6

4

Obi-Wan strode down the peaceful streets of Coruscant. Everything was as it should be, at long last.
Anakin's young again, the Sith are finally trapped and can't cause any more harm, Luke and the others are back where they belong…
This is going to last about five minutes.
Gliding past a small alley, Obi-Wan felt a sudden sense of extreme cold take him. He shivered, turning to look into the alley, growing very worried. What was causing that feeling? He took a step toward the sense, then stopped.
This doesn't feel right…I'd better get another Jedi. Better yet, I'll get two.

Calling through the Force, he reached out to his master. Qui-Gon, I need your help.

What is it, Obi-Wan?

A disturbance, I want to check it out. Would you join me?

I'm coming.

Obi-Wan sighed. Good, one down, one more to go. He took another breath and opened himself up. Anakin, could you get your lazy butt over here, please?

Silence.

Anakin, are you still asleep?

Silence.

Anakin?

"What's wrong, Obi-Wan?" Obi-Wan turned, worry twisting his features.

"Anakin's not answering my call, Qui-Gon."

"He might be still asleep. He was so tired when I saw him that he had slept in the water." The Jedi master smiled at Obi-Wan, "Don't worry about him."

"I'll try, but it's long since become habit." Obi-Wan nodded his head toward the alley, "Shall we?"

Qui-Gon nodded silently and they crept into the narrow space. Glancing around, Obi-Wan felt the slightly faded stench in the Force that signaled the hasty departure of a Dark Force user. It was not that old, and with a quick glance at his former master, Obi-Wan probed the surrounding area. The Dark user was nowhere to be found.

"I don't like the feel of this." Obi-Wan whispered, the Force humming at his hands.

"Whatever it was, it's gone now. But we should warn the Council."

A fleeting presence in the force made itself felt for a moment, then vanished again. "This way," Qui-Gon muttered and trotted toward the weak presence.

They reached a corner, where the alley veered off in another direction, and Obi-Wan drew in his breath sharply. There were plain signs of a fight, and a sense of desperation and dark triumph hung in the air.

"What HAPPENED here?" Obi-Wan gasped, horrified. Deep gouges in the permacrete were visible; slashes made by some sort of knife or claw. The Dark sense was powerful here, and it sent shivers up Obi-Wan's spine.

Qui-Gon touched his former student's shoulder; "We should let the Council know what has happened here."

Obi-Wan managed a small smile, "What ever happened to your sense of adventure, Qui-Gon?"

"You've been spending far too much time with Anakin. It's doing you good." Qui-Gon stopped dead, staring at the ground, "Obi-Wan, what is this?" He bent down and lifted up a small piece of cloth.

"It looks like cloth, Master."

"My, Padawan, how your powers of observation have been honed to perfection!"

"Who's been spending too much time with Anakin?"

"Yes, yes, I know." Qui-Gon waved his hand in dismissal "What kind of cloth?"

"Well," Obi-Wan took the cloth, "it looks vaguely like a piece of the shirt…" Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon, mouth dropping open in shock, "…Anakin was wearing. Oh, SITH!"

"Watch your mouth, Padawan." Qui-Gon looked around, stopping to look at his pale friend, "Call him, now."

Anakin, are you here?

Silence.

"Nothing, Master."

"Louder, then. If he's asleep, say it's my fault you woke him up."

"Like I would do otherwise." He bowed his head in concentration, the screamed mentally: ANAKIN, WAKE UP!!! WHERE ARE YOU?? ANSWER ME, DAMN YOU!

Silence.

"Nothing, Master. Where could he be? How could he miss that?"

"I don't know, but you just gave me one stang of a headache."

"Watch your mouth, Master." DAMN YOU, ANAKIN! HEAR ME, VADER!!!

Master?

ANAKIN! "I hear him!"

Wh…Vader…?

"Ask him where he is."
Where are you, Ani?

Why…Vader?

I had to get your attention, I'm sorry for bringing it up.

S'okay…

Where are you?

Hurts…feel sick.

I'm coming, Padawan. However, I need to know where you are, first.

Cold…Can't open…eyes.

Keep talking, Padawan. We're coming. "He doesn't sound good, Master. He keeps saying that he's cold and that he hurts."

"Keep him talking."

"I'll do my best." Padawan, are you leaning against anything?

Cold…

Keep talking, Anakin.

Vitru…brothers…Sith…barrier…

What? The Sith are here? Did the barrier fall?

