My apologies for not updating sooner! I'm very sorry! I have been caught up with work, uni, Christmas, New Year, just to name a few things. The last few weeks have been quite stressful but hopefully I am back on track- with the next few chapters planned.

Disclaimer: I own nothing here- not Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan. Raidon and the rebels are mine though :)

Enjoy- I hope it was worth the wait!

Chapter 6-Questions and More Questions

(In the Rebels' Hideout- Obi-Wan)

"I demand to know what you are doing on Malrion!" the Leader of the Rebels thumped a fist on the table. "I am willing to extract the answers painfully if I must!"

Obi-Wan hid a flinch. If they saw that he was scared of them it would all be over. He tried to make his voice as steady as possible. Where was the comfort of the Force when he needed it? He felt chilled and his head pounded painfully. "I was sent to observe the elections on Malrion," he explained carefully.

"Lies!" the woman to the left of the leader spat, her face twisted in hatred. "Tell us the true purpose you were sent here! That coward Government hides behind the Jedi- using you as puppets whilst it continues with its master plan."

"A Jedi doesn't lie," Obi-Wan counted as calmly as possible.

The Leader waved a hand. "If you are not willing to comply…" Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan spotted a man behind him step forwards from the dim corner of the room. In his hand he held a syringe, filled with some sort of pale blue, viscous liquid. Obi-Wan felt a cold sweat sweep over him. This was not good.

The man with the syringe took another step forward. Obi-Wan saw the needle glitter in the light.

"But Kol- he's a child," one of the rebels who had not yet spoken, closest to Obi-Wan- seated at the bottom left of the table, suddenly protested.

Immediately, there was uproar at the other end of the table where the man who had led Obi-Wan into the room in the first place and the angry woman leapt to their feet- criticising their companion who shrank back in her seat, overwhelmed by the opposition from her fellow rebels. Other members of the table then flared up and it looked like a full scale argument was about to break out.

Obi-Wan looked more closely at the rebel seated at the table. A long black cloak hid any discernable body features and her hood was partially raised, hiding the colour of her hair. Obi-Wan studied the woman's face. He was sure he had seen someone similar, but struggled to remember where.

The leader- who Obi-Wan now realised was called Kol- called angrily for order. "I will give you one last chance Jedi. Tell me what I need to know."

Obi-Wan braced himself. "I was sent here to observe the peaceful elections of Malrion. That was my mission. I know of nothing else."

"So be it," Kol sat back in his chair. "Perhaps this will persuade you to talk more."

Two strong arms grabbed Obi-Wan pinning him down whilst the rebel came up behind him. Fear flitted strongly through Obi-Wan as he struggled against his captors- he didn't think he had been so scared in all his thirteen years. This wasn't meant to happen on his first mission! There was no way to know what they were injecting him with. More Force suppressant – or was it something nastier…

He felt a stinging prick on the left side of his neck and locked his eyes on Kol. He would show outwardly he was not afraid. He would be strong to the end.

Master! Please- I need you!

The three men stepped away from the swaying apprentice. Obi-Wan blinked foggily; already the drug was flooding his system- no matter how he tried to keep it at bay. His lose connection with the Force frustrated him more than ever as his movements grew sluggish. He was weak. That was the problem. Weakness.

His Master had obviously made a mistake in choosing him.

Master…

With the last helpless call in his mind, Obi-Wan collapsed to the hard, unforgiving floor, watched by the stony face of Kol and his rebel leaders.

(Imperial Palace- with Qui-Gon)

"Master Jedi? Master Qui-Gon are you alright?"

Qui-Gon brought himself quickly from his reverie. He could have sworn for the briefest moment he had felt something. It had been faint, very faint- so much so if he wasn't meditating so deeply he might have missed it entirely. However small it was, it was recognizable.

It had to have been Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan! Padawan- speak to me! Qui-Gon searched in vain for the source of the mental message but the voice was gone.

