Obi-Wan was awakened by the sound of soft knocking on his door. He slowly got up and opened it. Standing outside was Qui-Gon Jinn, the man who had found Obi-Wan in the shadows the previous day. Qui-Gon smiled.
"Morning, young Kenobi. Sleep well?" Obi-Wan simply stared at him. "Well," Qui-Gon cleared his throat, "get dressed. You're coming with me to go to Security HQ."
Obi-Wan's mouth flew open. "What! Why do I have to go there? I already told my story."
"I know, but I'm sure Security would like to hear it straight from the witness' mouth. I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. I know you hate to tell what you saw, but you must tell it one more time."
Obi-Wan sighed. "Okay. Let me change." He shut the door and grabbed a fresh tunic. He pulled it on and hooked his lightsaber to his belt. Then he opened the door, still flattening his hair down. He tipped his chin up in a brave gesture. I'm ready."
Qui-Gon turned to hide an amused grin as he began to lead the boy to where their airspeeder was waiting. He got in and waited for the boy. When the boy had put on his restraints, Qui-Gon turned to speak to him. "HQ is almost half way around Coruscant. It may take awhile to get there, and traffic is always bad. Maybe before we go tell your story, we could stop and get a bite to eat. I know a great little place I think you'll like."
Obi-Wan smiled at this, and Qui-Gon was glad he could take the child's mind off of what he had seen for a moment.
Qui-Gon had been right. It had taken them forever to even reach the quadrant where the HQ was. It was nearly mid-day before Qui-Gon settled the airspeeder down near a crowded patch of street. He shut the engine off and turned to Obi-Wan. "We'll get something to eat first. I'm sure you are hungry."
Obi-Wan nodded enthusiasticaly. "Yeah! I didn't have breakfast." But he suddenly got quiet and distant. He began looking at passerby's fearfully and suspiciously.
Guessing his worries Qui-Gon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nobody is going to get you. Nobody is going to kill you. You have my word on that." He stared at the boy, waiting for an answer.
Obi-Wan looked up at the large Jedi, trust in his young eyes. "Alright, Master Jedi. I trust you."
Qui-Gon nodded and the two Jedi made their way down the busy street. Qui-Gon made sure to walk slower than usual so Obi-Wan could keep up, but the boy was also staring wide-eyed at the new sites before him. He was so intrigued in watching the many stores go by that he didn't notice the cloaked figure following him.
Qui-Gon turned a corner and stopped. He began to walk a little too quickly, and Obi-Wan had fallen behind. He waited a moment for the boy to catch up, but he never turned the corner. Qui-Gon walked back around to see if the young Jedi maybe had not seen him turn. Obi-Wan was nowhere in sight. Qui-Gon turned in every direction, stretching out with his senses. But he turned up nothing. Obi-Wan was gone!
* * * * *
Obi-Wan had been following Qui-Gon as best he could with his small legs, but the Jedi was simply too fast for him. As Qui-Gon turned a corner, Obi-Wan began to run to catch up. He never made it. The cloaked figure leapt forward and grabbed the back of Obi-Wan's tunic. He picked up the small Jedi and held him under one arm as he turned and ran opposite of where Qui-Gon had gone. Obi-Wan tried to yell, but the man clamped his hand over his mouth.
Obi-Wan's kidnapper ran up some stairs and jumped into a waiting airspeeder. The pilot turned once to look at Obi-Wan, then gunned the engines. The first man still had his hand over Obi-Wan's mouth, and Obi-Wan bit him. The man cursed, then back-handed the boy across the face. Non-plussed, Obi-Wan tried to scramble over the side of the craft before it got too high, but the man grabbed his foot.
"Help! Qui-Gon! Help me! Somebody!" He managed to yell into the air before the man jerked him back. The man hit him once with his elbow and Obi-Wan slumped to the seat, dazed by the horrific blow.
"Shut up! Shut up, you little Jedi brat! Just sit there, or I'll throw you over the side!" the first man said in a raspy voice. Obi-Wan shrank back into the seat in fear; they were quite high now.
The man then reached over and grabbed the lightsaber from Obi-Wan's belt and chunked it ever the side. "Just like that." he sneered. The pilot took them to a low level of Coruscant, where he stopped at a small and broken landing pad well below the main traffic.
"I stop here, Kyct. I can't go further. You and the Jedi will have to walk from here." the pilot told the kidnapper.
"Good," Kyct sneered. "Maybe I can teach the kid some discipline." Obi-Wan shrank further into his seat. Whatever this man meant by discipline, Obi-Wan wanted nothing to do with it.
Kyct turned to the trembling child and motioned for Obi-Wan to get out. Obi-Wan obeyed and the man stuck the muzzle of a blaster to his head. "One wrong move, Jedi, and you will die. No tricks, understand?" Obi-Wan nodded nervously. "Good, then we have an understanding. If you do as I say, you will live and be able to go back to the Temple soon. I have some friends that just want to talk to you." With that he led Obi-Wan deeper in the labryths of Coruscant Underground.
* * * * *
Yoda watched as Qui-Gon paced back and forth in the Temle. "Something wrong there is?"
Qui-Gon looked at the diminuative Jedi with a shocked expression. "Wrong? A Jedi Initiate was just kidnapped on his way to Security HQ after witnessing a crime! What else could be wrong?"
"Think do you, that the criminal young Obi-Wan saw is involved?"
"Yes, almost without a doubt. Why else would he have been taken?"
"Agree with you the Council does. Believe do we, that Kenobi was taken to prevent him from testifying."
"How do you think they knew he would be there, and when?"
"Watching us, they may be. Saw you and Kenobi leave, so decide to follow you they did. That is an idea. And also, bodies found there were, of two senators. Shot in the back. So see something, Kenobi did."
Qui-Gon stared out the tall duraglass window. He had mixed feelings about this. He was angry that someone had taken Obi-Wan, and sad about that too. But he was also frustrated that it had happened right under his nose.
"More to this for you, there is?" Yoda was watching Qui-Gon with great interest.
Qui-Gon sighed. "Yes. I told the boy that nobody would get him. I promised him."
"Some promises hard to keep, are they. Patient you must be, Qui-Gon. Looking for him now, Security is. Failed the boy, you have not."
Qui-Gon nodded, but Yoda reasurances did nothing to end his anxiety.
* * * * *
Obi-Wan shivered with cold. Kyct had lead them deeper and deeper into the low levels of Coruscant. Finally Kyct stopped and knocked on what appeared to be a solid durasteel wall. A small hole opened up and Obi-Wan could see an eye peering through.
