"This is an urgent message to all Jedi. Listen carefully for this cannot be repeated, nor can you contact the Temple back on Coruscant."
The ghostly image of Obi Wan Kenobi flutters and fizzles as he stands in the center of a group of Jedi sitting about in a dark forest, the holographic projection hovers over the large campfire the few have made as they try to stay warm in the coldness of the night.
"Do not attempt to come back to the Jedi Temple. The army of the Republic has taken it over and is now being controlled by Palpatine who, as we all feared, is the Sith Lord we have been looking for all this time. Master Yoda and myself seem to be the only survivors left here, the rest are all dead or hopefully out on missions nowhere near the Temple. Don't trust any of the soldiers where ever you are, they've been conditioned to kill you no matter what say or do. Their weak minds are so corrupted that they will not think twice about shooting you. So much has happened so fast…I hope this message reaches to all of them as well, because this transmission will undoubtedly be discovered and deactivated soon."
As the Jedi listen to Obi Wan speak, each one, young and old, give a somber gaze to each other and at the faint blue hologram hovering above the fire. The news is devastating to them all as they take in the reality that nothing is left back home, some begin to shed tears for all of the fallen Jedi, for they too felt the tremors in the Force as the younglings and the Masters died in the slaughter.
"Encoded on this message is some of the Temple archives and video logs, not all I'm afraid, for my time was limited and only could put in the select few."
Obi Wan gave a pause in his talking as he gave himself a moment to hold back the tears himself. They could see that he was deeply disturbed and was having trouble trying to give them as much information on what happened.
"I'm so sorry my friends." He soon continues as he gazes a back up. "There is nothing we can do any longer. We have failed."
The shock of this admittance sends the group chattering to one another. But they soon stop as the eldest Jedi rises from his seat and stretches out his hand for them all to remain silent. A frail looking Caucasian human, with white hair slightly slicked back to shoulder length and a full white beard that is grown down to his chest. His eyes are deep blue and have a wisdom about them that give away his true age. On his pale looking skin, the age spots are numerous and just as wrinkled as the rest of him. His demand for quiet is soon heard as the they all continue to listen to the hologram.
"The Jedi Order is no more here on Coruscant. The Council, the Jedi elders, even the Padawans and younglings have all been killed. There is nothing to return to my friends."
Now the sounds of the women Jedi crying and moans of disbelief from the younger male Jedi fill the air. Still the frail old Jedi stands as he closes his eyes with horror and quivers his lip with sorrow.
"Palpatine will be on all of us now, those of us that have survived and the others that managed to escape from his army. I urge you all to take shelter where you can and remain hidden from harm. One day we will prepare to end this dark time, but not now, not while he has so much power at his disposal. Be patient my friends, we will see each other again soon, if not now, then in some other time when the Jedi can return home. Take care…all of you. Master Yoda and I are with you always. May the Force be with you all."
The haunting blue image of Obi Wan fades as the device sitting on the ground switches off. The holo-emmiter's lights switch off and let the fire flames flicker off of its reflective surface. The Jedi group are all still in great shock, crying, angry and even questioning the message itself.
"This…this can't be real?" One of the young male Jedi Knights says as he stands up. "How could this happen? Why didn't the Jedi Masters foresee this event? Why didn't they stop this from happening?"
"Be calm my young one." The old bearded man replies as he breathes in to relax his own nerves. "Do not let yourself become swayed in anger…"
"How can I not Master B'Ni Lok Ji? Where was the Chosen One! He was to prevent this sort of thing! Where is Anakin Skywalker!"
The young man became overwhelmed with his own thoughts; his anguish soon turned into crying and ended up collapsing on the ground overcome with grief. The Jedi Master paced around the fire and tried to look at each one of them as he spoke.
"What is done….is done. You cannot change the here and now. I do not know where the chosen one is…there is a chance that perhaps he was killed as well. The Republic…is now the mighty fist of Palpatine's new Empire. We…are all that remains of the Jedi Knights. I can only assume that Master Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi are doing as they have instructed all of us to do. Laying low, finding a place out of the way and for now…letting this Empire pass by while they wait for our return."
"How long ago did you get this transmission?" A male Bothan Jedi asks from the group.
