Chapter 19
As a Jedi, Arryn was supposed to use mild language, but as she was taken to Bondor, she couldn't help thinking as many colourful words as she could to describe her captors. Stop it, she firmly told herself. What good will this do in the long run? I need to think of an escape plan. She looked around the ship they were in. Escape would be difficult in mid air, and besides, she had four, maybe six, armed captors to overcome. The odds didn't look good. Okay, relax, she told herself. She wasn't sure where they were taking her, but she knew it involved heights of some sort and she was not looking forward to it.
"We have arrived," said Governor Schualberke from the co-pilot's seat. He and Senator Ballastiodes glided the ship down into a smooth landing. Coram, Annika, Arriette, and Emory unbuckled their crash webbing. Emory came over to her. "I hope you are feeling cooperative now."
"Not particularly," replied Arryn saucily.
"Get up." Emory said, pulling Arryn's arm. He pulled a piece of black material from one of the storage compartments on the ship and said sharply, "Turn around."
"Why?" asked Arryn defiantly.
"Just do it!" He roared. Arryn wasn't fazed. Emory pushed her around and tied the material around her eyes. "Just in case you get any ideas." He said.
Fantastic. I can't see, she thought. Immediately, a flashback hit her. It was three months ago; she was in the training room, battling Elantra. Arryn smiled. The situation she was in was just like their initial duel for apprenticeship, but this time, the Sith were her opponents. The strikes would go back and forth, but only one person could ultimately win. That person was going to be Arryn.
The sun was still low in the sky when the Jedi set off. They had acquired a landspeeder from one of the townspeople to cover more area quickly.
"I remember this place," called Elantra from the back seat. "The trees we climbed should be somewhere ahead."
Anaria nodded in agreement and turned to her friend. "Elantra, you know I'm not good about talking about my feelings," began Anaria in a low tone of voice.
Elantra turned to her. "I sense there is a 'but' coming."
"I can't help but feel responsible for Arryn's kidnapping. I didn't agree to go with her to Bondor, I climbed the tree, and I caused her to go running to see the lightsabers. If it weren't for me, she would be here with us." A tear fell down Anaria's cheek.
Elantra took her hand. "Jedi do not go down the path of 'ifs.' You choose in each moment what your next step will be." He said, echoing the words of his masters.
"But she didn't deserve to be kidnapped. It is all my fault."
"Anaria, do not assign yourself blame. It will only make things worse. And, it's my fault just as much as it yours. But we can't think that way. We need to be optimistic, for Arryn's sake."
Anaria took Elantra's courage. "I know," she whispered.
"Does this look familiar?" Siri asked, pointing to a hilltop ahead.
"Yes!" Exclaimed Anaria.
"That's where we followed Arryn to. The clearing should be at the top," finished Elantra.
The five Jedi reached the top of the hill. Elantra got out of the speeder and looked around. "This is where Anaria and I were. Arryn fought the Sith about five meters away."
"Over here," called Anaria from across the clearing. "There are footprints!"
Elantra had had little experience with tracking, but was adept at following footprints. "They lead over toward that large boulder."
"Good work. That must be the entrance to the Sith's lair," said Obi-Wan.
The Jedi examined the area for evidence of an entrance.
"I remember reading something about the Sith in the archives," said Anaria, deep in thought. "They wrote something on their holocrons, a saying about darkness or shadows or something."
Elantra nodded. "I remember it, too."
"In the shadows is where power lies," said Darsha.
Anaria piped up, "But it wasn't in Basic, it was in the Sith language. I can't recall the translation."
Darsha nodded."It was 'In Potestas Umbris Est.'"
And with that, the giant boulder slid aside and revealed a hidden passageway leading under the clearing.
"It…it must be the Underground Fortress!" Breathed Elantra. Obi-Wan, Siri, and Darsha pulled their lightsabers from their utility belts, but did not ignite them.
"Are we going down there?" Anaria whispered to Darsha, a trace of fear in her voice.
