damned_institute | Day 21: Lunch

So Hughes was another Earthian after all. Well, at least he wasn't too far from his home, hopefully. Taking a landspeeder or a watercraft to another country was nothing compared to trying to find a spacecraft in a place where that sort of technology simply didn't exist.

It was a sobering thought, and he sincerely hoped they'd have the means to get back to the Republic.

"A solider," Obi-Wan repeated with a small nod. "I take it you're experienced in combat as well?"

Hughes' job didn't sound like the most uplifting one, but it would explain his ability to cope with captivity as well as he did. Military men were trained for that sort of thing, after all. It already sounded like this Earthian could be a reliable ally in the future.

"As for myself, I'm what's called a Jedi," Obi-Wan explained. "We act as peacekeepers who help maintain smooth interplanetary relations. The Republic has no military because most people are content to let the Jedi handle any political disputes that come up." That is...the Republic had no military until this supposed Clone War came up, but Obi-Wan wasn't going to delve into that, seeing that it was part of an uncertain future.

"We're observant of the ways of the Force," he added. "In other words, we're in tune with the energy found in all living things, and we use our abilities for the benefit of others."

"Yeah, since I was a teenager," he elaborated. "I never saw the battlefield, but I know how to handle myself. I'm better at hand to hand than anything else, but I'm well equipped to handle the stuff that's around here. I've come up against a lot and made it out okay." He was well armed with his weapon of choice, that was all he needed.

"Living energy, huh? Is that uh.. a religious calling?" It sounded like one. He wasn't a religious man himself, but there were some guys who had been. It just hadn't really interested him much.

Hand to hand combat. That sort of skill sounded like it'd be useful at Landel's. "Seems like you're well prepared, then. You're fortunate," he said. While Obi-Wan had been extensively trained to use a lightsaber, vibroshivs, clubs and blasters were not his weapons of choice, not by a long shot.

"I'm currently unarmed," Obi-Wan quietly admitted. "They took my weapon and my utility belt, and I have no idea where they're keeping them. I've been trying to find a proper substitute in the meantime."

As for the nature of the Jedi Order, well, Obi-Wan could understand why he'd need to put it in simpler terms. The concept of the Force could be a little strange to those who were unfamiliar with it.

"I wouldn't say it's a religious calling as much as it's a sort of...public service," Obi-Wan told him. "Those who are Force-sensitive often choose to join the Jedi Order, but many become medics, teachers, farmers and explorers. Others choose to live their lives normally, but it's a bit of a waste, if you ask me, especially when those who do are often more confused and angered by their abilities without the proper training."

"We all start out unarmed. What's your weapon? I'll see what I can do for you." They had been planning on setting up sort of trade situation. And weapons... well, everybody needed weapons.

"Huh. So how do these people know if they're sensitive or not? Do they just... try stuff? Or does it manifest somehow? I take it it's probably the latter, by the way you describe it." He was curious. And he always liked hearing about other people's worlds. There were so many, and he had a thirst for knowledge.

"I'm trained to use what's called a 'lightsaber,' which is basically a blade of pure energy that emits from a hilt," Obi-Wan told him. "It's a traditional Jedi weapon," his eyebrows furrowed a little, "though I saw a droid creature named Grievous who uses one while wandering the halls the other night. If you come across him, I suggest making a retreat if you can."

Then Hughes asked how to identify Force-sensitives, and Obi-Wan quietly smiled at the man's genuine curiosity.

"Trained Jedi can sense when a being is strong in the Force," he explained. "But for more accuracy, we can also perform midi-chlorian tests. Midi-chlorians are microscopic lifeforms that exist in the cells of all living things, and they act as a sort of sensory organ to the Force, like eyes allow us to see and ears allow us to hear. A high midi-chlorian count is usually a sure sign of Force-sensitivity. We generally identify Force-sensitives at a very young age so they can begin their Jedi training as soon as possible, with the family's permission of course."

"Huh, I'll watch out for him. I can't promise you a light-saber, but if you can deal with a normal blade... I might be able to help." Hughes shrugged, his expression casual but his eyes focused on Obi-Wan to watch for any signs of interest.

