I am so sorry! I couldn't update sooner because this week of school has been total madness, with the end of term coming up and all. It seems that all of the teachers are out for blood now! With all of the chaos blooming around me, I was able to write only in short intervals, at night.

Horrific math classes aside, the silver lining of this dark cloud is that the summer vacation is only a few short days away! Then I will be able to post at my heart's pleasure!

Before I forget, thank you for the wonderful reviews! They make me very compelled to make sure that everything in this story is top notch and that no one is disappointed!

The ninth chapter is finally here! The countdown begins, as Obi-Wan frantically tries to reach his former Padawan before it is too late . . .

Chapter IX – Chase toward the Fading Sun

The Sun kept setting, setting still
No hue of Afternoon
Upon the Village I perceived
From house to house 'twas Noon.

The Dusk kept dropping, dropping still
No Dew upon the grass
But only on my Forehead stopped
And wandered in my Face.

How well I knew the Light before
I could see it now
'Tis Dying, I am doing, but
I'm not Afraid to know.

Emily Dickinson

As the sun dropped low, towards the zenith, two silhouettes could be distinguished, chasing one another through the bloody veil, in a dance of skill and luck. Two ships, whose pilots were battling one another with all of their might.

Obi-Wan turned sharply to the right, clipping Grievous' aft wing with his own, hoping to send the droid General into a spin. No such thing happened, as Grievous, anticipating Obi-Wan's move, dropped low and under the Jedi's starfighter.

"He likes to play hard to get" ObiWan noted, dryly. "But two can play at this game, right R4?"

The astromech chirped loudly and Obi-Wan looked at the console for the translation.

"Don't worry; we won't do anything very risky. Unlike some pilots, I enjoy keeping all of my limbs intact!"

Chuckling at the reference to his former student's reckless flying, Obi-Wan opened the thrusters wider, using the momentum to propel him from atop Grievous, who was aiming his torpedoes, in an attempt to blast his enemy from the sky.

"Oh, no you don't!" Obi-Wan grumbled, swerving and dodging, making it practically impossible for the other to get a lock.

"Stand still, blasted Jedi!" Grievous roared, slamming his controls in frustration. "I'll get you yet!"

Thumbing several switches, he started to fire erratically ahead, hoping that one of the laser beams would hit his quarry.

"Now I'll definitely quit flying for good!" Obi-Wan grumbled, as he dove for the surface, to avoid being blasted to a million pieces.

One shot, however, managed to hit his left engine. An alarm began to sound in the cockpit, as numerous systems went critical.

"Blast!" he swore, gripping the controls tighter. The fighter began to rapidly lose altitude and Obi-Wan fought to keep it from going into a potentially fatal spin.

"Arfour, do something about that engine!" he ordered, dodging between two stone pillars, with Grievous still in pursuit.

"Bloo dwoo" the droid whined, on a high pitch.

"That's just great!" Obi-Wan sighed. "I can't keep this up much longer!"

Grievous continued to give chase and grinned predatorily when he saw Obi-Wan's predicament.

"You are going down, Jedi!"

Finally managing to get a lock from the targeting computer, he launched a proton torpedo straight at Obi-Wan's craft.

As a second alarm began to blare, warning him of the danger, Obi-Wan looked behind him.

"Not this again!"

Turning to left and cutting the engines, Obi-Wan allowed the missile to pass by the craft. He didn't get to feel relief, however, as the torpedo turned around, homing in on its target again.

"The Force help me" Obi-Wan whispered, as he drew on the current of life energy, letting it guide his hands, as he engaged in a series of dizzying turns and twists.

"Woooo!" chirped Arfour, alarmed at the death-defying moves that were almost negating the laws of physics.

Obi-Wan ignored the frightened astromech and focused in front of him. Just ahead, he could see the entrance into a rocky canyon. If he could play his cards right, maybe he would make it out of this ordeal alive.

