CHAPTER 2

A VISION

The sun was shining through the large floor to ceiling windows in a room holding a newly installed fountain. The place was bright but darkness still lingered there.

In the mind of the youngest older Master.

Luke Skywalker had been fighting with voices in his mind for almost seventeen years now. Ever since the day before Master Yoda had found Esore in the rose bushes.

The voices were the work of the Dark Side. Luke wasn't aware of that fact...yet. The truth was he thought it was his own mind telling him these things. In reality it was the Dark Side getting into his brain every chance it got. Slowly...

At first Luke had tried to ignore the voices but as time went on he started to listen. The voices told him lies that he'd begun to believe. Obi-Wan was the reason Padme, his mother had died, Anakin, his father, was weak, Yoda was responcible for everything.

Most of the remarks were centered on the old Master. Luke cared about Master Yoda but hated him as well.

Lately the old Master, to Luke, was doing unconsiderable things. Making foolish choices. Taking care of Esore wasn't the only one.

The newest Jedi Master, Murak Indoly from Naboo, was still very young. He was way too young, Luke argued, to be a Master yet.

Yoda had been quick to point out that Luke hadn't been trained very long before he'd become a Master. That made the human Jedi stop and remember some painful memories he wished to forget. The old Master had had Obi-Wan's full agreement so it had been two against one in Murak's favor.

Besides, both older men pointed out, they needed more Masters.

Which in its own right was true.

All morning and most of the rest of the day Master Yoda was stuck teaching over a hundred Younglings. This was taking its toll on him and he was becoming more worn out everyday almost to the point of fainting. Obi-Wan taught the older ones as well as Luke, Murak now taught the eight to twelve year olds.

Most of the kids in Luke's class were always left feeling like they'd learned nothing because Luke was always preoccupid by nothing they could see but he insisted was there.

The Padawans were terrified by it too and usually skipped classes and helped out Master Yoda with the younger children.

He's lying to you, the voices in Luke's head insisted. He insists he's not aware of things but he is. He always is. He's perverted too. Just look at the way his face changes when he looks at the girls.

At first Luke had argued with with but when he studied Master Yoda once he noticed the old Master did seem to look at the girls differently.

It was a wonder Obi-Wan never noticed. Oh yeah, Obi-Wan was like his pet. To him Yoda could do no wrong.

Bide your time, Skywalker, the voices said. Wait for him to get careless. When the time comes you can take him out or do whatever you want to him...

Deep within the Force is where most wait to be called to their destinies. The Force is not just a power. When embrased properly it can be a good friend. It's warm and comforting, taking you away from reality but also closer.

Most destinies start and end with it.

The same for Esore.

But she didn't know about it yet. Master Yoda was the only one who had the slightest clue.

That was because he had a feeling about her. Not his first or his second. He'd had it many times before. He just didn't let on. He had told no one. Not even Esore. Thsi was something he thought she should find out on her own.

Nobody knew about the death crys he heard either. That was because he never said anything. They were always in his dreams. They were always about when the Clone Wars ended and all the Jedi except for him and Obi-Wan were killed.

He knew the screams belonged to the spirits of the long dead Jedi. They were warning him. Warning that even though Darth Sidious was dead the Dark Side was still there. Somewhere in that very Temple even.

But who was carrying it Yoda had no idea..

Master Yoda was in no hurry to go anywhere at the moment. He was in his apartment sitting on one of his pod seats with his eyes closed, his body relaxed, and just breathing. In. Out. In. Out. Slowly but surely.

So far nobody but Esore had bothered him or even tried. It was like they knew he wanted to be alone. The Temple was extremely quiet.

Which to Master Yoda was just perfect. If he had known why it was so quiet he would have come out of his trance instantly. But he didn't so he didn't.

Usually when he sank into the Force it was dark but not too dark. Lately it seemed he was sinking deeper every time and as he went down it got darker too.

He didn't like it at all.

The Jedi Master had no idea what the problem was but it seemed the more he sank the harder it was to get out of it. He'd often tried not to but it felt he was being pulled there. He knew of only one explaination.

The Dark Side, somehow, was getting stronger.

Not his Dark Side. He'd never go there but he sensed the physical Dark Side of someone else getting stronger.

When he'd discovered that Darth Sidious and Darth Vader were dead he thought the Force would come to balance. But the strange thing was it wasn't. It was getting more out of wack...

He tried to shake those thoughts out of his head. He relaxed at started again.

