Probably this would be the point where I should say it's getting better for Obi-Wan now. Welp, sorry to disappoint!
*Proceeds to throw this chapter at you and ducks behind the next wall*

Chapter 14

Three years.

Considering the accusations that had been made, Obi-Wan had expected worse. It hurt that no one supported him - and that Anakin in particular had remained silent. Instead, he had felt hatred and anger from his friend. Obi-Wan had tightened his shields in a pathetic attempt to evade Anakin.

Just before the trial began, a Medic had hastily and messily bandaged his bleeding hands, the thick bandages limiting his movements, yet somehow, he managed to keep scratching. It was as if the pain was the only thing keeping him from losing his mind.

Child endangerment. Obi-Wan had expected them to drag up flimsy accusations, but still the shock had run deep at the announcement. Even if he were free again in a few years; the brand would remain forever. People would hate him and even if he couldn't see their stares, he knew they were there. Burning, digging into his flesh, leaving deep wounds.

His greatest enemy was still only himself. Even if people would eventually forget what had happened - he never would.

A guard came over to him with clacking steps. "Kenobi," a gruff, authoritative voice rang out, "please stand."

Despite the throbbing pain in his head, Obi-Wan did as ordered, swaying briefly and leaning awkwardly on the table in front of him with his bound hands to regain his balance.

The guard didn't seem to care, because without waiting long he grabbed his upper arm and pulled him along. Obi-Wan stumbled. His knees hit the hard ground before he even knew what had just happened to him. He hissed through clenched teeth as pain rippled through his bones.

"Now don't act like that," the guard hissed in exasperation, pulling at his arm again, but Obi-Wan lacked the strength to get his feet under him. " As you wish," the man murmured, summoning one of his colleagues, who grabbed his other arm rudely. Mercilessly, the two men hoisted him up and pulled him forward, more or less kneeling. They ignored his weak protest when he asked them to wait at least a moment so that he could at least try to stand up. His knees dragged further above the ground and he could already feel the first abrasions forming on his skin.

Where they were pulling him, he couldn't say, but he knew he wasn't going the same way he had come. Apparently, they passed a door, because they stopped briefly before the guards continued with their transport.

"Can we please...," Obi-Wan put in again desperately as the pain in his knees grew worse, but was immediately stilled when a punch hit him in the pit of the stomach.

"Keep it down, scum," the guard to his left barked, punctuating his sentiment by jabbing a finger at Obi-Wan's scar. Blinded by the pain, he jerked his head away, at which the guard laughed.

"Get used to it," the man grunted, "your new friends in jail like you even less."

With that, they stepped through another door and a shallow breeze hit his face. He heard the hum of a speeder and the click as its doors were apparently opened. Suddenly one of the guards let go of his arm and grabbed his legs instead.

Surprised by the sudden change in orientation, Obi-Wan could do nothing but flounder helplessly like a fish on land. For a brief moment, he wanted to use the Force to push the men away, but he knew that would only make things worse.

With momentum, the two threw him into the waiting van, causing Obi-Wan to land on his bound hands and hit his chin hard on the metal floor, making him taste blood moments later. Dazed, he pulled himself up a bit and spat out, retching on the metallic taste in his mouth.

"Hey, what are you doing?" an angry voice called from behind him, and only now did Obi-Wan realize that he was not alone in the speeder.

Anakin.

"Stay out of this, Skywalker," the guard barked, striding around him to hoist him back up. Unceremoniously, he was ferried into one of the seats against the wall, his hands and feet secured with binders.

Apparently satisfied with his work, the guard exited again, slamming the door behind him. Obi-Wan could imagine how it must have become dark around them now.

Breathing heavily, he rested his head against the cold wall behind him and tried to calm himself. All the strength he had gathered for the trial had slipped away. Every single vein inside him burned like fire. His body wanted to demand much needed rest, but his mind disagreed. He was not safe here. Whether the guards or Anakin were the greater danger, he couldn't tell.

"Obi-Wan...?" a cautious voice finally asked again, "... are you - are you alright?"

How do you think I'm doing? The anger in him wanted to snap back, but instead he remained silent.

