Star Wars: Secrets of the Jedi (AU)

Chapter Thirteen

As usual, the Masters bracket moved quickly. The best swordsmen and women in the Jedi Order made quick work of their opponents.

"This should be good," Anakin commented excitedly as the final match of the Masters bracket was about to begin.

Obi-Wan laughed. "Are you and Garen going to place another wager?"

Siri gasped. "You've been betting?"

Anakin blushed. "Only on the first match. Garen bet that Master Vuusen wouldn't last ten seconds."

"How long did he last?" Siri wanted to know.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Three minutes. Master Yoda wasn't warmed up yet. No one since that first match has lasted longer than forty-five seconds against him."

The Jedi announcer came into the center of the arena then and began speaking.

"Jedi, the time has come for the final match of the Masters bracket," he said loudly.

The assembled crowd cheered wildly, clapping their hands and stomping their booted feet in the old sandstone floor.

"But first, we have a treat," he continued as the doors to the arena opened. "On your feet, Jedi, and help me welcome out young Initiates to the arena."

All of the Jedi stood as the Jedi Initiates, ranging from age four all the way to the oldest Initiates around eleven and twelve entered the arena with their crèche Masters. Everyone clapped as the children were led into the arena and were taken to their seats just a few rows up from the competition floor.

Anakin watched as Siri's fingers brushed against Obi-Wan's as the three of them spotted Zakk walking amongst his age-mates. The little boy seemed happy and teeming with excitement.

Anakin smiled to himself as he watched Obi-Wan and Siri revel in the unhindered view of their son. He could sense the pride they both felt when looking at the boy. He could feel the love they had for the child.

"Now, Jedi of all ages, please help me in welcoming our two finalists," the host said. "Jedi Council member, Master Mace Windu and the leader of the Jedi Council as well as the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Master Yoda."

The crowd went wild.

Anakin pumped his fists in the air. "May the Force be with you, Master Yoda!"

Siri laughed at Anakin's childlike exuberance.

"Master Windu is a nine-time finalist in the Masters bracket and a six-time champion," the host informed the crowd. "Previously, Master Windu has won the Knights trophy four times and the Padawan's trophy twice," came the rundown.

The Jedi clapped politely.

"As for Master Yoda," the man began. "Master Yoda hasn't competed in quite a while, but back when he was a regular competitor, he won the Masters tournament twenty-seven times, including twenty-five consecutive victories."

Anakin's eyes widened at that statistic. "Twenty-five in a row?"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "You never read the plaques on the wall down here?"

"No Master," he answered.

"Competitors, bow to me," the referee commanded. "Bow to each other."

"Commence!"

Yoda and Mace sprang into action.

/

"We've searched the Temple high and low, Master, there's no sign of him," Anakin informed Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair. "He can't have just disappeared, Anakin, he's only a six year-old child."

Twenty-one year-old Anakin sighed. He and Obi-Wan had been participating in the disastrous Battle of Jabiim. Jedi and clonetroopers were being killed left and right. Anakin had been the sole survivor of a force of Padawans that he led into battle and at one point even Obi-Wan had been feared dead when the walker he was in was destroyed. He'd survived and was transported to a prison where a dark Jedi named Asajj Ventress tried to get Obi-Wan and the ARC trooper he was captured with to reveal secrets of Republic troop movements by means of torture and beatings.

Working together, Obi-Wan and Alpha, the ARC trooper, managed to escape from Ventress' clutches and made their way back to the Republic. It was upon their return that Obi-Wan and Anakin were informed that Zakk had gone missing from the Temple.

That was three days ago.

"Where's Master Tachi?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan sighed as he sat leaned against the railing of the balcony off his quarters. "She's with a team searching the area surrounding the Temple."

"Master, we'll find him," Anakin insisted. "I know we will."

Obi-Wan had stopped listening to his apprentice. He was staring out into the busy space lanes, watching the speeders flash by. He was staring out into the city, praying to the Force that someone would find his son.

/

Anakin's blue eyes flashed quickly from the match to the small form of Zakk Zhantari. The boy was clapping with his age-mates and Yoda and Mace danced around the arena. He was laughing and having fun.

Without warning, the feelings he could sense from Zakk transformed. They became dark and cold and it took Anakin a moment to realize that they weren't coming from Zakk at all.

He let his eyes roam the arena as he reached out with his senses, trying to pinpoint the source of the feelings he'd sensed. Everything seemed normal as he perused to crowd. Happiness, joy, amazement; he could sense those and many more emotions coming from his fellow Jedi. It wasn't until his eyes came to rest on the form of Chancellor Palpatine that his senses honed in on the darkness he'd felt.

Anakin carefully reached out and quickly found that Palpatine was in fact the source of the cold, dark feelings he'd sensed. The man was like a void in the Force, as if he wasn't sitting in the arena at all. He was somehow masking himself from the Force, and only someone that was...

"Force-sensitive," Anakin whispered.

"Did you say something, Anakin?" Siri asked as she looked over at Anakin.

The young man looked at her and for a single moment thought of taking her and Obi-Wan aside to tell them about what he'd seen in his vision and what apparently he alone had sensed from Palpatine. They should be told what he'd seen concerning their child. The Jedi should be told what he'd felt from the Chancellor of the Republic.

In the next moment he decided against telling them.

/

Mace knew it was over the moment he saw Yoda fly over his head. Seconds later he felt the burn of a saber against his exposed neck.

He knelt down in defeat, as was custom in the final match.

The crowd leapt to their feet and cheered. The Grand Master of the Jedi had prevailed in his first tournament in thirty years.

"My fellow Jedi, I give you our Master Champion, Master Yoda!" the announcer called loudly.

Yoda quietly accepted the winner's trophy before turning to face the assembled Jedi. His eyes quickly sought out Chancellor Palpatine. Their eyes met and locked in a battle of wills.

The message had been sent. Whatever Palpatine was up to, whatever it was that he wanted he would have to go through Yoda to get it.