Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped up next to his master, Qui-Gon Jinn in the cockpit of the ship The Stinger, which was transporting them to the planet Enturu. Obi-Wan had heard many strange things about the planet; things about the existance of people there with speacial powers and outstanding capabilities.
He passed them off as rumors started by someone who just wanted a bit of attention. Besides, there's no such thing as people who can shapeshift or walk through walls. He thought silently to himself, he jumped as a deep voice sounded next to him. "We're almost there Obi-Wan." Said his master.
Obi-Wan watched out the window as they approached the green sphere. He had to admit, it was pretty and so peaceful at least from up above. He took out a notepad and reviewed his notes on the problem Enturu was faceing: People being locked up and forced into slavery. Who would do something like that? And why? He asked himself.
"Obi-Wan?"
"Yes master?" He replyed looking up from his notes.
"Im glad to see you've studied for a mission for once." Qui-Gon said jokingly.
Obi-Wan just smiled, not entirely sure how to reply to that.
Qui-Gon's smile faded into a serious look, "When we land..." Seeing that Obi-Wan wasn't paying attention he gently poked him in the shoulder. "Obi-Wan?"
"Huh? Oh, Im sorry master i was thinking." Obi-Wan apologized.
Qui-Gon shook his head and smiled inwardly.
"When we land, we will be met by senator Miklan. He will show us where to stay and explain the problem further." Obi-Wan, this time listening, smiled and nodded. They docked at bay 9 and just as Qui-Gon had said, they were met by senator Miklan.
"Greetings and welcome to Enturu." Said the senator with a tinge of false sentiment in his voice, or so Obi-Wan had noticed. "How was the trip over?"
"Just fine thank you." Qui-Gon replyed.
The senator slowly turned his gaze toward Obi-Wan, looked down and gave somewhat of a menaceing smile. "And this must be the apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi." The senator stuck out a hand in the ancient gesture of a hand shake Obi-Wan was familer with. He hesitated a bit, but eventually met the senators hand half-way and returned the gesture.
Obi-Wan couldent help but stare at the man; there was something inheritantly creepy about him.
His eyes were dark and penetraiting; Obi-Wan was afraid to look into them for to long, for fear of getting sucked in and never finding his way out. His hair was a shock of silver and grey. It was quite long and a little frazzled, making him look like a mad scientist of sorts. His face was hard even though he was smileing, Obi-Wan could see a coolness behind it. He was tall and towered over even Qui-Gon. Suffice it to say, Obi-Wan was a little intimidated by this man.
Obi-Wan withdrew his hand, looked down and closed his eyes hard. The senator seemed to have some mezmerizing power over him. For a moment, he felt as if the senator had asked him to take his lightsaber and cut his own hand off, he would have done it without thinking twice.
He steped back a little from senator Miklan, thinking somehow a little space between them would lessen the affects the senator seemed to exude on Obi-Wan. The senator noticed this, gave a little laugh and said to Qui-Gon, "Your apprentice seems to be quite bashful. No matter, I'm certain he'll get over it when we become better aquainted with each other.
He turned again to Obi-Wan with a smirk and a silent gaze, then, startleing the young appretentice, he said almost in a shout. "Well! You two must be tired and hungry. Come, I'll have the servants show you to your quarters so you can rest up before dinner with me this evening."
He gestured to his servants, who rushed forth and collected the jedi's bags. Obi-Wan's eyes met one of the servant's. She was a slender girl, probably not much older than himself. She had a tress of mohagany hair that fell beyond her shoulders and bounced as she walked. Her eyes were the color of an ocean, and he felt almost calm and tranquil just by looking into them. He soon realized his mouth was hanging open, he shut it and blushed embarassed. She looked away giving a sweet smile, but the smile soon faded as she turned her gaze to the senator.
Obi-Wan could feel the surging hate she felt for the senator. It was a searing rage made Obi-Wan wince; if the senator could have felt what he was feeling at this instant. He was certain he'd run away horrified. Why does she hate him so? He wondered. Of course she was the senators slave, but this alone was not enough to bring up feelings this harsh. Obi-Wan looked at the other slaves and delved into thier minds to feel what they were feeling. Some were frightened, some felt trapped, others were angry and vengeful. But as he looked into their eyes, he could see none of those feeling comming through as he did with the young, red-headed girl. When he looked into her eyes now, he could see resentment peirceing through. But the other slaves eyes were blank and dead. This was a bit unsettleing to Obi-Wan and caused a surge of suspicion to arise in him.
The silence was broken by Qui-Gons voice, "Obi-Wan, if your quite finished. Please join the rest of us." Obi-Wan looked back at his master, nodded his head and picked up his pace to catch up with Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan had a bad feeling about this place and he was determined to find out why.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed two young slave girls down a long, elegant hallway.
The walls were decorated with portraits of former generals and past kings. They walked along a viberant red carpet lined with gold tassels, the floor around the carpet was white marbel tinted with pink. The palace was exceptionaly beautiful though Obi-Wan had seen many over his time as padawan. Even Qui-Gon seemed impressed. Finally they reached thier rooms and one of the slave girls opened a large polished wooden door which seemed to glimmer in the light. This one belonged to Qui-Gon and as Obi-Wan caught the enormity of the room, he hoped his was just as big.
Another of the girls showed Obi-Wan to his room which was just across the hallway from Qui-Gon's and set his bags down inside. "Im sure you'll be comfortable here, just call me if you need anything." She said quickly as if in some sort of a hurry, Obi-Wan nodded and watched the blonde girl rush out of the room. He watched as the other girl helping Qui-Gon hurried away in the same manner. Obi-Wan merely shrugged it off and closed the door behind him. He began wandering around the room, touching everything in sight. He'd never seen anything as big or elegant as this room was. The carpet, a lavender color and the bed was large enough for at least four people. Okay maybe not that many, but it sure seemed like it. He was used to his smaller cozy quarters at the academy, but he figured he could get accustomed to living like this! Obi-Wan strode over to the bed and ploped down on it. He began thinking about the pretty slave girl he'd met at the docking bay. He realized that after they came into the palace, she disappeared. Maybe she had other things to do. He thought to himself, still he wished that she had been the one escorting them to their rooms. He would have liked to talk to her, maybe she could tell him what was going on around here. He knew there was something more going on than the senator let on. Something more sinister than just slave camps.
Obi-Wan had not even realized he'd fallen asleep until the knock on his door had awakened him. He scrambled out of worried that he'd slept through dinner and Qui-Gon was here to scold him yet again. He straightened his tunic out and ran his fingers through his hair before answering the door, after all, he did want to look presentable to whomever was on the other side. He pulled open the door and saw the red-haired girl from before standing there looking straight at him.
He was stricken by her beauty for a moment that he felt his mouth form a smile. Feeling like a goofy, love-struck child, he quickly extinguished the smile and cleared his throat. The girl almost smileing herself at his bashfulness said, "Sorry to disturb you, but the senator has asked me to infrom you that dinner will be served in the main hall in twenty minutes."
"Um, thank you." replyed Obi-Wan. An akward silence followed but he could tell she wanted to say more than what she had. She took a breath to speak again, but hesitated and simply blinked then walked in the direction of Qui-Gon's room. Obi-Wan coulden't let this oppertunity pass; he had so many questions about this place and knew she was probably the best person to ask.
Her eyes conveyed an intelligence to him, but he could tell they were hiding something, something she was yearning to confide to him. Obi-Wan called out quietly to her, "Uh, wait, whats your name?"
The girl, who was just about to wrap on Qui-Gon's door, stoped her hand in mid-air and turned toward Obi-Wan. She walked up to him slowly with almost a relieved expression on her face; relived, maybe, that Obi-Wan had finally chosen to break the ice. "My name's Lara." She answered with a sigh, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I've been hoping you'd approach me. It means I was right about you. You are the one!" She said with determination and excitement.
"The one?! I...." answered Obi-Wan, not quite understanding what was going on.
"You are the only one who can help me."
"I'm sorry, I dont know quite what you mean."
"You will, very soon. I can't explain now, but I'll come to your room tonight, and show you everything."
Obi-Wan was still very confused, but managed to blurt an, "Okay."
Lara's eyes lit up and began to glow as she smiled at him.
"Oh and Obi-Wan," Said his master turning to face him again. "Do something with that hair of yours will you?" Qui-Gon gave a chuckle, shook his head incredulously and entered his room. Obi-Wan looked up at his hair and shrugged his shoulders as his opinionated master (to opinionated in Obi-Wan's mind) disappeared into his room shutting the door behind him.
"Get to work!", ordered the overlord, glaring at the children and looking intentionally mean to intimidate them into following his orders. He didn't need to look mean to get them to work, they already feared him and all the other guards, so much so that a mere glance from them would send a shiver down the childrens' spines. The air was thick and humid, which made the stench of sweat and the thick soot just linger in the air. It was hard to breathe in that filth without running the risk of vomitting all over themselves, but after being worked as hard as they were, it was either take in enough air to prevent from passing out, or take very short breaths and lose consciousness from lack of oxygen to the brain.
It was a no-win situation. If you passed out, you got a beating and if you breathed in, you had to taste the putrid air. Neither option seemed very appealing to the children, but there were no other choices. The guards had filter masks, of course, so the stench wasn't a problem for them. It just gave them an even greater sense of power over the children, knowing that they had the luxury of breathing in fresh air while the rancid air was sufficient enough for the children. The overlord gave a raucous laugh that always made the children cringe. He was having far too much fun torturing them today and this meant he would jump at any opportunity to beat one of them with his shock stick if they so much as blinked too hard.
The temperature down below always seemed ten degrees hotter than everywhere else. It might have had something to do with the tension permeating from the children out of fear that one of the guards might turn on them at any moment. A large part of it had to do, as well, with the amount of work they were doing. They were constantly moving and worked manual labour sometimes 10 hours straight without a rest. They were given only a small ration of water every couple of hours so they wouldn't dehydrate, after all, the overlord had a schedule to keep and couldn't afford to have children passing out from water loss. The guards paced up and down the long row of children ready to strike at any who they thought weren't giving it their all.
