A/N: Thank you to everyone still reading.

Chapter 11

People liked to think Maison lacked patience. But that was far from the truth. He sat silently in front of the scanners, waiting for the arrival his Zhelan had predicted to come. All around the planet he had his canons aimed at the sky. The Zhelan had promised trouble and he was never wrong.

The blip on the screen gained his attention. His guards calibrated the canons to take aim at the ship that had emerged from hyperspace but then they hesitated. Maison's eyes went wide as he realised how many ships were hovering above his planet.

"Shoot them down," he ordered, "not a single one breaks through the atmosphere."

Never had Beimeni faced an attack on this scale before. The only explanation he could think of, was that the Jedi had found the source and called for reinforcements. He should have shot them down when he had the chance. Why had the Zhelan defended them so often?

Maison's fist clenched as he watched the ships take hit after hit without appearing to back off. Obi-Wan wouldn't betray him, would he? Why had he and the Jedi gone into town? What had they talked about?

The chair fell over with the force he had stood up with. Maison had realised he was getting too attached to Obi-Wan, but they had trust, didn't they? He had to believe Obi-Wan wouldn't betray him. But only fools believed without proof.

He barely reached the stairs before his guards came rushing down towards him.

"Why aren't you guarding the Zhelan?"

The fear in their eyes said it all. "He is gone. So are the Jedi."

Why? He asked himself but he saw no answer.

"Your Majesty, the off-worlders are retaliating!" Someone called from behind him and then the ground shook.

For the first time in a very long time, Maison didn't know what to do.

o-O-o

The fire crackled and Qui-Gon held his hands against it. The desert was cooling rapidly.

His eyes wouldn't move from the silhouettes of Separatist ships blocking out the stars. The only light they had came from the fire they had made. The rest was complete darkness now that they couldn't see the oasis on the horizon anymore.

The clones sat in a circle with their blasters in their hands. They didn't know what was awaiting them in the desert and with the Separatists now on the planet they needed to be especially careful. He could sense that Dooku was with them, and he simply couldn't face that confrontation.

Anakin had taken some convincing. He hadn't wanted to run but when their ship got blown up, they hadn't had much of a choice. All they could do now was hide and come up with a plan.

Qui-Gon's gaze dropped to the sleeping boy under his cloak. He looked so incredibly young in the fire light. Qui-Gon watched as he started to wake up. There was no doubt that there was going to be an argument.

The moment Obi-Wan woke up, he startled into a sitting position, immediately he took hold of his arm and looked it over frantically. Once he was convinced that he was unharmed, he held it to his chest protectively and took a few shaky breaths.

"We scanned you head to toe. You don't have a chip."

Obi-Wan turned angry eyes on him. "I could have told you that."

"Then what's keeping you from leaving him?"

"I know it's a foreign concept to you, but trust. I trust him and he trusts me. We take care of each other. Why would I leave a place where I was finally safe?"

Qui-Gon frowned at Obi-Wan's tone.

"Well, it isn't safe anymore."

Obi-Wan turned, his eyes widening as he realised where they were. He dropped his hand and stared at the ships in the sky. "Trouble indeed," he muttered.

"They're Separatists. It would seem the Chancellor was right about Beimeni being important."

"That's a whole armada… Maison. You need to take me back to him."

"Who's Maison?"

Obi-Wan looked at him like he was thick. "The King." He tried to stand up and then realised his legs were bound. "Seriously? Now who's keeping me prisoner?"

"I can't let you go back. They'll kill you."

"I can handle myself."

"Not against a Sith."

The surprise on Obi-Wan's face turned to a look of fear. "The Sith are extinct."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Unfortunately not."

"Now you understand why we can't stay out of the war, if the Sith are fighting for the other side," Anakin added. He had come to join them by the fire.

"So what's the plan? Hiding out in the desert until they just disappear? We won't survive a day out here."

"I grew up in a desert, I think I can handle myself."

Obi-Wan just started laughing. "Oh? Which desert?"

Despite the clear reluctance on his face Anakin said, "Tatooine," causing Obi-Wan to laugh again.

"That's cute. Like I said. We won't survive a day out here."

"Why don't you be helpful and tell us what kind of lifeforms we're likely to encounter."

Qui-Gon placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder as Obi-Wan continued to chuckle to himself.

"You're not listening to me. This desert is deadly because it is hot and dry and simply full of useless sand. Nothing survives outside the oases. Especially not unprepared." He looked at them and their minimal supplies sceptically.

"Then we'll reach the next oasis."

"We're at least 2 days out on foot and," he looked up and then left and right, "you're going in the wrong direction."

"Are you going to be helpful?" Anakin scowled, "We're trying to rescue you."

Obi-Wan sat up, his hands resting on his knees and the amusement on his face disappeared without a trace. "Let's get the facts straight. You are kidnapping me. I never asked to be taken away. I am asking you to take me back. Apart from the fact that I don't want to die of dehydration and sunstroke, I have a duty to defend Solice."

"Then you will die there instead."

Obi-Wan met Qui-Gon's gaze and there was no fear there. That was the look he had when he renounced the order to stay on Melida/Daan.

"Then I will die protecting the galaxy from the Sith. That's more than I can say for you."

Anakin snorted. "You won't last 5 seconds against them."

