"Masters Qui-Gon and Sifo-Dyas should have been back by now," Anakin sighed as he looked out over the darkened landscape. The sun had set well over two hours ago, and there hadn't been any sign of either Jedi Master. Or any life, for that matter, save for a flock of birds off in the distance, and the dim lights of the city far off in the distance.
"Have patience, Padawan," Obi-Wan said soothingly as he stoked the small fire they had started.
"Something could have happened to them," Anakin replied as he pulled out the set of Rangefinders he had salvaged from the ship. Normally, they would be used for targeting areas for an orbital bombardment, but they worked well enough for their current needs.
The vantage point that they had made camp at was better than anyone could have hoped. It offered a clear view of the city, while still being at a fair distance. No one would be able to see them unless they really looked hard. And the rock face provided an excellent shield from all of the scans that the cruisers would be preforming, obviously looking for any signs of resistance from the local farmers and village-people. Obi-Wan had seen it before, in the holo-records of the first Sith War. The Empire had conquered an entire system, only to be thrown out of it by a small alliance of local planetary militias uniting under a single banner.
That alliance had been the foundation of the Republic.
"If they had been attacked," Obi-Wan chuckled warmly, "then at the very least, I'd expect one or two of those cruisers to be falling to the ground. You forget," he said with a small smile. "They are the two most skilled warriors in our order. And the most experienced. We are lucky to have them on our side. This planet is lucky to have them here."
"But Master," Anakin replied, "Jedi are not infallible. What if-?"
"There are a thousand 'what-if's', my young Padawan," Obi-wan smiled as he stoked the small fire with a makeshift prod. "What if Master Yoda hadn't sent us here. What if this is all a trap. What if I die tomorrow. None of those matter," he said as he inhaled deeply, and closed his eyes as he entered a light meditative state. He opened himself to the vastness of the force for a brief moment, returning himself to the early days of his training, when he had asked Master Yoda the very same questions. At the time, he had believed that his master was being purposefully difficult. Now he knew differently.
There was no great secret to learn. All one had to do to understand the reality of a situation was accept that it was what it was, and move on from that. Worrying about what might have been, or what might be was merely a distraction that a Jedi could not afford.
"On your feet, young one," Obi-Wan said calmly as he opened his eyes and obeyed his own command. Anakin gave him a single, questioning look that lasted until Kenobi drew out his lightsaber. His silvery-blue blade hummed to life in the night air. A quick adjustment on the hilt set the otherwise deadly blade to 'stun' as Anakin's own crystal blade sprung to life. Obi-Wan cracked a small smile as he watched his Apprentice's stance carefully. He was in perfect balance. His right foot was forward, and his blade was held at a diagonal angle. A perfect guard meant to defend against both blaster fire and melee attacks. But unlike Obi-wan's more reserved stance, Anakin's had a more aggressive feel. He was like a Dragon waiting to strike.
That seemed to be Anakin's mindset in a duel. To lie in wait for his opponent to make a move, and strike back with devastating power. And obviously, the smart thing to against such a stance was to wait. So Obi-Wan did the one thing Anakin did not expect. He struck first, bringing his lightsaber down in an overhead arc, aiming for his apprentice's head. The blow would never hit, Obi-Wan knew that much. He watched as Anakin's whole body seemed to twitch slightly, and the young man changed the angle of his own lightsaber so that it parried the blow with minimal effort. But Kenobi was more than prepared for that little setback, and shifted his balance to his back foot as Anakin swept his blade horizontally, mocking a strike to Obi-Wan's abdomen.
Of course he missed thanks to the older Jedi's preparation, and was seemingly left off-balance, which Obi-Wan decided to point out with a cleaving left-to-right slash. Anakin responded with a panicked block, locking their blades together.
"Your stance is impeccable young one," Obi-wan complimented him with grace, as he gently pushed his blade closer to Anakin's shoulder. "Your skills are growing. You are a finer warrior now than I was at your age," he continued, working his way into Anakin's psyche with ease. It was a technique all masters used on their Padawans. It had certainly proved effective against Kenobi during his tender years under Yoda.
"Thank you master," Anakin replied eagerly, as he began to push Obi-Wan's blade back with surprising force. "I have been training hard, Master."