"Faster you little swine or I'll make sure none of you are spared a shock from this "magic wand" of mine! Move it!", bellowed the overlord, a fat, middle-aged man who was always smacking the shock stick flat against the palm of his left hand. The sound of that stick hitting bare flesh resounded through the head of every child. It was a sound they could never get used to nor would they ever forget. Out of the corner of the overlord's eye he caught a glimpse of one of the children dropping his tool and falling to the ground with a thud. The boy was young with blond hair that was frayed and tangled from lack of grooming. His face was stained with black soot and sweat was running down his forehead. He lay slumped on the floor, his brown eyes looking dazed and beginning to roll back into his head.
"Tayel, get up!", whispered another boy standing beside him. He couldn't risk helping his friend up, for the head guard had already started making his way over to the area to see what was going on. "Get up! Quickly, he's coming!", pleaded the red-haired boy.
"I can't Raliek... I'm so tired." answered Tayel weakly. The overlord lumbered over to Tayel, and towered above him. Raliek looked into the overlord's eyes and shuddered at the familiarity of the look in them. It was the look he got everytime he was about to inflict a beating on one of the children. There was a hint of anticipation and excitement in his piercing, gray eyes and at this point, he feared for his friend lying helpless on the floor.
The overlord took his foot and kicked Tayel as he shouted, "Get up you lazy scum!". Tayel grunted slightly from the kick, but did not get off the floor. Raliek could see the overlord beginning to salivate and his stomach churned, for he knew what was coming next. The overlord bent over and got a hold of Tayel's hair then began dragging him across the filty, muddy floor. Tayel moaned gently, but didn't struggle against his opressor; he had no choice really, he was drifting in and out of consciousness, which was probably a blessing for what he was about to face. The rest of the children stood and watched in horror as both Tayel and the overlord disappeared behind a wall.
There was a long, looming silence, which was then broken by the all too familiar sound of electricity crackling in the air, followed by blood-curdling screams. Raliek closed his eyes hard and some of the other children covered their ears to block out the cries. Raliek could feel tears welling up in his eyes and his throat becoming constricted. This was a punishment he wouldn't wish on even the worst of enemies. The crackling and screaming finally stopped after what seemed an eternity and the overlord reappeared from behind the wall. He was caressing his shock stick and had a content smirk on his face as he walked past the horrified children. Raliek stared at the monster with resentment tinged with fear.
"Guards, go clean up that mess back there. I don't think he's dead and make sure he stays that way. Let that be a lesson to the rest of you!", yelled the overlord, glaring at all the children who quickly averted their eyes. Raliek saw as the guards dragged Tayel back to the cells, but breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his friends eyelids flicker, a sign that he had survived the brutal attack. "Get back to work! All of you!" cried another guard and once again the children continued with their labours. Raliek vowed then to get out of this place and when he did, he would make that heartless devil pay for everything he had done to him and the rest of the children. He was just biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike; a moment, he hoped, that would arrive very soon.
Obi-wan sat down next to his master at a table almost too large for the amount of guests seated. 'They sure do keep things big around here.' he thought to himself, as a servant set a plate down in front of him. "Thank you." he said quietly to the girl. The food smelled delicious and he couldn't wait to dig in, but they had to wait for the senator, who had not arrived yet. 'The senator's late for his own dinner.' The thought made Obi-wan smile. Finally, after waiting for what seemed like hours, the senator arrived. He walked in wearing formal dress for the occasion, which consisted of black pants and shirt and a long, grey cloak.
The senator greeted his guests and smiled as he took a seat at the head of the table. "I thank you all for coming, now let us eat.", he stated while motioning to his guests to start eating. Obi-Wan started to eat, and as he did, his head began to fill with thoughts about the slave girl and how she referred to him as "the one". He then began thinking about the slave camps? Were they real and did the senator know about them?
"Tell me about the slave camps.", Obi-Wan blurted out without even thinking. All the guests at the table stopped eating and looked up. They turned almost simultaneously to the senator who stared into his plate chewing his food slowly.
He looked up as he swallowed all he had consumed and smiled at Obi-wan while answering, "Slave camps? My dear boy what are you talking about?", the senator said in a falsely innocent tone of voice.
Obi-Wan, shocked that he had even asked the question, looked up from his food and met the senator's eyes as he gathered enough courage to say, "The slave camps, senator, tell me about them."
The senator looked a little uncomfortable, then the old mischievious look formed on his face again. "Young apprentice, is it not your master's job to talk and you to listen?",said the senator, trying to belittle Obi-wan, "But if your curious mind must know, they are not slave camps, they're ophanages for children who have lost their parents and who don't have a home."
'Yeah I'll bet.', Obi-Wan thought bitterly in his mind, though he dared not say it aloud, for Qui-Gon would certainly become even more angry than he already was if Obi-wan had. "Ok what's wrong with these slaves then?", Obi-wan began again, "They all seem...empty, like they have no mind of their own." The senator was becoming irritated; Obi-Wan could see it in his eyes.
"I don't know what you are implying young man, but the children are treated very well and with nothing but love and understanding. Perhaps, young Obi-Wan, you're too curious for your own good.", the senator said, bowing his head towards his plate so that the obvious anger in his eyes would not betray him. The senator said no more and began eating again.
"Obi-Wan I want you to go back to your room. Now.", Qui-gon ordered in a cross tone. Obi-Wan looked up at him, nodded, and slid his chair away from the table. He threw his napkin onto the table and walked straight back to his room. Though there were many people watching, he wasn't the least bit embarrassed. He hoped that the people would realize the senator was not being completely sincere and that they would begin to question the senator about the so-called "orphanages". Obi-Wan turned back to the room one last time and saw Lara standing next to a counter, with a big grin on her face.
Obi-wan had been in his room for two hours, pacing up and down while grumbling under his breath. He didn't hate his master for telling him to leave the dining room; he was only angry he didn't get to drill the senator further about the institutions he called "orphanages". He never did explain why all the slaves looked somewhat catatonic, he only demeaned him so as to deter him from asking anymore questions. Obi-wan was proud of himself in a way; he didn't let the senator embarass or frighten him into ending his interrogation, but he still didn't have the answers he needed. Obi-wan's head was beginning to ache with all the thinking he was doing, so he decided to turn in. Just then, a knock came at his door. He figured it was Qui-gon come to chew him out for his disrespectful behaviour at dinner...and he was right. "I know, I know, Master Qui-gon." Obi-wan started as Qui-gon stood in the doorway, "I made a scene at dinner and you are very upset with me. I'm sorry..."
"Don't be, young apprentice." Qui-gon interjected, much to Obi-wan's surprise. "I admit, you could have chosen a better opportunity to question the senator about such a matter, but I commend you on the initiative you took in asking the question."
"Uh, thank you master." was all Obi-wan could squeak out. Qui-gon was actually praising Obi-wan for misbehaving. This was a welcome change from the usual 'Take some time and meditate over what you have done. I am surprised at you Obi-wan.', in the disappointed tone he was so good at, of course.
"However, Obi-wan, I do not want you to press the matter any further. The senator has invited us here as guests and has treated us with nothing but hospitality. I think he deserves a little respect, don't you?"
"Yes master, but don't you think there is something strange going one around here. I mean, have you looked at the servants? They seem lost to the world around them. I mean, they don't even blink!"
"I must admit, Obi-wan, I have noticed some strange occurrences around here, but I'm afraid it is not our place to go prying in the senator's affairs. We are here on a purely diplomatic mission; we're not here to uncover secret conspiracies and we are certainly not here to accuse the senator of crimes against humanity."
Obi-wan was about to object to his master, but as he caught a look at Qui-gon's expression, he knew the discussion was over and anything more he tried to say would just make matters worse. "Yes master Qui-gon. I understand, but I don't agree."
"I know you don't; you never agree with me. That's what all good padawans do." and with that, Qui-gon smiled and retired to his room. Obi-wan stood in his doorway, watching his master leave and chuckled to himself. 'Did he just compliment me? That's a first.', and shaking his head, he entered his room.
Obi-wan was in his bed just about asleep, when a quiet knock at his door came. He almost didn't hear it, but he quickly got up and made his way to the door. "Who could it be at this hour?" he grumbled under his breath. As he opened the door to reveal the figure of the young, red-headed girl, he quickly remembered about their meeting. "I didn't know if you were coming." he said, as the girl pushed her way into his room and shut the door. A little confused by this, he looked at the girl who turned around with a smile on her face. "I can't believe you did that. It was wonderful!" she said to him quietly while trying to contain her excitement.
"What do you mean?" asked Obi-wan, not knowing why she was so happy at this moment.
"At dinner - you really angered the senator with your questions. It's about time someone stood up to him and questioned him about the... what did he call them? Oh yes, orphanages." she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Oh, that. I don't know what got over me, it just sort of... came out."
"Well, I'm still glad you did it. He deserved to be embarassed in front of all those guests and believe me, he was embarassed." She then changed from an excited tone to a serious one. "I have much to tell you. Can we sit?" Obi-wan nodded and motioned to a chair in the room. Lara sat down and watched Obi-wan as he sat on his bed. "You are probably wondering about what i told you before; about you being "the one"." Obi-wan moved in a bit closer, listening attentively to Lara. Of course he wanted to know what she meant by that. It was the one thought that had occupied his mind the most that whole day. "The moment you stepped off that ship," she began, "I knew that you would help me. I sensed in you a determination... a yearning to understand."
"Sensed? Are you telling me you are in touch with the force?" Obi-wan asked.
"No, not the force."
"But you said you "sensed" something from me. If it's not through the force, then how?" Obi-wan was even more lost then he was when he first met Lara.
"I did sense you. I shall explain. You have studied our planet so you probably know that our atmosphere has a higher than normal level of radiation."
"Yes! I read that. I don't know of what importance it is, but I do remember studying that in my notes." answered Obi-wan, rather excitedly.
"Well, due to these high levels, all organisms on Enturu undergo an accelerated rate of mutation." Obi-wan was mesmerized by Lara's knowledge of the subject; she sounded like a scientist and for a moment seemed much older than she appeared.
"All organisms? That means the people of Enturu as well?" Obi-wan tried to contribute to the conversation in the only way he knew how: by asking questions. He knew nothing about mutation rates and radiation, so he let Lara enlighten him instead of making a fool of himself by trying to sound smart.
