The Countess ━ OBI-WAN KENOBI

Chapter Three

Just a single day later, tragedy struck with the force of a thunderbolt. The once bright sky over Coruscant darkened ominously, mirroring the turmoil within her heart. Rain cascaded relentlessly from the sky, matching the torrent of tears that streamed down her cheeks, mingling with the downpour in a symphony of grief and despair. The world around her seemed to blur in a whirlwind of chaos and confusion, the events unfolding with a dizzying speed that left her breathless. Time itself felt warped, compressed into a single agonising moment where joy and sorrow collided in a maelstrom of emotion.

Her chest constricted with a visceral ache, a physical manifestation of the anguish that gripped her soul. Every beat of her heart reverberated with the weight of loss, each pulse a reminder of the shattered dreams and hopes that now lay scattered at her feet. In the midst of this tempest, she struggled to find solid ground, to anchor herself amidst the storm.

Standing amidst the deluge, she was acutely aware of the fragility of life, of the fleeting nature of happiness and the cruel capriciousness of fate. At that moment of darkness, she found herself grappling with questions that had no answers, seeking solace in a world that offered none.

Qui-Gon was lost. He became one with the Force.

She experienced it, a tug at the strings of her heart, around noon; as the man, deep in meditation, extended his senses while awaiting the click of the electron walls. A palpable premonition settled upon him - an awareness of impending doom. At that moment, Leilani's perception was remarkably vivid; she could observe the Dathomirian figure pacing before the wall, the plasma-fuelled generator core...she was painfully aware of Qui-Gon's unspoken plea, that echoed subconsciously, urging her to take on the responsibility of safeguarding the boy. And that imagine and sound was still carved in her mind.

Initially, she desperately hoped it was a poorly executed, elaborate joke. However, as she approached her former Master and saw the pained expression in her eyes, she knew her vision hadn't deceived her. A wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her, her body on the brink of surrendering to the overwhelming truth.

And now, as Dooku and her stood before Qui-Gon's so cherished tree, it felt real. Her tears still rolled down on her cheek - and while Dooku attempted to remain or at least appear stoic and calm, Leilani saw the shattered vases, boxes and window glass in his old room. He broke down, and she did too.

"I used to bring Qui-Gon here as a boy," Dooku explained, and for a moment Leilani was puzzled by the sudden sound. Turning her head slightly, she caught sight of Master Yaddle from the corner of her eyes, momentarily feeling ashamed at how dulled her senses had become. She hadn't sensed Yaddle's presence when she entered the gardens, consumed as she was by her pain. But now, she listened to her brother's voice, while wiping down the tears with the back of her hand. "He was fascinated with this tree...Having been born here on Coruscant, a planet of steel and stone...he knew nothing like it." His features twitched, barely visibly, and he turned his attention towards the pavement instead. He felt his sister's eyes on him, and that she caught on quickly, but didn't dare to face her.

"The Council is leaving for Naboo," Master Yaddle attempted to explain, her gaze fixed on them from the top of the stairs while the siblings stood down, side by side. Leilani stood with her body angled toward Dooku's shoulder, while he remained with his back turned to the Master.

"I doubt that I will be pleasant company," Dooku remarked.

"You hold them accountable?" the Master inquired, prompting Dooku to finally turn towards her. Leilani remained silent, knowing better than to interfere, but she was certain that he did hold them accountable.

However, he neglected to answer directly. "Qui-Gon Jinn has become one with the Force. It is time to let him go." He ascended the stairs as if attempting to flee the conversation, leaving the two women alone. But he paused and turned around one last time as Yaddle asked him again;