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Amidala awoke with a start.
She glanced hurriedly around the little desert hovel at the Jedi sleeping
on the floor. Anakin was not among them, nor was he laying next to her.
Sensing her
distress, Obi-Wan awoke with a soft grunt, pulling himself out of Iryshi's
arms. He noticed Anakin's absence, as did Iryshi when she awoke. As if
in a web of psychic contact, Mace was next to awaken, then Erun and Yvai,
then B'yea, Ki-Adi, and so on until everyone in the little house was awake.
And Anakin
still wasn't there.
As before, all the Jedi could
not go back to sleep. Nor did they want to. They sat up, drinking their
tea and talking into the long hours of the night.
Iryshi was
unusually pensive, but Obi-Wan did not press her for conversation. There
was plenty of that going on in the house. But when she did speak, everyone
listened.
"I think I've
figured this out."
Mace and Ki-Adi
turned as one from their seats to look at Iryshi. Yvai sat down beside
her. "And what conclusion have you come to?" he asked softly.
She looked
up and around at all of them, as if surprised she had spoken aloud, but
still elaborated. "I think I know why I couldn't sense anything on Mandalore.
I think I know why Anakin's missing. I think I know why Sidious attacked
last night."
Yvai nodded.
"Go on, then."
Iryshi closed
her eyes as if trying to concentrate. "There must have been a presence
on Mandalore. Someone... or something that harnessed the Dark Side of the
Force to cloud our minds. The only reason why we won so easily under the
dome was because it was a sacred place. Perhaps a Jedi burial ground, or
ceremonial temple from thousands of years ago. Either way, it was strong
in the Force, and that helped us." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Obi-Wan,
you said before that Maul's master was named Darth Sidious. You also said
that the Republic Senate has direct control over the matters of the Jedi.
Tell me, who was it that ordered those four Jedi Knights to Mandalore?"
Obi-Wan furrowed
his brow. "Chancellor Palpatine."
Iryshi smiled
grimly. "And not two months after they had arrived, Mandalorian clones
cut three of them down."
Mace looked
puzzled. "What are you getting at?"
Iryshi smiled
again. "Palpatine is Darth Sidious's master."
Amidala turned
pale. "What?"
Iryshi nodded.
"He was reluctant to help grant your request for assistance for Naboo,
he showed great interest in Anakin, he ordered those Jedi to their deaths.
He is what's behind all this."
Obi-Wan shook
his head. "You have... Nothing to go on though!"
Before Iryshi
could answer, a familiar voice called from outside. "Hello! Obi-Wan? Amidala?"
Amidala jumped
up, rushing to the door. "Anakin!"
Obi-Wan blocked
her path, raising a finger to his lips for silence. He turned and stepped
slowly outside.
It was Anakin.
Torn, bloodied, and pale, but still Anakin.
Amidala ran
to his side as soon as Obi-Wan let her, cradling him in her arms, cooing
worried phrases to him.
Mace was the
next to run to him, and Erun followed, leaving a puzzled Iryshi standing
beside Obi-Wan. As they helped him into the house, she whispered to Obi-Wan,
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I have nothing to go on."
They were all sleeping again.
Anakin had returned without any recollection of what had happened, or so
he claimed, so they had no more reason to stay awake.
But Iryshi
lay next to Obi-Wan, staring at the ceiling of the little hovel, mind racing
like a maddened swoop rider. There was something wrong. There had to be.
Anakin came back covered in blood and bruises, without remembering anything,
from leaving the house to returning, it was all gone. She shook her head,
frowning to herself.
Doing her best
not to awaken Obi-Wan, she stood and threaded a path through the slumbering
Jedi to the door. Maybe a walk in the desert would do her good.
Outside in
the chill desert night air, she leaned against the outer wall of the house,
eyes closed in concentration. She tried to sense Obi-Wan, or Yvai, or Anakin,
or Erun, but nothing. It was all a disturbing blank. And that worried her.
She went back
inside, but Obi-Wan was already awake. He met her halfway in the door,
eyes wide and worried. He whispered harshly, "Don't run off like that!
It could be dangerous out there!"
She pulled
him outside so as not to wake the others, and whispered, "I was only out
for some fresh air! And besides, what could happen? I'm a Jedi, you know."
He flinched
and glanced down apologetically. She smiled briefly but then became serious
again. "Sidious is here," she whispered.
Obi-Wan snapped
his gaze up to look at her again. "Are you sure?"
She nodded.
"I can't sense anything. It's all a blank--"
"What's going
on out here?"
They both whirled
around in surprise to see Yvai standing by the door to the dwelling, looking
at them expectantly.
"We were just
talking--" Obi-Wan started.
"And we didn't
want to wake the others," Iryshi finished, sounding as humble as an apologetic
child.
Yvai
smiled, slightly. "Well then, go on with your talking," he said, and went
back inside.
Palpatine walked over the
dunes, with one destination and objective in mind. The tiny desert home
where sixteen Jedi were staying, as well as the Queen of the Naboo and
her husband. He chuckled at that. Anakin had made a fine student. So quick
to learn the ways of the Dark Side, to do anything to save himself and
his family.
As he rounded
the next dune, he saw the tiny home silhouetted against the dark blue sky.
He grinned, and continued walking.
Obi-Wan felt a wave of anguish
pass through his mind. By the look on Iryshi's face he could tell she had
experienced the same thing. Both Jedi instinctively reached for their lightsabers.
