Sandstorm

Author: Pilgrim
Title: Sandstorm
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars characters or movies (unfortunately) and am not making any money from this (even bigger unfortunately)
Feedback: Please! First time fan fiction writer and desperate for tips, tricks, advice, stuff me full of info please! I want to improve and take over the world with my genius mwhahaha! Lol, only kidding but feedback would be fantastic, send it to raukarwen_deomene@yahoo.com!

Chapter 16

Arsha rolled out of the bed the second she was satisfied that Obi-Wan would not awaken at her movement. Creeping about the room warily she sensed out her clothes and swiftly dressed before searching for her bags. Her fingers flicked through the layers of clothing till they were kissed by the cold chill of the lightsaber hilt. It purred under her touch, it knew its purpose this night. With a glance back at Obi-Wan she left the apartment quickly. Her mind never registering the fond smile that had graced her lips for a few seconds as she had gazed on his sleeping frame.

Within seconds she found Raudo’s apartment in a mental sweep of the building. Her intentions were causing adrenaline to race through her veins, igniting every sense to an almost painful awareness. Her mouth was dry with anticipation and excitement. A few minutes of jogging through silent twilight corridors and she stood outside the doorway to the apartment. The doorway that had haunted her dreams, finally the incomplete mission was about to be completed. The one that had eluded her all this time and that had caused so many nightmares was about to be put to retirement. Resting a hand on the handle she sent a spurt of the Force through her palm, the lock instantly flicked open and Arsha strode in unhindered.

She was all but trembling with the adrenaline and intensity of the situation. Just imagine… a Jedi murdered inside the Temple by what they would have to assume as one of their own. After all, what mortal could wield a lightsaber and kill a Jedi inside their own Temple? ‘The perfect crime’, her mind purred in delighted satisfaction. Slowly she crept towards the bedroom only to pause with a warning flare from the Force. Arsha ignited the lightsaber and spun in the same instant, Raudo fell silently behind her, cleaved in half. His anger had clouded his judgement and connection with the Force, giving her the advantage and now he lay as dead as his Master. Fools, the both of them.

Her mind was still buzzing in warning; Arsha glanced down at Raudo and cursed vehemently. “Indeed.” The real Raudo whispered as he stepped from his bedchamber, his eyes resting on the shattered hologram and Force mimicking emitter. “You, my dear Arsha, are now in a lot of trouble. My Master’s murder has finally been avenged.” He whispered victoriously, a cruel grin riddling his face as the lights of the apartment rose to a painful brightness. Council members stood in the darkest corners watching silently and their judging gazes resting on her, their presence shielded from her senses in some manner she wasn’t acquainted with.

“Oh.” She stated dully, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Arsha Armori-Katren, you are hereby under arrest of the Jedi Council. Your crimes are too many to list; we trust you know exactly what we are talking about without having to itinerate them.” Mace Windu stated clearly, Arsha nodded and held out her lightsaber hilt for him to take. He accepted it without question and a pair of guards both of which were fully armoured stepped up, each grasping one of her elbows. Yoda was watching quietly from the wings.

“Stay in the cells you will until decisions are made as to your future.” Yoda informed her in his usual lilting tone. Arsha allowed herself to be dragged unceremoniously away to the cells of the Temple.

:/

For half a day Arsha was alone with only the buzz of the force-fields for company, shivering slightly with the adrenaline that refused to leave her system. She rolled her head, attempting to remove some of the tension in her neck and shoulders. “You lied to me.” The accusation rose from the opposite side of the force-field. Arsha glanced through to Obi-Wan, his glare as furious and scathing as a lightsaber.

“Well obviously. Think I would have got this far if I hadn’t lied?” Arsha snapped, sleep with a guy once and they expected all sorts of luxuries such as truth she intoned mentally. His gaze didn’t soften.

“I was just a pawn in your plans.” Arsha wrinkled her nose at his statement.

“Actually you were more of an annoyance. With all your manners and formalities, the only time it got exciting was… well, I’m sure you can imagine.” Arsha teased with a wicked grin. The Jedi looked embarrassed enough without her putting the implication into full words.