"So it's... a science thing?" Miticlorians or whatever sounded like some kind of chemical. And if it was just a plain biology thing, that made it much easier for Hughes to understand.

"I can't promise you a lightsaber," Hughes said, "but if you can deal with a normal blade...I might be able to help."

Obi-Wan paused and met the man's gaze, definitely considering Hughes' offer. In some ways, it was a tough call. He doubted a regular blade would be anything like the swift and elegant lightsaber he was used to wielding. On the other hand, it sounded more precise and civillized than something like a a club or a blaster.

Still, it wasn't like he was completely helpless. If he could just re-center his Force-perception, then combat situations wouldn't look quite as grim...

But even if my Force abilities were 100 percent, I wouldn't feel comfortable using it as my weapon, he silently admitted. He was accustomed to using the Force as a tool or an aid during battle, not his main means of attack. That was something a Sith would do.

Either way, it'd be foolish for him to refuse Hughes' help based on a matter of whether the weapon in question was as good as a lightsaber. Whatever the man had in mind would more than likely put Obi-Wan in a better position than he was now. After all, Hughes was far more experienced with the ways of this place than he was.

"I'd appreciate any help you could give," Obi-Wan told him, and he meant it.

"In some ways, I suppose you could call it both a science and an art," he explained, answering the man's question. "A high midi-chlorian count doesn't guarantee a successful Jedi, only that the being in question is a Force-sensitive. The Force itself, and the mastery of it, can't be measured in precise terms. Those things require great discipline, and in the case of a Jedi, great sacrifice and personal commitment to the will of the Force. The Order forbids personal attachments and upholds concepts like rational thought, patience and benevolence. A person could have a high midi-chlorian count, but that doesn't make them fit for the life of a Jedi. There are many who decide to follow other paths, sometimes darker ones where they use their abilities for personal gain."

Obi-Wan faintly frowned. "There have been scientists who have tried to understand and measure the mysteries behind the Force, often at the expense of other Force-sensitives." He thought of Jenna Zan Arbor, who had once captured Qui-Gon and tortured him to the point of near death in an effort to discover more about his abilities. "The Jedi don't condone such studies."

"Like I said, I'll see what I can do. It'll take materials, though. Metal to make it out of." That was important thing. He hoped Ed didn't have too much to do, he didn't want to over-tax the kid. But he knew Ed was eager to help.

"So it's kind of like a monastic order," he said, nodding. That was the best equivalent he could think of, for something he could relate to. "Or, well, I guess it'd be like someone from my world who's got skill in alchemy going into the State Alchemist's or not. Not everybody's who's got alchemy skills wants to join up, or even use alchemy."

Obi-Wan was curious how Hughes had the means to craft a blade from metal, especially in a place like this. He was obviously resourceful, perhaps with an extensive network of people with various talents and abilities. Something to keep in mind.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said. "I could start gathering materials. Where do you suggest I go?"

Then Hughes mentioned this alchemy business. Obi-Wan had heard Lust mention it his first day here, but he hadn't gotten much of an explanation, other than a list of people at Landel's who were considered alchemists.

"What is alchemy?" Obi-Wan asked. "Is that a kind of science?"

"The kitchen is good for metal," Hughes said. "That's where most supplies for weapons come from." There were probably other places to go, but the kitchen was the best bet.

"Alchemy is a science. I don't do anything with it myself, don't have the knack. It's the science of changing things into other things, manipulating an object's chemical composition. But some people can do it and some people can't. I could make an attempt with the right arrays, but it wouldn't come out well. A lot of alchemists have private practices, helping out in villages and things. Some use it for medical purposes but from what I understand, medical alchemy is really difficult. And then there's the State Alchemists, which is a military branch and the best of the best."

The kitchen. That made sense, considering it probably had all sorts of utensils stored there. "I see. Thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

Obi-Wan remembered reading a little bit about alchemy on the board, but he'd had no idea there was actually a military made up of these alchemists. It was interesting that someone had developed a science to alter an object's chemical composition. He imagined it could have been useful for times of bacta shortages back home, but, at the same time, Obi-Wan could see how some people could use it for more destructive reasons.

