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Chapter 63
From the Ashes
Obi-Wan cursed the long Utapaun day. He'd arrived on the planet in the morning and now it was late afternoon. But it felt to him like it had been a full Standard day and night already.
After his unexpected fall, he'd hidden and tried to figure out just what was going on. His little re-breather device helped enormously as it allowed him to stay underwater ten times longer than normal. However that still wasn't forever, so he'd swum into some caverns at the water level and hid out in the shadows.
Small hovering search droids, Republic equipment, not Separatist, combed the depths. Still unsure of why he'd been blown off the side of the cliff, he stayed out of sight of the things, even sometimes mind-tricking huge aquatic monsters into attacking the things if they came too close. And when he touched on the Force to perform the tricks, he sensed something…wrong.
The Force still felt chaotic, but now there was a rawness to it. The veil of the Dark Side had spread, making things hazy. The Light seemed to have weakened. And he didn't have a clue as to why.
Deeply concerned, Obi-Wan slowly and cautiously began to climb his way back up from the depths of the sinkhole. At times he came dangerously close to being spotted, but the Force was still with him and he evaded any clone attention. As soon as he climbed high enough to make it into the honeycomb of tunnels and caverns that connected to the city that hugged the insides of the sinkhole, he slunk into them, skulking around in the shadows to get where he wanted to go.
When he reached the main level of the city, he stealthily crept closer to a group of clone troopers. One of them was Cody. They all had their armor on so they looked completely identical, but through the Force, Obi-Wan could sense the slightest difference in signature that he recognized as belonging to his old commander.
"Did you find Kenobi?" Cody asked.
"Sir, no one could've survived that fall." Another trooper replied.
Cody seemed to accept this answer readily. "Start loading your men on the ships!" Cody barked. "Move it!"
If there had ever been in doubt in his mind that his troops had turned on him, it was now erased from Obi-Wan's mind. Cody hadn't called him General Kenobi, he'd just called him Kenobi. He no longer was considered a superior, he was an enemy.
Well this is just wonderful! Obi-Wan sighed as he slipped away. Now what do I do?
With the clones against him he had to be very careful not to be seen. There was no way he could call Geenine back with his starfighter so that he could fly away and find help. And the Utapauns couldn't help him, the clones wouldn't let them. So what could he do?
Hmm…oh wait a minute! He perked up a bit as he remembered something. Stealthily, he darted down a tunnel to retrace the path of his chase of General Grievous…
Obi-Wan carefully crept out of the shadows of the tunnel and onto the small landing pad in the small sinkhole where he'd fought and killed Grievous. The charred corpse had been removed, but the starfighter he'd been bashed into was still there. Looking around to see if he was being watched, he quickly hopped up and inside the vehicle.
It was a boxy, rectangular design, very different from what he was used to. There was no Astromech to assist him so he would have to fly all by himself. With a sigh, he started the ship up and took off, rising through the sinkhole to then rocket out of the atmosphere.
Fortunately for him, none of the Republic ships had lifted off yet so no one spied him leaving. Aiming for the edge of the system, he slowly accelerated, hoping to avoid notice while he thought about where he was supposed to go now. He found the controls for the comm and began to call for someone, anyone who could help him.
"Emergency code 9-13, I have no contact on any frequency." Obi-Wan frowned as he flipped a few switches.
A holo-projector crackled to life in the middle of his steering yoke and a fuzzy image began to take shape. "M-st-r Ke--bi."
"Repeat." Obi-Wan requested.
"Master Kenobi." The hologram repeated, clearing up a bit.
"Senator Organa," Obi-Wan blinked in recognition. "My clone troops turned on me, I need help."
"We have just rescued Master Yoda. It appears that this has happened everywhere." Bail in formed him. "We are sending you our coordinates."
Obi-Wan nodded and locked the transmitted coordinates into his NavComputer and set off to meet with the Senator of Alderaan.
Anakin stared blankly out of his cockpit canopy at the swirling blue mists of hyperspace. After making a micro-jump that took him just a few light-years outside of the Coruscant System, he'd set a course for Dantooine, just to go someplace away. The purple world wasn't an official member of the Republic and no battles had been fought there so there was no reason for any Star Destroyers to be in the area. It was as good of a place to go as any.
Safely in hyperspace, he had nothing to immediately worry about. It would be hours before he arrived at his destination. And no one knew where he was or where he was going.
Now he was really starting to feel how tired he was. Everything was sore, his head throbbed, and his eyes ached. He had no idea how he was still conscious after everything, but he was.
Obi-Wan was okay too. Or, at least he wasn't dead. The bond remained intact. But the distance was so great that he couldn't tell much else.
Padmé was probably okay too. He couldn't see Sidious cracking down on the Senators right after wiping out the Jedi. It would be a while before things were stable enough for Sidious to begin whittling down the Senate.
So long as she stays quiet and lays low, Sidious should ignore her. Anakin sighed and rubbed at his eyes with his left hand. Padmé's smart, she'll be okay…
He felt his chest constrict as he realized he'd probably never get to see her again. If he went to her, especially if he went to her on Coruscant, Sidious would know, and she would be in danger. It was safest for everyone if he stayed away.
And that meant that he'd never get the chance to meet his child. He would never know his son or his daughter. And he or she would never know him.
The baby will be just like me. A child with no father. …Force this isn't fair!
Obi-Wan was very glad that Bail Organa owned such a large ship. The Tantive IV was just large enough for it to have a small hanger bay where he had landed the borrowed Separatist fighter. And now he was walking from there to the bridge with the Senator and Master Yoda.
"How many other Jedi have managed to survive?" Obi-Wan asked worriedly.
"Heard from no one we have." Yoda sighed as he somehow managed to keep up with them in spite of his tiny aged legs.
"I saw thousands of troops attack the Jedi Temple. That's why I went looking for Yoda." Bail explained.
"Have we had any contact from the Temple?" Obi-Wan inquired.
"Received a coded retreat message we have." Yoda replied.
"It requests all Jedi return to the Temple." Bail added. "It says the war is over."
"Well, then we must go back." Obi-Wan decided. "If there are any stragglers, they will fall into the trap and be killed."
