Hello everyone! Sorry about the wait; I got distracted and forgot to post. So here's the next chapter, Part Two of the infamous Temple sequence. I feel compelled to warn you that the content of the chapter may disturb some of you, so read with caution.
Enjoy!
Chapter 29
Pablo-Jill ran through the long, twisting corridors of the lower level as fast as his legs would carry him. Unfortunately, that was not nearly as fast as he would have liked. Despite drawing on the Force, the long battle in the Room of a Thousand Fountains had exhausted him, and he had sustained several minor injuries. Worse was the fact that he could not breathe too deeply, because of the damage Skywalker had done to his trachea. Even now, he had to stop occasionally and draw on the Force to keep air moving to his lungs. With every spare breath, he cursed the Chosen One. Because of his insubordination, Pablo-Jill was made to suffer undeservedly.
But something else was replacing his aggravation with Skywalker. It was a feeling that had been faint moments ago, but was now rising to dominate his consciousness: cold fear. He was not worried too much about the clones he knew were following him; them he could handle. But there was something else nearby, a dark shadow that was unmistakably heading for him. This presence knew what he was doing, and occasionally sent him a mocking laugh that reverberated in Pablo-Jill's brain.
This was not an idle pursuit. He was being hunted.
Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
Pablo-Jill was going through that progression right now. As his terror grew, so did his animosity at his hidden tormentor. That left only one stage left: suffering. And oh yes, that voice told him. He would suffer.
A sob caught in Pablo-Jill's throat as he ran blindly for the tunnels. The part of him that was the Jedi warrior was disgusted with what he was doing, fleeing while the battle raged. But it was a lost battle, he rationalized. If the Jedi were to survive, they would need the Council to provide leadership. Most of the masters were gone from the Temple, and from what he could gather through the Force, had suffered a similar betrayal. He had no idea what had befallen Master Windu or his team. Cin Drallig had disappeared. And Shaak Ti, he knew, had been brutally slain – likely by the same man that was pursuing him now.
He rounded a corner. The escape tunnels should be in sight by now. Just a few hundred yards more then …
Suddenly he stopped. He was facing a colossal wall of rubble. Pablo-Jill knew in a horrifying instant what had happened. His enemy had anticipated him, and blown the tunnels. He was trapped.
Loud footsteps began to echo down the hall from where he had come. There was no way out, save the way he had come, back towards the … monster that was pursuing him. In desperation, Pablo-Jill drew his lightsaber and began cutting into the rubble. No. Any way but that way …
Clone troops rounded the corner. Pablo-Jill increased his frantic hacking. It was useless. The clones leveled their blasters at him. He pulled his blade from the wall and faced them, ready to deflect the anticipated barrage of bolts.
"Stop."
The voice came from a cloaked man who had just appeared in the hall, lightsaber in hand. His face was hidden was a collection of shadows, but Pablo-Jill could see he was smiling. The smile of a predator who had his prey corned.
The man waved his troops back. "Leave this one to me."
The clones dropped back and formed a line, walling off the only exit. Pablo-Jill kept his lightsaber raised at the man's chest, though his arm shook badly. "Get back!"
The dark man continued to advance contemptuously. "Or what, Master Jill? You'll kill me? You can't even hold your weapon against me without quaking. Cowards like you have no place in the arena, save as a punishment for great crimes. This corridor, Master Jill, has become your arena."
"I have done nothing wrong!"
"Ah, of course," the dark man sneered. "You view your crusade to purge the Jedi Order of all undesirables as a noble one. Unfortunately, you never counted yourself among that group that needed to be cleansed. Had you truly wanted to serve justice, you would have killed yourself. But that is beyond you, so Fate has decreed that I be its instrument of justice."
Pablo-Jill's back touched the rubble, and his lightsaber fell from his grasp. "Who are you?"
The man's eyes flashed burning yellow. "One whose power is beyond your comprehension. One who has overcome the greatest hurt a man can suffer. I am Darth Vader. And I am here to take my revenge."
A blue blade sprang into existence. "Get up!" he snarled. "Take your weapon. Fight me now, and see if you can find the courage in what remains of your coward's heart to die with honor!"
Pablo-Jill picked up his blade. He slowly moved towards Vader, whose eyes were shining with savage eagerness. Summoning his strength, he struck.
The force of the parry sent him flying backwards into the rubble pile. Vader looked at him with disgust.
"Pitiful," he said. "Come on, Master Jill, even you can do better than that."
Pablo-Jill picked himself up and rushed Vader again. This time, he did not give shoved back, but the force of every one of Vader's strike jarred his entire body painfully. After about ten hits, Vader knocked him down again. Pablo-Jill's lightsaber went flying out of his grasp. Defenseless, he scrambled backward.
Vader stood over him, his blade pointing at Jill's weapon two meters away. "Pick it up!"
Pablo-Jill dove for his blade, but only succeeded in knocking it further away. He summoned it to him with the Force and pulled himself to his feet. He raised his guard, but not quickly enough. He screamed as Vader's blade gashed his leg.
Vader backed off. Pablo-Jill, teeth clenched in pain, lunged at him with new determination. Vader, smirking, placed one hand behind his back and effortlessly blocked his enemy's two handed assault, sending the Ongree Jedi sprawling once again. Pablo-Jill launched himself from the floor, blade extended towards Vader's heart. The Dark Lord sidestepped and struck, hitting Pablo-Jill in the side.
