Chapter 3 - Found, Then Lost
The sun was rising in the smog and mist, the Jedi searching since long before the dawn had come. The deep red of the ascending sun accented the rust-red color of paint that covered so many of the buildings in this sector. It seemed as if the sector they were in was on fire, a blaze that only came when the sun rose.
Obi-Wan walked next to Stak Kaa, Anakin once again oddly silent a few steps behind.
"The city's main industry is manufacturing. Many citizens work at the plants assembling speeders and other devices. This is because droid labor is something that the business owners don't wish to spend money on. They find living beings to be more reliable. As for the other citizens, they work a variety of jobs, from farmer and merchant to information broker and lawyer."
Obi-Wan acknowledged him with a nod, head bowed in thought. "What about the police force? Is it adequate for a city of this size?"
"Yes, but, unfortunately, they are easily persuaded to look the other way when credits are flashed in front of them. Many people can enter and leave here without much interference."
Obi-Wan nodded once more, looking to his right to see an elderly human woman setting up a stand selling native fruits. He smiled back as she waved, then turned to look at Stak. "Can we visit the rundown sector we saw while arriving? My gut tells me he might be there."
"Of course, Master Kenobi," Stak said, signaling a passing vehicle.
Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Stak filed out of the dark green vehicle. Obi- Wan and Anakin looked around while Stak paid the driver.
The walls of the surrounding buildings were well worn and showing its old age. Some walls sported holes; some occurred from decay, others from unknown sources. The street was made of cracked duracrete, puddles forming in the street from the shower the night before. Some people walked the streets, scruffy and aged, while others scampered into many of the shadows that the buildings created at the sight of Jedi.
"When I said 'rundown,' I had no idea how accurate I was," Obi-Wan said in shocked, almost disgusted, awe.
"Yes. The mayor is not too concerned with the state of this sector and its people. Lately, his head has been too involved with galactic issues and forgetting about city issues."
Obi-Wan nodded. He didn't even notice that Anakin had stopped until he turned his head to ask him a question.
"What's wrong, Anakin?"
"I feel a disturbance."
"I don't feel anything. Maybe you just picked up a mugging, my Padawan."
"Yes, those are common here," Stak chimed in.
"No, it's faint, and continuing. It's not a sense of fear or anger. It's more like anxiety; like it's waiting for something, or someone."
Obi-Wan and Stak exchanged puzzled but understanding glances.
"Let's follow it. It's the closest thing we have to a lead at the moment," Obi-Wan said, Anakin grinning and walking briskly down a narrow, dark alley.
Obi-Wan quickly caught up, with Stak not close behind.
The alley itself looked like the lower levels of Coruscant: slightly damp, rundown, with the occasional lowlife strung out on some narcotic substance or a stone mite. At regular intervals of a couple of meters was an emergency escape stairwell, leading up at least ten stories.
Obi-Wan was astonished that such a place existed outside the Galactic capital city of Coruscant. Obi-Wan remembered the underbelly or Coruscant well. Not only did he chase an assassin one year ago, but, when Qui-Gon was still his Master, he had got to investigate the disappearances of two Jedi. He even chased Anakin through a deadly race, both of them almost dying when Anakin was all but thirteen. These experiences, only three out of many, were not cherished memories he visited often.
He stopped abruptly, watching his Padawan stand and look around like a searchlight looking for an escapee. His gaze settled on an emergency stairwell, cut short as rust eaten metal told of decay. Obi-Wan and Stak's gazes followed obediently.
"It's up there," Anakin said quietly.
Obi-Wan, falling into the endless ocean that was the Force, actually felt the disturbance of anxiety. It was as if a flashlight was running low on its power.
"I feel it too, Anakin," Obi-Wan reassured, almost in a whisper.
Anakin, using the Force, jumped up to a sturdy spot, his hands grasping a bar. He then flipped up in a dazzling back flip few could do, onto the barred surface. Obi-Wan nodded in approval, knowing his Padawan took his training serious. Then, in similar fashion, Obi-Wan and Stak followed.
They climbed quietly; mixing trained agility and knowledge of the Force t make their steps as quiet as possible. Then, on a wide platform, Anakin stopped once more, eyes focused on the windows before them as if he could see through it.
"It's in there," Anakin whispered.
Obi-Wan suddenly felt a rush of power and life in the Force and lost balance in the suddenness of it. Then, as if a giant fist hit him, Obi-Wan and Stak fell over the barred ledge. Using his abilities he grabbed the railing right before it was too late. One story below, Stak followed. Obi- Wan glimpsed upward to find Anakin holding against the railing as if fighting a wind.
The, Anakin dropped the struggled look on his face and pushed outward with his hand. He ignited the blue blade customary to a Jedi and charged forward.
"Anakin!"
The Padawan turned around fiercely, staring at his Master with an intensity Obi-Wan only saw during battle.
Then, the intensity drained to horror as he saw Master about to plunge to certain harm, if not death. He deactivated the lightaber and clipped it to his belt and helped his Master up. He glimpsed a look at Stak, successfully up and standing one story below. As Anakin looked out on the open street, he saw a white-haired man leave down the street, robes trailing closely behind.
"He's getting away Master!" Anakin cried out in frustration.
"Calm, my Padawan. We will get him," Obi-Wan said, straightening his robes to fit him comfortably.
Obi-Wan felt around in the Force, finding no feeling of the Jedi Master.
