Chapter 20

The Fruit of the Dark Side

Obi-Wan regained consciousness to feel soft soil under him, and a light rain against his face. He sat up, trying to move only to realize his wrists were bound behind his back. Looking around, he saw his ankles were similarly bound. Off in the distance, Nurkkis and Lok'ayy were clearly visible, discussing something and occasionally glancing at him. His mind began to race as he took in his surroundings.

What happened…where's Siri?

A familiar voice whispered to him from his right side.

"Obie! I'm over here!"

Obi-Wan turned towards the whisper to see Siri sitting erect next to him, her hands and ankles bound identically to his. Despite her clear efforts to remain calm, he could sense confusion and fear in her. He quietly sent her a wave of comfort through the Force before speaking to her.

"Siri? What happened?"

"You were knocked out. A guard snuck up behind you while you were busy with Nurkkis. I tried to warn you through our Force bond, but your mind must have been too clouded to hear me. They tied you up, dragged the two of us over here, bound my ankles and left us. I think they're busy deciding what to do with us now."

"Where is 'here?'"

"We're on the edge of the clearing by the waterfall. The guards all went off into the clearing."

"Siri, come over here. We can free each other while they're busy, and then…"

"Nurkkis has our lightsabers, and his guards are everywhere. We'd have no chance. Assuming they don't come over here before we get loose."

Lok'ayy's sickeningly charming voice, now with an air of malice, broke up the discussion between the two Padawans.

"Ah. You're awake."

Obi-Wan and Siri looked up to see Lok'ayy standing over them, Nurkkis at his side. Two guards armed with blaster rifles moved to either side of the Padawans, eyes never leaving their captives. Clearing his mind despite the situation, Obi-Wan addressed the Bothan.

"Mr. Lok'ayy. Just the man I wanted to see."

"What makes you say that?"

"Back at the Museum, I told your man Nurkkis about Master Yoda's offer for the mineral rights to the rocks in the Temple gardens. We came here to tell you his offer still stands. He even said he'd lower his price."

At this, the guard to Obi-Wan's left smashed the butt of his rifle into the side of Obi-Wan's neck, knocking him to the ground. Lok'ayy glared disapprovingly at him as Obi-Wan felt a wave of anger from Nurkkis, and a brief pang of it from Siri.

She doesn't like seeing me get hit.

Lok'ayy spoke again, his usually charming voice now dripping with pure hate.

"I don't appreciate your juvenile attempts at humor, boy. You're swimming with sharks now. You have no idea what you're involved in. And neither does your lady friend here."

"Oh, but I think I do."

Lok'ayy's voice was now a murderous growl, his features twisted into pure rage.

"Give me your theory, then. And don't smart-ass me if you like your skull intact."

He's surprisingly quick to anger. I might have just found a weakness. Let's see where this takes us.

"You've been selling Sith artifacts on the black market for years now. I can't say how many years, but you've been doing it for a fairly long time, with the aid of Ni'Pa the Hutt. Funny coincidence that you fled here, to his home, isn't it?"

The Bothan maintained his composure, but a slight shift in his fur told Obi-Wan that he had struck a nerve.

What can really make him angry?

"Nurkkis here has been in on it as well. Unlike you, though, he's not in this for the credits. He's a student of the dark side, and he wants a way to search the galaxy for the knowledge of the Sith. Something tells me he always has, and now he has you subsidizing it, via his 'security' assignments. You get your protection on hostile worlds such as this, by veteran mercenaries no less. I doubt that the Hutts or whatever garden-variety bandits or pirates or gangsters inhabit the Outer Rim worlds you mine on would allow you to do business otherwise. In return, Nurkkis gets his precious Sith knowledge, subsidized at every step by you. It's a mutualistic relationship that's almost too good to be true. In fact, I think your hiring him is what kickstarted your artifact smuggling business in the first place. You might have been involved before you met Nurkkis, but you both stood to gain too much not to take whatever you had before to the next level. And, given that you run a mining company, you have legal cover and plausible deniability as to why you're running around the galaxy digging in the dirt for things."

