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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga - Legends Cloak and Shadow (Obi, Qui, Anakin plus many more.) Updated 010416

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by ZaraValinor, Jan 31, 2012.

  1. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Very happy to see this up again, and intense chapter! Love the action between the three of them. Liked the part about Obi liking quiet strength and him holding her in his arms :) More of that!
     
  2. Gkilkenny

    Gkilkenny Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Obi-Wan looks after everyone doesn't he. So much strength in such a quiet young man. Loving it.
     
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  3. jacen200015

    jacen200015 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 11, 2002
  4. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    I've been working on rewriting the missing chunks in this story. Since the computer I had it on went caput. There will be more. Thank you!
     
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  5. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Working on the chunks where she is in his arms! #hoping
     
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  6. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002

    This isn't in the past, but I think it's up your ally.


    For a Jedi, it is essential to trust the Force. But sometimes it is just as important, imperative, that you trust your heart.

    Antares came back to consciousness through a cloud of dense fog. It was a familiar feeling, but one that she hadn’t had to suffer through in some time. She was in their shelter, covered in thermal sheets to keep the evening chill away. It was dark, but she could hear the pop-crackle of a fire going a short distance from the shelter.

    Stretching, she awakened sore muscles and brushed the last of the fog from her mind. She pulled the sheets away from her and sat up gingerly. For a moment, her vision doubled, then coalesced. She needed a pain patch, the sooner the better.

    Stumbling out of the dome shelter, she came into a small round clearing where the fire was blazing. She spotted her pack and rummaged until she found the med kit. She slapped a patch on her neck and sighed as it began to ease the stab of pain between her eyes.

    “Bad?” Ben asked.

    She opened her eyes to find him watching her with concern. “I’ve had worse.” She scanned the clearing. “Where’s Qui-Gon?”

    “Scavenging the area, he’s never been fond of rations and avoids them when possible.”

    “You’re bleeding,” she said, stepping close to look at the pulled bandages at his neck. “You’ve worked these loose. Sit down.” He opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off. “Please.”

    He gave in with a short nod and lowered himself onto a nearby fallen tree. Antares went back to pick up the med kit and rummaged through it for synthiflesh and bacta. He pulled out his right arm from the confines of his unisuit, exposing the arm and half his chest. She knelt before him, nudging his knees so that she could get closer to the injury.

    She sucked in a breath through her teeth when she saw the torn skin and ran her gloved fingers over his neck, down the hollow of his throat. “You never do things by half do you, Ben?”

    “Do or do not,” he muttered, looking at her from the corner of his eye. “You have to choose a space lane or you implode in a supernova.”

    “Really?” she questioned, her eyes wide with false disbelief. “Cause you and Anakin seem to always aim for the supernovas.”

    “Appearances can be deceiving. Speaking of Anakin, when did you start training with him?”

    She paused in the middle of placing the bacta on his neck, her bottom lip caught between her teeth in concentration. “Last season or so, when we both had down time.”

    “Why didn't you tell me?”

    “I didn't think it was that important.”

    “You've been planning on leaving for a while. This isn't a recent decision,” he stated pointedly.

    Noticing for the first time that she was practically draped over him, she rolled her eyes and tried to think of a good answer. He was always so guarded but she could hear the distress in his voice. They had just agreed to rebuilding their friendship. He must see any desire to leave as a betrayal.

    She capped the bacta and began smoothing the edges of the fresh synthiflesh over his wounds. Thank everything that was good that she had kept her gloves on. “Hold still,” she cautioned him. “It wasn't just that. I don't want you two to feel that you're going to have to protect me for eternity. You have bigger problems. I need to be useful. Would you want to live your life knowing you were trapped and that you were trapping others by your existence?”

    “The Chu'unther is as much a prison as it is a sanctuary. I can understand that much.”

    “I need to be useful, a part of society, wherever I end up staying. I can't be hidden away forever. For the sake of us all, I need to be useful.”

    “You don't need to be a warrior to be useful. I'd rather you weren't. Do you know what you could be exposed to in a battlefield?”

    “You need people who can fight. And strangely...this isn't your decision.”

    “Antares...,” he started, his tone completely changing. He took her hand away from his neck so that she faced him. With his free hand he cupped her cheek. “Stay. Please?”

    “Ben...,” she tried to phrase her doubts, her need to keep him safe. Instead, she took the hand at her cheek and kissed the palm. Things were getting out of control, she should stop them now. But she was tired. So tired of pretending away how she felt, walking through a dance that had lost its purpose. And hadn’t she imagined him when she’d sent the hive mind bird off to the place where they feel at home and safe. “Ben, of course, I'll stay.”

