Adumbration
by AlexPart 17
Depa Billaba was sitting in Yoda's chair, staring out the window. She didn't look up as Mace Windu came in.
He sat in his customary seat, next to her.
"I've often wondered what he sees from here."
"The same thing we all see...from a different angle."
She turned and looked at him. "Do you think so?"
Mace sighed. "Depa, when something troubles you, you become elliptical."
She offered him a slanted smile. "That's because my Master taught me to be elliptical."
"I?" Mace snorted. "I think not."
She shrugged, turned back to the window.
Several moments passed in silence. Mace waited patiently.
Finally she spoke.
"I sense Darkness."
Mace waited a few moments before replying.
"I sense it also, Padawan." The honorific slipped out before he could stop himself, and she smiled at him again. The smile quickly faded though, replaced by an expression of confusion and frustration.
"What happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master? Why can't I remember what happened to him? And why do I sense that he has something to do with the Darkness I feel? Or is it Qui-Gon...and what he's done..." She trailed off helplessly, staring out the window again.
"Ever since I attained my seat on the Council, there hasn't been a time when this Chamber has failed to fill my soul with peace," she said. "I have always believed that the Council has acted with the greater good in mind. And now...now I sit here in this room, and I hear distant cries in the Force, and I know something is wrong..."
Mace put a gentle hand on her arm. "Depa...Qui-Gon..."
"What of him?" Her voice was cold.
"I restored his lightsaber to him."
She turned and gaped at him. "You...you gave it back? Master...how could you! After what he did..."
"You said it yourself." Mace's voice was low, urgent. "Something is wrong. You can feel it. I feel it. Why are you here, Depa? What drew you to this chamber? Why now?"
"I don't know," she confessed. She turned accusing eyes on him. "But you're evading me. Why did you give it back to him? He's no longer a Jedi. What if he tries to...to hurt Obi-Wan again? Can you live with that, Master, that knowledge?"
"We did not imprison him," returned Mace sharply. He stared at her for a moment, and his gaze softened.
"Depa...the young man you escorted to the healing dome...that was not Padawan Kenobi."
"What?" Her irritation was mounting. "What are you talking about?"
"A clone. A replicant."
Depa stood. Her face was pale with anger. "And who told you this...Qui-Gon?"
Mace rose, towering over her. He grasped her arms. "Tell me...am I lying? Was Qui-Gon lying to me?" He opened himself up to her, allowing her to sift through his thoughts, his memories. She sought an answer in his soul, and stared at him in shock.
"Not a lie," she whispered.
Mace nodded, not taking his eyes off hers.
"Where is Padawan Kenobi?"
"Qui-Gon believes him to be a prisoner of the clone. He has gone in search of both of them."
"Then the holo...but there is still the question of rape, whether or not the victim was Qui-Gon's apprentice."
"I think," Mace replied, "that we judged hastily."
"The evidence..."
"Seemed clearcut, yes. But did we give Qui-Gon a chance to defend himself?"
"But..."
"What was Qui-Gon's question to the Council?"
Depa frowned. She answered slowly. "He wanted to know where we'd obtained the holodisc."
"And did we answer him?"
"No, he..." she stopped.
She looked at him, her eyes wide with comprehension.
"Oh, Force," she whispered.
Mace walked to the window and stared out at the enormous expanse of city below them.
"How was it done, do you think?"
"I don't know," he said. "It may have been manipulated...or it may have been a portion of a greater whole...I'll study the disc at length."
"I still can't remember what happened," she said quietly.
Mace turned to her. "May I help you, Master Billaba?"
She nodded. The made their way to the center of the chamber and knelt facing one another on the stone floor. They stilled their minds and quieted their souls, disentangling themselves from wants and cares, and reached out to each other through the Force, their old training bond flaring to brilliant life again, and now it was Mace who probed, who sorted through the recent past, through the scene in Council, through her anger at Qui-Gon. Through her memory, he followed her and the young man through the halls of the Temple, to the healing dome. He watched as she smoothed the bedclothes, and saw the man...the clone...smile at her and cloud her mind. She was still angry at Qui-Gon, and persuasion had been a simple task for the clone, who was strong in the Force, as strong as Obi-Wan, but there was a current of Darkness there, skillfully concealed, but now, as Mace searched, he saw it, more and more clearly, and his heart was filled with dread.
In our midst, he thought. And Padawan Kenobi...
When it was over, Depa looked up. She was flushed. "I did not see it, Master," she whispered.
"Nor did any of us. You are blameless...as is Qui-Gon. I am certain of it."
