Thanks for the reviews! Harriet ( Yes! 575! Kick ass! Lol, you review a lot don't ya? Hehe. Yeah, it could have been confusing, I hope you're all cleared up. This chapter is ok. Next should prove to be…interesting. Hahha. Enjoy!) KenobisGirl (Where the hell have you been?! I missed you!!!!! Hahaha! *hugs* :) That was a nice surprise to see you review. Hope you're still interested in the fics!) Blue Dragoness ( Welcome to the band wagon! *plays corny welcome song..cd skips and dies* oh, well, you get the point. Hah. Yeah, I can imagine that it took a while to catch up. I felt like an idiot writing on my profile not to get too far left behind then but now people better heed that warning. Hahaha. Ok, well enjoy!) Shen Panda ( *sobs* Yes, I was incredibly hurt that you didn't review the last chapter in TDW…Just kidding. But I'm glad you read it. Hmm…I don't know if I'm going to AU or not. I'm kinda debating on it. Depends on how I handle these next fics. What do you think? I think I'll just take a vote on AU or not when it gets to the time…cause otherwise that would be really sad..*Sobs again* lol. Well, I'm glad you're back too. Enjoy the chappy!) Oxymoron to the 4th Power ( Woo-Hoo! You're back too! Man, this rules! Lol, murphy's law though, you guys will prolly miss this chap, haha. At any rate, glad you're in too!) Keep them flowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ATTENTION! ALL PEOPLES! (Hahah, I did mean to do that) This chapter is somewhat uneventful and perhaps confusing but PLEASE just hang with me till next chapter. It should prove to be extremely eventful and interesting if you know what I mean. Also, this chapter doesn't explain very much at all. In fact it explains nothing, explanations are probably going to be drawn out but there's a reason. Next chapter should explain some stuff. *Has some major plans*
Don't forget to review! Maybe for a….Piece of apple pie? *had one for breakfast, yum yum* Sorry this took so long! School started and pbb got moving. Now that one's stuck and this one's going. Grrrr! At any rate, on to chapter two!
Ch. 2 The Soul Of Yesterday
A flame lashed out just as the door closed again from the office so rightfully her's and the dead body inside who was so foolish.
Glancing around the office people tried vainly to stay out of her view. She knew full well the lifts had been shut down, thanks to her own doing. The doors to the stairs had been locked and there was no way off of the floor.
"What should I count to? It's a game right? Hide and seek? If I recall correctly it is…" Jesi said lightly walking, with a bounce in her step, through the aisles.
"Boo!" She exclaimed grabbing someone. She screamed and nearly started crying.
"Oh please, get some gut in you girl." Jesi said disgusted and striding away. She sighed looking directly at the service recorders. "This is getting rather dull." She said. "You better get moving or I'm going to get bored." She pointed at the camera, knowing other people were watching her.
Jesi turned and glared at the people around her. "I'm going to have to find my own entertainment for a while. So-" She clasped her hands together. "Who wants to go first?" Silence hung in the air. "No one?..." Silence. "Well then, I shall pick my own."
~~~~~~~~
"Master I still don't understand who this could be..?" Obi-Wan continued as he and Qui-Gon entered the lowest level of the IGPG where utter chaos was ensuing. People were rushing around everywhere. Anger was everywhere. Anger and a lot of confusion.
"We'll find out soon enough." Qui-Gon said frowning at the sight before them.
Making their way into the crowds a Corusanti officer approached them. "Are you the Jedi we requested?"
"Yes, that would be us." Qui-Gon replied.
"..Only two of you?"
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan glanced at each other.
"Yes, unless we call more." Obi-Wan told the obviously nervous officer.
"Oh, I see." The guard replied. "If you'll come wi-"
"Obi-Wan? Is that you?" Obi-Wan was suddenly aware of someone gripping his shoulder tightly. Turning he looked at Billy Gairce.
"Billy?" Obi-Wan questioned. In all honesty he hadn't seen Billy Gairce in over 4 years.
"Did you hear? Do you know what they're saying?" Billy was certainly not the calm man Obi-Wan knew him to be.
"What? Hear what?"
"Who they're saying is doing this." Billy said lowly.
Obi-Wan frowned looking at him. His eyes tight but wild. Billy had never acted like this before.
"What are you talking about?"
"Colonel Gairce, please." The officer said firmly. He motioned for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to follow him. Obi-Wan looked back at Billy who just stood there watching them go.
"We would rather one of you stay with our officers, over there." The officer pointed. "In case we need anyone to lead them in, we'd rather have a Jedi."
Obi-Wan looked at his master and Qui-Gon nodded for him to go as he continued to follow the other officer.
"We have no idea who it really is up there. Logically the person they say it is just can't be." The officer said waving his hand about in dismissal. "I can't quite remember her name now.." He said in thought as they neared a surveillance station. " Je…er something..I just can't remember now."
