Turning away from the console, Obi-Wan Kenobi tripped over his own feet, and the hardware from the navigational computer fell from his hands as he landed on the deck.�Oh, no...�
He picked it up and stared in horror. Only one thing had broken off, but of course it was the most important and therefore most delicate piece of the entire section. Even if it could be reattached, which was not certain, given the lack of specialist tools that they had at their disposal, it probably would not function reliably again. His master was really going to punish him for this!
"What is it?�asked his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, sitting up from where he�d been working under the console, systematically removing the parts of the navigational computer to check the connections and find the fault.
Still on his knees, Obi-Wan turned around and extended the section to him, wordlessly fingering the fractured part, then bowed his head and awaited his master�s wrath.
There was a silence. Obi-Wan kept his head bowed. Through the Master-Padawan bond, he could feel that Qui-Gon was more puzzled than angry, and that in turn puzzled him.
"It was an accident, Padawan,�his master said.�Your growth is making you--�
He stopped, but Obi-Wan supplied the word himself.�Clumsy!�
Oafy-Wan. The name sprang unbidden to his mind, and the taunt from his days at the Temple hurt just as much now as it had five years ago.
"Awkward,�Qui-Gon corrected him.�On occasions. Don�t look so panicked, I�m not going to scold you for having one last growth spurt. Falling over your feet was an accident, but this--was meant to happen.�
"What? What do you mean, master?�
"I�m not sure. I just have this feeling that we�re supposed to be here.�Qui-Gon seated himself at the console and sent an emergency message to the Jedi Council on Coruscant, asking to be picked up as soon as possible. Shutting off the holo-transmitter, he said,�We�ll be staying a few days. We might as well look around.�
Obi-Wan followed him out of the ship. Qui-Gon had felt compelled to set the ship down in the flat spot between two hillocks, which was all that he could see of their surroundings at the moment. After the navigational computer on their ship had failed and brought them automatically out of hyperspace, they had landed here, on the southern continent of the nearest planet, to repair the computer at least enough to get someplace civilized. But now they were stuck here, thanks to Obi-Wan. He sighed miserably.
"Stop that, Padawan, and close your eyes,�Qui-Gon commanded.�Tell me what you feel through the Force.�
Obi-Wan obeyed and was surprised at how strongly and quickly the images came to him.�This place is strong in the Force, master, and I sense both light and darkness. Most of the light seems to be centered in that direction. Most of the darkness is farther away over there. But where the light is, there is...sadness. Mourning. I can hear them calling out for help.�
"Yes,�Qui-Gon agreed.�That�s what I felt, guiding our ship here. And now I hear one voice in particular.�
Obi-Wan tried to focus on the silent pleading.�The voice is strong, but I can�t hear any distinct words.�
"I feel the Force is guiding us to investigate.�Qui-Gon shut the loading ramp of the ship and they began to walk up one of the hills to get a better view of where they were. It was afternoon on the planet, a brilliantly sunny day, the air hot and sweet after the cool, stale atmosphere of the ship. On one side, they could see the hills turning into mountains, but on the other side, the hills got smaller until they disappeared completely into a flat plain that was marked in regular rectangles. Obi-Wan could make out an irregular circle in the center of the rectangles.
"Is that a city, master?�
"Definitely a settlement of some kind,�Qui-Gon agreed.
They both felt the vergance in the Force at the same time, and turned around. Coming down a track between the hills on the mountain side was a group of men, four in all, and they were heading straight for the ship. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan descended the hill immediately and walked towards them.
The men all had long hair and golden earrings in both ears, and were simply dressed in colourful, but dirty clothing. Each wore a sword and a dagger at his side along with a heavy pack. There were also two animals with them, with long backs and spindly legs, that carried packs as well. Seeing the two Jedi, the men stopped, looking from them to the ship and back. Then, quite suddenly, they all knelt down on one leg, heads bowed, their hands one on top of the other on their bent knees.
"I hope they don�t think we�re some kind of deity,�Obi-Wan whispered. He could feel that the men were respectful to the point of fear.
