Location(s)- Coruscant system, Outer Rim system, Naboo System, Sith warship 'War Eagle'
Time-1 year 2 monthes 5 weeks since the detaining of Palphatine, 1 year 2 monthes 4 weeks sonce the reinstallment of Supreme Chancellor Valorum
A year had passed slowly for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Day after day he had searched for any sign of Qui-Gon Jinn. His constant search had been fruitless. Full of false hope and dead ends he was on the verge of giving up Many thought he was insane or atleast on the verge of being so. He had refused to see the Soul Healer and had been conumed by this obsession. When he was not training Anakin or searching for answers he was practicing his lightsaber forms. Ataru, Niman, Shii-Cho, Shien, Makashi, Soresu, and Juyo. He practiced till his form seemed flawless and completely lacking of weakness.
Most of the knights and masters were afraid to approach him. Anakin had come to him less and less for help and seked the council of Obi-Wan's friends, Bant, Garen and Reeft. Unfortantly Garen and Reeft had left for a mission and would not be back for almost a year. Being without padawans they were still able to go on far more dangerous missions than Obi-Wan. Bant was a Healer and spent most of her time in the Temple healing the Jedi and their often clumsy padawans. She to was worried about Obi-Wan. She feared for more than just his physical health, but for the stability of his mind. But since no one would approach him he was left to wallow in his sorrow till one Jedi did approach him.
It was another dreary day for Obi-Wan. The same redundant schedule. It was nearly 11 PM. Obi-Wan was in the gym training alone like he always did. He was training against a bunch of custom made driods that the Jedi used for practice. He had already taken three down and had two to go. Then his concentration was broken asa door swished open. A blaster shot scathed his arm leaving a small cut. He managed to finish it and its brother off with fluid strokes. He looked in the direction of the distraction. It was a woman. A young human woman. She had lovely wavy chestnut hair with bright green eyes and warm beige skin. Seeing she had been noticed she stepped forward to introduce herself.
"Sorry for interrupting you" she quickly apologized. Obi-Wan was still getting over the site of her and only half heard her. when she gave him a queer look he quickly responded.
"Oh, its alright, I..just need more practice, so what are you doing here. I thought everyone was asleep." She smiled at him and giggled.
"Well" she said "to me it looked like you didn't need anymore practice. Oh, by the way whats your name, mine's Trija Voss." Obi-Wan perked up at her name, for he had heard it many times.
"Trija, the Trija Voss, the first one in a century to learn Battle Meditation! Its a pleasure to meet you!" Trija smiled at him, but it was no longer gentle or happy, rather it was bittersweet. She gave a quite audible sigh.
"Well, thats what everybody says. Its also why I'm never around. The masters fear that to much contact with others will taint my 'gift'. I came here thinking I could get away from my master's eternal lectures on peace and meditation. I thought everybody was gone as well. Force, I wish people would actually treat me like a regular person." she turned to Obi-Wan then gave him a I'm sorry look. "Oh, I'm sorry I bet you'd rather be doing something else than listening to me complain about my problems. Listen, see ya around" She was about to leave when Obi-Wan lightly grabbed her wrist.
"Please, don't go, I'm sorry to have offended you." She looked at him her mouth slightly ajar. She closed it and smiled again.
"Its alright. My master says that I'm at times impulsive and brash. sigh I really need to learn to control myself better." The two looked at each other and a feeling of comradery passed between the two. And what had started as a interruption turned to an hours long conversation. Obi-Wan was the first to realize the time. Trija nearly jumped when Obi-Wan mentioned the time.
"Hey wait! would you like to have dinner tomorrow night, 9 o'clock at my apartment." he called as she rushed through the door. She only stopped for a moment to reply.
"Sure, I'll be there! See ya!" Obi-Wan smiled and felt himself blush from head to toe.
Padme Amidala was sleeping peacefully in her royal bedroom. Though she was not Force-sensitive, she was still open to its calling and was often guided by it subconsiously. Her dreams troubled her. She twisted and turned in her bed, moaning and groaning in her sleep. She could feel a great wave of energy around her, enveloping her. It opened her eyes and showed her something beyind mere crude matter. It showed her the universe as seen through the Force. Everything shown with an amazing inner light. She saw the way the Force intwined and looped itself, creating and destroying. Then something showed itself, a dark red prescence that was on the corner of her eye, she twisted to see it. It was great and engulfing everything in it's path. Destroying everything till none remained.
