Consequence of Oversight

The Before

It wasn't supposed to be like this. The War was supposed to be over. The Jedi shouldn't have died. They should have known better.

These were the thoughts of Jedi Master Yoda—or now just Yoda—as he and Obi-wan exited the temple. They both were in shock and remained silent after arguing about who would take which sith. Yoda was sure he had failed. What stung the most was that he had lost his secret student. One who was strong in the force, the likes of which he had never seen since young Skywalker had been admitted into the Jedi Order.

She had been only six.

As they climbed unto their speeder, Obi-wan spared a glance at the master and sighed heavily.

"What will become of us now, after we defeat these sith? Are we to fade away? Rebuild? Force it seems impossible to discern the will of the Force now."

Before the older master could reply, blaster fire sounded from nearby. "What in the blazes-"

"Hurry, Obi-wan. Run we must to help if survivors there are." Yoda said as they both started towards the scene. He prayed to the force that they would actually find survivors and not just another massacre. However, what they found was surprising, to say the least.

Bellow was a small girl with her saber drawn, defending herself from a group of clones who had found her. She couldn't have been much older than five. Her auburn hair looked matted and her clothes charred. Scratches and blood stains contrasted with her pale skin. The poor thing was barely deflecting the blasts. But she kept fighting.

And this is where our story begins.

It was at this moment—the second that these two Masters saw the child—that the Force sent a ripple out into the galaxy. If you were a Force-sensitive being, you would have felt its strength and warmth. All the Force-sensitives in the galaxy felt it in this particular moment: the remaining Jedi—who found hope in this mysterious warmth from the Force—and the Sith.

A small cry broke the Masters from their moment of awe. The Jedi immediately set out to help the poor youngling and cut down the remaining clones.

As the dust settled, Obi-wan looked back at the girl to make sure she was alright and saw her sobbing and bent over with a smoking shoulder. Her eyes were closed but he could feel her through the force. His heart ached as he sensed her anguish, pain, and fear.

He walked towards the child, his expression softening at each whimper she let out. The little girl, however, thought someone else was attacking. Eyes wide, she ignited her little lightsaber in defense once again.

"Whoa there! Settle down young one; we aren't here to hurt you," Obi-wan spoke softly, "my name is Master Kenobi. Behind me is Master Yoda, do you know him?"

The small child looked back to see a familiar figure walking closer to the pair. Immediately she perked up at the sight of him and dashed to the small green Jedi.

Yoda was surprised by the youngling clinging to him, but even more so when he recognized her force signature.

"Master Yoda! I'm so relieved to see you're alive!" the girl cried in relief. She had thought that her teacher had been lost to the stars, never to return to protect them from the horrors she faced.

"Hazel? Survived have you?" Yoda looked down at the crying girl and realized that she was real. His lost student. "So glad to see you are safe I am." he sighed as he hugged her back.

"While this is wonderful to witness, we really must get going Master," Obi-wan whispered. Kenobi knelt to address the girl, "Hazel?"

She looked up from her teacher's cloak.

"We must leave before we are spotted again. I'm going to pick you up now, alright?"

The youngling nodded and Obi-wan gently scooped her up into his arms, being mindful of her injury, and quickly headed back to the speeder with Yoda.

Once they reached the platform, the two masters conversed once the youngling was safely inside the small speeder. 

"How could it have come to this?" Obi-wan said sadly.

"To question, no time there is." The older Jedi replied solemnly. "Visit the new Emperor, my task is, however for a youngling, no place that is."

They both turned to check on the youngling. The girl was sound asleep, finally having a safe and peaceful place to let her guard down. The thought made Obi-wan wince.

"Take the girl to a trusted friend, you must. Senator Amidala, perhaps. The girl's safety, very important it is."

"Yes, Master Yoda." Obi-wan sighed as he turned away and quietly entered the tiny ship. His expression turned sour at the sight of Hazel's swelling shoulder. Turning in his seat, he ran a shaking hand through his matted hair before taking the controls and flying toward Padme's home.

He knew he would have to visit the senator anyway, but now he would have a disarming reason to do so. 

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AN: Act one is rolling! I will admit that updates will probably be sparse since I have to go back and redo/rewrite a ton of stuff. BUT! I will try to update as much as possible. 

May the Force be with you and be safe!

- Becka -