Ahh… the last chapter. Only three. I assure you that there will be longer more involved stories with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and my OC's in the future.
Thank you for reading this!
Again, no reviews since I immediately posting this after Part Two, but thanks again if you reviewed!
PART THREE
Cassandra opened her eyes to a bleary world. Upon blinking several times, she forced her eyes to focus and she looked around. She had absolutely no idea where she was and her head felt like lead and it ached fiercely. When she reached up to clutch her aching forehead she found she could not. Looking down at herself, she realized that she was bound quite firmly to a pole with her hands tied behind and around it. More coils of rope around her legs and torso kept her in a standing position.
This was a bad situation… Very bad.
She heard voices through the door on her left and wondered to whom they belonged. Not really desiring to find out, she immediately sought to untie her hands from their bonds, but, frighteningly, she could not access the Force. She tried and tried, but all she felt was a crushing sense of not being complete. The drugs must still be in effect in her body, blocking her access to the Force, though she didn't know it. It did more than frighten her: it petrified her.
Cassandra struggled and twisted her wrists until they ached and nearly started to bleed, but nothing worked.
Apparently, her soft sounds of distress alerted the people in the other room to her awareness for the door slowly opened to reveal three menacing-looking men. All of them were human and were much larger and stronger than she. Cassandra looked up when they entered and decided to see what they had to say. Maybe this was an honest mistake. Surely they wouldn't be foolish enough to kidnap a Jedi apprentice. After all, she was positive her Master was out looking for her, possibly with other Jedi Knights, or had at least told the Jedi Council.
"Well, she's come around," one of them said, shuffling into the room and glaring at her.
"It's about bloody time," the third said just after switching off the HoloNet and joining his partners. "We have uses for you…"
Cassandra bit back her fear, but it was hard. "What is it you want?"
"Oh, we just thought you'd like to join us for dinner or something…" the apparent leader said airily. "And then maybe retire to bed afterwards…"
A wicked grin that made Cassandra's stomach flip-flop sparked across his face. She quickly recovered and said as bravely as she could, "I hope you realize your error. You see, I'm a Jedi Knight in training and by this time even more Jedi will be out looking for me. You will be caught."
The leader walked up to his bound prisoner and brought his face uncomfortably close to hers; she recoiled as much as the pole at her back allowed. "No one has come yet, have they? And we've had you nearly—what, guys—three hours? Seems to me that your little Jedi friends are a little slow this evening. Oh, well. Gives us more time…" He leaned in even closer…
And Cassandra let loose a scream that would have awoken the dead it was so loud and piercing.
The man stepped back and slapped her roughly across the face, snapping her head to one side. "Shut up!"
But Cassandra would not be silent. She screamed again and again. She had to alert someone, anyone, to her peril here and fast.
Then one of the men approached her and covered her mouth with a piece of black cloth, tying it behind her head, gagging her. Still the girl wailed and wailed but nothing more than a low moan could successfully be heard now that she was speech-impaired. Now she was mute and immobile. Unless something miraculous happened, there was very little chance she would come out of this situation alive.
Obi-Wan ran and ran, flying up the stairs. He'd heard the scream a second and third time and then all fell silent and the silence was almost more terrifying than the screams had been. He stopped for two seconds on a landing between floors and let the Force guide him, wash over him, alert him to the matter at hand… And the Force granted him a picture with information in his mind's eye. He knew exactly where to go: the sixth and last floor. To the door at the end of the hallway.
Bolting into a run, Obi-Wan dashed up the last flight and saw at the end of the hallway the door he wanted. He had no idea how he knew that was the one—wait, yes he did.
The Force. His ally was the Force and a powerful ally it was.
Just before kicking the door open, he turned on his lightsaber, the crystal blue blade shining magnificently. Inside were three men and a helplessly bound girl. He'd found Cassandra.
With a strong Force-shove, Obi-Wan pressed all three of them back against the wall. All fell to the floor, dazed, and regarded the appearance of the Jedi with shock as he leveled his blade with their throats. Each looked at the glowing sword with wide and terrified eyes.
"Just what did you think you were doing?" Obi-Wan said lethally. "You should have realized the implications of kidnapping a Jedi." He leaned down close to their faces and whispered, "There are more of us. Lots more." He straightened back up and said, "Now, I suggest you three might want to get comfortable because you're going to be sitting there quite a while."
"What d'you mean, boy?" But without another word, each went hopelessly into a deep, Force-induced sleep, credits to Obi-Wan's abilities. It had been quite easy to render them unconscious, weak-minded and surprised as they were.
Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and turned around to face a teary-eyed and frightened to death, yet relieved beyond words, Cassandra, who seemed to visibly relax at his gaze. He walked up to her and reached behind her head, untying the cruel gag over her mouth.
"Thank you for… for saving my life," she said tiredly.
"Don't worry about it," Obi-Wan replied as he stepped behind her and, not wanting to accidentally slice off her hands with his lightsaber, untied the ropes around her legs, torso and wrists. As soon as she was free, Cassandra massaged her skin where the ropes had cut into it.
Obi-Wan walked around to face her. "Are you all right? They didn't… hurt you did they?"
She looked up at him and said hurriedly, "No! Thank the Force, you arrived in time to prevent that."
"That's certainly good news." He reached down and unhooked her lightsaber from his belt. "I believe I have something that belongs to you…"
She gladly and thankfully accepted her weapon, activating it and, to Obi-Wan's astonishment, the blade was yellow! That was a rare color for a lightsaber indeed and took an especially rare type of crystal to make that color. "It's yellow!" he said, halting his movements of pulling out his comlink. "How did you build that? Those crystals are supposed to be the rarest of all."
Cassandra smiled. "Master Xanthe cut in half her own crystal and gave one to me to use. I just tweaked it a little bit to make the blade yellow instead of purple like hers."