    His fingers threaded through her hair, urging her head towards his. She hadn’t kissed him in almost a season and it was everything she had yearned for and was afraid to let herself have.

    When they broke apart, she rested her head on his shoulder. The worried tension was changed into something different, more languid. She drew in a deep breath of him. It was a familiar scent long missed. She'd been so careful to keep her distance. He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “Stay with me?” he asked, as if needing clarification.

    She ran a hand up his arm, careful of his bandages. “Is that what you want?”

    “Why wouldn't I?”

    “We haven't been too open with each other lately. I want to make sure that what you feel is what you want.”

    Ben held her out at arm’s length. “What do you mean?”

    She gently pried herself out of his arms, stood up from the tree trunk and stepped away. “Do you still want me, Ben?” As a second thought she continued. “To stay? With you?”

    Without answering, he returned his arm into the unisuit and zipped it up. “What do you want?”

    “It doesn’t matter.”

    “It matters, blast it,” he snapped. He rocketed to his feet. “If we are to be truthful with one another, than let’s be truthful. I love you. I’d like you by my side for the rest of my life, however long that may be. Do you feel the same?”

    Tears quickly filled her eyes. “I do.”

    “Then, by the Force, Antares, I do not understand the problem.”

    She was crying too hard to answer him, the relief too powerful to explain. She just shook her head. Silently, he put his arms around her, let her cry out her fears, her embarrassment into his chest. When she quieted, he whispered into her ear, “My dear, how long have you been holding onto this?”

    “Since that night,” she breathed. It was so much easier to breath now.

    He lifted her face to gaze up at him. With gentle fingers he wiped away her tears. “Explain, please.”

    “I…I thought I had…that you didn’t have a choice. That I had used you.”

    Understanding dawned in his eyes, a mystery suddenly solved. “That was why you had left before I woke. Did it never occur to you that we both sought comfort that night in the one we loved?”

    “No. All I could think was that you were the last in a long line of my victims.”

    He kissed her forehead, hugged her once again. “You have grown leaps and bounds since that time, Antares.” He gave a wry chuckle. “And I am the one that taught you control. I have long since learned to shield things I did not desire. Even those I have. Being torn away to the other side of the galaxy would not keep me from wanting or loving you.”

    “I’ve been a fool,” she agreed.

    “Perhaps.” His grin shifted and changed, more mischievous, sinuous. “But there are ways to remedy the situation, make sure that you have your emotions and those of others in perspective. We shall have to practice.”

    Noting his playfulness, she cocked a dark brow at him. “What do you have in mind, Master Kenobi?”

    “When we have a free moment, I will demonstrate.”

    “It might take a while. I am a slow learner.”

    “I’m glad,” he quipped.

    She grew serious. “But, are you sure? You are a Jedi Knight after all.”

    “More than sure. As to the Jedi,” he said soberly. “I haven’t been a Jedi Knight in ten years. A servant to the Force, yes. I will always be that, but beyond…I’m not sure who or what I am.”


    [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]Siri should have seen it coming. She’d been walking through the halls of the Temple when she’d felt a warning in the Force. She ducked her head, pulled her lightsaber and rolled, the purple blade aimed at her missing by a hairsbreadth. [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“Master Windu,” she greeted as she quickly came to her feet.[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“Siri Tachi of all those I thought to betray us, it was never you.”[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]Siri edged backward away from the powerful Jedi Master. She kept her finger on the actuator of the lightsaber but had not depressed it. She didn’t want this to turn into a dual. Not now. “It’s more complicated than you think, Master.”[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“Have you shared Jedi secrets with the one known as Ben Kenobi?”[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“Yes, I have,” she admitted. At least they did not know about Obi-Wan yet. [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“How is that not a betrayal?”[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“Because he is not our enemy. He’s trying to save us.” She took stock of her area. She knew from first-hand experience that she could not best Master Windu. Her only option was to run and be able to fight another day. There was a transparasteel viewport not so far away. If she could make it there, she could leave the Temple. Still, it was a long drop.[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“You misguided girl, come with me and admit your guilt. The Council might take pity on you.”[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]Her jaw clenched in repressed anger. “As long as I become one of your battle droids. Kill all and any who stand in your way.”[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“If you want to remain? Yes.”[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“No, thank you. I think I will take my chances elsewhere.”[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]With that, she switched on her lightsaber and threw it in a clumsy arch towards Master Windu. It didn’t matter, she wasn’t trying to kill the Jedi Master, just distract him. As he batted her blade away with a deft twist of his wrist, she spun on her heel and made a run for it. She reached into the Force, throwing it out at the transparasteel. Her heart dropped when it only cracked. This was going to hurt. [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]Before she could reach it the transparasteel shattered. She felt the shrapnel fly at her full force, inflicting countless cuts and slivers. She didn’t stop her head long run. She dived through the now shattered viewport and out into Coruscant traffic. [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]As she fell, she felt herself slowing down, not the pull of gravity. Lights from passing hovercars whizzed past her vision. She felt a familiar presence. Someone was helping her. [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman]“Thank you,” she whispered. Master Gallia hadn’t given up on her yet.[/FONT]
    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]

