Chapter 4 – A Man of Mystery
For what seemed like hours, Obi-Wan just lie there, wondering what would happen to him now. Suddenly, the ship screeched to a shuddering halt, they must have arrived at what ever headquarter they came from. Wishing only he could get the blindfold off his eye. Since Xanatos had left the room, Obi-Wan had engaged himself in a futile attempt to rub the blindfold off his face, but of course, his captors would not let him get away so easily, so finally, he gave up, he had a fairly reasonable feeling that his strength would be greatly required of once he gets off the ship.
The door opened again and footsteps resounded off the floor once more. But this time, they were not Xanatos'. It must be the guard's. Obi-Wan thought in relief. He wasn't really ready to meet Xanatos again.
Rough hands seized him and easily lift him off the floor, swinging him effortlessly over a shoulder like a rucksack, his bruised chest ached in protest. Definitely not the nicest way to carry someone but it is surely far better than what ever alternative they installed.
Obi-Wan wondered briefly where they are now. Wherever they are, Obi-Wan was sure it was far away from the city. He cannot imagine them not alerted security forces carrying a boy with bonded hands and a blindfold stuck to his face. Judging on the unevenness of the ground, the fresh smell and sharp things that occasionally scratched against his skin, Obi-Wan now has a fairly good idea where they are. Where else could they be that they could walk so freely? Where else would the ground be so uneven? Where else would smell like leaves? Where else would have branches sticking out in all direction? Obi-Wan wondered if he should try to escape now, but thought better of it, he would stand no chance against people with blasters in their hand without the use of the Force, his eyes and his limbs. Obi-Wan wondered if Qui-Gon know where he was, wondering if he could find him. No, wrong, Padawan. If Master finds you that means he had stepped into Xanatos' trap, and that would not be good, no no. I should think of a plan to escape. Mmm, let's see, I'm now in a Force-knows-where place in a jungle which almost covers half of the planet. My hands and feet are bond and had a blindfold on and I could not access the Force. Just too good, I wish I would have more days like this. Wonder if I still had my lightsaber on me, I don't think so, Padawan, nobody's stupid enough to do that. sigh I'm getting off to a good start.
Everyone made the journey through silence. Obi-Wan could almost sense the fear hang thick in the atmosphere, almost. Good, this meant that the drug is wearing off. They must have walked through a door for Obi-Wan could no longer smell the leaves or feel branches scratching his cheeks. The warm breeze was gone as well and the light was considerably darker in here. The change of light was the only thing Obi-Wan could see through the blindfold pressing on his eyes. Not long, he was thrown roughly onto the floor. Nice ride, guy, but no thanks. Obi-Wan thought silently, this is not going to be good.
"This is Qui-Gon's apprentice?" a deep voice asked from above.
"Yes, my Master." It was Xanatos' voice. "He was captured after the chaos had erupted during the meeting." Obi-Wan thought he sensed fear, but took it as a side-effect from the drug. He cannot imagine Xanatos been afraid of someone.
"It seemed that he was very easily captured," the man took in the one injury on the boy's shoulder. To Obi-Wan he said, "You disappointed me, boy."
Before Obi-Wan could think of a reply, Xanatos hastily added, "He had only been Qui-Gon's apprentice for a year, I don't expect him to learn too much from his Master, yet."
He was trying to please the man. Obi-Wan thought, wondering what kind of man he was talking to.
The man must have nodded, or made or gesture of approval, for he continued after a short pause. "Leave us, I have a few questions to ask him."
Obi-Wan heard the shuffling of feet and footsteps leading off to another corridor and faded eventually. Now, he is alone, facing some sort of hideous monster that he cannot see.
"So…young Obi-Wan, are you afraid?" The question came out of the man's mouth more like a hiss. Obi-Wan could feel darkness crawling all over the place where he was held captive. The man is dark, he realised, although he was completely under the mercy of this monster, he could not grant him the pleasure of seeing him shuddering in fear.
"No, Jedi do not fear, for fear leads to the dark side." Managed to manoeuvre his aching body to a sitting position, Obi-Wan answered in a voice, which sounded stronger than he thought it would.
"Good answer, Jedi. It looked like that Qui-Gon had taught you plenty." The man hissed again.
"Who are you and how did you know my Master?" Obi-Wan found his voice despite the situation.
"I thought I was the one who was suppose to be questioning here, but the answers to the questions you asked are quite harmless so I will answer. I'm the master of the darkness, and I know your Master because we had been friends a long time ago."
