Chapter 31 - Haariden Conflict (25 BBY)
Civil war had raged on the planet Haariden for ten years, and even the ground showed the scars. It was pockmarked with deep holes left by laser cannonfire and grenade mortars. Ion mines had blown hip-deep craters into the roads. Along the sides of the pitted road, blackened fields burned down to stubble.
The Jedi had heard the explosions from cannonfire all afternoon, echoing off the bare hills. The battle was twenty kilometers away. The wind tore across the fields and whipped up the dirt on the road. It brought the smell of smoke and burning. The gritty sand and ash settled in the Jedi's hair and clothes. It was cold. A watery sun hid behind clouds stacked in thick, gray layers.
To Anakin Skywalker, it looked like something out of his nightmares. Visions of a world of devastation, where a cold wind numbed his face and fingers, and he trudged endlessly without arriving at his destination. He gave no outward sign of fatigue or discomfort, but that didn't mean he didn't feel the pelting grit, the razor-edge of the wind, and didn't want to flinch when a proton torpedo's blast split the air. His pace never flagged, but he couldn't stop his mind from slipping away to brood on his own discomfort, being that he was cold, hungry, and he could feel the sand in his boots, which drove him crazy. He would be glad when this mission was over and he was back in space again, shooting past bright stars.
Ahead of him walked Obi-Wan, along with fellow Knight Soara Antana. The two Jedi kept their gazes sweeping the road ahead, alert for the telltale sheen of a life-form sensor half-buried in the dirt—a trigger for an ionite mine. Next to Anakin trudged his fellow Padawan, Darra Thel-Tanis.
He glanced sideways at Darra. Her bright copper and gold hair was dulled with dust. He could no longer tell the color of the bright ribbons she had woven through her slender Padawan braid. Her eyes were on the road ahead, as they had been for the last three days they'd been walking. She didn't seem to be feeling the fatigue that Anakin was.
She must have felt his eyes on her for she leaned closer to mutter under her breath.
"What I would give for a bath."
"And a cold glass of juma juice," Anakin added.
Darra sighed. "Whatever you do, don't say that again."
Anakin would have grinned, but he didn't want to get sand between his teeth.
Ahead Obi-Wan and Soara walked at the same steady pace. The focus of their concentration was complete. Not a stray pebble or slight disturbance in the dirt missed their notice. One wrong step and a mine could blow them into the leaden gray sky. Although Anakin and Darra had received some training in mine-spotting at the Temple, there was nothing as good as experience to alert the unwary to the danger.
The Jedi had been called to Haariden on a mission to rescue five scientists who were on a Senate-sponsored mapping mission. They had been caught on the planet when hostilities suddenly erupted after a cease-fire. The scientists had been pinned down in the countryside. Unable to get to their space cruiser, they had sent an urgent distress signal to the Senate. The two forces on Haariden had agreed three times to a cease-fire in order to give the scientists safe passage, only to erupt into violence again before the scientists could get to their vessel and leave. Finally, the Senate had appealed to the Jedi for help.
It was feared that the scientists would be held as hostages or bargaining chips in the battle. Outsiders had not been welcome on Haariden, and the political climate was volatile. Each side thought the Senate was in league with the other—and thus all visitors were vulnerable to attack. Afraid of being captured, the scientists had moved from deserted village to deserted village, just ahead of the soldiers. The last communication the Jedi had received was three days ago. They could only hope that the scientists were still somewhere in the area. Time was running out. Roving patrols posed a constant danger. They had been walking since daybreak, searching one abandoned village after another. Some had been almost completely destroyed, others intact but eerily empty of life. The population had moved beyond the mountains and had set up refugee camps there.
"Tenuuri is ahead," Soara said, consulting the map on her datapad. "Let's hope we find them there." She scanned the far distance, her keen gaze analyzing the puffs of smoke from the grenade mortars. "The battle is getting closer."
"It will be dark in an hour," Obi-Wan said. "That will be better for us."
Soara grimaced. "Maybe. Haariden may be low on large-scale weapons, but they have plenty of night scopes. They fight anywhere, anytime."
Through the wind and dust, Anakin saw shapes ahead. Small buildings, built close to the ground. The village. On one side he saw trees stretching to the hills. The trees looked strange, and with a jolt he realized why. The trees had leaves. All of the trees he had seen since landing on Haariden had been bare, their branches blasted by battles fought weeks or days ago.
"After we find them, we can double back through the forest to the transport," Obi-Wan said. "We'll cut three kilometers off our route."
"At least they left some trees standing," Darra said. "I don't understand how two forces can destroy everything beautiful on their home planet and just keep on fighting. What is left to fight for? Have you ever seen anything like this?" she asked, waving at the ruined fields and deserted village ahead.
"Yes," Obi-Wan and Soara said together. They exchanged a glance full of knowledge Anakin did not understand . . . a glance full of knowledge he didn't want to understand.
The shadows were long on the road now. They walked into the empty village. Heavy shelling had taken place here. None of the houses or businesses were intact. The wood had burned and the rocks lay in piles, some of them as tall as Obi-Wan.
If the scientists were here, they had hidden well. The Jedi did not want to call out. There was always a danger of snipers in this area—snipers who did not distinguish between visitors and enemies.
They searched methodically through the half-destroyed buildings. Anakin's heart grew heavy as he kicked through the debris of ordinary lives. A pot, battered and black. A boot. A scorched roll of bedding. A toy.
'There's not much to a life, when you think about it,' Anakin mused.
As a boy on Tatooine he had longed for nice things, expensive things, for his mother. Once a space merchant had come through the slave hovels with fabric for sale. He remembered how Shmi's hand had lingered on a rich piece of cloth. He remembered the color, a luxurious ruby. He remembered how it burned inside him that he was unable to buy it for her. How he had vowed that someday he would . . .
Anakin shook his head away from that unpleasant line of thinking.
Darra stood frozen. She gazed down at a tiny crib. A scorched piece of linen trailed on the floor.
"Darra." Soara's usually brusque voice was soft. "Come along."
They moved through to the next house. It had suffered a direct hit. There was only rubble. Anakin could hear Darra's slow, even breaths beside him. He knew she was concentrating on her breath, slowing it down, trying to focus. Anakin also felt disturbed. It was as though his nightmare went on.
They walked back onto the street and stopped in front of the next building. Obi-Wan and Soara exchanged a glance. Anakin reached out to the Force. It always took him just a beat slower than Obi-Wan to feel it. The Living Force was here.
