| Title: A Bond Of Friendship: Story 7: A Fight For Life (PART 3) Author: Angel5000 *********************** "Auntie they are hurt! We must help them." Cassiono cried. Trying to wiggle her way over there without moving her ankles. "Stay put child. You can do nothing to help. Medicare is something you don't know much about even if your mother was a nurse. Besides that, your ankles are chained and trying to move only causes you pain." Lorenda scolded gently. "But Mamma! You can't just leave them there!" Jozu said, tears streaming down his face. Having to watch that had been a horrible experience for the young boy. "I won't leave them child, I just don't want you two going over there. Stay here and I will tend to the boys." Lorenda said; crawling over as well as she could without jostling the cuffs. She had been chained before many times and by now she knew how to maneuver without causing any pain to herself "Boys, boys I know you are in a lot of pain but I need you to do something for me. Assess your injuries and tell me if anything is broken." Obi-Wan shook his head slightly, moaning as pain shot through him. "It hurts so bad!" He mumbled. "I know sweetie, I know, but you need to try. It's the only way I can help you." She said in a soothing voice. Tears streaming down his face Obi-Wan pulled on the force and used it to assess his injuries, "I have many bruises and my back is bleeding from their beatings. There are two broken ribs and a large bump on my head but nothing else." He moaned. "And now you Reeft." Reeft groaned but he did as he was told and began to assess his injuries. He was in a much better condition than Obi-Wan because he hadn't been hurt very badly before the beating. "The whips have broken the skin on my back and I am bleeding but that seems to be the worst of my injuries except the concussion. Other than that it is mostly bruises." He whispered. To talk required too much effort. "Listen carefully now. I cannot do much. Mostly I can only give you tips on what to do to keep it from getting worse. Whatever you do remain as still as possible. If your ribs really are broken then moving could cause them to puncture your lung. Don't roll onto your back either because then you will feel as though you are on fire. And Obi-Wan you must help me keep Reeft awake for the next twenty-four hours at least. He can drift off for short periods of time but no longer than thirty minutes. There are probably longer periods of time he could safely sleep but I don't want to risk it. Hopefully that Healer will return soon. Until then all I can do is tell you to stay still." Gently she smoothed out Obi-Wan's brow. His hair was damp from sweat and his cheeks wet from tears. She knew that unless he got medical attention soon he would get a fever and he could possible die. * * * * * * Binn helped Qui-Gon to his feet and they headed out the door. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "It's gone. There is a dull ache in my back and stomach but that is all. Nothing more. His shields are up again or he has lost consciousness. I don't know which, but I am worried." Qui-Gon replied, checking to make sure that his comlink was still on his belt, in case he was contacted. "Same here. I know that Reeft called out for me but I don't know where he is or why he is in pain." Binn said. Together the two climbed into a transport they had acquired earlier in the day and began to drive out of the city area. "Where were the boys headed?" Qui-Gon asked. It may give them some clue as to where they were. "They were searching for a lady by the name of Lorenda. According to her records her ID was last scanned yesterday. She was headed towards a different camp a few kilometers away. Apparently a Law Enforcer stopped her and scanned her ID. That�s strange, she has been ordered to return to Headquarters and have an ID update. Yet she hasn't come. In twenty-four standard hours if she hasn't appeared then the Law Enforcers will have a search put out for her. Perhaps if we find her then we will find our Padawans." Binn replied as he scanned the datapad for any other information. Qui-Gon searched the road and their surrounding looking and feeling for any clues that would help them. Maybe someone around here had seen them. It would make their job so much easier if they had. But Qui-Gon had a gut feeling that wherever his Padawan was it wasn't someplace he wanted to be and that the people around here weren't all the kind, helpless beings they appeared to be. * * * * * * * Cassiono watched as the two Jedi Padawans lay on the cold floor, moaning in pain. She knew that they didn't want to worry them and that they were trying to keep their pain a secret but it