"It's me, Yanna. I got the Jedi kid." The hole closed abruptly and Obi-Wan heard the sound of a lock opening. A second later a door opened in the wall and Kyct quickly shoved the young Jedi through. Inside was what appeared to be a small apartment. Yanna ended up being a young woman who stared at Obi-Wan with mild interest.
"This is the Jedi that Markis is so interested in? I thought he would be something more, at least an apprentice or a Knight. This kid's still a baby."
"I am not!" Obi-Wan shouted before he could stop himself. For his outburst he was rewarded with another back-handed slap to the face from Kyct.
"I told you to keep quiet kid!" Kyct turned to Yanna. "I gotta go out for a few days; got another job to do. Keep him in that back room and don't let him loose." Kyct glared at Obi-Wan. "He's a quick little guy. Markis won't be back on-planet for a few weeks, so we're gonna have to keep him here."
Obi-Wan's mouth hung open. A few weeks? He would have to be here this long?
"Why weeks? Can't he just come back?' Yanna asked. "I don't really want to be stuck with this kid for that long."
"You're going to have to suck it up." Kyct grinned. "Markis had to go finish his job, then he wants to keep a low profile for a while in case the kid told anyone. I think he also has another job to do." He shrugged. "Oh well, we're getting paid well for this. He gave us some extra credits to get food for the kid. We can't have him die before Markis gets here, so don't starve him too bad." He turned and walked out, leaving Obi-Wan with the strange lady.
He heard her sigh. "Great. He always does this. Leaves me to take care of whoever he nabs." She turned to Obi-Wan. "Come on, kid." Obi-Wan stole a quick glance at the door, but she saw it. "You can't get out that way, you need a code. Besides, if you did get out, how would you get back to higher levels? You don't have an airspeeder." Obi-Wan glared once at her, then rushed toward the door. She quickly grasped Obi-Wan's arm and steered him to the back room. Inside was a small cot and a chain that was embedded in the wall. With dawning panic, Obi-Wan realized that she was going to put that on him!
He struggled to get out of her grasp, but she held fast. He kicked her hard in the leg, but she still held on. She pushed him so that he fell on the cot, then quickly snapped the leg chain onto his small leg.
"There! And its not a normal lock either, so don't try to move the mechanisms with your Force. It won't do any good." She brightened up. "And if you're good, maybe I'll let you outside every now and then." Yeah right, she thought. He'd just run, then Kyct would have my head.
Obi-Wan glared at her as she turned and walked back into the main room. He pulled on the clamp for a long while before giving up. Then he pulled his boot off and tried to slip his foot through. That failed also, so he pulled his shoe back on. In one last desperate attempt to get free, he tried chewing the clamp; which failed miserably. With no hope of escape left in him, he sat on the cot and pulled his knees to his chest and lowered his head.
He was stuck here. And no one at the Temple had any clue to where he was. He also didn't think that this Markis guy would let him go back to the Temple. He tried to calm his panicked mind so he could think, but to no avail. Finally he settled into a meditative state of mind.
* * * * *
Qui-Gon watched as the Chief of Security talked to Yoda. Yoda did not look pleased, so Qui-Gon knew that the chief had no good news. When the security guard walked away, Yoda sighed and made his way to Qui-Gon.
"Hopeful, they are not. Four days have passed. Ready to search for a body, they are."
"They give up on finding him alive so soon?"
"Yes, normal they say it is. After three days, usually dead the kidnapped is. Believe Obi-Wan is dead, they do."
"They have no clue to where he may be?"
Yoda only shook his head.
"You have no clue as to where he is either?"
Yoda shook his head. "Clouded, it is. Sense Kenobi, I cannot."
"Then I truely have failed him." Qui-Gon said quietly. Part of his heart ached for the kidnapped boy he hardly knew. The boy had such promise, and he had been a very friendly child. Now all that, what he was, what he could have been, was destroyed.
* * * * *
A week had past since the man had taken Obi-Wan from the streets. Obi-Wan stayed in his small little room the whole time, only being let out to use the 'fresher. While he was in the room he would meditate, or stare out the small window. From the window he could only see the buildings rising far above him, but he stared out it anyway. Sometimes he burst out screaming at Yanna for keeping him here. Yanna brought in meals twice a day, but he only nibbled on them.
Kyct had come back two days after he left, but was rarely ever at the apartment. He left Yanna by herself with Obi-Wan, but she distanced herself from the once bright-eyed child. But one day, after Kyct left to dry out a local cantina, Yanna came into Obi-Wan's small room. She sat down across from him and he looked up, no fear evident in his blue eyes.
She smiled. "Hello. Do you know how to play sabacc?" The boy nodded. "Do you want to play it with me?" he thought about it for a moment before nodding. He had nothing else to do, why no play a game? She sighed. She hadn't ever really talked to the boy. All she would say was that his food was there. And right now she was desperate for conversation. She hadn't seen another being, with the exception of Kyct, for over a month.
"What's your name?" she asked as she dealt out the cards.
The boy gave her a suspicious look before answering. "Obi-Wan Kenobi." Why is this woman suddenly so interested in me, he wondered.
"That's a nice name. I'm Yanna." The boy gave her a sarcastic smile before staring intently at his cards again. She watched him. He seemed so withdrawn. After five days he had stopped having his screaming fits. He didn't seem to want to have anything to do with her. But then again, she thought, can I blame him? I am keeping him against his will. Wanting Obi-Wan to loosen up a little, she tried to continue the converstion. "How old are you, Obi-Wan?"
"Ten." was the simply reply. Sithspawn, she thought. He is younger than I thought. He was such a young child. He probably didn't fully understand what he saw.
She dealt Obi-Wan and herself another card, then looked back up at him. "How about we make this more interesting?" For some reason, she felt sorry for this boy, There was something about him that seemed to pull her toward him.
"How?"
"Make a bet. If I win, you have to be more sociable and chat with me for a while. And if you win, I'll let you go outside for awhile. But under my close supervision."
Obi-Wan thought about it. He was tired of sitting around for days on end. "Okay." Then maybe I could get out of here, he thought.
Yanna smiled broadly. They played almost silently for a while until it came time to show their hands. Obi-Wan silently laid down his cards. He had twenty points. Yanna laid hers out; nineteen.
She watched as Obi-Wan burst out into a huge grin. He looked up at her, an impish look in his blue eyes. "Can we go outside now?"
"Well...sure. Why not? But you can't run away. Like I told you before, you could never ger back to the upper levels. And you would probably run into some weirdo who would try to eat you." Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and she knew he wouldn't run. She unlocked the clamp, and watched as he rubbed the sore spot.
He stood up stretched, then began to walk out of the door of his room. She panicked and tried to go after him, but then she noticed that he was just stretching his legs. She opened the door and carefully led Obi-Wan out.