Obi-Wan headed left, Soara to the right. With a glance, they ordered their Padawans to follow.
Soara went first, headed through the doorway like shimmersilk. She was known for her grace and flowing movements. Obi-Wan followed, keeping to Soara's left. Anakin and Darra stepped through
The building had once been a café. A long counter was charred and blackened. Some tables and chairs remained, but most had been splintered and blown apart. A very large round oven sat in the middle of the room, the size of a small landspeeder. It had been vented through the roof by a stone chimney. The chimney lay in ruins around them.
A rusty metal door swung on one hinge on the oven. Soara and Obi-Wan fanned out on either side, motioning to their Padawans to do the same.
Soara bent over and gently moved the oven door. There was a muffled gasp. A small rustle of movement.
"Don't be afraid," Soara said. "We are Jedi."
"Prove it." The voice was male and wobbled a bit, fear disguised as bravado.
In a movement so fast Anakin could have blinked and missed it, Soara unsheathed her lightsaber, activated it, and held up the glowing beam in front of the open oven door.
"Thank the stars and galaxies," the voice breathed.
A face smeared with ashes poked out from the open door. "Needless to say, it is good to see you. I am Dr. Fort Turan. Space geologist. Head of the mission. Objective is the study of the effects of volcanic activity…" A shoulder poked out, and then an arm. "…on planetary atmospherics…oof…" Dr. Fort Turan tried to wiggle his ample body through the small space. "…within a scale three system." The rest of Dr. Fort Turan popped out. Despite a torn tunic and a nasty scrape on one cheek, he beamed at the Jedi. "Now, meet my team."
A blue-skinned arm poked out, followed by a face. "Joveh D'a Alin, at your service. Degree in tectonics with an emphasis on mineralogy."
Joveh D'a Alin slid out. Another face appeared. It was another human male, this one smiling broadly. His hair was caked with dirt and stuck straight up, and his brown eyes were warm. "Dr. Tic Verdun. Practical theorist, planetary origins. Very glad to make your acquaintance. For a moment we feared we would be roasted alive."
The next scientist to emerge was a Bothan named Reug Yucon, "special training in atmospherics, trans-system and galactic." Then a slender Alderaan female named Talie Heathe, an oceanic specialist.
Dr. Fort Turan rubbed his hands together. "So. Shall we retire to your transport? The sooner we're off this planet the better."
"We can leave right away," Obi-Wan said. "We're about eight kilometers away."
Dr. Fort Turan's face fell. "Eight kilometers? So far?"
"You have speeders?" Reug Yucon asked.
"No," Obi-Wan said. "Speeders would attract too much attention. We have to walk."
"That will take a long time," Joveh D'a Alin said, concerned. "We had hoped…"
Tic Verdun looked at his fellow scientists. He tried to appear cheerful. "Not so far. And we have the protection of the Jedi now. It's a fine night for a walk, I'd say."
Talie Heathe picked up on Tic Verdun's attempt to cheer them up. "But let the Jedi lead, Tic. You've done enough for us."
"Tic has saved our lives many times over," Fort Turan said. "He's scouted ahead and kept us moving away from the soldiers."
"He did a good job," Obi-Wan said. "You stayed alive. However the battle is close now. We'll be walking in the opposite direction and we should be able to make good time."
"We have provisions for you," Soara said, reaching into her survival pack.
Quickly, the Jedi shared water and protein cubes with the scientists. They looked a little better when they had finished.
A pale pink moon was rising as they left the village and entered the forest. The shelling had stopped, and the area was eerily quiet. The faint hazy light of the moon barely penetrated the thick trees. They did not dare risk a glow rod.
They walked for several hours. Soara kept track of their progress with her datapad map. "We're making good time," she murmured to Obi-Wan. "Another kilometer and we can turn and head south."
Anakin smelled the battle before he sensed it. He breathed in and smelled smoke and fire and death. Ahead, Obi-Wan and Soara had stopped. Darra drew a ragged breath.
The scientists had smelled and sensed nothing. They continued to walk until Obi-Wan held up a hand to stop them.
"Slowly," he murmured.
They walked, making no sound. In a few minutes Anakin could see that the light through the trees ahead had changed slightly. The smell was worse now. The wind brought it to him, and it smelled like something in a dark dream.
"The forest ahead," Soara said. "It's gone. Burned."
"They must have fought closer than we'd thought," Obi-Wan observed.
"Which means there could be patrols nearby."
They exchanged a glance. "We have no choice," Obi-Wan said.
"Padawans, we must surround the scientists," Soara said. "Keep close and alert."
They left the shelter of the trees. Around them were blackened stumps. A firefight had taken place here. They hurried through the eerie landscape, the pink moon tinting the devastated forest with a rosy light that made everything seem even more dreamlike to Anakin.
There was no longer a path. They stumbled over branches and stumps. They kicked through spent shells. They were losing time. The scientists were exhausted. Their footsteps lagged.
Then Anakin felt what he had hoped not to feel on this long night: the dark side of the Force. It was around them, somewhere in the night. He knew Obi-Wan and Soara felt it, too. It took another minute for Darra to frown and place her hand on her lightsaber hilt.
"What—" she began, but the night suddenly exploded into spasms of light.
Anakin felt the impact of a shell hit him like a wall of air, and he went flying.
**The Will of the Force**
Kastor glanced around the Council Chambers. In many ways, it was nice to be home. It had been nearly a year and a half since he'd been at the Jedi Temple. On the other hand, being home came with its own host of issues, and sadly, Fay had not ventured to Coruscant with him, having felt the guidance of the Force pulling her in a different direction.
Still, despite the new issues that were about to take up Kastor's time, he was proud of what his team had accomplished and proud of the direction the Mandalorians were heading in.
"Master Shan, accomplished much, you and your team have," Yoda said. "Changes to the Order, you have brought."
"Some would argue too much change," Depa said, and Kastor felt Siri's irritation towards the Chalactan Jedi.
It was true. Things were changing, and the Mandalorians weren't being subtle about it. Not that Kastor expected anything different. While Mandalorians could do things quietly, it wasn't exactly in their nature, nor did they need to be quiet. They weren't members of the Republic. Now that Mandalore and all of the colonies were working together, the traditionalist Mandalorians were able to send out their warriors to take mercenary, anti-piracy, and escort missions, leaving those who didn't want to fight and the AgriCorps Jedi in their homes to manage import and export trade, which was being routed through Mandalore. This had boosted the economies in the more remote colonies and even on Mandalore itself, while also providing security for Mandalore.