"And it shows," the elder Jedi remarked as he twitched his finger ever so slightly, raising a small log from beside the fire into the air. The log was not burning, nor very large, but it would serve it's purpose. With another flick of his finger, Obi-Wan sent the log directly into his apprentice's back. Or he tried to, at least. Anakin was much faster than he had anticipated, and managed to sweep his hand around, force-pushing the log back against the wall of the cliff. "Impressive."
"You haven't seen anything yet master," Anakin slyly quipped as he vaulted backwards momentarily, before spring-boarding off the ground, then the wall of the cliff before landing behind Obi-Wan. Normal beings would never be able to accomplish such a feat, of course. But through the Force, a Jedi was able to augment their physical capabilities far beyond their normal limits. Indeed, Obi-Wan had once witnessed Mace Windu, the second-in-command of the Jedi Council, leap from the ground onto a departing starship over three hundred feet in the air.
And it was long rumored that Master Kit Fisto could move fast enough to dodge blaster fire at point-blank range. Though only for short periods of time, and the experience usually left him exhausted and drained of energy. Bringing his saber around, Obi-Wan's mind snapped back into the fight as he deftly parried Anakin's blow. A furious, but friendly exchange ensued as both Master and Apprentice attempted to overcome the other's defenses.
While there was absolutely no doubt that Obi-Wan was the more skilled duelist of the two, it was mainly due to his experience. Obi-Wan knew the ins and outs of the majority of Lightsaber fighting styles. He knew that despite his strong Soresu-style teachings, Anakin generally favoured the Djem-so style, which combined defensive manoeuvres with powerful counters and devastating power blows. And when combined with Anakin's inventive thinking, those techniques became even more potent. He would buck and weave his way around enemies, more often than not causing them to hit one another with their own weapons.
So the two were set against one another. Knowledge versus inventiveness. Skill versus intellect. Young versus old. Obi-Wan pressed his advantages of height and leverage against his young Padawan, slashing his blade with calculated strikes. But Anakin responded with explosive manoeuvres. He rolled and ducked around the shining blue sword. He would feign right, then dash left in an attempt to overcome his Master, who remained stoic in his defense. Subtle dodges and deft blade-work made up his style.
He would quickly parry Anakin's descending chops, and turn his momentum into a rapid stab. A stab which Anakin rolled past and countered with a swift upper-cutting strike.
"Be mindful of your surroundings, young one," Obi-Wan said patiently as he locked blades with Anakin once more. "Knowledge of the field can be as advantageous in battle as a Lightsaber."
"Yes Master," Anakin replied as he tried to keep his footing. But Obi-Wan continued to push him back against the wall, until his Apprentice was pinned.
"Using your youth and energy is a great tactic," Obi-Wan complimented him, "but you should always take your surroundings into consideration. A cramped cave may not be the best venue for your fighting style. If you get trapped in a cave against a serious opponent," he continued as he shut off his lightsaber, signalling that their training session was over for the moment. "Then I would suggest keeping both feet on the ground. And always control your environment."
"Yes Master," Anakin replied as the two of them knelt down into meditative poses. Following a practice bout, it was common for Jedi pairs to ease into the force. It helped them to calm their nerves, and to reflect on their mistakes. And even though Obi-Wan was a skilled swordsman, he was able to pick up on several mistakes he himself had made. If Anakin had been keeping proper eye contact, then he may have been able to properly counter Obi-Wan's first strike. A counter which, in a real duel, would have ended things for sure.
But meditation could be used for so much more. He felt himself slip away into the recesses of his surroundings, in particular, into the mind of his young Padawan Learner. He sensed a great amount of turmoil inside him. No doubt from the exhilarating landing, and the brief encounter with the Sith Warriors who had attempted to stall them. Though, Anakin's perception of the Sith seemed to be off somewhat. Instead of the red-skinned Zabrak, there was an image of an armoured, masked nightmare. Perhaps old archive footage was messing with Anakin's memories.
Obi-Wan let out a small sigh as he stretched his mind further in the force. His mind raced across the galaxy, to a shining bright spot in the force.
That shining spot was an individual. A Jedi Knight, like he was. Her name was Siri Tachi. His thoughts brushed up against hers, and he knew that she sensed his presence. They could not communicate with words over such a great distance, but emotions, feelings, those were felt with perfect clarity. He certainly felt a rush of excitement on her end. And because there was none of the tension that came from an intense battle, he knew she was in little danger. Before they left, Siri had been assigned a mission to Kashyyyk, the homeworld of the Wookies. Several of the Chiefs had requested Jedi assistance in eradicating a terrorist cell on the nearby Alaris Prime.
