Saga All Falls Down (TPM-era AU, Obi/Siri) Winner: Best Action, Winter 2004 Reader's Choice

update:

Chapter IX
Part 2 of 3
Haunting Echoes

The Next Evening

Siri stirred in her sleep. Her lips shaped into a smile as she drifted in a state between sleep and consciousness. Slowly, her mind awoke to the outside world, and her muscles tensed with activity. A pleased sigh escaped her lips as she stretched out with her right arm.

A frown of confusion manifested upon her face as her query came up empty.

?Obi-Wan?? Her eyes slid open as she looked to her right. His side of the bed was empty, only a pair of ruffled pillows and a tattered blanket stained by a few drops of blood remained. Siri?s confusion melted away as she saw Obi-Wan sitting near the window on the other side of the room.

Siri slowly sat up in bed and analyzed the intense expression on Obi-Wan?s face as he wordlessly looked out the window. She rose from bed and joined him at the windowsill. They had slept all day, and now, the waning evening sun was slowly falling into the horizon, giving way to a field of vibrant stars and the Nubian triple moons.

?Obi-Wan?? Siri whispered as she placed her hand around his shoulders. ?Is something wrong??

He blinked, shutting his eyes to the outside world for a moment as his right hand found hers. ?Yes.? Obi-Wan leaned his head against her shoulder, coming to rest in her arms. A long silence ensued as they continued to gaze at the waning sun.

?I had a vision last night.? Obi-Wan?s voice broke the stillness.

?You had a vision??

?It was intense. Like being born again.?

?What did you see??

His brow condensed with conflict as the fading sun filled his azure eyes. The reflection betrayed the shadow of a dark curse that gripped his soul. His eyes met once again met hers. ?The Sith. I saw the Sith.?

Siri?s brow tensed she tightened her grip on his shoulders. ?The man who killed Qui-Gon??

?He was no man,? he replied, his voice cold and his expression stony. His squared jaw shook as his gaze focused upon the setting sun. ?I saw him in my vision. A light of crimson fury.?

?What happened??

?It was the night of Qui-Gon?s death?? He said sadly. ?I fought him then, and in the vision, it felt like I was fighting him all over again.?

?How did it end??

?It ended without any definite victor. Everything faded to black, and as it did, suddenly I knew. I felt his presence through the Force. He?s here.?

?He?s here?? Siri echoed. Her system flooded with dread as faint images of the Zabrak menace streamed from her memory. The flow of terror ebbed as she reset her focus upon Obi-Wan. ?Are you sure??

?I know it. It was a searing flame through the Force. That?s when it became clear what I have to do.? The sun had finally fallen beyond the horizon, and its waning beams fleeing with it, leaving the two Jedi in darkness. ?I have to destroy him.?

Her gaze narrowed as her possessive embrace tightened around Obi-Wan. ?You don?t have to-?

?No.? He shook his head in absolute defiance. ?I must. This began two years ago, and I must finish it.?

?Alright.? Siri nodded reluctantly. In the wake of the setting sun, Obi-Wan?s eyes had flooded with fire. The azure color of his corneas was nearly obliterated by the glint of hunger and ambition. His speech was laid out in cold, measured tones that filled her heart with tension. ?We can do this together, Obi-Wan.?

?I have to do this alone.?

?No,? Siri objected. ?You don?t have to do this alone. I want to be with you, and I want to help you.?

?This is between me and him.?

?You weren?t able to defeat him before, what makes you think you can now??

?Because now I?m ready for him, I?ll fight him and I?ll destroy him,? Obi-Wan replied. ?You can?t be involved, Siri. I don?t want you to be hurt, Siri.?

?Trying to protect me again??

He shook his head as the bravado faded from his voice. ?I know, you don?t need me to do that, but I can?t help but be concerned for you.?

?I don?t need your protection, Obi-Wan. And don?t argue that this is your fight because I love you, and that makes it mine as well. We are both part

 

Great post!! Eerily too! Love Obi's determination. How ironic that something like that can drive him close to the Dark Side. Kind'a what Vos is learning in the Star Wars: Republic series. Unfortunately he's learning it a speck to late methinks. I juz hope Obi doesn't fall to hard as Vos has.

GREAT!! Excellent update!!!!!

 

I liked this scene.

I think Siri has good reason to be worried about Obi-Wan. Something awful is going to happen.

 

Poor Siri. I can see why she is worried about Obi-wan. Something big is going to happen. I hope everything will be okay.

 

thx for reading, all...

UP!