Taking a deep breath, the Jedi Master weaved the currents of the Force around him and his ship. Pushing the controls to their limits, he entered in a corkscrew spin, shooting through the canyons entrance. The torpedo tried to follow him, but its servodirectors were confused by the wild move and it hit the canyon face, shattering it with a powerful boom.

Pulling on the controls, Obi-Wan struggled to pull out of the spin, but none of the systems responded to his commands. He watched as the ground approached with a nauseating speed.

"Not good!" he yelled, calling upon the Force once more, with the remaining vestiges of his waning strength. The craft hit a stone wall with a deep thud, but it managed to level up, forced by the Master's will.

From his craft, Grievous watched the entire scene, gritting his teeth.

"Jedi slime!" he growled. "You will not survive the next one!"

But when he pushed the fire button, to his chagrin, he discovered that he had no more torpedoes left.

In his starfighter, Obi-Wan watched as Arfour make the necessary repairs to the engine.

"Very good, Arfour! Now, let's get moving!"

Pulling on the steering yoke, he directed his fighter in a tight loop, going over Grievous and landing near his tail.

"Now it's your turn!"

Aiming, Obi-Wan opened fire upon the General's craft, who struggled to dodge.

Making an unexpected move, Grievous angled the nose of his ship straight up, streaking toward space.

"What is he doing?" Obi-Wan asked, as he quickly followed.

Arfour beeped and Obi-Wan turned his eyes at the computer to read the translation:

"He will try to jump into hyperspace. No! We can't lose him!"

Pushing hard on the throttle, Obi-Wan accelerated. He was roughly pushed in his seat by the tremendous forces of gravity. The altimeter began to climb sharply, as the navicomputer displayed the increasing G forces.

Obi-Wan felt all of his blood rush into his legs, as the display reached 6 G's. His vision started to blur, the blackness encroaching faster and faster.

"Bloo woo!" Arfour screeched. With his head ringing, Obi-Wan squinted his eyes to see the words on the console: "Slow down! The human body cannot cope with forces above 7 G's! You will pass out! Slow down!"

Groaning, Obi-Wan fought against the pressure and raised one of his hands, reaching for the controls. But, as his fingers managed to clutch onto a switch and he was going to decelerate, his already fading sight blurred even more, as if he were looking at the world through an opaque piece of glass. He saw only one thing clearly: Anakin's face contorted by rage, his hair an unruly mess and his eyes the same deathly yellow.

You underestimate my power!

His raging, hollow voice echoed in Obi-Wan's ears for a few seconds and then the image disappeared in thin air, as though it had never been.

Obi-Wan stood frozen, his fingers glued to the switch.

If you slow down now, a small voice inside of him spoke, you will lose Grievous. You will have to continue pursuing him through the Galaxy. You will not be able to return to Coruscant at the moment of Choice. And the Future will be lost.

Making a very fast decision, Obi-Wan's hand let go of the switch. Instead, he opened a panel, taking out an oxygen mask.

"Arfour" he said in a strangled whisper, "open engines at maximum power."

The astromech proceeded to object adamantly.

"It will be all right" Obi-Wan said, clamping the mask over his features. "Jedi can endure much more than your average pilot. Don't worry about me!"

With a small bleep of acceptance, Arfour fed all of the craft's power to the engines. With a thundering roar, it shot upwards, at an incredible speed.

Obi-Wan held both is hands over the oxygen mask, drawing deep breaths, to keep him from passing out from the increasing pressure.

Grievous, hearing the noise behind him, looked back, only to see a red and white comet headed straight for him!

"That Jedi is insane!" he yelled, alarmed. Pushing a few buttons, he increased the speed as well, to avoid a near collision with the other's starfighter.

The two craft continued their wild ascent. Around them, the light blue of the sky turned darker and darker, until it had turned pitch black.

Obi-Wan felt the restraints rub against his arms as he began to slowly float out of his chair. They were in space. The feeling of weightlessness, however, lasted only a few seconds, as the ship's gravity generator kicked in, sending Obi-Wan crashing back in the chair.

