Chapter VII:
Mace Windu, Yoda, She-ar-ah, and several Senate police officers watched as Qui Gon typed something on the police computer. He accessed files of known bounty hunters throughout the galaxy. When he finally came across what he was looking for, he projected the image to a larger screen in front of the group. The image showed a menacing looking woman with no hair.
"Ona Nobis..." Mace read out loud.
"That's her." Qui Gon said, sounding very sure of himself. "She vowed revenge on Obi Wan a few years back."
"Why?" She-ar-ah asked, looking at the image.
"Another story for another day little one." Mace answered for Qui Gon.
"Master Jedi," the captain of the police stepped forward. "Ona Nobis has been dead for three years."
She-ar-ah continued to look at the image; she focused on the woman's smile. "That's her," she said so quietly that almost nobody heard her. "She took Obi Wan."
"Are you certain She-ar-ah?" Qui Gon asked, moving towards her.
"Master Jedi, I'm telling you Ona Nobis is dead." The captain insisted.
"Was her body ever found?" Mace asked the captain.
"No."
"Then how certain are you dead is she?" Yoda asked the captain, almost staring him down.
Qui Gon knelt in front of She-ar-ah, focusing all her attention on him. "Are you certain this is the woman?" He asked in a very soft tone.
"Yes master, very certain. She has hair now, but I could never forget that smile, as much as I want to." She was almost in tears. "Please find him master."
Qui Gon gave her a hug. "I promise little one."
"You're trusting the testimony of an 11 year old girl?!" The captain said in almost a shout.
"No, we're trusting the testimony of a Jedi." Mace answered, defending She-ar-ah.
Qui Gon rose to his feet, still holding She-ar-ah's hand. "We thank you for all you've done captain, but please we don't have time for this squabbling."
"You're right, the boy's life is what's important." The captain said, backing down from a fight.
"I have a question." Another officer piped up. "I know Ona Nobis' work, and this is not her style. She would've killed the boy by now."
"She's having fun with him first." A second officer stated.
"No, he's right." Qui Gon said, pointing to the first officer. "This is not her style. What we saw on that holovid..." Qui Gon looked down at She-ar-ah. He motioned for someone to take her out of the room. A female officer moved forward.
"Come little one, let's get some tea, and you can tell me more about this friend of yours, he sounds handsome." She took She-ar-ah by the hand.
"He's ok." She-ar-ah answered, reluctantly she left the room.
With She-ar-ah gone Qui Gon continued. "That rape was not her style, plus who are these other men? She usually works alone."
"Maybe someone hired her to kidnap the boy." The captain answered.
Everyone nodded in agreement. It was the only logical thing.
"But who would want to hurt Obi Wan this badly? Who?" Qui Gon said, more to himself than anyone else.
One thing was certain, they had to find Obi Wan, and soon.
**
Obi Wan Kenobi was once again lying on a cold, hard floor. He was still unconscious. Above him Raf and khil stood. At a table in the room Ona Nobis sat, twirling her whip around her hand. Someone else was in the room, he was dressed in a black cloak, and his face was hidden.
"So, I brought him back. When can I kill him?" Ona Nobis asked the dark figure.
"Maybe never, depends how much longer I need him. Remember, I paid you quite a bit of money for him. He's mine." The dark figure answered her.
Ona Nobis grunted to herself, and left the room. The dark figure turned to the two men standing over Obi Wan.
"Set up the holovid recorder. We have one more video to make." With that the two grotesque men obeyed. Laughter filled the room as they prepared.
**
Back at the temple, Qui Gon paced around his quarters like a caged animal. He was past the point of fear and sorrow. Now he was filled with rage. He felt he was so close to the dark side that he could taste it. "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." He remembered Yoda's words. He knew he needed to find a way to calm down. He closed his eyes and found himself thinking back to when he brought Obi Wan to the temple. After the healers stabilized him, Qui Gon went to see him. This was his first real encounter with Obi Wan Kenobi. He sat near the small bed, and looked at the child. Seeing the stitches on his forehead, and the bruises over his body made Qui Gon's heart feel heavy. The strong hand of the Jedi master smoothed the young boy's hair; the toddler's eyes fluttered open with the gentle touch. Qui Gon marveled at the beauty of those bright, blue, round eyes. They seemed to burn into one's soul. As the child stared at Qui Gon he gave him the first of many infectious Obi Wan smiles. Qui Gon smiled back at the child.
A door chime brought Qui Gon back to reality, as much as he protested. He opened the door, and found Mace Windu and Yoda looking back at him with solemn looks on their faces.
"Oh gods, what happened?" Qui Gon asked, afraid of the answer.
"We received another holovid." Mace answered Qui Gon, whose heart sank at that answer. "It's addressed to you."
