Disclaimer: Star Wars brings in tons of money and as I have not seen a single cent of that money, I am not George Lucas and therefore don't own Star Wars. And sadly, that means I don't own Obi-Wan either.

Summary: The second story in the Jedi Trials series. Obi-Wan's been captured, Qui-Gon's left the Jedi Order, and Anakin must learn to trust his new Master. The Republic is on the brink of war and only Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Anakin can save the galaxy.

Author's Notes: While reading the reviews I received for chapter nineteen, I noticed that quite a few of you seemed to misunderstand my author's note at the end of the chapter. It was completely my fault for your misunderstanding; I should've worded it better. To clear up any confusion, Obi-Wan will most definitely be in Jedi Trials III. When I said that this chapter would wrap up his tale for this story, I was talking about his plot in Jedi Trials II. Again, I'm sorry, and I'm making it up to you with a very long and action-packed last chapter. Enjoy!

Torture and Death

By Kekelina

-----

Chapter Twenty: A Meaningless Name

-----

Qui-Gon limped over thousands of droid parts as he walked through the debris-covered streets of Coruscant. His right leg was burned badly, but considering all things, he was very grateful to be alive.

He had dueled General Grievous and had almost lost. Since he had given his lightsaber to Anakin when he had left the Jedi Order, he had been forced to fight the cyborg with an electrostaff – a weapon he wasn't used to fighting with. Grievous, he had learned, had been getting lessons on lightsaber combat from Dooku and had kept the lightsaber of the first Jedi he had killed.

The fight had been long and grueling, and there had been a point in time when Qui-Gon had thought he would lose the battle and become one with the Force. But just when that thought had entered his mind, the Force had shown him an opening in Grievous's defense. Qui-Gon had quickly parried Grievous's blows and then had lunged, piercing the cyborg General's organs with the staff.

Grievous's yellow eyes had filled with shock, then the part-droid, part-sentient had fallen to the ship's durasteel floor dead.

The other Separatist leaders had decided to stay on Geonosis during the March on Coruscant, so Qui-Gon had wasted no time in piloting the Separatist ship down to the surface of Coruscant. He had landed it roughly in the middle of the street and had limped down the ramp into the disappearing chaos.

That chaos had been his fault.

Qui-Gon hung his head and knelt next to the body of a little boy. So young… How could he have let Dooku talk him into this? How could he have allowed himself to be brainwashed by his former Master's words? He was stronger than that, wasn't he?

Apparently not.

But now a familiar presence broke through his thoughts. Qui-Gon looked up from the little boy and found himself staring at a tired and slightly older Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon stood up slowly, never taking his gaze off his old Padawan. Anakin was staring at him in shock, then blinked as if trying to make sure what he was seeing was real. Qui-Gon swallowed the lump in his throat with difficulty.

"Padawan…"

Upon hearing that word, Anakin's face grew into a huge grin, and he rushed towards Qui-Gon and embraced him tightly. For a moment, Qui-Gon just stood there. He had been sure that Anakin wouldn't have wanted anything to do with him after what he had done to him on Tatooine. Qui-Gon had abandoned him, but Anakin was welcoming him back with open arms.

Throwing his Jedi mask to the wind, Qui-Gon smiled and embraced his old Padawan in return. It was good to be home.

-----

Latan, while not as elegant as Naboo nor as modern as Coruscant, was a lovely planet and home many sentient beings. The natives of Latan were a humanoid species with orange-tinted skin and grew no taller than 1.3 meters tall. All Latans were trained for battle starting at an early age, and the capital of Latan, Selor, was surrounded by a military fort. It was impossible to get in or out of the massive city without proper identification and authorization.

Thankfully for Dementor, his Master had many contacts on all worlds, and it was no trouble at all to get Dementor everything he needed to enter the city without a hitch. Of course, once he got into the city, he would still have problems. Since he was not a native of the planet, he would stick out like a sore thumb amongst a crowd of people. Unfortunately, he or his Master could do little about this particular situation.

Well, you could always slouch, a voice in his mind suggested wittily as Dementor's ship landed in the fortress-city of Selor. Dementor smirked in reply as he stepped off the ramp into the hanger.

A fierce-looking Latan dressed head-to-toe in one of their official military uniforms immediately greeted him. The Latan asked him for his authorization code (as if he hadn't just given it to the city before he landed), and also asked Dementor what his business within the city was.

"I'm meeting some old friends," Dementor lied coolly.

The Latan eyed him for a moment then nodded coolly. "You're free to go."

Dementor mockingly bowed to the Latan guard and walked briskly out of the hanger, pulling up the hood of his black robes as he did. The sky was covered in a layer of gray clouds, giving the city an air of darkness and impending doom. Legions of troops marched around the city in perfect synchronization. Citizens hurried about their business, paying no mind to the soldiers in the streets, as if it was simply part of daily life. And, Dementor realized, it probably was.