"I've heard about something similar since I arrived here," Obi-Wan told him. "Does this alchemy operate by a 'principle of equivalent trade'?" He paused, and his eyebrows raised as if an idea had just struck him. "Is that how you intend to form a blade out of metal?"

"Yeah, that's alchemy. There are a few alchemists around here." Hughes nodded. So Obi-wan had talked to someone from Amestris already.

"A friend of mine's real good at transmuting weapons. He took care of me, and he's willing to lend a hand to people who need it."

"That's very kind of him to want to help," Obi-Wan said, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was a price for this kind of aid. Then, there was also another issue concerning muted abilities.

"Has Landel's significantly affected the alchemists' skills since their arrival?" Obi-Wan asked. "They obviously can do things like form weapons, but are they experiencing any limitations?"

"Oh yeah, everybody's got limitations," Hughes said with another enthusiastic nod. "This place mutes everything. Nobody's spared when it comes to that. Don't know how they do it, but all powers and skills are dampened somehow."

"What are their limitations, if you don't mind my asking?" Obi-Wan was partly curious to know if the quality of the blade would be hindered somehow, but he was also concerned about what the prisoner on the board (he'd signed his message as "Ed") had said about those who wound up being maimed from their alchemy. Granted, it sounded like it only applied to bringing people back from the dead, but with the way Landel's tended to bend the rules, it was dangerous to be making assumptions like that.

"I don't want anyone getting injured on my account," he added.

"They can't do as many transmutations as normal, they're limited to how much alchemy they can do," he went on, expanding the explanation. "Instead of being able to do unlimited numbers, they can manage maybe six or seven big things in a night. It tires'em out, but it doesn't hurt them any."

Obi-Wan nodded, indicating he understood. "That's good to know, then," he said. "Thanks again for your help. I appreciate it."

The Jedi took a sip of his juice, having decided to try experimenting with something other than water. It was a little sweeter than muja fruit, but it wasn't bad by any means.

"I'm a little surprised I haven't heard about any organized escape attempts," Obi-Wan said with a soft voice, ensuring no one could overhear them. "Granted, I haven't been here for all that long, but my companion and myself are interested in helping out however we can. We're just not sure who we need to talk to." He gave a wry smile. "We tried striking out on our own last night to investigate, but we didn't exactly get very far before we ran into some, ah, trouble."

"You're welcome." Hughes nodded. Then he grinned, widely.

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but if you're looking for who to talk to about escape plans.... you're already talking to him." The general winked and hunkered forward.

"It's not a good idea to make an escape attempt now. Some people have tried, it hasn't gone well. Right now we're planning. We're getting the layout, we're looking for weakneses and we're getting everybody armed. And, uh, well... we could sure as hell use a mediator." He chuckled some, remembering some of the head butting that went on.

Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose, and he couldn't help but feel grateful at his incredibly good fortune. The Jedi had spent so much time trying to dig up information about this place, he'd assumed it would have taken awhile before he managed to locate some sort of leader among the prisoners.

He could see the wisdom in biding their time and carefully crafting a strong escape strategy. After all, they wouldn't get anywhere if they all clambered for the door at once. This Hughes fellow sounded like he and his fellow prisoners had been using their time at Landel's wisely, and Obi-Wan respected that. From what he knew so far, he and Qui-Gon would do well to keep in close contact with these people.

Leaning towards Hughes, Obi-Wan subtly glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. "How far are you on getting the layout?" he asked. "I've been trying to gather information about this place since the day I got here, but I imagine you and your group have made much more progress."

He looked vaguely amused at Hughes' mediator comment. "Like I said, I'm willing to help however I can, even if it's getting people to agree on things. I take it there's friction between some of the people here?" It wouldn't have surprised him. The distress that radiated from many of the prisoners was thick in the air sometimes, and short tempers were often the result of long-term stress.