"Hmm, suggest dismantling the coded signal, do you?" Yoda mused thoughtfully.
"Yes Master." Obi-Wan nodded. "There is too much at stake."
"I agree." Yoda replied. "And a little more knowledge might light our way."
"Do we know anything about what happened?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"Know only what the young one could tell us, we do." Yoda sighed.
"The young one?" Obi-Wan frowned.
"A young Jedi Padawan I managed to pick up on my short visit to the Temple." Bail elaborated. "He's been shot to pieces, but he's still alive. My doctor is still working on him."
"He was shot?" Obi-Wan inhaled sharply. "How young is he?"
"Ten, I think." Bail shrugged. "The troopers were killing all the Jedi, they claimed that they were putting down a rebellion."
"A rebellion?" Obi-Wan sputtered. "What rebellion?"
"I don't know," Bail shook his head helplessly.
"Find out we shall," Yoda declared, "when Coruscant we reach…"
Sabé splashed water over her face in an attempt to refresh herself. It didn't help very much. The image of the Jedi Temple burning still seemed to be etched in the back of her eyes. In fact the Temple could still be burning, even though it was morning now. The last time she dared look out the window at it she could still see a hazy column of gray-black smoke hovering above the mighty building.
Biting her lip, she left the refresher for the kitchen. She started to brew up a pot of caf. After her sleepless night, she was going to need it.
Once Padmé had started to cry, she hadn't held out much longer. Padmé was always very strong, Sabé could probably count all the times she'd seen her cry on one hand. So when she did cry, it was a big deal.
They cried for hours together at the window. What was the galaxy coming to when the Jedi Temple caught fire and no one put it out? It hadn't helped that Captain Typho hadn't been able to find them any answers as to what was going on.
Somehow she'd managed to get Padmé to bed, but she didn't know if her friend ever fell asleep. Sabé hadn't; she'd stayed up all night, watching in mute horror as the smoke kept rising. Artoo had been her only company then. The little droid would moan occasionally, as if sadly reminiscing about his time among the Jedi.
Just as she switched on the caf pot, the apartment comm began to chime for attention. Wondering just who would be calling so early, Sabé rushed to answer it before it disturbed Padmé. Her Lady desperately needed her rest in her condition.
Sabé flipped on the comm, setting it to voice only. After last night, even as a tiny hologram, she probably looked awful. "Senator Amidala's residence, how may I assist you?"
"This is the Chancellor's office," a voice, probably a secretary, said. "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has called a special session of Congress and all Senators are to attend."
"I shall inform the Senator." Sabé promised.
"The Chancellor shall be expecting her." The Secretary replied and then hung up.
She sighed and returned to the kitchen to watch the caf brew. There was only a thin layer of dark liquid in the pot, and only a few dribbles dripping down every now and then. The machine gurgled as water was forced through the caf grounds to flavor it.
I suppose this special session is going to be about what happened at the Temple last night, Sabé guessed while she waited for her drink to be ready. I can't imagine why they would let the Temple just burn. It doesn't make any sense…
Numbly she poured herself a steaming cup of caf as soon as it was ready and wandered over to Padmé's room. Padmé looked like she was asleep, though it was entirely possible that she wasn't. Sabé sipped quietly at her drink and considered how best to tell her the news.
"Who was on the comm Sabé?" Padmé asked hoarsely.
So she is awake. "It was a message from the Chancellor's office. Palpatine has called for a special session of Congress." Sabé replied.
"Oh," Padmé mumbled softly before stiffly sitting up. "Pick out a nice dark dress for me Sabé, I'm going to take a shower."
"Okay," Sabé agreed and set down her cup to dig through the closet.
It's always dark dresses these days. People probably think she just likes dark colors. They don't realize that she's in mourning for the death of peace. And now…perhaps she mourns the Jedi too…
Hours later, the Tantive IV dropped out of hyperspace over Coruscant. It was morning now on the side of the planet where the Senate met and where the Jedi Temple was located. So all of them felt like they'd been up all night.
"We're receiving a message from the Chancellor's office sir." Captain Antilles announced.
"Send it through." Bail ordered.
"Yes sir." The captain nodded and switched on the comm screen.
A flat color image of Mas Amedda, the Chagrian Vice-Chair of the Senate, appeared. "Senator Organa, the Supreme Chancellor requests your presence at a special session of Congress." The blue alien informed them.
"I will be there." Bail promised.
"He'll be expecting you." Mas Amedda replied and the screen went dark again.
"It could be a trap." Bail muttered after a moment, slumping back in his chair.
"I don't think so." Obi-Wan disagreed. "The Chancellor will not be able to control the thousands of star systems without keeping the Senate intact."
"If a special session of Congress there is, easier for us to enter the Jedi Temple it will be." Yoda pointed out.
"Captain, take us to the private landing pad first so that we may let the Jedi off first and then take us to the Senate rotunda." Bail commanded. "We don't want to be late."
When Bail slipped into the Senate building, he was late enough that he missed the opening formalities. Instead of heading to his own Senate pod, he went to the Naboo pod, which was closer to the entrance he'd used. Senator Amidala and Representative Binks were there already, listening as the noisy applause died down.
"And the Jedi rebellion has been foiled." Palpatine declared from the central podium to another round of applause.
"What's happened?" Bail asked as he slipped into the open seat.
"The Chancellor has just been elaborating on a plot by the Jedi to overthrow the Senate." Senator Amidala explained quietly.
Bail swallowed a disbelieving snort. He knew there was no plot by the Jedi. There seemed to have been a plot against the Jedi though.
In the central podium Bail could see the Supreme Chancellor. He was now covered in a dark red and black hooded robe and his features were concealed. Mas Amedda sat on one side of him, Sly Moore sat on the other.
"The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated!" Palpatine declared, his voice strangely raspy. "The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed. But I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger!" He announced, again to more applause. "In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire!" He decided. "For a safe and secure society!"
Bail was stunned at the standing ovation this speech created. He was appalled at the celebration that the death of the Republic had sparked. He could find no words to accurately describe what he was seeing. But Senator Amidala did.
"So this is how liberty dies." She sighed sadly. "With thunderous applause."