"Yes. Some of my people have undergone rapid mutation, a sort of evolution. Those Enturans have shown to bear special abilities and powers, like myself."
"You're one of these mutations?" Obi-wan blurted out, becoming embarassed the moment he spoke realizing he sounded somewhat ignorant.
"We like to call ourselves the gifted ones, and yes, I am one. That is how I sensed you. It's my ability. I have found that I can enter people's minds and feel what they are feeling, hear what they are thinking. It can be very intimate at times, for a person's mind is a very private place. They think and feel things they would never say aloud. I try not to peer into one's mind; it is their sanctuary and should be left alone." She spoke very passionately on the subject and Obi-wan could feel himself getting lost in her words. "I also have the ability to make objects move, just using my mind. I don't know how I do it; I just think it and it happens. I used to be afraid of my abilities because I couldn't control them, but now that I've had practice, I know how to use them to my advantage."
"So, that's how you sensed me. I still don't understand what you meant by me being 'the one'."
"Patience, Obi-wan. The gifted ones are feared on Enturu, but not because we are dangerous, it's because they've been made to think we are by people like Senator Miklan. Yes, some of the gifted ones have taken the wrong path and have done some bad things, but they are no more wicked than any other Enturan. We are not inherently evil, yet Miklan has somehow convinced everyone that we are."
"I knew the senator was not to be trusted. I could see it in his eyes from the first moment I met him." Obi-wan said with satisfaction.
"However, that is not the end of the story." Lara lowered her eyes and stared at the floor as she continued with her explanation. "The moment Senator Miklan was elected into office, he began a campaign to kill off all the gifted ones. He started with the adults. My parents....gone now along with everyone else's." Lara swallowed hard at this point, but continued. "He spared the children after realizing our abilities were not as powerful as the adults. Our powers could be controlled, even inhibited, but not the adults'. They are a threat so the senator is doing away with them and using us as his slaves."
"Destroying all the adults won't solve his problem. I mean, the radiation levels of Enturu will always be high, meaning mutants will always appear in the population." Obi-wan was quite impressed with his own analysis of the situation and hoped Lara was impressed by it as well.
"Yes, that is quite right. The senator realized that as well, so he decided that if he couldn't extinguish the population, he would control us. That's why he created the slave camps."
"I knew it!" cried Obi-wan, "I knew that's what he was hiding."
"Yes, that is the senator's dirty, little secret. He kills our parents and throws the children into the camps. The girls are used as his personal servants and others are...experimented on. He says he is doing the people of Enturu a service by separating us mutants from the general population. He assures them that we are treated well in his 'orphanages' and are taught how to be civil and productive members of society. The problem with this is we never actually get outside the boundaries of the camp. Some of us were young children when we were thrown into the camps, so we know nothing of the outside world, nothing of how beautiful Enturu is. It is our home, but he's made it a prison to us." Lara bit her lip at this point to hide her anger, the same anger Obi-wan felt right then.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Since the senator came into office - 8 years."
"8 years?" Obi-wan said incredulously, thinking about all the people who had been put to death in all that time.
"That is why when I met you, hope in me was rejuvinated. You are the only one who was willing to listen to me and question the senator's motives. You can help me in my campaign to stop that monster. That is what I meant by you being "the one". You are my one hope. Come. I have something important to show you." Lara rose out of her chair, approached Obi-wan who was still sitting on the bed, and stuck out her hand. "Take it." Obi-wan stared at her outstretched hand and then into her hopeful eyes. He didn't know what he was about to get himself into, but from what she was saying, his help was needed and he didn't want to disappoint her. He took out his clammy hand and placed it into Lara's. She smiled exuberantly and pulled him up off the bed. "Thank you! You have just taken the first step towards freeing Enturu. I shall be grateful to you forever." and with that, they quietly slipped out of Obi-wan's room and through the dimly lit hallways of the palace.
"Tayel!" whispered Raliek while gently shaking his friend's arm. "Wake up Tayel." Tayel moaned and began tossing in his bunk. As he began regaining consciousness, he cringed and breathed in sharply as he felt pain shooting through his body. "Are you in much pain?" asked Raliek, quite concerned about his friend.
"A little. It only hurts when I move."
"Then don't move." answered Raliek, trying to lighten the mood. Tayel chuckled, but stopped immediately as the pain began again. Raliek checked out the wounds on Tayel's body and began soaking them with a damp cloth.
Noticing Raliek was soaking his cloth in water, Tayel quickly asked, "Where did you get the water Raliek?"
Hesitating slightly, knowing Tayel would disapprove, he answered, "I saved it from my daily rations."
"No! Don't waste it on me. Save it for yourself."
"Calm down. I'm not thirsty, it's ok." Raliek was lying to spare his friend. His mouth was so dry he could barely swallow, but if Tayel's wounds were not cleaned, Raliek knew they could become infected and his friend could die. Tayel conceded and simply lay back as his friend soaked his wounds. Raliek could see Tayel's eyes beginning to tear up, but he refused to make a sound even though he was hurting badly.
Raliek admired his friend's bravery. He knew how much pain Tayel was in, after all, he had been through the same thing before. Most of the children there had felt the overlord's wrath at least once during their stay there; it was unavoidable. He would find a reason to torment the children at every opportunity. It seemed to be his purpose in life. Every one of them was a potential victim; the attacks were random and without prejudice. You could be on your best behaviour, working harder than you've ever worked before, yet he would choose you to help him work in his new shock stick. He went through those things like one goes through clothing: each day you change out of the old ones and put on new ones. It was the same with his shock sticks. They would burn out so quickly, for that is how often he used them.
"Raliek?" Tayel asked quietly.
"Yes."
"Will we ever leave this place? I'm not sure how much longer I can last in here."
Raliek tried to look strong for his friend and choked back his tears as he spoke. "Lara will get us out of here Tayel. She promised she'd come back for us and if I know my sister, she never breaks her promises." Raliek had not heard from his sister since she was transferred from the mines, but twins always seem to have some sort of link to one another, and because of this, he knew she was alright.
Tayel seemed to be comforted by this thought and he smiled as he said, "Then I will stay strong and survive until she arrives Raliek. You are my friend and you would not lie to me; this alone is enough to give me hope of escape. Thank You." Raliek smiled as he finished cleaning Tayel's wounds and put his hand on his friend's head as he poured some water into his mouth. "Now, get some rest. I'll wake you when the food rations are handed out."
"I will Raliek and as I sleep, I shall dream of once again running freely through the green fields of my home, watching the birds fly above me and breathing in the fresh air. I hope I will see my home again, Raliek, but for now, I shall be content visiting it in my dreams."
Tayel slept soundly for the first time since he had arrived at the camps, because for the first time he actually believed he would be set free. He would not have to die in a strange place like many before him and this was comforting to him. He wore a grin on his face while he slept and Raliek knew he was back home with his family who now only lived in Tayel's memories, so Raliek let him sleep through dinner, for, although he didn't tell this to Tayel, he was worried his sister might never come and his dreams might be the only chance he would get to visit his home ever again.
Lara and Obi-Wan slipped out of the palace with ease using the secret passageways Lara had discovered during her time there. "Well that was easy enough." Obi-Wan commented as the two walked toward the palace gates without incident.
"Yes but we have not reached the slave camps yet. You can be certain they will be heavily guarded, Obi-Wan, so you must be ready to fight." she said almost discouragingly, as if she had tried to get in before, but had failed.
"Don't worry about me Lara. I'll be fine." he replied as cheerfully as possible trying to lighten the mood. The slave camps would be well guarded and he knew this for a fact. "Tell me something, Lara." Obi-wan began, "Why haven't the children in the camps tried to rebel yet. I mean, I'm sure if they worked together and used their abilities, they could overthrow the guards and escape."
Lara nodded her head and answered his question. "It would be possible if the senator hadn't taken measures to prevent that. Remember I told you before that some of the slaves were taken and were experimented on?" Obi-wan nodded his head grimly at this, then Lara continued, "Well, through his experiments, he discovered a drug that could inhibit our abilities. Each of the slaves is injected with this drug three times a day and it basically shuts off the genes responsible for our mutations." Obi-wan was awe-struck by how knowledgeable Lara was on the subject. She knew so much for such a young girl who had been bereft of the influences of the outside world for so long.
"How do you know so much about genetics and mutation?" asked Obi-wan curiously.
Lara looked down for a moment to gain her composure, then answered. "My father. He was a scientist and when I was a little girl, he would tell me about all sorts of things. He would let me sit in his laboratory and watch him work. He taught me everything I know today and I shall be forever grateful to him for it." Lara smiled as she spoke of her father and her eyes began to sparkle, then her face got grim as she talked about the slave camps again. "The drug, however, doesn't work forever. At about 18 years of age, we all become immune to it and the mutation is expressed even with the drug. That's why on our eighteenth birthday..." Lara paused a moment, then started again, "We can no longer be controlled and become a threat, so anyone 18 years of age is put to death." Obi-wan was shocked by this statement. The senator was practicing mass genocide and no one had even tried to put a stop to it. They both walked quietly after this and listened as the grass rustled in the large empty field and the dark starry sky reflected on a still lake they passed by. It was beautiful. Obi-Wan only wished he had more time to enjoy it.
The silence was pierced by Lara's sweet young voice, "Just think. Many children have never known this beauty." Lara commented sadly. As she looked at the lake, she stopped walking and marvelled at the beauty. Obi-Wan walked up next to her and looked into the water. Their reflections were clearly visible and it seemed as if there were two real people in the water staring back at them. Obi-Wan could hear Lara crying and saw her reflection ripple as the tears hit the water. He took his hand and gently turned her head to face him.
Looking into her soulful, blue eyes he began comforting her. "Don't worry, they will see it. We'll make sure of that." Lara smiled and wiped the tears from her face. "You are the one, of this I am certain." and they both stared back into the water, which had once again become calm.
Obi-Wan and Lara snuck around in the shadows near the slave camps. Things seemed to be quite still there. "They must be sleeping." Obi-Wan whispered.
"Probably." she shifted and began to walk closer to the camps. Obi-Wan began to follow but was stopped by an arm nearly in his mouth. "What?" he asked, stopping in his tracks.
