DISCLAIMER: *pounces on Glorfindel and resnatches the Ring* Hell yes! The One Ring of Unlimited Copyright Privileges! It's mine, all mine! Mwahaha- *squawks in indignation as Mace Windu sneaks up, headslaps and steals Ring* HEY!
Tis not mine. All I own is four different versions of the LOTR DVDs, two copies of the books, four Star Wars-based PC games, a book of The Jedi Path, the prequel trilogy DVDs, three plastic lightsabres, a Darth Vader keychain, a fanfiction account and a growing working knowledge of the Sindarin language. Dear Valar, I sound obsessed... Oh, wait...
I'd just like to say that, while I may have not replied to each individual review, I LOVE YOU ALL. You have completely stroked my ego and made me blush. I'm honoured to be so highly admired as a crossover author- I'm seriously humbled by your guys' praise. I don't know what to say beyond thank you, one and all! I've been a major fan of Star Wars (oh, hell, I know some of the extended canon dating back to the days of Exar Kun) for years, and I've been a Tolkienist since I was twelve or so- I'm so pleased that my love of these fandoms comes across so much in this story. ^^
Arrowhead1996: I agree with you- these are two of my greatest loves- wait, they ARE my greatest fiction loves. XD I'm glad you're loving this crossover!
Falca: Thank you! I tried hard to get the characters accurate, so I'm pleased my effort shows. ^^
Species Unknown: Okay, okay, here's more! XD I can certainly try for longer chapters if you so desire.
Christofer Morton: And lo, for there is more! XD
When Zara awoke the next morning, she found herself to be the only Jedi still on the talan. Glancing up at the sky, she saw it was still fairly early in the morning- still though, she felt a slight feeling of guilt, knowing that her Master would probably have been awake hours earlier- meditating first, then going through the motions of a lightsabre kata or five before breakfast.
Despite Cin Drallig's best efforts over the last eight years, Zara had yet to appreciate the still hours of the morning as he did. Jedi or not, she was still a teenager who insisted she slept better in the morning than early night.
Pulling her robe on, Zara lightly slipped down the tree, disregarding the ladder hanging off the talan. After seeing the Elves climb effortlessly through the trees yesterday, she was determined to master the art of scaling the branches of the enormous trees of Lothlorien. Luckily, the injuries she'd sustained in the crash of the ship seemed to be healing remarkably quickly, even without any bacta on the planet. She wasn't sure if that was due entirely to the Force-healing she'd been focusing on her wounds (a feat she'd never particularly excelled at), or perhaps due to the environment itself- the Force flowed very easily through Lothlorien, and felt remarkably attuned to the Light Side- rather like the Jedi Temple. But it felt very different here- the Force thrived off the nature of the forest, something Zara rarely got to experience in such a mechanized galaxy filled with droids and ships capable of moving faster than light. It felt far more... ancient, she supposed would be a correct adjective to describe the Force here. She imagined this was what the Unified Force felt like- connecting the past to the present and the future all in one. I wonder what Master Yoda would make of this place, and of the Lady Galadriel. The Force flows so strongly here, especially around them- I wonder if Elves are Force-sensitive?
Obi-Wan was meditating at the bottom of the tree when Zara descended. "Took you long enough to wake up, sleepy-head," he said with a teasing grin, unfolding himself from his meditation position.
"Oh, shut up." Zara sat down on a root of the tree and helped herself to a piece of white, sweet bread. "Where are our Masters?" she asked, looking around.
"Yours is exploring or meditating, I think," said Obi-Wan, leaning against the silvery bark of the tree, "and mine is talking to some of the Elves. He's seeing if there's a way for us to possibly get back to the crash site, or if there's possibly something here we could utilize to contact the Temple."
"I doubt that," said Zara. "The technology here seems to be rather non-existent."
"Yes." Obi-Wan sighed and nibbled at a berry. "I think that, if there's no other way for us to get off planet, he's going to speak to Lord Celeborn and see if we might be of service to this planet, with this war that's approaching. I heard him and Master Cin talking about it earlier, before they left."