As Yoda had predicted, getting into the Temple was easier with the special session of Congress. Most of the troops were now guarding the Senate rotunda, leaving only a few squads to guard the Temple's front gates. And they were dispatched easily enough.
The horrors that they found inside the Temple were much harder to deal with. The remains of dead Jedi of all ages were strewn everywhere, left to rot wherever they'd fallen. There were no corpses of clones, their comrades had removed them. But the Jedi were left there to decay like vermin, they suffered the deaths of traitors.
The Temple walls were pocked with black scorch marks from both blasters and lightsabers. The air was foul with the bitter scent of death, burnt flesh, and smoke. And it was eerily silent in a way the Temple had never been before, not even in the dead of night.
Obi-Wan knelt down beside a cluster of slain younglings who had all appeared to have fallen while there were running away. They were full of blaster burns, far more than was necessary to kill them. He could only hope that they hadn't suffered long before they died.
"Not even the younglings survived," Obi-Wan sighed.
"If any survivors there are, stay here they could not." Yoda pointed out. "Continue our search of the Temple we must."
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan nodded, shaken.
They continued on, wandering through the Temple and surveying the damage. While they made their way to the communications room where the coded signal was coming from, they studied the dead, keeping their eyes peeled for anyone they knew. It was the single worst walk Obi-Wan had ever taken through the only place he'd ever felt at home.
Obi-Wan was deeply grateful that he didn't see anyone he knew particularly well among the dead. He didn't see any of the Council members who had stayed on Coruscant laying on the floor, nor did he see Anakin. But that didn't necessarily mean that they had survived.
When they reached the communications room in the heart of the Temple, Obi-Wan went to work altering the message. "I have recalibrated the code warning all surviving Jedi to stay away." He announced once he had finished.
"For the Clones to discover the recalibration, a long time it will take." Yoda muttered thoughtfully.
The tiny Master turned and started to hobble away. Obi-Wan followed but paused when he caught sight of the terminal that displayed the recordings of security holos. He had to look.
"Wait, Master." Obi-Wan swallowed. "There is something I must know."
"If into the security recordings you go, only pain you will find." Yoda warned.
"I must know the truth Master." Obi-Wan sighed. I know I won't like what I see, but I must know what happened.
Obi-Wan walked over to the projector and flipped it on, rewinding the recordings to late the previous night. Three-dimensional images, recorded of people in motion flickered before his eyes. At first things appeared to be normal, but then the carnage began.
Troopers marched through, shooting every Jedi they came across. There was no hesitation, no mercy, all Jedi were killed instantly on sight. This wasn't putting down a rebellion, this was genocide.
Unable to watch anymore, Obi-Wan turned the projector off and turned away.
"Destroy this Sith I must." Yoda declared gravely.
"I am not to go with you?" Obi-Wan frowned worriedly.
"To fight Lord Sidious, strong enough you are not." Yoda replied.
Obi-Wan started to protest, but closed his mouth and thought hard about it. He'd seen Yoda fight before; he knew how capable the ancient Master was. If he accompanied Yoda to fight the Sith Lord, Yoda would have his attention divided two ways, he would have to worry about fighting and worry about defending Obi-Wan. So he would only really get in the small Master's way.
"So what am I to do?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"Search the city you must, for others who may have escaped." Yoda instructed. "If return I do not, leave you must."
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan agreed reluctantly. "May the Force be with you, Master."
"And may the Force be with you." Yoda replied as he hobbled away.
Obi-Wan watched as Yoda limped from his sight before leaving himself on his own errand. If anyone can defeat the Sith Lord, Master Yoda can. But if he can't…
Padmé stared out her window at the still smoldering ruins of the Jedi Temple. While from a distance it looked fine, save for the smoke that still clung to it, she was now certain that the beautiful building was now destroyed, a charnel house of the Jedi Order. The Supreme Chancellor's – no, the Emperor's – speech had confirmed her worst fears.
The Jedi were all slain. The Republic had fallen, not from without, but from within. Now there was only the Empire, a dictatorship led by a monster. Democracy was dead, a shadow used to blind the public to the ugly reality. Light had gone out of the universe, there was only Darkness now. There was no hope…
A speeder pulled up to her back entrance, the stairs that led nowhere. The cockpit canopy slid back and a familiar man leapt out and climbed her stairs. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi had arrived.
"Obi-Wan!" She gasped.
"Good afternoon," Obi-Wan greeted. "I apologize for not calling in advance of my arrival."
"You're alive!" Padmé blurted out in joyful shock.
"Yes," Obi-Wan smiled weakly, "I am one of the fortunate ones."
"Oh, where are my manners," Padmé muttered, flustered. "Please, come sit down."
"Thank you," Obi-Wan murmured politely and took a seat on her couch.
"Can I get you anything?" Padmé asked. "Something to drink or–"
"No thank you, I'm fine." Obi-Wan assured her. "I probably won't be staying very long."
"Oh," Padmé said, carefully sitting down across from him.
"I must ask," Obi-Wan hesitantly began. "Have you had any contact with other Jedi recently?"
"No, not since yesterday morning." Padmé replied.
"So, you wouldn't know where he might've gone…" Obi-Wan mumbled to himself thoughtfully.
Though he didn't say who he was talking about, Padmé knew. "He's still alive?"
"Yes, I would have sensed his death, and he was not among those who fell in the Temple." Obi-Wan answered.
Relief swamped her, a wave of emotion so strong that it left her feeling lightheaded. Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes and bowed her head, her hands unconsciously found her swollen stomach. She was so overwhelmed by the knowledge that Anakin was alive, that all her thoughts and habits concerning her hidden pregnancy were swept away.
He's alive. Praise the Gods. Anakin is alive…somewhere.
"He did leave me a letter," Padmé said when she was no longer dizzy with her relief. "I think he left you one as well. I'll go get it."
Padmé didn't wait for him to reply. She got up from the couch to retrieve the datapad that she'd used the previous night. It still held the data chip that Artoo had brought her. She carried it back to her common room and presented it to the Jedi Master.