Jill collapsed on the floor, spasms of pain wracking his body. Vader had cruelly measured his stab just enough that it did not hit any vital organs, but drove in deep enough to cause excruciating agony. The clones and their master watched the Jedi Master squirm, masks and face equally unforgiving.
The Jedi Master raised his head. "I can't … too much … kill me, please …"
"The lesson of pain is one that teaches a valuable lesson, Master Jill," Vader said quietly. "But not all are strong enough to survive it. You will die soon, never fear. But first, you must face the actions that have led you to this."
Pablo-Jill's breathing eased as the Force brought his pain down to manageable, but still great levels. "Actions?"
"Yes, Master Jill," Vader said coldly. "Here are the charges against you. You have broken the Jedi Code. You have formulated plots to eliminate members of the Jedi Order. You have conspired with enemies of the Republic. You gave them information, in exchange for secret support. You plotted to seize control of the Order, and fill it with your brain-washed puppets. You sold your own comrades to traitors, and in doing so, became one yourself." His voice rose. "Do you deny it?"
"Yes!" Pablo-Jill gasped. "These are blasphemous lies! I am a patriot!"
"You are scum," Vader snarled. "Unworthy to stand on the ground you profane. The evidence is indisputable; your guilt, undeniable. I give you once chance to repent. Do you take it?"
A fresh wave of pain and fear shook the Jedi Master. "Yes! Let me live! I repent it all!"
Vader's yellow eyes darkened and became hard as stone. "Liar."
He advanced on the grounded Master. Pablo-Jill seized his discarded weapon and ignited it. "Stay back!"
Vader raised his blade. Pablo-Jill threw his. Vader sidestepped it and brought it down, severing both of Pablo-Jill's arms at the elbows. A fresh scream tore from the Jedi Master and he contorted in pain. Ruthlessly, Vader seized his enemy by the throat and jammed his fist into the Jedi's ribcage. Pablo-Jill howled with unbelievable agony, but his cry was cut short as Vader struck him again. And again. And again.
Cracking sounds echoed in the corridor as one by one, Pablo-Jill's ribs broke under the ruthless hammering of Vader's armored fist. The Jedi Master was completely helpless, his arms severed, his already damaged insides being pummeled into a deformed mass. He could not even cry out, or scream for mercy from his tormentor. Vader hit him again, and blood spurted from Pablo-Jill's mouth, staining the Dark Lord's robes. Vader did not seem not notice, or even care. Pure hell streamed from the fiery pits in the blackness obscuring his face as the Lord of the Sith administered justice on the corrupt master.
Finally, he stopped hitting the Jedi and threw him against the wall, where he slid down, back propped up against the cold, unforgiving stone. Pablo-Jill looked up into Vader's equally cold, unforgiving eyes.
"It is done," Vader said with finality. "The pain you have caused so many people has been returned to you. Now, only one thing remains to complete your education in betrayal."
He pulled off his hood and let the mask of shadows fall. Pablo-Jill's eyes locked on his conqueror's face. His mouth fell open in horror. His eyes bulged. His yellow skin went whiter than the corpse he was about to become. A single, disbelieving word escaped his lips.
"Kenobi!"
With a snarl, Vader drove his blue blade into Pablo-Jill's heart. The Jedi Master gasped in agony one final time, then his eyes dulled and he slumped against the wall, completely destroyed.
Eyes blazing red with a murderous rage, Vader stood over the body of his betrayer, which was now no more than a lifeless shell.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi is dead," he told the slain Jedi. "As are you."
Blaster bolts sang around Siri Tachi's head as she fought for her life. Every time she could she deflected a bolt back at the clones, decreasing their ranks by one. Their line was thinning noticeably, but Siri was tiring. She couldn't hold forever.
She wished bitterly that she had chosen a better place than the middle of the corridor to make her stand, but there was nothing for it now. Siri Tachi was going to have to summon her greatest will if she wanted to live.
Another clone went down, and another. Of course, it didn't faze those battle hardened soldiers at all. While the sight of all the bodies, Jedi and clone, made Siri sick to her stomach, the clones were inured to it. Despite their losses, they were confident they would defeat her. So confident, in fact, that several of them were peeling off back down the hall and forcing their way through another door. Siri's heart sank. They must have discovered another Jedi in hiding, and were going to cut him or her down, just like herself.
The clones forced open the door, and Siri sensed a surge of fear. Her breath froze. No, it couldn't be children in there …
Urgency born of desperation lent new strength to her. She vaulted the picket line of clones and ran for the door, reaching into the Force as she did so. She pulled with all her power at the support columns of the ceiling, and after a few moments of resistance, they gave. A wall of rubble crashed down from the ceiling, blocking her from pursuit, at least temporarily.
Siri covered the remaining distance to the room, jumped through the door, and struck down the two startled clones with stabs to the chest just before they could fire at the terrified young boy and girl standing motionless in the center of the room.
Siri let the bodies of the clones fall, then deactivated her lightsaber. "It's okay," she whispered to them, gently putting her arms around their shoulders. "It's okay. You're safe now."
The young boy's eyes were wide as saucers as he stared over Siri's arm at the dead clones. "Did you kill them, Master Tachi?"
Siri tightened her hug. "Yes. I had to. They were going to hurt you."
"Why would they want to hurt us?"
"I don't know, honey," she said sadly. "But I promise I won't let any of them hurt you."
As she looked up, Siri saw that the boy and girl were not alone. At least a dozen more younglings of all kinds of species were emerging from hiding places behind chairs, or under tables. They came forward assembled themselves in an awkward line, trying to hold their chins up like they were proud and unafraid. It broke Siri's heart to see how some of them trembled.
