Chapter Five
Salene pushed past the crowd of beings who had gathered near the exit of the building. She knew that Siri and Élan were behind her. They had felt the same disturbance in the Force.
"Get out of the way! This is official Jedi business," Salene yelled without thought of whether or not her behavior was appropriate. Finally outside, she looked around taking in her surroundings for any sign of the disturbance. She did not see Melody and Obi-Wan.
"Melody, Obi-Wan!" Élan called as she and Siri joined her outside. The young girl's eyes were full of worry for her friend.
Salene glanced at Élan and walked toward an alley near the side of the building. She could feel the Force guiding her. As she looked around the area she became more concerned about her friends. Like herself, Melody often acted without thought, but she would not have gone too far from the club. If Obi-Wan had somehow convinced her that she should return to the Temple, Melody would have told her friends first.
"No," Élan whispered as she bent down to pick up something up off the ground. Fear and worry radiated off the girl as she stood up with something clasped tightly in her hand.
"What is it?" Siri questioned.
"It's Melody's necklace that her little friend from the crèche gave her. Ember made it for her out of Kialla beads. Melody always wears it. She would not have taken it off and left it here and it's broken. Something is wrong."
"Melody, wake up. Melody can you hear me?" a voice pleaded through the haziness that filled her mind. She wanted to ignore the familiar voice and continue sleeping. Something wasn't right though. She was cold. She was not lying on her soft comfortable bed. She was laying on a hard cold surface. Where was she?
"Melody, can you hear me? You need to wake up," the voice persisted. It was accented and very familiar, she knew that voice. No one else in the Temple sounded like him.
"Obi-Wan," she said, her voice a mere whisper. Opening her eyes, she discovered pair of concerned blue/green eyes staring down at her.
"Melody, are you alright?" he asked. "You wouldn't wake up."
"Where are we?" she asked pushing out of her mind the fleeting thought of waking to his beautiful eyes looking down at her.
"I don't know. I woke up lying next to you on the floor about an hour ago. I cannot access the Force. I think they drugged us with some type of Force inhibitor. Master Qui-Gon once told me about them. He said that they can make you sick depending on what drug is used."
"That would explain why I felt sick in the alley."
"There was a dart in the back of both our necks. That's how they administered the drugs."
"Have you seen anyone since you woke?" Melody asked as she slowly began to rise into a sitting position. A slight tingling sensation assaulted the back of her neck.
"No. I haven't seen anyone except you."
"This is ridiculous; someone has to have discovered that we're missing by now; right?"
"Yeah, I'm sure they have," Obi-Wan nodded.
Melody pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She hoped Obi-Wan didn't see her shivering. A barely noticeable vibration shook the floor. They were on a ship and she knew that the ship was not moving.
Melody knew that he had noticed her trembling when he took off his outer tunic and handed it to her. "Here you're cold," he told her.
"Thank you," Melody replied as she quickly slid her arms into the oversized sleeves. She became aware that the garment smelled like Obi-Wan, as she took a deep calming breath. She finished tying it around her waist and observed Obi-Wan staring at her.
"You look different. I don't think I've ever seen you wear the traditional Jedi tunics before."
"I wore them when I was younger," Melody told him.
"I don't remember you wearing them," Obi-Wan admitted.
"Only Salene and Bant who were my friends then remember. Apparently I don't stand out enough in them for anyone to notice me."
"I don't believe that. Your hair and eye color are unique. No one else in the Temple looks like you," he grinned at her.
"Thank you," Melody smiled, feeling her cheeks begin to color. As she looked into his blue eyes, she heard the click of the door's locking mechanism and suddenly his eyes changed. They were no longer the sparkling blue of a moment ago. They were now gray and lifeless, the same as her vision.
Melody turned away from him and looked at the door as two aliens of an unfamiliar species entered the room. She did not recognize them, but at the same time they seemed very familiar in a frightening way. They had orange scaly skin; red eyes; pointy teeth that hung over their thin pink colored lips, like ancient vampires; and wore red uniforms. The same red uniforms that her captors had worn in her vision. They were Obi-Wan's murderers.
When she had woken on the floor, she had prayed silently to any gods that would listen that she was wrong. She hoped it was just a strange coincidence that the two of them were held captive together.