"I wish it would stop doing that!" he grumbled, ripping the oxygen mask off his face and tossing it on the floor.

Arfour chirped once more, to get his attention.

"Yes, Arfour, I do have a plan, I'm not flying blindly here. Hold on!"

Turning his craft to the right, he forced Grievous to make the same maneuver, to keep from being rammed in the side.

Obi-Wan continued the pursuit, but his eyes scanned the space ahead intensely.

"There!" he exclaimed, when, at last, he sighted the Battlecruisers of the Sixth Army.

Opening the comm. channel, Obi-Wan asked:

"Lieutenant Delos, are you there?"

"Yes, General Kenobi. What is it?"

"I'm tracking an enemy craft very near your location. After I get in into position, I want you to pull it in with the tractor beam. It must not escape!"

"Yes, General!"

Closing the connection, Obi-Wan turned sharply once more, adjusting his course toward the Fleet.

From within the cockpit of his fighter, Grievous sighted the cruisers and immediately understood Obi-Wan's plan.

"Think again, General!" he cackled, flipping a few switches in quick succession.

Obi-Wan's entire body tensed, when he saw the familiar bluish tint surrounding his enemy's ship. He was preparing to jump.

"You won't be able to jump without engines!" Taking careful aim, Obi-Wan waited until the crosshair turned green and fired off a quick burst of laserfire. It hit both of Grievous' engines, setting them ablaze.

The droid General roared in anger, hitting the console with his fist and shattering it.

"Lieutenant, get a lock on his ship and pull him in."

"Understood, General!"

Obi-Wan watched as a blue beam shot forth from The Invictus, dragging the battered vessel into the hangar bay.

"It's done, Arfour" he sighed, setting course for the hangar bay.

The two ships landed neatly on the polished floor. Obi-Wan opened his glass canopy and climbed out. Near him, a contingent of clone troopers had surrounded Grievous' fighter.

"Sir, what shall we do with him?" Lieutenant Delos asked, pointing toward the enemy craft.

"Get him out of there."

The troopers, however, could not obey the Jedi Master's command, as Grievous opened him own canopy and jumped down, igniting four luminescent sabers and cutting down several soldiers.

"This fight is between me and you, Kenobi!" he snarled, holding the blades in offensive position.

"Everyone, back away" Obi-Wan ordered the troops. "If he wants a duel, then a duel he will get!"

The soldiers obeyed their General's command and stepped to the side.

"Very honorable of you, Kenobi" Grievous chuckled. "Attack!"

"Your move" Obi-Wan said, politely.

"You fool!" Grievous cackled. "I have been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku!"

Then Grievous started advancing, with two blades extended outwards and spinning the other two like mill wheels.

Definitely not good! Thought Obi-Wan, as he retreated slowly from the droid menace.

x x x

The Sun was setting slowly over Coruscant. It was an unusually spectacular sight, as everything was bathed in a breathtaking spectrum of crimson shades. Not all of the planet's denizens were enjoying its beauty. Some had far more darker thoughts lingering in their minds and turning the surreal image into a symbol of Death.

The empty halls of the Jedi Temple echoed with the heavy footfalls of one particular member of the Order. Anakin Skywalker walked slowly, without a particular aim. His posture was very different from that which everyone had become accustomed to: his shoulders were no longer squared, but slumped, his head was held low as his eyes trailed along the floor instead of paying attention in front of him. Everything in the way he carrier himself told any possible onlookers that something grave had happened.

And they would be right, Anakin thought grimly.

The revelation in Palpatine's office still lingered in his mind; the Chancellor's words still poisoned his ears, no matter how much he struggled to bury and forget them.

"My Mentor taught me everything about the nature of the Force, even the Darkside."

"You know the Darkside?"

"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the narrow, dogmatic view of the Jedi. If you truly wish to become a complete and powerful leader, you must embrace a wider view of the Force."

That had been only the first shock. After a few moments, he realized that Palpatine had been the Sith Lord who had plagued the Republic for the past thirteen years. His words, however, had managed to shake him to his very core:

"Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Only then will you be able to save your wife from certain death."