was impossible. Closing her eyes she imagined their body's having no more pain, and quietly she made a wish that for an hour at least their pain would stop. Wishing may be for little kids but for some reason many of Cassiono's wishes came true. Especially when she concentrated and repeated her wish several times. Lorenda watched Cassiono carefully. The girl was special, that much was obvious to her, but what she could do was unknown. They knew that many times her wishes came true and more than once she's known things would happen before they did. It could just be good intuition but something about the way situations changed when her niece appeared told her it wasn't that way. As the moaning beside her stopped Lorenda looked up, alarmed. For the last hour or so the boys' pain had increased a tenfold and just minute ago Obi-Wan had been burning up in fever. Gently she reached over and stroked the boy�s head. When the guards had brought food there had been a pitcher of water with it. She had ripped off a piece of cloth from her clothes and used it, dipped in the water, to cool their faces and clean the blood from their back as best as possible. Right now Obi-Wan and Reeft weren't making any movement to acknowledge that they felt the cool water. Either the boys had died or they were unconscious. "What did you wish Cassiono?" Lorenda asked, while gently washing away some more blood from Reef�s back. Cassiono looked up in surprise. She didn't know Lorenda had noticed her, "I wished that their pain would stop auntie. Is that wrong?" She asked, her voice full of worry. "No dear. Not wrong at all. But tell me, did you wish it would stop permanently or for a short period of time?" "For an hour Auntie. I was afraid of what would happen if I said permanently. Besides, we hope the Healer will return in an hour." Cassiono replied. Lorenda nodded, that's what she thought. Apparently Cassiono's wish had caused something to happen to the boys. "Cassiono, I think that your wish caused them to pass out." She said quietly. At least now the boys would not be awake while she cleaned their backs. The pain would be less for them. "Really Auntie? I just wanted the pain to stop. I didn't want them to become unconscious." Cassiono responded. "Yes, but for the pain to just stop suddenly would be unrealistic. Nothing could do that, not even pain injections. The only way for their pain to stop would be for them to pass out. So that's what happened. In an hour they'll wake up and hopefully their pain will have lessened and their fever broken." Lorenda said, gently washing another nasty abrasion. Cassiono nodded her understanding. She started to lie back down again but suddenly jerked her head up, "Auntie, someone's coming." She whispered. Lorenda looked up in alarm and started to crawl back. They would be upset with her for tending to the wounds of the boys because that was interfering with a punishment. She had barely gotten back into her corner when they heard two soft taps on the door. A few seconds later it opened and the Healer entered followed by a guard, different from the others that had come earlier. "Leave me with the patients." Dari said, her tone sharp. "But- that goes against protocol!" The guard protested. He was of a lower rank than those who had taken them captive and this man didn't seem to be as willing to argue as the other. "Leave me! I will tell you when I am finished." She snapped. "But protocol! What if the prisoners did something to you? The Eldero will have my head!" "You will leave me alone with the patients but if it makes you happy then check on me in ten minutes." The guard nodded and stepped uneasily outside the door. As soon as he was gone Dari hurried over to Lorenda. "How are you doing? I heard that the Information Seekers came into this room and I became worried." She whispered while carefully checking over her body for any wounds. "I am fine. The Information Seekers must have been those males who came and beat the boys. They demanded that they tell them which one of them was Maktall. Even after the children said that they didn't even know who Maktall was the men beat them. These children aren't Maktall. Not even my niece knows where Maktall is hiding and he is her brother!" Lorenda whispered back fiercely. It made her so angry that they would do something like that! Dari looked up in surprise, "They beat the boys for information about Maktall?" Her face suddenly paled. "Yes Maktall. They insist that one of them has to be Maktall because they are both fifteen year-old boys. The one boy isn�t human and why the guards beat him I don�t know. Perhaps they don�t know that Maktall is human. The people in this place are idiots. These