Author's Note: Since the first installment of this story, there's been one other addition: a companion piece called Vengeance, written by skywalker05. They are the same story, told from two drastically different points of view, and are best experienced together.

…Chapter I – Visions of the Past…

It was the same dream that had plagued him since Naboo. He watched the fateful duel from another perspective, from outside of himself, and analyzed it to the last excruciating detail. But nothing looked any different.

At first, they were the same seamless force they'd always been. They were united in the Force, effectively one warrior in two bodies. But they'd never faced anything like this Sith before. His Force-push was the first thing that had ever separated Master from Padawan in the middle of a battle.

If he'd been a few steps quicker, Obi-Wan thought he might have made it through the ray shields in time to reunite with his Master – in time to save him. But just like every dream, he was held up at the last shield and forced to watch Qui-Gon's murder.

As soon as the shield came down, Obi-Wan surged forward and refused to give up the offensive. He cut the double lightsaber hilt in half but still found himself retreating until he was pushed over the edge of the reactor shaft. He knew, in the back of his mind, that he should have died then and there – the Sith was toying with him, gloating his victory, almost. It was his only mistake. The time that he was hanging was just enough for Obi-Wan to call Qui-Gon's lightsaber to his hand and jump back onto the platform. In the briefest moment, he took in everything: the light, the hum of his weapon, the feel of the solid metal beneath his feet, the startled gaze of his opponent, and, of course, the Force presences around him. Qui-Gon's was fading steadily – he'd been stabbed clean through the chest and left to die. And so, to the monster who had stabbed him, Obi-Wan returned the favor.

He watched the Sith fall to the floor, and then he woke up.

Anakin was standing in the doorway, looking expectantly at Obi-Wan. "Are you alright, Master?" he asked quietly.

Obi-Wan gave him a small smile. "Yes. I'm sorry, Padawan. Did I wake you?"

The boy shook his head. "No. I had a nightmare."

"You too, huh?"

Anakin scurried forward to stand beside Obi-Wan's bed. "Can I sleep in here tonight, Master?"

"Now, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied softly, "we've been over this. You're almost eleven; you're getting too old for that. What's wrong now?"

"I think there's an Anzat in my closet."

Obi-Wan sighed. "How many times do I have to explain that nothing like that could get into the Temple?"

At least Anakin had the grace to look slightly guilty. "Could you please check?"

Slowly, and perhaps slightly over-dramatically, Obi-Wan extricated himself from his blankets and followed Anakin into his room. He didn't bother to turn on the glowsticks stuck into the walls; his senses were sharp enough to see clearly, even in the limited light coming in from the living area. Slowly and deliberately, he walked across the room to the small closet and pulled open the door.

There was nothing inside but tunics, pants, and a few scattered computer parts that Anakin used when putting droids together. But Obi-Wan could not deny that there was a definite darkness surrounding the area.

Of course, there was a definite darkness around most of Coruscant these days. The Council spoke about it in hushed tones; the cloud of the Dark side. It was a constant reminder of the too-real threat that the Sith suddenly presented. No one liked to think of it; in fact, Obi-Wan had realized that most of his peers were content to imagine the threat had passed when Obi-Wan had slain the Sith apprentice on Naboo. Surely, the Master could not find and train another so quickly, and the Jedi would catch up to him long before he and his apprentice were ready.

Obi-Wan wasn't so sure, but he was not about to let anyone else know that. Just as he was not about to let Anakin know that he, too, felt something was amiss in the room.

"There is nothing in your closet, Padawan," he said, closing both the door and the conversation. "Go back to sleep."

The next dream is perhaps even worse than the first.

He holds his Master, tears blurring the last image he will ever have of Qui-Gon Jinn. He strains to hear his mentor's final words, only half listening but ready to agree to anything the dying man could ask of him.

"He is the Chosen One. He will bring balance. Train him."

And then he feels the Force gather around him, rolling in like storm clouds. Qui-Gon attempts a smile, but it seems he is too weak even for that small action. Obi-Wan shuts his eyes and lets the tears fall. When he opens them again, the Force is trickling away, and Qui-Gon is still and cold.

As gently as he can, he lays his Master's body down on the floor; the man is far too heavy for Obi-Wan to carry him out. He leaves the room, with the battle, the Sith, the fate of Naboo all driven from his mind by the two tasks now before him. First, he will find a guardsman who can help him move Qui-Gon. Then he will find Anakin, and do his best to explain.

The Naboo are seeing to their own dead, but the man he speaks to does not hesitate to help him. They return to an eerily empty room, and Obi-Wan knows he will be forever haunted by what he sees there. Like ghosts, both Qui-Gon and the Sith have disappeared.

Obi-Wan glanced out the window at the pre-dawn light, and sighed. He moved quietly out into the living area of the apartment, since he didn't think he'd be getting any more sleep that night. Just as well that he got up now; he'd learned that running himself to the point of exhaustion was the easiest way to avoid the nightmares.

He was surprised to find Anakin awake as well, sitting silently in the kitchen unit, sipping from a cup of hot chocolate. He looked up sheepishly as Obi-Wan entered and flicked on the lights.

"Did you even attempt to go back to sleep, Padawan?"

Anakin shook his head. Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. "You do realize how long the day is going to seem now?"

"I won't complain."

The two of them were silent for a long moment. Then Obi-Wan pulled out the other chair, and sat down heavily.

"Pass the chocolate, Anakin."