"Nearly two days ago." The old man sighs. "It came right after the other two messages. The first one was just as the war ended, signaling the Jedi to return home and then other one was sent out to keep away from Coruscant at all costs. It confused many of us and left us wondering what was going on. I tried to use my own codes to activate the database back home, but the signal soon stopped. That's when this new message appeared of Obi Wan Kenobi telling us of what had transpired…but not long after we received this one, it too was stopped abruptly…I believe that this new Empire has seized our Temple and shutdown the computers."
"Can't we all just go back and re-take the temple?" A young black human male Jedi Knight asks.
A young human Jedi female looks at him with concern. She gives a simple sigh as she runs her hand through the silky blackness of her hair. "Clearly we can't return…if the Empire is total control, then we would surly die before we even set foot on Coruscant."
"Yes, Laytana Onobis…I agree with that." The old man nods to her. "The Empire…such as it is now…sees us as its enemy. Palpatine will scour the galaxy with his troops to ensure our capture and kill the rest of us. That's why I feel we must split up and remain hidden from them at all costs. We'll just have to return when the time is right."
"Why?" A young Padawan boy says as he stands up. "Why can't we go back and fight? Palpatine must be destroyed."
Laytana looks at the youngling with disapproval and gives a firm tone to him.
"This is not for you to decide young one. If Master Yoda and the rest of the Jedi Council were unable to end this Sith's rule, we are certainly likely to fail as well."
"But…but…we have to do something!" The young boy begins to yelp. "They killed all the Jedi! We have no home! I want to go home!"
"Hush child!" Laytana scowls. "Screaming will not change what has happened."
Master B'Ni Lok Ji walks over to the small boy and hugs him with compassion as he breaks down into tears. Patting the boy on the head to calm him down and looking up at the others around him, the old man gives a sigh.
"We are all that is left of the Jedi Knights. And being so, should we not maintain our honor and code of conduct while we still exist? The war is lost my children. But we remain Jedi to the last."
"Skywalker…I can't believe he didn't do anything to prevent this." Laytana says with a bewildered gaze. "What happened to him? He was the chosen one…to bring balance to the Force. Wasn't he?"
"Perhaps he fell as the rest did." Another Jedi says beside her. "Palpatine was powerful enough to deceive us all…he might have been too powerful for Anakin as well."
Laytana bows her head in sorrow. "If that is true…then we are truly lost."
"Lost?" B'Ni Lok Ji says stroking his white beard in thought. "Not so. I do not feel that he is among those that have fallen. Strange that I cannot sense him now….but for some reason I feel he is not gone. We would have felt him if he had died, such a strong presence in the Force, he was truly great in his command of it. I often remember speaking to him and noticing how very much it surround him."
"You spoke to him Master?" The little boy looks up.
"Yes, young one." The old man snickers. "He was one of my pupils during his Padawan days. I taught him in the ways of lightsaber techniques and gave him insight into the history of the Jedi. He was a great student…with such eagerness to learn."
The old man smiled as he remembered his time with Anakin. The memories flooded back as he regaled them with his stories.
"I remember showing him one of the old legends of the Jedi Order. And of the prophecy of the one would bring balance of the Force. Never have I seen a Padawan so into his studies like he was, pouring through books and using the interstellar observatory to gaze out at the various worlds and stars. He told me once… 'Master Lok Ji?' Yes Anakin? I said. 'Someday I shall take a ship and visit each one of those worlds, I will bring peace to them all and no one will ever die again…I promise you, as the chosen one…I will do this'."
The old Jedi Master quietly chuckled as he remembered those words, a laughter that soon trailed off as he realized that he was never to see Anakin as he was ever again. The others watched as his head tilted down in sorrow and gave a slight sniffle as he fought back his tears.
"I shall miss him so. Remember him always my friends…he is…was…a great Jedi." The old man's voice broke.
Laytana reached out her hand and patted his gently.
"Maybe you are right Master Lok Ji, maybe he isn't gone and has found Obi Wan and Yoda. There might still be a chance…a hope…that he will bring about balance still. If not him, then those of us that have survived to live and train for that day."
The entire group nods in agreement. And while a moment of silence falls among them all, several Jedi members stand up and look at the others.
"No more talk about this. It's time for all of us to leave now. The Empire will no doubt come to all of the worlds that the Jedi were on during the Clone Wars." The leading young male Bothan Jedi announces. "I will take these few with me and head out."
