Darkness

It was dark. Why was it dark? And what was this thing he was sleeping on? It was hard and cold. This wasn't his bed. Where was his bed? What were these shackles on his wrists? What had happened, and why was he in a … jail cell? Obi Wan tried to jerk upright, but a nauseous feeling made him slump down.

Head swimming, he tried to focus. He had been captured by someone; that much was clear. But how did he get here, and more importantly, why was he trapped in this dank cell? As his head began to process the environment around him, Obi Wan inspected the room. There was an air hole at the top of the small room. Slimy walls faintly glowed in the pitch black. Moving slowing, he peered down at his body. There were thick shackles holding him down, but strangely, there was blood on these shackles. Gingerly touching his head, Obi Wan flinched. Ouch. There was a large gash seeping blood onto his clothes. He was still wearing the clothes he was that morning when he was sick. Hm… but that would mean… I was drugged!

This revelation brought more questions to cloud Obi Wan's head. Why hadn't his master stopped them? This can't be healthy for the baby. The baby? Holy Sith, what if they did something to the baby? Groping his stomach in search of injury, Obi Wan relaxed. Everything was fine. His baby's Force signature was strong and healthy. Obi Wan might be worse for wear but the child was alive and well. For now.

Perhaps his mind was still a little foggy, but since when did his child have a Force signature? In fact, the only things he could sense were him and the child. According to the Force, nothing was alive outside the walls of his confinement. There must be Force-dulling shields in the cells walls, so someone was prepared for him. Sitting up, Obi Wan began to see his situation more clearly. This is just great. I've been captured by some unhospitable and well-prepared kidnappers. What if they harm the baby? Stress can trigger premature birth or worse, and I think this is classified as a stressful situation. What am I going to do? By now, Obi Wan was hyperventilating. Forcing himself to be calm, the rational Obi Wan took over.

There was something he could do. There had been rumours in the Padawan change rooms, mere stories, that a Jedi could seal off an entire emotion if he had the strength of will to persevere. Maybe if he could seal off stress, then his baby would have a chance at surviving being captured. Obi Wan had been captured before, and the physical and mental torture was sometimes unbearable. He had only been a prisoner for 2 weeks before Qui Gon had come to rescue him. But it was still an unbelievably painful and stressful experience.

Frightened, Obi Wan wanted to huddle in a corner, shivering with cold and fear. They were coming again. They always came. When ever they came it meant pain, hurt, suffering and blood.

So much blood. His blood running down his back. His blood tainting the taste in his mouth. His blood on others' hands. His blood on the whip.

Force, he hated that whip. It cut like a thousand knifes, it dug into his skin, it tore flesh.

His flesh.

Hung by is hands, the muscles ached. It was now a dull pain, but at first its burning had been unbearable. Acid gathering, searing his limbs. Sith, the pain was unbelievable.

Hanging by the arms hurt, but it was what they did when you were hanging that made you wake, crying, at night, that haunted your dreams and fuelled your nightmares. Cold fire was the tool of torture they loved to use. It scorched the flesh on contact, but slowly building intensity until the skin burns with pain. It sharpened senses, making the victim more alert to the promised pain. Worst of all, depending on how awake its victim was, it could change intensities in a blink of an eye so as to not allow the relief of sleep.

Sleeping was as painful as living. Living was too painful to continue. Kill me now. Why don't they just kill me now? I can feel their pleasure at my pain. What kind of sick bastards want to maim for amusement? I do not understand. Where is Qui Gon? Where is my master? He always comes. He always saves me. Please save me.

That noise. So innocent, those tapping feet. You can hear it before they come. It's hopeless to struggle, just let them drag you away. It's pointless to scream, but my body won't listen. Every pulse screams for release, but that is something I cannot give. Why me? Oh, Force, why do I suffer? Tell me! Even the Force has abandoned me; I am too weak to reach for it. It hides from me. It does not want to feel my pain.

That noise again. It's getting louder. Oh, no…they're coming. I can't fight anymore. It's too hard, this struggle to survive. This time I will make it my last time. The world will no longer exist and I will be one with the Force. Yes, that is a good plan. Good bye, my master. Good bye, pain. Good bye, world. You are all the same thing to me now. The door opens, only an inch.

Perhaps they want me too guess who will inflict the pain today. The huge man is cruel, but he lets me rest before each new torture; but Sith, that skinny one – hell hath no fury like a man who is too ugly to be accepted by the world. The door is opening. I feel something strange. Like a breath of fresh air in this cesspit. It's almost like… no, he had forgotten me by now. To leave me here for so long… I thought you didn't care.

There he is. My master, my saviour, my love. The look of horror on his face is disturbing. Do I repulse him so? Maybe it the damage they have done. I am more skeleton than boy now; the blood never fully dries on my body. He is holding me, and now I know that I am finally safe. He promises never to let this happen again. He kisses my tears dry. Cut down from the binds, I fall into his waiting arms. This is where I belong. This is my protector, my saviour, my only.

Obi Wan was lost in the memory, but a familiar sound brought him back to the present. Voices were outside. If he was to seal himself, he would have to do it fast. He began to centre his mind; the small but growing life force inside was a comfort. Drawing from his surrounds, he attempted to create a barrier around his child. A small shield to protect his child from the torture he would certainly endure. Sith! The Force dampeners surrounding him made it impossible to draw enough energy to finish the seal. There was only one option. The extra energy had to come from somewhere, and the only thing strong enough was him. Feeding his own life force into the shield, the layers of protection grew and grew until it was strong enough to hold pain at bay. Weak as a new-born lamb, Obi Wan realised the shield would continue to feed off his life force until he found another source of energy. That would weaken him to the attacks of his captors, but at least his child would be safe. Satisfied with his preparation for the worst, Obi Wan slumped against the wall and let the waves of dizziness wash over him. The door was creaking. Here comes the beginning of the worst. He shut his eyes and tried to shut out the creatures' voices, but this resulted in him blacking out.

"This is the kid?"

"Yup yup yup…we get him the chip now?"

"Right, hold him."

"Yup yup yup..ok."

"Hold him still. Ah that's better. Wait for it…"

"Yup yup yup…righty oh."

Chink!

"Good to see he didn't scream. We were meant to give him painkillers for that."

"Yup yup yup…wasted on scumie like him"

"Yeah, let's go tell the boss the dampener is implanted. He won't be able to use the Force on us now"

"Yup yup yup…hee hee hee."

The little creatures left Obi wan lying unconscious against the wall. Minutes later,

Obi wan woke to an aching pain in his neck. Then something made him jerk. He couldn't feel his child's Force signature anymore. It was like he was completely cut off from the Force. Vainly trying to Force push, to use any Force power at all, he crumpled back with resignation. When he was out cold, they must have implanted a chip somewhere in his body to prevent the use of the Force. He was totally alone. Qui Gon couldn't find him now. He was lost.