It was estimated that Death Watch had shrunk to a quarter of its previous strength, which bolstered Mandalorian combat power and had the added bonus of helping to bring many families back together. Duchess Satine was one of those, having had her sister return to her and take up a position in her government, now that the Resol'nare was being properly practiced again.
Academies were being set up on every Mandalorian world, both for the New Mandalorians pacifist ideals focusing more on trade, negotiation, science, and other noble, non-combative pursuits, and for the traditional Mandalorian ideals and beliefs. Jedi from the Education Corps were helping to set up these academies.
In addition, Mandal Hypernautics and Mandal Motors were starting to produce ships for the government and the Clans once again, ships which would allow the Mandalorians to take greater and greater assignments. This was another boon for the Jedi, since now the two companies had opened doors for the Jedi to negotiate contracts with, companies whose doors had previously been closed to the Jedi.
That was the surface of what was seen to the greater galaxy, if they noticed. Below that was that many of the anti-piracy or anti-smuggling operations that the Mandalorians were taking were ones that the Jedi had been unable to deal with themselves, and the Mandalorians would not only take the bounty, but would take any spoils they found. Kastor had gotten the Council to agree to let the Mandalorians claim all bounties for any mission they were involved in, regardless of Jedi involvement, and they were able to claim any and all spoils of war, except for Force relics and potential weapons of mass destruction, which wasn't asking for much since the Jedi didn't claim the bounties anyway.
Along with that, Mandalorian information networks were now feeding directly to the Jedi Temple, and Jedi information networks were feeding to the Mandalorian Clans, allowing the Mandalorians better ideas of where to find work in the galaxy, and a better grasp of the overall state of the galaxy, and allowing the Jedi greater contacts and information in some of the more criminal elements, or at least in the mercenary and bounty hunter fields, as well as a greater range of events happening in the outer rim beyond the Order's normal contacts.
In addition, the AgriCorps, Education Corps, and Medical Service Corps had all sent Jedi to Mandalorian worlds to help improve the education systems, improve resource creation and repair war torn worlds, and help Mandalorians improve their health service networks and techniques.
Lastly, but certainly not least, in an unprecedented show of faith, Mandalorians were now welcome in any and all Jedi Temples, being allowed access to public areas which included the library, and information in the library, minus the information on holocrons locked in the vault, and even those were potentially open for Mandalorians with the assistance and overwatch of a Jedi Master, like Madam Jocasta, just like it was for most Knights and Masters.
Mandalorians staying at the Temple could learn from the Jedi, learn from their impressive library, and be available to assist any and all Jedi teams, similar to the Antarian Rangers, while also being available to assist with, take over, or teach combat classes with Jedi of various ages. Mandalorian warriors would now be helping teach younglings, if they were around and willing, and would spar with and both teach and learn from Jedi Padawans, Knights, Masters, and older initiates in hand to hand combat, and even other weapons if desired. Mandalorians were also teaching younglings and initiates Mando'a and their history, at least for those interested, which was no shortage, while Mandalorians were able to sit in on galactic and Jedi history classes with other initiates and was a way for Mandalorians to spread their knowledge of combat, their culture, their language, and their knowledge of the universe to Jedi, while also learning from the Jedi in all the same categories. Kastor had high hopes that both groups could gain a larger understanding and appreciation of each other. There were already preliminary discussions about setting up a satellite Temple in Mandalorian space so that Jedi could live among Mandalorian culture and they could truly tie their religions together, while also providing footholds in Mandalorian space and the outer rim for other Jedi to rest and recuperate at.
Beyond the training aspects, the assistance on missions, the intelligence network, and the access to two other production companies, the Jedi were also getting a fair bit more. Jedi now had access to every Mandalorian world and outpost, and had been notified of all known outposts, providing a wealth of places for Jedi to hunker down as needed, whether as stop over spots during missions, or safe houses to go to for support and aid. Plus, now the Order had an easy and direct outlet for the various non-Force sensitive children that were often abandoned on their doorstep, since many worlds had no desire to take in more orphans. The Mandalorians, however, were more than happy to take in unwanted children and provide them the care they needed and deserved, since it was a cornerstone of their society, to care for Foundlings and raise them Mandalorian until the child was either reunited with its kind or until the child was old enough to make decisions for itself and choose a different path, if they desired. Now that the pacifists and the traditionalists were working together, even if it was tenuous at times, Kastor suspected few Foundlings would leave the Mandalorian society.
"Change is the way of the universe," Baylan responded simply. "It's not always comfortable, but as Jedi we need to be adaptable and not so set in our ways and traditions, lest we allow attachment to tradition to color our decisions and we are left in the past."
There were some nods of acknowledgement to those words.
"Still, the Senate has taken notice, and was alarmed with our actions, though we were able to appease them," Ki Adi said. "Even now, our harshest critics accuse us of making peace so that we can gain power later."
"It is not for the Senate to judge Jedi matters in negotiating peace, and we will stand firm with our agreements with the Mandalorians," Mace said. "However, we must be very careful going forward. Our actions are being watched, and should this fail, we will lose much of our credibility within the Senate and the Republic."
"Understood, Masters," Kastor said. "The Mandalorians are aware of what destroying our agreements would do, both to them and our Order. They are as committed to keeping with the agreement as we are."
"I hope you are right," Oppo said. "For all of our sakes."
**The Will of the Force**
Obi-Wan rolled with the force of the blast, allowing him to swing back onto his feet along with Soara. Both of their Padawans and the scientists were still flat on the ground.
"Everyone okay?" Obi-Wan shouted.
"Stay low!" Soara directed as the soft wee-ooosh of another airborne weapon came toward them.
Obi-Wan gathered the Force and pushed out sending the incoming airborne weapon away from them, and he heard it impact a bit to the left of them.
"Not again," Joveh moaned, her head in her hands. She was shaking.
Tic Verdun put a hand on her shoulder. "Just a few bombs. Nothing too scary."
She lifted her head and tried to smile. "Nothing I haven't seen before."
Obi-Wan glanced over at Soara and Darra, who were quickly taking readings.
"They're close," Soara said. "Maybe half a kilometer away. Heading toward us. They must have a long-range bioscanner."
"I'm picking up coded communications," Darra said, pointing to her comm sensor. "Lots of them. It's got to be a large force."
