Disclaimer: Yeah, I forgot this at the beginning, so uh…I don't own Star Wars or any of its characters, blah blah…so if you sued me already, well just read chapter three! Ha!
The next days saw the Jedi Master totally absorbed in his work. Mace no longer came out, but spent his entire days in the cool shade of his host's hut, lost in thought or concentrating most utterly on his task at hand. His lightsaber was coming along nicely. The construction was an enormously complex and absorbing task, and at many times he had to search his thoughts and memories to retrieve some obscure secret of fabrication.
At last, on the second day of the fifth week of his stay, Mace set the last focusing lens in place. He held his small metallic cylinder in front of him and contemplated it. The polished metal handle was heavy and warm in his hand, and, with mingled expectations, he turned the power on. With a static hiss, a meter-long violet energy blade shot out of the hilt and hummed gently. Mace had decided to keep the color of his original saber, and had chosen his crystals accordingly. Satisfied, he swung the blade around a couple of times, testing at the same time the grip of his new hand, before he shut the power off. He clipped the weapon to his belt and pulled on his robes, their folds hiding the shining cylinder.
He had no more need to linger here. He exited his room and found his host whom he thanked dearly, and set off. Dusk was falling over Mos Eisley as Mace walked briskly down the streets, seeking the nearest spaceport where he was sure to find an offbound shuttle. The night here, he noted, seemed to have no effect whatsoever on the local population: the streets were just as crowded as in broad daylight, and some creatures seemed truly delighted to see the twin suns sink beyond the horizon. The noise from the cantinas and bars practically doubled. A blasterfight seemed to have erupted in some back alley to Mace's right, and several shots later, he heard a muffled scream and a loud thump. An instant later, Mace ducked as a bolt passed right over his head. His hand plunged into his robes but did not ignite his saber. He did not want to give away his identity unless he absolutely couldn't avoid it. His attacker, a baldish man with yellow teeth of which half were missing, starred at him flabbergasted. He raised his blaster again but instead of firing, it tore from his grasp and soared neatly into Mace's open hand, who discarded it, never taking his eyes off the man. Around him, things kept their usual course. Flying blasters must be more common than flashing lightsabers here, Mace thought. The man took a couple of steps forward out of the shadows and grinned.
"If you're not a Jedi, then you're one hell of a magician."
Mace stared at him coldly. The man, undaunted by his stone-faced opponent, carried on.
"I heard the Jedi've been havin' trouble these days." He said, grinning in an eerie manner. "big trouble. Trouble that got em' all dead."
The man was only a meter or so in front of Mace now. He spoke in barely more than a whisper.
"The Emperor's put one hell of a bounty on any survivin' Jedi's head, you know."
Mace's hand entered his cloak.
"He wants em' all dead." Grin. "Dead."
His eyes glinted. In an instant, twin vibroblades had shot from either of his jacket's sleeves and he brandished them before him in an aggressive stance.
"Die for me, Jedi."
Before he could pounce, a blur of light blinded him as Mace's lightsaber came to life, slashing around and searing both vibroblades in half. Within half a second, the man was rendered defenseless, the energy blade humming menacingly under his throat. Slowly, the Jedi forced him backwards into the alley he had come out of, back into the shadows. The few curious people who had looked up at this scene went back to their business without second thought. The two men were very close, the violet blade of the lightsaber crossing the distance between them, illuminating their features. Before a calm Mace stood a shivering and terrified man, backing away from the advancing blade. It was the Jedi who spoke first this time.
"You are a bounty hunter, correct ?"
The man nodded.
"The Emperor has set a bounty on all Jedi's heads ?"
All he got was another frightened nod.
"What do you know of the Jedi's trouble you speak of ?"
The man's eyes widened. So he didn't know anything, he thought. The shadow of a grin returned to his face as he spoke.
"Not much" he said sheepishly "not much at all. But I dare say a few little credits may lighten me up."
Mace glared at him with such intensity that the man dropped the idea quickly.
"I know most of them are dead. Must have died horribly gruesome deaths, with all them clones after em."
The man paused to look at Mace's reaction. Seeing none, he pursued.
