Thank you to the 11 people who reviewed chapter 1. You guys are the greatest and here is chapter 2. I hope that you like it and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.

Chapter 2

"Why did he let her live when he could have killed her easily based on what she said happened?" Anakin said after he heard Jenica recount what happened on Bellassa.

They were standing in the council chamber on top of the High Council Tower. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows that circled the majority of the chamber. Also circling the chamber were twelve chairs on which sat the members of the Jedi High Council who were the wisest and most powerful members of the Jedi Order.

The Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Yoda, pressed his lips together. He sat directly across from the door leading into the chamber with his gimer stick resting on his lap. The years had been kind to Yoda though he was getting up there in the years. He still took an active role in training younglings; he had even trained Luke briefly while he had been a youngling before Anakin took him as his apprentice.

"Believe I do," Yoda said breaking his silence, "that send a message to us this dark Jedi did by letting you live, Jenica."

"But what could that message be?" Mace Windu, a tall, dark-skinned Korun Jedi Master, said. "That the Sith have returned?"

"We can't assume they are Sith," said Adi Gallia. "Perhaps he is simply telling us he is threatening the Republic."

"But why?" Stass Allie said with a frown.

"It's obvious he wants us to know about him," said Obi-Wan. "He said as much to Jenica. There are many possibilities for why though."

"What I want to know is," said Siri, "is this connected to the assassination attempt of Senator Skywalker on Thustra?"

"While it's possible, we simply don't know," Plo Koon said gravelly.

"There's also the fact of the rumors of the massive fleet forming on the edge of the Unknown Regions," said Anakin. "Padmé told me that Representative Lirka believes there is a fleet massing near the Unknown Regions. It could be the remnants of the Separatists but we don't know anything more than what Lirka told us."

"We don't know if this fleet threatens the Republic or not," said Siri, "but if the rumors are true then it is a threat just because of the fleet's sheer size. But, based on what Lirka told Padmé, they haven't made a move."

"It seems an odd coincidence that we learn of these rumors at the same time, or around the same time, that Senator Skywalker and Jenica are attacked by two different dark Jedi," Obi-Wan said as his lips pressed together and his eyes narrowed. Anakin knew that his brother didn't believe in coincidence and was searching for the connection.

"Connected these three events are," said Yoda. "Believe in coincidence I do not. First and foremost, check we must to see if true these rumors are."

"And if they are?" asked Anakin.

"Then decide if it is a threat we must."

"What about the dark Jedi?" Siri asked.

"Little there is we can do," said Yoda.

"They may have already gone to ground," Mace said. "Finding these dark Jedi may prove to be a challenge especially if they do not wish to be found.

Anakin's lips thinned but he remained silent. No matter how much he wanted to find the dark Jedi who tried to kill his wife, he knew that Mace was right and that he would just have to be as patient as he could be.

"Do you think they'll show themselves again?" Siri asked.

"The dark Jedi who attacked Jenica wanted us to know about him so it's possible he will show himself again. As for the other dark Jedi, I do not know," said Plo.

"For now, let's focus on confirming if these rumors are true," Adi said.

"Spoke with Chancellor Mon Mothma before this meeting began I did," said Yoda. "Agrees with me she does that confirm these rumors we must. Send an investigative team to the edge of the Unknown Regions we will to confirm if true or not the rumor is."

"It'll have to be a small team though," Stass said. "We don't want to alert the fleet to the fact that we know it's there if it is."

"Agree I do," said Yoda. "Send Master Kenobi and his apprentice we will along with Knight Tano and her apprentice. Discuss this more when return Master Kenobi does."

"May the Force be with you," said Mace ending the meeting.

Anakin fell into step beside his brother as the two of them left the room. Siri brought up the rear talking with her old master Adi and Shaak Ti. Anakin turned to look at Obi-Wan. "So, old man, how was your break from field work?"

Obi-Wan looked at him. "Relaxing," he said. "And I'm not old."

"You look old."

"You're thirty eight."

"And your point is—?"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Oh Anakin, there are many things about you that will never change no matter how old you are," he said.

Anakin smirked.

Later that night, Anakin sat up sharply in his bed staring at the window across from the bed as the vividness of his nightmare replayed in his mind. He saw the rising flames and smell the suffocating smoke as it shrouded the burning city in shadows. Beyond the smoke, he saw malevolent eyes watching the flames and listening to the agonizing screams of the citizens unlucky enough to be caught in the inferno.

