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As Obi-Wan looked on in disbelief, Anakin tried to explain Saloma's description to the bartender who was wiping down the bar.
"Well, did you see where she went?" Anakin pressed.
The bartender shook his head. "I didn't really pay attention. I think she left though. She paid up."
"Did she leave with anybody?" the Jedi Master asked. "The thin, dark-eyed man in tattered clothes? Did he come back for her?"
"No. He left a little earlier. Look, she wasn't upset or anything. She was sitting here, like she was biding her time, then looked up at the clock, fished out some currency, and walked off."
Anakin turned to face Obi-Wan and raised his hands in bewilderment. "There's only one door. How could we have missed her if she left here, and where could she possibly have gone?"
"Do you think she was taken?" Mortane asked. "Someone may have recognized her."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. She just left." His mind struggled to make some sense out of what he'd been told. She didn't wait for him. She didn't tell anyone. Why? Maybe because of the man, the suspected bounty hunter, she'd been talking to. He left before her. Perhaps he went to do something--arrange something. A meeting? She had checked the time. She wouldn't have told anyone because it was a clandestine arrangement and she didn't want him or Anakin along because of the dangers of being discovered by the bounty hunter. "She's allowed herself to be deceived. She only heard what she wanted to," the Jedi concluded. "I believe she's gone to meet with the bounty hunter. He must have told her he would take her to Nare."
"Then she's being taken to Vrone's police headquarters. That would be my guess," Mortane put in.
"Vrone will use her to find us," Obi-Wan whispered, his throat tightening with emotion. He looked up at his padawan.
Anakin frowned deeply. "The bounty hunter I can understand. But Nare is her brother. Do you really think he would betray her just to get to us? He was trying to save her from Maerske before."
Obi-Wan gnawed his lower lip. "I don't wholly understand it myself, Anakin. For reasons unknown to us, Nare has simply switched sides. He's devoted himself to another cause. It happens...sometimes."
"Come on," Mortane urged. "My speeder is out back. I can take you there. Maybe we can catch up to them. They couldn't have gotten far."
***
Devon dragged Saloma, kicking and screaming, into the jail. He took her to one of the ground level interrogation rooms and locked her inside while he went off to find Vrone to collect his payment.
To Saloma's amazement, Nare was in the interrogation room, sitting calmly at the head of a table, unharmed. Overwhelmed with emotion, she rushed to him and dropped to her knees before him, tears spilling from her eyes unchecked.
"You're all right! You're really all right! I feared the worse when that bounty hunter started talking about getting information from you. I thought they had tortured you. I thought I'd find you all broken and bleeding. And I really didn't think they'd let me see you. Oh Nare. I'm so happy you're all right. I'm so thankful you're alive!"
"My darling Sal," Nare whispered. He reached down and touched his sister's face tenderly. "Strange words coming from someone who...shot me."
Saloma had leaned her cheek into Nare's hand, but pulled away suddenly and looked up at him, startled. "Nare, what are you saying? I only wanted to stop you. It's just that you would have killed Obi-Wan. I heard it in your mind. I reacted in fear, that's all. My blaster was set on stun."
Nare shook his head slowly and clucked his tongue. "It's going to be all right, Sal. I understand. You were brainwashed. By those Jedi. They made you shoot me, didn't they? They can control someone's mind. It's a well-known fact." He stood up and walked slowly around the room. "That's why we are going to bring them to justice. They have to be punished for these offenses and others. An example has to be made of them--to show their kind everywhere that the common citizens will no longer tolerate their abuses of power."
In stunned silence, Saloma watched her younger brother stalk around the room. She noticed Nare wasn't bound like a prisoner and his clothes were clean and tidy. A chill ran up her spine. "You're not being held here, are you? You're not a prisoner, are you?"
"No," he said outright. "I am well-treated here. Captain Vrone and I have an arrangement. I help him and he helps me. He's kept his promises. He didn't betray me, like that Jedi told me he would. The only one here who betrayed me...is you."
The door opened and Captain Vrone and Lieutenant Tilar walked in followed by four soldiers.
Saloma slowly climbed to her feet. "Nare, please. Don't do this. I'm begging you. Can't you see they're using you?" She gestured at Vrone and Tilar. "They've been using you all along to get to me and the Jedi." Two soldiers flanked her and took hold of her arms. "Nare! I love you! How can you do this to me?"
Nare rushed over to her. "Love me? You don't love me. You love HIM! You told me just before you shot me!" He gestured to the soldiers. "Get her out of my here."
The soldiers hauled Saloma out of the interrogation room. Vrone turned towards Nare.
"Well done," he told Nare and shook his hand in congratulations. "You've done a great service for your government. Maybe you'll even have a memorial dedicated to you," he said and smiled thinly.
Nare smiled back at him warily, not quite comprehending. "A memorial?"
Vrone patted his shoulder reassuringly. "You know. Here lies Nare P'tol. A true patriot to the very end."
Nare's smile disappeared. He looked from Tilar to Vrone in confusion.
Vrone stepped away from Nare and signaled the soldiers. The room suddenly filled with blasterfire.
***
The basement elevator door opened and the two soldiers escorting Saloma led her into a wide, brightly lit hallway with blocks of three jail cells at each end.
Saloma had never been down on this level before. She looked around and studied her new surroundings. Across the hall from the elevator was another elevator and beside that was an open stairwell. The soldiers turned right and walked Saloma straight back to the cell which was directly ahead: cell number six. To the left were two other cells, number four and number two, but they were occupied. Saloma had noticed several large gridded ventilation shafts which hugged the low ceiling and blew warm, dry air into the damp underground passages. She had felt the heat each time they had passed one.
Perpendicular to cell six was a guard station where soldiers assigned to the cell blocks passed their time. There were two per cell block; the other faced its mirror image and sat perpendicular to cell number two. The opposite end of the wide hallway was set up exactly the same but with cell numbers eight, ten, and twelve.
One soldier opened the door as the other pulled Saloma inside. Cell six was dank and dirty. Looking around in distaste, Saloma was reminded of the cargo ship belonging to the Calamarians and came to the conclusion the ship had been considerably cleaner.
"This is just temporary," the soldier told her. "It's just a holding cell. You'll be moved to something more permanent in the morning." With a wry grin, he looked her over slowly, then glanced back at his partner, who waited at the cell door.
