Thank you to the 11 people who reviewed the last chapter and I hope that you like this chapter; reviews are much appreciated as always. Oh and what happens between Siri and Obi-Wan, it was inspired by what happened between Luke and Mara in Vision of the Future. And it might not seem realistic but it's how I see it as happening. It is AU for a reason. Also, since I got 11 reviews on the last chapter, 10 of which were in one day, I decided to give you all a treat and post this two days early. You're welcome.

Chapter 22

The explosion's shockwave knocked Jenica off her feet and she, once she scrambled back to her feet, whirled around before staring as the remnants of Durd's base crumbled and brilliant flames licked the sky. The explosion had taken out the entire base including the walls that surrounded the base and a meter of the forest on all sides of the base.

"Master!" Jenica cried starting to move back toward the base but Ferus grabbed her arm.

"We have to keep moving, Jenica," he said.

"But we can't just leave Master Obi-Wan and Master Tachi," Jenica protested.

"Our mission is to get Dr. Fhernan to safety, Jenica," Ferus said firmly. "I don't like leaving my master behind but we have to do our duty."

Jenica didn't like the idea of leaving her master behind but she knew that Ferus was right; they had to get Dr. Fhernan to the rendezvous point. She slowly nodded before she and Ferus dashed toward where Fhernan was; she had stopped a few meters ahead of them to watch the explosion.

"Where are we going?" Fhernan asked.

"That way. The rendezvous point is five kilometers that way," Ferus said pointing north of their current position.

Fhernan nodded and the three of them began moving again although Jenica kept glancing back at the ruins of Durd's base stretching out with the Force in an attempt to see if her master was still alive. She felt a faint flicker of a Force presence and latched on to it before reaching further into the Force to determine who it belonged to. She breathed a sigh of relief when she discovered it belonged to her master.

Her master was still alive but he was unconscious.

"I felt them too," Ferus said looking relieved. "They're alive."

"Thank the Force," Jenica breathed.

She, Ferus and Fhernan continued their quick trek through the forest toward the rendezvous point and Jenica found herself wondering how her master and Master Tachi would make it to the rendezvous point. She didn't even know how they managed to survive that explosion either.

She decided she would ask them when they were reunited.

Siri focused entirely on keeping the fallen debris above her and Obi-Wan's head. Obi-Wan had been knocked unconscious when the two of them had been knocked into the courtyard and a large piece of flying debris hit Obi-Wan in the head because he knocked Siri out of the way. Then the entire building began collapsing on top of them and now Siri was focused entirely on keeping the duracrete and ferrocrete that would have crushed them above their heads.

She gazed at the man she loved, the man who saved her life twice now, and she swallowed before gazing up at the debris she held above her head with the Force. It was taking a lot of energy only because the debris was heavy as if she was holding the entire building above her head and she felt she couldn't hold the building above her head for much longer.

"Obi-Wan," she called gritting her teeth. "Obi-Wan, please wake up. I can't hold it for much longer!"

Obi-Wan stirred groaning before blinking open gray-blue eyes and lifting his head. His eyes went wide when he saw how close the debris was to them and he quickly lashed out with the Force to grab hold of the building alongside Siri. He scrambled to his knees gritting his teeth as he struggled to push the debris away but, since it was a sizable portion of the building, it was nearly impossible.

"It's not…It's not working," Siri gasped. "We need…we need to get out of here."

"If we release the debris then we…then we won't have a chance to get out here," Obi-Wan said.

"What do we do?"

Obi-Wan shook his head clearly at a loss of what to do.

Siri swallowed before stretching out a hand and taking Obi-Wan's in hers. "If this is the end," she said quietly, "then I want you to know something."

"Siri, this isn't the end," Obi-Wan said determinably.

"But if it is," Siri said quietly gripping Obi-Wan's hand; now her attention was divided between the debris above their heads and Obi-Wan. She knew she should be focusing on the debris but she found, if she didn't survive, she wanted Obi-Wan to know the truth.

