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Chapter 5: The Hunt Begins
The Jedi Council chamber was a circular room with a high ceiling and a large window that overlooked the Coruscant skyline. The twelve Jedi Masters sat on their seats, arranged in a semicircle around the center of the room. They wore their brown robes and had serious expressions on their faces.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, entered the chamber and bowed respectfully to the Council. They took their places at the end of the semicircle, next to Master Yoda, the Grand Master of the Order.
"Thank you for coming, Master Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker," Yoda said in his gravelly voice. "This is a grave matter we have to discuss."
"What is it, Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan asked.
One of the Jedi Masters, a tall and slender human with dark hair and a beard, spoke up. His name was Sifo-Dyas, and he was known for his visions of the future.
"Count Dooku has left the Jedi Order," he said solemnly.
A wave of shock and disbelief swept through the chamber. Count Dooku was one of the most respected and powerful Jedi in the Order. He was a former member of the Council, a master of lightsaber combat, and a mentor to many young Jedi, including Obi-Wan.
"What? That's impossible!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Why would he do such a thing?"
"We do not know," Yoda said. "But worse news there is."
"Worse?" Anakin asked.
Yoda nodded gravely. "A powerful presence in the force we have sensed. A dark presence. A Sith presence."
The chamber fell silent. The Sith were the ancient enemies of the Jedi, who followed the dark side of the Force. They had been thought to be extinct for a thousand years, until Darth Maul, a Sith apprentice, attacked Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan on Naboo. Qui-Gon had died in that battle, and Obi-Wan had killed Maul. Or so they had believed.
"I felt it too," Mace Windu, another Jedi Master, said. He was a bald human with dark skin and a purple lightsaber. He was also one of the most skilled fighters in the Order. "It was like a cold shiver down my spine. I never felt such darkness before."
"Nor me," Yoda agreed. "Hidden well, this Sith has. But reveal himself soon, he will."
The Jedi Masters began to murmur among themselves, wondering who this Sith could be, where he came from, and what he wanted.
Obi-Wan felt a surge of fear and anger in his chest. He clenched his fists and looked at Yoda.
"Master Yoda, what are we going to do?" he asked.
Yoda closed his eyes and reached out with the force. He tried to sense the location and the condition of Count Dooku, his former Padawan and friend. He felt a faint and flickering presence, far away in the outer rim. He also felt a stronger and darker presence, looming over Dooku like a shadow.
"Answer you; I cannot, Master Kenobi," Yoda said, opening his eyes. "But sense him, I do. Count Dooku. Near the Sith, he is. Fighting him, he was."
"Fighting him?" Obi-Wan repeated. "But why? How did he find him?"
"We do not know," Yoda said. "But fear that too late, he was. Overpowered by the Sith, he was."
Obi-Wan felt a pang of sadness and guilt. He had always admired Dooku as a Jedi and a teacher. He had hoped that he would return to the Order and explain his reasons for leaving. He could not believe that he had fallen to the dark side.
"Maybe he's not," Obi-Wan said, trying to sound hopeful. "Maybe the Sith has brainwashed him or enslaved him somehow. Maybe we can still save him."
Mace Windu shook his head. He looked at Obi-Wan with a stern and skeptical expression.
"I doubt it, Master Kenobi," he said. "The Sith are not known for their mercy or their subtlety. If Dooku is with the Sith, it is because he chose to be."
Obi-Wan frowned. He did not want to accept that possibility.
"But why?" he asked. "What could have driven him to such a path?"
Mace Windu sighed. He looked at Yoda and then at the other Jedi Masters.
"Do you remember when we first sensed a powerful presence in the Force?" he asked.
The Jedi Masters nodded. They all remembered that day when they felt a sudden and mysterious surge of light in the force, as if a new star had been born.
"Yes, we do," Yoda said. "But find its source; we could not."
Mace Windu nodded. He looked at Obi-Wan and Anakin.
"Master Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker, do you remember where you were on that day?" he asked.
Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged a puzzled glance. They tried to recall what they had been doing ten years ago.
"We were on Tatooine," Obi-Wan said slowly. "We had just escaped from Naboo with Queen Amidala and her entourage. We needed to repair our ship and find a way to reach Coruscant."
Mace Windu nodded again. He looked at Yoda.
"Master Yoda, do you remember what you told me on that day?" he asked.
Yoda nodded as well. He remembered his conversation with Mace Windu very well.
"I told you that the Force was strong in Anakin Skywalker," Yoda said. "That he was the chosen one who would bring balance to the force."
Mace Windu looked at Anakin with a serious and piercing gaze.
"And do you remember what I told you on that day?" he asked Anakin.
Anakin felt a chill run down his spine. He remembered Mace Windu's words very clearly.
"You told me that I was too old to begin the training," Anakin said quietly. "That I had too much fear and anger in me."
Mace Windu nodded for the last time. He looked at the other Jedi Masters.
"I believe there is a connection between these events," he said. "I believe that the powerful presence we sensed was someone who was born with the same potential as him."
