A/N
Thanks to everyone who has been reading this. As you may know, if you have been following this on theforce.net, I had to take some time off due to a serious health issue. I am back in action however, but didn't want to wait to post any longer. As such this chapter is shorter than some of the others. Also, due to my long absence, I wrote a summary on tf.n, and will include that here. Thanks to all of my reviewers, you are truly the greatest!
Summary so far: Okay, this is a quick
Rehash post for all of you faithful followers who have gotten just as lost and
confused as I have, considering the extended hiatus I took. Cheers!
Last time
on POS: (note the "batman-esque" voice
) After accepting a bargain given to
him by the Council, Obi-Wan Kenobi has tended to several suicide-like missions
in a desperate attempt to keep his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. At the beginning
of the story, he was sent on a mission to Navira to interrupt the leader of a
suddenly powerful army. The leader, Valone, was aided with information by
Dooku. Valone was also, unbeknownst to him, under the watch of the Dark Lord of
the Sith, Sidious, through his assistant Ellana. Ellana, who was the sister of
Xanatos DeCrion, was sent to work with Valone, helping him to capture Obi-Wan.
When that plan failed, and Valone was captured instead, Ellana quickly worked
to form a new plan. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan, suffering from injuries inflicted by
Valone, returned to the temple with the unconscious Rogue Jedi. Upon arrival at
the Temple, Valone was killed by an accidental injection of Narsicsis, a potent
poison. Obi-Wan had to forego treatment for his injuries until such time as all
of the Temple med supplies were checked for traces of the poison. In the
meantime, Obi-Wan's best friend, Bant, continued to help care for Anakin. After
being treated for the lightsaber burn to his shoulder, which had unfortunately
scarred, Obi-Wan was given leave at the Temple to train his Padawan and work
with some 'saber classes.
After several months at the Temple, Obi-Wan is called back before the Council
and informed that he has a new mission to Caradonia, and that his Padawan will
be attending him. Informing Anakin of the news, Obi-Wan unknowningly allows his
Padawan to see the scar that now graces his upper back. Anakin, realizing the
scar was not there before, becomes suspicious and angry. He confronts Bant, but
is then forced to pack for and leave on his mission.
Obi-Wan and Anakin arrive on Caradonia on a shuttle piloted by Haden Solo, a
Temple Pilot. During the flight, one of the dampeners on the shuttle becomes
damaged, leaving Solo to seek out a new part during their stay on Caradonia.
While scouting for the part, Solo uncovers information leading him to believe
the Jedi are in danger. Rushing to the site of the negotiations, he finds
Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan, who has already realized and confronted the men who have
taken Anakin as a bargaining chip, convinces Solo to take his place in the
negotiations while he makes certain that Ani is still safe and secure. Leaving
the negotiation table, he realizes that Anakin has been moved, and that his
Padawan has taken a stand against the hostage-takers. Arriving on the scene,
just in time to take part in a bloody blaster battle, Obi-Wan is left to
comfort his Padawan as Anakin is forced to take the lives of his captors.
Meanwhile, Solo has found an ally at the negotiations, one whom he convinces to
add an addendum to the almost completed treaty. In exchange for the addition to
the treaty, the young delegate asks for passage to Navira.
Anakin, Obi-Wan, Solo and the delegate meet up on the shuttle. Anakin goes to
his bunk to meditate while Obi-Wan confronts Solo about the treaty-signing and
the unexpected delegate. While he is speaking to Solo, Anakin is distracted
from his meditation by a dark form that enters his room. Upon extending himself
through the Force in an attempt to make an identification, Anakin is linked to
the mysterious figure. Feeling the sudden shifts in the Force, Obi-Wan abandons
his conversation with Solo, and runs to his apprentice's cabin. Taking in the
situation, he knocks the delegate unconscious and makes certain his apprentice
is all right. Upon determining that Anakin is okay, Obi-Wan returns to the
front of the shuttle with the unconscious delegate. Solo asks what has happened
and Obi-Wan explains that the delegate is in fact a suspected Sith, Ellana.
Obi-Wan demands that they be taken to Coruscant so that the Council can
question Ellana about her involvement with Valone and with her suspected ties
to the Sith. Before anything can be established, the damaged dampener on the
shuttle gives out and they are dropped out of hyperspace near Navira. Obi-Wan,
who used his Force strength to protect Solo, Anakin and Ellana, is knocked
unconscious. Upon landing at Navira, Anakin emerges from his shuttle and
awakens the previously unconscious Ellana. He then attempts to tend to his
Master, but Ellana blocks his healing energies from reaching his Master.
Realizing that he is not helping Obi-Wan, Anakin decides to contact Bant. He
begins to speak to Bant, but the connection is cut and Anakin is knocked
unconscious.
Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Bant is upset to find out that the Council does
not appear to care about Anakin's interrupted message. Angry, and not just at
this latest action and seeming betrayal of Obi-Wan and his apprentice by the
Council, Bant decides to search through sealed Temple records in the hopes of
finding out more. During her search, she is interrupted by Knight N'erak, a
fellow friend of her's and Obi-Wan's. N'erak helps her to discover that there
is more going on than even she had suspected. Finding that the files that they
were attempting to search were being destroyed systematically, Bant and N'erak
work to find the common denominator among the virus-stricken files. Bant goes
across the hall to attempt to contact Anakin or Obi-Wan while N'erak works on
the files. While across the hall, Bant is confronted by Master Dooku, but
N'erak intercedes before anything can happen. Dooku, however, is now aware of
their suspicions. After the brief meeting with Dooku, they remain together in
the computer lab. They discover that all of the files in some way or another
tie to a Master Sifo-Dyas. Deciding to find out all that they can about the
unknown Master, they contact the Temple switchboard, only to find out that he
is dead. Bant and N'erak then decide to access the Healer files to discover
more about the mysterious Master. While in the Healers ward, Bant is approached
by her Master, Ravenna, and Master Windu. They ask her to look over a strange
chemical analysis that has come their way. Unknown to Bant, the analysis is of
the Narsicsis found in Valone. Agreeing to assist, if only to keep the Masters
from realizing that she is downloading the file of a deceased patient, Bant
takes the offered data and leaves. Upon her departure, Master Windu accesses
the files she had downloaded, and then erases the file showing she had downloaded
them.
Bant goes back to her Healer's area, using her
terminal to bring up the information on Sifo-Dyas as she looks at the chemical
analysis from Master Windu. She finds out about Narsicsis and how it can be
mistaken for a common burn treatment. She also discovers its ties to the Sith.
Her terminal alerts her to the fact that Sifo-Dyas had traces of the burn
treatment in his system which leads her to believe that he was also killed by
Narsicsis. N'erak assists her in finding information, but when all else fails,
the two decide to approach Master Windu and talk to him. He leads them to the
Council laboratory where they find Ravenna studying the Narsicsis traces found
on Master Yoda's walking stick.
While they are all together, Anakin Skywalker contacts them. He and his Master
had been taken hostage by Ellana on the planet of Navira. Ellana, who was
Xanatos' sister, managed to use some kind of a device on Obi-Wan that seemed to
both enhance his powers, and also attempt to subvert his conscious mind. Before
she could completely break him, Narissa and Solo rode to the rescue with a
contingent of Navirian guards. Anakin and Obi-Wan manage to escape the
facility, but Ellana is killed after one final "mind-melding
experience" with Anakin. Narissa and Solo got them to a medical facility
where they were seperated. Anakin was allowed to see Obi-Wan only after the
doctors attempting to treat him were almost killed by the Force-power he was
putting off. Upon touching his Master, however, Anakin is dragged into Obi-Wan's
mindscape where he is forced to watch his Master relive some of the worst
memories of his life (including a to-the-death battle with Garren). (Luckily,
Anakin missed the glimpse of the future where Darth Vader led to the explosion
of an entire planet.)