Saloma involuntarily took a step back, locking her eyes on the soldier's face in warning. She knew what he was thinking and wanted no part of it.
"Relax," the soldier said and smiled easily. "I was just going to take off your binders, but if you'd rather keep them on, that's fine with me." He held up the key for her inspection.
Still wary, but wanting to have her hands freed, Saloma cautiously held out her wrists, watching the soldier's every move and listening to his every thought.
"We're your assigned guards," he informed, unfastening the binders. "You should try to be a little more hospitable to us or we can make your time here very unpleasant."
Once free of the binders, Saloma tried to jerk her hands away from the soldier, but he caught her left wrist in a vice-like grip before she got completely away. Saloma froze as he began languidly stroking her arm.
"That's not so bad, is it?" he murmured.
His partner suddenly cleared his throat loudly. The soldier holding Saloma released her and immediately stepped back.
Captain Vrone strode inside the cell and eyed the soldier warily as if sensing he was up to something. He stared the guard down a moment longer before turning his attention to his prisoner.
"My intent is not to kill you, Miss P'tol," he began, his voice grating. "You are a valuable citizen after all and a highly intelligent and extremely resourceful one at that. You will be useful to our society after serving your term in Maerske. I have plans for you."
Saloma retreated to the back of the cell and pressed herself against the damp wall. "Go away, Captain. Leave me alone."
"I'm sorry, Miss P'tol," Vrone continued with mock sympathy in his tone. "I can't leave you alone. Not until I get what I want."
A hot tear slid down Saloma's cheek. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Do your worse then."
Vrone laughed. "All in due time. I wouldn't be so impatient if I were you," he rumbled, placing his hands on his hips. "My interrogator is preparing something special for you. It takes time, but you shouldn't have to wait much longer." He paused, but Saloma did not respond. He shrugged and continued. "We are making other preparations as well. We have to be ready once we start working on you. It will only be a matter of time before your beloved Jedi show up. If they're not on their way here already."
At that, Saloma looked up sharply.
"Yes," Vrone said and smiled. "I was informed that they had gallantly, though somewhat mindlessly, accompanied you back to Ergo." He began pacing a short distance in front of the cell door. "It is a well known fact that a Jedi is capable of sensing distress in a loved one as far away as half a galaxy. Lucky for you, Kenobi only needs to cross the city."
Saloma chewed her lower lip and impatiently wiped at her tears. "You're assuming a great deal, aren't you Vrone?"
The captain shook his head. "I'm not. I have various reports from reliable sources to back me up. As a matter of fact, you and the two Jedi were spotted earlier at the cathedral ruins. The description of the Jedi didn't fit Kenobi and Skywalker, but your presence assures me that it was them after all. And your brother was very informative as well. He told me of your...um, shall I say 'feelings' for Master Kenobi? Just before he left to join the resistance, Nare sought you out to say good-bye and saw you and the Jedi...together, back at the cathedral." Vrone stopped pacing as Saloma turned away from him.
"Go away," she seethed.
Vrone clucked his tongue. "See, his love for you makes him vulnerable. It's a vulnerability I will take advantage of. As a Jedi, if he was a little older and wiser, he would have stayed clinically detached from you, but instead he's young and virile, and you are quite comely."
Saloma whirled around and threw herself at the captain, shoving him bodily out of the cell. "Go away!" she shrieked angrily.
The two soldiers had drawn their weapons, but Vrone waved them off. His laughter echoed in the hall as he closed the cell door behind him and locked Saloma in.
***
Mortane pulled the speeder up to the front door of police headquarters. The Jedi had already made it clear to him they were not going to waste time with stealth. Mortane thought they were crazy, but also admired their courage.
"But what if she's not here? We don't know anything for sure," he told the Jedi as they jumped from the speeder. "If you two just storm the place, you're liable to get yourselves captured or even killed. I'm going to go get help. Can't you at least wait until I get back?"
Obi-Wan looked towards the foreboding building and concentrated. "She is here. I can sense her presence," he replied quietly. "There's a darkness around it. An anticipation. Fear and grief." Turning, he fixed his eyes on the young resistance fighter and shook his head. "We can't wait."
Mortane frowned. "In that case, at least try to stay alive long enough for help to arrive."
"We'll try, but we can't promise anything," Anakin said over his shoulder as he and Obi-Wan strode up to the door. They simultaneously activated their lightsabers.
"Then, may the Force be with you, both!" Mortane called and sped off.
Obi-Wan faced Anakin. "Are you ready?"
Anakin nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan plunged his lightsaber into the outer door to sever the seal. It disintegrated in a spray of multi-colored sparks as blaring alarms reverberated in the thin night air. The door slid open, revealing an enclosed entryway. Another door stood solidly in front of them.
"This one's magnetically sealed. Cut through it," the Jedi Master told his padawan, yelling to be heard above the noise. "It will be faster."
Anakin nodded and stabbed the middle of the door with the tip of his lightsaber, pulling it slowly down and around in a wide arc. The metal door began to glow and blacken around the edges where the lightsaber touched it. Slowly, bits of metal sloughed away.
A siren alarm suddenly went off, blending with the previous alarm in a deafening wail. Obi-Wan irritably thrust his lightsaber into a panel of circuitry to short out the alarms. The ensuing silence gave the Jedi a welcome reprieve.
Anakin rubbed at his ringing ear and grinned. "Thank you. I didn't anticipate going deaf as one of the hazards we'd be facing tonight."
The Jedi Master bowed his head and closed his eyes briefly. "Padawan...I feel compelled to say this." He opened his eyes and fixed them on Anakin's handsome face.
Disturbed by Obi-Wan's somber tone, Anakin looked back at him with concern, but kept cutting away at the door. "What is it? Just tell me, okay?"
Taking a steadying breath, Obi-Wan began. "We will be grossly out-numbered and out-weaponed tonight. There is a good chance we may fail to rescue Saloma and fall at the hands of our enemies, but..." He paused and swallowed uncomfortably. "But finding her...and freeing her is something I have to do. I'll die trying, if it comes to that. But I can't ask you to blindly follow me inside just because you are my padawan and my friend. You should also know that by doing this, we are engaging the enemy in a way I swore to the Council we would not do. If we proceed together in this endeavor, the consequences could be quite severe and I don't want to see you punished for something I needed to do."
