Part 3
Obi-wan couldn't sleep. He had been locked away in his room since arriving
at Master Skyla's quarters; that was five hours ago. His empty stomach was
beginning to protest angrily. He was very hungry and his now swollen lip was
really throbbing. Obi-Wan hadn't realized just how much force had been used
to strike him, until now. His cheek had stopped stinging a while ago, now it
hurt and was aching. The young apprentice had acquired quite a large bruise
on the side of his face.
/Master Skyla is not that strong! There's no way such a simple slap could
have split my lip like that!/
His stomach growled again. Obi-Wan knew he could easily open the door by
manipulating the lock by using the Force, and then quietly heading to the
kitchen to get himself something to eat but, when he recalled Master Skyla's
reaction to his earlier unauthorized inspection of her bedroom, he decided
to remain in his room.
But, what bothered Obi-Wan the most was the fact that he was unable to
contact Qui-Gon through their bond. He had tried and tried, but he just
couldn't get any response from his Master. Only silence. And he didn't like
that at all. What if something bad had happened? What if Master Qui-Gon was
in trouble? He knew his master had been away for only a day, but the silence
was killing him.
Obi-Wan sighed. Master Skyla must surely be asleep by now. Maybe he could
finally retrieve his bag from where he had left it in the livingroom. After
all, he hadn't been able to do anything for five long hours.
Getting up and quickly leaving his bed, Obi-Wan walked stealthily towards the
door. Utilizing the Force, he quickly tripped the locking mechanism and,
cautiously opening the door, looked into livingroom area. When he finally
reached to grab his bag, he was about to turn and head back towards his room,
when his stomach growled again. He was so close to kitchen, and Master Skyla
was probably still asleep. Placing his bag just outside the kitchen door, he
headed inside and walked in the direction of the refrigerator.
The hungry padawan slowly opened the refrigerator door. Ensuring that the
little light did not remain lit too long, he grabbed at the first thing he
saw - which turned out to be a slice of chocolate cake. Clutching his prize
to his chest, he quietly closed the door, climbed up on one of the chairs,
and began eating happily. He was so hungry! As he began eating the cake in
large bites, he soon realized that he was thirsty as well.
Obi-Wan stood and quickly tip-toed to retrieve a water bottle from the
refrigerator. But, as he turned to head back to the task of pleasing his
grumpy stomach, the padawan found himself face-to-face with Master Skyla.
Gasping in surprise, Obi-Wan stumbled back unsteadily. He soon found himself
backed up against the refrigerator door, water bottle still clutched in his
small shaking hands.
"I thought I told you to stay in your room," the Master stated in the same
calm, icy tone.
Obi-Wan swallowed hard. "I-I know,..it's just that I was a bit hungry
and...," the padawan's voice trailed off as he looked pleadingly into Skyla's
cold eyes. Although they looked lifeless, Obi-Wan could clearly see a
strange yellow glow emanating from them and which could easily seen in the
darkness of the kitchen. Frowning in confusion, Obi-Wan timidly asked,
"Master Skyla...are you all right?"
For a brief moment, the young Master simply stood silently in front of him.
Then, a faint smile began spreading across her lips. Obi-Wan suppressed a
sigh of relief.
"Of course I'm all right, Padawan Kenobi," again, she addressed him by his
title. Why was Skyla calling him 'Padawan Kenobi' when she had always
referred to him as Obi-wan, or even Obi? "Perhaps it is you who is not
feeling all right. Or perhaps something else is the matter?"
The young apprentice shook his head in confusion at the master's words. /What
is...?/ His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Master Skyla reached
forward and caught him by the throat. She pressed at his larynx, making him
lose his grip on the water bottle. It fell, crashing to the floor, water and
sharp pieces of glass spreading out in all directions. Obi-Wan gasped for
air, alarmed by the strength of the Master's suffocating grip. He struggled
briefly, trying to break free. But then he decided against it, thinking that
if he used all his strength and power, he could possibly injure Master Skyla.
"When I tell you to do something, you do it! Is that clear?!" the now furious
Master growled into the apprentice's stunned face.
"Y-ye..s...," Obi-Wan managed a choked reply as he felt the air in his lungs
run out.
"Yes what?!" she yelled angrily, increasing the force of her grip on his
windpipe.
"Y-yes...Ma...st..r...," the young padawan answered as he struggled for
breath. His vision was slowly turning black due to the lack of oxygen in his
system, and his eyelids were beginning to close.
"Good," the Creche Master muttered as she finally released her grip on
Obi-Wan's neck.
The half-conscious apprentice collapsed limply to the floor, landing on the
scattered bits of glass. He began coughing and gasping as he held a hand to
his throat and tried to gulp in air into his oxygen-starved lungs. The
shards of glass cut through his night clothes and broke through his skin as
he convulsed in a coughing fit.
Skyla half raised him by one arm, blue-green eyes meeting yellow glowing
orbs.
"Go to your room. And don't dare come out again until I tell you to do so,"
she hissed into his ear.
Obi-Wan nodded quickly, still coughing. The Master released her grip on his
arm suddenly, making Obi-Wan yelp in pain as he fell and was again cut by
glass. With a cold, sideways glance at the gasping apprentice, the Creche
Master turned and left the kitchen.
Obi-Wan stood up slowly, still dazed and groggy. Why was Master Skyla acting
this way? What in the seven sith hells was going on?!