"Come on," she told them. "Let's keep moving. This was a good hiding place, and you were very smart to stay here. But now that the clones found it, they will come back. We need to get you all to the escape tunnels."
A young alien girl with red skin and head tails stepped forward. "But we can't go that way, Master Tachi. Master Drallig said they blew the escape tunnels. We can't get out. That's why he told us to hide here."
Siri bit back an incredulous explanation. How had the clones known to blow the tunnels? They were some of the Temple's most closely kept secrets; no one but Jedi knew about them. The clones could never have stumbled across the exits, unless someone had told them where to look … Siri banished the thought. The idea of a traitor in the Temple being responsible for all of this made her sick. She could not dwell on it.
"Let me get this straight," she said angrily. "Master Drallig told you to hide here and then just left you? Alone?"
The youngling nodded. "He said that the clones had to be stopped. He went to fight them, I think. He promised to come back, but he hasn't."
Siri's anger evaporated. If that was the case, it was likely because Master Drallig was unable to return, not because he had abandoned his charges. That meant that the duty now fell to her. The tunnels were gone. But there had to be some other way out of the Temple.
"Let's go," she told the younglings. "It'll be alright. On my life, nothing is going to happen to you."
The children nodded and began to file towards the door, all except for one girl, with long brown tresses and expressive eyes. She was staring at the dead clones with a mixture of despair and deep confusion.
Siri touched her shoulder gently. "What is it, honey?"
The girl looked up at her. "Why would the clones try to kill us, Master Tachi? I thought they were our friends."
Siri sighed. "So did I, young one. So did I."
She led the girl back to the line, then opened the door and peered out. The hall was clear, but wouldn't be for long. She sensed clones coming from below. The Jedi must have lost the battle downstairs. That left nowhere to go but up.
The youngling's question still haunted her as she led here charges toward the stairwell, but Siri did not let herself dwell on it. She had a feeling she would know the answer soon enough.
Cin Drallig tried to stand up straight, but the surge of pain from his side wound was too much. He collapsed back against the wall of the Council Chamber, panting. Beside him, his two young companions, the Jedi Padawans Whie and Scout, looked on in concern. "Are you alright, Master Drallig?"
Cin braced himself against the window. "Yes, my friends. I am just a little shaken."
It was a lie. Cin Drallig had been battling furiously in the Main Hall and the Room of a Thousand Fountains ever since he had been roused from his bed. As his comrades fell around him one by one, Cin had refused to retreat to higher ground, attacking the clones when any hope of holding the lower floors had long been lost. Many dead clones littered the area where he had made his stand, but eventually they had outflanked him. He had taken a blast from a heavy assault rifle right in the side, and Whie and Scout had dragged him away from the battle to the Jedi Council Chamber, where they now sat.
Cin could feel his life blood slowly leaving through his ragged wound, but he still had strength in him. He would not die, at least until he could secure the future of the Jedi Order.
Whie turned to Scout and jerked his head toward the barricade the had made of the Council seats. "Get him a chair."
Cin shook his head. "No! The barricade must stay intact. We will need all the time we can if you two are to escape."
Whie frowned. "Escape! And leave the clones to ransack our home? I would rather die."
Scout piped in, her face every bit as determined as her friend's. "We're not leaving, Master Drallig."
Cin sighed. "My dear friends, you must think logically. The Temple is lost. If there is ever to be any hope of retaking it, some Jedi must survive. You two are strong, young, and destined to be great. I know you will carry on the legacy well. Now listen to me. I have succeeded in contacting an old friend to bring a speeder. They will pick you up here. Once they do, trust him and follow him to the Coruscant under levels. There, you will find support to aid you. If can get off planet, that would be optimal. But you must survive."
"And what about you?" Scout asked.
"I will stay here and cover your retreat."
Whie shook his head. "No. If we have to go, you're coming with us."
"I would only slow you down. You stand a much better chance if I am not there to burden you. And this Temple is where I belong. Master Windu entrusted it to me, and I have failed him. I will fight until the last."
Scout's eyes brimmed with tears. "Let us stand with you."
"Your path does not end here, my friend," Cin said gently. "The two of you are strong, but together you are even greater than the sum of their parts. Seldom has the Jedi Order seen such a bond between two individuals, and yours rivals the friendship of Kenobi and Skywalker. My heart goes with you. I implore you to fulfill this last request, and live."
Whie's eyes now had tears in them as well. "Alright, Master Drallig. We trust you. We will do as you ask."
Cin took both of his young friend's hands, placed them together, and clasped them in his own. "Peace and love upon you, my friends. I …" He broke off as a surge of darkness passed over him, a deadly presence coming towards them quickly.
Whie and Scout looked up as well, and fear sprang into Scout's eyes. "It's him," she whispered. "That demon. The Sith."
Cin dropped their hands and reached for his saber. "You need to leave now! The shuttle should be in sight. The barricade will hold until it can arrive."
Whie looked incredulous. "Master Drallig, what are you doing? You can't beat a Sith Lord like this!"
Cin smiled. "I do not have to beat him. I just have to hold him. Goodbye, Scout. Goodbye, Whie. May the Force …"
The barricade of Council chairs exploded outward from the door, smashing through the windows of the chamber and exposing it to the howling winds outside. The three Jedi huddled down to shield their faces from the jagged razors of transparisteel that flew about like daggers till they were blown out by the wind.