boys are innocent and don't deserve to be here." Lorenda's face was etched with pain. "Yes, I know. Many of those who are here don't deserve to be here. I myself am a prisoner. I was lucky enough to have a Healer who was kind to me and when he found out that I was trained in the arts of healing he convinced them to let me work. Before he left this place I thanked him for probably saving my life and he told me that if I wanted to thank him I shouldn't let the circle of kindness end with me. So I am doing just that, I am paying him back for his kindness by helping those who are prisoners. In my bag I have painkillers that aren't supposed to be administered to the prisoners. The guards think it is to kind to let a prisoner have it. I will inject it into the boys; it should dull the pain and help with healing for a few hours until I can return again, hopefully with a stronger dose. I don�t know if I have access to any stronger medications but I can try." Dari moved to Jozu and began to look the boy over. For a moment he shrunk back from her touch but when Lorenda nodded he allowed her to examine him. "How is it the three of you survived without getting beaten while the boys nearly died?" Dari asked quietly. "They didn't want us. Jozu and I stayed quiet. Auntie was the only one who spoke out and they slapped her for it but she's okay now." Cassiono said quietly. "So you two are okay?" "Yes'm we're fine." Jozu replied. "Your children are well mannered." Dari said with a smile as she moved across the floor towards the boys. The door slid open and the guard stepped back in. "Miss, it's been ten minutes." He was cautious not to say anything that would cause her to anger. She was after all a higher rank then he was. Being a prisoner didn�t change that at all. If he caused her to become too angry with him then someone might end up disposing of him. The thought made him shudder. "Yes, it's been ten minutes and if you can tell I am perfectly fine so get out of here and let me finish my job. We have many other cells to go to before I can return to my own bed." She snapped back. The guard flushed and hurried from the room, not wishing to be on the receiving end of her anger. Dari quickly looked over the boys before injecting the painkiller into their arms. After she was sure it was running through their veins she began to clean their cuts and apply bacta to them. "They are unconscious. Was the pain so great?" "Yes. They were in immense pain." Lorenda quickly said. She didn't want Cassiono telling about her wish. That would cause suspicion in these people and they might decide to take the girl away. That was the worst thing that could possibly happen. "I see. I'm applying some bacta and I'll put an ointment on human�s ribs so that they will heal faster. When the Information Seekers return he'll need to be in the best condition possible to endure it." Dari would quickly and it only took her a few seconds before she stood. "I'll return first thing in the morning along with the breakfast plates. I won't be able to stay long, just long enough to give you your food. The guards want me to put sedatives into the food so that the prisoners won't try to escape and in some peoples plates they insist I put Truth Serum so that the prisoners will give them the information they want. These drugs do other things to the body though, it prevents healing from taking place and the prisoners can become addicted to the sedatives. Do not worry. In your food I won't put anything dangerous. I have found a drug that resembles Truth Serum and another that resembles sedatives but instead of causing harm it enhances the bodies healing abilities. I'll inject it into your food so that it will be easier for you to survive this place." With that Dari hurried from the room and Lorenda could hear the lady scold the guard as they headed down the corridors. "Thank you." She whispered before lying down. It was going to be a long night. * * * * * * * When Obi-Wan woke up an hour later his body ached all over but strange enough the pain was less than before. �Reeft?� He called out quietly, hoping his friend was awake. �Reeft how are you feeling?� �I think someone injected a painkiller in me because my left arm is slightly numb. I have a strange reaction to certain painkillers. They cause the area of injection to become numb for several hours. That is why I usually refuse painkillers. Right now however, I welcome them and thank the person who gave it to me.� Reeft replied. Carefully he sat up, making sure to keep his still sore back from touching anything. �I know one thing for sure, that painkiller is helping a little but if there�s a stronger dosage I�d like to have that one.