Luminous Dust 11/16
Title: Luminous Dust
Author: Dolly (darthdolly)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan
Timeframe: post RotS AU
Summary: coming soon. maybe! ^^;;
Spoilers: possibly for RotS
Warnings: Contains slash and mentions of mature themes, but nothing explicit.
Notes: This is the sequel to my story What Comes of It, which can be found HERE. So you'll probably want to read that story before you read this one, but you could probably figure this one out even if you don't read it.
Click Here for Previous Chapters
New Chapter:
Chapter 11
It was the cords that woke him up.
Cutting into his arms and legs, even the slightest movement on his part was enough to make them noticeable. Obi-Wan opened his eyes and took a few deep breaths to clear his head and center himself, and then surveyed his surroundings. Besides being bound in a way that made him feel rather like a cut of meat, he was, surprisingly enough, on a soft sleep couch in a modestly decorated room.
But even more noticeable was the lack of noise, indicating that he was not on a ship. Whether he was still on Taris or not, though, Obi-Wan had no way of knowing.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Obi-Wan did his best not to let his surprise reach his face as he recognized the man that entered.
"Good afternoon, General Kenobi," Captain Malen greeted him with a sickening smile. "Or should I call you Consort? It certainly is a more powerful position than any you may have held in the Rebellion," he said easily.
"Now this is a surprise," Obi-Wan remarked coolly. "Care to tell me, Captain, what this is all about?"
"This?" Malen spread his arms apart benevolently. "Consider these your guest quarters, Consort Kenobi. I apologize for the 'abduction', but we really needed to speak with you."
"We?" Obi-Wan asked suspiciously.
"Myself, as well as several other members of the Rebellion for whom I speak as well. We have a proposition for you, so to speak," he said, moving to sit in the chair across from where Obi-Wan still lay.
"I'm listening, though I have the distinct feeling that this will be a waste of both our time," Obi-Wan said dryly, though he was rather curious as to what the normally rational seeming Captain could possibly want from him.
"It's quite simple, really. We want the time frame for the transition to the New Republic changed," Malen said deliberately, looking at Obi-Wan intently.
"This is about the time frame, is that all?" Obi-Wan said disbelievingly. "If it's ten or fifteen years, Malen, I hardly think the difference would be that important."
"You're entirely correct there, of course," Malen said casually. "We want it increased to fifty years though, not fifteen."
~*~
"No. That base isn't even ready yet, don't bother," Padmé said flatly.
"Even so--" Master Windu began.
"The environmental controls haven't even been shipped yet," Padmé cut him off. "No one could survive there."
Master Windu inclined his head in acknowledgment. "I suppose you're right, Senator. I'm not certain where else we can look, though. I've just about used all the resources available to me," he admitted. "And I have no bond with him that would allow me to find him through the Force. Perhaps our best course of action would be to go to the Urkupp Base and enlist the aid of Master Yoda."
"No! Urkupp is too far. It's all the way on the other side of the galaxy, and Obi-Wan may not have that much time. And besides, there's hardly anything in that sector," Padmé said firmly. "You may have used all your resources, but I still have a few."
"Very well." Master Windu rose from his computer terminal. "I'll leave you too it. I'll be in the engine room if you need me." With the ubiquitous Jedi grace, the dark Master swept out of the small cabin.
After Padmé had learned that Obi-Wan's kidnappers were somehow a part of the Rebellion, she and the Jedi Master had hurried back to the Luminous, only to find that it's hyperdrive accelerator had been sabotaged. Thankfully, Master Windu had his own ship, the compact and practical Canis. The two had immediately gone to it and taken off, but the delay had been enough that the trail had already grown cold.
But she wasn't out of options yet. Quickly, she ran her fingers across the controls and brought up the communications channel. The first thing she did, albeit with great reluctance, was send a message to Anakin. For all of their sakes, she had truly hoped not to have to involve him, and she winced at the thought of how he could react to this news. But given how close he and Obi-Wan were, she figured that he would find out soon enough anyway by using the Force. Better that she be the one to let him know. Still, she didn't think she could handle telling it to him face to face, and the Emperor was a busy man. So she quickly, and with no small measure of guilt, composed a written message and sent it before she could have any second thoughts.
Her next message was a potentially more useful one. It was a long shot . . . but it was all she could think of. Flicking a few switches, she leaned towards the screen and prepared to speak.
"Hello, Lieutenant?"
~*~
"Such a long transition period would be utterly ridiculous, Malen. What possible good would that be in the formation of a New Republic?" Obi-Wan asked, but then realized that he had answered his own question. "It would be quite a hindrance, I'd say," he said in a low voice. "Why do I get the idea that you don't want a New Republic at all?"