"I don't believe you," Obi-Wan said stiffly. Not believing that Qui-Gon would befriend anyone with so much darkness.
"Well, the answer is simple, I was a Jedi." The being spoke coldly, put a disgusted tone into his voice when he said the word Jedi, as if it is a memory that he would rather not remember.
"Why did you turn?"
The being seemed to be considering this for he paused several long seconds. "Well, I…and the Jedi Council had an argument, I don't see why we, Jedi should put up with the government, I see nothing in those Senators but greed, the Supreme Councillor is too blind to see it in those ones who are close to him.
"The Jedi council was blind, they failed to see those facts that are so clear before them, still so humbly serving the government, bending to their will. I cannot put up with this, so naturally, I left."
"You did this only for your own welfare, leaving it to others instead of solving it yourself. And we, Jedi didn't accept the missions to serve the government, but to serve the people."
"Great words, young one. But now I recognized the true power of the dark side. The Jedi are nothing compared to the power I possess. They will see one day that the dark side is taking over the galaxy, and I will see to it." The man said this with much ambition, menace, and hate, directed to the Jedi. A silence followed.
"Where am I?" Obi-Wan asked, finally broke the silence.
"Oh, you are in my temporary castle, welcome, young Jedi. I'm sorry that you cannot see its beauty, but I assure you that it is a very splendid work of art."
"Why did you blindfold me?" Obi-Wan asked sceptically.
"For safety reasons." The cold voice answered.
"Safety reasons? Xanatos' going to kill me in the end anyway, so why bother with all these 'hide and seek', why don't you just show yourself."
"You do not know me, young apprentice. I'm a man who does not like taking risks. There is just this faintest chance that you might escape, so that if it ever happened, no one will know my identity. And no one would ever find me."
"Master Qui-Gon could." Obi-Wan said bluntly.
"Yes, he will, and then we will see what Xanatos had planned for him."
Alarmed, Obi-Wan sent a warning through his bond to Qui-Gon as he was able to manage a small grasp on the Force again.
Qui-Gon was talking on the holo-com with Yoda when he felt Obi-Wan's warning.
/Master, it's a trap! Don't co…/
The warning was cut short in mid-sentence. They had done something to Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon thought worriedly. Something that stopped his ability to use the Force. A Force inhibitor. The thought sent a chill down his spine. Without the defence of the Force, Obi-Wan is entirely at Xanatos' mercy. And Xanatos had no mercy. Obi-Wan didn't tell him where he was taken. He doubts it that the boy knows himself. Xanatos would never let down his guard to slip something that would benefit his enemy.
"Feel something, you did?" Yoda's voice woke him from his deep thoughts.
"Yes, Obi-Wan sent me a warning, but was cut off short. I believe they had been using Force inhibitors on him."
Yoda closed his heavy eyelids, and said, "Mmm…help him, it will not, if you walk straight into a trap you do not know of."
"But I have to find Obi-Wan, Xanatos might try to turn him to the dark side."
"Being your apprentice for a year, he had. Know him now, you should, that he would not turn to the dark side."
"I believe in him too, but…he cannot defend himself with the Force, giving on what Xanatos had done to him before - "
Yoda interrupted him with a reprimanding voice, "Dwell on your emotions, you shall not. Help Obi-Wan by worrying, it will not. Give time to think, you should." The little green Jedi Master's voice softened at the concerned look on the Jedi Master's face. "The Council would have sent Jedi teams to aid you, were there any more Jedi Knights available in the Temple. However, one team left, we have. Send them, we will. But escorting and protecting the Supreme Councillor back to Coruscant, their mission is. So you can concentrate on your Padawan and Xanatos, then."
"Thank you, Master."
"May the Force be with you." The holo-com winked out.
Qui-Gon sat and brooded over the conversation he just had. The council had done him a favour of sending a Jedi team to escort the Supreme Councillor to Coruscant, for Qui-Gon could not think how he could manage to protect the Supreme Councillor and to solve the matter at hand at the same time. He needs to talk to the Mayor, he had an overwhelming feeling that he was hiding something from them.
The man must have felt the surge of Force emitting from the Padawan, for he clicked his fingers and soon, Obi-Wan felt a needle prickling his left arm and the Force was withdrawn from him once more.
"You won't be able to use the Force to escape Obi-Wan, my man will keep giving you these shots until you learn to behave yourself." High, cruel laughter was the last think Obi-Wan heard as he once again drifted into unconsciousness.