Obi Wan sat still in the council room, even long after the council had actually left. He worried not about where Leelo was. Not for now, despite the duties Master Windu had charged him with.
The whole business of Yoda leaving the Jedi temple did not please him, gave him a familiar feeling of unease and as far as he was aware, Windu felt the same and probably intended to talk to Yoda in private, to convince him otherwise. It always astounded Obi Wan how Yoda and Master Windu were on par with each other, Yoda's wisdom greater, Windu's tactics smarter and so worked well with one another and yet, despite a relationship that was built on the boulders of trust, Yoda was still so very ambiguous. He stood still while the rest of them shook in their boots, he was calm and sure when the rest of them battled doubt – even Master Windu.

"Master?"

Obi Wan's thoughts were suddenly drawn from where they were, wherever they were and he looked up, momentarily startled to see Anakin looking at him in that strangely dark and cautious way of his. An odd look that didn't suit his occasional arrogance.

"Are you alright?"

Obi Wan uncrossed his legs and stood up, fanning out his robe as if to shake off the worry and start again,
"Yes, yes I am. Sorry, I was far, far away,"

"I saw that," Anakin smirked first before his face lit up with a small but genuine smile, "It's good to see you, Master,"

Obi Wan felt a warm rush of fondness for his arrogant ex-apprentice, sometimes he was in over his head but he was a good man none the less and he had come a long way – once a child, now a fully-fledged Jedi albeit a Jedi who required a little more guidance,
"And you, Anakin. It's quite a mystery this."

Obi Wan lead the way out of the council room where they took a left and wondered down the longest hall with the most windows, the light flooding in from the gigantic windows.

"Yes, I've seen the Jedi in question wondering around the temple – I get a strange feeling about him,"

"'Her' actually and yes, so do I. Can't place it. Master Windu has put her under my charge without her consent so we'll have to be careful. It's up to us to find out more about her,"

"By us, you mean 'you', Master. I wasn't there for Master Windu to give me any such charge,"

"You're too witty for me, Anakin but let it be known, has there ever been a time when I've been asked to wonder into trouble and you haven't ended up coming with me? No. Only this time, I'm inviting you. Take it as a compliment,"

"How?"

Leelo wondered out of the darkness of the youngling training room, like a ghost she swept across the marble floor towards them as the lengthy robe covered her feet and Obi Wan saw the benign dark side only briefly before it was gone,

"Somebody needs to save our skins."

(((((((((())))))))))))((((((()))))))

Leelo saw them and slowed, coming to a stop mere feet away from the two Jedi Knights as they stood and watched curiously,

"Good Evening,"

"Good Evening, Shep," Obi Wan responded all too cheerily, surprised that Leelo had spoken first, "This is Anakin Skywalker, once my apprentice, now my fellow Jedi Knight,"

"Pleasure," Anakin offered somewhat flatly, "I understand you're here to convince Master Yoda to return to Othen with you to investigate this Jedi Army you have,"

Obi Wan glanced at Anakin sharply, Anakin was hinting at sarcasm and that could very well ruin any attempt at forming a relationship with this…in between-er.
And just as he had suspected, she didn't take particularly well to it, responding with a course,

"Consider the job done, fledgling,"

And she washed past them – whatever reason she had to stop and talk to them, brushed aside and forgotten.
Obi Wan glared at Anakin,

"Thank you, Anakin," he hissed, "I ask you to be my partner and you respond as if it were a joke,"

"It is!" Anakin suddenly blurted, "Do you honestly believe that there's a Jedi Army out there? The Jedi are selfless peace-keepers, that's what we're trained in. No Jedi would consent to being a soldier,"

"That's only Order 66 – Othen is old Anakin, the Jedi there are from systems we don't know and we don't know their circumstances. They may very well have a good reason for becoming what they're becoming,"

"Yeah well, I don't like it. It makes me uneasy," Anakin scowled, turning away from Obi Wan in an ode to the childishness he still possessed that had need for guidance.

"As it does me, Anakin but we have to be open minded. This is a fragile business," when Anakin didn't respond to his reason, Obi Wan resorted to the old use of desperation, "I need your help…please,"

It seemed to do the trick as Anakin finally looked at him and though it was a look of displeasure, he nodded.
Obi Wan smiled,

"Good. Now stay here," he raised his finger for emphasise, "I'm off to fix your mistake,"

He didn't give Anakin time to respond before he was on his way, walking briskly to catch up with Leelo.

