Traditions

Traditions by Greencat336

Time: JA, Obi-Wan is 16

Sequel to: For the Sake of Peace and To Defend and Protect

Do you have to read the other stories first? You could probably figure out what?s going on without doing so, but I recommend reading Peace so you?ll better understand the references to Ytrayuit culture and who Carra, Drew and Ryss are. To Protect and Defend will give you some insight into the grudge one of the terrorists has against Qui-Gon.

Summary: Obi-Wan, Ryss and several young children are taken hostage by ruthless terrorists trying to influence government policy.

Disclaimer: Many of the characters belong, of course, to George Lucas. I?ve borrowed them for a little while, eventually I?ll give them back. The rest of the characters are mine, although I?ve lifted some names from various other pieces of literature.

Rated: PG for violence, physical torture and mental angst

Credit where credit is due: Many thanks to my brother-in-law Jim for his invaluable advice on hostage situations and the actions of the Security Officers.

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?To Noscitor, you will go,? Yoda informed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. ?Oversee the Trade Summit being held there, your mission it is.?

?A Jedi acting as mediator was requested by the Ytrayuit government. The Ytrayuit have only been united under a single planetary government for little more than sixty years. This will be the first time they have been invited to participate in a major trade summit among the Outer Rim worlds. They say they will trust the Jedi to make sure any accords reached are fair to all involved,? continued Depa Billaba.

?Your transportation to Noscitor, the planet hosting the summit, has been arranged. It leaves this evening,? concluded Mace Windu. ?May the Force be with you.?



*************************************************

The night before the trade summit was to officially begin, there was a reception for the delegates and officials from the involved worlds. After dinner, the guests moved about, networking, dancing, and gossiping in a complex tapestry of formal dress and noise.

Watching the shifting patterns of the crowd, Obi-Wan observed that there were a large number of young children in attendance. He pointed this out to his master. ?Isn?t that unusual for a trade summit??

?Among many of the cultures in this sector is a tradition of bringing family members, particularly spouses and children, to negotiations and diplomatic functions. It is a way of demonstrating peaceful intent. Few beings would bring their children into a situation if they were planning on starting armed conflict.? Qui-Gon explained. ?The families are referred to as honor hostages.?

?Buy a girl a drink, sweetcheeks?? came a voice from behind the two Jedi.

Taking a glass from a passing waiter, Qui-Gon handed it to the woman. She was in her early twenties, medium build, with short red hair, wearing a long, green gown. ?Ryss,? Qui-Gon smiled. ?It is good to see you again. What brings you here, or should I ask??

Ryss laughed. ?You can ask what I?m up to, but when Carra and Drew get here in a couple of days, don?t ask where they?ve been. See that woman over there, the one in yellow?? Ryss pointed towards a woman who looked like an older, plumper version of Ryss, speaking with the delegates from Hetage, ?That?s my mom. I?m her honor hostage.?

?Your mother is one of the delegates?? asked Obi-Wan in surprise. Although he knew Ryss was from Ytrayuit, it was hard for him to reconcile the image of the brash smuggler with that of a diplomat?s daughter.

?My family owns and operates one of the largest farms in the Vania province. Since one of the items to be discussed in the summit is the export of a delicacy grown only in our province, makes sense the farmers would want one of their own involved in

 

Great start, greencat! I love Obi's reaction to boring negotiations! Typical 16 year old male.

 

You found the new story and are reading it! Yehhh! Here's the next part, hope you like it.

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Obi-Wan sympathized with Silva, as he pretended not to hear her arguing with her father, the head delegate of the Ytrayuit. He hadn?t wanted to spend the day touring sites of historical interest either. His master had pointed out that not only would it be educational, he would be extra security for the delegates? children that would be going on the tour, ranging in age from seven to twelve. Glancing at the several guards surrounding the group, Obi-Wan suspected that the latter was only partially true.

?Father, I?ve seen eleven winters. I?m nearly fifteen standard years old. I do not want to go on a kiddie tour around town looking at some ancient relics.?

?Is this the tour for the delegate?s families?? Ryss interrupted as she walked towards the arguing pair.