Zara nodded, thinking. "I think it's the will of the Force that we're here- it feels right to be involved with this war. It almost feels like, I don't know..." She paused, searching for the right words. "You know how the Masters say that all life is connected through the Force, even the life that isn't known by anyone else in the galaxy?"
"Yes," mused Obi-Wan. "I've been thinking about that too. I think that any major shift in the Force here would reach beyond this planet- even if no one else knows what the cause is, it could very affect the entire galaxy."
"And if the forces of darkness win here..." Zara frowned. "That... I don't want to think about what would happen then!"
"Me neither." Obi-Wan shuddered. "And if these people discovered hyperspace technology..."
Quickly swallowing the bite of food in her mouth, Zara abruptly stood, trying to quell the thoughts of a new enemy in the galaxy. "Can we talk about something else?"
"Gladly." Obi-Wan stood as well, stretching his shoulders. "I was walking earlier and found a clearing without too many Elves that seem to populate it- shall we spar?"
Zara thought for about four seconds before nodding in agreement. There'd been little enough space on the ship to do more than stretching, forget lightsabre practice, and yesterday had been so full of meeting the residents of the planet that there'd been no time to spar. "Lead the way, Kenobi."
"Certainly!" Obi-Wan started to walk in a southerly direction, going for a few minutes before the two Padawans arrived at a small clearing between two large trees. There seemed to be no Elves nearby- glacing up, Zara could see no movements of grey-clad figures amongst the branches of the trees. She glanced back down in time to see Obi-Wan drop his robe over a large root, ignite his lightsabre and bring the blue blade up in a salute. "Ready?"
"To kick your backside into next week?" Zara grinned and ignited her own green 'sabre- without her strict Master nearby, she didn't feel at all bad about a bit of taunting with her friend. "Is Master Yoda green?"
"I dunno, in some lights he looks more grey..." Obi-Wan grinned and settled into an Ataru opening stance. "Ladies first."
Rolling her eyes, Zara pounced at Obi-Wan, lightsabre held in a Makashi grip, aiming at Obi-Wan's wrist. Grinning, the young man stepped back, parrying her attack and countering with a strike at her upper arm.
Slash. Stab. Block. Parry. Flurry. Strike. Lightsabres hissed and crackled as the two young Jedi danced around the clearing, seeking to disarm the other, unaware of an observer...
Frodo darted into the pavilion where the Fellowship had been housed. "You must come and see this! Quickly!"
Gimli, who had been dozing, jumped to his feet, one hand automatically reaching for his favourite axe. "What? What?"
Boromir was already on his feet, grasping the hilt of his sword. "Is there a problem, Frodo?"
"No- well, I don't think so." Frodo glanced back in the direction he had come from. "But you have to see this- I think this is how Jedi fight!"
That got the attention of the other seven walkers- Aragorn was off speaking with Master Qui-Gon and a couple other Elves. Legolas himself had been with some of his Elven kin, and had only dropped into the pavilion a moment before Frodo had come rushing in- the Elf's curiosity overrode his desire to go back to discussing archery pointers with Annoderu and Eruvadhor. "What do they use, Frodo?"
"Swords, I think, but they're swords of light or fire!" Frodo was already returning to the source of his excitement, with an energy that Merry or Pippin more often displayed than the older, more solemn Hobbit. "I've never seen such weapons before!"
"That is strange," mused Gimli as he lumbered after Frodo. "Where are- what is that noise I hear?" Indeed, a strange humming noise could be heard, interrupted with sparking and clashing sounds.
"That's them and their weapons," said Frodo. "It's Obi-Wan and Zara- the two young ones. I've never seen anything like this..."
