Chapter 20 The Intruder

Obi-Wan did not fight the sleep, he welcomed it; a deep healing sleep that would renew the strength that he had lost during his captivity and had yet to regain. Anakin watched him as he drifted off, he was so pale, so weak; Anakin felt his anger rising; anger at whoever had reduced this once strong and vital Jedi to this. He pushed the anger back down. Anger was unproductive. If he was going to find out who was behind this, he had to be calm and clearheaded, not angry. Someone from Obi-Wan's past had developed a murderous animosity for him. Was it the mysterious Jedi who had prevented him from speaking with a Council member or the Jedi who had turned off the surveillance system in the courtroom? Were there actually two of them or one who had done both? Was the Jedi under orders from someone else who wanted Obi-Wan dead, or was he carrying out his own personal vengeance on him? So many questions and so few answers; answers that he would need before another attempt was made on Obi-Wan's life. So far, his friend had been lucky; Anakin wondered how long his luck would hold.

He waited, hiding in a storage room safe from the detection of the Jedi patrolling the corridors of the Jedi Temple. He had not planned on this; he had thought himself safe from recognition. However, something had happened and, although his identity was still unknown, his description was not. He was no longer free to wander about the Temple and had been forced into hiding until morning; in the morning, the activity in the Temple would allow him to escape with little chance of being noticed. It irritated him that he would not be able to carry out his vengeance against a certain Jedi tonight; he had wanted to do it as soon as he had heard that this Jedi had managed to survive the last attack he had planned so carefully. This time, he would not leave this to anyone else; he would do it himself. He wanted to do it now, but he would have to be patient. Yes, as a Jedi, he could do that; he would wait. His lord would not be pleased about the events that had come about this day. Grel and Amedda were not supposed to be killed and the fact that a Jedi apprentice had done it would probably be a great annoyance to him. The Clone had not only failed to kill the Chancellor, his primary target, his lord's target, but he had also failed to kill Kenobi, his own personal target. In addition to these failures, he, his lord's faithful servant, was in jeopardy of having his identity revealed and so the final plan, the complete execution of Order 66 could not take place as planned. No, his lord would not be please, not at all.

EMD421 returned each hour, silently monitoring Obi-Wan's condition and adjusting the equipment according to the results it received from the scans it performed. Each time, Anakin followed the droid out to the hallway for its report.

"Master Kenobi's condition appears to be improving at an illogical rate. I cannot explain this." EMD421 informed Anakin after its fourth visit.

"Haven't you ever treated a Jedi before?" Anakin asked. "They don't heal like normal people."

"I have not….that information is not in my data banks." The droid answered.

"Well, maybe you'd better add it; as long as he gets the rest he needs, he should be strong enough to leave by morning." Anakin replied confidently.

"That is not possible. His blood loss was substantial. It is an illogical conclusion." EMD421 insisted.

"Whatever you say, Emdee, but I think you'll be surprised in the morning." Anakin told it.

"My designation is EMD421, not 'Emdee', and 'surprise' is not part of my programming." EMD421 corrected, with an air of annoyance.

"Right; well I guess I'll see in an hour." Anakin said.

"I will return in…"

"…one hour to check on Master Kenobi's condition." Anakin finished.

"That is not polite, Master Skywalker." EMD421 replied and then headed down the hallway towards its next patient.

Anakin shook his head and had to smile again at the med droid's similarity to the protocol droid, C3PO.

When he returned to the room, Obi-Wan was awake, "Go back to sleep, old friend." Anakin told him.

"So, what's 'my condition'?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin gave him a small laugh and repeated, word for word, what EMD421 had said, "'Master Kenobi's condition appears to be improving at an illogical rate'. Congratulations, Obi-Wan, you've completely baffled that poor droid." He said.

"It's probably never treated one of us before. I think it's in for a surprise." Obi-Wan answered.

"Oh, no, Obi-Wan; surprise is not in its programming!" Anakin replied.

"Ah, well, I hope it doesn't overload its circuits, then." Obi-Wan said.

"I told him you be strong enough to leave in the morning, don't prove me wrong; go back to sleep." Anakin instructed.

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan replied.

In the criminal holding area of the Senate building, eight Clones waited. They were to be held there until morning when they would be individually questioned concerning the events of the previous day. By morning, these Clones, designated 'JK' by their Kaminoan creators, would be dead. They would reveal no information. The Leader would kill them all before killing himself. He would be carrying out the order given to him if any or all of them had been captured. The completion of their mission would now be up to the surviving JKs.

