Part Four: Mesa Found Something

We left the room and went into the garden. We were soon met with the clumsy Gungan, Jar Jar Binks.

"Jar Jar?" she questioned.

He smiled. "Mesa thinken me found something, Your Highness. By the river."

The Queen and I exchanged looks. My heart rose a little, but I still felt crushed and fear. Jar Jar felt lost, but soon squealed with delight.

"Obi? Obi! Yousa back so soon. Where's Ani?"

I was about to say something, but the Queen silenced me with her hand. "He's here to help search for Sabé. Now, Jar Jar, what did you find?"

"Come! Mesa show you." He walked off.

We followed Jar Jar to the riverside. The air around it was cool, calming and relaxing. I never realized how beautiful it was, and why Sabé loved it here, until now. The very nature of the waterfalls, trees, grasses, etc. This was true nature. A better way to get in control with the Force. Jar Jar looked down, I followed. I saw a piece of cloth laying in the wet mud. I bent down to take a closer look. It was indeed from one of the handmaidens. I reached out to grab it. It was warm to the touch. And I knew who it belonged to.

Sabé? No. Who would do this to you?

"What is it?" the Queen asked, gently.

Flashes of the past flew into my head.

.....The four handmaidens had reached the riverside to stop for a
quick drink. They were conversing about relationships and marriage,
the usual gossip of women. Sabé was the quiet one in the bunch.
Though, she was usually the life of the conversing. Not today.

"....so, Sabé? Didn't you and that young Jedi get involved?
What was his name?" Risha, the tallest of them, confronted Sabe.

It grew quiet for a second.

"His name was Obi-Wan Kenobi," Rabé spoke up.

"Oh yeah, Obi-Wan. Weren't you two involved or something?" Risha grew curious.

"No, we weren't. You know as well as I do, a Jedi cannot love," Sabé said simply.

"That's not what I heard."

The others began to point fingers.

"We told each other simply we could never become a thing. Not now, at least. He's a nice guy." She blushed.

"He was cute too," Rabé giggled.

"Yeah, he was. He was a very charming, sweet man," Sabé admitted, a redness of color coming to her cheeks.

"So, there was something?" Risha's smile grew mischievously.

Before Sabé could say anymore, they were engulfed in darkness. The
valley engulfed in a darkness, as it enveloped them into its dark
abyss. Their screams and cries echoed out, but could not be heard.
Two were silenced quickly, their bodies thrown into the river with no
hesitation. Rabé and Sabé fought to get away, but the creatures threw
Sabé to the ground. She hit the side of a rock, falling unconscious.
Rabé pushed and kicked at her captures and tended to the dazed Sabé.
But she wasn't moving.

"Sabé? Sabé, please, get up. We need to get out of here."

Sabé didn't reply and a thunderous roar came to Rab's ears. She was in fear and ran for cover, leaving Sabé alone.

A big shadow came from below the valley and covered the young
handmaiden in darkness. It only smiled and directed the smaller ones
to take her away. Then the valley began to brighten up again, but an
eerie silence echoed through it.

Rabé was left alone behind a rock, the blood from her wounds bled
through her clothing, staining the ground around her. She could hear
Sab's cry for help echo through her head.

"Help me. Somebody please help me. Ben!" Sabé cried in pain......

My eyes flashed open. I grew short of breath. Sabé! No. Please tell me you're okay. I looked down in defeat.

"What'd you see?" the Queen's hand met my shoulder.

"They were here when they took her,"I breathed. "They killed Risha and Joline and threw their lifeless bodies into the river with no hesitation. They tried to kill Rabé. These animals if you could describe them. But she escaped and tended to the dazed Sabé, who they threw away. She was just as wounded as Rabé, but the valley was engulfed in an even bigger darkness and a roar filled Rabe's ears. She panicked, her body was filled with fear and she fled, leaving Sabé behind. They took her. Rabé was left alone to hear her friend's cry for help drain into her head. And she was helpless to save her." I said, sadly.

Jar Jar looked down, sympathically. He cooed quietly.

"So, she's gone?" the Queen's voice choked.

I looked at her. My eyes were growing puffy. I didn't know what to tell her. After a long silence, I said, "I'm not sure."

She hugged herself, but it was too late to stop the tears. They dropped onto the ground, as she walked away.

I held the cloth closer to my heart and felt something through the Force.

...."Ben? Ben, where are you? Please help me," Sab's voice was weak.....

"I'm coming, Sabé. Hold on." I found my strength returning.

I looked at the Queen, then at Jar Jar. I must of been the fool to not show the same sympathy they did. But this feeling I had was beyond their's. It felt like it was more than it. She was gone for two weeks now, but she was still out there. I couldn't put the Queen's life at stake. Not again. And not right now. Not this time. This time it was personal. It was bigger than anything I would ever face. Something that seemed to burn inside me, like it was apart of me. Was apart of me for a long time.

To be continued....