Obi-Wan spent a moment just reveling in the freedom of being outside. There was more room and fresher air, even if it had the filtered taste of Coruscant air. He opened himself to the Force and used it to find out about his surroundings as best as the young initiate could. He could sense many creatures all about the building, some hostile. He opened his eyes and sighed. If he ran, he would eventually run into one of those things, and that would be the end of him. He kicked a rock, then decided to make the best of his time and do katas and Jedi excercises.
Yanna watched him as he ran up and down the street, jumping or doing a somersault every now and then. She let him play for half an hour before she called to him. He paused in mid-stride and looked down the street as if he was going to run down it. But he didn't. He just walked back to her slowly with his head down.
"Are you ever going to let me go?" he asked in a small voice.
"I can't let you go, Obi-Wan. I'm sorry. I would get into trouble with Kyct. Besides, Mr. Markis will let you go home after you tell him what he wants." She said it even though she didnt believe it herself.
She gently led the boy back into the apartment and into his room, where she put the clamp back on his leg. He looked at her once before she left, pleading with his eyes. "I just want to go home."
* * * * *
Qui-Gon sat, meditating, in his room when he heard a soft knock. Silently cursing for being pulled out of his peaceful state, he opened the door. At first he saw no one, but then he looked toward the floor. Yoda was standing in front of him, grasping a small package in his hands. Qui-Gon stepped to the side.
"Master Yoda. Come in, won't you."
The small Jedi did so, sat on a small cushion and fixed his eyes on Qui-Gon. "Still agitated, are we Qui-Gon?"
Qui-Gon gave Yoda a small smile before settling on the floor. "It's been almost three weeks, Master Yoda. But still, the promise I could not keep to that boy haunts me."
"Hmm. Haunts you, you say. How so?"
"I feel as if I did not do enough to prevent his kidnapping. I feel that I should have watched him a little bit more closely. Then maybe he would still be alive."
"A connection, you have?"
"No, it's just a weird feeling that I cannot make peace about."
Yoda nodded and began slowly unwrapping the parcel the had brought. "A clue, we have finally found. Not much maybe, but your opinion I want." Yoda took out the small object and handed it to Qui-Gon.
It was a child's lightsaber. Battered and dented, it looked like it had fallen from a great height then bounced a few times. He looked up at Yoda. "Was this his?"
Yoda nodded. "Found in the next quadrant from where he was taken, it was. A clue maybe, to where they were headed."
"What did you want my opinion for?"
"What you think happened."
Qui-Gon closed his eyes and ran his hands along the lightsaber. Suddenly images flashed in his mind. A strange man running with him under his arm. Being thrown into an airspeeder, then trying to get away and being slapped for it. He could still feel the fear Obi-Wan had felt. His emotions and memories seemed to be somehow locked in the lightsaber. But then suddenly a new image flashed across his mind. A street, far below the levels of Coruscant. Dirty, and cold. But in the distance he could see a large structure far above him.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes slowly. He turned to a surprised Yoda. "I know where he was, or maybe is." How could I see that? I am not connected to the boy. But maybe, I am through the promise I made.
"So sure are you?"
Qui-Gon looked down at the lightsaber his hand almost engulfed. "Yes. I saw it."
* * * * *
Obi-Wan was sprawled out on his stomach, playing with some toy speeders when Kyct came through the door. Kyct had been walking towards the kitchen to get a drink, but the sight of the boy in the main room with no restraints stopped him short.
"Yanna!" he screeched. She came running into the room. "What the hell is doing out of that room? And with no restraints on!"
Yanna bent down to put a hand on the now trembling Obi-Wan's shoulder. "It's okay Kyct. He won't run away. Just let him play."
"Let him play? Let him play!! Why should I do that? He's our prisoner, Yanna. Not some kid you just adopted! He's a Jedi, he could run out any second. Put him back on that chain!" Kyct's face was turning red with anger.
"He won't run Kyct! I've let him go outside dozens of times and he's always come back! And this isn't right! You can't just kidnap a Jedi and expect not to be caught and punished. What are you thinking?"
Instead of answering her, Kyct backhanded her across the face. Obi-Wan flinched; he knew how that felt. But it also angered him. He shouldn't be hitting her like that. During the last two weeks, Obi-Wan and Yanna had become friends, despite the situation they were in. She had bought him new cheap clothes to replace his now tattered Jedi tunic. And she had brought back the toy speeders for him too. He had had enough with Kyct bullying people.
With his blood boiling he suddenly stood up and leapt onto Kyct's back. He wrapped his arms arounds Kyct's neck and tried to choke him. "You don't hit her! You don't hit people like that!" he was yelling.
Kyct reached back and grabbed a handful of the boy's ginger hair and pulled him off. Obi-Wan landed on the floor with a thud and was immediately kicked by Kyct in the stomach.
""You little bastard!" He reached down and grabbed more of Obi-Wan's hair and lifted him up by it, ignoring the boy's cries. He then slammed the young Jedi into a wall, then continued to beat him with his fists. Yanna screamed and tried to pull the man off, but he was simply to big. And he was in a drunken rage to add to that. He pushed her back and she slammed up against the wall.
She was trying to get the spots to leave her eyes when suddenly a green beam of light sliced through the door. A lightsaber, she thought, her heart soaring. They've finally come for him! He can go home.
She watched as the lightsaber cut a hole in the wall large enough for some one to step through. And some one did. A large man with long hair tied back practically jumped through. He was followed by a dark-skinned man with a blue lightsaber. The first Jedi rushed over to where Kyct was beating Obi-Wan and jerked him off of his feet. He threw him roughly against the wall, where Kyct sat, stunned. That's when the second Jedi proceeded to put servo-cuffs on him.
Qui-Gon switched off his lightsaber and knelt by the fallen boy. The beating had knocked him out, but he was alive. His nose was bleeding and Qui-Gon could see bruises already appearing on his face. He gently reached down and picked him up. He turned to Yanna. "What about her?" he asked Mace Windu.
Mace turned to regard her and she held her hands up. "I won't fight you. I'll come."
Both Jedi nodded and followed her out the door to their waiting speeder. They flew across Coruscant until they reached the Jedi Temple. And Qui-Gon noticed that the young woman cradled Obi-Wan's head in her lap the whole way. When they had landed, medics came out and took Obi-Wan from then for treatment. Qui-Gon and Mace escorted Yanna to the waiting room, where they sat her down in a chair. Then they sat across from her. Qui-Gon leaned forward.
"We're going to ask you some questions, and it will be better for you if you answer them truthfully." Yanna nodded. "What part did you have in the kidnapping?"
"I was to take care of him until Markis came for him."
"Who is Markis?"
