Hospitality
Part 5
"Obi-Wan, are you going to get up at all?�Obi-Wan opened his eyes, blinking against the light.�What?�
"It�s time for breakfast! In fact, you�re late already.�It was Arun staring down at him. Groggily, Obi-Wan realised he was lying diagonally across the bed, fully dressed, with one arm and his Padawan braid dangling over the side, and sat up. The room spun around him for a moment, then rightened itself, and he looked around in confusion as he remembered the night before. But the torture was over now, and he was back in his room on the Betwioh Estate, even though he couldn�t remember how he�d got here, and aside from the dizzy spell, he felt normal. The pain was gone. He looked at his wrists, but any marks that the manacles might have left had long since faded.
"Are you all right?�Arun asked. Obi-Wan looked at him curiously, then remembered that the older boy knew nothing of what his father had done.
"Fine,�he replied. His throat no longer hurt, but his voice remained hoarse.�I�m sorry I slept late. I�ll be down in a minute.�
"You sound funny. You�re not coming down with something, are you?�
"No, no. Is, ah, your father still here?�He didn�t want to go down to breakfast and have to make polite conversation with the man who had just tortured him. He didn�t want to pretend for the sake of the younger boys that everything was all right, that he was their guest and pleased to be there.
"Yes, he�s still here. Why?�
"I just thought he might have left already.�Obi-Wan kept his face neutral to hide his disappointment.
"No. In fact, he sent me up to get you.�
"Oh.�For a moment, Obi-Wan considered refusing, but then Qui-Gon�s words came into his mind, that he should do as they told him, and Betwioh had as good as told him to come down to breakfast. He had to obey, whether he liked it or not.
"I�ll see you downstairs, then,�Arun said, and led the way out of the room.
Following the older boy into the corridor, Obi-Wan headed for the refresher to wash his hands and face. He thought about getting something else to wear, but his Jedi clothes were clean and mostly unwrinkled, and he found that he was getting hungry, Betwioh notwithstanding. As he went by Khian�s room on his way to the stairs, the door opened and she practically threw herself into his arms.�Obi-Wan!�
He held her for several moments as she sobbed into his chest, keeping one arm tightly around her waist as he slowly rubbed her back with his other hand, exactly the way Qui-Gon did it when hehad to deal with crying women. Finally, her crying became less noisy, and he said,�It�s over now, Khian. It�s all over.�
"I feel so awful,�she cried. Her voice was still hoarse and scratchy, too.�I was so helpless! I couldn�t do anything!�
"I know.�That feeling of helplessness was one he knew all too well.
"I don�t know if I can face Arun again!�
"Arun had nothing to do with it,�he told her, surprised.�Don�t confuse him with his father.�
"No. I don�t. Oh, I should have fought back--I should have at least tried to bite them!�
"That would only have made it worse,�Obi-Wan said. But knowing that hadn�t stopped him from almost wishing the same thing last night, or even again this morning.
"You know about all that, don�t you? You�ve been tortured before--before last night, I mean.�
"Yes.�Too many times.
"The other times--were they as bad as last night?�
"They were worse. Khian, don�t think about me. Every Jedi gets tortured eventually, I think. We just push the pain away with the Force.�Some of it, anyway.
"You push the pain away? I wish I could have done that...�Khian started to sob again.�I feel so violated! So helpless!�
Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the Force around him, then directed it towards Khian, hoping to give her some of the peace that it brought. After a moment, she stopped crying and looked up at him.�Obi-Wan, last night, I felt something in my head that was doing that. Was that you?�
Obi-Wan was surprised, but had to answer,�No. I�m sorry, it wasn�t me. It could have been Qui-Gon. I hope it helped, anyway.�
"Qui-Gon?�She considered it for a moment.�Yes, somehow it felt like Qui-Gon last night. And what you did just now felt different...like you. But yes, it helped. Both of you helped.�
"Do you feel better?�The Force had brought peace to him as well, and he felt marginally better.
"Yes.�She laughed a little.�I feel better.�
She straightened up and kissed him suddenly on the lips.�Thanks!�
Then she broke away and raced back into her room again. The feeling of her lips still lingering on his, Obi-Wan watched in confusion as the door shut in his face, then turned slightly as he heard someone approaching up the stairs.
He never saw the blow, but he felt the impact on the side of his eye. The next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the floor, too dizzy to respond, and Arun was sitting on him, holding his arms in one hand and smashing his other fist into his face again and again. He could feel blood pouring out of his nose, and then Arun stopped suddenly, letting go of him.
