Nahlia and Obi-Wan remained in a close pose as the long white cylinder just above them began to lower. Venu watched from a safe distance behind his console, while his employees Diora and Volacca kept their blasters at the ready. "Remember, no moving!" Venu warned. "This is not something you want to go through twice."

As the cylinder lowered slowly and began to surround them, Obi-Wan eyed a statue of a small reptilian creature nearby. Just a half hour before it had been Venu's test subject for his machine as he had wanted to be sure that everything was in perfect working order before using it on Obi-Wan and Nahlia. Though Obi-Wan felt pity for the frightened creature, he also was grateful that careful observance of the process had given Obi-Wan all the information he needed.

"Obi-Wan," Nahlia whispered, her lips less than an inch from his, "if you can get out of this, then do it. Don't worry about me."

Obi-Wan renewed his attention on the girl in his arms. "I will not abandon you."

"You may have to." She said grimly. "I know you are holding back to protect me but it's not worth it for you to let them do this to you, for me. You hardly know me... and you have your whole life ahead of you."

"So do you." Obi-Wan insisted.

'If you only knew...' She thought sadly.

The sound of the cylinder sealing closed into the platform made them both jump. "We haven't much time." Obi-Wan kneeled down in the cramped space they were in - his face now at Nahlia's waist. "Get ready to wrap yourself around me."

"P-pardon?" Nahlia asked - shocked by the request.

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and proceeded to use it to burn through the floor of the platform. "There is a drain below us, I noticed it when Venu used that creature as a test subject." He explained as he worked feverishly. "Precisely 30 seconds after the cylinder seals, the liquid hydracyclophene is released over the subject, then grating opens up around here to remove the excess. Now if I can just cut through the floor, we can escape through the drain. It may be quite a ride though, that's why you'll need to hang onto me tightly."

"Oh! Oh, of course..." She observed him cutting the floor in a circular pattern around them. He was getting close, only a few more inches. "B-but if you cut through the floor like that isn't it just going to fall out from under-" Nahlia screamed as she felt the floor giving way underneath her. Swiftly, Obi-Wan disengaged his lightsaber and snatched her around the waist as they plummeted downward into the deep dark hole.

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"Did you hear that?" Diora anxiously watched the long white cylinder.

"Hear what?" Volacca shrugged.

"Screaming." Diora continued listening carefully as the screaming seemed further and further away.

"Who? The Jedi?" Volacca perked up. "Please tell me the Jedi was screaming and begging. That would just make my day."

"No, it was her." Diora's cybernetic ear made her much more aware of the sounds around her than her companions. "Just before that there was a humming... his lightsaber!" She turned her attention back to Venu - shouting urgently. "They're escaping!"

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"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Nahlia screamed and clutched Obi-Wan tightly to her chest as they slid down the seemingly bottomless drain.

"Calm down, Nahlia!" Obi-Wan attempted to shout over her screams and her bosoms with little success. "I can't see where we're going!"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Nahlia pressed her eyelids tightly shut - terrified of what may lie in the darkness ahead of them. Moments later, they flew out of the drain and into the air - landing into a body of water with a huge splash. "AAAAAAH!" She continued screaming and clutching Obi-Wan.

"Nahlia, it's all right! Calm yourself!" He was relieved when she finally quieted down and took in their new daytime surroundings. Obi-Wan struggled to keep them both above water by kicking his legs and waving his arms. He could see a tree lined shore only about 30 feet away but could do little to get to it with Nahlia's arms still locked around his neck and her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. "Now just let go of me," he pleaded, "and we'll swim to the shore."

"I can't swim!" She shouted - panic renewing.

"How can you not know how to swim?"

"I was born and raised on Coruscant, remember?" She snapped. "The city planet? Not a lot of large bodies of water there."

"Oh, of course..." Obi-Wan sighed in frustration. He knew it wouldn't be long before Venu and his associates figured out how they'd escaped and came looking for them. They needed to get out of the water and find help quickly - if there was any help to find. "Nahlia, please relax... just relax... relaaaaaax..." Feeling her legs finally let the vise-like grip around him go, he began to breathe easier. "All right... better... now just let me get behind you..." He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her on top of him as he leaned back in the water. "All right?"