"We didn't think you would ever wake up sweetheart," the taller of the two guards said looked down at Melody. She wanted to stand up. She knew that if she was going to help Obi-Wan that she had to get up but she couldn't move.
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat on a bench in the Temple gardens. On his lap sat a beautiful little girl with bright red hair. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Melody wanted me to come and see you," he said to the little girl.
"Master Ali Alan say Melly went on mission. He no tell when she come back. You know when she come back? I made a picture of her homeworld that she always talk about."
Obi-Wan took a deep breath and said "Ember, Melody got sick while we were on the mission."
"I want to see her. Picture make her feel better. She bring me chocolates from Galania when I sick."
"I'm sure that she would really like that, but she is very sick and she was sent away to special healers who could help her get better."
"She gonna leave and never come back like Master Qui-Gon did," the girl sobbed.
Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know," he admitted. Unshed tears rimmed his red eyes as the youngling wrapped herself in his arms and cried into his tunic sleeve.
"Melody, Melody, are you alright?"
Blinking a few times a Melody took a deep breath and again looked into a worried pair of blue/green eyes.
"Melody, are you alright?"
"Emy," she murmured.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked.
"It was a vision," Melody thought. As her mind began to regain coherency she was able to hear Obi-Wan speaking to her.
"Mel, Melody what happened?"
"Nothing, I'm fine."
"Fine, you just became as still as a speeder without a repulsor lift engine and stared at the wall. You didn't blink for a couple of minutes. You scared the guards. They left our food here and quickly left."
"I'm ok. I was just scared," she told him.
Obi-Wan sat down next to her, wiped the tears away from her eyes with the back of his thumb, and tried to reassure her. "Don't worry everything is going to be alright. We are both going to be fine."
Master Mace Windu sat in the Council room listening to Padawan Siri Tachi relate her version of what had happened at the Blaze Club.
"... A couple minutes after Obi-Wan and Melody went outside to talk Salene, Élan, and I sensed a disturbance in the Force. We went outside to find out what was going on. Obi-Wan and Melody were gone. We found the necklace that Melody always wears, on the ground. But there was no sign of them anywhere."
The young Padawan was very nervous. Mace also noticed her glances toward her Master Adi Gallia as she spoke. Mace was worried about the two missing Padawans because of Melody's vision. He knew that no matter what happened, Melody would blame herself just as she had tried to do when Qui-Gon Jinn died.
"Why did Padawan Kenobi have to speak with Padawan Kazala?" Master Ki-Adi Mundi questioned Siri.
"All I know is that Obi-Wan said that he needed to talk to her before he left on his mission today. I asked him if it had anything to do with his thinking she was avoiding him, and he said that it did."
"Why was she avoiding him?" Master Sifo Dyas studied the teenager intently.
"I don't know. I don't think she was avoiding him. Bant told him that it was most likely a coincidence that she had to leave the room after he entered. I think Obi-Wan was just worried that she was still mad about his underestimating her in the duel they had last week."
"All we need that is," Yoda informed her.
"Padawan, go back to your apartment and meditate, I will speak with you later," Master Adi Gallia told her.
"Yes Master," Siri bowed and exited the Council Chambers.
With his hands steepled just below his chin, Mace thought about the information that he had gathered from the three girls who were at the club last night.
All three girls had sensed a disturbance in the Force. They had rushed outside to find out what was going on. They each said that Obi-Wan had gone to the club with Siri to talk to Melody before his mission. "Disturbing these events are. Danger I sense for the Padawans," Yoda said. His eyes closed as if he was deep in thought. Mace wondered if Melody's vision coming true was the danger that Yoda sensed.
The silence that had filled the Chambers after Yoda's words was interrupted by the beep of Mace's comlink. "Mace," he said as all Council members looked in his direction.
"Master Windu, there is a message for the Council," the Council aide, Padawan Ahhevan, said, "It is urgent."
"Thank you Padawan Ahhevan. Transmit the message here," Mace told her.