"Don't know. Was told he was the guy who was gonna come get him."
"How long was Obi-Wan in your care?"
"Almost three weeks now."
"How did you take care of him?"
"Well, at first I wanted nothing to do with him. But one day I got lonely and started talking to him. He's a real sweet kid, very nice. And eventually, I just started letting him do more. I wanted to let him go home, but I had no way to do it. Kyct took the speeder everyday."
"Kyct?" Mace asked.
"The man you just arrested. My brother."
Qui-Gon nodded. "And what was this fight about?"
"I was letting Obi-Wan play with some toys in the main room without the chain Kyct wanted. Kyct came in, saw it and got mad. I tried to explain that Obi-Wan wouldn't run, but he hit me. That's when Obi jumped on his back to defend me." Yanna sighed and wiped her eyes. "Kyct just started beating the poor kid. I couldn't stop him, he was too big and too mad and too drunk. Then you two came." She looked back up at Qui-Gon to let him know she was finished.
"Where were you to take Obi-Wan to when Markis wanted him?" Mace asked.
"I don't know. Kyct had all those details, but he never told me. He only used me to take care of those he kidnapped."
"You've done this before?" Qui-Gon asked increduously.
"Yes, at least four times. But he's never taken some one so young before, or one that was a Jedi. He usually brought back a grown man or woman who had a price on their head. He would dump them on me because I had no way to leave where I was. I would keep them alive and well until Kyct came to take them away." Her eyes began to tear up again. "I had no choice! I couldn't leave, and Kyct threatened to dump me off in the lowest levels if I didn't do as he said."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Do you know anything else about this Markis guy?"
"No, but he was supposed to come for Obi-Wan a few weeks after Kyct got him. I believe he may be a bounty hunter." She looked up at Qui-Gon cautiously. "May I ask you a few questions, Master Jedi?" Qui-Gon nodded. "Who are you in relation to Obi-Wan?"
"I was simply the Jedi who was bringing him to the Security HQ so they could question him. That's all."
"Oh, I thought you might have been his Master."
"No. He is not even old enough to be a Padawan."
"Well. How did you know where we were?"
Qui-Gon and Mace exchanged a glance. "Sometimes a Jedi has special powers-"
"I thought you always had special powers. The Force, isn't it?"
"Yes, but sometimes we get powers that are special even for Jedi. Anyway, Obi-Wan's lightsaber was found after...Kyct threw it over. When I touched it, is was as if I was seeing what Obi-Wan had. Then I saw a newer image: a street. By looking around, I could see the distinct shape of the Global Reservation far above. That's how we figured it out."
"Oh, wow. How did you know which house to...", she stopped speaking as three uniformed Security officers strode into the room.
"Jedi Masters Qui-Gon Jinn and Mace Windu? I am Captain I'suu Marka of the Coruscant Security Force. We were told that the kidnappers of Jedi Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi had been found." Captain Marka was a Bothan with silver and gold fur.
"Yes," Mace answered, " we found them. The main one is in our detainment room, my Padawan will show you the way." He nodded toward a young man who had been standing by the door. It was the same Padawan who had been present at the Council meeting with Obi-Wan weeks ago. "This woman," Mace continued, gesturing to Yanna, " was his counterpart. But from what we have heard, she did it against her own will."
The officer nodded and sent the other two men to follow the Padawan while he strode up to Yanna. "I am now placing you under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Jedi Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi. You have the-"
"Wait!" Qui-Gon said quickly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi was found alive. He is here and the medics are tending to him."
"Oh, very well then." The captain turned back to Yanna and placed servo-cuffs on her wrists, looking slightly dissappointed. "You are under the arrest for the kidnapping and detainment of Obi-Wan Kenobi. You will come with me to Security Headquarters." With that he half-way dragged her out the door.
Qui-Gon stared after her for a moment. "Did you think she was telling the truth?" he asked Mace.
The Jedi just shrugged. "I sensed no deception from her, but for those who lie a lot..." He trailed off.
"I think she was telling the truth. But we won't really know until the boy gets out of treatment."
* * * * *
After four days, the medics finally announced that Obi-Wan had fully recovered from his injuries. He had suffered minor bruises, a concussion, and a few cuts, the worst being where the chain had chafed his leg. He began attending classes again two days after that. All the other initiates had rushed up to him and welcomed him back. Bant looked like she would burst out in tears, along with Garen Muln.
Obi-Wan had begun to think that, somehow, everyone had forgotten about the murders and his kidnapping. He had been back at the Temple for three weeks now, and none of the Masters had asked him about what happened. It seemed that no one wanted to talk about it.
He had mended the dents in his lightsaber the best he could, but it still looked a little worse for wear. The toy speeders were hidden away on a shelf in his room. He was trying to rid himself of everything that reminded him of his ordeal, but he couldn't bring himself to throw the toys out.
Then one day, he was in his boring History of the Republic class, when suddenly the door hissed open. When Obi-Wan saw who was in the doorway, his heart sank. It was Mace Windu, and right now he was talking to Genta Olan, the history teacher. Master Olan nodded to Mace and stood up.
"Obi-Wan, gather your things and follow Master Windu to the Council room. I'm sure one of your friends will brief you on what you miss."
"Yes Master Olan." Obi-Wan said as he shoved his school supplies into a bag. He lifted a hand in farewell to Garen and Reeft as he made his way up to Mace. The Jedi Master waited until Obi-Wan was out the door before following. The pair walked silently side by side towards the Council room. Obi-Wan knew what he was needed for, and Mace knew that, so he didn't bother telling him.
Mace glanced at the boy. Obi-Wan's face was set in deep concentration, and even a bit of fear too. The Jedi Master remembered all too well how afraid Obi-Wan had been that the man would come after him again. He put a comforting hand on the child's shoulder as they reached the Council doors.
The doors opened and both of them stepped inside. Obi-Wan took his place in the middle, and Mace took his place next to Yoda. Obi-Wan bowed stiffly to the Masters and stared at Yoda, waiting for them to begin.
Yoda did in fact begin. "Know what you are here for, do you?"
"Yes, Master Yoda. You want to tell me that I'm to tell the Security about what I saw."
Yoda nodded. "Good, good. Go with two Jedi, you will. More protection."
Obi-Wan nodded. "When will I go?"
Interesting, though Mace. The boy no longer seems scared. He is also acting much bolder than most initiates. All others would have kept quiet.
"You will leave immedietly," Plo Koon said. "An airspeeder will take you directly to the Security HQ. You will go there and answer the questions they ask you, then you will come straight back." He turned to Yoda.
"Go now. Waiting for you in landing bay 23, your speeder is."