"Who are shooting first and asking questions later," Obi-Wan said, keeping low and projecting a light Force shield. "Can you jam communications?" Obi-Wan asked her. "That's a start."
"I can try." Darra bent over her scanner and began pressing keys.
Obi-Wan knew she had a reputation as a superb fighter, but also as an expert at communications.
"Half a kilometer," Obi-Wan repeated, thinking.
"And closing," Soara said.
"With this moon, they'll be using nightscopes and goggles."
"I agree," Soara said tersely.
Another explosion flashed. They felt the shock wave but it had landed clear of the area. The scientists exchanged concerned glances, but no one spoke again. They watched the Jedi, knowing that the only way out was to follow their lead.
"A Padawan–Master team, or should we do it?" Obi-Wan asked Soara, knowing that they needed to take care of their attackers..
She thought for a moment, and didn't answer him.
"Got it," Darra said suddenly. "They're jammed for now, anyway." She glanced up at them, her expression taut. "They'll override the jam pretty soon."
Soara nodded, then turned to Obi-Wan. "We'll need all of us," she said. "It's too large an area."
Obi-Wan nodded and then turned to the scientists. "You must stay undercover. If we don't return in fifteen minutes, go back the way we came. Hide where you were before."
"You're leaving us?" Fort Turan asked.
"Not for long." Obi-Wan grabbed one of the extra survival packs they had brought on this mission. He motioned for Anakin to take one.
"What will happen to us if you don't come back?" Reug Yucon asked.
"We'll come back," Obi-Wan said.
"If you'll come back, why did you tell us what to do if you don't?" Joveh D'a Alin pointed out.
"Scientists. You're so logical," Obi-Wan said with an attempt at a smile. "I said that for your own reassurance. We will be back. Come, Anakin."
The four Jedi slipped off into the velvet night that was so suddenly and spectacularly lit by flashes of deadly light. Obi-Wan was a bit worried about the two Padawans, since neither had a lot of experience with working as a team like this, especially with he and Soara so attuned with the Force at the moment. Obi-Wan hated war and had ever since he first experienced it on Melida/Daan, a time that had become one of the worst in his life.
The Jedi headed straight into the advancing troops. Soara and Obi-Wan explained the plan to their Padawans. In the survival packs were luma grenades, projectiles that released particles of intense light. They would fan out along the advancing line and toss the grenades straight at the troops. Since the troops would be wearing night-vision goggles, the effect of the grenade would be doubled. A majority would be blinded for at least an hour. Plenty of time for the Jedi to lead the scientists to safety.
Obi-Wan and Soara gave their directions in low voices. The Jedi fanned out. Obi-Wan waited and then prepared as Anakin threw the first grenade.
The night lit up like a flash from a nova. Obi-Wan was careful to keep his eyes away from the illumination, and he rushed out and threw his own grenade, took a leap and then threw another.
He could see the troops clearly now. The front lines were kneeling, their hands over their eyes. The others were shooting blindly. Obi-Wan looked around, assessing how the rest of his fellow Jedi were doing.
"Right flank," Soara said, as Darra and Anakin joined them.
Anakin grimaced, and Obi-Wan knew it was because it had been the flank he'd been assigned.
"The lumas hit behind a wall. We need more cover there."
"I have grenades left," Darra said.
"Go."
Darra didn't pause. She ran off, already pulling the timer release on her luma grenades. The sky lit up in a series of flashes.
Obi-Wan watched as Darra twisted, peaped and rolled as she lobbed several grenades in a precise pattern designed to box in the troops. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin hadn't seen the wall, which was why he hadn't succeeded on his side.
"Darra has the benefit of seeing the wall from this angle," Obi-Wan said, hoping it would help his Padawan's mind, since he could feel some distress. "It would have been impossible to spot it from your position."
"We're done here. Let's go." Soara spoke and motioned to Darra at the same time. Darra leaped the final few meters and caught up to them as they ran back toward the scientists. The night was dark again, and there were only a few random explosions, hitting the ground far from them.
The scientists were standing, waiting for them. Without a word they joined the group and they hurried through the rest of the blackened forest.
They jogged the first kilometer, then slowed to a fast walk. They had left the site of the battle behind, and the trees rose around them again.
"There's a village ahead," Soara said. "We should skirt it."
Obi-Wan nodded. "We need the cover of the forest for as long as…" He stopped and glanced at Soara who nodded. They were surrounded.
"Down," Obi-Wan said crisply to the scientists.
The Jedi all activated their lightsabers at the same time. They made a circle around the scientists and were ready as the patrol burst out of the trees.
The rebel Haaridens were armed with repeating blaster rifles. Some had wrist rockets. They were outnumbered, but they had the Force on their side.
The blaster fire was fast and it seemed to be everywhere at once. Obi-Wan flowed about, deflecting fire back at their enemy combatants. Smoke rose around them, and Obi-Wan saw a rocket heading their way so he leapt up and destroyed it.
"I've got it!" he heard Anakin shout, and then glanced over to see Anakin and Darra collide and were thrown to the ground, Anakin not having trusted Darra to see a squad concentrating their troops on her flank, and she not having compensated for Anakin trying to cover for her.
Blaster fire ripped into Darra's leg. She gave a cry and fell, and her lightsaber went flying, lost in the confusion of bodies.
"Anakin, cover me!" Obi-Wan roared. He wasn't losing another young girl on a battlefield. Not today.
He leaped and scooped up Darra with one arm, keeping his lightsaber moving, deflecting the fire. Anakin jumped in front of them, clearly desperate to help. Soara herded the scientists closer together and, with a heroic effort, charged straight at the troops. Anakin leaped over the scientists to join her.
The fury of their attack caught the troops off guard as blaster fire ricocheted back into their ranks. Their line began to waver. Anakin and Soara pressed the advantage while Obi-Wan and Darra retreated with the scientists.
"They're going to regroup," Soara said. "Let's go."
They turned and ran after Obi-Wan and the scientists, who were dashing through the trees.
"The village," Obi-Wan said to Soara. "We need cover now."
Darra said nothing. She slumped against Obi-Wan, and he lifted her into his arms. Her eyes closed and her lips parted. They needed a new plan, and they needed it now.
**The Will of the Force**
While returning back to Coruscant had been inevitable with the negotiations having concluded, there had been another reason to rush their return to Coruscant . . . an opportunity that the Mandalorians had alerted Kastor to.