    [FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT]
     
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  7. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    ZaraValinor OH MY GOSH! *dies*

    ...proper reviewing will come when Ashley can breathe again...
     
  8. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Went back to read the last chap, wonderful of course.

    This one...oh so so beautiful. I definitely started to cry. His words and her outpouring, giving into him and letting him comfort her...gah! Up my alley indeed!

    I love the quiet way they come together, the taking care of each other. Ben is so well written, the way he goes to the problem head on, asking her, but does so only with love. His burst of emotion and admission is gorgeous and gives me butterflies. I am so so happy he has finally figured her out and set her straight. She is vulnerable but beautiful. I want that demonstration! So perfect.

    Love his comment about a servant to the force.

    The end is intriguing! I am so so happy you posted. Obi is the perfect combination of strong and kind here. Love and need. Thank you so much
     
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  9. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
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  10. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    My brothers. Anakin and Xanatos. They don’t just attract trouble. They are trouble. It only concerns me that I am not always there to get them out of it.

    Obi-Wan had been an amalgamation of his parents. The copper of his hair had come from his mother, who wore her red hair tied at the crown of her head in intricate knots and braids. Her green eyes watched Xan with Obi-Wan’s studying intensity. She was on the shorter side, while her husband was tall and lean. His sons and grandson had inherited the cleft that split his chin. Sedric and Asaela Kenobi added another painful reminder of what he’d lost when Obi-Wan had died.

    Xanatos could feel the rigid anger inside of them. They’d given their son to the Jedi and one of them had murdered him. Now here he was, on the cusp of a galactic war in the one of the growing planets where Jedi weren’t welcome. He wasn’t the only one facing painful memories.

    You knew my son?” Asaela was the first to speak.

    Very well,” he answered, wondering if it was a lie. He’d once thought there hadn’t been one thing he didn’t know about his Padawan brother. Now, he realized they’d both kept secrets. He with Enilee and Obi-Wan with the council.

    Sedric ran a hand through his hair. “What are you doing here?”

    Plainly, without revealing too much of his actual mission, Xanatos explained that he was here to investigate Ben Kenobi, to see if there was any connection to Obi-Wan’s family and if there were to seek help in locating the instigator.

    Whoever he is, he isn’t here,” Sedric said, his voice hard. “Your council needs to learn to keep its nose out of other’s business.”

    I am sorry to cause you this inconvenience,” Xanatos assured, stretching his patients and diplomacy as far as they could go. It certainly didn’t help that he could feel sleep tugging at the edges of his consciousness. “I will be on my way as soon as your son releases me.”

    Sedric looked as though he wanted to say more, but Asaela laid a hand on his arm. “Can you tell me about my son? I know it was impossible to know him when he was alive, but now...now can we hear about him.”

    Swallowing down a sudden lump of emotion, Xan nodded. “Of course I can.”

    But not now,” Devid Kenobi countered. “He needs rest. The Sniper poison is still taking affect. I need to run one more course of anti-venom before he will be clear of it. Then he can regale you with tells of our brother.”

    Xan silently thanked him for the shared ownership.

    Sedric stepped forward. “Son, your mother...”
    Can wait, Father,” the medic insisted. “Mother won't get anything if he passes out in the middle of his recitation. A little patience will go a long way. He cared for Ben. He won't leave until he ensures our safety.”

    And gets some answers of his own, no doubt,” Sedric countered, looking very much like his son at that moment. Xanatos's vision wavered again and he forced his focus on Devid and Sedric. “But you're right. He is not quite lucid.”

    I...I'm fine,” Xanatos muttered.

    Devid's son patted his shoulder. “Sure you are,” he said with a smile. “Rest easy. Dad, will take care of you.”

    Right, now, everyone out,” Devid commanded. “I need to get my patient taken care of. That sniper venom is only going to sit so long before I need to get the counteragent.”

