| What Lies Beneath� By Jemmiah ******** "There he is." The voice was almost disembodied, spoken gruffly yet quietly with the air of one whose intentions were not altogether honourable. The object of attention lay stretched out supinely on a simple timber framed bed, neither stirring nor giving any visible signs of acknowledging the scrutiny. "Sleeping like a baby." Tissked a second, higher-pitched voice. "Almost too easy, isn't it? Why don't we just jump him now when he least expects it? He wouldn't even know�" "Not yet!" It wasn't as if they were dealing with any old person. This was, after all, a Jedi: multi-skilled, efficient and all-knowing. If they were to stand a chance at taking him by surprise then they would have to choose their moment carefully. They did have an advantage over their gaoler: he didn't even know they had the means to escape, or that they had the collective wit to even fashion some kind of a plan. Typical Jedi, really, the owner of the first voice reasoned. Too overconfident! Never expecting the unexpected! Did things by the book for the most part. Well, this time it would be their undoing! It would be the Jedi youngster sleeping peacefully on his bed who would be the first to taste the cold, stale taste of defeat. "We can easily overpower him." The second shot back. "Look at how vulnerable he is like that, lying on his back with his mouth open!" "And making a frightful noise into the bargain." The first figure continued to observe the padawan, taking in the relaxed, slack jaw and deep breathing which signalled precisely how far out of things the young man was. "No - you're right. That HAS to stop." "As if it's not punishment enough, being stuck in the same room as that bratty rat-tailed kid. Close confinement? Which sadist thought that one up! It's not like we're even armed�" "We don't need arms." Rejoined the low growl of the first protagonist. "As long as he keeps quiet when we jump him we can rescue the others and escape�" "To where!?!" Asked the second with a keening wail, taking great care to remain hidden in the shadows. "Where can we run to?" The first said nothing for a while. "There are places we can hide where nobody would ever think of looking for us." He said after a moment's consideration. "We can scatter�lie low for a while. Get ourselves cleaned up and then reinvent ourselves. It would be as if we were never here. All we have to do is get past that inconsiderate lump of a Jedi." The figure bent his head in close to his fellow. "Now, it's very important that we get this right. Just stick to the plan. All we have to do is escape from our cell and then slither over to his bed. Shouldn't take too much of an effort to just suffocate the miserable son of a Gundark whilst he's doing the 'big Z' thing. Slap across his mouth and nose until he turns purple. See how he likes it for a change�" "Strange lot, Jedi." Conceded the other. "You think they'd have more consideration for other people's welfare! Do we have to smother him, though? Can't we just asphyxiate him a little? I don't like the idea of cold-blooded murder. I mean, he's not very old. Not experienced much of life. Isn't it a bit heartless, like clubbing a baby Nerf on the head or something�" "If you want to do a job properly you've got to be thorough." Snapped the first figure, peering back at the prone figure on the bed. "How are we supposed to escape if we've got a kriffing Jedi hunting us down? You know he'll never give up until we're all rounded up and back in our cosy little pen, safe and under guard, rotting and forgotten in the darkness. These force sensitives�worst gaolers in the world!" The second figure drooped momentarily, knowing that he was beaten. It would certainly be good to get out and taste fresh air again: the conditions he and his fellows had been held in were little short of barbarous. The Jedi had been watching over them now ever since the last mission: a frantic and sweaty affair that had resulted in their incarceration. And there, snoring contentedly and dreaming the sweet dreams of the virtuous, lay the culprit. "Damn Jedi; I've had enough of this!" The first pulled himself up straight and nodded at his companion. "Now is the time to do it, whilst he's still deep enough under not to wake up and fight back. Rouse the others and let's make our escape!" Buoyed by the sudden, overpowering feeling of hope the second figure turned to beckon to his fellow prisoners; a mixed group kept detained by the Jedi for reasons as yet unknown. There was 'Old Red', a bit worn with the passage of time and maybe not as sprightly or in as good condition as he might be, but given his age and the privations he'd had to endure it was only to be expected. For a while Red had been arguing if it wasn't better that he stay behind incase he slow his comrades down, but such an idea was unthinkable! They would all stick together no matter what the consequences, especially seeing Red's partner in crime had recently gone missing. Who could say what fate had befallen him? "We'll go in twos." The first voice declared authoritatively. "Find your counterpart for the operation