A/N: Thanks Nima! I'm coming to the tail end of this story and soon it will be done. I'm guessing three to four more chapters and Dark Conspiracy will be complete. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read so far, and I'd really appreciate more reviews. I like knowing what you think of my stuff.
Chapter VII- Dawn after Darkness
Alan and Lana watched from the balcony as the senator's Nabooian Yacht climbed into the sky and flew out into the atmosphere. The chrome finish of the finely crafted ship shone in the sun until it was too far out of sight to see.
"I'm worried about him." Alan said. It was only right he would be worried. He was Anakin's best friend. "Suddenly, I'm not so sure anymore…"
"Now you think we should have gone with him?"
"I can't- I won't violate our mandate, but he needs us."
Lana shook her head. "What he needed most was not to go." She sighed. Her cool, calculating mind seemed to reel in years of memories of times she had spent with Anakin, the times they were all together in the temple. "Years of Master Kenobi's training have not blunted his anger or frustration. I felt it- it was a vivid part of his dream. I just hope he won't do anything foolish on Tatooine."
"All the more reason for us to have gone with him. If we had gone with him we could have stopped him from doing anything foolish."
"No." She shook her head. "It's too late for that now. He is almost a knight. He should be able to stop himself without us pressuring him."
"That's rather harsh." Alan said. He trusted Lana's wisdom as much as he trusted his own fighting skill. "But I'm afraid it's true. Perhaps it is because of things like this that Master Kenobi has not yet cleared Anakin for the trials."
Lana nodded. "I can only hope that the senator will keep him in check. He needs her more than he needs us now."
"I've spoken to him about her." Alan said with a nod. "His feelings for her are strong and intense. Perhaps they are even stronger than the feelings he has for his mother."
"They are." Lana turned away from the balcony. "Enough. I… I don't want to talk about them anymore."
Alan followed her into the house living room.
"Have you noticed how we are suddenly alone?" Lana asked just before kissing him.
"I love you," was his words in response to the kiss. She kissed him again before repeating the sweet three word phrase.
* * *
Alan stirred in bed. Lana cuddled up next to him, as to get a feel for his body warmth. Something was supremely wrong. Lana scowled. She felt it too. It was stronger than regret, some form of pained disgrace. She dug deep with her Jedi senses. Guilt.
"Alan?"
He knew that she sensed it. He had tried hard to hide it. Now his failure was complete. He opened his mouth, as to confess to his lover the truth.
"I'm sorry, Lana. I… I was foolish."
"You were foolish to think you could hide something from me." She said lightheartedly. Her expression tensed when he didn't laugh at her tease. "What's wrong, Alan?"
"I never told you what happened to that assassin, did I? What happened to Dragoon Noré."
"Yes you did. You told me that after I was shot and passed out, you fought him. He refused to surrender, and you were forced to destroy him."
"No. I only told you that I destroyed him."
A grim feeling settled in upon the Jedi Consular as she gazed deep into the eyes of her lover. He opened his mind to her, revealing the guilt he had been carrying within himself for the past day or so. Reaching out with the power of the force, Alan projected his memory into Lana's mind. She could view it as though it were her own…..
"Lana!" Alan roared. He grabbed her and pulled her behind a rock as the assassin and his three droids continued to rain blaster fire upon the two Jedi. Alan stripped away Lana's robes, analyzing the bloody, burned wound in her abdomen caused by the assassin's fire. She groaned with pain as Alan pressed down firmly on the wound, trying to stop its bleeding.
In that one moment, which seemed to stretch on forever, Alan's mind filled with panic. The student who had learned Mace Windu's Vapaad, the Jedi who was nearly invincible in battle, was filled with fear by the sight of the broken form of the woman before him. His heart burdened and chest aching, Alan felt a tear well in his eye as Lana groaned in pain. All other signs from the external world- the assassins curses, the smell of blaster fire, the sound of the blaster bolts exploding against the rock- seemed to pale and fade in comparison to Lana's pain.
Alan suddenly adjusted his focus. He turned away from Lana's wound and glared at the assassin from behind his rock cover. Dragoon Noré laughed and spat curses in Huttese as he unleashed round after round from his twin Mandalorian heavy repeaters. No longer dominated by fear or pain, Alan was now flooded with a new sensation- anger. This… filth, this assassin, had struck down Lana with his blaster. Now it was time, time to teach him a lesson, a lesson in Vaapad.
