Chapter 3
The
firelight flickered, the light barely able to penetrate the blackness of
the night. Silence filled the area, as if the entire forest was fast
asleep. But Obi-Wan knew that there were many creatures that were
awake. What kind, he was not sure, for even after their entire day of
trekking, they had not come along any type of creatures, friendly or otherwise.
Obi-Wan
sighed once, his breathe echoing softly in the stillness of the night. He
closed his eyes, slowed his breath, and calmed himself as he started to sink
into his meditations. All at once, the forest was filled with life.
He could see animals weaving through the forest, pausing every now and then to
listen for their enemy. The wind whistled softly through the trees, just
enough to bend a few branches. The calm, even breathing of his apprentice
was barely audible over the sounds of the forest. And though he could
barely hear it, he heard the uneasy rest of the mysterious girl who they were
taking to Coruscant. He slowly expanded his reaches with the Force,
scanning the entire area for any sorts of danger. All he could find was
the sounds and sites of animals. He opened his eyes, satisfied that they
were safe for the time being.
He
looked into the fire, staring hard into the depths of the flames. His now
slightly longish hair fell forward, whisking the skin by his eyes. He did
not even notice it, though, for he began to grow with the Force, opening his
range. Mere milliseconds felt like days as his mind slipped through the
universe, searching for the one who he needed to talk to. Planets flew by
him as he directed his mind towards a planet covered in buildings. Coruscant.
He
reached his destination: the tower of the Jedi Council. He felt his
own presence materialize into the chamber of the Jedi Council, as though he had
been expected. He looked around, surprised to find that the seats were
empty. He circled slowly, frowning as he saw the darkness of the room.
A sudden burst of light caused him to spin around, calling upon the Force to
guide him. A slight smile crossed his lips as he saw Master Yoda sitting
in his usual chair, staring at him.
*Surprised
you were,* Yoda stated, his voice croaking softly as he watched Obi-Wan,
the picture of calmness. *Have not gotten used to travel, I see*
Obi-Wan
looked away, feeling almost sheepish as he heard the words of the Jedi
Master. *Just a little nervous, Master. Current issues have
found a way to cloud the Force, it seems.*
*Coming
of dark,* Yoda said wisely, slowly standing up and walking over to the Jedi
Knight. Obi-Wan kneeled on one knee, eye-level with the Jedi
Master. Obi-Wan was stricken to see that much of the usual humor that was
in Yoda's eyes had been replaced by worry, by a sense of knowledge. *Blocked
the senses of Masters, it has. Knowledge is scarce about the coming of
dark. But you have knowledge, I see. Tell me.*
*There
is a girl that is traveling with us. She appeared on the planet of Naboo
a few days ago, claiming that she was being chased by these being called
'stormtroopers.' She told about a villainess, Kanara, who destroyed her
entire word and who is after her now.*
Obi-Wan
looked at Yoda, hoping that he would have something to say. But Yoda
simply looked at him, waiting for him to continue with his knowledge.
Obi-Wan sighed, mentally putting together words to explain what he had felt.
*There
is something about her, Master. She seems to be able to block the Force
somehow. I can't read the Force on her. But there is a sense of...a
sense of wrongness about her. She's hiding something, I know that for
sure, but I am not able to tell what.*
*Very
secretive, she is, for secrets she has.* Yoda croaked, looking seriously at
Obi-Wan. Take her lightly, you mustn't, for holds she does very
important information. Felt her, have we. The power of hers has
traveled over many miles. Carefully watch her.*
A
sudden memory of his conversation with Anakin came to mind as Obi-Wan listened
to Yoda. *There is one more thing, Master. Anakin told me that
he was watching her when our ship suddenly malfunctioned. He said that
she smiled, as if she was pleased by what was going on. And, her eyes
flashed purple in color. I have never heard anything like that happening
before. Do you know what this means?*
Yoda
shook his head slightly. *I know not. Careful you must be.
Dangerous, very, she is.*
Obi-Wan
nodded at Yoda's words. Suddenly, he felt a slight tugging and slowly,
very slowly, he began to disappear from the chamber of the Jedi Council.
Yoda watched him slowly disappear, calling to him only once.
*Be
with you may the Force be.*
Galaxies
whipped by Obi-Wan as he passed them at an impressive speed. A burst of
light pounded before him, causing him to open his eyes in slight alarm.
One of the logs in the fire had crackled and popped, spraying ashes only inches
away from Obi-Wan's face. Obi-Wan looked around, checking to see if
everything was the same as he had left it. Relief filled him as he
realized that nothing had been touched in his absence.
I
wish my conversation with Yoda had not been cut off like it was, he
thought. I wanted to hear more of what he and the Council knew about
the gathering forces in the universe.
Obi-Wan
glanced over at Anne, vaguely making out her still form. She is to be
watched, for Yoda is right about that. I still have this feeling that she
is hiding many things from us. I wish I knew what exactly what to do,
about her and about other events. Even now, I am still unsure about
taking Anakin on as my apprentice. I know that it is what Master Qui-Gon
would have wanted, but I don't know if I'm ready to train anyone yet.
After all, I just became a Jedi Knight.
Obi-Wan
looked once again into the fire, watching as the colors of the fire merged
together into one. As he watched the flames dance back and forth, an
image began to form. He watched intently as the image grew clearer.
He leaned forward, trying to get a better view. When he saw what it was,
he pulled back, shutting his eyes against it. His former master, Qui-Gon
Jinn reached out of the flames, as if calling Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan refused to
look back into the fire. He closed his mind to the fire and began to fall
back into the meditative state he had started an hour ago. Calmness
seeped back into him, allowing him to push the image aside.
