I can't believe that you all like this so much! Thanks for all the reviews!
I probably won't answer all of them if there isn't a question in it or request, but realize that I love every one of them, and they really make my day *hugs*
"There it is! I see it! Ker, Amara, Lux – I see it!"
Amber hopped up and down in her excitement, squealing in delight. Ker walked over, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Amber! You're rocking the whole ship!"
Amber turned and looked at him, her eyes shining. "But Ker, the Jedi Temple is straight ahead. The Jedi Temple! Home of the Jedi Order! Aren't you even a little bit excited?!"
Ker laughed. "Alright. Maybe a little."
In the back room of the ship, Amara and Lux were slipping into their suits of armor. Lux turned, and noticed his fiancé sitting on a small bench, looking into the distance. He sat down slowly next to her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
She looked at him. "I have to. Master Plo is depending on me. I can't let him down…" Her voice lowered until it was just a whisper. "…not again."
"You have to stop this. You have to stop blaming yourself." He picked up her helmet, and placed it on her lap. "None of that was your fault. So come on. Forget about the past." He leaned over and pecked her a cheek on her kiss. "Don't I count as something?"
She took his hand and squeezed it, flashing him a quick smile. "Of course, Lux."
Suddenly, Plo Koon walked into the room. "Are you ready, Amara?"
She stood up, and slipped on her helmet, adjusting the black and red piece of headgear over her lekku. It fit snug, and the mask covered her face. Lux copied her, making sure his own white and blue helmet was adjusted. Amara turned and looked at Plo. "I'm ready." The voice manipulator made her voice sound weird, but she didn't care.
They entered the cockpit. Ker and Amber were also armored up, Ker's outfit gold and green, while Amber's flashed pink and purple. The tight body suits they wore were made of a protective linen that would keep away small laser bullets.
Amara glanced outside. They had already landed, and a small squad of clone troopers were marching towards them – with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the lead. She sucked in her breath. She vowed to keep the helmet on. They couldn't know who she was. Luckily, she had found a regular helmet large enough to hide her lekku underneath. They wouldn't recognize her from that.
Plo opened the ramp and stepped outside first. Lux and Amara followed, with Amber and Ker lagging behind at a slow pace.
Obi-Wan stopped a few feet away from the group, and bowed politely. "Master Plo, so glad you are back safe and sound." He stood up, and eyed Plo's companions. "This must be the OUCO officers you sent for."
Amara stared as if she were in a daze. Kenobi seemed…old. Deep circles formed under his eyes, and his usual cheery smile was gone. When she had left him, Obi-Wan had been bright and energetic, and now…
She had heard that the Clone War had taken a horrific toll on the Jedi's resources, yet still…this seemed like a dream – a nightmare.
Obi-Wan approached her and Lux, and bowed again. "We are so grateful that the OUCO could spare you to help us. This terrorist situation has gotten out of hand. And there are personal issues here as well, now."
Lux nodded. "We are pleased to be of service, Master Jedi." His voice sounded hoarse under his helmet. Good. The more disguise the better.
Obi-Wan pointed to the Temple gates. "We should go talk to the Council. Unfortunately, there's been another message sent."
Plo's wrinkles deepened with worry. "Is there any news of Skywalker?"
"Kalzin said that if a Jedi and member of the OUCO doesn't go to meet him on Hoth and negotiate our next move, he'll kill Anakin and begin the Holocaust."
"Wait a minute." Lux chose this time to interrupt. "What Holocaust? This was a hostage crisis, wasn't it?"
"It was…" Obi-Wan frowned. "…But then Kalzin and his men thought it'd be more 'fun' if they put thousands of innocent lives at stake. He's hidden bombs and assassins throughout Coruscant. Most of them families. They'll all die if we don't play his game. Now you see we need your help." He turned and looked at Amara again. His eyes were moist. "Why I need your help. Anakin's like my brother. I won't let him die."
Amara turned away from the Jedi's stare. 'Don't you dare start crying,' she told herself. She soon regained control.
Amber, who had been standing shyly in the back, finally spoke up. "Don't worry, General Kenobi. We'll stop the terrorists." She spoke it calmly...seriously. The reality of the situation was beginning to dawn on everyone with this updated news.
Ker nodded. "We and the rest of the OUCO will help you and the rest of the Order."
Lux and Amara didn't reply. The Jedi hadn't told them about the bombs. They were already keeping secrets. Beneath his helmet, Lux wore a displeased frown. 'They're already lying to us,' he thought.
Obi-Wan and the clones led the way into the Jedi Temple. As she strode through the home that she hadn't laid eyes upon for two years, Amara felt a mixture of emotions. Sorrow. Pain. Anger. Loss. She noticed Padawan's laughing at a joke in one corner, and a group of younglings playing in the other. Everything seemed so familiar – yet so different. The Temple and the Jedi had changed. There was a heaviness in the air, as if a great tragedy had torn them apart and they would never be the same again.
She managed to arrive at the Council Chambers without revealing any emotion. At least, on the outside. Inside her, a war was raging. Obi-Wan turned and spoke for the first time since entering the Temple. "Wait here, while I tell the Council of your arrival. Plo, come with me."
As the two Jedi left them in the hall, Lux drew Amara aside. "You okay?" His whispering voice was filled with concern. He knew what she was feeling.
She gave a small shrug. That was all. If she told him what she was feeling, she's start bawling in front of the entire Jedi Order, not to mention Ker and Amber. She just took a deep breath. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking."
The doors to the Chamber re-opened, and Obi-Wan stuck his head outside. "You can come in."