Mace Windu, Yoda, She-ar-ah, and several Senate police officers watched as Qui Gon typed something on the police computer. He accessed files of known bounty hunters throughout the galaxy. When he finally came across what he was looking for, he projected the image to a larger screen in front of the group. The image showed a menacing looking woman with no hair.
"Ona Nobis..." Mace read out loud.
"That's her." Qui Gon said, sounding very sure of himself. "She vowed revenge on Obi Wan a few years back."
"Why?" She-ar-ah asked, looking at the image.
"Another story for another day little one." Mace answered for Qui Gon.
"Master Jedi," the captain of the police stepped forward. "Ona Nobis has been dead for three years."
She-ar-ah continued to look at the image; she focused on the woman's smile. "That's her," she said so quietly that almost nobody heard her. "She took Obi Wan."
"Are you certain She-ar-ah?" Qui Gon asked, moving towards her.
"Master Jedi, I'm telling you Ona Nobis is dead." The captain insisted.
"Was her body ever found?" Mace asked the captain.
"No."
"Then how certain are you dead is she?" Yoda asked the captain, almost staring him down.
Qui Gon knelt in front of She-ar-ah, focusing all her attention on him. "Are you certain this is the woman?" He asked in a very soft tone.
"Yes master, very certain. She has hair now, but I could never forget that smile, as much as I want to." She was almost in tears. "Please find him master."
Qui Gon gave her a hug. "I promise little one."
"You're trusting the testimony of an 11 year old girl?!" The captain said in almost a shout.
"No, we're trusting the testimony of a Jedi." Mace answered, defending She-ar-ah.
Qui Gon rose to his feet, still holding She-ar-ah's hand. "We thank you for all you've done captain, but please we don't have time for this squabbling."
"You're right, the boy's life is what's important." The captain said, backing down from a fight.
"I have a question." Another officer piped up. "I know Ona Nobis' work, and this is not her style. She would've killed the boy by now."
"She's having fun with him first." A second officer stated.
"No, he's right." Qui Gon said, pointing to the first officer. "This is not her style. What we saw on that holovid..." Qui Gon looked down at She-ar-ah. He motioned for someone to take her out of the room. A female officer moved forward.
"Come little one, let's get some tea, and you can tell me more about this friend of yours, he sounds handsome." She took She-ar-ah by the hand.
"He's ok." She-ar-ah answered, reluctantly she left the room.
With She-ar-ah gone Qui Gon continued. "That rape was not her style, plus who are these other men? She usually works alone."
"Maybe someone hired her to kidnap the boy." The captain answered.
Everyone nodded in agreement. It was the only logical thing.
"But who would want to hurt Obi Wan this badly? Who?" Qui Gon said, more to himself than anyone else.
One thing was certain, they had to find Obi Wan, and soon.
**
Obi Wan Kenobi was once again lying on a cold, hard floor. He was still unconscious. Above him Raf and khil stood. At a table in the room Ona Nobis sat, twirling her whip around her hand. Someone else was in the room, he was dressed in a black cloak, and his face was hidden.
"So, I brought him back. When can I kill him?" Ona Nobis asked the dark figure.
"Maybe never, depends how much longer I need him. Remember, I paid you quite a bit of money for him. He's mine." The dark figure answered her.
Ona Nobis grunted to herself, and left the room. The dark figure turned to the two men standing over Obi Wan.
"Set up the holovid recorder. We have one more video to make." With that the two grotesque men obeyed. Laughter filled the room as they prepared.
**
Back at the temple, Qui Gon paced around his quarters like a caged animal. He was past the point of fear and sorrow. Now he was filled with rage. He felt he was so close to the dark side that he could taste it. "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." He remembered Yoda's words. He knew he needed to find a way to calm down. He closed his eyes and found himself thinking back to when he brought Obi Wan to the temple. After the healers stabilized him, Qui Gon went to see him. This was his first real encounter with Obi Wan Kenobi. He sat near the small bed, and looked at the child. Seeing the stitches on his forehead, and the bruises over his body made Qui Gon's heart feel heavy. The strong hand of the Jedi master smoothed the young boy's hair; the toddler's eyes fluttered open with the gentle touch. Qui Gon marveled at the beauty of those bright, blue, round eyes. They seemed to burn into one's soul. As the child stared at Qui Gon he gave him the first of many infectious Obi Wan smiles. Qui Gon smiled back at the child.
A door chime brought Qui Gon back to reality, as much as he protested. He opened the door, and found Mace Windu and Yoda looking back at him with solemn looks on their faces.
"Oh gods, what happened?" Qui Gon asked, afraid of the answer.
"We received another holovid." Mace answered Qui Gon, whose heart sank at that answer. "It's addressed to you."