THALIA
Obi-Wan wasn't back by the time dinner came around, so Thalia made her way, alone, to the room they'd met with Kaz only hours before.
"I'm sorry, Kaz. Master Kenobi won't be joining us tonight." Thalia said politely to the Class Five leader as she joined her at the low table.
"Nothing comes between the Jedi and their mediation, eh?" Kaz grinned lopsidedly and Thalia laughed politely. "I hope your visit to our facility has put your mind at ease."
"As much as can be expected." Thalia replied honestly. "While I can't condone what you're doing, I do understand."
Kaz thought for a moment before slowly nodding. "Then I appreciate your understanding and respect you for your honesty, Your Majesty."
"Thalia? Please acknowledge. Are you there?" Thalia jumped slightly as a loud voice rang in her ear. If there was one thing about Obi-Wan that hadn't changed since they'd last met was his inability to not shout into his communicator.
"Yes…" Thalia began and then at Kaz's expression added, "…if we can't understand each other, nothing will be accomplished."
"Mmm." Was Kaz's reply.
"I'm in a spot of trouble." Came Obi-Wan's voice again, just as loud as before. "I've been captured by some of the soldiers. There's a tracking function on your commlink, follow it due East to my location."
"Are you alright, Your Majesty? You're very quiet." Kaz asked, studying Thalia carefully.
"Uh, yes. I'm afraid I'm not feeling my best." Thalia began but Obi-Wan started talking again and she struggled not to be drowned out by him. "I'm very sorry, but would you mind if I got some rest?"
"Oh, of course. Not to worry. I hope you feel better in the morning." Kaz said, getting to her feet with Thalia and bowing as she left the room.
Thalia hurried back to the quarters she'd been given, all the while Obi-Wan continued talking in her ear. "Yes, shut up." She shushed him as she closed the door. "Now, start again."
"I'm being held in an underground cave in the forest. There's a tracking function on your commlink, follow it East. There's an entrance in one of the streams." He said in a single breath.
'And what?' Thalia thought. What was she going to do about it, mount a full blown rescue on her own. But this thought didn't stop her from following the Jedi's instructions.
She zipped through the trees of the forest, the light of the moon lighting her way as she followed the flashing orange light on the commlink attached to her wrist.
Eventually, the blinking light began to flash rapidly before it suddenly spun around and flashed behind her location. She slowed the speeder and climbed off the seat, turning on her heal to face the way she'd come. Her full attention was on the tracker as she carefully stepped in the direction of Obi-Wan's location. The orange light suddenly disappeared. He should be right in front of her, instead there was a small stream, a metre wide and three metres in length before it disappeared under two small islands.
"Obi-Wan, I'm here. How do I get down to you?" Thalia asked, leaping across to the other side of the stream to look at it from the opposite side.
"There's a lever under one of the rocks." Came his hushed reply.
Thalia carefully stepped down into the riverbed, her boots protecting her legs from the cold water. She reached down and wrapped her hands around one of the stones, heaving it into her arms, but there was nothing beneath it. She was about to drop it back into place when she sensed someone's presence. Slowly, she placed the stone back down, using the force to focus on her surroundings. There was someone behind her, moving towards the stream.
Thalia reached for a smaller stone, one easier to lift. Once she had a good grip on it, she whirled around to face whoever was behind her. No sooner had she spun around, a blaster bolt flew towards her face. Instinctively, she dropped to her hands and knees, the blast hissing as it hit the water behind her. She looked up in time to see one of Kaz's soldiers launch themselves at her. He must had followed her from the base.
His gloved hands collided with her shoulders and pushed her backwards into the water. It was icy cold, and Thalia gasped at the shock, but as she tried to take in air, her face was pushed under the water. As the soldier grabbed for her throat, she managed to push herself up and splutter out some of the water, but as she concentrated on trying to fill her lungs with air the soldier made a grab for her throat and pushed her back down.
