And so it begins…

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to my second-ever fanfic, The Portal of Destiny. I'm Maralexa—I'm sure most of you know me from my increasingly-famous fanfic entitled Pwning and Gaming. A few might remember The Jedi at Hogwarts, which I deleted because I felt it wasn't going anywhere. So, if you don't count the epic failure that was my first fanfic, then this would be considered my second. As I stated in Pwning and Gaming, I seek your reviews, comments, and ideas. Be sure to let me know how you feel about this fic, because I do not want another repeat of The Jedi at Hogwarts. Just saying. So, without further ado, I give you The Portal of Destiny!

"Master. Master. Master. Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan. Obi. Obi. Obi. Obi. Obi. Hey you. You with the face. Dude." Anakin Skywalker gazed at his former mentor intensely, continuing to nag the poor guy in an obnoxious tone. "Obi-Wan. Kenobi. Kenobi. Kenobi. Master!"

Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had been trying to meditate and tune Anakin out, finally snapped. "What?"

Anakin grinned. "Hi."

Obi-Wan facepalmed. "Was that all you wanted, Anakin?"

"That depends. Did it annoy you?" Anakin asked hopefully.

"What do you think?" the normally-calm Jedi Master demanded.

Anakin laughed. "Then yes, that was all I wanted."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and focused on becoming one with the Force again. "If that's it, then I'd like it if you leave me be. I almost never get quiet time anymore. It will not be long before I have to go on another life-threatening mission in this Force-forsaken war."

Anakin sighed and sat down beside Obi-Wan, imitating his relaxed posture and focused mind. It wasn't long before the Jedi Knight was tired of it. "How is it that you Jedi Masters can sit down and be boring for this long? It'd drive me crazy to hold still and do…whatever it is you are doing." Obi-Wan did not open his eyes or acknowledge anything his former padawan was saying. Anakin shrugged and continued, "It must take major skill. I could never do it. Is it an art?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "It is simply part of being a Jedi, Anakin. You must listen to the Force. Feel it above you, below you, around you. Let it speak to you. The Force will reveal things that will help you, if you open your mind, and—"

The Jedi Master's lecture was interrupted by a yawn from Anakin. "Are you done yet? Because I stopped listening when you told me that I must listen."

"I said you must listen to the Force," Obi-Wan corrected him.

"So I don't have to listen to you? Cool."

Obi-Wan pulled himself to his feet. "I give up. I'll never get any meditation in with your irksome chatter. And to think I would actually get some rest today."

"Oh, quit complaining. My original intention was to ask you to come with me and Ahsoka on an important mission." His expression was completely serious. "I saw you meditating and couldn't resist the urge to annoy you. Not my fault. It's just the way I'm wired."

"Dare I ask what the important mission is, Anakin?" Obi-Wan prompted.

Anakin maintained his serious façade of seriousness. "I am leading an expedition…to Dexter's Diner. Business is in jeopardy, and it is up to us to embark on an epic quest to balance the—Hey, where are you going? This is a matter of grave importance!"

"I'm sure. If you need me, I will be asking the Council for a real mission. This war demands constant focus and availability. We have no time to fool around with trivial matters."

Anakin shrugged. "I needed to get out anyway. I'll go with you."

Inwardly, Obi-Wan was perfectly happy with having his closest companion with him. He certainly had no objection to Anakin joining him on a mission. However, he kept a look of stern irritation in order to keep from losing face. He did not want Anakin to know that he had won him over with his quirky cockiness.

The Council was not in session at the moment, so the pair sought out the nearest Jedi Master for instructions. Sure enough, they stumbled across Masters Plo Koon, Yoda, Kit Fisto, and Mace Windu. The four were discussing whatever it was that Masters talked about during a time of war and destruction. Plo was the first to notice the newcomers. He stepped aside to give them room to join the discussion.

"Hello, Master Kenobi," the Kel Dor Master greeted him.

Mace, Kit, and Yoda turned at the mention of Obi-Wan's name. As the rest of the Order did, the four Masters respected Kenobi deeply for his calm determination, humility, and connection with the Force. All of their expectant gazes were on Obi-Wan, which irked Anakin immensely.