Anakin frowned and doubled his effort on the door. "Saloma's my friend too, Obi-Wan. So, right now, I don't particularly care about consequences we may suffer in the future. Live in the moment, remember? And at this moment, Saloma is inside there and we're out here." He paused momentarily and glared over at his master. "And by the way, wasn't it you who told me don't be determined to fail?"
Obi-Wan flashed a smile and raised his head. "Determination can be your ally."
"Well, I'm determined to get through this door!" Anakin quipped back. He leaned his weight into the lightsaber and the metal finally fell away.
Rapid blasterfire suddenly filled the small enclosed entryway. Both Jedi began deflecting the shots back into the police station through the hole in the door. Cries of struck soldiers soon joined the piercing sound of laser bolts.
Through the acrid smoke and jagged metal, the Jedi stepped into police headquarters. Their lightsabers were a blur as they stood side by side, reacting without thinking to keep the sudden deluge of blasterfire from reaching them.
The soldiers quickly fell all around them, unprotected and unprepared for the Jedi's skillful defense. Many began to retreat farther into the station, firing behind them as they ran down hallways and into other rooms.
When the concentration of blaster power began to thin, the Jedi were able to advance. They split up and drove the remaining soldiers deeper into the bowels of the building, until the large main room was completely cleared; then the Jedi regrouped.
"Which way?" Anakin called breathlessly, enjoying the adrenaline rush he was feeling.
"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan replied glancing around. Someone fired at him from behind some unseen cover, but he merely swatted the blast away.
He strode around the perimeter of the abandoned main room and methodically opened every door he came to, concentrating. He started to enter one of the interrogation rooms, then stopped, and called to Anakin before continuing inside.
The young Jedi hurried over and peered into the dim room. He saw Obi-Wan kneeling beside the body of Saloma's brother. Anakin sighed despondently.
The Jedi Master rose stiffly and slowly shook his head. "There's no life in him," Obi-Wan said, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.
"I wonder if Saloma knows," Anakin whispered and dragged his hand through his short hair anxiously. Suddenly, several shots flew down the hallway at the Jedi, sending them ducking for cover.
Anakin snarled irritably and dashed back up the hall, blocking the blasts on his way. He found the sniper hiding behind a data file unit in an unoccupied office. Anakin reached out and snagged the hapless man's gray uniform and hauled him out into the hall. He gestured at the blaster and wrenched it out of the soldier's hand using the Force, then held the man up against the wall.
"The Flaro woman, where is she?" the young Jedi demanded. He positioned the tip of his lightsaber directly between the sniper's eyes. "Where?" Anakin pressed the tip a little closer to the man's flesh until he cried out.
"Chamber six," the man gasped. "Basement level."
Anakin lowered his saber and Force punched the man unconscious. "Obi-Wan! She's in the basement. We need to go down!"
The Jedi Master joined his padawan at the end of the hall and glanced at the unconscious soldier. "The basement?" he echoed and sighed in frustration. The only ways down to the lower level were the elevator and the stairs. He knew both would be heavily guarded. "Easier said than done. They'll be ready for us this time."
***
Through the vents, the faint sound of blasterfire drifted down to the lower level passages, as well as the raspy crash and hum of engaged lightsabers. Armed soldiers were running back and forth through the wide, well-lit hall, swarming around Captain Vrone and Lieutenant Tilar for orders.
Saloma glared hatefully at Vrone through the small viewing window of her cell door, but her defiance was crumbling. She was ashamed and thoroughly disgusted with herself because she knew she had given him the upper hand by falling for Devon's ploy.
Now Obi-Wan and Anakin were battling the entire military police force just to rescue her from her reckless foolishness. She never felt more undeserving of their devotion. She knew the odds were stacked against them this time, despite their skill and resourcefulness. They stood a good chance of being captured or injured, or even killed because of her selfish mistakes. The thought was sickening to her.
She pledged to herself if they all somehow managed to come out of this ordeal intact, she would do everything she could to set things right. She mentally ticked off a compiled list of what she needed to make amends for. First and foremost, for the wrongs her brother committed against the citizens, and then for involving the Jedi in her personal undertakings, and finally, for unwittingly turning her back on her people when they needed her to fight for them most.
Counting the soldiers scrambling to line the hall outside her cell, Saloma realized the possibility of ever getting the chance to fulfill such an oath was slim at best.
"Get me more troops!" Vrone yelled, startling Saloma out of her thoughts. "I want this building surrounded. Order the patrol droids off the streets if you have to! Those Jedi are walking out of here over my dead body!"
***
Obi-Wan frowned and looked around briefly, then looked up. A ventilation shaft's grid panel was right above him. The Jedi clipped his lightsaber to his belt and pointed up.
"Give me a leg up," he told Anakin.
The padawan looked up, then knelt down and locked his hands tightly together to create a step.
Obi-Wan placed his foot on Anakin's hands and braced himself by putting his hand on the young Jedi's shoulder.
"Are you ready?"
The older Jedi nodded and his padawan raised him up slowly. Obi-Wan pushed the grid aside with one hand and grabbed ahold of the casement frame with the other. He pulled himself quickly up.
Anakin saw something spark inside the shaft and heard a small snapping sound, followed by a few choice expletives from the Jedi Master. Anakin narrowed his eyes curiously and was about to call out, when Obi-Wan peered down at him.
"It's nothing," he explained. "I just got my haunches zapped. Here, give me your hand," he instructed Anakin, leaning his torso over the access and stretching his hand out towards him. "Come up slowly. There's a web of power cables and energy tubes lining this shaft."
Anakin took Obi-Wan's hand and jumped for the casement frame, hauling himself through the access and into the shaft beside his master.
Obi-Wan directed Anakin's attention to the left. "We can climb down the air intake tunnel and drop out of it in one of the lower level rooms. We'll be able to move a little more freely and perhaps we can regain the advantage of surprise."
Anakin licked his lips and eyed the pulsing energy tubes warily. "If we nick one of those, we'll be toast," he warned, but grabbed ahold of one of the fixtures and crept forward.
"Yes, I know," the Jedi Master replied dryly. He watched anxiously as his padawan slowly made his way down to the intake tunnel, then grabbing ahold of the same fixtures for purchase, the older Jedi started forward.