The Jedi Order's various networks, the Antarian Rangers, and even their many seedy underworld connections had yielded no results in revealing Magus's location or at least nobody had wanted to snitch on the vile and formidable bounty hunter, but the Mandalorians had had the answers Kastor was looking for, and it just so happened that Magus was on Coruscant to meet a client, one who was easily persuaded to not show up to the meeting.
Kastor got a click through his comlink, which was a signal that Magus had been spotted. They were down on level 1310, far below where the Republic regularly patrolled, and Kastor's team was spread out around the alley, waiting for their quarry.
Kastor got another click through the comms, so he stepped out into the road and smiled pleasantly as Magus stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowed, his face set in a scowl.
"I didn't think Jedi kept grudges," Magus said.
"We don't," Siri said, stepping into the valley behind Magus, and he glance back and Kastor enjoyed the shock on Magus's face as he saw Siri flanked by two Mandalorians, Koba and Njonne. Kastor heard movement and sensed as Rhys and Asuna moved into position, flanking Kastor, and while Magus might not have noticed yet, he also had Des in an overwatch position. "We just want information. Provide that and we'll let you go on your way."
"What information would that be?" Magus said, his face cold.
"Well, we would love to know the name of your employer for your job the last time we met," Kastor said easily. "We also want the location of where you dropped off my genetic material and any other helpful knowledge you might have in regards to your former employer."
"Of course you do," Malgus said dangerously. "You Jedi don't realize what's coming. My former employer is going to destroy you. I don't know how. I don't know when, but even I could feel his power. You Jedi are weak and softhearted in comparison."
"Yes, yes, Jedi are the worst," Kastor said with a pleasant smile. "Now, are you going to give us that information?"
"I don't think so," Magus said, and he drew the two blasters on his belt with impressive speed, firing off several rounds back at Siri, Koba, and Njonne, who either dodged the blasts or reflected them in Siri's case. Magus tapped his wrist and he flew into the air courtesy of the boosters on his feet, but he hadn't counted on Des who hit him with a stun blast and Magus dropped back onto the alleyway ground, unconscious.
"You're not the only one who can set up an ambush," Kastor said as he and his companions moved forward and Koba and Njonne grabbed Magus and they dragged him into the nearest warehouse where they planned to interrogate him.
They couldn't afford to be seen taking him up to the higher levels or to a landing platform. He was wanted in the Republic and they fully intended to collect his bounty, but not until they had answers.
They set magus in a chair and bound him, removing his weapons, and once they felt he was secure, Koba walked up, and firmly smacked Magus who jolted awake, glanced around and then glared.
"Torture? Interesting. I didn't think you Jedi had it in you . . . though maybe that's why you have these Mandalorians with you. Can't get your hands dirty? Yet, willing to pay someone else to do so. Ha! Hypocrites!" Magus spat. "You'll get nothing from me."
"The Mandalorians aren't here to torture you," Kastor said, stepping forward. "Nor am I. I don't have to. You see, I have a special talent. It will take me a while, but I'll get what I want from you . . . or I'll get what you know at least."
Magus twisted in his chair, snarling as Kastor extended his hand and touched Magus's face and the memories started flowing into him. He grimaced as more and more flowed and finally he removed his hand from Magus who was cursing up a storm.
"Get out of my head you filthy piece of shite!" Magus nearly screamed. "I'll karking kill you, you rat-faced bastard!"
"One week," Kastor said heavily. "One week of your life is all I saw, and in just watching a week of your life, I've learned that you are unredeemable. You kill without thought or feeling. You think nothing of other beings and revel in their pain. Based on these memories alone, I can find the people you've killed and the young woman you raped, and I could ensure that you spend the rest of your miserable life in prison, and I will, but first I'm going to get more information."
"You'll get nothing you slimy sack of dung!" Magus snapped.
"You can give it to me willingly, or I will take it myself," Kastor said, his eyes flashing. "The choice is yours."
"Nothing! You'll get nothing!"
Kastor sighed and glanced at Siri who was giving him a concerned look, but he nodded at her and then touched Magus again, going back further, and further, seeing the shopkeepers he beat up for a job . . . the ones he robbed after he beat them within a life for not having the money to pay their debts. He saw the favored prostitute that was beated over and over again, who fearfully welcomed Magus back again and again. He saw the children that Magus gunned down simply so he could see the looks of horror on those he was supposed to intimidate before he crippled them.
As he kept delving back though, the memories were interrupted by a vision.
Kastor saw five familiar people, four he knew well, even if he hadn't seen one in years, and one he had only seen in memories. It was Obi-Wan and Siri, simliar looking to how they were now, but with greater sadness and weight in their bearing. Also there was Anakin Skywalker, some years older, a young man instead of a gangly teen, and Padme Amidala, a beautiful young woman and not the young Queen he had known. Lastly was Talesan Fry, the boy who had been apart of the mission when Obi-Wan and Siri's relationship originally began and ended.
He watched as a ship was flown erratically, with Siri recklessly cutting through the hull from the outside, while Obi-Wan, Anakin, Talesan, and Padme flew a second ship after the first. He watched as Siri made it in and fought Magus, and watched as the two ships crashed. He watched as Obi-Wan held a fatally wounded Siri, as they exchanged some last final words of comfort, and as she faded, and the vision ended with a deadened Obi-Wan letting Magus be taken away, and Kastor could see a prominent shadow of the broken exile that Obi-Wan might still one day be.
Kastor pulled out of the vision and out of Magus's memories, gasping slightly, and he felt a warm bond and a comforting hand on his arm, pulling him away.
"What did you see?" Siri said.
"A vision of the future, one I'd seen before, but never so clearly," Kastor said slowly, looking at her, wincing slightly, seeing the vision again of her broken form, held by an emotionally and mentally broken Obi-Wan.
"You saw a vision of the future?" Asuna asked.
"Yes, a possible future," Kastor said quietly, glancing at Siri again, and understanding filled her face.
"You saw my death," she stated calmly, and Kastor nodded.
"Wait, does that mean this piece of filth kills Tachi?" Njonne asked.
"So it would seem," Kastor said, glancing at the man in question who was glaring at them all.
"That's an easy fix," Koba said with a shrug. "His bounty is dead or alive. Get the information you need and then we can put a blaster bolt through his heart. Problem solved."
"He's a prisoner," Siri said with a shake of her head. "Jedi don't kill prisoners."