"He's gone."
The sun was rising in the smog and mist, the Jedi searching since long before the dawn had come. The deep red of the ascending sun accented the rust-red color of paint that covered so many of the buildings in this sector. It seemed as if the sector they were in was on fire, a blaze that only came when the sun rose.
Obi-Wan walked next to Stak Kaa, Anakin once again oddly silent a few steps behind.
"The city's main industry is manufacturing. Many citizens work at the plants assembling speeders and other devices. This is because droid labor is something that the business owners don't wish to spend money on. They find living beings to be more reliable. As for the other citizens, they work a variety of jobs, from farmer and merchant to information broker and lawyer."
Obi-Wan acknowledged him with a nod, head bowed in thought. "What about the police force? Is it adequate for a city of this size?"
"Yes, but, unfortunately, they are easily persuaded to look the other way when credits are flashed in front of them. Many people can enter and leave here without much interference."
Obi-Wan nodded once more, looking to his right to see an elderly human woman setting up a stand selling native fruits. He smiled back as she waved, then turned to look at Stak. "Can we visit the rundown sector we saw while arriving? My gut tells me he might be there."
"Of course, Master Kenobi," Stak said, signaling a passing vehicle.
Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Stak filed out of the dark green vehicle. Obi- Wan and Anakin looked around while Stak paid the driver.
The walls of the surrounding buildings were well worn and showing its old age. Some walls sported holes; some occurred from decay, others from unknown sources. The street was made of cracked duracrete, puddles forming in the street from the shower the night before. Some people walked the streets, scruffy and aged, while others scampered into many of the shadows that the buildings created at the sight of Jedi.
"When I said 'rundown,' I had no idea how accurate I was," Obi-Wan said in shocked, almost disgusted, awe.
"Yes. The mayor is not too concerned with the state of this sector and its people. Lately, his head has been too involved with galactic issues and forgetting about city issues."
Obi-Wan nodded. He didn't even notice that Anakin had stopped until he turned his head to ask him a question.
"What's wrong, Anakin?"
"I feel a disturbance."
"I don't feel anything. Maybe you just picked up a mugging, my Padawan."
"Yes, those are common here," Stak chimed in.
"No, it's faint, and continuing. It's not a sense of fear or anger. It's more like anxiety; like it's waiting for something, or someone."
Obi-Wan and Stak exchanged puzzled but understanding glances.
"Let's follow it. It's the closest thing we have to a lead at the moment," Obi-Wan said, Anakin grinning and walking briskly down a narrow, dark alley.
Obi-Wan quickly caught up, with Stak not close behind.
The alley itself looked like the lower levels of Coruscant: slightly damp, rundown, with the occasional lowlife strung out on some narcotic substance or a stone mite. At regular intervals of a couple of meters was an emergency escape stairwell, leading up at least ten stories.
Obi-Wan was astonished that such a place existed outside the Galactic capital city of Coruscant. Obi-Wan remembered the underbelly or Coruscant well. Not only did he chase an assassin one year ago, but, when Qui-Gon was still his Master, he had got to investigate the disappearances of two Jedi. He even chased Anakin through a deadly race, both of them almost dying when Anakin was all but thirteen. These experiences, only three out of many, were not cherished memories he visited often.
He stopped abruptly, watching his Padawan stand and look around like a searchlight looking for an escapee. His gaze settled on an emergency stairwell, cut short as rust eaten metal told of decay. Obi-Wan and Stak's gazes followed obediently.
"It's up there," Anakin said quietly.
Obi-Wan, falling into the endless ocean that was the Force, actually felt the disturbance of anxiety. It was as if a flashlight was running low on its power.
"I feel it too, Anakin," Obi-Wan reassured, almost in a whisper.
Anakin, using the Force, jumped up to a sturdy spot, his hands grasping a bar. He then flipped up in a dazzling back flip few could do, onto the barred surface. Obi-Wan nodded in approval, knowing his Padawan took his training serious. Then, in similar fashion, Obi-Wan and Stak followed.
They climbed quietly; mixing trained agility and knowledge of the Force t make their steps as quiet as possible. Then, on a wide platform, Anakin stopped once more, eyes focused on the windows before them as if he could see through it.
"It's in there," Anakin whispered.
Obi-Wan suddenly felt a rush of power and life in the Force and lost balance in the suddenness of it. Then, as if a giant fist hit him, Obi-Wan and Stak fell over the barred ledge. Using his abilities he grabbed the railing right before it was too late. One story below, Stak followed. Obi- Wan glimpsed upward to find Anakin holding against the railing as if fighting a wind.
The, Anakin dropped the struggled look on his face and pushed outward with his hand. He ignited the blue blade customary to a Jedi and charged forward.
"Anakin!"
The Padawan turned around fiercely, staring at his Master with an intensity Obi-Wan only saw during battle.
Then, the intensity drained to horror as he saw Master about to plunge to certain harm, if not death. He deactivated the lightaber and clipped it to his belt and helped his Master up. He glimpsed a look at Stak, successfully up and standing one story below. As Anakin looked out on the open street, he saw a white-haired man leave down the street, robes trailing closely behind.
"He's getting away Master!" Anakin cried out in frustration.
"Calm, my Padawan. We will get him," Obi-Wan said, straightening his robes to fit him comfortably.
Obi-Wan felt around in the Force, finding no feeling of the Jedi Master.
"He's gone."