Anakin peered back at him. "It's tight in here, but if I can fit, you can fit." He eased himself down the slick walls, then pulled himself out into one of the lower level ventilation shafts. "These vents must run just above the basement level," Anakin surmised.
Obi-Wan squeezed himself into the shaft beside Anakin and studied the direction it went. He gestured to the vein on the left. "The even numbered rooms in this building run east to west. The odd numbers go north to south. This one should take us over to the main hall. Then we'll follow the next shaft to the right. That should put us in the correct position. Go on. I'll be right behind you."
Anakin started crawling on his hands and knees in the direction Obi-Wan had told him. At the end, the shaft split in two separate veins again. Anakin took the one to the right, moving steadily.
Saloma's presence was getting stronger. Obi-Wan could sense her feelings as clearly as if she were standing beside him now. His heart twisted in pain at her burgeoning misery.
"Hurry," the Jedi Master urged Anakin, stifling his rising emotions. "We're close now."
***
Lieutenant Tilar faced Captain Vrone and frowned deeply. "Actually Sir, we aren't sure where they've gone. The man I left above to keep an eye on them hasn't reported in."
Vrone turned on his heel and began pacing up and down the hall. "I still find it hard to believe two mangy Jedi, one an apprentice, managed to drive off an entire squad of highly-trained enforcement officers." He waved his mechanical arms angrily in the air. "After this is through, I want every soldier on this force reevaluated and tested for motivation and skill levels."
"Yes Sir."
The captain stopped pacing and fixed his eyes on his lieutenant. "At the very least, we know the Jedi will eventually find their way down here," he concluded. "They're not going anywhere without her." He jerked his head in the direction of Saloma's cell.
"The men will be ready for them this time, Sir," Tilar said eagerly. "There's only two ways to get down to this level. It's either the elevators or the stairs. Either one the Jedi choose, they're in for a rude awakening."
Vrone nodded, but his expression remained skeptical. "Two mangy Jedi," he muttered. "Who would have thought?"
Just then a strange, but oddly familiar ripping sound over Tilar's head made the lieutenant look up. In the ventilation shaft a few meters from the stairwell, a dim blue-white light flashed.
Tilar's eyes widened with realization, but before he could utter a warning, the wall around the vent exploded. Ceiling tiles, stone, and chunks of metal rained down on the hall's occupants, sending everyone running. Tilar grabbed Vrone and yanked him into the stairwell for cover.
Veiled in a shower of gold sparks, the two Jedi dropped to the floor, startling the soldiers directly in front of them. Reacting in panic, the soldiers fired haphazardly at the rapidly moving targets, but were the first to be struck down. Blasts ricocheted within the open hallway sending the remaining soldiers sprinting for cover.
"Cease fire! I want them alive!" Vrone hollered, but the noise level was deafening and no one heard his order. The broad hallway rapidly clouded with smoke, making visibility next to nil.
"They're in front of us," Tilar informed, quickly poking his head out of the stairwell to see the position of the Jedi. Looking left, he could just make them out through the haze. Clearer were the lightsabers as the Jedi cut them through the air, deflecting away the soldiers' blasterfire with inhuman speed and calculation. The soldiers in the hall were dropping one after another, brought down by their own blasts. Disgusted, Tilar raised his blaster. "I can get a fairly clear shot at the boy. He's closest."
Vrone shook his head. "No. I don't want them dead...yet," he said and ground his teeth angrily. "Besides, if you fire at him, he'll just block it and the blast will bounce harmlessly off his lightsaber and most likely hit me between the eyes before your trigger finger unflexes. That's the problem with these Jedi."
Tilar licked his lips in frustration. "What's to stop them then? We're powerless...defenseless against that kind of skill."
Vrone shook his head. "No, not entirely. I know how we can get them to surrender with minimal resistance." He held up the pass key to Saloma's holding cell.
Tilar raised his eyebrows. "The woman?"
Nodding, the captain straightened slowly. "Or more specifically, Kenobi's lover. You get me to her cell and you watch how fast those Jedi lay down their weapons and throw their hands in the air."
***
The soldiers had taken cover in the open elevators on the left and right sides of the hall and also in the guard stations. They effectively kept the Jedi from advancing towards the cell block.
The Jedi's backs faced the wall from which they had emerged, but an unguarded stairwell behind them to the right, gave them an easy means of escape if they decided to retreat. Cells number two, four, and six were to their immediate left. Saloma's cell was just across the hall a short distance away.
Anakin and Obi-Wan altered their positions a few times for maximum cover. They stayed close to each other, deflecting away the barrage of blasterfire that streamed towards them at a steady rate from both sides.
Anakin took up a position on Obi-Wan's left side. He easily brought several soldiers down that were lining the cell block and tried to edge closer to the guard station beside cell number six.
The young Jedi didn't want to stray too far from his master's side however. The main concentration of blasterfire was still coming from Obi-Wan's right from the soldiers in the elevators and the guard stations in the other cell block down the hall.
"We need to move, Obi-Wan!" Anakin yelled above all the noise. "This is a stand-off!"
Obi-Wan whirled around and caught a blast just before it struck his right shoulder. He frowned deeply. He was tiring and his reflexes were slowing at a rate which was imperceptible to anyone but himself. Still, it was enough to cause him concern. He felt Anakin laboring beside him as well. The acute lack of sleep his padawan suffered from was beginning to take its toll. The Jedi Master knew neither one of them could keep their defenses up much longer at this pace.
"Cover me!" he suddenly ordered, moving out towards the center of the hall towards the two elevators.
Anakin darted ahead of him, doubling his effort to keep the blasterfire from hitting Obi-Wan now as well as himself. He wasn't sure what the Jedi Master was up to, but didn't want to take the time or effort to ponder it.
Obi-Wan lowered his lightsaber and concentrated on the elevator doors. He licked his lips and stretched out his hand towards the one on his right with a sharp gesture, then spun around and gestured at the other to his left. The elevator doors suddenly slammed shut, trapping the soldiers inside. The Jedi gestured again and yanked a water pipe from the wall and sent it crashing into the elevator's control panel. He turned and drove his lightsaber into the other elevator's panel.
The concentration of blasterfire thinned considerably. The two Jedi exchanged relieved grins.
