Chapter 11
Siri and Quinlan hid behind the trees near the settlement, and the blonde Knight swallowed against the sudden bad feeling that caught up on her. She turned around nervously, making sure that Master Windu, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Cody were there. She saw the General taking out his commlink. He pushed a button giving the signal to Captain Rex to detonate the explosives in the forest, which would hopefully distract some of the Mandalorians guarding their friends. Quinlan gripped his lightsaber and moved a bit forward, reaching out with the Force. "Something is happening over there," he whispered. His worried tone didn't help Siri calm down.
Suddenly two things happened simultaneously. Behind them, the massive explosion initiated by Captain Rex ripped through the forest and shook the ground beneath them. When Siri looked toward it, she saw flames reaching into the sky, lighting up the woods. However, the Force shifted around them at the same time, and another kind of explosion made way, coming from the settlement. She held her breath at the sudden onslaught of Darkness gripping her senses like a tornado. She had to struggle to remain upright, and the energy threatened to blow out any Light in the Force for a moment. She remembered her early training and pushed against it with her very core, and slowly she regained her bearings. Then she heard Master Jinn letting out a heartbreaking wail, the intensity of his pain shook her again, and she turned around.
Obi-Wan was the only one not holding his head, cringing at the Darkness trying to consume them. He stood utterly still, his mouth open in shock, but she saw that he was already calculating their next move. Anakin seemed to be the first to regain his composure and fell to his knees beside Qui-Gon, placing his hand on the older man's shoulder just as he had done before with Obi-Wan. Siri felt a wave of soothing energy coming from him. The relief from the oppressive Darkness made them all breathe in again, and Obi-Wan, infused by the influx of Light, sprang into action without taking another look at the still reeling Qui-Gon.
"We have to hurry!" he commanded. "Siri, you stay with Qui-Gon. That Darkness came from Luan, and he will need some time to recover. Anakin, I need you to come with us!"
Siri gave him a nod and rushed toward the kneeling Master, mirroring Anakin's gesture and trying to continue giving him calming Force energy. The others began to run towards the settlement, from where Siri now heard the sounds of a fierce battle. Then she saw at least ten Mandalorians leave in the direction of the explosion and just hoped they wouldn't come her way while Qui-Gon was still struggling.
Adi Gallia was the first to recover from the sudden eruption of Dark energy. When she tried to assess the situation, she instantly felt that her Force-collar was shattered entirely. Shoving aside the fact that Luan had just stepped deeper into Darkness than she had ever felt before from a Jedi, she freed herself from the bindings and pushed the Mandalorians who were about to move in her direction back with the Force. The three men stumbled and fell to the ground, and Adi reached out toward Bo-Katan, who had four lightsabers clipped to her belt. The weapons were in her hands in the next moment, and when she turned around, she saw Stass coming up behind her. Giving her cousin two of the lightsabers, they began their familiar dance, pushing the warriors back and trying to fight their way toward Tahl and Luan, who both lay motionless on the floor.
"Something happened," Stass called out to her between deflecting the blaster bolts they were attacked with, and Adi followed her gaze. At least ten of the Mandalorians rushed out, and when Adi looked around, she saw flames in the distance. The next moment she felt a familiar presence in her mind.
"We are on our way!" Mace sent to her, and she couldn't help a short breath of relief. Somehow he must have heard her calling out for him, and she thanked the Force for it.
Finally, they reached the settlement, and Obi-Wan swallowed briefly when he saw Tahl and Luan laying on the floor in the middle of a fierce battle. They were both not moving. "Anakin," he yelled. "We need to get them out!"
His former Padwan, this time equipped with Plo Koon's lightsaber, gave him a nod and began to fight his way toward the center of the courtyard. Mace looked toward Adi, making sure she was all right, and then followed the young man. The Tholothian Master could cope against her adversaries on her own.
Cody didn't need any further instructions and started using his blaster cannon. He did maximal damage, causing enough chaos to allow Obi-Wan to move toward Pre Vizsla, who was trying to get to Luan but seemed to be still reeling from the shock of what had happened a few minutes before. The General jumped highly, using the Force, and landed in front of the Death Watch leader. Obi-Wan took out his lightsaber and ignited it. He briefly noticed Bo-Katan Kryze beginning to shoot at him out of the corner of his eye but deflected the blaster bolts without difficulty.
Anakin and Mace had reached Tahl and Luan, and the Korun-Master took the healer onto his shoulders, commanding Anakin to do the same with Luan. Obi-Wan felt Mace already bringing Tahl out, but Anakin met some resistance and put Luan down to defend himself. Shutting any distraction around him out, Obi-Wan emerged himself in the Force and began attacking Vizsla, who had drawn out the Darksaber and was ready to fight his adversary.
Obi-Wan moved forward, and their blades clashed with sparks flying wildly. Obi-Wan let loose and ducked to make a move on Vizsla's legs, but the Mandalorian parried the blow, and Obi-Wan stumbled back. He had fought Vizsla before and knew he was to be taken seriously. Bo-Katan was jumping around them and vigorously trying to help her superior, which didn't make this any easier.
Quinlan, Adi, and Stass had enough to do with the other warriors, and Anakin was still trying to find a way to bring Luan to safety. Obi-Wan decided to eliminate Bo-Katan first, and with a wave of his hand, he sent her flying into a wall, knocking the air out of her lungs and keeping her incapable of attacking for a moment.
The brief distraction gave Vizsla the opening to lunge forward, and before Obi-Wan was able to deflect the blow, the Darksaber cut into his calf, making him cry out in pain. Swallowing against the ache which began to spread from the wound, he turned around, keeping himself upright despite the injury, leaning heavily on the Force to support him. However, the energy needed to do so stripped him of the ability to use Force-Lightning to incapacitate his enemy. He began a series of attacks forcing Vizsla to give ground and move toward the hut behind him.