and make your way out of the holding area and then over to his bed...quietly! Then when I give the word: jump him!" Muttering voices drifted back to the leader, affirming their support of the plan. It was as if they all possessed a group soul; a hive mind that linked each individual together, working for their greater good. Tiptoeing silently, easing up the escape lid of their holding pen the fugitives slowly let themselves out, sliding in deadly fashion between the narrow space of their cell and across the floor towards the oblivious Jedi. He'd rolled over onto his side so that he faced the wall. So much the better. He wouldn't even see it coming. A collective slither of small, shadowy shapes began to stalk their prey. Slowly�purposefully. There was only one thing on their mind. They wanted revenge for all the suffering that had been inflicted upon them. Months�no, years of maltreatment, cooped up and left to rot in the dank, unsavoury conditions of their prison until their toes dropped off and their bodies wore out. What sane individual wouldn't spend their time dreaming of the moment in which they could indulge in a little payback? Too late, the Jedi wouldn't realise his mistake. Their breathing was loud in their ears: the only thought in their minds playing repetitively like a broken holo� KILL�KILL�KILL� "Attaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!" Screamed the leader, racing over to the bed and throwing himself across the sleeping Jedi, who struggled fruitlessly in his sleep, twisting and turning, writhing and convulsing through the sudden deprivation of oxygen� *** Something was pressing down against his nose. Against his face. Some kind of rough fabric with a peculiar odour covering his airways, asphyxiating and slowly but surely draining his life from him. The padawan was somehow aware of what was going on even although he was still half-asleep. What had Qui-Gon taught him? There were techniques�methods of holding ones breath for extreme amounts of time, be it underwater or in a smoke-filled room. This was something different though, in a room where there was virtually no natural light, struggling against combatants that couldn't be seen� He pushed out with the force, trying not to panic, sending the aggressors flying to every corner of the room. Then he sat up and screamed for the lights to activate so that he could at least see who or what he was facing� "Lights on: maximum!" He yelled, his voice hoarse, taking in the devastation around him� **** "What the hell is going on in there?" Jemmiah muttered, tutting through in the direction of the room next door. "Rela, did you hear something�odd?" The redhead turned over grumpily, bashing the pillow with her hand. So much for a quiet sleepover! What with the droid workmen hammering away back at her own apartment, desperately trying to repair the damage that Brak had done during his latest party, Rela had been hopeful of a pleasant night's sleep round at the temple. She'd sleep on the sofa, she'd said. Or on the floor, knowing fine well that the spare room was actually Jemmiah's bedroom, fully expecting her friend to do the decent thing and give up her own bed. Fat chance of getting a Corellian to voluntarily give up her bed! Rela had said she'd take the floor and the floor was precisely what she'd got! "It's your boyfriend having a funny turn." She groused, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. "Let Qui-Gon deal with it. Some Jedi thing, most likely. Let the two freaks look after each other whilst saner people catch up on their sleep�" "I dunno�" Jemmiah half-sat up on her bed. "Maybe he's sick?" "With Scrubby that's just about a given, wouldn't you say?" Rela mumbled, closing her eyes again. "Now just ignore him and get some rest, huh?" She could hear Jemmiah's sheets rustling, the springs on the mattress squeaking slightly under her shifting weight. Obviously Jemmiah was in no mood to listen to her advice; not that it came as a revelation. After all, nobody ever listened to her - especially not at two in the morning! "If you don't want to stay in that bed," Rela added hopefully, hearing Jemmiah's feet padding slowly across the floor, "then I could borrow it�maybe? Yes? Speak to yourself Rela�" The older of the two girls struggled to free herself of the sleeping bag that Qui-Gon had provided her with, only to find that the fastenings were shut tight. Great. Just what she needed. "I'm gonna murder Scrubby if this is something trivial!" Rela hissed, pushing herself into her knees. "Took me an age to even get comfortable enough to sleep and the moment I do, his royal idiotness decides to hold yodelling contest! And here I am, no free arms or legs, crawling about the place like a giant caterpillar! I'm telling ya, he's in for a kicking!" She huffed, realising that Jemmy was already well out of earshot. "And then I'm gonna kick you for making me follow you!" Jemmiah peered into the main living area, Rela's protestations muffled by the half-closed door. Where was Qui-Gon when you needed him? The man would sleep through an earthquake if left to his own devices! She'd