When he did, he found Leelo standing on the landing platform of the temple and looking out over the city as it begun to light up while the sun went down and the moon passed by it, rising gently into the sky above them.

"Lovely, isn't it?" he offered, coming up beside her.

She turned to him and nodded.

"I apologise for Anakin's behaviour – I had nothing to do with that, I promise,"

It was a failure of a joke as Leelo jumped straight into the undertow of all matters.

"Anakin Skywalker, the boy wonder set to bring balance to the force and destroy the Sith. How will that happen I wonder – a close-minded, arrogant boy,"

"He's a good man,"

"I have no doubt," she looked over at him, "Manners are often deceptive of one's inner-shell. You trust him?"

"I do,"

"I do not."

"You don't trust the best of us, I feel,"

"Perhaps…but for the best of you I have a willingness to try,"

"How do you know of Anakin?"

"A disturbance in the force when the boy was born drew my Master's attention,"

"A disturbance?" Obi Wan turned to her fully, baffled,

"A shift, perhaps," she paused, considering re-phrasing, "Yes, a shift better suits the situation. He took it upon himself to find out what brought it about – was it good, was it bad…"

"And his conclusion?"

"I only know mine. I imagine Master Jed will have to meet young Skywalker to determine his own feelings.

She spoke of Master Reno as if she were an apprentice and she spoke by herself as if she had been walking the earths for many years. There was wisdom etched into the contours of her face and in the rust of her words and yet, there was a hint of being unsure, a need to hold onto something stable like Master Reno.

She watched the lights flicker on as darkness finally took over as the last of the dying light finally died. She watched with an intense focus – fascinated by a planet made of brick, electricity and endless skyscrapers.

"Would you like to see it?"

"See what, Master Kenobi?"

"The city, of course. It'd be my pleasure to show you the city around us. There's much to see,"

"I can see fine here,"

"Very well." Obi Wan placed his hands behind his back and prepared himself for the next turn of conversation when a flying car landed gracefully behind them, the outlet of air making the night shimmer about it,

"If we were to see the city. Would we go in that?" she asked, watching as the flyer climbed out of the car and proceeded to enter the Temple, gracing them with a brief wave.

"Yes," Obi Wan said, sensing a change in her attitude.

"Hmmm…very well, Master Kenobi, lead the way,"

And so Obi Wan did. Pleased at her interest in the march of progress, the contrast between a dead planet and one of the most alive planets in their particular galaxy.
He hopped into a red automobile and flipped the switch so that the car gently breathed into life and rose from the ground like a lung.

Leelo climbed in, one careful step after another via the door, closing it behind her with force and then double checking its closure. Once comfortable, Obi Wan reversed and stepped on the pedal and sped out into the night. When he glanced over at Leelo, she was tense, holding on to her seat stiffly and her hood had blown off to leave her hair billowing in the wind.
But after a few moments, she calmed and let go of the seat to replace it.

After which, Obi Wan proceeded to point out various land marks and familiarities none of which she responded too but Obi Wan chose to accept that it wasn't disinterest, it was merely a different sort of listening.

"And now there," he pointed briefly, "is the Jedi temple,"

"We're that far already,"

"Yes, strange isn't it…"

A car flew too close for her liking and she winced,

"Put this thing down, I'm walking!"

"Shep, I'd like to know more about the in-betweens,"

"Let's strike a deal, Master Kenobi, I'll tell you 'most' of whatI have if you put this thing down…please,"

Obi Wan obliged and no sooner had he done so than did Shep Leelo get out without hesitancy, puffing out a sigh of relief while gazing grimly at the red car Obi Wan himself was coming around from.

"You are my charge, Shep. I was going to go about this subtly but Master Yoda has agreed to go to Othen with you. The temple will be vulnerable, the politics here will heighten and as word spreads that he is not here, there will be hysteria,"

"How does such an old man keep the peace with only his presence?" she smirked, turning from him and the car.

"You must get to know Master Yoda,"

"Do you claim to 'know' him, Obi Wan? One of the most powerful Jedi Knights in the system and you 'know' him?"

"I don't claim that at all. I trust him, though, with every ounce of what we have. He trusts you so give me the same reason you gave him, I want to trust you too. I would like you to feel you can trust me as well so…Shep Leelo, let's understand each other."

