Chapter 16 The Grisly Truth
The dawn brought clouds, fog and a light mist that blanketed the city planet. Zak decided that it reflected the tone of the purpose for their return to Belarid. ND25 brought his breakfast early and made one final scan to determine whether the young Jedi would be fit enough for the trip. If reluctance could be programmed into a droid, it would have been programmed in ND25…, "Tsk….I can see no physical reason to keep you here any longer. Your internal injuries have healed quickly; however, I believe it would be better if you would not be in such a hurry to go rushing off on this mission." It said.
"I'll be all right, ND; Master Obi-Wan and Master Anakin will be with me. Don't worry." Zak replied.
"Worry is not in my programming; concern for your welfare is. This trip is not advisable." ND25 insisted.
"Well, I'm going; and I don't think there is anything you can say to change my mind." Zak answered firmly.
"No I can see there is not…tsk…tsk. PT7 will be in shortly for one last session." ND25 said, "And then I will be back with your discharge pad. Master Kenobi will have to authorize your release."
"Thank you, ND." Zak replied.
"There is no need for thanks, I have been performing my function." ND25 answered as it left.
By the time Zak had finished his last bite of breakfast, PT7 had arrived, "I think we will do another twelve rounds for this final session. I will then give you recommendations to continue your rehabilitation once you have been released." It said, fastening Zak's reinforcement sleeve.
"Alright." Zak replied, slipping off the bed and retrieving his crutches.
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Obi-Wan met Anakin for a quick breakfast before he left to pick up Zak at the medical center and Anakin headed to the Senate docking bay; since the Chancellor had declared this mission official government business, they would be taking a Republic transport with Clone support. Anakin would prepare the ship and be ready to depart as soon as Obi-Wan arrived there with Zak.
"Be careful, both of you and May the Force be with you." Mace said when he and Yoda met them in the speeder bay before leaving.
"We will, Master Windu." Obi-Wan assured him.
"Watch out for your Padawan you must, Obi-Wan; fragile he still is." Yoda advised.
"I know, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan replied.
Both masters stood watching the two speeders as they head in different directions, "What will come of this, Master?" Windu asked.
"Know this, I do not, Master Windu." Yoda answered.
When Obi-Wan reached the medical center, Zak had finished his final session with PT7 and ND25 had brought the discharge pad for Obi-Wan to authorize. It had decided that one more scan was necessary and had just begun to perform it when Obi-Wan walked into the room.
"Good morning, Master." Zak said.
"Good morning, Padawan. How are you feeling?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Ready." Zak answered.
"I will release your apprentice into your care, however, I must warn you to take great care; his recovery is not yet complete." ND25 stated as it finished its scan. "I recommend that you do not take him to Belarid."
"Thank you for your advice, ND; but I think it is important for him to come with us." Obi-Wan replied, "I will take strict measures to assure his safety while he is there."
"Very well, Master Kenobi…tsk…tsk; however, I still advise against it." ND25 answered. "Master Skywalker must have helped you, Zak; your injured internal organs no longer show any sign of damage. Your broken bones, however, will take longer to heal. I will remove the cast on your wrist, however, it is still weak so you must wear the reinforcement sleeve. When you return to Coruscant, I will examine it again."
"Yes, ND." Zak said, watching as ND25 carefully removed the sleeve and the cast and then replaced and readjusted the sleeve.
Obi-Wan looked over the discharge pad and then entered his authorization code and handed it back to ND25.
"That is all I require, thank you, Master Kenobi. Take care, Zak." ND25 said.
"I will, thank you, ND." Zak replied.
"No need…" ND25 began.
"…for thanks, you are just performing your function." Zak finished for it.
"Precisely." ND25 answered and then left.
Obi-Wan had to help Zak dress; his apprentice only had one good hand and it was difficult for him and impossible to put on his left boot. Obi-Wan easily pushed the boot on and then helped him buckle the utility belt around his waist. Zak looked down at it; his lightsaber was missing, but he did not mention this to his master.
"Looking for this?" Obi-Wan asked, holding the weapon out to him.
"Oh, yes; thank you, Master; I'm sorry, I guess I must have lost it again." Zak replied.
"No, you had it when I found you; they took it away from you at that hospital on Belarid." Obi-Wan corrected.
"Oh, well; thank you, Master." Zak answered, taking his lightsaber and clipping it in the proper place on his belt.
"There now; that looks better, doesn't it. Let's get going, Master Anakin is waiting for us." Obi-Wan declared as he put his hand on Zak's shoulder and steered him towards the door.
"No, wait; I almost forgot." Zak said and turned to grasp the blue stone given to him by Boba, "I can't forget this." He tucked the rock into one of the pouches on his belt.