thought his demand that both she and Rela spend the night round at his place the silliest idea he'd ever had and now she was being proven correct. With Evla away on her night shift, so Qui-Gon had said, it fell to him as Jemmiah's guardian to make sure that neither of them got up to any kind of nonsense. She'd protested of course - but to no avail. He didn't trust Rela not to have a drink. He didn't trust Jemmiah with anything, apparently. "Might I remind you that I AM a teenager now?" She had huffed at him. "Precisely my point." Had been his reply. She didn't know if she should be annoyed that he found her so untrustworthy or secretly delighted that he considered her to be so devious! If they'd been allowed to stay round at Evla's, Rela would have had a bed of her own and neither of them would be prowling around in the dark wondering what could have happened to induce such terror in the normally unflappable Obi-Wan� "Ben?" She whispered into the gloom, espying the hunched-over figure of her boyfriend silhouetted against the gloomy light of the balcony. "What are you doing? Are you feeling okay?" Obi-Wan's response was a noticeable shudder, and Jemmiah slowly walked over towards him, not caring that she was wearing only her flimsy night-dress. If Qui-Gon woke up and chose that moment to investigate the noise he would no doubt jump to conclusions again! It was dark anyway, who was going to notice what she was or wasn't wearing? Placing a hand against the clammy skin of his cheek, Jemmiah couldn't even begin to comprehend what had upset the padawan so badly. His hair seemed to stick up all over the place. Not that it didn't do that anyway, but somehow it seemed worse than normal. Tiny beads of perspiration seemed to stick to his brow, which she wiped with her fingers, hoping the gesture would be soothing. Or that he hadn't caught anything infectious� "Bad dream, huh?" She asked, pulling him into a hug. "I know all about those. C'mere you. I won't ask what it was about. Dreams are private things�but you gotta remember what you keep telling me - they're in your mind� memories twisted to make it seem like it's really happening now and at that moment. Remember?" She said, squeezing his shoulder. "Not a dream." Obi-Wan said in a hoarse and croaky voice. "It was real. I could tell it was real. Happening�" "I know, it can sure seem that way." Jemmy's grasp became instantly stronger and more protective. "But it's not�" "It was! I could feel it�on my face! Pressing down on me! I couldn't breathe! And then�and then my feet�" "Your feet?" Rela spoke outloud, hopping through the doorway like a cocooned insect on springs. "Who in the name of the force would want to touch those things?" "I felt my feet�it pulled the socks off my feet!" Obi-Wan gasped at the vivid memory. "Well, now I KNOW you're dreaming." Drawled Jemmy, regarding him with faint amusement. "There's nobody in the galaxy other than yourself who's brave enough to tackle something like that! Hey, c'mon Ben�don't weird out on me like this! Maybe it's one of those mad future vision things you sometimes get? Maybe it just seemed real because it's going to happen, even although it hasn't happened yet, if you see what I mean?" "Cheer a guy up, won't you?" Rela snickered in spite of her grumpiness at being awakened in the small hours of the morning. "Your idea of reassuring someone that he's okay at the moment is to tell him that he's got to look forward to it for real in the coming years?" "They knocked over my basket�tried to escape!" Obi-Wan shook his head in disbelief. Jemmiah blinked at him, feeling more stupid than she probably ought to. "Who did?" She asked. "My socks! They tried to escape my sock basket�" Rela rolled her eyes. "Awww, kriff. He's been drinking that Glitterstim wine again�" "It was just a silly dream, brought on by an even sillier conversation we had last night before we turned in for the evening. Don't you remember?" Jemmy chuckled, pinching him playfully on the nose. "How we said your socks had been mouldering so long in that washing basket that they'd most likely grow legs of their own and walk in an attempt to escape�" "But they did!" "Are you serious?" Rela asked, wanting to place her hands on her hips but too afraid of toppling forward, unable to move as a result. "You really think your socks attacked you? Stood on each other's backs, formed a little sock-ladder and lowered themselves down to the floor, across the room and onto your bed? Then tried to rescue their fellow suffers by pulling your bed socks off your feet?" "Well�" Obi-Wan hesitated, knowing how nonsensical it all was. It had been a dream. Jemmy was right: no more than a fantasy brought on by eating too much cheese before going to bed. Rela stared at him. "You�re a restraining bolt short of an astromech droid, you do know that, don't you?" "Go back to bed, huh?" Jemmiah treated him to a kiss on the side of his face. "Before Qui-Gon wakes up and he asks us why we're all standing around wearing our night attire. Or an out-sized sleeping bag." She added, casting a quick glance at Rela. "And then we're forced to tell