"Obi-Wan," she said quietly, "I still love you. I never stopped loving you. If this is the end for us then I want you to know the truth."

Obi-Wan stared before he squeezed Siri's hand. "I love you too," he whispered.

Despite that it wasn't a very good time, Siri leaned forward before gently pressing her lips to Obi-Wan's. Obi-Wan kissed her back and the Force seemed to flare brightly around them. In fact, Siri felt the love she felt for Obi-Wan swirl around her connecting with Obi-Wan. The Force sang in her mind, urging her to release her mental shields.

She didn't know why the Force was telling her to do that but she listened to the Force and lowered her mental shields. She could feel Obi-Wan doing the same thing; their thoughts seemed to meld together because of the love they felt for each other. It linked them in a bond like none other, a bond that both reenergized and empowered them, an unbreakable bond of love that has never been formed in the history of the Jedi Order.

And it was that bond that gave Siri and Obi-Wan the strength, the willpower, the determination, the courage to survive.

Together, Siri and Obi-Wan pushed at the debris they held above their heads and it toppled to the side to land with a crash that caused a cloud of dust to rise up next to them. Obi-Wan sank to the ground and Siri sank down beside him exhausted to the bone and yet amazed by the sheer brilliance of the bond that now existed between her and Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan gazed at her bewilderment glowing in his eyes. "Did you…?" he began.

"I did," Siri replied feeling she knew what Obi-Wan was going to ask.

"What was that?" Obi-Wan whispered.

Siri shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered before she gazed at Obi-Wan and gently squeezed his hand. "I meant what I said, Obi-Wan."

"As did I. I thought we agreed, a long time ago…"

Siri shook her head. "I can't deny my feelings anymore," she said quietly before she gently kissed Obi-Wan on the lips. "Love can ignite the stars."

Obi-Wan's eyes went wide. "Where did you hear that?" he asked pulling back a little to gaze at her incredulously.

"The Force told me when we were en route to Lanteeb," Siri replied. "And I think I understand what the Force was trying to tell me. It was trying to tell me that it's all right to love you because love is powerful enough to 'ignite the stars'…"

"…and keep the darkness at bay," Obi-Wan finished almost as if he knew what Siri was going to say.

Siri was surprised for that had been what she was about to say but then the Force was telling her to say that so maybe the Force told Obi-Wan the same thing. "Yes," she said.

Obi-Wan pulled her close before kissing her on the lips a short but sweet kiss mingled with passion and love. The bond between them pulsated brightly seeming to overflow with love. After they broke their kiss, Siri rested her head against Obi-Wan's chest feeling his hand gently card through her hair.

"We should probably get to the rendezvous point," she said.

"Yes we should," Obi-Wan agreed and the two of them helped each other to their feet. Once they were steady on their feet, they began moving as quickly as they could north of the remnants of Durd's base of operations toward the rendezvous point.

Siri felt both giddy and worried about the bond that now existed between her and Obi-Wan. Giddy because it meant the Force approved of their relationship but worried that the dark side might try to use it to its advantage.

Obi-Wan glanced at her. "Don't worry about the dark side, Siri," he said gently. "Attachment is what leads to the dark side and this isn't attachment; love and attachment are not the same thing."

Siri leaned against Obi-Wan deciding to trust the other Jedi. She released her worry into the Force before frowning. "What will we tell the rest of the Jedi?" she whispered.

Obi-Wan was silent for a long moment. "Do we really have to tell them, Siri?" he asked gently.

"I don't like lying to them."

"Neither do I but unless they ask us directly not telling them is not lying to them."

Siri could fell that Obi-Wan was right and she nodded. "All right," she said quietly. She gazed at the trees as they limped beneath them thinking about the bond that existed between her and Obi-Wan and her decision to reveal the feelings that never truly went away to the only man she loved.