Following the small Hobbit, Boromir looked around the base of an enormous mallorn. Nothing in his travels or battles resembled the scene that met his eyes even remotely- the two Jedi children were circling each other, strange weapons at the ready. As Frodo had said, they were like strange swords in appearance, but glowing with an inner fire of sorts. The girl, Zara, wielded a long green blade, while the boy, Obi-Wan, held a blue weapon. The hilts were like nothing the Gondorian captain had ever seen- small metal cylinders, with the light blades emitting out of one end.
Even as the Fellowship watched, Obi-Wan jumped in the air- several feet, Boromir noted, his jaw dropping as the boy effortlessly leaped over Zara's head, swinging his blade at her head. With speed to rival even an Elf, the girl elegantly dropped out of the way, her weapon darting up to block her partner's attack. As Obi-Wan landed on his feet, Zara flicked her wrist, aiming a hit at the youth's exposed arm. Yet Obi-Wan danced backward, bringing his blade around to catch the other's attack before he swung at her legs. Almost casually, Zara jumped over the blade and somersaulted over Obi-Wan, striking at his shoulders. Sparks flew as the two blades collided with each other, but neither fighter noticed, swiftly dancing away from each other before Zara pounced again.
Beside Boromir, Sam had numbly dropped onto his backside, staring at the strangers. "But... how?..."
"I... I don't know, Master Samwise," said Gimli, mesmerized by the battle before him. "I've never..."
Legolas numbly shook his head. "Nor have I, and I have walked on this earth for far longer than any of you. This... this is something never seen in Arda before, even during the Elder Days in the height of Elven power."
"You don't think they're trying to hurt each other?" asked Merry worriedly as he eyed the two fighting youth.
Boromir thought for a moment, eyeing the way both youth handled themselves, before shaking his head. "No. This looks like a sparring session, such as what youth in Gondor learn- but with powers we have never even dreamed- Legolas, who is on the other side of the clearing?" His eyes, though not as sharp as an Elf's or a Ranger's, had caught a glimpse of a brown robe beyond the fighting Jedi.
"Master Cin," said Legolas. "We shall know soon enough how close to typical this is of their kind- he said he was an instructor in Jedi combat when we spoke yesterday."
As the Company watched, the older Man stepped fully into the clearing, closely watching the combatants before him. Neither youth heeded him- both were focused solely on the other and the duel at hand.
"Kenobi!" said Master Cin suddenly, his voice taking on a bite that Boromir had heard many times from his own instructors over the years. "You're leaving your left side open too often. Zara, that block was sloppy- tighten up!"
The older Jedi had no verbal response forthcoming from his charges, yet both students seemed to acknowledge the orders and shifted their stances just a little bit- to an inexperienced observer, there was very little notable difference. To the eyes of a warrior such as Boromir, the fight began to change from a casual spar between friends to a high-powered, intense battle between two competitors. Both teens began to strike and block much harder, an intensity not seen before in their movements. Without verbally acknowledging Master Cin, they both seemed to heed his instructions and altered the fight as directed.
The fight started to move faster, blades disappearing into blurs of coloured light. Both competitors danced around the clearing faster, seeking openings and weaknesses in their opponents, often flipping or jumping over the other to attack or avoid. And through it all, their teacher's voice barking out orders. "Taerich, I want you practising on Ataru, not Shii-Cho. Kenobi, what kind of a Soresu block was that? Tighten that up! The Force is your ally- use it."
Landing on a back stance, Obi-Wan surprised his observers by raising a hand, palm outward, and pushing his hand forward into the air. To everyone's surprise and alarm, Zara flew backward a few metres and landed on the side of a tree, seemingly stunned. But before even Legolas could do so much as to stand up, the girl was back on her feet and in the air, swiping at Obi-Wan's neck.
"Control, Kenobi- that was sloppy!" Master Cin frowned. "Taerich, you're letting your guard slip if he could get you that easily with a Force push. Awareness of everything!" As he spoke, he looked up at the Fellowship on the other side of the dell, but made no other acknowledgement as to their presence. Neither student seemed to notice their audience, so focused were they on the battle at hand.