 

I've been rather distant recently (lots of RL stuff is bombarding me). Writers block has been bothering me all week, and I've just started to work on chapter X... I've got the update for tommorow ready, though. I gotta thank you all for reading and staying with me... up this once more

 

Chapter IX
Part 3 of 3
Haunting Echoes

Later that Night

* Later that night? *

Not a single creature stirred as Siri stepped out of her speeder. A dozen meters ahead, the dark outline of Salazar?s cabin stood amidst a backdrop of trees. The forest was deathly silent; all of the creatures seemed to be in an ominous hush as they watched the Jedi Sentinel make her cautious strides.

The look of hesitance and regret was about her. It was a mistake? it was wrong to let Obi-Wan go, she knew that was certain. There was no choice in the matter; she could not stop him without confronting him. In confrontation, she ran the heavy risk of incurring his anger, and it was his anger she feared.

How had things come to be this way? Anger is the quickest path to the dark side, and fear is a tool of darkness as well. Had they both fallen so far that they were now ruled by such petty emotions? Siri shivered. She felt more alone than she ever had before. The teachings and wisdom of the Jedi council felt so distant, the words of Master Adi blurred in her memory.

Siri scrambled to recover those fading memories. She did not know what she could ever say to the Council when- if- she finally returned to them. She was supposed to obey her orders, but now she had nearly joined the enemy of the Jedi by questioning them. A Jedi shall know no passion nor love nor anger. Yet now she felt all these things and so readily gave in to them.

The deepest bond of her commitment to the Order had been so thoroughly violated by her pledge of loyalty to Obi-Wan. An intimate binding attachment had been formed between the two Knights. How would the Council respond? Would she be expelled? Part of Siri did not care to speculate. The feeling of being with Obi-Wan, of holding him, of loving him, was enough to justify expulsion. She merely wanted to be with him, and if the Council would not allow for that, then she could not accept their judgment.

The disorienting swirl of abstract images that floated about in her mind was all she could truly fathom. It was Obi-Wan?s cold expression of uncertainty, and the dark flame in his steel blue eyes. It was the hissing crack of the Avenger?s whip as it sizzled through the air. It was the hateful, toothy grin of the Sith warrior. It was the crimson-obsidian mask of the Keeper?

Were these the things that now defined her existence? This eternal darkness? Someplace between Obi-Wan?s pained desire for revenge and her own dark impulses, the answer manifested itself. Her training, the heart and soul of her being, was being undone by this struggle, by this love affair. Still, with this in mind, she could not resist.

Siri?

Her neck craned as she switched her focus from her feet on the ground to the Protoss sitting on an old tree stump. Wearing a gold-colored power suit, Salazar appeared to be dressed for war. Siri was not at all familiar with Protoss technology, but she could feel the immense flow of energy coursing through the suit, it had to be a weapon. She acknowledged him with a nod.

Are you alright? You seem distressed.

?I?? She blinked as her body went rigid. ?I?m in love Salazar.?

Love? His tone was slightly amused. Then why are you so distressed?

?I?m going to be expelled from the Jedi Order,? Siri said sorrowfully. ?I did something very foolish.?

Yes, love is as impulsive as it is empowering. Yet ultimately, it is one of the few things that can truly set you free.

?Obi-Wan?? She sighed deeply. A long pause came as Siri?s gaze wandered about the forest. Several minutes passed before she refocused on Salazar. ?What are you doing here, Salazar??

I was waiting for you, He replied.

?Yes. But why are you here on Naboo, living like a hermit in the woods? What happened to your people, your home world??

That, my Jedi friend, is a long and complicated story.

Siri took another look around. ?We don?t seem to be doing anything right now.? She took a seat on the ground. ?Tell me.?

Salazar nodded hesitantly. If you

 

Wow!

Loved this chapter! The glimpse into Salazar's past was so intriguing.

 

That was great! Poor Salazar... he doesn't know whether or not they are dead. Ack! Love... Well that's nifty Salazar was in love before too

Poor Siri... hopefully they don't get expelled from the Jedi.

Great chappie!!

 

I loved this background story on Salazar. Seems to me he can empathize with Siri on doing something for love.

Another great post!

 

I hate to say this, but RL and Writers Block have both had me swamped over the past week, and I wont have an update in time for tommorow. Between several essays I have to do, tests I have to study for and books I have to read, I'm having a hard time getting any time together to work on AFD. Hopefully, I'll have an update for sunday.

That's all for now.

UP!

Also, I'm glad that you three liked the way I tried to open up on Salazar. Part of me was really hesitant to take the lens off of Obi/Siri, but I suppose that every once in a while you need to get a break from the major characters and invest yourself in a smaller back/side story. That's really what Salazar's history is...

 

You already know I liked the character development on Salazar. I can't remember if I mentioned that I appreciated the way you are developing a friendship between him and Siri.