The transport's landing skits lowered as the transport came to a halt and Ahsoka watched as her master pushed the door to the compartment open a little to watch as droids walked back and forth above their heads removing the crates and pieces of the bioweapon. She had felt his worry earlier and was thankful that whatever had worried him wasn't distracting him from their mission.

After about an hour, Anakin pushed the compartment all the way open before glancing at Ahsoka and pressing his finger to his lips. He pulled himself out of the compartment before dashing toward the boarding ramp. Ahsoka, grumbling about her master's recklessness, hurried after him. He leapt off the ramp to land in a crouch between the landing skits and the crates the droids had stacked next to the ramp. Ahsoka leapt down to crouch beside him.

The two of them were crouched back to back, Ahsoka examining the hangar bay next to the ship while Anakin examined the droids that were walking back and forth and searching for a way out of there.

Follow me, Anakin whispered through their master/apprentice bond before he dashed beneath the ship and around to the other side moving swiftly but as quietly as possible. They crouched beside the landing skits gazing around before Anakin pointed to a set of barrels and crates stacked near the wall of the hangar bay.

Ahsoka nodded before watching as Anakin, glancing side to side, dashed across the hangar bay before ducking down behind the barrels and crates peering over them to see if anyone spotted him. No one did. Ahsoka gazed back and forth to see if anyone was coming up behind her master as well as see if the coast was clear before she, too, dashed across the bay to join her master.

The two of them crouched back to back again as more droids entered the hangar bay and began picking up the crates placed by the boarding ramp.

"This seems too easy, master," Ahsoka whispered.

"You won't be saying that when we have to search the entire dreadnought for Dr. Fhernan's family," Anakin whispered smiling slightly but Ahsoka could see that he looked just as worried as she felt.

"That bad feeling's back, master," she whispered.

"I know," Anakin whispered back brow furrowing as he gazed at the hangar bay. "Our objectives; get to a computer terminal, find Dr. Fhernan's family, get them out of here and destroy the weapon."

"And what's our plan for accomplishing those objectives?"

Anakin glanced at his apprentice before dashing toward another set of barrels and crates closer to one of the corridors leading into the hangar bay and Ahsoka, grumbling under her breath, followed him.

The two of them stayed crouched behind the barrels and crates watching as the droids unloaded the pieces of the bioweapon and took the crates down the corridor they were closest to. When they finished, the transport closed and the droids walked down the corridor leaving the hangar bay empty.

Anakin was frowning. "This seems too easy," he whispered. "It has trap written all over it."

"I thought the base was a trap?"

"It was but this is one too." He glanced outside of the ship as the dreadnought shuddered before leaping into hyperspace. "It's probably heading toward Chandrila. We have until we reach Chandrila to rescue Dr. Fhernan's family and destroy the weapon."

"No pressure," Ahsoka said.

Anakin glanced at her clearly trying to figure out if she was joking or not but said nothing as he led the way into the corridor moving as quickly and as quietly as she possibly could. They moved down the corridor, ducking into random rooms whenever they heard something and waiting for the droids to go past.

After doing that process for the next several meters, Anakin ducked into a room with a computer terminal. He glanced at Ahsoka. "Guard the door," he said.

Ahsoka nodded before positioning herself in front of the door as Anakin dashed to the computer terminal and began running his fingers across the console. Ahsoka waited for Anakin to find what he was supposed to be looking for and was surprised when Anakin called, "I have it," after only ten minutes of searching.

"I don't know about you, master, but I don't think you should have found the family and the bioweapon that quickly," Ahsoka said walking to her master's side.

Anakin pressed his lips together eyes narrowed. "Yes you're right. Whoever is behind this let me find out where the bioweapon and the family are located. They are located in the same place, Ahsoka. This is a trap just as I thought."

"But who's behind it? And how did they know?"

"I wish I knew, Ahsoka."

