Chapter V

Obi-Wan felt the cold of death as he stepped off the Jedi Transport and onto the planet Mayras. He felt the pain and death of all those who were on the planet when it was hit, and he felt the dark taint that now left an imprint, like footsteps in the sand of the sea.

Anakin and the padawans also felt it, the coldness and harshness of the planet, all the trees were withered, and dead. The soil was a grayish color, nothing like the lush greenery nor the rich brown soil remained. The four Jedi stood and could not help but tremble in the aura of the planet.

A figure appeared in the distance and the Jedi stretched out in the Force toward the figure, Obi-Wan felt the familiar presence. "Cody!" he shouted toward the Clone Commander, who was his former subordinate.

"Generals Kenobi, Skywalker," he replied as he reached them, a small squad of Clones behind him, "secure the Generals landing site," he ordered the troopers.

"You have been sent by the Republic?" inquired Cody.

"Yes," replied Anakin, "the Jedi Council has assigned us to investigate the Force's effect on the planet,"

Cody frowned, "what's there to see?" he asked, "everything is dead, the entire company took a week to bury the dead,"

Obi-Wan stretched his hand out, "remember Cody, the Force is very powerful,"

Cody nodded, "as you say General,"

"And we are no longer Generals Cody," replied Obi-Wan, "you can refer to us as Jedi,"

"As you say General,"

"Old habits die hard," muttered Anakin as Cody and the troopers began to escort them to the camp.

Obi-Wan sat meditating on the ground, it felt dead below him, and the eerie feeling that unnerved him still remained, the Force was telling him something, the feeling was telling him something, the people who were killed died a horrible, painful death, feeling their life energies being sucked from them.

The Jedi Master grew silent as Ian came to stand behind him, "master?"

Obi-Wan opened his eyes, "what is it Ian?"

"I was wondering if you had any lessons for me," he asked hopefully.

Obi-Wan thought for a moment and nodded, "do you know how to use the Force as a shield?"

"Like to deflect blaster bolts with your body like Master Skywalker?"

"No, it is like a physical barrier, an armor that can be used to shield you," replied the Jedi Master, "it won't do much good against a lightsaber, but it will protect you from Force related attacks, and small physical pressures,"

"Can you teach me this?"

"Yes, just stretch out with the Force as in a meditation trance, enter slowly…"he said, his voice becoming a whisper, "no fold yourself in the Force, let it become a blanket over your body, let it become part of you…but you must remain calm, and centered,"

"Alright, what now?" asked Ian after a while.

Obi-Wan smiled, "just try to keep it up," stretching out his hand he aimed a kinetic push toward the young man, the Force attack went straight through him and the Jedi Master was surprised, "amazing, when my master first taught me this I was thrown off my feet, you are really powerful in the Force Ian,"

Ian smiled, "thank you Master,"

"Alright, let's try something different,"

Anakin shook the sleepiness away with the Force, bathing himself temporarily with it and replenishing his strength. The young Jedi Master had not slept since first feeling the resonating in the Force, it was so strong that he thought he was going to die through the sheer strength of it.

Anakin had mastered Form VII, after his encounter with Sidious and seeing how weak his Form II technique was against it, he mastered Juyo, the most deadly of all lightsaber techniques. He had made it his goal to learn all seven lightsaber forms, including the three unorthodox techniques. So far he had learned three, three that proved valuable in the two years since his becoming a Master.

The Jedi Master stretched his muscles and turned toward the setting sun, even its glow did not give life to Mayras, and as the transplant had tried and failed, nothing would grow on Mayras again. He felt pity for the planet, it was now dead, like Boz Pity, except that that planet had life on it still.

Anakin felt the weight of the deaths of all those who died on the planet on his chest before he breathed again.

It was a day later and Obi-Wan felt it, a powerful resonation in the Force, he turned trying to pin the place where it came from through the Force. He could not place it, it was evasive, and the presence was familiar. The Jedi Master grew tired of the presence's evasive actions and his emerald lightsaber activated, "who are you, reveal yourself!"

"Always brash aren't you Obi-Wan," said a voice from behind him, when the Jedi Master turned he knew the voice but could not believe his eyes, "Master!"

Before him stood the spectrum image of Qui-Gon Jinn, deceased Jedi Master, his master that was killed by the Sith Apprentice on Naboo, the Zabrak with the red tattoos that consumed his body, "hello Obi-Wan,"

"But, you're dead," sputtered Obi-Wan, his world was shaking.

Qui-Gon smiled, "remember, it the Force, and there is no death, but we all live forever, in the Force," he touched his former padawan's forehead, "you cannot imagine what one can learn from the Shaman of the Whills," his smile faded, "do you know what has happened here?" he inquired.

Obi-Wan, was still amazed that he was speaking to his master, but shook his head, "yes-I mean no Qui-Gon," he amended his statement quickly, "what has happened here,"

"What do you feel?" asked his old master unblinking.

Obi-Wan stretched out with the Force, "I feel the death of all these that have died," he replied, but Qui-Gon unmoved face showed him that he had the wrong answer.

"What do you feel in the Living Force padawan," he asked this time.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and opened himself to the Living Force, and suddenly felt the full pain stretch all over his body, excruciating pain that was destroying him from his core, but he held strong, his master had given him something to do and he would see it through, "I-I feel deaths still occurring, they are all still dying…in the Force," he said now alarmed, his eyes flashed open, "but master…" Qui-Gon was gone.

The Jedi Master turned, confused, did his master still live, or was it the feeling of death upon the planet that gave him the hallucination. Obi-Wan was confused but now had valuable information to give the Council.

As he walked toward the camp he felt it before it happened, and leapt out of the way, a large proton core was blasted past him and he felt the pure energy as it ripped through the camp.

Surprised and shocked, the Jedi Master ran toward the camp, the enemy was here.

CC-2224, Commander Cody was now fourteen standard years old. His two years serving in the Clone Wars, and his two past years gave him much experience, and the instincts of a Jedi when trouble was afoot. He readied his DC-15 blaster rifle and exited the makeshift military building. The proton torpedo was coming right for him and he leapt out of the way while activating his emergency broadcast, the sirens sounded and the battle had begun