Leelo narrowed her eyes at him before nodding briefly,

"What do you want to know?"

"How many are there of you?"

"Just Jed and myself,"

"For an army? My, my, that's quite an accomplishment," Obi Wan said, amused by her misinterpretation but Leelo ignored it, starting to walk back in the direction of the Jedi temple, forcing Obi Wan to follow.

"To lead 10,000 Jedi Knights, there is just Master Reno and myself,"

Obi Wan faltered a moment,

"10,000…"

She hid a small smile from him as she watched his amusement slip from his face. She looked up at the ordered chaos as cars flew past each other, each passing encounter a near but forgettable miss,

"Madness," she uttered.

"Quite…" Obi Wan agreed though to which subject he was responding, he wasn't too sure, "What orders are involved?"

"It'll make it easier to comprehend if I tell you there are 5 galaxies involved,"

"5?!"

"Yes, master Kenobi, 5."

She turned to him with a blank indifference, as if having half of the universes Jedi Knights under her thumb was no big accomplishment,

"I suppose that would make sense," he offered, trying to dull his sudden anxiety.

"And what of Order 66?" she said suddenly, changing the subject. Obi Wan stilled,

"What of it?"

"I hear word of clones…a dangerous business,"

"Yes. Well, best not to let that slip too far out of hand,"

"I would say the same thing. Where did they come from?"

"Apparently, one of our late Jedi Masters ordered their creation from a planet in the far West of the galaxy…"

"What planet?"

Obi Wan sensed a growing resentment in Leelo, her questions growing agitated and aggressive,

"Unfortunately, that is information I am obliged to withhold – the creators, you see."

Leelo seemed to accept the reasoning but still found it grudge worthy as she continued on,

"Go on,"

"He told no one which was a bit peculiar,"

"Who was he?"

"Master Sifo-Dyas,"

Shep suddenly turned, her face cloaked in darkness but Obi Wan swore he saw her eyes widen in momentary shock before it was quickly wiped from her brow as if it were never there at all. A micro-expression, a ghost.
She kept walking, her body more rigid,

"Do you know him?" Obi Wan enquired cautiously, wondering if perhaps this new Order had anything to do with the clone commission.

"Of him,"

"Any idea why he wanted a clone army?"

"Absolutely none,"

"You're lying,"

"It's not my funeral,"

"Pardon me?"

"Clones commissioned in secret, not even Master Yoda knew…did he…"

Obi Wan was silent.

"A Clone army bred for what? And for who?"

"Sifo-Dyas was one of the orders most trusted Masters, he would not have done it if it weren't for the good of the order," Obi Wan defended though a small part of himself began doubting his own words.

"Sifo-Dyas did not tell you and that, in itself, is a dangerous way to protect your Jedi."

"He was killed, he may very well have told us if he gotten the chance,"

"But he did not tell you from the start. Curious," she shrugged without looking at him, "Who was he killed by?"

"I don't know,"

"Take a guess,"

Obi Wan looked at her in puzzlement,

"I have no names, only that he was killed in battle,"

"By a Sith,"

"Yes…"

"That should worry you, Master Kenobi,"

And it did but he had enough to worry about and he wanted to believe that the clones were a good thing. He wanted to brush it aside but Leelo's sudden interest and retaliation against the notion made it a more pressing situation.

"Why should it worry me?"

"Can you imagine if the Sith got their hands on a clone army? Can you imagine how catastrophic that would be? Not to you alone, but to our body of work,"

"They won't, it's impossible,"

"So close-minded,"

"If the Sith had control of the Clone army, they would have attacked us by now,"

"Would they have?"

Obi Wan stopped but Leelo did not. She kept walking, she kept on without looking back and as she all but disappeared into the hordes of people weaving in and out of each other and despite how disturbing the conversation was, all Obi Wan could think of to say was,

"Wouldn't you need to be taken back? The people of this city aren't exactly accommodating to new-comers,"

Leelo turned back against the wave of people,

"No, I will walk. Trust me," she said dryly, "If anyone should be weary of anyone; It's them,"
she gestured to the squabble of beings about her, "Of me."

