Eternal Balance: Chapter 2
By The Al Bhed Slayer
A/N: Hey, guys! Yep! Chapter 2! Only a day later! And it's a bit longer, what with trying to establish the plot. The end will make things even more interesting! I hope you'll all enjoy it!
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Seeing as they'd been summoned by the Master Yoda, Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker stood before the Council expectantly. Anakin, still a bit perturbed by his dream from the night before, could barely focus on the matter at hand. A light nudge from his Master quickly snapped him out of his thoughts as Yoda began to speak. "A very important mission, we have for you. An old friend, I have found. In great danger, she is."
"The former guardian of the Jedi," Master Windu continued. "We had assumed she died two hundred years ago."
"Not dead. In hiding, she was," Yoda explained.
Obi Wan's brow furrowed. "The guardian of the Jedi? So she did exist?"
Anakin glanced from Yoda to his master, confusion evident in eyes. "Guardian of the Jedi?"
Yoda nodded solemnly, recalling so very long ago hearing the tale himself. "Thousands of years ago, create this being, the souls of a great Jedi Master and Sith Lord did. A being of the darkness and light. A balance." He paused. "Took form, she did. Upon first glance, very young, she seemed. But most wise of all." He closed his eyes, repeating part of the prophecy. "For the Force itself, she is."
"Though we are all part of the Force, this girl was made to keep the balance between good and evil," Mace elaborated off young Skywalker's confused look. "But, after her death, or rather…disappearance, the council lost hope. At least until the prophecy of the chosen one."
Yoda glanced quickly at Obi Wan and the Jedi nodded. He turned to his apprentice. "Anakin, the Masters and I must discuss something in private."
Without arguing or even saying another word, the young man nodded and left the room, too deep in thought to do otherwise. Seeing this strange behavior, Obi Wan made a mental note to find what's troubling his padawan.
Lotora, a planet in ruins…known for civil wars, massacres, and even genocide. None ever ventured to the planet unless it was an emergency. Outsiders usually ended up having to defend themselves, which they were often imprisoned, and eventually persecuted, for. Much like Docugan, the planet was incredibly unstable and no one ever came back from it. Though most of Lotora was dirt and canyons, some of the planet hid its barbaric nature with beautiful landscapes and even still-intact buildings that made even Naboo seem like a wasteland. Fortunately for Obi Wan and Anakin, they had landed on the more picturesque side of the archaic world. Master Yoda had told them this is where they'd find this being he had called 'Akaia'.
Anakin had been contemplating such a concept since they had left Coruscant. How can something partly made of darkness guard protectors of the light? Does that mean she was Jedi? Would she be allowed to?
"A Sith and a Jedi? How is that possible?" he thought out loud.
Obi Wan momentarily looked at his apprentice while they walked to the large building. "Technically, she is neither. She only possesses their souls and power. The council would not permit her to become a Jedi, though her skill was said to be that of a Master. They found her too volatile, seeing as she could use sith powers at a moments notice."
The future Jedi's eyebrows knitted together. "But Master Yoda said himself that she has balanced the darkness-"
"Only because of her limited interaction with others," the older man cut off. "The only people she had contact with were Jedi. Even now, she's cut off. According to Master Windu, they treat her as a prisoner to keep from confronting her."
"The way you talk of this girl, it's as if no one has ever upset her," Anakin commented.
Obi Wan thought back to his discussion with Yoda. "Someone did…once. On this planet, actually."
"What happened to them?" the padawan asked a bit warily.
"He's dead. Killed by sith lightning."
Anakin was silent for a moment before he began again. "Did she mean to?"
Obi Wan sighed, frustrated. "We aren't sure."
The young man paused again. "If we can't trust her, why are we breaking her out of here?"
"We aren't breaking her out. We are peacefully negotiating her release," The Jedi countered.
"And if that fails?"
Obi Wan paused and glared at the boy before starting up the steps of the structure. "…We break her out."
With a questioning look, Anakin asked, "This girl is that important?"
The older man stopped and turned back, causing his apprentice to stop as well. "Prophecies foretell that she is the key to balance throughout the galaxy. If she dies, all of our destinies will be altered. If we don't find the same balance that this woman has maintained in herself for millennia, it may take decades, even centuries, to restore the republic to what it once was."