Anakin seemed to move to face him as the soft crackle of electricity emanating from the binders filled the air. "I... I'm sorry. For everything. I should never have attacked you... You've always been there for me. And at the interrogation just now... I don't know what happened, it was like I was suddenly missing memories. Palpatine, he..."

Obi-Wan finally interrupted him. "Just leave it, Anakin," he murmured wearily and deflated, still struggling to breathe, "You've done enough."

The pressure in his head was becoming increasingly unbearable, and when he closed his eyes for a moment, he found he no longer had it in him to open his eyes again. He was losing the battle with unconsciousness. The last thing he heard was someone calling his name and he again tested the solidity of the ground with his skull.

The steel was really hard.

He only woke up again when something stabbed him in the arm. Obi-Wan jumped up. At least he tried. Once again, his hands were in restraints and there also seemed to be some sort of belt wrapped around his waist, which effectively pinned him to the surface he was lying on.

"Hey, hey," a feminine voice called from beside him and a hand settled on his shoulder, "Easy, I'm trying to help you."

His heart was pounding up to his throat. He tried to regain his bearings with the help of the Force, but it kept slipping from his grasp. Realizing that his efforts were in vain, he eased up and dropped his head again, only now noticing that there was a pillow there.

"Where am I?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"You're in the prison infirmary here on Coruscant," the woman told him, not unkindly, "You collapsed during transport."

"Oh," was all he could produce in response.

The hand on his shoulder squeezed gently. "The guards gave you quite a beating," she murmured, "I don't often see the Chancellor's unit personally getting their hands dirty."

Obi-Wan could only snort hollowly in response. "Lucky me."

It wasn't until the doctor took her hand away that Obi-Wan noticed that he was obviously only wearing his underwear and they had put a blanket over his legs, the scratchy material clinging to them.

"...Where are my...?" he continued, but she understood him as it was.

"I'm afraid no personal belongings are allowed in prison; they've already taken them from you."

His ears burned red with shame as he realized that someone had undressed him while he was unconscious. Fortunately, he had given Ahsoka the necklace.

Again, his hands itched and Obi-Wan tried to lift them, but of course he didn't get far.

"Wait," the doctor muttered, starting to rummage for something. After a moment, she seemed to have found what she was looking for. A soft clack sounded and the shackles around his wrists fell off.

His surprise scarcely concealed, he rubbed his aching hands. Though he still couldn't stand up, it was better than nothing. "Thank you... Why are you doing this, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You don't exactly seem like someone who would try to stab me with a knife at the first opportunity," she replied, slightly amused.

"Appearances could be deceiving," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. His fever still made it hard for him to form a clear thought, but at least he was feeling a little better than before. Remembering the sting that had woken him up, he concluded that she must have injected him with something.

"Really?" she challenged him, "Since the beginning of our conversation, there's been a small knife here beside you on the table. And I know you Jedi don't even need your hands to move it."

Obi-Wan turned his head wearily in the direction he suspected the table was, blinking. He had no idea where the knife was. He couldn't even get a rough picture of the woman who was talking to him. The longer he tried, the more it became a mystery to him how Tahl had managed to see anything anyway.

His state of mind must have shown on his face when the doctor spoke again. "It's giving you trouble, isn't it?"

"What do you know?" he murmured back, staring ahead, more unfriendly than she actually deserved.

She seemed patient. "Well, before I started here, I worked on a traveling medcruiser. At one point, I had a blind woman as a patient. She was also Force sensitive, but was not a Jedi. She had told me that she managed to use the Force to see."

Obi-Wan frowned. "I know it can work. The only thing that remains closed to me so far is how."

"I think you'll figure it out sooner or later."

If only it were that simple. Still, it felt good to talk to someone who didn't just treat him with hatred and dislike.

"May I ask what drove you to start here?" he ventured, "I doubt the pay here is particularly good... or that the patients are especially appealing."

She laughed shallowly, and for a moment she reminded him a little of Satine. "No, they certainly aren't...and I'm not going to answer that question for you today."

Obi-Wan's face fell. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to offend you."

"That's alright," she retorted, and he could hear that something was bothering her. It had never been his intention to make her sad. But apparently that was what he was best at.

"I have to go, the other patients are waiting," she said finally, standing up, "Try to get a few more hours rest before they come for you, Mr. Kenobi."