Anakin watched his master as he frantically cleaned and set up their apartment. He was inwardly laughingg at how Obi-Wan had suddenly become obsessed with extreme cleanliness. He now had some blackmail on him for Obi-Wan's 'guest'. Anakin chuckled evily, unfortantly it was loud enough for Obi-Wan to hear.
"Padawan, you're not plotting to do anything...evil. Are you? If so there will be severe consequences." Anakin bit his lips to hide his smirk. Obi-Wan didn't notice, he was to busy trying to sweep out an excessively oversized dust bunny. To Anakin it seemed that his master was dueling it, and the dust bunny was winning. After he managed to shove most of the filth that had littered the corners of the room into a trashcan he quickly heated up the stove. He quickly tried to get the meal started, but his stove wouldn't turn on. He kicked at, njuring his poor little foot. Anakin laughed at the comical site and fell out of the chair he wassitting in. A knock at the door made them both jump and rush for it.
"I got it Master!"
"No Padawan I got it, you set the table!"
"No you, I wanna meet your 'girlfriend'!" Obi-Wan blushed.
"She's not my girlfriend, Jedi aren't allowed attachments like that!" Anakin smirked again.
"Alright Master, you get" Obi-Wan gulped and backed up.
"Uh, no you get it, you look cleaner than I do." Anakin pointed at him and laughed in triumph.
"Ha! You do like her!" The two would have argued longer if their fight was not interrupted by Trija's voice.
"Hello, if your not there I'll be back in.." before she could finish Obi-Wan ripped the door open. Trija gave him a playful look.
"Well, I thought nobody was home, I was about to leave and eat this nice tasty dessert all by my little self." She held out a small fresh baked cake. Anakin sniffing hungrily.
"Oh, this mus be Anakin, I can see he's going to enjoy this cake. Maybe I should let him have because you kept me waiting on the doorstep." She placed it on the counter and looked aroun the apartment.
"Well looks like you guys can keep a rather clean apartment. I'm impressed, I thought most guys were slobs." Anakin supressed a giggle. Obi-Wan placed his hand over Anakin's mouth. The three took their places at the dinner table. For two hours they ate, joked and laughed. Anakin couldn't remember the last time and his master had been so at ease, it was quite refeshing. He could see why his master liked her so much, she was pretty and funny too. When Anakin started to doze off Trija decided to head out. She left them the rest of the cake. No doubt to be completely finished off by a sugar loving Padawan named Anakin thought Obi-Wan.
After he had climbed into bed Obi-Wan lay looking at the city through his window. Contentment filled him. For the the first time in so long he felt completely happy and nothing would spoil it.
Far beyond the Core systems in the Outer Rim was a fleet of War ships floating just above the planet of Korriban. Korriban was entirely uninhabited. It was a planet of dust covered ruins. Once it had the Sith homeworld and now it was only a mockery to the name. But it still held importance to his plans. He walked the surface of dead planet. He could sense the power of the darkside strongly here. He entered the ancient Sith Academy which had been abandoned nearly 4 thousand years ago. He entered its archives and after hours of searching he found what he had been looking for. He returned to the ship and poured over the holocrons and datapads. Absorbing the knowledge within them like a sponge. Hours later an unfortuanate dark apprentice was the first to fall prey to an ancient Force technique used by Korriban's extinct Sith Lord's.
"Master, we've come to the world of Iridonia like you asked and the soldiers await your orders." When Qui-Gon didn't answer him he took a step further. Just as he was about to take another step forward he felt himself lifted from the ground by a powerful hand gripping his throat.
"What did I tell you about interrupting my studies?" He sneered and began to drain the life force out of the poor inidivdual and used it to replenish his own. A lifeless corpse was thrown to the ground, dried up and stiff like a mummy. A technique used by the Sith Lords to live past the normal human lifespan and even reverse the aging process. He looked at his hands, they were now smoother and free of age marks, but they still bore some age that in time could be wiped away. Now he would have the stregnth and vigour recquired to wage a full scale war. Now nothing could stand in his way, not Jedi, not the Republic, not even death.
It was four in the morning when the first bombs crashed to the surface of Iridonia. By noon most of the planet's surface was decimated and all forms of life there had ceased to resist under the unending torrent of fire and light. Soon the only torrent there was a river of blood.
Yoda broke from his meditation and sighed. Mace Windu turned to him. The two shared knowing looks. The end of Jedi, the end of everything, had begun.
TBC...