.Six.

"I wonder what's keeping the Captain?" Obi-Wan asked after feeling his stomach clench with hunger pangs. The man had said he'd return in a bit. Obi-Wan wasn't sure what a bit actually meant, but certainly it was less time than what had already passed.

The sun had long since gone down upon Theed, and its cobblestone streets were now painted with a golden glow from the street lamps. The sounds of businesses closing up for the day had ceased and the city was relatively quiet. Far quieter than what he was used to. Galactic City was never quiet, no matter what time of day or night.

This was a different type of quiet. It reminded Obi-Wan of the kind that often heralds a coming catastrophe. Like the silence before a storm.

"Master, there's a disturbance," he tried to warn his mentor just as the door to Panaka's home burst open.

Immediately, both Jedi called their weapons to their hands before coming face to face with a group of royal guards. Panaka was not among them, Qui-Gon noted. At least he noticed that! He had been too busy contemplating Obi-Wan's disturbing experience and should've been paying more attention to the here and now. He should've sensed them coming.

The Master Jedi stood tall and gazed at each face beneath the plastifiber and durasteel helmets. These young men were trained to protect the Queen against small skirmishes in the city or even inside the palace, but they had never confronted a Jedi before. They were nervous. He could see it in their eyes.

"Master?" Obi-Wan questioned, his still-active lightsaber gripped firmly in his hand. He wasn't certain what was going on, but as always, he was waiting for his mentor's first move.

Unexpectedly, Qui-Gon deactivated the green laser of his own sword and told Obi-Wan to extinguish his blue one as well. Obi-Wan only hesitated a fraction of a second. He trusted his Master, despite his flaws.

One of the young guardsmen stepped forward. On his cloak was a multi-colored bar most likely indicating his rank; beads of sweat collected on his lip. He was brandishing a modified D-18 pistol aimed right at Qui-Gon's chest.

He licked his lips and cleared his throat before speaking. "By order of the Queen, you will accompany me to the palace."

"For what reason?" Master Jinn asked bluntly though casually. Obi-Wan had always admired the way his Master remained so calm and collected during tense situations.

The guard wasn't put off with his flippant demeanor. "You have defied her orders to leave the planet and are under arrest."

Obi-Wan could detect a hint of surprise coming from his Master along their training bond, although he didn't seem too concerned. Despite Qui-Gon's confidence, however, the younger Jedi was worried. He'd confronted the Dark Queen, he knew of the evil that resided within her mind and had taken over her ability to be fair or reasonable.

Just as before, a wave of warning rolled over him. He had a bad feeling about this. Yet, he had no choice but to cooperate, and he handed his lightsaber to his Master, who handed both of them to the guard who was in charge.

They were escorted back to the palace, advanced up the steps, and through the columned entrance with its incredibly high ceilings of gray marble and stone. Just ahead was a small group of individuals waiting for them. Several of the handmaidens were nervously standing there as was Captain Panaka. Obi-Wan couldn't get a read on the man's features and he wasn't sure if the security official had been caught helping them or if he had simply turned them over. Panaka still had his head though, so the young Jedi imagined they had been set up.

Queen Amidala had changed clothing and was dressed in solid black. Even her face appeared darker than before; more similar to the one Obi-Wan had seen in his meditation. If possible, her voice was deeper, although her message was essentially the same.

"You were commanded to leave the system and return to the Jedi Temple," she began. "I will hear no argument as to your reasons to defy me. My advisors and security are loyal to me, Master Jedi," she continued while looking straight at Qui-Gon. "I have been informed of your plans to overthrow me and remove me from the throne of Naboo. You would turn my own people against me and return to the Core and report that I am unfit to be Queen. That isn't going to happen. Captain Panaka, take them away."

The dungeons of Theed were located far beneath the main levels of the palace. Obi-Wan had expected them to be comprised of damp, cold stone, perhaps durasteel gates and bars, and most likely vacant. He was less than pleased to discover he was mistaken. The cells themselves were protected by plasma energy gates and almost every single one they passed was occupied. Apparently, there were many in Theed who opposed the Queen's new rule.

"Leave while you can!" a tired voice suggested through one of the barriers.

"Governor Bibble?" Obi-Wan hollered out, coming to a stop, only to be shoved forward by the guard behind him.

"Keep moving!" the officer demanded gruffly.

"Obi-Wan, do as he says," his Master commanded from ahead.

Another glance revealed the city's leader to be well and undamaged, although it was a shame he had lost his freedom due to helping the Jedi.

"Escape!" Bibble shouted after them. "Go to the Chancellor and demand an investigation! She's going to kill us all!"