"Obi-Wan," he muttered before he knew better, "My name is Obi-Wan."

When she didn't answer, he wondered if she had already left and it had escaped him, but then she spoke up. "Very well, Obi-Wan... but I meant it, you really should try to get some strength. You're going to need it."

With that she was about to leave again, but he stopped her one last time. "Wait, could I at least get your name, Doc?"

"Sadie," he got in reply, and a moment later he heard her footsteps moving away.

Now he was alone again.

With effort, he managed to turn onto his side and pull the thin blanket a little higher. His mind still hadn't processed the events of the last few hours. He wondered what he had done wrong to deserve this. Was he such a bad person?

Exhaustion took him away from finding the answer. Obi-Wan closed his eyes.

Satine was there again. As before, she stood there, arms open. Obi-Wan could not bring himself to move toward her.

Her smile disappeared and she lowered her arms. "What's the matter, Obi? Why don't you come here?" she asked in her sweet voice that chased him in his best and darkest dreams.

Obi-Wan shook his head and awkwardly took a step back. "You're not real."

Satine tilted her head. "Of course I'm real, dear."

The moment she stepped toward him, he immediately backed away. "No you're not."

Suddenly she paused, staring blankly at him. And then abruptly, she was gone. Obi-Wan whirled around, but there was nothing. Only blackness. He called her name, but no one answered.

"I'm sorry," he breathed into the nothingness.

"You should be sorry," suddenly hissed a voice to his right, and he found himself face to face with Satine. Her blue eyes gone, leaving only black, endless sockets. "You killed me," she breathed, shoving him away.

Obi-Wan fell. Whether he ever hit the ground he didn't know, as he was jerked back to reality.

Gasping for air, he woke up, disoriented. He wanted to startle up, but the thing around his waist held him back.

"The Duchess?" unexpectedly sneered a voice beside him, "You don't really think that woman was ever in your league."

The guard was back. And apparently, he had been talking during his nightmare.

"At least I've gotten further than you ever would have," he grumbled back quietly, having little patience, and turned onto his back.

A hand closed hard around his chin and jerked his head back. "What did you say?" the man demanded angrily.

Obi-Wans grabbed the man's wrist. He knew the guard was very close to his face. The man stank. Wrinkling his nose, he wanted to answer but they were interrupted.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Sadie.

Neither he nor the guard let go. If Obi-Wan could see, he'd probably stare into the dark flashing eyes of his counterpart.

"The worm here has offended me," the guard growled, and at that Obi-Wan was met with an odor that nearly made him retch.

"Let him go," Sadie said, "You know it's against the rules to touch prisoners when it's not necessary."

The guard laughed, but to Obi-Wan's relief, finally let go. "Believe me, it was necessary."

His boots squeaked as the man moved away from the bed. "You know my offer still stands," he purred, addressing Sadie.

Obi-Wan heard a hand being slapped away and had to stifle a smirk.

"Get your hands off me, you creep," Sadie bit out, "Now wait outside, I'm not done here yet."

"You don't know what you're missing," he snapped, but eventually left the room.

Sadie sighed and moved somewhere to Obi-Wan's right, judging by the sound again looking for the key to the shackles.

"Here," she finally murmured, stepping up to the bed, "I'll take that off for you."

With a click, the belt holding him to the bed finally opened.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said as he carefully sat up, his abdomen aching from the blow the guard had given him during the transport, "Is he giving you trouble?"

She snorted contemptuously. "He just can't take no for an answer. But I know how to fight back, thank you."

Obi-Wan raised his hands placatingly. "I... I didn't mean to be presumptuous."

Sadie only hummed in response, and a moment later she pressed a bundle into his hands. "Here, put this on."

His fingers brushed over the rough fabric and he knew exactly what he had on his hands. Black shirt. Orange jumpsuit. Memories of the Hardeen mission came flooding back, threatening to make him sick. Was Bane still here?

I'll give you a reward when I plug you full of laser bolts!

Although he had been aware of what was coming, he had not really dealt with it. Now it was too late.

A little awkwardly, he managed to pull the shirt over his head the right way, pleased for a short moment that it took the chill off a little. The overall took him longer, and inwardly he cursed himself for his own incompetence.