"Hey there," he said, trying to get them to notice him.

Plo nodded in Anakin's direction. "Hello, young Skywalker." He turned back to Obi-Wan. "Do you need something?"

Before Obi-Wan could reply, Kit smiled at Anakin and said, "What up?"

Anakin grinned. "Finally. Sometimes I feel that you Masters avoid me."

Kit's eyes widened innocently. "Moi? You are too awesome to ignore, my friend. Your awesomeness is inferior to only one." Anakin raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "Me," Kit said, answering the Jedi Knight's nonverbal question. At a sharp glance from Yoda, Kit quickly added, "Okay, two. There are only two beings that are above you in the status of awesomeness."

Yoda chuckled. "Good recovery, my former padawan. Taught you well, I have."

Plo frowned thoughtfully. "It is difficult to measure…awesomeness…Master Fisto. You must consider many things before you can determine a Jedi's status or level of it."

Obi-Wan sighed, slightly annoyed. "We came here with a point, Anakin."

Anakin held his hands up in submission. "Hey, now. Kit Fisto is a Master. If he wants to talk about awesomeness, then let him. You are no higher in rank than he is."

"Obi-Wan is right, Skywalker," Mace said, his calculating gaze hard but not unfriendly. "We have no time to mess around. There are many things at stake here."

Anakin wanted to argue that Kit and Plo were part of the "awesomeness" discussion, too. Why did Master Windu have to get on him all the time? He wasn't an apprentice anymore. Though he wanted to make a sharp remark, he held his tongue and dipped his head. "I apologize, Master."

Mace nodded curtly and turned to Obi-Wan. "You wanted a word with us, Master Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes. Anakin and I currently have nothing to do. Considering there is always something to be done during a war, we came here to seek a mission of sorts. Anything that will help the Republic. I am sure there are plenty of negotiations to take care of—"

"—and battle droids to slice n' dice," Anakin finished.

Kit chuckled. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Mace ignored the pair's immaturity for the time being. "I am sure there is something for you to do. Wait a moment, and we will rejoin you shortly."

Anakin turned to his former Master. "I hope this isn't another pointless dispute on some remote planet."

"Everything we can do for the Republic is appreciated," Obi-Wan said. "One day, you will understand this."

"It certainly is, Master Jedi," a new voice said. Anakin tried not to light up at the sight of a pair of senators walking toward them. Bail Organa and Padmé Amidala were approaching with their usual masks of composed diplomacy. Captain Rex was behind them. The speaker, Padmé, kept her gaze carefully neutral. "A diplomatic solution is crucial to ending this awful war. Settling those 'pointless disputes' is key to taking steps in the right direction." She glanced at her companion. "When will the session begin?"

Bail glanced at the time. "Shortly. We should go now so we can meet with some of the other senators beforehand. It was nice seeing you, Master Kenobi. You two, Master Skywalker."

The senators left as quickly as they had arrived, only to be replaced by Ahsoka Tano. "Hey, Sky Guy," she said, addressing Anakin. "What's the plan for today?"

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Obi-Wan and I are going on a mission. You, on the other hand, need to get back to your studies."

Ahsoka crossed her arms. "But you said that Jedi learn the most by going into action. I've been studying all day! I need a break."

Before Anakin could answer, he felt a sudden tremor in the Force. He glanced at Obi-Wan who, judging by his expression, felt it as well. The two Jedi rushed into the room they had just left, using their Force sensitivity to determine where the disturbance was coming from. Ahsoka and Rex followed curiously. The padawan felt a slight shift in the balance of things, but she had not quite developed the advanced sensitivity that Obi-Wan and Anakin possessed. Rex, of course, had no clue what was compelling the Jedi toward the small room.

Anakin and Obi-Wan burst into the room first. They both gasped, surprised, as they felt a wave of energy pulling them into the center of the room. The last thing they saw and remembered was a pinkish glow, and then nothing.

Disclaimer: I do not own the super-epic-awesomeness that is Star Wars.