� Obi-Wan muttered. �Hey, where is Lorenda and her human niece, what�s her name, Cassiono.� He asked, looking around frantically. They seemed to know more about this place than he did and without them escape was impossible. �I�m here.� Cassiono said in a soft voice. �Auntie has fallen asleep so I ask that you keep your voices down. She has been tending to your wounds for a long time and it has exhausted her. Dari injected you with the painkiller and I am sorry to say that there isn�t a stronger dosage available. You were lucky to get what you did because it is forbidden for prisoners to receive painkillers. This healer is putting her life on the line for us. It seems she is a prisoner herself and is easily expendable.� The girl continued. Obi-Wan and Reeft exchanged uneasy glances. If Dari were to be caught they would be in a very bad predicament. �We can�t let her sacrifice herself for us Obi-Wan. It wouldn�t be right. We are Jedi and must be ready to accept death.� Reeft said quietly. �Yes Reeft, we can�t let her sacrifice herself for us but there is nothing we could do to stop her. To refuse her help would be stupid because she will continue to offer it and help others. What we say won�t change her mind. The only way to keep Dari from sacrificing herself for us to get out of this prison. As for being Jedi and being ready to accept death I must protest. We weren�t meant to die here. Back on Bandomeer I was ready to die but Qui-Gon saved me. Soon after that I became his Padawan. Now I believe that my Master is doing everything he can to find me, as is yours. We must get out of here Reeft and I don�t plan on leaving here dead.� Obi-Wan replied. �How will your Masters know where you are?� Cassiono asked tentatively. �If I am strong enough I can try and reach for him through our bond. Hopefully he will feel me and be able to get here. It�s a risk and might not work but both Reeft and I can try. I�m pretty sure our Masters are together.� Obi-Wan smiled at the girl. She was only a year younger but she seemed so young sometimes. For some strange reason he seemed felt protective of her, sort of like an older brother would feel. The two boys closed their eyes and began to pull on the force. Master�Master can you hear me? Obi-Wan reached out his mind, ignoring the pain in his body. Obi-Wan! Master! Master I need your help! Please help me! Obi-Wan felt the connection weakening. He was loosing energy too quickly. Master� Obi-Wan where are you? Qui-Gon shouted, sending strength to the boy. The comforting waves Qui-Gon was sending helped a little but Obi-Wan knew that he was loosing the battle to stay connected. Fortress camp�it�s a prison. They� The bond was suddenly broken. He could still feel Qui-Gon but in his weakened state it was impossible to feel anything except that his Master was alive and looking for him. Obi-Wan curled up in a ball, tears streaming his face. He had failed. There were so many camps out there! Qui-Gon would never find him now! His only hope was that Reeft had reached Master Ibes. A few minutes later Reeft collapsed to the floor, no longer able to sit up. He was exhausted but happy. Reaching out to Binn had been hard but he had done it. Although he hadn�t been able to give his exact location he had been able to tell Binn that he was in a walled camp, in a prison cell. After that the bond had grown weak and the last words he heard were telling him to rest and that they would be there soon. �We�ll be free in no time my friends.� Reeft whispered before loosing consciousness. * * * * * * * �A prison camp? Where would we find a prison camp?� Qui-Gon asked. He was worried. Obi-Wan had contacted him but only for a few seconds. He hadn�t learned much and what he knew was of no help to him at all. �We�ll have to check all the camps one at a time.� Binn replied. Reeft had been a little more helpful than Obi-Wan but not very much. �That will take too much time! We must find them soon or I am afraid that my Padawan will not survive much longer.� Qui-Gon protested. �I know. I know, but it is impossible. Like you said, where would we find a prison camp?� Binn replied calmly. Qui-Gon smiled despite his worry. �You�re right. Lets start looking. Camp number one is right there. We�ll check each camp one at a time, going in numerical order.� He said, pointing to a camp just up the road. It could take a long time to find them and all he could do was hope and pray that his Padawan was in a camp that was near here. Otherwise he might not find him in time� * * * * * * Jozu watched as the Jedi Padawans collapsed on the ground. �Mamma! Mamma the Jedi are hurt!� He cried out. �It�s okay Jozu. They need their rest after trying to contact their Masters. It takes a lot of work you know.