The Jedi And The Warrior

The Warrior

Anakin's spine straightened as the mighty flagship lumbered downwards to land. The wind from the engine buffeted at his hair and robes, whipping them around him like a dark storm. His thumb hovered over the ignition to his lightsaber as the ship released stabilisers, hovering over the earth and whirling up a great cloud of spitting dust.

Anakin glanced to where Obi-Wan stood several paces away amongst the wreckage, his tunic stained with dirt and blood and his face drained from sleepless nights. "Do we have a plan?" he bellowed over the roaring wind.

But now he saw that his master's face had gone pale, his eyes wide as he gazed at that descending ship. He was darkened by the shadow it cast upon the ground, a mighty inescapable thing, and his arms were slack at his sides.

"Master!" Anakin roared.

When he did not respond, Anakin darted the few steps it took to reach him.

"Master, what's wrong?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, and for a moment he seemed to have forgotten Anakin was there. "It can't be," he whispered, barely audible above the bellow of the flagship.

But before Anakin could demand his master start explaining himself, through the swirl of dancing dust, the storm of dizzying sand, dark figures began to flicker into sight. They advanced, slowly, purposefully, and Anakin could glimpse dark cloaks, and deep hoods hiding their features. He counted seven of them,  emerging from the winds of dust and turmoil, forming a phalanx behind the leader whose robes were deepest orange.

He turned to Obi-Wan, for guidance, for a plan, Obi-Wan the master strategist, whose wisdom was coveted in the Jedi Council, and found his face bone-white and frozen.

And that terrified Anakin a little bit — for he had never before seen his master afraid.

It hardened him, too, when he realised there would be no orders, no guidance, that this would fall upon him. That — that did not scare him. It exhilarated him.

The figures paused as they cleared the dust storm, cleared the ship, standing as one body in the dim daylight. The leader inclined his head to those behind.

"Go," Anakin heard him say, and three of the figures peeled off in the direction of the inhabited areas of the town.

The remaining four turned their hooded faces towards Anakin and his master. Anakin tightened his grip on his lightsaber.

"General Kenobi!" Commander Cody's bellow cut through the ship's engine. "What is this? What are your orders?"

The panic in his voice seemed to slice through Obi-Wan's shock, and his master's shoulders squared. He turned to where Cody stood several paces away.

"My orders are to run," he answered. "Gather your men and run!"

Cody's eyes widened for a second, before he hauled the helmet over his head and grabbed up the nearest injured, barking at his troops to do the same.

Anakin stared at Obi-Wan. "You're going to run from four hooded idiots?" he hissed.

Obi-Wan shook his head, his gaze fixed upon the approaching enemy. "No," he said grimly. "We're going to hold them off."

His face was now set and determined, the face of the quick-witted general Anakin had grown to love, and he flipped his lightsaber in his hand, igniting it as he did so. Anakin did the same, and they stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the oncoming foe.

Each of the dark figures ignited red lightsabers in answer.

Anakin couldn't help his flinch at that, but Obi-Wan barely blinked.