"You don't have to," Rhys said slowly. "One of us can do it. We can do the dirty work."
"Us standing by is the same as pulling the trigger in this case," Kastor said.
"Yes, but we're talking about Siri's life compared to this schutta," Asuna said. "The life of a friend for the life of an honorless murderer. That's a trade I'll make every time."
"The problem is that working through his history will take some time, and it's not exact," Kastor said. "It would be better to have him locked up where we can continue to interrogate him further. I suspect he's looked into his former employer and found out information since our last encounter, but those memories won't be so easily identified."
"But if this is the man who kills Siri, then we need to kill him now," Koba said.
"Finding this Sith could save millions, if not billions or more lives," Kastor said. "He might be the key to finding that Sith."
"Or he might not be," Asuna shot back. "This might be a wild bantha chase and letting him live might simply doom Siri. You said it yourself, the future isn't set in stone, but you also said you've seen this vision before, but not as clearly, and now you've seen it quite clearly. I won't pretend to understand this Force of yours, but it seems to me that the Force is giving you something that you can change. This is something you can prevent!"
"Boss, I agree," Rhys said.
"I agree with Kas," Siri said. "My life is not worth the possible billions of lives that could be saved if this man knows anything about the Sith or at least anything about the Sith's plans."
"Except there is no guarantee of that," Njonne protested. "All we know is that there seems to be a high likelihood that this bastard will kill you. We don't know if he can actually help us with information. He's a bounty hunter. I doubt this Sith of yours truly gave him much information."
"That may be true, but we don't know that," Kastor said, frustrated. "Trust me. I very much want to make an easy possible change that will save the life of a dear friend, but I can't."
"Yes, you can," Rhys said quietly. "Everything in life is a gamble. We don't know if this future will come through or whether we can prevent your disaster, but this is an easy way to know that we have prevented one possible future. This is an easy way to make a change."
Kastor grimaced, but then he stiffened as Siri did. The rest of their group noticed as did Magus, who started laughing. Then, the doors on both sides of the small warehouse blew in, as did parts of the walls around them. The two Jedi, four Mandalorians, and Antarian Ranger all spread out as eight IG units came into the room firing rapidly at them.
Siri and Kastor immediately started deflecting bolts, while the rest returned fire, but IG units had a reputation for a reason, and with a level of agility and speed not seen in most droids, the IGs avoided most of the return fire, and the air started heating up as the bolts continued to fly back between the droids and Kastor's surrounded group.
The droids started moving forward rapidly, which allowed Siri to draw first blood when she cut one droid in half, but even the Mandalorians in their armor were forced to finally seek some better cover to avoid the fire, and as Koba managed to hit bring another droid down, Kastor saw three of the droids make their way over to where Magus was still bound.
"He's going to get away!" Asuna called out. "We have to make a push and stop those IGs!"
Unfortunately, that statement was followed by the remaining four IGs rushing their area, and one shoulder checked Rhys out of the way before tackling Njonne. The one that attempted to tackle Koba realized its miscalculation when the bear of a man knocked the droid back and then blasted it in the head.
Asuna and Siri engaged the last two while Des and Kastor turned to move when Kastor heard Rhys grunt in pain as the three droids who had freed Magus layed down a volley of fire at the downed Ranger, who wasn't able to roll away from all of the blasts and took a bolt into his shoulder.
Kastor deflected bolts, managing to drop one of the IGs, but then he saw the smirk on Magus's face as he grabbed the fallen droid's blaster and pointed it at Siri, and Kastor took it to mean exactly what Magus intended. If he couldn't kill Siri now, he was going to ensure that it happened someday, and Kastor felt something from inside that told him he would succeed.
The Force had shown him the future and in this instant, Kastor felt that the vision was genuinely true and unchangeable, so Kastor made his decision. He used the Force to stop one of the bolts from the droid, and then he focused it and launched it straight at Magus, who had no time to react before the bolt hit him right between the eyes and he dropped.
It was far easier a death than he deserved, but Kastor could honestly admit that the galaxy was a brighter place without him in it . . . and while Siri could still die in any number of ways, it was now certain that she would not die at Magus's hands.
Des managed to hit one of the other IGs with a couple bolts to the head and Kastor moved forward quickly and cut the remaining droid horizontally across the torso, ending the battle.
He turned back to see that Njonne had disabled her opponent, jabbing a knife into the gap between the droid's neck and torso. The other droids had likewise been destroyed or disabled.
"It was the right decision," Asuna said firmly, looking at Magus's fallen form and Kastor nodded slowly.
"I hope so. I truly do," Kastor said with a sigh. "Maybe we can still find something out from his ship. I saw where he stored it, and I saw his codes."
"He's got a twenty thousand credit bounty on his head, so we can claim that as well," Njonne said. "Maybe sell his ship, and I bet we can scrape enough parts from the eight IGs to put together a couple fully functional ones to sell. Those can go for twenty thousand or more a pop. I bet he keeps all of his finances on his ship too. Seems like a lucrative job. Make good money, save a friend, and kill a bastard."
"I just hope that we didn't just destroy our one lead," Kastor muttered, and Siri nodded sadly.
**The Will of the Force**
Get in and get out. That was the goal of a rescue mission. It never, in Obi-Wan's experience, worked out that way.
They had angered the Harriden patrol, who was now actively after them for revenge, despite them being Jedi.
Obi-Wan had carried Darra to the village and temporary safety, while his apprentice and Soara dealt with the occasional rocket sent their way by their pursuers or did their best to reassure the scientists.
It reminded Obi-Wan too much of when Qui-Gon had desperately carried Tahl long ago when she had been mortally wounded. It had been the first time Obi-Wan had realized that a Jedi Knight could die.
Obi-Wan shook his head, trying to shake the dark feelings that he'd had since they arrived on the planet. The darkness on the planet hung like a dark cloud, and the Force dimmed with it.
Darra would be okay. A blaster wound to the leg, while serious, was not life-threatening, but at the same time, her limp, unconscious body worried him.
Soara and Obi-Wan chose a building packed in the middle of a crowded street. Thanks to a half-destroyed wall, they would have lookouts on all four sides. Yet there was enough shelter for Darra to stay warm.
They wrapped her in a thermal cape. Soara administered bacta to her wound.
"It doesn't look bad," Obi-Wan said.
A line appeared between Soara's eyebrows. "That is what worries me," she said in a low tone. "She should not be unconscious."