Silva looked startled. ?You?re going?? she asked the twenty-three year old woman in amazement.

?Of course,? Ryss said, with an amused look in her eye. ?Aren?t you coming??

Silva glanced at her father, trying to determine if she was being set up. ?Yes, I guess so . . . You really want to go on this tour, Journeyman??

?Absolutely,? Ryss said in a sincere voice. ?How will I be able to tell anyone about my Journeys if I don?t have any idea of where I?ve been.?

Gratefully, Delegate Ashekin said, ?Enjoy your day, Silva. You also Journeyman Endresun.? Without any further difficulties, the tour group got underway. Later, as they were led through a local museum, Obi-Wan walked next to Ryss. ?That was nicely done, with Silva.?

?What ever do you mean?? laughed Ryss. ?Truth to tell, I really do like history. And I didn?t have anything else planned for today, so it worked out for everyone. I get to go on the tour and the Ytrayuit?s head delegate gets to go to the trade negotiations, instead of spending the morning arguing with his daughter. Although I hope Silva?s father is a better negotiator with the other systems representatives than he is with his daughter.?

?Still, this is not the most exciting way to spend . . . ? Obi-Wan was interrupted by several humans appearing, firing stun bolts. They all wore masks, with a similar stylized pattern. Guards and children hit by the bolts dropped. The other children ran screaming for the exits, only to be intercepted by more humans wearing the patterned masks.

Ryss dove for a downed security guard, intending to grab his weapon. The blue circular stun bolt hit her before she reached her goal.

Obi-Wan had ignited his lightsaber at the first appearance of the masked humans. In the chaos, he escorted the children nearest him away from the conflict, fighting his way past the beings blocking the exit. As the children ran out, he turned to go back for the others when a stun grenade went off next to him.

 

Oh wow, you snuck the new one in yesterday.

 

Wow! Jump into the action quick! And a cliffhanger to boot! Not nice, greencat!

 

lol.
that *was* mean. Not to Obi, of course, what would JA be if he didn't get captured? But the cliffhanger was very evil.

 

Obi-Wan groaned. It felt as if his head was being stamped on by angry banthas. He briefly opened his eyes, but finding the light seemed to aggravate the banthas, he quickly closed them again.

?Here, drink this,? Ryss said, putting an arm underneath his shoulders to help him sit up. The cold liquid she gave him placated the banthas enough that he could keep his eyes open.

?You caught nearly the full force of the stun grenade. You?ve been out for hours longer than the rest of us. That headache of yours will fade in a little while. The water will help.? Ryss explained, placing the cup in Obi-Wan?s hand.

?Where . . . ? Obi-Wan tried to get his thoughts together enough to ask a coherent question.

?Remember about the families of the delegates acting as honor hostages??

Obi-Wan nodded, noticing the room he was in also held several of the children from the tour group.

?Well, it turns out there?s an ultra-traditionalist faction that?s unhappy about the idea of the Ytrayuit trading with offworlders. They decided the best way to disrupt the trade agreement was to kidnap the honor hostages. The men who brought us here said they were going to hold us until the delegates saw the ?error of their ways? and return to ?the traditions of our ancestors? ? The distain was evident in Ryss?s tone of voice.

?I thought you were a big fan of following tradition,? Obi-Wan said somewhat irritably.

?I honor the traditions of my ancestors, but I also respect their achievements. If they?d wanted us to live a primitive life style, they wouldn?t have worked so hard on the technologies that make our lives easier. These cultists don?t see things that way. They think we should all go back to the hunter-gather routine. They even think that instead of going offworld for Journeys, we should go back to raiding each other in the summer months. As if intertribal warfare was such a great thing.?

Obi-Wan looked around the room. There were a total of nine children in the room. The youngest appeared to be seven, the oldest fourteen. Some of the children, including Silva, were quietly talking, others were watching a holovid. A table was covered with the remains of a large meal. There were comfortable looking chairs and couches. One of the two doors in the room lead to a refresher. The other was closed. He assumed it was locked and guarded, but he?d check it out as soon as he could.