And Obi Wan believed her and he felt a little ashamed for she had quite simply stated his own fears to himself – she had openly said that she knew exactly what was in his head. Worried and suddenly tired, he headed back to where he left his mobile. In true form, he had come full circle with himself long before the conversation. He had only hoped that it had occurred to no one else only because it was an impossibility but things were not as they seemed. They were ignorant despite their time and he longed for Yoda's reassurance but it suddenly made sense as to why Yoda agreed to go to Othen. If the clone army was to be commandeered, they would need a serious back-up plan and so as Obi Wan worried, so did Yoda.

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Leelo trudged back to the Jedi temple, somewhat distraught over everything and grateful to be alone and yet as she looked around, there were eyes that pried into her being, trying to see into her hood and beneath her robe, she felt grotesque – she wasn't alone. She longed to be back in Othen alongside Jed, where the earth was flat and when night time came, everything went to sleep or at the very least, things stilled.

She longed for quiet conversation – or perhaps a lack thereof – with Jed when she wondered out into the dark on nights she couldn't sleep only to find Jed looking up at the moon. They'd stand and nothing would be said, sometimes Jed wouldn't even look at her but it never seemed to matter, despite her position, she preferred being a ghost.

She made it back a little stiff legged and slightly agitated for she had more than a few city dwellers try their luck.
She saw Obi Wan's mobile parked neatly back where he had taken it from. When she looked up, Anakin Skywalker stood waiting,

"Skywalker," she muttered as she passed.

"Master Yoda wishes to speak with you," he said coldly, recognising her steely tone with him. She didn't respond but instead of taking a right, she took a left towards the council room.

"Leelo," Anakin called and she turned to him none too hastily, "Master Kenobi has told me that you had a fairly straight forward talk so we won't be needing courtesies anymore,"

"No," she said swiftly before she turned away again.

"Before you go,"

Leelo rolled her eyes and turned again,

"Why?"

She was momentarily surprised and was hesitant, unsure of how to answer. It was not an enquiry she was expecting to hear from the young Jedi. The Force was hazy about him. With the darkness around him, he was expected to speak bluntly but was not expected to care and yet here he was asking why they no longer needed to greet each other appropriately anymore – or rather, why they didn't even have to start.

"You don't want the truth, Skywalker,"

"What truth?"

"My feelings. We don't need courtesies, no. But feelings are more personal, don't you think? I'd prefer to keep those for the time being,"

She didn't trust him. She didn't like his arrogant aura. She felt threatened by him. Things that were caught in the blurred lines between trivial, personal and genuine threats. She turned for the last time and left him behind though she was aware that he had not left his position following her departure.

When she entered the council room, curious to know why she had been called so late. She found Yoda, Windu and Obi Wan in a semi-circle and all looking at her. She appeared to have interrupted their conversation.

"Good evening,"

"Evening," Windu said coarsely and Obi Wan nodded. Yoda, on the other hand, looked grave, hovering on his floating chair.

"Good evening, young Shep, "Though not so good, the evening is,"

"Why's that…"

"We have worries and fears. Deeper and greater everyday, they grow. Go to Othen, we must, and soon. Tomorrow,"

Leelo took a double take, surprised. She glanced at Obi Wan and found the answers on his face. Her opinions on the existence and use of a clone army had done their work well. Obi Wan had relayed the message and therefore, the process was that much quicker.

"Very well," she offered, slowly, carefully, weary of Windu's expression. Not at all happy was he with the situation.

"But it will be a quick visit," he said sternly, "You and Master Reno have two days to show us,"

"Then you will have two days to decide,"

Windu went silent and Leelo felt victory rising,

"Not long is it, but whose problem is that? As of yet, it's not ours. I will see you in the morning, Master Yoda,"

"At dawn, we will leave,"

"I shall inform Anakin, then," Obi Wan said thoughtfully.

Yoda looked at Shep and she desperately wanted to tell him 'no'. Say 'no', she begged to the force. She grimaced even and yet the answer was inevitable though Yoda too, seemed reluctant.

She left without listening to the reality of the answer. She left to send word back to Jed who received it with a hmmm of speculation.

"It is good that you are weary but keep it to yourself for now. Kenobi and Windu will have to be his safe guard. You and I have other things to worry about,"

"There are measures we can take. He is our problem, they all are,"

"Shep, we must at least try a leap of faith. But rest assured, if anything seems amiss, we'll do what we've always done."

