Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars
AN: Here's chapter 14! Hope you like it! Thanks for all the great reviews.
Forever Destined
Chapter 14: Under Fire
Obi-Wan and Aayla ran frantically up the steps of the temple. They arrived in the situation room and Obi-Wan looked around at the frowning faces in the room. He nodded respectively to Yoda, Mace Windu, Shaak Ti, and Kit Fisto. Off to the side, he spotted Serra and Barriss, along with a few others who were friends of Anakin. Shmi spotted her oldest son and hugged him tightly. Obi-Wan hugged back fiercely, as she buried her already tear stained face on his shoulder. A few moments later, Dooku arrived about an hour earlier than expected.
"You're early," Mace said.
"Yes, well, I knew there was a reason I let Anakin toy with the hyper drive in my ship," Dooku replied. He embraced his family and Obi-Wan finally spoke.
"They were right there one minute and the next they were gone. It's like they just disappeared," Obi-Wan lamented in frustration.
"You don't have any idea what happened?" Qui-Gon asked.
"No, I don't. But I think she does," Obi-Wan said, as he turned to Siri. The entire room's attention was now focused on her, as she stepped nervously into the center.
"I was undercover tonight at the same club," Siri began.
"The club we were at happens to be a front for the crime ring she's embedded in, but she failed to tell me that until after we were already there," Obi-Wan stated.
"Siri, if you knew this ahead of time, why did you fail to inform Obi-Wan? He, nor Anakin and the Senator should have been anywhere near that operation, especially since the Council has urged you to give up this assignment," Mace said.
"I didn't tell him, because I know that he wouldn't come and I really wanted to see him. I know it was selfish...but I honestly thought there wouldn't be any danger, as I had things under control," Siri replied.
"Obviously not. Something went wrong tonight and I want the truth now," Dooku demanded. Siri took a deep breath and prepared to tell them everything that had happened and every one of her careless moves that endangered Anakin and Padme.
"It all started when I briefly spoke to Anakin just shortly after he and Padme arrived," Siri said.
"What did you say to him?" Obi-Wan asked. Siri looked down for a moment and then back up.
"I asked him if he would talk to you for me. You've been avoiding me." Siri said.
"What did he tell you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"He told met that I'd hurt you badly in the past and he didn't want to see it happen again. He also told me that my continued involvement with this mission might put you in danger and he didn't want to see that happen either," Siri replied, feeling really foolish.
"Anakin has always been a bright kid," Obi-Wan jeered.
"Once Anakin left, Garret must have been watching me. He came up to me and asked who Anakin was. I panicked and lied to him. If Garret thought he was another man I was with, it would have blown his trust in me. So, I told him Anakin was my little brother. I really thought I was protecting him by doing so," Siri said, as she brought her eyes up to meet Obi-Wan's. Hurt and betrayal flashed in his eyes, just like all those years ago when she'd broke off their engagement.
"You what..." Obi-Wan growled.
"Siri...why? You probably put Anakin in more danger," Aayla said. Tears streamed down Siri's cheeks.
"I know. It was stupid," Siri cried.
"What happened after that?" Mace demanded calmly.
"I sat down at the bar with my datapad after that. Earlier I had managed to copy a disk onto it that I found in Garret Well's desk. The files were encrypted, so the next time Anakin came to the bar, I asked him to see if he could unlock the files. He said that he didn't have the right equipment to do it right there and told me that I should go to the temple and have one of the droids do it," Siri said.
"Garret must have been watching me. Somehow an informant must have got to him and blown my cover. When he saw Anakin looking at the datapad, he probably figured Anakin was working with me," Siri said. She heard Shmi choke back a sob. She couldn't bring herself to look at either of Anakin's parents or his grandfather.
"Just after they disappeared, I received this message from Garret," Siri said, as she handed the datapad to Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon and Dooku read it along with him, before they handed it Shaak Ti.