him that it's because your socks attacked you." "They tried to smother me! It was horrible!" Obi-Wan protested as Jemmy hooked her arm through his and tried to lead him back to his room. "Yes - I imagine it would be." She clucked at him, not really wanting to dwell on the thought of Obi-Wan's socks clamped over her nose. "Now are you going to go back to sleep like a good little padawan?" Obi-Wan paused. "No." "No?" "I've got something much better in mind." Jemmiah's eyes opened wide in surprise and delight. "But Ben�right under Qui-Gee's nose? We couldn't!" "Too right you couldn't!" Rela huffed again. "How am I supposed to get to sleep with you two getting friendly next door? Although I might get the use of your bed if you get the use of Scrubby's." She added with a not very subtle leer. The Corellian girl batted her eyelids up at the padawan, a gesture totally lost on him amidst the darkness. "Something better, huh?" She repeated huskily, tracing the line of his open night shirt with her fingers. "And what might that be?" "I'm going to get my laundry done!" Obi-Wan declared fervently, breaking away and jogging into his bedroom, leaving a startled Jemmiah gazing after him. "I've been turned down!" She sighed mournfully. "That's never happened before - never for a pile of laundry!" "He's nuts." Rela said flatly. "Just accept it and go back to bed. Although technically I've never actually left my own bed. Such as it is�" Rela's eyes caught a glimpse of movement at floor level�something small scurrying across the tiles of the kitchen�a slight bounding motion hampered by some unseen obstacle. Jemmiah followed the turn of Rela's head, spotting the movement before releasing a sharp squeal of fright and swiftly leaping with one bound onto the sofa. "Sithspit, the vrelts are back!" She hissed, pointing at the leaping, bounding thing in the corner. "Hell, I don't admit to be scared of most things but vrelts freak me out! We had an epidemic about five years ago. They just went everywhere! Brinkly Hamin released them into the vent shafts and I got savaged one night�woke up to find one chewing on my earlobe with blood all over my pillow! I still have the scars�see? Oh, you can't, I forgot. It's pitch black in here. " "Relax." Rela dismissed Jemmiah's fears; although making a mental note of yet another point to hold against Brinkly should their paths ever have the misfortune to cross each other. "It's only Tube Rat. I wondered where he had got to." "Tube Rat?" Jemmiah stared into the gloom, feeling altogether foolish. "What the heck is he doing here?" Rela gave a soft of dipping motion of her shoulder, which was supposed to indicate a shrug. "Mrs K said to take him with me because the noise and dust would upset him, so I stuck him in my rucksack. She didn't want him getting trampled on by big, sweaty workmen and repair droids with no sense of articulation. I don't think Mrs K is terribly keen on droids." Rela paused, thinking over what her neighbour had said. "Although the sweaty men she didn't seem to find an altogether unattractive prospect." "Does Ben know?" Rela watched as Tube Rat dragged what appeared a rather mangy, solitary red sock in his sharp teeth, stumbling over the object every now and again. "Not yet, no." She said breezily as Tuffy headed towards the safety of Qui-Gon's favourite chair. "And maybe it's better that way, given that I think we've just identified our sock-thieving, basket raiding, padawan smothering, toe pinching culprit. I don't think Scrubby's going to be too happy when he realises he was wrestling with a ferret, do you? Besides," she said as Tuffy made himself a home in Obi-Wan's missing sock, "anything that persuades Obi-Wan to do his laundry at ten minutes past two in the morning has got to be a good thing, right?" **** In the end Rela had to be extracted from the sleeping bag by way of a large pair of sheers, much to Qui-Gon's chagrin. He'd had the thing since he was a young man, apparently, and felt most cut up about having it destroyed just to enable Rela to go to the fresheroom - although not as cut up as the sleeping bag had been. Obi-Wan never did find his missing red sock. He searched for it high and low for the following week but to no avail before conceding defeat and throwing the other one out, swearing to never wear the colour again as long as he lived. Although why he found his bed to be full of animal hairs he couldn't begin to understand� From that moment on he kept his laundry basket secured with a lock, just to be on the safe side. He did his laundry on a more regular basis. And rued the fact that he'd realised too late that Jemmiah had been wearing only her night-dress� Tuffy on the other hand went on to develop a very special friendship with 'Old Red'. They kept each other greatly entertained, conversing happily in ferret for hours on end. Although Tuffy could never quite understand why he was the only one who seemed to understand what Obi-Wan's sock was saying. "Thanks for helping with the breakout." It said. "I owe you one." "Squeak!" Said Tuffy. Sometimes it was best not to enquire what secrets lay beneath� |