CHAPTER 13

BIRTH OF THE REBELLION

Anakin had not expected to see what greeted him upon reentering Ossus's atmosphere. The Great Jedi Temple that had become the place of Exile for them was now smouldering. Crumbled Pillars in every direction, plumes of smoke rising from random areas around the ziggurat...

"I wasn't even in time for the conflict," Anakin whispered to himself as he set the Starfighter down towards the plains adjacent to the temple. Luke remained asleep through the whole travel in space, bundled next to him in a snug spot by the pilot's seat. Once the fighter had landed, Anakin popped the canopy, carefully disembarking with his son in his arms.

There was no sign of Clone Troopers, but that could change in a heartbeat. He couldn't very well defend against them while he was holding his child in his arms. Taking a deep breath, Anakin set forward towards the temple. There was little distance that needed covering. Once he passed the line of trees, he would be at the clearing in front of the Temple.

Watching his step, Anakin kept half his mind on making sure he wasn't about to drop Luke and the other on watching his step. Stepping around as many fallen branches and leaves as he could, the Temple's clearing began to come closer.

"Lieutenant, I heard something," a disembodied voice said beyond the trees and somewhere in the clearing. Anakin froze, only paces away from the clearing. He was suddenly aware of his own shaky breath as footsteps sounded, nearing his position. At that very moment, Luke chose to wake up and start to whine. Anakin lightly shushed him, trying to send impressions of calm through the Force. His son quieted and went back to sleep.

"Over here, sounded like a voice," the Clone Trooper said again, footsteps becoming louder. Anakin, as silently as hecould, kneeled down to set the bundled up Luke against the Tree he was standing next to. Rising again just as silently, he slowly reached for his lightsaber hilt.

"You four, split up, survey the woods," the Clone voice said again. Skywalker heard four other affirmatives, all coming toward his direction cautiously. He knew that he would have to blow his cover, so glancing back at his son, he activated his hilt, the azure blade unsheathing with a snap-hiss.

"It's one of the survivors! Get 'im!"

Three of the Clones were converging on him and the fourth was nowhere to be seen. Angling his lightsaber, he deflected the first salvo of blaster rounds, one of the troopers being shot from a ricocheted round of plasma. The remaining two clones continued to shoot, keeping a safe distance from Anakin's saber.

Rolling to the ground, Anakin trusted his instincts as a foreign lightsaber suddenly sailed through the air like a impromptu boomerang.

The three Clones were all beheaded instantaneously. Keeping his lightsaber active, he tried to peer through the trees to find out who threw the saber.

"Master," Anakin began. "You're becoming quite the daredevil," he commented dryly, before turning around to backtrack to a nearby tree and deactivating his blade.

"I blame you, Anakin. It was only this one time perhaps, anyway..." Obi-Wan trailed off upon noticing what, or rather, who, Anakin was carrying in his arms. Kenobi turned off his saber then clipped it on his belt. He crossed his arms. "That's your son, isn't it?" He asked, more out of courtesy than actual ignorance.

"Yes," Anakin replied shortly. His demeanor remained slightly crestfallen as he trudged towards the Temple.

"How many masters made it?" Anakin asked once Obi-Wan fell into step next to him.

"Masters Yoda, Windu, Ti, Marek, and Drallig remain alive. I'm not sure about the rest. I've yet to reach out to them," Kenobi said slowly.

Anakin had a pained expression on his face. "This wasn't supposed to happen..."

"There was nothing you could do, Anakin," Obi-Wan tried to reason. Anakin's expression was unchanged, and Kenobi decided to change the subject.

"A majority of the rest are accounted for," Obi-Wan added. "Knights, Padawans, younglings..." They reached the side of the temple, and they began to advance through a hole that was blasted through.

Rubble was seen everywhere and fallen columns, statues, and unfortunately, bodies, Jedi and trooper, lied dead on the stone floor.

"Anakin, follow me," Obi-Wan urged, making his way towards an adjoining hallway. Anakin followed closely behind, often glancing down at his sleeping son.

"I can't...believe she would do this," Anakin said with a breaking voice, belatedly realizing the irony of his statement. He inhaled a ragged breath in result, finding it harder to concentrate.

Obi-Wan slowed his steps, turning his head to regard him, but thought better of saying anything. "Come on," Kenobi settled on saying, continuing towards their destination.


"She what?!" Anakin parroted incredulously. Anakin and Obi-Wan stood near Masters Yoda, Windu, Shaak Ti, Kento Marek, and Cin Drallig. His shock didn't surprise them, but they misinterpreted his reaction.

"Yes," Obi-Wan affirmed. "She has an apprentice. It was the former Jedi Komari Vos. We thought she was killed by Dooku, but apparently not."

"An apprentice," Anakin trailed off, looking down at his son again.

"I forgot to introduce the child."

"Your son," Master Windu observed. Anakin exhaled through his nose.

"How did you know?"

"Seeing as you walked in here with a baby, I put two and two together."

Anakin leaned his back on the wall, looking at Luke again. "I guess i'm expelled then?"

"Hardly the appropriate moment for punishments, this is," Yoda chimed in. He tapped his gimer stick once on the stone floor, drawing the attention of the Jedi and to himself.

"Build a powerbase, we must. But to do so, in hiding, the Jedi Order must go-"

"Master Yoda, I can stop her! Let me-"

"No!" Yoda asserted, cutting off Anakin's plea. "Too blinded, the Jedi Order was and is. Too emotionally attached you are, to Chancellor Amidala."

Anakin looked down to the floor.

"Too massive, the clone army is. Disappear from the minds of the worlds, we must."

The Jedi present nodded once in understanding.

"Until...the proper time."