?Kinda a nice set up for keeping kidnap victims in,? commented Obi-Wan in puzzlement. ?Is that why all the children are so calm??

?One nice thing about being kidnapped by ultra-traditionalists. There are very strict rules about how to treat honor hostages. These kids have all been raised knowing their role as honor hostages. So although they aren?t happy about getting stunned and carried off, they know as long as the negotiations go smoothly, we are to be treated as honored guests.? Ryss said.

?And if things don?t go smoothly?? asked Obi-Wan.

Ryss sighed. ?Then things tend to get a bit rough.?

?They wouldn?t do anything to those young kids, would they?? Obi-Wan asked in concern.

?Who they use as ?encouragement? for getting the other side to do what they want depends on a combination of rank and age. Traditionally, they start on the oldest of the lowest rank. That would be me. My Mom?s only about mid-level, the rest of the children are from high ranking parents. I suspect I was nabbed only because I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.? Ryss smiled. ?In case your curious, you?re ranked highest of our group.?

?I thought that would be Silva, since she's the daughter of the head delegate.?

?Master Jinn has a Shaman?s rank, because he?s a Jedi negotiator. That?s our highest social rank, even above tribal elders. Now don?t think you can start bossing me around, kid. Even Silva figured out real quick that won?t work.? Ryss hoped he would continue to follow the tangent in their conversation. She remembered what he looked like when they had rescued him on Ptedesh. She didn?t want him to st

 

Oh man! They took Obi-Wan's braid! And we all know where Obi-Wan's bad feelings lead to. Great post, greencat!

 

The children had finally gone to sleep, curled on chairs and couches or stretched out on the floor. Ryss sat on the floor by the locked door, watching Obi-Wan. He was on the other side of the room, mediating. Or at least making an attempt at mediating. Ryss was Force-sensitive, as were all Ytrayuit. Like most Ytrayuit, her abilities were not particularly strong, but she did have a connection to the living Force. Concentrating, she could tell through that connection that instead of calm, Obi-Wan was becoming more agitated. She had her suspicions why.

Getting up, she moved to where Obi-Wan knelt. Ryss stood next to him, waiting for him to acknowledge her.

?Honored guests,? Obi-Wan bitterly said, at last.

Sitting down, Ryss shrugged, slightly embarrassed. ?It?s been decades since this sort of thing was common. Maybe they learned a different version than the one I did. Maybe I misremembered the details. Then again, they only got aggressive after we did.?

After I did, Obi-Wan thought to himself. Then they cut my bond with Qui-Gon.

?That braid was more than just a fashion statement, wasn?t it?? Ryss asked tentatively.

Obi-Wan nodded sadly. ?It was the symbol of the bond between Master Qui-Gon and myself. The unity of master and padawan through the Force. Now . . . its gone.?

?The braid is, but not your bond with Qui-Gon. He cares too much about you for that to change because of a haircut,? said Ryss. When Obi-Wan only shook his head, she continued, ?You?re upset because you can?t feel your master through your bond, aren?t you??

?I can only feel the faintest touch from him. How did you know? What?s wrong with me?? demanded Obi-Wan.

?Its not you, Obi-Wan. Our captors must be using muters.? Ryss said it as if that explained everything.

?Muters?? inquired Obi-Wan.

?People who can project powerful mental shields. Since all Ytrayuit have some Force ability, kidnapping would hardly be a very effective way of forcing your enemies to do something if it was a simple matter of sensing where your loved one was hidden. Your bond with Qui-Gon must be extremely strong if you can still sense him, ? explained Ryss.

While concerned that his bond with his master was being blocked, it was also a relief to understand why. Still, something bothered him, ?Ryss, they said they were acting on orders to cut my braid. Is there some Ytrayuit tradition about that??

Now it was Ryss? turn to look worried. ?None that I know of. The only other traditions about cutting hair that we have is cutting it short on Journeys. Easy to take care of and doesn?t give your enemy anything to grab in a fight. Now that you mention it, it does seem a little odd that they would specifically go after your padawan braid.?

Ryss shook her head. ? I tell you what, Obi-Wan, if it was just you and me, I?d say lets jump whoever brings us breakfast and take the chance of escaping. Even if it was you, me and Silva. But with eight little kids . . . ?

