Disclaimer: All the goodie characters don't belong me, only to the one George Lucas, except Nyree, she's all mine. YES!
A/N: I'M BACK! And I've dedicated myself to finishing this story. We're so close to the end, that it must have drove you guys insane. Sorry, about that. Well enough chitchat, off we go.
Ch. 28: Your Destiny
Xanatos paced back and froth in the hotel room. It was adequate for the both of them, too fancy for Nyree but still in the upper class standards for Xanatos. The dark blood red wooden floor reflected his pacing form. Something was wrong, something not right. The Force seemed silent, the Dark Side just a void. Such a stillness unnerved Xanatos. He reached out to Obi-Wan, but some how their bond on both levels was muffled. On the normal level, Xanatos knew that the Jedi had the brat and cuffed him with Force dampeners. But, even on their Saturine bond level, there was a block. And that was not supposed to happen. Only Xanatos and Obi-Wan were the last Saturines powerful enough to work on the different plane of the Force.
Pacing not relieving his tense form, Xanatos poured himself of Nabooian wine, his mind flashing back to the brief visit on Dathamoor. How Nyree came from such a powerful Force infested planet and not be part of it was another mystery Xanatos hated. When the pair landed on the out skirts of Nyree's small village, the witches poured out of their huts.
An old woman, her gray hair braided into a loose bun slithered through the crowd. Nyree stepped forward and bowed, "Grandmother."
"Where is the chip?" croaked the old woman.
Nyree handed the woman a small chip. The witch pulled out a data pad and scanned the disk. A couple seconds later, a dark look deepened the weathered face.
"This is a fake!" Where is the chip that the Saturine gave us to protect?"
"That is the chip, grandmother."
"It is not, child. There is nothing on this disk."
"That is what is on the disk."
"No, it has information containing Dark Side knowledge. The Saturines told we were never to look upon the contents till one of their own opened the disk. Has this been done?"
"Yes."
"Then where are the contents?"
Xanatos frowned slightly at the old woman's growing voice. He did not know what was happening, but he always had a bad feeling about Obi-Wan looking for the chips. Dark Jedi and Sith were known to search for power, their greed driving away their humanity. Yet, Obi-Wan was different. His greed was not for power from the Force but to understand his heritage in looking for the chips. Every time, Obi-Wan found a chip, he changed…changed into something Xanatos couldn't quite pinpoint. And that was what scared him; his apprentice was walking down a road he could not follow.
"They are in front of you."
"Enough word games, Nyree," sneered the woman, "There is nothing in front of me."
Nyree smiled, yet it never reached her eyes. "Exactly."
Xanatos shot his gaze at Nyree. Nyree opened her mouth slightly, her face dead serious. "The chip never existed, grandmother. As did the other chips that young Kenobi was searching for."
Confusion etched not only on Xanatos' face but everyone else's. What was Nyree talking about? Xanatos had seen the chips for himself. How could—
"You slithering violation! How dare you condescend on your heritage! If our Founding Mother knew of your treacherous accusations…"
Nyree shook her head. "I will not take back my words, for they are truth."
In a blink of an eye everything shifted. The old witch pulled out a vibro whip and slashed at Nyree. A deep gash formed on her forehead. Before Nyree regained her footing, Xanatos lashed out and stabbed the witch through the heart. Not wasting another moment, the Dark Jedi spun around and started to drag Nyree back to the ship. A group of women sprung to attack but with a powerful Force wave sent them flying back several feet. And thus ended their little adventure. But what struck Xanatos was one of the witch's words to him.
"You are no different than the Master of the Sith."
Xanatos narrowed his eyes as he finished the glass of wine. If they were indeed similar, Xanatos would send someone to kill the two men who lived in a fight against the Sith Apprentice. Timing was essential. Great, now he had another thing to worry about besides the Force and Nyree. A Sith or maybe two Sith were after him.
"I did not sign up for this," snarled Xanatos.
"Life never goes the way we want it to."
Turning Xanatos took in his companion's form. Nyree was leaning against the table, arms crossed. Her gash on her forehead was sealed with bacta strips.
"Well, you seem calm about everything."
Nyree shrugged, a sadness overcoming her features. Xanatos could sense that since they left Dathamoor, Nyree was changing.
"What's going on with you?" If he couldn't solve the problem with his bond and would have to wait for the Sith attack, he could at least try to solve the enigma of Nyree.
Nyree smiled softly, "You wish to know of me…"
Xanatos scoffed, "You talked in riddles back there on Dathamoor. I want to know about the chips, I want to know about you and why the heck I feel like everything is all of a sudden spiraling out of control."
"You sense that reality is not reality?" Nyree eyed Xanatos, questioning shimmering her eyes.
"Yes." Xanatos didn't know why but that statement felt right, it summed up his growing paranoia.
Nyree nodded. "You were always strong, Xanatos. Death is at our doorstep. But, it is not what you think it is."
"What?"
"All that you have lived these past years with Obi-Wan is reality…yet it is not."
Xanatos felt frustration rising in him, "Come again?"
Nyree sat down, eying Xanatos like he was a child. "The Force has granted Obi-Wan and you to live. Yet, now It has felt that you have learned enough and now the both of you must return to true reality." The girl felt Xanatos wanting to force a straight out answer from her, but only one person was allowed to hear such an explanation. "You will die tonight Xanatos to ensure that you live to help Obi-Wan make the right choice at the most crucial time."