"So, Anakin and Padme are going to be paying for your mistakes and things which they know nothing about! The day you came back, I told you to stay away from him! Did you think I was joking?! I told you to stay away from him, because you're poison! If anything happens to either of them, I will never, ever forgive you!" Obi-Wan screamed before storming out. Aayla was about to follow him, but Dooku stopped her.
"Give him a little time," Dooku told her. She nodded. Siri took a deep breath.
"Master Yoda, Master Windu, please allow me to begin tracking Garret. I am responsible for this and I would like to correct my errors," Siri said.
"No," Mace refused flatly.
"Deal with your situation in more detail, later we will. Until then, place you on inactive duty, we do. Remain on Coruscant, you will," Yoda said. Siri lowered her head in shame and bowed respectfully.
"You've done quite enough, Knight Tachi. We won't be needing further assistance from you," Dooku said coldly.
"I will get the word out of my connections and see if anyone knows where this Garret Wells might be. I want this matter to remain quiet," Dooku said.
"Can we really keep this from the Chancellor? He should know about Senator Amidala," Mace said.
"Padme is a member of our family first. The Chancellor would go straight to the press and that might only put them in more danger. Master Ti, go to Anakin and Padme's apartment. Tell the truth only to Captain Typho and Sabe Valerte. She will cover Padme's post in the Senate. The story to everyone else will be that I have asked Senator Amidala to sit in on negotiations on Serenno for me. Anakin is there with her as her body guard," Dooku said. Shaak Ti nodded and left. Qui-Gon turned to Shmi.
"Darling, I'm going to have Aayla take you home to rest," Qui-Gon told her.
"Oh, I couldn't possibly sleep," Shmi replied.
"I know, but it is best for you to go home for now. I'll be home the minute we learn anything," he promised her with a kiss to her forehead. Shmi nodded and left with Aayla.
Obi-Wan sat quietly by the fountain in the temple garden's, trying to calm himself, but nothing seemed to be working. Siri stepped toward him and Obi-Wan glared at her.
"What in blazes do you want? Was I not perfectly clear in the fact that I never want to see you again?" he asked angrily.
"Obi-Wan, you have to know that I never wanted Anakin and Padme to get hurt. Please...I'm so sorry," Siri sobbed.
"Shut up! If you cared as much as you say you do, you'd have never involved Anakin and you would have told the truth about the club before it was too late! But your selfishness got in the way and so did your damn ego! You couldn't let this assignment go. No, you were too busy being a big shot. You wouldn't listen to anyone and because of it you fucked up royally and possibly got two innocent young people killed!" Obi-Wan screamed.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," Siri replied.
"I can't feel him! Do you know what that's like for me?! His Force signature has always burned so brightly in the Force. Grandfather says that they probably have him drugged with a ysalamiri serum, cutting him off from the Force. They're probably going to torture him for things he knows nothing about. I wish it was me they had taken," Obi-Wan said sadly.
"Obi-Wan..." Siri cried, but he ignored her and kept speaking.
"You broke my heart when you left fifteen years ago, but he is the one that got me through it, even if he didn't understand what it was that had made me so sad. Life didn't seem so cruel; not with Anakin around," Obi-Wan smiled wistfully, as he recalled the memories.
"He was only four when you left, only as tall as my knee. He had the blondest hair and the biggest, most beautiful blue eyes you'd ever seen. And cute? Even then, all the women in the temple adored and doted on him. He followed me everywhere he could and wanted to do everything I did. We were inseparable. I have been unfair to him in recent months. I knew from the start that he'd found the real thing with Padme. I could see it in his eyes, but I wasn't ready to let go. I knew he found true love and I hadn't yet. I really was happy for him...and I didn't tell him that. I kept telling him that true love didn't happen, but inside I was ecstatic for him. I've just never been very good at showing it," Obi-Wan said.
"Obi-Wan, I do love you. I always have. And I know you loved me too at one time," Siri said.
