6 MONTHS LATER

"Anakin, I'm promoting you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council" The Chancellor said as he strode down his stairs.

Anakin stood in his office, speechless with shock.

"Me, a Master." He shook his head in disbelief. "Chancellor I am honoured. But the council elects its members, they will never accept this"

"I think they will, they need you more than you know". Anakin smiled.

"Thankyou Chancellor. You have always trusted me"

"Why of course! You're like a son to me."

Anakin bowed and left the room.

"And soon my son, you will learn to use the true nature of the force and become my apprentice" Sidious chuckled evilly as soon as Anakin was out of hearing range.

Alderaan was engulfed in war. The separatist's had taken advantage of the fact that Alderaan was a peaceful world, with no designated guard force. In the countryside, two teenagers sit on the edge of a lake.

"I don't want to go to war, Liesel."

"I wish my dad hadn't, but war does that to people, they get so caught up in it. As Master Kenobi said, people think they are running to the enemy, but they are actually running towards their deaths, to the force."

"I don't want to die Liesel"

"I don't want you to die either Rudy, you're my best friend. Anyway some people survive war…some"

"If I go Liesel, I won't be coming back. I can sense it. The droid armies are huge. Even clone troopers and Jedi can find it hard. Imagine what it would be like with only citizens of the country"

"Then go." Liesel said after Rudy finished his rant.

"What, saumensch?"

"Don't go to war, run-away"

"Don't be stupid, saumensch, I'm not running away on my own!"

"Who says you'd be alone?"

"Allow this appointment lightly, the council does not" Master Yoda said.

"You are on this council, but we do not grant you the rank of master"

"What!" It was not the voice of Anakin Skywalker.

The Council turned to esteemed fellow council member Obi Wan Kenobi

"With all due respect Masters, surely it would be unwise to not allow Anakin the rank of Master. Surely people may question the Jedi. Anakin is their hero. Is he not the Chosen One? Is he not to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the force?"

Master Mundi spoke up,

"I concur"

Master Plo Koon and Master Kit Fitso nodded their heads approvingly.

"In that case, we do not agree to you being on this council." Master Windu concluded

The sirens were wailing over Alderaan, Separatist bombs were dropping from the sky. In the dark and the rush, no one could tell who was inside a shelter or not. Out of the dark came two voices.

"Are you ready, Saukerl?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Saumensch"

Liesel held up a small torch. Rudy was wearing his best suit.

"The shoes let you down" as Liesel inspected him from his feet upwards "and the face!"

Rudy smiled. He walked to the middle of the small road and placed his beloved football in the middle of it. Liesel looked at Rudy and, with a nod of their heads; they sprinted off into the forests"

"Liesel! Wait up Saumensch"

They had been wandering for hours.

Where are we actually going? Liesel thought

"Rudy, please we just need to go a little bit further"

"Speak for yourself! My feet are killing me. Go on without me!" he exclaimed dramatically. Liesel kept walking.

Look there's a clearing.

Liesel ran through the tree's, there was no house, or anything for that matter, there. Liesel sighed. She looked up at the sky. The stars were shimmering brightly. She could hear the distant sounds of explosions. The lights in the skies were so bright now. Liesel focused her eye's on one particular star, that seemed to be…closer.

The ground shook and dirt sprayed everywhere. An almighty crashing sound echoed throughout the tree's followed by a flash of light. Rudy quickly jumped up.

"Saumensch! Saumensch! Liesel, LIESEL!" Rudy ran towards the source of the crash. It was a ship, a small one, probably only a two man ship. In the dark Rudy could only just see a figure lying on the ground.

No, no, no Liesel!

He ran up and shook Liesel, She didn't respond.

Wake up Liesel.

He felt her still neck for a pulse. He sat there a moment before,

Thump, thump, thump, thump. Rudy sighed. She was alright.

He walked over to the ship. There was a body in in. Though the man was still breathing, raspy as it was, it was clear that the man's injuries were fatal. Rudy walked over to his bag. He pulled out a stuffed alien of some sort he was given as a child. He walked over to the pilot and placed the animal under the man's limp arm.

"Thankyou" he whispered before shoving something in Rudy's hand. Then the man groaned and his eyes rolled back into his head. Rudy Steiner had just witnessed his first death.

"Rudy?" He turned around to see Liesel up again.

"No, it's the Chancellor!" Rudy laughed, mimicking Liesel's joke "If you're ok Liesel, help me here".

Liesel walked over.

"We need to get this body out!"

Liesel cringed but helped Rudy to hoist the silent body out of the ship.

"We can't just leave him here" Liesel stated "He needs a funeral"

Rudy nodded.

He grabbed a nearby stick and placed it on the part of the ship that was burning. He then dragged the flaming torch over the man's dead body.

"Wait Rudy! I've got something!"

Liesel ran over to her bag.

"The Gravediggers Guide." Rudy read as Liesel showed him what she had gone to retrieve. His face twisted in confusion. "Where did you get this?"

"One of the gravediggers dropped it at my dad's funeral"

Liesel flicked the book open, found a small speech in it and began to read.

Rudy and Liesel watched as the flames engulfed the man. Liesel sighed. She looked at her book, one of the few things she had to remember him by, as depressing as it was. She threw it on the flames.

"For war" Liesel whispered.

"For war." Rudy repeated.