~*~
„Talk about Danielle's deliverance, we later will," Yoda said. "At first, where your Padawan is, we want to know."
"He is already on the way to the outer rim," Qui-Gon answered. It wasn't a lie. Obi-Wan really was on his way to the outer rim.
"You send him before getting an answer of the council?", Mace Windu asked reproachfully.
"We will free Danielle! Without the approval of the council, if we must." Again he avoided a lie.
"This mission is too…"
"We know what danger it brings with it," the Jedi master interrupted the council member. "And we are ready to take this risk."
"Why so eager to free her, you are?", master Yoda asked presaging.
"If anyone finds out that she is forcesensitive, it could have fatal consequences for her…and for us."
"All that is?", Yoda asked, pressing
Qui-Gon hesitated. He thought of saying more, but decided to keep it secret and only nodded slowly.
The little master pulled his ears back, thoughtfully. "Prohibit, we will not," he said hesitantly. "But help from us, you may not expect."
That was enough for the Jedi master. He bowed and left the council chamber.
~*~
The first thing he felt, was the mat thump in his head. He didn't know where he was. Futile he tried to reached for the force to stop his pain. But now he noticed the collar, which cut in his neck.
"Oh great, a force dimmer," he mumbled.
Not able to release his pain in the force, he slowly struggled upright.
As he looked around he found himself in a giant hangar. It was hard to see someone in the dim light.
Suddenly the big hangar doors opened with a loud sound. He saw, that the guard threw a figure in the hangar, clothed in a lacerated tunic bodice.
A stab raced trough his chest, as he recognised the person.
"Danielle," echoed the voice of a little boy, somewhere in the hangar. But Obi-Wan didn't turn, as he ran towards Danielle.
She was soaked all over. The lacerated tunic didn't protect of the cold, as she sank shivering to the floor, her head bowed.
~*~
"Anakin, don't," Shmi said quietly, while she griped his sons arm.
"But…", the little one protested, as he tried to get free from her.
"You cannot help her," her mother interrupted him softly.
"You always say, people should help each other." He looked at his mother with pleading eyes.
"Yes, I know. But we cannot help her." Shmi cast a gaze over to Danielle. "Moreover, she already has more help we ever could give her."
Anakin turned and looked at Danielle. In front of her kneeled somebody and spoke softly to her. He couldn't hear the young man, couldn't see his face. But Ani recognised the clothes instantly. Ani wished desperately, that he too could do something. He turned back to his mother. "Mum," he looked at her with determined eyes. "I want to be a Jedi!"
~*~
"Danielle?", asked Obi-Wan silently, as he covered her with his cloak and hold her at her shoulders. But she didn't answer him, didn't react at his touch, didn't even seem to be aware of him.
He let go of her and searched in his many tunic pockets for something. As he found it, a smile glittered on his face.
As the golden cross dangled before Danielle, her empty eyes focussed again. With a trembling hand, she gripped the necklace. She closed her hand tightly around the symbol, that represented what she believed in, and hold it near her heart.
"Danielle?", Obi-Wan asked again. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at him. "Hello," he said quietly. Her eyes widened at the unexpected sight.
Obi-Wan smiled warmly at her. "It's a while since we…"
"I didn't do it!", she burst out, desperate.
Taken by surprise, he backed away. Then he leaned forward again and looked deep in her eyes. "I know," he said determined.
He laid his arms around her. "I know," he whispered, while he hugged her.
Her eyes filled with tears and sobbing echoed in the hangar, as the relief made it's way into her heart.
"I never doubted it." Slowly he pulled away, but didn't let go of her. Again he searched in his pockets und bring out the ring, he had to take away from her. Gently he took her hand and placed the ring on her finger again.
"I swear by the moon and the stars in the skies, I will always be with you. Deep in here. " Danielle watched, as he laid his hand on his heart. "And I will always believe in you."
She throw herself forward and clung to him, buried her face in his tunics, felt his warms, took in his sweet scent, as if he were the anchor, she desperately had searched for.
Gently he laid his head upon hers and stroke over her back, tried to be just there for her.
"Ooooh, isn't that sweet?" A cruel laughter echoed in the silence. A laughter, Obi-Wan had heard before.
"I'm sorry to disturb this little romance," the figure mocked. He waved his hand at them.
Four guards went to the two and ripped them free from each other. Both tried to fight the strong men. But nor he or she were able to get free.
The figure gestured the guard to lead them from the hangar.
