Chapter Eight

Obi-Wan stirred on the jutting platform and rolled over to find everything much like it was the evening before, although the young woman had changed attire and was standing this time. Donning a dark purple gown, she appeared this morning in her royal makeup and an extravagant headdress that covered her hair and hung down in loops of material on either side of her face.

What was even more surprising however, was the fact that at some point, someone had entered his cell. On the floor in front of the force field was a covered tray and a black plasteel case.

"Can't stay away from me, huh?"

"I brought you something to eat. And a portable sonic. I thought you might want to clean up. There's some fresh laundry on the table. I had to guess at your size."

It would feel so good to clean up. Obi-Wan wasn't much on aesthetics, but a shower and some clean clothes would be great.

Only, he wasn't about to let her know that.

He stared at the clothing piled up he hadn't noticed before and then at the tray of food. He was starving as he had refused to eat what she had brought him before. He had been trained to ignore the requirements of his physical body and rely solely upon what the Force provided him. However, the problem was, he didn't have access to the Force at the moment and his stomach was issuing a revolt. And a rather loud one at that.

"Just leave everything where it is when you're finished and a guard will come pick it up later. I have duties to attend to today and won't see you again until later."

Padmé waited for some type of response, but Obi-Wan sat quite rigid and stared at her, his features made of cold stone. She finally gave up, smiled, and walked away.

However, she didn't go far, dropping by the monitoring station on her way out.

"He's not going to eat that, you know." It was Captain Panaka who sat in front of the monitors this morning.

Padmé smiled at him in response. It was a small, hopeful smile that revealed just a hint of the confidence that he was wrong. Somehow, she knew she wasn't wasting her time. That her efforts were worth it. It was more than just trying to save an injured creature, which Sabé claimed she was doing. There was something intriguing about him.

To her relief, the flickering image before her revealed the young man wander over to the shower unit first, pick it up off the floor and then examine it. Once he had found the button that opened it, he peered around the cell, locating the drain that was near the toilet in one corner.

He set the open unit down there and activated it, releasing the automatic telescoping piping and the shower head.

And then he began undressing.

Padmé turned away and strolled to the opposite side of the station, but could not help but rotate her head back around and glance over her shoulder at the monitors.

Obi-Wan's back was turned to the holorecorder and even through the haze the sonics created, she could see the red scars that criss-crossed his back.

He had been beaten. Whether it was when he was a slave or by the Sith Lord she didn't know, and Padmé doubted he would tell her if she asked.

The shocking image drew her back to the monitors where Captain Panaka noticed her mesmerized gaze, but thankfully didn't comment upon it, not even when the young man turned around, revealing even more angry scars across his upper chest and abdomen.

"Looks like he's been through quite an ordeal." Panaka noted, and Padmé agreed with a silent nod, determined now to help Obi-Wan more than ever.

She left the station before his shower was finished and headed right as soon as she landed upon the main floor, turning the opposite direction of the Jedi Master who was walking her way and hopefully hadn't seen her.

Qui-Gon bounded down the steps and into the monitoring station, taking a close look at the monitor that revealed Obi-Wan sitting on the floor of his cell in clean clothing, eating what appeared to be a muja tart.

"Did she…?"

"No, I didn't allow her in the cell. I took those items in myself, but yes, she did bring them down here. I'm concerned, Master Jedi, with the queen's fascination with this young man. I admit that his story is interesting, but he's dangerous."

"Yes, he is." Qui-Gon agreed, although watching his former apprentice sitting cross-legged on the floor in tunics that were slightly too big for him, licking his fingers of the sticky muja jelly, Obi-Wan didn't look dangerous at all. In fact, he looked like the naïve thirteen-year-old boy Qui-Gon had taken as his Padawan.

"I received a communiqué this morning." Panaka's words brought Qui-Gon back to the present time.

"The senate committee will be arriving in two days' time as scheduled, but the Chancellor wanted me to inform you that Senator Palpatine will be included as well as another Jedi."

Please not Yoda. Qui-Gon silently pleaded with the Force.

"A Master Mace Windu." Panaka finished.

Qui-Gon frowned anyway. It could've been worse. Master Yoda would've told him he was wasting his time with Obi-Wan, and to eliminate the young man's existence completely and immediately. Mace, on the other hand, will at least listen to his argument before ordering him to eliminate the Sith.

Either way, they were running out of time.