The four companions entered the room. Amara looked around. There they were. The Council. All of them seated in the exact same position she had left them in, all of their faces just as emotionless as they had always been. Yet she could sense their anxiety. The Temple hadn't deal with extreme terrorists in a while. She kept her mind closed off. She had learned to be careful – and had gained the skill of hiding her connection with the Force from others.
"We're glad you could come," Mace Windu spoke up as the group stood in the center of the room.
"What is it you want from us?" Lux asked. His voice was cold, and Amara could sense the anger burning within him.
"What we want, is for you to help us catch Death's Shadow, the terrorist organization that's kidnapped one of our own and threatened several lives." Mace's voice was just as harsh. "We just received another message from one of the commanders, Kalzin. In an hour, we're to send a Jedi and OUCO member to Hoth to meet and negotiate."
"No can do. If one of my people go, there's going to be a partner with him. Three will go to Hoth – me and Amara Eanest." He crossed his arms, as if the matter of discussion were over.
Mace frowned. Before he could protest though, Master Luminara spoke up. "That's reasonable. I'll see to it that arrangements are made immediately. The rest of your group may remain here."
Amara stared at the Jedi with a mixed feeling of both anger and sympathy. Sympathy because Luminara Unduli's Padawan Learner was now in jail for treason. Anger because that same Padawan, Barriss Offee, had been her best friend – and now her worst enemy.
Lux gave the slightest bow, then turned and exited the room. The others followed, showing little more respect. Except Amber, who nearly toppled over bowing so low.
As soon as they were out of the Council's presence, Amara left the others. She began walking quickly down the hall. "Amara, where are you going?" Lux called after her.
"I'll be there in a moment. I need to see something!" All she wanted was to be alone. Soon, she was running down the halls, not sure where she was going, just wanting to get away from everything. Get away from the Council, the Jedi, her past. But everywhere she went, there were memories. The Room of a Thousand Fountains. The garden. It was like she was trapped in a box of nightmares and pain. She looked around, eyes wide with confusion. Where was she?
That's when she realized where she was standing. She was in front of her old quarters. She stood there, not moving, not knowing what to do. Slowly, cautiously, she reached out her hand and pressed the entrance button. The door slid open, and inside stood the dark room, just as she had left it two years ago. She stepped inside, letting the door close behind her. Automatically, a small lamp clicked on. There wasn't a single piece of dust. The Jedi had kept it clean. She looked around at the familiar walls and sat on the cot. She noticed her old Padawan uniforms hanging neatly on a row of hooks. It was as if she were still living there.
'Anakin must've kept it this way,' she thought bitterly. No doubt her Master still hoped that she would come back to the Order – to him. She couldn't stop that lone tear from escaping her eye. And that led to her sobbing on the cot, her arms wrapped around herself as if she would break. She took off her helmet and threw it against the door, activating the lock. Then, she fell to the ground, on her knees, leaning against the bed, weeping, trying to stop the horrible memories that she had once cherished so dear. She remembered herself, fourteen-years-old, alone in an unknown world, fearing that her Master would die from the injuries he had sustained. Going forward a few years, she was on Zygeria, freeing her own people from slavery. They just kept coming, and she couldn't stop them. She didn't know how long she was there, kneeling on the cold ground, overcome with emotion. Finally, she stopped and listened for a moment. Someone was knocking on the door.
"Ms. Eanest? Are you in there? Hello?"
The voice belonged to Obi-Wan. She quickly stumbled to her feet, and grabbed for her helmet. She slammed it over her face after quickly wiping the tears away. After making sure the voice manipulator was on, she ran to the door and opened it. Obi-Wan was standing there. She cleared her throat. "Master Kenobi, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just…we're ready to leave." He looked past her and into the room. "You shouldn't really be in there. It's for Anakin and his…" His voice trailed off again. He quickly cleared his throat. "…for his friends."
He wanted to say 'Padawan.' He too believed she was coming back. Now, there was the fear in his heart that he would never see Ahsoka or Anakin again. Nothing could've surprised her more than Obi-Wan Kenobi expressing fear. Amara looked away, trying to regain control. "I'm ready, Master Kenobi." The two walked in silence to the main outdoor hanger in the Temple. Lux was waiting next to a small B-Wing fighter transport. As she stepped onto the platform to meet him, Amara nearly toppled over from the wind. Thick clouds were beginning to cover Coruscant, and her skin tingled form the intense humidity and electric charge that seemed to clog the air.
"A storm is blowing in," Obi-Wan remarked. "We'd better leave the system now."
Suddenly, the platform rocked as an ear-splitting noise erupted form below. Amara dropped to the ground, and clung to it, fearing she would roll off. It seemed as if the whole world were spinning. She could hear Lux shouting for her. She risked a glance upwards. Obi-Wan was still standing, but his face was pale, and a cold sweat dappled his forehead.
The rocking stopped, but the noise continue. Amara felt Lux pull her to her feet. She turned and faced him. His eyes were full of worry. "Lux, what's happened? What's wrong?!"
He didn't answer. He just pointed toward the east. She turned too – and her heart nearly stopped from shock. Her mouth dropped open, and she felt the rest of her body go numb.
And entire skyscraper was crashing to the ground a distance away. Only a few feet away, a smaller building had crashed onto the Temple, causing the rocking on the platform. But fire was shooting up from several parts of the city. Sirens were blaring by now, and she could hear the faint screams of the citizens below. Suddenly, about fifty enemy fighters emerged from the Underworld, shooting laser fire into the city below them.
Death's Shadow had begun the Holocaust.
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