Anakin tries to contact his Master through the bond, and Obi-Wan seizes,
throwing Anakin from his mind. Anakin goes back to Narissa and Solo and demands
to be allowed to speak to the Council. He is refused and contacts Bant instead.
Bant is not sure how she can help him, but as Ellana had told Anakin that
knowing of his Master's history would assist, Anakin asks to have his Master's
medical and mission reports given to him. Mace agrees to do so, but they only
manage to send Obi-Wan's personal journal through to Narissa before the
connection is broken. Anakin goes back to the med center to help his Master.
Once there, the doctors try to get him to give Obi-Wan some kind of a medicine
to knock him out. Before Anakin can do so, he is again drawn into Obi's mind,
this time with Qui-Gon there as well. They have a short discussion regarding
Qui-Gon's treatment of Obi-Wan (which Anakin does not approve of) before
Obi-Wan interrupts them to stop their arguing. It is decided that, since the
link seems to be what threw Anakin out of Obi-Wan's mind before, it would make
sense for Obi to try to access his link to Qui-Gon to see if he can use it to
escape the field in his mind. As Obi-Wan goes in search of the link, Anakin
suddenly disappears from the mind field. When Obi-Wan returns to his self
within the field of his own mind, he finds only Qui-Gon. His former Master
explains that Anakin just disappeared. Obi-Wan in turn, explains that he found
a link, but that it does not connect to Qui-Gon, but rather to a Sith.
Meanwhile, in the physical realm, Dooku has arrived on Navira and gone to the
Med center. He pretends to be N'erak and takes Obi-Wan and Anakin, after
knocking the Padawan out with the Sedative meant for the Master. Loading the
two onto his ship, he suddenly collapses, as Obi-Wan accesses the mindlink and
causes harm. Obi-Wan is then able to escape from where he was trapped within
his own mind and return to the physical plain. However, he now has the ability
to read minds, without fully realizing he is doing so. He and Anakin meet up
with Dooku, and Obi-Wan discovers he is the Sith. They fight, Obi-Wan wins, and
the two set course for Coruscant. Narissa and Solo contact them from where they
had followed Dooku's ship, and Narissa passes the journal of Obi-Wan off to
Anakin.
Meanwhile, after receiving the communication from Anakin, Bant, Mace, Ravenna
and N'erak scatter in order to collect the necessary information to pass onto
Anakin on Navira. Bant sends the journals through, but has to hold onto the medical
records as there was not time to send them. Mace goes to get the Mission
records, but is distracted by a Council meeting where he tells them of Yoda and
the Sith influence. Depa's comm link interrupts the meeting, informing her that
her Padawan has been killed. This obviously breaks up the meeting and Mace
heads back to the Council lab to ask Ravenna to complete the autopsy on Bilt,
Depa's Padawan. On the lifts, Mace comes face-to-face with a curious Chancellor
Palpatine who claims he heard that Master Yoda was ill and wished to present
his condolonces. Disturbed by the meeting, Mace leads the Chancellor back to
the Senate/Temple exit before again moving to rendezvous with Ravenna. He finds
her preparing a medical kit and assumes that she is on her way to autopsy Bilt.
Instead, she explains that she is on the way to the Senate where Senator
Amidala has been attacked and killed. He agrees to go with her, but suggests
that Bant and N'erak stay behind.
Left behind, Bant and N'erak decide to visit Yoda to find out all they can.
They talk to him, but he leads them to question what part Dooku played in the
Sith influence. N'erak discovers a terminal hidden in the depths of the Temple
and he and Bant set out to find it. They just manage to find the room and begin
to open it when Mace and Ravenna return from their interesting meeting at the
Senate where they found out that, not only was Senator Amidala alive and well,
but also that her aide Cordé (who had been killed in her place) was trained by
a Sith on Naboo just after Obi-Wan and Anakin had left. Amidala also mentioned
that she had told Palpatine about the pitstop on Tatooine, which leads Mace to
suspect Palpatine as the Sith, explaining how Maul had come to find Qui-Gon and
the Queen so easily.
Deciding to help N'erak and Bant gather as much information as possible from
Dooku's terminal, Ravenna and Mace join them back at the Temple lab. Since the
lab is shielded, and since the four have become too bothered by their
discoveries of Obi-Wan as the Chosen One, and the fact that Obi had to kill his
best friend Garren, the four Jedi do not realize when a bomb goes off at the
Senate.
Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Anakin, who had returned to the Senate first in order to
drop off their reports had seperated. Obi-Wan is with Palpatine and Anakin is
with Amidala and her guards when the explosion goes off. The bomb was planted
by Palpatine in Amidala's ship, but because she was running late, the ship was
still in the Senate hanger. Amidala and Anakin live, though Anakin is severly
injured. They remain alone until two of the Jedi sent to assist in the Senate
evacuation arrive. Padawan Serrenia and her Master Carlasan set to work to
assist the Senator and the Padawan. Serrenia crawls through, but Carlsan cannot
fit. She goes to look for another way and finds Obi-Wan, who is also desperate
to get to Anakin. She has been led to believe that Obi-Wan has fallen to the
Darkside due to a mistake on Master Yoda's part. Yoda, who had managed to
breach a hole in Anakin's shields (left to allow him contact with his mom) had
seen Obi-Wan and Dooku's contact and fight aboard the cruiser on its way from
Navira to Coruscant. Left with the impression that Obi had turned to the
Darkside, Yoda had demanded that Obi-Wan be captured immediatly. Carlasan,
knowing this and sensing the distress coming from the Master, as well as the
awesome display of Force-power, engages him in a duel. They only seperate when
Anakin's heart suddenly stops beating. Obi-Wan manages to push past Carlasan's
lightsaber and get to his Padawan. Carlasan is too stunned by his feat to stop
him. She instead works with him to save Anakin. Obi-Wan draws from the Darkside
indiscriminently as he works to save Anakin. He manages to restart Anakin's
heart, but then on the way away from the damaged part of the Senate building,
the four Jedi and Senator run into a contingent of guards. Obi-Wan and Anakin
are taken into custody, while Carlasan, Amidala and Serrenia remain unseen.
Obi-Wan is taken to Palpatine, while Anakin is taken into custody by the
guards.
Meanwhile, back at the Temple, the four in the Council Lab find out about the
explosion. Mace and N'erak head off to the Senate, while Ravenna and Bant go to
the medical center to help. Ravenna is lured away by Boba Fett and is killed by
Jango Fett, who has infiltrated the Temple in order to remove the evidence that
Bilt was killed by Dark energy and to kill those that might know of Palpatine's
true identity. Bant falls asleep after expending a lot of energy to assist in
healing and has a vision where she talks to Qui-Gon and finds out that Ravenna
is dead. Bant and Qui-Gon come up with a way to save Obi-Wan without having to
kill him (since he is now a powerful conduit for the Darkside of the Force, as
well as the Lightside). Bant goes off to carry out the plan, gathering the
needed material from the Council Lab. Bant then goes to find Council members to
assist her.