"Will you allow me?" Joveh D'a Alin spoke up gently. "I trained to be a medic before my scientific degree."
She came closer and bent to examine Darra. She touched her with gentle, expert hands.
"Without instruments it is hard to tell," she said. "It appears that she is in shock. Is it possible that the blaster bolts carried a chemical charge?"
"It is possible," Soara said. "It is what I feared."
Obi-Wan saw Anakin swallow, his eyes dark, his face pale. He knew that Anakin felt responsible and had thought he was faster and stronger, which was why he had leaped impulsively, not trusting Darra to evade the fire. Unfortunately, Anakin was often right, but not always.
"She needs care that we cannot give," Joveh D'a Alin said. Her gray eyes were compassionate. "But her vitals are still good. The bacta should help."
"We need to get her to the Temple," Soara said. She reached out and, with one finger, touched the dusty fabric in Darra's braid.
"Master, I will go," Anakin said.
Obi-Wan turned, distracted. "Go where?"
"To the Haaridens. I will negotiate a truce so that we can continue on to the transport."
"What makes you think you will get within a hundred meters of a Haariden without being attacked?" Obi-Wan asked.
Anakin kept his gaze steady. "I am prepared to risk it."
Obi-Wan shook his head, knowing Anakin was not only not the right person to negotiate, but also not in the right mind to do so. "No. That is not the solution."
Soara joined them, closing her comlink. "I've contacted the Temple. They will pressure the Haaridens for a cease-fire. But it will take time. No one is sure who is in charge on either side. They are sending a medic to us with some sort of escort, but it will take two days." She glanced at Darra. "What if it's too late? Can we risk moving her? Can we carry her to the transport? It's still kilometers away."
Obi-Wan had never seen Soara look so uncertain. If his Padawan had been lying so still and pale, he would have felt the same way.
Tic Verdun spoke up. "We can all take turns. We aren't as strong as the Jedi, but we won't let you down."
"Thank you," Soara said quietly.
"We have other options," Obi-Wan said. "I'll be back."
Anakin took a step toward him. "Do you need me, Master?"
"No." Obi-Wan hurried away.
He regretted the brusqueness of his answer immediately, but he would work quicker alone. He needed his own perceptions. And, although he didn't like to admit it, he needed time alone to think of a way out of this. When he'd told Soara they had options, he'd meant it. He was sure they existed—he just didn't know what they were. He did not think that carrying Darra over kilometers of rough terrain while being pursued by an attacking force was the best idea.
He shifted from shadow to shadow, exploring the village, and gaining an understanding of what it used to be like . . . something which only made him sad, and still didn't give him an idea of what to do.
He saw a faint light through the forest. He climbed to a higher vantage point and trained his electrobinoculars toward it.
The patrol was camping outside the village. No doubt they did not relish a night battle. They would attack at daybreak, he was sure. They knew that the small band was trapped.
Obi-Wan shook his head. He could hardly believe his eyes. It seemed such a short time ago that a world such as Haariden would respect the Jedi, or at least fear the Senate enough not to attack a rescue mission. Had the Senate's power eroded this far? Had the galaxy ceased to respect the Jedi as well?
He walked back slowly, looking for a usable transport or a forgotten cache of weapons or anything, but everything had long since been looted or destroyed.
'Wait . . .' Obi-Wan stopped. Not looted. The village didn't bear the scars of having been looted. It had undergone a siege, and the valuables hadn't been stolen. They'd been removed.
Obi-Wan smiled before retracing his steps looking for something specific, and it wasn't long before he found the first tunnel opening in the closet of a prosperous house that was almost empty of furnishings.
The tunnel had been clumsily dug, but it was reinforced well, and had been cleverly concealed. He explored the caverns, making sure to keep his bearings, and quickly discovered several exits. One was in the back of the school, one in the village's clinic, and one opened out deep in the forest, on the other side of the Haariden camp.
Now, he had a plan.
Obi-Wan returned to the others and beckoned to Soara, and quickly explained what he had found.
"Should we evacuate now?" Soara asked, glancing at Darra. "We'll be taking a great risk if we try to sneak by the Haariden camp."
"Too great a risk, I fear," Obi-Wan said. "If it were just the four of us, it would be one thing, but we can't count on the scientists. They've been on the run for weeks. They're worn out. I think we need to strike an offense first. Now. They are settling down to sleep. It's the best time. If we can knock out their tracking devices and some weaponry, we'll be ahead."
Soara nodded. "You and I must go. We should leave Anakin here in case."
Obi-Wan nodded. He was glad Soara didn't hold Anakin's rash action during the battle against him.
Explaining to Anakin the plan took longer than it should. It was quickly apparent that his Padawan was out for redemption and filled with shame, a state that Obi-Wan didn't want to leave his Padawan in, but time was of the essence, and they needed Anakin to watch Darra and the scientists.
He only hoped that he and Anakin could talk afterwards.
**The Will of the Force**
Magus had owned a very impressive and expensive ship, an S91x Pegasus Tri-Wing. It had been easy to access his ship, and it didn't take them long, especially with Kastors memories and talent, to flush out all of Magus's hiding spots, which had yielded some positive results.
Magus, unsurprisingly with his line of work, had a small stockpile of weapons and explosives, so of which were quite hard to obtain and expensive, and he'd stocked away nearly forty thousand credits aboard his ship. They had managed to salvage enough to repair three IG units, so with Magus's bounty, the droids, the ship, the credits, and the weapons, they stood to make two hundred thousand credits. For a small score dealing with one target, it was quite the haul.
He'd give the four Mandalorians each twenty thousand of that for their assistance. He'd give another forty thousand to be split and given to each of the four clans. Rhys would take a small cut for his own personal vault, the Antarian Rangers and Order would each take a donation, and the rest would go into their preparation vault.
Still, despite the financial success, the ship had not yielded any leads or evidence for the Sith Lord and whether or not Magus had worked further for him.
"I'm sorry, dad," Siri said as they made their way away from the medical bay, where Rhys was being treated.
"Don't be," Kastor said firmly. "The Force was clear. If he had gotten away, you would have died, and Asuna's right, there was no evidence that he had any knowledge of the Sith. He probably didn't. Your life for his is a trade I will make every time, and I won't regret it. I wish we'd gotten answers, but I felt the surety of the Force. This was a chance to change something in the future, maybe something small on the cosmic scale, maybe not. I know in my world, in Obi-Wan's, this is not a small change, and I'm glad that even if I only succeed in changing one thing, that it will be this."