Obi-Wan bowed again and left the room. He quickly found the speeder where two Jedi unknown to him were waiting. They nodded to him and followed him on to the speeder.
"Morning, young Kenobi. Sleep well?" Obi-Wan simply stared at him. "Well," Qui-Gon cleared his throat, "get dressed. You're coming with me to go to Security HQ."
Obi-Wan's mouth flew open. "What! Why do I have to go there? I already told my story."
"I know, but I'm sure Security would like to hear it straight from the witness' mouth. I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. I know you hate to tell what you saw, but you must tell it one more time."
Obi-Wan sighed. "Okay. Let me change." He shut the door and grabbed a fresh tunic. He pulled it on and hooked his lightsaber to his belt. Then he opened the door, still flattening his hair down. He tipped his chin up in a brave gesture. I'm ready."
Qui-Gon turned to hide an amused grin as he began to lead the boy to where their airspeeder was waiting. He got in and waited for the boy. When the boy had put on his restraints, Qui-Gon turned to speak to him. "HQ is almost half way around Coruscant. It may take awhile to get there, and traffic is always bad. Maybe before we go tell your story, we could stop and get a bite to eat. I know a great little place I think you'll like."
Obi-Wan smiled at this, and Qui-Gon was glad he could take the child's mind off of what he had seen for a moment.
Qui-Gon had been right. It had taken them forever to even reach the quadrant where the HQ was. It was nearly mid-day before Qui-Gon settled the airspeeder down near a crowded patch of street. He shut the engine off and turned to Obi-Wan. "We'll get something to eat first. I'm sure you are hungry."
Obi-Wan nodded enthusiasticaly. "Yeah! I didn't have breakfast." But he suddenly got quiet and distant. He began looking at passerby's fearfully and suspiciously.
Guessing his worries Qui-Gon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nobody is going to get you. Nobody is going to kill you. You have my word on that." He stared at the boy, waiting for an answer.
Obi-Wan looked up at the large Jedi, trust in his young eyes. "Alright, Master Jedi. I trust you."
Qui-Gon nodded and the two Jedi made their way down the busy street. Qui-Gon made sure to walk slower than usual so Obi-Wan could keep up, but the boy was also staring wide-eyed at the new sites before him. He was so intrigued in watching the many stores go by that he didn't notice the cloaked figure following him.
Qui-Gon turned a corner and stopped. He began to walk a little too quickly, and Obi-Wan had fallen behind. He waited a moment for the boy to catch up, but he never turned the corner. Qui-Gon walked back around to see if the young Jedi maybe had not seen him turn. Obi-Wan was nowhere in sight. Qui-Gon turned in every direction, stretching out with his senses. But he turned up nothing. Obi-Wan was gone!
* * * * *
Obi-Wan had been following Qui-Gon as best he could with his small legs, but the Jedi was simply too fast for him. As Qui-Gon turned a corner, Obi-Wan began to run to catch up. He never made it. The cloaked figure leapt forward and grabbed the back of Obi-Wan's tunic. He picked up the small Jedi and held him under one arm as he turned and ran opposite of where Qui-Gon had gone. Obi-Wan tried to yell, but the man clamped his hand over his mouth.
Obi-Wan's kidnapper ran up some stairs and jumped into a waiting airspeeder. The pilot turned once to look at Obi-Wan, then gunned the engines. The first man still had his hand over Obi-Wan's mouth, and Obi-Wan bit him. The man cursed, then back-handed the boy across the face. Non-plussed, Obi-Wan tried to scramble over the side of the craft before it got too high, but the man grabbed his foot.
"Help! Qui-Gon! Help me! Somebody!" He managed to yell into the air before the man jerked him back. The man hit him once with his elbow and Obi-Wan slumped to the seat, dazed by the horrific blow.
"Shut up! Shut up, you little Jedi brat! Just sit there, or I'll throw you over the side!" the first man said in a raspy voice. Obi-Wan shrank back into the seat in fear; they were quite high now.
The man then reached over and grabbed the lightsaber from Obi-Wan's belt and chunked it ever the side. "Just like that." he sneered. The pilot took them to a low level of Coruscant, where he stopped at a small and broken landing pad well below the main traffic.
"I stop here, Kyct. I can't go further. You and the Jedi will have to walk from here." the pilot told the kidnapper.
"Good," Kyct sneered. "Maybe I can teach the kid some discipline." Obi-Wan shrank further into his seat. Whatever this man meant by discipline, Obi-Wan wanted nothing to do with it.
Kyct turned to the trembling child and motioned for Obi-Wan to get out. Obi-Wan obeyed and the man stuck the muzzle of a blaster to his head. "One wrong move, Jedi, and you will die. No tricks, understand?" Obi-Wan nodded nervously. "Good, then we have an understanding. If you do as I say, you will live and be able to go back to the Temple soon. I have some friends that just want to talk to you." With that he led Obi-Wan deeper in the labryths of Coruscant Underground.
* * * * *
Yoda watched as Qui-Gon paced back and forth in the Temle. "Something wrong there is?"
Qui-Gon looked at the diminuative Jedi with a shocked expression. "Wrong? A Jedi Initiate was just kidnapped on his way to Security HQ after witnessing a crime! What else could be wrong?"
"Think do you, that the criminal young Obi-Wan saw is involved?"
"Yes, almost without a doubt. Why else would he have been taken?"
"Agree with you the Council does. Believe do we, that Kenobi was taken to prevent him from testifying."
"How do you think they knew he would be there, and when?"
"Watching us, they may be. Saw you and Kenobi leave, so decide to follow you they did. That is an idea. And also, bodies found there were, of two senators. Shot in the back. So see something, Kenobi did."
Qui-Gon stared out the tall duraglass window. He had mixed feelings about this. He was angry that someone had taken Obi-Wan, and sad about that too. But he was also frustrated that it had happened right under his nose.
"More to this for you, there is?" Yoda was watching Qui-Gon with great interest.
Qui-Gon sighed. "Yes. I told the boy that nobody would get him. I promised him."
"Some promises hard to keep, are they. Patient you must be, Qui-Gon. Looking for him now, Security is. Failed the boy, you have not."
Qui-Gon nodded, but Yoda reasurances did nothing to end his anxiety.
* * * * *
Obi-Wan shivered with cold. Kyct had lead them deeper and deeper into the low levels of Coruscant. Finally Kyct stopped and knocked on what appeared to be a solid durasteel wall. A small hole opened up and Obi-Wan could see an eye peering through.
"It's me, Yanna. I got the Jedi kid." The hole closed abruptly and Obi-Wan heard the sound of a lock opening. A second later a door opened in the wall and Kyct quickly shoved the young Jedi through. Inside was what appeared to be a small apartment. Yanna ended up being a young woman who stared at Obi-Wan with mild interest.
