A/N: Well, I'm back! This is a oneshot/drabble series set after the events of my Revenge of the Sith AU, The Hero's Descent. I reccommend reading it before you read this, but you don't have to read THD first if you really don't want to. If you did, this will probably make a lot more sense, though.

With this series I am taking the opportunity to explore characters, places and relationships I couldn't do in THD, whilst continuing the story of the Skywalkers and their situation, Obi-Wan and some OCs such as - as you will find out - Desta Ebellenya, friend of Zett Jukassa, and "Red", all of which featured in The Hero's Descent, as well as some canon characters that didn't get a lot of love in THD. The series will span quite a sizeable chunk of time and hopefully set up for another multi-chapter fic which will be set after The Villain's Retreat.

Just as a side-note, this series has no Beta and this first episode is also not my best work so for those loyal readers who have been asking for the continuation of The Hero's Descent, please bear with me. The episode lengths will not be regular, nor will the updating schedule be as prompt as it was with THD (sorry!) but that is because I am working on the multi-chapter sequel to this, The Master's Destruction, at the same time.

Anyway, with the explanations out of the way, enjoy!

Episode 1: New Beginnings

The white shrouds turned the dead into shapeless figures. Anonymous. Supposedly un-mourned. But if that was the Jedi way, Desta Ebellenya mused sadly, there were no Jedi in the temple tonight. Some saw the Jedi as emotionless, unable or unwilling to feel, but there were no impassive faces among the those who gathered to bid the fallen farewell. Even Master Yoda looked solemn as he read out the names of the dead.

Master Mace Windu

Master Agen Kolar

Master Kit Fisto

Master Saesee Tiin

Master Depa Billaba

Master Plo Koon

Master Jocasta Nu

Master Ki-Adi-Mundi

Master Cin Drallig

Beside Desta, Zett's fists clenched, but he didn't make a sound.

As each name was read, another shrouded figure was entombed.

After the masters came the knights and then there were the padawans. Friends. Then, the younglings. Some were so small they looked to be half the size of Master Yoda. She was glad for the anonymity of the shrouds then, allowing her to pretend that all of the younglings she and Zett had tried to protect that night had made it onto Senator Organa's ship. Allowing her to believe that the screams of nameless younglings as they fell beneath the clones' blaster fire had just been another nightmare.

The echoing thud of the door closing behind Master Unduli as she chased after a Padawan left the mood of the room even more unsettled, but the rest stayed quiet throughout.

It felt like hours before the last name was called. But when what was left of the Jedi Order began filing quietly away, Desta finally turned to her friend. They had both lost their masters during the war, though Zett's master had already been gone before what was becoming known as Order 66 was issued, and now... it felt like they didn't have much left but each other.

'So... What now?' Desta asked quietly, voice steady.

Zett shook his head. 'We move on, I guess.'

'Ah,' said a voice from behind her and she turned to be met with the kind eyes of Master Kenobi and the blue form of Master Aayla Secura. 'We had hoped to catch you two before everyone left.'

'Master?' Desta asked, confused.

'We do hope it is not too soon,' Master Secura said, Ryloth accent seemingly more apparent than usual. 'But you both have been reassigned to new masters.'

Desta looked between both Jedi. 'To whom?'

Master Kenobi gave a depreciative smile. 'Desta has been reassigned to me, and Zett has been assigned to Master Secura.'

Desta's eyes widened. Apprenticed to one of the heroes of the Republic? It was a shock to say the least. She inclined her head nervously as Zett did the same. 'It would be an honour, Master.'

Master Kenobi - her master - mirrored her action. 'Likewise, Padawan Ebellenya.'

Caleb Dume ran down the halls of the Jedi Temple without pausing to look and see who it was that was following. It had only been a matter of time once his Master's name was called before he had snapped. He couldn't just stand there respectfully while the list of the fallen was recited. He wanted to cry out or break something. Master Bilaba had been his mentor for five years. She had been his teacher, his confidante, the one he could turn to when the Galaxy and all the war had stopped making sense.

In the end she had been his saviour, too. Her death had been his fault.

Inevitably, his path had driven him straight to the quarters he had shared with his master and before he had been able to decide if it made him feel better or worse, he had locked himself in his room. His bed was small but comforting and he crawled onto it and tried to calm himself.