Thalia clawed at his wrist, trying to push his hand away, but it was no use, and she was too panicked to try anything else. As black spots began to creep into the edge of her vision, one of her hands dropped away from the soldier's wrist and knocked against the stone she'd picked up earlier. As her vision blurred, she focused on the stone and managed to wrap her hand around it. With the strength she had left, she launched the stone at the side of the soldier' helmet. Even from under the water, she heard the dull thud of rock hitting metal. The soldier's grip around throat loosened immediately, and she watched from under the water as he tipped sideways, unconscious.
Thalia pushed herself up on her elbows and rolled onto her side. She reached up to her throat where she could feel scratches from the soldier's rough armour beginning to swell into nasty red lines. Now on her hands and knees, she took three steadying breaths. Her arms had begun to shake as the adrenalin wore off, but she couldn't focus on her recovery now. She sloshed through the water, pushing stones aside as she went, looking for the lever. Finally, she spotted a silver pulley. Thalia pulled it towards her and there was a loud groaning noise as somewhere, machinery began to turn. The water from the stream suddenly drained into the two islands that bookended it and the damp ground jolted beneath her, and it began to descend.
For a few moments, all Thalia saw was dark rock on every side of her, but suddenly, it gave way into a cavernous tunnel. She sat in the middle of the lift, soaked from head to toe in freezing water and now covered in mud. Obi-Wan had better be grateful, she thought to herself as she righted herself on shaky legs.
The lift eventually reached the tunnel floor. At the end of the passageway was a large cave, lit with bright spotlights. Thalia began making her way down the tunnel but paused when she reached the mouth of the cave, peering around the corner to make sure she wasn't walking into a trap. The cave was empty except for a towering stack of crates against the right side of the cave. Straight ahead was another tunnel that lead into another cave system. Hanging against the left wall were a line of handcuffs hanging from long chains impaled in the cave's roof. Strapped into one of the handcuffs was Obi-Wan, his eyes scanning the surroundings of the cave. His hands were balled into fists; he was probably trying to warm them from the loss of circulation.
There was no one else in the cave.
Thalia stepped out from the tunnel and moved quickly over to Obi-Wan. When she whispered his name, his head snapped towards her, and relief flooded his face.
"Well, it certainly took you long enough." He said impatiently, but the familiar twinkling of his eyes let her know that he wasn't serious.
"I simple thank you will suffice." Thalia replied patronisingly as she reached him. Where the rock wall met the floor, precarious looking rocks and boulders lay from when the cave had been carved. Thalia carefully clambered onto the wobbling rocks to reach Obi-Wan's restraints. She muttered an apology as she leant against him to grasp the handcuffs, her torso pressed up against his side. The water from her soaking clothes seeped into Obi-Wan's robes.
"Why are you so wet?" He asked, shivering at how cold she was.
"I was drowning." She replied, using the force to pull apart the restraints. With Obi-Wan now on solid ground, Thalia had to grip onto the wall to stop herself from falling. The Jedi offered her his hand and she leapt down from her precarious position.
As she looked up at him, he frowned as he seemed to notice the angry, red marks on her neck. He reached out and ran his fingers down one side of her neck. Thankfully he wasn't looking at her face because, despite the cold, Thalia felt heat flow through her at his touch and she swallowed thickly.
"I'm alright." She managed and, as if realising what he was doing, Obi-Wan quickly pulled his hand away and looked around the cave.
"Class Five are in league with the Separatists. Those crates are filled with their weapons. They've been funding the group all along. Far easier to create a splinter group from people who aren't aligned with either side than trying to persuade the enemy. That's why they attacked the Republic Outpost; under the guise of peace but working for the Separatists." Obi-Wan explained and Thalia's face fell.
She opened her mouth to say something but a voice from the tunnel stopped her.
"Very clever, Master Jedi. Though I must say, you were very easy to capture." Kaz said gleefully as she emerged from the mouth of the tunnel, flanked by a squad of guards. Instinctively, Obi-Wan stepped in front of Thalia, but he had nothing to defend himself with.