Suddenly images flashed through his inner vision. Images of fire, chaos, and death. The death of many Jedi Apprentices.

Many others were running around screaming as an invisable enemy shot them with lazers and Force Lightning.

Many lay dead at his feet.

He looked around for anyone who was standing up to the enemy but none were. For some reason he couldn't either. It felt like he couldn't move.

Suddenly Esore came into the vision. The fire of battle was in her eyes and both of her hands gripped her pure white lightsaber. She was running past everything and everyone. Right toward the source of the problem.

As she passed by the old Master he heard her yell. "How could you! I thought you wanted no part of that! Yoda trusted you! Obi-Wan trusted you! How...how could you! How could you do this to the ones who helped train you! How dare you do that to them! They were your friends, your mentors!"

Her lightsaber screamed as it cut through the air and made contact with another one. This one was blood red.

"How could you hurt your own Masters!"

At that instant a sharp pain went through Yoda's entire body and he fell over. He looked up to see the world spining around him. The ground in front and all around his was covered in blood. His blood.

Something had happened to him. That was why he couldn't fight back.

He watched Esore fighting the shadow holding the blade as the world around him spun even faster. He started to feel sick. His heart beat was so loud he could hear it. It was slowing and his breathing was becoming shallow.

The world blended together and vanished. His heart stopped and everything went completely dark.

THUMP!

"AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Are you alright, Master?"

Master Yoda opened his eyes. He saw Esore looking down at him. He instantly realized he was on the floor. "Huh?" he said.

"Are you alright, Master?" she asked again, putting out her hand to help him up.

He ignored it and got up by himself. "Yes," he replied, putting his hand on the edge of his pod seat and slowly pulling himself into a standing position. "Fine I am."

Esore didn't seem to believe him she didn't say anything for a few minutes. "I saw you fall over," she finally replied. "I heard you scream so I wondered what was wrong."

Master Yoda looked up at the girl. At exactly five foot she was three feet taller than him. He prefered being a bit higher when he spoke to people.

Expertly he jumped onto the pod seat. He stood at his full height and studied her until she began to feel nervous. "Is there something wrong, Master?" she asked wishing she could look away. She knew if she did he'd think she was being disrespectful.

"No," he told her.

Then why are you staring at me like that?

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

For some reason Esore refused to tell him. He knew instantly she was keeping something from him.

He tapped her side with his walking stick. "Where is everyone?" he asked again, this time more forcefully.

"They all left," she said before she could stop herself.

He cocked his head. "Left?" he promped.

"Everyone went out," she answered. "Everyone but me, Jay, and Azure."

"Went out?" he asked his eyes narrowing.

"Shopping," she spit out. "they all went into the city."

"Shopping?" he said. "Why did you not go too?"

"Because shopping is unimportant," she said truthfully. "I don't care for it."

So, he thought thinking about the naughty Padawans. Care about becoming Jedi they do not. Boring they think it is. Change this I must.

"Esore," he said his hazel eyes boring into her.

"Yes, Master?" she said, thrwoing her attention back onto his face.

"When they return," he began slowly, deliberatly. "Young Dorina, Maya, Rie, and Jay. To me bring them."

"Why Jay?" she asked. "He is still here. Is he in trouble?"

The small Jedi shook his head. "No. Important matter I wish to discuse. Present too I want you to be."

"I...Me?" she stammered. "Yes, Master. Umm may I ask why?"

"When they return find out you will." was all he said.

The girl noticed a look on his face she'd never seen before. It seemed very, for lack of a better word, vengefull. What is he planning?

Only he knew and he wasn't telling.

"Yes, Master," she said again bowing respectfully. "May I go now?"

He nodded.

She left.

Yoda was once again by himself. Now he could worry. Not about what Esore had told him or the fact that the Padawans didn't treat this seriously. No it was much more important than that. He was worried about his vision.

It seemed to say he was going to die. That was not a comforting thought at all.

A/N

Sorry if these chapters are a bit boring or sucky. I promise the story will get better as it goes. If something offended you about this story I am sorry. I have no idea what the Dark Side would say about anyone so I have to make stuff up even if it's bad. Hey if you all have some thoughts about it so far I'd love to know what they are or if you liked it I would love to know that too. Well, I gotta go. I'll update as soon as I can.

Another minor note here: I don't know much about the Force or what it does or what happens when people go into it. I have to guess these things. If anyone knows about the Force meditations could you tell me?