„Talk about Danielle's deliverance, we later will," Yoda said. "At first, where your Padawan is, we want to know."
"He is already on the way to the outer rim," Qui-Gon answered. It wasn't a lie. Obi-Wan really was on his way to the outer rim.
"You send him before getting an answer of the council?", Mace Windu asked reproachfully.
"We will free Danielle! Without the approval of the council, if we must." Again he avoided a lie.
"This mission is too…"
"We know what danger it brings with it," the Jedi master interrupted the council member. "And we are ready to take this risk."
"Why so eager to free her, you are?", master Yoda asked presaging.
"If anyone finds out that she is forcesensitive, it could have fatal consequences for her…and for us."
"All that is?", Yoda asked, pressing
Qui-Gon hesitated. He thought of saying more, but decided to keep it secret and only nodded slowly.
The little master pulled his ears back, thoughtfully. "Prohibit, we will not," he said hesitantly. "But help from us, you may not expect."
That was enough for the Jedi master. He bowed and left the council chamber.
~*~
The first thing he felt, was the mat thump in his head. He didn't know where he was. Futile he tried to reached for the force to stop his pain. But now he noticed the collar, which cut in his neck.
"Oh great, a force dimmer," he mumbled.
Not able to release his pain in the force, he slowly struggled upright.
As he looked around he found himself in a giant hangar. It was hard to see someone in the dim light.
Suddenly the big hangar doors opened with a loud sound. He saw, that the guard threw a figure in the hangar, clothed in a lacerated tunic bodice.
A stab raced trough his chest, as he recognised the person.
"Danielle," echoed the voice of a little boy, somewhere in the hangar. But Obi-Wan didn't turn, as he ran towards Danielle.
She was soaked all over. The lacerated tunic didn't protect of the cold, as she sank shivering to the floor, her head bowed.
~*~
"Anakin, don't," Shmi said quietly, while she griped his sons arm.
"But…", the little one protested, as he tried to get free from her.
"You cannot help her," her mother interrupted him softly.
"You always say, people should help each other." He looked at his mother with pleading eyes.
"Yes, I know. But we cannot help her." Shmi cast a gaze over to Danielle. "Moreover, she already has more help we ever could give her."
Anakin turned and looked at Danielle. In front of her kneeled somebody and spoke softly to her. He couldn't hear the young man, couldn't see his face. But Ani recognised the clothes instantly. Ani wished desperately, that he too could do something. He turned back to his mother. "Mum," he looked at her with determined eyes. "I want to be a Jedi!"
~*~
"Danielle?", asked Obi-Wan silently, as he covered her with his cloak and hold her at her shoulders. But she didn't answer him, didn't react at his touch, didn't even seem to be aware of him.
He let go of her and searched in his many tunic pockets for something. As he found it, a smile glittered on his face.
As the golden cross dangled before Danielle, her empty eyes focussed again. With a trembling hand, she gripped the necklace. She closed her hand tightly around the symbol, that represented what she believed in, and hold it near her heart.
"Danielle?", Obi-Wan asked again. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at him. "Hello," he said quietly. Her eyes widened at the unexpected sight.
Obi-Wan smiled warmly at her. "It's a while since we…"
"I didn't do it!", she burst out, desperate.
Taken by surprise, he backed away. Then he leaned forward again and looked deep in her eyes. "I know," he said determined.
He laid his arms around her. "I know," he whispered, while he hugged her.
Her eyes filled with tears and sobbing echoed in the hangar, as the relief made it's way into her heart.
"I never doubted it." Slowly he pulled away, but didn't let go of her. Again he searched in his pockets und bring out the ring, he had to take away from her. Gently he took her hand and placed the ring on her finger again.
"I swear by the moon and the stars in the skies, I will always be with you. Deep in here. " Danielle watched, as he laid his hand on his heart. "And I will always believe in you."
She throw herself forward and clung to him, buried her face in his tunics, felt his warms, took in his sweet scent, as if he were the anchor, she desperately had searched for.
Gently he laid his head upon hers and stroke over her back, tried to be just there for her.
"Ooooh, isn't that sweet?" A cruel laughter echoed in the silence. A laughter, Obi-Wan had heard before.
"I'm sorry to disturb this little romance," the figure mocked. He waved his hand at them.
Four guards went to the two and ripped them free from each other. Both tried to fight the strong men. But nor he or she were able to get free.
The figure gestured the guard to lead them from the hangar.