Quinlan and the others seemed to have driven back their adversaries and were about to leave the settlement. But the Mandalorians were pursuing them. Obi-Wan strained to keep his composure when he felt a searing pain moving through his body. Whatever Vizsla had hit, this was not a common injury. He felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead and gritted his teeth. When Bo-Katan began to gather herself and slowly stood up, an explosion behind her threw her back to the ground, and Obi-Wan saw Cody moving toward them with his blaster cannon. Anakin stood at the back, apparently trying to decide what to do when Obi-Wan heard the shuttle coming down near the forest.
In the split of a second, he realized that the injury wouldn't allow him to beat Vizsla in time to get them all out. He turned to Anakin and gave him an apologetic look. "Get her out, Anakin!" he commanded over their bond and was met with eyes that widened in shock.
"I won't leave you, Master!" Anakin replied resolutely.
"Anakin!" he admonished the young man. "Luan and Tahl need medical attention immediately. And we don't know how Qui-Gon will cope. You need to go!" His tone left no room for arguments, but he saw the defiant expression on the Padawan's face.
"Cody can take Luan!" Anakin cried out, his face becoming red with agitation, and Obi-Wan noticed a troubling amount of anger from the young man.
Vizsla was beginning to lash out at Obi-Wan again, and the General had to push him back with the Force, feeling that he couldn't move any longer. His injury kept him glued on the spot. Any attempt to escape or take a step forward would bring him crashing down. He took a deep breath and laid all of his authority into his following command. "Anakin, you are the only one who can come back and land the ship to rescue me. Just go, now!"
The young man seemed to realize that it was hopeless, and he couldn't fight his former Master's command any longer. With a last, "I will come back and get you out!" he picked up Luan's lifeless form and ran with Force-enhanced speed toward the shuttle.
"Cody, you need to leave!" Obi-Wan yelled when Vizsla dealt him another blow, this time on his right shoulder which made fighting impossible after Obi-Wan had taken all of his energy to keep himself upright. Slowly he lost his grip on the Force and sank to the ground, his lightsaber falling out of his hand.
Vizsla held the Darksaber to his throat, and Obi-Wan sent his last goodbye through his bond with Padmé, sure that this was his end. His focus turned inward, pulling the Force into his core, accepting his fate when he faintly heard Bo-Katan's voice, "Stop! Don't kill him yet!"
Pre Vizsla turned toward her, and she yelled, "He is the High General of the Republic. Don't you recognize Obi-Wan Kenobi? Having him as a prisoner is a bargaining chip we shouldn't lose now that Luan Paban is gone. You can force the Republic into a treaty that gives you all the power you need!"
Obi-Wan's mind was getting blurry, and the only thing he was able to notice was that he was not dead yet. However, he couldn't resist a painful wail when Vizsla stomped a foot onto his injured calf, breaking the bone in the process and making his whole leg burn like fire.
Through the blur, he saw Cody standing above him, his hands bound, and when two men were roughly pulling Obi-Wan up, he succumbed to the pain and lost consciousness.
Padmé was already performing the landing sequence to the Resolute's hangar when she suddenly felt Obi-Wan crashing into her mind, calling out, "I' m sorry, my love." She cried out and held her head, slumping down in the pilot's seat and panting heavily.
Artoo let out a concerned series of beeps, and Padmé was glad that the astromech would be able to land the ship on his own. She fought against the sudden tears when she realized that this had been a goodbye. Something had happened to Obi-Wan. The panic that began to consume her increased when she felt merely a faint echo of him over the bond. Then it was gone, too.
She didn't notice when she was lifted out of the seat and brought into the Resolute medical bay.
Mace Windu rushed Tahl into the medical bay and was greeted by a Clone medic who had already prepared a gurney. He gently placed the healer on it and, for the first time, really looked at her. His breath caught in his throat at the nasty injury on her face. It was clearly inflicted with a lightsaber, and the wound was cauterized, which made it even more apparent that her eyes were lost. The medic, whose name was Kix as Mace remembered, hooked her up to the machines and sighed.
"I won't be able to do something about that," he said with a sigh, pointing toward the wound. "Let's see what keeps her from waking up."
Mace shook his head. "She is in shock. We encountered some. . . uhm . . . let's say Jedi problems. The best thing you can do for her is to keep her stable at the moment."
He turned around when he felt his distraught Padawan arriving with Luan. Kix signaled another Clone to bring one more gurney out while pushing Tahl into a private room. Anakin laid the girl down and tried to get a word out between his pants. Mace realizing that something must have happened, placed his hand onto the young man's arm and said, "Calm down, Anakin. You need to center yourself!"
His command had an instant effect as always, and Anakin looked at Kix to give the medic the needed information. "She is exhausted. It's called Force depletion, and she just needs sleep. But monitoring her vitals would be helpful."
"Sedate her," Mace commanded, and at Anakin's inquisitive glance, he added, "We can't properly look after her before we are back in the Temple. More has to be done than get her Force energy back up."
With an understanding nod, Anakin helped the soldier placing Luan on the gurney and looked after her when she was pushed away. Then the Padawan took a deep breath and began to tell Master Windu the cause for his anxiety. "They took Obi-Wan. I couldn't get him out and save Luan simultaneously, and everyone was occupied with fending off the remaining Mandalorians. I think Commander Cody was captured, too."
Mace's eyes widened. "How were they able to take Obi-Wan?"
"Vizsla injured him. I don't know what happened exactly, but Obi-Wan just couldn't defend himself. He was incapacitated. He . . . I saw . . ." he inhaled again, dispelling his trepidation into the Force, and Mace gave him an approving nod. "He surrendered, and they were about to kill him when I left. But I can still feel him, Master. He is alive! We need to get him out!"