    Xanatos shook his head trying to clear his vision. He needed to be awake, needed answers. The wraith was still out there, possibly tracking him. It would take time. But if he was unconscious, under the influence of drugs, he wouldn't be able to defend these people. Obi-Wan had died under his watch, he wasn't about to let his family do the same.

    He heard the others shuffle out of the room. Devid hovered over him. At some point he must have fallen against the bunk. “No...no drugs. I will go into a...,” he licked his lips, swallowed against the dryness in his throat. “A healing trance. It will be faster. The dark Jedi could track me here.”

    You're in a bad way, Xanatos,” Devid pointed out. “Are you sure you can do your Jedi trick?”

    No, but it’s better than the alternative,” he said with a slur. He leaned against the pillow and closed his eyes. “Wake me in four hours.”

    How?”

    Xanatos withheld his frustration. As much as Devid looked like him, he wasn't Obi-Wan. “Say this phrase. 'Wake up, idiot.'”

    Devid gave a bark of laughter. “I think I can handle that. Are you sure about this?”

    Trust me.”


    [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I hate rain,” Anakin grumbled. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Then you've come to the wrong planet, my love,” Padme countered, cloaking the ship. She looked out from the forward viewport. “Better wear something that isn't absorbent.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Funny. If we actually manage to pull off Ben's plan, you could have a lucrative job in entertainment.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]When we pull Ben's plan off, I'm going back to Naboo and not leaving the lake country for at least a season.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Anakin cocked a brow. “All alone?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Well, I will need a Jedi protector,” she said with a teasing grin. “But let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's still much work to be done.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]You and Ben, work, work, work,” Anakin shot back. “Come on, m'lady, let's go meet the Kaminoans.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]He offered her his arm and she slipped her own through it. He pulled a small personal shield from his utility belt and ignited it above their heads. There was enough of a repulsion field to keep the torrential downpour off their heads.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Padme looked up in wonder. “Where did you get that?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]
    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I couldn't sleep, just tinkered with it until I got what I wanted,” he answered with a shrug. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]You're full of surprises.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Keeps everyone on their toes.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Anakin sighed as he heard the door spurt open up ahead. He wished he'd fought his Master harder on being separated. As much as he appreciated the time alone with Padme – the Chu'unther was a big ship but it was hard to find a secluded spot the more they gathered people to their cause – he would have preferred all of them working together. He cursed that they didn't have more people to send out on these investigative missions. Most of those who were on the Chu'unther were in hiding either to save their lives or their freedom. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]They quickly were met by a tall, lithe amphibious creature. It's skin was pale blue, eyes large and looked as though they'd been dusted with starlight. It walked with a slow, waving gait. When it spoke, it's voice was the same, like gliding. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]May I help you?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Yes,” Padme said. “I am Cansannara of the Hoilot family. This is my bodyguard, Lenzo Karo. My family is interested in...increasing security. We were told that you might be of some use.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Of course,” the Kaminoan said in it's watery voice. “You have come at a most opportune time. We have at our disposal an order that will give you several options to help you and your family. If you will follow me.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]They'd decided early on that they would go in under false names. They had the necessary identifications if there was a problem and enough credits to put down a down payment if they thought it would get them more answers. Guerra, Obi-Wan's friend from his early Padawan days had created their cover story. There was now a whole background on the Hoilot family and it’s less than legal activities. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Still, something grated against Anakin's senses. Here was the trap meant for the Jedi. A trap they'd been desperate to find and hopefully spring. Anakin hadn't been with the Jedi since he was eleven years old. How could he convince Garen not to accept this tether to their increasingly crumbling world? The Jedi were exhausted, overtaxed. If they'd been willing to make dubious decisions in the past to save the Republic and the Order, how much more were they willing to sacrifice now that war was upon them?[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The Kaminoan lead them to a transparasteel hallway that gave them a three hundred sixty degree view of their facility. Like mechanical tree branches, the cloning cylinders seemed to be as numerous as the leaves on the black bark trees of Dathomir. Inside, he could just make out the flesh of growing fetus's inside the nutrient fluid. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]You may select your own stock or a variety can be provided for you.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Provided?” Anakin asked. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Yes. We have a number of willing and approved candidates if the lady does not already have someone in mind.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Is there an approval process? How do you make your selections?” Padme asked, turning her eyes from the display to the Kaminoan.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]We do a full genetic mapping. Dominant and recessive genes are important to the cloning process. Too many variables and you get aberrant results.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Aberrant?” [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Madness, illness. That is why we also select candidates that do not have a long family history of mutations. It narrows the possibility of a defect in the genetic makeup.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]And where do these clones come from?” Anakin said.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say. This order is of some galactic significance. You understand the need for discretion.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Anakin nodded, having his own guesses. The Council's records hadn't given any indication to who they'd selected to be the parent donor. Yet, they'd followed Fett here because he'd been working with Dooku. The Sith were willing to let the Jedi have their army, as long as they had control over what type of army they were going to get. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]He had to find Garen quickly.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]As the Kaminoan led them into the next hallway, they saw a number of youth at terminals, all with the same dark curly hair, the same dark eyes...everything identical from head to foot. “These clones are little over five years old.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]They appear older. How is that possible?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Growth acceleration. We arranged for the first ten years of the clones lives to act as though it were twenty.