Author's note: this chapter has been edited to erase grammar and spelling mistakes

~ 14 ~

A triad menace

- Building trust doesn't take time. It takes courage -

Alarmed by Anakin's yell, he spun around to see a huge, horrendous creature hurtling towards him, its maw gaping wide. Swiftly jumping back, the Jedi learner narrowly avoided being swallowed whole. The beast had six legs, an insectoid exoskeleton, and terrifying horns protruding all over its body. And it wasn't alone. An enormous cloud of black dust formed out of nowhere, rapidly growing denser and obscuring the view. Within moments, it had engulfed the two men completely.

Anakin activated his lightsaber, slashing wildly in all directions, but in vain. The black fog extinguished all light, leaving the Force as his only guide. His lightsaber seemed ineffective against the beasts pressing in on him, as if he were swinging a stick. Another huge maw opened above his head, rows of jagged, sharp teeth ready to snap. The maw closed and missed Anakin's head by a hair, the entire head dropping to the ground right next to him, severed from the body. Dark liquid, like oddly-colored blood, was dripping off Kenshin's metal blade.

Attack after attack came relentlessly. The beasts defied anything he had ever encountered. Why couldn't his lightsaber cut through their armor? Unlike the plasma blade, Kenshin's metal blade proved more effective against their nightmarish foes, but even his skillful bladework struggled against the sheer pressure of the assaults. Vision became poorer by the minute, and the Padawan felt tendrils of pure dark side energy beginning to wrap around his limbs. He cried out in pain as the first vine pulled tight, a sharp pang racing through both his body and mind. A fear like never before gripped him. Visions of his mother appeared before his inner eye, swirling and changing in a devilish dance. In some, she was dead, and he had killed her. In others, she was being violated by twisted figures, her screams piercing like nothing he had ever heard. Utter horror consumed him, his head ablaze with images even his worst nightmares had never conjured. Anakin felt like he was suffocating, black tendrils traveling up his body and smothering his face. His mind drowned in sheer terror.

Purple flames blazed around him, and lightning crackled. He couldn't tell if it was real or an illusion. The presence he had felt in his dream, the same one from the meditation circle, embraced him protectively.

Encouraged by this new flicker of hope, Anakin thought The Force is with me. The Force is with me and I am the Force. The Force is with me and I am the Force.

Drawing on all his strength, Anakin fought on. Kenshin's blade was everywhere at once. Then he slowed, white flames appearing at his fingertips and growing into a glowing sphere of Force energy, enveloping both Jedi within its protective barrier. The attacks slowed. The energy barrier Kenshin had raised kept the monstrous creatures at bay, but for how long? Sweat dripped from his face, his handsome features distorted with pain.

The group of monsters circled the Jedi, then suddenly seemed unsettled, afraid. The strange fog lifted gradually, revealing a pack of eight or ten demonic, dragon-like creatures with purple glowing eyes and scaled bodies. They stood as tall as an average human male, looking exactly like the dragon sculpted from marble he had seen in Karimaoru, and just like the creature in his dream. Thanks to Aiko's explanations he now knew what they were. Yashkaru.

The black fumes dissipated, seemingly repelled by the presence of the Yashkaru. The jungle around them returned to an eerie silence, save for the corpses of the nightmarish creatures scattered about. The pack of Yashkaru gathered around the Jedi, their purple eyes gleaming with curiosity. One by one, they retreated, melting into the dense foliage of the jungle.

"The demons," Anakin said incredulously.

"The what?" Kenshin asked, still catching his breath.

"The Yashkaru, that's what they're called, right? I've seen one before, in a dream. It saved me in that dream, just like they saved us now. You summoned them, Master, didn't you? You control them. It was you I saw in my dream. It was you!"

Kenshin stared at him, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

"When I got attacked in the scrapyard, after that, I had a dream. The Morgukai were hunting and attacking me again, but one of these beasts appeared. I didn't know what it was, another demon chasing me, and I tried to fight it, but I couldn't do anything against it. Then it protected me and turned against the Morgukai. It saved me, just like you saved Kyle and me in... in the real world."

Kenshin looked at him as if he had grown another limb, along with green hair. "Anakin, I cannot explain it."

"Can you at least explain what nearly killed us a minute ago?"