Kaz scoffed at his move before nodding to two of her soldiers. They marched forward and grabbed a hold of both Obi-Wan and Thalia, pushing them back towards the restraints. The little amount of warmth she'd had from wrapping her arms around herself disappeared when Thalia's hands were pulled above her head to be locked into the restraints. The air moving through the cave system gusted against her sopping shirt, making her muscles jump from the cold.
Kaz moved to stand triumphantly in front of her two captives. Obi-Wan's expression remained neutral while Thalia fixed the Class Five leader with a look like she'd just tasted a very sour lemon. Kaz tsked at her expression.
"Come now, your highness. It can't be that surprising, can it?" She laughed.
"I try to see the best in people, however often that may be in vain." Thalia replied steadily as a smug look spread across Kaz's face.
"Forgive me if I don't shed a tear for your tale of woe." Kaz shrugged. "Count Dooku has been very helpful in funding our operation. He gives us the ammunition we need to carry out our attacks and we repay him with taking out a few key Republic outposts. Eventually this would catch the attention of the Jedi. They'd come to Troska asking questions and you'd come straight to us. Dooku was right, the Queen of Troska would walk herself right to her grave if it meant saving a life."
Thalia said nothing, but she didn't have to, her expression said it all. This had been Dooku all along. Class Five were the perfect tools to carry out his plan.
"And what do you get out of it once you've delivered the Queen to Dooku?" Obi-Wan asked.
"He promised us Troska. Once he empties the Crystal Caves of course." Kaz smiled, stepping towards the Jedi until she was barely a foot away from him. "Then again…" she began thoughtfully, reaching out a gloved hand to wrap her fingers around Obi-Wan's jaw. He tried to pull away from her, but her grip was strong. "… who knows what we might get if we deliver him a Jedi as well."
"Captain." One of the soldiers called out. Kaz grinned at Obi-Wan before turning to the soldier. "Count Dooku is on his way…He wants to see bodies."
"Open the gates." Kaz smiled gleefully and from somewhere down the tunnel, a loud clanking reached Thalia's ears, as if a heavy draw bridge was being lifted. On either side of the cave, where the tunnels opened out into the cavernous space, huge metal doors began to lower from the roof, sealing the cave off completely. "Don't worry, you won't suffer long. This cave system is beneath one of the fastest slowing rivers on the planet. It'll fill in a matter of minutes." Kaz said patronisingly, in a tone that may have been helpful if it wasn't relishing in the oncoming demise of the Queen. "Don't fret, Troska will be in good hands."
With one final, triumphant grin at Thalia, Kaz motioned to her soldiers to move out as the sound of running water began to echo throughout the cave. Thalia jumped as she felt something trickling down her arms. She looked up to see water seeping out of a small crack in the cave's roof. She shuddered as it ran down her back. Suddenly, water began gushing from cracks all around the cave, spraying droplets everywhere as it crashed against the cave floor.
"Any ideas?" Thalia asked hesitantly as the water that had begun to pool on the ground spread towards them.
"None spring to mind." Obi-Wan replied. His voice steady but there was a trace of doubt.
"General Skywalker?" She suggested as the water reached the tips of her boots.
"They must have taken my commlink when I was captured. The transmitter I gave you only works between devices. Even so, whether Anakin actually followed my orders and stayed on the ship would be another problem." He replied, staring up at his bound wrists where his commlink should have been.
"I have mine, but…" Thalia began and stretched her hand out to her opposite wrist, but no matter how hard she strained against the restraints, she couldn't reach it.
"Here, let me try." Obi-Wan said, stepping sideways across the cave floor, but he only managed to get halfway towards Thalia when his bonds stopped him from going any further without swinging back into the wall.
Thalia raised herself up, onto her toes and managed to close the distance between them, but only just. Obi-Wan strained towards her, trying not to lose his footing with the water already up to their knees. Finally, he managed to unclip the commlink from her wrist. Carefully, he let himself swing back against the wall and pressed the transceiver.
"Anakin, come in."
No reply.
"Anakin, do you read me?"
Still nothing.
"Anakin, if you're there, we're being held in an underground cave system. We don't have much time, so some assistance would be greatly appreciated."
When there still came no reply, Obi-Wan looked across at Thalia who was staring at the commlink as if willing it to come to life.