The Bothan continued to stew, his hands balling ever tighter into fists of rage.

"But, you had to have a middleman to access a wider market, and that's where you failed. Ni'Pa was more than willing to sell your artifacts, hidden amongst spice shipments, to a wider audience. As you yourself told my Master at the Museum gala, you do mine spice for medicinal purposes, and as I have found out, so does Ni'Pa. It's just more cover for your illegal actions. Come to think of it, the size of LMC is such that you can use your myriad mining ventures to launder your profits. It helps when you have a goon squad to sabotage your rivals until they declare bankruptcy when the repair costs become too high. Then it's just a matter of credits, and LMC expands once again. But even after all this, your ally Ni'Pa proved to be your weak link. Our own Master Leet raided one of Ni'Pa's warehouses, and discovered one of your Sith holocrons in a crate of spice. Initially, the Order thought it was Ni'Pa's doing, but with Sith artifacts being involved, the heat was on and you knew it. On the surface, you didn't have many options for taking on the Jedi Order, but Ni'Pa did. As it turns out, that option was also a former employee of none other than Raton Nurkkis. Once you found out, you convinced Nurkkis to contact Ni'Pa and ask for Vick Reego. And then, after what must have been a hefty payment, Reego went to Coruscant and killed both Master Leet and the CSF officer responsible for discovering your smuggling ring. You knew that assassinating a Jedi was a risky move, but like everything else you did, you thought you could get away with it. You had enough Senators in your pocket and enough power and wealth that you figured this would never catch up with you. Even if you ended up in court, what evidence there was still wouldn't be enough in a court of law. As you and I know, you do run a mining company. And Ni'Pa is a known criminal already, so he's probably the real culprit. Or at least that's what your lawyers would have said. They probably would have made it work, too."

The Bothan stood speechless and flabbergasted, and Obi-Wan wondered if he would fly into an uncontrollable fury any second. Then, slowly, calm returned to his features, the slightest twinge of respect in his voice as he finally spoke.

"Very astute, Jedi. Unfortunately, your intelligence won't be of any use to the galaxy after I kill you."

Siri came to Obi-Wan's defense.

"Our Masters are on their way here now, Lok'ayy. You're a wanted man, and you have nowhere else to run. You'll never escape this planet, regardless of what you do to us."

"Your Masters mean nothing, my dear. All you've done is alert me that the Jedi Order knows my secrets. All I need to do now is contact Ni'Pa and tell him to get us a shuttle. From there, I can hide anywhere in Hutt Space. The Republic has no authority here, and I know that the Hutts will protect me. Ni'Pa isn't the only Hutt I've had dealings with. While I'm sipping cocktails on Nar Shaddaa, your Masters will be picking up what's left of you."

"So you'll kill more Jedi, then? The Masters will know what happened to us, and they'll know you're responsible. After all you've done, the Republic will never rest until you're behind transparisteel in an orange jumpsuit or on a slab in a freezer with a tag on your toe."

"You're quite a spirited young woman, miss. Especially given that you're about to die. In fact, two more of your kind have already perished following me."

"What do you mean?"

"Ni'Pa told me about two Jedi that came to Kessel after your Master Leet died, clearly looking for answers. He had to lure them into the spice mines and seal them in with sequencer charges. The energy spiders did the rest."

A wave of realization washed over Obi-Wan as the hellish mines on Kessel came back into his mind.

Ni'Pa thinks that he killed us, and so does Lok'ayy. If only he knew.

Then, Obi-Wan saw the opening he had been looking for since the beginning of the conversation.

Lok'ayy has already shown that he doesn't like having his meticulously planned schemes fall apart. This might push him over the edge, and confirm my suspicion that this is indeed something I can exploit.

Briefly weighing the risks, Obi-Wan turned to Lok'ayy.

"No."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You didn't kill us."