Kenshin sighed, running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. His gaze turned somber as he began to explain. "The creatures we faced must be the result of ancient Sith rituals. The Sith in ancient times had developed many rituals in which they twisted and abused the Force in unspeakable ways. Whatever happened here, it has corrupted the natural order, and distorted some of the fauna, creating these abominations that attacked us, known as Sithspawn."

"The Yashkaru, on the other hand," Kenshin continued, "must have appeared by their own will. Maybe they sensed that we were in trouble. They seem to be immune to the evil influence, perhaps even existing to counteract it.I didn't call upon them, not consciously at least."

The weight of Kenshin's words hung heavily in the air. Anakin felt a mix of awe and dread. The realization that the very ground they stood on was tainted by centuries-old dark magic made his skin crawl. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, of the grassy plain itself being alive with malevolent intent.

Kenshin placed a reassuring hand on Anakin's shoulder. "We must be grateful they chose to aid us. We need to be cautious and stay alert. The Sith's influence lingers here, and who knows what other horrors we might encounter. We should try and find that temple"

They followed the Yashkaru into the jungle, on foot this time. Beneath the thick canopy, the predators had created trails that the two Jedi now followed. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the distant calls of unseen creatures. The jungle seemed alive, every rustle and whisper laden with the presence of the Force. The threatening spirit of the dark side grew weaker the further they moved away from the grassy fields.

Soon, they neared an opening in the dense forest.

"Be careful where you step. This temple was—perhaps still is—protected with all kinds of traps: Force traps, explosives, and other defenses." Kenshin pointed to a spot on the ground a few meters away where a crater marred the earth. The bumpy terrain was dominated by a pointy, overgrown hill—the temple structure. The small grassy clearing around it was dotted with craters of various sizes, many of them centuries old and overgrown with grass and bushes, almost invisible to the untrained eye.

Night began to fall, casting long shadows that danced eerily in the twilight. Kenshin decided they should set up camp and examine the temple the next day. Unlike the ominous feeling of the ancient battle site, this place felt light and serene. This really was a Jedi temple. This close to a focal point of the Light, the Jedi Master saw little reason to fear attacks by the evil spirits that had haunted the planet two thousand years ago.

He lit a small fire and settled down next to it, tossing Anakin his cloak. He was more than ready to get some rest.

In spite of the peaceful feel of the place, Anakin felt restless. What he had seen in the last three days was entirely overwhelming. He had felt the Force in ways he had never thought possible and reached depths he had never wanted to explore. His teacher's advice and explanations were almost as unsettling as the experiences themselves. Maybe he had seen his own darkness; maybe on this planet the Force was different.

Plus, Kenshin appeared to wield powers that seemed unusual, suspect even. Anakin couldn't sense him in the Force, ever. Only in the strangest situations did he perceive something he wasn't sure was real or an illusion. Kenshin could commune with beasts and exert his will over them—the gundarks on Vanquor, the arashi, and the enigmatic Yashkaru. He had the power of Force healing, and Anakin still hadn't forgotten the horror scene of Ventress writhing in pain and screaming, in the clutches of some invisible vise.

He needed to know. He took a deep breath and gathered himself.

"Master!"

The other Jedi didn't respond. His hood was drawn deep over his face, and his slouched posture indicated he was already sleeping, or about to fall asleep.

"Master!" he said again, a little louder.

Kenshin lifted his head groggily. "What? Let me sleep!"

"The dark vergence. It had a devastating effect on me, but not on you."

A questioning glance. The Padawan cleared his throat.

"What is going on here? What is wrong with this planet? And how do you wield powers that I only ever heard of in what little we learned about Sith practices? Who are you, Master? What are you?" Anxiety and confusion strained his voice.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed. Anakin grimaced internally—his words had come out like a reproach, which was not what he had intended.

"I just want to understand, Master. I'm confused. I'm overwhelmed. I'm... yes, I'm scared, too!" he admitted and exhaled. That had not been easy to say.

With relief, Anakin read understanding in his Master's eyes.

"You are right. You deserve explanations," Kenshin said. "I have studied everything about Sith culture I could find. Whenever I was sent to find dark side artifacts, I did not only retrieve them to secure them in the archives. I also studied them. Of course, this was and is forbidden, but how am I supposed to effectively combat the Sith threat when I don't understand it well? In order to defeat an enemy, you must understand them. Their culture, their language, their art…"

"And that's how you learned powers a Jedi usually doesn't learn," the Padawan concluded.

Kenshin nodded.

"What happened on the ancient battlefield? Why did I have a feeling something was in my mind?"