"This is the Jedi that Markis is so interested in? I thought he would be something more, at least an apprentice or a Knight. This kid's still a baby."
"I am not!" Obi-Wan shouted before he could stop himself. For his outburst he was rewarded with another back-handed slap to the face from Kyct.
"I told you to keep quiet kid!" Kyct turned to Yanna. "I gotta go out for a few days; got another job to do. Keep him in that back room and don't let him loose." Kyct glared at Obi-Wan. "He's a quick little guy. Markis won't be back on-planet for a few weeks, so we're gonna have to keep him here."
Obi-Wan's mouth hung open. A few weeks? He would have to be here this long?
"Why weeks? Can't he just come back?' Yanna asked. "I don't really want to be stuck with this kid for that long."
"You're going to have to suck it up." Kyct grinned. "Markis had to go finish his job, then he wants to keep a low profile for a while in case the kid told anyone. I think he also has another job to do." He shrugged. "Oh well, we're getting paid well for this. He gave us some extra credits to get food for the kid. We can't have him die before Markis gets here, so don't starve him too bad." He turned and walked out, leaving Obi-Wan with the strange lady.
He heard her sigh. "Great. He always does this. Leaves me to take care of whoever he nabs." She turned to Obi-Wan. "Come on, kid." Obi-Wan stole a quick glance at the door, but she saw it. "You can't get out that way, you need a code. Besides, if you did get out, how would you get back to higher levels? You don't have an airspeeder." Obi-Wan glared once at her, then rushed toward the door. She quickly grasped Obi-Wan's arm and steered him to the back room. Inside was a small cot and a chain that was embedded in the wall. With dawning panic, Obi-Wan realized that she was going to put that on him!
He struggled to get out of her grasp, but she held fast. He kicked her hard in the leg, but she still held on. She pushed him so that he fell on the cot, then quickly snapped the leg chain onto his small leg.
"There! And its not a normal lock either, so don't try to move the mechanisms with your Force. It won't do any good." She brightened up. "And if you're good, maybe I'll let you outside every now and then." Yeah right, she thought. He'd just run, then Kyct would have my head.
Obi-Wan glared at her as she turned and walked back into the main room. He pulled on the clamp for a long while before giving up. Then he pulled his boot off and tried to slip his foot through. That failed also, so he pulled his shoe back on. In one last desperate attempt to get free, he tried chewing the clamp; which failed miserably. With no hope of escape left in him, he sat on the cot and pulled his knees to his chest and lowered his head.
He was stuck here. And no one at the Temple had any clue to where he was. He also didn't think that this Markis guy would let him go back to the Temple. He tried to calm his panicked mind so he could think, but to no avail. Finally he settled into a meditative state of mind.
* * * * *
Qui-Gon watched as the Chief of Security talked to Yoda. Yoda did not look pleased, so Qui-Gon knew that the chief had no good news. When the security guard walked away, Yoda sighed and made his way to Qui-Gon.
"Hopeful, they are not. Four days have passed. Ready to search for a body, they are."
"They give up on finding him alive so soon?"
"Yes, normal they say it is. After three days, usually dead the kidnapped is. Believe Obi-Wan is dead, they do."
"They have no clue to where he may be?"
Yoda only shook his head.
"You have no clue as to where he is either?"
Yoda shook his head. "Clouded, it is. Sense Kenobi, I cannot."
"Then I truely have failed him." Qui-Gon said quietly. Part of his heart ached for the kidnapped boy he hardly knew. The boy had such promise, and he had been a very friendly child. Now all that, what he was, what he could have been, was destroyed.
* * * * *
A week had past since the man had taken Obi-Wan from the streets. Obi-Wan stayed in his small little room the whole time, only being let out to use the 'fresher. While he was in the room he would meditate, or stare out the small window. From the window he could only see the buildings rising far above him, but he stared out it anyway. Sometimes he burst out screaming at Yanna for keeping him here. Yanna brought in meals twice a day, but he only nibbled on them.
Kyct had come back two days after he left, but was rarely ever at the apartment. He left Yanna by herself with Obi-Wan, but she distanced herself from the once bright-eyed child. But one day, after Kyct left to dry out a local cantina, Yanna came into Obi-Wan's small room. She sat down across from him and he looked up, no fear evident in his blue eyes.
She smiled. "Hello. Do you know how to play sabacc?" The boy nodded. "Do you want to play it with me?" he thought about it for a moment before nodding. He had nothing else to do, why no play a game? She sighed. She hadn't ever really talked to the boy. All she would say was that his food was there. And right now she was desperate for conversation. She hadn't seen another being, with the exception of Kyct, for over a month.
"What's your name?" she asked as she dealt out the cards.
The boy gave her a suspicious look before answering. "Obi-Wan Kenobi." Why is this woman suddenly so interested in me, he wondered.
"That's a nice name. I'm Yanna." The boy gave her a sarcastic smile before staring intently at his cards again. She watched him. He seemed so withdrawn. After five days he had stopped having his screaming fits. He didn't seem to want to have anything to do with her. But then again, she thought, can I blame him? I am keeping him against his will. Wanting Obi-Wan to loosen up a little, she tried to continue the converstion. "How old are you, Obi-Wan?"
"Ten." was the simply reply. Sithspawn, she thought. He is younger than I thought. He was such a young child. He probably didn't fully understand what he saw.
She dealt Obi-Wan and herself another card, then looked back up at him. "How about we make this more interesting?" For some reason, she felt sorry for this boy, There was something about him that seemed to pull her toward him.
"How?"
"Make a bet. If I win, you have to be more sociable and chat with me for a while. And if you win, I'll let you go outside for awhile. But under my close supervision."
Obi-Wan thought about it. He was tired of sitting around for days on end. "Okay." Then maybe I could get out of here, he thought.
Yanna smiled broadly. They played almost silently for a while until it came time to show their hands. Obi-Wan silently laid down his cards. He had twenty points. Yanna laid hers out; nineteen.
She watched as Obi-Wan burst out into a huge grin. He looked up at her, an impish look in his blue eyes. "Can we go outside now?"
"Well...sure. Why not? But you can't run away. Like I told you before, you could never ger back to the upper levels. And you would probably run into some weirdo who would try to eat you." Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and she knew he wouldn't run. She unlocked the clamp, and watched as he rubbed the sore spot.
He stood up stretched, then began to walk out of the door of his room. She panicked and tried to go after him, but then she noticed that he was just stretching his legs. She opened the door and carefully led Obi-Wan out.
