Obi-Wan wasn't sure how long he blacked out, but when he regained consciousness, the world seemed to have righted itself. He gasped for air, feeling as if he had been holding his breath under water. He would have collapsed if not for the arms still firmly holding onto the smaller body.

Kenobi's mind reeled while trying to focus, barely taking in the darkly embellished layout of what appeared to be an office space strewn with some droid parts. The black clad hands flexed around him, as if testing if he was there, and the boy's head pounded painfully as he caught up with his circumstances.

He had been taken, kidnapped from the temple. To wherever he currently was, in the arms of a killer. Qui-Gon's killer.

The Sith killed master Jinn.

The same time Obi-Wan heard the being over him mutter "It worked.", his body suddenly revolted. The sad remains of his last meal sprayed onto the luxurious carpet, barely missing the boots of his captor. Concussion, he thought faintly, almost numb in his fear as he heard the enemy curse above him. The youngling felt absently surprised by the brusque care the being took to settle him away from the mess. Eyes still rolling, he felt more than saw the same hands come up to his head, cradling him until the bump he had acquired from the fall was found. Cursing again, worried blue eyes came into focus. "Obi-Wan, look at me- how many fingers am I holding up?"

A black clad hand appeared, almost seeming like the outstretched limb from his nightmares. In instinctual panic, he slapped the hand away. He couldn't concentrate, couldn't release his pain and fear and confusion into the force. A brief look of anger passes over the man, and Kenobi feels that he doesn't deserve to be upset by his rebellion. Whether brought on by his shock or concussion, he feels a terrible wave of despair weigh on his body. "You killed him." He managed to croak out, his voice cracking tearfully. "You gave your word…"

Why had he trusted the word of a Sith?

The man's expression flickered into something more pained at his tone. The ire seemed to drain from him, and his hand retreated. "I did give my word, and I kept it. Your m- mentor lives."

Liar. He thought, the image of Qui Gon being clubbed by the butt end of the saber playing savagely through his memory. Could he still be alive? After what this man had done? What little he could see blurred as tears passed beyond his control.

The Sith noticed it, but again did not grow furious or mocking. Carefully, his hands sought out Obi-Wan's form again, grasping the small shoulders. "Where are you hurt?"

The child felt a prompt within the force to respond but bit his tongue. Tell a Sith where he was weak? Never!

Obi-Wan was definitely concussed, because his attacker suddenly looked pleading. It stirred that same dual feeling within him- he had the insane desire to comfort this assassin. "Kenobi, where are you hurt?"

Again he felt that prompt- one that spoke of safety and warmth, of trust and loyalty. "My…" Instead of answering, the youngling felt almost dispassionate as his vision faded before him. The man's mouth moved, the muddled tone appearing frantic, before that too fell into nothing.

He knew time had passed, because he was in a different room, patched expertly so his head and leg barely bothered him, and the night lights of Coruscant illuminated his world instead of the sun.

Gingerly, he raised himself into a seated position, confused to find himself in a simple, normal living quarter. "What happened?" He muttered.

"The pain from your sprain, paired with that sizable bump you have on your head, caused you to black out."

His head whipped around at the voice, and he reflexively brought a hand to where the bump was, now wrapped with a bacta patch to it. Wincing through the sudden burst of pain, he finally made out the dark silhouette near the bed. It appeared the Sith had not left his side, if the slightly rumpled clothing and moved chair were anything to go by. Gone were the frantic emotions from before (he likely imagined them anyway in his disorientation). The Sith stared him down, stoic in his countenance, eyes clinically assessing the youngling's reactions.

Instinctively, he reached for the force; unused to dealing with so much fear and stress without it's comforting embrace; but he found nothing answered him. Why can't I reach the force? What has the Sith done?! "What is this place?" He hedged, controlling his breath so as to not let on to his panic.

The dark being inclined his head. "My home."

"Your home?" Obi-Wan repeated. Sith's didn't have homes- they didn't have beds. They were creatures of the dark with only a thirst to destroy the light side of the force. The killer's face grew pinched, and Kenobi realized he had said that out loud. "I…" he didn't know what to say, or why he oddly felt safe in this bed, this assassin as his guardian. He needed to change tact. "It won't work." He said instead, as firm as a youngling could.

At that, the Sith smirked. "I'm not sure what you're thinking, Kenobi. But it already did work. I have you now- here, with me. And that's where you'll stay."