"Because I don't. We don't," he amended. Malen shook his head in mock disappointment when Obi-Wan did not reply immediately. "My dear Consort, don't you understand? It will be so much better this way. Of course I find the current Imperial system to be intolerable, or I would never have joined the Rebellion. But a Republic will be such a mess," he said emphatically. "The transition will be slow, and by the time it's done the resulting Republic will be bogged down with bureaucracy just like the Old Republic was," he said scornfully.
"So, you don't want an Empire, but you don't want a Republic either. Tell me, Malen, what is it that you do want?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Oh, I never said that I didn't like the Imperial system. I, and my fellows, are in full favor of something rather like an Imperial system. Just not the current one," he said, a dark look passing over his face. "We want a new, more efficient Empire, one with quality leadership that can truly unite the galaxy for the best."
"And let me guess, you and 'your fellows' would be the 'quality leadership'?" Obi-Wan replied, sarcasm coloring his tone. "Well, it hardly matters anyhow. There's no way that the Emperor is going to agree to such a ridiculous plan. He may be young, but he's quite smart you know."
"Yes, I do know," Malen agreed. "In fact, he's the one factor that we haven't been able to control. That's where you come in," he said, flashing Obi-Wan a malicious grin. "You wouldn't have to actually do anything, not officially anyway. All you have to do is convince your Master that its a good idea to extend the transition time, which shouldn't be any trouble considering that he'd probably make you Emperor if you asked," he smirked. "Vader may be smart, but he'd do anything for his pretty whore." Malen leered at Obi-Wan and made as if to move closer to him, but then abruptly sat back in his seat. A somewhat pensive look crossed his face, and he looked away for a moment before regaining his composure. "And I can see why," he added, almost thoughtfully.
"Captain Malen," Obi-Wan replied icily, stressing the man's rank, "You and I both know that that's not going to happen. I will not be party to such a thing, and I don't know why you would have ever thought otherwise," he said matter-of-factly. If he could have, Obi-Wan would have crossed his arms. Bound as he was, though, he settled for an intimidating glare.
Malen didn't seem all that intimidated, though. "You didn't think we'd give up so easily, did you?" he replied, amused. "My contacts knew that you'd be resistant to the idea, and will surely want to talk to you as well," he said smoothly. "And I do hope that you'll consider what they have to say -- it would be a shame if we weren't able to return you to the Emperor."
Obi-Wan had known from the beginning that Captain Malen and his cohorts were anything but friendly, but the poorly veiled threat was still enough to make him pale just slightly. But it was not his own life that he feared for.
Anakin . . . I need you.
~*~
And Merry Christmas, everyone!
Author: Dolly (darthdolly)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan
Timeframe: post RotS AU
Summary: coming soon. maybe! ^^;;
Spoilers: possibly for RotS
Warnings: Contains slash and mentions of mature themes, but nothing explicit.
Notes: This is the sequel to my story What Comes of It, which can be found HERE. So you'll probably want to read that story before you read this one, but you could probably figure this one out even if you don't read it.
Click Here for Previous Chapters
New Chapter:
Chapter 11
It was the cords that woke him up.
Cutting into his arms and legs, even the slightest movement on his part was enough to make them noticeable. Obi-Wan opened his eyes and took a few deep breaths to clear his head and center himself, and then surveyed his surroundings. Besides being bound in a way that made him feel rather like a cut of meat, he was, surprisingly enough, on a soft sleep couch in a modestly decorated room.
But even more noticeable was the lack of noise, indicating that he was not on a ship. Whether he was still on Taris or not, though, Obi-Wan had no way of knowing.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Obi-Wan did his best not to let his surprise reach his face as he recognized the man that entered.
"Good afternoon, General Kenobi," Captain Malen greeted him with a sickening smile. "Or should I call you Consort? It certainly is a more powerful position than any you may have held in the Rebellion," he said easily.
"Now this is a surprise," Obi-Wan remarked coolly. "Care to tell me, Captain, what this is all about?"
"This?" Malen spread his arms apart benevolently. "Consider these your guest quarters, Consort Kenobi. I apologize for the 'abduction', but we really needed to speak with you."
"We?" Obi-Wan asked suspiciously.
"Myself, as well as several other members of the Rebellion for whom I speak as well. We have a proposition for you, so to speak," he said, moving to sit in the chair across from where Obi-Wan still lay.
"I'm listening, though I have the distinct feeling that this will be a waste of both our time," Obi-Wan said dryly, though he was rather curious as to what the normally rational seeming Captain could possibly want from him.
"It's quite simple, really. We want the time frame for the transition to the New Republic changed," Malen said deliberately, looking at Obi-Wan intently.
"This is about the time frame, is that all?" Obi-Wan said disbelievingly. "If it's ten or fifteen years, Malen, I hardly think the difference would be that important."
"You're entirely correct there, of course," Malen said casually. "We want it increased to fifty years though, not fifteen."
~*~
"No. That base isn't even ready yet, don't bother," Padmé said flatly.