Obi-Wan and Anakin turned as one and jogged back up the hall towards Saloma's cell, deflecting the few remaining blasts coming at them from the opposite end of the hall. They stopped just before reaching the cell block as shots from the two guard stations took on a new intensity.
Once again they were forced back towards the stairwell. Anakin swore under his breath and moved just behind Obi-Wan to catch the blasterfire coming from the station beside cell number two.
"We may have to split up," Obi-Wan shouted.
Anakin opened his mouth to reply, but paused as he felt a presence behind him and saw movement out of the corner of his eye. It was a blur of a gray uniform. He pivoted slightly to get a better look, but the smoke in the hall was too thick to really make out anything distinctly. He hadn't sensed a threat with the mysterious passing, but the sensation made him uneasy nonetheless.
Neatly blocking three shots fired at him in rapid secession, Anakin sidled back up to Obi-Wan and leaned close to him.
"I'll be right back," he said loudly then turned and disappeared into the smoke.
Obi-Wan wondered at his padawan's sudden distraction, but let him go, knowing he would find out soon enough what Anakin was pursuing. He took a deep breath and adapted a classic battle stance, settling in for the duration of the soldiers' assault.
***
Saloma saw Vrone and Tilar approach through her view window and immediately raced to the back of her cell and flattened herself in a corner.
The cell door opened and Tilar entered first. He unhooked a pair of binders from his belt and started towards Saloma.
"Stay away from me!" Saloma screamed and tried to dodge around him, but the lieutnant caught her around the waist and pushed her roughly back into the corner. He wrenched her arm painfully behind her back.
"Behave yourself," he warned her through clenched teeth. "We're just taking you out of here for the time being. We are in need of your assistance."
Saloma twisted against the lieutenant's grip and struggled harder. She hit at him with her free hand and kicked him in the knees. She finally managed to turn around and then tried to pry Tilar's hand off her wrist. When that failed, she bent over and sank her teeth into his forearm until she tasted blood.
Tilar swore hotly and cuffed the side of her head, knocking her away from him and onto the floor. He glared down at her and shook his head. "Don't think I'm letting you get away with that!" he growled and drew his blaster. "Stop right now or I'm blowing you to smithereens."
Saloma froze. She knew from his thoughts he was angry enough now not to worry about the consequences such an action would reap from his superior.
Vrone slowly ambled over to her, shaking his head, with an angry expression on his face. "Miss P'tol, if I were you, I would comply. My patience is long gone with regards to such foolishness and I'm just about ready to shoot the lot of you myself."
Saloma stared up at him and sighed heavily. She stiffly climbed to her feet.
***
Still deflecting sporadic blasterfire, Anakin quickly crossed the hall and trotted alongside the wall to his right, heading towards the cell block. The presence he had sensed earlier was just ahead of him in cell number six.
His first thought was that Saloma was being moved and the young Jedi experienced a spurt of panic and hurried forward. The blasterfire from the guard station abruptly forced Anakin to halt in his tracks. He pressed himself against the wall for cover.
He glanced back down the hall at Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master's bright blue coat was barely distinguishable but his lightsaber shone clearly through the smoky haze. Anakin suddenly realized that ironically, the lightsabers were giving their positions away. The soldiers probably would not be able to locate them otherwise. The Jedi quickly deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt.
Anakin thought if he could short out the lights, he and Obi-Wan would have all the advantage. He looked around wildly until his eyes fell upon a circuit control box on the wall to his right beside the guard station.
Debris from the demolished ventilation shaft lie strewn around the hall in front of the cell block. Remembering the lesson he'd had at the cathedral ruins, Anakin summoned the Force and concentrated on levitating and controlling a sizable piece of the debris. Copying Obi-Wan's gesture to the water pipe, Anakin stretched out his hand and closed his eyes. The chunk of metal sailed across the hall and smashed into the control box. The lights immediately went out.
***
Obi-Wan suddenly found himself plunged into total darkness. He knowingly deactivated his lightsaber and dodged the few remaining shots that sputtered his way.
"Very good, Padawan," he breathed, sprinting across the hall, knowing Anakin was behind the sudden power outage. Using the Force, he was unhampered by the darkness, but kept his eyes open to allow them to adjust to the lack of light.
The Jedi Master could feel Anakin's presence just ahead of him. The Force was stirring around him and charging Obi-Wan's blood with warning. Soldiers were close as well, but the center of discourse seemed to be emanating from Saloma's cell. Obi-Wan picked up his pace.
***
Rendered blind in the absolute darkness, Lieutenant Tilar tightened his grasp on Saloma's wrist. She was fighting again to get free and he knew if she did, she stood a fair chance of escaping. He fumbled with the lock on the binders, trying to fit the key inside, but quickly gave up the notion and chose instead to wrap his arm around her neck in a choke hold, hoping it would secure her and quell her struggles.
Much to his dismay, she reacted violently. He felt her struggle even harder, twisting and turning in an attempt to wrench herself free, jerking him off balance a couple of times. She clawed frantically at his arm, wailing and shaking fitfully. Tilar had no choice but to let go of her.
"What in blue blazes is going on, Lieutenant?" Vrone suddenly demanded, sounding farther away than Tilar thought he was.
The lieutenant faced the direction of Vrone's voice. "I lost her!" he spat furiously, clutching his torn arm.
"What?!"
"She got away from me!"
Vrone swore heatedly and turned in what he believed was the direction of the cell door. "We have to find her! Start moving!"
***
Shaking uncontrollably, Saloma moved as far away from the sound of Vrone's voice as she could. Tears welled in her eyes, but she wiped them roughly away. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was sure the sound of it would give her away. She took several deep steadying breaths and forced herself to calm down. The dreadful pressure of Tilar's arm around her neck had made her snap. It reminded her too much of the sensation of Emon Kime's hands closing around her throat as he tried to strangle her.
Cautiously, Saloma stretched out her hand in an attempt to locate the cell wall. If she could find the wall, she could follow it to the open door. She took a tentative step forward and promptly touched someone directly in front of her. Her eyes widened in surprise and fear and her second reaction was to scream.
The person she had touched seemed to anticipate this as Saloma felt a large, callused hand cover her mouth before anything audible emerged. The person slipped behind her and pulled her up against him. Saloma started to struggle, then suddenly felt his steamy breath in her ear.