Obi-Wan and Siri walked into the clearing where he said they were rendezvous with the rest of the group. He spotted Jenica and Ferus there with Dr. Fhernan but Anakin and Ahsoka weren't anyone in sight. Obi-Wan knew that; Anakin had contacted him telling him that he and Ahsoka were going with the bioweapon to the dreadnought after all.

"Master, you're all right!" Jenica said bubbly relief drifting through the Force.

"Master Tachi, it is good to see you are all right," Ferus said calmly inclining his head to Siri.

"Have you contacted the Resolute?" Obi-Wan asked.

"They're on their way, Master Kenobi," Ferus said.

"What are we going to do know, master?" Jenica asked.

"I think it would be best if we head out toward Chandrila," Obi-Wan said. "Anakin told me that the bioweapon is scheduled to head toward Chandrila and I'm pretty sure they've already made the jump to hyperspace. We need to warn Governor Mothma."

"Can we get there before the Separatists?"

"We can only hope we can."

The gunship arrived at that moment lowering until it was beneath the treeline before the blast doors opened and Captain Rex peered out from it. "Ready to go, General?" he called.

Obi-Wan nodded before gesturing for Jenica, Ferus and Fhernan to go first. Once they were onboard, Obi-Wan and Siri leapt into the ship. They weren't that badly injured but Obi-Wan's head still swam occasionally from when that piece of debris hit it and Siri was still tired from having held the building above their heads while Obi-Wan was unconscious.

"Orders sir?" Rex asked.

"Contact Admiral Yuralen. Tell him that we need to head toward Chandrila the instant we're onboard," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes sir." Rex proceeded to contact the admiral and tell him of what Obi-Wan just told him.

Obi-Wan glanced at Siri; the bond that existed between them was a surreal feeling and yet Obi-Wan didn't mind it. Briefly, he wondered if Qui-Gon had told Siri the same thing he told him when Obi-Wan first came to the past. He also discovered that he understood the truth behind the message Qui-Gon gave him.

Siri smiled slightly at him as the gunship gained altitude before flying toward the Resolute that was slowly making its way toward the planet from behind the shadow of Lanteeb's moon. She turned her gaze to Dr. Fhernan. "Are you all right, Dr. Fhernan?" she asked.

Fhernan nodded. "Just worried," she admitted. "My family is being held on the dreadnought where the bioweapon is being taken."

"Anakin will get your family out of there before he destroys the weapon," Obi-Wan assured the scientist knowing his apprentice well enough to know he wouldn't leave Fhernan's family behind.

"I hope so," Fhernan murmured sounding unsure.

The gunship glided into the hangar bay of the Resolute and the blast doors opened. Siri and Ferus leapt out of the ship and Obi-Wan, Jenica and Fhernan followed with Rex and the other clones just behind them.

"What do we do know?" Jenica asked as the Resolute shuddered before leaping into hyperspace.

"Contact the Jedi Council and inform them of everything that has happened so far," Obi-Wan replied though he wouldn't tell the Jedi Council about the formation of the bond between him and Siri. He decided he would wait until he figured out how to tell the Jedi Council about Qui-Gon's words and explain that love wasn't a bad thing.

Jenica nodded before following Obi-Wan and Siri as the two of them made their way toward the communication chamber to contact the Jedi Council.

Anakin peered into the corridor before ducking back into the room when he spotted some droids heading toward the room. Thankfully, the droids walked right by the room although Anakin did hear them talk.

"…keep an eye out for the Jedi. General Grievous seems to think the Jedi got on board," one droid said.

"How would they have gotten onboard?" another droid asked.

"They're Jedi," the first droid said as if that explained everything before they walked out of earshot.

Anakin glanced at Ahsoka who overheard everything the two droids had said as well. "General Grievous is here," he said quietly. "And he knows we're here."

Ahsoka was silent for a long moment before she nodded. "What do we do?"

Anakin sighed. "With Fhernan's family being exactly where we need to go, I have no doubt that Grievous will be waiting for us there," he said. "We may have to take the direct way."