Confused again, Anakin asked, "Wasn't my destiny to return balance to the Force?"
Obi Wan nodded. "It still is." He continued walking, as his ward followed, quite perplexed. "You still have much to learn, my young padawan."
Upon entering the elaborate structure, had they not been Jedi, the two would've been attacked immediately. When hearing the men were here on behalf of the Jedi council one servant quickly went to tell her queen. Only moments later the girl came back, head down. "Milady will see you now."
The two entered a large, remarkably decorated room. A young red-headed woman dressed in intricately designed garments stepped forward, giving the Jedi and his apprentice a questioning stare. "Two Jedi? To what do we owe this honor?"
Obi Wan spoke up. "The Council requests the release of your most recent prisoner…a sith."
The queen tilted her head to the side, obviously faking innocence. "May I inquire as to why?"
"They were a bit vague in their reasoning, but she is very important to them," The Jedi answered uncertainly.
She sighed 'sadly'. "Then I'm afraid cannot concede to this request, above all after such a vile act." She began to turn. "Now if you'll excuse me-"
"I'm sorry, but we have orders not to leave without her." Obi Wan stood his ground.
The woman stopped turning and shrugged. "You'll have to send my sincerest regrets to the council, then." She continued walked to the far end of the room, servant in toe.
The Jedi turned to his padawan, who gave a lopsided grin.
Well, it failed, Anakin told his master.
Fine then, He replied with an irate sigh. "Well, could we at least see the girl so we have something to report back on?"
The queen slightly turned, closing her eyes. "Fine." She glared menacingly at on of her servants. "They do not go in alone, understand?" she whispered.
The girl nodded vehemently, quickly walking to the men. Head still down, she spoke quickly. "Please follow me."
The two men glanced at each other, then followed the girl.
In the depths of the structure they had assumed was a palace, Obi Wan and Anakin waited as the girl searched for the key to the cell. Quickly, she unlocked the heavy door, heaving it open with the little strength she had.
The two entered the dark, windowless room, the light from the hall illuminating the room just enough to see a figure in the corner, curled in a fetal position. Obi Wan turned to the younger man and nodded for him to get her. While his padawan went ahead, the Jedi stood beside the servant girl. "I'm sorry."
Before she could comprehend, much less answer, she felt sharp pain to the back of her head and fell to the ground, unconscious.
Anakin slowly walked over to the woman, cautiously reaching out to touch her arm. As soon as his hand made contact with her skin, the girl's head snapped up. He kept his hand there, his blue eyes meeting her dark gray ones. He expected fear, maybe even anger, but there was…nothing. Ignoring the odd feeling that gave him, he began to speak. "Are you alright?"
She didn't answer, but did have a question of her own. "Who are you?"
"We'll explain later, but you'll have to come with us," he answered calmly.
"If you want to go on living, we have to leave quickly," Obi Wan told her, peering in from the hall.
Without a second thought, the woman stood weakly, following the two.
Soon they got back to the large room, when Obi Wan threatened to report the queen to the council for holding the 'guardian of the Jedi' against her will. Upon hearing who the girl was, the queen reluctantly agreed to let them go, as well as the girl. Before she knew it, Akaia was on the ship the two has gotten there in. What is going on? She thought, sitting in a cold metal seat. Who are these people? Why did I trust them so easily? Snapping out of her reverie, she saw the younger of the two men in front of her, then he sat beside her. "Could you tell me who you are now?"
"Anakin Skywalker," he stated simply. "And the other person you saw is Obi Wan Kenobi."
She nodded, eyes fixed on the floor. "Thanks…for getting me out of there."
"It was more Master Yoda than us," he began. "He's the one who knew you were there."
"Yoda?" she asked, bewildered.
"Didn't you know him?" He glanced at her, but her expression was blank.
Puzzled, she didn't recognize the name. "So, because of…Yoda, you know who I am?"
He nodded slowly.
"Okay," she started, finding the next question she had to ask hard to say.
"Then can you tell me?"
TBC
A/N: Ha! Amnesia! But she'll get her memory back eventually…though it maybe too late by then…R'n'R!
PS – Yes, I made up another planet…the queen was really stupid. Damn royalty.