� Lorenda replied in her most soothing voice. Actually she wasn�t so sure herself that they were going to be okay. If the Jedi Masters didn�t arrive soon then they wouldn�t have any Padawans to rescue. �Auntie, Auntie the evil men are coming again! I can feel their evil Auntie and this time they aren�t going to stop until they find out who Maktall is.� Cassiono said; her voice was full of fear. She could feel evil and darkness and it scared her more than anything else. �Are you sure Cassiono?� Lorenda asked. �Yes Auntie. They are coming.� The girl pulled her cousin into the corner with her and held him close, trying to alleviate both her and his fears. As she held the boy she thought of calming images, images that would hopefully keep the young one from crying. Surprisingly he seemed to feel her comforting thoughts and he calmed down considerably. However his fear wasn�t completely gone and when the Information Seekers entered the room he huddled up against her side, making himself as small as possible. �We want to know who Maktall is! If you refuse to tell us we will have no choice but to take you to see The Eldero.� The first man said with a snarl. He didn�t care either way what happened, just so long as he kept his own head he was happy. �We don�t know where Maktall is! He is hidden in the country. I have told you this many times so please leave us!� Lorenda replied angrily. �Stupid woman!� He growled before landing a stinging slap on her face. It was at that moment that Obi-Wan woke up. Seeing the men back in the room startled and scared him. There was no way that he could survive another beating. That was for sure. Right now he needed energy and help. The first Information Seeker turned to the boys. �You will come with us.� He said. Without waiting for an answer he reached down, pulled Obi-Wan to his feet and dragged him out the door. Smiling evilly the second man followed his example and dragged Reeft outside Finally they would get this solved! �I cannot help you! You must understand this!� Obi-Wan protested as he was pulled down the halls. �Shut up! No speaking in the halls!� The man slapped him hard. Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut as the pain shot through him. He was going to have to learn to keep a tight reign on his anger. It seemed to do nothing but cause him a lot of pain. The boy smiled a little despite his pain; if Qui-Gon were here he would make sure to remind him about that. It only took a few minutes before they reached their destination. The guards dumped the boys onto the floor in the middle of a large room and retreated back to the doors. Reeft still remained unconscious and Obi-Wan was still regaining his much needed strength. For what seemed like hours they sat on the floor and waited for someone. Finally a figure, clocked in black, walked into the room. His presence was a commanding one and immediately the two guards dropped to one knee. �We have brought you the two children, oh great Eldero. These are the two boys that we have captured and both deny being Maktall.� The higher-ranking guard said in a shaky voice. He was deadly frightened of his great commander. This man could have him exterminated with the snap of his fingers. �I will deal with them. Leave me now.� The man�s voice boomed out, strong and powerful. That voice�it was familiar some how� Snapping to attention the guards bowed and exited the room as quickly as possible to continue their rounds and torture some more helpless people. That seemed to be a favorite pastime when they had been badly frightened by The Eldero, their Master and leader. �Stand up child! Have you no respect?� He snapped at Obi-Wan. Reeft still lay unconscious on the floor. Obi-Wan stood up and reached out with the force to give him strength but when he did he felt a presence that he hadn�t felt for a long time. The evil and darkness surrounding the figure was smothering. It was so strong that Obi-Wan had to fight to keep standing. He knew that presence! He knew that force imprint! But � it wasn�t possible! He was dead! He had died two years ago!! �You are beginning to recognize me young Jedi but it is taking you awhile. Shall I help?� The voice interrupted his thoughts. Slowly and deliberately he pulled back his cloak. Black hair hung around his face, his blue eyes were sharp and alert and his skin covered with numerous scars but Obi-Wan saw none of this. There was only one scar that he noticed, one scar that seemed to stand out more than the rest. It was the one scar on his left cheek that grabbed his attention, a scar in the shape of a half circle. �Xanatos!