After a moment a gruff sounding voice filled the room. "I am the new President of the Hocha. Last week the Jedi team that was sent here abandoned us before we could reach an agreement. They departed abruptly after former President Hartion suffered a heart attack. Their abandonment of our people in our time of need has forced us to take drastic action. We needed to obtain some leverage so you would agree to meet with us. During this meeting we can discuss the terms for the release of your two missing students. I am sorry to have to resort to these measures, but I know of no other way to reach the goals of the Hocha people. I would suggest that you contact me to make the arrangements for the meeting as soon as possible."
The recording ended, Mace looked to Yoda beside him. "Worse the situation has become," Yoda said.
Obi-Wan watched as Melody paced back and forth in the small cell where they were being kept. He was worried about her. He had never seen her react this way before. In many ways, she was more like his first Master, Qui-Gon. She had a tendency to speak her mind and often disagreed with the Council.
"We have to find a way to get out of here," she remarked as she spun around on her high-heeled boots to walk in the opposite direction.
"Mel, we've already tried. Whatever they drugged us with is still affecting our use of the Force. We can't get the door unlocked. And even if we could, we don't know how many guards are on this ship. We don't have any weapons. There is nothing we can do. I think we just need to try and talk to them and find out what they want from us."
"We can't talk to them they are unreasonable. They fire their weapons and ask questions later," Melody glared at him.
"Mel," Obi-Wan said stepping in front of her to prevent her continued pacing. "Do you know who these creatures are?"
"I... I don't know what they are called but I've seen them before. They murdered an innocent man who was only trying to protect his friend. They kidnapped us for a reason Obi-Wan. I don't think they will allow us to talk them out of whatever they have planned for us. We must escape."
Obi-Wan looked into Melody's dark violet eyes. He did not need the Force to know that Melody was more agitated since she saw their captors. He wondered if she had known the man that she had seen them kill. "Listen Mel, I know that both our Masters are doing everything in their power to find us. We just have to be patient."
"They won't find us in time," Melody whispered as she sat down on the floor in front of Obi-Wan.
Not knowing what else to do, he knelt down and wrapped her in his arms. He hoped that the hug would help to calm her down. He was mildly surprised when Melody returned his embrace without hesitation and he felt as if she belonged in his arms.
To be continued....
Salene pushed past the crowd of beings who had gathered near the exit of the building. She knew that Siri and Élan were behind her. They had felt the same disturbance in the Force.
"Get out of the way! This is official Jedi business," Salene yelled without thought of whether or not her behavior was appropriate. Finally outside, she looked around taking in her surroundings for any sign of the disturbance. She did not see Melody and Obi-Wan.
"Melody, Obi-Wan!" Élan called as she and Siri joined her outside. The young girl's eyes were full of worry for her friend.
Salene glanced at Élan and walked toward an alley near the side of the building. She could feel the Force guiding her. As she looked around the area she became more concerned about her friends. Like herself, Melody often acted without thought, but she would not have gone too far from the club. If Obi-Wan had somehow convinced her that she should return to the Temple, Melody would have told her friends first.
"No," Élan whispered as she bent down to pick up something up off the ground. Fear and worry radiated off the girl as she stood up with something clasped tightly in her hand.
"What is it?" Siri questioned.
"It's Melody's necklace that her little friend from the crèche gave her. Ember made it for her out of Kialla beads. Melody always wears it. She would not have taken it off and left it here and it's broken. Something is wrong."
"Melody, wake up. Melody can you hear me?" a voice pleaded through the haziness that filled her mind. She wanted to ignore the familiar voice and continue sleeping. Something wasn't right though. She was cold. She was not lying on her soft comfortable bed. She was laying on a hard cold surface. Where was she?
"Melody, can you hear me? You need to wake up," the voice persisted. It was accented and very familiar, she knew that voice. No one else in the Temple sounded like him.
"Obi-Wan," she said, her voice a mere whisper. Opening her eyes, she discovered pair of concerned blue/green eyes staring down at her.
"Melody, are you alright?" he asked. "You wouldn't wake up."
"Where are we?" she asked pushing out of her mind the fleeting thought of waking to his beautiful eyes looking down at her.
"I don't know. I woke up lying next to you on the floor about an hour ago. I cannot access the Force. I think they drugged us with some type of Force inhibitor. Master Qui-Gon once told me about them. He said that they can make you sick depending on what drug is used."