Anakin shook his head struggling to remove the nightmare from his consciousness but he found it would not go away. It was vague in that Anakin couldn't begin to figure out where it took place but it was vivid in that Anakin could feel the heat of the flames. He knew it had to be a vision because of how vivid it was.

Again trying to push it away, Anakin stood up before making his way into the living area of Padmé's apartment. After learning about the attempted murder of his daughter, Anakin and Luke decided to stay the night in Padmé's apartment to keep an eye on things and make sure the assassin didn't try again. However, everything was quiet and everyone in the apartment was asleep.

At least, everyone was supposed to be asleep.

Anakin narrowed his eyes as he gazed at his son. Luke was seated on the couch gazing out the large windows of the apartment at the endless cityscape that stretched out beyond though he must have sensed Anakin's presence for he looked up. The slight haunted look in his son's eyes immediately erased Anakin's question for why his son was up.

He had learned several years ago that Luke had, unfortunately, inherited his ability to see the future. Often, when he was younger, Luke would have such vivid nightmares that left him crying in the middle of the night and many of those nightmares ended up coming true. Anakin didn't want his son to have that gift; the very cursed gift was what nearly caused Anakin to fall to the dark side and he didn't want that to happen to his son.

"You're up early," Anakin said sitting down beside his son.

"I couldn't sleep," Luke murmured.

"Nightmare?"

"I think it was a vision, Dad. It was too vivid to have been a simple dream. It was like those other ones I had when I was younger."

"What did you see?"

Luke was silent for a moment. "I saw a city, it was burning and there was someone watching the burning city but doing nothing to help and a lot of people were in pain, screaming."

Anakin shivered for that was identical to what he saw. "I saw the same thing. It was what woke me up too," he said.

"What could it mean, Dad?"

"I don't know, Son." Anakin placed a hand on Luke's shoulder before gently squeezing it. "Come on, Son. You should really get some sleep."

"I don't know if I'll be able to sleep."

Anakin had the same problem with his nightmares. When Obi-Wan stopped his visions of his mother from happening, he managed to get a good night's sleep just as when he stopped the visions of Padmé's dying in childbirth. But he knew that it wouldn't help matters if they didn't, at least, try to get some rest.

"Just try, son. Try meditating."

The look Luke gave him caused him to chuckle. "I'm pretty sure I gave Obi-Wan the same look when he told me to meditate," he said before he ruffled his son's hair causing his son to scowl at him.

"Stop that," he said before he yawned. "I am pretty tired. The trip back to Coruscant was a long one."

Anakin patted his son's shoulder before watching as Luke stood up, stretched and started toward the room he shared with his sister, it was divided into two rooms, before he looked at Anakin over his shoulder. "Good night, Dad."

Anakin looked over at the chrono before saying, "More like good morning."

Luke chuckled and disappeared into his room.

Anakin watched him go before he turned his gaze to the sky as his thoughts, once again, drifted to his nightmare.

Ahsoka leaned back in her seat as the shuttle glided through the churning blue-white tunnel of hyperspace. Her eyes closed as she reached out into the Force; despite her master's dislike of meditation, Ahsoka had grown to like it. She had sometimes spent her time with her apprentice meditating in the Room of a Thousand Fountains when they weren't training in other methods.

Ahsoka thought about her apprentice. Mara Jade was brought to the Temple when she was older than was usually allowed. Though the Council had lifted the ban on familial relationships, they still didn't accept anyone over a certain age even though they allowed them to maintain contact with their family. However, Mara's parents didn't want her to join the Jedi Order but when they were killed when she was six and, since she had no other family to live with, the Jedi invited her to join the Order.

Ahsoka didn't know what drew her to Mara, what made her choose Mara as her apprentice. Mara had been ten when Ahsoka had chosen her as her apprentice and they had developed a friendship during the years they've been together though they had little in common. It made Ahsoka think of her own apprenticeship to Anakin though they had more in common than they had originally thought.

"Master?"

Ahsoka turned to find Mara standing in the cockpit of the ship. "Yes Mara?" she said.

"I finished looking up information on the Unknown Regions," Mara said sounding bored. "There wasn't much."

"I didn't think there was," Ahsoka admitted, "but it gave you something to do since there really isn't much else we can do. This ship isn't big enough for lightsaber training."

