Chapter 14
When the murky fog of hyperspace coalesced back into stars and planets, Ahsoka knew immediately that this planet was different. If TER-32, where she lost Anakin, was a dying planet, this disfiguration before her was a dead planet. It still rotated around its sun, a small red dwarf, but it felt like a black hole in the Force.
Yet along with the anxiety came a big amount of hope. She and master Plo had searched dozens of nearby systems by now, and nowhere had been a trace of Maul's ship or her master. She only went to this sun on a hunch. No accessible planet was listed around this sun, but before she searched further away, she had wanted to search even the smallest systems, always in fear of overlooking the planet her master was on.
Now her scanners showed her that the records she had were wrong, and the intangible Force around the planet disclosed something else. Something darker. This planet would be the perfect planet for a Sith - or two Sith and their prisoners. Her heart began to race, and she hurriedly grabbed her comlink.
"Master Plo? I think I've found them. I've found a planet with breathable atmosphere, and he stinks of the dark side."
"Are you sure that they are there?" came the expected question.
Ahsoka stretched her senses, but she couldn't make out her master's presence. She couldn't penetrate the dark aura of the planet at all.
"Not absolutely, but it's our best chance. You have to feel this planet for yourself, I can't really describe it."
"Good. Since I've found no better lead, I will join you and we'll have a look at the planet. Stay put, little Soka."
And he hang up. Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Did he still have to treat her like a small girl, even on a mission of such importance? But she knew that Plo Koon was just being protective about her. Her gaze wandered back to the planet in front of her. Goosebumps formed on her skin, but she ignored it and set all her scanners to work. If she had to wait for Master Plo, she could at least do something useful during that time.
"Carefully. Give the switch only a breeze of the Force and decide which direction feels better." Obi-Wan tried his best to support Anakin with his task of tampering with the locking mechanism of their chains. He had tried to do it himself, but due to the constricted quality of the Force here, only a full-blood mechanic like Anakin could reach the small devices that controlled the length of their chains.
Anakin pressed against the wall as if he wanted to crawl right into it, his squinted eyes an indication of his deep concentration. And maybe of his pain. It couldn't be easy to stand this erect with a back full of burn marks. Obi-Wan didn't know if he should be worried about how good Anakin could put away his pain; Maybe it was his fault that Anakin had to learn how to bear it.
"I don't know...they feel nearly the same..." Anakin managed.
That was what Obi-Wan had feared. With only minimal Force available, the signals could be too weak for even Anakin to perceive them.
"Try it again. Shut out everything else. The only thing that matters is the switch, and if it feels better when you nudge it to our room or to the wall."
Obi-Wan knew that he was not being very helpful, but there was nothing else he could do. Where is your wit now, Obi-Wan? Your padawan has to do all the work to get you out of a situation you brought him into. What does your volubility bring you here? Are you going to negotiate terms of release with the switch? Obi-Wan had to work hard to bring this inner voice to silence. He had to concentrate on the moment, all other things were subordinate. He would face his inner demos when he was free.
He gazed back to Anakin whose arm was stretched out, hand pressed flat against the wall to be as near as possible to the switch. Suddenly, he exhaled deeply and clenched the hand. He had made his decision.
Assuaged, he opened his eyes and looked at Obi-Wan. "I'm not completely sure, but I had a good feeling when I nudged it towards our room," he declared with a shrug, "now we have to wait if our chains will really get long when the door opens next."
He didn't mention the other possibility, the one where their chains went as short as possible and their attempt would be recognized and most likely be punished gravely. But before he could make a comment about it, he heard the thrumming sound of his captor's robotic feet come near. So soon. He thought they'd have more time.
"Quick, Anakin!" He urged. "He's coming back! Do the same with my chain, and then everything after plan."
There was no time for more instructions, but they were not necessary. They had planned how to do it beforehand. Anakin now concentrated on Obi-Wan's side of the wall, his arm outstretched. This time, he was much faster – no miracle, he already knew that the switch had to be shoved towards their room. He closed his hand not a second too early. They could barely position themselves before the steps stopped in front of the cell and the door was activated.
And that was the moment when everything went awry – well, not everything, just the part concerning Obi-Wan, but that was enough. He was yanked back by the wire around his wrists as it was drawn into the wall. He slid over the floor and then vertically up the wall, until the wire was completely inside the wall, his boots dangling a meter above the ground. And instead of ramming Maul over the crouching form of Anakin – wait, why was he not hanging at the wall? - Obi-Wan had to witness how Anakin stared at him in horror and then tried to knock Maul off balance all by himself.
Maul was surprised, but he came over it pretty quick. He tried to ram Anakin, who was clamping at his back, into the wall, but Anakin was quicker. He jumped toward the opposite wall, pushed off it and catapulted himself into the Sith. Maul was shortly disoriented and Anakin could grab his weapon.
Obi-Wan gasped in relief, shortly followed by a hiss of frustration. Maul hadn't brought his lightsaber with him as they had calculated. The weapon Anakin stole him was just the shock whip. Nothing to cut through their chains with. Because even though Anakin had an extended range, he was still connected to the wall by the wire and had no chance to reach the awfully alluring open door. Obi-Wan saw their chances flow away like water through open fingers, but Anakin would not back down yet.
He ignited the whip and – instead of swinging it at the still baffled Sith – he held it to his binders. It was a foolish plan, but it included a minimal chance of success.
Obi-Wan could see blue bolts of electricity in the binders jump over to Anakin, an additional pain to the current already flowing through him, but he didn't stop. It was as fascinating as it was appalling, a battle between the metal of the chains and Anakin's will. Anakin would hang on to extremes, until he would lose consciousness or his life. And like so often when he played with the highest stakes, he won. The binders cracked loudly, the locking mechanism failed and the metal fell between the feet of a heaving Anakin.
"Look out!" Obi-Wan had to scream to bring his padawan back from his stupor. Maul already lunged at Anakin, and he barely dodged.
Anakin quickly glanced to Obi-Wan, their eyes locked and the truth hit them both. They had no chance to loosen Obi-Wan's chains.
There was so much to say, yet there was no time. Their time had been robbed by a Sith Obi-Wan thought he had killed long ago. So he packed all the love, all his appraisal and unintentionally quite a bit of remorse into one word.
"Go."
Anakin didn't want to, but he knew better than to die in vain. And he remembered his promise.
"I - " he started but was at a loss for words. He extended his hand towards Obi-Wan, but Maul was attacking him again. He made a big leap to the door, hesitated again and finally pressed the button to lock the door.
Obi-Wan nearly missed his last whispered words before the door reached its closed position and locked him with Maul.
"I will get help."
