Disclaimer: Star Wars brings in tons of money and as I have not seen a single cent of that money, I am not George Lucas and therefore don't own Star Wars. And sadly, that means I don't own Obi-Wan either.

Summary: The second story in the Jedi Trials series. Obi-Wan's been captured, Qui-Gon's left the Jedi Order, and Anakin must learn to trust his new Master. The Republic is on the brink of war and only Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Anakin can save the galaxy.

Author's Notes: Here's the next chapter for everybody. I hope you all enjoy it. It may be a little confusing in the beginning, so if anybody has any questions, feel free to ask them. Also, as a reminder, reviews will be answered on my profile now, instead of in the chapters. Enjoy the chapter!

Torture and Death

By Kekelina

-----

Chapter Ten: To Survive

-----

"Obi-Wan…"

That voice was so familiar. It was soft and kind, soothing Obi-Wan instantly. It was the voice he had clung to during his years as a Padawan, and it was the voice he had cursed during his Knighthood. It was the voice he had thought would never turn on him, until Anakin Skywalker came into being. It was the voice he had gone to in times of need; it was the voice that had calmed him during times of trouble. It was the voice he had once called "Father".

It was the voice of his Master.

Obi-Wan lifted his head towards the source of the voice, wishing he could see him. Was this true? Was his former Master really there? Had he come to rescue him? He groped the darkness with his bound hands, hoping to catch the edge of Qui-Gon's robes, but instead grabbed only air.

"Qui-Gon…" Obi-Wan called out hoarsely, desperate for confirmation that his Master was truly there and was not simply a figment of Obi-Wan's imagination.

The voice didn't answer him.

"Master," Obi-Wan called to him again. "Please…"

The hope that had suddenly soared at the sound of Qui-Gon's voice hit rock bottom as the silence returned. But Obi-Wan wasn't ready to let that hope go. He called out to Qui-Gon again, this time with more desperation, willing him to answer him. He needed him to answer him.

He did.

Hope returned to Obi-Wan for a few blessed seconds. A joyous smile painted itself on his face, causing his parched lips to crack. Obi-Wan could've cared less. Qui-Gon had found him; somehow, he had miraculously found him, and he was going to get him out of this Sith hell. Obi-Wan was saved.

"You're a failure, Obi-Wan. You always have been."

Obi-Wan's breath caught in his throat as Qui-Gon's words stunned him. His former Master's voice had suddenly become very cold and cruel, unlike anything Obi-Wan had ever heard from him before.

"W-what?" Obi-Wan stuttered.

"You've been nothing but a burden to me since the day I first saw you spar. I should've let you blow yourself up on Bandomeer."

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped in shock. His hope began to dwindle away, taking chunks of his heart with him. He couldn't believe Qui-Gon was saying this. This wasn't the Qui-Gon he had been apprenticed to since his thirteenth life day.

"The Council never should've agreed to take you in as a youngling."

Tears formed in Obi-Wan's red-rimmed eyes as Qui-Gon continued telling him how wonderful Anakin was as a Padawan and how horrible Obi-Wan had been. Obi-Wan could only lay there in utter torment as Qui-Gon continued to verbally abuse him. With every insult, Obi-Wan felt utterly abandoned, and with every comparison to Anakin, Obi-Wan's anger grew swiftly.

Qui-Gon's voice echoed inside his head, bouncing around like a rock falling down a canyon. It ate at Obi-Wan's soul, making him feel worthless. He begged Qui-Gon to stop talking, to simply leave him alone. He yelled and screamed, but nothing would make his former Master be quiet.

In the end, all Obi-Wan could do was curl up and cry himself to sleep.

-----

"Get up."

Someone was shaking Obi-Wan roughly, pounding him against the rocky wall. He groaned as pain shot through his back, awakening him from his fitful sleep.

"I said get up, Jedi."

Obi-Wan acknowledged the command by half-opening his red-rimmed eyes. Instead of the usual darkness, the haunting light was back, and it burned Obi-Wan's unused eyes. He grimaced in pain and tried to hide his head behind one of his arms.

A kick in the stomach made him curl up in pain. His fists clenched, and his lungs refused to breathe. He gasped for breath.

An annoyed sigh.

Suddenly, a large, gloved hand grabbed Obi-Wan's face and brought him up into a sitting position. Obi-Wan fought against the hand weakly, but it kept a tight grip on his chin and forcefully pried his mouth open. The second hand then stuffed a small protein cube into his mouth and clamped it shut so that Obi-Wan couldn't spit out the foul-tasting sustenance.

"Eat," the cold voice commanded.

As Obi-Wan tried to chew on the hard, disgusting substance, he tried to get a good look at the man before him. A bucket-shaped helmet, body armor, rocket-pack…the bounty hunter. Perfect.

Before he was even half-way done with his protein cube, the bounty hunter pried open his jaw again and forced water down his throat, temporarily suffocating Obi-Wan. He doubted the bounty hunter cared. The water softened up the cube a little bit and he was able to eventually finish it, though it did make him gag a few times. It tasted nothing like the one the Sith had brought him the first time.

Obi-Wan gulped down the last bite and glared at the bounty hunter. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice breaking.

The bounty hunter gave no recognition that he had heard Obi-Wan's question, and he just continued to stare at him from underneath his helmet. At least, Obi-Wan assumed he was staring at him.

Suddenly, the bounty hunter's hand flew to his utility belt then straight at Obi-Wan, whatever he had grabbed striking him hard on the face. Pain shot through his temple, and the force of the impact sent Obi-Wan into the wall beside him.

For a moment, Obi-Wan was unable to identify his surroundings. He leaned against the wall that he had been rammed into as his entire right side throbbed in pain. The pain was overwhelming. His cheek burned fiercely, and he felt blood trickling down his neck.

His vision focused.

The bounty hunter was coming at him again, wielding a vibroblade in one hand and an electrojabber in the other. Fear twisted Obi-Wan's insides, and he braced himself for the oncoming pain. He would not fight back.

He would be lucky if he could even survive it.

-----

The Other Author's Notes: Poor Obi-Wan… He never seems to get a break, does he? Will Qui-Gon have felt him? Stay tuned to find out! And don't forget to review!