CHAPTER 4
Mace Windu and Yoda sat talking in Yoda's apartment. They sensed a presence at the door and Yoda opened it before the person at the door had a chance to knock. Obi Wan Kenobi walked through the doorway. "Masters, I need to speak to you about my padawan." "Problems with your apprentice, have you?" Yoda asked. "Why didn't you bring this up with the council?" Mace wondered. "It's not really a problem that requires disciplinary action," Obi Wan explained, "I'm merely concerned for him, as his friend. He hasn't slept in weeks. He just sits up at night and holds his lightsaber. He keeps babbling about how important it is to him and how it keeps hiding from him and when it does, that's when he gets in trouble and he's afraid that if he sleeps, it will hide from him again and he will die." "His behavior lately, it's all been about his lightsaber?" Mace inquired "From him must we take it." Yoda suggested. "I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, master," Obi Wan said, "he's grown rather attached to it." "It's the only way. All of this is in his mind. Once we take it, he'll realize he's okay without it and he'll forget about it." Mace said. "If you say so." Obi Wan conceded. Mace stood up and headed for the door, before exiting, he turned to Obi Wan and said: "Are you coming?" Obi Wan raced after him and the two headed down the hall to Anakin's apartment. ************************************************************************
Mace Windu knocked on the door to Anakin's apartment. "Anakin!. Anakin!." He said as he pounded on the door. Finally, growing weary of knocking to no avail, Mace used the force to open the door. He and Obi Wan entered the pitch-black apartment, and immediately a cold chill ran down their spines. They could sense the dark side all around them. "I have a bad feeling about this." Mace confessed to his companion. Suddenly a voice came out of the darkness. "You've come for it haven't you?" Obi Wan turned and flicked on the light. Anakin sat on the bed in a fetal position, his hands were wrapped tightly around the saber. "You can't have it. I need it." Anakin said to them. "You need it?" Mace asked, shocked. "It's mine. You can't have it." Anakin continued to ramble. Mace looked at the young man, he was much thinner, his clothes hung off of him. His face was bony, and he had large black bags under his bloodshot eyes. It was as if he was being destroyed from the inside out. "We're only trying to help you, Anakin." Obi Wan said. "Why don't you let Mace keep an eye on your saber, and you and I will go get something to eat." Anakin looked at the sincerity in his master's eyes and through the blackened heart that the saber had created, his humanity shone through. "Okay." He said, and reluctantly handed the weapon to Mace. Mace took it, relieved that the confrontation did not become physical. He then watched as the two old friends headed down the hall, to the kitchen. ************************************************************************
The light from the flames pierced the darkness of night. The members of the Jedi order had been to many funerals lately. The clone wars had been raging on for five years now, and many of their companions had fallen. This funeral, however was different from all the rest. This funeral was for a member of the council and he had been murdered. Mace Windu's body laid on a bed of fire. Obi Wan held back the tears. This was the ninth Jedi funeral he had been to in the last year. Each one seemed to dig up the painful memories of his master's funeral. Suddenly, he noticed his former apprentice at his side. "Hello, Obi Wan." Anakin felt good addressing his former superior as one of his peers. "Anakin." Obi Wan responded. "I heard it was a bounty hunter." Anakin said, trying to find out some details. "It was Fett's son, Bobba." Obi Wan explained. "Really?" The answer took Anakin by surprise, "I guess he finally got his revenge. Amazing. he's so young, I guess he'll be pretty good."
Obi Wan turned to face Anakin, he noticed his old apprentice was looking much healthier than he had a few years ago. He seemed happy, which was something Obi Wan had not seen him be in a long time. Masters Yoda and Windu must have been right all that he needed was to have the saber taken from him. Obi Wan remembered the fit he threw at first when he realized master Windu had taken it from him. Yet as soon as he realized his confidence was internal, he could use any saber and be fine. He thought that all the saber nonsense was behind them, but then, Anakin spoke. "You have it don't you?" "Have what?" Obi Wan said, a bit shocked by his question. "The saber. My old one. You have it. I went to the armory after master Windu's death, to get it. They said you had it."
