Hey, so I'm back, hopefully to post more this week, if I can! There's somthing that will be found and revealed later in this chapter and further on, humour (well... attempted) and our heroes rescueing/escaping. Hope you enjoy! Cos here it goes!
Chapter 14. Break out.
Jedi Master, now captive, Obi-Wan Kenobi was curled into a fettle position on the cold ground beneath him, knees tucked into his chest, arms linking and the atrocious feeling of the cold slowly biting its way up his spine, sending tickles protruding through his entire body. The feeling of the unforgiving cold felt like needles of ice poking into his skin slowly, spiking through to impale him internally. He felt like a block of ice in the middle of Hoth.
He had slowly lifted his head upwards, feeling the cramped muscles within his neck twinge with sharp pain. His azure eyes that were now shadowing his pain looked up to find a shadowy figure on the other side of the cell. The silhouette was un-moving but seemed to mirror Obi-Wan's posture. He saw dark, long locks hang loosely down the shoulders, and he didn't need anything else to confirm that it was Satine. His calm, centre and his love. He realised he needed her and would find life very dull without her.
So why didn't he go to her? Was he afraid that he would hurt her if he told her of his vision? Should he tell her?
No. She would rebuke him if he did that, and he couldn't bare that knowledge. He wouldn't tell her; but he was worried if he would bring about his vision. He didn't want her to see the hate. The rage. He didn't want her to see this side of him.
"I'm sorry, Satine," He had whispered the words at such a low tone he was certain she hadn't heard, for she didn't lift her head up or respond. He just hoped that she had been looking at him when he had said the words to register what he was saying. "I love you, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."
Nothing was said after that, and the cell fell back into a tense silence once more.
That was until the sound of blaster fire and the familiar hum of a lightsaber blade and the cutting of plasma through dura steel caught his attention.
He focused his eyes on the molten that was appearing in a circular shape, a red/orange hue slightly expanding outwards, glowing against the steel. Obi-Wan breathed in deep, letting his lungs and nostrils fill with the familiar scent of smoke.
Finally, the wall which was cut came crashing thunderously down, viciously landing and sending out a booming thump as it hit the ground. The vibrations ran across the cell and to Obi-Wan, who fliched.
Squeezing his eye lids half closed so he was squinting, was Anakin, Ahsoka and a mysterious man standing before him. All Obi-Wan could do was stare in shock and surprise.
Anakin's eyes had immediately fallen upon Obi-Wan's fettle position before him. He stared at him, his sapphire orbs sparkling with tears of joy - though this being Anakin Skywalker, he would try to hide it from plain sight - as he held his solid gaze upon him. This was his master, his mentor. His bestfriend.
'You're the closest thing I have to a father,' He recalled those words he had said to him in the bar on Coruscant in their pursuit of a shape-shifter who had attempted to assassinate Padme just only two years ago. Even now it still enraged him just by recalling the past event. Thinking over his words, Anakin realised that this man before him wasn't the closest thing to a father; but that he was his father. There were times he wished that Obi-Wan had perhaps been more fatherly, such as staying in his room from when he would awaken from a nightmare and sit him upon his knee, holding him and whispering soothing words of solace to him in his childood years.
Either way, he still loved him like family. That was something he hoped would never change.
"Master!" He was vaguely aware of Ahsoka's cry of relief as she whirled past the recollecting Jedi Knight to kneel beside the weakened Jedi Master, who had instantly settled into Ahsoka's embrace from sheer exhaustion. Anakin found his master's wary gaze upon him, and he offered him a warm smile, his eyes shining with relief.
Obi-Wan returned the smile with a vague one as his cracked lips curled upwards at the side.
Anakin looked to his right to find Satine in a similar position that Obi-Wan was in earlier. She was smiling, though her facial expression held a hint of sadness. 'Probably from when she was forced to resign her reign,' The young Jedi, with a mask of concern plastered on his face, went and settled on the balls of his feet next to the emotionally exhausted former duchess.
"Milady, are you ok?" Anakin asked, as he placed his flesh hand on her shoulder gently.
The former duchess had flinched from shock at the touch at first, but soon relaxed, turning her gaze to stare at the Knight. Her glassy eyes sparkled in the darkness, but she hid her pain well. "Yes, of course I'm fine," She responded meekly, awkwardly turning her gaze from him.
Anakin looked at her for a few more moments, analysing whether she'd need any help being transported out. She didn't seem as beaten like Obi-Wan had when he had observed him, but she seemed very weak.
"Milady," Anakin continued. "You will need to be carried out if we are able to escape in the most slyest of manners." He looked at her, begging her not to rebuke the request. But, of course, as expected, the strong-willed woman rebuked, giving him a cold stare that made him feel like his insides had frozen.
"I am fine!" She insisted with her sharp tongue, which made Anakin feel like he had just received a slap to the face. "I can walk."
Anakin was having none of it. He could instantly tell by observing her that the woman was emotionally and physically drained. She just simply wouldn't be able to get out by herself without causing the group trouble. "Duchess, I must insist that you are to be carried," Anakin pressed. "I implore you that for the safety of yourself and Master Kenobi that you accept the request."
The former duchess, - at the mention of Obi-Wan's safety - nodded, and with a sigh, began to lift herself up, pressing her back against the wall to use as leverage. Anakin was up instantly, taking her small arm in his hand and helping her rise.