Boromir suddenly caught a glimpse of another brown robe. Master Qui-Gon appeared between two other trees, Aragorn and two Lorien Elves beside him. The older Jedi observed the battle without expression, folding his arms over his chest. Beside him, Aragorn was staring with open interest- evidently, not even the Ranger had seen anything like this before. Boromir wasn't sure why he felt a sudden bit of satisfaction at this knowledge.
In the clearing, Obi-Wan suddenly pounced high in the air, aiming for a strike against Zara's neck. The girl, however, jumped backward and flicked her hand at Obi-Wan. He flinched as though he'd been hit in the chest- off-balance, he landed a bit short of his target, giving Zara a chance to flick her blade up from under the boy's guard and come to a stop beside his neck. Realizing defeat, Obi-Wan froze in place, weapon dropping to hang by his side.
Silence reigned for a moment longer before Master Cin spoke. "At ease."
Upon the Battlemaster's instruction to return to a resting stance, Obi-Wan gracefully stepped back, lightsabre still raised in salute to Zara. He could feel sweat running down his back and face, and was grateful for a break to rest his out-of-shape body. He called on the Force to centre himself, refreshing his fatigued muscles. Opposite him, he could sense the Force moving around Zara in a similar fashion- the girl was breathing hard, and the strands of red hair that had escaped the hair tie were plastered to her face with sweat, but her eyes shone with the pleasure that a sparring session granted. It was a popular theory among their Temple age-mates that Zara would follow in her Master's footsteps as a combat master, a theory that Obi-Wan whole-heartedly supported.
Speaking of Master Drallig, the Battlemaster approached both Padawans, expression inscrutable. "Rest, Padawans."
With a touch of the button, the lightsabre in Obi-Wan's hand deactivated. He let his hand drop to his side, waiting Master Drallig's critiques. It seemed that the criticisms did not get any easier as his students progressed- if anything, Cin Drallig was known to be a strict instructor who did not accept compromise. Obi-Wan suspected that he knew full well of his nickname of "Troll" with the students he taught, and seemed to take pleasure in keeping that reputation alive and well within the Temple.
"Your first lesson for today is to always be aware of your surroundings. Even in the middle of combat." Master Drallig glanced up briefly, looking at something beyond the clearing. Following the older Jedi's gaze, Obi-Wan was startled to realize he and Zara had attracted a large gathering of observers. Elves were gathered in the branches over the clearing, a few with weapons near to hand, and the humanoids who had been with Aragorn were sitting or standing a few metres away, all wearing similar expressions of shock upon their faces. Qui-Gon had returned sometime during the lesson and was standing with Aragorn, Orophin and... Aglargelair, if Obi-Wan remembered correctly, on the edge of the dell. The Master's expression betrayed nothing of his thoughts, although Obi-Wan could just sense his pride through the Force. Well done, Padawan. Your Soresu has improved substantially.
Thank you, Master. Trying to master his pleasure at a compliment from his Master, Obi-Wan returned his focus to Master Drallig in time to hear his next words. "Second lesson- Obi-Wan, I've seen more focused Force-pushes from Younglings. That was fairly effective, but clumsy. If Zara had been focusing like she should have been-" Zara lowered her head, knowing her own flaw in the fight "- she would barely have stumbled from that. You must be aware of everything, but do not let what you sense inhibit your ability to focus on the task at hand. If you were fighting a fallen Jedi or, Force forbid, a Sith Lord, either of those flaws would have cost you the battle, if not your lives. Third point, a Shien block-" and here Master Drallig ignited his lightsabre to demonstrate- "functions in such a manner. What that was, Zara, was a cross between Shien and Shii-Cho- very creative, but was it effective?"
"No, Master." Zara shook her head, seeing her mistake.
"No. Third point- Obi-Wan, your Soresu has improved quite a bit. Your Master has taught you well, it seems. But this attack-" Master Drallig demonstrated "-is more effective from an Ataru style. You seem to do well in that style, I would continue focusing on that. A better strike in Soresu would ideally..."