"I knew they'd all end up bad, playing their damn little heroic…"
The blade inched slightly closer to his face, forcing him back a couple of steps.
"So the Republic has turned against the Jedi?"
"What? Hey where the hell did you come out of ? The Jedi tried to take over the Republic mate, and all got killed doing so. Stupid gits. Palpatine wasn't very lenient though, and so he's set a price on all surviving Jedi's heads…about the same time he proclaimed the Empire. That, and he set all his clones after em. He wants to exterminate the order, cuz apparently they've turned dangerous."
Mace pondered these words for a few seconds.
"Do you know of any survivors?"
"Well hello, you're standing right in front of me and if you're not a Jedi, I'll eat myself. But aside you, no. I think the clones got em all. Damn efficient, they are. Wouldn't wanna be on their bad side."
"And what of the Separatists?"
"Oh come on man, wake up! They're long gone. Their leaders were ambushed or something…anyway, they dissolved a few weeks after they struck at Coruscant."
Mace mulled over this information in his head. He knew that the Sith now controlled the Republic, or Empire as the man called it, that the Separatists were no more…the leaders had undoubtedly been murdered, and that all the Jedi were dead. That would explain the void he had felt back on Coruscant, when he had emerged from the lower levels of the city. Something seemed to have vanished inside him. Something he had lived with his entire life, something he had grown to know and be fond of. Glancing back at the man, he turned off his lightsaber.
"You will not speak of our little chat to anyone" He said, flicking his hand in the typical Jedi gesture. The subtle mind trick worked as effectively as always.
"Of…of course not!" The man babbled.
And with that, he ran out of the alley, picked up his blaster, and disappeared down the street. Mace's thoughts then inevitably turned to the question that he had been pondering for all these weeks. How in the Force was he going to take on two masters of evil, residing on the capital planet of a hostile empire, and defended by countless armies ? And they were not exactly defenseless either. He almost laughed out loud at the sheer insanity of the project. He would, of course, find a way.
If he was the last of the Jedi, his responsibility would be enormous. The survival of the order lay on his shoulders. However, he could not hope to revive the order as long as the Sith Lords controlled the Republic. Any effort of his in that direction would be futile, and rapidly swept away. He would have to eliminate Chancellor Palpatine…and Skywalker, if he had indeed, as Mace highly suspected, turned to the dark side. Where could he find them? Coruscant, without doubt…The man had spoken of a newly proclaimed Empire…yes, it would undoubtedly suit a Sith lord to have supreme power over the greatest force in the galaxy. They would be busy all right…you can't just swap government for several thousand star systems at once without proper organization. Would they be together? As Master and Apprentice, surely…Mace could only assume that if Skywalker had turned to the dark side, Palpatine would take him as apprentice. Could he defeat them both together? He didn't know…He had lost once, yet…it would be wise to avoid taking foolish risks. If he could catch one of his foes alone, he could surely vanquish. He would have to be patient…and alert.
His mind settled for the moment, Mace began walking in direction of the nearest spaceport. Time to get off this rock.
A lone figure stood by the windowed bay of a large office, surveying the busy traffic lanes of Coruscant. It admired the thousands of small ships weaving their way between the towering buildings in orderly lanes, and the occasional larger ship what would lumber away towards space, engines roaring. All this, all this commotion, all this life…belonged to it. To it alone.
"Lord Vader" The cloaked figure whispered.
"Yes Master?"
Another figure, darker yet, emerged from the shadows, its breath coming in eerie static rasps through its breathing mask.
"I sense a presence still in the Force. The flame of the Jedi is not dead."
There was a slight pause.
"I sense nothing Master."
"I question your motives, Lord Vader. How is it that our extermination procedures could have failed?"
"My hatred against the Jedi has never faltered Master, and if a Jedi survived the Purge, I will personally see that he is dealt with."
"I indeed hope so, Vader, for both our sakes. We cannot tolerate the Jedi to survive, in however a remote fashion. They must-be-destroyed."
"It shall be done my Master."
And with that the masked figure walked from the room, its black cloak billowing in its wake.