The doors out of the hanger bay flew opened and everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Standing there was the Sith that had attacked Qui-Gon on Tatooine and that Ayame had been seeing in her visions.
"We'll handle this," Qui-Gon said.
"We'll take the long way," Padme said, and led the group away. The three Jedi removed their robes and drew their blades. The Sith did likewise, activating a double-bladed Lightsaber. Ayame quickly put away thoughts of her love for Obi-Wan in the dark corners of her mind that only she could access, and from what she felt, Obi-Wan did the same thing. Then, the fight ensued. All who were fighting knew that there was a good chance that someone was going to die. The question was who? There were several moments of very intense swordplay. At one point Ayame was facing the Sith alone.
"The fear is great in you, Jedi," he snarled during a pause in the battle.
"It doesn't matter what you sense in me," Ayame retorted. "All you will feel is the sting of a saver as it enters your is the sting of a saber as it enters your body!" That just made the Sith smile.
"There is anger in you as well," he sneered. "Perhaps I should attack your…..lover?" he exclaimed. Ayame froze in horror. "I thought Jedi weren't allowed to love. This will make his death that much sweeter." At that moment, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rejoined the fight. It eventually led to a series of energy beams. Ayame and Obi-Wan were separated from their enemy and their master. The one chance that they got to run, they were stopped just short of the battle. Qui-Gon looked tired, but he fought hard. The Sith, however, fought harder. All Ayame and Obi-Wan could do was watch and scream as the Sith cut down their master. Anger rose in the both of them, causing them to join hands. The Force flowed through the both of them, giving them the power to put aside their anger. Ayame could sense that Qui-Gon wasn't dead yet, but he didn't have much time so they had to finish the fight quickly. The two of them fought like the Force had possessed them, which was partially true. Suddenly, the Sith knocked Obi-Wan into an endless pit and forced Ayame against the wall. As she hit the wall, Ayame realized that she had seen this battle before.
They were fighting a strange-looking man with red and black tattoos and horns on his head. Obi-Wan, who looked about 3 years older, was dangling in a pit, barely hanging on to a light fixture. Ayame, again 3 years older, was against a wall, screaming Obi-Wan's name. Suddenly, he threw himself out of the pit, summoned a Lightsaber, and slashed the strange man right through the torso. As he fell, Ayame was released from the wall and ran into Obi-Wan's arms. Suddenly, they were kissing. Then, the vision disappeared.
Everything was happening as the vision had appeared. Suddenly, the Sith started sending sparks as Obi-Wan hung there, damn near helpless. Finally, Ayame couldn't take it anymore.
"OBI-WAN!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Then, the Sith froze. Obi-Wan came flying out of the pit, summoned Qui-Gon's lightsaber, and let it rip through the Sith's body. The two Jedi looked on as the Sith fell into the pit and died. Feeling the power holding her to the wall release, Ayame ran into Obi-Wan's arms. Without thinking, the two kissed as they had never kissed before. Remembering themselves, they ran to Qui-Gon's side. Ayame could sense Obi-Wan's despair as he held his dying master. All Ayame could pick out of Qui-Gon's dying words were "…he will bring balance. Train him." She knew that he was talking about Anakin. Obi-Wan could only sob his answer, but Ayame knew that he said yes. Then the both of them could feel a part of them die as Qui-Gon passed into the next world.
