Sorry for the delay. Enjoy this triple-length chapter!
There is a gap of six months between last chapter and this one.
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44 BBY
Coruscant
Jedi Temple
In two different parts of the galaxy, two different humans woke suddenly from the same nightmare.
Darkness...fire...the Jedi Temple was burning...yellow eyes and red sabers...a great cheer, and a silent cry...mad green eyes fly open, and someone screams.
***
Obi-Wan's screams alerted Dooku. He was out of bed, lightsaber in hand before he could think.
The door to Kenobi's room was open, and Dooku pushed in, ready to fight off any assailant. But no one is there.
Obi-Wan thrashed in his bed, mouth open in a silent scream. Dooku tucked his lightsaber away, and sat on Obi-Wan's bed, grabbing the boy's flailing arms.
"Kenobi," Dooku said quietly but firmly. "Obi-Wan, wake up."
The boy finally slowed his thrashing. His arms dropped to his sides, and his eyes drifted open.
"Master Yan?" The question came out as more of a sob.
For the first time in far too long, Yan found himself being held in a tight hug.
"It's alright, Obi-Wan," Yan said gently. He rubbed small circles over the boy's back. "Take a deep breath."
"It was horrible," Obi-Wan sobbed. "The--the Temple was on fire...a-and the darkness--it was covering everything."
Dooku frowned, and let himself hug Obi-Wan in return. The boy had had a vision of sorts-and not a pleasant one. Perhaps a conversation with Sifo-Dyas was in order.
"It was a vision, Obi-Wan. Relax and let it fade."
It was something he'd often said to his good friend after a particularly nasty episode. It seemed to work. Obi-Wan took a few shuddering breaths, calming himself in the Force.
"Master, will all that really happen?" he asked with wide eyes.
Visions and nightmares were beyond Dooku's knowledge, but he had to comfort the boy somehow.
"Perhaps it will, perhaps it won't. Force visions are difficult for even the greatest Master to decipher," Dooku said gently. "But there is no good in worrying about what might never come to pass. Try and get some sleep."
Obi-Wan nodded wordlessly, and relaxed further. They stayed that way for a while longer, simply letting the Force settle around them.
First thing in the morning, Dooku determined. I will take him to see Sifo-Dyas.
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Mara Miraal sat bolt-upright.
"Kenobi!"
The darkness of early morning on Concord Dawn welcomed her back into consciousness. Half a dozen figures around her shifted in their sleep, turning over at her sudden shout.
Something was wrong. Something was terribly, terribly wrong. Obi-Wan was in danger. And the rest of the Jedi might be in trouble too, but that was less important.
Mara grabbed her kit and buy'ce, and headed for Jaster's tent.
Jedi Council be hanged--she was going to Coruscant.
YOU ARE READING
The Marvelous Association for No-Good, Drunk, and Obnoxious Sociopaths
Science Fiction"After all, he had a mother, as so many do." Except, Obi-Wan Kenobi's mother turned out to be the absolute worst kind possible for a Jedi. It was a good thing the probability of Obi-Wan becoming a Jedi was now about the lowest it could possibly be.
