Halfling-

Lol… it's so neat how you think of every little detail when you read, it's rather hard to slip anything by you. Obi-Wan and Xanatos should face off next chapter, it depends of if anything else comes into play.

Kynstar

Hey, thanks for the info on that, that makes more sense, -shrugs- no one said I was a Star Wars expert. Hope you enjoy the chap!

Tangents hey? Tangents are funny things, are they not? Watching to much stephen king could be a slight influence of decptiual behavior of characters in this fic… -grins- I think I created a new word…that or I spelled it so incredibly wrong my comp doesn't know what I'm trying to spell! Oh well, not a genius at spelling.

Mellaithwen

LOL, hm, I think I'll leave the POV story for you to do, after all, what will you write when you finish the one you are doing now? hmm???

Serr is my favorite too, you'll see what is in store for him, but you will have to wait, yes I know, the dreaded W word, but it shouldn't be too much longer, only a few chaps left, dun know how many yet though.

Yasona Black

Thanks, but Obi-Wan is mine…-takes obi into a protective hold- You can borrow him if you want to though…I suppose I can't keep him forever.

(Obi-Wan) No you can't, I need to breath!

(Emmithar) Oh, whatever for?

(Obi-Wan) oh I don't know, maybe to live, something like that.

(Emmithar) Silly padawan, much to learn in the ways of the force you have

-Grins- umm…onto the story?

Chapter 8

Siri and Obi-Wan followed behind as Serr led them up the building. As they came closer, Obi-Wan could see detailed etchings in the stone, a pale khaki color, with a hint of gold when the light of the suns touched the stone at exactly the right angle. It was adorned with a simple design at the bottom, rising up the sides and continuing along the top. The middle beheld a picture of three men, brandishing blasters, dressed in fine linen robes.

"Beautiful, isn't it" he asked Siri quietly as they approached. She nodded in agreement, but turned to Obi-Wan, her voice softening to a whisper.

"Can we trust him?" she asked, motioning her head toward the young prince before them.

Obi-Wan nodded after a moment. He hadn't sensed anything suspicious about the boy. He had saved his life after all, if Serr wanted him dead, he would have left him to the guards, wouldn't he have? Or was he being irrational, so determined on his goal, that he wasn't seeing the obstacles that lie in front of him?

Ahead Serr turned, waving the two to the side of the building. Obi-Wan nodded to Siri, who followed reluctantly, muttering something under her breath. They came around the bend, to find Serr holding onto a steel ladder, which led up the building to the roof, as far as Obi-Wan could tell at least.

"We have to climb that?" Siri asked, her gaze running the length of the building. Serr nodded.

"What do you expect?" he laughed softly, keeping his voice low. "That they'll let a couple of Rixeins in the front gate?"

"We are not Rixeins," Siri said sharply, her voice higher than she intended. "We are Jedi," she continued, lowering her voice once again.

Serr shrugged, "Here, it doesn't matter who or what you are, if you are not a Strunian, you are not welcomed. Easy as that."

With that said, he began to ascend; one hand over the other, leaving the two padawans on the ground. With a sigh, Obi-Wan let his hood fall back and gripped a rung, ready to follow when Siri grabbed him by the shoulder.

"You're not actually going up there? Are you?" she asked, her voice wavering.

Obi-Wan turned to her, "We don't have another choice," he answered, glancing back up at Serr. The prince was already quite some ways above them. "We better get going," he muttered, starting his way up. Siri followed behind, but at a much slower rate.

Above him, Serr stopped climbing, and swung himself over onto a ledge that jutted out from the building. Obi-Wan quickened his pace, reaching the ledge a few moments later. It was an easy jump, despite the awkward angle, but the ledge itself wasn't very wide.

They had to wait a moment longer as Siri caught up with them, and Obi-Wan frowned as she tried to make her way over. She had attempted to place a foot on the ledge, while still hanging onto the ladder, but only succeeded in getting herself stuck. With a sigh, Obi-Wan reached across the gap and grasped her wrist, pulling her across.

"I could have done that on my own," she hissed, frowning at him. Obi-Wan shrugged and followed Serr as he ducked into a window.

"We're on the seventh floor," he told them once they were inside. "There are three floors below us before we reach the pits, where everything is kept, including the animals. There are four floors of them. The three floors above us are mostly maintenance."

Obi-Wan glanced around the area, curiosity growing. "How do you know all of this?" he asked Serr. They were in a small room, with poor lighting, a closet, the young padawan thought to himself. But where would it lead once they passed it?