"We will," Mace replied and looked up when Siri came in, holding Qui-Gon upright. The Master seemed to be all right but still reeling from whatever Luan had done down there. When Kix came back, he rushed toward them and took Qui-Gon's wrist to get his pulse. "I am all right," the Master said with a quiet voice. "Please concentrate on my lifemate and my Padawan."
Mace heard the tremble in his friend's voice and hurried to reassure him. "Tahl is already in one of the rooms, recovering from her shock, and Luan needs rest. She seems to have depleted her reserves. . . ."
Qui-Gon swallowed thickly, and he exchanged a look with the Korun-Master, showing all of his fear that Luan was lost to the Darkness indefinitely. Mace touched his shoulder and squeezed it encouragingly. "We will see to Luan when she wakes up. For now. . ." he paused, thinking about a sensitive way to say this. "You should go to Tahl, my friend. I am sorry to say that she was blinded by a lightsaber. I. . . ."
Kix seemed to realize that Tahl was the lifemate Qui-Gon had spoken about and pulled the Jedi away from the group, beginning to murmur gently. Mace looked after them and heaved a deep sigh.
"What?" Siri asked, her voice beginning to shake.
"Tahl won't recover from that," Mace explained. "I saw her wound. It's impossible to restore her sight. The lightsaber cauterized the wound immediately. She will be blind. . . ."
Anakin rubbed his face, and after a moment, he whispered, "How is Luan going to cope with that? And Qui-Gon?"
Mace was spared an answer when Master Koon came in, carrying Padmé. He frowned. The Senator hadn't been part of the battle. What had happened to her?
"I found her unconscious in her ship," the Kel Dor explained. "Something must have happened to Obi-Wan. She has suffered from massive shock, and I can only assume that it's because of the bond."
"He was captured. . . ." Anakin replied, giving the motionless form in Plo Koon's arms a worried look. "He thought he was about to die, but they didn't kill him. . . maybe he. . . ."
"He said goodbye," Mace stated and shook himself. "Let's get her into a bed. You Anakin, you need to go into Luan's room, monitor her, and make sure the sedative works. Siri, please accompany Master Koon and Padmé and stay with the Senator. I need Master Koon to discuss how we are going to proceed, and we have to inform the Chancellor that his High General is in the hands of Death Watch."
Everyone hurried to follow his commands without discussion, and Mace slowly made his way to the bridge, already beginning to plan a rescue mission in his head.
Bail Organa looked at the hologram of Master Windu in shock. "How could this happen?" he asked, his voice beginning to tremble when he thought about his friend being in the hands of a Mandalorian terrorist group. If Obi-Wan had been incapable of fighting back, he wouldn't have the capacity to free himself of his predicament.
"He was injured," Mace explained. "According to Anakin, he couldn't move, and Vizsla wanted to kill him. However, he must have reconsidered. I think that they are going to use Obi-Wan to negotiate with the Republic."
Bail nodded. Then he sighed deeply. "Which gives us an advantage. We wouldn't be able to attack Mandalore without having a reason. But if Death Watch threatens the life of our most important military officer, we have the right to use our forces to get him out."
Master Windu apparently hadn't thought about that, and after a moment of contemplation, he shook his head. "I don't know if we will help Duchess Satine if we barge in and rescue Obi-Wan with an army. We should at least consult with her."
Bail's eyes narrowed. "You have two hours to devise a plan, Master Windu. If you can't come up with a solution, I will instruct Captain Yularen and the other officers to move in and get Obi-Wan out. We can't let Death Watch kill him."
Mace swallowed thickly at that. But Bail knew what he was doing. Under normal circumstances, he would never give commands to a Jedi Master. But Obi-Wan was a central figure to the Republic's war efforts, and losing him before this war has even started would give the Separatists an advantage. Bail couldn't let that happen. He knew that he also wanted to help his friend, but Obi-Wan had reminded him over and over that he had to consider the Republic's interests first. However, in this case, his desire and the Republic's needs aligned, and he wouldn't let anything stand in his way.
The moment Mace wanted to end the transmission, Bail held up his hand because his Vice-Chair entered the room. "Wait!" he said and turned around.
Kale Dorvin walked up to them and said, "We just received a message from Death Watch," he reported. "Pre Vizsla demands that we pledge our allegiance to him and help him unseat Duchess Satine and imprison her. If we don't comply, he will kill Obi-Wan and the Clone Commander he has captured. He also wants the treaty renegotiated. Well, honestly, I have the feeling he wants to force the Republic to its knees, knowing well enough that we can't afford to lose Obi-Wan at the moment. I don't think his demands will be at an end after we complied."
Bail inhaled, his expression becoming slightly desperate. "What are you suggesting, Kael?"
"Bring Death Watch to its knees, Bail. We can't let them play us. This would set a horrible example for any other groups who try to threaten us. We already have an army waiting there. I don't see why we can't use it and get Obi-Wan out," the Vice-Chair said firmly.
"Well, then the orders stay the same, Master Windu. You have two standard hours."
He ended the transmission and rubbed his face with worry.
"Why was Obi-Wan even there?" Kael asked after a while. "He shouldn't be involved in this. We do not have any right to operate on a neutral world."
"He wasn't there as General of the Republic, Kael," Bail replied, his voice strained. "He was there to rescue his friends. We can't forbid him to do that. It's just bad luck that he was captured."
"Did he ask you before risking his neck?" Kael inquired, and Bail gave him an incredulous look.
"He doesn't have to!" the Chancellor said sternly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi might be our High General, but he is still a free man. It won't be the last time that he will be in danger. Get used to it! He will always be a high-level target for the Separatists, for the Sith. . . . Force Kael, you know that yourself!"