"The Sithspawn attacked your subconscious, projecting images of your greatest fears, making you see nightmares as reality. Over time, I have learned to combat that. I'm not immune, but I have learned to understand that those projections are not real, only attempts at demoralizing a victim. You are powerful, Anakin, but you haven't understood yet how strong you are. You need to learn to believe in yourself."

"When we fought, I felt your presence in the Force, Master. Otherwise, I can never sense it, except in life-and-death situations. Only when you save me. Why? Why can I never sense you like I can sense other Jedi or even normal people?"

"That is called Force stealth."

"You mask your presence all the time? Why?"

"To hide. I don't want to be perceived. Sometimes, it is crucial that I remain entirely hidden. I'm a spy and a tracker, remember? On most of my missions, I would be killed the moment I let my guard down. So I never do."

"Even at the temple? No one would kill you there!"

"The Jedi... very few accept or understand what I am. It's easier to just... not be seen."

This wasn't the answer Anakin wanted.

"What about me? Why do you shield yourself from me then?"

Kenshin paused, then sighed deeply. "You still don't trust me, that's it!" Anakin concluded. "Why, Master, why do you never let me see who you are? You don't take me seriously. You don't trust me. You should, but you don't."

Kenshin gave him a hurt look. But it was true. He didn't feel trusted. Even Kenshin still treated him like a child. A child he cared about, but still a child, not an equal. He pouted and distinctly looked the other way. Then the Padawan felt something gently touch his mind. Someone in the Force was communicating with him. First, Anakin hesitated—being too close in touch with the Force and the strange currents it flowed in on this planet was a scary endeavor, to say the least. At last, he decided to want to know what was calling to him and reached out. And then he sensed it!

It was the very presence he had sensed a few times before but that had always been blurry, covered, concealed. Now it was clear and strong. He could feel the signature that grew stronger and more prominent as Kenshin lowered his shields. For the first time, he could truly feel it! There was a bond between him and Kenshin! Anakin gasped. It hit him like a gust in a sandstorm. The Force signature that was now revealed was intense and imposing. Intimidating, even. He had felt presences of such magnitude only a few times before. Yoda and Mace Windu were the most powerful Force users he knew, and this was something else entirely. Intense and powerful, but while the two revered Jedi Masters' presences were steady and composed, Kenshin's Force signature had a raw, feral quality to it. Yoda was the very image of light and righteousness. Master Windu was a mountain: severe, stern, and unshakeable. Anakin himself was a bright supernova. Kenshin was the raging storm and the shadows. Both light and dark, giving it a powerful and dangerous feel.

Anakin steadied himself and started to open himself more, first hesitantly, then curiously probing the other Jedi's mind. He began to see feelings and emotions. At the surface, there was an eternal restlessness, awareness of an elusive threat, the sense of a predator ready to pounce. Frustration about not being able to identify and attack the menace yet. Resolve. Defiance. Dominantly present, strength. And deep kindness and caring. Anakin felt how Kenshin deeply cared about him, and for the people on this planet. Even for the Jedi Order that he claimed to dislike. Fortitude, and loyalty.

He probed further, desperately wishing to get to know the man who was his Master, wishing to grow their bond. Then, hidden beneath the seemingly unshakeable strength and power, he started to see pain. Deep wounds that were old but far from healed. The pain was contained and controlled, but its sharpness had lost nothing of its edge; it was as searing as it had been on the first day. Anakin went on, he wanted to know what it was, he wanted to help, to soothe, to heal. Before he could see more, he felt himself violently shut off. As if from a different realm, muffled, distorted sounds reached his ears. The sharp, metallic rasp of a sword being unsheathed and the snap-hiss of a lightsaber blazing to life. Anakin jerked his eyes open and saw Kenshin had jumped to his feet, both his blades in a defensive stance held in front of him. The Padawan made an attempt to move closer, holding his open palms up.

"Master..."

"Stay away from me!" Kenshin commanded through clenched teeth. Anakin saw something in Kenshin's eyes he had never seen there before. Mindless fear.

"I didn't want to hurt you! I don't understand! I'm sorry! Master, please!"

Kenshin took another two steps back. Moments, then minutes passed. The deep, steady buzz of his lightsaber was the only sound to be heard. Slowly, his eyes softened, the fury and terror in them replaced by deep sadness. At last, he shut his lightsaber off and hung his head.