"Is that it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes, except we had better take that data pad; Master Nu will want it back." Zak answered.
"Oh, yes; she would have my head." Obi-Wan replied, grabbing the data pad from the bed table, "Are we ready now?"
"Raring to go, Master." Zak answered as he ambled out the door.
Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head before following his Padawan.
When they arrived at the Senate docking bay, the Republic transport's engines were already warmed up. Anakin sat in the pilot's chair, ready to leave as soon as Obi-Wan gave the word that Zak was secured.
Obi-Wan helped Zak fasten his harness and then joined Anakin in the cockpit and took the co-pilot's chair.
"All set?" Anakin asked.
"All set." Obi-wan answered.
Anakin maneuvered the vessel out of the docking bay and into the traffic around the Senate building, gradually gaining altitude until it was above the skyline and then into the upper atmosphere and finally into space where he quickly entered the coordinates and entered into hyperspace.
Boba turned to Zak, "Are you going to be able to do this?" He asked.
"Do what? I am not going to fight anyone. I just need to find out what's going on, that's all." Zak replied.
"But what if whoever pushed you tries to kill you again?" Boba asked.
"Then I guess you'll just to protect me, won't you." Zak answered.
"How are you doing back here? Would you like to lie down and rest, Zak?" Obi-Wan asked as he entered the compartment.
"No, Master; I'm not tired." Zak replied.
"Are you sure? It's a long way to Belarid." Obi-Wan asked.
"No, if I want to sleep, I'll just put my seat back." Zak told him.
"Alright then; but it's a long way, I really think you should rest until we get there." Obi-Wan advised.
"I know; I will when I get tired." Zak answered.
"Master Kenobi, where should I go to get the information you want?" Boba asked.
"Well, I would start with that hospital; they had the drug, so they should have a record of where it came from. Just do what you do best." Obi-Wan said.
"What I
do best? What would that be?" Boba asked.
Obi-Wan grinned,
"Sneak." He replied.
"Oh, heh, heh, heh." Boba answered. "I think I'm going to like this."
Obi-Wan's grin became a bit wider, "Yes, I thought you would." He said.
During the hours it took to reach the Belarid system, Zak did sleep, to Obi-Wan's satisfaction; there would be little time for it when they reached the planet and Zak had not yet fully recovered. Just before they came out of hyperspace, Anakin made the announcement so that everyone could secure themselves for the descent into the planet's atmosphere and landing. Typical Anakin, he made a perfect landing on the airstrip tarmac. A contingent of armed Belaridian police was waiting for them. Obi-Wan disembarked first, followed by Anakin; Zak and Boba had been ordered to stay aboard until Zak's safety could be assured.
Blasters were raised at Obi-Wan as he stepped off the ship, "You are under arrest, Jedi." One of them, Obi-Wan assumed was the leader, stated.
"Oh, I don't think so." Obi-Wan answered calmly.
"You have violated Belaridian law; you used your Jedi mind tricks and assaulted a peacekeeper." The leader stated, "Surrender to us now."
"No, you have violated the law of the Republic by detaining a member of the Jedi Order and endangering his life. One of your citizens is guilty of attempting to kill this same Jedi." Obi-Wan said, folding his arms across his chest. "You have no right to demand anyone's surrender."
"I don't see as how you can prevent us from doing whatever we tell you to do. Surrender now, Jedi, and tell us what you've done with the boy; we have a right to deal with him as we see fit." The leader demanded again.
"Well, I may not be able to stop you, but they can." Obi-Wan replied, indicating the Clones who had just appeared behind him and were walking down the ramp, guns at the ready.
The Belaridians lowered their weapons.
"There, that's better. Now, this is what I demand; I, along with Master Skywalker here, my apprentice and an armed escort will travel to the place where my apprentice was injured. I want Servus and Sala Perrin and their son, Terak, to be brought there. If we find what I think we will, I will then need to see the planetary governor; there will be much to explain." Obi-Wan told them.
"Very well, it looks like we don't have a choice anymore. But we are part of the Republic, and I don't think our governor is going to like the way we have been dealt with here." The leader answered, waving his men back as the Clones made their way down the ramp past Obi-Wan.
"Your governor is going to have to explain why it allows his citizens to assault young boys without fear of retribution simply because they possess certain abilities." Obi-Wan said, "And why you administer drugs that kill those abilities without consent from them."
The police, knowing they had lost any advantage, returned to their wheeled vehicles and left. When the Clones were certain the danger had passed, they unloaded the speeders they had brought along. Three of the speeders would take the Jedi and their escort to the outcrop; and the other, Boba and one Clone, dressed as Belaridian citizens, to an area outside the city, where they would hide the speeder. From there, they would walk to the hospital where Boba would try to discover where the drug had come from. Three Clones would stay to stand guard at the ship to insure none of the Belaridians would try to ambush them when they returned. When they had finished their assignment, Boba and his escort would return to the transport.
