Friends Like These
Part 3
"Yes, let�s,�Jerrup snapped. He pressed the button that lowered the hook, then stopped just as the piece of engine settled onto the floor of the factory. Obi-Wan couldn�t help exhaling loudly as he was relieved of the extra weight and his shoulders were no longer in danger of being dislocated. It made the pain in his ribs seem all the more powerful, however. Picking up a saw from the workbench, Jerrup crouched down in front of Obi-Wan and positioned it next to his left wrist. For one horrible minute, Obi-Wan thought that Jerrup was going to cut his hands off completely, but the Sullustan merely severed the rope and straightened up again.Dead...he couldn�t get the word out of his head. Obi-Wan watched Jerrup put the saw away, wondering if it was going to be the will of the Force that he die to protect Senator Yirrit and keep his enemies from finding him before he�d exposed their corruption. If it was, then so be it, but he didn�t want to go out without a fight. More urgently now, he reached for the Force, willing it to flow through him. It was coming back, he could feel it now, sluggish and slow but definitely there. He could think more clearly now.
Jerrup�s fingers moved across the controls, and the box that held the hook trundled along the track in the ceiling, bringing Obi-Wan closer to one of the workbenches. When he was within arm�s length, the Senator�s Aide then pressed the button that raised him into the air until his head was just higher than the workspace. Obi-Wan used the opportunity to glance around. As he�d hoped, he saw something farther away that did not appear to be bolted to the floor, and moved his fingers slightly. The swoop exhaust pipe that had been leaning precariously against one wall wobbled for a moment or two, then finally fell backwards. All three of the Sullustans turned around to see what the noise was. Finding nothing threatening, they turned back to Obi-Wan.
Well, that hadn�t been a lot of help, Obi-Wan groaned inwardly. It had only proved that his control over the Force wasn�t complete yet. He�d have to be patient even longer now and hope he didn�t die before the effects of the drug wore off enough. Die. There was that word in his head again.
Jerrup grabbed him by the wrist, interrupting his thoughts, and placed his hand palm-up on the table, then motioned for the taller Sullustan to hold it in place while he himself picked up a heavy hammer and a long nail. He had just positioned the nail in Obi-Wan�s palm, not directly in the center but a bit lower down, closer to the heel of his hand, when he was interrupted by a chirping sound. Quickly laying the tools aside, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a comlink.�Jerrup here.�
"Have you found out where the Senator is?�came a voice that Obi-Wan did not recognise.
"No, Senator,�Jerrup replied.
Senator? Obi-Wan wondered, then realised that Jerrup was talking to the other Sullustan Senator, the one that Yirrit claimed was corrupt.
"But we do have the younger Jedi and he�s just about to tell us where Yirrit is,�Jerrup replied. Obi-Wan ignored the Sullustan�s pointed look as he considered the connection; Jerrup was no doubt well paid by the other Senator to make sure that Yirrit was not informed about certain--activities, or to report information that Yirrit would rather keep secret. He was certainly doing a good job--Senator Yirrit did not only -not- suspect anything, but he also trusted Jerrup with his life.
"Well, may the Force be with you, then!�the other Senator replied sarcastically, then snorted,�Jedi. The only good Jedi is a dead Jedi, but make sure he vents his information first. We�ve got to get that proof away from our do-gooder friend before they smuggle him off the planet.�
Dead Jedi, Obi-Wan thought contemptuously. If only he could convince them that he was dead, maybe they�d go away and leave him alone long enough for him to free himself--yes! That was the plan! He�d have to have full control of the Force to pull it off, but as soon as he did, he could put himself into a hibernation trance and slow his heartbeat down enough that they�d think he was dead.
"Yes, Senator.�Jerrup switched off and put the comlink away, then reached again for the tools. Instinctively, Obi-Wan tried to pull his hand away, but the Sullustan held him too tightly, and a moment later, Jerrup had nailed his hand to the surface of the workbench. He screamed, trying to keep himself still as the Sullustan let go of his wrist.
"You have something to tell us, Jedi?�Jerrup demanded, pulling him by his braid again. Obi-Wan resisted as the motion tugged at his hand and sent bolts of torment up the nerves all the way to his shoulder.
"No!�he screeched, both as an answer and a plea. For an anwer, Jerrup leaned over and began to wiggle his thumb ever so slightly. Obi-Wan screamed even louder, clawing at Jerrup with his left hand, but the smaller Sullustan caught it and bent his wrist back on itself until he stopped struggling.