"That�s probably exactly what they do think,�Qui-Gon replied in an equally low tone.�They almost certainly saw us land. Let�s try to convince them that we�re not.�
He walked to the first man and placed his hand on the man�s, tugging him gently upright. The man stood up, but did not dare look him in the face.�My lord of the light, have mercy on this servant...�
Words failed him, but Qui-Gon quickly said,�We are not lords of the light, but only servants. My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi.�
"I am Conak. We have come from the city of Enkerra.�
"You are...searching for something?�
"We are searching for our distant brothers who came this way three generations ago, when they wanted to inherit the land of our ancient fathers.�
Qui-Gon gestured behind him.�I don�t know if that is what you seek, but we noticed a city over there.�
The rest of the men stood up as well and looked at each other, and Obi-Wan could feel excitement rising in them. One of them remarked,�Truly, the light gave us a sign to guide us well.�
"Truly, that remains to be seen,�said another.�It might be another Imilachil settlement.�
"Let�s go down together and have a look, shall we?�Qui-Gon suggested.
"We would be honoured to have your company,�Conak said.
They walked towards the city together and soon came upon a broad paved road that led towards it. The regular rectangles turned out to be fields of crops, pastures for animals, and orchards. Everything looked very prosperous, and yet there was something wrong. Obi-Wan couldn�t put a finger on it until the pessimistic man asked, �Where are all the people?�
"They must all be in the city,�said Conak, equally puzzled.�But it is not a holy day...�
"I hope we�re not walking into the middle of some catastrophe,�said the dour man who�d mentioned the Imilachil earlier.
They were close enough to see that the road led to the city but not to a gate. Instead, it split and ran both ways around the high walls, which were dotted at intervals with high guard towers. Obi-Wan could see tiny figures moving around in them.
"There�s someone,�he said, pointing up.
"If we�re close enough to see them, then they can certainly see us,�Qui-Gon said.
"Look over there,�said Conak. He pointed over to the right. There was a tower there, about twice the height of the walls and set a hundred meters away from the city. At the bottom, they could see people standing in a loose formation.
"The tower�s on the east, just like in Enkerra!�exclaimed one of the men.�This must be the place! Those Imilachil don�t build prayer towers on the east.�
As they got closer, however, the formation suddenly broke up and swarmed in their direction, spreading out to surround them. They were a motley group, Obi-Wan noticed; young boys, old men, and even a girl or two. They also had a motley selection of weapons; pikes, swords, bows and arrows, and other things that Obi-Wan could not identify. Conak and his men stopped, hands poised loosely over their swords, but no one attacked, and they waited until the leader was close enough to speak to.
"Friends, we come in peace--�Conak began, but the leader made a signal with his hand. Obi-Wan felt something hit his shoulder with the force of a projectile. Gancing down, he saw the feathered end of a dart sticking out of his arm, and then everything blurred into blackness as his knees buckled beneath him.
*****
Obi-Wan was already throwing up before he was fully awake, then sank back, panting for breath. After a few moments, he tried to sit up and realised that his wrists had been chained together, in broad manacles with an hand�s length of links between them. Shifting his feet told him that his ankles were bound as well. He glanced dully around, but could only make out a few faint forms in the weak crack of light that fell from the ceiling.
The man on his left began to vomit as well, and the sound, along with the smell, made Obi-Wan want to retch in sympathy. He reached into himself, using the Force to dull the nausea and the headache that had started pounding between his temples. Along with the pain in his arm where the blow dart had penetrated, he was also thirsty, but he forced himself to ignore all that. Calm again, he called out,�Master?�
"I�m here, Obi-Wan.�By the sound of his voice, Qui-Gon was about a meter away, two at the most, but Obi-Wan could only see him as a shadow. No doubt he was in chains as well. They all were.
Sometime later, there was a grinding sound from above, and whatever had been blocking the entrance was pushed to one side. A rope was lowered into the cavern with a jug hanging from it, and one of Conak�s men stood up hastily to catch it. He drank thirstily without even bothering to detach it first, then stopped suddenly and removed it from the hook. Glancing around guiltily, he shuffled over to Qui-Gon, knelt down in front of him, and offered him the jug.�Forgive my weakness, my lord of the light.�
"Your thirst is greater than mine,�Qui-Gon said. He handed it to the man next to him, and Obi-Wan heard him take several great gulps before passing it along. By the time it got to Obi-Wan, it was nearly empty. He took a few large sips, holding the water in his mouth for a long time before swallowing, then managed to get to his feet and return the jug to Qui-Gon, who drank the rest of it.
