The Darkness Within

By Armi-Kandra Kenobi

Disclaimer: oh, so you really wanna see the disclaimer huh? Go back to chapter 1.

Chapter 2: Curious Events

Anakin got off his speeder and was about to enter through the door of the old Senatorial Apartment, which now served as the temporary hideaway of the Jedi, when he heard a noise behind him, approaching him fast. He turned to see another speeder coming his way. He breathed out heavily, but he wasn't surprised. The speeder came to a stop beside him, and Obi-Wan Kenobi got off. "I knew it," Anakin muttered. "It was Leia, wasn't it? Leia the Tattletale, just like her mother." "No, actually," Obi-Wan said, "It was Luke. He told me how your little 'com-stink' beeped and you talked to it and how it talked in a raspy voice and weird sentences." Anakin smirked. To hear Obi-Wan talk this way was always a relief. It helped to know that he wasn't being serious at the time. "What's this all about?" Obi-Wan said, getting down to business right away. He was never really one to beat around the bush. "I'm not sure, Obi-Wan," Anakin said. "Master Yoda said he needed to see me immediately. He said it was very urgent, but I'm not exactly sure what 'it' is." Obi-Wan nodded, a calculating look on his face. "I see," he said. "Well, the only way to be sure is to go inside and ask him, then, isn't it?" Anakin nodded. Together, the 2 Jedi walked into the building, with Obi-Wan looking around for anything suspicious.

It was quiet when they entered the building. Too quiet, Obi-Wan thought. "Something doesn't feel right," he said aloud. "Even the Temple was never this quiet." "You're right," Anakin said. "Of course, I'm right," Obi-Wan said as the 2 of them continued to walk on, their footsteps echoing off the walls. "Maybe it's just for a while," Anakin said. "Don't let your guard down, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Anakin nod. They walked on quietly for a few minutes until something invaded Obi-Wan's mind. A voice. Crying out his name. Obi-Wan recognized the voice right away. "Now I know something's wrong," Obi-Wan said. "Why?" Anakin said. "I heard Kaien," Obi-Wan answered. "I didn't hear anything," Anakin said. "Broaden your mind, young one," Obi-Wan said. Another call invaded, but this time, Anakin caught it too. "Where could she be?" Obi-Wan said. "She's usually the first one to greet us. Where is she? Where's everybody?" They heard the voice again, this time asking for help. "Kaien, where are you?" Obi-Wan asked, a note of exasperation and concern in his tone, one that Anakin rarely heard. In my quarters! Hurry! Came the answer. Obi-Wan and Anakin broke into a run, taking the stairs instead of a lift up to the third floor of the tall building. Once they found Kaien's quarters, Anakin tried the door, which was locked. Obi-Wan tried to kick it in, but the door wouldn't budge. He then whipped out his lightsaber, igniting it and piercing the door with it, creating a hole big enough for them to climb through. He used the Force to pull it out and throw it out of the way then he and Anakin barged through the hole. They found Kaien on the floor, bound and gagged. "Kaien!" Obi-Wan said. He and Anakin then proceeded to untie her. "Thank goodness you're both here!" Kaien said. "What's the matter?" Anakin asked. "Why did Master Yoda send for me?" "Master Yoda sent for you?" Kaien said, her eyebrow rising. "Yes," Anakin said, "he told me to come here. He said it was urgent." "But," Kaien said, a frown crossing her young face. "But Master Yoda isn't here." "He's not?" Obi-Wan and Anakin said together. "No," Kaien said. "He went to Coruscant just yesterday to talk with the Supreme Chancellor. Chancellor Palpatine contacted him saying there was something they needed to talk about urgently." "That's not possible," Obi-Wan said. "Chancellor Palpatine is here. He arrived 2 days ago. I myself escorted him from the hangar to the Senatorial Apartment." "Something fishy's going on here," Kaien said but her sentence stopped abruptly. Obi-Wan's eyes started roving about slowly, as if he thought there was something there. Anakin and Kaien were doing the same. "The place is too quiet," Anakin said. "What happened here, K?" Kaien shook her head. "Honestly," she said, her accented voice sounding all too familiar to Obi-Wan, "I'm not sure." Obi- Wan cringed inwardly. Kaien's voice was always soothing as she had always been a good friend, but since Qui-Gon died, he found her voice to be as disturbing as it was comforting. Nevertheless, he still listened to every word she said, as that disturbing quality could also become as some sort of relief from the memory of his Master. Yes, he still listened, just as he was listening now. "All I know is that these strange figures came into my room through the door and bound and gagged me. They also let off some sleeping gas in here, so I was knocked out for a while, a few seconds, maybe, but in those precious few seconds they had done so much. They must have taken a few things. I don't know if anyone else is hurt or still asleep. I have a feeling Dooku has something to do with this." "Or that Lord Sidious," Anakin said, making Obi-Wan turn a puzzled look at him. "Or both," Anakin continued. "One of them might be working for the other." "You really believe this Lord Sidious even exists?" Obi-Wan said. "Well," Anakin said, "what Count Dooku said about him controlling most of the Senate makes a lot of sense." "Yes," Obi-Wan said, "but that doesn't mean it's true." "That doesn't mean it ISN'T true," Kaien said. Obi-Wan sighed. "You too?" he said. "I see this argument isn't going to go anywhere. We should check around the building for the others, and see what they're story is." Kaien and Anakin nodded. Much to Kaien's relief, those who had invaded her room had not seen her lightsaber, which she had cleverly attached to the ceiling of the room. As she and Obi-Wan followed Anakin out of the room, she put her arm out, calling the lightsaber to her hand with the Force. It flew right into her hand just as she stepped out of the hole that Obi-Wan made through the door.

A/N: To be continued. Betcha those who didn't read the disclaimer on Chapter 1 don't understand why Obi-Wan reacts that way with Kaien. GO back and read the summary. For those of you who have read it, then let the Force guide you…

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