrogator made a signal towards the camera and soon he heard the door open behind him.
The man stood up, while Obi-Wan was unchained from the floor and table and hoisted to his feet by the guards. Clones, he realized.
"Whatever the court decides, you will get what the Jedi deserve."
'Someone is really sure of himself.'
"Send that emperor of yours my regards", Obi-Wan called over his shoulder as the clone guards hauled him out of the room, down into the prison complex.
Should I be sorry for this? Nah, I hope you can guess what's about to come up :D
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!
Next chapter: Anakin's time to take action.
jadesabrexiv: I think you might have read my mind :D