"I haven't killed you yet…"

"On Kessel. You didn't kill us."

Lok'ayy's facial expression changed as Obi-Wan's revelation sank in, and contorted once again into anger.

Time for the finishing blow.

"That's right. My Master and I were the two Jedi on Kessel. We escaped, despite your chum Ni'Pa's best efforts. That was after we found a Sith holocron in a crate with your company's logo on it. We foiled your best-laid plans then and there. And there wasn't anything you could do about it."

This time, Lok'ayy's facial expression did not soften. The Bothan's face contorted in fury, and his hands clenched into fists.

I've tipped him over.

Lok'ayy glared at Obi-Wan, his eyes burning with hatred. Obi-Wan quickly spoke to Siri through their Force bond, knowing what was about to unfold.

Don't look, Siri.

"You…"

Lok'ayy stomped towards Obi-Wan and drove his foot into the bottom of Obi-Wan's rib cage. Obi-Wan doubled over in pain; tensing himself for the storm of blows he knew was coming. The Bothan began beating the Padawan mercilessly, screaming obscenities in Bothese as he struck blow after blow with his fists and feet. Obi-Wan shut out the pain as best he could. Looking up at Siri when possible, he saw her looking off into the distance, anger building up in her.

Siri felt a well of anger grow inside her as she tried and failed to tune out the beating happening just across from her.

That coward…that sadistic little bastard! Beating a helpless man like that! I should kill him myself once I get these binders off!

"I can sense anger in you, Siri."

Nurkkis, who had stayed out of the ongoing war of words thus far, was now standing in front of Siri. He knelt down in front of her as she turned her face away in disgust.

Ughhh…I don't even want to look at him.

"What's the matter? Don't like seeing your boyfriend get beat up?"

Siri fought the urge to lose her temper and angrily deny what Nurkkis had just said.

Why? Simply because anger is not the Jedi way? Or because what he says about you and Obi-Wan is true?

"Come on. You can't hide it. I saw the two of you on the dance floor, back at the Museum. The Force swirled around you two like a blizzard."

Nurkkis put his hand under Siri's chin, attempting to turn her head towards him. She pulled away instinctively.

"Get your hands off me!"

Nurkkis gripped her jaw and forced her head towards him, chuckling sadistically. This time, Siri looked defiantly into the outlines under the bandana that marked his empty eye sockets.

"You're quite the spunky one, aren't you Siri? Now, I'm no expert on the Jedi Order, but I've done some reading, and I know two things are forbidden for Jedi: love, and anger."

Nurkkis grinned in pleasure as he finished his sentence. Across from the two, Lok'ayy spoke up, clearly examining the moment.

"Taking a fancy to her, eh?"

Siri, finally reaching the end of her patience, spat in Nurkkis' face.

After what seemed like minutes, Lok'ayy's blows grew fewer and fewer, his breathing more frequent and more labored, his swearing less and less frequent. Obi-Wan turned his attention to his surroundings as Lok'ayy's rage slowly burned itself out. He saw Nurkkis speaking to Siri, grabbing her by the chin and forcing her to look at him as he spoke. Obi-Wan, intensely focused so he could channel the Force through him to dull the pain of the beating, heard their voices as indistinct noises that slowly came in to focus. "…two things are forbidden for Jedi: love, and anger."

That minion of the dark side has no right to speak of the Jedi Order. Let alone to treat Siri like that. Just the way he looks at her…she's just a piece of meat to him. When I get out of here…

Obi-Wan looked towards Lok'ayy, and saw that the Bothan had also turned his attention to Nurkkis and Siri. Looking on the scene, Lok'ayy grinned in voyeuristic pleasure.

That disgusting furball likes watching his top gorilla run his hands all over Siri. I'd love to see what Siri does to him when we get out of here.

"Taking a fancy to her, eh?"

