MOONDUST ▷ OBI-WAN KENOBI

CHAPTER VII. hide your fires

☆ | CHAPTER SEVEN; HIDE YOUR FIRES

{"stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires"}

Ingrid and Obi-Wan walked up the steps to the entrance of the stalagmite tower, and the girl's eye widened at the sheer size of it. It seemed much larger up close, and it's intimidating size did nothing to ease her worries of something going wrong.

The steps led to a large room, and when Ingrid glanced up, she saw that the ceiling stretched so high it was impossible to see the top. Ornate designs made out of carved rock decorated the pillars and connected the walls, displaying the Geonosians' ability to create something incredible out of the harsh terrain they had been gifted with.

In the center of the room, wall prevented Ingrid and Obi-Wan from seeing what was on the other side, and as they got closer, Ingrid realized that it was not simply a walled-in area, but an expansion of the tower, expanding far down below the surface of the ground. They were standing on a balcony, overlooking massive amount of machinery that were producing droids on an assembly line.

It was clear that the Separatists were expanding their army, and Ingrid was beginning to wonder if the clones were a good idea after all. She exchanged a look with Obi-wan, who lifted a finger to his lips, reminding her to be silent. They had to be cautious.

Ingrid spotted a doorway in the wall of the room, and led Obi-Wan through it, walking down a tight staircase, that led to another hallway. This time, however, they weren't alone, with voices bouncing off of the stone walls and reaching their ears. Obi-Wan grabbed along of Ingrid's wrist, pulling her against the wall with him, so they could remain hidden. Ingrid strained to recognize one of the people walking in their direction as their voices become louder.

"We must persuade the Commerce guild and Corporate Alliance to sign the treaty," Count Dooku said in his deep, menacing voice. Ingrid felt sickness sweep over as a dark presence overwhelmed her senses, and she realized that it belonged to Dooku. No one had spoken the name aloud, but Darth Tyranus came to mind, and she concluded that it was a name that belonged to Count Dooku. He didn't just desert the Order, he deserted the Light.

It should have horrified Ingrid, to know that something could have driven a Jedi so far away from everything he had been brought up to know, but it didn't. In fact, it was understandable. It was seductive. And that was what horrified her.

"What about the Senator from Naboo?" said a voice, which Ingrid immediately recognized as belonging to Viceroy Nute Gunray. "Is she dead yet? I am not signing your treaty until I have her head on my desk!"

"I am a man of my word, Viceroy," Count Dooku said, and as his voice got closer, Ingrid felt panic rise in her chest. It crawled up her throat and blocked her airway, and she couldn't do anything to warn Obi-Wan except send him panicked looks. She knew that Dooku would be able to sense her and her connection to the dark side if she lost her control, and that she was endangering them by being there, but she didn't know how to tell him without tipping off the group that was parading past about their presence