Meanwhile, Adi Gallia has gone to the medical center, and is distracted by
intruders. She follows them to the morgue and is almost killed in an explosion,
which the intruders use to escape. Adi wonders why they were in the morgue at
all and begins to investigate. She finds that only Bilt, Depa's Padawan, is
being kept there. While searching, Adi comes across a recording device on
Bilt's belt, which has managed to record his death. Contacting Depa the two
Masters (and Bant who met up with them) discover that Palpatine is the Sith.
The three set off for the Senate but Bant collapses in the lifts, as Anakin
inadvertantly bonds to her in an attempt to draw strength from any source that
can assist him. As his bond with Obi-Wan was broken on the shuttle from Navira
due to Count Dooku, Bant is the only one close enough for him to do so.
Adi and Depa gather the information Bant had on her, but decide to leave her
where she is (after alerting the Healers) and continue on to the Senate. Bant
comes to later, and also manages to head to the Senate.
At the Senate, N'erak and Mace arrived, but were immediately taken into custody
with several other Jedi by Mas Amedda. The Jedi were being accused of setting
off the explosion and the earlier attack against Senator Amidala. As the entire
Senate believed that Amidala was killed, the Senators were quick to decide to
imprison all Jedi. N'erak and Mace manage to escape custody and meet up with
Padawan Serrenia, Amidala and Carlasan. Master Yoda and Padawan Elei, a Council
Padawan, also arrive at the Senate and meet up. N'erak, Mace, Amidala, Serrenia
and Yoda go off to find Obi-Wan, while Master Carlasan and Padawan Elei go to
free the remaining Jedi. Unfortunately, Jango has returned to the Senate and is
holding the Jedi hostage. Elei and Carlasan are also taken hostage and Jango
demands that Mace and Amidala come to him or he will kill all of the Jedi. Mace
and Amidala decide to go, while Yoda, N'erak and Serrenia continue on to find
Obi-Wan.
Mace and Amidala are joined by Adi Gallia and Depa Billaba, just as Jango kills
Carlasan. Serrenia, who was bonded to Carlasan, collapses from the trauma of
the split bond and N'erak ends up completing a bond with her to save her life.
N'erak, Yoda and Serrenia continue on to the Chancellor's floor where they meet
up with Bant. Mace and Adi go for Jango while the Senator and Depa lead off the
droidekas. Obi-Wan faces off against Sidious as Anakin lies on the floor behind
him, having escaped from the guards in an attempt to help his Master.
*************
And now to the story:
Flashback to four years ago
Stepping quietly into the quarters he had shared with his Master for over a
decade, Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief as he ran a hand fitfully through his
hair. Although his hair had been short for as long as he could remember, the
lack of the Knight's tail in the back still came as a surprise. Only a few days
had passed since his informal Knighting Ceremony, and though tradition did not
demand that the tail be clipped, unlike the braid, Obi-Wan had wanted to offer
something to Yoda, who had served as his stand-in Master. The long braid had
burned with Qui-Gon.
Crossing the dimly lit common room, the new Knight paused briefly at the door
of his Padawan's quarters. The light sounds of the young boy's sleep-deprived
breathing wafted out to him. Since returning from Naboo, both the new Knight
and the new Padawan had been subjected to numerous medical and Council dictated
tasks. Obi-Wan, himself, had only just succeeded in escaping from the
over-enthusiastic Healers who had demanded he remain in bacta until all of his
broken ribs had healed. /A waste of time… if the Council has its way/ he
thought darkly as his eyes began to adjust so that he could just see the blonde
tufts of Anakin's hair sticking out over the bed covers.
Though the Council had been as blunt as possible, it had still taken Obi-Wan
time to realize what they were truly asking of him. Although Qui-Gon had gone
against the Council's wishes many times, Obi-Wan had always operated under the
assumption that they had the best interests of the Republic and of the Jedi
Order in mind whenever the Council made a decision. Now, though, he had to
question that assumption. /Can what the Council has asked of me truly be for
the benefit of anyone but themselves?/
Before Obi-Wan had a chance to ruminate further, Anakin shifted restlessly in
his sleep, drawing the young Master's thoughts from his own troubles to those
that plagued his young apprentice every time the poor boy managed to rest.
Entering the small room, he gently rested a hand on Anakin's sweaty forehead,
soothing him physically even as he used the newly established bond to send
reassurance and love directly into his charge's mind. Although Obi-Wan had
initially expected his adjustment to becoming a Master to be difficult, if not
nearly impossible, he was instead surprised to find that he took quickly to the
role. As Anakin seemed to settle further, Obi-Wan gently nudged him further
into a dreamless sleep, before adjusting his covers and exiting the room.
Reaching the door, he glanced back once more, as if to assure himself that
Anakin was still sleeping soundly and safely. Smiling gently, he triggered the
door shut. Crossing the common room again, he moved toward the comm. unit
embedded in the far wall. Signing on, he noticed immediately that the Temple
staff had already removed Qui-Gon's codes from the system, sealing all of his
personal files. Repressing a pang of sorrow at what seemed an almost-callous
dismissal of his Master's life, Obi-Wan forced himself to concentrate instead
on the large number of messages awaiting him. Skimming through the list, he
immediately noticed the message bearing the seal of the Republic Chancellor.
Opening the message and re-reading it twice, to be certain he had not made a
mistake in the understanding of it, he slumped back in his chair in sudden
exhaustion. Despite any attempt on his part to misconstrue the message, the
Chancellor had been most clear in his demands.
Staring blankly at the screen, Obi-Wan found himself missing Qui-Gon even more
than he would have thought possible. Though the death of his Master had
obviously left him with a large gap in his life as a Jedi, he had not yet had
the time to process how much of a relationship he and Qui-Gon had shared
outside of their Temple roles. Now, faced with a decision he could not dare
make without severe consequences either way, he realized how much he had relied
on his Master as both a sounding board and an advice-giver. Fighting back the
sudden onrush of grief and sorrow, Obi-Wan straightened in his chair and
attempted to regain control.
Flashing back to the original message screen in an attempt to distance himself
from the unforgettable insistence of Chancellor Palpatine's letter, the young
Knight found himself inadvertently focusing on a message from someone he had
not expected to have already heard of his Master's demise. As he brought the
message up on the comm. screen, quickly reading the few lines of text, he
realized there might be another solution to his dilemma.
Glancing at the chrono, Obi-Wan was surprised to see that it was not nearly as
late in the night cycle as it felt. Deciding that his friend would still be
awake, and even if he was not, would understand if Obi-Wan woke him, the
Temple's newest Master quickly composed a message of his own. End Flashback
*********************************************
As she rounded a corner, Depa could hear the droideka following just behind
her. Though she could have easily outrun it, she did not want to risk the
chance that it would later catch up to her when she did not expect it. As the
droid was both programmed to kill, and not truly sentient, she felt no qualm in
planning on its quick demise.
Swinging around the corner, she used a sudden burst of Force energy to propel
her up and into the crevice where the two walls of the intersection met.
Controlling her breathing so that the droid would not hear her as it passed,
she waited in silence for it to roll past her hiding place. Once it had done
so, and had realized that she was no longer ahead of it, the droid hesitated,
than quickly unfurled from its round shape to take a better reading of the
hallway ahead. Waiting until the droideka had completely returned to its
upright stance, Depa dropped from the ceiling onto the floor just behind it.
Before the droid could turn or even activate its aft shielding, she ignited her
'saber and used it to separate the droideka's command matrix from its body. As
the droid's shielding and weaponry began to shut down, she turned and ran back
the direction she had come from, using Force-enhanced speed to help her reach
Senator Amidala more quickly.
