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Title: Fate

by: Bridget

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Part Nine

Mace Windu was there to greet the Jedi when they returned. He leaned casually against the wall, watching as the occupants of the Nubian piled out in rank of importance. The Queen came out first, followed by her handmaidens who clung to her person like a shadow. There were smiles all around, so he assumed what he sensed was true, that the mission had been successful. He also took note of the pained and semi-annoyed look on the face of Captain Panaka. The two men had shared the objection to Amidala joining them, but no harm had come to her. That was enough to satisfy Mace, but not Panaka. In the case of Panaka, well, he had to put up with this sort of thing all the time, so the look on his face was from the premonition that the captain would go through this again.

Anakin Skywalker came out with an older woman with slowly graying hair and a weary smile. His mother, no doubt. That sight filled him with immediate relief. Now he was certain there would be less danger in the boy's training. He was still anxious about it, but not quite as opposed to it as Yoda was. Perhaps this would help ease his friend's worries as it did his own.

As he stood there, watching the arrival, he heard someone coming up behind him. He turned slightly to the right to see Chancellor Palpatine coming up in his direction.

"Chancellor," Mace said with a slight nod.

The politician smiled. Inwardly, Mace felt himself cringe slightly. He didn't particularly favor politicians, especially after the whole Naboo fiasco in the Senate. Palpatine though had done his outright best in the situation, at least that's what he made it look like. He didn't trust the man and didn't plan to start any time soon. He always found it best to trust his first instincts.

"Master Windu, greetings. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I had heard that the Queen was coming her and thought that I might greet her," Palpatine said.

"They are just arriving now," Mace returned, gesturing in the other direction.

Palpatine followed it with his eyes. "Ah, good. May I inquire as to what this was about?"

"I minor mission, nothing to be too concerned about," Mace said. Unless the Queen felt the need to share information, he wouldn't. No need to explain everything to uninvolved parties.

"I see," the chancellor replied.

Mace resumed his observance of the passengers. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi were coming in his direction. He noted that the looks on their faces were not happy ones. Obi-Wan looked expressionless and Qui-Gon looked concerned. Something had happened.

"Excuse me," he said curtly and walked to meet them half way, keeping his pace quick, but not rushed.

Qui-Gon spoke before they were even face to face. "Master Windu," he began.

Mace strode up a few more steps and was before him. "What happened?"

"The Sith was on the planet, the same one who attacked me the last time we visited Tatooine and in the Theed hangar."

Mace furrowed his brow. "Any ideas to his intentions?"

Qui-Gon sighed. "I'm afraid so. I was not the one who faced him this time. It was Obi-Wan."

The Jedi Master looked to the newly promoted Jedi knight.

Obi-Wan spoke. "I believe, or rather a woman believes that he had come to Tatooine to kill Anakin's mother."

For a moment Mace was confused. "But why?" Then he knew. "How could he know?" Mace asked, but no one there had the answer. He felt the relief he had before evaporate. This did not bode well. "I'll assemble the Council..." Then he paused. "What woman?"

"Apparently, we weren't the only ones with the idea to free Shmi. When I had taken a walk and stumbled upon the Sith, he and the woman, Callisto, had been in a fight. She apparently had been trying to steal Shmi and was succeeding until he found her. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have won if she hadn't been there."

Mace let the information settle in his brain. "We may need to talk to her."

"That may be more easily said than done." Obi-Wan looked behind him to see the last passenger exit. Callisto walked out slowly, pausing to look left and right in the doorway of the ship's ramp. *Always anticipating an attack,* he mentally noted. She strode out, her long, brown, leather cloak billowing a moment through her own motions as she descended. Her right arm swung loosely at her side, brushing against the holster which carried her blaster. She kept it safely touch, just barely out of eyesight, but enough to warn away any attackers who would be so foolish. Her left arm, the broken, but now mended on was kept close to her side, not being moved. The bone had been knitted back together, but Obi-Wan assumed that it had to still feel incredibly sore. If it did, it wasn't showing on her face, from what he could see of it. Her strawberry blonde hair blocked part of the view.

"Callisto," Qui-Gon said as she approached.

But all she did was give them an empty look and passed them by.

"Interesting girl," Mace noted as she left them behind.

"That's putting it mildly," Obi-Wan said with a smirk. Then he walked off over to Anakin and Shmi.

Qui-Gon turned to Mace. "I think we should keep Shmi close for the time being and secure. The boy will want to spend time with her any how, so it wouldn't seem to obvious. Kill two birds with one stone."

Mace nodded. "I would have to agree. It wouldn't arouse too much suspicion or worry young Skywalker."

"My thoughts exactly." He paused. "Then there is the matter of Callisto."

"Yes, It would be a good idea if we were to get any information of her that she is willing to give. Hopefully, she remembers the details..."

"That's not what I meant, although that is true. What I meant was there is more to her than would appear."

Mace sighed inwardly. There he went again. For all the good Qui-Gon did, he sometimes did get carried away with running off on a tangent.