"That would explain why I felt sick in the alley."
"There was a dart in the back of both our necks. That's how they administered the drugs."
"Have you seen anyone since you woke?" Melody asked as she slowly began to rise into a sitting position. A slight tingling sensation assaulted the back of her neck.
"No. I haven't seen anyone except you."
"This is ridiculous; someone has to have discovered that we're missing by now; right?"
"Yeah, I'm sure they have," Obi-Wan nodded.
Melody pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She hoped Obi-Wan didn't see her shivering. A barely noticeable vibration shook the floor. They were on a ship and she knew that the ship was not moving.
Melody knew that he had noticed her trembling when he took off his outer tunic and handed it to her. "Here you're cold," he told her.
"Thank you," Melody replied as she quickly slid her arms into the oversized sleeves. She became aware that the garment smelled like Obi-Wan, as she took a deep calming breath. She finished tying it around her waist and observed Obi-Wan staring at her.
"You look different. I don't think I've ever seen you wear the traditional Jedi tunics before."
"I wore them when I was younger," Melody told him.
"I don't remember you wearing them," Obi-Wan admitted.
"Only Salene and Bant who were my friends then remember. Apparently I don't stand out enough in them for anyone to notice me."
"I don't believe that. Your hair and eye color are unique. No one else in the Temple looks like you," he grinned at her.
"Thank you," Melody smiled, feeling her cheeks begin to color. As she looked into his blue eyes, she heard the click of the door's locking mechanism and suddenly his eyes changed. They were no longer the sparkling blue of a moment ago. They were now gray and lifeless, the same as her vision.
Melody turned away from him and looked at the door as two aliens of an unfamiliar species entered the room. She did not recognize them, but at the same time they seemed very familiar in a frightening way. They had orange scaly skin; red eyes; pointy teeth that hung over their thin pink colored lips, like ancient vampires; and wore red uniforms. The same red uniforms that her captors had worn in her vision. They were Obi-Wan's murderers.
When she had woken on the floor, she had prayed silently to any gods that would listen that she was wrong. She hoped it was just a strange coincidence that the two of them were held captive together.
"We didn't think you would ever wake up sweetheart," the taller of the two guards said looked down at Melody. She wanted to stand up. She knew that if she was going to help Obi-Wan that she had to get up but she couldn't move.
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat on a bench in the Temple gardens. On his lap sat a beautiful little girl with bright red hair. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Melody wanted me to come and see you," he said to the little girl.
"Master Ali Alan say Melly went on mission. He no tell when she come back. You know when she come back? I made a picture of her homeworld that she always talk about."
Obi-Wan took a deep breath and said "Ember, Melody got sick while we were on the mission."
"I want to see her. Picture make her feel better. She bring me chocolates from Galania when I sick."
"I'm sure that she would really like that, but she is very sick and she was sent away to special healers who could help her get better."
"She gonna leave and never come back like Master Qui-Gon did," the girl sobbed.
Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know," he admitted. Unshed tears rimmed his red eyes as the youngling wrapped herself in his arms and cried into his tunic sleeve.
"Melody, Melody, are you alright?"
Blinking a few times a Melody took a deep breath and again looked into a worried pair of blue/green eyes.
"Melody, are you alright?"
"Emy," she murmured.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked.
"It was a vision," Melody thought. As her mind began to regain coherency she was able to hear Obi-Wan speaking to her.
"Mel, Melody what happened?"
"Nothing, I'm fine."
"Fine, you just became as still as a speeder without a repulsor lift engine and stared at the wall. You didn't blink for a couple of minutes. You scared the guards. They left our food here and quickly left."
"I'm ok. I was just scared," she told him.
Obi-Wan sat down next to her, wiped the tears away from her eyes with the back of his thumb, and tried to reassure her. "Don't worry everything is going to be alright. We are both going to be fine."
Master Mace Windu sat in the Council room listening to Padawan Siri Tachi relate her version of what had happened at the Blaze Club.
"... A couple minutes after Obi-Wan and Melody went outside to talk Salene, Élan, and I sensed a disturbance in the Force. We went outside to find out what was going on. Obi-Wan and Melody were gone. We found the necklace that Melody always wears, on the ground. But there was no sign of them anywhere."