She flushed again. "Should someone not be dispatched to assist him?"
"I have faith in Qui-Gon's abilities." Even though I intimated to him that I did not, thought Mace, and it was his turn to flush. "He will find his apprentice."
"The clone," said Depa suddenly. "Obi-Wan...how were his cells obtained?"
"I don't know," said Mace. "The theft of his life...a serious offense. I wonder who would be so disdainful of galactic law."
They stared at each other wordlessly.
The Chamber door opened, and Yoda came in, leaning on his stick, coming to a halt in front of the still kneeling Jedi Masters. His eyes were slitted and he regarded the kneeling pair keenly.
"Sense it also, do you?"
"Yes, Master," replied Mace. "Master...we must-"
"Wait." Yoda held up one hand. "Wait for the others."
"Will they come?"
Yoda said nothing, merely turned to the doors.
Adi Gallia strode in. She seemed unsurprised to see the others. She took her seat, a wary look upon her elegant features.
One by one, the rest of the Council came. Yaddle. Even Piell. Plo Koon. Eeth Koth. Yarael Poof. They all sat in their chairs, waiting. Yoda walked to his chair and sat. Mace and Depa rose and took their seats as well.
At last they were all there, grave and silent.
Mace took a deep breath and addressed the assemblage.
"Masters...you all feel the disturbance in the Force. I believe I know the source of the disturbance."
He stopped. Qui-Gon, he thought. I hope that you can forgive us for what we have done to you.
"Masters...I ask you to recall the events surrounding the summons of Master Qui-Gon Jinn..."
The lift opened onto a small antechamber. Two red-robed guards with force pikes stood in front of a pair of bronze doors.
Belial's grip tightened on Obi-Wan's arm.
"Lord Sidious has summoned us."
"You are to go in first," said one guard. He pointed at Obi-Wan. "He is to wait."
Belial pushed Obi-Wan to his knees.
"Wait here, Obi-Wan."
The doors opened, and he walked into the Dark Lord's retreat.
As the doors closed, Obi-Wan struggled to rise to his feet, but one of the guards jabbed him dispassionately with the force pike. The weapon's powerful stun charge sent Obi-Wan crashing to his knees. He forced himself not to cry out. The guards stood silently, looking down at him.
Patience, Obi-Wan told himself. Are you so anxious to look into his face?
He waited.
Belial made his way to the throne...for it could be called little else...of the Dark Lord. He dropped to his knees and looked at the floor.
"Master."
"Apprentice."
A pale hand reached out and cupped the clone's chin, tilting his head up. Belial looked into the face of his Master and smiled beatifically at him.
"I have missed your presence, my student."
"As I have yours, Master."
"Have you?" The voice was mild, and for a moment Belial felt the cold clutch of fear in his heart. He knew, he knew everything, and his anger would be enormous. There would be pain again.
"Master..." He stopped, feeling something like a needle of ice being dragged through his body, agonizingly cold. It was a familiar sensation, and he waited as it was replaced by almost unbearable pleasure, and Lord Sidious pushed his hood back, revealing the face of an ordinary man, with ordinary features.
Belial was swept into the Dark Lord's arms, and they kissed hungrily, greedily, embracing each other tightly.
"Oh, my apprentice...what have you done to me? I trusted you, my love, and you have betrayed me."
"Master...master..." Belial was weeping. "Forgive me."
"You are not ready for the burden of being a Master, Belial. You should have realized this."
Belial kissed him again, his tears wetting Sidious' face.
Lying tears, thought Sidious. But I taught you thus.
"I am prepared to forgive, my apprentice. I am prepared to be generous."
"Thank you, my Master."
"You must perform two tasks for me, my love."
"Anything, Master."
"You will aid me in turning the young Jedi. You have an intimate knowledge of the tools necessary for this task."
"Yes, Master. And the second task?"
"The boy's master is coming. I sense his impending presence. You will kill him. You will kill him in front of the boy. And it will be the slowest, most painful death that you can devise."
Belial was silent.
"I feel your hesitation, apprentice mine. Why is that?"
"Master...I had thought-"
"You had thought to turn him. Yes?"
"Yes, Master."
Belial's eyes widened as he felt a tightness at his throat.
"And what made you think that you could accomplish such a feat?" inquired Sidious, his voice silky.
"I...I felt...his conflict...darkness..."
The Dark Lord's hand shot out and seized Belial's braid, drawing the clone, who was struggling frantically for breath, forward.
"Conflict? Conflict?" spat the Sith lord. "If such a thing ever existed in Qui-Gon Jinn's mind, it is gone now. Do you remember nothing of my teachings? A Jedi Master is to be destroyed...not turned. They are too close to the Light, my beautiful apprentice." The Sith's free hand found Belial's cock and started to fondle it.
