It has been forever since I last updated, but here we go again.

Chapter 30

With hours to wait, Ben had hidden and attempted to meditate, keeping his consciousness pressed up against the silent bond with his master, waiting for any sign of stirring on the other end. He had found himself too agitated to focus, his calm center elusive in the midst of a swirling flurry of fears and doubts.

Rest, Padawan. You need to rest.

The calm, familiar words had seeped into his awareness, intermingled with the same warmth he had come to know well over the past four years. He had reached out, eagerly drinking in his master's presence as though he were dying of thirst, not ashamed of the few tears that had escaped down his cheeks. And then at once it was gone, strong, unyielding shields locking him away. It had startled him, causing him to wonder why his master would contact him only to leave suddenly. His only clues were cracks that had surfaced in the fortress of Obi-Wan's mind as the night wore on. Ben caught frightening muted glimpses of confusion and pain, but ultimately the shields held, his master weathering whatever trial he faced alone. Now there was only silence. Obi-Wan was unconscious, and Ben took comfort in the fact that his master was at least alive.

Perched on the hillside, Ben surveyed the compound below. It couldn't have been a better night, dense clouds blocking out much of the light from the moons and stars. He opened himself to the Force completely, using it to see where each and every presence was located. Knowing where all the pieces were would allow him to determine where to move. Seeking a corner less occupied than others, he stalked to the perimeter fence. Obi-Wan had taught him to determine if there was an alarm trigger. Seeing none, he backed up a few steps, calling on the Force to spring him up over the fence in a graceful somersault. Landing, he stayed crouched down low until he was able to get to the side of a building. He kept to the shadows, using his knowledge of everyone's locations to avoid being discovered until Obi-Wan's Force signature led him to a building. Actually, it was more a shack than a building, and a small smile slipped across his features. The material was far more flimsy than the first wall he had ever cut through, it would be no match for a lightsaber. He hesitated for a moment as the hiss of the blade igniting split the silence. It was louder to his ears in his heightened state of awareness and he looked from side to side as he worked quickly.

The chunk of the wall fell away and he held his saber through the hole, using its soft blue glow to illuminate the room before he climbed through the opening. The overpowering scents of sweat and blood greeted him, making him turn his face from the figure lying on the ground in the center of the room, but it was only a momentary pause. Ben hurried to the elder Jedi's side, dropping to his knees.

"Master?"

There was no answer, only the slight rise and fall of Obi-Wan's chest and presence in the Force giving any assurance he was alive. Ben slowly moved him to his back, a grimace creasing otherwise peaceful features. The Jedi master had been stripped of tunics and his skin was alarmingly cold to the touch. Ben quickly searched the room, finding only his master's discarded robe in the corner. He grabbed it, tucking it around Obi-Wan's body.

Trembling hands reached out, brushing first down a bruised eye and cheekbone and still bloodied lip as Ben probed for injuries through the Force. Cold, raw fear pierced through his heart with the realization that time was more precious and fleeting than he had thought. Obi-Wan had estimated that it was a good two day's walk to the neutral territory and that was time they might not have.

"What did they do to you?"

Clenching his teeth together, Ben stifled a sob, surprised by the intense anger that welled up inside and washed over him. Though he had gotten angry before, everyone did, he had little experience with the strength of the emotion. For the first time in his seventeen years, he found it hard to just release it into the Force, though he knew he needed to do just that. An unfamiliar voice whispered from within and he took a moment to listen. It sang a song of revenge, cloaking it in a carefully woven idea of justice. He inhaled it, taking it in like a sweet fragrance as it teased his senses. Yes, his master's captors deserved to suffer. He was promised the power to do just that, and suddenly felt like he could take on the galaxy by himself. But why did it seem so wrong? He shook his head, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, drowning in emotion that seemed to choke his soul.

A hand abruptly reached out, clawing weakly at his tunics, startling him and he nearly cried out. Ben looked down at Obi-Wan, seeing clarity fighting to surface in semi-lucid blue-gray depths. His master's voice was raspy and weary as it spoke, but held unwavering certainty and authority. "Fear leads to anger … anger leads to …"

" … hate, hate leads to suffering …" Obi-Wan's voice fell away, the master nodding as his apprentice completed the adage he had heard since childhood.

"Let it go," Obi-Wan whispered.

Ben's eyes widened, panic setting in as he realized the temptress that had called him. His eyes slid shut as he pulled his mind together, banishing the specter that seemed to shroud him, welcoming in a flood of warm light.

A chilled hand pressed against his face, and he cupped his hand over it trying to feed it warmth. He opened his eyes, seeing a smile in his mentor's. "Knew you would come."

"How could I not?" Ben said.

"I am proud of you." Something in his master's tone betrayed that he wasn't sure if he would have another chance to say those words, and Ben lowered his head. "I know it was hard to go."

"I don't understand why you sent me away, Master."

"You will." Ben almost thought he saw a spark of humor shining in his master's eyes as he spoke. "Can we go now?"