Ahsoka looked a little afraid; considering this would be the first time she has ever faced General Grievous, Anakin wasn't surprised. Grievous was a powerful and skilled opponent who could wield as much as four lightsabers at once.

And he hated Jedi.

"You focus on getting Fhernan's family out of there, Ahsoka. I'll distract General Grievous," Anakin said.

Ahsoka glanced at him. "Are you sure, master?"

Anakin raised his eyebrows. "Doubting my combat skills are we?" he asked half-jokingly.

Ahsoka's lekku twitched before she shook her head. "No master. It's just…I've heard some of the other knights at the Temple talk about Grievous ever since the war began."

"I've fought Grievous before, Ahsoka, and I survived. All I need to do is distract him long enough for you to get Fhernan's family out of here. Then we just need to destroy the weapon and go home."

Ahsoka smiled faintly. "And how are we going to do that?" she asked.

Anakin shrugged knowing that he hadn't yet figured that part of his plan out yet. "I'll think of something," he said.

"In other words, you'll improvise when the time comes."

"You've only been my apprentice for not even a month and you already know me." There was amusement in the tall Jedi Knight's eyes.

Ahsoka grinned. "Master Kenobi mentioned your tendency to improvise during missions," she said.

"I should have known," Anakin said good-humoredly knowing his former master, and brother, knew him better than anyone.

As he thought about his former master, he found himself stretching out with the Force to check on Obi-Wan. He had felt the disturbance centered around the base and, when he looked for his former master in the Force, he sensed that Obi-Wan had been unconscious. That was why he was worried during the journey to the dreadnought but he managed to take control of it and release it into the Force when he felt his former master regain consciousness.

He was learning how to take control of his emotions before they took control of him and he knew the main reason was because he was motivated by his desire to make Obi-Wan and his mother more proud of him than he already was. He was going to be the greatest Jedi Knight in the history of the Jedi Order and he would do whatever he could to accomplish his goal.

Anakin brought his thoughts back to the mission at hand after he checked on his former master. "Ready Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka took a deep breath and Anakin felt her using the Force to help her gain control of her worry. She had learned since she became Anakin's apprentice but, with the war, she still hadn't learned as much as some Padawans usually learn in the first month of their training during times of peace. But she was a quick learner. "I'm ready master," she said.

Anakin nodded and the two of them, once Anakin made sure the corridor was clear, dashed into the corridor before making their way down it in the direction of the bioweapon and Dr. Fhernan's family.

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: not that much of a cliffhanger. You're welcome. Dad tried to convince me to put in another cliffhanger.

Darth: you should have

Blaze: I didn't want to

Severus: and it's her story

Blaze: okay, now that that's taken care of. It is time that I answered the poll question I posted in chapter 14 and on my profile. Drum roll please

Anakin: (cues drum roll)

Blaze: do to majority vote on the poll on my profile, my decision is…

Harry: well don't just stop there! TELL US!

Severus: dunderhead, if you yell at her then she won't tell us

Anakin: yeah. I learned that the hard way

Severus: you learn everything the hard way, Skywalker

Anakin: do not

Harry: quit arguing. I want to hear what Blaze's decision is

Obi-Wan: as do I

Blaze: my decision is…yes, Obi-Wan will become a father later on in my story

Anakin and Harry: I KNEW IT

Severus: (rolls eyes)

Anakin: you don't seem surprised, Master?

Obi-Wan: oh I'm not. Blaze told me her decision at the end of chapter 20

Anakin: but I'm your favorite character, Blaze. Why didn't you tell me?

Severus: because you're a blabbermouth, moron

Anakin: (glares at Severus)

Blaze: cool it you two. Now that everyone knows my decision, I am still accepting possible names for Obi-Wan's kid; both girl and boy since I still don't know which it is going to be. Please review and I shall post chapter 23 as soon as I possibly can.