8
The vast starlines of hyperspace dissipated into white and blue pinpoints. Both Starfighters lurched out of hyperspace, and were instantly faced with a monstrous white orb. It was Ilum. The planet rotated so slowly before them that it appeared to not move at all.
"There you have it," Obi-Wan said through the crackle of the Commlink. "Ilum. The epicenter of the Jedi universe."
"How long before we can get planet-side, Master?"
Obi-Wan looked over at him through the transparisteel viewport. "It will be quite some time before the area comes up in orbit. We need to conserve as much fuel as possible for the return trip, so we'll just have to wait."
Anakin sighed heavily. He wanted greatly to stretch his long legs. He then thought of the frigid temperatures of Ilum. It quickly changed his opinion. "I can wait," he said.
Palpatine looked at his new possession, Darth Annhil. The man formerly known as Eros Derjinn stood tall, dressed in a black tunic. His face was long and grey, with cold blue eyes peering out from the shadows of his hood. He was the first line of resistance against the Jedi insurgence. Palpatine relished the fact that the Jedi was so easy to turn. It had only taken days of torture to conform his mind to the will of the Sith.
"Bow before me, Lord Annhil. And I will finalize your turn to the comforts of the Dark Side."
The New Sith instantly bowed low, all hesitation lost. He dared not look up to his master. There was nothing left of the former Jedi within. His soul was a diseased corpse of what it used to be.
"I am your clay to mold, master," He stated calmly at the Sith's feet.
"Rise, Lord Annhil, Dark Lord of the Sith."
The black clad being stood from his kneeling position.
"You, Annhil," Palpatine grinned. "Are my shield of darkness."
Obi-Wan guided his ship from the hyperdrive ring, bringing it within mere feet of Anakin's already disengaged fighter. He began instructing his astromech to prepare the engines for low temperatures.
"R7, I want you to engage the temperature leveling fluids around the engines, and instruct R2 to do likewise."
The blue and white droid whistled indignantly. The last thing he needed was a rookie telling him what to do.
"Master, the drop point is coming up. ETA in five minutes."
"Alright, go ahead and fire your engines, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied while engaging his flight harnesses. "We'll go ahead and drop into the atmosphere."
Anakin smiled, his lips drawing high on both sides of his face. "Me first!"
He shot out ahead of Obi-Wan, soaring with full engines engaged toward the Ice covered surface of Ilum.
Obi-Wan groaned. "Anakin..." The only reply that would truly get to Anakin would be to beat him there. With a quick burst, Obi-Wan shot after Anakin's fighter.
The two broke through the atmosphere simulataneously, rushing into the cold temperatures. It became instantly apparent that the temperatures outside had dropped, for ice was forming on both wings. Frost ran up Anakin's viewport, ruining what vision he had of the surface. Winds rocked both fighters viciously, throwing them back and forth through the air.
"Master, break right a bit. We need as much space between us as possible. Don't want to collide and die before we even get to Ilum." He leaned forward, peering through a small hole in the canopy that hadn't been touched by the frost.
"And R2, engage the canopy heaters. I can't see a thing."
The two starfighters separated as much as possible, trying desperately to keep the wind's force at bay.
Obi-Wan moaned. The rocking was making him sick. "I correct what I said before. I hate this much more than waiting while flying."
"My sensors are picking up a large plateau of ice to port, Master. I think we should land there."
Obi-Wan tightened his crash webbing. "Copy," he said.
After what seemed like forever, the two fighters broke through the upper clouds, and visibility increased tremendously. The wind had decreased, but was still violent enough to churn Obi-Wan's stomach. He glanced over to Anakin's fighter. He wasn't sure, but he could have swore he saw a huge smile on the boy's face.
They began to level off, gliding through small crevasses of ice. The ride became much more enjoyable, especially for Anakin. A normal human could have never survived such precise judgements that were required. To a Jedi, it was just another day at the office.
"Alright, Anakin," Obi-Wan muttered through the Commlink. "Let us set down here."
A frown erupted on Anakin's face. He wished the ride could have lasted forever. The idea of the canopy opening to frigid temperatures chilled his bones. And indeed it would chill his bones.