?They?ve shoved us around a little, but they haven?t really hurt anyone, yet.? Obi-Wan?s hand went unconsciously to where his braid used to be. ?Master Qui-Gon will find us, anyway.? Obi-Wan asserted. ?But we might want to start thinking about how we could escape with eight little kids in tow, just in case.?

 

How did I miss this before? This is a great start! I'm liking it already, and I'm looking forward to more.

 

Poor Obi-Wan, and I can just imagine an escape with 8 little kids in tow...now that would be something to pull off! Another great post, greencat!

 

For those that are still reading this and posting replies, Thanks!

For your entertainment, a little Obi-Torture (physical, not just the mental torment of getting his braid chopped) and Qui-Angst

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Officer Alberich, of the Ytrayuit Security Forces addressed the delegates of the Trade Summit and Jedi Master Jinn. ?We have brought the leaders of all known ultra-traditionalist groups in for questioning. So far they continue to deny any knowledge of the whereabouts of the abductees and any knowledge of those that abducted them.

We have located the person who dropped off the package containing the hair samples and list of demands at the message delivery service. He is a homeless person who was paid a large amount of credits to mail the package. Unfortunately, he then used most of those credits on mind altering drugs and has been unable to give us a clear description of the person who paid him. The Noscitor Security forces are searching the area that the delivery service is located in, questioning local informants, but they have not yet found any new leads.

The major media networks on Ytrayuit have received statements of belief supposedly from the abductors. Some of them are definitely not from our perpetrators, but there are statements that contain information about the abduction and package that we have not made public. These statements pretty much recap the demands that were sent with the hair samples. The statements we believe are authentic were sent from a variety of places both here on Noscitor and on Ytrayuit. These areas are also being targeted for search. For the time being we have asked the media to not release the statements to the public. Part of what the abductors want is publicity. By limiting the amount of publicity they receive, we will hopefully have something to use as a negotiating tool.

We would encourage you to continue with the trade summit, for now.?

?But won?t that put our children in more danger?? one of the Ytrayuit delegates asked anxiously.

?They are already in a certain amount of danger,? the Officer reminded them. ?However, according to the very traditions that the perpetrators claim to follow, most of the children are under the age where they would be physically harmed, except in the most extreme of situations. We are hoping to be able to negotiate the release of these children.?

?I believe Officer Alberich is correct. By submitting to the demands of the kidnappers, you would be opening yourselves up to the possibility of similar manipulation every time any fringe group disagreed with government policy. ? Qui-Gon said.

The head of the Ytrayuit delegation, Ronin Ashekin, thought for a moment, then consulted quietly with his peers. ?If Master Jinn approves of your decisions, with his own apprentice one of the hostages, we will go along with this for now.?

?Thank you,? said Officer Alberich. ?We will keep you informed of any developments.? Excusing himself, he left the room.

?Gentlebeing, as we?ve decided to continue the summit, let?s get back to work,? the delegate from one of the other worlds suggested. ?If Master Jinn will present the latest proposal??

Nodding, Qui-Gon forced himself to suppress his concerns for Obi-Wan and focus on the duty that was before him. Within a pocket of his robe was Obi-Wan?s braid. Not being able to reach his padawan through their bond was extremely frustrating. Thus far he had not been able to break through the barriers that were blocking him. The sooner the summit was over, the sooner he could devote his energies completely to the search for his padawan.


*******************************************************

When Obi-Wan saw the chains hanging from the ceiling, in his mind he was in a cell on Ptedesh. With a sudden burst of panicked strength, he wrenched away from the guards holding him. Pushing his way past the other guards, he darted for the door. As he attempted to open it, they were on him. Using the butts of their blasters, they beat him to

 

Whoooooaaaa! Intense post, greencat! You're almost as good as Jane Jinn at that! Post again soon!

 

Finally catching up. Somehow I get the feeling there's more to these "traditionalists" than meets the eye. They already seem to be breaking several rules that honor demands. I wonder what Qui-Gon will do when he gets the holo of Obi's torture. Looking forward to your next post.