The young Padawan was very nervous. Mace also noticed her glances toward her Master Adi Gallia as she spoke. Mace was worried about the two missing Padawans because of Melody's vision. He knew that no matter what happened, Melody would blame herself just as she had tried to do when Qui-Gon Jinn died.
"Why did Padawan Kenobi have to speak with Padawan Kazala?" Master Ki-Adi Mundi questioned Siri.
"All I know is that Obi-Wan said that he needed to talk to her before he left on his mission today. I asked him if it had anything to do with his thinking she was avoiding him, and he said that it did."
"Why was she avoiding him?" Master Sifo Dyas studied the teenager intently.
"I don't know. I don't think she was avoiding him. Bant told him that it was most likely a coincidence that she had to leave the room after he entered. I think Obi-Wan was just worried that she was still mad about his underestimating her in the duel they had last week."
"All we need that is," Yoda informed her.
"Padawan, go back to your apartment and meditate, I will speak with you later," Master Adi Gallia told her.
"Yes Master," Siri bowed and exited the Council Chambers.
With his hands steepled just below his chin, Mace thought about the information that he had gathered from the three girls who were at the club last night.
All three girls had sensed a disturbance in the Force. They had rushed outside to find out what was going on. They each said that Obi-Wan had gone to the club with Siri to talk to Melody before his mission. "Disturbing these events are. Danger I sense for the Padawans," Yoda said. His eyes closed as if he was deep in thought. Mace wondered if Melody's vision coming true was the danger that Yoda sensed.
The silence that had filled the Chambers after Yoda's words was interrupted by the beep of Mace's comlink. "Mace," he said as all Council members looked in his direction.
"Master Windu, there is a message for the Council," the Council aide, Padawan Ahhevan, said, "It is urgent."
"Thank you Padawan Ahhevan. Transmit the message here," Mace told her.
After a moment a gruff sounding voice filled the room. "I am the new President of the Hocha. Last week the Jedi team that was sent here abandoned us before we could reach an agreement. They departed abruptly after former President Hartion suffered a heart attack. Their abandonment of our people in our time of need has forced us to take drastic action. We needed to obtain some leverage so you would agree to meet with us. During this meeting we can discuss the terms for the release of your two missing students. I am sorry to have to resort to these measures, but I know of no other way to reach the goals of the Hocha people. I would suggest that you contact me to make the arrangements for the meeting as soon as possible."
The recording ended, Mace looked to Yoda beside him. "Worse the situation has become," Yoda said.
Obi-Wan watched as Melody paced back and forth in the small cell where they were being kept. He was worried about her. He had never seen her react this way before. In many ways, she was more like his first Master, Qui-Gon. She had a tendency to speak her mind and often disagreed with the Council.
"We have to find a way to get out of here," she remarked as she spun around on her high-heeled boots to walk in the opposite direction.
"Mel, we've already tried. Whatever they drugged us with is still affecting our use of the Force. We can't get the door unlocked. And even if we could, we don't know how many guards are on this ship. We don't have any weapons. There is nothing we can do. I think we just need to try and talk to them and find out what they want from us."
"We can't talk to them they are unreasonable. They fire their weapons and ask questions later," Melody glared at him.
"Mel," Obi-Wan said stepping in front of her to prevent her continued pacing. "Do you know who these creatures are?"
"I... I don't know what they are called but I've seen them before. They murdered an innocent man who was only trying to protect his friend. They kidnapped us for a reason Obi-Wan. I don't think they will allow us to talk them out of whatever they have planned for us. We must escape."
Obi-Wan looked into Melody's dark violet eyes. He did not need the Force to know that Melody was more agitated since she saw their captors. He wondered if she had known the man that she had seen them kill. "Listen Mel, I know that both our Masters are doing everything in their power to find us. We just have to be patient."
"They won't find us in time," Melody whispered as she sat down on the floor in front of Obi-Wan.
Not knowing what else to do, he knelt down and wrapped her in his arms. He hoped that the hug would help to calm her down. He was mildly surprised when Melody returned his embrace without hesitation and he felt as if she belonged in his arms.
To be continued....