A cloaked man with blood staining his armor weave robes entered the room, lightsaber in hand and a terrifyingly calm smile visible on his face through the mask of shadows. The power that crackled around the Sith Lord was enormous; he seemed to have channeled a lightning storm to run through his veins, filling his entire being with a deadly energy.
"I heard you mention something about a speeder, Master Drallig," the dark man said carelessly. "Now, that couldn't possibly be the one my troops just blew out of the sky two minutes ago, could it?"
Whie and Scout jumped to their feet and shielded Drallig. The Dark Lord paid them no heed, surveying what remained of the Council Chamber.
"Too well do I remember this place," he said. "It is fitting, in way. What evil started here …" his eyes alighted on Master Drallig. "Will now end here."
Anger tore at Whie's face. "The only evil that's going to end here is you!"
Vader turned to look at Whie, regarding the young Jedi as he might an irritating politician blocking his path. "Ah, Whie and Scout. The stories of your exploits with Master Yoda are well known throughout the Jedi, if a bit exaggerated. Stand aside. My quarrel is not with you."
Scout pointed her weapon at Vader's heart. "Was it with the other Jedi you left murdered in the Archives? Or in the Main Hall? Or the ones your clones killed in the Room of a Thousand Fountains?"
Vader laughed. "I have killed enough Jedi today to satisfy me, for a while. I will kill no more, after I commit one more act of justice."
Whie's eyes flashed to Master Drallig. "An act of justice? This is how you justify your atrocity?"
"Do you have any idea, Whie, the crimes the man you are sheltering has committed? He and the rest of the Council are guilty of conspiracy to overthrow the Republic. They are guilty of abusing their positions of trust and power. And worst of all .." Vader's eyes began to glow red with intense fury, "They are guilty of selling their own to their sworn enemies."
Scout looked taken aback, but she did not give ground. "You lie."
"You do not understand," Vader said coldly. "I am offering you life. Walk out of this room now, and you may live to walk out of this Temple. Stand here, and you will be cut down for obstructing justice."
Whie ignited his weapon. "We will die before we let you touch him!"
Vader shrugged and ignited his own blade. "As you wish."
Cin tried to yell a warning, but his voice died in his throat as his two young friends rushed the Sith Lord.
Vader batted away the heated first strikes of his two opponents with ease, then settled back into a defensive position and let them rain the blows down. Whie and Scout, communicating through their subconscious bond, orchestrated a cohesive assault designed to draw Vader's defenses out of position and to reinforce each other in finding a weakness. Vader gave them no weakness to find. Barely moving his blade, he blocked every single attack they threw at him.
After three minutes of this deadly game, Whie and Scout's attacks began to slow, as fatigue and recognition of futility set in. Cin sent them what strength he could, but his failing body could not give much.
Vader abruptly switched from defensive to offensive. The sheer power of his strikes drove both Whie and Scout back, their blades wildly abandoning form as they just tried to survive. Vader worked his way in between them, and Cin realized with a flash of horror the Sith Lord's goal. He was going to separate the two them, then finish them off individually.
"No!" He yelled. "Stay together! Stay together!"
Whie and Scout suddenly noticed how far apart they had drifted. Hastily, they tried to get back to each other again. But it was too late.
Vader delivered a vicious kick to Whie's abdomen, sending the young Jedi flying through the air to hit an unforgiving stone pillar, only sheer chance saving him from being kicked right out of the broken window. Whie fell to the floor, the breath knocked from his lungs, and intense pain racking his insides.
Scout screamed as she saw her best friend neutralized. With dispassionate ease, Vader turned and rushed her. Alone, Scout faced the full might of the Dark Lord.
She summoned every scrap of knowledge Yoda and Drallig had ever taught her, every lightsaber technique she had ever mastered, every bit of strength from deep inside herself. But she was still alone, and it was not enough.
One powerful strike sent her weapon flying out the window. Scout fell to her knees. Vader, no mercy in his yellow-flickering eyes, grabbed her by the throat and hurled her against the far wall. Scout's head struck it with a sickening crack. She slid to the floor and lay still.
"SCOUT!"
Whie, who had been watching helplessly as his friend fought for her life. His strength returned in a rush, and he leapt to his feet, seized his weapon, and rushed Vader. All form was abandoned as he let his rage at his best friend's death take over and guide him towards the Dark Lord.
Vader met him head on. Though Whie was now channeling the stronger side of the Force, he had no experience in doing so. The Dark Side only served those with the will to master it, and Whie was not thinking clearly enough to use it effectively. His rush was in vain.
Vader repulsed Whie's strikes, then knocked the maddened Jedi's defenses out of position with one well-placed strike. As Whie reeled backwards, Vader drove his blade into the young Jedi's stomach. The force of the strike carried the blade right through his body and into the wall behind him. Whie gasped in shock, disbelief etched on his face as he looked at the lightsaber now embedded in his flesh, then his eyes closed and he slumped against the wall. Vader pulled his blade free and let Whie's body fall on top of Scout's, uniting the two friends once more in death.
His gruesome work finished, Vader turned to face Master Drallig, who had watched the entire battle with helpless despair. "They should have taken their freedom. Loyalty is not a virtue if it serves the wrong cause."
Cin pulled himself to his full height, ignoring the immense pain from his blaster wound. He looked into the Dark Lord's shrouded face. "Why? Why are you doing this? What goal do you have that is so great that you need to sacrifice the innocent to get it?"