He was still alive. His Padawan was somewhere on Malrion, alive. Qui-Gon was sure of that. However faint it was, there was something of their bond at the back of their mind. It was still there. What worried Qui-Gon was the weakness of the message. It meant either two things: one- Obi-Wan was far away; two- Obi-Wan was hurt. Worry gnawed at the insides of the Jedi Master as he contemplated what the rebels could possibly want with his thirteen year old apprentice. The boy was…just a boy.

Upon hearing the Captain's voice again, Qui-Gon looked up to see Raidon's concerned face studying him from the doorway. Qui-Gon had returned to his quarters to meditate after looking through the meagre files the Government had collected on the Rebels. There was very little of use in any of the data chips he and the Captain had studied.

"Yes I'm fine," Qui-Gon replied, rising smoothly to his feet. "Have you heard anything?"

The Captain stepped fully into the room. "A patrol party has picked up some information on a potential rebel hideout in the city. I wondered whether you would like to join us Master Jedi. We might learn something if we do."

Qui-Gon considered the suggestion. He might get wind of news of Obi-Wan. "When do we leave?" he asked.

"The patrol left a few moments ago- I have the co-ordinates of their destination," Raidon said confidently.

(Obi-Wan)

When Obi-Wan came to, he immediately wished he had not. His head hurt worse than before- an agonising ache which would not relent. Desperately, he tried to reach out to the Force only to feel it slip like sand grains through his fingertips. A roll of nausea welled up in protest and he battled hard to keep it down.

Mercifully, he was in a darkened room; though he could still only manage to keep his eyes open like slits. Lying flat on his back on a thin blanket of some sort he guessed, as his fingers scrunched the material beside him. His side still ached. In fact all the Padawan could feel was pain. And loneliness. He missed the new yet familiar presence of his Master at the back of his mind- usually only a thought away but now seemingly like a galaxy away.

Master…please…

Their bond was silent. No words of wisdom came filtering through, no support of any kind. The Padawan was utterly alone.

A shaft of light suddenly fell across his body and the nerve endings in his eyes screamed as Obi-Wan slammed them shut, a quiet groan passing his lips. He couldn't do this, he couldn't. He wished he was stronger. Wished he was better than this.

"Obi-Wan?" a voice whispered- close to his left side.

Recognizing the voice- Obi-Wan opened his eyes a fraction. Karsten was kneeling beside him, a tin cup clutched in one hand. "Do you think you can drink? It's just water," he asked the weak Padawan.

Swallowing around his parched throat, Obi-Wan nodded and with the younger boy's aid sat up slowly, one hand on his pounding skull as he did so. He sighed in relief as the cool liquid soothed his dry mouth and throat, gulping the water gratefully.

Karsten watched the older boy drink, wishing he could do more to help. When he had heard what Leader Kol had done to the Jedi Padawan, Karsten had been shocked and worried. The Padawan had not been very strong leaving for the interrogation.

"Better?" Karsten asked gingerly, taking back the cup once Obi-Wan was finished.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, mindful of his head. "How long…how long was I out?"

Karsten glanced at the chrono on his wrist. "They brought you back here about three hours ago," he explained. "They injected you with something."

"I know," Obi-Wan agreed, gently probing the area where the needle had broken the skin on his neck with careful fingers. It was sore but not the most painful point in his body. His head won that by miles, followed closely by his side. "Why are you here?"

The younger boy blinked. "I only wanted to help," he said in a hurt tone, wincing at the cold tone in the injured boy's voice.

Obi-Wan sighed. Sincerity rang in Karsten's words- he didn't need the Force to determine that. Before he could say anything more, the shaft of light illuminating a thin strip of the room widened dramatically as the door was fully opened.

"Leader Kol wants to see you." It was the man from before, the one seated on the right of Kol. The cold eyes of the rebel second-in-command fixed grimly on the Padawan. Obi-Wan barely suppressed a shudder.

Karsten rose, "Jago- he's not yet recovered," he protested.