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]So we could have our army quickly?” Padme continued to play her role. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The Kaminoan dipped its head in apology. “There are certain safeguards in place. We cannot go more than a four time acceleration. Even then we would not recommend it.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Anakin silently cursed that he and Ben hadn’t found this plot sooner. Of course ten years ago, when it was being hatched, he had been a child and Ben a broken man trying to piece himself together again. The Sith had the advantage. They’d been playing a long game. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Would it be possible to make contact with someone who made the order?” Anakin asked. “I’d like their point of view.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I can make inquiries.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Thank you.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]No matter what the Jedi had made themselves into, they maintained their diplomatic persona. Garen would talk with him, if only to find out who else knew about Kamino and what it could possibly mean for the Jedi. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]He and Padme continued the tour, looking at the identical features half-way between amazement and pity. Anakin knew that any life was precious, but he couldn’t help but feel this was all wrong. These people had been designed for one purpose. It hadn’t escaped his notice that they were human; short life spans compared to other species, adaptable to many climates and in the minds of the Sith and the Jedi – expendable. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Eventually, the Kaminoan, Faud Seef, left them in a white conference room that contained the strange egg shaped chairs with a promise to discuss a meeting with a customer who had just arrived. Padme sat watching him as he paced the length of the room. He’d been on missions for his master before but none so important to the survival of the Jedi. He felt inadequate and was glad that Ben had sent Padme with him. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Don’t be nervous,” she cut into his thoughts. “First rule in negotiation. Don’t let them see you sweat.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]He cocked a golden brow. “What’s the second?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Make sure you have the upper hand. Keep something back to sell him on the truth.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]That made his stomach twist. “Like Ben?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]It would be our greatest currency,” she agreed. “But I don’t like giving it to someone you haven’t seen in over ten years. There has to be something else.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Through a view window, he saw Faud Seef with Garen Muln. The man was almost as he remembered him. Roughly the same height and build as Ben, dark hair, olive skin, brown eyes. Despite the Jedi calm, Anakin recognized the stress on his face and the grey beginning at his temples. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]It looks like we better figure it out quickly.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Faud Seef made introductions. Anakin nodded his thanks. “Could you leave us for a moment?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Certainly.” The lithe figure disappeared behind a self-functioning door that Anakin wished he could get his hands on for the Chu’unther.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Knight Muln didn’t waste any time. He pinned Anakin with a sharp, dark-eyed stare. “Who are you really?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Anakin Skywalker, you might remember me?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]You were the boy everyone was sure Obi-Wan would choose as a Padawan.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]That brought a surprised smile to Anakin’s face. Apparently, everyone but he and Obi-Wan, had been waiting for that day. “He did, shortly before his death.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The older man simply nodded before turning his attention to Padme. “And who are you?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I’m here to keep him out of trouble,” she said as calmly as if she’d been remarking on the weather. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Again, Garen only dipped his head in acknowledgement. Anakin remembered a vibrant man who’d teased Obi-Wan unceasingly, a man who’d loved to fly as much as Anakin had. Garen had introduced him to his first speeder. He’d even suspected that Garen at one point had wanted him as a Padawan until Master Yoda had chased him away.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Anakin had never regretted being Obi-Wan’s apprentice, but he did have a soft spot for Garen. Everything about his life with Ben had been prearranged by Master Yoda until they’d left Naboo. It would have been nice to be chosen.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]What’s going on Skywalker? Why are you here?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I’m here to warn you against taking this army,” he stated plainly. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Garen snorted. “It’s already been decided by the senate, Skywalker. Even if I wanted to I couldn’t deny the Republic there army.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Go to the council, convince them it isn’t safe.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]What isn’t safe? This army has been designed especially for us,” Garen countered, taking a step forward. “Why are you really here? You seem to be in the middle of far too much Jedi business.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Knight Muln, do you know where this clone army came from? Who it originated from?” Padme broke in. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Anakin silently thanked her. He didn’t want this to turn into a confrontation. Diplomacy had never really been his strong suit and Ben was well aware of that. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]That brought Garen up short. “Do you?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Jango Fett.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The bounty hunter?” Garen questioned. “Why would we use a bounty hunter?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Because the council didn’t pick him,” Anakin interjected. “Count Dooku did, ten years ago with the help of Master Sifo-Dyas. Investigate Garen. That’s all I’m asking. I tracked Jango from a meeting with the Count to this facility. He’s here now. If you accept the clones as your army, you’ll not only be walking into a Separatist trap, but the Sith’s trap. They want to destroy the Jedi.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]By giving us what we need?” [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]By making you desperate enough to take the first option available to you. The Sith are behind the impending war. You’ve must have sensed something is off.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Garen ran a hand through his dark hair. “How do you know all this?”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I’ve been working with Ben Kenobi the last ten years,” he admitted. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The anarchist? Do tell what you have been doing Anakin.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]He’d have to play it carefully. He couldn’t reveal Ben’s true identity, but as Antares had not too long ago, maybe he could give a hint. “He’s not an anarchist. He’s trying to save the Jedi.” He exchanged a quick reassuring glance with Padme. “You met him recently, when you went to kill Bail Organa.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Garen opened his mouth to say something, when he paused. Anakin had sensed it too. The Jedi stabbed his finger at Anakin and Padme. “You two come with me.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]