"What are your true feelings for Master Jinn? The conflict is within you, perhaps. You delude yourself, my beauty. Qui-Gon Jinn's feelings are for his Padawan apprentice, not for you. You must accept this."
He continued his assault, rough and expert.
"Why, my student, did you allow your identity to be revealed to Qui-Gon Jinn? Why, when all of our plans were so carefully laid? The source of the sabotage upon the Jedi Temple was supposed to be Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now, Jinn knows. And he may inform the Council." Sidious cocked his head delicately as Belial struggled to speak.
"Oh, I know, Belial. He is in disgrace. Another foolishness of yours. You were to have kept contact with the boy's master to an absolute minimum. But no..." he sighed. "You allowed your desire to take precedence over your mission. And you underestimated him, and in doing so, you have brought suffering upon yourself.
"You thought to defeat me. You thought to make Kenobi your apprentice. You have caused me no end of trouble with your stupidity. I have had to recall our forces on Yrrna because of you. Tell me why I should not simply kill you, here...now."
Belial thrashed helplessly at the dual sensation of oxygen deprivation and erotic stimulation.
"There are no answers, are there, my love? You are damaged. But you are still mine. And you will do my bidding. You will obey me in all things. And you will suffer penance until I am certain that your loyalty is restored."
He released Belial's throat and his cock. The sudden rush of air caused an orgasm unlike any Belial had felt before. He crashed to the floor, sated, his breath coming in harsh, tearing gasps.
The Dark Lord pulled the hood up again, shadowing his face.
"Arise, my love. Bring Kenobi before me now. We will begin his instruction."
Qui-Gon hunched over the controls of the small freighter, pushing it as fast as he dared.
Seven or eight more hours to Sullust.
Oh, Obi-Wan, he thought. I can only imagine what they've forced you to endure. Please, love, a few more hours...trust in your strength, trust in the Force.
He began a litany.
Panic has no place in the mind of a Jedi...
...all danger passes...one need only be prepared...
Obi-Wan looked up as the doors opened and Belial stepped out, breathing hard, his face scarlet.
Belial hauled him to his feet by his manacled wrists and yanked him through the doors.
Obi-Wan quickly took in the details of the room. It was massive, cavernous, hewn from smooth black stone. There was a huge window at the far end of the chamber. Obi-Wan could see the strange reddish clouds of the atmosphere, and through the haze he saw the glow of lava oozing from the slowly churning interior of a nearby volcano.
Against the window was a figure seated in a chair. Any figure would have seemed insignificant against the window and the awesome landscape below.
Except for this one.
The figure did not move, but a voice rang out.
"Welcome, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Obi-Wan gazed intently on the black-robed figure in the chair. He was hooded, and the folds of the hood hid his face almost entirely.
Belial released him and stood back. But for that one chair, the room was entirely empty. Those who came before the Dark Lord in this chamber were not encouraged to linger.
Obi-Wan remained where he was. The stone floor was cold and smooth against his bare feet.
"Are you afraid, young Jedi?"
"No." Obi-Wan's voice was clear and strong. No, I am not afraid of you. You can hurt me, break my body, even kill me, but I do not fear you. I will not fear you.
Darth Sidious stirred. "No. Perhaps not. You were performing the Fourth Litany for serenity. Astounding, is it not, the power of faith in words? You repeat a litany, and you believe it. You take the vow of devotion to the Jedi Order, and you believe. Words, young Jedi, do not bruise or bleed. But you put your faith in them, and in the Force that you cannot command. You repeat the litanies, and the fear is gone..."
The Dark Lord stopped.
"You lie, young Kenobi. You do feel fear. But not for yourself...no. For your Master, whom you love above all else...still. How touching.
"He is coming for you, Jedi. He disregards his own safety for your sake. My apprentice," Sidious said, raising his voice slightly, "what are your plans for Qui-Gon Jinn?"
"Master," replied the clone, his voice oddly hoarse, "Qui-Gon Jinn will suffer the slowest and most painful death that I can devise."
"No," whispered Obi-Wan, taking a step forward. Sidious raised his hand, and the collar around Obi-Wan's neck unlatched and clattered to the floor.
Oh, sweet gods above, he felt it, he felt the Force again, and it washed over him, swirled around him, enveloped him in strength and blinding energy and he was nearly overcome with joy. Unhesitatingly he sent a call to Qui-Gon with all his might.