The Vice-Chair nodded. "Reason enough for him to consider the consequences of his actions. He didn't just risk his own neck here. He pushed the Republic into a conflict it doesn't need at the moment. I am going to stall Vizsla as long as I can. Just call me when you have some news."
Bail looked after Kael and swallowed against the lump forming in his throat. The criticism of Obi-Wan's actions coming from Kael disturbed him greatly. He was reminded of Obi-Wan's remarks before the young General had left for Cato Neimoidia. Maybe he had to take a deeper look into his Vice-Chair and his dealings. Somehow it didn't add up, and he couldn't fight the feeling that Kael was trying to plant the seed of mistrust between him and his General.
Ahsoka was entering the medical bay and saw Anakin sitting at Luan's bedside. When he felt her, he looked up and gestured her to join him. She walked in and instantly sensed the oppressive atmosphere in the room.
He seemed to understand and gave her a slow nod. "She used the Dark Side," he confirmed Ahsoka's suspicion and sighed. "But we don't know why. . . Well, it could be because Death Watch blinded Master Tahl. But we won't know before we can ask her."
Ahsoka gave him an incredulous look, and he explained, "We can't judge a fellow Jedi's actions before having the whole picture. At the moment, she is nothing more than a girl who needs our help. I can feel her calming down when I speak to her. But I need to get to the bridge and help my Master devise a plan to rescue General Kenobi. Would you mind taking over?"
She gave him a contemplative glance, and her gaze shifted toward the pale girl on the bed. "She doesn't know me," she tried to argue against it.
"I don't think that it's important," Anakin replied. "She just needs to know that she is safe and not alone."
Ahsoka nodded and moved to the other side of the bed, sitting down and taking Luan's hand. Anakin said, "I will be back, Luan. Just stay safe and don't do anything foolish. Ahsoka Tano is capable enough to fight you if you try it out." He chuckled, and at Ahsoka's horrified look, he reassured her, "She is sedated, and she won't wake up, Ahsoka. You are quite safe."
She couldn't hide her relief at his words and relaxed. "Don't worry, Sky-guy," she said. "I won't leave her side."
Anakin gave her a smile she couldn't decipher, and she could have sworn that he had the beginning of tears in his eyes when he said, "Thank you, Snips." Then he left, and she wondered how he had come up with a nickname for her so fast. She had had days to think about Sky-guy.
Adi Gallia and Stass Allie joined Master Koon and Master Windu on the bridge to discuss how they would rescue Obi-Wan, and the Tholothian gave Mace a smile to reassure him that she was all right. She sighed. It would be difficult enough to get Kenobi out. Sneaking onto Concordia for a rescue mission again wasn't an easy feat, and there was Satine Kryze's position to consider. The Duchess had to remain in power to keep relations with Mandalore civil.
Her bad feeling increased when Mace reported about his conversation with Bail Organa. "The Chancellor is very anxious to get his General back, and he is ready to use any means to make his position clear," he ended and rubbed his face with worry.
Adi gave him an incredulous look. "We can't attack Mandalore. We would enter another armed conflict if we sent troops onto a neutral planet."
Mace sighed. "Well, tell that to the Chancellor, who just received emergency powers and lost his most important military officer at the same time. It doesn't help that Obi-Wan is Organa's friend. I've seen the look on his face. He was hard-pressed not to command an assault immediately. We have to come up with another plan in the next two hours if we want to avoid a war with Mandalore."
"Are we even sure that Obi-Wan is still alive?" Stass asked, her voice hesitant.
Mace nodded. "Anakin can feel him. It's faint, but it is there. I assume they used the collars again."
"If he is alive, let me talk to Satine Kryze," Adi said. "Maybe she can help."
Plo Koon moved to the computer and began typing in the code for the Duchess. It didn't take more than a minute for the Mandalorian to appear on their holo table, her face showing that she already had been informed of Obi-Wan's capture.
"Masters Jedi," she said with a short bow and gave Adi a smile. "I am glad to see you alive and well, Master Gallia."
"Duchess," Adi replied. "I gather you know that Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Commander are held as prisoners by Death Watch."
Satine nodded. "Yes, and Pre Vizsla already tried to put pressure on me. He contacted the Republic, trying to cancel out the treaty I negotiated with Senators Amidala and Mothma. He wants to force Chancellor Organa to his knees by threatening to kill his High General."
"What does he want?" Adi asked with shock.
"Organa has to appoint him as the new leader of Mandalore and leave the system alone. Viszla doesn't want to give the Republic any assurances, but he wants to have the supplies we negotiated. He also demanded that I will be put into a high-security prison on Coruscant. The Republic is currently debating his ultimatum."
Mace rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "They do, Duchess. And Chancellor Organa asked us to devise a plan to rescue General Kenobi. If we can't come up with a solution, he will attack Concordia this afternoon. "
"Please!" Satine's voice became high-pitched. "That would destroy any treaty between us, and I would certainly lose my position! My people will never accept your army here."
Adi shook her head. "They won't if we just attack. But if you were to explain that Death Watch is threatening their well-being by holding the High General of the Republic hostage, you could lead an attack and ask us for help with your people's approval. I don't think we can just sneak in as my friends did before. Obi-Wan was injured, he can't free himself, and he needs medical attention soon."
They all turned around when Anakin entered the bridge and frowned. "I have an idea," he said with determination and greeted the Duchess with a nod. "I can fly the shuttle onto the moon again, but we won't be able to distract them the same way we already did, which means we need someone to do that for us."
Mace nodded. "Well, we could do that. The Duchess could lead us to Death Watch, and we will officially enter negotiations while Anakin and the others sneak into the compound and get Obi-Wan and Cody out. An official visit from the Duchess and an envoy of the Republic should be distraction enough."
Satine inclined her head. "I am going to get together a few squadrons of guards I can trust and join you on the Resolute then."
