Prophecies and Destinies
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…. Star Wars Prophecies and Destinies The galaxy is in turmoil as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of the Republic has overthrown the sovereignty of the Senate and the Courts and declared a galactic Empire, with himself placed on the Emperor's throne. With the help of the fallen Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, the Emperor seeks to hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, and the last obstacle in Palpatine's plans for supreme rule. Meanwhile, the Jedi have rallied at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the capital planet, at the behest of the Emperor himself. A negotiation is to take place in regards to the illegal maneuvers of the head of state and the murders of hundreds of Jedi. The Jedi expect the Emperor to step down and face his crimes, thus restoring order. The Emperor has plans of his own. On the stately planet of Alderaan, Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda keep vigil over Queen Amidala of Naboo, known to her friends and family as Padme, who controls an event that could bring peace and order back to the galaxy. The Royal House of Organa has sheltered the group in a hidden palace where the Jedi watch and wait….. The wave of pain and fear hit Obi Wan like the strike of a thousand lightsabers, all aimed at his heart, as a thousand lives met with an unexpected and unwelcome end. A thousand lives, while felt, would normally not have created such a wrench in the Force that Obi Wan felt…unless each of those thousand lives were strong in the Force. It was this way that Obi Wan learned of the destruction of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He bolted awake in his bed on Alderaan, sweat drenching the sheets, his bed pants, his hair, even the short beard he had grown in recent years. A silent scream formed in his throat, his open mouth emitting no sound, for no sound could give justice to the sorrow and agony that had claimed his heart as suddenly as a star dies in the blast of a supernova. They were gone. The majority of their remaining ranks were gone, killed in one blow by the worst enemy the Jedi Knights had ever faced. Obi Wan shakily crawled out from beneath the sheets and made his way to the doors of the balcony, steadying himself against the wall, his legs still unsure in their ability to hold him up in the wake of shock. He threw open the doors, gasping for the fresh air outside as if he had never breathed before. Gripping the railing, still not trusting his body's balance, he wavered there. Taking in through all of his senses the Force-full aliveness that surrounded the palace deep within the Riigan Woods. He let the rhythm of the living Force emitted by the forest soothe the havoc of the universal Force that buffeted him. He breathed slowly, beginning with that simple rhythm that he had learned to follow in his first years at the Jedi temple and gradually stretched out, from his breathing, to his pulse, to the gentle wind currents that ruffled the hair that he had let grow to just over his ears, slowly he followed the currents of the living Force as his master had taught him to do all those years ago until he felt the harmonious symphony life created around him. The trees spoke to the insects that fed and sheltered in its branches. The insects spoke to the daer whose hide they plucked the parasites from. The daer spoke to the wild rogs that hunted them. The subtle undercurrents of life were a reassurance to the still young Jedi who found himself suddenly quite alone in the universe. He followed the currents where they wished to take him. He sensed the children asleep in their beds, their rest undisturbed, filled with the still innocent dreams of youth. Two pittens played in the hallway, each determined to catch the other's nub of a tail. And just down the hall from his room, another wave of pain hit Obi Wan, only this one was quite natural. Was this another irony of the universe, that only moments after the destruction of almost the entire order of Jedi Knights at the hands of it's greatest student, the student's own creations would be born, the future of those same Knights? Obi Wan came out of his meditations, mildly surprised to find himself dry and relatively composed. He went back to his room, changing into his tunic and robe. Sleep would not come to him again this night anyway, so he would help the ushering of a new generation in any way he could. He paced outside the room, as he had for close to twenty hours now. Upon arrival, he was hurriedly ushered out to where he stood now. Padme's handmaidens were the only ones allowed with her. The sun had risen, and in due time, fallen again, and still he waited, but he felt it would be soon. As if confirming this, Master Yoda walked in from the hallway. "Master," Obi Wan acknowledged the 800 and some odd year Jedi Master with a respectful incline of his head. "Obi Wan," he returned the acknowledgment, "Soon now it will be, hmm?" The wizen old sage moved to stand beside him, taking in the view outside. "I believe so, Master," his eyes never wavered from the view. While the coming event was of utmost importance, his mind still whirled with earlier events. He knew for certain what had happened, but he had to hear it, "They're all dead, aren't they?" He finally tore his away from the moon whose path he had been tracing since the sun had slept, looking down at the tiny Master. Yoda continued to stare outside before answering Obi Wan's question, "Yes, one with the Force, they now are," he murmured. Taking a closer look, Obi Wan realized that Yoda's color was faded, his normal pale green hue turned ashen and his rather large ears drooped down. He had never seen such a show of fatigue and emotion in the controlled head of the Jedi Order. Of course, he realized, if he, a mere Knight, had been so sickened by the wave of all those deaths, he didn't even want to imagine what it had felt like to Yoda, so in tune with the power of the Force. Finally looking up, the Master saw him holding one of the small pittens whose Force energies he had followed earlier. "Never one to find much use in lower creatures, you have been," Yoda pointed out. Obi Wan nodded. This was true. As his Master had often pointed out, he had always been much more attentive to the universal Force than the living Force, but as of late, he was beginning to understand his Master's affinity for the living Force, "It's rhythms are simple," he explained, "soothing." "Mmm, understand now, you do, why such store in the living Force Qui Gon held," Yoda voiced his thoughts. "Yes," he replied, his voice a thousand