"I did at one time. But what we had wasn't true love Siri. If it had been, I would have been enough for you. You wouldn't have needed your little adventure across the galaxy. We've been over for a long time and you need to accept it. You may have very well signed my baby brother's death certificate and my new sister's as well. I can't even stand to look at you. Leave me the hell alone and stay the hell away from me and the rest of my family too!" Obi-Wan yelled angrily, as he stormed off. And at that moment, Siri knew that she'd lost him forever. Even if Anakin and Padme did get out of this alive, she would never be a part of his life again.
Obi-Wan arrived home at his apartment, only to find Aayla waiting for him.
"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked in surprise.
"I took your mother home and made her some tea to relax her. She finally fell asleep and I left when your father came home to check on her. I came here...because I knew that you would need someone. You shouldn't be alone right now," Aayla said, as she hugged him.
"Thank you...you didn't have to stay with mom, but I'm grateful that you did," Obi-Wan replied.
"Yes I did. And I wanted to. Her baby boy is missing and she shouldn't be alone either," Aayla replied.
"You're a good friend Aayla...you always have been. To both Anakin and me," Obi-Wan said. Aayla put her arms around his neck and hugged him.
"I care about you both deeply," Aayla said.
"I'm worried about him Aayla and Padme. At least if I could feel him, I would know what is happening to him," Obi-Wan said.
"I'm worried too, but we have to trust that the Force will be with them, even if Anakin can't feel it right now. We have to believe that they'll be all right and that we'll find them. If we don't have hope, then we have nothing," Aayla said gently.
"It should have been me. If I had just talked to her, she would have never bothered Anakin," Obi-Wan said, referring to Siri.
"No, you can't do this to yourself. It is not your fault that Anakin and Padme were kidnaped. It is her fault and she should have known better than to involve Anakin in the first place. She should have told you about that club. She purposely held the truth from you and I honestly don't know what's happened to her. She's let her selfishness and her ego overrun her good sense and I hope she learns a powerful lesson from all this," Aayla said.
"I told her tonight that I never wanted to see her again," Obi-Wan replied.
"Well, that's understandable," Aayla said, as Obi-Wan poured some brandy.
"Oh no, you don't need anymore of that tonight. What you do need is sleep, so let's go," Aayla said, as she led him to the bedroom.
"Will you stay with me?" Obi-Wan asked, as they entered the bedroom.
"I'll stay as long as you want me to," Aayla replied. Obi-Wan leaned down and kissed her. She kissed back, as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, kissing her deeply. Obi-Wan sensually stroked her lekku, as he kissed down her neck.
"Is it wrong for me to want you right now?" he rasped.
"Of course not. If I can be the comfort you need, then let me," Aayla replied. She kissed him passionately, as his hands roamed her body. She purred, as he continued to stroke her lekku. He kissed down her neck and over her chest. They tumbled to the bed and Obi-Wan lay atop her, kissing and caressing her. And they comforted each other until sleep finally took them...
Anakin groaned painfully, as he opened his eyes. He shook his head to clear his vision, as he tried to remember what had happened. It soon came to him and he frantically looked around for Padme. He sighed in relief, as he saw that she lay unconscious next to him. He winced painfully, rubbing his neck where the sleep dart had stuck him. He closed his eyes and reached into the Force. He was met with nothing...he could not feel the Force for the first time in his life. Pushing away his panic, he rolled Padme onto her back and checked her pulse. Another sigh of relief came, as it seemed she was only unconscious. He noticed a bit of dry blood on his arm, which originated from a suspicious puncture wound on his bicep. He recalled hearing his grandfather speak of drug that actually had the capability of cutting one off from the Force and deduced he had been drugged to cut him off from the Force. Anakin pushed that concern away momentarily to examine his surroundings. They were in a dark, cold cell and exactly where, he wasn't sure. The cell bars glowed purple with an electric current. Padme moaned and Anakin was by her side. Anakin lifted her head, as she woke up. Her brown eyes opened and she blinked several times to clear her vision.