A
gust of cold air whipped at Obi-Wan's tunic, his eyes snapping open. He
turned around, hand hovering inches about his lightsaber. He slowly stood
up, taking a step into the darkness as he did. He searched, using both
external and internal sources, trying to find what had caused the gust of
air. A sudden brightness in the Force caused him to turn to his right.
There,
sitting by the fire, was Qui-Gon Jinn. Not the Qui-Gon that Obi-Wan knew,
for now he was but a spirit that existed through the light. Qui-Gon
looked at his former apprentice with calm eyes, motioning for him to sit down once
again. Obi-Wan did as he was told, too shocked to do anything else.
"Master,
is it really you?" he asked, his voice nothing but a whisper. The
image nodded slightly, then shook it's head. Obi-Wan looked
at it, his forehead wrinkling as he leaned forward.
*It
is me, but I am much different now,* Qui-Gon said, his words carrying
on the wind. *Things have changed since we last met, Obi-Wan
Kenobi. Many things have changed.*
Obi-Wan
nodded, thinking of all the events that had recently transpired. Him
becoming a full Jedi Knight, taking Anakin as his apprentice, training Anakin,
working on Naboo, and of course, the events that had brought him onto this
moon. "Many things have changed, Master. Some for the good,
but also some for the bad."
*You
are unsure of yourself, Obi-Wan. Do not let that take control of the
events that have and will occur.* Qui-Gon said. *You are ready for
the journey that lays ahead. Watch over Anakin, but let him travel on his
own path. Many things are changing now, Obi-Wan, and you and Anakin are
in the heart of these events. Remember, watch and then act. Watch.*
Obi-Wan
had no time to react as the image of Qui-Gon faded into the firelight. He
reached forward towards the spot where his former master had sat just moments
before, but there was nothing there. A slight weight of disappointment
fell upon him, but he barely noticed it as he thought of the words he had just
heard.
What
events are Yoda and Qui-Gon talking about? he thought to himself, thinking
deeply. And what part do I play in all of this?
"Master?"
A voice shattered the stillness of the night. Obi-Wan slowly turned
around, feeling the familiarity of the Force behind him. He glanced at
Anakin, silently questioning him. "It is my time for the watch.
The alarm went off."
Obi-Wan
nodded, stretching his legs slowly as he stood up. "Things are
pretty calm out there, Anakin, but be careful."
"I
know," he said as Obi-Wan lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
Obi-Wan walked over to his own pack and settled in, letting sleep take
over. As his eyes slowly began to droop, he caught one last glimpse at
Anakin. But instead of the blonde hair that reflected the firelight, he
thought he saw the shine of a black metal winking at him. A man enveloped
all in black seemed to be staring back at him as he slowly nodded off to sleep.
******
Obi-Wan
sighed briefly as his eyes wandered down the path they traveled, watching as it
led deeper into the forest. Already it was their second day in the
forest, though it seemed as if they had been traveling for weeks; even with all
this traveling, they had come upon no one. All they had been able to find
was the exotic species of vegetation that surrounding them, at some parts even
covering the path they traveled upon. A slight movement of the Force on
his left caused Obi-Wan to turn slightly. Anakin looked up at him in
surprise, his hand raised slightly in the air as if he were going to lightly
touch Obi-Wan on the shoulder.
"Is
something wrong, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, taking in Anakin's tired face and
slight limp to his walk.
"Can
we take a break, Master? I'm kind of tired and hungry."
Obi-Wan
smiled and nodded, remembering back to the days when he had tired that
quickly. Though it seems I tired much more quickly than Anakin
has.
The
three sat down in a circle at the edge of the path. Anne opened the bag
she had been carrying on her back and pulled out small containers full of food
for each of them. As Obi-Wan received his he called upon the Force,
making sure that the food was safe to eat. He felt nothing wrong with the
food and, satisfied, began to eat. Anakin waited until Obi-Wan to start
eating before he ate his own, for he still did not trust Anne. In a
matter of minutes, the food was mostly gone and each of them sat in
contentment.
"I
don't know about you, but I know that I needed that," Anne voiced quietly,
smiling slightly as she glanced over at them. Anakin smiled while Obi-Wan
nodded while giving her a half-smile. Suddenly, a loud crash
caused all of them to jump to their feet in alarm. Obi-Wan immediately
pulled out his lightsaber, readying himself to ignite it if danger was
about. Obi-Wan spun to his right as he saw five small creatures jumping
out of the immense bushes by the path. They were small bear-like
creatures, each a different shade of brown or gray.
Each carried spears, the tips very sharp. The largest one, the
darkest brown in color, wore a tan headband and was obviously the
leader. He barked out orders in a gibberish and language and the small
creatures attacked. As Obi-Wan prepared to ignite his lightsaber, a spear
was thrown at him. He lunged to the ground, going into a roll in order to
avoid the spear. Crashes were heard all around the humans as dozens more
of the creatures appeared, each carrying weapons. Though their fighting
was very limited with little strategy behind it, the creatures completely
outnumbered the three.
"What
are these creature?" Anne cried as she ducked just in time to miss an
oncoming spear.
"Ewoks,
I believe," Obi-Wan answered as more creatures, Ewoks, descended on him
from the bushes. He leapt away from the fray, flying a good five
feet in the air and landed further down the path. The Ewoks looked around
in confusion, trying to find where he had gone. One of the Ewoks glanced
back and spotted him, yelling out in its gibberish language. As the Ewoks
started after him, he lit his lightsaber, preparing himself for their
spears. The Ewoks froze in their tracks, staring at him in awe and
fear. All of the Ewoks turned towards Obi-Wan, Anne and Anakin suddenly
forgotten.