Obi-Wan wasn't worried for her safety. As far as he was concerned, she was more capable than he was. When they had been younglings, she had always scored better in competitions, and had mastered new skills before he could. The only thing he had beaten her at was healing arts, which he always had a knack for. Their connection lasted only a brief few seconds, though the smile on his face lasted longer.
More than long enough for Anakin to take notice and chuckle to himself.
….ooOoo….
"Wakey wakey Princess," a cold voice cut through the darkness as water splashed over her bruised and bloody body. She didn't know how long she had been held captive for. She didn't know what was going on, really. All she really knew was that she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. After all, her Brother, or the Republic, would send help eventually. All she had to do was wait, and hope that they weren't too long. She wasn't meant to hold up under torture. She opened her eyes to see four soldiers flanking one Mandalorian commander.
The soldier's armour was different than the Mandalorian's. It was cheaper and obviously mass-produced. All four of the soldiers were also the same height, which unnerved her slightly. Though not nearly as much as the sight of their blasters. Or the fact that she was hanging from chains.
"We need to keep you alive," the Mandalorian woman hissed as she slapped Padme's face with her gloved hand. Normally the blow would have stung. But now it was nothing more than a light tap compared to the pin she felt all over her body. "You're a useful bargaining chip against your brother."
"Bail will never-" Padme hissed, spewing a small amount of blood as she did so, "-submit to your cruelty!"
"Give him time, Princess," the commander replied with a laugh. "Give him enough time. He does seem to care very deeply about you after all. Is there something between-?"
"You disgust me," Padme spat back bitterly, as her hazelnut brown hair cascaded down the side of her face. She looked from the soldiers towards the commander once more, forcing herself to appear in control of the situation. Because, damnit, she was an Organa! She came from a long line of powerful, respected leaders! The commander merely chuckled as she removed her helmet, letting a short crop of reddish hair fall freely as a sneer crossed her lips. Padme's eyes immediately flew towards the long scar running down the woman's cheek.
"Kryat Dragon," the Mandalorian chuckled as she traced a finger down the scar. "Savage beast nearly gored me. But now its head is mounted on my wall," she finished with a grin as she snapped her fingers. At her command, two of the soldiers stepped forward and released Padme from her shackles. She stumbled forward, of course, once her arms were free. Her arms burned in protest as she tried to pick herself up from the floor. "I wonder, princess," the red-haired Mandalorian cackled, "how many beasts have your manicured hands killed?"
…ooOoo…
"Just up over this ridge," Owen remarked as he gunned the controls on the landspeeder, forcing the transport to go faster over the vast hills. Trees and bushes whizzed past as he broke several local by-laws about speed limits in his rush to get home. Not that any authorities where there to stop him, as they had all fled to the nearest spaceport, or deep underground to the shelters. Not Owen, though. He'd spent the better part of the last three hours ferrying people across his father's land, to the nearest safe-zone.
Which of course, happened to be in his father's home. That was where the largest farmer families for twenty miles had gathered to discuss the warships high above them. Of course, Owen had wanted to join them, but his father had made an excellent point and forced him to go looking for stragglers.
Which was what led to him seeing a ship crash in an open field, and to finding two Jedi Knights wandering the forest. Jedi! He thought to himself with elation, the noble warriors of the Galactic Republic! Brave warriors who so often populated stories whispered around street-corners! Defenders of truth and Justice! If half the stories Owen had heard about them were true, then Alderaan was safe, for sure!
"Get us there as fast as possible," the Zabrak Jedi said calmly, as Owen skimmed over a rock-face. "And keep an eye out for patrols. We don't want to advertise our position."
"Can I ask a question?" Owen asked as he gunned the speeder even faster.
"You already did," the Human Jedi chuckled, "but ask another, if you wish."
"I…" Owen stuttered slightly, "why would anyone invade Alderaan? We're such a peaceful planet, with no standing military and-."
"Well that's just it," the Zabrak replied with a small wave of his hand, "you have no military. And the Republic Navy is too small to have a base here. To be honest," he said as Owen whipped the speeder past a grove of trees. "I'm surprised that this hasn't happened before now, with all the political unrest in the Senate. Not to mention roving bands of Warlords that run amok in the recesses of space."