*********************************************
Despite appreciating the distraction that Padawan Elei was providing in drawing
the assassin out, Master Windu could not help but worry that she was, however
inadvertently, provoking the man. The assassin's tones did nothing to hide the
edge of madness and fanaticism that coated his words as he spoke against the
Jedi Order. Even the off-hand mention of Sith-training did not concern Mace
nearly as much as the ardent belief and unwavering fervor of the dark man's
speech.
Sharing a speaking glance with Master Gallia, Mace made it clear that she was
to remain in place while he drew the assassin's attention away from the young
Council Padawan. If he could draw the assassin's fire, Adi would then be free
to take out the guards and enlist the assistance of the other Jedi sealed
within the nearby room. Nodding to indicate she understood her part in the
plan, Adi drew further back into the shadows, as Mace prepared to drop from the
high ceiling to the floor only a few feet from where the assassin stood.
As he began his carefully controlled descent from the high marble ceiling, Mace
became aware of two things. One, that despite feigning an air of indifference
and ignorance, the surrounding guards were much more observant than they
appeared; and two, that the assassin had just greeted him and Master Adi Gallia
by name.
************************
Flashback to four years ago
Before his guest could ring the buzzer, and risk waking Anakin, Obi-Wan
palmed open the door. "Obi-Wan!" his guest cried, quickly wrapping him in a
warm embrace. "It's good to see you."
Smiling genuinely for the first time in days, Obi-Wan returned the hug. "Garen,
I've missed you as well."
Releasing his friend, Garen stepped into the open quarters with a familiarity
only a life-long companion could have. "Is Anakin asleep?" he asked, already
knowing of the trials his best friend had endured over the past week's
duration.
"I hope so," Obi-Wan replied with a wan grin. "It's been awhile since either of
us has managed to truly rest."
"Obi," Garen began, his eyes darkened by sorrow, "I'm so sorry to hear about
Master Jinn. He was truly one of the greatest Jedi, and the greatest man, that
I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."
Accepting his friend's condolences with a slight nod of his head, and
attempting to swallow the sudden lump in his throat, Obi-Wan turned to the
kitchen before the tears could spill from the corners of his eyes. Although he
had worked hard to release his grief and sorrow to the Force, the death of his
Master and near-father had been too much to recover from so quickly.
"Would you like some tea?" Obi-Wan asked, successfully swallowing his sorrow.
"Sure," Garen answered, as he laid a hand on his friend's shoulder and pushed
him toward the couch. "I'll go make some."
Instead of arguing, as he normally would have, Obi-Wan accepted the offer and
dropped down onto the sofa. Rubbing his hands over his eyes, he waited for
Garen to return from the kitchen.
"You like your tea plain, right?" Garen asked unnecessarily, giving Obi-Wan
warning that he was returning to the room. Sitting up straighter on the sofa,
Obi-Wan settled his hands in his lap.
"Plain is great, thanks Garen," he replied, accepting the warm cup. "I'm sorry
to have bothered you so late at night," Obi-Wan began, jumping straight into
the topic at hand, "but I need to ask a favor of you."
"You know that if there's anything you ever need, all you have to do is ask,"
Garen answered.
"I know," Obi-Wan sighed, setting his tea cup aside as he leaned forward and
rested his elbows on his knees. From his position in the chair beside the sofa,
Garen watched as his friend ran his hands fitfully through his short hair. "I
know that you've always said that, Garen, but what I am asking of you is a
rather large favor, and I'd understand completely if you said no."
"Why don't you tell me what it is first," Garen responded, setting his own cup
of tea beside the one Obi-Wan had abandoned.
Sighing again, the new Knight began. "When I got back from my meetings today, I
found a message on my comm. unit from Chancellor Palpatine. He's asked, well,
actually more like ordered, me to become the Senate Liaison for the Jedi
Order."
"That's great!" Garen said enthusiastically. "Now you'll be able to stay on
Coruscant to train Anakin without having to worry about missions."
"It would be great," Obi-Wan corrected, "except I can't accept the position.
And unless I can find someone else to…"
"Why can't you accept?" his friend interrupted, leaning forward. "It would be
the perfect assignment for you and Anakin. He needs to be trained, and you need
to train him. I don't see what the problem is."
Lifting his head, Obi-Wan turned his desolate gaze on Garen. "I can't accept
because I no longer have the right to choose my own assignments."
"What?" Garen exclaimed. "You always have the right to choose your own
assignments. Not even the Council can take that away."
"They can if it is freely given," Obi-Wan responded, dropping his gaze to his
hands once more.
Sitting back in his chair, Garen simply studied his friend for a few moments,
as if trying to assimilate the information he had just been given. Before the
silence had stretched on too long, he spoke. "Obi-Wan, what happened?" he asked
gently.
As if a dam had broke within him, the new Knight began to explain, his words
becoming faster and faster as he spoke. "Qui-Gon asked me, no he demanded, that
I train Anakin for him. I couldn't say no, even though the Council was sure
that the boy was dangerous. How could I possibly refuse to complete my Master's
final request? I told Master Yoda, just before the funeral, that I was going to
train Anakin, with or without the Council's permission. He seemed to accept it,
but said that I needed to formally declare that before the Council.
"I thought that that was it. I didn't realize that the Council would make its
own demands in response to my declaration. I didn't know what they would ask of
me… how could I have? How could I know that the Council would demand that I
give up my place in the Jedi Order?"
"What do you mean 'Give up your place?'" Garen questioned, his eyebrows drawn
together in consternation.
"The Council stated that they couldn't allow Anakin to be trained unless they
had complete control over his training. They said he was too dangerous
otherwise. I tried to explain that I would be happy to submit extra reports,
and even take on a pseudo-Master to assist me, but they wouldn't accept. Master
Yoda demanded that the only way I could train Anakin was to give myself
entirely to the control of the Council."
Rubbing a hand over his eyes, Obi-Wan continued, his voice slowing to a dry
monotone. "The Council now has the right to decide what, if any missions I accept,
and when, if ever, I am permitted to leave the Temple. I have to submit to
their decisions regarding my teaching and training schedules, and I will have
to accept any and all missions they give to me."
"But they can't do that!" Garen declared, jumping to his feet and beginning to
pace agitatedly. "The Council is only supposed to advise us and work with the
Senate. They aren't to have that much singular control over any Jedi!" Coming
to a halt in front of his friend, Garen dropped to his knees so that he could
look Obi-Wan directly in the eye. "Obi, you have to report this. Someone needs
to know what the Council is trying to do to you. You can't allow this to
continue, it isn't right."
"How am I supposed to do that?" Obi-Wan bellowed. "The Council will take Anakin
from me if I tell anyone. I only told you because I need…"
"You needed a friend, and you needed help," Garen finished softly, laying his
hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "And you need someone to take your place as the
assistant to the Senate and Chancellor Palpatine."
"I didn't know who else to ask," Obi-Wan agreed quietly. "I have to leave on a
mission in two days, and I just didn't know who I could trust."
"Obi," Garen began gently, his hand still resting on his friend's shoulder, "I
still think you need to tell someone about this. But," he continued with a soft
smile as his friend's despairing gaze again fell on him, "I will talk to the
Senate tomorrow morning. I bet I can even arrange a meeting with Palpatine
himself to insure that I take the position with the Senate. That way, you can
leave on your mission without having to worry about the Chancellor becoming
upset."
"Garen," Obi-Wan started, before his voice cracked and soft sobs broke through.
Embracing his childhood friend again, he tried to continue, "I d-don't know
what I-I'd ever do without you."
"I know, I know," Garen chanted quietly. "And I have no idea what I'd do
without you."