He looked grim as he said it, a reassuring sign. She dreaded the idea of either of them taking pleasure in eradicating a problem with a lightsabre and it had been done before though Jed had spared her more often than not.

He had his stories, he just didn't have the scars on his skin to show them.

The next morning came swiftly and with it came a long flight through space back to Othen. She kept to herself for most of the flight, leaving the room when someone entered to avoid conversation and finding another window. As time swept by, other windows were growing scarce and she found herself trudging back and forth more often than she stayed to actually look out a window. She must have marched past the cockpit more times than she cared to count and to the captain and those who occupied it, she must have looked ridiculous, huffing and puffing her way past every so often.

But as the flight came to an end and they slowed down and came out of hyperspace, Othen was in view. Enormous and as black as the space surrounding it – the only way to distinguish it was to recognise the lack of any stars covering its mass. An orange rim was forming over the North horizon and the planet began to look like a hole.

As they descended into its atmosphere, dawn was painting the sky a dull blue and the sand was cool beneath the boot. Shep marched off more quickly than she anticipated, all but running to her Master who awaited their arrival in the wee hours of the morning, arms folded against the cold, hood up and his breath crystallising in front of him.

"Master," she said,

"Shep," he returned, a smile playing across thin lips, "It's good to see you back so soon. I was against the idea of 5 days. Whatever was I going to do without you?"

His light-hearted approach was not enough to calm Shep, she wanted to know that he was aware of her fears and took them seriously,

"Skywalker is here,"

"Yes," he nodded, "You told me, at last I can make a decision. And?"

"You know my fears,"

"I do but there's not a lot I can do about it now, Shep. You'll have to endure,"

Shep went silent. She turned upon the arrival of the rest of the crew; Obi Wan, Yoda and last but not least, Anakin Skywalker and slunk back behind Jed Reno who held his ground and allowed his glance to sweep over everyone, rest for moment on Anakin, before turning his attention to Master Yoda, who hobbled over on a flimsy walking stick, struggling against the grain of the sand,

"Allow me," Jed offered, and indicated for a seat not unlike the one Yoda had back at the temple which glided over and came to a halt at Yoda's level, allowing him to climb on comfortably and at last be level with the rest of them.

"Thank you," he bowed his head graciously, "An honour, it is, to finally meet you,"

"No, Master Yoda, I assure you the honour is all mine," he smiled, a cynical smile Shep had grown used too. Reno was calm and often overly optimistic, an emphatic and charismatic person who she didn't always understand and it was this that was the redeeming factor of her respect for him if all else appeared to fail. After 20 years of his training, she still had no idea what he was capable of.

"Mean to push, I do not but precious, our time is," Master Yoda began, "What – "

"All time is precious, Master Yoda, ours most of all. War is coming and with the existence of your clone army my apprentice has told me so much about, I fear it inches closer as the separatists grow more agitated,"

"Indeed," Yoda agreed,

"Who is the Sith Lord you seek?" Reno asked inquisitively,

"Darth Sidious," Obi Wan answered, "He's been in hiding for decades but he first made an attempt at disrupting the republic with a young Sith Lord named Darth Maul,"

"Ah…he scared me,"

Shep remembered that moment as clear as day. Jed had been stunned into stillness where Shep had charged after the retreating Sith Lord, even daring a jump to cut the power cables of the starship but she could not reach and fell back to earth while Maul sped away into the light of day.

"What are you doing?!" Shep had screamed.

"What…?" Jed had responded, still agape at the sudden appearance of a Sith and so very soon. Of course the panic was not over the Jedi Army having been found for they had barely started; more over having been discovered as simply alive outside of the Orders most widely known. They were on the Mountain terrain of Tatooine then.
"Master!"

Jed suddenly sped away at such a pace Shep almost fell over in shock. He was calling for the evacuation of all of 100 Jedi Knights. The rumours were true, the threat real and so their merry gathering started to grow on the flatlands of Othen.

"Anyway," Jed Reno continued, drawing shep back from memory, "Perhaps we should get straight to the point – memory has no more use here nor does explanation. I'll show you,"

And with a glint in his eyes, Jed lead them away from the ship towards a strange looking hole in the ground, a crater. And as he ascended, the hole grew and grew until at last, doors started to make themselves known and Shep, no longer wanting to be a part of the party, discreetly slipped into one of the smaller entrances as the small troop lead by Jed were shown to the massive hall of Jedi Warfare.