Chapter 6 The Games Begin

Bruck opened his eyes, looking around, he saw that he was in a cell of some sort. Sitting up, he grimaced in pain. Closing his eyes he reached out with the force, but was surprised when he could not sense the force at all. Then he noticed the force inhibitor around his neck.

Moving his hand to it, he tried to remove it. He jumped when he heard a voice, "Don't waste your time, Padawan Chun. It is useless to try to remove it."

Bruck glared at the man, "Ren? I don't understand? Why am I here? Where is Obi-Wan, where are Master Darick and Master Qui-Gon?"

Ren smiled, "So many questions, my young apprentice."

Bruck did not like the sound of that. "Excuse me, but I am not your apprentice. I am the padawan of Master Darick Kint."

Ren looked at his fingernails and replied, "No, that life is over."

Bruck said in a venomous voice, "I will never deny who I am. I am a Jedi and proud to be one."

Ren then replied, "Maybe I can use your friend to change your mind."

Bruck asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Ren smiled, "Obi-Wan Kenobi. If you do not bend to my will, he will suffer."

Bruck stood unsteadily, "You are mistaken. Obi-Wan is strong, he would never want me to turn just to save himself."

Ren considered Bruck's words, "I am counting on it. He is strong. What I am also counting on is you."

Bruck narrowed his eyes, "Is that so, well, you are going to be disappointed."

Ren shook his head, "Oh, no Bruck. I don't expect you to watch your friend suffer, I have a feeling that you will be more perceptive of me and my plans once you see what I have in store for Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan was brought into the room, well more like drugged into the room. Bruck could see that he could not stand on his own. There was a nasty gash in his leg that looked rather deep. He had on the same type of collar that Bruck had on.

Bruck's heart dropped, "Obi-Wan? Oh gods, what happened to you?"

Ren smiled, "Oh he had a run in with one of our oceans predators. It releases a poison into the wound. It can kill him...but...you can stop that."

Qui-Gon and Darick stormed into Ren's office, he was not there, but Vrel was, Qui-Gon walked up to the desk and demanded, "Where is Ren? I demand to see him now!"

Vrel smiled slightly, "I am sorry Master Jinn, Master Kint, but Ren is not available at this time, but he has promised to make contact with you in good time."

Darick stepped next to Qui-Gon, "Does he know where our Padawans are? If any harm comes to them, he will have to deal with us."

Vrel had the decency to look uncomfortable, "I am sure, I am sure."

Qui-Gon and Darick returned to their ship, they would sleep there, until they found their padawans. If they could sleep at all.
They made contact with the council again, and found that Mace and Adi, along with An-Paj were on their way. Qui-Gon had the sinking feeling that An-Paj's presence would be sorely needed.

A beeping noise caught their attention, Darick went to the com unit, "Qui, we have a message coming in."

Qui-Gon took a deep breath, "Well, I suppose we had better answer it."

Ren smiled into the communicator cam. He was going to enjoy this, It had been a long time since he was cast out of the Jedi. They sent him to Kranta which was a backwater planet, for him to work the rest of his life in solitaire. But he had other plans. Ren managed to remove the transmitter in his body that inhibited the force, no small feat, but Ren was one of the most brilliant of all the Jedi. He then got involved in politics. He was good friends with Senator Palpatine of Naboo. In fact they still stayed in touch, Palpatine was a stout supporter of Ren Jalson. But Palpatine was not overly fond of the Jedi, that was clear.

In 10 short years, he was ruler of Kranta. Dictator was more like it, but Ren savored the power he had. And to think it all came about on a mission with Qui-Gon and Darick. He had not expected them to go along with him, they were strict upholders of the code.

Qui-Gon was a bit of a maverick, but he never did anything to disgrace the Order. But Ren did. He had disgraced the order, the council, had the senate in an uproar for weeks. All the Jedi abandoned him. He understood why, but that just made him hate them all the more. Especially Qui-Gon Jinn and Darick Kint. He hated them with a passion.

Glancing over at his hostages he smiled. Bruck was leaning over his friend and talking to him in a quiet voice. Of course the other boy was not answering him, the poison was doing its job.

Ren smiled some more and then turned his attention back to the holo cam, he almost laughed when the worried faces of Qui-Gon and Darick came up, "Ah, Qui, Dar. I am so glad to see you. You both must be so concerned with the little swim your padawans took."

Qui-Gon held back his ire, "So help me Ren, if you hurt them..."

Ren cut him off, "You are not in the position to give orders. I just want to tell you that only one has a chance of walking out of here, and he is not taking it. Sorry, Qui, but your beloved padawan is going to have to suffer a bit. And Dar, lets see how well you have done with your padawan, lets see how long he holds out watching his friend suffer until he finally joins me."

Bruck leaned over his friend, who was burning with a fever, "Obi, hang on. It will be all right, I promise. Our Masters will come for us." Bruck hoped that he was right.

Obi-Wan tried to nod, but a pain shot through his body, he gasped, then struggled to say, "Bruck, promise...promise me, you won't cooperate. Please, don't, no matter what."

Bruck swallowed hard, "I...I won't. I promise."

Ren made his way slowly over to the padawans. He looked like a rancor on the prowl.

Bruck stood up and over his friend in a protective matter, "I will not turn, I can't deny what I believe, I can't be what I am not. And I am a Jedi."

Bruck just hoped that he would be able to keep his promise.