Mara handed her the datapad containing her findings before sitting down in the co-pilot's seat. "How long until we reach the Unknown Regions?" she asked.

Ahsoka turned in her seat before looking at the navicomputer to see the time of arrival. "A couple of hours," she said.

"So we're just going to see if the fleet's there and report back?" asked Mara.

Ahsoka nodded. "Mara, what do you think about what happened on Thustra and Bellassa?" She was curious because she knew that many didn't think the attacks were coincidences; there was no such thing as luck after all.

"They weren't coincidence," said Mara confirming that she believed the same thing Ahsoka did. "Stands to reason they're connected."

"While it's likely, we don't know for sure if they are," said Ahsoka.

"We should try to find them," said Mara.

"Easier said than done, Mara." Ahsoka turned to face the door leading into the cockpit as it opened and Obi-Wan walked into it with Kira just behind him.

"What's easier said than done?" Kira asked.

"Finding the dark Jedi," Ahsoka said.

"There's got to be some clues to where they are," said Mara.

"Jinn said that when the dark Jedi escaped, he had been ordered back to the ship and the dark Jedi on Bellassa stopped chasing Jenica. They might have taken precautions to make sure there were no clues to their whereabouts," Obi-Wan said.

"It's likely that they did," Ahsoka said.

A few hours later, Ahsoka was alerted that they were about to drop out of hyperspace and she brought herself from her doze. Taking the shuttle off autopilot, she pulled the hyperspace lever and the mottled lanes faded to starlines that in turn vanished to be replaced by real space. Ahsoka turned the scanners on because she couldn't see anything and she wondered if the fleet, if it was really there, was further in the system.

"Are we here?" Mara asked lifting her head.

"Yes we are," said Ahsoka. "But there's no fleet and the scanners are picking up anything. Then again, the scanners are only short-range so it could be further in system."

Mara stood up before stretching. "I'll go wake up Master Kenobi and Kira," she said before she left the cockpit.

Ahsoka turned her gaze to the viewport as the shuttle continued to glide through the silence of space though the scanners still didn't pick up anything. The Togruta wondered if Lirka was wrong about the fleet but that thought vanished when a chime signaling that the scanners had picked up something chimed.

Ahsoka glanced at the display screen and her eyes widened when she saw the many dots that represented ships that appeared on the screen. Despite the scanner's shot-range, it was still able to pick up ships before anyone could physically see them. Realizing that, Ahsoka stopped the shuttle to keep it from flying closer to the fleet.

Mara made her way back into the cockpit with Obi-Wan and Kira just behind her before she stopped when she saw the display. "Where'd they come from?" she asked.

"We must have gotten close enough for the scanners to find them," Ahsoka said worriedly. "But if we know they're here then they might know we're here."

"I believe this is enough proof that the fleet exists," Obi-Wan said. "Let's head back."

Ahsoka nodded in agreement before she began the sequence to make the jump back to hyperspace only to stop when she noticed that the fleet was moving—

Toward them.

"They know we're here," she said.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan said. "How long before the navicomputer can get the coordinates?"

"It shouldn't take too long and they're still far from us. We can travel in real space while we're waiting. That'll put some distance between—"

"I think that plan just went out the window, Master," Mara said.

Ahsoka followed Mara's gaze and shock went through her when she saw a squadron of starfighters flying toward them. Her eyes widened when she recognized the design. "Droid fighters!"

"I thought all the droid factories were found and shut down when the Separatists were disband," Kira said as she grabbed the back of Mara's chair when Ahsoka began to take evasive action to avoid the turbolaser fire that came toward them from the fighters.

"Apparently, we missed one," Obi-Wan said gripping the back of Ahsoka's chair as she spun to avoid more blasterfire. "Oh blast, this is why…"

"Yes, we all know you hate flying," Ahsoka said through gritted teeth as she did another corkscrew large eyes narrowing and lekku twitching in irritation when she noticed the fighters were fanning out to encircle her. "Blast it, we should have seen this coming."

"We weren't expecting droid fighters, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said. "Representative Lirka never mentioned anything about fighters when she told Padmé about the rumors."

"They're preventing us from making the jump to hyperspace, Obi-Wan," Ahsoka said. "But they aren't trying to destroy us. If they were then we would be stardust by now."

