Jumping into Hyperspace for a period of time was to be expected. Setting it into autopilot, the two former Jedi passed the time via meditation in Obi Wan's case, or for Anakin, tinkering. While they both would have chosen to spar with lightsabers when given free time, neither had their lightsabers as they were given over to the council, and with Ilum monitored heavily by the Jedi, both knew that if they attempted to take a Kyber crystal from the caverns to build a new one, the Jedi would likely already target them. While not necessarily enemies, the fact that Anakin was certain that he and Obi Wan were now part of the Lost Twenty, or Twenty Two, for leaving the Order or otherwise fallen for their actions. Even in black markets, they were heavily monitored for any non force sensitive using the weapon of the Jedi.
Anakin would like nothing more than to tell them to fuck off and stick it to them, but he knew that all it would do would just prove the Jedi right, that he was dangerous and directly affect Obi Wan as well. He didn't want to drag Obi Wan down to his level or such for his actions.
He supposed that even then, he and Obi Wan could always fabricate a synthetic crystal for use or utilize an alternative, such as vibroblades. They had some spare credits to allow them to purchase at least numerous weapons to defend themselves. Even without them, they always had the Force.
Once they were finally out of hyperspace, Obi Wan was also just out of his meditation when he held up a hand to catch a ration bar Anakin tossed him. "Out of hyperspace now?"
Anakin nodded. "Yeah. I've checked our scanners. Not much planets in sight." The Jedi ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "No good news, so do you want to hear it?"
He might as well hear it. "Give it to me then."
"We're low on fuel in the generators." A almost sheepish grin formed on his face. "I guess we should've gotten more fuel before we left."
Obi Wan was at this point used to reckless ignorance and stupidity at times. It was just a simple mistake if anything to get away from their past. "Let's land on the nearest planet then. We'll communicate with them through coms and inform them who we are before we land."
Anakin nodded at that assessment and both Jedi returned to the front station to glance at the viewport. Carefully monitoring the equipment, both were soon in view of the planet, dotted with visible white of clouds, green and blue along with a smattering of grey that indicated mountains.
However, when both Jedi prepared to introduce themselves on their ETA class shuttle, there was nothing but static. "No frequencies?" Anakin muttered under his breath, brows raised. "I guess it is the Unknown Regions after all."
Obi Wan raised a hand to his beard, cautious. He closed his eyes, concentrating through the Force, before informing Anakin to do the same.
For a moment, there was nothing. But then he felt it, a light presence that drew him in, wrapping its invisible blanket around him to soothe and sheathe him, but there was another, a darker one that was threatening, mocking and cold, cruel and sadistic.
For a moment, Obi Wan was flowing through nothing. Immediately, his senses were on alert, attempting to feel through the Force to understand where he was, how and why. He felt nothing but a sense of peace and contentment for a moment, then immediately, the surroundings darkened, and for a second, he felt the presence simultaneously as well, darken into a blanket and eyes from within, eyes within the darkness stare at him. A gaping maw opened up with rows of sharp teeth, and Obi Wan was thrown immediately out, even for his composure and training as a Jedi.
"Obi wan?!" Anakin gasped as well.
The former Jedi Master took a breath to recompose, his heart he didn't even realize was elevated, beating at a pace more quicker than normal.
Anakin had felt it as well alongside his best friend. For a moment, he felt pure bliss, a joyful light that filled him and reassured him that whoever it was, it was not the enemy. The Chosen One and former Knight was inclined to believe it, and he let the being of light in, greeting it. The light of the voice was kind with a hint of playfulness, greeting him by his name…
"Anakin."
The voice was feminine yet mature.
Anakin was about to greet the being back. He was cautious, yet most of it had slipped away in feelings of relief and contentment.
Yet as he was ready to let the being in, he felt a surge of darkness that pushed it away, and rows of eyes, and a gaping maw of drool and that reeked of vile death and destruction. It spoke his name, almost taunting.
"Anakin."
The Jedi was thrown out almost backwards from the shockwave whatever it was emanating, and he was back on the shuttle. A single glance at his best friend, and he was thinking and feeling the same thing.
Neither spoke for a second. "I felt it too." Anakin simply confirmed in a quiet tone. "Master?"
Obi Wan was already concentrating, brows fixed in such. Before Anakin could protest, Obi Wan attempted to reach out with the force once more; Anakin provided some shielding in case, and Obi Wan brushed against him in gratitude before continuing on, but there was nothing. They remained cautious and on guard but the darkness they had felt was already gone, and no sign of the being of light.
"We go in." Obi Wan decided after a silent deliberation. "But Anakin?"
"I know, Master." Anakin's gaze hardened and narrowed back into the General he was during the Clone Wars, a steely resolve in his battle hardened visage.
Whatever this planet was, neither could understand how it contained both light and darkness. Neither weren't even sure what they had felt, but they knew whatever the planet contained, it was for them to be cautious of what it was.
The moment they had landed was just another surprise. Both Jedi reached the atmosphere while simultaneously probing the vicinity with the Force, but the planet looked alive and thriving, as they felt through the force with life teeming and specks of humans traversing, but no capital or traffic indicating where they should land. So it meant this planet had largely not achieved space travel or at all.
Both Jedi decided to land in an area outside into a region where they would not be found.
Anakin for a moment wished he had Artoo, but he had left him with Padme and Ahsoka. As he and Obi Wan exited their craft from the ramp and reached through the Force, they focused on where to locate their surroundings to make best of their current situation.
Both could feel the life on the planet. On one side, they had felt joy and happiness, a feeling of content that was all the right in the world. But on the other side, he felt darkness, something that threatened to be awakened but he was entirely unsure as to what it was or what it meant. It was dangerous and the Force rang a warning.
Before they could, however, a scream echoed from the distance through the Force, a feeling of loss, pain, and terror that they felt many times before. Both former Jedi already felt the direction of such a distance before it had arrived and looked at it to see flames and smoke.
Acting purely on instinct, Anakin was already enhancing his strides, rushing forward in the direction of flames and shouts and screaming. "Wait, Anakin!"
"Whatever it is, we have to help, Obi Wan! I'm not staying around to wait!" The younger man retorted as he screeched to a halt. "We can get directions later anyway, and don't you feel it?! We should help them!"
Obi Wan hesitated, feeling through the Force for confirmation and it agreed with Anakin, pushing for them both to confront whatever it was. It was as if the Force was telling them they would find trustworthy allies and friends there, and as he felt deeper, it was telling him that he would be able to form a new life with whatever those companions or individuals were, for this encounter was not just to save lives but also continue on.
Obi Wan agreed. "Very well. Let's be careful."
Anakin nodded, and both Jedi sprinted through the empty plains, their strides enhanced by the Force to reach their destination. Unbeknownst to them, their lives would be changed forever by the encounter, for a prince, his sister, a princess, the prince's retainer, and an amnesiac tactician would be heading down the same direction for a similar purpose to save those within.