"Over thirty years worth of corruption, lies, and stolen freedom," Vader told him. "And that was just in my lifetime. The Force knows how long the great Jedi Order has been serving its own corrupt will instead of that of the Force. You have tainted the young minds of hundreds of your padawans, and billion of people across the galaxy. They cannot be saved. Hopefully, in death, the Force will forgive them. You, on the other hand, are at the nexus of this evil. You stand here now as the last Council member, an ill-gotten position as it is. Death only is the result of your sins. Therefore, death is what you shall receive."
Cin Drallig ignited his lightsaber. "I will stand against you to the last, fallen one."
Vader inclined his head. "I would expect no less of a once-great man."
He leapt at Drallig. Cin summoned the Force to aid him and met the Dark Lord head-on. Pain washed over him with every blow he parried, every strike he made. Yet still he stood tall and endured. The two warriors battled back and forth across the Jedi Council Chamber, which was now no more than an arena where gladiators dueled for the sport of the higher powers.
Vader's eyes still shone malicious yellow, but no longer did they have the pleasure that had marked them during his duel with Pablo-Jill. The look in his eyes now was one of a man absolutely set on fulfilling his duty. He did not toy with Drallig, as he had with Pablo-Jill. Every strike was meant toward the greater end of defeating his enemy, not causing senseless pain.
Soon, Master Drallig could bear the assault no longer. Blood was now openly falling from his previous wound, staining his robes and sapping his strength. He fell back near the broken window. Vader brought his blade down and severed Drallig's weapon arm, knocking it out into space. Drallig gasped, but did not scream. Instead, he looked up at the victorious Sith, resignation and acceptance in his eyes.
Vader picked him up by the neck and held him in front of the window. Cin looked down into Vader's shadowed face and his eyes, which were starting to fade from yellow back to blue. "So it ends here?"
"Yes," Vader told him. "It has come full circle."
"I don't understand," Drallig gasped. "How? Who are you?"
In response, Vader let the mask of shadows fall. As Drallig looked upon the now-familiar face, his skin went white and horrified disbelief crept into his eyes.
"Impossible!"
Vader shook his head and smiled knowingly. "With the power of the Dark Side, Master Drallig, nothing is impossible."
Before the Jedi Master could respond, Vader let him fall. The Dark Lord watched impassively as the body of Master Cin Drallig plummeted over a hundred stories from the highest spire of the Jedi Temple towards the dark streets far below.
"Almost there," Siri told the younglings. "We're almost free."
She helped the youngest among them ascend the last step onto the highest landing of the Jedi Temple below the spires. They had emerged near the elevator that led to the Jedi Council Chamber but Siri had no interest in that route. Her goal was the Temple roof. Many years ago as a young padawan she remember sneaking out of her room to go exploring in the Temple, and in doing so she had discovered an old abandoned ventilation system that led from the kitchens to the roof. She had climbed through it, and knew it would easily support all the younglings. The kitchens also happened to be right next to a disused street, so if she could cut through the wall there, she and the younglings could escape into the under levels. Since the kitchens had been one of the first areas to fall to the clones, and considering how heavy the fighting had been, Siri doubted there would be a heavy guard, if any. If there was, she would have to deal with it.
"I'm very proud of all of you," she told the younglings. "You're being so brave."
The little boy with blond hair and blue eyes looked up at her. "So are you, Master Tachi."
Siri smiled gratefully in response. She didn't know what to say; she had never been more frightened in her life.
"Come on," she beckoned the younglings. "The stairs to the roof are right around the corner."
The little girl with the tresses held up her hand. "Listen. Someone's coming."
Siri listened closely, but she could not hear any footsteps. They were not being followed. The only noise was the whirring of the turbolift machinery … wait. The turbolift was descending; someone was coming down.
Panic sprang into Siri's stomach. Instinct took over, and she seized the nearest younglings to her and shoved them through the closest open door she saw, which lead to a small conference room. Hastily she shepherded all the younglings into the room. The elevator was closer now. She addressed her charges.
"Stay in here. Keep absolutely quiet. Do you understand?"
The younglings nodded. Siri looked at them all one more time, then closed the door behind her. Pulling out her lightsaber, she ducked into the nearest alcove and hid behind a statue. Part of her wanted to stay with the younglings, but this was better. This way, she could protect them, and they had a better chance of going unnoticed.
The turbolift stopped, and the door slid open. A man stepped out onto the landing, dressed entirely in black, wearing a hood that obscured his face. There were dried stains of something that looked horribly like blood on his robes and on his gauntleted hands. But by far the most striking thing about him did not pertain to his appearance. Darkness seemed to be his embodiment. Shadows swirled around him, and when Siri looked at him with the Force, she could she the power crackling around him. She had no doubt. This was the man who was responsible for the carnage of the Temple. This was the one who had massacred the Jedi. He could only be a Sith Lord.
Siri's breathing quickened, and her heart pounded against her ribcage. Silently, she prayed to the Force that the dark man would pass her and the younglings by on the way to report to his master that the terrible deed he had been commissioned was done. But the man did not move. He seemed to have been turned to stone. He was gazing down at his blood-stained hands with an expression Siri could not discern. He remained like that for at least a minute, then he shuddered violently, and turned towards the stairwell.
Siri let out a small sigh of relief. Her fears had come to nothing. But suddenly the Dark Lord whirled around and pulled out his lightsaber, hidden eyes staring right at Siri's hiding place.
"What have we here?" he asked, in a voice that sounded terribly familiar to Siri. "Hiding, are we?"
Before Siri could react, and invisible hand took hold of her and jerked her from the alcove. Completely exposed, she faced down the nightmare man, who approached her slowly.