"You sneaky little Jedi scum!�Arun said.�Yesterday you almost had me convinced that you had never snogged anybody in your life and to-day you�re trying it with my girlfriend. Mine!�
"What?�was all Obi-Wan could think of to say. The hallway was spinning slowly around him.
Arun hit him again, and Obi-Wan tried to grab his arm, but was too dazed, and missed it. Catching his wrists and pinning them to the floor next to his head, Arun bent his face close to Obi-Wan�s and said angrily,�Khian is my girlfriend, not yours. You don�t kiss her. You don�t even think about kissing her.�
"You think I was kissing her?�Through the pain and the dizziness, he managed to realise what this was all about.
"When I came up the stairs, you were standing in the doorway of her room, kissing her.�
"No,�said Obi-Wan.�That is not true. She kissed me. There is a difference.�
"Why would she want to kiss you? She never even looked at you yesterday.�
"I was comforting her.�
"Comforting her! Is that what you Jedi call it!�
"No, that is not what we call it!�Obi-Wan surged up angrily, pushing Arun off him with a burst of the Force that sent the boy flying almost to the stairs again. The hallway spun again, and he scooted backwards until he could lean against the wall for support and hold his throbbing head in both hands.�You have no idea what is going on here, do you? We are not your guests, Arun. We are hostages, and your father had us both tortured last night! Khian�s never been tortured before, not like me, and I was comforting her!�
"It�s not true,�said Arun, shaking his head.�You�re making this up. It can�t be true.�
"It is true. Ask Khian. Ask your father.�Obi-Wan�s voice was hard.
"My father�s never tortured anybody in his life.�But Arun sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anybody.
"Are you so sure? No, he didn�t pound nails into my back and hang me up by them. He didn�t flog me. He didn�t put a burning whip across my back and leave it there until I passed out from the pain, and he didn�t pour a bucket of cold water over my head to bring me round again! But he tortured us all the same. Actually, what your father did was very humane. He just made us feel pain, that�s all. No marks. No damage. Just pain. Oh, Force, it hurt!�To his shame, Obi-Wan burst into tears then, the ache of his head adding to the memory of the torture, the humiliating feelings of helplessness and vulnerability. He covered his face with his hands, unable to control his sobbing.
Arun stared at him, his mouth open in absolute shock, and from her doorway where she�d been watching for who knew how long, Khian said quietly,�Obi-Wan...�
Then she knelt down next to him and laid a hand on his leg, waiting for him to calm down a bit before saying,�It seemed so horrible last night, but now I feel like I got off lightly.�
Obi-Wan flushed guiltily.�I didn�t mean for you to hear that, Khian, I�m sorry.�
"Khian--is it true? My father--?�
"I don�t hold it against you, Arun,�Khian said, reaching out for him. Arun got up and sat down next to her, looking sick and confused, and she took his hand with a brave smile.�You�re not your father. And Obi-Wan is right. It was very--humane--compared to what--what he said.�
"You can�t stay here, Khian. I could steal my father�s ship. I even know how to fly it. I could fly you home. You wouldn�t have to be a hostage any more, you�d be free.�
"No, don�t. You might start another war--�Obi-Wan said, but he was interrupted by the sound of feet pounding on the stairs and then Yrnan appeared.�I am getting seriously angry with all three of you. I am considering having breakfast cleared away whether you have eaten or--What is going on here? Obi-Wan, what happened? Arun, have you been fighting with him?�
"It was a misunderstanding that has since been cleared up, and it will not happen again,�Obi-Wan said.�If you will excuse me, I think I had better go meditate. I�m sorry, Arun. I should not have gotten angry at you. Please forgive me.�
"No, Obi-Wan, I�m sorry. It really was a misunderstanding.�
"I forgive you.�Obi-Wan stood up, wobbling, and Yrnan grabbed his arm to steady him.�Oh no you don�t. Jedi or no Jedi, you�re getting a bacta pack. And as for you, Arun, take Khian and go down to breakfast. I�ll deal with you later.�
She led him down the stairs and into the sitting room, where she seated him firmly in a soft chair.�Don�t move. I�ll be right back.�
When she returned, she had an open package in her hand. Removing the pieces of gauze that had been soaking in bacta, she applied them carefully to the side of his face. The pain eased and the tingling that indicated healing began.
"Why did Arun hit you?�Yrnan asked.
Obi-Wan looked up at her with his good eye.�Because he thought he saw me kissing Khian.�
"And were you?�
"She kissed me. Once. As a sort of thank you.�
"Khian is a nice girl,�Yrnan remarked neutrally.