That had been the clincher, the drop that filled the glass. He had snapped, igniting his saber. But he couldn't strike Palpatine down. He couldn't. The anger and hate which he had felt burning inside his soul in those moments had been almost blissful. But they were against everything that he had been taught for half of his life.

Why am I so weak? He raged inside of himself. Why do I have to lose everything that I hold dear because of my incompetence?

Words that he had said three years ago, in a night of horror still haunted him:

Someday, I will be the most powerful Jedi ever! I will learn even how to stop people from dying!

But he hadn't learned. Not even to this day did he know the secret of cheating Death. And the one man who knew . . . was at the mercy of those whom he didn't trust at all.

The Jedi.

I'm a Jedi! I know I'm better than this!

The words came flooding back. The words after which he had cried, only to be comforted by his angel.

But he wasn't. He was the Chosen One and yet he was no better than any common man in the Galaxy. The irony of it all was that his Destiny was bringing Balance to the Force, when he couldn't even balance his own Soul!

The only time he truly felt content and happy, safe from the sinister demons that lurked in the depths of his being, was in the tender, loving embrace of his wife. She was his haven, his sanctuary, the link keeping him in the Light. If she should perish . . .

Anakin's whole body shuddered as he instantly killed the unwanted thought.

No! It will never happen! I will not allow it!

All of his pent up anger and frustration were slowly choking him. For too long the had dwelt inside of him, festering until it was impossible to remove the without destroying himself in the process. Now he didn't feel powerful or focused, as Palpatine had told him. He felt ravaged. Tormented, as his inner battle raged on.

With a howl of desperation, he focused on the blackness he saw more often lately. He felt a tendril of dark energy respond to his call. I was cold. Chilling, even, like the touch of the dead. Unnatural and twisted. But Anakin was past caring.

Gripping the tendril, he pulled it hard toward him. It swiftly responded, obeying its powerful Master. More and more black threads converged on his being. He felt their coldness. And their power. Raw, unbridled power. There were so many now, that he could feel them eclipsing his luminous soul, wrapping themselves around it.

Bending his will outwards, he sent a bolt of dark energy. It struck a very large decorative vase, shattering it with an ear-splitting boom, which echoed down the empty hallways.

Anakin was awakened from his frenzy by the noise. He looked and saw, to his horror, the destruction which he had caused. The entire vase had been blown into millions of tiny fragments, which were spread across the floor of the entire hall. What had he done? What was he becoming?

As quickly as it came, the darkness retreated in its shadowed corners, knowing that it would be called upon once more. Soon.

Drawing a sharp breath, Anakin shook his head violently, to get rid of the blackness that still seemed to linger in front of his eyes like a veil. He stepped carefully over the shards, but many cracked under his feet. What was happening to him? Why couldn't he muster even the smallest amount of self-control?

Slowly, he made his way toward the Council chambers. When he finally entered the round room, he collapsed in his chair, his legs caving beneath him.

All around, the room was lit by the reddish hue of the sunset. The rays rested on Anakin's face, but he couldn't feel their warmth. All he felt was cold and numb, as if something inside himself had been extinguished. In the depths, he could still feel the black flame burning, yearning, calling to him, a dark ambrosia to his soul.

Placing his head in his hands, Anakin closed his eyes tightly, wishing that the world would fade away, that the pain would die and that the dark would retreat from the Hell from whence it came. But no such hope materialized. And he continued to stand alone, plagued by emotions he should have never felt in the first place.

Is it wrong to love? Are the Jedi right in banishing emotions?

Scowling, Anakin crushed the thought. No. They were wrong. Love was pure. Love was Light. Love could not lead into Darkness, could it?

Sighing, the young Knight rose from his chair, his restlessness getting the better of him. As he looked out the large windows at the sunset, he could almost hear Palpatine's slow voice:

You know, don't you, that if they kill me, all hope of saving Padme will be lost.