Obi-Wan woke up feeling a searing pain moving through his body. He swallowed at the realization that he wasn't lying down but was bound to a rope coming down from the ceiling. When he moved, the ache increased, and he groaned. He was hanging above the floor, and every movement made him swing back and forth a bit which added to the burning in his leg and made his stomach turn. He couldn't keep himself together when the pain level shot up another notch, and he began to retch, barely able to take a breath before it happened. His throat was somehow constricted, and he tried to breathe, fighting the continued urge to gag.
Someone rushed to his side and kept him steady, holding his head up, and he slowly began to get air into his lungs. "They really did a number on you, General," he heard the other man say and was relieved to recognize Cody's voice. The Clone's hands moved toward his neck, and Obi-Wan felt the restriction on it, a Force-collar. Cody let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't get it off. I'm sorry," he said with regret and focused on holding Obi-Wan up to keep him from swinging again.
Slowly Obi-Wan opened his eyes, still occupied with taking breaths and keeping his stomach under control. Without access to the Force, it was challenging to get it done. "Cody," he rasped. "Where are we?" he really couldn't remember how he had ended up here.
"Concordia," Cody replied. "Pre Vizsla injured you, and the others had to flee without us."
Obi-Wan frowned and tried to make sense of that. "We aren't at war with Mandalore, are we?" he made sure.
"No, not at the moment, Sir," the Commander said with a sigh. "But I am not sure what your friends are going to do. They don't strike me as the kind of people who accept your capture lightly."
"Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered, and his head fell down onto his chest again with exhaustion. "You need to get out of here and prevent General Skywalker from attacking Mandalore."
Cody returned to holding his head, giving him a brief relief. Then Obi-Wan saw the shocked expression on the Commander's face. "You mean Padawan Skywalker, Sir?"
It was the one thing he needed to fully wake up from his haze, and he hissed in a breath. Vizsla, Concordia, Luan. . . . His eyes widened when he looked at his Commander again. "I told you to get out!" he said with a shake of his head. However, he realized instantly that moving anything from his toes to his head was a bad idea when the retching began anew.
Cody gently held his head down and let him empty his stomach without comment. When he finally stopped, the Clone took out a handkerchief from his armor and shrugged apologetically. "It's not clean, but it has to do." He carefully removed any vomit traces and put his hand on Obi-Wan's forehead with a concerned expression. "You're burning up, General," he said and looked around, hoping to find some water. But there was nothing in the cell, and he would have to wait for their jailors to come back.
Obi-Wan didn't reply. He was already back into his half-sleepy, half-unconscious state. He just let himself drift away, trying to shut out the reality of their situation. If he just focused on it, he should be able to remove the collar when he awoke the next time.
Padmé awoke slowly and turned around in her bed, stretching her body from an exceptional restful night. Instinctively she reached out over her bond with Obi-Wan as she did every morning and felt just a faint echo of him. That made her open her eyes suddenly. She wasn't in her bed, and he wasn't all right! He had said goodbye! She shot up and was prevented from jumping out of bed by a firm grip on her arm.
"Siri?" she asked hesitantly.
"Padmé," the Knight said with a warm voice. "Do you remember where you are?"
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly in concentration. Then she nodded. "I landed in the Resolute's hangar. Then I felt Obi-Wan. . . ." She once more reassured herself that his presence was still there and felt tears glistening in her eyes when she remembered his goodbye.
"He is alive," Siri Tachi said firmly and squeezed the Senator's arm. "But Death Watch captured him. We are currently discussing how to get him out. Just relax, Padmé. You need to regain your strength."
"What?" Padmé asked, incredulous, and without listening to Siri's advice, she moved up, noticing with relief that she was still fully clothed. She placed her feet on the ground and said, "You are going to need Mon Mothma and me if you don't want to end up with another war," she told the Knight and stood up, staggering a bit but feeling that she was stable enough to move.
"Wait!" Siri called out when she walked to the door.
"Siri!" Padmé exclaimed. "Obi-Wan is in the hands of a terrorist group. You can't expect me to stay in bed and wait for you to rescue him. He is my lifemate! He would do everything to get me out if I were in his place, and I am going to do the same!"
She rushed out and was met with Mace Windu standing at her door, giving her an inquiring look. "You should be in bed!" he said, and she shook her head.
"What are you going to do?" Her voice was desperate, and she knew that he would feel her agitation, but she didn't care at the moment.
"Duchess Satine will be arriving shortly, and we will try to distract Vizsla with negotiations. Vizsla wants the Republic to unseat Satine and put her into prison on Coruscant. He also wants to renegotiate the treaty. We are pretty sure that he will never let Obi-Wan go. That's why Anakin will lead a rescue team to get him out while we conduct our meeting with Vizsla."
"I am going with you," Padme decided, and when he tried to disagree, she held up her hands. "Just don't, Mace. It will be more believable if Mon Mothma and I accompany you. It will also make it easier to give Anakin the time he needs. I won't sit here and wait for you all to rescue Obi-Wan!"
He gave her a reluctant nod and said, "Then let's go to the bridge and talk about how we are going to do this."
One hour later, Master Koon slowly descended the Resolute down towards Concordia. At the same time, Anakin, Siri, Quinlan, and Garen flew out of its hangar, hiding behind the massive star destroyer, which would help them land on the moon without having to fall the whole distance like before. Anakin knew that without Obi-Wan, it wouldn't be as easy to steer the ship without engines, and it was better to keep the freefall to a minimum.
Satine had demanded a rendezvous with Death Watch, and Pre Vizsla had reluctantly agreed when Padmé and Mon Mothma had stepped in and offered themselves as Republic envoys to lead negotiations to release General Kenobi. However, no one expected the Death Watch leader to actually let Obi-Wan go, and Anakin and the others had to make sure that they freed him and Cody while Mace Windu, Padmé, Mon Mothma, and Satine were meeting Vizsla.
