3 Mapuzo

(Vader POV)

Obi-Wan is on Mapuzo. We are on our way there and as we get closer, I think about what to do with my former Master. I think about the most beautiful thing that Padmé left me ... my children. I have to use all of my mental power to force myself to stay calm and not just outright go and get them. It is important that I build up my strength and they do as well. I am not strong enough to go against Sidious ... yet. The thought that my children are out there at this time and I can't see them might just be one of the most painful things, second only to Padmé's death, that I caused. 

The thought of using Fore Heal to heal myself or using Force Drain did cross my mind. Now that I can learn them, it would be best to get out of this mess of a suit, but I can't. If I suddenly start to make such progress, Sidious would grow suspicious and vary of me. That's why I will stay like this and bide my time. This doesn't mean that I won't practice every Force power that I know of. When it is time, I will heal myself.

Finally, we land on Mapuzo. It is a mining village that we are at currently and I have the Stormtroopers spread out and looking for anything suspicious as well as crowd control. We know that Obi-Wan has to be here since a probe droid had been destroyed. I get off the ship and walk through the streets. 

I can't sense Kenobi like this. So instead of going around and killing random people, I think of a better way. I stand still and close my eyes. I focus on a Force ability that I know of, thanks to my memories, Force Track.

.

Force Track was a neutral Force power that allowed a Force-user to peer into the Force for guidance, picking up the lost path of their prey.

In general, the user had to be within line of sight of their quarry's trail in order to use the ability, with the freshness of the trail playing a part in how successfully it could be detected. For example, a novice of the ability could only detect something that had passed through within the last few minutes, while masters could pick up trails days old, and even multiple trails simultaneously.

I have no idea how to begin practising this particular Force ability, but I try to do it nonetheless. I should have done this much earlier. Nevertheless, I do it now. I try to use the Force to sense the presence of someone who has access to the Force. A Jedi should be much easier to track than someone who can't use the Force. 

A minute later, I feel a gaze on me and stop what I'm doing. I look ahead to a house and see ... no one looking at me through the cracks of a window. But I am sure that there was someone there a second ago. I start walking and as I do so, I use the slow speed to continue practicing Force Track. I am sure that he is in there and if he is in there then ... Leia.

I walk forward and reach the house. But as I stand in front of it, I feel that there is no one in there anymore. I sense the gaze again. I look to the right and see a few boxes stacked on top of each other. He was there, just a moment ago. I again try to use Force Track and see whether I get something from it, now that I am certain that he is near. 

Still nothing though. I know that it is possible and there is something just beyond a thin surface. It feels like I can get something if I try hard enough. I follow the path that I believe Obi-Wan walked. One step after the other I continue to try and gain insight into Force Track. Five minutes pass and then ... I get something. I can feel it and 'see' it, very faintly. A path that I know will lead me to Obi-Wan if I follow it. 

.

I follow the faint track. It is constantly getting clearer and thicker. My proficiency is increasing. I can only thank my talent for this progress. No one else could achieve something like this in such a short time. 

I stop walking and look at the path of Obi-Wan. I change direction to cut him off. Then I see the path of the tracking line change and I know that I am on the right track. Obi-Wan flees into a nearby quarry and if the tracks are to be believed, he is wandering aimlessly to keep me off her trail. But I wouldn't go to her anyway, it is not yet time. I am here for him. 

I stop walking and wait for Obi-Wan who is looking around and panting. Then he stops and sees me standing there in front of him. I ignite my lightsaber and simply hold it there, waiting for his reaction. Nothing happens for a moment. He takes his own lightsaber in his hands but doesn't ignite it. He just holds it there and looks at me.

And then ... the Jedi, runs deeper into the quarry without igniting his lightsaber. I look as he leaves again and deactivate my lightsaber. I move around in the darkness and follow his track. Force Track is a very useful ability and I am getting more proficient in it the longer I use it. I see him use his blue lightsaber as light and he is swinging it around in search of me. I guess it is the shock he is feeling right now. 

I walk out of the darkness and he looks at me again. 

"What have you become?", he asks me. 

"I am what both you and I have made me.", I say to him. 

He looks around again and runs away once more. This time I follow him right away. It is time that we have our fight. 

.

Finally, I found him again. This time, I don't give him time to run away and attack right away. I ignite my lightsaber and attack. Obi-Wan's senses seem to scream at him in the last second and he has just enough time to activate his lightsaber and block my strike. He is pushed back. 