"You stay here. I'm going to try and contact my brother." Her brother? Obi-wan had never heard her mention a brother, but before he could question Lara about it, she said, "I'll be back." and quickly slipped into the shadows of the slave camps and disappeared from sight.
Obi-wan waited behind a bush, concealing himself while he waited for Lara to get back. She was taking quite a long time and began to worry that something had happened to her. He decided to try and locate her position by using the force, but he couldn't read her. Obi-wan figured it had something to do with her telepathic abilities and that she was somehow blocking him out. He hoped it was that, for his inability to sense her could also mean that she was no longer alive. He told himself that if she didn't come back in ten minutes, he would go looking for her.
Just then, her heard rustling coming from the forest behind him. He took out his lightsaber and prepared to attack whoever was approaching. He heard the rustling get louder and louder. Obi-wan strained his eyes to see who was approaching; he tried to sense something, anything from the person, but got nothing. Whoever was approaching was almost clear of the bush and Obi-wan leapt up, and ran towards the bush, ready to strike at whoever was about to appear. He raised his lightsaber and began to strike downwards when Lara's startled face appeared out of the bushes. Obi-wan stopped the lightsaber in midair and called out with relief, "Lara!" Lara looked at him with some confusion, after all, he had just about killed her. "Sorry, I thought it was a guard." he said, trying to reassure her.
She smiled slightly then said, "I sensed my brother, but I couldn't reach his mind. The drug is blocking his ability to talk to me telepathically."
"Your brother is telepathic as well?" asked Obi-wan.
"Yes. Mutations are passed down from the parents through birth. Neither of my parents showed the ability my brother and I have it. I can't be certain from whom the mutant gene came, however we both inherited it. The worst part is, if we hadn't been born, both our parents would still be alive today."
"I don't understand. You can't possibly blame yourself for their deaths." Obi-wan said, trying to comfort Lara.
"I can't help but feel guilty. In my parents' case, the gene responsible for our gift mutated due to exposure to the radiation during their lifetime, so the ability wasn't expressed in them. It is only after the gene is passed on that the mutant ability appears in the next generation, that being my brother and I. If we hadn't been born, no one would have known that my parents carried the mutant gene and they would not have been killed."
Obi-wan understood how she could blame herself, although it was not her fault. He placed his hand on hers and she looked up into his and forced a smile through the sadness that was on her face. She drew her hand away from Obi-wan's and cleared her throat as she began explaining her plan to him. "There are only two guards at the entrance of the camp. We can take them out easily. As soon as we enter the camp, there is a bolted door guarded by another guard. We must be careful upon approaching this one, for he only has to push a button and an alarm sounds. If that alarm sounds, we are in deep trouble. The camp goes on complete lock-down at which time, there is no way out."
Obi-wan was a little worried about the route the conversation was taking. It sounded almost as if Lara was planning to free the slaves, but she had never mentioned anything to Obi-wan about it. "Lara, may I ask you a question?" asked Obi-wan.
"Certainly." she answered.
"I don't want to assume anything, but all these things you're telling me, is this in preparation for us to sneak into the camp and, uh, free all the children?"
Lara looked at Obi-wan with a disappointed expression. "You aren't going to help me free them, are you?" Obi-wan could see the hope that was once in her eyes beginning to fade. He couldn't let her down; she had so much faith that he would help her that it felt wrong not to aid her in her rescue effort. Then he thought about how angry Qui-gon would be when he found out his apprentice was an accomplice to a prison break. Obi-wan thought about all the children in the camp who had suffered for so long and who would end up dying in that horrible place if he did nothing.
Obi-wan's compassion for those children won out over the duty he felt to Qui-gon, so he took a deep breath and looked at Lara as he said, "I am with you all the way Lara. We are going to free those children, your brother included."
Lara let out a relieved sigh and said, "Thank you, friend.", then continued explaining the layout of the camp. "The camp is not heavily guarded because no one even knows it exists, so there is no risk of anyone trying to get in. As well, the children in there are so weak and their abilities have been inhibited, so there is really no way they can escape. All this is good news for us because we will have little resistance from the guards when we try to get in." Obi-wan nodded his head in agreement as Lara finished giving him a layout of the plan. "We can go in, free the slaves and get them out safely. I was in there for almost four years, so I pretty much know my way around."
"I can use the force to keep the guards from noticing us until we free the slaves."
"And I can use my telekinetic abilities to defend us if need be." added Lara. "I can't wait to see my brother again." Lara said excitedly.
"Well, when do we start?"
Lara looked at Obi-wan and smiled as she said, "Now!" and with that they crept along in the shadows and made their way towards the entrance of the slave camp, bringing them one step closer to freeing the slaves.
Back at the palace that same night, Senator Miklan sat in his chambers awaiting the arrival of two of his most trusted aides, whom he had summoned for a private conference. The senator was still rattled by Obi-wan's unexpected questions at dinner earlier that evening. He had certainly hit a nerve with his inquiries about the slave camps, whose existence Senator Miklan had strived so hard to conceal. If the people of Enturu were ever to find out the truth, they would surely have his title stripped from him and have him almost certainly put to death. It may have been an innocent question from a naive little child, but it was a dangerous one that could put his life in jeopardy.
A knock at his chamber door came, signalling that his associates had finally arrived. "Enter." called out the senator. The two men opened the door to see Senator Miklan pacing around the room and looking very nervous. "Close the door!" he yelled in a shrill, somewhat panicked voice. The associates quickly entered and sat down. The two men looked very gruff and had hard faces. The first man had a patch over one of his eyes and a scar on the left side of his face. His face seemed weathered and was wrinkled and marked with deep lines, which betrayed his true age and told a story of a life filled with struggle and dishonest living. The second man looked much younger and sat with a smirk on his face, which gave him an air of over-confidence and cockiness.
Both men had led lives of crime; crimes, most of which, were performed in service to the senator. They were his personal assassins, whom he had hired on many occasions to do away with people who had either gotten in the way of his rise to power or who he simply could not tolerate. Obi-wan had become one of those people. "So, senator, how can we be of service?" asked the younger man, in a sarcastic manner.
The senator leaned in close to his two associates, "You know what I want done. Here..." he said, handing the men a picture of Obi-wan.
The older man began reading Obi-wan's profile and paused as he came upon one particular detail. "A Jedi?" asked the older man.
"Not a Jedi." shot back the senator, "He's only an apprentice. He should be completely harmless."
"So you say." mumbled the young assassin cynically.
Senator Miklan pounded his fists on his desk and glared at the men. "I am willing to pay you both a large sum to have this boy disposed of. If you don't think you're up to it, I can most certainly find cheaper and much more skilled men to do it!" growled the senator.
The two men became silent and lowered their eyes slightly. "Alright then. I want this one handled very delicately, do you understand me? His master is very nearby and will be able to detect instantly if anything is amiss."
The senator sank back into his chair and closed his eyes a moment to regain his composure. "No." he began, with his eyes still firmly shut, "Qui-gon should not pose a problem. I'll take care of him." He opened his eyes and stared at the two men with a twisted smirk. "You just make sure the boy is silenced... permanently."
The men nodded their heads and the older one got up, as he said, "It will be done. You can count on it senator."
The younger man got up as well and grinned at the senator while giving him an insincere bow. "Your wish is our command." and with that, the two men lumbered out of the chamber and into the hallway where they proceeded to plan out their mission.
The senator sat in his chair with a content look on his cold face. My anxieties shall be quelled the moment that boy's heart no longer beats. His thoughts were interrupted by loud, intermittent beeps from his communication device. He recognized the sound of that particular beep. It was the one that signalled an incoming call from the slave camp. His face tensed up and his heart began beating faster. He only ever received a call from the camp if there was an emergency. He tapped the "receive" button and began talking into the device. "What is it!?" he said quickly, while trying to contain the panic in his voice.
"Senator Miklan! Come to the camp immediately. We've been infiltrated." a voice on the other end said hurriedly.
"What do you mean?"
"Intruders entered the camp and freed some of the slaves. We don't even know where they came from."
"You idiots!" the senator yelled, "I'm on my way." He pounded the button on the comm device and swiftly got out of his chair. He rushed out of his chamber and sped down the hallway towards his transport cruiser. I shall find who's done this, he thought to himself, and I will make them regret the day they ever decided to cross me!
Obi-Wan and Lara sneaked along in the shadows toward the camp's front gate. They stopped in the bushes where two guards were talking; Obi-Wan could only make out a bit of what they were saying. "I dont believe he'll live much longer. That kid's not as strong as he used to be." said the first man. He was tall and gruff with long black hair, brown eyes and a bulky body.
The second man was slender-cut and young, maybe twenty. He shook his head. "Well, if they would just stop shocking these kids so much, it would leave them more time to work."
The bulky man laughed, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you've grown attached to these pitiful mutants."
The two men continued their conversation and Obi-Wan turned to Lara. "Lara."
She put a finger up to her lips signaling him to be quiet. "Obi-Wan I know that man," she said pointing to the slender blond haired man. "He helped me escape from the palace the first time I got out."
"He helped you?"
"Yes, and he will help us again. Come." she said standing to her feet. Obi-Wan followed suit.
The two men spun around and looked at Obi-Wan and Lara. Faster than Obi-Wan could blink, the young blond man knocked the older one out. "Hello again Lara, it's good to see you." he said, smiling.
"Likewise, Ivan." she replied. Ivan's steel grey eyes fell upon Obi-Wan. "Who's your friend?" he asked.
"Ivan, I'd like you to meet, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan, this is Ivan."
Obi-Wan smiled and extended a hand; Ivan took it. "Nice to meet you. Lara, if you're here for your brother, I can take you to him." Ivan said. "But I warn you, it won't be easy." he said almost solemnly.
"I understand, Ivan. You're taking a great risk in helping us, so believe me when I tell you that I will never forgot your kindness."
"I know. Thank you." was all he said as he sprinted away, with Lara and Obi-wan following suit.
The three stayed low in the shadows and soon were at the second door.
"Isn't this where the alarm is?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes, but leave that to me." Ivan replied. He stood up and motioned to Obi-Wan and Lara to follow him. They looked at eachother and stood up. "Captain Medhera, Sir! I've found the run away slaves!" he said militarily shouting.