There was a sound of a fluctuation of energy and then silence. Obi-Wan wasn't certain if the Governor was injured or worse. He and Qui-Gon had been escorted beyond sight of his cell and into another corridor; this one slightly more narrow and darker than the rest.

"You, in there," the guard insisted, shoving the older Jedi on the back.

Obi-Wan listened carefully to the Light and the bond he shared with his mentor, somewhat relieved to find it tranquil. If they were going to escape, now would be the time, but apparently, their fate lay on another path.

The young man watched with slight trepidation as his Master was forced into one cell while he was taken into another. Once the energy fields were activated, they were shut off from each other, both by sight and through their bond.

These were no ordinary prison compartments. They had been designed specifically for the Jedi - to disconnect them to the only thing they could count on: the Light.

Obi-Wan approached the wall of red plasma carefully and held his hand up parallel to it. The field hummed and sparked the closer he got, and twice it singed his palm. Trying to escape through that would surely bring about his death, especially without his ability to access the Light. And he was not ready to die. Not until he helped Queen Amidala escape her own form of imprisonment.

He couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be locked up inside your mind, unable to express your true feelings and control your own actions. The young Jedi wondered: did she realize what was happening to her? Could she see with her own eyes the despicable things her hands were doing? Hear with her own ears the lies and deceit that were coming out of her mouth? Or was she unconscious inside of herself? Oblivious to what was going on? Perhaps she was confined within a dream-like state. More, like a nightmare, Obi-Wan corrected.

When he had spoken with her during his meditations, he couldn't sense an internal struggle. The only thing he'd been able to focus on was the Darkness surrounding her and coming off her like waves. His fear for her safety most likely had disrupted his ability to see through the shadow. What he needed was another chance. If this young woman was as strong and brave as the Jedi had been led to believe, then she had to be struggling for her freedom. She had to still be in there. She had to be!

"Obi-Wan?"

His Master's voice called down the corridor once the guards had exited the general area.

"I'm all right, Master," the younger Jedi answered back, craning his neck to try and get a glimpse of his mentor's cell. He could not.

"Stay in the Light and release your fears."

The older man's advice didn't come as a surprise though they were unnecessary. The truth was, Obi-Wan wasn't afraid. He had never been afraid to die. Death was part of this life and the beginning of another. What he didn't like was suffering. Queen Amidala was suffering and he had to do something to help her!

Meditation was far more difficult without access to the power that had been his constant companion since his first breath, but Obi-Wan kept trying There wasn't much else to do. Finally, when he became tired and frustrated, Obi-Wan decided to sleep although it proved to be difficult. Throughout the night, the young man tossed and turned while his mind kept conjuring up visions of the Queen. He heard her words and gazed into her despairing eyes. Once again, his strength was being drained even during his sleep. He knew he was dreaming and yet he couldn't wake himself up. At least not by his own strength.

Someone else was with him. At first, the young Jedi believed that his Master had somehow discovered a way to contact his student. Obi-Wan waited for a strong hand to lift him and draw him away from the Shadow. It didn't come. Instead, he detected a slight sound. A soft whimper. It was similar to the noise of a mewling kitten. All of his concentration focused on it. When he heard it again, the young man realized it was a voice. A tender, kind voice of a woman. And it was speaking to him.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The words were as clear as the bells in the temples of Ach-To. Although hearing this plea did not bring him the same amount of joy, it did answer an important question he had asked earlier. Indeed, Padme Amidala was alive and she was aware.

"I will. I promise," Obi-Wan replied even though he couldn't be sure anyone was listening. The dream had ended and he had spoken the words into the chilled air of his cell. There was no knowing if she had heard him, but he prayed his answer would bring her some hope. It was a good sign though, and one he wished to share with his Master.

"Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan called out as loudly as he dared. He waited for the reply he was sure would come, only to be disappointed. "Master -?

"Save your breath and be quiet, prisoner," a guard told him while stepping into view. "Your Jedi Master has abandoned you and returned to his Temple. I'm afraid you're on your own."

"What?" Obi-Wan had tried to keep his evident surprise concealed but failed. In response, the guard chuckled and walked away.

Of course, he was on his own. It was exactly what this Dark entity wanted. It figured since he was young and relatively inexperienced, it would be easier to bend him to its will. If Qui-Gon had indeed left him behind, it was for the best. His Master couldn't understand the things Obi-Wan had seen and the way he felt about this mission. Qui-Gon had never experienced the Dark before as Obi-Wan had. Sure, he had encountered it when his first apprentice gave in to its calling, but Master Jinn had never embraced it and felt it inside his mind; probing, tempting, and seducing him to surrender to it.

If this was the battle Obi-Wan had to face, then it was best if he faced it alone. He wouldn't wish to expose anyone to the evil he'd encountered, especially his beloved Master.