"I've got some maps," Hughes said. "The building sometimes changes its layout, so keeping'em updated can be tough. But I've got a good chunk of the first floor mapped out, with locked doors marked and notes on what's where and what's been found in what room." He didn't have his journal with him, unfortunately.

"Yeah, we've got some friction. A few calming words could go a damn long way. There's no time to waste squabbling and arguing over stuff that doesn't matter here." He settled in, keeping his voice low.

"We've got a lot more to do, but we're making progress. And we'd be damn glad for your help."

"The building changes layouts?" Obi-Wan asked, frowning a little. He didn't like the sound of that. "How is that even possible? Do they construct new wings, or do they simply change the rooms around every once in awhile?" Still, even if they just did that, the basic structure of the building should have remained the same...

"Yeah, we've got some friction," Hughes had said. "A few calming words could go a damn long way. There's no time to waste squabbling and arguing over stuff that doesn't matter here."

"I agree," the Jedi said quietly. "Unfortunately, people sometimes let their personal biases get in the way of more pertinent issues." It was something he'd witnessed many, many times throughout his life. "Even when their fates are very much intertwined with one another and cooperation is essential, much like the situation here." He slightly toyed with his half-empty glass. "What happens to one of us has an affect on all, one way or another."

Obi-Wan subtly gestured towards Qui-Gon, who was sitting a couple of tables away from them. "That's my companion over there. I'll have to discuss it with him before I can make any solid alliances, but I'm sure he'll be glad to know I've found you."

"No it... it's the damndest thing. SOmetimes you'll wake up and everything'll be different. Or one time we were all told there was a lock down and everything felt weird, and then... the building was different." He didn't know how else to explain what happened.

"I know, I see it all the time. And I can only do so much. I mean, I'm a people person and I can calm folks down, but I'm trained to do that with... rape victims and people who've been brutally attacked. Not a couple of guys with big egos and bigger grudges. I just get frustrated sometimes." And it was nice to admit that. Felt like a weight off of him, really.

"Yeah, no problem." Hughes nodded. "You know... I think I may have talked to him once. I, uh, I had a bad night the other night and some things have gotten a little mixed up for me. My memory's a little shot, but I'm pretty sure I talked to him."

Obi-Wan's lips pursed into a thin line as he listened to Hughes speak about the changing layout. At first, the only logical explanation he could think of was that the staff somehow changed their locations while they were sleeping or drugged. But that didn't account for the times when the building changed while everyone was awake.

"That sounds...rather disconcerting," Obi-Wan said after a moment. "Especially after you've spent all that time figuring out the layout. But I guess that's precisely the point." Whoever was holding them captive here was incredibly intelligent and obviously had a lot of foresight. Which was all the more reason for them to be on their guard and stick together.

Hearing Hughes delve more into his job helped Obi-Wan understand a little more about the man. "It's natural to get frustrated when it seems there's little we can do for others' conflicts," Obi-Wan told him, and he meant it. He'd sat through countless debates between government officials while their people suffered from problems that needed solving right away. It was always disheartening at first, but it made reaching a compromise all the more rewarding in the end.

"But, it seems you've managed to keep your good nature despite the things you've seen happen to other people," Obi-Wan added. "That by itself is a special gift." He could see how a lesser man could give in to bitterness and cynicism in such a cruel galaxy. Hughes, on the other hand, was probably the most pleasant person Obi-Wan had come across since his arrival at Landel's. While it was possible (and quite probable) his good humor was a method of taking the edge off the grim nature of both his work and their current situation, there were other things that set him apart from the others he'd seen. From what he could tell, Hughes had offered his resources and support to Obi-Wan with no thought for reward other than the satisfaction of getting everyone out of this place. That sort of attitude was sorely needed, but unfortunately rare in the grand scheme of things.

When Hughes said he'd spoken to Qui-Gon before, Obi-Wan couldn't help but be a little surprised. It seemed like the Jedi Master would have mentioned someone as resourceful and seemingly open as Hughes, but it was possible they'd only spoke in passing, with little real information shared between them.