Despite his conversation with Master Windu, Zak had difficulty sleeping. His thoughts dwelt not only on his guilt in the deaths of Amedda and Grel, but also on the survival of his master. Following the Clone Wars, when the Knights had once again begun to take on young Padawans, Obi-Wan Kenobi had been the choice for many of them including Zak. When he had been singled out by that great Jedi, he could hardly contain his excitement. His subsequent introduction to yet another Clone War hero, Obi-Wan's former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, was a high point in Zak's life. This high point reached its lowest when his master was kidnapped and held captive until he and Master Anakin could rescue him. Zak did not want another master and if Master Obi-Wan died, he had decided to leave the Jedi and go home. He had not seen his family since he was four; and Master Obi-Wan had not had the opportunity to take him back to his original home to meet with them again. The younger Padawans, since the introduction to the newer rule allowing familial visits, would grow up knowing their families. Zak did not have that advantage; if he left the Order, he would have to meet his family all over again, and he did not want to do this. He sat on his bed, legs crossed in meditation, reaching out through the Force, attempting to establish a connection with his master. He could do this with the help of Master Anakin, but if he were to form a bond with Master Obi-Wan, he must learn to do it by himself. He took a deep centering breath and gathered the Force around him. "Master?" Nothing yet. He concentrated a little harder, becoming even more one with the Force surrounding him. "Master?" There was…something? What was it? It did not feel quite right. He tried again. "Master?" Now, he felt it, strong….hateful…Dark. This was not his master. He tried to pull himself back, but he could not. Hate…anger…and something else…murder. Murder? Zak struggled to free himself from this Dark presence; fighting the grip it had on him. "Let me go." He thought as he fought. Then another presence was there; a wise, Light one. "Master Obi-Wan?" Then the Dark presence let him go and he fell backwards, exhausted and badly shaken.

"Padme, what are you doing here?" Wait, where's here? "I was worried about you. Obi-Wan…" "I don't want to hear about Obi-Wan." I don't? "He said you did terrible things; he said you killed younglings." What? That's impossible. "I did it for you, my love." Wait a minute, did what? "Obi-Wan was right, you have changed." No, I haven't done anything. "Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I cannot follow." What path? What are you talking about? "Obi-Wan has turned you against me." What does that mean? "No, Anakin I love…" Thank the Force, Obi-Wan is here; he can clear this whole thing up. "Liar! You brought him here to kill me." Padme what's wrong? Obi-Wan, she can't breathe! Help her! "Let her go, Anakin…."

"…LET HIM GO."

Anakin was startled awake, his heart was pounding; something was terribly wrong. Obi-Wan was fighting….something, no, someone, but there was no one in the room except them. Anakin closed his eyes and reached out into the Force. It was a Dark presence, malevolent, full of hatred and anger; and it was…a Jedi? Yes, a Dark Jedi. He could feel someone else, a smaller, yet strong, Light presence; it was Zak. The Dark Jedi would not let Zak go and Obi-Wan was fighting to free him. Before Anakin could reach out to help, Zak was free and his presence was gone; however, the Jedi turned his full fury onto Obi-Wan and now Obi-Wan was fighting to free himself from this presence. He reached out further, combining his Force strength with Obi-Wan's, and the Dark Jedi was no match for their combined strength and was pushed away. Anakin opened his eyes; his heart was still pounding and he felt completely drained. He glanced over at Obi-Wan; his eyes were closed and he was almost hyperventilating. Anakin reached over and touched his arm; Obi-Wan's heart was racing and instinctively Anakin 'touched' Obi-Wan's heart, slowing the beat back to normal.

"Obi-Wan?" Anakin gasped.

Obi-Wan sighed deeply and opened his eyes, "Anakin…thank…you." He said still gasping for breath.

Neither of them could say anything further for several minutes, "What happened, Obi-Wan?" Anakin finally managed to ask.

"I think Zak was trying to connect with me and someone else sensed him and…" Obi-Wan was unsure of how to explain it.

"I know; I could feel him, he wouldn't let Zak go." Anakin replied. "It was a Dark Jedi, Obi-Wan."

"Yes; and a very strong one. I could not fight him alone; if you had not been here…."

"I don't even want to think about that. Who was it?"

"I don't know; all I felt was hate and anger." Obi-Wan answered.

"Yes, and it was directed at you; he hates you." Anakin said. "Now I'm concerned that he'll try that again. He could kill you next time."

"No, he found me because Zak is starting to form our bond; he was reaching out trying to strengthen that when the Dark Jedi caught him. Unless Zak tries to do that again, I doubt that this Dark Jedi will be able to find me; and something tells me that Zak will not be trying that again until this is all over." Obi-Wan assured him.

"So much for your healing sleep, Obi-Wan. I think your 'condition' just took a few steps backwards." Anakin said. "EMD421 will be very confused."

"Yes." Obi-Wan answered with a small laugh. "I'm sorry, Anakin. You look wiped out."

"Well, I think you look much worse. Back to sleep, my friend." Anakin told him.

Obi-Wan only nodded and drifted off again.