"Yes, but I have no interest in her. Not like Arun.�
"I�ve rarely seen Arun so happy. They really seem to get on well.�
Obi-Wan did not want to insult her by asking if she thought they had a future together, so he remained silent, and after a few moments, Yrnan said,�Yes. Well. Excuse me, I�ve got other things to do now, but don�t take the bacta off until I get back. I�ll keep some breakfast for you.�
"Thank you, but I really should meditate...�
"That can wait until you�re feeling better.�
"Yes, Yrnan.�
"I wish my sons were as obedient as you.�She got up and went to the door, and almost ran into her husband, who asked,�Is that Obi-Wan in here?�
"He and Arun had a fight, but it was definitely Arun�s fault, so go easy on him,�Yrnan explained. She left, and Betwioh stood in front of Obi-Wan. After an ominous moment of silence, he said,�Harjis still hasn�t indicated that he will comply with my demands. I�ll need you and Khian to help convince him again to-night if I haven�t heard anything by then.�
He hadn�t said torture, but there was no doubt that he meant it, and Obi-Wan felt suddenly sick with dread. Bluntly, he stated,�And if you haven�t heard anything by to-morrow evening, you�ll have us executed.�
"I hope it won�t come to that.�Betwioh sounded as though he really meant it.�I wish there were another way.� Then he turned abruptly and went out, leaving Obi-Wan wishing the same thing. After a few moments, he peeled off the gauze pieces, then stood up and went out as well. When he was in his room, he sat down and tried to meditate, release his emotions, and find the peace and acceptance of his destiny that the Force would bring.
"Obi-Wan?�The door opened and Iorn came into the room.�Obi-Wan, what are you doing?�
"Meditating,�he replied.
"What?�
"Meditating,�he repeated, trying not to sound annoyed.�Don�t those Jedi books that you read ever mention the fact that Jedi spend many hours in meditation?�
"No.�Iorn danced around from one foot to the other.�Are you going to be finished soon? Because I�d really like you to show me that kata-thing again.�
Obi-Wan sighed.�Iorn, could you give me one hour, please? I�ll be happy to show you the kata when I�m finished, but I really need one more hour.�
Iorn frowned, but accepted the condition.�All right. I�ll come get you to make sure you�re not late.�
"Agreed.�When the boy had gone again, Obi-Wan groaned inwardly. He had a feeling that he was going to need the entire day to harness his emotions and release them to the Force. He didn�t want to die, not like this. If he had to give his life, he�d rather do it in battle, with his light saber in his hand, not kneeling on the ground with upraised hands, waiting for someone to shoot him in the back of the head. He�d rather die to save somebody else�s life--Qui-Gon�s for instance, or Khian�s or even Iorn�s --but not just for somebody to gain control of a measly strip of land somewhere. Khian. She was so buoyant, so lively and cheerful. It would be more than just a waste of life if she were to be executed, it would be something approaching criminal. Not to mention the devastating effect it would have on Arun. Obi-Wan knew that they had feelings for each other, and suspected that they had already fallen in love. He remembered how sick Arun had looked when Khian had confirmed that his father had had her tortured.
Torture! The thought was even more frightening than that of his own death. He couldn�t help it. He did not want to be tortured again, not for the third time in just over a week. Even if it was humane. Even if it didn�t leave scars across his back, or any other lasting damage. He could still remember the agony and he did not want to go through it again. It didn�t seem to have worked last time, so what if Betwioh did something else to them to-night, something different? Something...worse? Something so awful that it would make Qui-Gon use all his Jedi powers to convince Harjis to give into the demands, if he wasn�t already scrambling to do so? Obi-Wan shuddered involuntarily. Was there anything he could do to prevent this? Anything at all?
*****
In the afternoon, while Eald and Iorn were chasing each other around the labyrinth, Obi-Wan pulled Arun and Khian aside and said,�I need to speak to you privately.�
They walked along the side of the lake to the heorlan pitch and Obi-Wan made sure that there was nobody in sight before finally saying,�Governor Betwioh...wants to torture us again to-night.�
"No!�Arun gasped, and Khian grasped the young man�s hand for comfort.�I don�t think I can go through it again, Obi-Wan.!�
"Neither do I,�he stated flatly, but then he had to add,�Khian--if your father doesn�t give in after to-night, Betwioh will be forced to execute us.�
"Obi-Wan, no!�Khian cried again, and Arun simply looked sick.
"I�ve been thinking about this all day.�Even while playing a listless game of heorlan, he�d eventually come up with a plan.�If Cyning Harjis had a hostage, then it would be a logical step for him and your father to exchange them. My master would help them see the necessity for it. Then they�d be back where they started, nobody would be in danger, and the negotiations could go on.�
"And where would Harjis get a hostage? We�re all here,�Arun commented.
