Ghost of Nightmares Past/Chapter 18

FORCE REPULSE

Obi-Wan was kneeling before Bruck, and Anakin was scared. He was so scared. Yet, he felt power. It was vibrating from his Master, as he knelt there, eyes closed, completely unaware that Bruck was slowly advancing on him, and how defenceless he was. Anakin was beginning to panic, and ignited the sabre he clutched in his hand. But, a soft hand touched his leg, and he gazed down at Yoda, whose eyes were wide and fearful. "Get the younglings out, you will." "What?"

"Dangerous, should he release it, it will be," Yoda said, as Anakin stared at him. "Evacuate as many from this hall, you must."

Anakin turned to Ahsoka and they both dived through the crowd, shooing both Masters and Padawans alike. It was that moment Anakin felt a massive disturbance behind him, and turned to face his Master.

Obi-Wan was glowing slightly, as the Repulse rose in power. Bruck had even stopped, and was slowly backing away. Anakin pushed Ahsoka through the doors, and made to close them behind her, when she stopped him. "Master!" She started, as he chained them across her face.

"No time! Just go!"

Anakin turned, as Yoda moved quickly through the gap, as he shut the doors and bolted them tightly. It was just him, Bruck and Obi-Wan now.

He turned, as Bruck gave a scream of anger; his sabre glanced off an invisible shield that had surrounded Obi-Wan.

Help me Anakin!

Anakin was really scared now, as his Master's voice sounded through his head. Obi-Wan was looking fearful in his mind's eye, and was crying out. It was going to tear him inside out. Bruck backed off, finally, as Obi-Wan's force energy built around him.

Finally, he released it.

The pain happened straight away to Anakin, as benches and many other things were thrown apart, crashing and skidding across the floor, only to get picked up again as the Repulse expanded. Bruck was thrown backwards, landing hard to the floor, as the repulse struck him, but was picked up again as the after wave struck him. Anakin dived to the floor, as a bench flew towards him, striking the doors and splintering them. He felt himself get thrown backwards against the wall as the aftershock struck him too, feeling blood slowly run down the back of his head.

Then he saw darkness.

Smoke was rising all around them, as she walked slowly, through the debris, her cloak rustling the ground and tiny chunks of stone. Her eyes found Bruck, his body still, sabre in his chest, and eyes wide, blood trickling down his face from the corner of his mouth. She fell at his side, and closed his eyes. He had great potential as a Sith, and now, he was one with the Force. She pulled his sabre from his body, and extinguished it, and dismantled it, dropping the red crystal to the ground. Reaching inside Bruck's belt bag, she pulled out the blue crystal. Slowly, she clambered to her feet, anger searing her very insides, as she stared around for the person who did this to him. A figure by the wall caught her attention. Slowly, she walked forwards, pulling her sabre from her belt, and igniting it.

It was a young man, with brown hair that fell to his shoulders, wearing a black tunic. His eyes were closed, but she could hear his heart-beat, strong and powerful. He must have got the weakest of the Repulse. Thank goodness. Slowly, she laid him on his side, and placed his dismantled sabre next to his hand, along with his blue crystal, and smiled. Next time, she thought to herself. Next time my fellow Sith. She heard a groan from behind her.

A dark shape was moving on the ground, and she watched it, as a head was raised, and a hand went to it instantly. He was still alive, but not for long.

Obi-Wan clutched his sore head as he lay there, injured and drained on the ground. His elbow connected with glass, as he lowered his hand to the ground. Turning onto his front, he tried to push himself to his knees. He stared around at the wrecked hall, ignoring fresh blood as it trickled down the side of his face.

Anakin.

He pulled himself to his feet, and, dragging his injured left leg behind him, moved quickly towards Anakin's still form, and collapsed as soon as he did. "Annie," He groaned, smoothing his friend's hair from his eyes. "Annie, please." He pulled Anakin into his arms, holding him tight, trying to ignore the blood that was staining his hand as he held his head up. "Anakin please, please don't do this to me!"