Suddenly,
more creatures jumped out of the foliage. But these creatures were much
different. They were small in stature, but they were very humanlike in
appearance. They wore simple outfits, made up of green or brown
fabric. The females wore simple green dresses, which ended about an inch
above their knees. A gold rope tied around their waist. They wore
either light green or light brown skintight pants on their legs and their feet
were completely barefoot. The males wore green tops and loose brown
pants, a gold rope tied around their waist. They were very short, for
they only came up to Obi-Wan's waist. The only way one could tell that
they were not human was the slight point they had to the ends of their
ears. One of them, a female in the front of the group, called to the
Ewoks in slightly accented English.
"It
is okay, little ones," she called gently in a child-like voice.
"They are not here to hurt you."
The
Ewoks backed away from the three slowly and, in a matter of seconds,
disappeared back into the woods. Anne, Anakin, and Obi-Wan looked around
in shock, seeing and hearing none of the Ewoks who had been there only seconds before.
"Who
are you?" Obi-Wan asked, knowing the answer almost immediately.
"We
are the Erans," she replied simply. "And it looks like you are
in need of help." Anakin nodded as he approached the young girl
cautiously.
"Actually,
we are. Our spaceship broke down and we are trying to find someone to
help us with it." Anakin explained, eyes pleading for help. The girl
smiled at the three of them and backed away, motioning for them to follow her.
She turned around and went back into the woods, the other Erans following after
her. Anne, Anakin, and Obi-Wan glanced at each other for a moment then
quickly followed the Erans, not wanting to lose them.
After
a few minutes of fighting their way through the dense bushes, they suddenly
stumbled upon a small clearing. Though Obi-Wan could feel a strong sense
of life surrounding them, there was not a sign of any living thing around
them. He turned to the female Eran, his eyes questioning as she looked up
at him.
"It
will all make sense in time," was all she would say. She turned away
from him once again, slowly walking over to a large tree at the edge of the
clearing. It was by far the largest tree in the entire clearing, towering
over all the rest. It looked to be many centuries old, and Anakin looked
at it in awe. He had never seen a tree that was this big.
"How
does it live so long?" he asked the girl.
She
gave him a queer little smile, and he could sense at once that she was hiding
something. "It didn't."
Before
any of them could ask what she meant, she pulled a small control box out of the
pouch on her back and typed in a short command. She then walked over to
the tree and, to the amazement of all three, she walked into the tree. As
she walked into it, she turned around and waved to them, motioning once again
for them to follow. Obi-Wan was the first to do so, cautiously making his
way into the tree. As he disappeared, Anakin followed next, then
Anne. As they went into the tree, they found themselves at the top of a
stairway. They could not see very far, for the stairs descended in a
circular pattern. Torches lit the way for them, and the walls and
stairs were made completely of gray stone. The three slowly walked
down the stairs, watching for anything that looked suspicious. They
walked what seemed to be forever when they saw a brighter light
coming from the stairs just ahead. They walked faster, but just as
they had gotten to the light, darkness poured over them, causing them to
freeze. But just as suddenly as the darkness had come, it disappeared,
leaving them in a pool of light.
The
three looked around, amazed by everything they saw. The world that they
had walked into was completely different from the land above. In the land
above, there was nothing but trees and greens. In here, technology
ruled. Everywhere they looked, Erans were busy working on strange looking
machines, though Obi-Wan could tell at once that they were incredibly
advanced. The young girl that had led them in turned to them once
again.
"Come,"
she beckoned. "It is time for you to meet our leader."
She
once again started off with the three following her closely, not wanted to lose
her in the crowd. She took them out a door and into the main city, where
they passed a few simple but clean buildings and homes. A few young
Erans watched them curiously as they walked by, though the older Erans paid no
attention to them. Soon, they found themselves in front of a small yet
ornately decorated building. Their guide turned to them and waved them
into the building.
"Hurry
up. You are expected." she urged.
They
entered the building, walking into the beginning of a small hall. The
ceiling of the hall was rather low, for it was only a few inches above
Obi-Wan's head. Candlelight flickered from the sides of the hall, yet the
room was filled with light. The ground beneath them was soft and Anakin
was surprised to see that they were walking on a grass-like material.
Flowers of all kinds grew on the edge of the "path" that led to a
small throne.
On
the throne was a young female, obviously the leader of the Erans. She
smiled at them as they approached, her waist-length blonde hair shimmering with
streaks of gold. Her small but ornate crown sparkled with tiny
jewels in the light of the room. But what the three of them found
incredible was her eyes. Her eyes were as blue as the night sky, and
starlight seemed to twinkle out of them. As they came before her throne, she
stood up and walked down to them. Obi-Wan smiled at her, introducing
all of them.
"I
am Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is Anakin Skywalker, and this is Anne."
"Welcome.
I am Sarina, leader of the Erans." she greeted, her voice amazingly strong
for a creature so small. "You have been expected."
"Expected?"
Anne asked. "What do you mean by that?"
Sarina
looked Anne squarely in the eye, years of wisdom pouring out of the girl.
"We have heard of your misfortune and have been awaiting your
arrival."
"Then
you know about our ship?" Obi-Wan asked, looking hopefully at the leader
of the Erans. She nodded, smiling at him and Anakin.
"Yes.
Zarian," she said, motioning to a male Eran standing by the side of her
throne, "and the other reparians will help you to repair your ship.
They will repair your ship for you, Obi-Wan, if you will be so kind to lead
them there. Your two companions will stay here and rest until you
return."
Zarian
turned to Obi-Wan. "Are you ready?" he asked. Obi-Wan
nodded and followed the Eran out of the door. He turned around once to
glance at his companions. Anakin smiled at him and motioned for him to
go, while Anne looked unhappy with the arrangements that were made.
Sarina turned towards the young female that had brought the travelers in.
"Floita, show the young one to a room to get rest. I need to talk to
this one," Sarina said, indicating Anne. Floita nodded and turned to
Anakin, a smile shining on her face.