Siri, who Obi-Wan now noticed was looking at Nurkkis with sheer disgust in her eyes, spat in her captor's face. Nurkkis, clearly shocked at the response, paused for a moment, and then backhanded Siri with such force that he knocked her to the ground. Obi-Wan felt a surge of anger so intense that he bolted upright; ready to pounce on Nurkkis despite his bindings.

"She too hot to handle, Raton?"

Nurkkis paused to answer Lok'ayy's question, but before he could open his mouth Obi-Wan threw himself at the Miraluka, catching him off guard. Nurkkis quickly regained his footing and threw Obi-Wan back to the ground. Before Obi-Wan could react further, Nurkkis slammed his boot into Obi-Wan's stomach with a roar of rage. Obi-Wan cried out in pain and curled into a ball, looking over at Siri, who had begun to sit up again and now looked at him with scared eyes. Blood trailed down her lip from Nurkkis' blow. Meanwhile, Nurkkis offered his verdict to Lok'ayy.

"I have no love for this woman. She'll die here in this swamp, along with the other one."

"Fair enough. Let's go and get the skimmer ready."

As Lok'ayy and Nurkkis turned to leave along with the guards, Obi-Wan sat up, the pain of the beating now spreading through his body. Siri eyed him with concern.

"Obie, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'll be pissing blood for the next few days, but I'll be fine."

Siri chuckled at the thought, before her expression turned grave.

"If we live to see the next few days."

Her voice was thick with forced humor, but Obi-Wan could sense the fear within her. Obi-Wan's heart sank as he too realized the reality of the situation.

Lok'ayy and Nurkkis just sentenced us to death. They'll be back in a few minutes, and they'll take us out and kill us. Then, they'll probably dispose of our bodies in the swamp. Obi-Wan shuddered at the thought, and he could sense Siri struggling not to cry or burst into hysterics as she pondered their fate. He shuffled closer to her and brushed against her shoulder, attempting to reassure her. She leaned over, resting her head against his shoulder and nuzzling against his neck. He could feel her gently shaking in fear. She spoke to him, her voice gentle and calm despite its undertone of dread.

"I didn't think it would end like this, Obie."

"Siri, we're not dead yet. I'll get us out of this. I'll fight to my last breath. And I know you will too."

He felt a pang of confidence in her, all too slight. She turned to look up into his eyes, her head still against his shoulder. Her voice was still gentle, calm, and somewhat fearful, but now carried an air of bravery to match the soft and sad but genuine smile she now wore.

"Obie, I want you to know that if I spend my final moments here, I'm glad I get to spend them with you."

Obi-Wan felt warmth flow through him at her words, and he bent down and kissed the top of her head. He sensed a wave of comfort in her as he nestled his head in her hair. His mind went back to the terrifying trip through hyperspace five years earlier, when the two had realized their feelings for each other in the face of certain death.

And here we are again.

"You're thinking about that hyperspace trip with Taly, aren't you?"

Perceptive as always.

"And yet after all we experienced, after we forswore everything, after what we just said to each other when we arrived here and after I told you not to come, you still came for me. And even after all that, I still don't know whether to yell at you or thank you, you hard-headed gundark."

Playfulness had returned to her voice, perhaps for the last time. Obi-Wan felt a wave of comfort from her through their Force bond.

She never changes, does she?

Lok'ayy, Nurkkis, and a few guards appeared from the edge of the clearing, approaching the two Padawans. Obi-Wan and Siri quickly pulled apart, focusing as best they could. Obi-Wan briefly spoke to Siri through their Force bond.

Remember what I said, Siri. We're not dead yet. Now let's put our heads together and get out of here.

She gave no response, but Obi-Wan could sense her acknowledgement. Meanwhile, Lok'ayy and Nurkkis stood before the two while the guards unbound their ankles and stood them up. Lok'ayy addressed the Padawans, smirking in triumph.

"Rise and shine, Jedi. You're going for a swim."