"Don't worry. Anakin and I have gotten out of tighter scrapes than this." He assured her.
"I'd much rather be alive to hear about them." Thalia replied with a nervous laugh. She grimaced as the icy water reached her middle. Her heartrate began to rise as she realised escape was becoming less and less likely.
As the water rose, her feet began bobbing off the cave floor before, eventually, she could no longer reach it.
"Obi-Wan." Thalia gasped as she clutched at the chain attached to her restraints. She looked across at the Jedi. This couldn't be how they met their end, not when there was so much yet to be said. Obi-Wan fixed her with calm, blue eyes. The end of his beard was dragging in the water.
"It's alright." He said gently and Thalia's eyes widened at the finality of his words. They'd floated almost to the roof of the cave now.
"But…there's so much we haven't…" She began, almost refusing to believe that this was how things would end. Little else had been on her mind since Obi-Wan's return to Troska. He'd made a promise fifteen years ago and now they didn't even have a chance to acknowledge it.
"I know…I'm here now." He said, his blue eyes honest and serious. It was a reassurance that, no matter what may or may not still exist between them, Thalia had her friend back and he his.
Obi-Wan let go of the chain with one hand and reached his palm out to her. She took it instantly, her palm fitting perfectly across his own. His hand, though gloved, provided a comforting warmth against the freezing water. No sooner had her palm touched his own did Obi-Wan wrap his fingers around her hand and pull her towards him.
Thalia's body floated into his and their foreheads bumped together gently. She reached for the chain above their heads with her free hand for something to grasp. By now, her hair brushed against the cave roof. There was nowhere else to go.
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this." She said quietly, trying to stop her teeth from chattering against the cold and fear.
"I was the one who got captured." He pointed out with a slight smile and despite herself, Thalia let out a breathy laugh.
"Nothing's changed there, then." She replied and Obi-Wan laughed.
"Fair point." He acknowledged as the crown of his head bumped against the roof.
"It's good to see you again." Thalia said in a gasp that was almost a sob. "I have missed you."
"And I you." Obi-Wan smiled, but it quickly disappeared as he was forced to tilt his head back to stop the water from covering his mouth.
This was it, Thalia thought. She drew in what she thought would be her last breath as her head disappeared under the water.
Suddenly, a loud, echoing boom shuddered through the water, and a bright light glowered from where one of the tunnels met the cave. Before Thalia could begin to piece together what was happening, her head was suddenly above the water again. She blinked the droplets out of her eyes and was met with Obi-Wan's equally confused expression. The water was subsiding, and they were rapidly descending back to the cave floor.
"Look!" Thalia cried as she spotted one of the heavy, metal gates that sealed the cave. It had been blown to pieces, allowing the water to drain down the tunnel.
She was jolted suddenly by the restraints still around her wrists. Obi-Wan's grip on her hand was yanked away and her back hit the cold, cave wall. They were back to hanging where they'd been only a few minutes ago.
As the remainder of the water formed puddles on the cave floor, the second gate groaned loudly as it retreated back, into the roof of the tunnel. As soon as there was enough space, Clone Troopers crawled underneath and burst into the cave, soon followed by General Skywalker.
"Master!" He cried in relief upon seeing Obi-Wan still alive.
"Anakin! Are we glad to see you." The older Jedi breathed in relief, not quite believing he was still alive.
"Are you alright?" Anakin asked, running over to the pair.
Obi-Wan looked across at Thalia who managed to nod once, in complete shock that she was still breathing.
One of the clones ran over to her and broke the restraints with a pair of cutters. She winced at the ache in her shoulders as they dropped back to her sides.
"We need to get out of here. Count Dooku's on his way." Anakin said, leading his Master towards the tunnel as Thalia was helped along by the trooper.
As they ascended back up the planet's surface on the hidden lift, Thalia looked across at Obi-Wan who, sensing her stare, snapped his eyes to her immediately. He gave her a reassuring smile which made Thalia want to do nothing more than reach out and grab his hand, but she'd have to be content with his smile.