"Come
Anakin," she said sweetly. "Let me show you to a
room." With that she and Anakin left the room, the rest of the
people in the hall following. Soon, only Sarina and Anne remained.
Sarina turned to Anne, her eyes filled with suspicion. The smile that had
been on her face since their arrival disappeared, living a grim frown in its
place.
"Why
are you traveling with people with whom you do not belong, child of evil,"
Sarina ordered, her voice filling with power. Anne looked at her, her
eyes filled with innocence and questioning.
"What
do you mean, Your Highness?" she asked, puzzled by the leader of the
Eran's coldness. "I am merely trying to get away from the person who
destroyed - "
"Do
not try to deceive me, Kanara," Sarina barked, her deep blue eyes
filling with anger. "It will take more than the power that you have
to lie to me."
Anne
raised her eyebrow at the young leader, all of the innocence on her face
evaporating. She glared at the female, her once sincere demeanor
gone. She took a step towards her, glaring menacingly at her.
Sarina, to her credit, did not even flinch, even as a wave of evil passed over
her.
"So,
you know who I am do you?" Anne hissed, a cruel smile crossing her
face. "And how did you figure that out?"
"My
wisdom is more greater than that which you will ever have," the leader of
the Erans explained calmly. "I have seen the evil that you have
hidden from the Jedi's. The magic that we use is different than
theirs. Ever since the moment you first stepped onto this planet, I
knew you were here. Every living thing screamed out in anger, hate, and
fear when they felt you walk upon this land. I can feel every though and
feeling of the living things on this planet, and they knew you were
wrong. You do not belong here, or with the Jedi's."
"I
belong wherever I want," Anne spat out, her teeth tightly clenched, silently
questioning how Sarina knew that Obi-Wan and Anakin were Jedi's. The evil
that she had been able to contain through the journey spilled out as Sarina
stared at her. Though she could not explain why, Anne felt threatened by
the small creature. This young girl, unlike any other being she had run
into, could see who she actually was. And Anne did not like that. Not
at all. "And there is nothing you can do to stop it."
"There
is," Sarina said, watching as conflicting emotions played on the girl's
face. "I will tell the Jedi's who you are. After all, they
know that something is wrong with you. I will tell them all I know, and
then your plan will be ruined."
Anne's
eyes widened as she glared at the girl. "No. You will never
tell them. I cannot have you ruining my plans!"
Anne
took another step towards Sarina, a flash of purple enveloping her as she
did. When the flash disappeared, Anne was wearing a black outfit, her
eyes glowing an unearthly purple. Sarina looked at her in shock.
"You are stronger than I had at first thought."
"Got
that right, loser," Anne scoffed, raising her hand in front of her.
Her palm began to glow and soon a purple ball of light glowed steadily over her
palm. Sarina tried raising her arm to block the attack she knew was
coming but found that she could not. She looked at Anne in shock.
"You
wouldn't dare," whispered Sarina. "They will find out!"
"No
they won't. No only will ever find out."
As
she advanced on the girl, Sarina looked at her in fear, shocked at the immense
power that surrounded her. She had never found a creature who had been
this evil, and her powers seemed to be useless against her. Anne smiled
as she prepared to send the purple light at the girl when suddenly, she could
no longer see Sarina. Instead, she saw the ghostly image of a person she
had known long ago. The person's bluish black hair shimmered in the
purple light that radiated from Anne. Her light yellow sundress glowed as
she smiled at Anne, her eyes shining with friendship.
"Don't
hurt her Kim." The image of Trini Kwan said. "Go home. Go
home to your friends. They still love you."
As
quickly as it had appeared, the image disappeared, leaving the cowering girl in
its wake. For a split second, Anne felt the stirring of something deep
inside of her.
Stop
hurting those I love! the voice screamed out. Get away from
me! Anne's eyes narrowed and a flash of purple overtook her once
again. When the flash disappeared, the voice was buried deeper underneath
the evil. Anne once again glared at the girl, her eyes flashing.
"This
is the end for you, Eran," she hissed. She pushed the purple ball
forward, light streaking towards the leader of the Erans. Sarina opened
her mouth to scream as the ball of light hit her, but she was suddenly
overtaken with a great pain. She fell to the ground in agony as evil
power coursed through her veins. Anne bent down to the girl, a cruel
smiling twisted on her lips as she watched her shudder in pain.
"This
sickness will run course through your body, making you feel like you want to
die. And after five days, you will." Anne whispered, taking pleasure
in the pain she was causing. Sarina tried to reply, but the pain was too
great. "I could kill you right now, but I want you to suffer.
Oh, and by the way, this is highly contagious. So I'd be careful
who you talk to."
Anne
stood up and began to walk away, but turned around one last time to look at
Sarina. "I will not have you messing up my plans. After all, I
have so much in store for these Jedi."
*****
A
few miles away from the hall of the Erans, Obi-Wan watched in astonishment as
the small Erans worked diligently at the ship control, trying to fix the
ship. He had never been very interested in machinery, but had learned
because he knew he might need to know how to fix them someday. But what
the Erans were doing was incredible. Even though they had run into a few
problems, they had quickly gotten past them. Now, they were almost
finished fixing the ship. Obi-Wan walked over to the one in charge,
Zarian, and placed a hand on his back.
"Is
the ship almost ready?" he asked. Zarian nodded as he tore his gaze
away from the controls and glanced up at Obi-Wan.
"Yes.
I am just checking the controls one last time before you can leave. I
still cannot believe that you were able to make it here with so much
damage!" Zarian cried, shaking his head in disbelief. "How did
you sustain so much damage if you were not in battle? Did you check the
ship before you left?"
Obi-Wan
nodded, looking as confused as Zarian. "I don't know what
happened. We made sure to check it before we left, because we wanted to
make it to Coruscant as quickly as possible. I don't know what could have
caused this!" he said, even though he had a slight suspicion that Anne had
something to do with their emergency landing.