I stab forward and he dodges to the left. I swipe at his head and he manages to duck underneath. I pull back and attack again. My movements are a lot smoother than they were yesterday. I am surprised about that. That short sparring I had with the battle droids seems to have improved my movements a lot. 

I only use one arm to attack Obi-Wan and he blocks one hit after the other. I attack him and swipe at him from the left side. He blocks and uses the force of my strike to move 360° and block the next attack. Our lightsabers clash one after the other. Then my strike pushes him back, which seems to surprise him.

"The years have made you weak. 10 years of staying in hiding, without training do that to the greatest Jedi.", I say and attack him again. During the entire fight, Obi-Wan is constantly moving backwards and defending, while I am moving forward and attacking. 

I attack again. Our lightsabers are stuck in a stalemate. I use the force to push forward and down. Obi-Wan tries to keep on his feet, but it is hard for him and he lands on one knee. But it wouldn't be Obi-Wan Kenobi if that was already the end. He manages to catch himself in the danger of the moment and he pushes back harder. 

But it doesn't matter to me. I am not even using all of my power in this tussle. As he gains a more fierce look, I use my second arm which I haven't used in this fight and Force Push him away, making him fall to the ground. 

.

I walk towards him slowly.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance. But you were unable to kill me, rather you let me suffer, having all of my body burnt.", I say as he gets back up. Once on his feet, Obi-Wan attempts to flee again. I follow him again and this time changes things. I use the Force and lift him up. I focus and pull his lightsaber out of his hands. 

I then knock over a container filled with flammable rocks and use my lightsaber to ignite them. I still hold Obi-Wan in the air and decide what to do. I follow my instinct to make him suffer. I know what role he will play in the future, but he can still teach a young Jedi, even if he has burns all over his body. 

"Now you will suffer, Obi-Wan. A bit like I did.", I say and lower Obi-Wan to the ground and drag him through the flames, scorching him lightly. I listen to his screams and can't help but feel satisfaction. Nevertheless, I extinguish the flames and order one of the Stormtroopers, who have arrived to bring him to me.

"Bring him to me!", I command. However before Obi-Wan can be apprehended, a shot is fired and hits the Stormtrooper. Another shot is fired and ignites the stones once more, blocking us from reaching Obi-Wan. Something like this wouldn't stop me, but it gives me enough reason not to pursue him. I let things be and walk back. 

.

I make my way towards the ship. 

"Make way to the fortress Inquisitorious!", I say and the ship begins its ascent. I am about to get into a meditative position when a Stormtrooper interrupts me. 

"Sir, there is something that you should know. Third Sister made her way to the spaceport in Mapuzo and killed the pilot waiting for Jedi Kenobi and the girl, Organa there. As her quarry, consisting only of Organa, arrived, The Third Sister kidnapped her once again and brought her to the Fortress Inquisitorius.", the Stormtrooper began. 

"I sense a 'but' coming."

"Indeed, my Lord. The girl was brought to Fortress Inquisitorius on the moon of Nur, where the Third Sister attempted to interrogate the young Princess for the location of the 'Hidden Path'. However, despite claiming that Kenobi was killed on Mapuzo and that no one was coming to save her, the girl refused to cooperate and remained defiant to the Inquisitor.

Before she could be tortured for answers, however, Kenobi and another woman, who we suspect belongs to 'the Path', were able to distract the Third Sister and rescue the princess from under their noses.", the Stormtrooper finishes. 

The Hidden Path, known to some simply as "the Path," was an underground network that worked to shelter Jedi and other Force-sensitives from the Galactic Empire, operating on several other hidden locations across the galaxy during the Great Jedi Purge, smuggling them to safety and giving them new identities. 

"There is more I presume?"

"Well ... the Third Sister was able to confront the Jedi Kenobi, the unknown woman and the girl cornered a hangar, but before they could be executed, a pair of T-47 air speeders arrived and rescued the three, though the Third Sister was able to knock one out of the sky ..."

"I see.", was all I said. I might have to deal with the incompetent girl sooner than I planned. 

.

We land on the moon of Nur and I walk into the Fortress Inquisitorius. My anger seems to affect the surroundings as the Force pushes outwards. I hear faint cracks and bending of metal as I walk into the room where the Inquisitors are waiting for me. 

I reach out my hand and Force Choke the Third Sister.

"You were warned what defeat, would bring! I will tolerate ... your weakness ... no longer.", I say and just as I am about to break her neck, she says something that does catch my attention. 

"I put a tracker on the ship...", she manages to say.