Anakin carefully stayed hidden behind the Resolute, and when the ship was almost on the ground, he flew the shuttle to the left, turning off the engines. This time Quinlan had decided to steer their descend, and Anakin looked nervously to the Kiffar, who closed his eyes and said, "You can trust me, Skywalker. I might not be as strong as Obi-Wan is but for the short distance, I can do it."
He was right, and minutes later, the shuttle landed softly on the ground. Anakin didn't wait and shot up, feeling a sudden urge in the Force. "Something is not right," he said to the others. "We have to hurry."
Obi-Wan woke up again, and this time he was prepared. He focused on the collar, and with a click, it opened. He suppressed a wail when the Force came back with a powerful wave, but Cody had watched him the whole time and was already at his side. "The cuffs," he said urgently, and Obi-Wan clicked them open, too, falling into the Clone soldier's arms, completely exhausted.
"I really want to know how you do these things, General," Cody said with a sigh and laid him down gently. "And as much as I wish for you to have the time to rest, I have the feeling we have to get out soon. The Resolute just landed, and I fear our jailors will come for you. . . ." he paused when they heard someone opening the lock to the door, and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.
He pulled the Force into him, gathering enough strength to defend himself, and the next moment he sprung up, feeling a searing pain in his leg. He jumped the Mandalorian jailor, who looked at them with shock and couldn't react accordingly. Obi-Wan hit the man in the neck with precision, rendering him unconscious, and a second later, his legs crumpled under him. With his last bit of energy, he prevented himself from crying out in pain and slumped down, struggling to stay conscious.
Cody just lifted him from the ground and placed him over his shoulders, walking out of the cell after he had relieved the Mandalorian of his blaster.
Mace Windu was walking between Padmé, Mon Mothma, and Satine toward the settlement. When they entered the courtyard, Pre Vizsla was already waiting for them, and the red-haired woman who had been at his side before gestured them to sit down.
"Duchess, Senators," the leader of Death Watch greeted them with a sneer. "I am honored to meet you." He deliberately ignored the Jedi Master, and Mace did the same, stretching out with his senses to feel a trace of Obi-Wan.
He had to keep his features in check when the General's Force-presence practically exploded in his mind. 'Obi-Wan. . .' he thought grimly. 'The only Jedi who can circumvent Force-collars without fail.'
It also meant that he was already trying to escape, and Mace just hoped he would be successful. It would uncomplicate things.
Cody turned a corner and realized that they were at the edge of the settlement. He ducked as well as he could with the General on his shoulders and took cover behind a few crates placed outside their prison. No one was in sight, and the Clone swiftly moved from cover to cover. He was almost in the forest when he heard a whistle and a Mandalorian ran toward him. "Stop!" the man yelled and took out his blaster, but Cody was faster and shot it out of his hands. However, the man was on him a second later, and he toppled to the ground with Obi-Wan.
The General seemed to have regained some strength and repeated his move by hitting the man in the neck. The Mandalorian just fell to the floor without a noise. "That's a helpful tactic," Cody grumbled and jolted Obi-Wan up again. This time he just decided to pull him forward with his arm around his shoulders. They could rest as soon as they were in the forest.
Mon Mothma and Padmé did their job brilliantly, negotiating Obi-Wan's release without a hitch, and Mace Windu was surprised how Satine Kryze played the game with them. She was changing her expression from outrage to resignation in between seconds, and when he nodded, she drew out the conversation by breaking out in tears.
"You can't do this, Vizsla!" she cried out with despair. "My people will never allow you to put me into prison."
He jumped up from his chair and yelled, "Your people will never know. This despicable Jedi here will just take you after we're finished here, and you will never set foot onto Mandalore again!"
Mace winced at the hatred in his eyes and moved in front of the Duchess to make sure the Mandalorian wouldn't attack her.
"Now," Mon Mothma said with all the composure demanded of a Senator. "What about Kenobi? If we do all this, we need to ensure that he is still alive."
Vizsla chuckled and gave Mace a scornful look. "That's disconcerting for you, isn't it? Not being able to sense him. How does it feel being helpless?"
The Korun-Master gave him an icy stare and said, "You need to understand one thing, Vizsla. A Jedi is never helpless, and Obi-Wan Kenobi is by far the most powerful Jedi I have ever seen. Why don't you go and fetch him? I can feel that he is alive, but I can also feel that he is in horrible pain. You are going to explain to us what you did to him, or these negotiations have failed."
Padme understood his hint and sprung up. "The High General of the Republic is a prisoner of war. At least, that is what you've told us when you negotiated his release. If you tortured him. . . ."
Bo-Katan stepped forward and gave them a glare. "No one tortured your precious General! He was injured in battle. . ."
"And did receive medical care?" Mon Mothma asked, her voice high-pitched.
"No," Vizsla cut in. "I will not treat a Jedi. I would have killed him on the spot. But my dear Bo-Katan reminded me of the possibilities."
Mace saw Satine looking at the Bo-Katan with tears in her eyes. "Traitor," she hissed, and the red-haired woman tried to step toward her but was held back by Vizsla.
"Forget your sister. She will never be a real Mandalorian. And now that she will be going into exile, she doesn't have to be."
Mace suddenly began to understand the hurt Satine was radiating in the Force and heaved a deep sigh. "General Kenobi," he tried to bring them back to their discussion.
Vizsla turned around and looked at one of his men with an inquiring expression. "He should already be here. Go and look for him!"
Obi-Wan lay on the floor of the forest, panting heavily and once more trying to regain some energy. He reached into the Force and felt Anakin nearby. Relieved, he called the Padawan over the bond. "Anakin!"
"I'm almost there, Master," the young man replied, and Obi-Wan smiled when he was practically hit by a wave of joy. He fell back and whispered, "Help is on the way," to Cody.