Anyway, just checking in to make sure you hadn't been permanantly snatched by RL. Nice to see you'll be back eventually, but school definitely has to come first.

 

Well, to sort of break down just how I got delayed: all last week, I was busy prepping for a speech. The week before that was an essay. This past weekend, I was swamped by Writers block and couldn't get anything done. Yesterday, I was busy studying for a test (which turned out to be easier than I thought it would be ) Right now, i'm working on chapter X- everything has been cleared out of the way, Writers Block included

Expect an update by Sunday- that's practically a garuntee

 

Yippee! *Does a jig* All right! Will be waiting patiently (well sorta! *snrk* hehehe)

Glad to hear things are going better! How'd it all turn out btw?

 

my essay and speech both came out pretty good: an 87 and a 94 respectively.

 

Congrads!!

 

my goodness, I've fallen so far behind schedule, I'm so sorry, all. I'll have a new post ready as soon as humanly possible. I'm sorry for the delay.

 

An update! Finally... im sorry for the delays.

Chapter X
Part 1 of 2
Keeper

Unrest gripped Theed. Numerous droid patrols could not control the various guerillas wandering about at night, spreading word of the rebel agenda from household to household. Legions of battle droids and stockades of weapons did little to control the anguish bred amongst the Nubian people. With each passing moment, the tension scale tightened and tightened sending the delicate balance of peace closer to teetering into insanity.

Amidst the unrest, a weary soul treaded lightly, skimming the rooftops with great precision. With each successful attack, she wove greater tones of courage and bravado into the hearts of the rebels. She was the hope for Naboo. And she was not alone.

The Avenger took several deep breaths as she sat down on a secluded rooftop, resting her back against a protruding chimney. Whip in one hand and sword in the other; she had just escaped an ambush. Security was tighter than ever, and this night?s exploits yielded no success.

Both fists loosened, releasing the weapons they held. Small amounts of blood gushed from the singed flesh on her right arm as she began to wrap it with pieces of her torn cloak. The Avenger worked in utter silence, her glowing emerald green eyes analyzing he wound gently through the Force. When her work was done, most of the bleeding had stopped, and the pain had been suppressed by Force manipulations.

Her focus shifted from her wound as she slouched against the chimney top. Emerald eyes gazed out into the night sky, absent-mindedly taking note of every star that twinkled in the distance. All three Nubian moons were absent, leaving the stars to illuminate the world below.

The Avenger looked down at her hands. Stained by blood, riddled with cuts and covered with calluses, they had been weathered by the intensity of numerous battles. A gold ring encircled her left hand?s ring finger. Once, long ago, it symbolized the nuptials between herself and her husband. Now, it was much more. She contemplated the meaning of the ring as she gently toyed with it. Deep within its jade gems rested the fragmented portions of her soul.

?I?m sorry, Lané,? she whispered glumly. A weak gust took her words as she once again looked up to the sky. ?You are too young, too young to ever be involved in this? this horror.?

The emerald glow faded from her eyes and starlight reflected her cornea?s true mahogany color as they filled with tears.

?I can?t undo what we have done or what we have seen, and it hurts you, I know. I wish I never involved you in this? nightmare. You deserve better than this, Lané, much better.? Her whispers came to a stop, as did the flow of tears. Her eyes once again began to glow with an emerald luminescence. ?I can only hope that you survive the battles to come. You?re my daughter now, and I will take care of you. I swear it, Lané.?

The Avenger let off a soft sigh, wiped the tears from her cheek and rose to her feet. The willowy figure of her seventeen-year old body cast a long shadow on the starlit rooftop.

?Sérana??

Slowly, she turned around. ?Mathias??

The Keeper held silent for a moment before striding towards his wife. His gloved hand was placed gently on her injured arm. ?What happened? How were you hurt??

?The factory was a trap, Mathias,? she said gravely. ?They knew I was coming.?

?The Sith are making their presence known.?

?They?ve been hunting us,? she said.

?No,? he replied. ?I haven?t run into the Sith since I severed his arm two days ago. They aren?t hunting for us, they?re lying in wait.?

?But why??

?He?s waiting for help,? the Keeper said.

?His master is coming,? the Avenger said gravely.

?We must resolve our unfinished business with the Sith, Sérana.? He paused. ?It has been over a thousand years, but there can be little doubt that they remember me or my relevance to their kin. When Chainer came here so long ago and left this power, I knew it would only be a matter of time before the Sith returned to reclaim it.?

 

Sorry for the lurking, but anyway , this is great, as always. I love this - it's so original, so different, and then you write the characters and the OC's and the plot all so well. *sighs happily* I rather suspect Serana and Mathias took over the bodies of others to continue their mission - which is . Very good job, I can't wait for more.

