Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Author's Note: Here's chapter 5! Sorry this is a bit late, but it is a little longer than usual. I hope you enjoying the story. If you are please leave a comment and let me know. Your reviews and feedback keep the muse happy... well, that and copious amounts of chocolate...
Thanks:
Jedi Kay Kenobi: I'm so glad you're enjoying it and yeah, he wouldn't be our Obi if he ever went dark willingly. That said... maybe he's being controlled... maybe not... MWAAAA HAAA HAAAA! I know, I can be sooo evil:)
Please R&R!
And on to the show...
"How is he?" Anakin asks as he limps to where Master Windu stands by Obi-Wan's bed. When they arrived on the cruiser the medic trooper, Kix, saw to it that both Kenobi and Skywalker were escorted to the medical bay. From there, Obi-Wan and Anakin were separated. Anakin had waited, rather impatiently, as a medical droid placed a portable bacta tank around his injured thigh. The tank-cast was heavy and cumbersome, but Anakin did not care. His only concern was for Obi-Wan. As soon as the droid was done, he clumsily shimmied off his medical bed and hobbled through the bay looking for his former master.
"I've run every test we have, Generals," Kix says lowering his datapad. "Except for his arm, which we've treated, and some bruises, I can't find a single thing wrong with him, but there is this," he says. He reaches over to the sheet and blanket that currently cover Obi-Wan's sleeping form. He pulls the them back revealing his patient's bare torso. Master Windu crosses his arms over his chest, a deep furrow creasing his brow.
"It wasn't as bad yesterday. It must have spread," Anakin offers with a shake of his head. Kix nods.
"And it's still spreading, sir. Nothing I do seems to stop it."
"There must be something we can do," Anakin cries, his voice wavering with fear and frustration. Mace shoots the knight a stern glare; an unspoken command to reign in his feelings. Anakin stiffens angrily, but says nothing. Mace turns to the medic.
"If we cannot stop it perhaps there is a way to at least slow it down," Mace asks, but in truth it is more of a statement, a fact, as his thoughts drift to the precarious state of his friend. Kix glances down at his datapad and then to some of the monitors by Obi-Wan's bed. He shakes his head.
"I just don't know, sir. I recommend," Kix starts, but he stops when Obi-Wan's eyelids begin to flutter slightly. Anakin immediately hops closer to him and leans in. Obi-Wan's eyes open and, to Anakin's great relief, he finds himself staring into the familiar blue-grey eyes of his mentor. After a bit of disoriented blinking, Obi-Wan is able to focus on the room and those around him.
"Anakin?"
"Yes, Master. I'm here," Anakin answers quickly, then he adds as an afterthought, "so is Master Windu."
"Hmmm," Obi-Wan groans. "Let me guess, Healer's Ward," he responds with a slight smile tugging at his lips. Despite the attempt, his humor does little to tamp down the tension in the room.
"How do you feel, Obi-Wan?" Windu asks. Obi-Wan shifts his gaze to his friend. Suddenly, his eyes widened in fear.
"Wait... If I'm here then...," his words falter as the realization hits him. "It wasn't a dream..." his voice trails off. He looks at his former pupil. "Anakin, I am so sorry..."
"Don't worry about it, Master. We just need you to get well."
"No," Obi-Wan implores. He turns directly to Mace. "You have to restrain me. I have no control when it happens. I don't know what I might do. You cannot risk me running loose on the ship."
"I'll see to it," Windu responds, his face an unreadable mask. With the Council member's promise Obi-Wan relaxes a little. "We're taking you back to Temple. Perhaps then we can find some answers," Mace adds. Obi-Wan opens his mouth to speak, but his expression twists into an unnatural grin. The light in his eyes dims and flickers.
"You never should have brought me on board," he screams as he reaches for Windu's neck. Mace easily side-steps the attack. Anakin grabs one of Obi-Wan's arms and pins it to the medical bed. Mace does the same with Obi-Wan's remaining arm while Kix prepares a sedative.
"Let me go!" he screams, his voice cracking with rage as if his own hateful words were trying to rip their way out of his throat. "I hate you all! You will suffer for what you've done to me! I will see all of you burn, cast off and forgotten! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"
Obi-Wan continues to struggle, cursing in a variety of colorful tongues he has picked up in his travels across the galaxy. Finally, Kix injects the Jedi with a powerful sedative. Within seconds, Obi-Wan's resistance melts away and he falls into a deep drug induced sleep. Anakin and Mace let go of his arms.