No…free brothers…Vitsa

Vitsa? Did a Vitsa bite you?

No…Master?

Anakin Skywalker, I forbid you to pass out.

'Kay

"Master, we'd better find him soon, he's getting fainter."

"Ask him for anything to help find him, tell him we can't sense him."

Qui?…

"Master, he can hear you!"

Stinks…

What stinks?

I…think…garbage

"He's near garbage, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon began to pour through a dumpster, searching for the young man.

Close…hear you…

"He hears you, Master." Obi-Wan began to help; pawing through trash that hadn't yet vanished as most did in Death.

"Check the other one behind this, he may be in there." Obi-Wan hurried to do as his former master said. Walking quickly around the dumpster, he tripped over something.

Something soft.

Something that gave a weak little moan when it was tripped over.

"ANI!" Obi-Wan scrambled over to his friend, calling out to Qui-Gon: "I've got him!"

"Master?" Anakin's voice was barely a whisper, and his glow was so dim that Obi-Wan could see right through him.

"Anakin, what happened? What did this to you?"

Anakin's reply was so soft that Obi-Wan couldn't make it out.

Qui-Gon looked Anakin over and drew in a sharp breath in surprise. "Look at this, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon pointed to a rip in Anakin's neck, marked by two large fang marks. Seeing other serious wounds on the young man's body, he winced. What could do this to the Chosen One? "I'll go get a healer, teleport with him back to his place, I'll meet you there."

"Ani? Can you make it back home?" Looking down at his dear friend, Obi-Wan had doubts that he could teleport two steps.

Anakin hesitated, then nodded slightly.

Qui-Gon reached out and ruffled Anakin's hair affectionately, "Don't leave us again, Ani. I can't imagine Padme would be too pleased."

A small smile tugged Anakin's lips, and his eyes struggled to open for a moment, then relaxed.

"Come on, Ani." Obi-Wan grunted, helping Anakin up and letting himself become a crutch for the younger man. Anakin tried to help, but could only limp slightly, head down and eyes closed. Obi-Wan nodded at Qui-Gon, who vanished in search of a healer. Holding his former pupil tightly, he concentrated on teleporting them home.

Padme paced in her apartment. Suddenly there was a pop and Obi-Wan appeared in the room, supporting her husband.

"What happened?" Padme whispered, appalled at the sight of her beaten husband.

"We aren't sure yet, and I don't think Anakin is in any shape to tell us right now." He dragged Anakin into the bedroom and gently set him down on the bed. He turned and looked at her, "Qui-Gon's gone to get a healer. They'll be here shortly."

Padme sat beside her husband, stroked his brow and brown-blond hair in deep thought. "Ani…was the thing that attacked you the presence you felt last night?"

He nodded so slightly that Padme almost missed the motion completely. Obi-Wan strode into the kitchen and came back out with a long strip of cloth. He wrapped it around Anakin's neck, stopping the bleeding as best he could. Anakin stiffened at the touch on his neck, but relaxed when Padme's hand touched his brow again, reassured.

Qui-Gon entered the room suddenly, a healer in tow.

"Here he is." Qui-Gon glanced at the healer, who whistled at the sight of the beaten Jedi.

"Whoa, you look about ready to take a one-way trip to the nether realm, don't you?"

"He isn't going to go there, is he?" Padme gripped her husband's hand with the ferocity of a she-bear protecting her cubs.

"That depends on how tough he is. When were the wounds inflicted?"

"An hour ago, maybe more."

"If he lasted this long, then he'll probably last the night, but don't quote me on that. He hasn't experienced a power boost?"

"Not that we know of."

"I don't know why…he looks like he should be gone by now. Is his medi-chlorian count high?"

"Yes, over twenty thousand."

"Ah, so he's the famous Chosen One, is he?"

"Yes."

"That explains it, although even the Chosen One should have experienced the power boost by this time…" The healer looked around, her violet eyes taking them in. "I know you're all concerned, but I'm going to have to ask you to clear out of here. I need the quiet to concentrate."

"Sure, we'll be in the next room." The trio of worried friends backed out of the room, Padme placing a quick kiss on Anakin's head before leaving.

The healer smiled, "Don't worry, I'll do my best to make sure your fan club won't lose you anytime soon. But your going to have to help me, okay?"

Anakin nodded slightly, joining the healer to try and save himself from another trip into Hell.