The Jedi Masters gasped in surprise and curiosity. They wondered who this person could be and what their role in the Force was.
One of the Jedi Masters, a blue-skinned Twi'lek with long lekku, spoke up. His name was Saesee Tiin, and he was an expert pilot and strategist.
"Perhaps this person is another Chosen One," he suggested. "Perhaps the Force created two of them, one for each side of the balance."
The Jedi Masters murmured among themselves, considering this possibility.
Obi-Wan, Anakin, Yoda, and Mace Windu did not look convinced by this theory. They felt that there was more to this mystery than a simple balance of light and dark.
Yoda cleared his throat and silenced the council.
"Speculate further; we cannot," he said. "Find this person; we must. Before the Sith does."
The Jedi Masters nodded in agreement. They knew that this person could be the key to the fate of the galaxy.
"May the Force be with us," Yoda said.
"May the Force be with us," the Jedi Masters echoed.
In a dark and secluded chamber, a hooded figure sat on a throne-like chair, surrounded by monitors and holograms. He was Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith and the mastermind behind the galactic conflict. He was also known as Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and a respected politician.
He activated one of the monitors and contacted his apprentice, Darth Maul. Maul was a Zabrak with red and black tattoos on his face and body. He had horns on his head and a double-bladed lightsaber at his side. He was a deadly and loyal servant of the Sith.
"Maul, report," Sidious said in a raspy voice.
"My master, I have searched the Outer Rim for the force user you sensed, but I have not found him yet," Maul said, bowing his head. "I apologize for my failure."
Sidious waved his hand dismissively.
"Apologies are meaningless, Maul," he said. "You must find them and bring them to me alive and unharmed."
"Yes, my master," Maul said.
Sidious narrowed his yellow eyes.
"There is something else you should know, Maul," he said. "The Jedi have sensed another Sith in the galaxy. A powerful one."
Maul widened his eyes in surprise.
"Another Sith?" he asked. "Who is he? Where is he?"
Sidious did not answer. He had his suspicions about the identity of this Sith, but he did not share them with Maul.
"That is not your concern, Maul," he said. "Your only concern is to find the force user and bring him to me. Do not fail me, Maul."
"I will not fail you, my master," Maul said. "I will find him and bring him to you, even if it costs me my life."
Sidious smiled wickedly.
"Good," he said. "I expect nothing less from you, my apprentice."
He ended the transmission and turned off the monitor. He leaned back on his chair and stroked his chin.
He thought about Count Dooku, the former Jedi ally who had left the Order recently. He thought about how Dooku had taken a Padawan of his own, without his knowledge or the Jedi Council's permission.
Dooku's Padawan... He had seen him in a hologram, the boy's anger for Dooku's betrayal. He had felt his power and potential in the dark side. He had seen his eyes. Yellow, like a Sith.
He thought about Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan's Padawan. He had met him on Coruscant when he was a young boy from Tatooine. He had felt his strength and talent in the Force as well.
He thought about how now he had two potential apprentices now, both born with the same potential, both strong in the Force, both destined for greatness.
He thought about how he would manipulate them, corrupt them, and turn them against each other.
He thought about how he would use them to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy as the Sith Emperor.
He chuckled softly to himself.
"The future is bright," he said.
In the far reaches of the galaxy, a portal opened up and a space vehicle came out. It was a sleek and black ship, shaped like a dagger. It had a large engine at the back and a cockpit at the front. It was armed with blasters and missiles.
The ship's driver was a man with short blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a black leather jacket and pants, and a pair of goggles on his forehead. He had a device on his wrist that looked like a watch, but it was a tracker.
He looked at the tracker and saw that it had lost the signal of his target. He cursed loudly and slammed his fist on the dashboard.
"Damn it!" he yelled. "How did I lose him?"
He had been chasing his target for months, across different dimensions and realities. He had followed the trail from Earth to the Star Wars universe, where he had witnessed his incredible feats of power.
He wanted to capture him and take him back to his dimension asap, where he and his peers would use him for their purposes. He wanted to harness his power and make him their slave.
But he had made a mistake. He had gotten lazy and careless. He had underestimated his target's power. He had let him escape from his sight, using portals that he created with his mind.
He looked at the tracker again and saw that it had no signal at all. He realized that he had lost him for good.
He groaned in frustration and threw the tracker away. He felt like giving up.
But then he remembered where he was. He looked out of the window and saw the stars and planets of the Star Wars galaxy. He smiled slightly.
"Well, at least I'm in the right dimension now," he said to himself. "Maybe I can find him here."
He felt a shiver run down his spine as he sensed his target's presence in the Force. He felt his power and potential, radiating like a sun.
He chuckled softly as he thought about how his target did not know his true power. He did not know he was an anomaly, a glitch, or a mistake.
The driver felt a surge of excitement and anticipation as he imagined what he could do with such power. He imagined how he could rule over all dimensions and realities with his peers.
He started the engine of his ship and flew towards the nearest planet, hoping to find some clues or leads.
He did not give up on his hunt.
He would find him.