"Ani?" she asked.
"I'm here angel," he comforted.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"I don't know. I just woke up and I've been cut off from the Force, so I can't sense anything," Anakin said.
"Cut off from the Force?" she asked in confusion.
"I've been drugged," Anakin replied, as he pointed to the puncture would on his arm.
"There's a drug that can cut you off from the Force?" she asked. Anakin nodded.
"Grandfather says that they can make a serum from the Ysalamir, which is a creature that can actually create a bubble that repels the Force," Anakin explained.
"Then whoever captured us knows you're a Jedi," Padme reasoned.
"Probably, but I have no idea who this person could be or why they would want either of us," Anakin replied, as he looked into her frightened brown eyes. He caressed her cheek.
"It'll be all right Padme. I'll find out what's going on and I'll get us out of this," Anakin promised, as he kissed her lips. Padme wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body close to his, as he moved his lips passionately over hers.
"Well, it's about time you woke up," an accented voice said. Startled, Anakin and Padme broke the kiss to look over at the person who had addressed them through the glowing cell bars. Anakin pulled himself to his feet, helping Padme up and holding her close.
"Who are you?!" he demanded. The accent the man carried was similar to his grandfather's, father's, and Obi-Wan cultured Coruscanti accent that he had never picked up. He was also very well dressed, like a business man would dress and didn't at all appear to be the criminal he was.
"I'm Garret Wells, but I think you already know who I am," the man replied. Anakin and Padme looked confused.
"No, we don't," Anakin replied. Garret smirked.
"Interesting. But we'll see how much you know, as you and I are going to have a bit of a chat," Garret said.
"I don't know who you are or what you want, but you obviously have the wrong people," Anakin replied.
"We'll see about that," Garret said, as the bars disappeared and two of his men entered the cell. One of them ripped Padme away from him, while the other held him back, as he struggled.
"Padme!" Anakin cried. Garret stepped in calmly and placed a pair of shackles around Anakin's wrists, as the man held him in place. Then, Garret stepped over to Padme and grabbed a fist full of her hair. Padme cried out, as he pulled her to him and placed the barrel of a blaster against her temple.
"Nooo! Let her go...please!" Anakin pleaded. Garret stared at him icily and pressed the barrel harder against her skin, causing her to whimper.
"Please...I'll do whatever you want, as long as you don't harm her. Leave her alone and you can do whatever you want with me!" Anakin pleaded.
"Ani...no," Padme whimpered. Garret smirked and pushed her roughly to the floor.
"I was right when I decided to bring her along. She's the perfect leverage over you," Garret said, as he motioned for his men to drag Anakin out of the cell and down to another room. Garret keyed in a code into the control panel, bringing the electrified bars back in place.
"Don't worry my dear...I'll have him back to you soon," Garret said, with a cruel smile. Padme sobbed quietly, as she wrapped Anakin's cloak around her shivering form. She had no idea where they had taken him, but several minutes later, his pain filled screams and cries filled the air. She curled up into a ball on the cold floor and sobbed almost uncontrollably, as it became painfully clear that they were torturing the man she loved and for what reason, she had no idea. She felt his pain through their bond and silently thanked the Force that this man that had captured them had no idea that Anakin had taught her to feel the Force. While she couldn't do much with it, she was able to send comforting waves of love to her beloved amidst the pain being inflicted upon him. He pleaded with her to close her mind, as he didn't want her subjected to any pain. But she steadfastly refused and continued comforting him. She didn't know who this man was or what is was that he wanted, but she did know that they were in a lot of trouble. She just hoped that Anakin's family and the Jedi would be able to find them before it was too late...
In the next chapter, Anakin is interrogated and he learns that he and Padme are at the mercy of a vicious criminal...and all because the man believes him to be Siri Tachi's brother. But as Garret becomes convinced that Anakin is not related to her and that Siri has again lied to him, he has his men research the boy to find out who he really is...