"I want him to remain sedated and restrained for the duration of this voyage," Windu orders Kix. He turns to another pair of troopers who were standing nearby. "I want him under full guard at all times," he commands. Both troopers nod.
"Sir, yes, sir," they answer in unison. Master Windu then turns back to the medic.
"Was the Captain able to retrieve the box?"
"Um... yes, sir. Captain Rex brought it in while I was running tests on the General. It's in the hazardous materials lab."
"Show me," Mace says flatly and Kix nods. He motions for the Jedi to follow as he leads them through the back of the med bay keeping a slow pace, his medical training ever mindful of Skywalker's leg injury. Neither Jedi speak a word as they follow the medic through various medical bays and past operating rooms, but Mace can feel Anakin's anxiety pushing outward like radiation from a super nova.
"Skywalker, be mindful of your feelings," he whispers.
"Yes, Master," Anakin says as he tries to squeeze down his emotions. "I am just worried for Obi-Wan."
"I know," Mace replies with a trace of sympathy in his voice, "but worry will not help Obi-Wan only clear minded, calm action will."
"Of course," Anakin nods. This is one of those times when Mace infuriates him most—when Anakin knows he's right. Several compartments later, the trio enter a control room. Here there are long and varied consoles on one side of a large glass wall. On the other side is a fairly large and mostly empty room. In that room there is a table and on it sits an opened black box.
"We kept the box under a strict quarantine since it was retrieved," Kix says as he moves to one of the consoles. He pulls up one of the holo-projectors. "My techs have run it through every scan we have. All the results are the same. It's a cube object of unknown material with nothing inside it. It's just an empty box, sir. No pathogens, no viruses, no molds, no matter, nothing."
Mace steps closer to the window separating the two rooms. He turns his head to Kix.
"Thank you, Trooper. You may return to your duties," his says as a dismissal. Kix nods and makes for the door when the General's voice stops him. "Please keep Master Skywalker and I updated on Kenobi's condition."
"Yes, sir," Kix answers, then, following another curt nod, he leaves the two Jedi alone in the lab. Anakin moves to Mace's side. He says nothing as the Council member stares at the small box through he duraglass. After several uncomfortable minutes, Anakin finally can wait no longer.
"Well?"
"Tell me everything you know about this box. Start at the beginning. Leave nothing out," Mace states. Anakin closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he calls forth the memory in crystal detail in his mind. He tells Mace about their arrival on Telos, the nervousness of Telosian party, the suspicious mechanic, the opening of the box, the feeling of darkness, Obi-Wan's blackout, the explosion, and the "landing." After this, Anakin's report gets a little less specific as he was unconscious for some of it, but he resumes his previous level of Jedi precision as he relates the days leading up to their rescue. Mace listens quietly never interrupting, keeping his questions to himself until after the tale has been told.
"You said you both felt a dark presence when you removed the box from its casing?"
"Yes, it was very strong," Anakin answers. Mace stares at him with a raised eyebrow.
"And yet you still opened it?" he asks. Anakin shrugs not really knowing what answer he is supposed to give the master since the fact that they did indeed open the box is obvious. Mace turns his attention back to the small cube. He closes his eyes and reaches out with the Force. Anakin waits for a moment, then does the same. Both Jedi quietly extend their senses out toward the tiny object in the next room. They wrap the Force around it, turning it this way and that in their minds, scanning it, probing it deeply before finally withdrawing.
"I do feel a dark force within it, but it is very weak," Mace says.
"It wasn't like that when we opened it. It was almost like a slap in the face," Anakin responds. Mace's brow furrows.
"Perhaps it expended its energy when it first affected Obi-Wan on the ship."
"His black out?" Anakin asks. Mace nods then he crosses to the rear of the control room and activates a comm. panel. In moments, the two Jedi are greeted by the familiar face of the Grand Master of their Order.
"Master Yoda," Mace says with a bow of his head.
"Heard from you we had not. Concerned we were becoming."
"I apologize, Master. Things are not... what we expected."
"Hmmmm, yes," the little green Jedi nods with closed eyes. "Much trouble I sense. Tied it is with the dark side of the Force. In great danger I fear Master Kenobi is."
"Yes, Master. It seems that Kenobi has been struck by... something," Mace finishes unsatisfied with his own word choice. He motions for Anakin to step forward and then Anakin tells the ancient master the same story he told the Korun Council member moments ago. Mace takes over the story after the rescue. He reports on the status of Obi-Wan's condition and his concerns over the box. Yoda sits patiently until both Jedi have relayed all there was to tell.
"Right to be concerned you are. Familiar this is not. Alert the Council and consult with Madame Jocasta I will."