"Master Tachi," he said, with a degree of surprise. "How unexpected. I was told your residential wing was one of the first to be cleansed. Obviously, you are more resourceful than my troops anticipated. But if so, why are you cowering up here? That isn't like you at all."
He continued to advance as Siri fought back her own surprise and fear. "How do you know my …"
The man's face became visible as he stepped into a patch of moonlight. When Siri saw it, her lightsaber clattered to the ground. She covered her mouth with both hands, but even that was not enough to stifle the scream that tore from her mouth, shattering the silence of the landing.
Suddenly, her scream was cut off, along with all passage of air to her lungs. The man with Obi-Wan's face had his hand extended in a vice-like fist, using the Force to strangle her cry.
"Enough, Siri," he said coldly. "I have heard too much of that already."
The grip relaxed. Siri staggered backwards upon release, her gaze riveted upon the face she had known so well. "It can't be," she whispered, "No … it can't be … Obi-Wan!"
The Dark Lord's face contorted with annoyance. "You know, you are the fifth person to make that assumption today. I can assure that if I have my way, it will be the last. I am not Obi-Wan Kenobi; I am Darth Vader."
Siri didn't know what to do. She stopped retreating, but only because she had run out of room. If she went any further, she would not be able to stand between Vader and the door behind which the younglings were hidden. As subtly as she could, she positioned herself directly between Vader and the door. Not subtly enough. Vader's eyes alighted on the door.
"What are you hiding, Siri?" he hissed. "Something I should know?"
Siri shook her head furiously. "No. Nothing!"
"You're lying," Vader told her. "I do not enjoy being lied to."
He stepped towards her. Siri seized her weapon from the ground and ignited it, pointed its tip at him. "Get back!"
Vader halted, but did not retreat. "Or what, Siri?"
"Or I'll … I'll …"
"Kill me?" Vader laughed. "You are incapable. I know you too well; I would cut you down before you had even tried to strike. But I do not wish to; I have exacted enough justice today, and as Jedi go, you are relatively uncorrupt. I will allow you to leave, if you so wish. Of course, I cannot promise that my troops will not kill you, but that is their mandate, not mine."
Siri did not move, though her arms shook badly. "Why? Are you feeling guilty for all the Jedi you've killed today? Padawans! Your comrades! Obi-Wan, how could you?"
Vader's face became terrible to behold. "How could I refuse to exact retribution on those who stole thirty years of my life, and then sold me to General Grievous? How could I not take the opportunity to make up for my mistake by defeating the greatest threat the Republic has ever faced? This is my hour, Siri!"
Siri's voice became hysterical. "Your hour? Your hour to become a murderer?"
Vader's voice dropped. "I have lost my patience, Siri. Leave my presence now, or I will have no choice but to kill you."
Siri shook her head. "No!"
Vader ignited his blue blade and crossed it with Siri's. "Then you will pay the price."
He swung at her. The blow was so strong that Siri's badly shaking arms nearly let the strike drive her own blade into her chest. Vader struck again. Siri managed to parry, but the aftershock left her reeling.
Vader came after her with ruthless precision. It was all Siri could do to keep her guard up. She prayed that the weakness she was feeling inside would disappear with battle, but if anything it was growing as she was forced to behold Vader's savage face.
"What happened to you, Obi-Wan?" she asked, even as she desperately batted aside another strike. "How could you join the Sith?"
Vader's eyes flashed at the mention of his old name. "Don't talk, Siri. Save your energy. You'll live longer."
"I will talk!" Siri exclaimed passionately. "I have to know! My best friend vanished and has come back as my enemy. I deserve to know!"
Vader shoved her back. "You would not understand!"
"I don't care!" Siri cried. "I must know!"
Vader lunged at her again. Siri's parry had more force this time, gaining strength as she let her weakness into the open. The Dark Lord did let up his assault, but his voice became bitter and pained.
"Picture a dark cell, Siri, no bigger than a few square meters. Picture being kept in that cell for days, weeks, months, with no light and almost no connection to the outside world. You are separated from everything and everyone you have ever loved. Your only contact is your archenemy, the robotic scum you have hunted for three years, who comes solely to torment you. Imagine being tortured. Imagine your enemy mocking you incessantly, reminding you how you are completely in his power. The bitter realization when you discover how you came to be here, that the men and women you had considered your family for thirty years had sold you out for political reasons and consigned you to this hell. And imagine being helpless to do anything about it, because you are chained, and the Force has been taken from you."
He jabbed at Siri again. She dodged it and leapt off the wall, clearing herself space. Vader engaged her again and continued.
"Now imagine that someone comes to you, someone you have long considered your enemy, but who offers you a chance at freedom. Would you take it? This person shows you how to find the hope and strength you believed you had lost. He teaches you how to break free of the all the bonds that have been placed on you. You become more powerful than ever before, strong enough to destroy your oppressor and restore justice to the system you had believed lost. You now have an opportunity to correct your mistake and take revenge on those who have lied to you and used you your entire life. You cannot understand. No one could understand, unless they had endured such agony. But I did, Siri. I have passed through the fire and it has changed me, giving me the power beyond what I ever thought possible, and the resolve to use it!"
Siri was stunned into silence. She could feel Vader's inner torments slicing into her own heart, how much he had suffered and how much he had lost. The pain was almost unbearable. Combined with Siri's own turmoil, it was enough to cause her to collapse. Only the need to protect the children kept her on her feet, or she would have been at Vader's mercy.