 

You updated!!! Yeah!

Yes, this story gets more and more intriguing! The Keeper and the Avenger are going to affect Obi-Wan and Siri in a big way, I think.

Good work!

 

Oh man! Poor Sérana!

Great chappie! Loved how some of the mystery has been unraveled

 

Oh, VERY intriguing chapter.

I have to agree with obaona. I'm wondering if they have taken over the bodies of others, and her ring is somehow the key.

Very suspenseful.

 

Once again I am sorry for not commenting in a while. Darth School has been breathing down my neck lately.

You did an great job Vivid on this post. I could see Mathias and Serana going at each other. I can't wait for more.

 

Chapter X
Part 2 of 2
Keeper

* Several Hours Later? *

Salazar looked about the woods with uncertainty. His eyes flickered blue as he analyzed the shadows and darkness surrounding his cottage. One look up revealed to him that all three Nubian moons had disappeared from the night?s sky. Something was terribly wrong here.

Siri?

The Jedi Sentinel, who had fallen asleep on the porch of Salazar?s cottage lying on a small cushion stirred.

Siri. Salazar elevated the intensity of his telepathy.

?What?? The Sentinel rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she glared at the towering giant.

Did you feel that? He asked. There was a disturbance in the Force.

She closed her eyes and stretched out with the Force. She definitely felt it. Something was amiss, and it was coming from the woods. ?What is that??

I don?t know. I?ve never felt it before. It can?t be some kind of animal? Salazar paused. Perhaps it is the Sith you spoke of.

?Or the Keeper, but I doubt that he would radiate his force signature like that.? Siri rose from bed and began to collect her gear. ?I should investigate right away.?

* * * *

Siri trudged through the forest, silent and alert of whatever dangers awaited her. Her jaw tensed as she felt a vague object through the Force, a presence of darkness she knew all too well.

A gentle night breeze rustled through the leaves. Siri exhaled slowly. The atmosphere was thick, and the deep breeze rustling the leaves sent a cold chill up her spine as she continued to probe the woods for answers. The dark side was pulsing through the trees.

Suddenly, she saw a flash of silver.

Siri twisted around, meeting the cold blade of cortosis with her purple blade of energy. The Keeper retracted his weapon and swung again, assaulting Siri with a balanced attack stance. Siri blocked and parried, carefully negotiating around the wide circular blade as best she could.

Siri scowled as the fighting came to a pause. This was not the same foe she had faced before in Theed. The Keeper moved much slower and clearly favored his right over his left. Throughout the entire exchange, he had not as much as moved his left arm to punch or grab at his opponent. Siri wondered why.

Without warning, Siri attacked again, more aggressively this time. Her violet saber cast deep shadows through the branches and woods as she steadily advanced upon the rapidly weakening Keeper. She stabbed at him, only to have her blow batted away. Swinging about, she made full use of her momentum to deliver a stern back kick to the Keeper?s midsection, which sent the Nubian warrior stumbling back.

Siri refused to slow her advance. The Jedi Sentinel surged forward once again, slamming against the Keeper?s defense and eventually using her full force to knock the circular blade out of his hand. Without hesitation, she surged forward, stabbing for his chest. The Keeper twisted around, dodging the blow before snapping forward and grabbing Siri?s wrist. With his durasteel grip, he wrestled the saber out of her hand, elbowed her in the face and kicked her away.

Siri stumbled back several steps as blood began to gush from her nose. She wiped the blood away and reset her focus upon her adversary. The Keeper stood attentively, brooding in darkness. He still had not moved his left arm at all.

The Jedi Sentinel charged again. Both unarmed, the two warriors fought with bare hands. Siri boxed, but the Keeper negated her attacks with his right side, evasively dodging and blocking her attacks. Siri spun about, landing a kick on the left side of his body. The Keeper stumbled back and Siri capitalized by springing forward and delivering a power punch to his left arm.

The Keeper howled in pain. Siri grabbed him and slammed him against a tree before landing a pair of strong punches to the chest. Sensing the utter collapse of his defense, she reached forward and yanked away the obsidian mask.

?No?? Siri gasped as she backed away. Her heart, which had been racing from the heat of the battl

 

wow...man oh man....
I most definitely wouldn't want to be in Siri's boots right about now. What a decision to make!! She has to analyze the situation to see if it would even be worth it... if he's so caught up in 'vindicting' that once the deed(s) are over will there be anything left of Obi-Wan to love? Hrmmm hefty pondering there she's gonna have to do, and pretty darn quickly too.

Great job!!