Zarian shrugged and turned his attention back to the controls. Silence
filled the ship, the buzz of the control panels the only noise that could be
heard. Obi-Wan turned his attention away from the noise and looked out
the window of the ship, seeing nothing but dense forest. Turning back to
the Eran he asked, "How are you able to find your way through this
forest?" Zarian chuckled for a moment then walked over to the
window.
"We
were born in these woods and we die in these woods. We know them as well
as we know the back of our hands." He smiled and looked up at
Obi-Wan, who towered over the small Eran. "Not only that, but we are
all connected to our leader. If we are lost, the leader will show us the
way no matter where we are. When she is happy, we are overjoyed.
When she is sad, we are unhappy. When she is in pain, we share in her
pain. We are all connected to each other."
"But
how are you connected?" Is there a ceremony that binds you all
somehow?"
Zarian
nodded. "Yes. When the leader is picked, we all join together
in a ceremony to announce the new leader. At that ceremony, the spirits
of the woods connect us with our leader, and we will be connected to her until
her spirit passes to the tress. Everyone is connected to the leader, some
more than others. The higher ranking Erans, like me, are exceptionally
close to her because we spend the most time around her. The lower ranking
Erans are not as close, because they do not see her as much. It is a
custom, though there are some that do not agree with it." As Obi-Wan
prepared to ask another question, Zarian smiled.
"You
are an inquisitive creature, Obi-Wan," he grinned. "I like
that. I can see also see why you were chosen to be a Jedi."
Obi-Wan
looked at him in surprise. "How did you know that I was a
Jedi? I didn't tell anyone that I was."
Zarian
looked at him solemnly. "The trees tell of the Force that sings in
you. The Force is strong to you, making you sensitive to your
surroundings." His grin crept back upon his face as he glanced up at
Obi-Wan. "Besides, Floita told us about your lightsaber. No
one can amaze the Ewoks unless they use the Force for the side of
good."
"The
woods tell you a lot." Obi-Wan commented. "But why doesn't
anyone know that much about you? What you told me is the most I've ever
heard about your race." Zarian's grin disappeared as he looked out
the window sadly.
"No
one ever asks questions about us because they seem to forget about us.
They ask for our help, then leave the planet and never return." he
explained. "No one wants to come back to us, even though we do so
much to help them. We are not sure why, either. It might be the
magic that we use. Our magic effects everyone who comes near us.
For some, it makes them never want to leave and for others it makes them forget
about us completely. Maybe it is for the best, though, because we are a
very peaceful people. If too many people came in, the Ewoks would become
unhappy and would start fighting."
Silence
once again filled the ship as Obi-Wan looked out the window, contemplating
everything he had just heard. Suddenly, Zarian gave a small gasp before
falling heavily against the window. Obi-Wan reached down for him in
alarm, catching the small Eran before he hit the ground.
"Zarian!
What's wrong?" he asked in panic. Zarian looked up at him, a wild
look in his eyes. His face contorted in pain as he looked up at Obi-Wan.
"Something...wrong...queen..."
Zarian began to babble incoherently as pain filled him. As Obi-Wan tried
to think of what to do, a small beeping broke into his thoughts. He
reached down and grabbed the beeping communication device from his belt.
He turned it on to see a hologram image of Anakin, looking around the room
frantically.
"Obi-Wan!
Something's wrong!" he shouted. "Floita and I were talking when
she fell over and started mumbling something about the queen and a bunch
of other stuff that I didn't understand! Do you know what is going
on?"
"Anakin
calm down. I don't know what is going on, but I'll get back to the Eran
camp as soon as I can." As Anakin nodded, Obi-Wan turned off the
communication device. He carefully picked up Zarian and walked out of the
ship. There he found the other Erans obviously in pain, yet not as much
as Zarian.
"We
have to go back to the camp." he said.
The
Erans nodded and quickly made their way into the woods, even with their
pain. Though the camp wasn't that far away, to Obi-Wan it felt like hours
until they reached the tree. When they went into the camp, Obi-Wan looked
around in shock. Chaos was the only way to explain what it was
like. Many Erans were like Zarian, the pain stronger then anything else
around them. Others didn't seem to be affected at all, though Obi-Wan
could tell otherwise. Though he wanted to stop and help them, he knew
that he had to take Zarian to the leader. When he entered the building,
he looked at the leader in shock. The young Eran was lying on the ground,
hair disarray and face contorted in pain. Every few minutes a shudder
would rack through her body, causing even more pain. Anne was carefully
tending to her, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. As Obi-Wan
looked at Sarina, he found it hard to believe that this girl was the one he had
met not too long ago. He quickly ran over to her, and leaned down.
"Sarina!
What's wrong? What is going on?" he asked forcefully. She
opened her mouth to answer him, but he could tell that even a movement as small
as that used all of her strength. "Never mind. You need to
rest."
Suddenly,
Anakin ran into the room, half supporting half dragging Floita. As they
neared, Obi-Wan turned towards them. Anakin carefully lowered Floita to
the ground. But she surprised them all by sitting up and looking up at
them.
"Leader.........sick.........find.....cure."
Floita spoke in halting words. Though it was painful for her, she knew
that they needed to try and find out what was wrong with the Erans.
Obi-Wan kneeled next to her, watching her carefully.
"Do
you know what caused this?" he asked. Floita could only shake her
head, unable to use the strength to say anything. Obi-Wan nodded and
stood up, turning his attention back to Anakin.
"We
have to do something Anakin. We can't let...." Obi-Wan was
suddenly interrupted by the beeping of his communication device. He
reached down quickly and turned it on. "What is it, captain?
Is something wrong?"