Dementor shook his head. He hadn't imagined this many troops wandering the streets. No doubt they would try to interfere with his plans. Cursing, Dementor quickly stepped into an alley to think. The Latans, he knew, were excelled warriors. Now he would not only be battling two Jedi, but also Force-knew-how-many skilled troops. Great. Just kriffing wonderful.

He groaned in frustration, but resisted the urge to Force-shove the first thing he saw. The Jedi would be alerted if he used a large amount of the Force. A sly grin grew on his shadowed face as an idea came to him. The best way to avoid a full-scale war would be to separate the Jedi and take them out quietly. If he took out the Padawan first, he could use him to create a trap for his Master. The Jedi would walk right into his hands… It was brilliant, but first he needed to find the Jedi. Then he could put his plan into action.

The sly grin still imprinted upon his shaven face, he stepped out of the alleyway.

-----

It would only be a matter of time before the Jedi split up, Dementor knew.

He had been searching for them for a good day and a half when he finally spotted them conferring with locals on some matter or another. Dementor, his hood over his face to conceal his identity from all, but especially from the Jedi, followed them quietly, doing nothing to draw their attention to him.

Despite all his precautions, he knew they knew they were being followed. The powers they received from the Force made them able to see him without truly seeing him. It was a simple Jedi trick, one he had used countless times before. He had expected them to use it, had wanted them to use it. It was all part of his plan.

Right on schedule the Master and Padawan separated, with the Padawan veering off to the left while the Master continued forward. Dementor smirked. The Padawan's turn to the left had been sharp and abrupt – a way to glance the predator without seeming to look. Oh, they were well trained Jedi, he would give them that. But then again, he already knew that before this mission, for he had known them well during his Jedi years. Very well…

He followed the Padawan down a side street. If Dementor remembered correctly, he would be a senior Padawan this year, with high hopes of becoming a Knight very soon. Well, it looked as if he would never become a Knight now. Too bad. He was a strong fighter…which meant Dementor would have to take him out some other way. He pondered this thought for a moment. Something simpler… Something quieter.

He knew the perfect thing.

The Padawan was now leading him through a mass of beings. Apparently, he had led him to the market area of Selor. Dementor cursed as he pushed through the crowd and strengthened his stride. He would not get away from him so easily.

The Padawan kept walking, and Dementor kept following. Another sharp turn to the left, then two right turns had him walking towards Dementor and straight into his hands. Apparently, he was trying to make Dementor stumble out of the way to be unseen, but what the Padawan didn't know was that Dementor wanted to be seen. The Padawan had done exactly as he had wanted.

The street was less crowded than the one before it, so Dementor had no trouble standing in the middle without being trampled by a crowd of people. The Padawan stopped, stunned that he had not done as he had wanted, so that Dementor would now become the hunted instead of the hunter. Dementor simply smirked at him, although he couldn't see it.

Before a word could pass between the two, Dementor reached out with his hand, and curled the Force around the Padawan's throat. It was a trick that Palpatine had taught him during his rehabilitation and one that the Jedi had never, never mentioned during his training.

The Padawan struggled against Dementor's Force-choke, but the dark side was flowing through him swiftly, and it made his grip even stronger. The Padawan, in a last attempt, tried to feebly Force-push him away and break his hold, but he blocked them with a light tap from the Force and laughed.

He strengthened his grip as he felt the Padawan's Life Force leak away. He began to turn blue from the lack of air, and finally, he collapsed. Dementor let him drop to the ground unceremoniously and walked over until his was standing right above him.

Folding his arms inside the sleeves of his dark robes and nudging the lifeless body with the toe of his black boot, Dementor said, "Goodbye, Ferus."

-----

Dementor was waiting for her when she arrived.

He had known that she would've felt the agony of her Padawan's last few moments of life through their bond.

So he waited.

He stood calmly in the middle of the street behind the body of her beloved Padawan as she raced toward him, lightsaber ablaze. She stopped suddenly upon seeing the body and turned her angst-ridden gaze upon Dementor. He noticed a single tear crawling down her smooth cheek.

He had once thought her beautiful, but now she was his enemy.

And his enemy would be destroyed.

Siri raised her lightsaber high so that it was pointed directly at Dementor's face. He blinked.

"Who are you?" she asked, and Dementor noticed the slight shake in her voice with satisfaction.

He grinned. "You really want to know who I am?" She would say yes, and he would relish the look on her face when she found out who he really was. He would devour her shock and fear like a cinna sweet. Her emotions would exhilarate him, and through their power, he would overcome her.

"Yes."