"They were obviously programmed to not destroy us," said Obi-Wan.

"But why?" Mara said frowning. "I would've thought they'd kill us to prevent the Republic from learning about them."

"Speaking of that, send a quick message to the Council," Obi-Wan said.

Mara turned around in her seat before her fingers flew across the console and the hologram of Mace Windu appeared before them. "Padawan Jade," Windu greeted her.

"Master Windu, we found the fleet on the edge of the Unknown Regions," Mara said without preamble.

"So the rumors are true?"

"Yes but we're being attacked by droid fighters."

"Droid fighters? But we shut down all the droid factories when the Separatists were disbanded."

"That's what Kira said, Master," said Mara.

"Can you…jump…out of…" Windu said but his speech was broken up and Ahsoka looked up while Mara scowled as Windu's hologram disappeared.

"They're jamming our transmissions," she said. "What do we do now?"

Ahsoka shook her head; she didn't know. "We need to get away from these fighters and make the jump to hyperspace," she said twisting the control yoke around to avoid another droid fighter.

Suddenly, the droid fighters pulled back and Ahsoka's eyes widened as a huge dreadnought suddenly appeared in front of her; its silver-gray hull devoid of battle scars though it didn't look as if it had just come from a shipyard. It looked old and yet it's obviously never seen signs of battle. "Oh blast, this isn't good," she said.

Suddenly, the shuttle shuddered violently and Ahsoka glanced sharply at the console before she began attempting to break free from the tractor beam's hold on the ship but it was futile.

"And this is worse," Kira said.

"Blast it, not again," Obi-Wan said at the same time ignoring the surprised looks Kira and Mara were giving him. Ahsoka didn't; she kept her eyes fixed on the dreadnought as it gradually drew closer.

Siri Tachi felt her husband's danger through their bond. It jolted her from her meditation and she, worried, reached out toward her husband. 'Obi-Wan, what's going on?' she sent through the Force.

'We found the fleet but they took us by surprise with droid fighters,' Obi-Wan sent back.

Siri frowned. 'Droid fighters but I thought…'

'So did I, Siri, but we, apparently, missed one. And they've got us caught in a tractor beam,' Obi-Wan replied.

'I'm surprised they didn't kill you on sight,' Siri admitted though she was relieved that her husband and her daughter were all right for the time being.

'If they wanted us dead then they would have killed us already. No, whoever controls this fleet wants us alive. I wish I knew why.'

'I wish I knew too, Obi-Wan.'

"Mom?" Jinn said breaking Siri out of her conversation with her husband. She blinked before looking over at her son who stood in the doorway leading to her room; worry drifted off him in tendrils and Siri knew that Kira had likely filled him in on what happened.

"I've already told Uncle Anakin what happened," Jinn said as Siri stood up and walked over to join her son. "He and Luke are already waiting outside the Council Chamber."

Siri led the way out of the apartment and toward the chamber and Jinn fell into step beside her. "What I'm wondering is why didn't they kill them when they arrived?" Jinn asked after they walked in silence for a while.

Siri shook her head. "This is getting more confusing with each new thing that happens," she said.

Jinn nodded in agreement.

They reached the Council Chamber to find Anakin pacing while Luke watched him. Luke noticed them first and then Anakin lifted his head. "Did you learn anything from Obi-Wan, Siri?" he asked.

"No more than what you know," Siri said before she felt the summons from the Council and led the way into the Council chamber with her son, Anakin and Luke just behind her.

The Jedi Council members who were present looked grave. Yoda was the first one to speak. "Confirmed that true the rumors are but expect this we did not," he said closing his eyes. "Feel the dark side I do. Clouded the future is."

Anakin frowned. "I thought that cloud was lifted when I killed Palpatine," he said.

"Back it is," said Yoda. "Feel it I do."

"Could it be those dark Jedi, Master Yoda?" Jinn asked.

"Possible it is. However, centered not only on the fleet this feeling is but also on Coruscant."

"On Coruscant? You mean there's a dark Jedi here?" Luke said. "Wouldn't we have sensed him?"

"Coruscant's a big planet, son," Anakin said, "and he could have shielded his presence."

"Why would he reveal himself now then?" Siri asked.

"Know that I do not. Know only that revealed to be on Coruscant, a dark Jedi has been. Here for a purpose, this dark Jedi is."