The Captain furrowed his brow. "I don't remember anything about a runaway slave. I'll have to check with the overlord." he said, turning away. This was exactly what Ivan wanted. In a flash, Ivan picked up a stick and knocked the captain out. Obi-Wan watched, impressed. Lara was the first to speak. "You'll be court-martialled the moment they catch you."
Ivan just smiled. "If they catch me. You know how well I am at being elusive." he said with a wink.
"C'mon, lets find your brother." He said as they entered the corridor. Cautiously, the three made their way to the bunks, sneaking past many sleeping and drunken guards. "Over here," Ivan whispered, slinking into a room.
Lara searched the room for her brother and spotted him tending to a young boy. She snuck up behind him and called out, "Raliek!"
He spun around and looked at his sister, "Lara! You came for us!" he said, pulling her into his arms.
She hugged him and smiled. "Yes of course I did. Hurry! We haven't much time."
Raliek nodded and woke Tayel. "Tayel, wake up. Lara is here."
Tayel opened his eyes, and looked at the red-haired, blue-eyed girl. He smiled. "Uh, hi." he said bashfully. Oh, good one Tayel! he thought to himself.
Raliek hurried him up and out of bed. "Hurry get up! We have to get out of here!"
Tayel struggled to his feet. "Ok, Raliek, what about the others?"
Raliek looked around at the other children in the room. Some had woken up and looked confused. "Get them!" Lara ordered. "Obi-Wan, Ivan, start getting them out of here." she said as she went to wake the kids.
Obi-Wan and Ivan looked at eachother, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. Here we go.
"I'll go ahead of you and make sure the guards are out of the way," Ivan said to Lara, "then you and the rest can sneak to the tunnels." Ivan prepared to leave when Lara touched his arm.
"Be careful, Ivan." Lara said quickly. Ivan turned around and smiled gallantly at Lara, then rushed away down the corridor.
"Ok, everyone! Be as quiet as you can and stick together." Lara said, turning back to the children, many of whom were still being released from the cells.
Obi-wan walked up to Lara and asked, "What are these tunnels, Lara?"
Lara was distracted but she had heard Obi-wan and answered. "When Ivan first helped me escape, he showed me the way to these secret tunnels that exist in the complex. They were built in case there was a riot in the prison and the main escape routes were blocked. The tunnels would give the guards an alternate way out while they..."
Lara stopped, but Obi-wan's curiousity was already piqued and he had to find out now. "'While they' what?"
Lara pretended to be preoccupied with getting the children together, but Obi-wan knew she was just being evasive. "It's nothing. Nothing important."
Obi-wan wanted to pry again, but he could feel that she didn't want to go into it, so he left it alone. Obi-wan felt tension permeating from Lara and knew she was under a lot of stress and didn't need him interrogating her. "There sure are a lot of tunnels in this kingdom," Obi-wan quipped, trying to put Lara in a better mood.
"Yes, I know." she said seriously, Obi-wan's attempt at humour obviously not working. "The senator is a paranoid man. He knows the day will come when the gifted ones will rebel against his tyranny and the tunnels are one way to ensure he gets off Enturu alive when that day is at hand."
Obi-wan stared at the fierce determination in Lara's eyes. He knew she yearned to get one moment alone with the senator and make him pay for all the suffering he'd caused. The hate he felt from her was almost blinding and he feared Lara would let the strive for vengeance corrupt her pure soul. Raliek ran hastily up to Lara and whispered, while trying to catch his breath, "That's all the children in this cell block."
Just then, Ivan returned. "Ok! All clear."
"Everyone follow me and don't stray." Lara said quietly to all of them. Ivan took the lead and guided them along the dark corridors. They hurried along, the children not daring to make a sound. Ivan reached a bare wall and stopped to face it.
"What is he doing?" Obi-wan whispered to Lara.
"You'll see," she answered with a smirk on her face.
Ivan looked like he was counting the stones in the wall with his hand, then suddenly placed his hand over one particular stone. He pushed down on it, causing it to sink into the wall. Obi-wan suddenly heard a low, grinding noise beside him and turned to see the wall next to him opening up into a long tunnel.
"I guess that would be the escape route," Obi-wan stated sarcastically.
"That's it," Lara answered almost proudly. "It leads right into the forest. There's no way they'll find us."
Ivan began leading the children into the tunnel, motioning them along with his hand while keeping his eye on the corridor to watch for any unsuspecting guests. "Keep going and don't stop until you reach the end," he told them quietly, but firmly.
"Tayel, Raliek. Go with them," Lara said, facing her brother now and placing a hand on his shoulder.
"What do you mean, Lara?" Raliek asked with a worried expression on his face.
"Obi-wan and I are going back for the children in the other cells. We can't leave them."
"Lara, no! It's too dangerous. We'll come back for them later," Raliek pleaded.
"We may not be able to, Raliek. Once the senator discovers his slaves missing, he'll have this place locked down even tighter than it already is. This is our only chance." Lara looked at her brother and she could see the concern radiating from his eyes. She took his hand in hers and tried to give him a comforting smile. "Don't worry," she chided as she took his hand, "Obi-wan will watch out for me. And besides, I've taken care of myself pretty well so far and now won't be any different."
"And I'll be waiting right here for them, Raliek. I'll make sure they make it through the tunnels," Ivan added.
Raliek sighed and nodded his head reluctantly. "Alright," he said, finally, "but if you aren't back in ten minutes, I'm coming back for you, whether you like it or not."
Lara laughed and nodded in agreement. Before heading down the hallway, Lara walked up closely to Ivan and spoke quietly to him. "If Obi-wan and I aren't back within a reasonable time, I want you to go through the escape tunnel without us."
"But Lara..." protested Ivan.
"Please, Ivan, just do this for me. And make sure Raliek doesn't do something stupid like try to come back for me."
Ivan clenched his teeth and eventually agreed. "I'll be waiting here until the last possible moment," he said with determination, while staring deeply into Lara's deep, blue eyes.
She picked up his hand and squeezed it gently. "I would expect nothing less of you, dear Ivan," she responded with a smile before she turned away and headed down the corridor with Obi-wan.
Lara and Obi-Wan darted down a dimly lit corridor; they had to reach the other slaves before the guards spotted them. Obi-Wan could just see the end of the corridor where the next set of cells would be when a loud alarm went off. Two large guards bolted down the corridor him and Lara were in, blasters aimed at them.
"Freeze!" one of the guards called out. Lara doubled back and Obi-Wan quickly drew his lightsaber. The blue blade sputtered to life and deflected two orange shots from the blasters. One of the guards stepped back with a certain fear in his eyes. "He's a jedi!" he quivered and began running down the corridor.
"You coward! He's a boy!" the other guard called after him.
Obi-Wan grinned and raised his lightsaber in a defensive manner. "Alright, come and get it!" he taunted.
Suddenly a startling deep voice sounded behind him. "Drop it kid, or she dies!"
Obi-Wan spun around to see a guard holding Lara with a knife to her throat. He thought quickly, but the guard was beginning to cut the side of her neck. There was no way out of this one. He reluctantly de-ignited his lightsaber and the guard behind him took it.
"Smart boy," said the bulky man in front of him. Before Obi-Wan could reply, he felt something hit the back of his head, then blackness consumed his vision.
Qui-Gon sat in his room, meditating quietly. He had been disturbed ever since he sent Obi-Wan to his room at dinner; he had thought some meditation may help clear things up. Unfortunately, it didn't help at all. It only seemed to make things more confused and sent his mind into a tumult.
Something was definitely wrong. Qui-Gon had not been feeling well since after dinner. Perhaps it was something he ate? One question that had bothered him was one Obi-Wan had asked. His reports said there were slave camps here, so why did the senator say they were orphanages? Maybe the person who had sent the transmission to the temple was mistaken? Or was the senator hiding something? So many questions flooded through his mind at once, most only time and some serious investigation would bring an answer to.
He was brought out of his meditative state by a knock sounding at his door. Qui-Gon stood up and slipped his tunic and belt back on. He strode to the door and opened it. Before him stood the senator. "Senator Miklan. Is there something I can do for you?"
The senator smiled his most convincing smile. "Your padawan likes to get into trouble doesn't he?"
Qui-Gon sighed, closed his eyes and re-opened them. "What has he done this time?"
The senator turned and headed down the hallway, grinning mischievously. "Maybe you should come with me."
"Come on, Lara," Ivan said impatiently to himself. Time was running out for Lara and Obi-Wan. If they didn't get to the tunnels soon, he would have to leave them behind, but he couldn't bear to do that to Lara. She meant far too much to him and to all of Enturu for her to be lost now.
"Are they here yet?" a voice from within the tunnel whispered.
Ivan was momentarily startled and pulled out his weapon, but he put it down the instant he realized it was Raliek. "What are you doing here?!" Ivan scolded.
"I had to come back for my sister."
"Well, they're not back yet. You go stay with the others and I'll make sure they make it to the forest."
"No, I will not abandon my sister!" Raliek said, a little louder now, determined to stand his ground.
"Raliek..." Ivan began, but was interrupted by the blaring of the alarm. "Oh no! One of the guards must have seen them." Ivan raised his weapon again and started down the corridor. Raliek began to follow, but Ivan noticed him and told him to stay back.
"You're going to need me. They'll know you're a traitor now and they won't hesitate to kill you," Raliek protested.
Ivan was about to argue with Raliek, but instead he simply shook his head, having no time to dispute with Raliek, and said, "Fine. Let's go." Raliek smiled and hurried down the corridor with Ivan.
They approached the cells Lara and Obi-wan had gone to and could hear a commotion from behind the wall. Ivan raised his hand to signal Raliek to stop. Ivan crept slowly along the wall and peered around the corner where the voices seemed to be originating. "Oh no," he whispered to himself, for down the corridor he could see guards pointing weapons at Lara and Obi-wan as they dragged the two away.
"What is it?" Raliek asked curiously.
Ivan leaned against the wall and rested his head on it. "They've got them."
"No!" Raliek was about to run after Lara and Obi-wan, but Ivan grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.
"You go there now and they will kill you along with those two. Do you understand me?!"
"We can't leave them. They'll kill them anyway."