"Tell me," he said.

*****

"I wish you wouldn't place yourself in that kind of danger, your Majesty," Palpatine said, his voice sounding lightly of chiding.

"I would have to agree with him," Panaka said.

Amidala let out a soft sigh. She had been expecting this conversation. She could see what it must be like from their point of view, but this was much different from what happened the first time they had been on Tatooine. Their planet had been in danger and she was the target of the attack. This time, though, she hadn't been in any danger, at least that's what she and the Jedi had suspected. However, she knew Panaka wasn't concerning himself with that. His job was to protect her from any form of hostility that came in her direction so he reflexively took up his guard. She appreciated that, but she really wished they wouldn't worry so much. There were more important things to worry about.

"There was no way we could have know that anything like that was going to happen. Besides, everyone is safe now so there is no need to... Ah. Chancellor, this is Callisto Lin."

Callisto paused for about half a second at the mention of her name.

"Hello," she said, still in motion. She really didn't want to stay and linger with pointless chatter, especially when she felt so uncomfortable in these surroundings. Corsucant was a nice place to look at, but now that she was in, she didn't like it that much. It was too closed, too crowded. She needed open spaces. It almost seemed hard to believe, but she was actually beginning to miss Tatooine, but only for it's open deserts.

"Callisto," Amidala continued, "this is Chancellor Palpatine."

Palpatine smiled and put out his hand. Callisto took it and noted the strong grip. She returned it, even though her arm still ached a bit. she had to credit the ship's doctor for the good work. She would have to remind herself to send him a note.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly.

"I'm sure," Callisto said, releasing his hand. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"Where are you going?" Amidala asked.

Callisto paused. she hadn't thought of that. "I was going to look around. Never been here before and thought I might see what's where."

Amidala nodded. "But are you sure that's a good idea? You've been through a lot and it might be a good idea to rest for a bit."

Palpatine agreed with the Queen. "I can easily arrange a place for you to stay. It's not any trouble."

"Don't do me any favors," Callisto said.

"Please," Amidala insisted.

Reluctantly, Callisto concurred. She was tired and some good, solid sleep might do her some good. "Fine," she said. "Nothing fancy though."

*****

Apparently the Naboo had no concept of what "nothing fancy" meant. She ended up with a rather extravagant apartment not too far from the Jedi temple. Never in all her life had she ever seen such spacious room. Even Jabba didn't have anything even half as luxurious as this.

"Dear goodness, running water!" Callisto exclaimed in private. Tatooine didn't exactly have a plumbing system. She would have to take a long, warm bath before she took her leave.

She exited the bathroom and into the main room which adjourned to a bedroom large enough to fit a small house in and that was only half the size of the main room.

She nodded her approval. "I could get used to this."

Slowly, she slipped her cloak off and let it drop to the floor in a head. The action didn't hurt her quite as much as it did before. good, that meant she was healing. The sooner she was back up to 100%, the better. She didn't want to be open to any sore of attack, no matter how unlikely it seemed to be here, but she didn't let her guard down. she hadn't stayed alive for this long by doing that.

There was a chime at the door. Keeping her hand close to her holster, she opened the door. It was the Jedi with the goofy hair cut.

"Amidala told me where you were staying," Obi-Wan explained.

"Oh good, I don't have to send out any letters of change of address," Callisto said with sarcasm.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "May I come in?"

Callisto gestured him in. "Hey, it's not my place to begin with."

He strolled in, looking around. "It's nice."

She laughed. "You're telling me. I've never seen anything quite like it myself. I've spent pretty much my entire life on Tatooine. They don't exactly have the nicest residences there."

"So I gathered." He paused. "The reason I've come here is to tell you that the Jedi Council wants to talk to you."

"About Mr. Pointy?" she asked.

"Yes, Anything you can remember would be a great help."

Now it was her turn to fall silent a moment. Normally, she would have blown it off, but his time it was different. She was certain Shmi had been the target and could possibly be in danger still. She liked the woman and she liked Anakin even more. It couldn't be allowed that the boy could be directly or indirectly hurt.

"When?"

Obi-Wan looked surprised by her answer. He expected a no from her, or at least an argument. "As soon as possible."

"I'd like to sleep first. Don't worry, I'm not going to bail. I like that kid too much."

"He does grow on you," Obi-Wan agreed. "How long have you known him?"

"Since he came to Tatooine. He's like my little brother. I look out for him and he looks out for me. I do my best to protect him and believe me, it wasn't always easy, especially when I was a slave right with him."

"You were slave?"

She smirked. "Not for very long. I cut the transmitter out of my arm. Watto had no paperwork on me so he couldn't prove ownership although he did put up a fight. Didn't work out of course. It's not to wise to screw with me."

"So I gathered." Obi-Wan nodded and began to leave, but lingered at the door. "Do you need anything?"

Callisto was surprised by the question, especially to have it coming from him. "No, " she said, softly. "I'm fine. I'm jus tired."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll see you against after you've rested." Then he left.