Obi-wan couldn't sleep. He had been locked away in his room since arriving
at Master Skyla's quarters; that was five hours ago. His empty stomach was
beginning to protest angrily. He was very hungry and his now swollen lip was
really throbbing. Obi-Wan hadn't realized just how much force had been used
to strike him, until now. His cheek had stopped stinging a while ago, now it
hurt and was aching. The young apprentice had acquired quite a large bruise
on the side of his face.
/Master Skyla is not that strong! There's no way such a simple slap could
have split my lip like that!/
His stomach growled again. Obi-Wan knew he could easily open the door by
manipulating the lock by using the Force, and then quietly heading to the
kitchen to get himself something to eat but, when he recalled Master Skyla's
reaction to his earlier unauthorized inspection of her bedroom, he decided
to remain in his room.
But, what bothered Obi-Wan the most was the fact that he was unable to
contact Qui-Gon through their bond. He had tried and tried, but he just
couldn't get any response from his Master. Only silence. And he didn't like
that at all. What if something bad had happened? What if Master Qui-Gon was
in trouble? He knew his master had been away for only a day, but the silence
was killing him.
Obi-Wan sighed. Master Skyla must surely be asleep by now. Maybe he could
finally retrieve his bag from where he had left it in the livingroom. After
all, he hadn't been able to do anything for five long hours.
Getting up and quickly leaving his bed, Obi-Wan walked stealthily towards the
door. Utilizing the Force, he quickly tripped the locking mechanism and,
cautiously opening the door, looked into livingroom area. When he finally
reached to grab his bag, he was about to turn and head back towards his room,
when his stomach growled again. He was so close to kitchen, and Master Skyla
was probably still asleep. Placing his bag just outside the kitchen door, he
headed inside and walked in the direction of the refrigerator.
The hungry padawan slowly opened the refrigerator door. Ensuring that the
little light did not remain lit too long, he grabbed at the first thing he
saw - which turned out to be a slice of chocolate cake. Clutching his prize
to his chest, he quietly closed the door, climbed up on one of the chairs,
and began eating happily. He was so hungry! As he began eating the cake in
large bites, he soon realized that he was thirsty as well.
Obi-Wan stood and quickly tip-toed to retrieve a water bottle from the
refrigerator. But, as he turned to head back to the task of pleasing his
grumpy stomach, the padawan found himself face-to-face with Master Skyla.
Gasping in surprise, Obi-Wan stumbled back unsteadily. He soon found himself
backed up against the refrigerator door, water bottle still clutched in his
small shaking hands.
"I thought I told you to stay in your room," the Master stated in the same
calm, icy tone.
Obi-Wan swallowed hard. "I-I know,..it's just that I was a bit hungry
and...," the padawan's voice trailed off as he looked pleadingly into Skyla's
cold eyes. Although they looked lifeless, Obi-Wan could clearly see a
strange yellow glow emanating from them and which could easily seen in the
darkness of the kitchen. Frowning in confusion, Obi-Wan timidly asked,
"Master Skyla...are you all right?"
For a brief moment, the young Master simply stood silently in front of him.
Then, a faint smile began spreading across her lips. Obi-Wan suppressed a
sigh of relief.
"Of course I'm all right, Padawan Kenobi," again, she addressed him by his
title. Why was Skyla calling him 'Padawan Kenobi' when she had always
referred to him as Obi-wan, or even Obi? "Perhaps it is you who is not
feeling all right. Or perhaps something else is the matter?"
The young apprentice shook his head in confusion at the master's words. /What
is...?/ His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Master Skyla reached
forward and caught him by the throat. She pressed at his larynx, making him
lose his grip on the water bottle. It fell, crashing to the floor, water and
sharp pieces of glass spreading out in all directions. Obi-Wan gasped for
air, alarmed by the strength of the Master's suffocating grip. He struggled
briefly, trying to break free. But then he decided against it, thinking that
if he used all his strength and power, he could possibly injure Master Skyla.
"When I tell you to do something, you do it! Is that clear?!" the now furious
Master growled into the apprentice's stunned face.
"Y-ye..s...," Obi-Wan managed a choked reply as he felt the air in his lungs
run out.
"Yes what?!" she yelled angrily, increasing the force of her grip on his
windpipe.
"Y-yes...Ma...st..r...," the young padawan answered as he struggled for
breath. His vision was slowly turning black due to the lack of oxygen in his
system, and his eyelids were beginning to close.
"Good," the Creche Master muttered as she finally released her grip on
Obi-Wan's neck.
The half-conscious apprentice collapsed limply to the floor, landing on the
scattered bits of glass. He began coughing and gasping as he held a hand to
his throat and tried to gulp in air into his oxygen-starved lungs. The
shards of glass cut through his night clothes and broke through his skin as
he convulsed in a coughing fit.
Skyla half raised him by one arm, blue-green eyes meeting yellow glowing
orbs.
"Go to your room. And don't dare come out again until I tell you to do so,"
she hissed into his ear.
Obi-Wan nodded quickly, still coughing. The Master released her grip on his
arm suddenly, making Obi-Wan yelp in pain as he fell and was again cut by
glass. With a cold, sideways glance at the gasping apprentice, the Creche
Master turned and left the kitchen.
Obi-Wan stood up slowly, still dazed and groggy. Why was Master Skyla acting
this way? What in the seven sith hells was going on?!