The skimmer glided over the Vodran swamps, the surrounding jungle gliding by at a deceptively gentle pace. The vehicle itself was similar to a flat-bottomed boat, with several benches for passengers to sit and a raised helm station on the stern. Obi-Wan and Siri sat on the aft-most bench, their hands still bound behind their backs. With two rifle-armed guards stationed on either side of the coxswain directly behind them and the coxswain himself armed with a blaster pistol, hijacking the vessel was out of the question. And after Sifo-Dyas' warning about Vodran's dianoga population, both Padawans knew that jumping over the side and attempting to swim to shore was suicidal. Obi-Wan and Siri had already spotted a few eyestalks in the water, watching the skimmer cautiously as it passed by. Even slipping their bonds was impossible, as the guards flanking the coxswain would shoot them at the first sign of trouble. In addition to the coxswain and the two guards behind them, two more guards armed with carbines sat on the bench in front of them, occasionally glancing back at their prisoners. In front of them sat three more guards armed with rifles, and in front of them sat Lok'ayy, Nurkkis, and two other guards. At the bow, a final guard manned a mounted heavy blaster cannon, with another at his side.

So what now, Kenobi? You're the one with the big, daring plan! How are we supposed to escape this?

We turn this boat against itself, Siri.

What's that supposed to mean?

Lok'ayy has a short temper, and Nurkkis is a student of the dark side.

So?

So, we set them against each other. Create a scene. Then, we free ourselves and escape in the confusion.

How are we supposed to do that?

Let me do the talking, Siri. Back at the clearing, I was testing Lok'ayy. Pushing his buttons.

You goaded him into beating you?

I did. And it showed me his weakness. I'll get him riled up, preferably at Nurkkis. If he turns that kind of fury on Nurkkis, he's liable to get beat up himself. Or worse.

What makes you think that will work?

The dark side, Siri. Nurkkis is strong in it, and I'll use that against him. Passion and anger are the fruit of the dark side. Passion and anger will bring him down.

I hope you're right about this, Obi-Wan.

The skimmer had slowed to a stop, and Lok'ayy stood up to address his captives. Nurkkis walked over to the Padawans, a quiet, sadistic glee radiating from him.

"Well, we've had a nice, scenic journey through the jungle. Unfortunately, your time has run out, Jedi."

Lok'ayy paused for effect, clearly trying to frighten the Padawans. Neither Obi-Wan or Siri reacted to his amateurish attempt at intimidation.

"Do you know that this place is the home of the dianoga? The vociferous squid that plagues sewage throughout the galaxy? It is indeed, and the swamps are filled with them. They're hermaphrodites, you know, and they reproduce asexually. They can quite literally generate themselves over and over again. And they will eat anything. Including annoying little Jedi."

Looking out over the side, Obi-Wan could already see eyestalks above the water, curiously eyeing the stationary skimmer.

"That's right. Both of you will end your days as a feast for the denizens of the swamps of Vodran. There's no evidence to be found, no bodies with telltale signs of violent death. You will simply vanish. And there will be nothing to tie this to me. Raton and I will vanish deeper into Hutt Space, where even the Jedi can't touch us. Meanwhile, your Order will never even know what your final moments were."

Nurkkis eyed the two Padawans, a grin coming over his features.

Now. Now is the time.

"You enjoy employing a thief as your Head of Security, Lok'ayy?"

"What did you say, boy?"

"You heard me. Nurkkis here has been stealing artifacts from you. Probably embezzling funds from your company as well."

It didn't matter whether the accusations were true. It only mattered to Obi-Wan whether he could make them stick for long enough to cause a row.

"What's he talking about, Raton?"

Lok'ayy was clearly confused, but skepticism was still evident in his voice.

This has to work.

"He's bluffing, Sull. We're about to feed him to the dianogas, and he's stalling for time while he plans some harebrained escape."

"I'm not bluffing. Remember, I was the one that escaped your friend Ni'Pa's deathtrap on Kessel. And I've been part of the investigation this whole time. After you fled Coruscant, we raided your corporate headquarters and found evidence that Nurkkis here was embezzling funds and stealing Sith artifacts from you."