� Obi-Wan gasped, falling back a step and then collapsing as electric jolts shot through him several times. He had forgotten about the electro chains on his ankles. Xanatos smiled an evil smile, �You remember young Kenobi. I am so pleased. So, who is this friend of yours? He wouldn�t be a Jedi himself would he?� Obi-Wan chose to ignore the question, �You are dead. What are you doing here and what do you want with us?� He tried to remain calm but the fear was hard to ignore. �You are a rude little boy Obi-Wan. Someone really needs to teach you some manners. I suppose I�ll have my guards take care of that later. As for your question I am not dead, that should be obvious by now, and I didn�t intend to have you in my custody before but now that you are here all it can do is help me.� Xanatos smiled at the prospect of the revenge he could have on the boy. It was his fault that his face now was covered in scars. If he hadn�t had to jump into the acid there would be nothing wrong but now every day he relived the moment through his painful and scarred face. The fact that he had survived at all was a miracle due to the force no doubt but he would almost rather be dead, except that now he could get his revenge. Obi-Wan�s heart leaped into his throat. He wouldn�t be able to survive another one of the guards �lessons� on respect and manners. It would kill him. It wasn�t that he was scared to die but he was scared of the pain. True, he was a Jedi but at the same time he was only a fifteen-year-old boy. �Now do you plan on answering my question? Who is this boy? Perhaps he is Maktall and you are hiding the information for him. In that case I�ll take him and return you to your cell.� Xanatos sneered. He wasn�t acting himself. Normally he would just send them both to be killed but he knew whom Obi-Wan was and if he also knew that if he wanted revenge on Qui-Gon then Obi-Wan was the best way to get it. �No! He isn�t Maktall! I don�t even know who Maktall is! Maktall has to be human if his sister is! You aren�t an idiot Xanatos! You know this as much as I do. This is Reeft, Master Ibes Padawan.� Obi-Wan said angrily. When Reeft heard his name he began to regain consciousness and slowly his eyes opened, although he had no idea where he was or why he was there. A small, evil smile spread across Xanatos� face. If Binn and Qui-Gon were here then he could get revenge on Qui-Gon and the Jedi order at the same time. And what better way then to use two, young boys to do it? �I think you do know where Maktall is and I plan on finding out.� Xanatos said. He pulled a comlink from his robe and pressed a red button, signaling the two guards stationed outside the door. Immediately the two guards hurried into the room. �You wanted us, Oh great Eldero?� The first asked. �Yes. Take these two prisoners to the Interrogation Room. I don�t care how you get the information as long as you get it. Just see to it that they don�t die on you. They are very valuable to me.� �Specific information sir?� �I want to know who and where Maktall is. These are tricky beings. They may attempt to use a mind control on you. Guard your thoughts carefully.� Xanatos warned. �I will inform you when to return them to their cells.� �Yes sir.� The guard bowed and grabbed Obi-Wan by the arm. His Padawan braid swung out and caught the guard in the eye. Codi have very sensitive eyes and when Obi-Wan�s braid hit his eye it began to swell shut. Obi-Wan was dropped as the guard fell to one knee, his hands covering his eye. Obi-Wan received a sharp kick on the stomach for that, even though it hadn�t been his fault. �And cut of those ridiculous braids! They won�t have any use for them when I am done with them.� Xanatos growled, turning to leave. �No!� Obi-Wan shouted out. On any normal conditions he wouldn�t have begged for anything, not even his life, but this was something that meant more to him than anything. Even his life wasn�t as important as his braid, �No Xanatos. You of all people know the importance of my braid. Even if you plan on keeping me here forever or even killing me let me keep the braid. Let me die with my honor.� Obi-Wan begged. His eyes were pleading. On any normal condition Xanatos would have cut of the braid right then and then just to watch the boy cry but something in the acid pools had affected his emotions. Turning back he glared at the boy for a few minutes before answering, �Don�t cut off the braids just yet. We will wait a few days. I want to see if other methods of persuasion work first. The braids are a last resort.� With that Xanatos turned on his heel and left the room. His footsteps echoed in a haunting way. ***End Part Three*** |
| Part Four |
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