Obi-Wan placed his head on Anakin's chest, and heard. Yes! A heartbeat. His sigh of relief was shaky. "Anakin, I'm so sorry," He finally said, cradling the younger man in his arms, as he leaned against the wall, extending his left leg before him, stopping the pain getting to its maximum. "I am so sorry. I should have realised."

He blinked back tears, as he stared up at the rain as it trickled through two human sized holes in the glass roof. Suddenly, he felt a massive disturbance, and stared around, reaching for his sabre, which had survived the blast, that he had managed to clip onto his belt.

"Glad to see you have survived." A cold voice sounded through the mist.

Obi-Wan felt fear rise up instantly, as a dark shape appeared through the mist. He activated his sabre, pointing the blade towards it, as a red one became visible. "Stellandra," He finally gasped, trying to keep his arm steady.

"Hello there," She said, smiling down at him. "Might I admit, I never expected you to survive that Repulse." She stared around and gave a jeering whistle. "Goodness, you're going to have to clear this, you realise that." "What...do...you want?"

Stellandra stared at him, and smiled, "I want many things. I want you dead, I want Yoda dead, and I want to take your former Padawan and make him my apprentice, is that too much to ask?"

"You...you keep...away from him," Obi-Wan gasped, as he held Anakin close to him. "What...did I ever...do to you?"

"It's not what you've done," Stellandra said, extinguishing her sabre. "It's what you're about to do, and what your father did as well." His father? Obi-Wan just stared blankly at her, as she continued, "You see, you defeat the Greatest Sith of all time in the future, and I have foreseen that, which is why I sent Bruck and Aalto after you. And how I managed to convince Keish and Marden to go after you as well."

"That...was a separate...incident!" Obi-Wan managed to say, as he felt his consciousness begin to slip. "I...was a padawan when...he lost his son...and they tried...to kill me and...Satine!"

"Ah, precious Satine." Stellandra said, smiling. "How is she these days, might I like to ask?"

Obi-Wan felt panic rush through his body. "What...did...you...do?"

"Oh, nothing yet. Right now, you are my target, and, if you're dead, she will be left...unharmed." Stellandra said, and she ignited her sabre again, smiling at him. "It pains me to see you in...pain, my dear Obi-Wan."

"What...did you...mean about my father?"

Stellandra cocked her head to one side, and asked, "Has Yoda never told you? About your parents? I'm shock. Very shocked, that he has said nothing."

Obi-Wan felt his head get heavy, and his eyelids began to drop. His sabre, which he held up, clattered to the ground, splitting slightly, revealing the whitish- blue crystal inside. "Why...what did...they do?" "Well, bring you into the Galaxy for one thing. But it's your precious old daddy I'm more acquainted with. Did you know he was a Jedi? A Rogue Jedi that left the Order at one point? Just like you?"

No, Obi-Wan didn't know that.

"Ah, like father, like son." Stellandra said, raising his head with her fingers, staring into his eyes. "You have your mother's eyes; hair and caring attitude, but you look like your father. What a shame you and him are to meet in hell."

Obi-Wan waited, as she raised her sabre.

"Touch them, you should not Stella,"

Yoda walked into Obi-Wan's field of vision, his cane making small noises that vibrated off the hall walls. Stellandra turned to him, and said, "Oh, you're still alive, my little troll." "Nice, you remain to be," Yoda said, raising an eyebrow. "Not welcome here, you are."

"Just let me finish my job and kill Kenobi's son." Stellandra snarled at him, placing her sabre close to Obi-Wan's neck, and holding his head up by clutching his hair. Obi-Wan could feel the heat from her sabre on his neck. "I would want nothing better!"

"Kill Obi-Wan, and anger his apprentice, you will." Yoda said, standing straight, and staring into her eyes. "Beaten, you are, Stellandra. Leave now, or defeat you again, I will."

Stellandra turned to Obi-Wan, and said, "When we next meet, Kenobi, you won't have Yoda here to defend you." And she was gone in a flick of her cloak. Obi-Wan felt tiredness approach, as Yoda came towards him.

"When...I wake. You will...tell me...about...my Father!" He ordered the little Master, and, his head fell back against the wall, as he drifted into unconsciousness.