This may be the most violent chapter I have ever written... but it's not too bad. Maybe I'm just a wimp. ;)
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sixty reviews in five chapters! I think that's a record for me. Enjoy!
Ahsoka pressed a hand to her forehead and sank down in the pilot's seat of the ship. She had made it to the landing pad with hardly any trouble and she was currently safe in orbit around Vulpter. But her head was throbbing in pain and confusion.
Master, what's going on?
A weak laugh sounded through the bond. It's called torture, Snips. That Sith witch wouldn't let me close our bond, which means you have to feel everything I feel. Close the bond quickly, before it happens again.
Ahsoka grimaced. This was her fault... Ventress wanted her to feel what her Master went through. Right, close the bond... how do I do that?
Before Anakin could answer her, there was another wave of agony along the bond, this one more intense then the last. She winced, digging her palm into her forehead as if she could stop the pain by pressure alone.
But if this is bad for me, it's got to be awful for him, she thought, cringing. At last the torture stopped and Ahsoka sat up straighter.
S-sorry, Anakin gasped out.
Don't be, Ahsoka said firmly. If anything, she was the one who should have been sorry, for getting him caught. I'm going to get you out of there... are you still on Vulpter?
Alarm swept through the link. You aren't coming after me, Anakin said quickly. That's exactly what she wants- it's you she needs, not me.
Ahsoka frowned. Let me guess... she knows about the nexus route?
Yeah, Anakin replied. But I have no idea how she found out. It's possible that there is a spy in the rep-
His mental sentence was cut off abruptly as suffering shook the bond once again. A cry of torment echoed in her mind and she forced herself to remain still. If she concentrated hard enough on that control panel, the pain somehow seemed to lessen.
This time, when the torture stopped, the headache didn't cease. She took this as a sign that there had been lasting effects from the electricity. The bond fell silent.
Master? Ahsoka thought to him quietly. Then more loudly: Master!
There was no response.
Anakin groaned as he opened his eyes. For a few peaceful minutes, the pain had disappeared and he had been blissfully unconscious. But, of course, it was no fun to torture an unconscious person. He silently cursed Ventress for waking him.
"You are weak," Ventress spat, circling him once again. Anakin wished he could Force-crush the remote in her hand. But, trapped in a containment field with his force connection dimmed, he could no more crush the remote then he could swallow it.
"It took Kenobi two days before the pain overcame him. But you..." A wicked grin crossed her face. "You have been defeated within a few hours."
Anakin would have rolled his eyes, but he lacked the strength to do anything but hang there. "Are you kidding? Space pirates in the outer rim have done worse to me." He squashed down the anger that he felt when Ventress mentioned the terrible time when she had tortured Obi-Wan. His old Master never spoke of it, but Anakin knew he hadn't forgotten.
Ventress narrowed her eyes, raising the remote. "I suppose we will have to try again."
Anakin braced himself for what was to come, but nothing could have prepared him for the wave of agony that slammed into him next. His skin was surely on fire and sparks seemed to be dancing before his eyes. His head was filling with a type of fog, but he pushed it back. He would not succumb to the darkness this time. He would not give Ventress another excuse to torment him.
Finally Ventress released the controls on the remote. "Better," she nodded. "You are able to take pain silently. Impressive, and a skill Kenobi could stand to learn."
Anakin glared at her, anger flaring up inside of him. If she says one more thing about Obi-Wan...
Ventress must have sensed his anger, for she went on sadistically. "Yes... it takes a lot to make a man scream. Kenobi would know..."
"Stop..." Anakin said hoarsely. He was shaking- from both the affects of the electricity and anger. He didn't want to hear this. But Ventress kept going.
"At first, he said nothing. Not a word. I believe he thought that someone would eventually come looking for him. But finally, he accepted the truth... everyone believed him to be dead... he believed you were dead and there was no one to hear him scr-"
"Enough!" Anakin shouted, feeling sick. Was that what Obi-Wan had really gone through on Rattatak? ...Everyone believed him to be dead... he believed you were dead and there was no one to hear him scream...
Master?
Anakin released a shaky sigh. He had nearly forgotten about his Padawan. He definitely did not want her to feel any of his anger, let alone the pain.
Ahsoka, I need you to seal the bond. Now.
Right... how?
Anakin frowned. You've done it before, when you're upset with me. Maybe you just didn't notice. Just... imagine that you're putting a wall around your mind and thoughts and use the Force to strengthen that wall.
Okay, got it, Ahsoka thought to him.. Master, are you still on Vulpter?
No... hurry Ahsoka!
He could almost see Ahsoka rolling her eyes as she responded, You're lying. I'm going to contact the Council. I think I've figured this out...
And just like that, their bond was silent.
Anakin breathed a silent sigh of relief and- unwillingly- turned his attention back to Ventress. She was watching him with a satisfied smile on her face.
