Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

Disclaimer: The Jedi Apprentice series and its characters belong to Jude Watson, the only thing I own is the plot.

Can Sins Ever Be Forgiven

Chapter 5: Sins of the Father

Qui-Gon had spoken to all of Obi-Wan's friends, the last time anyone had seen him was before he went missing from his hearing. An extensive search of all the near by hospitals and hotels had turned up nothing as well. He had even gone so far as to show the boy's picture at the transport stations, no one had seen him. It was like he had vanished into thin air, and with his wounds he couldn't have made it very far. Qui-Gon was unsure as to what his next move should be so he returned home to gather his thoughts.

Three days now, the boy had been missing. Qui-Gon didn't think he was on the planet anymore, but if he wasn't on Coruscant where could he have gone. Perhaps meditating would help clear his mind, he thought, and maybe there connection was still strong enough to feel him. As he knelt down on the terrace he heard a knock at the door. He got back to his feet and went to answer the door.

A young man stood before him in a orange uniform, the patch read Coruscant Delivery Service. "Qui-Gon Jinn?" He asked.

"Yes." Qui-Gon was slightly confused by his presence, usually all deliveries were made to the temple instead of the individual.

"I have a delivery for you, sir." He handed Qui-Gon a small brown envelop and with a nod disappeared down the hall.

Qui-Gon waited until the retreating form of the delivery boy was gone then closed the door. He walked into the kitchen and opened the envelop. Inside was a holovid, he sat it down on the table as it came to life, he felt his stomach turn as Xanatos's figure appeared before him.

"Hello, old friend." There was a devilishly charming smile residing on his face and his voice held an air of calm and malice in the same breath. "I see you did not take my request seriously. I assure you I was most sincere. To prove it, I have something of yours, something you want and the only way you'll get it back is by coming to me." He stepped off to the right, the holovid following to show the unconscious form of Ob-Wan Kenobi lying in a puddle of blood on the floor. "If you've changed your mind and decided that you don't want him to die for your sins, come to where your first sin against me was committed. Here began the circle, and here it will end."

Qui-Gon stood staring as the holovid powered down. So, Xanatos had taken the boy, but what was this message he was talking about? He hadn't received any messages from Xanatos save this one. 'Where my first sin was committed.' Qui-Gon didn't need to think about it, he knew where to go. 'Telos.'

Obi-Wan slowly opened his eyes. He couldn't make out his surroundings, his eyes were blurred, he tried to reach his hand up to rub it away but his wrists were being held down by heavy restraints, he tried to move his legs but they too were strapped down. Blinking, he tried to clear his eyes, slowly the room began to come into focus. He was in what appeared to be a dungeon. Obi-Wan was suspended in the center of the room in nothing but his breeches. There were tables set up with whips, chains, shock sticks, and many other implements of torture.

Obi-Wan swallowed dryly as his eyes surveyed the scene, finally they fell upon Harvey who was standing near the sensory deprivation tank. They locked in a staring contest of sorts until Obi-Wan finally broke away as he heard boots scraping down the hall heading in his direction. The door slide open and Xanatos stepped inside, his smile slightly off setting the broken circle scar on his cheek.

"You're awake. Good. I was starting to think you were never going to wake up, it's been several days." With his hands clasped behind his back he paced in circles around the Obi-Wan. "Now, since my beloved former master decided not to play my game, you shall play in his place. To make this better for me, I want you to scream. Not just for anyone, but for him. I want you to scream, cry, and beg for him to save you. Mark my words, he won't listen. He won't come for you, he'll let you die." He hissed a haunting laugh into the boy's ear.

"I won't scream for anyone!" Obi-Wan said though gritted teeth. "Especially for him. You want to kill me? Do it. But I won't beg."

Once more came the haunting laugh from his captor. "Trust me, by the time I'm done with you your death will be a welcome release. And I promise before this is all over, you will beg. I will break you."

Obi-Wan was unable to speak another word as a whip came crashing down on his exposed back. It took all his might not to scream out in pain. He reached out to the Force to help calm him only to feel it slip away with the next lash. "Foolish child, the Force cannot help you."

Closing his eyes as tight as he could, he searched around in his mind until Harvey's green eye came into view. "Help me." He said to it with in his mind. "Please, remember our promise. I tried to help you, I'm sorry I failed."

"Do you remember your family at all?" Harvey asked as he and Obi-Wan sat staring at the sunset. "I heard the Jedi take the children from there homes to train them."

"They do. I don't remember my parents much anyway, they were killed in an attack from a neighboring village when I was a baby. I was sent to an orphanage, that's where the Jedi found me. I guess you could say the Jedi are my family." Obi-Wan sighed heavily as he brought his knees up to his chest hugging them tightly. "Were my family."

"Don't worry about it. Tell you what, I don't have any family either my parents died several years ago, we could be family. Whenever one of us is in trouble the other will come running. When we can't stand on our own we'll hold each other up. Promise?" His emerald green eyes smiled at Obi-Wan as he extended his hand.

"Promise!" Obi-Wan smiled and clasped his new 'brother's' hand.

Tbc