Obi-Wan accepted the small device and switched it on. Padmé returned to her seat and settled down to watch the Jedi's reactions. He raised an eyebrow as the two solitary files on the chip came up on the screen, and quickly selected the one labeled for him.
She watched as his eyes began to rapidly flicker over the text of the message Anakin had left for him. Then he stopped and stared at something for a full minute. And then it looked like he started over. Padmé felt oddly pleased that Obi-Wan was suffering a similar reaction to what he was reading as she had.
It took him a long time to finish reading. And then he let the 'pad rest in his lap while he thought over what he had learned. Only when he turned the datapad off and set it on the caf table did she attempt to question him.
"So, was it a letter?" She asked.
"Yes," Obi-Wan replied. "A most…interesting and informative letter."
"As was mine," Padmé nodded. "But I don't understand. In his letter, he claims that he trusts me, yet he hid everything from me under the flimsy excuse that he didn't want to bother me with his problems or burden me with his secrets." Her voice turned slightly bitter. "I would've kept his secrets if he asked."
"I think I understand." Obi-Wan said quietly. "He was so frightened and untrusting when I first met him that he would not tell me anything about himself. And there were even times when I would accidentally trigger something that upset him so badly that he would attack me. But those days are long past now."
"He would attack you?" She sputtered in disbelief.
"Sometimes," he nodded, "though it was more of a violent knee-jerk reaction than a real attack. He would just push me away…enthusiastically…and into other, rather solid objects."
"Really?" Padmé mumbled. "I'd never picture him doing that to you. I wouldn't think him capable of it." He was always such a sweet little boy… But then there was that one time in Varykino when he pinned me to the wall…
"Well, you never saw him when I first did," Obi-Wan chuckled weakly. "He was something of a mess."
Padmé chewed at her lip. "I'll bet he was." Poor Ani… "He was such a sweet little boy."
Obi-Wan nodded silently as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "If only I could figure out where he's gone…"
"Wouldn't he head home?" Padmé frowned.
"No, I don't think he'd do that." Obi-Wan shook his head. "He's very adept at running, he wouldn't go directly to Tatooine. Doing so would risk leading Imperial forces there and could bring any friends and family he has contact with into danger."
"Oh," Padmé sighed. That makes sense.
"He might go there at some point," Obi-Wan conceded. "I can't imagine that he'd stay very long though."
Padmé reached up and closed her hand around the Japor pendant. "What do you think I should do?" She swallowed.
"Go back to Naboo as soon as you can," he replied. "Lay low, or better yet, find a way to disappear. I don't see the Emperor going after any Senators right now, but if you continue to defy him, he will find a way to silence you."
Padmé nodded stiffly. "That's what Anakin begged me to do yesterday." And I brushed off his concerns like they were nothing…
"Oh did he?" Obi-Wan hummed thoughtfully. He glanced over at the wall chrono. "Well, I should be going," he sighed and stood up.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"To search around the Temple and see if I can find any Jedi who were able to slip free and survive." He replied.
"But, that's dangerous, isn't it?" Padmé frowned. "If any clone troopers catch you–"
"They won't catch me," Obi-Wan insisted. "Now I must be going."
Padmé sighed in defeat. "Please be careful."
"I will," Obi-Wan promised as he made his way back to his hovering speeder. But he paused before he climbed into the cockpit and turned back. "Anakin is the father, isn't he?" He asked softly.
Padmé looked away uncomfortably. She couldn't lie to Obi-Wan, yet she wasn't sure that she wanted to tell the truth either. But her tense silence was all the answer he needed.
"I see," Obi-Wan sighed wearily as he climbed into the speeder.
Then the cockpit hissed shut and the Jedi Master pulled away. Padmé stared after him and sighed deeply. Closing her eyes, she rubbed at her stomach and did her best not to worry. Unfortunately, she'd never been very good at that.
I hope I didn't just get Anakin into even more trouble…
Anakin gave a start as a warning chimed echoed through his cockpit. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he wrestled with confusion and disorientation, fumbling around for some switch to stop the beeping. Then he realized it was the alarm that warned him when he was close to his destination while hurtling through the blue sameness of hyperspace.
Pulling back the hyperspace lever, the blue mists dissolved down into a sea of stars. Just ahead of him was the violet orb of Dantooine. There were no other ships in the system and no booster rings orbited the planet. He was alone here. For the moment anyway.
Yawning, Anakin gripped the control stick as the booster ring detached and dove down into the atmosphere. The view through the transparisteel of his cockpit slowly changed from black sprinkled with white, to purple. And then when he reached the same general area where the thrown together Jedi camp had been, he landed.
Somehow, he didn't know how exactly, he summoned the strength to tumble out of his cockpit and hit the purple grass. Then he crawled into the shadow cast by his Eta-2 and curled up into a ball. Before he allowed himself to pass out again, he managed to pull his thoughts together just long enough to do a few things.
"Petey, shut everything down for me." Anakin groaned. "And wake me up if anyone comes or anything bad happens."
The Astromech whistled his assent and then the soft whirring sounds of the fighter cooling off and shutting down drifted into his ears. Anakin sighed and shut his eyes. And then he drifted off…
…Sleep…
Obi-Wan scrubbed tiredly at his face as he hid in the shadows of some dreary alley, deep in the depths of Coruscant's infamous lower levels. He'd left his speeder many levels up in a public parking lot so that he could continue his search on foot. But despite that, he still had found no one, and now it was evening.
Drawing his hood further down to obscure his identity he slunk out of the alley and rejoined the thin flow of people that traversed the filthy depths. His tightly pulled cloak gave him perfect anonymity and some very subtle Force manipulation kept him from being noticed by any of the locals. It was unlikely that he'd run into any clone troopers here, they would be stretched far too thin if they tried to hunt Jedi all the way down here.
It was the perfect place for any surviving Jedi to hide. At least for now. Soon Palpatine's reach would extend here, and no Jedi would be safe. That was why he had to find them first.
With no specific destination in mind, Obi-Wan simply let his feet take him wherever they wanted to. Sometimes he would come to a place and stop, other times he would pause but just continue on. And the next little stop on his mysterious route seemed to be in a very seedy bar.