Kenobi thought about the weapon lying in a box in his apartment and then he thought of the note that master Windu left with it: Destroy it. It's too late for Anakin, It has consumed him already. It Is not too late to save others. Destroy it! I received a vision and It will be the end of us all. Why hadn't he destroyed it? What kept him from following master Windu's instructions? His thoughts were then interrupted by Anakin's babblings. "Well, where is it." Anakin said, as if demanding an answer. "What do you care? I thought you realized it was internal." Obi Wan said, trying to become the one in control. "It's not for me," Anakin said, "Chancellor Palpatine wants it back." "Then why doesn't he ask me for it?" Obi Wan asked. "I am his personal body guard." Anakin said smugly Finally Anakin had something to be cocky about. Why Palpatine would select a newly appointed Jedi Knight as his guard, when he could have selected a more experienced one, was beyond Obi Wan, but he had to admit it was quite an accomplishment. "I'll be in Courasant for a short time before my mission to the Wuban system. Why don't you see me then." He suggested. "I'll be there master, you'd better be too." Anakin said followed by a sinister smile. ************************************************************************ The humid Wubainian climate seemed too much for the man. His heavy cloak was a burden. Even the breeze from the motion of the speeder he was on felt like a hot breath beating against his flesh. His business mission was over now it was time for the personal one. The reptilian driver, a local, was not driving fast enough for him. "How much further?" He asked "Maybe a quarter parsec, patience master Kenobi." The Wubainian driver, snapped.
Sooner than he expected, the speeder stopped. He looked out and saw a large mountain, at the top, a red-orange glow emerged. "An active volcano. just like you requested." The driver said. "Thanks, what do I owe you?" Obi wan asked, stepping out. "Fourt." Before the driver could finish speaking, he and his cab were ripped in two by thin air. Obi Wan looked around and saw nothing. A wave of confusion washed over him, and almost as soon as it did another wave washed over him, a wave of understanding and fear. He's here. Obi Wan thought. I must hurry.
Obi Wan ran up the hill. He raced against something he could not even see. He used the force and pushed his body to it's limits. Before he knew, he was at the top, staring into a pool of molten rock. I made it. He thought. He pulled out the saber Anakin was looking for and tossed it in. The saber fell into the pit. Gravity was taking it to it's doom. Half way down it stopped in mid air, then flew into the hand of a man in a black cloak. "Hello, Obi Wan. You weren't at our little meeting. Let me guess, you waited for me and I just missed you." "You're out of you're mind, Anakin. Can't you see what it's doing to you?" "I guess I can't. Why don't you enlighten me, seeing as how I am just the learner and you are the master." "You can't control it, trust me. It's eating you alive. Throw it in. Do yourself a favor." "I'm taking it to my new master, even if I must destroy you."
With that, Anakin ignited the lightsaber, then produced another and ignited it, it glowed blood red. "I will not fight you!" Obi Wan insisted. "No, of course you won't. You never appreciated me. Even now you underestimate my powers." "Don't you mean your dark powers?" Obi Wan Finally confessed that he knew. "It's really not as bad as they say. I've discovered power I never even knew I had. It flows through me." "It controls you." "I don't want it to have to come to this. Remember what good friends we were? That doesn't have to end. Join me, and together we will rule the galaxy as master and apprentice." "I suppose you'll be the master." "I could teach you so much. If only you knew the power of the darkside!" "I will not turn!" "No, of course not. You look down on me, but the children, the children at the Jedi temple look up to me. If you will not turn, then perhaps they will." "You're not the man I knew, you are clearly an agent of evil and I must destroy you!" Obi Wan drew his saber and ignited it. Anakin let a devious grin creep over his lips, he then let these words creep past them: "Then strike me down. if you can!"