"Hush! It's me. Anakin."
Relief washed over Saloma and her heart leapt with joy at the sound of the young Jedi's voice. A split second later however, she felt him tense. He suddenly spun around and shoved her behind him as a brilliant red bolt of energy exploded out of the darkness in front of him and disappeared a second later in a small puff of smoke.
Saloma heard Anakin gasp and then moan. His hands tightened on her shoulders as he slowly began sinking to the floor. Horrified, Saloma realized he had just been shot. In the darkness she could not tell how badly. She threw herself down beside him and cradled his head in her lap.
"Anakin! Anakin!" she shrieked, rapidly passing her hands over his body to try to find the wound. Instead of a blaster wound, her hands found a blaster, tucked into the Jedi's belt on his left side. She tugged it free and quickly slid it into her own belt. At least now she was armed.
"Sir! I've hit one of the Jedi!" Tilar suddenly sang out. "Over here!"
Saloma leaned protectively over Anakin and lay her cheek against his head. "Anakin, please, tell me you're all right," she whimpered and started to cry.
"I'm all right," the young Jedi whispered shakily.
Saloma hadn't really expected him to reply. She caught her breath and sat up. "Where did you get hit?"
"My leg," Anakin gasped out. "I'm not dying," he added to reassure her. "I hurt though. I hurt bad."
Saloma hugged him and stroked the side of his face frantically. "It will be all right. It will be all right," she soothed, though she didn't have the faintest idea how things could possibly turn out all right at this point.
A warm hand suddenly covered Saloma's and squeezed it, startling her. Even warmer lips brushed her tear-stained cheek.
"Stay with him," Obi-Wan breathed.
Saloma heard the creak of the leather of the Jedi Master's boots and the soft rustle of his coat as he slowly stood up and moved around her.
Tilar had heard the Jedi too. He raised his blaster and fired.
"No!" Vrone commanded, seeing the blasterfire and a flash of azure light.
Obi-Wan intercepted Tilar's assault and sent the shots pounding back into the lieutenant's body. Tilar staggered back and collapsed against the wall.
The lightsaber cast an eerie blue pallor over the cell and its occupants. The captain rushed forward, towards the Jedi.
"When are you going to give up?" he demanded. "When are you going to realize all this is futile? I have men just outside this door. I have men waiting on the upper levels. My droids have the building surrounded. You won't make it, Kenobi. Somewhere deep down inside, you have to know this."
Obi-Wan slowly lowered his lightsaber. He took a deep breath and faced Vrone with a peculiar calm. "I have to try," he stated. He reached down and helped Saloma pull Anakin to his feet.
Vrone swore heatedly. "To the death, is that how you want it?"
"No," the Jedi Master answered without hesitation. "That's how you want it."
Bracing himself on Saloma's shoulder, Anakin nodded his head and addressed Vrone in a breathless voice. "You days in power are numbered. A new voice is rising, speaking out against your oppression, your lies, and your injustice. The citizens of Aremont will learn the truth one way or the other and the truth will free them."
Vrone smiled thinly. "I'm not interested in your mealymouthed prophecies. Such prophecies will not win you your freedom."
As if on cue, soldiers filed into the illuminated cell, weapons raised and trained on the Jedi.
Anakin peered over at them and sighed. "It's not my freedom I speak of."
"Now, hand over your weapons," Vrone instructed the Jedi.
"Or what?" Anakin taunted.
Vrone pursed his lips. "Or I order my troops to shoot....the woman." He waved to the soldiers clustered at the cell door behind him. They started forward.
Obi-Wan automatically stepped in front of Saloma and raised his lightsaber. "If they fire on her, you'll be the first to die, Vrone."
"Admit it, Kenobi. You have lost this time," the captain replied coolly.
Obi-Wan took a step forward, spinning his lightsaber expertly in his hand, daring the soldiers to come any closer.
The soldiers froze and looked over at Vrone expectantly.
"Why don't you admit that your grudge is with me and me alone?" the Jedi Master retaliated. "This obsession for so-called justice on your part is nothing more than a means to your own personal revenge."
Vrone fixed his eyes on the Jedi and nodded slowly. "Very well. I'll admit it." He stiffly crossed his mechanical arms over his chest and sighed. "It is personal."
"Then keep me," Obi-Wan offered. "Let the woman and my apprentice go."
Anakin and Saloma exchanged stunned glances.
Anakin suddenly took a step back, hopping on his one good leg, and activated his lightsaber.
"No!" the young Jedi stated emphatically. "I won't go!" He waved the lightsaber menacingly in front of him, but swayed unsteadily from the pain in his thigh. He slowly turned his large blue eyes on his master and swallowed hard. "I'm not leaving you behind!"
Obi-Wan closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. "Padawan, if you ever felt any inclination to obey me, now would be the time to acknowledge it."
Vrone looked from Anakin to Saloma and then to Obi-Wan. "All right. I'll let them go. I'll have my men escort them out of the building, to the docks, and onto a departing transport. Will that satisfy you? Will you surrender?"
Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "Yes."
"No you won't!" Drawing the blaster she had taken from Anakin, Saloma suddenly stepped out from behind the Jedi Master and aimed the pistol at Vrone. "He's lying, Obi-Wan! How can you believe him after everything he has done!" Saloma protested.
The Jedi Master bit his lower lip and faced Saloma. "Perhaps you are mistaken. His intent is genuine. I feel it."
"The only genuine intent he has is to see you tortured to death," Saloma snapped. "I'm not wrong...this time. I know he's lying."
"She's right. I can see you two need to work on trusting each other if you want your relationship to succeed." Vrone paused and laughed humorlessly. "Did you actually think I would let them go?" he asked the Jedi. "You're too willing to hear what you want to, my friend. It must be that whole faith in the inherent goodness in every lifeform you Jedi subscribe to."
Vrone's words echoed the condemnation Obi-Wan had previously aimed at Saloma. Ashamed, he glanced at her apologetically, then focused on Vrone. Narrowing his eyes at the captain, the Jedi Master shook his head. "No. If there's one thing I have learned as a Jedi it's that true evil comes in many shapes and guises."
Vrone shrugged. "Believe what you will about me. In the meantime, I will prove to you that I have one redeeming quality. When I say something, I mean it. I am a man of my word." He suddenly motioned to the soldiers. "Shoot her."