True to his promise Anakin reached them a moment later, and with him were Quinlan Vos, Siri Tachi, and Garen Muln. Despite being just a Padawan, Anakin turned around and commanded, "We will never make it to the shuttle. Garen and Siri go back and leave while Quinlan and I bring Cody and Obi-Wan to the Resolute. She is parked just a few steps from here."
No one argued with him, and Obi-Wan had to suppress another smile. It wouldn't take long now for Anakin to become a Knight. The young man leaned over him and shook his head. "Master," he said with a husky voice. "You're looking awful. What have they done?"
"Just a broken leg," Obi-Wan said with a slight shrug.
"It's a bit more than that," Cody disagreed and once more took his General onto his shoulders. "Lead the way, Skywalker."
"We are safely on the Resolute, Master!" Mace heard over his bond with Anakin and pushed a button on his commlink. The next moment, the 501st marched into the courtyard and moved into attack position. With them were Satine's guards, and the Duchess stood up and straightened herself.
"Well, I have to say this conversation was enlightening. But I am afraid we have to cut this short." She moved to Vizsla, who was looking at the soldiers with a stunned expression. "Pre Vizsla, I am arresting you and your men as terrorists who tried to overthrow the rightful government of Mandalore!"
Bo-Katan turned around and shouted, "Go and kill Kenobi!" The men in the back moved, but Mace just shrugged.
"General Kenobi is safely on our ship. Now, I'd like to discuss another settlement, but you heard the Duchess. You are all prisoners of Mandalore, and she is free to do with you as she likes."
Padmé gazed at Satine and said, "Please, free all the prisoners. We should at least make sure we've done what we could to rescue Luan's mother."
Satine nodded grimly and looked at her guards, who sprang into action and began searching the huts.
Captain Rex moved in and secured Vizsla and Bo-Katan first, not meeting much resistance when they both realized that they didn't stand a chance against the Republic troops.
Mace ushered Mon Mothma and Padmé out of the courtyard, and they ran to the Resolute. The Korun-Master already knew that Captain Rex was better prepared to deal with Death Watch than him, and he had to get the Senators to safety.
Anakin paced back and forth in the medical bay while Kix was with Obi-Wan to assess his injuries. The Clone medic had given Commander Cody a look and decided that he also had to wait before being cleared to return to his quarters. The Padawan's gaze shifted toward the open door of Luan's room, and he saw Ahsoka still sitting at the girl's bedside, murmuring quietly. He heaved a deep sigh. After this adventure, they would have to pick up the pieces. He wondered how Qui-Gon was doing at the moment. Death Watch had done more damage to them than the Separatists ever could.
He looked up when Kix came out of Obi-Wan's room and gave the Clone an inquiring glance. "He needs surgery," Kix reported and walked toward Cody, beginning to examine him while continuing to explain, "His leg is broken multiple times, and there is some nerve damage which explains why he couldn't move. There is no way we can just set it. I stabilized it for the moment. The wound on his shoulder is also deep, but it cut the bone cleanly. However, it will take some time to heal. Especially because the wound was cauterized immediately."
"Well, that's what happens when you're cut by a lightsaber," Anakin said, trying to swallow down his anxiety.
"Yes, and it usually is an advantage, but in this case, it prevents the bone from knitting back together. We are going to need a Jedi healer to treat it. It really didn't help that he moved around after having suffered these injuries. His condition is. . . Let's say he needs rest, desperately. He's displaying a high fever, and I gave him antibiotics. . ." Kix nodded when he had checked Cody's pulse. "You're cleared to go, Commander," he said, but Cody didn't move.
"Is he awake?" Anakin asked, looking at the door to Obi-Wan's room.
"He is. But he shouldn't be. He refused to take a sedative and asked for you," Kix replied with a grim expression.
"It wouldn't have helped anyway," Anakin explained to the medic. "He would have purged his system the moment you gave it to him. It's a reflex he can't control."
"What?" Cody asked. "How is he going to have surgery then?"
"Well, that was always a problem with Obi-Wan. That's why we need a Jedi healer sooner rather than later. He can't take traditional painkillers either. There is one experimental drug that works, but it's only used by the Temple."
"Which explains why he refuses to take what I offered," Kix grumbled. "He is in considerable pain. Is there any way we can help him before returning to the Temple? I'm not sure he can make the journey in his current condition."
Anakin sighed. "I could try to help him with the Force. But you need to inform Master Windu that I won't be available for some time."
The medic nodded, and Cody stood up, following Anakin into Obi-Wan's room. Anakin had to suppress a smile at the wave of concern he felt coming from the Commander. His fears that the Clones wouldn't provide the same companionship Obi-Wan had known from them in his former life had been unjustified. As always, his Master had won their hearts faster than anyone had expected.
Obi-Wan was lying in his bed, his face pale and the wound on his shoulder barely covered. Kix was right. It looked nasty. His left leg was placed in a cast from the knee downwards to stabilize him. When he saw his former Padawan, he strained to give him a smile, but Anakin felt the surge of pain instantly over their bond.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said and projected his gratefulness at his rescue while the Padawan sat down at his side.
Cody remained standing in the door, and the General looked at him with a warm shimmer in his eyes. "You saved me, Cody," he said between pants. Anakin took his hand and began to immerse himself in the Force, drawing the pain away from his former Master. The effect was immediate. Obi-Wan's features relaxed, and he squeezed the young man's hand to show his gratitude.
Cody cleared his throat. "It was nothing, Sir. In the end, you did the heavy lifting. . . ."
Something passed between the Commander and his General that Anakin couldn't interpret, but then Obi-Wan turned to him. "You kept your promise."
Anakin swallowed. "I did. But I am sorry it took me so long to come back."