 

The Force must be with you Abbi-Cee!
Thanks for the compliment P_Stotts! More torture to come in future posts, the terrorists keep their promise . . .

And now, some angst . . .


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Ryss fidgeted nervously in the chair she was sitting in, watching the door. Why would they take away Obi-Wan? What could they possibly want from the kid? Tradition said that they shouldn?t harm him, he had a Shaman?s rank, after all. Yet . . . what could they be doing with him? Maybe making him send a message to his master? Having him read a list of their demands? Ruthlessly Ryss pushed the idea of other things they could be doing to him out of her head. They were supposed to be ultra-traditionalists, they were following certain rules, weren?t they?

The door opened and Obi-Wan was tossed through it. At the sight of his blood covered back, many of the children began to scream. ?Silva, get them calmed down.? Ryss half carried Obi-Wan into the refresher and closed the door. From the other side she could hear Silva trying to reassure the other children, although she sounded half hysterical herself. Gonna have to do something nice for that girl when we get out of here, came the random thought. For a someone who had acted like a spoiled princess at the start of the tour, Silvia has been a huge help with the kids, acting with a maturity beyond her fourteen years. Ryss didn?t blame the girl for sounding half hysterical, though. Ryss was feeling a bit hysterical, too. Later, she promised herself. Keep it together now and later you can curl up into a tiny ball and cry for a week. But for now, you have got to hold yourself together.

?Obi-Wan,? Ryss said gently, ?I need to clean up your back. See what kind of damage there is. Do you understand me??

?I hear screams,? he whispered weakly. ?The children, are they . . . ?

?They?re fine, just scared. Silva?s taking care of them. All I have is water and a washcloth. This is going to hurt a little, but it has to be done. Okay?? Using warm water, Ryss dabbed the blood from the mess that was Obi-Wan?s back and shoulders. As he winced and twisted, she repeated over and over, ?Sorry, I?m so sorry.? But, she continued to clean his wounds. When she was done, she tore apart a few of the shirts that had been abandoned on the floor of the refresher, using them to bandage him.

?Obi-Wan,? Ryss said, ?We need to move you into the main room. Can you get up??

With Ryss? help, Obi-Wan stood and staggered into the other room. The children were huddled together. ?Journeyman Ryss, ? one asked in a frightened voice, ?is Obi-Wan going to die??

?Of course not, ? forcing herself to sound confident. ?He?s just got a skinned up back. He?ll be fine. Couple days, he?ll be good as new.? Ryss helped Obi-Wan lay down on his stomach on one of the couches. As soon as he reached the couch, Obi-Wan closed his eyes, allowing himself to sink into a healing trance.

?Are they going to hurt us, too?? another of the children asked.

?No. I won?t let them hurt you. We?ll be fine.? Silently Ryss swore. Even she didn?t think she sounded believable. She had to think of a way to get nine kids and an injured teenager out of this situation. I?m not clever enough to do this, she shouted inside her head. You?ve got to be clever enough she rebuked herself. They don?t seem to be playing by the rules, anymore.


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Qui-Gon stoically watched the holotape of the terrorist?s rants and Obi-Wan?s beating. He had insisted that any contact from the terrorists be made available to him. Alberich hadn?t liked the idea of showing him the holo, but he?d been overruled. When he?d tried to argue with his superiors that seeing some one you care for harmed tended to make people irrational, they?d told him that Jedi didn?t get irrational. Complete cooperation with any and all requests of the Jedi Master were his orders. The Jedi Master was to have access to all facets of the investiga

 

Is it really Chavin? So this group of "traditionalists" are just a facade for him, perhaps, a way for him to get back at Qui-Gon?

I like the way that both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon have someone to take care of them a little bit.

 

Oh, wonderful post, greencat! This just keeps getting better and better!

 

Ah, non-traditionalists... definitely no honor. I wonder why they're dealing with a slaver? Just what do they hope to gain? Would a bunch of force sensitive slaves have any value? More?

 

Jane Jinn and Abbi-Cee: Chavin is involved for a number of reasons, but slaving is not one of them, this time. Eventually all will be revealed.

