Emissaries of Darkness II:
Grand Conquest

Chapter XIX

As the Death Seekers assimilate the galaxy, the Jedi Knights are helpless against this most powerful opponent. A young padawan goes missing on Coruscant, while another dark plot is underway.

While another Jedi Padawan faces the trials to become a Jedi Knight…

Anakin Skywalker's gaze swept his surroundings and he stretched out for any feeling from his padawan. Timoth was alive, he could feel him from wherever he was, his presence in the Force magnified by the obvious presence of others with great Force potential, Coruscant's twin suns were dipped as the planet entered its twilight.

He felt a presence behind him and felt a jolt as the young child climbed onto his back, "Hi daddy," said an active Luke, tugging on his father's hair, "are you going to teach me anymore Jedi tricks?"

Anakin smiled wanly at his son, "these are not tricks like a magician Luke, the Force is not a tool, or a trick, its…" he felt himself at a loss to describe it, "it's just the Force,"

The little boy on his back tugged his father's hair again, "come on daddy, teach me something,"

"Have you mastered what I taught you last time?" he asked.

Luke frowned as his father set him down, "what was that daddy?"

Anakin stretched out his hand and the datapad that lay on the balcony of their apartment rose from its place and hovered for a while.

Luke giggled, "That's easy," he stretched out his hand and the datapad was harshly wrenched from his father's grip and flew into his own, "now can you teach me something?"

Anakin was surprised not at action demonstrated by Luke, but by the force with which he did it, wrenching the datapad from his grip with nearly no exertion of power, "um, okay," he said, "I want you stay very still and focus on your center,"

"What are you teaching me?" enquired the youngling.

"To jump with the aide of the Force," replied Anakin, "now listen," he continued softly, "focus on your center and straighten yourself, when you're ready to begin tell me,"

For a while Luke was silent then his eyes flashed open, "I am ready,"

"Good," replied Anakin, "now jump, and use the Force, just as you did to raise the datapad,"

"okay," replied Luke as he bent his knees and jumped, with astonishment landing atop his father, nearly five feet away from his starting point.

"Very, very good," said Anakin quickly, more to his embarrassment that to anything else, he rose quickly and dusted off his robes, "good job Luke, now go inside and practice your levitation, your Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru will be landing on Coruscant shortly so get dressed soon,"

"Okay daddy," replied Luke with childish glee, rushing inside the apartment to get dressed.

Anakin turned back to his searching, and felt sudden pain in his padawan, "Timoth," he whispered softly, his padawan was now stretching out with the Force, blinding as a Nova, then suddenly all was quiet, Anakin barred his teeth and he then knew, Timoth Frejik, his padawan was dead.

"Anakin?" whispered Padmé from behind him, "we have to go, Owen and Beru will be arriving shortly,"

Anakin breathed deeply and allowed the building rage to dissipate, as a Jedi Master he had to train himself to release his anger and all his emotions that would cloud his judgment, "alright," he replied, "let's go meet them,"

"My padawan is dead Obi-Wan," replied Anakin now seated a few feet away from his master in the Gardens of Meditation, "how do you think I feel?"

Obi-Wan bit his lip, and nodded, "look I'm sorry Anakin, but right now I believe your association with Padmé could lead to your downfall, you know very well at the conclusion of the Clone Wars how close to the dark side you stepped and it was because of the Senator,"

"Don't lecture me Obi-Wan," replied Anakin harshly, "I was there when you were driven to the edge of reason, when Siri was killed, I felt your anger echoing before you even returned,"

Obi-Wan turned his head aside, "Siri and I were…probably closer than friends in ways you cannot understand Anakin," his eyes closed in memory, "when I lost her…an opening was created in my heart as she reminded me how to live with an open heart, and my training you," his eyes flashed open, "trained me to live with a closed one, all your failings I've blamed on myself, every mistake you made I blamed myself for them, but that wasn't right, I shouldn't have,"

Anakin nodded and rose, "I'm going with K'Kruhk to Yavin IV to hopefully build a defense against the Seekers, are you coming?"

"No," replied Obi-Wan with a shake of his head, "Ian is constructing his final lightsaber, his first trial to becoming a true Jedi Knight, and he will probably want and need quiet from this war,"

"All right Obi-Wan,"

"May the Force be with you Anakin," said Obi-Wan.

"And be it with you Obi-Wan,"