Chapter 28

Reeft knelt beside his student and lifted Anakin's head into his lap. "What is it, Anakin?"

"Obi-Wan, it's…it's Obi-Wan," Anakin managed in a chocked voice.

"Can you stand?"

Anakin nodded and carefully stood on unsteady feet. He still felt pain in his head, but it had lessened.

"Come on," Reeft said as he guided Anakin out of the mess hall. "We'll go back to our quarters and you can tell me what just happened."

/

By the time Reeft and Anakin had reached their shared quarters, Anakin was convinced that Obi-Wan was in grave danger.

"What happened, Anakin?"

Anakin sighed. "About a…a year ago, I had a vision during the lightsaber tournament. Obi-Wan and I had just returned to the Temple from…here, actually. He and I had been in a battle here on Jabiim. When we got home, Zakk was…he was gone."

Reeft's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, gone?"

Anakin ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I don't know, he was just gone. He wasn't there; not anywhere. In my vision, nearly every Jedi in the Temple was looking for him and there was no trace."

"What caused you to collapse in the mess hall?"

"I heard Obi-Wan scream my name," he revealed in a terse voice. "He's in danger, Reeft, I know it and I know it has to do with my vision and Zakk. Obi-Wan being expelled from the Order and not being here with me on Jabiim hasn't changed anything that I saw. I can feel that it's happening the same way as in my vision."

Reeft was still trying to make sense of what Anakin had told him. "How do you know?"

"In my vision, Zakk was…Obi-Wan wanted to know how a six-year old child could just disappear."

Reeft met Anakin's stare. "You're absolutely certain?"

Anakin swallowed and answered. "Yes, Master. We have to help him; them."

Reeft grabbed his comlink. "Colonel Khallas, this is General Reeft."

"Yes, General?"

"I need you to take command of the team," Reeft instructed. "Commander Skywalker and I will be leaving the Reliant immediately."

"Understood, General. May I ask why, Sir?"

"No. Reeft out."

Anakin smiled.

"Grab your gear and meet me in the hangar bay in fifteen minutes," Reeft instructed. "It's gonna take a few days to get back to Coruscant."

Anakin sprang into action as Reeft left the room and headed to the bridge of the Reliant.

/

Jedi Temple

Same Time

Ferus was exhausted as he collapsed onto his bed. One mission after another along with the confrontation with Master Gallia had taken their toll on the young man. It looked as if the war would continue with no end in sight. Now, he also had the looming task of completing his Trials to become a fully-fledged Jedi Knight.

He had just closed his eyes when the com-station in his room beeped with an incoming message.

He debated before climbing from his bed and going to sit at the com-station. The moment he hit the activation stud, he was greeted by the grim face of Anakin Skywalker.

"Anakin? What's wrong?" he questioned immediately.

"Master Reeft and I are leaving Jabiim and coming back to Coruscant," Anakin explained. "I have to explain some things to you about why and I'm gonna need you to listen and not question me. Can you do that?"

It wasn't hard for Ferus to ascertain the seriousness of whatever Anakin was about to tell him. The younger man was tense.

"I can," he answered.

Anakin quickly went about explaining his vision as well as the psychic scream he heard from Obi-Wan across their still-active bond.

"Tell Masters Yoda and Windu everything. Master Reeft and I will be back in a couple of days. And Ferus, make sure you mention to them that I think Chancellor Palpatine is involved. He's not what, or who he appears to be."

To say Ferus was shocked was an understatement. He felt completely overwhelmed with all of the news Anakin had just give him. He also felt worry for his former mentor, Obi-Wan and their son.

"We'll be ready when you get back, Anakin," Ferus promised.

Anakin ended the transmission and quickly grabbed his bags and practically ran to the hangar bay.

/

Siri couldn't hold back her emotions as she watched Palpatine speak softly to her young son.

Obi-Wan had never felt so helpless, or so angry in all of his life. His breathing had increased. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Frustration was paramount as he now also had his very own Force-Suppression collar in place.

"Getting angry, Master Kenobi?" Palpatine taunted, causing Siri to look over at her husband. It was then she first noticed he was now missing his left hand.

With the Force-suppression collar, she couldn't feel him at all. She couldn't sense his emotions.

"Obi-Wan?"

Hearing her call his name broke through and he turned to face her. He saw his own tears reflected in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered brokenly. "It's my fault."

She didn't understand what he meant. He hadn't known that Palpatine was the Sith Lord.

Or had he?

/

Ferus had practically run from his quarters towards the Council chamber, pulling his comlink from his belt as he sprinted down the corridor. He tried again and again to contact Siri with no luck.

Now he stood before the Council having recounted Anakin's story to them. He didn't need the Force to tell him that some of them were less than sympathetic to the fact that Obi-Wan might be in real, true danger.

"Think any of this has to do with Chancellor Palpatine, do you?" Yoda asked out of the blue. Ferus had yet to reveal Anakin's opinion of the man to the Council.

He nodded. "Yes, Master. Anakin, and for that matter Obi-Wan and Siri don't trust the Chancellor. They all feel he's hiding something."

"Agree, I do," Yoda stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Discover what he is hiding, we should."

Ferus breathed an inward sigh of relief. "Thank you, Master."

/

Palpatine guided young Zakk to the center of his office and knelt down in front of the boy.

"Do you remember me, young one?"

Zakk nodded. "Loran."

"Get away from my son!" Siri screamed out.

Palpatine grinned evilly. "Oh, no, Lady Kenobi, I intend to stay very close to your son. Young Zakk is to become my next apprentice."

He rested his hand on Zakk's head and the collar snapped open and he removed it from the boy's small neck. "Isn't that right, Zakk?"

The two parents watched as Zakk's demeanor and expression changed right away with Palpatine's hand still resting on his head. His eyes seemed clouded and Obi-Wan knew that somehow Palpatine had managed to get control of his son.

"Yes, Masta," young Zakk answered automatically.

/

General Grievous carried an unconscious Senator Amidala in his mechanical arms. Using the cover of darkness as his aide, he made his way back towards Sidious' office with the bait that would bring Anakin Skywalker to his knees.