    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][hr][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Devid Kenobi was reviewing patient charts when his son burst through the door. “Dad, we’ve got company.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]What is it?” he asked, rising from his desk. [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Looks like a Jedi but doesn’t look like a Jedi,” his sister, Sahanna said, coming in from behind Ben. “Really angry woman.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Devid hurried over to Xanatos’s prone form. “Wake up, idiot.” He felt a little silly and a bit desperate when the Jedi didn’t open his eyes immediately. “Come on. Wake up, idiot.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]It was several heartbeats later, Devid was sure they were on their own. He turned around to face his family. “It didn’t work.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]


    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Yeah, it did,” a gruff voice said behind him. “Next time, you’ve got to really mean it.”[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]
     
  11. Gkilkenny

    Gkilkenny Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    nice hopefully you will keep updating =D=
     
  12. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    I've been waiting so long for this scene. I've loved it so much. I'm so glad you liked it. I got butterflies writing it.



    Will do. Here's the update.





    Absence does make the heart grow fonder. It also can make the pain sharper. The surprise catastrophic.

    Xanatos marveled at all the Kenobis that funneled into the little makeshift healing center. Apparently, Devid had done his best to keep the majority of them at bay. Sluggishly, not completely healed but better than before, Xanatos slipped off the edge of the bunk and came to his feet. His groped for his lightsaber and held it loosely in his hands.

    Here I thought this was going to be a leisure mission. Something to get me out of the council's hair and away from the Temple. No, instead I've got to deal with a pumped up Force harpy and the entire Kenobi clan,” he muttered. He pulled his rescuer aside. “Is there a place nearby you can be secured?”

    Secured?” Devid asked.

    A supply closet, a bunker, anything big enough and can be locked. If it has shielding that makes it even better.”

    There's a hermetically sealed storage room for some of my more delicate chemicals. There isn't a lot of air.”

    Oxygen masks?”

    Enough for all of us? No.”

    Share if you have to. Just get there. This will probably get messy.” Xanatos paused, breathing through a schism of pain that ran from head to toe.

    Devid put a hand to his back. “You should have taken the anti-venom.”

    Not if you want to make it out alive. I can feel her. She's more than angry. She's gunning for a fight.”

    But how?” Devid asked. “She should be dead or at least debilitated.”

    This world sympathizes with the Separatists,” Xanatos guessed. “She probably has more than one ally here. The pain is manageable. Just get to safety.”

    We can all hide,” the healer countered. “You don't have to do this.”

    Xanatos gave him a wary smile, then pushed him away. “Go, hide. She'd find me anyway, but you she might ignore. Besides, this is Jedi business. I've been told you and your family don't want anything to do with it.”

    Look, I've expended a great effort in keeping you alive. Please do not undo all my hard work.”

    I'll do my best, now go.”

    Xanatos trusted the Kenobis to get out of sight. Meanwhile, he stumbled through the medical center. He followed her dark aura. He came out into what had been a supply warehouse. It had been gutted, left to rot.

    He paused a moment, letting his eyes get used to the shadowy corners. Very little light spilled in through the cracks of the roof top. In the darkness, he could make out a silhouette of something gnarled and twisted. A tree root. They must have hidden themselves in the jungles below. No wonder they had found him. The Kenobi family may not like the Republic, but they were not fans of the Separatists either.