End Flashback
*********************************************
The entryway to the Chancellor's office was deserted and seemed almost
unnaturally silent. The four Jedi came to a halt just as they crossed the
threshold of the outer office as the unmistakable presence of the Darkside
penetrated through them.
"Sealed the door is," Yoda stated after a cursory glance over the room. "Find
another way in, we will have to."
"Can't you break the seal?" Bant asked, anxious to get to her friend on the
other side. Although she had not known until now that Obi-Wan was in the
building, his presence was now clearly recognizable, despite the strange eddies
that seemed to swirl within it.
"Time it would take," Yoda answered, "and in place, the electrical lock would
still be."
"N'erak?" Bant questioned, her gaze flickering to the datapad she could just
barely see sticking out of his pocket.
"I should be able to break the electronic wards," N'erak responded, drawing the
modified 'pad from his cloak, "but it may take awhile."
"I will look for another way in," Bant declared, not waiting for a response
before she turned and swept back through the entryway.
"What should I do?" Serrenia asked after Master Bant had left the Chancellor's
outer office.
"Wait you will," Yoda answered before N'erak could. "Needed, soon you will be.
But for now, wait you must."
Nodding her head once she had correctly interpreted the Master's cryptic speech
patterns, Serrenia settled in one of the outer office chairs, watching avidly
as the Councilor and her new Master set to work on the seals keeping them
separated from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.
********************************
Though she kept herself in excellent shape, Padmé was beginning to
become winded as she drew nearer and nearer to the lower levels of the Senate.
The droid behind her, however, did not suffer from such a human condition as
exhaustion. Forcing herself to continue with the thought that she would be out
of danger soon, the Senator ran down one final stairwell, with the click,
click, click of the droid following closely behind.
As she ran, she watched the surrounding walls closely, waiting for the texture
to change. The lower levels of the Senate, much like the lower levels of the
Jedi Temple, had been built in an entirely different age, when ambiance had
been more important than efficiency. The Senators of former generations had
been even more decadent than the well-known excessive spenders of today. In
fact, had the lift system had access, it was likely that many of the Senators
would have chosen quarters in the beautiful lower levels. Instead, the high-sheen
malachite flooring and walls were only seen by those few who had ever wandered
far enough down through the unused bowels of the Republic Center.
Reaching the level where the malachite began, Padmé left the stairwell, leading
the droideka down one of the slippery corridors. As the droid slowed slightly
to adjust for the slick material, the Senator ducked down a connecting hallway.
Turning immediately as she slipped around the corner, she leveled her blaster
at the high-sheen wall and began to fire. Bouncing off of the walls, as a
reflection does off of a mirror, the blaster bolts ricocheted from floor to
ceiling and back again. Caught in the middle of the rain of bolts, the droid
had no choice but to freeze, using its front shielding in an attempt to protect
itself as it waited for its aft shielding to activate. Unfortunately for the
destroyer droid, the Senator had anticipated that it would try to use all of
its shielding, and had made certain to continue firing until her blaster
battery ran dead.
With so many bolts ricocheting through the hall, it was only a matter of time
before one of the blasts slipped through the droideka's defenses. Instead of
waiting for the inevitable, Padmé continued to run down the side corridor, just
making it to another stairwell before the deafening explosion of the droid's
imploding power matrix echoed through the level.
*********************************************
Dropping into a crouch as he landed soundlessly on the floor, Mace froze,
determined to wait in silence until he knew for certain whether the assassin
only knew that he and Master Gallia were in the vicinity, or whether the
assassin, in fact, knew their exact location. His caution was rewarded when the
assassin spoke.
"I know that you are here," he declared, without turning from where he faced
Padawan Elei. "If you don't want to see the rest of these Jedi killed," the
assassin continued, gesturing toward the closed door where the remaining
Knights were being held, "I suggest that you surrender."
When no answer came, the assassin reached into one of the pouches of his belt,
withdrawing a wickedly sharp blade. "While I've always appreciated the
simplicity of a blaster, there's something to be said for making a statement,"
the dark man stated. "In fact, sometimes, even the most hardy of individuals
can't stand the sight of a little blood."
Reaching out with one gloved hand, he pulled Padawan Elei to her feet by the
braid that hung just behind her ear. Refusing to make a sound, despite the pain
she was in, Elei rose as gracefully to her feet as she could. "Unless you wish
to see just what color blood this young lady has," the assassin called, "I
suggest, Master Windu, that you show yourself."
Realizing that his freedom came at too high of a price to pay, and despite what
every field instinct he had told him, Mace stood straight, preparing to step
into the splash of light in front of him. Just as he crossed the threshold
separating the pool of light from the shadows, several things happened at once.
Adi Gallia dropped from the ceiling beside him, the guards opened fire, and
most importantly, Elei Shar demonstrated that, despite merely being a Council
Padawan, she was still trained as a Jedi through and through.
Stomping her foot down on the instep of the assassin's right foot, Elei then
wrapped her hands around the arm that held the knife to her throat. Twisting
around, and catching the assassin entirely by surprise, she jerked the blade
free from her captor and planted it firmly in his unprotected stomach. With an
expression of complete shock, Jango Fett clasped his gloved hands around the
knife embedded in his stomach, and dropped to his knees.
Ignoring the blaster battle behind her, and the high-pitched cry of "Dad!" that
resounded down the hall, Elei stood over the assassin as his life's blood
poured from the knife wound. "You may think that the Jedi Order is selective in
its training," she whispered, as she dropped to her knees so that Jango could
clearly hear her. "And you are probably right," she continued. "The Order won't
train those that it knows will use their powers for self-gain… and it certainly
won't train those with so little talent as you."
Rising to her feet, the Council Padawan ignored the harsh gasps coming from the
dying man at her feet, and walked quickly, yet calmly, toward Masters Windu and
Gallia.
**************************
Leaving N'erak, Yoda and the young Padawan in her wake, Bant
hurried quickly back through the corridor heading away from the Chancellor's
office. Though she had felt a strong force pulling her toward the Senate
Building, even from the distance of the Jedi Temple, it was nothing compared to
the urge that was now compelling her. This pull seemed much more personal, and
since she now knew that Obi-Wan and Anakin were in the Senate Complex, she was
rather certain of what was happening.
When the bond with Anakin Skywalker had suddenly snapped into place while she
was in the lift with Masters Billaba and Gallia, Bant had been somewhat
surprised, but not overly concerned. She had always had a latent connection
with her best friend's Padawan, so she had assumed that, in his time of need,
Anakin had simply drawn on that link. Now however, as the compelling urge
continued to draw her onward, Bant realized things were much more complicated
than she had assumed.
For instead of a simple friendship link, Bant Eerin and Anakin Skywalker now
shared a Master/Apprentice bond.
*********************************************
Flashback to three and a half years ago
"To Naboo you must return," the flickering image of Master Yoda declared,
"Needed there you are." With that final cryptic remark, the missive from the
Jedi Council ended.
Sighing and rubbing his hand over his tired eyes, Obi-Wan hit the replay button
again. He had already listened to the message twice, but he still hadn't found
what he was looking for. On the fifth playback, he finally noticed the brief
look of sympathy that Master Windu seemed to display as Master Yoda delivered
the mission briefing. Freezing the image, Obi-Wan tried to bring it into better
focus, but it revealed nothing more than the sorrowful look on the Jedi
Master's face.
"What is this all about?" Obi-Wan finally shouted aloud in frustration,
slamming a hand down on the console and ending the playback as he did so.