"But not for a while yet. They'll call in Senator Miklan, who will interrogate them and then he will decide what to do with them. We will come back for them, Raliek. I promise." Ivan stared at Raliek, his eyes pleading with the boy. Raliek lowered his head and nodded.
"Fine. We wait. I just hope it won't be too late for them." Ivan patted Raliek on the back and began walking towards the tunnel.
Raliek followed, looking back at where his sister had been captured. I'll come for you, Lara, just as you did me. I won't lose you again... not ever.
Obi-Wan and Lara were pushed down the dimly lit corridor with shock sticks to their backs.
"Stop pushing me!" Lara snarled. Obi-Wan said nothing but kept walking. Soon they reached the end of the corridor and came into the white glow of a streetlight nearby the slave camps.
"Keep moving," one of the guards commanded. Obi-Wan looked ahead and could barely make out two tall figures coming from the shadows. As they came into the light Obi-Wan recognized them immediately. "Qui-Gon!" He exclaimed almost cheerfully, he was never happier to see his master, but Qui-Gon simply stood next to senator Miklan saying nothing.
"Master?" Obi-Wan asked. He couldn't help but noticing that for some reason his master did not look right. He almost looked... like he wasn't even there. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his legs that knocked him to his knees in front of senator Miklan. The senator looked down at them with an irritating smirk on his face.
"Well, well. If it isn't the annoying apprentice and his slave girl girlfriend. Though I must give you credit, you both a very brave, and almost succeeded, but you should know that you will never defeat me," he remarked with a slight chuckle.
Obi-Wan turned his head and looked at Lara. She was also forced to her knees; he could see and feel the anger welling up inside her like a bomb just waiting to go off. Obi-Wan put a hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her. It didn't work. He turned back to the senator. "What have you done to my master?" he asked, his voice rising. The senator smiled and looked at the zombie-like Qui-Gon.
"He is fine. It's yourself you should be worrying about. Take them away," the senator said, snapping his fingers and turning to leave, with Qui-Gon at his side.
Obi-Wan and Lara were jerked up to their feet and pushed along after the senator. Obi-Wan never expected things to turn out like this and he was beginning to regret ever opening his mouth at dinner that first night, but it was too late for regrets now. He and Lara were in deep turmoil and he had to find a way to get them out of it.
The children were all huddled together, sharing in the warmth radiating from the bonfire they had built, and staying close to one another for comfort. They feared that at any moment, a mass of prison guards would spring forth and force them back into the wretched existence that had been their lives, before they were freed that night. Ivan had returned only moments ago with Raliek, and was glad to see the children had made it safely to the cave he had given them directions to. He had discovered the cave a year ago, when he first set Lara free. Ivan sighed as he remembered that night. Even back then, he had failed in protecting her. He knew the senator had been called in to deal with Lara and Obi-wan, which worried him; the senator dealt severely with those who crossed him and for Lara, this was her second offence. The first time she escaped, the senator showed her some leniency by allowing her to live and serve in his palace. This time, however, he would not hesitate to kill her. In fact, he would relish in it.
"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Raliek asked as he came up beside Ivan. He sat down on a rock next to the one Ivan had perched himself on, and held his hands out towards the fire to warm them.
"How can I not think about her?" Ivan replied, staring into the fire and watching its shadow dance on the wall of the cave.
Raliek chuckled to himself and smiled at Ivan. "Because you love her," he said simply.
Ivan quickly turned his head and gave Raliek a surprised look. "How..."
"How did I know?" Raliek said, cutting off Ivan and finishing his question for him. "I'm telepathic, remember? Well... that and I've seen the way you look at her."
Ivan chuckled and nodded his head. "We both know how special she is and how important she is to this planet. I've been in love with her since the moment I saw her. Her determination, her courage, her strong will... her eyes. She's had my heart since we met and she always will."
Raliek looked down and sighed gravely. "We have to get them out of there, Ivan. By freeing the slaves, we've risked leaking Miklan's secret to the citizens of Enturu and have put his position in jeopardy; he has a taste for blood now and he will have satisfaction."
"I know," Ivan said in frustration as he slapped his hands on his knees and stood up. "But we can't go back now. The camp will be doubled up on security and there'll be search parties everywhere."
"But you're forgetting something, Ivan," Raliek added, getting up to face him. "You have us." He smiled and turned his gaze towards the large groups of children huddled around the bonfires.
Ivan shook his head. "They're too weak and afraid, Raliek. They won't be able to put up much of a fight against the senator's men."
"You don't give them enough credit, Ivan. They -- we are mutants. Once the suppressants wear off, the senator's guards will be no match for us." Raliek placed his hands firmly on Ivan's shoulders and stared into his eyes. "We can defeat them... We will."
Ivan stared back at Raliek, then closed his eyes and sighed, conceding to Raliek's proposal. "I don't want to leave her there to die. We have to do this, but not tonight. At first light."
Raliek smiled and nodded his head. "We will be ready. I will inform the others and we will devise a strategy." Raliek stood, determination beaming from his eyes. "The senator will be quashed and his reign of terror and oppression will end. Fittingly enough, it will be ended by those who have borne the brunt of his attacks," Raliek said, turning his gaze towards the children, then back to Ivan. "First light. Until then."
Ivan and Raliek bowed their heads quickly, giving a show of agreement before Raliek parted to speak to the children.
Ivan closed his eyes tightly and sat back down on the rock. He wanted to save Lara more than anything, but he knew their plan was a risky one. The children might not be ready or strong enough to go up against Miklan's men, and he could never forgive himself if any of them died in their pursuit. But Senator Miklan's reign had gone on for too long and he had to be stopped for the good of Enturu and all its people. Ivan turned his gaze back to the dancing flames and thought again of Lara. I am coming for you, Lara. Be strong and never let your hope falter, my love.
He hoped his words would find her, but more than anything, he hoped he would be able to see her again and finally profess how he truly felt.
"Get in there!" shouted one of the gaurds as he threw Lara then Obi-Wan into a prison cell. The cell was only dimly lit by a barred window high on the wall letting the moonlight shine through. Obi-Wan got to his feet and helped Lara up as the guard walked away.
"Rough aren't they?" she asked him with a bit of a smile. Obi-Wan returned her smile and looked around. The cell had some dried out hay on the floor and chains on the wall; it also had a hard bed or at least something that looked like a bed.
He stepped toward the bars of the cell and stopped. Bending down, he took some sand in hand and blew it into the air. Small red beams appeared seemingly out of nowhere; they had the place rigged so that if they even tried to escape the alarm would go off.
"Well, I don't think we'll be getting out of this one," he said to her before sitting down on the cool ground. The truth was he didn't really mind being stuck in this cell as long as he was with her.
Lara stepped forward and sat with him removing her light tan-colored cloak, revealing some tan colored pants and a brown over tunic with a white longsleeved shirt under it. She shook out her long mahogany hair and pulled it back into a pony tail. Obi-Wan admired her; she was so beautiful.
"So, we haven't really gotten a chance to know eachother, Obi-Wan. Where do you come from?" she asked. She hadn't even noticed the way he was looking at her before.
Obi-Wan smiled. "Well, I grew up on Coruscant at the Jedi Temple. I was really young when I left home to be a Jedi," he told her. "It's a long story, not really that exciting either. What about you?" he asked.
Lara sighed. "Well my life has been nothing short of a disaster. But I guess it's always best to find the good in everything, even watching your parents die, and getting locked up because you're different from the rest of the people on the planet," Lara said as she blinked back the tears that she wanted to cry.
Obi-Wan felt for her. She'd had a hard time of it and he wondered a moment what good she could have possibly found in all this. Talking about his past, Obi-wan was reminded of Qui-gon, which suddenly brought to mind how strange his Master looked when he saw him this evening. His eyes looked dead, as if her were a zombie. "Lara, do you know what was wrong with Qui-Gon back there?" he asked her.
She turned her icy blue gaze to him. "It's mind control. It's how the Senator keeps the servants around the palace in line!" she explained almost furiously.
So that's why the servants seemed so strange! They were under a mind control! But Obi-Wan wondered how Qui-Gon could have let Senator Miklan put him under it.
"The mind control works on nearly everyone, even you, Obi-Wan. You see the reason I'm not affected by it is because of my mutation," Lara said flatly before going silent a moment. "You know, I wish I didn't have this mutation. I wish all the gifted ones didn't have the mutations. Then none of this would have happened," she said, her eyes tearing up again.
Obi-Wan looked at her compassionately. "But that's what makes you special Lara. You do have it; it's a gift you can use to do much good," he said, trying to be comforting.
Lara forced a smile. She thought a moment about tomorrow. They couldn't break out and the senator gave her the death sentence due tomorrow morning. If she were to be killed, someone would have to lead the others. Obi-Wan seemed to understand and he showed sympathy for her kind. He knew what she wanted and what her plans were, better than the others. "Obi-Wan, listen if anything ever happens to me..."
"Lara..." Obi-Wan started.
"I want you to lead the gifted ones," she broke in. "Please, Obi-Wan. You know what I want, what the gifted ones want and I think you'd make a fine leader," she told him. Her eyes pleaded with him and showed that she was very sincere.
Obi-Wan thought a moment. If he led the gifted ones, then he would have to leave the Jedi, but by the way things were looking, he and Qui-Gon weren't going back anytime soon. He finally nodded.
"Alright, I will Lara, but I won't let anything happen to you, I promise," Obi-Wan said almost whispering. He moved closer to her and put a hand to her cheek. He leaned even closer to kiss her, but she pulled away.
"Obi-Wan, no. I can't," Lara said pulling away from him. He seemed puzzled. She pondered whether or not to tell him that she loved someone else. It would crush him, she thought, but it had to be done. "Obi-Wan, my heart belongs to someone else. I'm sorry," she said as she stood up and paced around the cell.
Obi-Wan sat dumbfounded. He felt so stupid. Of course she's found someone else I mean why wouldn't she? he thought to himself. He watched her pace around and looked away to hide the pain showing on his face. He'd offered his heart to her, but she didn't want it. He should have known better.