"Let the past die..." he murmured. "I have to let the past die!"

Anakin didn't speak. Twice within the course of only a few days, diving into the Force had terrified him in one way or another. As for his Master... the more he learned about Kenshin, the less he understood. Things had happened that he didn't comprehend in the slightest. For all his life, the Force had always accompanied him, sometimes as a steady, nurturing hand holding him, most of the time a burning fire powering him. Today, it had burnt him. What he had felt and seen today had first scared him, and then he had, without intending it, hurt Kenshin. He didn't even understand how or what he had done.

"No one has ever seen what you saw. No one. No one has ever seen that I am weak," Kenshin finally said.

"I don't understand. I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. I just... I saw so much pain and... I just wanted to help!" Anakin pleaded. The other Jedi shirked from his look.

"No one can help me," Kenshin said bleakly. He shivered, as if in a freezing cold.

Anakin walked up to him. Kenshin flinched as Anakin laid his hand on his shoulder, but he didn't try to shy away from the gesture. Finally, Anakin hugged the other Jedi and held him until the shivering stopped.

The morning Anakin woke up to was foggy but peaceful. The birds of the jungle sang their melodic tunes, there was no trace of any threat. Just him and Kenshin, who was curled up in a ball next to the now-defunct campfire, still deeply asleep.

Anakin scoffed. For someone who was such a demanding taskmaster in the dojo, the young Master sure loved sleeping in. The Padawan rose and wandered around, recalling Kenshin's warning about traps but sensing no danger. The place hummed with life, feeling more like a sanctuary than a battlefield. The previous day's horrors seemed like a distant nightmare.

Vines and thick leaves covered everything. Anakin wondered how they were supposed to find anything in this green mass. The jungle was dense, yet peaceful. Birds filled the air with their songs, and nothing hinted at the horrors they had faced. Eventually, Kenshin appeared next to him, accompanied by a few Yashkaru that had decided to keep them company. Aiko had described them as nocturnal creatures, yet even now, in the daylight, there were three or four of them around. They seemed to be drawn to Kenshin as if they were part of his spirit. Strange beasts. Anakin was still wary of them and was glad they kept a comfortable distance.

Reflecting on the previous day, Anakin felt ashamed. Ashamed of how much fear he had felt facing the Sithspawn, ashamed of how easily he had succumbed to the dark side's pull. He was the Chosen One. He was supposed to be strong and powerful. He was supposed to be better. Maybe he was still a slave, after all—a slave to his emotions. 'Believe in yourself.' Kenshin had said that more than once. Of course he believed in himself. Things just never seemed to go his way.

A new sensation rattled him out of his thoughts. There. He felt it. Overgrown by a bush bearing delicate white blossoms, there was an entrance. Anakin and Kenshin exchanged a glance and nodded. They both knew. With both Master and apprentice locking in on it, a panel lifted, and vines moved aside, revealing a shadowy entrance.

They made their way in. At first, the air was musty. A few more steps in, the walls and ground became dry and dusty. The corridor widened, leading to another portal, this one intricately decorated with runes Anakin couldn't read.

"What are those? What does it say?" Anakin asked.

"It's a very old tongue. I can only make out a few words..." Kenshin replied, studying the portal.

"It doesn't say how we open it?"

"No," Kenshin replied, continuing his examination.

"I have a way," Anakin said, igniting his lightsaber.

"Wait!" Kenshin commanded. His fingers found a small opening, a narrow slot less than a centimeter wide and only a few centimeters high. Anakin had completely missed it. With a swift move, Kenshin unsheathed his curved sword and gently pushed the blade into the slot. Gears that hadn't turned in hundreds of years began to move, and the portal opened.

The Jedi stood in a small round chamber with several aisles leading away from it in a radial pattern. Kenshin chose one, and lacking a better idea, Anakin followed. They found more, larger chambers. The aisles became broader, and one door led to a dojo where a range of ancient weapons was still neatly fixed to the walls. There were also ceremonial and council chambers and meditation rooms. Unlike its exterior, the inside of the temple looked intact—deserted, but not destroyed or vandalized. Kenshin paced restlessly through the rooms and corridors.

A small symbol gave it away. Hidden at the back of a column, how Kenshin had known it was there was a mystery to Anakin. The Master pressed on the slightly protruding stone, and another column moved, opening a small entrance. Both of them slipped in. There it was—a small chamber filled with manuscripts, books, and holocrons of different shapes, some of them in the shape of pyramids.