The young prince shrugged. "Studied them, my father designed the plans for the building. Although the Strunians have added their own touches, the main structure was my father's idea. I found the prints in his room a few years ago. Besides, I've been here several times, during the night hours when I can slip away from the guards."

Obi-Wan nodded, even as he heard Siri grumble under her breath behind them. "Thank you for your help Serr, but I must ask you to stay behind here," he explained to Serr.

He could not see Serr's face very well, but he could read the confusion in his posture. "Siri and I can't protect you out there, it would be less worry if we hadn't to worry about you."

"I see," Serr answered coldly, "good luck Ben, Siri."

Obi-Wan watched as the young prince disappeared out the window. He felt bad for excluding him so suddenly, but he didn't want him hurt.

Siri came up next to him. "Ben?" she questioned, trying not to laugh.

"Long story," he replied, moving toward the doors. "You try and find Adi, I'll look for Qui-Gon."

"And what if anything happens?" she asked.

Obi-Wan stopped as his hand came to rest on the handle. It was cold to the touch, and rusted. Obviously the door hadn't been used in a while. With a breath he glanced back up to Siri, knowing where she was, although it was hard to see.

"Hopefully nothing will, but if it does, trust yourself to make the best choice."

The passage ways were dimly lit, but they held far better lighting than the small closet had. Obi-Wan had ventured downward, into the pits, as Serr as called them. The creatures held prisoner were nothing like he had ever seen before, many of them paced back and forth, growling as he passed by. Even as nerve wracking as that was, it was nothing compared to the smell. Obi-Wan shivered as he passed through, down to the lower floors.

The darkness was accompanied by a disturbing ripple in the force, the dark side pulsed here, covering him, seeming to choke him at time. Taking a deep breath he allowed himself to rise above the threatening cloud, and cleared his mind, searching for his master. He sent the Force out, rising above the darkness, searching in every corner, hoping for the faintest trait. But there was none, he only found emptiness.

He cursed himself mentally, what was he doing here? Had he followed the wrong clues? Had Serr led him astray? If his Master was here, then why could he not sense his presence? Was he here because this is where Xanatos wanted him to be?

With a sigh of frustration, he let himself sink to the ground, resting his head on his knees. How could he have been such a fool? It wasn't a wonder why the council hadn't wanted him to go. To blinded by worry and grief he had been misled. Qui-Gon could be light-years away, and Obi-Wan had no way of knowing.

Hanging his heads in his hands, he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Think of the hear and now padawan, the past is done with and the future has yet to happen. Qui-Gon's voice flowed through him, calming him down. Review your facts, separate the truths and lies, and start at the beginning.

He had no facts though, everything he knew, Serr had told him. How much could he trust Serr? He had been right about a few things, he had gotten them past the guards, and into the building…but was it what he was looking for?

Voices suddenly cast his thoughts aside, and Obi-wan searched for a place to hide. Running out of time, he used a burst of Force to propel him to the ceiling, and latched onto on a rafter up top, moments before a group of aliens passed by. He drug himself up so that he was laying on the very top, giving him an overhead view of the group.

They were pushing something… someone, Obi-Wan realized, that someone was struggling to keep aloft, at the steady pace. Obi-Wan gasped inwardly as a mental wave of realization hit him, it was his master! Obi-Wan grasped the rafter, sending out the force toward his master, begging for him to feel it. He watched hoping for any sign.

Qui-Gon stumbled, turning his head, but wasn't allowed a moment as the aliens pulled him back to his feet with the chain. Obi-Wan felt the force return, but it was staggered, weak. The boy bit his lip, he should have been overjoyed, his Master was alive. But he could tell that his Master was weak, more so than he had even seen him.

Obi-Wan dropped to the ground, following them at a slower pace. He had to find out where they were taking him, then he had to find a way to release him.

At first Qui-Gon thought he was feeling things. As the Force washed over him, he tried to see who it was, the connection was so strong, but it couldn't have been. Obi-Wan was dead. Still he sent he sent back a reply, a call for help. Maybe it was because he was so weak, that the connection had felt so strong.

He bowed his head as he was led into the arena, the knowledge that someone else was there did not feel him with hope. He was going to die today, he knew, he could feel it. But he would not let Xanatos feel his fear. Taking a deep breath, he let the force fill his body, his mind, and his soul. He was going to die today, and he would accept it. He would die as a Jedi.

TBC