And he was right. By the Force, he was right!

Anakin pounded his gloved fist on the transparisteel window, as the anger boiled once more to the surface. But the memory of the vase in the hall quickly subdued him, as he let his hand hang limply by his side.

I will lose that which is my very life. And I cannot do anything to stop it!

Falling back into the chair, he fought the bitter tears that were threatening to break the dam and burst out. He was given a choice. Between loyalty and love. A choice no man walking among the Living should have to make.

I will wait, for now, he thought, the two warring sides having reached a stalemate. But I will not let Destiny happen! Even if I must sell my own Soul in the process!

He stood motionless, as the Sun disappeared at the Western border of the sky, taking away its light and warmth. These would be the last rays of light for the Republic, in an ever darkening world.

x x x

Obi-Wan threw himself in the air, to evade Grievous' onslaught. With a triple flip, he landed behind the droid General and pushed his blade forward, only to be intercepted by one of Grievous' sabers, in a quick rear parry. Turning around, Grievous nearly knocked Obi-Wan's weapon out of his hand with a powerful attack.

Obi-Wan dropped low, dodging another attack which flew over the top of his head. With a roundhouse kick, he nailed Grievous in the chest, making him retreat several steps. Pressing his advantage, Obi-Wan lashed forward, severing one of his opponent's arms, saber and all.

Grievous snarled. Crossing his three sabers, he launched a lightning flurry of strikes, steadily pressing Obi-Wan backwards.

"You are an even bigger fool than I imagined, Kenobi!" laughed Grievous, when he saw Obi-Wan's back hit the wall. Now he had him cornered.

"I don't think so" answered Obi-Wan, smiling slightly.

This only enraged Grievous, who speared forwards with his sabers. Obi-Wan, however, was ready. Opening his senses to the Force, he felt the attack a split second before it came and turned sharply to the right. Grievous' three sabers sliced into the steel bulkhead with a sizzling sound, the General being stunned by Kenobi's speed.

Obi-Wan twirled his blade, severing another arm, before Grievous could pull it out of the hole.

Howling, the droid slashed down, hoping to part his foe's head from his shoulders, but Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber, deflecting the killing blow. Twisting his wrist, he caused Grievous to lose his balance slightly and swiftly severed his third limb.

The droid backed away. Although he didn't show it, he was terrified. He had only one more arm left and if he didn't figure something out quickly, Kenobi was going to dispose of him permanently!

Eying the hole which he had made in the hangar's wall, he figured out an escape route.

"I would love to stay and chat some more, but I must really take my leave!"

Cutting the hole much wider with his remaining saber, he threw himself into the dark bowels of the ship.

"You're not getting away that easily!" said Obi-Wan, entering after him. The hole led into a long and empty pipeline. Crawling on his hands and kness, Obi-Wan squinted to see in the nearly total darkness. He could hear shuffling sounds, which meant that Grievous wasn't too far ahead.

Judging by his intention to escape, the droid was probably searching for a way to the escape pods. Flicking his wrist comm. open, Obi-Wan called:

"Lieutenant Delos? I'm currently in pursuit of General Grievous through the ships' pipelines."

"We have you on our screens, sir. Grievous is just a few dozen meters ahead."

"Where does this shaft lead, Lieutenant?"

"It ends at the main energy generator, at the far end of the ship."

"Good. Keep monitoring our positions and inform me if anything unusual occurs."

"Yes, General!"

Closing the link, Obi-Wan continued to crawl ahead. Soon, the pipeline ended, in a large room, full of cables and electrical equipment. Exiting the confined space, the Jedi Master gazed around the room, trying to locate Grievous, who was nowhere in sight.

His senses flashed a warning and Obi-Wan deftly raised his saber, parrying Grievous' attack.

"You are a worthy adversary Kenobi!" the droid General panted, keeping his blade in lock with Obi-Wan's. "But even you cannot stop that which you cannot see!"