Ivan and Raliek stood huddled by their small fire, Raliek with a stick in hand drawing lines and arrows in the soil. The children had already been briefed on the plan and were now resting to build up their strength, as well as to calm their unsettled nerves. Raliek recalled the look in their eyes as he proposed the plan to them. Some looked indifferent, too exhausted to even process his words; others looked extremely terrified, their eyes looking distant as their minds returned to memories of the horrors of the slave camp. None of them, however, looked very enthusiastic about the idea. Raliek sighed sharply, his mind no longer on drawing out strategies and attack plans. He was beginning to doubt that they could pull it off. "We can't do this," Raliek said suddenly as he threw down the stick and began pacing about the cave.
"What are you talking about, Raliek?" Ivan answered, furrowing his brow in confusion and watching Raliek pace.
"They're not ready. Those children are scared!"
Ivan got to his feet, giving Raliek a reassuring smile. "Of course they're scared. We all are!" Ivan said as he walked over to Raliek, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "They need you to be strong and confident, Raliek. They need you to lead. Without someone like you to give them guidance, they will be lost and frightened. Don't abandon them now, Raliek."
Raliek tried to hide the dejection in his face, but he didn't think he could do all those things Ivan was telling him. He couldn't lead them, get them to trust him when he had no confidence in himself. "I just...I don't want to have to deal with the guilt if any of them died under my leadership. That would be a great burden to bear." Raliek walked past Ivan, letting Ivan's hand slip from his shoulder.
Ivan watched Raliek as he began pacing again. He had known the boy since he arrived at the slave camp and a smile crept across his face as the nostalgia hit. Raliek had been a temperamental, stubborn boy when he arrived, but today he saw in his eyes something different. There was a maturity about him now, an intelligence - one gained by years of struggle and from witnessing all the horrors of living in a slave camp. He was no longer the naive, wild boy, but appeared the calm, determined young man his eyes told Ivan he was. The eyes never lied.
"Raliek, I know you don't want to see your sister die and she will if we don't do something," Ivan said gently. "We have to do this, but you're right; we can't force the children to go if they're not ready and willing. We'll just have to talk to them and give them the choice." Ivan caught up to Raliek, staring at him, both men face to face. "You have to talk to them and this time, you mustn't show your fear and hesitation. Seeing you confident and collected will give the children comfort. It is ultimately their decision to help, but they know what's at stake, and if they have a leader they can believe in, they will be more than willing to help in the fight. It's their freedom they'll be fighting for too, Raliek. Make them believe they can win it, just as I know we can."
Ivan's words instilled a sense of inspiration and determination in Raliek. He began going through, in his mind, the outcomes and consequences of going ahead with the coup. If they didn't go ahead with it, things on Enturu would continue the way they were now and maybe even escalate as Senator Miklan continued to usurp power. By fighting back, they could put an end to his dictatorship and they would gain their freedom.
Freedom... Raliek thought, as he stared up at the stars. Of all the things in this world, it is the one thing I have tasted only briefly yet the one thing I crave for most. If Raliek didn't lead the children, he would be denying them the opportunity to run through the streets, their heads held high, their faces bright and smiling, and not having a worry in the world. The suffering would end and be replaced by happiness alone, as it should have been to begin with. "I have no right to take that from them," Raliek muttered, looking back down at Ivan. "If I am their only hope, I must at least let them choose whether they want to go through with this or not - whether they want to fight for their freedom."
"Then give them the choice," Ivan urged, his eyes pleading with Raliek. "Go talk to them. Lead them, Raliek. It's in your blood, boy. Your father was a champion of the people and if he were still alive, he would have led this world to greatness. Don't let his death be in vain, don't let everything he worked for get trampled on by that corrupt monster who calls himself a senator. Do what you know you were born to do. Lead them."
Raliek stood tall, looking at Ivan with a newfound determination. Everything Ivan had said was right. It was Raliek's duty to take care of the children and help them find the strength within themselves to fight their oppressors. He had the means to empower the children and make them believe they had the ability to win their freedom. If it was what they wanted, he would help them make it a reality. "Come with me, Ivan. You can help me wake them," Raliek said with a smile as he turned on his heel and walked into the cave to rouse the children from their slumber.
The children stumbled out of the cave into the crisp, night air, many of them looking confused and disoriented, and others as if they still resented being awakened from their rest. The children all huddled by the crackling fire, leaning against eachother and trying to return to the bliss of sleep. Tayel was rubbing the sleep from his eyes when he spotted Raliek. He strode up to him, yawning quite vocally and asked, "Raliek, what's all this about? Is it so urgent that you couldn't wait until morning to tell us?"
Raliek gave a wan smile to his friend and slapped him gently on the back. "Don't worry, Tayel, you'll see what I'm up to in a moment. Just take a seat by the fire with the others and I'll begin."
Tayel narrowed his eyes at Raliek, smiling back at him even though he was completely suspicious now. "Ok, Raliek, I'll just go sit down now," he said slowly, walking towards the fire, yet keeping his eye on Raliek. Tayel could see it by the look in his eyes; he could tell that Raliek was up to something. He hated it when Raliek starting getting ideas in his head. They always ended up getting into trouble whenever he let Raliek talk him into something insanely idiotic, just like he knew he was about to do right now.
"Everyone, if you could just please pay attention to me for a while..." Raliek began, his voice loud and commanding as he tried to gain the children's attention. All languid eyes turned their gaze to Raliek, his resounding voice the only thing keeping them awake at that moment. "Thank you," he continued, taking a deep breath and shooting Ivan a smile before he proceeded. "I trust all of you are feeling refreshed and many of you can already feel your powers returning." Many of the children nodded their heads slowly as they felt their powers surging within them, coursing again through their blood as the drug wore off. "Good. Good," Raliek commented with a slight grin on his face as the children continued to stare up at him. "Now, I've called you all here because, well, I have a proposal for you. I know today has been a very long day for you and I know you are all tired and confused, but..." Raliek paused, his eyes scanning the mass of children of all ages from all over Enturu, and his mind mulling over the words that would strike the fire within them that would cause them to follow him.
"I know tonight is probably the first full night many of you have slept, slept without being awakened hours before the sun has risen so that you can work in the putrid mines, so that you can be beaten senselessly by men who get some sick pleasure out of seeing young children cower in fear at the sight of them." Raliek sighed despairingly as he saw some of the children shudder, some of them clench their eyes shut as they played out in their minds the picture Raliek was painting for them. For most, it was still far too real.
"I know most of you slept restlessly tonight because in the back of your mind you knew... you knew that although we are free, physically free of that death camp, a part of us was left behind as we ran desperately for the forest. A piece of our hearts and our minds are still imprisoned there, waiting for us to set them free. There is only one way to do that," Raliek said, letting his voice drop as he stared intensely at all the children who now held his gaze. "We must go back and wrestle our freedom from that place."
Gasps and frantic whispers arose from the crowd, some children burying their faces into the arms of their friends next to them, as their minds returned to the horrors of the slave camp. Others, however - the few children Raliek now depended on to convince the other children - stared at Raliek with fierce determination emanating from their fiery eyes. These were the ones who identified with what Raliek was saying, the ones who yearned to quash the senator and bury him beneath the rubble they would create of the slave camps. These were the ones who would now look to Raliek to lead them.
"Listen to me, all of you!" Raliek shouted, feeding off the energy of the few who were still listening to him, the few who inspired him to try and convince the others to stand with him. "I will not force any of you to do this, but you know as well as I do that as long as that slave camp stands, the longer we will not sleep without waking up screaming in the middle of night. No matter how far you run, no matter how fast you try and get there, you will never escape that place! You can push aside the memories, but they will begin to eat at you, creep up on you and when you least expect it, they will consume you entirely. Do you really want to live, looking over your shoulder and waiting for your past to catch up to you? If not," Raliek said, lowering his voice and approaching the fire. The light from the orange flames washed over his skin, making his form seem imposing and grabbing the children's attention again. "Then follow me. Who will stand up and follow me?! Fight with me!"
Cheers erupted from the small group, many of the children leaping up, their arms upraised triumphantly as they called out Raliek's name. Tayel watched in awe as even the most reluctant, frightened children rose to their feet and cheered, dancing around the fire and hollering at the top of their lungs. He had never seen Raliek like this before, this inspiring, this determined. Tayel was so impressed, he too jumped to his feet and began cheering for his friend, and through it all, through all the whooping and hollering, Ivan merely stood, his arms crossed and a gentle smile frozen on his face. He couldn't help thinking about how much Raliek, the arrogant, cocksure child who arrived at the slave camps with a smug grin on his face, had grown. He was now a confident young man with a commanding presence, a born leader, much like his father was, and one day he would claim his rightful place, the place promised to him through more than virtue of birthright alone; he would claim the throne of Enturu and take his place as their king.
Obi-Wan sat on a stack of hay in the corner with his knees pulled up against his chest. His hair was matted and his face was the perfect impression of grief and pain. He glanced towards a sleeping Lara on the other side of the room. He hadn't slept all night; he'd been up thinking about what a fool he'd been. How could he have just given away his heart to some girl he barely knew, much less some girl who was in love with a twenty-four year old?
He looked out through the small barred up window, the moonlight hitting his face. Dawn would be breaking soon, and the senator would come to collect them and take them to their execution. For a moment, he really didn't care; Qui-Gon was now dead to the world, just another of the senator's slaves. The mutant children had escaped, which was good news, but who knew how long it would be before they were found and either killed or taken back? Without Lara, they would have no hope of anything other than a slave's life. He had failed; he failed the children, he failed Ivan and Lara, and he'd failed his master. He no longer deserved to live.
Obi-Wan sighed heavily and stood up for the first time since the previous night, his body aching from sitting in that position for so long. He made his way towards the window and looked out into the distance. It was beautiful; the sky had turned pink and orange, mixed with the dark blue and black of the night sky. It seemed as though the planet was just beginning to wake; he watched lights come on and early risers came out of their homes to start their daily chores. He smiled slightly and took in everything, knowing this could very well be the last time he ever saw something so beautiful, so peaceful.
Obi-Wan looked over to Lara. He couldn't be angry with her; it wasn't her fault he was hurt. She began to stir and opened her deep blue eyes, her gaze shifting to him as she sat up. She studied him and immediately noticed the sadness in his eyes. Lara felt awful; she didn't want to hurt him like that, but she had to tell him the truth. What else could she do?