Siri smiled and leaned into him as they walked, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her loosely.
**The WIll of the Force**
Anakin couldn't help but feel frustration and anger with Obi-Wan and Soara having left to deal with the Haaridans. Obi-Wan just had such assurance with his actions . . . no hesitation in his movements. Ever. Anakin wished he could have that much confidence. With this mission, he felt like everything had gone wrong . . . and it had cost Darra a serious injury.
It was times like this when his connection to the Force felt like a burden more than a gift. It pulsed around him so strongly and he could feel it so easily that he used it to act instead of to strategize. Obi-Wan had told him the Force must be used for caution and control as well as action. So far he had not learned that lesson. It was because he did not understand it. During the battle he had seen which way the blaster fire would come. He had exactly determined its movement and speed. But he had not factored in the notion that Darra would be moving, too.
The scientists had rolled themselves into thermal blankets and were trying to catch a few hours of sleep in the corner. Through the half-demolished roof above, Anakin could see the cold night sky. The constellations were not familiar to him and made him feel even farther away from home. He crossed the room and crouched by Darra. Her eyelashes cast shadows on her pale cheeks. There was a fine sheen of perspiration on her skin. He watched her breathe in and out, and all he could do was wish she was okay and that it hadn't been his fault that she was in this state.
He felt a presence by his shoulder. The scientist Tic Verdun looked down at Darra. "It is hard to see a friend this way, I know."
"Yes," Anakin said. He did not want to discuss his feelings with this stranger.
"Yesterday I would have said that Jedi are used to pain and suffering and thus can bear it better than we do," Tic Verdun continued. "Today I find I would be wrong. You seem to feel it more."
"Not more," Anakin said. "It's just that we put ourselves in the way of danger. It is our path. We see one another's strength. We see one another at our best. So we know exactly how much we lose when one of us goes down. And we feel . . . if only we could have been the one to fall."
He felt Tic Verdun's eyes on him. "I saw that you wanted to go with your Master and Soara Antana. If you wish to follow them, I will take responsibility for Darra Thel-Tanis and the rest of us. The others are tired. I am still strong."
Anakin was impressed, but he shook his head, and sat down next to Darra.
"I can't go, but thank you."
He hoped that was the end of it. He wasn't in the mood to talk, especially to a stranger. Apparently Tic Verdun didn't understand. He sat down, too.
"The Force," he said. "You have to see how it would be intriguing to a scientist. Something that cannot be seen, cannot be measured. And it can only be felt by a select few. Here I am with someone who can feel it and use it. I saw it happen just a short while ago. Can you explain how it works to me? Can you tell me anything at all?" He added hastily, "Or is it forbidden to speak of it?"
"It is not forbidden," Anakin said. "But it is not usually done . . . it's hard to explain."
Tic wrapped his arms around his knees. "I see."
Anakin winced.
"It is hard to talk about it. It is something I can feel around me. Something I can gather and tap into, like a deep well. It sustains me and frustrates me—"
"Frustrates you?" Tic's dark eyes were alive, curious.
Anakin leaned back against the cold stone wall. He felt very tired. "Sometimes. It is so vast…"
"That you feel small." Tic gave a sad smile. "I study the galaxy. I know how that feels. How simple it is, and yet how intricate and complex. It is all around you and you are at the center of it, yet you are nothing compared to it."
"Yes," Anakin said. Tic had put into words what he had been feeling. No one had ever done that before. Not even Obi-Wan or Kastor. Sometimes the Force made him feel . . . lonely.
"And you will never truly understand it," Tic added softly, "yet you will spend your life trying. And sometimes you ask yourself, is it worth it? Is it foolish of you to devote yourself to trying to know the unknowable?" He laughed. "All I know is, it can't be wise."
"Wisdom is not what we seek," Anakin said, repeating a Jedi saying, one Obi-Wan and Kastor were both fond of. "Wisdom can only be found."
Tic shook his head, grinning. "Whatever that means. And I thought the scientific institute was hard."
When Tic smiled, Anakin realized that he was younger than he'd thought. He wasn't much older than Obi-Wan. Tic had made him feel better, and he didn't think anyone was capable of that.
Suddenly the sound of explosions split the air. The scientists all jumped to their feet, fear on their faces. Darra stirred but did not wake.
"What is it?" Reug Yucon whispered the words harshly.
Anakin heard the sound of alarmed voices from the Haariden camp. Soara and Obi-Wan had begun their attack. Every muscle seemed to contract with the effort of staying still. He wanted so badly to go.
"Should we leave?" Joveh D'a Alin asked anxiously. "We could be trapped here."
"No," Anakin said. "We'll wait here. Masters Obi-Wan and Soara will not fail."
They only had to wait ten minutes before Anakin's words were true and Obi-Wan and Soara both returned, neither looking the worse for wear.
"The Haaridan patrol is returning to the battle, which has resumed," Obi-Wan said. "They will trouble us no further. We'll be able to reach the transport with no difficulties."
Anakin nodded while the scientists all breathed sighs of relief and exchanged happy glances. He saw Soara and Obi-Wan exchange sad glances, and then he felt Obi-Wan's unease through their bond. There was something else . . . something that he'd found out.
Anakin watched as Soara and Obi-Wan fashioned a body sling and tied Darra gently against Obi-Wan's chest. It would be a relatively quick hike to the transport now, with nobody trying to kill them.
As they started making the trek, Anakin sidled up next to his master.
"What did you learn, Master?" Anakin asked quietly. "What has made you nervous?"
"An old enemy was responsible for the patrol attacking us," Obi-Wan responded, equally as quietly. "Granta Omega paid that patrol to attack us. Like before, the captain couldn't describe what Omega looked like."
Anakin felt anger rise up. Omega had tried to kill them before, on Ragoon 6. Omega was no Sith, but he did collect Sith artifacts, and hated the Jedi. He was a void, a person with enough power to appear so neutral as to fade from the memory of those who had met him. He was dangerous, and apparently he was still after them.
They made good time back to the transport, and soon reached the ship, which the scientists all boarded with weary relief. Soara slid into the controls while Obi-Wan set Darra down on a sleep couch, gently, and covered her in a thermal blanket, and then contacted the Temple with an update.
Still, Anakin could feel Obi-Wan's unease and curiosity. He hoped this meant that they would finally go after Omega. It was time to solve the mystery of who he was and why he hated the Jedi.