Kicking Obi-Wan hard in the chest, Grievous ended the lock. With three wide steps, he reached the main power generator and before the Jedi could do anything to stop him, he plunged his weapon in the machine. A massive short-circuit ensued, sparkling bolts of electricity zipping through the wires around the room. The lights blinked twice then went out completely, as the power ended. The cruiser Invictus floated dead in space.

Obi-Wan picked himself from the floor and struggled to pinpoint his crafty enemy's presence through the dark. Grievous, however, had vanished.

"Blast!" grumbled the General. Delving in the Force's soothing current, he extended his senses in the room, searching for Grievous' tell-tale signature. But he could not find it.

Detaching himself from his basic senses, Obi-Wan allowed the current of life energy to permeate his body completely. Ignoring the physical limitations of his mortal body, he allowed his mind to travel across distance. He could feel the entire cruiser around him, with thousands of panicked people running around, searching for a way to restore power to the ship. He traveled even farther, towards the surface of Utapau. There, the sun had set and the battle between the two sides had ended. Casualties on both sides had been very high, as he could feel the pain of the wounded and the brief but immense relief of those who became one with the Force.

And then something happened. Somewhere in the Galaxy, a terrible twist of Fate occurred. For just a few seconds, Obi-Wan could feel the brief glimmer of Darkness. Pure, Darkness, unlike anything that he had ever known before. It ended as quickly as it had begun, but he knew it had been there, for it had left a mark in the fabric of the Force, like a blotch of ink on a previously immaculate canvas. It had been strong. And deep.

Anakin!

Somehow, from the depths of his being, he knew that it had been his young friend that he had sensed. Their old training bond was still in place, albeit weakened by the conflicts that had torn them so much apart.

It had been him! It was all the more urgent now that he return to Coruscant as fast as possible!

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan controlled his stampeding heart as much as he possibly could. Fear was not an emotion which he could afford to feel now! It would not help anything if he abandoned his duties on a hunch!

But it was more than just a hunch. All of his instincts were screaming at him full-force to get this over it and return to his former pupil's side, who needed him now more than ever!

Still, there was the matter of finding Grievous, which was no easy feat. Somehow, the droid General had managed to conceal himself so well, that not even Obi-Wan's highly trained senses could pinpoint his location.

Focus on the here and now! Everything else is irrelevant!

Qui-Gon's wise words came to him, but they were of little help. In moments like these, he ferverently wished that his Master had not died that fateful day all those years ago. How he needed his guidance now!

Feel, don't think! The Living Force shall guide you!

And then, the answer came to him. He had gone the wrong way about this! He had searched for a ripple, a mark in the Force, any small sign of life. But if one was completely cloaked from the Force itself, one would not let even the smallest sign of existence show. He had searched for a presence, when he should have been searching for a non-presence!

Listening intently to the flow of the Living Force, Obi-Wan allowed it to bathe him in a warm, shimmering sea of azure. Reaching outwards once more, he sought out something very specific. And he found it! It was a rupture, a dead spot in the Force, not unlike a black hole, standing sharply in contrast with everything around it.

Smiling, Obi-Wan ignited his cerulean blade. With the Living Force as his ally, the Jedi Master lunged forward, bringing his lightsaber down in a wide arc.

From his hiding place, Grievous was grinning smugly. The foolish Jedi! He had been taught by none other than Darth Sidious how to completely shield himself from the Force. No ne could find him now! All he had to do was stand and wait for Kenobi to lower his guard and then it would all be over with one quick strike!

But something happened. Kenobi's serious face was lit by a smile. The he proceeded to activate his weapon and jump straight for the droid's location!

Grievous' eyes bulged in terror. He didn't even have the time to wrap his metal fingers on the hilt of his weapon, as Obi-Wan's blade pierced his plated ribcage, going straight for the heart.

Opening his mouth, Grievous could only utter several intelligible sounds. "How?" he managed to finally choke out, with his dying strength.

"I had a good mentor" Obi-Wan answered, pulling his lightsaber out. With a harrowing last cough, Grievous collapsed on his back, his eyes closing as his soul left his battered body.