The comlink chirped again, and Jerrup reached immediately for a roll of wide tape. Ripping off a piece and slapping it over Obi-Wan�s mouth, he reduced the Jedi�s cries to grunts so muffled that the comlink would not pick them up. Only then did he reach for the small instrument.�Yes, Senator, what is it?�
"Has that Jedi baby left there yet?�
Jerrup was no less surprised than Obi-Wan to hear Senator Yirrit�s voice. Glancing over at the Jedi who hung upside down in front of him, Jerrup quickly caught his composure again and said,�Why, no, Senator, he hasn�t been here at all.�
"Blast that boy. I knew we shouldn�t have sent him. Unreliable.�
Obi-Wan made an indignant sound. He was being tortured here, risking his life for that Senator, and Yirrit was calling him unreliable!
"He�s probably got lost, Senator. You know those humans don�t have our innate sense of direction.�
"Hmph, probably.�
"Does the Jedi know you�re calling, Senator? Is he worried about the boy yet?�
"What? No, no, he doesn�t know. He�s in the refresher upstairs just at the moment, otherwise I wouldn�t have dared even think of calling you. But he doesn�t look worried. Jedi never do, you know. He just says he trusts the boy to get back before the transport lands to pick me up.�
It was good to hear that Qui-Gon had such trust in him, even if the Senator didn�t.
"You won�t want to wait much longer, will you, Senator? You�ll be leaving the planet soon.�Jerrup said, motioning unnecessarily for the other Sullustans to be silent as he passed the handkerchief over his lips. �Look, I�m all alone in my office just now. Nobody�s listening. You can tell me where you are, and I�ll bring you whatever you need. You know you trust me, Senator.�
No, Obi-Wan cried out mentally. Don�t trust him, Senator! Don�t tell him where you are! Qui-Gon, hurry up!
But there were no background sounds of Qui-Gon coming down the stairs, not that the comlink would transmit such a quiet sound anyway, and to Obi-Wan�s sheer dismay, the Senator actually began to describe the location of the hologram in his desk and then the location of the safe house for Jerrup. Realising that the damage was done, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and concentrated on the Force, sending a quick burst of it towards his master. Qui-Gon had to be warned that something was not right, that he should be alert! If only Jedi were able to communicate in words through the Force--but they weren�t. This was the only way to signal his master. He hoped it would be enough because he knew that as soon as the Senator stopped babbling at Jerrup, the Sullustans would want to kill him and then head for the house. He wouldn�t have long to convince them that he was dead already before they pulled out a blaster to make sure.
Inhaling loudly through his nose a few times and then stopping suddenly, Obi-Wan then made his body relax completely, slowing down his heartbeat and his breathing until he was hanging utterly motionless, not even his chest moving. At the same time, he pulled his conscious mind inwards as far as he dared, wanting to at least hear what was going on around him and therefore not quite daring to enter the deepest stage of the hibernation trance. Everything seemed very far away, even the pain in his hand, and he was only vaguely aware of Jerrup thanking the Senator and promising to bring the hologram right away.
As though it were a conversation in another room, he dimly heard Jerrup saying,�Well, Jedi, we got the information without you.�
There was a pause, and then Jerrup asked,�What, has the little Jedi baby fainted?�
The smaller Sullustan moved his fingers around to the inner side of Obi-Wan�s wrist and then let go of it suddenly.�I can�t feel a pulse!�
"He can�t be dead,�Jerrup snarled.�We haven�t hurt him enough for him to die.�
As though through many layers of thick blankets, Obi-Wan felt Jerrup shaking his other hand, pulling savagely at it so that the wound around the nail was ripped open wider. The pain was so distant and so dull, however, that he was easily able to ignore it and remain totally limp.
"What if he suffocated?�the taller Sullustan asked.
"His nose was free!�
"He�s been hanging upside down a long time now. That kills you eventually.�
Jerrup placed his hand on Obi-Wan�s chest, feeling around for a heartbeat, then snapped in a very defensive voice,�I asked my friend at the medical center so I�d know how long we could keep him like this! We�re still well within the time estimate that she gave me. It should take twice as long as this for a being to die from hanging upside down!�
"Maybe it�s different for humans,�the smaller Sullustan snapped back.