"Thank you, Master," Mace bows thinking that the communication was about to end, but it appeared that the small master still had more to say though his mouth remained shut in a thin line.
"Is there something else, Master?" he asks. Yoda's ears droop slightly as he knows his next statements will not be well received, but that it must be said.
"If infected by the dark side of the Force Kenobi is, best it may be for now to sever his connection," he finishes. For a moment, there is a flicker of emotion across Mace's usually inscrutably stoic expression. Anakin is oblivious to the Council member's flash of feeling, but the subtle showing is not lost on the Grand Master. Mace sighs heavily.
"Do you truly believe that is the best course of action?"
"A solution it is not, but hope I do it is enough until an answer we may find. Contact you when more I have," Yoda answers sadly. Mace nods.
"I understand," he says then he terminates the transmission. He turns to Anakin with an uncharacteristically somber expression that immediately sets the younger knight on edge.
"What did he mean "sever his connection?"
Mace looks directly at Anakin.
"What do you know about Force collars?"
"Obi-Wan always said that these were abominations."
"They are, but sometimes they are necessary," Mace sighs almost inaudibly. Almost. Anakin turns the metal collar in his hand. He feels the weight of it, runs his fingers over the smooth cold surface, and studies the pale blue light emanating from its base. It looks so innocuous and yet, if he is to believe all he had heard about the device, he was holding evil incarnate wrapped in a shiny skin of metal.
"Have you ever..." Anakin starts, but for some reason his throat constricts and his mouth becomes instantly dry. Mace saves him the trouble of finishing.
"Yes, he says with a nod. Anakin finally looks up from the device in his hands and meets the gaze of the Korun Council member.
"What does it feel like?" Anakin asks and for the first time in his life Anakin can see traces of emotion break through the master's usually perfect mask of immutable serenity. Mace closes his eyes as his mind recalls the memory. When he opens his eyes again his expression reflects his typical Jedi stoicism.
"It feels like... soul death," he answers finally. "But I believe Obi-Wan would prefer it to actual death and we are running out of time."
The two Jedi stare at each other, the silence straining under the oppressive weight of what they know is to come. Clone trooper and 501st Chief Medic, Kix, had been standing on the other side of the bay attending to a clone trooper with a blaster burn on his shoulder. The medic was well aware of the topic under discussion between the two Jedi and he figured it would be best if he gave them a bit of space. He was just finishing wrapping a bacta bandage around his patient's wounded shoulder when he saw General Windu wave him over.
"Yes, General?"
"We are ready to proceed," Mace replies. He glances down at his fellow Council member and friend, then his gaze returns to the medic. "He will need to be awake for this. It is the only way we can be certain it is working."
Kix nods and moves to collect the necessary stimulant. Hypo-injector in hand, he moves beside Windu, leans forward and injects his patient. It only takes a few seconds for the drug to take effect. Obi-Wan groans softly as he pushes back toward consciousness. Mace reaches over toward Anakin.
"We should do it now before he fully wakes up. It will be easier on him," he says his hand asking for the collar, but Anakin stares at his former master, shaking his head.
"No, I'll do it," he tells Mace, who nods. Anakin leans forward and places the collar around Obi-Wan's neck. Under him, Obi-Wan continues to stir, his eyes darting behind semi-closed lids. Anakin takes a deep breath and snaps the collar closed.
The reaction is immediate.
"Ugghhh!" Obi-Wan half screams, half moans as his eyes flash open. He pulls against his restraints, back arching, eyes wide with fear and panic. Mace leans forward and places a hand on his shoulder gently pushing him back against the bed.
"Obi-Wan, it's alright. You're alright. We had to put a Force collar on you. You must try to remain calm."
"Master," Anakin says leaning in. "I am so sorry, but we had to. You were dying and we had to."
Obi-Wan stops pulling against his restraints. His body sags lifelessly back onto the bed, but he cannot calm himself. The best he can manage is to shut his eyes and fight to suppress the wracking sobs desperately trying to escape his body. The Force crippled Jedi only whimpers quietly as his sweat soaked form violently shivers.
"Is this... normal?" the medic trooper asks the two Generals. Mace nods.
"Yes. It should pass after a few minutes. The initial separation is always... traumatic," he replies his hand still on Obi-Wan's shoulder in an attempt to offer his friend some comfort. Anakin rests one hand on Obi-Wan's chest the other on his forehead where he gently wipes away the beads of sweat and absently strokes sticky strands of ginger hair. Slowly, after several long and agonizing minutes, Obi-Wan's frame ceases to tremble, his expression relaxes, and his eyes finally force themselves open.