"Garen," He called, turning his head slightly, but leaving his eyes upon the duchess who's own eyes were focused upon Ahsoka helping Obi-Wan get to his feet. "Help carry her lady ship please." Despite the fact that Satine had been dethroned, Anakin still found it respective to call the woman by a formal title.
"Sure thing, Master Jedi" The bulky man replied in a heartbeat, a cheery chime to his voice as he approached the former duchess. "Milady," he bowed, a glint in his eyes, before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders before bending over and hooking a strong arm under her legs. He hauled her up to his chest level, a grunt escaped his lungs as he gasped at the exertion of lifting another human being.
Anakin quickly jogged over to Obi-Wan, who was now leaning against the cold wall, his ginger head resting back on the surface, his azure gems covered by pale eye lids. "Master, are you ok?" Anakin's tone was laced with concern as he held a hand upon his shoulders, making sure he remained steady.
His response was a weak nod that almost had his head rolling completely forward and a meek reply of, "Yes,"
Anakin stared at him for a few seconds, taking in his face and wounds. The gashes that adorned his master's features enraged the young Knight to a near boiling point. He wanted to kill Vizsla. Little did he know that it was Ventress that had given Obi-Wan the most wounds.
"Where's your lightsaber, master?" He asked, noticing his master was unarmed and therefore defenceless.
It took Obi-Wan a few moments to process the question, but he soon raised his eyes level to Anakin and replied weakly, "In the throne room. Vizsla has it... Don't know if he has left it there or not."
Anakin nodded. "Right. We're getting out now. Ahsoka, help me with Obi-Wan. Garen, you alright there?"
"Sure, master Jedi!" Garen replied in his constant cheerful tone, flashing them a toothy grin, his white teeth gleaming like those in an advert.
"Let's go," Anakin said, already linking Obi-Wan's left arm over his shoulder, Ahsoka doing the same with the Jedi Masters right and leading them out. "I don't want us caught up in a fight whilst we have one who is unable to defend himself and another who doesn't fight at all."
The group of five stepped through the circular carving they had made earlier in the wall out into the corridor.
The first sight both the former duchess and Jedi Master saw left different effects.
Bodies adorned the floor, many with missing limbs scattered and bodies sprawled across the floor. Others were a bloody pulp, mostly slumped against the wall. The colour red stained much of their bodies and surroundings.
Satine just sighed, having nothing to say. She'd seen enough violence in her life. It would take time to simmer down. It wasn't going to just stop dead.
Obi-Wan stared at the bodies. He was used to seeing dead people now. The experience from the war had allowed him to witness this many times. It still pained him though.
The rescuers led their captives out, checking each corner as they went and sneaking past sentries until they reached the tunnel in which they had made their entrance.
"Are you able to crawl through this, Master?" Anakin asked concerned, giving his former master a wary glance.
"I'll be fine, Anakin," Obi-Wan responded tiredly, nodding. "Just hurry and get my lightsaber, then get yourself out."
Anakin nodded with a smile. "I'll be back before you know it."
Obi-Wan, despite his weakened state, still managed to pull off a light chuckle. "Yes. I shall be waiting until you finally arrive." He gave his former padawan a rather cheeky smile, to which the Knight's grin only widened. 'He's slowly coming back,'
Anakin watched as the team deposited themselves and the captives carefully into the canvas, being careful not to make any noise.
Once they had vanished he darted off silently through the halls of the palace, navigating his way to the throne room on blind instinct. 'Right. Throne room. Somewhere in the centre of the palace,' The Knight swivelled around a corner and stopped dead at a pair of crystalline doors, his face inches from the solid surface.
Anakin slowed down his heavy breathing, and so settled his erratic heartbeat that was thumping against his chest as he slowly raised his gloved hand to the door.
Taking a deep breath, reading for anything that may oppose him upon the other side, he pushed the door slowly open, trying to prevent the creek of crystal and metal grinding together as he poked his head through.
To his astonishment, the throne room was empty. 'Damn! Oh well. Might as well check it out. I might find Obi-Wan's lightsaber here… and something else perhaps,'
Anakin scoured the throne room, trying not to toss things over so that it wouldn't leave evidence to his presence. He ground his teeth in frustration. Where was that darn lightsaber? The teaching Obi-Wan had so regularly taught him in his padawan years echoed through his mind. 'This weapon is your life,'
'Yes, that never gets old does it?'
The knight thought wryly as he continued his search.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, did he come across his master's lightsaber, resting perfectly upon a desk full of parchment.
The weapon gleamed with an unsurpassed shine, its silver and gold metal gleaming off the sunlight that now shone through the window.
'Looks like someone wanted a trophy,' Anakin thought as he approached the desk and snatched up the lightsaber, clipping it to his belt beside his own.
He was about to turn and leave when something caught his eye. A data pad, its screen still working stood out above the parchment. Anakin leaned down towards it to inspect it, the blue hue of the screen illuminating his strong facial features.
"Interesting," He mused to nothing or no one in particular.
He snatched up the data pad, deciding that this would be useful information to show everyone for later and stalked out the throne room, checking to see that anything was untouched before closing the door silently and making his way back to the canvas in which he crawled through, making his escape.
There we go! So what has Anakin found do you think? By the way, I put from what I could rememeber of a Clone Wars episode from season 2 where Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka, along with Ki-Adi-Mundi etc invade Geonosis to try and stop the manufacture of Seperatist tanks. :D Hope you enjoyed and please review, it'll make such a great gift to me and its what keeps me going in trying to produce better outcomes for you all! :D