DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
Mace Windu stood upon the balcony of the Jedi Temple, overlooking the vast, industrialized landscape of Corsucant. He knew that far below him was land, but he had never personally seen any of it. The surface of the planet had not been touched by sentient life in centuries, although droids did go down there for land surveys, but that hardly counted. It was so far down, that from where he stood, it was dark and he could see nothing.
Much like the Sith menace. He knew it was there, like the planet below him, but he could not see it, still it existed.
The thought of something that terrible stalking them, and doing such horrific damage filled the Jedi master with a very unsettling feeling. Especially since none of them had seen it coming. They had ignored Qui-Gon Jinn's early warnings. At first, Mace mused, he had thought it to be just too impossible for the Sith to exist still. He had read the old texts about them, how they were wiped from the galaxy after the dark warriors had begun to destroy themselves. After the crises, no live Sith had been found. They were dead and if they were alive, they would have known. Slowly, though, it dawned on Mace that it had been arrogance on his part and on the part of the entire council. They were so confident in their own abilities, wisdom, and power that they failed to see the wolf hiding in the bushes. Now it sat on their front steps. Yet, they had not seen the darkness until one of their own had almost died.
Inside, Mace was disappointed in himself. He should not be making such mistakes, not with so much potentially at stake.
Ada Gallia stepped out onto the balcony, her arms folded across her chest. She walked and stood beside him.
"There has been no word yet from Qui-Gon and his former apprentice," she said softly.
Mace lowered his head. That was not a good sign. He had recently developed a very strong faith in the somewhat renegade Jedi. If they were having difficulties, it could only be interpreted as a very bad thing. Either they had found nothing, or they had run into trouble. He preferred neither.
"We should have seen this," Ada said.
"I know," Mace replied.
"But we did not."
"I know."
The woman looked once at him, then out across the planet before returning in, the slight breeze billowing her robes as she walked. Mace's eyes never strayed from the horizon. Dusk was approaching. The skies were ablaze with red and orange light. It was a beautiful sight, but it filled him with dread. The quickly approaching night filled him with a sense of foreboding. With the coming evening, he felt the dark times coming with it.
So many things hung in the balance, in the wait for news. The two Jedi might encounter the Sith, or something at all. they might find Callisto alive, dead, or not at all.
Truly, this was a night for fate.
The door felt like it was welded shut. It didn't budge, but that made sense since Callisto didn't have any kind of a lever to try and pry it open. However, she had an excellent sense of hearing and was experienced into getting into places she shouldn't be and escaping the ones she was meant to be kept in. When she banged on it, there was not an echo, it sounded as if she was banging on a rock. It was becoming quickly obvious to her that this was definitely created to make escape completely improbable...but not impossible. There was always a solution to everything, she just needed to figure it out and fast. She had no idea when that snake would return.
She really wanted to be miles away before that happened.
Callisto felt another wave of dizziness envelop her and she fell back onto the floor, palms on the ground. She held on as the room felt as if it were spinning. She must has lost more blood than she had originally suspected. This was not boding well.
She pulled herself up again. Sidious was right about her in one respect. she was determined. She was VERY determined to escape and warn the Jedi about whatever the hell it was he had planned for them. People were going to die tonight if she didn't. Anakin might be at that temple and his mother for all she knew. Not to mention that nice older Jedi, Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan could be there.
That thought was enough to make her claw at the door with a refreshed fury, but nothing happened. she hit the door hard with her hand, the held onto her hand. That really hurt. A small sob escaped her lips, angering her further.
"Damnit," she said, the sob still fresh in her voice. She had to get out of there! She had to get out, she had to find Obi-Wan and make sure he was safe.
Wait a minute, why did she care so much. Her last two thoughts had dwelled completely on him. Why did it matter? Why did it...
*It just does,* she thought. She cared, a lot. For the first time in her life, she cared completely about someone else. For someone she barely knew and had no previous direct connection in her life.
And if she didn't find him, the connection that had now developed would be severed forever.
*Obi-Wan,* she thought, sinking back down on the floor.
*Obi-Wan.*
Obi-Wan stopped dead in his tracks.
Qui-Gon, who was still semi-sprinting ahead, also stopped and turned.
"What is it, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked.
Obi-Wan stood there silently, his brow furrowed.
"I heard my name," he said simply. He didn't know what it meant, only that it felt very familiar...
Callisto leaned against the wall, her knees up against her chest. She rested her head on her knees, trying desperately to fight back the tears. She wouldn't get upset, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
*Obi-Wan,* she thought again, feverently.
Obi-Wan shook his head.
"I heard it again," he said, looking at his old master for some sort of explanation. Before Qui-Gon could give one, the young Jedi's eyes widened in clear realization.
*Callisto?*
Callisto brought her head up sharply, putting a strain on her already battered neck. Someone had called her name. Where? No one was there! It was dark in there, but she could sense nothing, no presence of a living creature in the room with her.
*Callisto?* It came again. The sound, if you even wanted to call it that, filled her senses again. She knew it, there was a kind of familiarity to it...
*Obi-Wan?* she thought again.
*It's me. I am here.*
Suddenly, Callisto scrambled back up to her feet again, filled with a new sense of hope.
*Where are you?* Obi-Wan's thoughts said.