    He grunted at another flash of pain. He’d worked most of the poison out himself. If he lived through this, he’d let Devid take care of the rest.

    He felt the wraith come into the room, but didn’t hear it. There was a sound, a wet, crackling sound of labored breathing. The mechanical whir of servos. Perhaps he was wrong, his senses muddled by drugs and venom. Maybe someone had come here seeking healing.

    He almost believed it until he heard that deep sinister, sultry voice. “Come out, Jedi, I have a friend I’d like you to meet.”


    [/FONT][/COLOR]


    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Qui-Gon had to admit he was no longer a young man, no longer of middle years either. He was old. In the Temple, where much of his duties consisted of training younglings, it was easy to disregard the white hair, the creaking bones, the need for more sleep after a strenuous workout. Now, trekking through the jungles of Stewjon with Obi-Wan and Antares, Qui-Gon felt it most keenly.[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]He also felt the difference in Obi-Wan and Antares. Something had happened as he’d gone hunting for food the night before. The tension had evaporated, bringing a harmony that sang to him in the Force. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Qui-Gon was a rogue, had been his entire life. He’d fought the council on their narrow vision, had watched heart-broken as he lost his apprentice and his master in the matter of weeks, had been forced to stand back as the Order became something he didn’t recognize. Had watched the galaxy become something he didn’t recognize. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]That was going to change. He felt the Force swirling around Obi-Wan in a way similar but different than Anakin. He'd never claimed to have visions of the Force, to look to the future. But if he did, he knew that it would be heavily influenced by what Obi-Wan did today. If the future was fluid, than Obi-Wan chose the canal it would flow through. Even if he had to build one. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]The League was that canal, he and Anakin the outlet to the future of the Jedi. What caused Qui-Gon to hesitate in joining the league was his own indecision. Where did an old relic fit in with all these fresh discoveries? [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Obi-Wan abruptly stopped, calling a halt with a stilling hand. Qui-Gon heard it. A speeder bike. No two. He could just make out the different pitch of the engines. It was the first sign of a possible search party. It had struck Qui-Gon that they hadn't seen any of Separatist presence, even in the jungle. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Have they found us?” Antares asked. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]I'm not sure. But we're about to see a familiar face.” At her questioning look, he continued. “Ventress.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Asajj Ventress?” Qui-Gon wondered. He frowned as Antares covered her mouth with a gloved hand. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Obi-Wan shook his head. “It's not funny.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]I know,” she gasped, trying to hold back her mirth. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]She's an exceptional warrior. A threat to us.,” he continued, though a light was beginning to twinkle in his eyes. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Stepping over a tree root, Qui-Gon asked, “What am I missing?”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]It's nothing, Master,” Obi-Wan supplied, shooting a pointed glare at the woman who was now huffing in her attempt not to laugh. “Antares and Anakin have a depraved sense of humor.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Indeed,” Qui-Gon said, looking between the two. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Don't worry, Master Jedi,” Antares said. “You'll get an opportunity to see it for yourself. Probably very soon.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri][hr][/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]No thank you,” Xanatos called to the wraith. “I've got enough friends.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]And those people he cared about were going to lose him unless he came up with a plan. Drawing on the Force, he felt it fill him. It sent the pain back another notch. Now it was a distant thing, like trying to hear someone while your were immersed in the water. Once this was over it would come roaring back angry and biting, but for now, it was manageable.[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]He cocked his head, listening for the position of the wraith and her new friend. He was getting very popular. Too popular. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]He heard the snap-hiss sound of lightsabers coming to life. Lights came on, illuminating the warehouse in shades of red, blue and green. It looked like he had more than one friend he would be making. He wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this one. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Come out, Jedi,” a gravelly, mechanical voice growled. “I grow tired of waiting.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Xanatos walked out of the shadows and into the shifting light. A Jedi should always be prepared for anything, but he could not have foreseen the monstrosity before him. It was a droid, except it wasn't. Casting his senses to the creature, he felt a heart, emaciated lungs, a brain, part of a face. But everything else was mechanics. No wonder it sounded as though it were talking out of a loud speaker. It probably was. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Interesting company you keep,” he told the wraith. “But I'm afraid I don't need any pesky cans opened or someone versed in binary. If I do, I'll com you.” [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]The monstrosity looked to the wraith. “For this, you needed assistance, assassin.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]He is not as foolish as he sounds, Grevious,” the wraith countered with a wry twist of her full mouth. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]I get that a lot.