The
captain of the ship answered immediately. "We have to get out of
here! There are ships heading straight towards this moon, with many
weapons on them. We've also detected many life forms on the ships,
including the forms of the ones that attacked Naboo." Obi-Wan looked
at Anakin in alarm as he replied to the captain.
"We'll
be right there." He shut off the communicator and turned back to
Anakin. "We can't stay here any longer. We have to
go." Anakin opened his mouth to disagree, but quickly shut it when
Obi-Wan glared at him. Obi-Wan glanced at Anne, whose face had turned
pale.
"They
won't get me again. They can't!" she whispered as she glanced at
Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan nodded and turned back to the leader.
"We
can't stay here. I'm sorry." he whispered as he looked into her
pleading eyes. "But we will take Floita with us, and the Jedi
Council will try and figure out what is wrong. We have to leave. I
hope you can understand." A smile passed through the leader's eyes
as she gave a barely detectable nod. Obi-Wan walked over to Floita, and
picking her up, motioned to Anakin and Anne to follow him. They quickly made
their way out of the Eran camp and into the woods. With Floita's help,
they were able to get through the woods and to their ship. As they jumped
out of the bushes into a small clearing, Obi-Wan was relieved to see that they
had made it back to the ship. He went inside quickly, without even a
backwards glance. Anakin and Anne quickly followed.
"Anakin,"
Obi-Wan commanded. "Take her to the medical bay. We need to
get out of here." Anakin nodded and Obi-Wan slowly put Floita down,
so she was standing on her feet. She leaned against Anakin and he quickly
led her to the medical bay. Obi-Wan barely acknowledged that they had
left, as he turned to the captain.
"Let's
get out of here," Obi-Wan ordered. The captain nodded, and quickly
turned the ship on. As they took off, Obi-Wan noticed that the ship
wasn't handling well. In a flash, the ship flew off the forestry ground
of the planet and had entered the atmosphere. They barely gotten out of
the atmosphere when the captain turned to Obi-Wan in alarm,.
"There's
something wrong!" he exclaimed. "The hyper drive won't
work!" Obi-Wan barely heard it, though, as he looked out the bridge
window. Quickly gaining on the small Naboo ship were a dozen cruisers,
each bigger then the other. The captain looked at Obi-Wan for a minute, then
followed his gaze out the window. His expression mirrored that of
Obi-Wans. The captain turned back to the controls, frantically working to
get the hyper drive to work. But nothing happened. Meanwhile, Anne
watched their futile attempts in scorn.
Idiots!
They're never going to get the hyper drive to work. Soon, Darth Sideous
will have this ship, and he will have his way with the Jedi apprentice.
When the Jedi's are defeated, the universe will be mine to control! Anne
thought, watching as the ships drew closer. Suddenly, the ship rocked
violently. A red light began to flash on the bridge, causing the captain
to turn around and look at Obi-Wan.
"We've
been boarded." he whispered, his voice full of dread. Obi-Wan responded
immediately, closing the blast doors on the bridge. Then, as a second
thought, he closed the blast doors on the medical bay as he remembered Anakin
and Floita. Suddenly, a loud pounding on the blast doors caused everyone
on the bridge to jump in alarm.
"They're
here!" Anne screamed, stating the obvious. Her face turned
pale as she looked around wildly, trying to figure out the controls.
"We have to get out of here!"
The
captain turned around to glare at her. "That is what we are trying
to do!" He turned back towards the controls and frantically worked
to fix the hyper drive. But even as he worked, the blast doors were
slowly being pushed in.
"Hurry
up!" cried Anne as she shook the captain's chair. He looked at her
in irritation as he continued working on the controls. Suddenly, the red
light started to flash yellow.
"I'm
onto something!" yelled the captain. But before he could get any
farther, the blast doors were pushed in, and stormtroopers filled the
room. One of them pulled out a laser, and shooting once, hit the
captain. Anne screamed and jumped out of the way of another bolt,
directed at her. The captain slumped forward onto the controls,
completely unconscious.
Obi-Wan
pulled out his lightsaber, deflecting all the laser bolts. He
brought the Force around him and was able to predict where the stormtroopers
bolts would go. Suddenly, a deep dread filled Obi-Wan. He turned to
the door just in time to see Anakin being dragged in by three stormtroopers.
"Give
us your weapon, Jedi, and the boy will live." One of the
stormtroopers ordered. Obi-Wan glanced over at Anakin, whose frightened
eyes stared up at him. Obi-Wan quickly went through all of his options,
watching as more stormtroopers entered the bridge. Even with is powers in
the Force, he could not stop all of them at once. One of them would still
have the ability to hurt Anakin. Obi-Wan sighed as he turned off his
lightsaber and handed it to a nearby stormtrooper. Suddenly, a slight
frown crossed his face as he looked around and saw Anne standing behind of the
stormtroopers, looking unsure of what do to.
"Anne!"
he called out, trying to get her attention. Anne turned to him, and to
his slight surprise, a cold sneer crossed her lips.
"What's
wrong, Obi-Wan. A bit in over your head?" she mocked as she stepped
towards him, pushing the stormtroopers out of her way. A purple light
enveloped her, causing Obi-Wan to look away. When the light disappeared,
she looked nothing like she had moments ago. Instead of the pink t-shirt
and jean shorts, she was wearing a black bodysuit that shone under the
lights. Silver metal was imbedded deeply into parts of the black
material, giving her a menacing look. On her feet she wore black leather
boots, completely with three inch heels. In her right hand was a silver
staff with a purple jewel at the end of it. Her brown hair had streaks of
purple running through it and her lips were coated in a shining purple
lipstick. And her eyes...her eyes were a deep shade of purple that flashed with
evil and hatred. She strolled over to Obi-Wan, smirking as she saw the
range of emotions that played on his face.