"By no means are you to try and find us; the last thing I want is to have to go looking for you." Obi-Wan ordered, sternly.
"Yes sir, stay here and wait for you, I understand." Boba replied.
"Good…now, you be careful; the other last thing I want is to explain to Chancellor Organa that you got yourself arrested." Obi-Wan told him.
"Master Kenobi, I'm always careful." Boba assured him with a smile.
"I know you think you are; but I'm serious, Boba; this is not a game." Obi-Wan said.
"I know that." Boba answered, suddenly deadly serious, "This is about finding out who drugged Zak."
"Well, where the drug came from." Obi-Wan corrected.
"That's what I meant." Boba replied.
Obi-Wan grasped his shoulder, "Alright; it's just that we are depending on you to get some answers there." He said.
"I know; I won't let you down, I promise. Zak is my friend, I want to get to the bottom of this." Boba replied.
Obi-Wan, squeezed the shoulder, "I know you do." He told him, "Off with you now."
He watched from the ship as they bounty hunter and the Clone boarded the speeder and took off. Zak ambled over and stood beside him, "Will he be alright, Master?" He asked.
"It's Boba; what do you think?" Obi-Wan replied, "Come on, we have our job to do too."
When the speeders were ready to go, Obi-Wan helped Zak down to the ground and then lifted him into one of them and hopped in next to him. Anakin hopped into the driver's seat and one of the Clones sat in the passenger's seat with a blaster held at the ready. The eight other Clones piled into the remaining speeders. Anakin led the way, as Obi-Wan gave him directions from the back seat. The trip by speeder was much faster than it had been when Obi-Wan and Zak first made it by wheeled vehicle and within a quarter of an hour, they had arrived at the field where they had first encountered Zak's family. Obi-Wan pointed the way to the Perrin's house and then past it to the stony outcrop; he felt his apprentice tense as they reached the spot. Putting a reassuring arm around him he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes." Zak answered without hesitation.
Obi-Wan got out of the speeder first and then lifted Zak out. Zak leaned against the side of the speeder until Obi-Wan retrieved his crutches and then he made his way toward the edge. Obi-Wan followed at a short distance; and then he felt it. He turned to Anakin who nodded back to him. He had felt it too, heavy and oppressive.
"Zak, the last time you came here, what did you feel?" Obi-Wan asked.
Zak turned to look back at him, "I don't know; it kind of felt….umm…forbidding." He answered.
"Obi-Wan, you were here; what did you feel?" Anakin asked.
"I don't remember, I was so focused on trying to find Zak; it might have felt like this, but it wasn't exactly the first thing on my mind." Obi-Wan answered.
"Well, let's get started; why don't you go down first and I will lower Zak down to you." Anakin suggested.
Obi-Wan nodded, set his line and rappelled down, "Ready." He called up, and moments later, Zak was safely on the ground waiting for Anakin to lower his crutches down to him. The Clones followed, each rappelling down on their own line. Anakin was the last to hit the ground.
The atmosphere here at the bottom was even more oppressive than on top of the outcrop. Evil dominated this place; and now, Obi-Wan was glad that Zak was not fully Force sensitive; it was that bad. Zak found a flat rock to sit on and parked himself there; he wrapped his cloak around him and placed the crutches on the ground at his feet.
The Clones started digging and almost immediately, uncovered the skeleton of a small child; this was followed closely by the grisly discovery of several youngling skeletons, the bony remains of their hands grasped together. They must have all died together, clinging to each other in fear as they were killed. Obi-Wan, watching as he stood by his Padawan, placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Zak looked up at him, "They are glad that you are here to set them free." He said.
"Are they speaking with you now, Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes, Master. They want us to set them free; the way we set the Jedi free." Zak answered.
"You mean burn them?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes; it's the only way they can leave this place." Zak told him.
"You mean they want to become one with the Force?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Well, they don't call it the Force; they don't know what it is, but they do want to go away from here." Zak said.
"Then that is what we will do once the evidence of this is recorded, Master Anakin and I will bring them together and build a pyre; they have been trapped here long enough." Obi-Wan replied.
Two hours later, the Clones thought they had uncovered all of the little bodies in the killing field and Zak confirmed this. Anakin stood off to one side, away from Obi-Wan, arms folded. "What is it, brother?" Obi-Wan asked. "How could anyone do this?" He asked. "Fear." Obi-Wan answered. "Some of them look as if they have been here less than a year." Anakin said. "I know; Anakin, do you sense something else?" Obi-Wan asked. "Yes, there is a Dark presence here too." Anakin answered.