Though the mission briefing had been mostly complete, it lacked one important
element: who exactly it was that he was looking for on Naboo. The Councilors
had been typically efficient in describing the circumstances under which he would
find the person, and had even described exactly what he was to do upon meeting
with the individual, but none of the twelve had bothered to mention exactly who
it was he was looking for. They had merely stated that he was in the best
position to take the mission, and that his "special knowledge of the situation"
would prove invaluable.
Growling in frustration, the new Knight stalked out of the private
communications room onboard the giant Liner. Though he preferred to use
Republic shuttles, the Council had specifically ordered him to use public
transportation, and to remain as inconspicuous as possible. He was not to go so
far as to wear a disguise, but he was to remain within his cabin, only coming
out once a day to receive a message from the Council.
"This is completely and utterly ridiculous," he muttered to himself, being
careful to keep his voice down, lest he disturb any of the slumbering
passengers ensconced within the many cabins he passed on his way back to his
own section of the ship. "If the Council would just tell me who I am supposed
to find, it would make my mission a lot easier. But, instead, they only see fit
to mention that it is a 'darkened Jedi, who is most likely close to the point
of no return.' How is that supposed to help me? For all I know, I could be
hunting down Padawan N'erak!"
Laughing softly to himself, glad of the pressure release his own strange brand
of sarcasm brought, Obi-Wan did not realize until much later just how close to
the truth he had come in his errant wit.
End flashback
*********************************************
Even as quickly as she was moving, Depa was surprised at how far the Senator
had managed to travel in the short time the two women were separated. In fact,
the Jedi Master had only made it three-quarters of the way that Padmé had run
when the two again met.
"Are you still being followed?" Master Billaba asked, reaching toward where her
lightsaber hung at her belt.
"No," the Senator assured, "I managed to damage the droid enough that it won't
be able to continue its pursuit."
Nodding, Depa nonetheless had to wonder how it was that the young Senator had
succeeded where even Jedi Knights had been known to fail. "If you are ready
then, perhaps we should prepare to address the Senate."
"I'm ready," Padmé stated, unconsciously drawing herself up and brushing at the
bits of plaster and debris that still covered her. "I'm not certain that my
presence alone will be enough proof to convince my fellow Senators of what
Palpatine truly is and of all of the evil he has done, but I will do my best."
"I'm sure that you could convince them," Depa declared, "but, luckily, you
shouldn't have to." Reaching into one of her pockets, she withdrew several data
chips. "This should be enough evidence to force even Palpatine's own
conspirators to declare his guilt."
Reaching out a hand, Padmé watched as the Jedi Master hesitated before dropping
the last of the chips into her hand. "I'll make certain that all of the
Republic finds out what he has done," the Senator promised.
Swallowing convulsively before she could speak, Depa sighed softly. "Many
people have suffered and died because of Chancellor Palpatine. Today we have a
chance to keep that from ever happening again." Glancing down briefly, the
Master continued. "I know that I won't ever accept that my Padawan had to die,
but I know that his death was not without purpose. Bilt would have been
a great Jedi, but maybe… maybe this is the purpose the Force meant for him to
serve." Wiping one lone tear from her check, the young Master carefully placed
the final data chip, showing Padawan Bilt's death at the hands of Palpatine,
into Senator Amidala's hand.
Wrapping her slim fingers around the chips almost reverently, Padmé hesitated,
then reached out with her other hand and gave the Jedi Master's still
outstretched fingers a slight squeeze. "Palpatine's deceit will be uncovered,"
the Senator declared, unaware of the sharp vehemence that had crept into her
tone, "and he will pay."
Giving a small squeeze back before withdrawing her hand, Master Billaba swiftly
returned once more to the consummate Jedi Master as the two women advanced
quickly through the unnaturally silent halls of the Republic Senate.
*************************
With Jango Fett dead, the Republic guards had to rely on their own
leadership structure to counter the threat of the two Jedi Masters and the lone
Jedi Padawan. The guards were able to hold their own for several minutes, but
when Master Windu triggered the door of the room guarding the rest of the
Order's Knights and Masters, the guards knew they had no choice but to
surrender. Despite the fact that the released captives were not armed with
lightsabers, it was apparent that the Jedi Order's hand to hand combat training
was far superior to that given to the Republic guards.
In only a matter of moments, the guards had completely surrendered, and were
being rounded up and detained within the very room they had been guarding. Only
a few guards had received injuries, and the wounds were only minor. For young
Boba Fett, however, the quick conclusion of the battle seemed almost to last a
lifetime. From the moment his father had collapsed on the ground, until the
last of the guards had been secured, the young boy sat in a quiet huddle in one
of the shadowed corners of the hallway.
Boba had wanted to go to his father, but Jango had always stressed to him the
importance of remaining hidden during confrontations. The assassin always took
his son with him, to allow him a glimpse of the life he would soon lead and
because of the surprisingly strong father-son connection that had developed
between them; but Jango had not yet begun Boba's training. Jango swore that his
"son" would one day be an even better warrior than he was, but even the
ruthless assassin was loath to allow such a young boy the huge responsibility
of handling a weapon.
Jango had, however, taught Boba some self-defense tactics that suited his small
frame and youth. It was these very methods that the young clone relied upon as
the dark-skinned Jedi spotted him in the shadowed recesses. As the large man
drew close, Boba pretended to curl up in fear, when he was actually arranging
his body for attack. As the Jedi Master reached out a hand toward him, Boba
reacted instantly, knocking the hand aside and lashing out with his booted
heel. Although the Jedi had superhuman reflexes, he was not quick enough to
avoid the blow from the well-trained boy.
With a grunt, the Master dropped to his knees, clutching his freely bleeding
nose with his hand. Before Boba could escape, however, another Jedi Master and
the young Padawan that had killed his father arrived. Realizing that he was
outnumbered, Boba prepared himself for what would surely be revenge after his
attack on the Jedi Master. Instead, he was surprised as the Padawan cautiously
knelt down on the floor beside him.
"Are you all right?" she asked softly, making certain not to move too swiftly
around the obviously skittish young boy.
Unsure of how to answer, Boba merely nodded, his gaze drifting between the
Padawan beside him and the two Jedi Masters. The dark-skinned man was rising to
his feet with some help from the other. In fact, it almost appeared as if the
female Master was teasing the other Jedi as she helped him. Following the
direction of his gaze, the Jedi Padawan smiled and leaned closer to Boba, as if
to whisper a confidence.
"I think Master Windu was a bit surprised to be attacked so successfully by
someone so young," she murmured with a grin.
"Master Windu?" Boba asked, wondering why he didn't feel more of a sense of
malice toward the young girl for killing his father, despite the fact that she
was acting so friendly.
"Oh!" the Padawan gasped, "I guess you don't really know who we are, do you?"
she asked rhetorically. "The taller Master is Mace Windu, and the other Master
is Adi Gallia," she stated, pointing to them, "and I'm Elei," she finished
offering a hand to Boba.
Confused as to what the Padawan wanted, Boba merely stared at her hand until
she withdrew it. "Anyway," Elei said to cover the sudden unpleasant silence, "I
think you'll probably be coming back to the Temple with me and the rest of the
injured Knights and Masters."
"What about everyone else?" Boba questioned, trying to gather as much
information as possible, and hoping to find out what his fate might be.
Glancing up toward where Master Gallia was beckoning her, Elei answered. "Well,
the rest of the Jedi are going to finish what we've started, of course," she
began as she rose to her feet. "We came here to help, and until the Senate is
back in its proper order, the Jedi will be here to assist." Flashing another
quick smile, the Padawan offered a hand to Boba to pull him up from the floor.