"I like my odds better than yours." He stood up, his restraints falling off his ankles like they hadn't been activated, and then he just walked off.

"Hey!" Anakin yelled, standing up to walk after him but Obi-Wan didn't even turn back to look at him.

Anakin lit his lightsaber and held it up. "Stop!"

Obi-Wan turned to face him mid-step. "Or what? You'll run me through?"

"Anakin!"

The young knight lowered his lightsaber again. "To think I actually felt sorry for you."

"I never asked you to."

"I doubt you even know what it's like to have to work for something anymore."

Qui-Gon couldn't react fast enough to stop it. Obi-Wan had Anakin lying on the ground with one swift movement. The lightsaber was now in his hand and he held it to Anakin's chest.

Despite the anger and hurt in Obi-Wan's eyes, Qui-Gon knew he wouldn't activate the saber.

"Don't assume to know me. I did my share of work on Kessel for a year. So, you can keep your judgement to yourself." He simply dropped the lightsaber and stood up straight.

Qui-Gon didn't miss him reaching for his arm again. So he had been a slave and Qui-Gon didn't doubt that was where his chip used to be. But how had it been removed without leaving a scar?

"What is Beimeni trying to hide from the rest of the galaxy?" Qui-Gon asked, hoping Obi-Wan would finally share his secrets.

"I can't trust you."

"Can you trust that whatever it is, I don't want it in the Sith's hands? If you tell us what's going on here. We will return to the capitol with you."

Obi-Wan stood there, thinking the offer over. Qui-Gon was sure he would see reason. If there really was something powerful worth protecting, it was their duty to keep it away from the Sith and as far as Qui-Gon was concerned, the Chancellor too.

Finally, he nodded once.

"Have you heard of the fountain of youth?"

..oOo..

It got unbearably hot in the escape pod once it landed. Obi-Wan had no idea where he was, but he was on a planet and he was free.

He didn't know how he found the strength to get up. He couldn't feel his arm anymore. His whole body felt heavy, but he forced himself out of the pod. The outside was even hotter than it had been in the escape pod. Everywhere he looked he could see a flat plain of sand. The illusion of water danced on the horizon in every direction, he didn't know where he was supposed to go but he knew that if he didn't start moving, the sand would burn through the thin soles of his shoes.

He stumbled against the escape pod, burning his hand a deep red. He would have cried out if his throat weren't so dry. One unsteady step at a time he walked in the direction his faint connection to the Force nudged him in.

The sun burned his skin, evaporating any liquid he had whether it was sweat or tears. Even his eyes began to burn, he could barely see as he stumbled on, but he knew if he were to stop, he would never be able to start again.

He didn't know how long he had been walking for before he thought he could see real green up head. It was far out on the horizon, but it was a tiny shimmer of hope.

Not a single muscle in his body didn't hurt. He was simply moving on autopilot, he didn't think he had enough control left to even change direction. All he could do was walk ahead until he simply died of exhaustion or perhaps the sun would burn him alive. He couldn't even touch his hair, it was that hot.

Breathing was difficult and every time he coughed, he thought he was tearing his throat apart. The sign of hope on the horizon didn't seem to be getting closer. He was sure his body was about to give in and then the unthinkable happened.

It started to rain.

The water was warm and it seemed to evaporate before it touched his skin, but he could feel the slight temperature drop and that was enough to allow him a few more steps.

He thought his mind was playing tricks on him when figures started coming towards him. They were riding horses, dressed in beige with scarfs around their heads and goggles over their eyes.

Obi-Wan couldn't make out much else, his head hurt so much.

"Help," he barely managed to croak out as soon as they stopped in front of him.

"Kakiye totoru pjanje?" One of them asked and Obi-Wan realised with dread, they probably didn't speak Basic.

He fell to his knees, unable to stay upright. The world was spinning and tilting, he had to close his eyes, but it hurt so much.

"Kakiya nazvran?" Another one asked but all Obi-Wan could do was look up helplessly.

The muttered amongst each other and then the one who had spoken last got off his horse and crouched down before him.

"Y nazvran Koro Kazakov," he paused before adding, "Maison."

A name? Obi-Wan wondered.

The man held out a bottle of water. Obi-Wan could barely get a sip down his dry throat and when he did, he was scared he would throw up.

"Med," the man said, placing his hand on the bottle.

Obi-Wan thought he wanted to take it back again, but it seemed like he was simply telling him to drink slowly. With every small sip it got a little easier until he was able to offer his name in return. He tapped his chest to indicate it was his name.

"Obiwann?" The man - Maison - tested, putting too much emphasis on the n.

"Obi-Wan." He nodded slightly, but it felt like everything was falling off the shelves in his head.

"Obi-Wan," Maison repeated, making more of an effort to copy the pronunciation.

He slipped a hand under Obi-Wan's chin, and he winced, surprised that he had somehow caught sunburn there too. He was looked over and then Maison stood up and got back on his horse.

"Wait," he begged. They couldn't leave him.

Maison nodded at one of the other men and then turned his horse with a clicking sound and a tug on the reins. Then the other man held his hand out to Obi-Wan.

He couldn't believe he was being saved. He reached out but he couldn't stand up. The hand was too far away. And then he passed out.