"Even so--" Master Windu began.
"The environmental controls haven't even been shipped yet," Padmé cut him off. "No one could survive there."
Master Windu inclined his head in acknowledgment. "I suppose you're right, Senator. I'm not certain where else we can look, though. I've just about used all the resources available to me," he admitted. "And I have no bond with him that would allow me to find him through the Force. Perhaps our best course of action would be to go to the Urkupp Base and enlist the aid of Master Yoda."
"No! Urkupp is too far. It's all the way on the other side of the galaxy, and Obi-Wan may not have that much time. And besides, there's hardly anything in that sector," Padmé said firmly. "You may have used all your resources, but I still have a few."
"Very well." Master Windu rose from his computer terminal. "I'll leave you too it. I'll be in the engine room if you need me." With the ubiquitous Jedi grace, the dark Master swept out of the small cabin.
After Padmé had learned that Obi-Wan's kidnappers were somehow a part of the Rebellion, she and the Jedi Master had hurried back to the Luminous, only to find that it's hyperdrive accelerator had been sabotaged. Thankfully, Master Windu had his own ship, the compact and practical Canis. The two had immediately gone to it and taken off, but the delay had been enough that the trail had already grown cold.
But she wasn't out of options yet. Quickly, she ran her fingers across the controls and brought up the communications channel. The first thing she did, albeit with great reluctance, was send a message to Anakin. For all of their sakes, she had truly hoped not to have to involve him, and she winced at the thought of how he could react to this news. But given how close he and Obi-Wan were, she figured that he would find out soon enough anyway by using the Force. Better that she be the one to let him know. Still, she didn't think she could handle telling it to him face to face, and the Emperor was a busy man. So she quickly, and with no small measure of guilt, composed a written message and sent it before she could have any second thoughts.
Her next message was a potentially more useful one. It was a long shot . . . but it was all she could think of. Flicking a few switches, she leaned towards the screen and prepared to speak.
"Hello, Lieutenant?"
~*~
"Such a long transition period would be utterly ridiculous, Malen. What possible good would that be in the formation of a New Republic?" Obi-Wan asked, but then realized that he had answered his own question. "It would be quite a hindrance, I'd say," he said in a low voice. "Why do I get the idea that you don't want a New Republic at all?"
"Because I don't. We don't," he amended. Malen shook his head in mock disappointment when Obi-Wan did not reply immediately. "My dear Consort, don't you understand? It will be so much better this way. Of course I find the current Imperial system to be intolerable, or I would never have joined the Rebellion. But a Republic will be such a mess," he said emphatically. "The transition will be slow, and by the time it's done the resulting Republic will be bogged down with bureaucracy just like the Old Republic was," he said scornfully.
"So, you don't want an Empire, but you don't want a Republic either. Tell me, Malen, what is it that you do want?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Oh, I never said that I didn't like the Imperial system. I, and my fellows, are in full favor of something rather like an Imperial system. Just not the current one," he said, a dark look passing over his face. "We want a new, more efficient Empire, one with quality leadership that can truly unite the galaxy for the best."
"And let me guess, you and 'your fellows' would be the 'quality leadership'?" Obi-Wan replied, sarcasm coloring his tone. "Well, it hardly matters anyhow. There's no way that the Emperor is going to agree to such a ridiculous plan. He may be young, but he's quite smart you know."
"Yes, I do know," Malen agreed. "In fact, he's the one factor that we haven't been able to control. That's where you come in," he said, flashing Obi-Wan a malicious grin. "You wouldn't have to actually do anything, not officially anyway. All you have to do is convince your Master that its a good idea to extend the transition time, which shouldn't be any trouble considering that he'd probably make you Emperor if you asked," he smirked. "Vader may be smart, but he'd do anything for his pretty whore." Malen leered at Obi-Wan and made as if to move closer to him, but then abruptly sat back in his seat. A somewhat pensive look crossed his face, and he looked away for a moment before regaining his composure. "And I can see why," he added, almost thoughtfully.
"Captain Malen," Obi-Wan replied icily, stressing the man's rank, "You and I both know that that's not going to happen. I will not be party to such a thing, and I don't know why you would have ever thought otherwise," he said matter-of-factly. If he could have, Obi-Wan would have crossed his arms. Bound as he was, though, he settled for an intimidating glare.
Malen didn't seem all that intimidated, though. "You didn't think we'd give up so easily, did you?" he replied, amused. "My contacts knew that you'd be resistant to the idea, and will surely want to talk to you as well," he said smoothly. "And I do hope that you'll consider what they have to say -- it would be a shame if we weren't able to return you to the Emperor."
Obi-Wan had known from the beginning that Captain Malen and his cohorts were anything but friendly, but the poorly veiled threat was still enough to make him pale just slightly. But it was not his own life that he feared for.
Anakin . . . I need you.
~*~
And Merry Christmas, everyone!