"Grab
him," she ordered, her voice cold. The stormtroopers nodded, roughly
grabbing hold of the Jedi. As she walked past them, each of the troopers
fell onto one knee and bowed before her. When she stopped in front of
Obi-Wan, the stormtroopers forced him down. He glared at her as he was
pushed onto his knees.
"I
thought you would be a worthy opponent, Jedi." she mocked, staring down at
him. "It didn't take much to bring you down. Still haven't
recovered from Qui-Gon, have you?"
With
the mention of Qui-Gon Jinn, a fire lit in Obi-Wan's eyes. He looked into
Anne's eyes, seeing nothing but evil. His own eyes hardened as he looked
at her.
"Who
are you?" he demanded. She looked at him and smiled, a cruel, cold
smirk.
"Kanara,
Queen of Evil," she exclaimed, purple sparks falling from her
hands. As she opened her mouth to say more, the entire ship jerked
violently. Kanara fell to the ground, her staff going airborne.
Obi-Wan
reacted immediately, calling on the Force and willed his lightsaber into his
hand. He slashed it quickly, taking out the nearest stormtroopers.
Before anyone else recovered, he leapt a good eight feet through the air and
cut down the stormtroopers that were holding onto Anakin.
"Thanks,"
Anakin said breathlessly as he pulled out his own training lightsaber. He
stood next to Obi-Wan, preparing to fight. As the two sides prepared to
attack each other, two figured jumped through the doors of the bridge, towards
the stormtroopers. They knocked a few of them down and quickly stood next
to Obi-Wan and Anakin.
Both
of the figures wore colored robes, much like those of the Jedi Knights, except
that one of the figures had a purple robe and the other had a red one.
They looked at each quickly and nodded, leaping into action. They knocked
the stormtroopers down with a series of smooth punches and kicks, working
tirelessly. Obi-Wan and Anakin glanced at each other for a moment before
joining the two figured. Though Anakin and Obi-Wan did not know why they
were, they felt a purity within them that they had not felt with Kanara.
As
the stormtroopers were knocked down, they would suddenly disappear from the
room. One by one the troopers disappeared, until Kanara was the only one
left. She looked at the figured in the colored robes with a mixture of
hatred and confusion.
"Who
are you?" she hissed, glaring at them.
The
two figured threw their robes down to reveal two humanoid creatures. The
men that had worn the red robe was wearing dark blue jeans and a right red
t-shirt. His long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. His
eyes flashed with looks of excitement, wariness, and sadness. The girl,
on the other hand, wore right leather black pants and a black shirt with a
v-neck. Her long blonde hair was pulled back with a dark pink
headband. Obi-Wan watched in interest as Kanara's eyes flashed a deep
purple.
"What
are you doing here?" she screamed. She then pointed to the man in
black. "Especially you. You're dead!"
"Not
completely, Kanara," he said, calmly meeting her eyes. "The
Power Rangers are back and we're more than ready to take you on."
Kanara
glared at them for a moment, a small smirk crossing her face.. "I
don't care of the rangers are back or if you're alive. Neither will last
very long."
With
that, Kanara leapt at the man, and lashed out with a crisp tornado kick.
He quickly ducked, and swept her feet out from under her. She quickly
recovered and swung her legs up, hitting him under the chin. He fell back
slightly, giving her enough time to recover herself. The two of them
carefully eyed each other, silently daring the other to make the first
move.
Suddenly,
without warning, the girl that had worn the purple robe leapt forward, intent
on attacking Kanara. But Kanara saw her coming and with a flash of
purple, a force field appeared around her and the man. The girl hit the force
field and fell to the ground in shock. Obi-Wan and Anakin ran over and
helped her up. All three of them watching the dueling forces behind the
force field in amazement. They were each other's equal, each able to
block the others move. The man seemed to be a bit rusty, though, giving
Kanara a slight advantage. Kanara suddenly jumped into the air,
backflipping over the man. As the man spun around, she did a side kick,
hitting him in the gut. He doubled over and she took advantage of the
situation. She leapt upon him, knocking him to the ground with a tornado
kick. As his back hit the ground, she pressed her heeled shot onto his
neck, smiling cruelly at him.
"This
time, Tommy, I'm doing it right," she hissed, pressing down on his
neck. The girl outside the force field looked at Tommy in horror as he
struggled to breath. She closed her eyes, pushing back any thoughts that
were not necessary and called upon a power she had not used in years.
Suddenly, the force field around Kanara and Tommy started to disappear.
Obi-Wan took advantage of it and leapt at Kanara, knocking her to the
ground. Tommy slowly sat up, gasping for air. For a split second,
Kanara laid under Obi-Wan, staring deeply into his eyes. Obi-Wan saw
conflicting emotions running through them, but the coldness was still
there. Before he could do anything, though, Kanara pushed him away and
warily backed away from the group.
"This
isn't over," she threatened. "Just you wait," With
that she disappeared in a flash of purple light. As soon as she did, the
girl that had been in the purple robe fell to the ground in exhaustion.
Tommy leapt forward, just in time to catch her before she hit the ground.
As he helped her back up, Obi-Wan walked over to the controls and was
frustrated to see that the hyper drive was still off-line. Anakin walked
over to him, looking out the window nervously. The cruisers still sat
there, menacingly pointed at the small Naboo fighter.
"What
are we going to do, Master?" Anakin asked softly as he looked up at
Obi-Wan. Before Obi-Wan could reply, a series of whistles and beeps
caused them to turn around. A genuine smile crossed Anakin's face as he
saw the cause of the beeps. "Artoo! Where did you come
from?"
The
small droid beeped at him, a red light lighting up as he did. Anakin
looked at him in uncertainty as he listened.
"Are
you sure you could fix the hyper drive? The captain couldn't..."