"Until what?" Obi-Wan baited, slowly trying to place himself further away. He was at a loss of what to do, except keep his captor talking. "Until the Jedi send a ransom to stop you from-" he swallowed, faltering at the images flashing through his head, "-from torturing me? Killing me? It won't work." He repeated, insisting. "I'm not important enough, you won't gain anything by doing this to me." So why am I telling him this? Why am I urging death to find me that much faster? Idiot Kenobi!

"You're not listening." The Sith stood, though he didn't approach. "I already got what I wanted: you."

The boy froze, trying to consider how those words should be taken. But the more he thought, the more it left him baffled. "That… I don't understand. I'm just an initiate." Not even a padawan, not even chosen. Part of him was suddenly tempted to explain this; how he had a bad temper that sometimes went unchecked. How he sometimes ignored the wishes of his teachers if it meant helping his friends or younglings. He wasn't a student someone should want, even if he desperately felt the need to be wanted.

Something in the man's face seemed to turn bitter, but his voice remained quietly steady. "You are important Obi-Wan, more than you know."

The youngling watched his expression, heart growing more uncertain. He should ignore the man, but the gravity with which he spoke gave the youngling pause. "Well then," I don't want to know I don't want to know "why was I taken? Why did you choose… me?"

At this, the man brightens, and steps forward towards him. Everything in Obi-Wan screams to flee, but he remains still, only flinching when the man bends down so he is level with the youth. "It's not just what I want, Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is about what you want too. Did you already forget my promise?" The little Jedi only grew more perplexed, mind waring over understanding the Sith and escaping from this present danger. "I'm going to train you; I will become your master."

The horror dawned slowly within him, until Obi-Wan finally started to move away, blurting exactly what he felt. "No! I- I don't want to become a Sith. I'm to become a Jedi!"

At his words, his captor's demeanor shifted to something darker. Grasping at Obi-Wan's good arm to keep him from moving further away, the Sith dragged him closer. "A Jedi? The Jedi are gone. You'll do as I say now Kenobi, because I'm all you have left."

Is he mad? Kenobi wretched his arm out of the man's grip, gritting his teeth but not answering. 'I'm all you have left'? You don't even mean anything to me!

As swift as the change in mood had come, it again dies away, leaving the blue-eyed man suddenly weary. "You'll accept the truth, soon. One day you'll understand."

"Of course, I'm sure." He replied, his tone somewhat cutting and just dry enough to convey he wasn't convinced in the slightest. But what could he say against this powerful being?

Even though it should have caused the Sith to grow angrier, perhaps even lash out for his impetuous response, a ghost of a smile echoed across his features. "You're still you." He murmured, clearly to himself but not far enough away to be unheard. "You're still the Obi-Wan I remember."

Madness, for certain. Perhaps if he complied, to an extent at least, this dark side lunatic would find him harmless, and accidentally leave an opportunity for him to escape. "I… You've already explained why I'm… here. But," he floundered slightly, trying to form the right words, "what is it about, about me that made you conclude I should be trained by you?" A thought, sharp and hurtful echoed through him when he recalled the darkness within his visions. "Is it… do you sense the dark side within me?"

The question seemed to make even the Sith pause. His gaze lingered over the smaller life form, and Kenobi felt the briefest of brushes within the force. "…No, little padawan." Kenobi tried hard to ignore the thrill of hearing himself being addressed as padawan. "You have never had any real affinity for the dark side." Seeing Obi-Wan opening his mouth and seeming to know what he was about to argue, the Sith pressed on. "But it is not so much the dark side you must learn, as the acknowledgement of the Jedi code not being the only ways of the force." He flicked one hand disdainfully. "You've been taught your whole life that to give in to your emotions when using the force is wrong, and leads to the path of the dark side."

"It does." Obi-Wan asserted. "A Jedi must be calm and react only in defense or after careful consideration."

"Oh?" The Sith quirked an eyebrow, a sneer pulling at his lips. "Then what should we conclude from your delightful attempt at confronting me? Going against the orders of your betters, planning to cut me to size for what I'd done to your friend?"

The youngling opened his mouth to contradict, but realized he couldn't. "We can conclude… that I am a failure, both in regards to common sense and as-" he tried to ignore the hitching in his breath "-as a Jedi."

The man sighed, somehow that answer didn't satisfy him, his features surprisingly weary. "Perhaps. It was certainly a reckless, fickle action to take." He sounded faintly proud of that. "But you were defending those… your friends. You confronted me with your emotions of righteous vindication and desire to protect. The Jedi council would berate you for being negligent, but I find that decision praiseworthy."

