Before We Fall (Obi-Wan Kenobi x OC)

A Slave to the Separatists

Chapter One

(Present Day)

For three years, Kaden had been tied to the wall of a separatist bunker. For three years, Kaden had been in and out of consciousness, unable to process exactly what was going on around her. For three years, she had been gone from the Jedi temple.

Most of the day, she was gone, taking the backseat of her own mind, while another took it over. A metal head strap, tightly secured to her head, kept her from staying around too often. Kaden was still active, her body taken over by another host; the conscious thoughts and ideas of her new master, Count Dooku. She had almost forgotten what it had felt like to be around, to be aware and have control of her own actions, for more than an hour at a time.

When she was around, it was in the bunker, strapped to the wall tightly, being force-fed or to drink the water she needed so desperately to continue doing Dooku's bidding.

Dooku was quite pleased with his work. He had created the perfect apprentice; one that would never rise above him, or try to harm him and take his place. Kaden Morristen was a tool, a weapon, and nothing more. She had done wonders for the separatist movement, between seizing territories they desperately needed, and clearing the field of any republic forces that needed an end to their lifelines. Ventress had never been as valuable as his new weapon, and he was very pleased with his unwilling apprentice.

Today was a big day for Kaden. Today, Dooku would allow her to face a Jedi for the first time since her capture. He had been hesitant before then, unsure of whether the mind control device was strong enough to keep her from resisting it's orders. Now, after three years of time, he knew it would be safe. After all this time, he knew that even a jedi such as Obi Wan Kenobi would not stop her.

O[\\\\\\(O):::<=======================

Kaden choked, snapping awake as a jolt of energy shot through her skull, electric and pulsing, causing her to cry out in agony. A few feet from her, Dooku chuckled deeply, coldly, and clearly satisfied with himself. It had been a while since Kaden, the real Kaden, had spoken to him. Whenever he allowed it, the circumstances were always to his benefit; to rub a recent capture or killing in her face, or to explain to her in detail what she had done in the last battle, just to watch her horror-filled reaction. Then, as always, he would beat her.

"What do you want?" Kaden spat at his feet. He was clearly very excited to break the news, his lips curling into a wide smirk, fire burning beneath his eyes. As he lifted Kaden's chin toward him, she flinched.

"I have some exciting news for you, puppet," he grumbled happily, releasing her chin. Puppet had been Kaden's nickname since she had been captured by the separatist forces. It was degrading and vile, but getting Dooku to stop his name-calling was the last of her problems. The man strolled side to side, keeping Kaden on edge. "News about your new mission."

Kaden remained quiet, her whole body full of anger. In moments like these, she preferred not to speak, to remain silent and seem emotionless for however long she could. Don't give him the reaction he wants. Stay calm, stay collected. She tried her best to remember her jedi lessons, not to let go of all that she had been taught by Master Yoda, regardless of all the terrible things Dooku had forced her to do. "You really are a sociable one, as always," Dooku commented, "Anyway...I finally have faith that your counterpart can, and will, defeat a Jedi Master."

The mention of anyone that could be her family was taunting to Kaden. She had done many terrible things, sure, many things she only remembered through a dazed and blurry haze. But to harm another jedi, people that were practically family to her, was a haunting thought that made her insides lurch. Kaden knew that attachments were frowned upon in the jedi order, she knew that the notion of being family wasn't necessarily correct, but it was never a part of the code she understood.