"Shut up!�Jerrup shouted. He removed his hand from Obi-Wan�s chest just before Obi-Wan�s heart gave a single beat.�It doesn�t matter now. We got what we wanted in the end.�
There was another significant pause and Obi-Wan could imagine them all standing there, staring at his �dead� body. Then Jerrup said coldly,�I never thought it would be so easy to kill a Jedi. That might just make it easier for us when we meet the next one. Come on, let�s go. I know where the Senator is. Let�s get him and get that proof, otherwise we�re going to be the dead ones next!�
Obi-Wan listened to them go out. A moment later, he heard the sound of the speeder engine outside the door, loud at first, then fading away into the distance. Bringing his consciousness back to its normal position again, he found himself panting through his nose with the pain that also returned. But there was no one to hear, and he opened his eyes and looked at the nail in his hand. His first priority was to free himself and find his comlink to warn Qui-Gon, and so he concentrated on the nail, trying to pull it out with the Force. As before, the agony made it difficult to focus, but he gritted his teeth and gave it everything he had.
After an eternity of two or three moments, the nail popped out and he could lift his hand away. Force, but it hurt! Obi-Wan found that he was shaking all over and had started to keen involuntarily through the tape covering his mouth. Reaching up with his left hand, he ripped off the strip, gasping as it came away. Glancing around, Obi-Wan then turned his attention to the controls of the hook, mentally pressing the correct button. The hook glided down, taking him with it, but he had to stop once and concentrate on the the piece of engine he�d been tied to, sweeping it away so that he didn�t land on it. When he was able to lay his left forearm flat on the floor, he stopped pushing the button and focused the Force towards the binders around his ankles instead.
As soon as they popped open, his legs fell down. Obi-Wan wasn�t as capable of controlling them as he�d hoped, and he landed hard on his knees and shins, the jolt of the impact sending additional torment through his torso. For a moment, he knelt there, weak and dizzy, then drew on the Force for strength and balance, and managed to crawl over to where they�d dropped his things. The lightsaber was missing. He thought Jerrup might have picked it up, perhaps when they�d gone out. And the comlink had been crushed just enough to be worthless, probably by one of the Sullustans stepping on it. Obi-Wan carefully blocked out his initial feeling of frustration and searched for another way to achieve his objective. He could find a public com system and contact Qui-Gon that way.
Pulling his tunics back over his head with slow, careful movements, using the Force to dull his pain as much as he was capable of, Obi-Wan buckled the belt loosely around his waist, then pushed his feet awkwardly into his boots. Then he straightened up somewhat and staggered to the door of the factory. He was prepared to walk all the way to where he�d left the speeder, if he had to, despite his aching body and shoulders and the throbbing in his palm. He could look around for a PCS booth on the way. But by some miracle, the Sullustans had left both swoops behind, and just looking at them made Obi-Wan�s heart suddenly feel light with relief. Swoops were fast and agile, and best of all, they reminded Obi-Wan of a certain fact he�d learned the day before.
The Sullustans lived in huge underground cities with artificial lights. Between the framework that held the lights and the ceiling of the caves was just enough room for a Sullustan maintainance worker to ride a swoop through, if he kept his head down, in order to reach those lights quickly and easily which needed to be repaired or replaced. There were markings on the framework to tell them where they were. Obi-Wan knew that he had a good chance of actually beating the Sullustans to the safe house if he rode one of those swoops through the maintainance channels. He�d be able to push the swoop to its highest speed and not have to worry about any traffic--it was late in the day and all the maintainance workers had no doubt gone home already. There would be no time to look for a public com system to tell Qui-Gon he was coming, but if he got there before the Sullustans did, it wouldn�t matter.
Swinging his leg slowly and awkwardly over the seat of one of the swoops, Obi-Wan used his left hand and a bit of the Force to work the controls. At first, he kept his right hand close to his chest to protect it, but soon realised he�d have to extend it for balance. He rested the side of his wrist gingerly against the hand grip, then released the brake and guided the swoop along a steep path upwards until he found one of the maintainance hatches between two of the huge light panels. He had to transfer his use of the Force from self-healing and controlling the pain to overriding the security lock, but didn�t allow himself to moan as the panel slid back to admit him. Pushing the swoop through and ducking automatically, Obi-Wan pointed himself in the right direction, switched on the headlights, then jammed his foot onto the accelerator and held on as tightly as he could.