Obi-Wan looked away from her and back out the window, saying nothing. Lara also said nothing. What could she say? She sighed and stood up, walking towards the bars and laying her head against them as she stared down the empty hallway. Dust rose through the air every time a guard walked through the corridors. She stepped back as one guard slammed against the bars with his shockstick. He laughed as he kept walking, slamming against other cell doors, waking the unsuspecting prisoners from their slumber.
"The senator will come soon. I'm sorry for what happened," Lara said apologetically. For a moment, there was a long silence.
"It's not your fault. I was stupid," Obi-Wan said dryly. He didn't even turn to look at her. For a moment, Lara pondered whether he was forgiving her or just trying to make her feel better. She decided to drop the subject and not speak to him anymore. Obviously, he didn't want to talk to her.
She sighed solemnly and walked back towards the bed. So this would be her fate, to die at the hands of the very man whom she hated. She glanced at Obi-Wan, who was leaning against the wall, knowing he'd given up all hope already. After all, he'd lost everything; she hadn't. Raliek and Ivan were still out there and they had the children. As long as they were alive, there was still hope for the mutants of Enturu, even though her time was coming to an end.
"The children are in position," Ivan whispered to Raliek as he huddled behind a large shrub.
"Good," Raliek responded absently, his eyes staring intently at the slave camp. "They know that we move out only upon seeing the signal, correct?"
"Yes, Raliek. They know exactly what they are to do, it's just a matter of them not losing their nerve," Ivan added, staring out into the distance and narrowing his eyes, performing a mental count of the guards. "It appears the senator's doubled up the patrols. Still, we more than outnumber them by three to one. We can do this, Raliek."
"I know we can, Ivan. We must do this, for Lara's sake if not our own," Raliek replied, turning his gaze to Ivan. "I know you want to be the one to rescue her, Ivan, but I need you out here with the children. I'll go in after Lara and her friend while you keep the children organized out here."
"Raliek, I can't let you put yourself in that kind of danger!" Ivan protested. "You'll be alone in there and I know security is going to be very tight. Let me do this, Raliek. Please!"
Raliek smiled at Ivan. "No, Ivan. She's my sister and I made a promise to her that I would never abandon her, the same promise she made to me when she first escaped. She kept her promise to me, and now it's my turn to return the same courtesy. I can do this, Ivan. I know my way around there just as well as you do."
Ivan opened his mouth to emit another protest, but Raliek raised his hand in the air, silencing Ivan. "Ivan...please."
"Raliek..." Ivan said, gritting his teeth in frustration. He closed his eyes in defeat and sighed deeply, laughing dishearteningly to himself. "I hate it when you're so convincing, Raliek. Fine, you go. We'll act as your diversion, so you can slip inside undetected. But once you're in there, Raliek, you know that you're on your own."
"I know, Ivan. I can handle it, don't worry so much! I'm not a defenceless child; I'm stronger than you think, and ironically enough, it's all because of my time spent in that place," Raliek spat, his eyes motioning to the slave camp. "We will succeed tonight, Ivan, or I will die trying."
Ivan nodded his head, placing his hand firmly on Raliek's shoulder. "Shall we signal the children? It's time."
Raliek looked at Ivan, then slowly turned his gaze to the slave camps. The fire in his eyes flared and he could feel his blood coursing through his veins. To be able to close his hands around the camp and crush everyone who had ever beaten him with a shockstick, or spat in his face would be a great victory for himself and all the other slaves, but it would be an empty one if the senator wasn't punished for his crimes. Raliek knew he would take care of the senator personally; it would be his first duty to his people, his gift to them. It would also show them that the old ways would not continue during his reign, that he would rule with even-handed impartiality, that all the citizens of Enturu were equal, particularly the Gifted Ones. He knew integrating them back into society, having the other citizens look upon them with the same respect they gave each other would be difficult and would take long, but Raliek was determined to make that happen.
"Ivan," Raliek said quietly, his gaze still intense and fixed on the slave camps.
"Yes, Raliek," Ivan replied, his voice thick with anticipation and even a hint of excitement.
"Signal the children," was all he said before he rose to his feet and disappeared into the darkness.
An emphatic smile spread across Ivan's face as he rushed over to the young boy who would carry out the signal for the rest of the children. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and simply nodded his head. The young boy took a deep breath and forced a smile as he nodded his assent. Ivan squeezed the boy's shoulder gently in encouragement before he rushed off and got into position. The young boy swallowed hard as he held out his hand in front of him, his palm upturned to the sky. He gazed steadily at his hand, his expression stolid, implacable as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. The effects of the suppressants had diminished greatly, but traces of it were still in his system, a consequence of being exposed to it for so long.
His hand began to tremble and he narrowed his eyes from the strain. He tried to maintain focus as he felt his concentration slipping, mentally cursing and encouraging himself to overcome the drug, refusing to fail and let down the others. Sweat was dripping from his face now as his hand began to glow, heat radiating from it. A ball of light began to form, expanding in his hand and spinning on its axis. A smile began to creep at the corners of his mouth as he felt the power coursing through his veins, power he had longed to harness again for so long. He had overcome the drug, beaten it, a victory that would be just as sweet as when he and the other children would use their powers to overthrow the senator and destroy the slave camp.
The boy's gentle smile turned into a full-blown grin as the ball of orange light, faceted with yellow and red, grew, his blue eyes reflecting every colour like a prism. Tendrils began to extend out from the orb, licking at the dark night air, streaks of orange phosphorescence lingering against the backdrop of the darkness before being swallowed by it. The sphere seemed to vibrate as it continued to grow, until finally, the flames burst from the confines of the circular shell of light, leaping high above the trees, seeming to touch the stars above.
The children huddling in the bushes all cocked their heads up towards the sky, quiet gasps escaping their lips as the giant inferno turned night into day. After their initial shock, their senses returned and their minds focused on the task before them. The signal had been made and everything rested on them. Invigorated, inspired by the flames, the children jumped to their feet, war cries escaping their lips and resounding throughout the crisp night air as they rushed out of the bushes and towards the slave camp. If they hadn't had a purpose in life before, this was it, one they would fight to achieve, even if it meant a fight to the death.
Senator Miklan had come to collect Obi-Wan and Lara when suddenly there was a bright light in the sky and war cries began to sound through the crisp early morning air. "Let's get this done with quickly," he said to the executioner standing next to him. The dark figure just nodded and walked out from the trap door under the gallows set up just for the prisoners.
Obi-Wan listened to the sound of the children's war cries, keeping his hazel gaze on the ground. His feelings were mixed; death was near and he knew it, knew he was to be hanged. This wasn't the death he had hoped for as a Jedi. Despite the people around him, he still felt he was going to die alone. Obi-Wan looked over to his Master, who was standing nearby a large crowd of people, one of many that had gathered to watch the deaths of two teenagers. How gruesome. Qui-Gon turned around and looked at him, as if he knew Obi-Wan's eyes were on him. Obi-Wan stared into his master's vacant eyes; they seemed to have no recognition of who Obi-Wan was to him. Yes, he was definitely alone. Obi-Wan wanted to cry but he maintained his composure, though the overwhelming sense of doom loomed in his heart.
The people began to cheer as the Senator walked onto the platform. He motioned with his hands for them to be quiet and they're cheering subsided. "Good people of Enturu, the charge of these two is conspiracy against the human race. They have betrayed not only me but the humans of Enturu... all of you!" Senator Miklan cried out, motioning to everyone around him. Some people grumbled, others began chanting incoherently and still others remained silent. To say the least it was still loud and confusing to Obi-Wan. "The price of this betrayal?"
"Death!" the people replied in one loud voice after which a loud, rumbling drum roll sounded and the senator prepared to pull the lever and send Lara and Obi-wan plummeting to their deaths.
Raliek watched from afar as the children began their attack on the slave camp. The guards outside were utterly bewildered and completely disoriented as the mass of children fell upon them. Many of them had already regained most of their abilities, and those that hadn't, resorted to hand-to-hand combat, pummelling the guards with their fists and others throwing large rocks. Ivan was at the forefront of it all, shouting orders and using his blaster to take down guards. Raliek watched for a moment longer, knowing what he had to do, but reluctant to leave all his friends behind to fend for themselves. But Lara... He had to get to his sister before the entire camp became chaotic and the senator panicked. If he got desperate, he would kill her instantly and he would never forgive himself if that happened. His promise to her was more important to him than killing the senator - the promise never to abandon her.
Raliek continued through the bushes and trees, rustling past them as he circled to the back of the camp. The guards there had abandoned their posts and moved to the front of the camp to reinforce their fellow guards trying to repel the advancing children. Raliek slipped inside easily and guards rushed past him in the corridors, barely paying him any heed. Raliek could hear hollers and jeers coming from the opposite end of the corridor, his senses leading him towards the commotion. A sudden pang of fear rose in his chest and his heart constricted as a darkness loomed in his mind. He closed off all his external senses, shutting out the shouting and the cheers, and he focused his thoughts on their source. He let his mind travel along the hatred and rage that was emanating from the shouting and flew through the twisting corridors, zeroing in on the origin of that hate and fear he felt so strongly. The feelings were so overpowering, Raliek's mind began to ache from the strain of trying to dampen the strong emotions bombarding his senses. He drifted along as the negative feelings grew and he could feel them tugging at him. Finally, his senses seemed to explode as he burst through the doors of the slave camp and drifted out into a large, open courtyard packed with hordes of people shouting insults and spouting curses. Raliek veered the extension of his mind to the focus of the crowd's attention, to where they were directing all their negative emotions.
As his field of vision fell upon the source of the commotion, Raliek's mortal body jerked with shock and his essence propelled away from the courtyard and encased itself back into him. He took in a loud, staggering breath as he opened his eyes and stood frozen in the dark corridor. His body was wracked with fear and shook violently as his worst anxiety was about to take form, for in the courtyard, standing on a large platform, were Lara and Obi-wan with ropes tied around their neck and the senator's hand gripping a lever. "Lara..." he whispered in a horror-stricken voice as he willed his feet to pull themselves away from the floor and lead him to the courtyard. "Don't lose hope, Lara. I'm coming."
DISCLAIMER: Ok we did this just for fun, there's no money being made off this story (but dont we wish tee hee) We're just borrowing the starwars charactors for awhile, but we promise we will return them!