Both Obi-Wan and Anakin leapt forward as the soldiers snapped up their weapons and fired. Reacting instinctively, Saloma fired back. The torrent of blasterfire that streamed towards her, crashed into the rapidly moving blades of the Jedi's lightsabers and abruptly reversed course.
Struck several times, Vrone cried out in alarm and then dropped heavily to the floor, gasping and gurgling until he died. Many soldiers also fell under the deluge of lethal blasts. The ones who managed to avoid certain death, soon fled, knowing their attack was futile.
The Jedi steadily advanced, relentlessly driving the soldiers back into the dark hall towards the opposite cell block. It seemed the soldiers wanted nothing more to do with the Jedi now that their commanding officers were dead and readily retreated.
Once free from the soldiers' assault, the Jedi deactivated their lightsabers and carefully made their way through the darkness back to the open stairwell. Obi-Wan helped Anakin negotiate the stairs as Saloma trailed after them, clutching the hem of the Jedi Master's coat to keep from losing track of them.
They paused at the top of the stairs behind a partially closed door just before entering the main room. Obi-Wan wanted to let Anakin rest and make sure a platoon of soldiers wasn't lying in wait around any corners. The Jedi Master also took the opportunity to query his charges.
"How are you holding up, Padawan?" he asked softly, his hand gently palpating Anakin's injured thigh.
"I'm doing all right. I'm a little nauseous, but I've pretty much got the pain under control," the young Jedi responded. "Thanks for the concern."
"Don't sound so surprised," Obi-Wan said and smiled, then directed his attention at Saloma. "And what about you? Are you all right?"
Saloma looked over at him but could barely see him. She sighed. "I'm fine, really. I was more frightened than anything and then not even for myself. I was frightened of what could happen to you two. Super nova, what an ordeal."
"But it was a great learning experience for you wasn't it?" Anakin quipped.
Saloma reached over and tugged at his earlobe teasingly. "Yes and it's the unpleasant experiences that prove to be the most significant," she quoted and heard Anakin laugh.
"Unfortunately we are not completely out of trouble just yet," Obi-Wan reported. "Vrone warned of soldiers inside and out."
"Can you see anything?" Saloma asked. "Is the power off up here as well?"
"Yes, but it's not as dark up here with the lights coming from the windows," Obi-Wan noted peering through the crack in the door seal. "I don't see soldiers but that doesn't mean they aren't there. We will need to stay quiet and proceed with caution."
"I don't sense anything," Anakin announced in a loud whisper. "Do you think Vrone was lying about that too?"
"Of course he was," Saloma whispered back. "I don't hear anything either."
"Let's go then," the Jedi Master instructed with a heavy sigh. "Before the ones below find their way up here." He wedged his arm into the opening of the malfunctioning door and pushed it aside.
Anakin leaned on Saloma as Obi-Wan crept along slightly ahead to scout for any signs of danger. Just before they reached the door that the Jedi had cut through to get inside, a commotion outside the building caught their attention. It was more blasterfire. Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan with new concern.
"They may have reassessed their situation and regrouped," Saloma guessed as the Jedi Master herded her and Anakin into one of the deserted interrogation rooms.
"But who are they shooting at?" Anakin asked, nonplused. "We're in here."
Obi-Wan positioned himself between the doorway and Saloma and activated his lightsaber. He stood at Anakin's side and leaned against him to help support him.
Anakin activated his lightsaber and tried to psyche himself up for another round with Vrone's tenacious forces.
Then, through the jagged hole in the door a tired and tattered-looking Mortane slipped in, followed closely by his mother, Teira, and several other resistance fighters.
The Jedi exchanged glances, exhaled simultaneously in relief, and deactivated their sabers. Obi-Wan felt Saloma's arms encircle his waist. She leaned her head against his back and hugged him.
"Jedi! You've done it!" Mortane hailed, rushing forward to greet them. "The word has gotten out about your courage here tonight! The citizens and the resistance have joined forces and declared war! Our people are storming the governor's mansion as we speak! Even the prisoners at Maerske are rising up against their captors," he exclaimed and looked quickly around the deserted hallways. "What about Vrone and Tilar? Did they escape?"
Anakin shook his head. "No. They're dead."
Mortane closed his eyes and exhaled his breath through his teeth. "Even if we fail tonight, at least we are free from their brutality."
"That's incredible news you bring us as well," Saloma stated, slipping out from behind Obi-Wan. "The people have finally revolted. I can hardly believe it."
"Now we've brought about a coup d'etat," Anakin murmured, shaking his head. "Something else to add to our list of transgressions."
The Jedi Master sighed heavily, but summoned forth a smile. "We are pleased to see you," Obi-Wan told Mortane quietly, suddenly feeling emotionally drained. "Your presence assures me the way out of here is clear."
Teira approached the Jedi and nodded. "They had the building surrounded by droids. You wouldn't have found the way to freedom easy. We were happy to assist you in that respect. We are indebted to you. You have come to our aid after all and given us the hope and inspiration we sorely needed. You have restored our faith in your kind."
Obi-Wan bowed respectfully to her. "Thank you. Knowing this will ease my conscience when I stand before the members of my council to account for what I have done here."
Teira gazed unwaveringly into his eyes. "I give you my word, I will contact them personally on your behalf. You only did what you had to do to save your loved one from certain death. You've done nothing wrong." She smiled benevolently and bowed to the Jedi, then turned and left the room.
"Maybe with her testimony, you won't need mine," Saloma said quietly, recalling the oath she had made back in her prison cell. The Jedi apparently did not hear her. He seemed to be deeply submerged in thought.
Obi-Wan watched Teira leave, feeling as if he had just had a brush with greatness. Finally, he took a deep breath and faced Saloma. "I need some air. Let's get out of here." He extended his hand to her and waited.
Saloma slowly grasped his hand and offered him a trembly smile. He smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm okay, really," she told him, hearing his concerned thoughts.
Obi-Wan nodded and squeezed her hand. "Padawan, are you coming?" he said over his shoulder.
Anakin glanced up at him. "In a minute." He watched the older Jedi and Saloma amble towards the door, hand in hand. It was a tender sight, but Anakin felt a strange disturbance emanating from them as though all was not well and wondered at it.