P_Stotts: Thanks.

**************************************

Obi-Wan awoke to find eight year old Sheena sitting in a chair near him, watching him intently.

?Are you awake?? she whispered.

?Yes,? Obi-Wan said.

?Are you feeling better, now?? the girl asked, concerned.

?Better than I was, thanks,? Obi-Wan answered.

?I?m glad.? Jumping up and running over to the others, she yelled,? Silva! Ryss! Obi-Wan?s awake! He?s better!?

Obi-wan sat up slowly. ?Better? was not the same as healed. His back was still very painful. He?d be sleeping on his stomach for a while.

Ryss came over, carrying a piece of fruit and a glass of juice. ?Hungry?? she asked, offering them to him.

Gratefully, Obi-Wan wolfed down breakfast. When he was done, Ryss insisted on examining his injured back.

?Its healing cleanly. Lets hear it for Jedi recovery rates,? Ryss commented. ?What I don?t understand is why they picked on you. It goes completely against tradition to do this to someone of Shaman rank.?

?They don?t think I?ve got a Shaman?s rank,? Obi-wan explained. ?Said something about offworlders being the lowest of the low.?

?Thank the Goddess,? Ryss said in obvious relief.

?Hey!? protested Obi-Wan.

?Sorry. Didn?t mean it that way.? Ryss dropped to a whisper, ?I?ve been terrified that they?ve suddenly stopped following the rules. Under the old ways they won?t torture anyone under eight winters, that?s ten standard years. They?ll only kill them if the negotiations completely fail, but it has to be quick.?

?I hardly think that knowing they are only going to kill them is reason to celebrate,? criticized Obi-Wan.

?I?m hardly celebrating,? hissed Ryss angrily. ?But at least they won?t hurt them in the meantime. Which is more that I can say for the rest of us.?

The look of fear that passed over Obi-Wan?s face was like a bucket of cold water thrown on her temper. ?I?m sorry, Obi-Wan. It was a thoughtless thing to say.?

?We?re both on edge. It is good to know that we shouldn?t have to worry about them hurting the younger children for now,? Obi-Wan said. ?We can?t give up hope. Master Qui-Gon will figure out a way to find us.?

**********************************************

The masked guards came again the next day. Obi-Wan and Ryss placed themselves between the guards and the children.

?Take them,? one of the guards ordered, pointing to Obi-Wan and Ryss. Guards grabbed the pair. ?Her, too,? he said, pointing to twelve year old Nissa.

?Don?t touch her!? yelled Ryss, struggling against the two guards that held her.

Using the Force, Obi-Wan threw the guard approaching the girl into the wall. When he felt his guards? grip loosen in surprise, he pulled away from them. One guard went down from Obi-Wan?s roundhouse punch to the jaw. The other threw his own punch at Obi-Wan.

One of Ryss? guards made the mistake of letting go of her to go after Obi-Wan. She smashed her free hand into the other guard?s face, and kicked the side of his knee, bringing him down. She then tackled the guard that was going after Obi-Wan.

The children, lead by Silva, began to pummel the guard attempting to get to Nissa.

For a moment, it looked as if they would be able to overpower the guards and make a break for it. Then the guards pulled out blasters.

?Blasters!? cried out Ryss in warning.

?Everyone down on the floor!? commanded Obi-Wan in a powerful voice. ?Down! Now!?

The children dropped to the floor, leaving only the guards, himself, and Ryss standing. One of the guards roughly pulled Nissa to her feet.

?Padawan Kenobi,? Ryss said desperately, ? Talk to them, convince them to leave her alone.?

Catching Ryss? meaning, Obi-Wan looked intently at the guards. Moving his right hand slightly, he said, ?You will leave the girls here. The children are not to be harmed.?

A few of the guards began to mo

 

I like Ryss more and more; she's spunky. It was good, too, the way Obi-Wan's mind trick only affected some of the guards and not all of them. What are the guards going to do to them this time? Why did they take Nissa, too?

 

This doesn't look good. What could they want with the two girls and Obi? I hope Qui-Gon finds them soon.

 

I have a bad feeling about this!

 

Me too.