Mace Windu and Yoda sat talking in Yoda's apartment. They sensed a presence at the door and Yoda opened it before the person at the door had a chance to knock. Obi Wan Kenobi walked through the doorway. "Masters, I need to speak to you about my padawan." "Problems with your apprentice, have you?" Yoda asked. "Why didn't you bring this up with the council?" Mace wondered. "It's not really a problem that requires disciplinary action," Obi Wan explained, "I'm merely concerned for him, as his friend. He hasn't slept in weeks. He just sits up at night and holds his lightsaber. He keeps babbling about how important it is to him and how it keeps hiding from him and when it does, that's when he gets in trouble and he's afraid that if he sleeps, it will hide from him again and he will die." "His behavior lately, it's all been about his lightsaber?" Mace inquired "From him must we take it." Yoda suggested. "I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, master," Obi Wan said, "he's grown rather attached to it." "It's the only way. All of this is in his mind. Once we take it, he'll realize he's okay without it and he'll forget about it." Mace said. "If you say so." Obi Wan conceded. Mace stood up and headed for the door, before exiting, he turned to Obi Wan and said: "Are you coming?" Obi Wan raced after him and the two headed down the hall to Anakin's apartment. ************************************************************************
Mace Windu knocked on the door to Anakin's apartment. "Anakin!. Anakin!." He said as he pounded on the door. Finally, growing weary of knocking to no avail, Mace used the force to open the door. He and Obi Wan entered the pitch-black apartment, and immediately a cold chill ran down their spines. They could sense the dark side all around them. "I have a bad feeling about this." Mace confessed to his companion. Suddenly a voice came out of the darkness. "You've come for it haven't you?" Obi Wan turned and flicked on the light. Anakin sat on the bed in a fetal position, his hands were wrapped tightly around the saber. "You can't have it. I need it." Anakin said to them. "You need it?" Mace asked, shocked. "It's mine. You can't have it." Anakin continued to ramble. Mace looked at the young man, he was much thinner, his clothes hung off of him. His face was bony, and he had large black bags under his bloodshot eyes. It was as if he was being destroyed from the inside out. "We're only trying to help you, Anakin." Obi Wan said. "Why don't you let Mace keep an eye on your saber, and you and I will go get something to eat." Anakin looked at the sincerity in his master's eyes and through the blackened heart that the saber had created, his humanity shone through. "Okay." He said, and reluctantly handed the weapon to Mace. Mace took it, relieved that the confrontation did not become physical. He then watched as the two old friends headed down the hall, to the kitchen. ************************************************************************
The light from the flames pierced the darkness of night. The members of the Jedi order had been to many funerals lately. The clone wars had been raging on for five years now, and many of their companions had fallen. This funeral, however was different from all the rest. This funeral was for a member of the council and he had been murdered. Mace Windu's body laid on a bed of fire. Obi Wan held back the tears. This was the ninth Jedi funeral he had been to in the last year. Each one seemed to dig up the painful memories of his master's funeral. Suddenly, he noticed his former apprentice at his side. "Hello, Obi Wan." Anakin felt good addressing his former superior as one of his peers. "Anakin." Obi Wan responded. "I heard it was a bounty hunter." Anakin said, trying to find out some details. "It was Fett's son, Bobba." Obi Wan explained. "Really?" The answer took Anakin by surprise, "I guess he finally got his revenge. Amazing. he's so young, I guess he'll be pretty good."
Obi Wan turned to face Anakin, he noticed his old apprentice was looking much healthier than he had a few years ago. He seemed happy, which was something Obi Wan had not seen him be in a long time. Masters Yoda and Windu must have been right all that he needed was to have the saber taken from him. Obi Wan remembered the fit he threw at first when he realized master Windu had taken it from him. Yet as soon as he realized his confidence was internal, he could use any saber and be fine. He thought that all the saber nonsense was behind them, but then, Anakin spoke. "You have it don't you?" "Have what?" Obi Wan said, a bit shocked by his question. "The saber. My old one. You have it. I went to the armory after master Windu's death, to get it. They said you had it."