Yet, in the midst of the swirling agony, there was something else. Vader's guard had dropped for the briefest instant, and Siri had sensed something familiar, a flicker of the man she had known so well and would have gladly died for. That part of him hated what he was doing, was deeply saddened by the sight of her being so afraid and helpless, and wanted to stop it. The impulse was buried, smothered under many layers of darkness and resentment, but it was there. Siri had to reach it; she had to free Obi-Wan before it was too late.
Vader sensed her prying. The gap in his defenses immediately closed, and he struck so viscously that Siri went flying away from him, landing hard on the floor and losing her grip on her lightsaber. She scrambled to her feet and reached out for her weapon. It rose into the air and soared … right into Vader's outstretched hand.
Summoning the power of the Dark Side into his grip, Vader crushed Siri's weapon. He tossed aside the remains and advanced on her. Siri did not retreat. She stood tall in the middle of the corridor, head raised and back erect. Vader stopped a meter from her and raised the tip of his weapon to her throat. "You are finished, Siri."
Siri looked hard into Vader's eyes. "Stop it, Obi-Wan. This isn't you."
A deep growl rolled it Vader's throat. "Do not speak that name to me."
"It is your name," Siri said calmly, though her voice betrayed her tension, "Whether you believe it or not. The man I am looking at now is not Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I know that he still lives in there, seeking to overcome this dark fiend that has possessed him. I am speaking to him now."
Vader laughed. "You are speaking to a ghost, Siri. If you wish to talk to your dear departed Obi-Wan in the after-life, that can be arranged."
Siri ignored him. "Obi-Wan, listen to me. Think about what you are doing. It is Sidious who is using you, not the Jedi. Whatever wrongs you may have suffered, he is turning them to his advantage. Don't let him. Fight it!"
Vader smiled. "Do you really believe that after all I have endured I would let Lord Sidious use me against my will? I serve him because it suits my purpose."
Siri tried another tactic. "Anakin. Think about Anakin, what this will do to him. You're his mentor, his best friend. You mean so much to him. Can you imagine what will happen when he sees you like this?"
"Indeed I can, Siri. Anakin is the only one who will understand what I have done. The ills he has suffered at the hands of the Jedi Order rival my own. He has only remained loyal because of subversive threats to his wife. Now that that threat has been eliminated, he will follow his instinct and join me."
Siri bit back a surprised exclamation. It was obvious who Vader was talking about; she didn't know why she couldn't have seen it before. But it only strengthened her conviction against Vader's statements.
"Anakin would never join the Dark Side! Not when he has so much to lose."
Vader smiled. "In his heart, Anakin has already joined us," he said coldly. "Soon, he will realize it."
Siri's desperation started to grow. But she could not show weakness now. "What about the Jedi? Could you ever come back?"
"I can never go back to the Jedi," Vader told her. "I have done too much, and so have they. It cannot be forgotten. It cannot be forgiven."
"You underestimate the Jedi's compassion and understanding, Obi-Wan," Siri said. "Something I would never have expected of you. They will forgive you."
"I do not want forgiveness, Siri," Vader told her. "I want retribution."
"I don't believe you."
Vader's tone became irritated. "Why do you even care, Siri? You abandoned Obi-Wan with the rest of the Jedi."
"NO!" Siri cried. "I would never have abandoned you, Obi-Wan! You were my best friend. I trusted you! I loved you!"
Vader stepped back, startled, but quickly recovered. "Then you are a fool."
"Maybe," Siri exclaimed. "Maybe I am a fool for believing that compassion can save someone. But you know what? I don't care. The Jedi are wrong; love is the greatest agent of good in this universe."
Vader laughed. "A woman who loved Obi-Wan tried to convince me of that a while ago. I know better. Love is strong, but it is not all-powerful."
"She was right, Obi-Wan. Whoever she is, she is very wise. And I can prove it to you."
She stepped forward till she and Vader were centimeters apart. Vader leveled his blade right at her neck. Siri tilted her head back, exposing the veins that conducted her life blood. "Do it, Vader. If the Dark Side is as powerful as you claim, kill me now. You will have shown your resolve. But I know that if there is any trace of the man you once were in your heart, you won't do it. You won't be able to. For even oppressed as he is, Obi-Wan Kenobi is still stronger than you will ever be."
Vader raised an eyebrow. "You really think that after all the Jedi I've killed today I won't be able to kill you?"
Siri smiled. "I don't think. I know."
Vader moved the point of his blade closer and closer to Siri's neck, until it was almost touching her skin. It was so easy. With a flick of his wrist, he could cut her jugular and let her bleed out right in front of him. With a harder push, he could behead her completely. But something held him back. Vader tried to move his blade that last distance, but his arms would not respond to his will. It was almost as if someone inside him had seized control, and was keeping him at bay.
A gleam of triumph shone in Siri's eyes. "I was right. You are still in there, Obi-Wan. Thank you."
Vader shook himself as though coming out of a deep daze. He looked at the brave, smiling woman before him and struggled to find his voice. "Siri, I …"
Alarms blared in his mind. He could hear heavy footsteps, coming this way, entering the corridor, weapons raised. Vader opened his mouth to warn Siri, but it was too late. Clone troops came around the corner and spotted them. Without any hesitation, they aimed their weapons and fired.
Vader saw Siri's face go from triumphant to pained as six laser bolts streaked down the corridor and hit her in the back. Her eyes remained fixed on Vader's face, even as the surprise filtered into resigned acceptance and her life blood began to pour out of the ragged wounds. She stumbled forward and fell into Vader's arms. He held her up as her breathing began to slow. She coughed, then whispered something he barely managed to catch.