"We need to find this dark Jedi. He's on Coruscant for a reason," said Windu.

"What about Dad?" Jinn asked.

"Take care of himself Obi-Wan can, Padawan," Yoda said.

"But…?"

"Master Yoda's right, Jinn," Anakin said. "I'm worried too but we have our own problem to deal with here on Coruscant. We need to find this dark Jedi before he does something. Besides, it's not like Obi-Wan's alone."

"You're right," Jinn said though it didn't sound like he really liked it. "So what do we do now?"

"Find this dark Jedi we must," Yoda said.

"Where do we begin to look?" Luke asked with a frown. "He could be anywhere."

"Be patient we must. Find him with the Force we can."

Jinn had his eyes closed and Siri could feel him reaching out with the Force. She could sense that the rest were doing the same thing hoping to find the dark Jedi and she found herself wondering the same thing Luke was wondering; why did the dark Jedi reveal himself?

"The Senate Building," Anakin said eyes snapping open.

"But why would they go to the Senate Building?" Luke said also opening his eyes. "I thought the dark Jedi told Jenica he wanted to destroy the Jedi."

"Jenica also said that the dark Jedi told her that he wanted to succeed in what Palpatine failed to do, son, and Palpatine wanted to take over the Republic," said Anakin. "That could be why this dark Jedi is at the Senate Building."

"Send someone to the Senate Building we will," Yoda said.

"Luke and I can go," Anakin said.

Yoda looked over at him before nodding and adding, "Warn Chancellor Mothma someone must as well."

"I can contact Leia," Luke said already pulling out his comlink. "She's likely with the Chancellor now."

"I swear that girl is more stubborn than your mother," Anakin muttered.

"And you aren't stubborn, right?" Luke said teasingly as he dialed his sister's frequency.

"Not at all," Anakin said.

"And banthas can also fly," Jinn said.

Anakin glared at him. "You got that from your father," he muttered.

Jinn smirked.

"Leia, are you with the Chancellor?" Luke was saying into his comlink.

"Yes I'm with her, Luke. What's the matter?" Leia's voice asked.

"We don't know exactly but we're sensing a dark Jedi at the Senate Building."

"I sensed him too. I've already told Mon about him but he isn't anywhere near her office," Leia said. "We don't want to tip of the dark Jedi that we know where he is though so I told Mon not to tell anyone."

"Probably a good idea," Anakin said. "We're heading over there now to try to find him."

"Do you think it's the same one who attacked Mom?" Leia asked.

"That or the same one who attacked Jenica," Luke said.

"I suggest you stay where you are, Leia," Anakin said.

"I wasn't planning on leaving," Leia said. "Mon has a lot of stuff for me to do anyway. Be careful, Dad, Luke."

"We will, Leia, don't worry," Luke said before he disconnected the transmission and put the comlink away.

"Come on, Luke. Let's go catch us a dark Jedi," Anakin said with a small smile.

Luke smiled back.

"Masters." Anakin inclined his head to the Council before he and Luke left the chamber.

"I still don't understand why the dark Jedi revealed himself," Siri said with a frown. "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't reveal himself like this if he wanted an attack on the Senate to succeed."

"More at play there is," Yoda said gravelly.

"It seems odd that Obi-Wan happens to be captured around the same time that we sense a dark Jedi on Coruscant. It seems we keep running into all of these coincidences. I am convinced that all of this is connected somehow," Windu said.

"It is odd that all of these sets of coincidences occurred one after another," Siri said. "I agree, Master Windu. Everything's that's happened has to be connected somehow but how?"

"Perhaps the dark Jedi are the key," Stass Allie said.

"Possible it is," Yoda said. "Very possible."

A/n what do you think?

Darth: assassination attempts in the first chapter, capture and attack in the second chapter, what's next?

Blaze: yeah, I know but I like getting to the action quickly

Darth: master of understatement

Blaze: (pushes Darth into pool of sherbet)

Darth: YUM!

Blaze: (rolls eyes)

Anakin: what's going to happen in the next chapter?

Blaze: a look into Sicarius's POV as well as the dark Jedi Jinn fought and Sicarius's apprentice. Just a note, the dark Jedi Jinn fought and Sicarius's apprentice are NOT the same person (I don't think I made that clear in the story).

Darth: maybe that's just you

Blaze: maybe. Please review, they are much appreciated, and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.