"Can't the Jedi stop them?" Owen said meekly as his gaze fell on his farmhouse.
"We do," the human Jedi said with a sigh. "Every day. The problem, lad, is that every time we catch one, a few lieutenants escape with goods, men and ships. All things that are needed to start a new criminal empire. It's like trying to catch smoke sometimes."
"And even when we do catch them," the Zabrak added in, "half the time they can pay off the courts and walk away free."
"Sounds frustrating," Owen remarked as he brought the speeder to a halt on the edge of his father's property. Oddly, the lights were out inside the house. When he had left, the place had been full of people trying to organize a response. Most of them were old war veteran friends of his father, who had all moved to Alderaan following the last war. "Odd," Owen whispered as he climbed out of the speeder, and approached the house casually. Something brushed past his arm, and he heard a distinct click sound seconds before something grabbed him from behind and hauled him back over the speeder.
A fraction of a second after he hit the ground blaster fire filled the air. Both Jedi reached for their belts and whipped out cylindrical tubes. The one in the Zabrak Jedi's hand was twice as long as the human's. And both emitted glowing blades. The Human held a green blade, while the Zabrak held an orange blade. In unison, the two Jedi spun and twisted their blades in order to block the incoming fire with perfect precision.
"Stop!" the Human Jedi commanded, "we're Jedi!" The blaster fire stopped, and as the smoke cleared, Owen heard the distinct sound of a mechanical leg whirring and buzzing under the weight of his Father, Cleigg Lars.
Cleigg Lars was a man well into his fifties, and it showed all over his body. His hair was thinning and very grey. He sported a roundish pot-belly which nearly overloaded the prosthetic leg that bore half his weight. The leg had been lost before Owen was born, and Cleigg had never told him how. Tattered clothes covered his body, and a military-grade AR-67 blaster rifle lay in his hands, still smoking from being fired. Cleigg gave the two Jedi a quick once-over before looking towards his shaken son.
"Owen, blast it! I might've shot you!" the older Lars cackled as he slung his rifle over his shoulder. "Get inside, all three of you. No telling where they're looking!" Owen scurried inside the house, past the Jedi, who followed him once they sheathed their lightsabers.
Once inside, he spotted the gaggle of villagers that made up the neighbours. Most prominent among them was Jho, an Ithorian who used a special translator to speak Galactic Basic. Beside him stood Caan, a Duros female who sported a bandage on her forehead. Caan had been near the city's outskirts when the invasion began. And to her far left stood Jak, Mel and Sik, three old friends of his father from the Navy. At the sight of the Jedi Knights, the three immediately snapped to a smart attention.
"General Dyas! General Jinn!" Jak stammered disbelievingly. "Alderaan is safe now!"
"Do we-?" the Zabrak Jedi began to ask.
"We served under you," Mel nodded enthusiastically, "on the Liberator alongside Jedi Commander Tahl. Is she-?"
"No," the Human Jedi replied with a not-so-subtle wave of his hand. "She is one with the Force now."
Cleigg let out a small scuffle as he said, "and what does 'the Force' have to say about all this?"
"Cleigg!" Jho scowled roughly, "let the Jedi speak!"
"Yes, yes," the Zabrak Jedi sighed, "but first, can you send a speeder out to those cliffs? There are two more Jedi waiting there."
"Of course," Cleigg grunted, "Owen, get the-"
"No, we'll go," Mel replied heartily as he stepped forward with Jak. "Owen's done his fair share. And I could use the fresh air."
…ooOoo…
"I'll ask you again," the Sith Lord, Darth Maul, hissed as he circled around Bail, who stood perfectly still. Partially out of the wish to appear strong, but mostly out of fear. "Prince Organa, to sign the declaration of surrender to the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Then we can end this violence, and be on our way!" those last words were spoken directly into Bail's ear, and he could still feel the Sith Lord's hot breath on the back of his neck. Combined with the dark chill he got from merely being in the presence of the Sith, he became weak at the knees. He wanted to buckle down and submit to his demands, but his conscience wouldn't allow that.
"And you'll just leave Alderaan?" Bail hissed back, mustering as much courage as he could and putting it into those words.