The critiques went on for another ten minutes. When Master Drallig finally ran out of points to mention for improvement of either teen, both bowed respectfully to the senior Jedi and turned to leave the clearing. Neither got much further than a few strides before they were accosted by tiny humanoids- Hobbits, if Obi-Wan remembered.
"What was that?" cried Pippin, in evident awe of what he had just witnessed.
"I've never seen anything like that," said Legolas as the Elf approached the Jedi- Obi-Wan thought he caught a glimpse of what looked like heightened respect in those ancient-looking eyes, even for Zara. "Do all of your people fight in such a manner?"
"For the most part," said Obi-Wan, picking up his robe from the tree root. "There are some variations, but most Jedi use the same fighting style as what we use."
"Aye, though sometimes with different or multiple weapons," spoke up Zara, untying her hair to shake it out. "Some of the other Jedi in our order use two lightsabres, or one lightsabre specially built to have two blades-"
"Lightsabres? Is that what those are called?" One of the humans, Boromir, curiously eyed the steel tubes, which now hung off their owners' belts.
"Yes. We build them ourselves when we are chosen as apprentices-" began Obi-Wan.
"You build your own weapons? How do you create objects such as that?" Gimli- the bearded man who called himself a Dwarf- stared openly at both lightsabre hilts. "Only our skilled smiths can build our weapons!"
"It involves a couple days of meditation in certain caves, a crystal and some necessary parts," said Zara, unclipping her lightsabre to display. "Look, but do not touch- these blades will cut through anything, and I do mean anything, including steel and human flesh."
Frodo eyed the lightsabre hilt curiously. "How long did it take to learn how to use these weapons?"
Obi-Wan thought for a moment. "We first began to train with low-power versions of these weapons when we were about four standard years old, and built our first full-power versions between ages ten and twelve-"
"Four?" Boromir's jaw dropped. "Four years of age? Our children are still with their mothers at that age- no lad picks up a sword for training until they are at least eight or nine years old!"
"I would assume most people are like that," said Obi-Wan. "But as Master Qui-Gon explained yesterday, we're separated from our families before our second birthdays and start training as soon as we can walk. The only family we have are the children we grow up with in the Temple, and the Masters who teach us when we're old enough."
"I scarcely believe that," said Gimli. "But why are you trained to fight from such a young age? The only time we give children weapons- or women, for that matter- is if our destruction is imminent, and even then, they're usually fleeing!"
"We have to be ready to be in combat situations when we're teenagers and apprenticed out," explained Obi-Wan. "We're usually fully Knighted- considered adults in our order- by the time we turn twenty standard years old, twenty-five at the most, and we have to have the practical knowledge of the galaxy by that time. We get that knowledge through accompanying adult Masters of our order and learning from them as children, so we're fully prepared by the time we're adults ourselves."
"And it takes ten years to learn this?" asked Boromir incredulously.
"Sometimes longer. Children can be chosen as apprentices at age nine and not be Knighted until they're twenty-six," said Zara with a shrug. "Others are chosen around age thirteen and are Knighted close to nineteen. But our system seems to work well enough for our people. And lifelong training makes us very skilled diplomats and nearly-unbeatable warriors. Besides," and here she smiled, "our lightsabres are extremely difficult to master- nearly impossible for one who is not Force-sensitive or trained from such a young age."
Legolas shook his head in disbelief. "Your ways are strange to us." He eyed the lightsabres. "But your fighting is... interesting. How do you manage to do such feats, such as jumping over each other? And... that throw... Are you certain you did not sustain injury from that, child?"
Both Padawans looked at each other, before attempting to explain midichlorians and the Force to these primitive peoples.
Leaving the teenagers to converse with the Middle-earthling humanoids that had come to speak, Cin strode to Qui-Gon and the natives with him. Aragorn was staring at him with open disbelief and admiration, while the Elves... were just staring. Cin could sense awe radiating in the Force around them.