Hesitating only slightly, Boba reached out his own hand and gripped Elei's. As
she pulled him to his feet, Boba couldn't help but offer his own shy smile in
return.
*********************************************
As the bond snapped fully into place, now that Bant had recognized it for what
it was, the Healer was almost overwhelmed with a wave of pain. Quickly
realizing that it was emanating from Anakin, Bant drew as much of it away from
the young Apprentice as she could, offering her own strength to help shore up
his own.
As she bled off the pain into the surrounding Force, Bant couldn't help but
shudder at the Dark undertones that polluted the energy source. Though the
Force was never purely Light, as the Light could not survive without at least
some Dark, the Mon Calamarian had never before seen a time when the Force was
so tainted. Instead of the energy giving off a light white presence, with only
hints of darker areas, the Force was a shadowy, murky gray.
Shaking off the cold feeling that ran through her, Bant continued to draw away
the apprentice's pain as she hurried down the Senate hallway toward where she
could feel Anakin was located. Reaching a doorway, she hesitated, aware of the
sound of voices drifting out to her.
Risking a glance around the corner of the opened door, Bant was surprised to
see several Republic guards gathered around a table. Behind them, in a smaller
partitioned area of the room, lay an empty cot, stained darker in some places
with freshly spilled blood. Ducking back against the wall once more, the Healer
considered what she had seen. It was clear that Anakin had been with the
guards, and it was also clear that he was with them no longer.
Chancing another quick glimpse around the edge of the door, Bant searched the
back wall of the room once more. Giving a quick grin as she noticed the small
ventilation shaft just above the level of the floor, the Healer backed out of
the door once more, hesitating only long enough to plant a suggestion in the
guards' minds not to bother looking at the cot.
***************************
Flashback to three and a half years ago
Used to the verdant and abundant flora and fauna of Naboo, Obi-Wan was
surprised when the Transport Liner he was on flew over several uninterrupted
miles of sand. Though the sand had a greenish tint to it, he couldn't help but
be reminded of the sandy dunes of Tatooine.
\Thinking of that mission is not going to help me now\ he chastised himself, as
images of a blood red and emerald green 'saber locked into battle flooded
through his memory. Shaking his head slightly, as if to physically knock loose
the thoughts, Obi-Wan joined the rest of the passengers in the queue waiting to
exit the Liner.
Although the Twi'lek immediately to his right side took note of the presence of
a Jedi, Obi-Wan had purposely dimmed his presence, making himself nearly
invisible to most of the rest of the varied passengers. Although they were
aware that someone resided within the space Obi-Wan took up, the passengers'
perceptions were clouded enough to prevent them from realizing that it was a
Jedi that resided there.
As the long line of Twi'leks, Chagrians, Humans and others exited the ramp of
the vast Liner, Obi-Wan stretched out with his Force sense, trying to locate
the presence of another Force user. Though Naboo had many Force sensitives, the
aura of a trained Force user would clearly stand out.
Feeling the flicker of a powerful user just on the edge of his senses, Obi-Wan
knew that the person he was looking for was not within the immediate port area.
In fact, he was relatively certain that the person was very near to, if not
within, the city of Theed. Sighing as he again lamented the Council's decision
to refuse to allow him to use a Republic Transport, the young Knight set out to
find a dealer who would rent him a skimmer for the day.
~~~~
Arriving at Theed, Obi-Wan continued to follow the flicker of Force presence,
though he used considerably more caution the closer he drew toward the unknown
Force user. Reaching the outskirts of the city, he abandoned the skimmer, and
continued on foot toward a destination he had hoped never to see again.
Approaching the small hut shaped building, Obi-Wan paused to again force his
emotions under control. For despite nearly half of a year passing, Obi-Wan
still felt intense grief at the thought of his former Master. Qui-Gon's death
had been hard, but harder still was the memory of the last few days they had
spent together in an argument. Though the Master/Apprentice relationship was
obviously a training relationship, it had also been nearly that of Father/Son
to Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. To have his last memories of his Master
corrupted by the anger he had felt at the time was a heavy burden for even a
Jedi to carry.
Despite that, Obi-Wan had managed to carry out the many missions of the Council
with an almost perfect success rate. Even when he was sent to planets where he
and Qui-Gon had visited during the years of his apprenticeship, Obi-Wan was
able to keep his control. Naboo, however, was an entirely different story. For
despite how much he had prepared for the mission, Obi-Wan could have never
thought he would again be forced to face the location of Qui-Gon's immolation.
Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan forced all of his grief and anger and all of his
other many jumbled emotions aside as he crept slowly toward the funerary hut.
Although the bridge seemed to be the only way to access the small building, the
young Knight knew that he would be able to reach it by jumping across the
expanse of water as well. Although most could not leap such a large distance,
Obi-Wan's Jedi training enabled him to clear it easily.
Gathering the Force to him, Obi-Wan took a slight running start and then leapt
across the expanse that separated him from the other Force-sensitive. Landing
silently, he remained in a crouched position, keeping his head below the level
of the window-like openings in the wall.
"… feel it within you. You have a power not many others can claim, and you need
to harness it and use it to your advantage," a strangely familiar voice stated,
the slight breeze causing the words to almost drift out the window.
Cocking his head, Obi-Wan listened more intently, trying to place the
recognizable tones. Although the accent and the tenor seemed very familiar, the
harsh edge to the speech didn't. Concentrating, the young Knight tried to hear
more of what the voice was saying.
"Others will try to take control of you; they will try to subsume your power.
You must keep it hidden, no matter what. Remember everything I have told you,
and most importantly, remember who your true friends are… and don't be misled
by those who claim to be working in your own interests."
Realizing that the speech was wrapping up, Obi-Wan risked rising to his feet to
peer through one of the windows. What he saw drew a gasp from him, alerting the
other to his presence.
"Obi-Wan, do come in," Obi-Wan's childhood friend Garen sneered. "I'm sure you
know your way around this place well enough."
End flashback
*********************************************
Once he had staunched the bleeding of his nose, Master Windu quickly organized
the remaining Jedi. Sending those with injuries back to the Temple with Padawan
Elei and the young boy, the Master ordered the rest to continue searching
through the rubble of the explosion. Master Gallia worked beside him, pairing
up the Jedi Knights and Masters as he assigned them to the sections of the
Senate Complex. Before he sent them off, however, he ordered one of the teams
to recover all of the confiscated lightsabers. Though the Jedi would continue
to assist the Senate, he was not willing to send his fellows off without at
least the means to protect themselves.
When only he and Master Gallia remained, Mace turned to the other dark-skinned
Master. "Obviously this assassin was working for someone. If we can find his
ship, we might be able to find proof of who he was working for." Though Mace
was certain that any proof would lead to Chancellor Palpatine, he was careful
not to mention his suspicions to Adi. He wanted her findings to be made without
any bias, so that the evidence would better stand up should it be needed for a
Senate trial.
"Obviously his ship wasn't in the hanger," Adi stated. "He wouldn't have wanted
to leave it there, even if he had planned for the bomb-planted ship to have
taken off before the explosion."
"And if for some reason his ship was there, the team we sent to determine which
ship was carrying the bomb should be able to locate it," Master Windu added.
"But I agree that he would not have taken such risk."
"Where else is there a hanger bay within easy reach of the Senate?" Adi asked.
"Well, the rest of the hangers here are all private, and I doubt that whoever
hired the assassin allow him to use their bay. Likewise, the assassin would not
have been able to access any of those other bays without drawing attention to
himself," Mace answered.