One simple word decided her fate.

Drinking up every second of this moment, Dementor raised his hands and grabbed his hood, pulling it back with excruciating slowness. The shadow fled from his face, revealing his auburn hair, his forehead, his yellowed eyes, his nose, his curled lips, and finally, his chin. He heard Siri gasp and saw her stumble in shock.

He looked at her with cold, hard eyes and for several minutes, they simply stared at each other. He realized Siri was speechless, and a smirk grew on his sharp face. The woman with a sharp tongue and quick wit was rendered speechless…by him.

"What? No hello? One would think you're not happy to see me," Dementor taunted.

Siri shook her head. "This isn't possible," she replied after a long moment of silence. "You're – you're dead."

Dementor blinked and visually examined himself. "I don't feel dead," he said with a smirk. So the Jedi said I was dead, he thought. That proves that what my Master said was true. They only wanted to get rid of me. His anger grew inside, but he kept his smirk upon his face.

"Obi-Wan? What happened?"

His gaze hardened into an intense stare. Emotions swirled inside him. "Don't play innocent with me, Tachi!" he suddenly roared. As if she didn't know… He shook his head. She knew! She knew exactly what the Jedi had done to him. Force, she probably planned part of it! Yet, here she stood with the nerve to ask him what had happened to him!

He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and chuckled. "You Jedi…you think you're all so clever, don't you? You thought you could best me. You thought you could torture me until I broke. You thought you could beat me until I was too weak to move. You thought you could kill me, destroy me. Well, I have news for you, Jedi. I'm still here!"

He called his lightsaber to his hand and ignited the crimson blade with a snap-hiss. Realization dawned upon Siri's face. "You've turned to the dark side."

He growled. "I've turned to the truth! The Jedi have been feeding me lies my entire life," he said as he began to walk closer to her. "But my Master…my Master showed me the truth about the Jedi. He revealed the lies I'd been told; he helped me become stronger than any Jedi ever. He saved me."

His voice was strong and cold, and it echoed off the buildings surrounding the duo. A couple of sentients traveling the street scattered when they saw the blazing lightsabers. No doubt they were going to fetch their beloved military. No matter. This would all be over before the troops were even close to arriving.

"How can you say that?" Siri's voice rang out. "The Jedi are your family! You're just going to abandon them?"

"THEY ABANDONED ME FIRST!"

His outburst caused her to stumble backwards a step. They were much closer now than before. Their lightsabers were within reach of each other. Their hum rang through his ears, driving him mad. He gripped the hilt of his crimson lightsaber tightly, until his knuckles turned white. He wanted to lash out at her, to cause her pain. His entire body was rigid with hatred.

"What are you talking about, Obi-Wan?"

"My name is Darth Dementor!" he yelled back, although she was only a couple meters in front of him. Siri remained silent, watching him with her sad blue eyes. His blood boiled.

He slashed.

Siri brought up her electrum lightsaber and blocked his attack. He growled in anger. She would die today. He would kill her. And he would enjoy watching every second of her agony.

Their lightsabers crackled in combined energy. He quickly removed his from hers and swung it above his head until it became a blur of crimson. With a powerful stroke, he brought it downward, intent on slicing her cleanly in two. However, Siri was a better swordsman than he gave her credit for, and she nimbly jumped backwards to avoid his death blow.

How could have he underestimated her? In his anger, he had forgotten that Siri had been the best fighter of her age group when they were initiates, and she had dueled with others older than herself and won. She was smart and very capable. He would have to watch her closely.

And she was quick. Before he could bring his lightsaber up to attack again, she brought hers down, pinning his to the ground. Their lightsabers crackled once again. He cursed and tried to free his lightsaber, but she was also strong, and held it firmly underneath hers.

Strain showed on both their faces as they tried to overcome the other's strength, but neither seemed to gain any headway. He would not allow her to beat him. She was the one who would be beaten. He would not let her escape. The Jedi would die.

Calling the Force to him, he whipped his hand towards her and used the Force to throw her backwards. She flew through the air, but used the Force to help her land safely on the ground, not a scratch on her.

Anger flowed through him. This was taking too long! He had to defeat her. Everything relied upon speed. The sooner he killed her, the sooner he could get off this wretched planet before the military arrived. It was safe to assume that they were already on their way. They would only complicate things and make it more difficult for him to kill her. He couldn't let her escape. If she did, the entire Order would be alerted to the presence of him and his Master. They needed secrecy now more than ever.

He brought his lightsaber up to a defensive position, the light from the blade casting a crimson glow over his face, and rushed towards her. She lunged at him, and with a powerful stroke, he forced her lightsaber away.

The few people left on the street were screaming now. They ran erratically, trying to seek shelter from the dueling pair. Dementor paid them no mind. They were not his problem. He had no reason to bother with them. He had bigger things to handle at the moment.