miles and 12 years away. The little pitten's throat rumbled in pleasure as Obi Wan stroked the creature's ears. "Come, the time has," Yoda's declaration was synonymous with the cry and tug in the Force of a new life entering the world. The two Jedi waited patiently and in due time, but longer than Obi Wan had counted on, a second child's presence was felt, joining the first. Obi Wan found their presence in the force odd…not only because they could be sensed as force-sensitive at such a young age, but at the remarkable amount of communication the two infants were making through the Force. He didn't think they should be able to do that, being only minutes old. But then, these were Anakin's children, and while Padme's blood would most likely dilute the midichlorians a bit, they were still likely to be more powerful than any knight ever, before their father. ******************* "Hello, Padme," Obi Wan greeted the new mother softly. "Obi Wan," she smiled with great affection. After all, the two had gone through much together. In each arm, she cradled her children. "Master Yoda," she acknowledged him as he followed Obi Wan into the room, "I have two people I want you to meet." She shifted her arms so that the faces of the babes could be seen. Both were small, as is common for twins, but also obviously, even then, destined to have the small stature of their mother rather than the towering one of their father, "This is my oldest, Leia," She whispered, "It means 'glad tidings'" Obi Wan sat on the edge of the bed, a soft smile on his face. He had never been around babies, "Hello Leia," he stroked her cheek with his finger, finding her skin smoother than anything he had ever felt. He sent a wave of warmth through the Force. The infant's eyes blinked, obviously feeling it. His smile got bigger. "And this," Padme shifted, "is my youngest, Luke," Obi Wan turned, pushing back the soft blanket to see the child. Bright, curious blue eyes met his own. He sent another wave of warmth at this child and was shocked to feel it accepted, and then astonishingly, returned. "Master Yoda…" he turned to see if he was not the only one that had felt it. He was not. Yoda's ears had stood up in amazement. "Midichlorian counts were done?" the Master asked. "Yes," Padme closed her eyes briefly, "they're there, on the table. I haven't looked at them." Yoda didn't move, so Obi Wan retrieved the paper. He wasn't sure he could move. When Anakin had been discovered, the Temple healers had made a new midichlorian analyzer to get his exact count. It had been found to be 22,000. Unprecedented, to be sure, but this….this… "Obi Wan?" Padme hurried him, wanting to know now that someone had had the courage to look. "The girl's count is 18,000…exceedingly high, certainly, but nothing like Anakin's…" he didn't finish, checking again. This couldn't be right. "The boy's" Yoda's voice was resigned. He already knew. The number made no difference. It could be sensed. "20,000," he confirmed. "What does that mean?" Padme asked. "Like his father, the boy is. The son of the Chosen One." "Master?" Obi Wan asked in wonderment. After all the argument Qui Gon had received over the prophecy of the Chosen One, he had assumed that Yoda did not believe in the prophecy. "Know, most Jedi do, of the prophecy of the Chosen One, the one who will bring balance to the Force. Believe it all do not. I had not believed, but as we see, more than one way to bring balance there is." "How exactly does the prophecy go Master?" The ancient Jedi Master closed his eyes, as if struggling to recall what was sure to be forever etched into his brain, "Balance to the Force will one day be, in the form of a child born of the Force. With him comes the dawn of a new era, the death of the Jedi will be seen." "The death of the Jedi…" Obi Wan breathed, unable to fathom the words Yoda had spoken. He stared at the tiny boy, snuggled contentedly aside his sister in a blanket on Padme's breast. "Mmm, but always remember, the future is always in motion. The son of the Chosen One young Luke is, but the destiny before him is of his own making. Certainly with but a few Jedi left in the galaxy, the Jedi of the future will be different." "But every generation of Jedi is different from the last. It's just the way of things," Obi Wan said. "See, understand, you do." Yoda nodded approvingly, "Dire, yes, the prophecy seems, but remember that prophecies can fulfill themselves in as many ways as there are stars." Silence filled the room, broken only occasionally by a coo from the little girl, Leia. The boy remained silent, and oddly observant of the room's occupants. "Master?" Obi Wan began. Yoda turned to him, "If the boy's count is as high as Anakin's, will the Dark Side not pull even stronger at him?" Yoda closed his eyes, seemingly distressed. He had been hoping that Obi Wan would not realize this, but he had always been overly observant, even as a young Padawan, "Yes, this is why great care must be taken with him. Very structured, his life must be." "What about not training him at all?" Padme voiced. Obi Wan pitied her. He knew she just wanted her family, or what remained of her family, to live in peace. But these were not times of peace…the Darkness brought to a head by Palpatine and accented by Anakin was felt by every creature, even the small pitten that was now contentedly nestled in the inner breast pocket of Obi Wan's cloak. "To not train him would put him at a greater risk," he explained gently to her, "He may turn to the Dark Side without even knowing it. If he is trained, he at least has a chance." Padme bit her lower lip gently, fighting tears, "Then you must do something for me Obi Wan," she asked softly. "What can I do for you?" He asked, willing at this point to try anything. The young girl had been through so much already…had seen the people that she had loved and tried to rule and serve with justice and compassion wiped out by the only other thing she had ever given her heart fully to, Anakin, her husband. "Bring Ani back." She said clearly. Obi Wan bowed his head, "I have tried, Padme. He's too far gone. I can't reach him." "Please, Obi Wan. You must try one last time for me. Tell him of his family, tell him of me. Tell him I need him," she pleaded. Obi Wan looked to Yoda. The master gave no sign of approval or disapproval. The choice was his. He nodded and turned for the door. "Padme?" He paused, his back still to her " 'Luke,' what does it mean?" "It means 'bringer of the light,' " she answered softly. Obi Wan turned back, "I will try." He said simply, and left. "Do, or do not. There is no try." Yoda said softly, gazing out the window. Behind him, the boy laughed.
Journal Of The Whills