"Well my troops will need to replenish our fuel stocks," Maul noted with a small tilt of his head. "And we will need food. And of course I'll be leaving a garrison here, to ensure your continued support of our cause." There it is, Bail grimaced, an occupation. If I say no, he'll just kill me and replace me with a puppet. Of course, I may wind up being a puppet no matter what…. He thought to himself as he averted the Sith Lord's terrible gaze.
"And if I refuse?" Bail replied sternly, as twenty troops entered the throne room, led by the Levethan Twi'lek Sith Apprentice. The soldiers all wore identical blackened armour, and carried themselves in a similar manner. But Bail found his eyes being drawn to their unmasked faces. Before, when he had seen them, they had been wearing helmets. Now, he could see identical features on all their faces. If there had only been one or two, then he would have assumed that they were siblings. But to have twenty of them? Something was at work, no doubt about that.
"Magnificent, aren't they?" Maul asked with a grin on his face as he clapped his hand on Bail's shoulder. "Clones, all of them. Superior to droids, and none of the cowardice or insubordination of regular enlisters."
"An abomination," Bail hissed back.
"Two hundred thousand units total," Maul continued, either oblivious or uncaring of Bail's opinion. "All bred from birth for one purpose. To serve the Confederacy. Ten months to grow a clone to maturity," he said as he walked towards the clone soldiers. "To think, Prince….my mistake," Maul mocked as he shook his head, "King Organa, how safe would Alderaan be under their protection? Even with a small garrison to start….say of five thousand, you could hold off any invasion! Your people would be safe!"
Angered by the casual mention of his Father's decent death, Bail couldn't help but spit venom back at the invaders, "safe!? They would never be safe, while your goons occupy our planet!" he roared violently, causing several of the clones to take a step back from him as he fumed. "You murdered my father! You've taken my sister hostage! You're threatening my people with slavery! And you expect me to just roll over and-?" The muscles in his throat contracted on themselves. His lungs became desperate for air as he was hauled upwards by some invisible force. His eyes flashed towards the young Twi'lek, who had her hand outstretched, and bore a menacing expression of pure hate.
"You," she hissed as she walked towards him, "you are no King. You aren't fit for the title!" she roared, as Bail was pushed up against the wall with incredible strength, all the while his gasps for breath becoming more and more desperate. He actively began to claw at his throat, begging for air. "You would leave your people at the mercy of any scum with a fleet! You are a coward!" she bellowed as the grip around his throat ceased, and he dropped to the floor, coughing desperately. "You don't deserve this planet," she said as she bent down and whispered into his ear savagely. Meanwhile, Maul kneeled down on his other side, and spoke in a threatening tone.
"My Master will be arriving shortly," Maul said with a small smirk. "And my brothers. And I would hate for them to arrive under such difficult circumstances. Not to mention…." He continued, in an even lower tone of voice, "what would happen to your dear sister should they be displeased. I can't imagine one so fragile as she is would survive their wrath." A pit formed in the bottom of Bail's stomach as he spoke. Having two Sith on the planet was bad enough. If Maul was telling the truth, more would soon be arriving, and he wasn't up for having them punish his people. Surely they wouldn't survive the ordeal. And if they did, they might turn their anger towards him and the rest of the royal family.
Had the Republic abandoned them? Were they as weak as Maul told him? Was Alderaan really on its own? If that was true, than he certainly had an obligation to his people to give them the best chance for survival. And if that meant swallowing his pride, he would have to endure it. Slowly, he got to his feet and straightened his back. "I will-" he began to say, as the green-armoured Mandalorian burst into the room.
"Lord Maul!" he said hurriedly, "The Jedi were not at the crash site! I dispatched several men to canvass the surrounding area. But I did see tracks leading away from the ship. They survived, sir!" the damage was done. Bail knew now that he and his planet had not been abandoned entirely, and had the Jedi Knights on their side. He would never bow down before the Sith now.
"Apprentice!" Maul scowled as he tore his gaze away from Bail, "Send four hundred clones to cover a twenty-mile area around the crash! And tighten security around the city's perimeter! I don't want them getting through!"
"Yes Master!" the second Sith replied curtly, all traces of her anger gone. Once she left, Maul returned his gaze to Bail.
"You were saying, King Organa?"
"I was saying that Alderaan will surrender," Bail replied heartily, "when Mustafar freezes over."
"Then have it your way," Maul smiled cruelly as he reached for the comlink on his belt. He pressed a button on the side, and said very clearly, "Process her."
"NO!"