Obi-Wan spent a moment just reveling in the freedom of being outside. There was more room and fresher air, even if it had the filtered taste of Coruscant air. He opened himself to the Force and used it to find out about his surroundings as best as the young initiate could. He could sense many creatures all about the building, some hostile. He opened his eyes and sighed. If he ran, he would eventually run into one of those things, and that would be the end of him. He kicked a rock, then decided to make the best of his time and do katas and Jedi excercises.
Yanna watched him as he ran up and down the street, jumping or doing a somersault every now and then. She let him play for half an hour before she called to him. He paused in mid-stride and looked down the street as if he was going to run down it. But he didn't. He just walked back to her slowly with his head down.
"Are you ever going to let me go?" he asked in a small voice.
"I can't let you go, Obi-Wan. I'm sorry. I would get into trouble with Kyct. Besides, Mr. Markis will let you go home after you tell him what he wants." She said it even though she didnt believe it herself.
She gently led the boy back into the apartment and into his room, where she put the clamp back on his leg. He looked at her once before she left, pleading with his eyes. "I just want to go home."
* * * * *
Qui-Gon sat, meditating, in his room when he heard a soft knock. Silently cursing for being pulled out of his peaceful state, he opened the door. At first he saw no one, but then he looked toward the floor. Yoda was standing in front of him, grasping a small package in his hands. Qui-Gon stepped to the side.
"Master Yoda. Come in, won't you."
The small Jedi did so, sat on a small cushion and fixed his eyes on Qui-Gon. "Still agitated, are we Qui-Gon?"
Qui-Gon gave Yoda a small smile before settling on the floor. "It's been almost three weeks, Master Yoda. But still, the promise I could not keep to that boy haunts me."
"Hmm. Haunts you, you say. How so?"
"I feel as if I did not do enough to prevent his kidnapping. I feel that I should have watched him a little bit more closely. Then maybe he would still be alive."
"A connection, you have?"
"No, it's just a weird feeling that I cannot make peace about."
Yoda nodded and began slowly unwrapping the parcel the had brought. "A clue, we have finally found. Not much maybe, but your opinion I want." Yoda took out the small object and handed it to Qui-Gon.
It was a child's lightsaber. Battered and dented, it looked like it had fallen from a great height then bounced a few times. He looked up at Yoda. "Was this his?"
Yoda nodded. "Found in the next quadrant from where he was taken, it was. A clue maybe, to where they were headed."
"What did you want my opinion for?"
"What you think happened."
Qui-Gon closed his eyes and ran his hands along the lightsaber. Suddenly images flashed in his mind. A strange man running with him under his arm. Being thrown into an airspeeder, then trying to get away and being slapped for it. He could still feel the fear Obi-Wan had felt. His emotions and memories seemed to be somehow locked in the lightsaber. But then suddenly a new image flashed across his mind. A street, far below the levels of Coruscant. Dirty, and cold. But in the distance he could see a large structure far above him.
Qui-Gon opened his eyes slowly. He turned to a surprised Yoda. "I know where he was, or maybe is." How could I see that? I am not connected to the boy. But maybe, I am through the promise I made.
"So sure are you?"
Qui-Gon looked down at the lightsaber his hand almost engulfed. "Yes. I saw it."
* * * * *
Obi-Wan was sprawled out on his stomach, playing with some toy speeders when Kyct came through the door. Kyct had been walking towards the kitchen to get a drink, but the sight of the boy in the main room with no restraints stopped him short.
"Yanna!" he screeched. She came running into the room. "What the hell is doing out of that room? And with no restraints on!"
Yanna bent down to put a hand on the now trembling Obi-Wan's shoulder. "It's okay Kyct. He won't run away. Just let him play."
"Let him play? Let him play!! Why should I do that? He's our prisoner, Yanna. Not some kid you just adopted! He's a Jedi, he could run out any second. Put him back on that chain!" Kyct's face was turning red with anger.
"He won't run Kyct! I've let him go outside dozens of times and he's always come back! And this isn't right! You can't just kidnap a Jedi and expect not to be caught and punished. What are you thinking?"
Instead of answering her, Kyct backhanded her across the face. Obi-Wan flinched; he knew how that felt. But it also angered him. He shouldn't be hitting her like that. During the last two weeks, Obi-Wan and Yanna had become friends, despite the situation they were in. She had bought him new cheap clothes to replace his now tattered Jedi tunic. And she had brought back the toy speeders for him too. He had had enough with Kyct bullying people.
With his blood boiling he suddenly stood up and leapt onto Kyct's back. He wrapped his arms arounds Kyct's neck and tried to choke him. "You don't hit her! You don't hit people like that!" he was yelling.
Kyct reached back and grabbed a handful of the boy's ginger hair and pulled him off. Obi-Wan landed on the floor with a thud and was immediately kicked by Kyct in the stomach.
""You little bastard!" He reached down and grabbed more of Obi-Wan's hair and lifted him up by it, ignoring the boy's cries. He then slammed the young Jedi into a wall, then continued to beat him with his fists. Yanna screamed and tried to pull the man off, but he was simply to big. And he was in a drunken rage to add to that. He pushed her back and she slammed up against the wall.
She was trying to get the spots to leave her eyes when suddenly a green beam of light sliced through the door. A lightsaber, she thought, her heart soaring. They've finally come for him! He can go home.
She watched as the lightsaber cut a hole in the wall large enough for some one to step through. And some one did. A large man with long hair tied back practically jumped through. He was followed by a dark-skinned man with a blue lightsaber. The first Jedi rushed over to where Kyct was beating Obi-Wan and jerked him off of his feet. He threw him roughly against the wall, where Kyct sat, stunned. That's when the second Jedi proceeded to put servo-cuffs on him.
Qui-Gon switched off his lightsaber and knelt by the fallen boy. The beating had knocked him out, but he was alive. His nose was bleeding and Qui-Gon could see bruises already appearing on his face. He gently reached down and picked him up. He turned to Yanna. "What about her?" he asked Mace Windu.
Mace turned to regard her and she held her hands up. "I won't fight you. I'll come."
Both Jedi nodded and followed her out the door to their waiting speeder. They flew across Coruscant until they reached the Jedi Temple. And Qui-Gon noticed that the young woman cradled Obi-Wan's head in her lap the whole way. When they had landed, medics came out and took Obi-Wan from then for treatment. Qui-Gon and Mace escorted Yanna to the waiting room, where they sat her down in a chair. Then they sat across from her. Qui-Gon leaned forward.
"We're going to ask you some questions, and it will be better for you if you answer them truthfully." Yanna nodded. "What part did you have in the kidnapping?"
"I was to take care of him until Markis came for him."
"Who is Markis?"
"Don't know. Was told he was the guy who was gonna come get him."
"How long was Obi-Wan in your care?"