"Do not tell any of us where you are going." The old man states as he releases himself from the small boy's embrace and Laytana's hand. "No one should say where they are headed, should any of us get caught by the Empire, they might force us to reveal those locations and wipe us out."
"Understood, my Master." The Bothan Jedi bows.
"I shall miss our time together my friend." Lok Ji says to him with a smile. "You have been my best pupil and been like a son to me as well. Good luck Bentoi."
"And you, old man." Bentoi smiles. "You've been like a father and the best mentor I could ever have asked for. Farewell. Farewell to you all."
As the few Jedi leave with him, the others say their goodbyes to them and wave as they disappear into the dense, darkened forest.
"I guess it's my turn to leave.' Laytana says as she rises up. "Who will journey with me as I look for a new home?"
"I will." The old Jedi Master says to her with kind eyes. "And so will this young Padawan…"
He pats the child's head again as he looks down to see him smiling back up.
"We can teach him together and continue his training to be a Jedi Knight. Would you like that Lenko?"
"Oh Master B'Ni…" The small boy grins as he wipes away his tears. "I would like that very much."
"Good. I'm glad." The old man giggles.
Laytana walks over and clasps on to both of their shoulders in approval. She turns around to see the others also pairing up and starting to leave and has a somber look on her face.
"So this is the end of us. Not with a victorious return as heroes, but only as mere whimpers in the night."
"This is not the end, Laytana." The old man says. "As you said before to me, it is a sign of hope. The Jedi will endure because there is hope that we will return again."
She looks back the old man smiling at her and gives a sheepish smile back at him.
"I hope we are right about that Master….I hope we are right."
The three begin to walk away from the fire site and watch the others disappear into the forest in different directions. The fire itself gets put out as the last remaining Jedi standing there. A young black Jedi male with a short crop of black hair, on his belt is not one, but two lightsabers and has his traditional brown cloak draped over his shoulder. He uses the Force to extinguish the flames and looks up at the stars one last time.
"May the force be with us…always."
••••••••••••••••••••••••
Cruising in the darkness, an Imperial Star Destroyer approaches the planet of Naboo as it soon comes into view. Inside the vessel, standing in front of the large window on the main bridge, Darth Vader stands in front of it gazing at it in silence.
"Padmae…" The Dark Lord breathes out from his lips.
Commander Altavis walks up to Vader and bows to him.
"My lord, we've arrived at Naboo and your shuttle is standing ready. Is there anything else you need?"
"No Commander." Vader states coldly. "I shall depart to the surface at once…alone."
"Begging your pardon my lord…" The Commander nervously speaks. "But I was told that you are to be accompanied with a pair of Stormtroopers at all times."
"I said I wish to be alone!" The angered dark lord shouted as he turned around to face the man shivering for his life. "Is that clear Commander?"
"Yes…yes Lord Vader….but…" The man continues to speak nervously. "The Emperor commanded me to accompany you with some guards to…to… ensure your safety."
Vader continued to look down at him and the sound of his breathing began to calm down.
"The Emperor said this to you?"
"He did my lord."
"Very well…" Vader says as he begins to walk past him. "If that is his wish."
The Commander tries to keep up with Darth Vader as he walks to the elevator at the other end of the bridge.
"It's only as a precaution Lord Vader…the Emperor feels…"
"I know exactly what the Emperor is trying to do, Commander." Vader gruffly interrupts as he finally reaches the elevator. "So don't attempt to hide it with your feeble mind…I see through your thoughts so clearly that even a Jedi Padawan learner could easily read them."
Altavis gulps as he looks at the angered towering Sith Lord, the elevator doors open and the two step in.
"Then you know exactly what he said to me I suppose…" The Commander says to him.
"Yes." Vader replies. "He wanted me to know what he had said to you. Otherwise, he would have used the power of the darkside to shroud your thoughts to me."
The doors close quickly and the low sounding hum of the elevator descending through the ship creates an air of discomfort for the officer. Standing beside this towering Sith Lord is rather intimidating. Between the elevator's eerie hum and Vader's constant breathing, it's like being stuck in a terrible nightmare for him.
"If you like…" Altavis says breaking the silence. "I could keep the guards with me and allow you some space for the time being on the surface."
Vader turns his head to peer down at him.
"A wise suggestion, Commander. Perhaps there is hope for you yet."
"Th-thank you my Lord." The man smirks.