“I wasn’t talking about your reasons for being here either. I was talking about the memory that slipped into my mind,” Obi-Wan chided regardless, “Not that your reasons aren’t also a lie.” He sniped in annoyance; Arsha spread her arms cockily and smirked as she rose from her seat on the floor.

“So now you know all about me. What do you think? Interesting isn’t, my sordid little history.” She teased enthusiastically.

”You could have been a great Jedi. If you hadn’t strayed from the path you could have become one of the Council at a young age from your training reports.” Obi-Wan whispered, his arms folded protectively about himself as he watched her stalk behind the bars like a caged animal.

“I never gave up on the Jedi, they abandoned me. Your little order isn’t as perfect as you presume it to be. It has its own sordid little history and I make up one chapter of that.” Arsha snapped angrily. She paused in front of him, her gaze hardening, “Did they tell you all of it? Or just the parts where the little ghosts of proud Jedi Masters were nodding in acceptance?” Obi-Wan temporarily looked unsure of himself.

“They told me what they knew,” He whispered attempting to coerce the talk into more friendly tones. “You worked hard, not especially strong in the Force but an uncanny ability to contort it to your will without repercussion. On your last mission you went to a planet at the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim. There your Master was murdered and you taken hostage.” Arsha stepped up to the bars with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

“I bet they didn’t tell you that I escaped and returned here. Only to be turned away.” Arsha resumed her threatening pacing, her eyes never leaving his. Obi-Wan shook his head slowly, recalling every ounce of information he had absorbed in the past few hours. He had not been able to focus on anything else. Not believing the Masters at first, believing it to all be some misunderstanding.

“The planet we landed on was not an ordinary planet. Inhabited by humanoids with scaled skin and a more damp and rancid an atmosphere than any I have ever seen or wish to see again. Want to know what they did Obi-Wan?” Arsha stepped closer to the fizzing force-field. “They specialise in torture, mental and physical. Once you are broken in both you are sent on to the highest bidder. Wonderful slave traders they are, the largest profit margin you can imagine and only at the cost of a few lives.” Obi-Wan stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. Waiting for her to give him the crucial sentence that would unlock his understanding, that would let him know the truth and correct all of the Masters who were wrong.

“My Master died, they pushed too hard and destroyed her. I watched and learned.” Arsha stepped closer pressing her hand against the force-field. It dealt a shock but she only withdrew her hand, not jumping backwards or even blinking. “You let them believe you’re broken and they’d leave you alone. They had cells… small cells…” Arsha trailed off in memory. “Buyers walk amongst them and choose their slave…”

“The Jedi would have come for you if they had been able.” Obi-Wan soothed stepping closer to the force-field instinctively. Arsha laughed cruelly and stalked away, turning her back to him for a few seconds.

“I escaped! I came back to beg and plead for my return to the Order. They sent me away like a child devoid of intelligence or strength. A child no longer wanted, nothing more than an extra mouth to feed. Too long had I been in captivity and away from training. I was seen as irredeemable, a broken toy no longer needed or desired. It was too high a cost for just one little girl to be retrained and returned to health. Even now, I know they’re discussing how to exterminate me. No doubt it will be the cheapest option.” Arsha hissed, her eyes displaying her fury at being caged and treated as less then a beast of the wild. Obi-Wan turned away and began to leave the cells, “Just the same as the rest of them. Tell me Jedi, just how different was I from you before you knew my past?” He left the room and she sighed heavily before leaning back against the wall wearily and sliding down to the ground.


Author’s Note:
Hey all. Sorry for the extremely long delay, circumstances beyond mortal control had intervened. I have acquired a new beta who’s doing the ‘smut’ scenes with me because I’m not all that brilliant at them. They’re done in collaboration so it will mean longer between each update. Sure no one will mind if the new stuff is up to your standards! The chapters without smut will be up sooner than those with. Chapters 15 & 16 are beta'd by her and she has asked to not be named.

Anyway, I have a few chapters stored so there’ll be another one uploaded Sunday 27th April 2008.

Thanks all for reading and enjoy!!!

Pilgrim x x x