Sadie was still around, but thankfully didn't comment on his struggle.

After half an eternity he had made it and put his feet on the cold floor, feeling for the shoes he knew had to be there. This time, the Force apparently had mercy on him, for he found them relatively quickly.

When he finally finished, the doctor approached again, carrying something humming. The sound made Obi-Wan's stomach twist again. Binders. Again.

"I'm afraid I'll have to put these on you," she said apologetically, "Give me your hands."

At least they're not Force-suppressive. Resignedly, he held out his hands and a moment later the metal shackles around his wrists clicked shut. It surprised him when, moments later, a shackle around each of his ankles snapped shut as well.

Obi-Wan pressed his lips into a thin line. If the guard should now decide to play his tricks on him again, he had only the Force to defend himself. And he knew better than to use it here. They were just waiting for him to give them a reason to take the Force away from him.

"Come on, get up," Sadie finally said empathically, and Obi-Wan did as instructed, having no real choice.

A guiding hand on his upper arm, she led him across the room and he took the opportunity to scan his surroundings with the Force. First he sensed Sadie, the rest of the patients, and then the guard, behind a wall. Obi-Wan's eyebrows drew together, forcing himself to sink deeper. The Force was not giving him any more information. Frustrated, he refrained from further attempts and instead concentrated on not tripping over his own feet.

Small steps.

A door opened and Obi-Wan stepped through, not exactly thrilled about having to be alone with the guard now.

"Took you forever," said man grumbled, immediately checking to see if the restraints were properly applied.

If I really wanted to kill you, I wouldn't even need my hands, Obi-Wan thought bitterly, but kept his expression neutral and let it wash over him.

"Here we go then," the guard grunted, pushing Obi-Wan forward rudely, "And don't you collapse again, I'm not dragging your damn ass here again."

Decisively preferring to remain silent, he shuffled ahead, his every step accompanied by the electric hum of the binders. So the chancellor had assigned his personal henchmen to transport him. Obviously, Palpatine did not trust the actual guards in the prison.

Obviously, he still wasn't walking fast enough for the guard when a toe hit him in the back of the calf. Obi-Wan stumbled briefly, but caught himself again, thank the Force. He whirled around and fixed the guard with a cool stare. "That was unnecessary, don't you think?"

He almost expected to be punched, but surprisingly the punch failed to materialize. There were probably cameras. "That's none of your business, scum. Now get a move on before something else happens!" grumbled the guard, pulling out an object. Immediately, Obi-Wan felt a kind of hole form in the Force in front of him. A Force-suppressant collar. "Or are you and I going to be in trouble?" the guard asked menacingly.

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw. "No," he finally pressed out and turned back around to continue walking.

"Good choice," the man behind him laughed, putting the device away again, "We wouldn't want your new friends to have it any easier than they already do."

His stomach twisted at the thought, but he stopped himself from letting it show. A lot might have been taken from him, but burying his head in the sand now wasn't going to help him. He had to be strong if he wanted to survive here.

They passed through an airlock of sorts and were met by two clones. Obi-Wan was almost relieved to hear the familiar voices. Fortunately, the two men also took over the rest of the transfer and the greasy guard finally disappeared.

"Come, let us take you to your cell," one of the clones said in a neutral voice, pushing him forward with a hand on his shoulder blade, but not so fast that Obi-Wan lost his balance.

With the two men, he climbed onto the platform he already knew, the one that had brought him to the cell with Bane and Eval back then.

Hopefully he did not have the pleasure with the two again. They moved slowly upwards and finally came to a stop.

As one of the guards removed his shackles, a question forced itself to Obi-Wan's mind. "May I ask who I'm sharing the cell with?"

"You haven't been told?" the clone snorted in amazement, deactivating the ray shield that sealed the cell, "Skywalker, of course."

Stunned, Obi-Wan allowed himself to be pushed forward, only half noticing the shield close again behind him with a hiss.

Of all the people in here, they had to lock him in with him.

Movement was audible from one of the upper bunks and a moment later a pair of feet touched down on the floor.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, almost sounding like a wounded animal.

Obi-Wan swallowed hard and threw his mental shields into place.

He would not let Anakin get that close again.