"Master?"
"I... I'm... alright, Anakin," Obi-Wan rasps. Kix disappears for a moment, returning with a glass of water. He moves to unfasten one of Obi-Wan's wrist restraints when Mace stills his hands.
"Not yet," he says flatly. Kix nods, albeit reluctantly. He holds the glass to Obi-Wan's lips with one hand, the other he places behind Obi-Wan's head to help support him and ease the strain on his neck and shoulders. Obi-Wan takes several satisfying sips of the precious liquid before falling back onto his pillow.
"Thank you," he says, his voice clearer, but still weak. He lifts his eyes to Mace. "How long?"
"Just until we can determine what is causing this and how to stop it."
Obi-Wan nods, but his friend can tell he is not pleased with the answer.
"If there were any other way,"
"I understand," Obi-Wan says cutting the Council member off.
"How do you feel, Master?" Anakin asks then he realizes the stupidity of the question and feebly tries again. "I mean... other than... you know, the collar... do you still..."
"Want to kill you?" Obi-Wan finishes, he voice strangely detached from his words. "No, I don't feel that anger, that," he pauses as he searches for the right word. "That darkness right now."
"That's good. That means it's working right?" Anakin says as he looks to Mace for confirmation. "We can take off the restraints."
Mace looks to Obi-Wan who shakes his head.
"No, Anakin. I don't think that is wise," Obi-Wan says as he closes his eyes. For a moment he is silent as he grimaces and then swallows thickly. He opens his eyes and looks at his fellow Jedi.
"No," he repeats. "When the... darkness takes me, I don't have much warning. Until we know the Force collar is preventing that from happening again... it's better to leave things as they are," Obi-Wan finishes with a sigh. Mace nods and lightly squeezes his shoulder.
"Agreed. We shall reach Coruscant in two days. If you suffer no attacks during that time we will remove the restraints."
"Right now, you just need to rest, Master," Anakin says as he begins to stroke Obi-Wan's forehead again. "We'll get to the Temple, we'll fix this, and then we'll get this thing off of you. I promise."
Obi-Wan nods his head and closes his eyes.
"I know, Anakin. Don't worry, I'll be fine," he answers confidently, but his confidence is a lie. He only hopes that Anakin does not see his hollow words for what they are because Obi-Wan knows he has not the strength to comfort his former apprentice. It is all he can do to keep from collapsing into tears himself.
For Obi-Wan Kenobi existence has been reduced to a small square of white ceiling tile. There is no more and no less to life than this—a tiny blank patch, both white and empty. Such is his life without the Force.
Cloth-lined restraints on his wrists and ankles keep him uncomfortably immobile, but it doesn't matter. He doesn't care. He has no wish to move, no desire to be comfortable.
At first he had been cold. For this, Kix had provided him a blanket, then two, then he increased the ambient temperature of the room. It wasn't until the medical bay had been made uncomfortably warm to its other inhabitants that Obi-Wan realized that the cold he felt was not from without, but from within. Understanding this, accepting it, Obi-Wan allows the chill to move over and through him. It painfully freezes his bones and tries to still his breathing. It is a soft suffocation he suffers; one that he knows will never end in death. It will simply never end.
He stares blankly at his ceiling, his little square of existence. He knows that if he looks to his side he will find Anakin asleep in a chair beside his bed, his leg propped up awkwardly on a stool. He knows that every four hours Mace will return, like a mother bird checking on her young. He will stand by his bed. His eyes will ask the question his lips will not.
Are you alright?
Obi-Wan will nod giving, wordlessly, the answer the other Jedi needs to hear.
I'm alright.
It is a lie.
The older master will touch his shoulder, nod, and leave. After the departure of the Council member, Kix will check on his Jedi patient. He, too, will ask questions, but he will use his voice.
"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Are you still cold? Are you in pain?"
To all of these questions Obi-Wan will give the same response. The same lie.
"No."
His duty met, the medic will return to his other patients. Now it is Anakin's turn. He will lean close to the bed and take Obi-Wan's left hand and squeeze it gently. He will speak his question softly near his mentor's ear.
"What can I do, Master?"
Obi-Wan will lie to this one as he has lied to the two who came before.
"I'm fine, Anakin. You should rest."
Anakin will reluctantly let go of the slightly clammy hand of his former master, but not before giving it another short squeeze, an attempted show of affection and reassurance. In four hours the broken dance will begin again. So, Obi-Wan will wait. He will stare blankly at his patch of ceiling white, now the sum total of his being, and he will wait.