It was even darker inside than it was outside. The stale air was made even more foul by the bitter stench of unwashed bodies, spoiled food, and vomit. The thick haze of acrid smoke, the result of glittsticks, deathsticks, and cigs, didn't help any either. Shadowy figures of a variety of species huddled by the bar, crouched around tables, and slumped in booths. Some were obsessed with their drinks or drugs while others kept a paranoid eye out for any trouble that followed them.
Obi-Wan drifted to an unoccupied barstool in an especially dark corner and claimed it as his own. He ordered a shot of blue Corellian whiskey, Force knew he needed a little fiery jolt of alcohol to keep going right now, and he pretended to contemplate the colored liquid once it was handed to him by the Rodian behind the bar. What he was really doing was subtly scanning the bar and its patrons with the Force, searching for both friends and foes. This time he found a friend.
Tossing back his whiskey and leaving a credit chit underneath the overturned shot glass, he left his stool and headed for one of the booths in the back. He came to a booth that contained a single being, cloaked in a dark hooded robe. He sat down across from the other person and casually leaned forward so that he could speak without being eavesdropped upon.
"Hello Siri, come here often?" He asked curiously.
"Obi-Wan!" She flinched in surprise. "You're alive?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Surprised to see me?"
"Very," she admitted. "Obi-Wan, what's going on?"
"The Supreme Chancellor has declared himself an Emperor," he sighed wearily. "The Republic is no more."
"What happened to the Temple," she frowned. "Why was it attacked?"
"Palpatine was revealed to be a Sith Lord. He no longer required the assistance of the Jedi Order, so he ordered us exterminated." He explained. "He has justified his actions to the Senate by claiming that we were plotting to overthrow the Senate and take control of the Republic."
"And they believed all that poodoo?" She snorted derisively.
"Yes," he nodded sadly. "I saw a broadcast of Palpatine's speech when I passed by an electronics store. The entire Senate gave him a standing ovation when he was through."
"The spineless slime," she hissed bitterly. "After thousands of years of loyal service to them, they turn their backs on us on the word of a lying Sith bastard!"
"Palpatine has carefully cultivated the corruption in the Senate and consistently uses it to his own advantage." He shrugged. "And the few who stand in opposition of him don't dare speak up anymore. This is a dictatorship now. Any strong dissent could be labeled as treason."
Siri slumped in her seat for a few minutes, thinking things over. When she was done, she straightened up again. "So we're outlaws now?"
"Yes, we traitors who are to be shot on sight." Obi-Wan replied with a wry smile.
"And no allies left who would risk assisting us, I suppose?" She grumbled.
"I wouldn't say that," he corrected. "Senator Organa has already provided Master Yoda and I much needed assistance and Senator Amidala remains a strong supporter of ours. Though I know of no one else who would help us."
"Two is better than none, I suppose." She mused. "What are we to do now?"
"If Master Yoda fails in his bid to defeat the Emperor, we retreat and regroup beyond the Sith Lord's reach." He replied.
"You didn't go with Yoda?" She frowned.
"No, he wouldn't let me," he shook his head. "And I would only get in his way and distract him from what must done. I am here to seek out other survivors. Have you seen any others down here?"
"No," she sighed. "I haven't seen anyone."
"Were you injured?" He asked.
"Just a blaster graze to the side," she replied. "It's not serious, but it hurts a lot."
"Well then, let us go to Senator Organa and have his physician give you some treatment." Obi-Wan got up from the booth and discretely motioned for her to follow.
Siri followed him without a word. They left the foul smoky bar and slowly made their way upwards, back towards the speeder Obi-Wan had stashed. Obi-Wan was disappointed that he hadn't had any more success in finding other survivors. But at least he'd found Siri.
It was late evening as Master Yoda hobbled his way through the Senate building towards what had once been the Supreme Chancellor's office. The building was nearly deserted and it was very easy to make his way to where he needed to go. The only resistance he met was just after he stepped through the office door.
The Royal Guard, red robed offshoots of the old Senate Guard who dressed in blue, moved to point their force pikes at him. Yoda slammed the two of them back into the wall, leaving them unconscious and collapsed, with a wave of his hand. He straightened out his cloak and regarded the newly minted Emperor and Mas Amedda, who happened to be standing nearby.
"I hear a new Empire you have made for yourself Emperor." Yoda snorted. "Or, should I call you Darth Sidious?"
"Master Yoda," Darth Sidious croaked. "You survived."
"Surprised?" Yoda taunted.
"Your arrogance blinds you, Master Yoda." Sidious sneered. "Now you will experience the full power of the Dark Side."
The Sith then raised his gnarled hands, his fingers pointed towards the tiny Jedi Master, and fired the unnatural blue lightning that his Order was infamous for. Yoda was not entirely prepared for the blast, this lightning was far more powerful than Dooku's had been, and took the hit hard. He was blown off his feet and knocked into the far way. Stunned, he crumpled to the floor and laid still.
Darth Sidious cackled in triumph. It was a terrible sound, dry and pure evil. He advanced on the limp Jedi Master while Mas Amedda made a subtle retreat. The Chagrian was not eager to get caught between the two combatants.
"I have waited a long time for this moment," Sidious cackled, "my little green friend." He marched over to the Jedi, ignoring the twitch of Yoda's ear that signaled the little Master wasn't out cold. "At last the Jedi are no more!"
Yoda struggled back to his feet. "Not, if anything to say about it, I have!" He declared defiantly. "At an end your rule is. And not short enough it was."
Sidious snarled at the little troll, staring him down for a moment. Then abruptly the elderly Sith made an impressive flip for the doorway and escape. Yoda moved and blocked his way.
"If so powerful you are, why leave?" Yoda asked, lighting his tiny green lightsaber.
"You will not stop me!" Sidious declared, activating his own crimson-bladed weapon.
"Your faith in the Dark Side, misplaced it is." Yoda replied.
Darth Sidious hissed and slashed down at the diminutive Jedi. Yoda blocked the strike, and the many others that followed. The duel had begun…
It raged all over the office. They perched on the podium that rose up in the center of the Senate auditorium and hacked away at each other. And then a button got pushed that sent them slowly up into the cavernous auditorium.