Qui-Gon really wasn't listening very well, he was busy looking at the chaos around them, but he frowned looking at him. "What do you mean, logically can't be here? Why not?"
"Well, she's supposed to be dead sir. For-"
Qui-Gon didn't hear him very well. There was a loud commotion near the back of the level. Someone was screaming. He could make out the detail of Billy Gairce suddenly grabbing a woman into a tight hug after he had turned to find the source. He frowned and looked across to Obi-Wan who too was looking the direction of the noise. A vague feeling of familiarity was there but he could place it. Something about the woman Gairce was now holding.
"This is causing a lot of stress on our people." The officer sighed.
"Sir, ah…We have a counting of three people heading up the stair levels..Between levels 73 and 74, they're heading down." A young man at a computer station said turning to his officer.
"Who?" The officer bristled.
"I'm not sure sir, the computers aren't clarifying. I think it's Dowing, Ricer, and Aminain." He replied.
"If they're even thinking of trying to detain the holder, you'd better get them out of there now." Qui-Gon said firmly.
"They're some of our best, we shouldn't have to worry. They've done this before." The officer said lightly.
"No, they haven't done this before. This is not an average person, they'll be killed without a thought left. Get them out." The Jedi said lowly. These people were not handling this very well.
The officer looked at him, then sighed heavily. "Get them out." He ordered.
"They don't have any comms sir." The young man replied.
"XO Caully, she's moving!" Someone shouted from the holo station.
Qui-Gon shook his head, "We'll handle this. Keep your groups on level 60 and ready to go, understood?"
XO Caully eyed him then nodded.
"We'll lead them up." Was all Qui-Gon said turning and walking towards Obi-Wan and the group with him. "We're going to have to do this on a low basis Obi-wan, they don't know what's going on." He told his apprentice softly so the others around them wouldn't hear.
"Yes master. Do you think we'll have a problem with the person?"
"It depends. We're just going to evaluate the situation and go as we see it."
"Yes Master." Obi-wan replied with a nod.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesi sighed listening to the silent air around her. Looking at the time she found this to be exceptionally boring. She had her orders, and she was doing them but she was hoping for a bit of excitement. This was very dull although the fear that radiated from everyone gave her hope for something.
Suddenly a small spark in the air caught her attention. Stopping her pace she waited and of course it was there again. People were coming. She was rather disappointed that it was only three, but hey three is fine enough.
Jesi's eyes slid to the wall far to her right. Stairways were behind that wall.
"Oh dear, I may just have to hide in a cave with three whole people coming!" She shouted moving briskly towards the wall. "What shall I do?" She exaggerated, asking the people around her.
"Jesi?" Someone questioned standing.
All eyes slid to that one man but he didn't waver. Not even when Jesi turned an accusing eye to him did he falter.
"Jesi Stafferi. That's you isn't it?" He continued unflichingly.
"Nope, sorry." She said turning again.
"No, yes it is. I know you…Knew you." He said moving forward. This was followed by many nods and words of agreement.
"Key word is, you KNEW me. I'm not who you think I am." Jesi corrected, ignoring the flare in her senses that more people were coming…two in particular.
"You are Jesi Stafferi. You died 6 years ago." Someone else spoke up.
"Oh, riiiiiigggght, I forgot about that. I died. sorry, my mistake. I just went to hell and back!!" Jesi fumed. With a flick of her hand the person who said so flew back. "Anyone else want to tell me who I am NOW??" She dared glaring at the man still standing. He slowly shook his head and no one else moved.
Relaxing again she felt a tremor in the Force around her. A small smile graced her features.
"Finally…" She muttered. Turning back to the people around her Jesi took a graceful bow and turned on a heel walking towards the stair door. Opening it easily she looked at the three right behind it. Throwing two over the rail just a few feet behind she hit the third who was kneeling. He shook his head looking up at her from his back.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you hit my fist?" She asked kindly. "Let me help you." The heel of her boot slammed down on his throat collapsing it. Shrugging Jesi turned walking casually up the stairs.
~~~~~~~~~
Obi-Wan was getting edgy now. They'd left the IGPG groups on level 62 and he and his master were now approaching level 73. The doors to actually initially get into the stair ways were rather difficult to get into but it was easily done with the Force. It would have taken longer if they were rewired.
He was usually very calm during things like this but for some reason he had a very bad feeling about all of this. It was strange, as if it were very bad but it was…humbling almost. Like he were waiting for something good to happen, hoping it would but agonizing over that it might not be.
Qui-Gon stopped suddenly looking up the stairs. Someone just opened the door to level 73. Two flashes were all they saw of two bodies falling down the middle of the squared spaced stairs. Knowing they could do nothing for the two the Jedi glanced at each other and heightened their senses picking up their pace.