Obi-Wan shook his head but obviously regretted the motion instantly when he placed his hand on his forehead, his expression becoming pained. "I'm just glad you came, Anakin," he said after a moment. "I don't think Vizsla would have let me go, and Cody had enough to do carrying me out of that cell."
"The whole battalion would have come down on Death Watch if you had died, General," Cody said grimly. "The men really respect you after what you've done for us."
"Well, it's nice of you to say so, Cody," Obi-Wan replied. "But I did what any decent human being would have done. It's not that remarkable if someone condemns slavery with all its aspects."
"It is for us, sir," Cody said with a solemn voice.
Mace and Padmé arrived in the medical bay a few moments later, and Kix gave them a short report of Obi-Wan's injuries. "His fever is still very high, but it should go down with the antibiotics I gave him. Padawan Skywalker is currently helping him fight the pain because he refused to take the painkillers. . . ."
Mace nodded. "I am going to make sure we take the fastest route to Coruscant and inform the halls of healing to prepare everything. Master Koon is overseeing the return of our troops. I just have to tell him that we are going to take Luan's mother with us in case she is among the prisoners."
Padmé looked at Kix and asked, "Can I see him?"
"Yes, Senator," he replied. "I think it will help him to have the people he loves at his side."
She didn't need any more motivation and walked to Obi-Wan's room, following the warm feeling over the bond. When she opened the door, she hissed in a breath for a moment. Once more, her love was lying in a hospital bed, pale and small. She rushed to his side and was greeted with a brilliant smile that soothed her nerves. "Padmé," he said, his voice raspy. "I am so glad to see you."
"Never do that again," she began to speak, and a sob escaped her throat. "I thought you died!"
He took her hand and squeezed it. "I was sure that I would die. What would you have me do? Not say goodbye?"
The tears were flowing freely now, and she leaned over him, her head falling onto his chest gently. His hand moved to her hair, and he silently stroked it, taking one of her locks between his fingers and playing idly with it. "Hush, it's fine now, Padmé," he said, and then his voice seemed to fail him.
After a while, she separated herself from him, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw tears shimmering in them. She took his left hand and caressed his head, her fingers enjoying the sensation of feeling his hair. Her hand moved down to his cheek, and she leaned over to kiss him. He answered by seeking her lips, and his arm went around her, pulling her down. For a moment, they were lost in the kiss, but then Padmé remembered that Anakin and Cody were still here, and she gently freed herself from his grip and sat up.
Anakin chuckled. "Don't stop on my account," he said cheekily. "I am just the replacement for his painkillers here."
She hit the Padawan gently on his arm and couldn't help but laugh. Anakin's lightheartedness had chased away her despair at seeing Obi-Wan hurt again, and she was grateful that he was here.
A Mandalorian guard approached Master Plo Koon while he was overseeing the troop's return. The Kel Dor saw him stabilizing a black-haired woman, who displayed a significant limp while walking. Her face was full of bruises, and he had to swallow down his anger at seeing her.
"Master Jedi," the guard said. "The Duchess asked me to place this woman in your care. Her name is Shagin Paban, and Duchess Satine told us that you were looking for her."
The woman's warm brown eyes locked onto the Kel Dor's mask and Plo Koon instantly felt her trepidation. He gave the guard a nod and was surprised when the Mandalorian reached to his belt and unclipped a lightsaber from it. "I gather this belongs to one of you," he said and gave it to Plo Koon. It was clearly Master Kenobi's weapon, and the Jedi Master gave the guard a grateful smile.
Then he turned to the woman and gently offered her his arm. Reluctantly she took it and asked, "What are you going to do to me?" with a trembling voice.
"First, we are going to treat your injuries," he replied with a calm voice. "And then we will hopefully arrange for you to meet your daughter."
She gave him an incredulous glance, and he saw her swallowing down the joy before she narrowed her eyes. "My daughter died during a pirate attack in the Outer Rim," she replied.
"I don't think so," Plo Koon said. "She was rescued by a team of Jedi, and we only came to Concordia to rescue you."
He felt her hope at his words and turned around toward Garen Muln, who was waiting for orders. "Would you mind bringing her to the medical bay? Further explanations will have to wait," he said to Shagin Paban. "We have to move quickly because we need to bring our injured to Coruscant to treat them properly."
She gave him a nod and turned to Garen, letting him hold her up while limping at his side.
Satine Kryze walked up to Plo Koon and said, "We have secured all the prisoners, but we are going to need your gunships to return to Mandalore with them."
The Kel Dor nodded. "We expected that. We are going to fetch them when we return with Chancellor Organa to ratify the treaty, Duchess. For the moment, I feel that we need to leave as soon as we can to provide General Kenobi with the medical care he needs."
"I will tell my people to lift off, then," she said and placed her hand on the Jedi Master's arm. "Thank you for your help. I will never forget it. The Republic and the Jedi have made an ally here who will stay loyal to them."
"Thank you, Duchess," Plo Koon replied and squeezed her hand. "I am sure we are going to need any ally we can find."
Qui-Gon Jinn sat at Tahl's bedside and looked at his unconscious lifemate with tears in his eyes. A few moments ago, he had felt that the others must have rescued Obi-Wan. But he couldn't bring himself to stand up and look for him. He was just sitting here, fighting against the feelings of anger and rage that tried to consume him at seeing Tahl suffering. It was apparent that she would never look at him again with her beautiful gold-green eyes, and he felt the tears slowly making their way down his cheeks. If Vizsla were here right now, he wouldn't be able to fight the Darkness within himself. He would kill him, and it would be nothing more than pure revenge. He briefly wondered if that had been Luan's motivation for her actions but pushed the thought of his Padawan far away. He would need more time to think about that. He was just glad to sense that she was still sedated at the moment. Dealing with the aftermath of what happened on Concordia would have to wait until Tahl woke up.