"Yes, we can, Master." Ben tried to wrap the robe more tightly around his master's body, biting his lip as he got ready to pick him up. "This is probably going to hurt." Obi-Wan nodded, seeming to brace himself, only letting out a muffled cry as Ben lifted him and draped him over his shoulder.

As he stood, the front door slid open and a guard stepped in. "Hey! What are you …"

"Sleep!" Ben commanded, watching as the officer paused for a moment then dropped to the ground. There was no way he could jump the fence with Obi-Wan over his shoulder, so he ran towards it, igniting his saber one last time to slice a hole before taking off in a burst of Force enhanced speed back into the forest.

The kitchen was at last clean. It always seemed it took longer to clear the table with the whole family helping and stumbling over each other, but the time together was worth it. Cliegg and Owen retreated outdoors to finish up some last-minute chores and Shmi went to look for Anakin. She fell silent as she caught the first glimpse of her son. His expression was serious and distant, every inch of him tense and poised as he perched on the sofa. He even had his saber clenched in his hand, wringing the grip.

"What's wrong Ani?" She dropped to the sofa beside him. He cast her a sideways glance, eyes widening as though she had brought him back from another world. "Something's wrong," she said, reaching up to run fingers through hair lightly dampened with perspiration.

"I don't know, Mom. There is a disturbance in the Force. I feel it," he whispered. "Master should have been back already and he's shielded himself."

"Is he okay?" Shmi asked, darting to the doorway. She reached to open it, moving quickly out of the way as it flew open on its own and Xanatos brushed past her, keeping his head ducked down.

"Anakin. Pack your things we need to go."

"Master, I thought we would have longer …"

"Anakin!" Xanatos warned sharply causing both Shmi and Anakin to flinch. He paused, his voice much gentler when he spoke again. "Please, Padawan. Just do as I ask."

Though still composed on the surface, his tone was strained as though he were holding back a rushing tide of emotion. Anakin doubted his mother even noticed, but he had been at Xanatos Marojni's side long enough to know when the Jedi master was struggling. He stepped forward resting a hand on his master's shoulder, noticing he barely had to reach up anymore.

"What is it, Master?"

Xanatos turned, and Anakin caught the almost imperceptible tremble in his hands. Ivory skin was, if possible, even paler than normal. Anakin looked through him, drawing on considerable powers of perception. "Obi-Wan and Ben?" he whispered, watching as Xanatos nodded. "What's happened?"

"The Council would not give me details."

"So where are we going?"

"Coruscant – at the Council's request."

"But Obi-Wan and Ben aren't on Coruscant … we have to … why would they make us come back?"

"They are afraid we might do something impertinent or unpredictable, perhaps." The ice edging his mentor's words made Anakin understand that his mentor must have exchanged harsh words with the Council, the reason for his shielding, and probably the disturbance he felt. "We are far from their location and there are others better situated to mount a rescue. If our help is needed, I am assured we will be given permission to go when we reach Coruscant." Xanatos chanced a light smile. "We will hope both are home and well when we get back."

Ben had journeyed on for at least an hour, driven by adrenaline and a desire to get as far away from the compound as possible, drawing strength he no longer had from the Force. Though strong and in excellent physical condition, he was unaccustomed to bearing so much weight for so long, but he pushed ahead despite the deep burning in his arms, shoulders, and legs. It was finally his mentor's strangled voice begging that caused him to stop. Laying Obi-Wan on the ground, Ben looked over his master's battered form worriedly.

He tore open a packet of water and dribbled it past his mentor's lips. Obi-Wan seemed to respond immediately to the liquid, lapping at it eagerly. Ben lifted the elder Jedi's head, holding it close enough for him to drink deeply, laying him back down only when Obi-Wan nodded and indicated he was satisfied.

"I need to try to treat some of your injuries, Master." Ben pulled the robe away and Obi-Wan shivered as a cold chill swept across his body. "Sorry," he whispered. His eyes automatically went to the most obvious injury, a deep blaster wound, probably the one that had dropped him to the ground to begin with. He worked quickly, bathing the damaged tissue in bacta while trying to feed healing injury into it before tending to what else he was able. There was little he could do now for the internal injuries, and those were what worried him most. He pulled a small cylinder from the medkit, releasing the contents of the injectible into his master's neck. After just a few moments, the tense lines of pain across his master's face began to relax, his breathing becoming much more relaxed and easy. Ben looked into the kit, taking a quick count of how many more doses he had. He would have to conserve the pain medication in case it got worse, and for while they were on the move.

"Now, rest," he heard his mentor say.

"We can't master."

"You're exhausted."

"I watched them fly patrols from where I was hiding all day today. We need to get as far as possible under the cover of darkness."

Obi-Wan let out a sigh, obviously wanting a break from being carried over Ben's shoulder. He finally nodded.

"I know you hurt, Master. I promise we will rest at first light."