"So, that leaves…" Adi began, but stopped as a growing look of horror appeared
on her companion's face.
"…The Jedi Temple!"
************************
Flashback
The sputter and hiss of the clashing lightsabers was the only sound as the two
combatants battled back and forth, neither one claiming the upper hand. Sweat
ran freely down Obi-Wan's face, mingling with the tears that seeped from the
corners of his eyes due to the irritation of the blowing sand. The wind
whistled fiercely through the desert clime, throwing particles of the greenish
tinged sands into the faces of both combatants and against the activated
lightsabers, adding to the cacophony of sound.
Attempting to break from the combat long enough to wipe some of the moisture
from his eyes, Obi-Wan brought his elbow up, catching Garen in the chest and
forcing him back. In return, the fallen Jedi managed to score a hit across the
young Knight's left leg. Hissing at the pain, Obi-Wan quickly wiped at the
irritation distorting his vision, before again raising his 'saber in a block.
During the next several moments, the battle raged on, with each of the
combatants managing to score small hits. Obi-Wan, however, was battling
defensively, trying to disarm his friend, rather than truly hurt him. It was
this slight hesitation that nearly cost the new Knight his arm. Attempting to
block one of Garen's familiar moves, Obi-Wan was surprised when his childhood
friend suddenly reversed his grip and brought the weapon down viciously on his
left arm. Biting back a cry, Obi-Wan was forced to drop his hold on his
lightsaber with that arm, fighting only with his right.
At such a disadvantage it was only a few moments before Garen was able to
disarm his former friend, driving Obi-Wan to his knees. Smiling viciously, an
expression that looked utterly alien on a face Obi-Wan knew almost as well as
his own, the fallen Jedi finally spoke. "And now, you die," the dark clad
figure hissed, drawing his saber back and preparing to deliver the killing
stroke.
In a voice heavily tinged with regret and sorrow, Obi-Wan answered. "I think
not," he whispered, rolling to his feet and leaping over his opponent's head as
he called his lightsaber to him. Before Garen could even turn, the young Knight
delivered the final stroke, killing his oldest and best friend.
End Flashback
*********************************************
"Do not dare to refer to my Padawan as inferior," Obi-Wan hissed in rage, his
eyes flashing with a dark light as he faced down the Sith Lord. "If anyone is a
slave, it is you. You are the slave to the Darkside, Anakin was merely
an innocent child caught up in a harsh world. It would behoove any adult to
behave as admirably as he did."
His voice rising in anger until he almost shouted the last words, Obi-Wan shook
with rage as he stood between his apprentice and the Dark Lord. When Sidious
took yet another step closer to Anakin, the last control Obi-Wan held
evaporated. Drawing on an energy he had not realized he even had, the Jedi
Master threw a burst of pure Force energy at his nemesis, lifting the Sith off
of his feet and throwing him into the wall.
Ignoring the crash as a small decorative table was crushed under the
Chancellor's weight, Obi-Wan dropped to his knees beside Anakin, resting a hand
on the young boy's convulsing body. Trying to direct energy into healing,
Obi-Wan was aggravated to find that he had almost no control over the Force.
Instead, it seemed to rage through him, using him, rather than allowing him to
utilize it.
Realizing with a start that he was actually causing more harm to his apprentice
than helping him, Obi-Wan drew his hand back with a short cry. When his hand
broke contact, the tremors that ran through his Padawan's body seemed to calm
somewhat. Scrambling to his feet, still trembling in anger, the Master took a
stuttering step back from Anakin's prone body, gasping slightly as the seizures
lessened even further.
Forcing himself, Obi-Wan stumbled toward the Chancellor's desk, increasing the
distance between he and Anakin more and more. With each step, Anakin's
condition seemed to improve. With a sort of horror, the Master realized that he
was somehow causing his Padawan to suffer.
*********************************************
The uproar that ran through the Senate Chamber was nothing short of clamorous
as Senator Amidala guided a floating platform toward the center of the giant
domed room. The noise died down, however, as the Senator rose to her feet and
moved toward the speaking podium at the edge of the platform.
"My fellow Senators," Amidala began forcibly, ignoring the murmurings coming
from the Chancellor's center platform, where Vice Chancellor Mas Amedda stood.
"You have all been dreadfully and maliciously deceived by Chancellor Palpatine
and Vice Chancellor Amedda," Padmé declared, her voice carrying easily
throughout the Chambers with the aid of the cart's embedded microphone. "The
Chancellor has not only made an attempt on my life, and the lives of many others,
but he has also succeeded in taking the lives of several people, including a
Jedi Padawan."
Realizing that the Vice-Chancellor could cut her off at any time, the Senator
had decided to skip the usual diplomatic flair required for Senate speeches and
get directly to the point. "Master Billaba, of the Jedi High Council, and I
have proof showing the Chancellor using Dark Energy to bring about the deaths
of at least two people. I call upon the entire Senate to view this proof and
take immediate action before any more dark deeds are done in the name of the
Republic."
Finishing her speech just before the microphone in her cart was cut off,
Amidala quickly ducked down below the edge of the floating platform before any
of the guards surrounding Amedda could fire off a shot. Though they had not
attempted violence yet, Padmé was not willing to risk her life to find out if
they would.
As she carefully piloted her cart back toward the edge of the room, Senator
Amidala smiled in grim satisfaction as the recording of Padawan Bilt's death
began to play on every screen throughout the giant hall and in the Coruscant
News communications center.
*********************************************
"Finished yet, are you?" Master Yoda asked again, as he stood beside the hunched
over Knight.
"For the fifth time, NO," N'erak growled. "And every time you interrupt me, you
are only adding on to the time."
"Have you finished with the seals?" Padawan Serrenia interjected softly,
keeping the Head Councilor from retorting to the Knight's angry reply.
"Finished I have," Yoda answered. "Though able to sense what is happening in
the Chambers I cannot."
"Anakin's injured and Obi-Wan's acting erratically," a voice answered from the
doorway.
Spinning on his heel and raising his unlit 'saber, N'erak relaxed only when he
realized that Bant had returned. "I'm not going to get this done any faster
with people sneaking up on me either," he grumbled, returning swiftly to his
work.
Ignoring her clearly distracted friend, the Healer continued. "Anakin somehow
managed to squeeze through a grate into the room, but none of us are small
enough to follow. We are going to have to wait until N'erak can get the door
open before we can help them."
"Waited too long already we have," Yoda grumped, giving N'erak an impatient
glare.
"I could fit," Serrenia offered softly, coming to stand beside Bant. "If Anakin
could, I can too."
Giving the young Padawan an upraising look, Bant nodded before Master Yoda
could object. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew a small phial and handed
it to the Padawan. "Take this with you, and when I signal you, levitate it over
the Sith," the Master Healer whispered, hiding the conversation and the
exchange from both Master Yoda and N'erak.
Taking the phial and slipping it into her robes, Serrenia nodded.
"Levitate you I can," Yoda stated upon spying the grate opening high up on the
antechamber's wall. "Be careful you will be."
Nodding yet again, having nothing to say, Serrenia centered herself and allowed
Master Yoda to lift her gently off her feet. Reaching the cover, she quickly
loosened it and began to tuck herself into the small space. As she began to
inch silently toward the juncture that would allow her drop down a level and
slip through the grate in the Chancellor's office, Serrenia heard Master
N'erak's voice softly through their new bond. //Be careful my Padawan… and may
the Force be with you.//