Fight or Flight

Herein Lies the Danger

I get very little sleep that night. Something tells me everything is going wrong with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan. Nightmares in which the Sith Lord I have known about, Sidious, plague my sleep. I wake up the next morning and walk out to the overlook of the city-planet of Coruscant.

"Hey." I turn to see Hren standing there.

"Hi."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Not really. Lots on my mind. You? You're kinda up early."

"Yeah. I'm not sure what to do."

"About what?"

"Well...Jolens says he likes me...and that's out of the Jedi code."

"You know...I'm not exactly an expert on this. I've come close to breaking the code before with Ciren." Hren smiles. "But, follow where you think you should go. I'm sure it'll all work out."

"I hope so. What's going on with you lately?"

"Despite finding out that a good friend is actually a Sith Lord, putting a friend of mine in danger, and almost breaking the Jedi code, it's been a pretty good week."

"Sounds like it." We fall into comfortable silence until I hear someone behind me.

"Master Shano?" I turn to see one of my training partners, Alexan, standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Yes?"

"The council requests your presence. They say it is an urgent matter upon which you would be a great help."

"Understood. Thank you Alexan."

"Of course. This way?" I turn to follow him.

"I'll talk later Hren, I promise."

"Ok." Her voice falters a bit then breaks.

"You know...Ciren and you..."

"Alex...don't start. Ok?"

"Fine. Whatever you say."

"It is what I say." For the rest of the time of our walk, Alexan stares ahead swinging his lightsaber around. For awhile, I tolerate the annoying motion, but finally, it gets to be too much. "You know...that's kinda dangerous."

"Well...I like danger."

"That'll turn you Sith real fast."

"And with that, here is the council chamber."

"Alexan...I'm serious. Be careful."

"Yeah, whatever." He leaves to go do whatever he does. I walk into the chamber and take my seat. I notice Ciren is gone, then remember that he often helps the younglings with their meditation. Once I sit down, the council begins its session. In the middle of the floor stand two holographic images of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

"Masters, the situation on Naboo has gone very wrong."

"What's happened?" Mace asks, concern etching his face, something I have noticed often of late.

"Battle droids. Hundreds of them. They claim the Viceroy is supposed to kill us."

"Darkness, I sense. Plotted, this was."

"I believe it has something to do with a Sith Lord, master." Qui-Gon states. "I have sensed a great evil in the Force."

"Qui-Gon, be careful. This is a dangerous territory to be in." Even Piell speaks up. "As it is, you are risking a lot. Don't do anything irrational."