7
"That was interesting." Obi-Wan turned and grabbed his master's sleeve. Just out a meeting with the Council, both men wore identical expressions of irritation; although Qui-Gon had a hint of barely disguised disgust along with it.
"We knew they wouldn't do anything, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon kept his voice low, breathing deeply, disturbed that the Council thought so little of the attack on Anakin, or the fact that the Sith could now come and go where they pleased.
"We didn't think…Qui-Gon, they forbade us from showing any aggression towards the Sith! I can understand forbidding aggression if it's unprovoked, that is the Jedi way, but we can't even patrol our own borders! The Sith-"
"Have enough problems of their own. The creature that attacked Anakin only attacked our people only to get access to the Sith dimension."
"You aren't seriously saying that you agree with their decision?"
"They did what they thought was right; it was all they could do." Qui-Gon glanced at Obi-Wan with the barest hint of a smile on his bearded features. "Close your mouth, Obi-Wan, it might stick like that if you stay that way for too long." He grew serious again, and his eyes grew distant. "We can't retaliate, but I think it would be wise to keep an eye open. Nothing with that much power, drawing on that much of the Dark Force, will be satisfied with the Sith dimension alone." He closed his eyes, preparing to teleport.
Obi-Wan sighed and visualized Anakin's apartment.
"Back already? That was quick." Anakin was standing, stretching out his arms and legs, with Owen and Padmé standing beside him. He smiled at them, "Don't tell me, I already know; the Council forbade any action. Am I right?"
"We know them too well." Obi-Wan glanced at the fading evidence of Anakin's battle. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, thanks. Will they let us patrol?"
"Three guesses."
"Stars…are they really that stupid?" Owen spoke up from beside Anakin.
"They aren't stupid, they are mired in tradition. We've gone over that, Owen." Padmé sat heavily on the bed. "The Vitru broke through the barrier."
"Vitru? Is that what it's called? Yes, we know." Obi-Wan sighed. "Unless the Council tells us to attack, we're sitting on our thumbs."
"No way. If that thing shows any sign of turning it's ugly head back this way…"
"Like I said before, Ani," Owen smiled "when action is needed, do we really care about the Council?"
"Like it or not, the Council is the ruling body. We can't just go against them." Obi-Wan argued.
"Obi-Wan, if I may bring your attention to Melida/Daan…"
"Oh, shut up."
The servants of the Sith revolted. They used their demonic strengths to free themselves from their bondage and then turned on their creators. Lead by the thing know as Vitru, they pushed the Sith nearly to the Jedi edge of the Borderlands.
The Vitru smiled as it licked fresh blood off its scaly lips. The Sith were strong, to be sure, but their numbers were dwindling. More and more journeyed to the Nether Realm, and none had yet been able to return.
The gray light of the Borderlands wavered for a moment, and the sky flashed through the spectrum of colours. A nearby Vitsa hissed at the strange sight, rearing up. The Vitru snarled at it to be silent, and cocked its head at the strange sight. The sky had been doing that often, but as of yet, why it did it was unknown. The Vitru shook it's scaly head and rose, ready to lead another assault on the Sith.
Anakin frowned as the sky flashed, puzzled. What's going on?
Suddenly the building shook, spilling Owen and Padmé to the floor, and making the rest stagger.
"I'm almost afraid to ask." Owen mumbled from his position on the floor, "What was that?"
"I have no idea." Qui-Gon answered, glancing at Anakin and Obi-Wan. "Do either of you get anything?"
"A tremor." Anakin cocked his head and probed again, "It's almost like…"
"Like?" Padmé probed.
"Well, this sounds stupid, but like this reality got roadburn."
"You're right, that does sound stupid." Obi-Wan smiled.
"No, hear me out. When you get roadburn, you scrape your arm against the permacrete, and just a little harder and the skin will tear." Anakin shook his head, "Something happened, and this reality couldn't compensate right away, so I felt that tremor. If the disturbance was bigger, then the reaction would be bigger."
"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." Qui-Gon muttered, pacing for a moment. He spun back towards them, "No…"
"No what, Qui-Gon?" Anakin frowned.
"It isn't like roadburn, exactly…it's like putting too much air in a balloon. The Vitru is pulling too much power into itself, this reality couldn't compensate."
"By the Force…that makes sense!" Obi-Wan gasped.
"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Owen glared around the room, exasperated.
"The Vitru fed off of Anakin and grew stronger until it equaled his strength. This was like cloning him, power and all. Our dimension compensated, but was stretched. Then it fed again and again…"
"Soon, it won't be able to compensate anymore." Obi-Wan breathed "So why hasn't this happened when a regular Vitsa feeds?"
"Because Vitsas only take blood," Owen paced back and forth, agitated, "they don't absorb the power from it!"
The building shook again, and the sky lit up blindingly.
When the shaking had stopped, none of the friends were left standing.
Anakin lifted his head with a groan and saw his stepbrother lying facedown on the floor. "Owen!"
"I feel," Owen spoke, his voice muffled by the carpeted floor, "like a bantha has decided to take up tap dancing inside my skull." He lifted his face, "What was that?"
"I don't want to know." Padmé spoke up, bringing herself to a sitting position and gingerly rubbing her temple.
A soft pop sounded outside the door, and someone knocked gently.
"Coming," Anakin got to his feet and opened the door.
An athletic-looking blonde woman blinked up at him.
"Siri!" Anakin stepped back in surprise. Siri had been Obi-Wan's friend when they had been children, though they rarely spoke anymore.
"Anakin," Siri smiled, but it looked forced. "I was just watching the living, and thought you'd like to see something. You can all come too, if you want." She called over Anakin's broad shoulder. She didn't wait for an answer, and vanished quickly. Anakin looked back, shrugged, and they all vanished after her.
They came out of transit in what was casually called "The Observatory". It was here that the living were watched and guided. A thousand images swirled in a ghostly rivalry for attention. Siri beckoned them closer and one image grew large, filling the room. It was blurry, and Siri turned to them.
"Watch." She gestured to the picture.
A teenaged boy stood there, bruised and haggard. He swung his purple saber at an unseen foe and drew back. Suddenly straightening up, his eyes went wide and he swung around and took off at a run.
Watching with wide eyes, Anakin whispered, "Who is that?"
"Your grandson, Anakin Solo."
"Anakin?" The boy ran faster, sprinting for a young woman who had been driven against a wall. "Is that Jaina?"
"Yes." Anakin swung wildly at nothing, then gasped and staggered back, going pale.
"What…Oh no!" The Elder Anakin was helpless as he watched his grandson fall to the ground. He turned away, emotions raging. "Why did you show me this, Siri?"
"When the sky flashed, it appears that time was distorted and our time was slowed, while life time was sped up. This is why Anakin looks as he does. He is 17." Siri didn't turn from the picture. "While not back to normal yet, their time is only a little faster than ours now."
"You didn't answer me, Siri." Anakin rasped, glancing at his wife, who had her head covered in her hands, "Why did you show us this. We don't want to see their pain."
At this, Siri turned back to them. "Because," she said gently, "not long after this occurred, Anakin made the transfer."
Anakin whirled around, "What?!"
She returned to the image "He died bravely, and if you want to reach him before he wakes, you'd better be quick."
When she turned back at the last word, she was talking to nothing but air.