The fight left the podium and moved to the Senate pods docked all around the walls of the chamber. Sidious hurled pod after pod at Yoda and the tiny Master was forced to repeatedly jump for his life. The rain of projectiles was so bad that he had to put his lightsaber away so that he could concentrate on jumping.
Tired of dodging the rain of Senate pods, Yoda caught one just a yard from his head. Gathering his focus, he began to spin the circular pod around, faster and faster. And then he hurled it back at Darth Sidious.
The Sith evaded the strike, but lost sight of the Jedi briefly. And then Yoda reappeared on the edge of Sidious' new Senate pod, his green saber drawn again. Sidious snarled and unleashed his lightning again.
The force of the blast knocked Yoda's lightsaber away, but the little Jedi was able to hold back the blast with his bare claws. Holding one bolt of energy in each hand, he slowly pressed it back at the Sith. Darth Sidious only poured on the power, pressing back. And then it was just too much to contain, and the lightning exploded.
Darth Sidious fell, but caught himself on the rail of a Senate pod. Yoda fell further, banging against the central podium before tumbling to the floor. As Yoda dragged himself back to his feet, he could hear Darth Sidious cackling as he struggled to pull himself back up into the Senate pod he hung from.
Tired and beaten, Yoda knew it was over. If he continued to fight, he would die, and for nothing. Gathering up his lightsaber, he scuttled away into a small maintenance grate that had been left open and made his escape…
Padmé sat in the back of her speeder while Captain Typho drove her to Bail Organa's apartment. She brought no Handmaidens with her, much to Sabé and Moteé's dismay, and Captain Typho would not go inside with her either. Her purpose for this trip was to meet with Bail and perhaps other Senators on secret delegation business, so none of her servants could accompany her.
She had just finished meeting with the lawyer and now she was set. Her will and all her other legal documents were in perfect order. If she had to leave Coruscant suddenly, she could do so without any trouble or worry.
It was getting late now, it was nearly dark. Her appointment with the lawyer had gone longer than she had anticipated. And that was mainly due to the letter Anakin had sent to her and the fall of the Jedi Temple. That changed a lot of things.
A fluttering sensation in he stomach drew her hand, and she indulged her son one last time before she had to put on her act, pretend she wasn't pregnant, that everything was as it had always been. Hush little boy, be still. Mammy has to do some work now.
All too soon, and yet not soon enough, Captain Typho pulled up to Bail's apartment building. She stepped out carefully and waved to Typho before walking inside. Then it was only a short lift ride to Bail's floor.
When Padmé reached Bail's door, his aide and advisor, Sheltay Retrac, let her in. She was shown to a common room, decorated in the simple yet elegant Alderaanian style. Several other Senators were already there, including Mon Mothma, Giddean Danu, Bana Breemu, and Fang Zar. Bail Organa himself was conspicuously absent.
"Senator Amidala," Mon greeted.
"Where is Senator Organa?" Padmé asked, carefully taking an open seat on the couch near them.
"He received a call, from who he would not say, and he had to leave." Bana replied. "He should be back when his business is completed."
"Oh," Padmé nodded. "Have I missed anything?"
"No, we have not come to an agreement on anything yet." Giddean answered.
"I don't see what there is to agree on," Fang sighed in despair. "Palpatine has seized power, it is over now."
"No it isn't," Padmé frowned. "It isn't over until we die or lose hope. Things have simply changed; the situation has become more difficult, more dangerous."
"It is the situation that Bail and I feared might arise," Mon sighed. "Diplomacy has failed; the only option remaining is to put all our efforts into our organization. The time for leaving things unsaid, is over."
"We must be cautious." Bana warned. "The new Emperor is a dangerous man. He has proved that with his bold move against the Jedi."
"But something must be done." Giddean frowned. "Caution is needed yes, but not to the point where no action is taken."
"Of course, it is a fine line we must walk now." Mon agreed. "But first, let us start at the beginning. What we need to do is…"
The maintenance tunnel that lay beyond the grate was small, even for a tiny being like Yoda. It was designed for use by small droids only and was filled with pipes and wires. Pressing on, the ancient Jedi crawled on his hands and knees, his long wobbly ears brushing against things as he went.
He'd called Bail Organa earlier on his comm-link, while he'd paused near the Chancellor's office to retrieve his fallen cane. Hopefully the Alderaanian Senator would be ready to pick him up once Yoda found a way out of the tunnel system. His miniature comm-link chimed, the signal that Bail was in his speeder and ready.
"Hurry!" Yoda panted into the comm-link. "Careful timing we will need."
"Activate your homing beacon when you're ready." Bail's slightly distorted voice replied.
Yoda put his comm-link back on his little belt and continued to crawl. For an eternity he wormed his way through the claustrophobic confines of the tunnel, sweltering in the heat and stale air. And then there was relief.
There was a junction, an open space where several tunnels met at an intersection. In the center, was a hatch that opened to the outside. Yoda wriggled free of the tunnel and flipped a switch on his comm-link, activating the homing beacon function.
He found the switch that opened the iris hatch and pressed it. The hatch opened, letting a blast of cool wind inside. And then Bail Organa in his bold red speeder pulled up underneath the opening, hovering in place.
The tiny Jedi dropped through the hole, landing easily in the passenger seat. He settled down, straightening his rumpled dusty cloak as Bail pulled away and rejoined the stream of traffic. Yoda tightly gripped his cane and hung his head.
"Into exile I must go." Master Yoda sighed despondently. "Failed I have."
The suns were high and bright overhead, making the sand glow golden-white. Everything was still, unnaturally so. There was always wind on Tatooine, not that it ever cooled anything down, but it was always blowing, blowing the dust and sand everywhere. And it didn't feel quite hot enough or dry enough to be Tatooine either. But it looked like Tatooine…
Anakin found himself sitting on a rock near a cliff, one side of Beggar's Canyon. He glanced down and noticed that not only was his right hand not mechanical, but it was smaller than it should be. He was smaller than he should be. And he was dressed in his old threadbare slave clothes.
But that was alright, because this was a dream.
"Hello Anakin," a man with a deep voice greeted.
Anakin turned his head and saw that he was not alone up here. "Hi Master Jinn, sir."
