Tips of black leather boots stood precariously near the edge of a walkway overlooking a river bubbling and sputtering lava.
A bare hand reaches out over the molten river just as a bubble explodes, sending a firey spew upward, hitting and singing the bare skin it touches.
Obi-Wan sighs. He will use the pain to draw upon the Dark power surrounding him. He will need its assistance now. Mace Windu is coming.
Firey eyes filled with hatred glance up and over the red river, up into the stars in the red hazy Mustafar atmosphere to spy the approaching ship.
He did not flinch as a whithered and ghostly white hand firmly gripped his shoulder from behind and a raspy voice spat out.
"Kill the Jedi. Bring the woman to me. Don't fail me, my young apprentice."
A feral grin crosses the younger man's face. "Yes, my master."
The starship's ramp hissed as it lowered and within a few moments, the figure of Padmé Amidala appeared and moved down the exit and across the durasteel platform.
Her eyes never wavered. Her steps never faltered.
She was looking at and walking toward the piercing blue-green gaze of the young man dressed in black who stood on the opposite side of the platform, waiting for her.
Mace was wrong. She rejoiced in that fact for the few seconds it took to reach him.
In those few seconds, all she could think about was that Obi-Wan was alive and he still looked like the man she knew and loved.
She hesitated only when she stood just mere inches from him, her eyes never leaving his face.
"Padmé."
That simple word eased all of her previous suffering and she moved her hand up to trace a new scar that ran along his left cheek. Her fingers moved gently to run through his slightly longer locks of hair. Love and hope radiated from her. This was going to work. Mace had been wrong.
"Obi-Wan." She sighed through a slight smile.
But the blue gaze suddenly faltered and his eyes shot over her head, her wrist suddenly and savagely gripped.
Padmé twisted in fear, expecting to see Master Windu, but he had not yet exited the ship. Something or someone unseen was speaking to Obi-Wan and he was vehemently arguing with it.
"Obi-Wan."
"Don't tell me what to do!"
"Obi-Wan! You're hurting me!" The grip upon her wrist was almost unbearable.
"You're not my Master any more!"
"Obi-Wan! Let go of me!"
Just before the hand crushing her arm flung her to the ground, Padmé gasped as the blue of Obi-Wan's eyes transformed into a hidious yellow and red. The pain and anger coming from him was almost palpable.
Before she could react, Obi-Wan had ignited his red lightsaber, the hum echoing and matching the one she heard directly behind her and it was then that Padmé realized she had failed. Mace had exited the ship and lightsaber in hand, was approaching to challenge him.
Padmé scooted backward across the platform out of the way and watched in horror as the two warriors met in a fierce battle. Obi-Wan was aggressive and fiercely struck out against the Jedi. To Padmé's surprise, Mace appeared to be assuming a defensive posture and was simply reflecting the blows that were coming at him with lightning speed.
Mace was stunned. The power emanating from this young man was beyond anything he had encountered before. The Dark Force was strong with him. It had consumed him.
Blocking several rapid successive blows, Mace felt sympathy and remorse stab through him. It was such a shame. Obi-Wan Kenobi had shown great promise and would have been a fine Knight. It was too bad that he would have be destroyed.
Calling upon the Force for guidance, Mace struggled with concentrated effort on the fight as well as a rapidly appearing vision of the young man on the Temple steps, hand in hand with the young senator, smiles lighting both of their faces.
Was that the future or just the possibility of it?
Obi-Wan had flipped over his head and Mace blocked the next few blows with renewed effort. He had never been one to successfully read the future. That was Master Yoda's talent, not his. He was unsure of what the brief vision had meant.
But he understood one thing. If he could not diffuse this fight, Kenobi would have to be destroyed. He was too strong. Too dangerous. He was a threat to the Jedi and the Republic.
Kenobi's powerful thrusts had backed him to the edge of the platform. He could feel the heat of the lava beneath and behind him. Time to end this fight now.
Calling upon his Vaapad lightsaber skills, he began executing a series of attacks that would soon have Kenobi disarmed or dead.
Padmé noticed the sudden change of momentum in the fight. Windu was now the aggressor, and she began shaking her head in horror at the realization of what Mace Windu was going to do. Obi-Wan would not be alive for long.
A quick jab with a purple sword sent the young man spinning, a hissing fury escaping him as he spun back around to attack once more.
Padmé could see it before it happened. The blow that would end the fight and end the life of the man she loved. She couldn't bear to watch it. She opened her mouth to scream and a piercing and long shrill "No!" issued forth.
At that point, Kenobi seemed stunned. Not by a blow, but by her scream. He dropped his lightsaber to the ground and turned to look at Padmé who was kneeling on the platform. She quickly noticed his eyes were no longer the sickly yellow, but were blue-green once more.
He looked like he was about to say something, but then Mace Windu knocked him out with a blow from the hilt of his saber to the back of his head. Obi-Wan hit the platform with a thud and Padmé glanced up to cast Mace a grateful look.
He had listened to the Force. He had done what he needed to do. The situation was contained, but they were still in great danger.
Mace quickly leaned down and picked up the unconscious body of Obi-Wan Kenobi and motioned to Padmé with his head to follow him to the ship.
"We must leave quickly. His Master is on the planet. He's not happy." Mace looked off into the distant lava laced craters. "And he's coming."