A/N: OMG you guys I'm SO sorry for the long wait! My other story has a rather demanding audience (lol).

Goth Jedi, lola, VaderSlave, and Another Girl Next Door: Thanks So much! I'm really glad you guys like the fic :)

Mizra: Yuup! Karrahn is gonna make lot of problems! See if you can guess who's gonna be Obi-Wan's padawan :)

Anakin let his mind wonder as he watched the twenty-seven knights that were being deployed that night. Ten of those knights were saying goodbye to padawans. Had it only been a week since he had stood in the entrance of the hanger watching the first batch of Jedi starfighters rise into the sky as they headed for the doomed sphere of Korrahn? It seemed so much longer. And yet not that much time had passes. Twelve knights were dead. Five padawan's had lost their masters. They had been caught completely off guard.

The Jedi camp had been sought out by bounty hunters. And when the pitch black of night had settled they hunters shot their prey mercilessly. The question hen arose: how come the Jedi never sensed the danger?

The question came from the body of the knight that had attempted to follow the bounty hunters. He had been speared by a lightsaber. It appeared that one the Sith had led the party of assassins. They had only found out the other night. And already more knights were being deployed. 'And I have to be in charge of informing the padawan' Anakin thought bitterly. He had one comfort; Obi-Wan would be there. His former master always had a better hold of these sorts of situations.

"Master?"

Anakin turned to look into the eyes of his own padawan. "Padawan, what are you doing here?" Anakin asked. There was no reproach in his tone. The girl knew too much anyways. She was also the one that kept him grounded. A part of him felt like he belonged on Karrahn. But when he thought of Cassidy the other part of him rebelled vehemently against the idea. He still had a responsibly. He couldn't go fight like there was no tomorrow and leave his padawan back on Coruscant to an uncertain fate of weather her master would be the one to knight her or not. Not that he was impressed by the thought of death in general. Blasted Sith! How did their order just spring back out of extinction like that?

Cassidy had shrugged off his question and simply took to string at him.

"Is something wrong, padawan?" Anakin asked. She seemed quite anxious to him.

"Master, I was just wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to Karrahn as well?"

Anakin sighed hanging his head slightly. He knew she would ask him this question. How should he answer that sort of inquiry? 'Honesty' he decided dully and looked back at Cassidy. "If I must" he told her quietly. It was Cassidy's turn to drop her head. Anakin placed his hand under her chin and tilted the padawan's head up so that her eyes met his with no possible escape. He held her gaze for a while, then dropped his hand. "We do what we must, padawan. We are freeing the galaxy of the greatest evil there is. Of the epiphany of evil. It is our duty. The duty that we have sworn out lives to."

She nodded slowly in remorseful understanding.

"Why, oh, why must I do this?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan in a quite moan as they entered the conference room. It was time to inform the padawans.

"Because, Anakin, the council has seemed to have decided that you are organizer of this…eh…Sith War."

"Right. They just want me to do their dirty work for them…as usual."

"Anakin!"

Anakin shrugged Obi-Wan off as he cleared his throat in an attempt to ge the attention of the padawans.

Jayla Son and Karson Def, the two padawan's who would be taking their trials later that month, were taking quietly in the corner. Anakin saw the looks on their faces when they had noticed his presents. They already knew. Shael, another padawan who's trials would be coming quite soon, joined them as they walked forward to meet Anakin half way. This girl's master still might be around to knight her. They were joined soon by the younger padawans. The sixteen year old girl, Alina, met Anakin's gaze diffidently with a hopeful spark lingering in her eyes, pleading Anakin to tell her what she wasn't true, and that hope broke his heart. A by of thirteen, Cade, had been in a meditative position when Anakin had entered but now was standing quietly next to Alina. The fourteen year old boy, whom Anakin recognized as Tish Hun, joined his fellow padawans as they waited expectantly.

"Go on" Obi-Wan urged in a whisper. "I'm right behind you."

Usually Anakin would have come up with something along the lines of "I hope they don't decide to kill the messenger." But somehow being there in that moment felt awful. A brief flash back from when he was a young padawan flashed over his mind. He remembered witnessing Obi-Wan's pain at his masters death. The memory stung. He had only known Qui-Gon for a week and even so he still had had an urge to cry at the funeral. But even as young boy he had suppressed his grief so Obi-Wan would have someone to hold on to. Someone who would be strong for him.

"Master Skywalker?"

Jayla's soft voice braught his mind back to the present moment. The masters and padawan's exchanged bows and taking a deep breath Anakin stepped forward. "We have received the report from Karrahn this morning" he started. "Most of our knights were killed. Master Kit Fisto and two other Knights Soara Antana and Jolin Avreck were the only survivors of the sabotage of the Jedi camp." Anakin waited for his words to sink in. He watched the subtle changes n the padawan's faces. Shael suppressed a relieved smile. Jayla and Karson remained passive and only Anakin knew that they had already had time to accept the fact. Alina ran a hand over her forehead resting it on her eyes for a moment, her only sign of distress. Cade remained awfully calm for someone only thirteen. Anakin reached out to him through the Force and realized that the boy was hastily trying to find his center. Tish grew wide eyed and dropped his head blinking rapidly.

"Thank you for informing us before the rest of the temple finds out, Master Skywalker" Karson said. "If we may be excused…"

"Of course" Anakin answered, his voice soft with compassion. The three older padawan's left quickly. The younger ones remained for a few moments seeming to seek guidance. "I'm very sorry that this came so abruptly" Anakin said shifting his gaze from one padawan to another. He relaxed his posture dropping the formal attitude. Cade? Master Armin would like to see you tomorrow after morning meal in the West Gardens."

Cade nodded. "will he continue my training?"

"I suppose so. Tish, Alina, I promise you…we will find you master. I know that does't sound great right now but it's all I can do at the moment."

"Thank you" Alina said quietly "We appreciate your help. Alina and Cade walked out of the room leaving Tish behind.

"Yes young one?"

Tish looked up with tear filled eyes. "master Skywalker, am I a bad Jedi?"

Anakin knelt down on one knee in front of the boy. "What makes you think that?" Anakin asked. The boys large blue eyes, a lot like his own, held his gaze.

"I…Jedi aren't suppose to mourn those who have become one with the Force but I can't help being sad!" A tear ran down the young padawan's face and Anakin wiped it away with a gentle brush of his hand.

"No, that doesn't make you a bad Jedi Tish. Actually I would have been more puzzled if you weren't upset. It's only human to be sad." Anakin pulled the now trembling boy into a hug sending him a reassuring wave through the force.

Tish pulled back, now blushing a little, and asked "What will happen to me now?"

"Well the other Jedi knights will receive news that you are open to b taken as a padawan. Maybe they have you be assessed and then a suitable Jedi will request to continue your training."

"What if no one wants to continue my training?"

Anakin held back a sigh. If the boy didn't get a master within a month he would be sent to AgriCorps. But now was not the time to tell him. "There's no reason to worry about that young one. You are strong with the Force. You will be chosen."