Mortane placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I'm sorry to see you've been hurt. Come on. We'll get you fixed up. We've got a ship standing by for you. As well as medical supplies, bacta, and some food. It's not much, but it'll get you to the nearest Republic space station where you can catch a transport to Coruscant."
Anakin smiled and squeezed Mortane's arm in thanks, but noticed the young man's anxious expression. He could feel shame all around him. "Why do I sense such lingering guilt?" he asked him softly. "You've rectified your wrongs, Mortane, and what you've done for us tonight has been ample restitution. I told you I forgave you."
Mortane took a deep breath and bowed his head. "It's just that, you're such a great Jedi, Anakin," he began. "If I would have succeeded in killing you, your loss would have been deeply felt. I am truly sorry and I'm having trouble forgiving myself for what I put you through."
Anakin closed his eyes and sighed. He leaned forward slightly to whisper in Mortane's ear. "Mercy is a virtue. Never forget that."
***
Several members of the resistance stood outside the docking bay where the ship for the Jedi was ready and waiting. Having already undergone treatment for his injured leg, Anakin was inside the vessel, familiarizing himself with the controls, and doing last minute checks.
Obi-Wan thanked Teira and Mortane again and asked to be kept apprised of the government situation on Aremont as it unfolded.
It was then the Jedi Master noticed Saloma was unusually quiet, speaking only when spoken to and then in short one word sentences. Her melancholy deepened when they said their goodbyes to the members of the resistance and started to go inside the docking bay.
Saloma followed him a few steps behind, then hesitated when Obi-Wan opened the door for her. She looked up at the Jedi as he glanced curiously back at her.
"Saloma? What is it?" he asked, concerned. He let the door slide close and went to her. He tried putting his arm around her, but she shrugged it off, and stepped back.
"I can't," she whispered. "I can't go with you." She bowed her head and wiped quickly at her rapidly watering eyes.
Obi-Wan let his empty arm fall to his side, stunned. He swallowed uncomfortably and stared at her with a piercing gaze. "What are you saying?"
Saloma shook her head, the tears falling freely now. "I have to stay and finish what was started." She finally looked up at him and gestured at Teira and Mortane, who appeared equally taken aback. "These are my people. This is my home. I owe it to them to stay and fight by their side. Most of all, I need to make up for the wrongs my brother did."
"You were not responsible for his actions, Saloma," Teira told her softly. "Go with the Jedi. You owe him, not us."
"She doesn't owe me anything!" Obi-Wan snapped, then covered his eyes with his hand. He took several calming breaths, then turned to Teira and addressed her. "Forgive me. Please, may I have a moment alone with her?" Understanding intuitively, Teira nodded solemnly, reaching out to pat his shoulder, and then waved her companions away. They quickly disappeared into the shadows.
Obi-Wan's heart felt as if it would burst out of his chest and fall to the ground in pieces. He unconsciously placed his hand over it to steady it and tried to remember to breathe. He wanted to say something reassuring to Saloma, but his mind was racing, and nothing intelligible found its way to his tongue.
"You can't stay," he finally managed, his throat clenching, strangling his voice. He tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away from him. "Has something changed between us that I'm not aware of?"
"That's so unfair of you," she breathed, struggling to regain her composure. "Nothing's changed. This has nothing to do with us, or you, or the way I feel about you. I still love you, Obi-Wan, but I just can't go with you now. Please try to understand."
"What exactly am I supposed to understand?" the Jedi retorted, fixing his eyes on hers. "Do you realize what you are asking me to do?" "Don't Obi-Wan...please don't make this any harder than it has to be," she pleaded and started to cry.
Obi-Wan leaned against the doorframe for support, certain his knees were about to give way. "Make this harder? It doesn't have to be hard at all." He longed to reach out and hold her, but commanded himself to stay where he was, knowing he could not bear to have her pull away from him again. "They don't need you," he continued, gesturing in the direction the resistance had gone, his voice softening. "They are going to win this without you...." Pausing, he bit his lower lip savagely and took a shaky breath. "But I do need you. I'm so in love with you, Saloma. I want you with me, beside me, now and always."
Shaking her head, Saloma lowered her eyes, and wiped impatiently at her tears. "I want that too, but we can't always have what we want."
"No, I suppose not," the Jedi murmured. He sighed heavily, feeling spent and defeated.
Saloma stepped forward and reached out to him. He seemed surprised by her gesture but readily welcomed her into his arms and held her tightly as if he would never again release her. She clung to his neck, shutting out everything around her except for the sound of his thudding heartbeat and the warm security of his embrace. The red-rimmed sorrow reflected in his usually sparkling blue eyes seized her heart.
"Try not worry about me. And please, don't be sad," Saloma said quietly.
Obi-Wan slowly shook his head. "But it hurts," he whispered. "It hurts."
Saloma hugged him, rubbing her hands over his back to comfort him. "This isn't good-bye forever, Obi-Wan. I have every intention of returning to you someday. And if the resistance is victorious, there'll be a new Aremont for you to come back to. One that will welcome you and all Jedi with open arms again. I know I can help. I can put right what went wrong. This is something I'm willing to fight for and die for. This is something I need to do....but if you truly do not understand, then...I'll go with you. I won't leave you wondering and questioning. I love you too much to do that to you."
Closing his eyes against the throbbing pain in his heart, Obi-Wan lost the last remnants of hope he had. He did understand and it would be wrong of him to deny it just to keep her with him. She knew he'd be lying if he did. He was a Jedi Knight and he had experienced the same need to rectify wrongs many times over. Softly, he kissed the top of her head and lay his cheek on her downy curls.
"Go then," he breathed into her ear. "Go now."
Hearing his thoughts, Saloma pulled back from him slightly to look up at him, marveling at the depth of his unselfish integrity. She took his face in her hands and covered his mouth with hers in a passionate kiss, then suddenly tore herself away from him. Once free of his imprisoning touch, she turned and quickly ran away without looking back, disappearing into the shadows of the night.
Obi-Wan felt himself split in two as she separated from him. His lips felt cold, his arms empty, and his hands useless without her to caress. A aching chill descended on him and made him shiver. He bowed his head in defeat, plunging his numbing hands deeply into the pockets of his coat.
It was then he felt it. His fingertips had brushed against it. The satiny softness of a coiled braid.
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