*I don't know. It's dark. I'm alone right now, but I don't know where they are. I know one of them is around here somewhere, but one of them is away, I don't... Obi-Wan, you've got to warn them. You need to tell that council of yours...*
*They believe there is a threat now. Don't worry about that. We're here. We're here and we're going to...*
*No, you don't understand! People are going to die tonight!*
*What do you mean, how do you know?*
*Something he said. The master, Sidious. He said he was going to "deal" with them tonight. You need to get back to the temple, tell everyone, get them OUT of there! He's sent his apprentice, Maul, to do something, I don't know what it is, but they have to be warned.*
"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked anxiously.
Obi-Wan looked at him. "I don't know," he said. "She says that the Sith Master is going to have people at the Temple killed tonight. Maul, the apprentice, is being sent to do something."
Qui-Gon bit his lip. This was unexpected. He knew with certainty that eventually the Sith would strike at them directly, but he hadn't foreseen it to be this soon.
"We should go back, do as she says. He could be there already," Qui-Gon said.
"No, Callisto..." He paused. A sudden image flashed through his mind, brought to him by the Force. It came in a wave of light and color. His vision faded for a second as a flash of light came to his eyes, followed by a barrage of images. then as quickly as it came, it was gone. "I know where she is!"
Qui-Gon paused, as did Obi-Wan. They were at a cross roads, not knowing what to do. Qui-Gon had caught the worried anticipation from Qui-Gon that Callisto had sent through her thoughts. The council was in danger and they might not have any idea whatsoever as to what could happen to them. If the council was lost, not only would it be a personally heavy blow, but also a serious blow to the Jedi. They would be without leadership. Although if such a thing were ever to happen it would be for a short time, but until it was remedied, the Jedi would be in a sort of chaos that the Sith would pounce on and wreak horrific vengeance...
"I'll find her," Obi-Wan said.
Qui-Gon nodded. "And I will warn the council." He placed his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Be careful, old friend," he said, smiling through worry. "The master could be there, making it already more dangerous than it is now. Go with your instincts, they will be your best defense."
Obi-Wan nodded.
"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan Kenobi." With that, the aging Jedi master broke out into a swift run.
Obi-Wan only looked after him for not more than a second, the headed out with a matched rapid pace.
Callisto tried her best to keep her hopes in check. She was a pessimist by nature and knew that nothing was ever that easy. Had it been easy, or just chance? She had no idea whatsoever how she had managed to contact Obi-Wan in that fashion. When he got her she would have to remember to ask him how they had managed that trick. And he would get there, she knew that now. It was all just a matter or time.
She could no longer hold in the joy, no matter how dangerous it felt to be happy. She had managed a message out. No one was going to die now! They were saved!
The door opened and for a moment Callisto was blinded by the light coming in from the hall. Squinting, she could make out the figure of Darth Sidious there.
And he was smiling.
The people that Qui-Gon passed were a blur. He didn't even acknowledge them, even the ones he knocked over as he ran forth to carry out his mission. He had to get to the Temple and fast, before it was too late.
He didn't know what was going to happen, but he did feel the disturbance in the Force, deepening. Something was going to happen and soon, but what? He didn't doubt Callisto's message through Obi-Wan for a moment. He knew that she was special, that she had powers that he understood, but she did not. She was a Force user without even knowing it. That in itself had put her in danger, but it might have saved the council.
He hoped they would remember that when the time came to talk once again.
In the mean time, he had to make sure there was a next time.
The Jedi Temple was just ahead of him. As fast as he could move, he ran up the stairs.
But a flash of black and red moved in front of him, crashing into him, and forcing him off the stairs and onto the ground. Qui-Gon flipped up to his feet, lightsaber activated and immediately meeting a familiar red blade.
Obi-Wan could almost taste the tension in the air. It couldn't be just his own anticipation and worry. There was something else. There was something happening somewhere, but he couldn't see it. He was too much in this place to be able to see anything else. He focus was on Callisto, where it should be.
He pushed a door open, then cautiously looked inside. The halls were dark, but empty. Slowly, he moved inside, his hand lingering at his lightsaber. He strongly resisted the urge to say out loud, "I have a bad feeling about this." No matter how true it was. it just felt too easy, that he found her so quickly. She was strong with the Force, he believed that now. It had probably been sheer chance that she was able to reach out with her mind, but to give such an exact location? He had doubts about that ability.
He honestly hoped it was just paranoia. He also hoped Qui-Gon had gotten to the council.
Walking softly, he moved in deeper...
There! He saw Callisto through a doorway. She was standing, no holding onto the corner of a doorway. From his first glimpse, he could tell she had been hurt badly. Old injuries had been made worse and the new ones were not pleasant. He could only imagine what things were like internally. No matter, he would take her to a doctor.
Suddenly, she was thrown to the other side of the wide doorway. Now he could see that she was barely conscious. Someone had been holding her up, to make it look like she had made it out as far as she had...
A hooded, robed figure stepped out to where Callisto had been "leaning." It spoke to him in a voice he knew, and suspected had somehow known all along...
"Welcome, young Jedi," Sidious said.
Obi-Wan said nothing, only reached for his lightsaber. The other man withdrew his own, activating it to show a brilliant red blade.
For a moment, the two adversaries looked at each other, six\zing up one another.
Then, they clashed.