The dignified Jedi Master looked the same as Anakin had last seen him. Except he didn't look dusty. And that was weird, because everyone on Tatooine looked a little dusty after five minutes of walking around.
Then again, this was a dream.
"How are you doing?" Master Jinn asked kindly.
"Okay I guess." Anakin sighed. Even his voice sounded young again, like he was once more nine years old.
"You guess? Don't you know how you feel?" Master Jinn asked curiously.
Anakin just shrugged. He didn't want to talk about it. This was a nice dream. He didn't want to ruin it by talking about all the bad stuff that had happened…
"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to keep my promise to you." Master Jinn apologized, abruptly changing the subject.
"That's okay," Anakin replied. "You died. It's hard for a dead person to come and visit somebody."
"Yes it is," Master Jinn agreed with an amused chuckle. "Now tell me young one," the Jedi took a seat beside him on the rock, "what troubles you?"
"A lot of people died." Anakin mumbled after a moment. "And they shouldn't have. They didn't do anything wrong."
"I know," Master Jinn sighed. "I saw that. Do you blame yourself for that?"
"I tried to help them," Anakin swallowed, feeling like he wanted to cry. "I tried so hard! But it wasn't enough…so many peopled died!"
"There was nothing more you could've done, Ani." Master Jinn consolingly gripped his tiny shoulder. "Palpatine planned too long and too well to have been thwarted. You did your best, and that is all anyone can reasonably ask of you. You did very well."
"No I didn't," Anakin muttered glumly, tracing patterns in the dust with his finger.
"Yes you did," Master Jinn insisted softly. "There were two paths put before you that night, one Dark and one Light. You chose Light, and considering where you've been and have far you've come, you did very well. You far exceeded any expectations I harbored and you put me to shame."
Ghosts have expectations of living people? Man this dream is weird… "It's okay." Anakin shrugged uncomfortably, not sure what to say.
"You have done well, Anakin." Master Jinn insisted again. "And I am very proud of you."
"Thanks," Anakin blushed slightly at the unexpected praise.
"Now do not despair. As grim as things look, all is not lost. There are Jedi who still live, more survived because of the actions that you have taken." Master Jinn informed him. "It will not be easy, but you must be strong. There is still hope."
"Hope for what?" Anakin asked, craning his neck so he could look up at the tall Jedi, who still towered over him even though he was sitting down.
"Hope for the future, that the Darkness will be defeated and freedom restored to the galaxy." Master Jinn explained. "Hope that the Jedi Order will rise again, better than it was before."
"I don't know…" Anakin muttered doubtfully. "I don't think I'll live to see that."
"Oh I think you will," Master Jinn smiled. "And, if in some odd twist of fate that you don't, I know your children will."
Anakin blushed again at the mention of 'children.' "You really think so?" He asked skeptically.
"I do," Master Jinn nodded. "Now remember Ani, hope can be one of the strongest things in the universe. So long as you believe in it, it can give you the strength to pull through."
"Yes, sir." Anakin nodded, doing his best to commit this lesson to memory.
"Get ready now," Master Jinn smiled, "I think you're about to be woken up."
Anakin frowned "What–"
"Master?" A tentative shake.
"Hmm?" Anakin grunted, refusing to open his eyes. Lemme sleep some more damn it!
"Master?" A stronger shake, from several different hands.
"What?" Anakin mumbled sleepily, his eyes still closed.
"Master? Please wake up." A child's voice begged.
Anakin slowly opened his eyes to see purple grass and three vaguely familiar children's faces. He blinked sleepily up at the children, not sure who they were at first. And then it clicked in his head.
"Told you you'd see me again," Anakin mumbled. He stiffly sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "When did you get here?"
"A while ago," one said.
"And where are the others?" Anakin asked. He still felt stiff and sore, but now that he'd caught some sleep he felt much better than he had when he'd landed.
"Over there," the second one pointed towards a hill swathed in more purple grass. Anakin didn't see anything, but he sensed the others were on the far side of the hill, out of his line of sight.
"Master, where is the ceiling?" The third youngling asked worriedly.
Anakin stared at the child, a tiny blue-furred Squib child, in blank confusion. "What ceiling?"
"The ceiling," the little Squib pointed upwards. "Where is it? There has to be a ceiling."
Then he caught his mistake. Jedi children, especially ones this young, had never been outside of the Temple before. They'd always been kept indoors, seeing the outdoors only through windows and pictures. There had always been walls and ceilings in their lives. The wide open plains of Dantooine were beyond their experiences.
"We're outside," Anakin said slowly, "there is no ceiling here. There's only the sky up there."
"Oh," the Squib child flattened his pointed ears to his skull in alarm.
"It's alright," Anakin hastily assured the child, whose gender he couldn't immediately identify. He stood up and stretched out a bit to try and ease his stiff, sore body. "Let's go back to the others."
The three children obediently fell into step behind him as Anakin marched up and over the hill. Sure enough, at the low point between hills, he spied the others and their shuttle. The Theta-class shuttle's wings were folded upwards in the landing position. The rest of the children were huddled in the starship's shadow, looking around warily. He didn't see Darra or Ferus anywhere.
"Hi," Anakin grinned cheerfully as he started down the hill.
The remaining children, seven in all, making the total number ten, immediately looked up. Their little faces lit up in delight and they scrambled over to greet him. One of them was so excited that he went so far as to hug Anakin's leg.
Five of the children were Human, he noticed. The others were various other species. Besides the Squib, there was a Twi'lek, a Zabrak, a Whiphid, and a Togruta.
"Master, Master!" They cried.
Anakin felt rather overwhelmed at the attention.
"Hey, calm down a bit," Anakin gulped anxiously. "I said you'd see me again, didn't I?"
"Yes, Master," they all nodded, grinning in a mixture of happiness and relief.
"So where are Ferus and Darra?" Anakin asked.
"Knight Olin and Padawan Thel-Tannis are still on board the shuttle," one of the older children replied.
Oh, so that's Darra's last name… "Thanks," Anakin turned and started to head for the shuttle's ramp.
"Master," the boy who had first begged for help in the Council chamber piped up. "What's you name?"