"Triangles, pyramids... aren't those Sith symbols?" Anakin asked.

"Yes," Kenshin replied.

"But... wait, this was a Jedi temple?"

"It was, but the ancient Jedi did not condemn knowledge. They studied all aspects of the Force."

They spent a great deal of time studying the ancient library's contents. Most rested orderly on wooden and stone shelves; others were scattered on the ground and tables, as if someone had tried to leave a message and then hastily left... or rather, fled. What they learned by deciphering the message was unsettling.

Written testimonials confirmed what Kenshin's Master had spoken about in her holocron. Jedi had once settled on the planet, living in harmony with the native civilization. Eventually, a temple was constructed, in the remains of which they now stood. The Jedi and the Dunari had created a Force medallion, a 'key' that could channel the planet's Force energy and enable the wielder to influence life itself. An elected council administered the key, using its powers to cure disease, help with bad harvests, prevent famines, and administer justice. For a long time, peace and prosperity reigned, making Nanta a paradise like no other in the galaxy.

But it was not meant to last. New strangers—Sith—arrived with sinister intentions, bringing war and destruction. It culminated in a great battle where the Sith performed a dark magic ritual, devastating a huge portion of the land and distorting the life in it. "The Sithspawn we encountered," Anakin commented. The Sith wanted possession of the key. The council debated using it as a weapon, and the first attempt by a warrior carrying it into battle killed both the Sith and Jedi armies by merely forming the thought of their enemies' death. Realizing its terrible potential, the Dunari and Jedi tried to destroy it but could only break it into three parts. A key bearer was designated to hide the fragments in different places. Protective measures and traps were put in place to keep out intruders. The reports then became fragmentary and hastily written. The Sith attacked again, and the key bearer fled while the remaining Dunari and Jedi held the enemy back as long as they could.

"And the rest of this story, we know. The woman Quinlan saw in his psychometric analysis—it was her memories he saw. She was the key bearer. She hid the parts. The structures he saw through her memories were this temple, then another planet, then Vanquor, where she hid the holocron we found. If what Quinlan saw is correct, at least one piece of what we are looking for is hidden in this temple," Kenshin explained.

"Now, something tells me it won't be easy to find. All I understand is that this 'key' must be some kind of superweapon," Anakin replied.

"A triad menace that could destroy entire worlds, if these ancient testimonials are right. We have to find and destroy it."

"Or we could use it for good!"

"And how would you make sure not to become corrupted? No being should wield such power. No one, no matter how pure their intentions, could withstand the draw to power forever. Then terror would swallow the galaxy!"

"And how do you think we can destroy this key when they couldn't?"

"I don't know, Anakin! I don't know. But we have to try!"

"How can we try if we don't know how, Master?"

"We will find a way. Just because you don't already know the solution to a problem doesn't mean you shouldn't try solving it. There will be battles you cannot win. But you still have to do your best to solve what you can, because giving up would be even worse!"

The Force and intuition were their only guides as the Master-padawan pair scoured corridor after corridor, tunnel after tunnel without result, eventually ending up back in the small library room. Kenshin was as exhausted as Anakin was bored and frustrated. Leaning against a column, Kenshin's mind wandered. He didn't quite realize how the column slowly moved until he suddenly fell through the aperture that had appeared. One level deeper, it was dark, then illuminated by Anakin's lightsaber. Of course! The Padawan had followed his Master's drop without hesitation.

"Uhm, maybe it wasn't so clever to follow me? I don't know the way out. Yet."

"I have faith in you, Master!"

The dark, dusty cavern was small, with only one tunnel leading away. The Jedi followed it until they arrived at yet another stone door. First Kenshin, then Anakin, tried to move it, with and without the Force, but to no avail. Unlike Anakin, Kenshin had brought a small light, which revealed runes engraved next to the locked door.

"Shadow and light, night and day, teacher and student."

"Don't be so specific, Master!"

For a while, certainly too long for Anakin's taste, the older Jedi remained still and silent.

"Master... if you want to contemplate your life choices, maybe this is not the time?!"

"Teacher and student... we have to do it together!" Kenshin exclaimed.

Together, they placed their hands on the portal, and it moved, opening to another dark tunnel. A series of tunnel openings, actually.

"It's a maze," Kenshin said.

"And how will we find our way through it?"

"Trust the Force!" he said drily.