"Have I... upset you, Skywalker?" she asked softly. He said nothing, simply watching her. He had spent enough time on the battlefield to recognize an enemy about to strike and he tensed, awaiting her next move. "Kenobi never told you of his time in captivity. I sense that you want to know. And I can show you..."
Before he could blink, she projected several images into his mind through the Force.
Anakin watched in horror as Ventress tortured his former Master with knives, poisons, a Sith torture mask of sorts and many other unspeakable things. He was amazed at how well Obi-Wan handled the torture- he hadn't given Ventress any information. But he winced every time Obi-Wan cried out, wishing a painful death upon the Sith witch.
At last, Ventress ceased the mental torture and Anakin lifted his head to stare coldly at her. He didn't say a word. There were no words to describe what he had just seen.
"Kenobi is not as strong as he would like everyone to believe," Ventress hissed, walking around him once more. Anakin was strongly reminded of a nexu stalking it's prey. "He was hard to break, but in the end-"
"You didn't break him," Anakin said in a low tone. He was struggling to control his anger, but he wouldn't let Ventress degrade Obi-Wan any longer. "You lost that battle, Ventress, or have you forgotten? He escaped. And in case you've forgotten..." he smiled coldly, triumphantly down at her. "My Master trained me well."
He would pay for that remark, he was sure of it. Ventress wouldn't let that threat, the promise that he would escape go down lightly. Sure enough, her eyes flashed with hatred.
"Kenobi may have trained you, but he is not here to save you this time," she snarled, reaching for the remote. He was blinded by agony once again, but it was worth it to know that he had gotten under her skin.
Ahsoka wasted no time in contacting the Temple. The small, holographic image of Master Yoda appeared, along with Master Kenobi.
"Padawan Tano, successful, were you?" Yoda asked. Ahsoka blinked. She had nearly forgotten about the droid. She supposed that running for her life and receiving the worst headache of her life had something to do with that.
"Well... somewhat, Master, but there were... complications. Ventress somehow escaped prison and followed us to Vulpter. She captured Master Skywalker. Sh- she's going to torture him until I come to them, but I don't know where they are, only that they're still on-planet."
"Why would Ventress follow you to Vulpter?" Obi-Wan looked pensive. "It doesn't make sense- how would she know you were going to Vulpter at all?"
"If she is working with whoever sent that droid, she would have known we could have found out who made it," Ahsoka reasoned. She figured it was a possibility that Ventress herself had sent the droid, but hadn't she been on the run when Ahsoka was attacked? "And- she knows about the nexus route. That's why she's taken Master Skywalker- to use him to get to me."
"Hmm..." Yoda closed his eyes in thought. "Free Skywalker, we must. Discover what Ventress is up to, we will. Another Jedi, I will send to help you. Do nothing until they arrive."
Ahsoka inclined her head. "I won't. Thank you, Master."
As the hologram flickered out, Ahsoka looked out the viewport in thought. Artoo trilled quietly at her side and she rubbed his domed head affectionately.
"Pull up a map of Vulpter again," she requested. Artoo beeped a reply and a second later, a ghostly image of Vulpter was shimmering before her. Silently, she began studying the map, counting down the time until reinforcements would arrive.
Obi-Wan frowned as he stared without seeing through one of the many windows in the Council Chamber. It was empty, except for Yoda and himself and he was glad there was no one else around to sense his turmoil.
It was bad enough that Ventress had escaped, but now she had taken Anakin captive. His fingers unconsciously went to his collarbone, where a scar remained as a reminder of what Ventress had done to him. Jedi did not dwell on the past, but sometimes it could not be helped. And the news of Anakin's capture and torture by Ventress had brought up memories he had hoped would stay buried.
Obi-Wan took a breath and let the emotion drain into the Force. Then he turned back to Yoda. "I will go to Vulpter, Master," he said. "I have a fairly good grasp on Ventress's battle strategies and tactics."
And I know what it's like to be tortured by her, he thought but did not say.
Yoda blinked slowly. "Yes," he said. "But choose, you may have to, between duty and friendship, Master Kenobi. Willing to take the risk, you are?"
Feeling puzzled, Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master. Of course."
Yoda looked at him a moment longer, then turned to the door. "Then go to Vulpter, you will. May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan stood in the chambers, looking out the window, even after Yoda had left. Choose between duty and friendship? What did the Jedi Master mean? Not for the first time, he wished that Yoda would stop talking in riddles.
Choose between duty and friendship...
Obi-Wan left the room to prepare for the mission.
Okay, this chapter, I'm inviting you guys to ask questions. Whether you're an anonymous reviewer or a member of the site, I will do my best to answer your questions in the next chapter. I'm not great at responding to reviews *sheepish grin* but I will answer every review I get this time.
~Inksaber