Xanatos was about to speak but Nyree raised her hand, "The Sith apprentice will come and kill us both. Obi-Wan will be driven to choose by himself and reveal his true colors. If he chooses correctly or incorrectly, all will be ok. This is only a practice run, thankfully."
"A practice run?" Now, Xanatos was totally confused. "How do you know that we are going to die tonight? How do you—"
"I am Nyree…also known at the Founding Mother that the old witch was so accusing to bring up."
"How is that possible?"
"Xanatos, you are a smart and powerful man. You know the answer."
Blue eyes glowed in frustration until they widened in understanding. "You are a ghost. That is why we cannot sense you in the Force."
"Good," laughed Nyree. "Yes I am a ghost. Let me tell you something though of more pressing matters. Obi-Wan has acted too soon. He wasn't suppose to return to the Temple. We were suppose to have a daughter…a daughter that would later on die at the hands of a great Sith Lord. You have foreseen this."
Xanatos nodded numbly.
"But, thankfully the Force eased me back to this ghost form before Obi-Wan sensed my presence in the Force. Maybe it is for the best that Obi-Wan returned now, something that the Force was not expecting." Nyree smiled, "For if I don't exist and die with you, then there will be no daughter, and no daughter means that Obi-Wan will not fall. And we both know how powerful he will get if he falls completely. The purer the light, the darker the fall."
"…yes…" Xanatos couldn't believe that this soft whisper was his voice. But he always sensed in the dream that besides the front out Sith, there was a darker presence being born. Darkness so powerful it threatened not only the galaxy but also the Force itself. "But if we die here and now, won't it only spur his fall faster?"
Nyree looked at Xanatos, an approving glint in her face, "It would but Qui-Gon is still alive. He has a strong, natural bond with Obi-Wan, one that will hopefully keep Obi-Wan rooted to the Light or be able to destroy him, when Obi-Wan has not reached his peak yet."
A silence fell over the pair. Nyree watching as Xanatos absorbed the small amount of information that she was privileged to reveal. When tonight's deed would be done, Xanatos would only then be able to understand the plan the Force had in mind. Hopefully, everything will go as plan. From what the Force felt Obi-Wan would kill the Sith later on by apprenticing with Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan will stay locked in the Temple and make sure Anakin was trained. Yet, she knew Obi-Wan and so did the Force. Obi-Wan had already fooled the Force twice by emerging faster from his confrontation with the Dark Side and just now with returning to the Temple.
"None of this is truth," hissed Xanatos as he shook his head. Anger poured out of him. "You are telling this story in order to hope to avoid the truth. Well, I've discovered your little lies. You are just a freak of nature that is why you don't exist in the Force. Obi-Wan…he won't fall to the Dark Side because the future is always in motion. Like you said, Obi-Wan returned earlier than expected, so there goes that whole ordeal with you and Obi-Wan's daughter getting killed by a Sith Lord."
Xanatos marched up to Nyree, "And we are not going to die tonight! Obi-Wan will not become the darkness that surpasses the Sith. He will not follow such a path as long as me and you are there—he only needs to see us and he will be fine."
"We did not know you cared for him so deeply, Xanatos. Once again, the both of you surprise us."
"What? Whose this we?"
"You are almost as pure Saturine as Obi-Wan is…reach out."
Xanatos stretched out and he felt it then. Another presence was in the room, one of an ancient feel to it. "What?"
"We chose you to train Obi-Wan because you are known to betray the ones closest to you. You are a heartless man, Xanatos. Therefore, when the time came for you to part from Obi-Wan it would not be difficult. But, this unexpected close bond between you two makes things more harder…for Obi-Wan especially. This is not good."
Xanatos eyes scanned the room, searching for the other presence, "Of course it wouldn't be good. I might be heartless, but—"
A pressure began to build on his mind, as the Dark Side surged through his body. Collapsing on his knees, Xanatos clutched his head. NO! Something was trying to severe his bond with Obi-Wan. A power that made Yoda seem like an apprentice overpowered his mind. Looking up through slit eyes, he saw a woman with dark brown hair stare down at him. Eyes exactly like Obi-Wan's stared at him without emotion.
Nyree stepped up next to the woman, "Are such things necessary, Austral?"
"You have foreseen this Priestess. Us two Saterines did not live between the realms of the living and the dead for far too long to start questioning now."
"But you created such a bond…"
"Yes and I did not know it would flourish." Austral's eyes flickered to the door, "Good, he has come. You must finish this, I will keep him busy."
Nyree knelt in front of Xanatos and smiled sadly, "No matter what alternate universe or reality you are in, it is your destiny to die in order to ensure a future for Obi-Wan. Just remember, this is only a practice run. When the time comes, chose correctly."
A pain seared through Xanatos' mind. Biting back a scream, Xanatos' eyes snapped shut, tears streaming down his face. He held onto dear life as the bond between him and Obi-Wan was slowly sawed away. Then the pressure lifted. A couple strands were left unharmed, hanging between his burned hands. A sense of relief washed through his mind. Cracking open his eyes, the relief was burned away as the last thing Xanatos saw was the horned Sith Apprentice smirk down at him and drive the lightsaber into his upper back.
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A/N: Oh shocker! Don't worry all will be explained soon. Just be patient. Hey, I'm already typing up the next chapter!