Anakin blinked, surprised. Ferus and Darra didn't tell them? Or maybe the kiddies just didn't ask… "My name is Anakin Skywalker."
They had no more questions for him, thankfully, and Anakin was able to get aboard the shuttle. Ferus and Darra were in the pilot's compartment. And they were arguing.
"Are you insane?" Darra hissed, glaring at Ferus. "We can't go to the Outer Rim! Not with children! We need to find some place in the Core to take them."
"We can't take them to the Core," Ferus frowned. "It's not safe there, they'll be killed if they're found. The Outer Rim is–"
"The Outer Rim is full of pirates, Spice smugglers, and slavers," Darra interrupted. "That is no place for any child!"
"You can't afford to be that picky," Anakin interjected, startling them. "The Core is certain death and the Mid Rim is too risky. The Outer Rim is your only choice; most of it has never been part of the Republic. You," he pointed at Darra, "lose, two against one, we win."
"The Outer Rim is too dangerous!" Darra stubbornly insisted. "They'd die just as soon out there as they would if we'd stayed on Coruscant!"
Okay, now I'm annoyed. "Yes, there are some bad planets in the Outer Rim. I'm not saying you should go to someplace like Tatooine or Raxus Prime. You could stop there for a while, but I wouldn't suggest staying there." Anakin explained. "There are plenty of nice planets out there too. You just have to find them."
Darra glared at him, but made no reply. She looked tired and Anakin wondered if she'd managed to sleep at all. At least it looked like she'd been able to get her wounds bandaged.
"You won't be coming with us?" Ferus frowned.
"No," Anakin sighed. "I'll be lingering in the Mid Rim for a while, see if I can't help some others slip away."
"Why won't you stay?" Darra frowned, her sour expression shifting to something more sad.
"I just said why," Anakin replied. "Now here," he leaned over the NavComputer. "Let's see if I can help you find some good places to go…"
Obi-Wan sat in Bail Organa's meeting room aboard the Tantive IV with Bail, Master Yoda, and Siri. It was night now, and most of Bail's guests, fellow Senators who had come to plan their next moves, had gone home. They were still on Coruscant, but would lift off soon.
They all had just heard of Yoda's failure in stopping Sidious. Bail already knew as he had been the one to retrieve Yoda from the Senate building. Obi-Wan was disappointed, but too tired to be much else. Siri was angry, but she controlled it and cast it away.
"What will you do know?" Senator Organa asked.
"Until the time is right, disappear we will." Master Yoda decided. "No more good can we do now."
"Where will we go?" Siri asked, frowning slightly.
"It exile I will be going," Master Yoda explained. "The location, a secret it will be, known only to the Council."
"And what of the injured Padawan Senator Organa has rescued?" Siri inquired.
"The doctor says he is too injured to move far. I will bring him back to my palace where he can receive the medical attention he needs." Senator Organa answered. "Once he is recovered, we shall release him."
"Thank you, Senator Organa," Master Yoda nodded gratefully. "Much appreciated your assistance is."
"When will the Tantive IV be lifting off?" Obi-Wan asked.
"In just over an hour." Senator Organa replied.
"Adjourn this meeting we should." Master Yoda decided. "Speak later we shall." They all agreed and rose to leave. However Master Yoda wasn't quite done.
"Master Kenobi, wait a minute," Master Yoda asked politely. Obi-Wan sat back down in his chair and waited. After Senator Organa and Siri had left the meeting room, Master Yoda continued.
"What plans do you have?" The little green Jedi inquired.
"I was hoping to search for Anakin, see what has become of him." Obi-Wan replied. Seeing Master Yoda's curious gaze, he explained further. "That is what Vader told me his name was: Anakin Skywalker." He tilted his head questioningly. "Is there something else you have for me to do?"
"Yes, another task for you I have. But wait it can. Seek out young Skywalker you should, and help other Jedi that you find." Master Yoda ordered. "And when found your friend you have, and settled down you have, training I have for you."
Obi-Wan felt his eyebrows raise up near his hairline. "Training?"
"An old friend has learned the path to immortality." Master Yoda explained, looking almost sly. "One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force. Your old Master…"
"Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan breathed in surprise. Really?
"How to commune with him, I will teach you." Master Yoda promised.
Obi-Wan was stunned and overjoyed at the news. I can speak with Master Qui-Gon again? Maybe…maybe now I will learn what is was that he wanted me to do, what he wanted me to promise to do, in the reactor chamber under the palace on Naboo…
Padmé stood at the edge of Bail's private landing pad where the Tantive IV crouched, waiting to take off. Sabé and Captain Typho were here with her. They'd come to pick her up and return her to her apartment. But she had one more thing she wanted to do.
While she'd sat in Bail's apartment, listening to Mon Mothma and the others make plans, she'd been doing some personal planning of her own. With the Jedi Order ruined and the Republic destroyed, warped in the Empire, her galaxy had changed irrevocably. And that forced her to reevaluate her previous plans.
When the other Senators had dispersed for the night, Padmé remained and thought more. Even when Sabé and Typho came, she stayed lost in thought. Now she waited for a last minute meeting with Bail before he departed to help give the Jedi under his care the lifts they needed off Coruscant.
Finally he appeared and trotted over to her. "Senator Amidala, what can I do for you?" Bail asked curiously.
"I have been doing a lot of thinking, and I have come to some conclusions." Padmé began. "While I would like nothing more than to put all my energies at you and your allies disposal, I find I have some other things to attend to that require all my attention."
Her hands drifted down to her stomach, pointedly hinting at her condition. Bail noticed, but did not appear all that surprised. He'd probably suspected it for a while, yet he respected her privacy and did not ask her about it.
"I understand," Bail replied.
"I will help you when I can, but now I need your help." Padmé paused briefly to order her thoughts. "I know I have made the Emperor my enemy. Now that the Senate is truly dead, I no longer have any real influence. Staying and continuing to speak my opinions will only get me killed and cause my family suffering. So I find there is only one real option left to me, a radical solution to my problems."
"Padmé Amidala Naberrie, Senator of Naboo must die." She declared, her eyes locking firmly with Bail's. "And I need your help to do it."