"Rest, warrior" Obi-Wan whispered, placing his fingertips on his dead enemy's forehead, both acknowledging him as a worthy adversary and respecting his passing. Obi-Wan pitied him He had once been a proud and noble being, of that he was certain. Only cruel Fortuna knew what had led him down this dark path and mangled his body to such an extent, that he was more machine than living creature.

Sighing, Obi-Wan raised himself. He had more urgent matters to attend to than to weep for another's mistakes. Just then, the lights went back on, as the auxiliary power generator was started.

"Lieutenant Delos, how is everyone on the bridge?"

"A little bit shaken, sir, but the situation is under control. You gave us quite the scare. What happened to Grievous?"

"He is dead, Lieutenant. Send a patrol down here to pick up his body. We will be transporting him to Coruscant, were he can be given a decent burial."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?"

"What are the reports of the ground assault?"

"Ground assault has been a success, General. Commander Cody and his remaining troops are returning to the Fleet as we speak."

"Good. Prepare the med centers to receive the wounded and tell Commander Cody to meet me in the main hangar bay."

"Aye, General!"

x x x

Cody climbed out of the overcrowded shuttle, surveying as the medical teams carried the wounded on hoverstretchers to the med center. There had been many casualties in this battle, but Cody was proud to have lead his men once more. For if the rumor that General Grievous was dead turned up to be true, it meant that the Cone Wars were finally over, after three grueling years!

The Commander's trained eyes were the first to pick up the disheveled, tired Jedi crossing the hangar in long strides. Without saying a word, the two men embraced each other, rejoicing that they had both survived the ordeal.

"So is it true, Boss? Have you really finished Grievous once and for all?"

"I have" Obi-Wan answered, a bitter note slipping in his voice.

"What's the matter?" Cody asked, pulling off his blood-stained helmet. He knew his friend well enough to realize that something serious was bothering him. "The war is finally over and you look as if your Grandmother had just died!"

"Something urgent has come up" Obi-Wan said, ignoring Cody's attempt to make him laugh. "We need to return to Coruscant as fast as possible."

"I'm afraid that will not be possible, General" interfered Lieutenant Delos, a tall, gangly man. "We have too many troops still on the surface. It will take another six hours before the whole task force will be accounted for."

"All in all, what is our ETA?"

"Thirty hours at the most, twenty at the least, General."

"That is too long." Obi-Wan shook his head, frustrated. "I will have to leave ahead, then. Lieutenant, I am appointing you Supreme Commander of the Sixth Army of the Republic as of now. Commander Cody will be your right hand. The welfare of this Fleet and its safe return to Coruscant now depend on you!"

The two men looked at each other for a second. They were intrigued by Obi-Wan's sudden rush. Seeing the glint in the man's sea blue eyes, however, made them realize that the subject was not open for discussion.

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"

Smiling slightly, Obi-Wan patted Cody's shoulder.

"I have complete faith in you, my friend" he said, on a much warmer tone. "I couldn't have left the Sixth in more capable hands!"

Grinning as well, Cody pulled Obi-Wan in a bear hug, tossing away all formality and rank difference.

"I trust you as well, Obi-Wan. May you succeed in all that you have set out to accomplish!"

Sharing one last small smile, the two men parted ways. Obi-Wan climbed in his starfighter. Starting the engines, the gently guided the craft out of the hangar. Looking back, he saw Cody wave. He returned the gesture.

"Well, Arfour" he sighed, focusing on the controls once again "the battle with Destiny begins."

The astromech bleeped, saying that it had no idea what its pilot had in mind. Obi-Wan chuckled lightly, as he flipped a few switches in quick sequence. The stars started to blur and streak into lines, as Obi-Wan's fighter plunged in hyperspace, beginning its fateful race toward Coruscant.

In The Invictus' hangar bay, Cody watched the red and silver craft disappear in a flash of light.

"Good luck, Obi-Wan. And may the Force be with you!"