"Obi-Wan … I … I forgive you …"
Then her breathing faded, and she went limp in his arms.
Commander Tarc lowered his smoking blaster rifle and advanced towards the Sith Lord, who was holding the small body of the Jedi Knight in his arms. He appeared slightly taken aback at the situation, but dismissed the attitude and saluted. "Are you alright, Sir?"
Vader did not respond, looking down at Siri's lifeless body with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Sir?"
Vader's head snapped up. "Yes, Commander. I am unhurt."
Tarc nodded approvingly. "Excellent, Sir. I am here to report that all areas have been secured and all hostiles neutralized. The rear guard is mopping up now. The Temple is ours."
Vader nodded. "Good."
Tarc jerked his head back towards the stairwell. "We should go, Sir. We have to prepare … what's that?"
Noises were coming from behind a locked door, indistinct voices and clattering. Something alive was inside.
Tarc made straight for the door, but Vader held up a hand. "No. Let me."
He gently set Siri's body down and crossed the hall towards the door. He let the Force guide his hands with the combination, and the door slid open.
Vader found himself looking down at a young boy with blond hair and blue eyes, no older than six at the most, looking up at him with a frightened expression on his face. When he saw the face under the hood, however, his fear evaporated. "It's Master Kenobi!"
Other younglings emerged from their hiding places, clambering eagerly to greet their apparent savior. They gazed up at him with hero worship.
The boy spoke again. "We thought you were gone, Master Kenobi. The Masters said that you'd gone away, but we knew that you …"
He saw Tarc's helmeted head behind Vader and shrank back. "Master Kenobi, look out!"
Vader turned his head. Tarc stepped up beside him. "Young Jedi, Sir. Minimal threat, but Lord Sidious's orders were absolute. Do you want to handle this?"
Vader turned back to look at the younglings, who looked extremely confused. A girl with brown tresses piped up. "Fight him, Master Kenobi! He's no match for you."
Tarc ignored her impudence. "Sir? Should you do it, or should we?"
Vader let his gaze pass over all the younglings, about twenty in all, off several different species. None of them were older than six. Tarc was right; they posed little threat. But they were Jedi. And Lord Sidious had been clear: all the Jedi must be exterminated.
Still, Vader hesitated. They were so young, so trusting. They way that they looked at him shook his to his iron-braced core. They had not been the ones who had betrayed him. They had nothing to do with the corrupt conspiracies of the Jedi Council. They were completely innocent of any crime … except they were Jedi.
Do not hesitate. Show no mercy.
He was hesitating. He was considering showing mercy. Sidious would be furious if he knew. But if Vader could persuade him, perhaps have the children be trained as lesser Dark Side disciples, the Dark Lord might be willing to spare them.
No … he already had his two apprentices selected; what would he want with twenty? They would grow up to be even greater threats to him. That was why he wanted them dead now. Vader had already killed children in his rampage, but they had been older, with at least a chance of defending themselves. The younglings before him now were helpless.
The young boy with the blue eyes … that must have been what Anakin looked like when he was that age. The girl with the tresses must have resembled Padmé, or Sabé. All of them had parents somewhere, totally unaware of the peril their child was facing.
He couldn't do it.
Lord Sidious's mantra came into his mind again, relentlessly chanting the words of doom that had guided him up till now. He had to do it. The Jedi would destroy the Republic, and in a few years these padawans would be Knights capable of waging a civil war.
Siri had forgiven him … but could he forgive himself for this? Could Anakin? Could Sabé? He remembered that Anakin had slaughtered Tusken Raiders on Tatoonie, some of them infants and young children. That had supposedly been justified. Was that the case here? And why did he even care? He was a Sith Lord; nothing was more important than ensuring his power. Nothing else should matter.
Tarc was waiting for an answer. Lord Sidious was waiting for an answer. The younglings were waiting for an answer. Vader had no answer to give. He only had his mission, a mission that needed to be fulfilled at all costs.
"Lord Vader?"
Vader closed his eyes. "Do what must be done, Commander."
Tarc saluted. "Yes, Sir."
He stepped past Vader, grabbed the young boy by the arm, and pulled him out of the room. The boy yelled for Vader to help, but Vader did not move. All his strength had left him.
Other troops filed into the room and began dragging the children out. The girl with the long brown hair tried to punch the clone who held her, to no effect. Vader let them all go by, eyes still closed, standing the doorway of the now-empty room.
Tarc did not appear fazed by what he had witnessed. "Lord Sidious has left a message, Sir. He wants you to contact him at the earliest opportunity."
Vader nodded and opened his eyes. "I'll do that."
Tarc saluted and moved back over towards the assembled younglings, who were being lined up execution-style against the wall. One of the padawans tried to catch Vader's eye. He looked away.
Silently, he walked the other way down the corridor towards the stairwell. He stopped for a moment near Siri's body. His knee flexed, as though he wanted to bend down, but he mastered himself. Stepping over her, he continued on.
His own desires for vengeance now seemed hollow. Vader had no doubt that in time they would be rekindled, but at the moment the fire that had filled him during his storm through the Archives, his torture of Pablo-Jill, and the confrontation in the Jedi Council Chamber was no more than a pile of cold ashes. He felt empty, no longer one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, but a shell of a man who could not stand what he had done.
As the sound of blasterfire echoed throughout the hall, a single tear trickled down Darth Vader's face.
Yes, it's very sad. But it had to happen. You will see how this affects Vader and others in the coming posts.