Nahlia nodded and tried to relax as instructed. She turned her head over her left shoulder to see Obi-Wan's face just behind her as he swam. She reached up behind his neck and softly kissed the corner of his mouth.

This sweet surprise caused him to pause. "W-what was that for?"

She smiled. "For not abandoning me."

"Oh." Obi-Wan returned the smile but the feelings he sensed growing within her worried him. As he continued swimming towards shore, he remembered how Qui-Gon had forbidden him to see her and why. Now it couldn't be avoided if he wanted. Obi-Wan had told his master that what he felt for Nahlia was only friendship but he knew there was something more there - a spark of something he'd never felt before. He wasn't sure if it was love, or lust, or simply a reflection of the feelings he was sensing from her. One thing was clear however - being alone with Nahlia for even a short period of time would be a difficult test for the young padawan.

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Soaked and cold, Nahlia shivered and kept her arms around her. She followed Obi-Wan onto shore and under the shelter of several tall trees with large yellow leaves.

"Blast!" Obi-Wan cursed as he checked out his now non-functional lightsaber.

"What is it?"

"I didn't have a chance to power down my lightsaber before we landed in the water." He showed her the damaged hilt. "It's fried."

"It's not water resistant?" She asked surprised such an ancient mystical weapon could be so easily damaged. "Really?"

"It's not that water resistant, no."

"Well, can you fix it?"

"I should be able to recharge it soon," he shook the water off of the weapon, "it won't take long for it to dry out."

"I wish I could say the same for myself." Nahlia joked wryly. She couldn't imagine how horrible she looked as water dripped off her clothing and short brown hair.

"Mm." Obi-Wan laughed. "It could have been worse, we could have landed in a sewer."

"We could have landed in a sewer?" She shook her head in horror. "I think I would have preferred to stay and let him turn me into statue."

Obi-Wan chuckled at her - a sense of humor was a refreshing change from the Jedi Temple. Too many Masters, and even Padawans, seemed to have had their humor surgically removed. Not that Obi-Wan didn't think that seriousness had its place, but as his master had instructed, humor could often provide a release of tension that was key to keeping one's mind at peace. This was something that even Yoda felt many Jedi had forgotten.

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Diora Dega charged toward a pair of swoop bikes and proceeded to mount one. "I told him not to give that Jedi his lightsaber, does he listen to me? Nooooooo."

Volacca swung one massive leg around the other more heavy duty bike, and started it up. "Where are we going? Are we just gonna fly around and hope we spot 'em?"

"We're flying to where the drain spills out into the lake, stupid." Diora shouted over the roar of the bikes. "That's where they'll come out. There's a tracking device in the Jedi's collar, I'll be able to pinpoint their location easily. The tough part is going to be capturing the Jedi again."

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Nahlia stood over a kneeling Obi-Wan with his lightsaber in her hands. "You want me to what?!"

"Use my lightsaber to cut this collar off." The simple looking black collar Diora had placed around his neck had left him blind by Jedi standards. He wasn't even sure if they were heading in the right direction for help and he was very concerned about his ability to defend them without the use of the Force. "It must be removed. I can't see well enough to do it myself."

"I could cut your head off!"

"You won't. I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"But I could accidentally." Nahlia trembled as the lightsaber's blue blade hummed. Just having the weapon in her hand gave her a power over life and death and it frightened her.

Obi-Wan acknowledged that possibility with a stoic nod. "You should be extra careful then."

"Extra careful?! I should not do it at all!"

"Nahlia, you can do it, I trust you." He held the collar as far away from the side of his neck as possible. "Just be careful and concentrate."

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Diora kept an eye on the tracking device screen on her swoop bike while she flew over the forest. "We should be on top of them soon." She told Volacca over her communicator. "Remember, set your blaster to stun. The boss wants them alive."

TO BE CONTINUED...