Lok'ayy still seemed skeptical, but Obi-Wan could feel the Bothan's skepticism diminish and his anger rise.

Make him angrier. Make him angrier, and his judgment will collapse. Once that happens, his reaction will be so extreme that my accusations might as well be true.

"He's lying, Mr. Lok'ayy. He's stalling. I didn't steal a damn thing from you."

"No. He's lying, Lok'ayy. He's taken advantage of your trust, ever since you met him in the Outer Rim. He's always resented taking orders from you. Think about it. The terror of countless worlds, now subordinate to some corporate bigwig? He's never been content with his position. The Jedi Archives confirm as much."

Lok'ayy's fur slowly shifted, as his skepticism grew further.

Good. I have a foothold. All my talk about the evidence lends credence to the whole charade. Now I need to tip both of them over the edge.

"Raton. Come here."

"Sir, I'm not stealing…"

"Come here. NOW."

Nurkkis grudgingly walked over to Lok'ayy, anger radiating from him.

To be forced to grovel like this in front of his men, and his enemies…it's a tremendous loss of face. He's already seething, and my job is nearly complete. Just a few more words at the right moment and the two of them will be at each other's throats.

"Don't give me a dirty look, you big ape. Get over here."

Nurkkis could barely contain himself now. By now the entire boat was watching the unfolding confrontation, including Siri.

What now, Obi-Wan?

Watch, Siri. Watch and see the fruit of the dark side.

"He giving you enough, Nurkkis? You're not in this for the credits; I know that much. You're in this for power. Real power. The power of the dark side! You've always been dissatisfied, haven't you?"

"You shut up, boy!"

I'm right about that, at least.

"Raton! COME. HERE. NOW!"

Nurkkis finally snapped. He lunged for Lok'ayy, grabbing the Bothan by the throat. Lok'ayy gasped for air, his face filled with terror.

"Listen to me, worm. Listen to me good. NEVER talk to me like that again. I'm not some pet animal that you can summon at your will. If you EVER speak to me like that again, I'll tear out your tongue, frisée it, and make you eat it. Do you understand me?"

"Let…me…go…"

Nurkkis squeezed Lok'ayy's throat harder, his voice now a murderous roar.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Yes…yes…"

Nurkkis released Lok'ayy, letting the Bothan fall to the deck and gasp for air. Lok'ayy, regaining his senses, stood up and turned to Nurkkis.

"You…you're fired!"

"What?"

"You're fired, Nurkkis! You and all your other miscreants! Go! Get out of my sight!"

You just fired your whole security force, Lok'ayy. And that's a bad idea when you're alone in a swamp with them.

Nurkkis paused, Lok'ayy's words sinking into him. Then, in an instant, he drew his pistol and shot Lok'ayy in the knee. The Bothan crumpled to the deck with a howl of pain.

"YOU'VE GONE MAD, RATON! MAD!"

Nurkkis' voice was now ice-cold, hatred dripping from every syllable.

"You've gone mad, Sull. It's a bad idea to fire your entire security force in the middle of a swamp. Especially when they're armed to the teeth."

"GUARDS! Guards! Help me!"

The guards sat where they were, paying no attention to Lok'ayy's cries.

"Guards?"

"They don't work for you, Sull. They never have. They've always been mine. And every single one of them knows that."

"You…you think you can make it out here? You can't! You're just a bunch of thugs living on the fringe of the galaxy! I have power! Real power! I have entire worlds in my grasp! Credits! Hutts! Senators! I have the Lok'ayy Mining Corporation! I have wealth! Status! Success! You just have a bunch of armed thugs! You'll never…"

Nurkkis stomped on Lok'ayy's shattered knee, causing the Bothan to scream in pain. He knelt down next to the Bothan, pulling the Sith holocron from his pocket. Obi-Wan and Siri looked away from the artifact as they began to sweat.

"You mouth-breathing corporate leech! Do you have any idea what this is?"