Coming to the door there was only a man on the ground, dead most certainly. Coming inside the door Obi-Wan looked at the 2 dozen people inside staring at him wide eyed.
'Where?' He mouthed, just incase someone was still around.
"She went up the stairs, didn't you see her?" Someone said suddenly, loudly.
"No, all of you file into the stair way and move to level 62, your people are there." Obi-Wan said quickly. Incase that person came back he didn't want to have to worry about hostages or casualties.
"Lead them back Obi-wan, I'm going up stairs." Qui-Gon said.
"But you shouldn't face the holder alone." Obi-Wan said with a frown. He was old enough now to counter his Master on decisions, but not entirely to make them for both of them.
"I'll be fine, I just want to make sure they don't get away. When they're safe come back." Qui-Gon told him.
"Yes master." Obi-Wan replied, motioning for the group to move off the level.
Obi-Wan glanced back as his master started at a jog up the stairs. He frowned at the feeling that burned in him of apprehension and hope all together for reasons he didn't know. Again, as if he were waiting for something new, something…big.
~~~~~~~~
Jesi glanced back hearing footsteps so trying to be hidden. Shrugging she continued her way up the stairs humming softly to herself.
~~~~~~~
Master Apalla, head cheche master, looked in concern at Trevor and Si'Reia Stafferi far from the other children in the crèche's inside gardens. Reia was often a very social child and she usually brought her much more solitary brother with her into the games with other children.
Dan had no problem with getting along with everyone and no one had problems with him…except his brother. Young Reia was almost the only reason why Trevor tolerated his brother. For such a young child, he certainly was extremely mature and understanding in situations of very complicated matters. It wasn't as if he would pick on his brother, he just flat out didn't like him and tried to avoid the other boy as much as possible. They often argued when together.
Apalla sighed turning away and looking to her other students making sure they weren't doing anything they shouldn't be.
Reia tilted her head to the side.
"What?" Trevor asked eagerly. "What's she saying?!" He whispered.
"Stop it, you're making me forget." Reia said frustrated. With a heavy sigh she settled again and looked to nothing, waiting. When she did this she usually heard the voice she liked so much.
"She says…She doesn't want to. She doesn't want to go there. She wants to come back and…see…us. She wants to see you and me Trevy!" Reia squealed.
"Shhh!" Trevor said putting a finger over his lips. "We'll get in trouble."
"Why can't we tell anyone about her?" Trevor was the only other person who had ever heard Her. He didn't hear Her nearly as much as she did, but he did.
"Because, do you want to go back to the council room for a long time?" Trevor said.
Reia thought back to the time when they were caught moving things. Not just moving things…moving things.
"Oh…No."
They had to spend many, many hours with Master Windu and Master Yoda in that small room after that. It was boring.
"Then we can't say anything." He told her.
Silence laced the air again, and the woman didn't talk to Reia anymore. "She went back." Reia shrugged.
"Where does she go?" Trevor asked, mostly to himself.
"I dunno." Reia said.
"Don't know." Trevor corrected. His speech was long past his years.
"I don't know." Reia corrected herself. "Do you ever see her?" She asked suddenly.
"Huh? Er, What do you mean?" He said.
"I mean, see her. When she's talking to you."
Trevor shook his head.
"Oh..I do." Reia muttered.
"What does she look like?" Trevor asked, curious.
"She has…long hair, like Master Apalla, cept it's gold. And she has funny eyes."
Trevor frowned. "Funny? Like ours?" He asked blinking his black iris eyes.
"No, her's…aren't there…" Reia told him after a moment of thought.
**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**
Qui-Gon slowed his pace a little feeling the Force tingle as he came to the last stair of the entire building. Roof level 122. He had yet to see anyone or hear anyone…but this door was open. The green light beside it shone brightly. The last step was moist with the water from the steady drizzle outside.
Pressing the small green button he took only one step onto the roof before he saw the person there, not facing him.
His hand near his saber he said, "Turn around slowly. You're under custody of the Republic and Jedi Order."
At first the person didn't do anything. Qui-Gon was about to repeat when they turned their head ever so slightly he was still unable to see her face.
Blood rushed to the Jedi's head blacking out his vision for a few moments. When it cleared again he looked directly at Jesi who turned to face him. She was almost exactly the same as she was 6 years ago except she had shorter hair which, at the moment curled in the rain. Water streamed down her face and he almost smiled seeing her here, alive, but all too quickly confusion, disbelief, and her attire came about. Black. Black cloak, tunic, pants, boots, gloves, black. Dark.
"Surprise." Was all she said.
Tbc…
Hmm…What the hell right? I mean she's just being there to…be there it seems huh? Hahah, not really. Like I said, wait till next chapter! :) Hope it wasn't too disappointing!
Till Later,
Elli