"You're doing well with them, Master Troll" said Qui-Gon with a smile. "I don't usually get to watch you in the midst of teaching any more."
"Oh, so you've heard that term of affection as well?" Cin laughed.
"Oh, yes. The first few times I heard that, I thought Obi-Wan was referring to Yoda, until I heard Garen and Bant talking between classes a few years ago."
"No, Master Yoda's the 'damn little green troll'," said Cin with a grin. "I'm just the Troll. With a capital letter, if I recall correctly." He turned to the native Middle-earthlings, trying to further gauge their thoughts. "What think you of our combat styles?"
One of the Elves- Aglargelair, if Cin recalled correctly from the introductions the day before- numbly shook his head. "Do all of your people fight so?"
"The ones in the Jedi Order do, to varying extents. Obi-Wan and Zara are two of the best fighters in their age group," said Cin, proud of his students' accomplishments with lightsabres.
Aragorn finally managed to close his previously-hanging open mouth. "It... appears that we may have underestimated the skills of the children of your people, Master Cin. How advanced the grown men of your order must be!"
Qui-Gon smiled. "Our advantage is that we've had many more years' experience with our weapons. I personally have trained for the last fifty-five years with the lightsabre and the Force."
"Lightsabres..." Aglargelair contemplatively eyed the weapon that hung off the Knight's belt. "Of what substance are your weapons? Their style is not known to our people."
"I imagine not." In one fluid motion, Cin unclipped his 'sabre and ignited the blue blade. "Their form is difficult to describe- in short, it's light that has been concentrated so that it will cut through almost anything- metal, flesh, wood, or even some types of stone. They're extremely difficult to master if one has not trained in their use since childhood."
"I see," said Aragorn softly. "Do your people use other weapons at all? For I would test your skill against mine, though I fear your blade would destroy mine." A brief grin pulled at the man's face as his eyes twinkled.
Cin smiled. "Indeed, we do know how to use other weapons. The lightsabre is our favourite, though we use whips, staffs or metal swords when need be. And I would be very interested to see your own combat styles, sir."
"Indeed." Qui-Gon grinned. "Cin is one of the best instructors in the art of lightsabre combat in our order."
"You flatter me," said Cin with a grin. To Aragorn and the Elves, "Qui-Gon belittles his own talent with a blade- he is renowned across our galaxy for being one of the best with a blade that the Jedi have produced. His apprentice Obi-Wan is following in his footsteps as a lightsabre master."
"If either of you fight like your students, I should fear to be an enemy of the Jedi- even a small female Jedi!" said Aragorn. "Well, let us find you a sword, that we may spar in the style of Middle-earth." The grin that had been hinted at earlier let itself be fully shown- evidently Aragorn was considered a swordsman in the eyes of his own people.
Cin grinned broadly. "I look forward to it!"
With exchanged looks, the Elves dropped back a pace, softly speaking to each other in their own languages. Aglargelair slipped away to find swords in a style that he hoped the Jedi would be most able to adapt to, while Orophin strode off to find his lord and lady. Lord Celeborn would do well to know of the power of these strange Jedi being sheltered in Lothlorien...
Celeborn frowned, stroking his chin with a large hand. "These Jedi are more powerful than I had foreseen. And those are just their children..."
Orophin nodded. "Yes, hir nin. I did not linger to witness a fight between Master Cin and Aragorn- I felt that the deeds of the Jedi students, you would desire to know."
"You felt correctly, Orophin." Lady Galadriel contemplatively studied her white hands, folded on her lap.
With a soft, barely-perceptible sigh, Celeborn turned and looked at his wife. "Are your thoughts on these strangers still the same, meleth nin?"
"No- I am now even more convinced of what course we might take." Galadriel looked up from her lap and to her husband. "We know that the Fellowship cannot linger here over long- with every passing day, their quest becomes more and more perilous. And two Men, four Halflings, an Elf and a Dwarf will not be enough to destroy the darkness that grows out of Mordor, Isengard and Dol Guldur."