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]He just managed to get his lightsaber out and ignited to block one swing from the wraith's blade. He narrowly missed a second inhumanly, even with the Force, strike from the monstrosity. He stumbled backward, his green blade held out in front of him.[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]He didn't think he was going to win this one. So he needed to lead the two dark ones outside, away from the Kenobi family. He flung his blade in a wild, wide arch, then leaped into the air, up and over to the otherside of the monstrosity and the wraith. Closer to the door now, he backed toward it while keeping an eye of his two opponents. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Nice trick, Jedi,” the monstrosity wheezed. He held two Jedi blades above his head, one blue and one green. Those two blades started spinning like two light propellers. He could feel the air coming off of them. “I've got one of my own.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Time for a distraction. Xanatos sought the area looking for a piece of artillery. There a loading dock station. He called on the Force and the aged structure pulled free. He threw it at his combatants. The wraith strained under the weight of stopping it, while the monstrosity cleaved it in two. It wasn't long until it was little more than metal shavings. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Xanatos wasn't going to waste time. He found his next round, cargo crates. These were easier to fling with the Force and could be fired separately and in pairs. The wraith held them at bay again, but this time, she turned the crates against him. The monstrosity moved forward, its steps piercing the decaying stone below. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Xan caught two blades against his own, felt as a crate brushed against one shoulder and grunted under the pain. It was a sharp fiery pain and then a cold numbness that turned his stomach. He kept making his way towards the door. He had to get them away from the Kenobi family. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Steps were stumbling now, the barrier he'd created between himself and his pain, thinning. He sent himself in a sloppy arch, avoid two sets of double blades. There seemed to be no end of weapons on his combatants side. One caught the edge of his knee, a sizzling burn causing his leg to buckle as he landed. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]He froze as he heard two more lightsabers spring to life behind him. “Gee, this party is getting a little crowded, don't you think?”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Xanatos?” [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Chancing a blurry look backwards, Xanatos blinked at the familiar face. “Master?”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Qui-Gon was suddenly in front of him along with the woman that had been with Anakin Skywalker. Confused, he looked between the two. “What's happening here?”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Get him out of here,” Qui-Gon said to the woman. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Xanatos grasped his Master's arm. “Wait. I can't leave, I'm protecting people.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Xan, I'll make sure they get out, but you aren't in any shape to continue this.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Xanatos looked over Qui-Gon's shoulder as another man stepped forward and approached the wraith and monstrosity. The wraith was suddenly primping, angling her body in all the right ways. She gazed at the man like prey. She hadn't looked at Xanatos like that. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Ventress we have to stop meeting like this,” the man said and the sound of his voice made Xanatos's heart stop. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Oh, Ben Kenobi,” the wraith said. “What way would like to meet me?”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Anakin's friend rolled her eyes. “And so it begins,” she muttered. “You'd better go help. I've got him.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]Xanatos felt her start to raise his bad arm. He stopped her with a cry. “Sorry,” she muttered switching sides. She put the good arm over her shoulder. “That better?”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]Yeah,” Xan muttered. His gaze flicked back to Qui-Gon and the other man. He watched as they battled the monstrosity and the wraith. Saw the tell tale signs. He knew who that man was. It was impossible. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]No,” he whispered. Because he wouldn't have lied again. How could everyone lie again? The Council, Qui-Gon...and...[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]His anger gave him fuel. It burned the pain away, turned it to bitter ash. His waning strength was renewed and he stood up tall. The dark Force user and the metal man with a living heart scurried away. The monstrosity growling a farewell. “I will see you again, Kenobi. And you will die.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]The man turned to Xanatos and Antares, the quip dying from his lips as he saw Xanatos. He held up his hands in a sign of peace. “I can explain, Xan.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]The voice was deeper, he was sporting a ridiculous old-Master beard, but it [i]was[/i] him. “You arrogant, lying, son of a gundark.” The words were bitten out between clenched teeth. That anger burning hot but about ready to flame out. He needed to get his point across quickly. He balled his fist at his side brought it up and slammed it in his Padawan brother's face. “I'm sure it's a hell of a story, Obi-Wan.” He watched as Obi-Wan stumbled to the ground, a hand reaching up to cup his chin. [/FONT][/COLOR]

    [COLOR=#000000]“[FONT=Calibri]I'm just not interested in hearing it.” [/FONT][/COLOR]


    [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]For the third time in the last twenty-four hours, Xanatos lost consciousness. [/FONT][/COLOR]
     
    Gkilkenny likes this.
  13. Gkilkenny

    Gkilkenny Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Ha, Xanatos is certainly angry. If only he could stay conscious and listen to Obi-Wan.