Alan grabbed Lana's lightsaber and threw it out into the field of battle. The weapon spun on a direct arc and diced through Noré's assassin droids. Alan then sprung out from behind the rock, both ends of his lightsaber lit. Sinking deep into the whirl of Vaapad as Master Windu and Master Tor had taught him, Alan twirled his lightsaber as though it were a staff, deflecting dozens of blaster shots. The bolts wildly flew in many random directions, creating a chaotic crossfire that forced Noré to step back several steps.
Alan's jaw clamped and a vicious, poison scowl manifested upon his face as he continued to deflect bolts with the hum of his double-ended lightsaber. Neither the ache of muscle fatigue nor the salt sting of perspiration could stop him now. The black migraine was swelling within him now.
He knew he could defeat this assassin with ease, no matter how many repeating blasters the assassin carried. He could have easily diced the assassin's blasters in two and incapacitated him with a strong kick. But that would not be enough. He would make this assassin beg for mercy. In those few blinding seconds of blaster crossfire, Alan's mind concocted a million different ways he could dice and destroy Noré, and enjoy it.
Tired of passively deflecting shots, Alan delved deeper and deeper into Vaapad. He sprung into the air, knowing the full extent of his malicious intent. In those few blinding seconds, he heard Master Windu's voice, 'Vaapad is the path to the penumbra of the darkside of the force.' He heard Master Tor, 'you must never allow the dark whirldwind of Vaapad to dominate you.'
But it was too late. Even they could not stop him. The memory of their words and teachings could not stop the black migraine split through Alan's compassion and rationale. It shattered the years of Jedi training and restraint. All he could hear was Lana's groans. All he could feel was her pain. All he knew was that it could not go unpunished.
With one slice of the twin ended blade, both of Noré's weapons hit the floor, destroyed. Alan reached out with the force, maliciously snagging a grip around Noré's neck. The assassin choked and vehemently as Alan's poisonous expression hardened. He groaned. With what little air he had left, he screamed, he wailed, and he begged for mercy. Alan cut him down with his saber, and the assassin, the Trax-mar'chil clanmaster, was no more…
Lana repulsed. A vivid expression of shock and disbelief rocked her face as she analyzed Alan's face. He had done this? She could not believe it. How could he have done this? In a flash, all of his Jedi discipline had erased itself when Alan tortured, maimed, and killed that assassin. Tears welled in her eyes.
Alan looked away shamefully. There was no need for words. What he had done could not be undone. All he could do was shamefully regret, hope that she would forgive, and pray he would never allow himself to lose control like that again. Lana drew closer to him, stretching her arms around him as if to show she understood. She forgave.
* The next morning *
Alan awoke the morning. He smiled easily. He felt… at peace. It was as if it were some sort of dream. In the later parts of his life, Alan would recall these days to be happiest of his life. He awoke to the embrace of beautiful woman who loved him. The fine, easy weather and beautiful surroundings of the lake country calmed his soul. Here he was far away from his troubles, far away from the imminent war, and far away from the restrictions of the council.
Alan and Lana spent the day out in the prairies, exploring the Nabooian wilderness. Lana had spent her entire lifetime in big cities. The hustle and bustle and noise of Coruscant made for a weak comparison to the silence and peace of the prairie. Even the majestic architectural beauty and harmony of Crevasse City on Alderaan could not match the calm of these prairies.
At midday, the two Jedi divulged into another session of joint meditation, one not unlike what they had done on Alderaan. With two sets of eyes closed, the boundaries between body, mind, and the Force disappeared. There was only the Force. Lana focused and felt herself come to a state of near unconsciousness. There was something coming to her through the Force. A vision…
The Jedi Temple mess hall had roared to life. It was lunch time for many of the students and trainers as well. The Jedi Masters had clumped together, sharing a discussion at one table, while their Padawan learners seemed to scatter about the different tables, forming various groups and clans.
Lana took a seat next to her best friend, Alan. The two ten year-old Padawans had a lot of catching up to do. It had been nearly two years since they were selected by their respective masters, and they had since been spending less and less time together.
"Hey, who's that?" Alan motioned to the nine year-old boy who looked lost amid the mess hall.
Lana frowned as she tried to place him. Her master and she were assigned to the Temple, so she knew most of the people who came in and out. "A Padawan. Anakin Skywalker, I believe."