"Almost three weeks now."
"How did you take care of him?"
"Well, at first I wanted nothing to do with him. But one day I got lonely and started talking to him. He's a real sweet kid, very nice. And eventually, I just started letting him do more. I wanted to let him go home, but I had no way to do it. Kyct took the speeder everyday."
"Kyct?" Mace asked.
"The man you just arrested. My brother."
Qui-Gon nodded. "And what was this fight about?"
"I was letting Obi-Wan play with some toys in the main room without the chain Kyct wanted. Kyct came in, saw it and got mad. I tried to explain that Obi-Wan wouldn't run, but he hit me. That's when Obi jumped on his back to defend me." Yanna sighed and wiped her eyes. "Kyct just started beating the poor kid. I couldn't stop him, he was too big and too mad and too drunk. Then you two came." She looked back up at Qui-Gon to let him know she was finished.
"Where were you to take Obi-Wan to when Markis wanted him?" Mace asked.
"I don't know. Kyct had all those details, but he never told me. He only used me to take care of those he kidnapped."
"You've done this before?" Qui-Gon asked increduously.
"Yes, at least four times. But he's never taken some one so young before, or one that was a Jedi. He usually brought back a grown man or woman who had a price on their head. He would dump them on me because I had no way to leave where I was. I would keep them alive and well until Kyct came to take them away." Her eyes began to tear up again. "I had no choice! I couldn't leave, and Kyct threatened to dump me off in the lowest levels if I didn't do as he said."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Do you know anything else about this Markis guy?"
"No, but he was supposed to come for Obi-Wan a few weeks after Kyct got him. I believe he may be a bounty hunter." She looked up at Qui-Gon cautiously. "May I ask you a few questions, Master Jedi?" Qui-Gon nodded. "Who are you in relation to Obi-Wan?"
"I was simply the Jedi who was bringing him to the Security HQ so they could question him. That's all."
"Oh, I thought you might have been his Master."
"No. He is not even old enough to be a Padawan."
"Well. How did you know where we were?"
Qui-Gon and Mace exchanged a glance. "Sometimes a Jedi has special powers-"
"I thought you always had special powers. The Force, isn't it?"
"Yes, but sometimes we get powers that are special even for Jedi. Anyway, Obi-Wan's lightsaber was found after...Kyct threw it over. When I touched it, is was as if I was seeing what Obi-Wan had. Then I saw a newer image: a street. By looking around, I could see the distinct shape of the Global Reservation far above. That's how we figured it out."
"Oh, wow. How did you know which house to...", she stopped speaking as three uniformed Security officers strode into the room.
"Jedi Masters Qui-Gon Jinn and Mace Windu? I am Captain I'suu Marka of the Coruscant Security Force. We were told that the kidnappers of Jedi Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi had been found." Captain Marka was a Bothan with silver and gold fur.
"Yes," Mace answered, " we found them. The main one is in our detainment room, my Padawan will show you the way." He nodded toward a young man who had been standing by the door. It was the same Padawan who had been present at the Council meeting with Obi-Wan weeks ago. "This woman," Mace continued, gesturing to Yanna, " was his counterpart. But from what we have heard, she did it against her own will."
The officer nodded and sent the other two men to follow the Padawan while he strode up to Yanna. "I am now placing you under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Jedi Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi. You have the-"
"Wait!" Qui-Gon said quickly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi was found alive. He is here and the medics are tending to him."
"Oh, very well then." The captain turned back to Yanna and placed servo-cuffs on her wrists, looking slightly dissappointed. "You are under the arrest for the kidnapping and detainment of Obi-Wan Kenobi. You will come with me to Security Headquarters." With that he half-way dragged her out the door.
Qui-Gon stared after her for a moment. "Did you think she was telling the truth?" he asked Mace.
The Jedi just shrugged. "I sensed no deception from her, but for those who lie a lot..." He trailed off.
"I think she was telling the truth. But we won't really know until the boy gets out of treatment."
* * * * *
After four days, the medics finally announced that Obi-Wan had fully recovered from his injuries. He had suffered minor bruises, a concussion, and a few cuts, the worst being where the chain had chafed his leg. He began attending classes again two days after that. All the other initiates had rushed up to him and welcomed him back. Bant looked like she would burst out in tears, along with Garen Muln.
Obi-Wan had begun to think that, somehow, everyone had forgotten about the murders and his kidnapping. He had been back at the Temple for three weeks now, and none of the Masters had asked him about what happened. It seemed that no one wanted to talk about it.
He had mended the dents in his lightsaber the best he could, but it still looked a little worse for wear. The toy speeders were hidden away on a shelf in his room. He was trying to rid himself of everything that reminded him of his ordeal, but he couldn't bring himself to throw the toys out.
Then one day, he was in his boring History of the Republic class, when suddenly the door hissed open. When Obi-Wan saw who was in the doorway, his heart sank. It was Mace Windu, and right now he was talking to Genta Olan, the history teacher. Master Olan nodded to Mace and stood up.
"Obi-Wan, gather your things and follow Master Windu to the Council room. I'm sure one of your friends will brief you on what you miss."
"Yes Master Olan." Obi-Wan said as he shoved his school supplies into a bag. He lifted a hand in farewell to Garen and Reeft as he made his way up to Mace. The Jedi Master waited until Obi-Wan was out the door before following. The pair walked silently side by side towards the Council room. Obi-Wan knew what he was needed for, and Mace knew that, so he didn't bother telling him.
Mace glanced at the boy. Obi-Wan's face was set in deep concentration, and even a bit of fear too. The Jedi Master remembered all too well how afraid Obi-Wan had been that the man would come after him again. He put a comforting hand on the child's shoulder as they reached the Council doors.
The doors opened and both of them stepped inside. Obi-Wan took his place in the middle, and Mace took his place next to Yoda. Obi-Wan bowed stiffly to the Masters and stared at Yoda, waiting for them to begin.
Yoda did in fact begin. "Know what you are here for, do you?"
"Yes, Master Yoda. You want to tell me that I'm to tell the Security about what I saw."
Yoda nodded. "Good, good. Go with two Jedi, you will. More protection."
Obi-Wan nodded. "When will I go?"
Interesting, though Mace. The boy no longer seems scared. He is also acting much bolder than most initiates. All others would have kept quiet.
"You will leave immedietly," Plo Koon said. "An airspeeder will take you directly to the Security HQ. You will go there and answer the questions they ask you, then you will come straight back." He turned to Yoda.
"Go now. Waiting for you in landing bay 23, your speeder is."
Obi-Wan bowed again and left the room. He quickly found the speeder where two Jedi unknown to him were waiting. They nodded to him and followed him on to the speeder.