Obi-Wan snorted derisively, then colored when he realized he had. The Sith quirked an eyebrow at him, and Kenobi took it as a prompt. "I'm… not surprised you feel that way." That the man who sent endless nightmares, toyed with me, and ultimately sought my capture would find my actions that put me in this predicament to be the right choice.

"Hmm…" The Sith returned to his seat, leaning back in a way that seemed careless, deceptively so. "I'm curious, little one. After all you've been through, I don't sense nearly as much fear from you as I anticipated." A slight gleam came into his eye. "I know you aren't sending it into the force, and I know you can't call upon the force for calm right now; so how is it that you don't fear me? Are you finally trusting my words that I mean you no harm?"

"I do fear you." He countered. His mind flashed back to the last moments he had seen Master Jinn, out cold and possibly dead. "I'd be a complete fool to trust you."

The Sith seemed to- shrink? No, Kenobi's senses were still scattered from his injuries, because the Sith looked vaguely disappointed by his retort.

"You don't need to be." His captor murmured quietly. "Scared, I mean. As long as you do as I say, you'll be safe. No harm will come to you."

How ominous. He thought dryly, not at all assured. As long as he did the will of a dark side user, he would be safe. Considering he was still frantically trying to think of every conceivable way to go against this Sith's wishes and escape back to the temple, he should stay afraid.

Well, it's too late to cry now Kenobi. He berated himself. The fear that had been so strong when he had been trapped on that furnace floor was now, in a sense, realized. There was uncertainty to his future still, but he had been ready to accept his death far too many times in as many hours, and he couldn't bring himself to cry over the what-ifs any longer. Somehow through the force, he was able to make his escape with me. That doesn't mean evading him is impossible. He eyes cast towards the window, staring at the outline of Coruscant. They were still planet side; and that meant there was still a chance to get home.

Even better, he could recognize one or two buildings from his own view within the Temple walls. He wasn't so far! How a Sith could sit contently so near all the Jedi, Kenobi would not ask. What was important was that there was a chance, and he needed to take it at first opportunity.

He reached out now, into the force. Perhaps he could at the very least ascertain how many life forms were nearby, he could surmise an exit strategy. But it surprised him how painfully empty his connection was, as if he hit a wall, a block from his ability. How can that be? Now that he thought about it, the Sith had mentioned quite assuredly that he couldn't access the force. He's heard of a Jedi's connection being temporarily difficult to obtain due to a stressful mission, but-

Perhaps that was what was happening. He couldn't imagine what he had experienced in the last few days to be something a full knighted Jedi to consider tame, so it was as good a theory as any.

(It didn't sit right with him, though. Something was amiss, and he wished he could understand what.)

The rogue left him to his thoughts, not prying. A small notification ring went off, and Kenobi watched the villain react to some notification on a discreet holopad that had been sitting quietly next to the bed. Perhaps it can send and receive messages, if I recall the Jedi addresses…
The Sith read quickly, his mouth quirking again in an almost smile. "Well, I see my replacements have arrived." He rose, pretending not to notice as Kenobi tensed. "I will be gone for a few hours, but I will return as quickly as I can."

Please don't. Obi-Wan thought with finality. Watching as the man moved towards the door, and the initiate couldn't help the hope that swelled within him. This could be his chance!

The man turned to regard him, and Kenobi felt certain the man knew his thoughts. "Don't think I'd leave you all alone, so soon after joining me." He opened the doors, and two droids immediately entered. Obi-Wan found it hard to hide his disappointment. An obstacle, but not an impossible one.

"Hello Master Anakin; you summoned us?" The tall, brass protocol droid glanced between the Sith Lord and him, his arms raising in surprise. The asteroid unit, recently painted new with a white and blue finish, sent out several warbles and trills that sounded as excited as they did confused.

"Watch the boy for me, R2. And you, C3P0. Help our… guest, to remain comfortable until I return." His gaze fell back on Kenobi, surprisingly stern. "No funny business, or I'll hear about it." With that, he turned and let the door swish shut behind him.

The muffled sound of a locking mechanism fell immediately after.

Obi-Wan looked distrustfully at the droids, who were regarding him in turn.

Well, he thought with some self-depreciation, what do I do now?

I felt bad because it's been so long. Here's a filler, with the promised 'UP NEXT' scenarios coming later! I hope you are all doing well this holiday season!

Also, a friend had a title image commissioned for me by Andrea Charais. Her art can be seen a . c o m , and apparently she had a tumblr where you can make requests for fan art or commissions. Please consider helping artists and reaching out!