Kenobi thought about the weapon lying in a box in his apartment and then he thought of the note that master Windu left with it: Destroy it. It's too late for Anakin, It has consumed him already. It Is not too late to save others. Destroy it! I received a vision and It will be the end of us all. Why hadn't he destroyed it? What kept him from following master Windu's instructions? His thoughts were then interrupted by Anakin's babblings. "Well, where is it." Anakin said, as if demanding an answer. "What do you care? I thought you realized it was internal." Obi Wan said, trying to become the one in control. "It's not for me," Anakin said, "Chancellor Palpatine wants it back." "Then why doesn't he ask me for it?" Obi Wan asked. "I am his personal body guard." Anakin said smugly Finally Anakin had something to be cocky about. Why Palpatine would select a newly appointed Jedi Knight as his guard, when he could have selected a more experienced one, was beyond Obi Wan, but he had to admit it was quite an accomplishment. "I'll be in Courasant for a short time before my mission to the Wuban system. Why don't you see me then." He suggested. "I'll be there master, you'd better be too." Anakin said followed by a sinister smile. ************************************************************************ The humid Wubainian climate seemed too much for the man. His heavy cloak was a burden. Even the breeze from the motion of the speeder he was on felt like a hot breath beating against his flesh. His business mission was over now it was time for the personal one. The reptilian driver, a local, was not driving fast enough for him. "How much further?" He asked "Maybe a quarter parsec, patience master Kenobi." The Wubainian driver, snapped.
Sooner than he expected, the speeder stopped. He looked out and saw a large mountain, at the top, a red-orange glow emerged. "An active volcano. just like you requested." The driver said. "Thanks, what do I owe you?" Obi wan asked, stepping out. "Fourt." Before the driver could finish speaking, he and his cab were ripped in two by thin air. Obi Wan looked around and saw nothing. A wave of confusion washed over him, and almost as soon as it did another wave washed over him, a wave of understanding and fear. He's here. Obi Wan thought. I must hurry.
Obi Wan ran up the hill. He raced against something he could not even see. He used the force and pushed his body to it's limits. Before he knew, he was at the top, staring into a pool of molten rock. I made it. He thought. He pulled out the saber Anakin was looking for and tossed it in. The saber fell into the pit. Gravity was taking it to it's doom. Half way down it stopped in mid air, then flew into the hand of a man in a black cloak. "Hello, Obi Wan. You weren't at our little meeting. Let me guess, you waited for me and I just missed you." "You're out of you're mind, Anakin. Can't you see what it's doing to you?" "I guess I can't. Why don't you enlighten me, seeing as how I am just the learner and you are the master." "You can't control it, trust me. It's eating you alive. Throw it in. Do yourself a favor." "I'm taking it to my new master, even if I must destroy you."
With that, Anakin ignited the lightsaber, then produced another and ignited it, it glowed blood red. "I will not fight you!" Obi Wan insisted. "No, of course you won't. You never appreciated me. Even now you underestimate my powers." "Don't you mean your dark powers?" Obi Wan Finally confessed that he knew. "It's really not as bad as they say. I've discovered power I never even knew I had. It flows through me." "It controls you." "I don't want it to have to come to this. Remember what good friends we were? That doesn't have to end. Join me, and together we will rule the galaxy as master and apprentice." "I suppose you'll be the master." "I could teach you so much. If only you knew the power of the darkside!" "I will not turn!" "No, of course not. You look down on me, but the children, the children at the Jedi temple look up to me. If you will not turn, then perhaps they will." "You're not the man I knew, you are clearly an agent of evil and I must destroy you!" Obi Wan drew his saber and ignited it. Anakin let a devious grin creep over his lips, he then let these words creep past them: "Then strike me down. if you can!"