Jago frowned and raised a hand threateningly. "He's coming now- whether he's better or not," he thundered, making Obi-Wan's head ring. Karsten shrank back in submission and fear. Jago stepped forward. "On your feet Jedi," he kicked Obi-Wan's leg none too gently.

Painstakingly slowly, Obi-Wan stood, Karsten supporting him. The thirteen year old swayed unsteadily on his feet, lurching forward a step as his legs felt like jelly beneath him. Jago rolled his eyes, indicating for Karsten to help the weak Padawan back to the interrogation room.

Ten minutes later, Obi-Wan was back in front of Kol and his commanding rebels. Jago had slipped back into his seat and Karsten hovered behind Obi-Wan ready to support him. However, the Jedi Padawan still had his tattered pride and stood by himself, muscled tensed in an attempt to keep upright.

"Are you willing to speak now?" Kol asked, eyes glittering.

"I told you…I don't know…anything about what the Government wants," Obi-Wan said through gritted teeth. "I don't even know…what you want!"

"To free Malrion from the tyranny of its present rulers!" the woman, (who Karsten had informed Obi-Wan, was called Zariya) stated as though this was obvious. "Their lies and scheming have gone too far. The people suffer and it is our duty to set them free!"

Obi-Wan's battered brain tried to process this information. "What…what have they done?"

A quiet buzz went round the table as the rebels looked between each other, a sudden reluctance to say anything to this outsider evident in their body language as they looked at the Jedi Padawan with mistrust in their eyes.

"The Government is corrupt," Kol said at length. "They steal from their own people. Sell precious ores, agricultural produce, carbon and other supplies to an off-world company. They keep the profits and live in luxury whilst the common man has to work extra hard for his living. They have ruled for the last two decades and Malrion has suffered enough!"

Obi-Wan blinked. The Government was doing such a thing? How had no one noticed this?

Kol seemed to guess Obi-Wan's unspoken question. "They are clever. Very clever. Only a little at a time- from different sectors. Their people have the highest jobs- so no questions are asked. The company is fronted by a Malrion based one. Nobody knows."

"Why hasn't anyone done anything?" Obi-Wan asked at length, taking a steading breath as nausea rose from the pit of his stomach and his face paled. He shook his head discreetly at Karsten who had stepped forward to help him.

A stony silence met Obi-Wan's question. An interesting flicker of emotions raced across Kol's face, his scar twitching as his lip curled in contempt. "My brother was leader of this group before me." There was more than just the words he had spoken. Obi-Wan caught the implication.

A failed rebellion.

"We were crushed by the Imperial Guard," Zariya said angrily. "Our leader was killed before us and they chased us into these caves, into the darkness. Now we are ready to face them again!" Conviction rang in every word.

"You are…planning an uprising?" Obi-Wan asked guardedly. The rebels were unlikely to divulge their plans.

"We will raid the Imperial Palace tonight," Kol said hardheartedly. "And you are our insurance policy- little Jedi."

(With Qui-Gon and Captain Raidon)

"We are approaching the co-ordinates," Raidon said, checking his scanner. "Right around this-" The rapid sound of blaster fire cut through what he had been about to say as male shouting and a woman's scream broke out around the street corner the two men were approaching.

Reaching out with the Force- Qui-Gon sensed the patrol party as well as a surge of fear from another source. Hand on his lightsaber hilt, Qui-Gon and the Captain hurried towards the disturbance. On turning the corner, Qui-Gon saw the patrol's hovercraft a little way off; the soldiers were now surrounding a terraced house where a man and his family of six were kneeling on the cobbles outside, hands on the heads. All the other doors and windows along the street were tightly closed as the neighbours hid in their houses, unwilling to get caught up in the trouble.

Qui-Gon looked at the family before him. The youngest was barely two years old, leaning against her mother's skirts in confusion, the oldest child, a boy was little older than Obi-Wan. That thought dragged up the familiar worry the Jedi was trying hard to not focus upon. Suddenly, one solider roughly punched the man in the face and he collapsed, a cry rising up from his family as blood poured from his nose.