"Don't do that," a voice rang out from the dark behind them. Obi-Wan whirled
around, but it was only Anakin.
Anakin, holding
an ignited lightsaber.
The blonde
Jedi chuckled. "Both of you, hold very still. That's right. Hands away
from lightsabers." He looked up, past them, at someone who had approached
from behind. "I kept them alive until you got here, Palpatine," he said
proudly.
The man behind
them laughed heartily, a sound that Obi-Wan did not find at all soothing.
"You've done well, Skywalker. These two and the ones inside are the last
of the Jedi. Slaughtering them will end the reign of the Jedi Order, and
will bring about my New Order." Palpatine turned his gaze on Kenobi and
Iryshi. "All along they thought Sidious was my puppet. Well, it should
have been quite obvious that I am Sidious, and the 'Sidious' you fought
here and on Dantooine was merely a disguise."
Iryshi was
grimacing in pain, and Obi-Wan reached out to steady her. Anakin moved
forward a step, threateningly, and Kenobi glared at him.
And then, from
behind, Erun leaped forward to slash toward Anakin with his own lightsaber,
igniting it only in mid-swing. Anakin blocked, and struck back, once, twice,
three times, finally getting past Erun's own blade. The Jedi Knight fell
to the sand, nearly dead and gasping for breath. Iryshi screamed, ran to
him, tried to save him. Yvai stepped out from the house, igniting his lightsaber
and lunging at Anakin. Anakin recoiled to a defensive posture, parrying
the strikes effortlessly, but not finding a place to attack.
By now almost
everyone was outside, lightsabers ignited and ready. As they watched, Yvai
had nearly defeated Anakin, when Palpatine ignited one end of his lightsaber
and stabbed Yvai in the back. With a gasp, the aged Jedi fell to the ground.
There was a
long few seconds of silence. Yvai's breath was the only sound, heavy and
strained. Iryshi was suddenly by his side, leaning down to hear him as
he spoke, voice barely above a whisper. As she looked up, she unclipped
and ignited her lightsaber. And suddenly, chaos erupted.
Every Jedi
there sprung into battle. Palpatine ignited both ends of his lightstaff,
taking on two Jedi at once, and Anakin battled both B'yea and Ki-Adi. Obi-Wan
slunk back, next to Iryshi. She took a step forward, away from her now-dead
master, and headed for Palpatine. Obi-Wan called after her, but she didn't
hear, or didn't care. She kept walking, past dying Jedi and lightsaber
battles, on towards the former Chancellor who now fought Mace Windu alone.
B'yea was dead, discolored Ithorian blood staining the sand. Ki-Adi lay
next to her, barely breathing.
Raising her
lightsaber, Iryshi lunged forth.
Palpatine countered
the attack with only half his concentration, and the battle continued.
Obi-Wan watched
Iryshi fight, entranced. She wasn't tiring. Not like she used to. She went
on and on, even when Palpatine struck down Mace in one fell swoop. In fact,
Palpatine himself was showing signs of wear. He was beginning to slow,
and Iryshi was gaining ground.
And then, from
out of nowhere, Anakin appeared. He moved to face Iryshi, unnoticed by
her, raised his lightsaber when the time was right, and struck.
Iryshi froze,
a look of complete shock on her face, as Anakin pulled the blade of his
lightsaber out from her stomach. She did a half-turn, took about two steps
towards Obi-Wan, and fell to the ground, lightsaber rolling away from her
hand.
Palpatine stepped
back as Iryshi fell. As Obi-Wan ran to her, she was still breathing. Thank
the Force for that. At least she was still alive. She was whispering something;
he leaned down to hear her. "He stabbed me," she breathed. He nodded.
"I know..."
"That son of
a vrelt stabbed me."
When he looked
up, Palpatine and Anakin were retreating into the desert, laughing triumphantly.
Everyone was dead or dying now. There was only him and Iryshi.
And of course,
Amidala, still standing wide-eyed in the doorway, looking from Obi-Wan
to Yvai's no-longer-breathing body to those of all the Jedi, scattered
on the sand. The last of the Jedi.
No, not the
last, Iryshi would say. At least, not according to her prophecy. There
would be others. Yoda was in hiding now, fearing for his own safety, and
Obi-Wan couldn't blame him. And there would be the son, Anakin's son, who
would grow under Obi-Wan's supervision, to become a great Jedi.
And perhaps
with a little help, he could keep Iryshi alive, keep her with him....
But she had
already seen his thoughts, and was shaking her head. "No," she whispered.
"Can't help me now. Just have to let me go..."
Obi-Wan leaned
down to hear her. He whispered, "What did Yvai tell you?"
"What?"
"Before he
died. What did he say?"
"He said..."
A breath, shaky. "He said he was proud of me." Another breath, slow and
shallow this time. She was fading. "Obi-Wan," she said with surprising
strength in her voice. He leaned closer. "Anakin's going to kill you."
At his surprised expression, she continued quickly. "Not today. Not right
away. But later, when you're an old man. He'll kill you, but you have things
to do first."
Obi-Wan nodded.
"His son."
Iryshi smiled,
and he could see what an effort it took. "Yes. Teach him as much as you
can before it happens, but then it will be out of your control. As it's
out of mine now."
And with that,
she slipped away, away from him, and the galaxy, and everyone in it. And
her small body disappeared from inside her father's Jedi robe. He whispered,
"She's one with the Force now."
From behind
him, Qui's voice answered, "As all great Jedi are."