"That�s what I wanted to talk to you about,�said Obi-Wan.�You said this morning you could fly your father�s ship?�
"Yes?�Arun prompted.�I could borrow his personal cruiser and fly Khian back, if that�s what you�re thinking.�
"No, I�m not. Listen. Khian, you remember that your father said that he would give anything to get you back. He agreed to give in to all the demands.�
"Yes!�Khian cried.�And if Cousin Cyning says otherwise, he�s lying!�
"Is he your cousin, Khian?�When the girl had nodded, Obi-Wan went on,�Why would he lie, Khian? Who�s next in line after you?�
"Cyning--Frizzers, Obi-Wan, you don�t think he wants me out of the way so that he can become Governor himself?�
"He might be taking advantage of an opportunity, yes. Your father is suddenly taken ill. Counselor Cyning says he�s changed his mind. Before you know it, you�re dead and there�s only one person between Cyning and the Governorship, one who won�t live forever.�
Arun and Khian just stared at him.
"Arun, I don�t think it�s a good idea for you to take Khian back just now. It might start another war. But would you be willing to risk your life for her?�
"You want me to be the hostage,�Arun said. He didn�t seem frightened at all, more excited than anything.�Yes. I�ll do it. Anything for Khian.�
"If you go to my master and ask for his protection, he�ll either make sure there�s an exchange of hostages, or he�ll keep you safe until it�s all over.�
"Are you sure? Would he do that for me?�
"He wants a peaceful solution,�Obi-Wan said.�I think he would do it. You could wear my clothes and tell everybody that you will only speak to him. Most people will do anything for a Jedi, even without us influencing their minds. If you look the part, they will believe you long enough for you to get to my master.�
"I�ll do it,�said Arun again.�Anything to keep Khian safe--and you.�
"I�d go myself, but I don�t think your father would agree to exchange Khian for me,�said Obi-Wan with a diplomatic smile.�That�s why I had to ask you.�
"I said I�d do it. I don�t look like you, though.�
"It�s all right. They�ve never seen me, only my master. You�ll be able to bluff your way through to him. Say you want to speak to him privately, and he won�t give you away.�
"When do I leave?�Arun asked excitedly.
"When you look like a Padawan.�
"What do I have to do?�
"I�ll have to cut your hair.�
Arun had shoulder length hair that he wore in a short, thick braid at the base of his neck. Now he reached up and touched it.�I was meaning to get a haircut soon anyway.�
"You really need a braid.�
"I don�t suppose--?�Arun reached out, but Obi-Wan pulled back.
"Not mine! Khian, would you mind donating a lock?�
"Anything for Arun,�Khian said.�Are you going to stick it on with glue?�
"No, with the Force.�
They both looked at him quizzically.
"When I became Qui-Gon�s Padawan, he gave me part of his braid and used the Force to join it to my own hair. It�s a sign of continuity, from Master to Padawan throughout all the ages. I think I could do the same to you.�
"Well, what are we waiting for?�
They went inside and Arun borrowed a pair of scissors, then took them up to his room. Khian separated a long, thin lock of her hair, pulling the rest back, and Obi-Wan braided it, then cut it off and set it aside. Taking up the scissors again, he began to give Arun a Padawan haircut, short and spiky, with a ponytail in back. He�d never done it to anyone else before, and the result was less than perfect, but it would do. He�d have to get used to it, he told himself. If this plan worked, he�d have a Padawan of his own one day. If not...he didn�t want to think about it. When he�d finished, he took the braid and held it behind Arun�s right ear, then concentrated on the Force. It took a moment, but then the braid joined the boy�s hairs as though it had grown there.
"I like it,�said Arun, flipping it around and smiling at Khian.�I think I�ll keep it.�
"Don�t let Qui-Gon catch you doing that. It�s practically sacriligious,�Obi-Wan warned.
Then Arun dressed in Obi-Wan�s clothes, and pulled the brown robe tightly around him.�How do I look?�
"Like a real Jedi,�Khian breathed, smiling with delight.
"Not too bad,�Obi-Wan admitted.�Now remember, you say your name is Padawan Kenobi and you will only speak to Master Jinn. And if you speak to him in the presence of others, always call him master.�
"Padawan Kenobi. Master Jinn. I�ll remember. Wish me luck.�
"Come back safely,�said Khian, taking his head between her hands and giving him a long kiss. Obi-Wan settled for a handshake, and then Arun left, sneaking out of the castle through a back way.