Kenshin chose a first opening and searched through them one by one. Finally, in the last dungeon that was left, there it was, hidden away in a hole underneath a column. Anakin marveled at how unspectacular the hiding spot was.

"That's the entire point of a hideout. You don't want it to attract attention," Kenshin commented. A faint, nondescript energy emanated from the object. The strange vibrancy was what had enabled Kenshin to detect it; it grew stronger and more palpable as the Jedi placed his hand on it.

With a curved edge on one side and jagged edges on the others, it indeed looked like a piece having belonged to a round disk that had been broken into parts. The artifact was roughly the size of Anakin's hand. The two Jedi began to make their way out of the darkness of the maze, eventually finding a way back to the upper levels. Both were relieved as they neared the exit, seeing sunlight and hearing birds sing again.

"Be careful, Anakin! We're not out of this yet!"

"You're being overcautious, Master. After what we've encountered on the old battle site and the countless tunnels we crawled through, what else is there to come?" the teenager replied. He was so happy to finally breathe fresh air again. He shook his head and carelessly strode out. The small sound underneath his feet was barely audible—a faint click. Anakin stopped dead in his tracks as the Force nudged him, in alert.

"Don't move!" Kenshin warned. "Just stay where you are."

Kenshin took a leap and landed softly right next to Anakin. Without warning, Anakin was abruptly lifted and swept into the air. Everything happened at once. The surroundings exploded with a deafening sound. The Padawan landed on thankfully soft, grassy ground about ten standard meters from where he had stood just a split-second before. He shook his head to reorder his senses and took a look around, getting back onto his feet. A fresh crater had appeared, and shrapnel stuck in the trees next to him. Miraculously, he hadn't gotten hurt, and nothing had hit him. What had that been? He continued to scan the destroyed terrain and then froze in shock as he understood. He had walked onto a trap—the exact thing his Master had warned him about. But he had still not sensed the danger. How could he have been so stupid? How could he fail like this? And where was Kenshin?

The time it took him to discover Kenshin's form on the ground felt tediously, awfully long. With great relief, he noticed Kenshin was still breathing. He couldn't detect any visible injuries, save some scratches and bruises. Anakin gently shook his Master, but he didn't react, and the Padawan grew anxious. Kenshin had created a Force shield around Anakin and shoved him away, which had saved the Padawan but had done little to protect himself. Kenshin had taken the full force of the blow. The Jedi Master finally opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused. He didn't seem to recognize who Anakin was. When he finally fixed his eyes on Anakin, he tried to speak but only coughed up blood. Anakin was not a medic, but he knew that this was not good. Not good at all. Panic crept up. No, this wasn't… how could this have happened? One moment, they had stood side by side; the next, he was kneeling on the ground, cupping his Master's head in his hands, sensing that something was very, very wrong.

Kenshin coughed again, more blood. "Go... Coruscant... tell Quin…"

Kenshin's face had now become pale. He started bleeding from his nose, and Anakin realized he was about to lose consciousness again. No, this was going wrong. It was happening too fast. It couldn't be! Where he had been furious at himself, Anakin now felt growing despair.

"Master! No! You're not allowed to die! I won't let you! I'll get you out of here! I'll save you!"

"Too... late… you have to leave!" Kenshin struggled to get the words out, becoming weaker with every moment.

"No!" Anakin protested. "I'm not leaving without you, Master!"

Kenshin smiled weakly. "Believe in yourself, Anakin. May the Force be with you, always." Then his eyes closed. Silently, tears began to roll down Anakin's face. He wrapped his arms around Kenshin's body. His Master was still breathing. Unconscious, but still alive. No way was he going to leave him there. But how? He would do everything to save his Master, to at least once make something right. If only he had an idea how to do that. He didn't know where they were, only that it was a days' worth of travel deep in the jungles, if one traveled by air. By foot? Probably weeks, and that would be if one were healthy and able to walk and knew the direction. His Master needed help and medical attention Anakin couldn't provide. And there was no way he'd be able to carry the other Jedi. Kenshin was short, but his muscled frame seemed to weigh heavier than a grown rancor. Anakin was scared. He thought hard and had an idea, but it scared him as much as doing nothing.

The arashi, the flying mounts that had brought them into the jungle, were also their only viable way out. But it had been Kenshin who had called them. Anxiously, Anakin reached into the Force. He prayed, he begged, he didn't know how to call their mounts, and pleaded to the Force to help him.