"Impressive," he said and then turned back to his comlink, ushering himself and Cassandra out the door and down the stairs.
Qui-Gon's voice came in loud, clear, and anxious on the other end. Yes, Obi-Wan? Is everything all right?
Obi-Wan laughed and said, "Everything is fine, Master. Please tell Master Xanthe that I found Padawan Cassandra and she is fine."
Qui-Gon's smile was clearly read when he replied, Obi-Wan, that's excellent news! I shall tell her immediately! Wonderfully done, my Padawan!
"Thank you, Master," the apprentice said. "I need to contact the authorities and then I'll be heading back to the Temple."
Excellent, Obi-Wan. I'm very proud of you. See you in a bit. Qui-Gon out.
Obi-Wan ended the transmission and then pulled out a universal comlink, capable of calling anyone's unit, so long as one had the right digits. Obi-Wan called Lieutenant Jancy at the police department. Explaining the whole situation, Obi-Wan was promised that there would be a squad at the old apartment building in less than five minutes.
After the call was placed and they had exited the building, several moments were spent in silence for the two Padawans before Cassandra finally asked, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I know your name… You know mine, but I'm at a loss as to who you are. I've seen you around the Temple, but it's been a while since I've been there…"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he replied, while still keeping pace and smiling slightly at her.
Her eyes widened. "You're Obi-Wan Kenobi! Master Jinn's Padawan?"
"Yes," he said a little shakily.
"Master Xanthe talks about you two all the time! The two of you go everywhere! To the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim planets! I've heard you are awesome with a lightsaber!"
Obi-Wan blushed a little bit. "Well, I'm not that good…"
She scoffed. "Like Sith you aren't! If what Master Xanthe says about you is true—Oh, Force! Master Xanthe! Boy, am I gonna get the lecture of all lectures about being responsible from her…" she groaned.
Obi-Wan could feel for her on that. How many times had his own Master lectured him? More times than he cared to count. "Cassandra, listen. I doubt she will lecture you—at least not tonight. She'll just be pleased to see you. Perhaps in the morning she will talk to you, but right now, she'll just be happy."
"Yes, I suppose you're right, Obi-Wan," she said. "Thank you once again for saving my life. I would have contacted Master Xanthe, but I couldn't. Somehow, I was incapable to access the Force. It was the strangest feeling. It-it terrified me."
The boy closed his eyes and breathed in. Yes, to lose contact with the Force was indeed a frightening experience. He should know; it had happened to him more than once and oft times it had landed both him and Qui-Gon in more trouble than was worth remembering. "Were you drugged?" He eyed her.
"I believe so," she said thoughtfully, rubbing the side of her neck opposite Obi-Wan. "I did wake up with a killer headache…"
Obi-Wan noticed her discomfort and stopped her. Turning her head to the side, he noticed for the first time the red, angry sore on her neck. It looked like a needle had been forced in. "You were drugged," he said, releasing her neck. "Right there, someone injected drugs into your system, fogging your senses. That's why you couldn't access the Force. The effects wear off, don't worry, but you should still go the Temple infirmary when we get there, just to be safe."
Cassandra rubbed her neck one last time and said, "Has it ever happened to you?"
"Force, yes!" he nearly laughed out loud. "More than once, too. Now come on, we're nearly there."
When they arrived back at the Temple, true to Obi-Wan's word and wisdom, Master Xanthe was just happy to see her Padawan again. All lectures would be postponed until tomorrow, if they were to even take place.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stood to the side, silently watching the reunion with knowing and understanding eyes. How many times had he and Obi-Wan been separated by force or even duty and then extremely joyous to be together again? The times were innumerable.
"It makes me happy, Master, to see them together again," Obi-Wan smiled up at Qui-Gon.
The big Jedi hugged Obi-Wan's shoulders. "It makes me happy, too, Padawan."
Xanthe and Cassandra then turned to the other Jedi in the room. The Master said to them, "Thank you so much for rescuing Cassandra."
Qui-Gon nudged Obi-Wan and the boy stepped forward slightly. "Don't thank me, thank Obi-Wan. He's the one who found your apprentice and rescued her."
"Thank you, Obi-Wan Kenobi." Xanthe turned grateful eyes on him.
He bowed to the Master. "It was nothing," he said respectfully.
"Master Qui-Gon," Xanthe said to him as the foursome walked back to their apartments, "mayhap our paths will meet again. I would be deeply honored to work with you and your apprentice."
Qui-Gon smiled and said, "Maybe one day the Force will bring us together. I would also be honored to work with you and your apprentice. I bid you and Cassandra a pleasant night and suppose we shall see each other in the morning." He and Obi-Wan bowed.
"Good night, Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi," Xanthe said as she and Cassandra bowed in turn.
Just before leaving, Cassandra said to Obi-Wan one last time, "Thank you, Obi-Wan."
He smiled and inclined his head once more before following his Master into their quarters. After closing the door behind them, he said thoughtfully to Qui-Gon, "Do you think we might ever get to work together with them, Master?"
Qui-Gon sighed as he took off his outer robe and hung it on the peg just beside the door. "I honestly cannot say, Obi-Wan. Whatever the will of the Force is shall be our course in life."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied, but he did not miss the twinkle in his Master's eyes as he said the statement.
Maybe…
The End
Closing Remarks and Statements:All right, don't everyone get all cheesed off at me for ending it like that or for the incredible shortness of this. I do plan to write more stories featuring my two favorite Jedi and my OC's. It'll just be a while. I'm right in the middle of a monstrous Zelda fic and so… yeah. That'll take up a lot of time and that really is my number one story priority right now. This just bit me right on my ankle and would not go away until I wrote it. So there!
Au revoir!