"Anakin Skywalker? The crack pilot of Naboo?"
"Yes, actually."
"He looks… lonely." Alan analyzed. He called out the young Jedi in training. Lana scowled; she wasn't so sure of this.
"Uh… hey." Anakin said. An awkward minute passed before Anakin took a seat at the table and introduced himself. "I'm Padawan Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi is my master."
Alan stretched out his hand and introduced himself, "Alan Dawnstrider." He motioned to the tall, powerfully built Jedi Master seated next between Obi-Wan and Mace Windu, "Tor is my master."
Lana introduced herself as well. "Lana Rakalla. Katara is my master."
"You looked kinda lost out there, Anakin." Alan said.
"I'm….. a bit new here." He said. "I didn't get training at the academy. This place is new to me."
"I've heard about that." Lana replied. "Obi-Wan took you in when you had no training at the academy."
Anakin nodded. He began to eat his food. "Thank you for… befriending me, I guess. It's a bit hard to fit in here, when everyone's known each other since they were babies."
Alan smiled. "It's good to have another friend."
The three Padawans continued to eat and talk in a cool, casual manner, exchanging various notes and tips about battle training and lightsaber dueling.
"Anakin, I've heard quite a few things about you…" Lana began. "I heard you were some kind of Prodigy. They say your midiclorean readings are off the charts."
Anakin nodded. "I suppose that's true. That's what master Qui-Gon told me... before he died." Young Anakin looked downtrodden and upset as he mentioned Qui-Gon's death. "Master Qui-Gon had freed me from the slave's life on Tatooine….. I wish I could have at least been there when he….. passed away."
The vision, or rather the memory, suddenly shattered. Lana's awareness suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling of agony and pain. An agonizing howl from beyond surged through her mind.
Anakin! Who was that… it was a Jedi voice, no doubt, but who? Lana could barely recognize it. Qui-Gon….. Obi-Wan's master. Why? ANAKIN!
NOOO…
Lana and Alan exchanged looks. He had felt it too. A great disturbance had risen in the force, shattering the peace of their meditation. Something was terribly wrong. They could feel Anakin's pain as he seemingly broadcast it through the Force.
"No…" Alan whispered. "We should have gone with him."
"You're right." Lana said. "We should have gone."
"He's in pain, so much so that Qui-Gon could feel it." Alan said. His expression hardened. "His mother, it must be…"
"Oh no." Lana whispered gravely. She looked to him with eyes uncertain and expression broken. Alan placed his arm around her shoulder, and the two Jedi made their way back to the lodge.
* Two days later *
"Lana? Alan?" The hologram of Mace Windu asked. The two Jedi greeted the senior council member. "Where is the senator? Where is Padawan Skywalker?"
"We decided it would be best if Anakin relocated to a confidential, secure location." Alan replied. "It would not be wise to disclose it now, as this transmission could be intercepted by would-be assassins."
"Agreed." Master Windu said. "This is for the better. The senator needs only one Jedi protecting her, and this relocation increases her chances of survival. Right now we need the both of you."
"What is happening, master?" Lana asked.
"Geonosis. Master Kenobi has proved what your investigation hinted at. The separatists have gathered at Geonosis. Count Dooku has rallied the Trade Federation, the Techno Union, the Intergalactic Banking Clan, and the Corporate Alliance to his cause." Windu explained. "Master Kenobi has revealed the separatist's full intent to start a war with this massive army. He was also captured there on Geonosis. I am now gathering a Jedi strike team. We intend to rescue Master Kenobi, disable their base and factories at Geonosis, and capture the Trade Organization viceroys and Count Dooku himself."
"You intend for us to join you?" Lana asked.
"Yes." Mace replied. He eyed Alan, and for a moment, his trademark iron glare was replaced by a wince of pride, pride in one of his students. "You are our best young warriors. We will need both of you to defeat Dooku. Dooku is the shatterpoint, and if we defeat him, we can end this war, now, before it even begins."
Both of the young knights looked hesitant before the intense, iron cold glare of Master Windu. Even Alan, who had trained under Mace for so many years, could not get used to the lean, intense, and driven force behind Master Windu's cool exterior. Lana looked to Alan and nodded.
Alan met Mace's iron cold gaze. "Where shall we rendezvous?"