"Yes, Anaria. There might be…horrifying things down there. If you start to feel afraid, let the fear enter you, but do not let it take control."
Anaria nodded. She noticed that Darsha's usually crystalline eyes were clouded with fear.
"Master, are you all right?"
Darsha looked at Anaria on gratitude for the concern. "Just…bad memories. I will be fine, Padawan."
Siri spoke. "Why doesn't Obi-Wan lead, Elantra follow him, Darsha stay in the middle, Anaria behind her, and I'll take up the rear? That way, we have the Padawans covered in case…" she did not finish the sentence.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Very well." He entered the passageway with extreme caution. He let his eyes adjust to the dark. Several stone steps led down into what appeared to be a large common room of sorts. A few couches surrounded a large projection table. Everything was silent. Elantra stumbled over a piece of debris. Upon closer examination, he realized it was not a piece of rubbish; rather it was a bead.
"Arryn was here," he whispered in the dark. Obi-Wan turned and Elantra held the bead out to him.
"This is the scarab beetle bead she wore on her Padawan braid," said Obi-Wan.
"What does that mean?" Asked Anaria quietly.
"It doesn't mean anything," said Siri. "It could have just fallen, or she dropped it on purpose to start a trail of sorts."
The Jedi crept on, sensing no Sith presence. At the end of the large room, a small opening in the wall led off to a dimly lit corridor. Several doors lined the wall. Two were open. Obi-Wan stepped into the first one and saw only a rough chair and table.
"Do you suppose this is where she was kept?" whispered Elantra.
"Shh," said Anaria, silencing him.
The Jedi went into the second room. A large comm device stretched across one wall. A large stone cube protruded from the wall.
"What is that?" asked Siri.
Obi-Wan pulled it from the wall. It was a storage container. The lock fell away and revealed several objects. Obi-Wan held them up. The first object was a communicator very similar to the one they all wore. The second object made Anaria cry out. It was a cylinder that spanned about the length of her forearm. It was Arryn's lightsaber.
"A Jedi is never separated from their lightsaber…" said Elantra, who suddenly lost his optimism.
"Stop thinking such things, Elantra. Arryn may be perfectly fine, okay? Just stop it!" hissed Anaria.
"Why would the Sith have left such obvious clues here for us to find?" asked Siri.
"Two reasons. Either they were extremely foolish and do not understand the meaning of thorough, or they wanted us to find them," replied Obi-Wan.
Arryn felt very isolated. Without the Force, she felt as if a part of her were missing. She relied on the senses of touch and hearing to help identify her mysterious location. Arryn was led into the Governmental tower. She felt the floor's surface change from rough ground to plush carpet and deduced they were in a luxurious place. Arryn heard the sound of the lift's doors opening and felt the push she was given to get inside. The doors shut with a clang and Arryn felt the ascent of the lift. Several minutes went by until the humming stopped, signaling that they had arrived on their desired floor. Arryn was pushed out. She heard the beeping as a pass code was entered into an access panel. She was pushed through a door and felt a blast of wind hit her face. She was outside.
Emory Tiana removed her blindfold. "Welcome to your prison." Arryn drew in a deep breath. She was hundreds of meters above the ground on the roof of the public administration building. She froze, not able to even look out at the bustling skyline.
"There are ysalamiri inside the door, if you get any ideas. If, during this time, you feel…cooperative, we will return for you to tell us what you know."
Arryn barely heard any of what Emory had said. She was transfixed on the long drop down, noticing that there was no security railing anywhere. Five paces more and she would be off the building. She vaguely saw Emory turn and walk out.
Arryn sat down on the hard surface of the roof. Her body was rigid from fear and her breathing came in short bursts. Her head swam and she felt nauseous. Arryn commanded herself to relax, but her fearful mind had overridden the command. She tried meditative breathing, but could not focus enough to get anywhere. The Sith were right, this was the most optimal method of torture.
For the first time in her life, a salty tear rolled down her face, followed by another and another. She didn't care how emotional she had become; she was more frightened and alone than she had ever been in her life.