"Wait! Soldier- what's going on here?" Raidon demanded as he and Qui-Gon walked up to the group. "Blasters down!"

One of the soldiers turned to Raidon- noticing his rank and saluted sharply, the rest following suit. "We have apprehended one of the rebels sir," he reported crisply. "This man has dealings with them. He is to come with us back to the Palace for questioning."

Qui-Gon picked up something more sinister in the soldier's words. He glanced at the man's wife who was smoothing down the blonde girls of her youngest whilst gripping the hand of the small boy beside her. "He hasn't done anything!" she protested.

One soldier moved to hit the woman and Qui-Gon grabbed the man's hand swiftly, preventing the hit from landing. The soldier looked surprised, but didn't doubt the strength behind the grip as the Jedi Master's cool eyes landed on him. "Leave her alone," Qui-Gon said.

"Sir- honest- I don't know these rebels- I don't know what this is about!" the man said thickly, glancing between Qui-Gon and Raidon, using his own sleeve to stem the blood flow.

"Have you had any dealings with the rebels?" Raidon asked commandingly.

"No!"

"Do you know the location of the rebels' base?"

"No!"

"Do you know anything of the rebels' plans?"

"What? No!"

Raidon glanced sideways at Qui-Gon for anything further. "He is telling the truth," Qui-Gon said simply, having used a light manipulation of the Force to ascertain the man's sincerity. "He knows nothing of the rebels and their activities."

The man sagged back in relief, thanking the Jedi and the Captain gratefully for supporting his innocence. His wife sobbing quietly as she hugged her children to her.

Raidon nodded curtly. "Solider- let this man and his family go," he ordered.

"But sir!" the solider protested. "We were told by the First Minister to arrest this man! We can't go against his orders! And how do you know he's telling the truth?"

"Just clear out soldiers," Raidon demanded. "I'll talk to the First Minister about this. Move out!"

Grumbling under their breath- clearly irritated to have lost their supposed quarry, the soldiers marched back to their hovercraft, some shooting scornful looks at the Jedi and the Captain of the Guard as the engine roared to life and they left the street.

The man got shakily to his feet, "Thank you so much sirs," he bowed low before Raidon and Qui-Gon.

Raidon caught the man's shoulder and raised him straight again. "I am sorry for the pain they caused you and your family. I had no idea the patrols were rounding up people like this…"

Helping his wife and children up, the man nodded. "It has been like this for the last two weeks. People have been taken from their families and homes and taken away for questioning. We have not heard from them since and everyone is scared."

"Who authorised this?" Qui-Gon asked.

"It would have had to go through Chief Ambassador Klone and the First Minister," Raidon said in an undertone. "I had no idea…"

Meanwhile, the man had ushered his quivering family back into their house, making sure they were all alright. He turned back to shake his saviours hands. As Qui-Gon moved forwards the man caught sight of the lightsaber clipped underneath his cloak. He gasped. "You are a Jedi?"

Qui-Gon nodded.

"We had heard that one of the Jedi visiting Malrion was captured," the man said in an undertone, leaning closer.

Qui-Gon's brow narrowed. "What do you know?"

The man looked up and down the street nervously, just in case the soldiers were still present. Raidon waved for him to continue as the three men stood close to each other. "It's only rumours- from the servants up at the Palace- some of them live down here. They said that one Jedi was snatched from the Palace by the rebels."

"Do you know where they have taken him?" Qui-Gon asked urgently.

"They want to use the Jedi as collateral damage to get the Government to agree to their demands," the man said quietly. "Apart from that…I know nothing else."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes briefly.

Obi-Wan…

Sorry to leave it there! The next chapter will hopefully be up very soon :) I hope you all enjoyed and it was worth waiting for (fingers crossed!)

Please review and tell me what you think :)

AldabaranFox