His
sentence was cut off as the droid whistled at him, seemingly insulted by the
lack of confidence. The droid wheeled past Anakin and over to one of the
councils. A small metal arm emerged from an opening on the droid as it
checked over the systems of the chip. He emitted a series of short beeps,
causing Obi-Wan to turn back to his own counsel. Anakin watched in
fascination as his master punched in a few codes. Suddenly, the ship
jerked forwards, the stars behind them turning into streaks as the hyper-drive
started. Artoo gave a series of short whistles and beeps as Anakin walked
over and smiled at them.
"Thanks
Artoo." The droid whistled in return. Obi-Wan also turned to
the droid and nodded his thanks before walking over to the newcomers, looking
at them in interest.
"Who
are you exactly?" he asked. Tommy walked over to him, falling into
his leader mode.
"I
am Tommy Oliver and this is Karone. We come from the planet Earth, and
we're on a mission to help a friend that was captured by evil." he
explained. "We are the Power Rangers of Earth. Part of them,
at least."
*****
As
the small Naboo fighter blasted into hyperspace, Kanara appeared on the bridge
of the main cruiser, obviously frustration by the latest turn of events..
As she appeared, the commanding stormtrooper turned to her.
"The
fighter has gotten away, milady," he stated. "There is no
way..." His sentence was cut short as she turned to look at him in
disgust. With a flick of her hand, purple energy emitted from her
fingertips, hitting the stormtroopers in the chest. The trooper fell to
the ground, gasping for breath. Kanara glared at him once before looking
up at the others on the bridge. The looked at her in fear, slowly backing
away.
"Let
this be a lesson to anyone who brings me back news," she hissed.
With that, she whirled around and stalked out of the room. As she stormed
through the halls stormtroopers jumped out of her way, afraid of her
wrath. Those that did get in her way regretted it immediately. They
were thrown halfway across the hall, slamming into the ground. When she
got to her room, she stomped in, closing the door behind her. As she fell
onto her bed, the transmitter on her table lit up. She groaned as the
three dimensional image of Darth Sideous projected out of the transmitter.
"What
do you want now?" she demanded as she glared at the robed figure,
anger dripping in voice. He looked at her, and she caught a glimpse of
his glowing yellow eyes.
"You
could not get them. You failed." he stated, evil filling his
voice. She glared at him, her hands clenched into fists as she stalked
towards the transmitter.
"It's
not my fault they got away!" she screamed in frustration. "I
had them in my grasp! If the stupid rangers hadn't been there..."
"You
said you had taken care of the rangers long ago," Darth Sideous said
calmly. "Obviously, you had not."
"Rita
said she was taking the Earth for her own. She was the one who should
have been watching it and any rangers. The Earth and it's inhabitants are
not my responsibility."
"The
Earth may not be your responsibility, but the rangers are. After all, you
were the one who destroyed many of them years ago. They will tell the
Jedi everything they know about you," said Darth Sideous. "Now
that the Jedi's know who you are, you can no longer sneak past them."
Kanara
smirked. "Good. I didn't like all of this sneaking
around. Attacking them with full force is not only more productive, it's
a lot more fun. Besides, I've grown greatly in power since the rangers
last saw me. The only thing they know is Kimberly Anne Harte. That
won't help them now. Kimberly is no more. I am the one in
control."
"Are
you?" the hooded figure questioned. "They why have there been
so many...hesitations when you were around the Jedi Knight? Was it just
hatred or was it something deeper?"
Kanara's
face flushed slightly, but it quickly disappeared as she glared at him, her
eyes flashing. "I don't know what you're talking about,
Sideous. I will destroy him, as I will any other that get in my
way."
"How
do I know that you will be able to hold up? If I'm not mistaken, the
force field that you build with your power disappeared. Are you as strong
as you said you were?"
"Of
course I am!" she snapped, her eyes flashing a deep purple as her hatred
for the being began to grow. "It was that stupid purple
ranger. She still has powers because of her time as Astronema! But
you don't have a thing to worry about. Now that I know she still has her
powers, I can take care of her. She will not stop me."
Darth
Sideous sighed as he slowly nodded his head. "Good. The Jedi's
are traveling to Coruscant, where I will be waiting for them. I will send
word onto where Obi-Wan and his young apprentice are going, if I do not catch
them first." With that, Darth Sideous disappeared and the
transmitter shut down. Kanara rolled her eyes at the spot where the robe
figured had once been.
"Stupid
Sith," she muttered under hear breath as she picked the transmitter up and
placed it on a shelf. "Always thinks he's right. We'll just
have to see about that. Once I find out where the Jedi is going, he'll
see my true power."
As
she turned and walked over to the bed a sharp pain passed over her, causing her
to gasp in pain. She cried out as the pain spread, feeling as though fire
was coursing through her body. She fell to the ground, landing heavily on
her hands and knees. She gritted her teeth as she tried to gain control,
but the pain was too great. As the pain heightened a voice deep within
her mind screamed out.
No!
Don't hurt the Jedi's or any of my friends! Get away from me!
Kanara hissed as the voice slowly began to grow stronger. I will not
let you hurt them any longer! Kanara managed a small laugh as she
pushed herself off the ground, slowly beginning to gain control once again.
"You
like him, don't you?" she mocked. "Not that it matters.
You will never have a chance with him, after all that's been done to him.
He hates you."
No,
whispered the voice, growing weaker. He doesn't hate me. He
hates the thing that controls this body. You will not always be in
control. I will not let...... The voice disappeared completely
as a purple light covered Kanara, and she was filled with even more evil power
she had ever had. Kanara took a deep breath and stood up, smiling as she
realized the voice was once again covered up.
"Stupid
girl." Kanara muttered. "Doesn't she realize that I control
this body? After all, I am a part of her." She slowly walked
over to the window and she looked out. A smirk crossed her face as she
watched the passing stars.
"Soon
this will be mine." She whispered. "Soon all of this will
be mine."