"Send it back up, prisoners!�came the harsh command from above. Qui-Gon extended the jug to Obi-Wan and he looped the handle of it over the hook, then watched as it was pulled up. Hearing the grating sound of the heavy door being pushed back into place, he sat down next to Qui-Gon and felt the chains on his wrist hit something at his waist.
"Master, they haven�t taken our light sabers away,�he said quietly.
"They probably have no idea what they are,�Qui-Gon replied in an equally low tone.�And I don�t think it�s wise for us to show them, either.�
Obi-Wan had been entertaining ideas of igniting his saber, slicing through the chains, and escaping. Now he replied dispiritedly,�Yes, master.�
"Patience, Padawan.�
*****
It was about two or three hours later when the door was shoved aside again and a rope thrown down. The voice called up,�Come up one at a time. Just put your feet in the loop and hang onto the rope, and we�ll pull you up.�
"They�re going to execute us,�moaned the pessimistic man.
"They are not going to execute us,�said Qui-Gon firmly, quelling the fears that the statement had caused in the other men.�I�ll go up first. Then Conak, and then you, and you, and you, and--�
He indicated Obi-Wan.�--you.�
When the others had gone and it was Obi-Wan�s turn at last, he stepped onto the loop and took hold of the rope. The guards pulled him up, and as soon as his head was above the hole, he could see the others standing against the far wall of what appeared to be more a great hall than a room. It was obviously the prison block; aside from their cell, there were also three or four others, each distinguished by a thick metal door in the floor, and a rope pulley above. One of the guards pulled him away from the hole and helped him step onto the flagstones, then pushed him towards the others.
"You will be taken before King Tul-Kahan,�the guard announced. Obi-Wan recognised him as the leader from the day before.�In his presence, you will kneel. You will keep your eyes to the floor at all times. If the king speaks to you, you will answer. You will address him as �Your Majesty� at all times. We will be standing behind you with a whip in case you do not remember. Follow me.�
They shuffled along the hall in tiny steps through a labyrinth of corridors and courtyards, then finally came into a large, high chamber. At one end, King Tul-Kahan was sitting on a throne that was set on a dais, with two men standing behind him. He was wearing a robe of bright red cloth woven with intricate patterns and a headdress of golden feathers that spread out in a fan all the way from one massive golden earring to the other.
The whip flicked Obi-Wan in the back of the neck and he gave a yelp of surprise, then bent his head and stared resolutely at the paved stone floor as the guards forced them to kneel down.
"Bring that one to me,�he heard the king say.�The one on the end.�
That was the voice, Obi-Wan realised, feeling Qui-Gon sense it as well. The voice they had heard through the Force, the one that had been silently pleading for help. And then suddenly one of the guards had taken his arm and was pulling him up again, propelling him towards the dais. He kept his head down, but could feel the king�s eyes boring into him.
"Look at him, Rassak,�said the king.
"The resemblance to His Royal Highness is startling, your Majesty,�said the man on the right hand side of the throne.�Except for the hair, of course.�
King Tul-Kahan got up from his throne and came to stand directly in front of Obi-Wan.
"But he has this,�said the king, running his hand along Obi-Wan�s Padawan braid without actually touching it.�Three strands. One for the servant, one for the master, and one for the light.�
"Many people wear braids, your Majesty.�There was amusement in the man�s voice.�Especially women.�
"But with four strands, not three like this.�Then the king commanded,�Look at me.�
Obi-Wan glanced up straight into his eyes.
"He has blue eyes, Rassak. Blue, the holy colour. Surely this is a sign.�
"If your Majesty believes so,�sighed the man called Rassak.