Nurkkis brandished the holocron as he gave his answer.

"POWER! The power of the Force! Power beyond anything you could imagine! There are countless years of wisdom in this tiny little pyramid alone! Countless years of wisdom from a master of the dark side! Your bank account means nothing, Lok'ayy. NOTHING! You'll die in this swamp, and those credits will mean nothing. No more than dust. But this? This knowledge of the Force? It will live on! I see the might of the dark side, and all you see is money. All you see is another trinket for you to sell! You're just another money-grubbing windbag, Lok'ayy. One whose time has just run out. Your precious credits won't save you now."

Nurkkis dragged Lok'ayy to the edge of the boat, holding him up to see the growing crowd of eyestalks watching the boat.

"You see those dianogas, Sully? The ones you were yapping about just a few minutes ago? They look hungry, don't they?"

Lok'ayy's expression turned from anger to horror, realizing what was about to happen to him. He raised his hands in front of his face, begging for his life.

"No…please…you mustn't…"

Nurkkis ignored Lok'ayy's pleas and picked up where he left off, gleeful bloodlust in his voice. He grabbed Lok'ayy and held him up at waist level, like a bouncer throwing a troublemaker out of a cantina. Obi-Wan and Siri knew what came next.

"What's say we give them some MEAT?"

On the final word, Nurkkis heaved Lok'ayy into the swamp. The Padawans, as much as they wanted to look away, sat transfixed in morbid curiosity as Lok'ayy frantically swam for the shore, his wounded leg flailing impotently in the water. The eyestalks dropped beneath the surface, the dianogas going for their prey. After several seconds, a tentacle shot up from the murky water and wrapped around Lok'ayy's torso. The Bothan let out a terrified, animal cry before another tentacle wrapped around his neck and dragged him under. A few moments later, a faint red stain appeared on the brown surface, slowly growing in size. Siri looked away in disgust as Obi-Wan fought his urge to feel satisfied at the Bothan's demise. Nurkkis simply stood at the side of the skimmer, beaming with satisfaction at his boss's death.

He's free, now. And so will we be in…

"And that's enough stalling from you two. Stand them up and move them to the side. Bind their ankles; I don't want them kicking their way to the surface."

Obi-Wan quickly took charge of the situation, speaking to Siri through their Force bond before panic could set in.

Here's the plan, Siri. Once we're in, we need to find each other. Lean up against my back, and we'll get these binders off. We need to hurry, before the dianogas can reach us. Still, without any guards watching us, it should be easy. Once our hands and feet are free, we swim for the shore. The key here is to do everything as quickly as possible, to increase our chance of survival. Focus, Siri. We can do this.

He could feel her releasing her terror into the Force as he did the same. He tried not to focus on the growing red stain where the dianogas were undoubtedly devouring Lok'ayy. He looked over at Siri, seeing her focusing intently with her eyes closed as a guard bound her ankles and another did the same to Obi-Wan. Nurkkis approached Siri as the guards finished securing the Padawans. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he spun her around to face him. She opened her eyes, looking at Nurkkis with pure defiance.

"Siri, darling, it's a shame it has to end like this. But, for what it's worth, you were an excellent dancer. I still prefer you in a dress, though; those robes don't flatter you at all."

Siri didn't flinch under Nurkkis' lecherous gaze. Her voice oozed with anger as she stared into his empty eye sockets.

"Go to hell."

"You first."

Nurkkis shoved Siri backwards, sending her over the side and into the murky water. Obi-Wan briefly lost control and lunged for her before two guards held him fast. Nurkkis' taunting voice rang out from behind him

"Don't be sad, loverboy!"

He walked up behind Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan released his fear into the Force, knowing this was the last chance he would get to clear his mind. Nurkkis placed his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders and spun him around, looking at him with mock sympathy.

"You get to die with her!"

Nurkkis' jeering comment was the last thing Obi-Wan heard before the Miraluka pushed him over the skimmer's edge, into the murky swamp.