Here's that second chap! Enjoy!! :D :D
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Anakin rushed to do his Master's bidding while Obi-Wan went to obtain a ship. Within the quarter hour, they were cleared for departure. Anakin steered the vessel out of Coruscant's airspace and plotted a course for the co-ordinates Obi-Wan had given him. His Master only lingered long enough to verify their course before retiring to the small craft's passenger cabin.
Quietly, Anakin sat alone watching the stars speed by. There, he drifted amidst his thoughts wondering if his Master would ever confide in him. He longed to be there for his Master and support him, as it was obvious that this bothered the Knight greatly. Also, there were so many questions he wanted to ask. Foremost, he wanted to know where they were going and why. The Knight had only provided the co-ordinates and nothing else, which puzzled him further.
Assuming the man had gone to meditate, Anakin tried to give the Knight time to calm down enough before interrupting him. But it was hard to do; to wait. And Anakin was concerned for his Master, he had been keeping a close eye on the older man since the message had been read. But with each passing minute, the Padawan grew more and more worried. Finally, he had enough and walked from the forward cabin back to the passenger room.
Anakin stopped in the doorway at the sight he faced. He expected his Master to be kneeling, deep in meditation, instead he found the Knight sitting in a corner. His head was bowed and his arms rested on his knees. He noted the reddened eyes that stared down at something in the Jedi's hand. Anakin had never known the Knight to display such a loss of control over his emotions and he realized now how much it bothered him. The man always resembled the perfect Jedi, emotions locked away inside, reflecting an image of complete serenity. During the time he spent with Obi-Wan he wished that the man would show some reaction, to let him know that he was human. But now that that facade crumbled under the strain of the past few events, Anakin longed to see the pillar of strength and authority again. "Master?"
Absently, Obi-Wan responded, "Yes." Never lifting his gaze from the object.
Taking a tentative step closer, he tried to figure out how to begin, "I. We." Frustrated with himself, he finally blurted out, "Maybe you should tell me about what's going on."
Still not looking up, Obi-Wan responded, "You already know, we're going to find Knight MysAri."
Anakin could hear the slight annoyance in the man's tone. He answered with his own exasperation, "I know that, but that's about all I know. You haven't told me anything else. You haven't even told me where we're going."
Sighing loudly, Obi-Wan knew this conversation was not going to end until his Padawan had his answers. "We're headed for the planet Sorrus."
"What do you expect to find there?" Glad he was able to finally get some kind of response, he pressed on.
"Ona's message spoke of a place where the night tames the wind. We will find that place in the Arra desert region on Sorrus." Obi-Wan began to feel agitated and could not remain seated. Once on his feet he placed the crystalline figurine he was holding onto one of the bureaus in the cabin. Desperately he sought for patience and peace through the Force, but it eluded his grasp.
Watching the man rise, Anakin recognized the object Obi-Wan was holding immediately. It was one of the little statues that MysAri had next to her bed on both Kenyan and in the Healer's Ward. Apparently, his Master had brought it along for some reason. His desire to understand filled him again. "Who is Ona Nobis? You mentioned that she was a bounty hunter, but why is she after you?"
"It's not something that I can easily explain." Obi-Wan took a few minutes as he mulled over what would be the best way to explain his past. "The simplest reason I can give you, is that I hurt her pride."
Completely confused, he was floored by such a simple motive. Unbelieving of how such a vengeance could be founded so deeply, he begged for explanation, "And how did you do that?"
Obi-Wan took on that distance gaze whenever he talked about his past. As if he were reliving a moment in time, his voice would soften, almost as if speaking too harshly might distort the memory. Slowly, he began, "I helped Master Qui-Gon track her down. And when Qui-Gon was captured by Jenna Zan Arbor, Astri Odo and myself found her."
This tale was getting more interesting to the young Padawan. It was just so incredible to learn that Master Qui-Gon could have been captured. "Master Qui-Gon was captured?"
For the first time in what seemed like ages to the apprentice, he heard the Knight laugh lightly. He could even hear the small smile that graced the smooth features of his Master. Unfortunately, he couldn't see it, since Obi-Wan kept his back to the boy. "Yes, even Masters are not impervious to danger." The moment of joy quickly dissipated back into sadness. The events of those times bringing back the pain as well. "I was afraid I had lost him. Fortunately, we were able to rescue him and stop Jenna." Obi-Wan decided that the details were irrelevant for the purpose of their mission.
"When did this happen?" Anakin was dying to learn more about his Master's past. He was curious about it since Bant mentioned that MysAri was first infected 16 years ago. Could this need for retribution last such a span of time?
"I was about your age," Obi-Wan stared matter-of-factly. Finally, he turned to look at the young man. He often mused how the quickly the roles reversed in his world. He could remember being a Padawan, so young and eager to please. It brought both pride and sorrow.
But Anakin's mind was working over all the information, placing missing pieces to get a better picture. Concluding his presumption, he requested confirmation, "So her pride was hurt when a teenager managed to thwart her plans?"
Giving a quick nod, he agreed, "Yes, you could say that." But Anakin could sense that there was something more to it.
"And this place we are headed to, we will find her there?" He gathered that there must be some reason for them to be heading for this planet.
"That is what the note said."
Anakin stood there for a few minutes thinking. Something just didn't seem right in the logic of it all to him. "If you found her there before, why would she still be going there?" Most of the Bounty Hunters he met often spoke of moving around a lot. He recalled one man who came into Watto's shop. "Never stay too long and above all else never return to the same place twice." The man said when Watto asked him how long he was going to be there. The part the man needed would take a couple of days to locate. From what he remembered, the Bounty Hunter left without the part.
"We never actually found her there." Obi-Wan disrupted the apprentice's thoughts. "The Arra region is where her clan is from. That's how we traced her. The alias, Reesa On, was a taunt in their dialect for a children's game of tag."
Still confused, he asked, "Then what exactly did you find there?"
"There was a cave near her village that has surrounded by harsh winds, but at night the winds die down. That's how Goq Cranna was able to find us." Gradually, Obi-Wan began to feel more focused. Explaining things to his Padawan centered his thoughts, allowing him to see things clearly.
"What do you mean?"
Obi-Wan understood the implication, he detailed what happened during his escapade on Sorrus. "Well, we were lured there a second time by Ona and she caved in the entrance when we were inside. We managed to get a rod to extend outside. Fortunately, when the winds died down, they were able to see the waning sunlight glint off of it." The memory of his time spent trap with Astri, Cholly, Tup and Wheez made him sigh. He couldn't believe he walked so blindly into her trap. Suddenly, it hit him. "It's a ploy! She's trying to lure us away from them."
He thought back to all of the places and occurrences that happened at that time. His mind thought of Simpla-12 and Belasco. Both of which were links to Jenna Zan Arbor. Even though Jenna might be involved with MysAri's condition, Obi-Wan knew she wasn't entirely in charge. This was Ona's game, she was after him. His mind raced with the memories of his encounters against the bounty hunter. The various landscapes fought in: a Hospital wing on Sorrus, a warehouse on Simpla-12, a rooftop on Belasco, and a house in the Cascardi mountains. Suddenly, his memory flashed:
The bounty hunter stuck her wounded fingers in the snow for an instant. Her teeth sank into her lower lip. The pain must have been terrible. She spoke for the first time. Her eyes blazed hatred at Obi-Wan. "You…will…pay."
Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin's shoulders, "I know where they are."
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