He thrust his lightsaber. She parried. He snarled at her and spun backwards, creating space between them. Sweat dripped from both of their foreheads. He saw Siri take a deep breath and felt the Force gather around her. He tightened his grip on his lightsaber and rushed towards her again. He would not allow her time to rest. He would fight her until she could no longer hold her lightsaber, and then he would finish her. He had to keep the upper hand.

Their lightsabers clashed and she jumped over him, trying to find a hole in his defenses. But Dementor was smart and cunning. As soon as she landed, he swung out with his leg and kicked her in the jaw with one of his booted feet.

She stumbled and fell. Dementor strode over to her, lightsaber humming, to strike the killing blow. But he saw her gaze suddenly behind him, and he felt a warning in the Force. The troops had arrived. He cursed his misfortune and gathered the Force around him quickly. Taking but a half-second to search his surroundings, he leapt to the roof of one a building as blaster fire rang through the air.

Kriffing military… They had ruined everything. Siri was probably making her escape right now. He had failed his Master, and now they would be exposed to the Jedi. He would be lucky to still be standing after he reported this to his Master. But then something strange happened. He felt the Force gather again and saw Siri flying through the air, coming to rest on the rooftop his was currently standing on.

He smirked. Perhaps she wasn't as smart as he thought…

He leapt at her and drove her back, striking his lightsaber against hers with incredible force. They clashed together, sending sparks all over the place as Dementor fought her to the edge of the building. It was a long enough drop that, if caught unprepared, she could die. It was an easy tactic, not his favorite, but it could work.

Their lightsabers met again, and he pushed powerfully. Siri teetered on the edge of the roof, struggling to keep her balance and drive him back at the same time. Dusk was setting on the city now, and their lightsabers cast the buildings around them in eerie crimson and violet light. Dementor could hear the troops below them trying to figure out a way to make it to the roof, but that was the least of his concerns now.

Siri suddenly jumped over him again, and Dementor, caught unprepared for the sudden loss of stabilization, almost fell of the edge himself. He spun around with his lightsaber and met Siri's with a firm blow. They fought fiercely, each almost unarming the other several times. Dementor panted for breath in between blows, and he could hear Siri doing the same. But he would not give up.

They knew each other's fighting styles too well, he realized as he Force-pushed Siri backwards again. They had sparred each other many times as Initiates and as Knights. They had helped each other improve their techniques, successfully complete some of the hardest katas, and practiced the many different forms together. Some would say it was an impossible duel to win, but those people obviously didn't know he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Calling the Force around him, he jumped up to the roof of an even taller building, one the size of a small skyscraper on Coruscant. He felt Siri jump to follow him, and he was ready for her. As soon as she landed, he grabbed her neck and squeezed, cutting off her air supply. He grinned insanely as she tried to squirm out of his grip, but he only squeezed harder. This was the end of Siri Tachi, Jedi Master. Her death would be one of the first of a hundred. He was really doing her a favor. After all, she would die anyway, right?

She continued to squirm against him, and before he realized what she was doing, her lightsaber grazed his left arm. He cried out as pain traveled up his arm from the burn, and he dropped her. Thankfully, it was only a burn, but it stung horribly. Oh, she would pay…

Adopting a horrifying glare, he swung his lightsaber at her, putting all his emotion into the swing. She, still trying to catch her breath, made a feeble attempt to block his swing and lost her lightsaber.

He sneered at her pathetic form on the ground gasping for breath. This was the end of the duel. He had won.

"Please," she pleaded in a hoarse voice. "Come back…to the Temple."

He scoffed. "After what they've done to me? After what you've done to me?" He shook his head. "No…I'm not going back there. And neither are you!" He shoved his lightsaber into her chest, and she gasped in shock and pain.

Her body began to shudder and quiver in pain, and Dementor felt her Life Force dwindling. He smirked. The deed had been done. Two Jedi had already paid for their crimes, and soon the rest would as well. He felt no remorse for taking the life of the pitiful creature in front of him. She should've thought about the consequences of her actions before she had betrayed him.

Her voice broke him out of his musings.

"Obi-Wan…"

He looked at her coldly, and after a thought, stooped down to her level. He tilted her chin up with his finger and looked straight into her blue eyes with all the hatred and rage he could possess.

"That name means nothing to me anymore."

Siri Tachi became one with the Force.

-----

The Other Author's Notes: Well, Torture and Death has come to an end. It's been a long journey, but we've finally made our way through…until the next story that is! Thank you all so much for the kind reviews, and please make sure to watch for my next story in this series, Jedi Trials III: Revenge and Regret. Thanks!

Author's Edit: 8-21-2007