'Caleb?' The voice of his pursuer called through the door. Master Luminara Unduli. 'Caleb? Open the door, Caleb.' Caleb stayed quiet and glowered at the door, willing the Jedi Master to just leave. 'Padawan Dume,' Master Unduli tried again, this time with the no-nonsense authoritative tone she employed when talking to her troops. 'If you do not open the door this instant I will.'

A surge in the Force warned Caleb that the Jedi Master was willing to go through with her threat. Fine. Let her.

She did. The door hissed and then she was standing in the threshold, headdress backlit by the room behind her and shadowing her green skinned face. 'Caleb,' she said, and the part of Caleb that was a Jedi Padawan first and foremost, the part he wasn't really listening to right now, braced for the coming reprimand. 'You ran out of a Jedi ceremony,' Unduli said matter-of-factly as she walked into the room, black robes whispering against the carpet with each loping step.

Caleb said nothing, but hugged his pillow to his chest so he wouldn't have to look at her.

Unduli sat down at the foot of his bed.

'I couldn't...' Caleb began but couldn't finish.

'Your Master was a great Jedi and a friend,' Master Unduli said, the genuine sentiment behind the words evident even beneath her measured tone. 'But... She is also gone and the rest of us have to move on.'

'For what? More fighting?'

Unduli sighed. 'The galaxy is in chaos. It is our duty to restore peace.'

'I don't want to fight anymore,' Caleb told his pillow. 'I've had enough.'

Unduli looked at him with her piercing royal blue eyes. 'Then we won't.'

Caleb finally met her gaze. 'We?'

To his utter surprise, Master Unduli shrugged. 'I requested to be your new Master,' she admitted. 'If you'll have me.'

Caleb swallowed his shock and nodded, wide-eyed. 'Yes, Master.'

Once she said goodbye to Zett and Master Secura, Desta followed her new master up to the residential levels, still reeling from the ceremony and her reassignment. On the way, they passed the creche where the younglings stayed. As they passed the door, Master Kenobi stopped.

'Desta,' he said quietly. 'How about you go and collect your things and get settled in? I shall meet you there momentarily.'

'Yes, Master.' Recognising the dismissal with a grudging nod and a frown, she obeyed, turning on her heel and walking down the hall, aqua coloured lekku swinging with every step.

Once she turned the corner, Master Kenobi gestured the door open and stepped inside.

Anakin Skywalker sat in the center of the creche play area. Younglings of every description crawled, ran and flew around the space, playfighting, chattering to each other and sometimes trying to eat their shoes. The room was chaos, filled with noise and activity and pure innocence.

It was the closest thing Anakin had felt to peace in a long time.

'Is this where they will go?' he asked the only silent figure in the room, though he already knew the answer. 'Luke and Leia. They'll stay here until they start training, won't they?'

Obi-Wan shrugged. 'Eventually,' he replied.

'Padmé won't be able to see them for a long time when they do, will she?' Anakin asked, voice strained, though he thought he knew the answer to that too.

'I made a promise to the Order,' Obi-Wan said and finally stepped forward, coming to sit next to Anakin in the eye of the storm, cross legged. Anakin nodded solemnly, head bowed, but didn't reply. He didn't think he could. Obi-Wan's knee brushed his and when he looked up at the contact, Obi-Wan was watching him intently. 'We both did. But I also made a promise to your wife,' he continued. A large warm hand found Anakin s right shoulder. 'And to you, Anakin. I intend to honour it. You will both get to see them.'

Anakin searched his best friend's face and the Force for any hint of deception or half truths and found nothing. 'You will see to it personally?' he asked, hope and relief unclenching his heart and letting him breathe a little easier.

'They're your children Anakin,' Obi-Wan said with a pointed look as he returned to his feet. 'That should be your job, don't you think?'

Eyes widening in understanding and amazement, Anakin followed his former Master's example. Just the thought sent his mind spinning. Spending time with Luke, Leia and Padmé - just the three of them - regularly, even after the twins were taken to the Temple? They hadn't dared to believe...

'You have such little faith in me,' Obi-Wan observed, a tiny smile peeking out from beneath his auburn beard. 'You're my brother, Anakin. Whatever my duty is to the Order, I will always be there for you and your family.'

The promise held such weight it still seemed to ring in Anakin's ears long after Obi-Wan had departed out of the door and down the hall.

A/N: As the series progresses we will explore what Anakin and Obi-Wan were just talking about a bit more, plus other consequences/changes in circumstances the characters had to face in the aftermath of what happened when Order 66 was issued, so don't worry about any unresolved issues.