/MASTER!/
He felt Qui-Gon at the other end of the bond. It was not broken! Not gone! Fragile, yes, damaged, perhaps, but still there, that connection, and he'd been blind for years, not realizing how much he'd missed it, missed the reassuring, loving presence of his master, and if he never saw Qui-Gon again, then this moment of contact in the midst of servants of Darkness would be his most cherished memory. He would hold it close to himself, no matter the span of his life--
/Obi-Wan!/
He had to warn him, had to keep him away from this place.
/Master...please...don't/
And suddenly there were smothering walls of Darkness surrounding him, stifling his call, cutting him off from the Force once again. He fought the terror that arose and won, facing the Sith Lord serenely. There had been time enough, he thought. Qui-Gon had heard enough.
Sidious laughed.
Obi-Wan stared at him unflinchingly.
"You've done well, young Kenobi."
"He will not come."
"On the contrary, Jedi. You have all but charted his course for him."
"What?" Obi-Wan's voice was small.
"Master Jinn was not aware that you were on Sullust, Obi-Wan. Your call has enabled him to find you. And you can't think that he would abandon his own beloved Padawan Apprentice to the Dark...you have saved us the trouble of finding him ourselves. We thank you."
Belial walked past him and slid a hand down his arm. Obi-Wan, frozen with shock and horror, did not respond. Belial stopped at the throne and slid to the floor, draping his upper body over his master's legs. He smiled at Obi-Wan.
What have I done...oh, Force help me, what have I done?
The walls of Force still imprisoned him, choking, suffocating. He wanted to drop to the floor, to give in to despair once and for all.
/Master...forgive me/
Sidious laughed again, and this time Belial joined him, and their laughter echoed throughout the chamber.
"Fear, young Jedi, is a powerful ally to the Dark Side. You have taken your first step towards the Darkness. Tell me, how does that feel?"
Obi-Wan's vision blurred. A tear ran down his cheek.
Belial and Sidious exchanged a glance. Belial stood and walked to Obi-Wan again. He pulled him closer to the Sith Lord's throne, and forced him to his knees. The Dark Lord gazed at him, and Obi-Wan could not see his face, could not focus. Sidious' hand, cold and white, grazed Obi-Wan's cheek, tracing the path of the tear.
He turned to Belial. "Leave us."
Belial bowed and exited the chamber.
Obi-Wan was alone with the Sith Lord.
Kill him! his mind screamed. He will kill Qui-Gon, and if you don't turn, he'll kill you too.
"By all means, Jedi. I am unarmed. You are young and strong...kill me."
He tried to lift his hands, but found it impossible. He could not move at all, and a tightness enveloped his entire body, crushing the air out of him. That cold hand remained on his cheek, caressing, now toying with the loosened braid, now sliding inside his robe, chilling his flesh.
"I made my creation in your image, Obi-Wan Kenobi, because you are strong in the Force. Years ago I came and took from you what was necessary to duplicate your strength...and beauty. And he is strong, my Belial, and he is as beautiful as you are. But he's not...perfect, Obi-Wan. He is not innocent. He is not pure of heart. He is damaged in some way. Something went wrong...something in the replication process. I must begin again. And I shall begin with you. Belial will kill Qui-Gon, and you will have your revenge. He hurt you, did he not? Yes...he did, and you will make him suffer for it. I feel the hate rising in you, Kenobi. Let it guide you."
"No."
Obi-Wan shook with the effort it took to spit that single syllable out.
The constriction eased slightly, and Obi-Wan gasped, remaining upright through sheer will.
The Sith Lord stood.
"Jedi." His voice was a snarl. "You will suffer unimaginable pain if you resist me. And if you continue to resist me...you will die."
Obi-Wan strained to focus on the Dark Lord's face. Again it was impossible; it was as though the Sith lord was making himself dim...as Belial once had. A tool of the Dark side.
Tools and tricks, and evil, hate and rage and lust for power, and Obi-Wan went inside himself, focused upon that fleeting connection with Qui-Gon. There it was, and he envisioned the bond as he'd been taught, the image Qui-Gon had given him when he was thirteen.
"The bond is a bridge, Padawan. It joins Master and Apprentice through the Force. Through it we are connected, and every day it is strengthened by our dedication to the Order and to the Light. It grows as we grow, and we are rooted and grounded in it. It is nearer than the breath in our bodies, closer than our flesh. Trust in the Force always to strengthen the bond, for it will never abandon you."
And it did not, thought Obi-Wan. I am not abandoned.
There is no death; there is the Force.
I am not afraid.
Darth Sidious loomed over him.
"You will be, Jedi. You will be."
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