"His name's Qui-Gon Jinn," Obi-Wan told him, wondering if the name would jostle Hughes' memory. It was a little disquieting to hear that whatever had happened to the man was enough to cause some memory problems. Whatever it was, it must have been really bad.

"Are you all right?" he asked him, faint traces of concern evident in his voice.

"If I don't have my good nature, I don't have anything," Hughes said. "And the building pisses me off, but it's been quiet for a while. I've made good progress, so has everyone else." And maybe if no one did anything really stupid, things would stay the way they were.

"What I do... it helps people. I've seen some awful things, things that'd... that'd give a guy nightmares. But it helps. It helps the future victims and the ones that are still alive and someone's gotta help them." He remember training, how many soldiers hadn't been able to handle it.

"Oh man, it was... a few nurses. Ganged up on us, I got... burnt and sliced and slammed against a wall. I'm fine now, a little potential scarring from the burn but nothing too bad. I blacked out. Yeah, I think we met briefly... didn't get a chance to really talk, though, if it's who I'm thinking. I meet so many people every day... someone's got a problem or wants to help, they come to me. And new people just sort of... find me. I dunno, I guess I give off good vibes. I've got to write down people's names and what we talk about now, or else I can't remember...." And another weight was lifted.

He really did need to talk to Roy. Find out what he'd done, organize, go over everything... he was having trouble handling everything on his own.

Again.

"For everyone's sakes," Obi-Wan muttered, "I hope the building doesn't decide to change on us anytime soon." He couldn't imagine what it would be like to spend so many weeks gathering information, only to have it all suddenly become obsolete. And to have it happen at least twice...

"What I do...it helps people," Hughes had said. "I've seen some awful things, things that'd...that'd give a guy nightmares. But it helps. It helps the future victims and the ones that are still alive, and someone's gotta help them."

Obi-Wan quietly nodded and listened as the man spoke. The Jedi studied him for a brief moment and then said, "You seem to care a lot about your job. Very admirable, considering how difficult it must be."

That didn't necessarily mean he had to enjoy it, but Hughes obviously understood the concept of carrying out his duty towards his work and the people he was supposed to serve. It struck a sort of chord in Obi-Wan. He'd met many beings in his life who placed their own personal needs and wants above duty. Obi-Wan had once been such a person, back when he'd abandoned the Order and Qui-Gon during his mission on Melida/Daan. Even now, despite the regret he carried from that painful time in his life, Obi-Wan knew he wasn't as committed to duty as he wanted himself or others to believe. He'd made many, many sacrifices in the name of duty, but that didn't mean his heart had always been in it.

But Hughes was a military man, someone who understood and carried out duty, yet he still seemed to genuinely care. From what Obi-Wan could tell, duty had not hardened him against the pure desire to help others. In some ways, he was not unlike Qui-Gon, who, despite the gruesome, cruel things the Jedi Master had seen and experienced in his lifetime, still managed to find room in his heart to genuinely care and look after others. It was the same quality that had driven the man to take a bumbling, pathetic Gungan under his wing, as well as free a mere slave boy from the deserts of Tatooine. And, yet, even then...Qui-Gon had stayed true to duty until his dying breath.

Obi-Wan knew he was often neither as compassionate or duty-bound as a Jedi ought to be, and it sometimes bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

He only spent a few moments reflecting on all of this, his attention fully focused on Hughes again when the man explained his violent encounter from the other night. Obi-Wan's eyebrows faintly furrowed, and he frowned. "Do you need medical attention?" he asked. "If you blacked out, you probably have a concussion."

When Hughes mentioned how many people come to see him for help or guidance, Obi-Wan could see how being in that kind of position could stretch a man thin and deplete him over time, especially considering how dangerous the Landel's situation was. The Jedi quietly nodded as he listened, and then tried to sound encouraging. "If it helps eliminate unnecessary burdens for yourself, keeping a record might not be such a bad idea. There's only so much information a person can process at once, even at their best."

He briefly wondered who Hughes turned to if he needed help or had a problem, but he didn't voice his thoughts.

Day 21: Lunch

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