"And we will need every able-bodied Elf to guard our own borders- we can spare none to guide the Company or aid in their quest beyond Lothlorien." Celeborn frowned. "But to ask this of such strangers, who know nothing of our peril, or even of our world?"
"Their anonymity may be to their advantage," countered Galadriel. "Sauron and Saruman know nothing of these Jedi strangers- and even should they discover their existence, I doubt that the full extent of their powers will be known by either enemy until the midst of battle. As well, if what Orophin reports is true, then only one of those Jedi, even the girl, would be worth at least a score of ordinary soldiers."
"This is true," mused Celeborn, turning away to look out from the talan to the branches of the mallorn trees. His keen Elven vision granted him a brief look at the distant ground- he could see the Jedi strangers kneeling together under another tree to meditate. He almost felt that he could feel currents of fate moving around the four Edain, sense the power within their mortal bodies. With another sigh he turned to face Orophin. "Summon the Fellowship and the Jedi strangers to our talan tonight, after dusk. We will speak with them then."
"Yes, hir nin." With a bow, Orophin departed the talan. No sooner had the Elf's back vanished then Galadriel rose to her feet, gliding to the door.
"You wish to consult your Mirror, meleth nin?" asked Celeborn as he stepped back from his wife's path.
"You know me well, my love," said Galadriel with a soft smile. Her smile disappeared, however, with her next words. "Also, I would speak to the Ringbearer of the choices that lay before him. I will not be long."
"Certainly, hiril nin." Celeborn watched his lady leave the talan before he wearily sat on his chair and sighed. Valar save us- what are we to do now?
"Has there been no contact from them at all?"
"No, Master Windu." Kit Fisto frowned worriedly. "Our last contact from Master Jinn was four days ago- they should have arrived on Dantooine yesterday. The planetary leaders contacted us just now to ask where our ambassadors were."
Mace Windu frowned and rubbed a hand over his face. "Any signs of their ship?"
"Not as of yet, Master." Kit started rapidly typing on his datapad. "It is as though their ship simply disappeared off the face of the galaxy without a trace."
"The hyperspace trail should still be trackable, however," said Mace. "Any word of pirates in that area?"
"No, not to the best of my knowledge." Kit looked up at the older Jedi. "What are your orders, Master?"
Mace sighed and rested his head in his hands, thinking. "Send a team to Dantooine to aid with their negotiations. And make preparations for two other teams to start searching for Master Jinn and Master Drallig and their apprentices."
"Yes, Master." Kit got to his feet and left the meditation chamber, leaving Mace alone for a moment. But before the Master could settle into a meditative state, Yoda hobbled into the chamber, a worried frown on his face.
Mace differentially bowed his head to the older Master. "Has the Force lent you any guidance, Master?"
"No more than what it lent you," grumbled Yoda, hopping onto the stool that Kit had vacated only moments sooner. "Clouded are their futures. Clearly sense them, I cannot."
"Nor I." Mace sighed. "My heart tells me that they're still alive, but no more than that. What should we do now?"
"The best course of action are we already following," said Yoda. "If fail the first search teams do, send others out and meditate further, we must. But now, seek the Force's counsel, we must."
Both Masters dropped into mediation, searching for the Force's will in this worrisome situation, or for the signatures of their missing colleagues and the lost students. But two hours' meditation only left more questions than answers.
Mace frowned, briefly letting himself feel a rather un-Jedi-like wave of frustration. Force dammit, where are they? And what's happened to them?
And you guys can all thank DarkAngel620 for the idea to have a lightsabre sparring match in the middle of Lothlorien. XD
Again, you guys completely make my day with your reviews. Even if I do forget to reply to you individually, let the record state that I *do* read them all, and I treasure them all. They are my precious- I mean, I love you guys immensely for reading and loving this story, and I welcome the ideas that your brilliant minds think of to make this story even more epic than it already is. :D
I'll try to have a new chapter out sometime soon-ish! Thanks for reading- I love you all!
-Xaja