"What is your name?�King Tul-Kahan turned his attention back to Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi, your Majesty.�
"Obi-Wan Kenobi,�the king repeated.�Tell me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, why were you and your companions outside the city walls yesterday, in open defiance of the law, when I myself was upon the tower, praying to the lords of the light?�
"We are strangers here, your Majesty,�Obi-Wan tried to explain.�My master and I came here because we--because we heard a call for help. Then we ran into these four men. They said that they came from the city of Enkerra--�
"Enkerra! Did you say Enkerra!�
"That is what they said, your Majesty, that they came from the city of Enkerra and were searching for their distant brothers. Conak can tell you more, your Majesty.�
"I am your humble servant Conak, your Majesty,�came the reply, and the guards brought him to stand beside Obi-Wan at the edge of the dais.
"I heard correctly?�the king asked.�You are from Enkerra?�
"Yes, your Majesty. We have been travelling for many days in search of our distant brothers, who left the city of Enkerra three generations ago to inherit the land of our ancient fathers. Yesterday afternoon, we were at a crossroads in the mountains and did not know which way to go. Then we saw something descend from the sky and and land a little west of us. We thought it must be a sign from the lords of the light, and we followed it to its resting place on the earth. There we saw these two men. They knew immediately that we were searching for something and they showed us where it is, otherwise we surely would have gone into Imilachil territory. If they are not lords of the light themselves, then these men truly are their messengers, for they led us here.�
"Guards! Take their chains off immediately, all of them!�King Tul-Kahan commanded, and the guards leaped forwards to obey. Obi-Wan rubbed his wrists where the manacles had been and saw that Conak was doing the same.
"You are my guests now, all of you,�said the king.�Be welcome in my house, which is the House of Kahan, be welcome in my city, which is the city of Getra.�
He stopped, and Obi-Wan saw that he was blinking away tears, but his voice remained steady when he spoke again.
"Honoured guests, your presence here fills me with great joy. My prayers to the lords of the light have been answered at last. After several wars, we have become as slaves to the Imilachil. We have lost too many men to fight back again, and now we pay a tribute of half of everything that we produce. We had thought that Enkerra was lost to us forever, for in three generations of wars and tribulations, we had forgotten the way back to that free city. But now, you have come to us, and you will guide us back there so that we may be free again. The harvest begins to-day. We don�t have much time, but if we can find a plan to escape the Imilachil before tribute day this year, we can take all our crops with us for the journey, and we will not be a burden on the people of Enkerra when we arrive there.�
He stopped, then looked directly at Obi-Wan.�This man claims that you are a messenger of the lords of the light. You say that you and your master came here because you heard our call for help. Come with me now, Obi-Wan-Kenobi, and help me.�
"My master has the greater power, your Majesty,�Obi-Wan replied truthfully, glancing back to Qui-Gon, who stood up gracefully and walked to his side.
"Your Majesty, I am Qui-Gon Jinn. We will help you however we can,�Qui-Gon said.
"The matter is so urgent to me that I would ask you to delay taking advantage of what my house can offer you, and come with me immediately.�
"Of course, your Majesty,�said Qui-Gon.
"Rassak.�The king turned his head slightly.�Take care of the others. Show them every hospitality.�
"Yes, your Majesty,�replied the advisor.
"Then come, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi,�said King Tul-Kahan, and led them through a narrow door next to the dais. They went up steps, then down a hall and into a room. Here there was a young man, asleep on a bed, and an old man sitting in a chair next to him. As soon as he saw the king, he stood up and bowed.
"How is he?�
"No better, your Majesty.�
"This is my son, Tohar-Kahan,�the king said.�He was fighting with his friends--playing, really--two days ago and received a blow on the head. He�s been like this ever since. Even our best Healer says he can do nothing for him. He fears Tohar-Kahan is dying.�
"I am not trained in the healing arts, but I will do what I can,�said Qui-Gon. He knelt down by the bed and closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force.
Obi-Wan looked down at the boy, wondering if he really did look like him. He couldn�t see much resemblence to what he saw in the mirror. Tohar-Kahan�s hair was long, and he wore earrings, and his face was relaxed in sleep. It was hard to tell.
After a few minutes, Qui-Gon opened his eyes again and stood up.
"I�m sorry, your Majesty,�he said.�The body lives, though not for much longer. His life force is almost gone. The future is always in motion, but--I do not see him there.�
"It is the will of the lords of the light,�said the king with a resigned sigh.�He is a good son, always obedient. His loss will be great. But come, my guests. I have delayed my hospitality too long.�
Part 2
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