DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
Note: Thoughts are in * and Italics.
Obi-Wan Kenobi looked up and down the pathways, all completely filled with people. No longer did he feel that awful simmering in the air, but something all together. The atmosphere felt tight, oppressive, like after a great storm has past. He only felt despair and grief... and he knew where it was coming from.
Qui-Gon and Anakin had returned to the Jedi temple to report the incident to the council, but planned to leave out certain details, but they needed to know about the files, the mystery that could be behind them. They all had the very disticnt impression something dark and dangerous was there, just out of their sight. Normally, Obi-Wan would have scoffed at the notion, but he had to agree. There had to be much more behind it all then a simple trap. Naturally, Qui-Gon planned to leave out Callisto's involvement as best he could. "The Council does not need to here everything, only what is important." This was one of the reasons Qui-Gon probably wasn't on the council, besides his own distain for the occupation. He was a doer, after all. But he tended to keep his own secrets, using his own judgment, which in this case was better. Even now, Qui-Gon protected him. True, he was a full fledged knight of his own right, but they still had that connection. Right about now, Obi-Wan felt a little envious of Anakin Skywalker... The boy had that comfort now where he had to fend for his own. He knew what Qui-Gon's response would be... That there were times where he would be completely on his own. The council couldn't deny him an apprentice forever and he must take from his own strengths and experiences to make it through. Sometimes he wasn't so sure he could make it, but he was lucky. He did have friends and he still had Qui-Gon who would always be there for him, no matter what. He was not alone.
Not in the way some people were. He knew he had people around him, whereas some people he knew were blind in that respect.
Callisto appeared in the sea of people. From the distance he could see her delicate face marred with bruises and an enlarged lower lip. Oh, and how she limped... She had been hurt! He felt the early beginnings of outrage rise up in his veins, but he quelled them. it would not help.
He ran to her, embracing his beloved in his arms. He kissed the side of her face, holding her tightly, near weeping. She was alive... Of course he had known it all along, but there she was! In his arms again.
Then he noticed how she did not return it. She was limp in his arms, her eyes and mind distant. She was there, but not in spirit. The light was gone.
He held her chin in his hand.
"Callisto?" Obi-Wan asked.
She looked up at him, but her eyes did not meet his own.
"Callisto," he said again. "Are you all right? You're hurt."
"I'm fine," she said flatly.
"What happened?"
"I had a meeting with some old friends. We disagreed." It was clear from the tone of her voice she had no plans to go any farther than that.
He brushed the hair off her face, taking not of how she cringed when the motion tilted her head to the side. Her face was slashed, the wound covered by a black bandanna that was wet.
"We need to get you medical attention."
"I'll be fine."
He could sense something in her, something that he had never felt in her before. There was such emptiness... such unfathomable emptiness....
"It was Erju, wasn't it?" Callisto said simply.
Obi-Wan only nodded.
She laughed, the bitterness evident in her voice. "I don't know why I feel so surprised. I should have known. He was never the most trustworthy person in the world, I just thought... I don't know... I don't know anything any more." She laughed. "He'll get his eventually. His kind always does."
Obi-Wan began to lead her away, but she didn't budge.
She looked down at the ground.
"It's going to be all right," Obi-Wan tried to assure.
Slowly, she looked up. "No," she whispered. "It's not going to be okay. Nothing is the same any more."
Then she walked away. Away from him, away from everything.
And all Obi-Wan could do was watch.
Erju continued on to where he was supposed to meet his contact. It was dark of course. The man seemed to thrive there, in the shadows where no one could see anything but him. Vaguely, he wondered if he was made of shadow, but that was just silly. He was just a man like anyone else, but much more frightening.
And much more wealthy.
The rewards promised for this endeavor had been great... He would have had to be a fool to have turned it down, but then again perhaps he was a fool to agree to do any of it in the first place. If she had survived, Callisto would come looking for him and she had the habit of not being very forgiving.
"Interesting how you fear her... More than me, perhaps?"
The voice interrupted his thoughts. Erju snapped to attention.
"I have done as you asked, my lord," Erju said.
"Have you the files?"
"Yes," he said, extending his hand, showing the merchandise. "And my compensation?"
"Of course."
There was a snap then a hum. A red light appeared out of the darkness, slashing forward. Erju became aware of a fire in his arm. He tried to flex his fingers, but found that he could not. He looked down to see his arm, lying on the ground. Erju opened his mouth to scream, but was cut down before he could make a sound.
A black gloved hand stepped forward and picked up the data files out of the fallen man's hand. He straightened out, looking out past the darkened alley into the endless parade of ships.
This had been a difficult task set before him, but he had been successful. Truly, deception had been mastered this time. Now the cloning data was in their hands where it belonged, completely unlinked to them. It would be virtually impossible to trace the thread, especially when so many parts had been severed... not so much by him, but by her through his own manipulations. Amazing how successful she had been, how she had survived against the odds in front of her, but then with her the Force was quite strong.
She was out there. Alone, angry, and in despair.
Things were going quite well.
Darth Maul allowed himself a small smile.
TBC....
Coming soon: "The Bitter Suite"