She sighed and folded her arms, ignoring the dull throbbing. Walking across the room, she panned its expanse with her eyes. Not bad.

She slid the balcony door open to step outside. Before she could set foot out the door, a gloved hand closed over her mouth, and other clamed down across her arms.

"Alone at last," the rich voice of Darth Maul said.

*****

Part Ten

*****

Shmi Skywalker looked at her new surroundings. She was a humble woman and not accustomed to having so much space of her own. Technically it wasn't her own since the place was owned and paid for by the Jedi, but this was different. She had a choice about being here. If she wanted to take a walk or even move around some of the furniture, she could. Here she was free.

At least she was in name. The Jedi, a taller dark skinned man who went by the name of Mac had asked her to not venture anywhere unaccompanied for the time being. He said it was for her own safety and she believed him. she had no reason to think otherwise. Ever since Qui-Gon had come to Tatooine, she had seen nothing but the utmost kindness coming from their order.

She sighed deeply and let herself fall on a plush couch. Definitely much nicer than the desert clay chairs she sat on in Mos Espa. Much, much better. Never in her life had she ever felt so at peace. Both her and her son were free and her boy was going to be a Jedi. He was being well taken care of and she could see him any tine she felt the need and he could do the same. Everything was perfect.

Well, almost perfect. The attack from the tattooed man still bothered her. She had seen a man die before her eyes and Callisto nearly end up dying herself. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew after everything that had happened, she had been the intended victim. Fortunately, no one she knew had died that day and they were safe now. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

Qui-Gon stepped in out of the kitchen with the tea. She had offered to make some out of habit, but he insisted upon doing it. "It's high time someone served you, I think," he had said. Shmi was inclined to agree. It was nice not to have to do something for someone else for a change.

"Here we are," Qui-Gon said, setting it down on the table in front of them. "It's made from leaves that came from Aldaraan. I think you'll like it."

"It does smell good," Shmi said.

Qui-Gon poured them each a cup. He handed her one, taking care not to spill any of the scalding water on her soft, worn hand. She took it happily, taking a slow sip.

"You were right, it is delicious."

The Jedi nodded. "It's been a cherished friend for many years in many different times."

"Troubled ones?" Shmi asked, knowing what he was implying.

He nodded. "Yes, especially turning the difficult times."

Shmi tightened her chin. "You don't have to worry about me. I've taken care of myself under harsh circumstances. I have been in trouble many times and have gotten out safely in the end each time. I'll be fine, don't worry so much."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I can't help it. There are other things going on here that you don't know about. I sense dark times coming in the future and do not know how I can stop them, or even if I can. All I know is that no matter what, I will keep you safe."

Shmi found herself speechless for a moment. She honestly didn't know what to say or do next. Never before had anyone spoken to her they way he did, or even looked at her that way.

"If that is what you think, then I will be safe," she said softly.

She moved her arms to set the cup back down on the table. In the process, her hand brushed Qui-Gon's. She didn't know for certain whether or not she had done that on purpose or not, but what she did know was the warm ripple that traveled up her arm and into her chest. Next to her, she heard his breath catch in his throat. Apparently, the sensation had not belonged exclusively to her.

The backs of their hands remained in contact for what felt like an eternity. Neither one of them moved or even breathed. They just sat their, looking at the physical contact they had made, neither wanting the feeling to ever stop, both wishing that they could stop time right where it was.

At last Shmi spoke. "The tea is getting cold."

Qui-Gon still looked at her hand and slowly moved his hand up and down her own, caressing it lightly, moving ever so closer. Shmi took her eyes away from their hands and up to his face. His head turned to look at her, meeting her soft brown eyes with his own. She met his gaze, unsure what was going to happen next, only hoping.

In a slow blur, his lips met her own softly, and she returned it with equal gentleness. the next moments found the kiss more urgent and quicker, until the man and woman were locked in a passionate embrace.

*****

Callisto felt every muscle in her body tense instinctively for the fight she was about to have. She also mentally braced for the injuries that were coming. She was in fair condition physically, not excellent, and that could cause problems considering who she was now up against.

She tried to move her mouth under the black gloved hand, but found that impossible to do. His grip was strong, inhumanly strong. She couldn't even move her lips enough to breath in through her mouth. That was enough of a testament to the future of this fight. Well, no matter, she would put up the best one she could.

He shifted behind her. Right now, given the position he had her in, there was little she could do until he moved and provided and opening for her defense.

But the Sith Lord had no intention of giving her one. From what she had gathered from paying close attention when the Jedi had thought her to be completely unconscious, she knew that this man had probably been trained for years for all sorts of missions and now he was being given the opportunity to flex those abilities. This was not going to be fun.

"I have no intention of harming you, but do not think that I will not should you resist," Darth Maul said, keeping his voice low.

Callisto knew why he was being quiet. He knew that Obi-Wan had just been here and was probably still close, possibly even in ear shot. If either one of them made too much noise at that moment, it was possible that he would here and come back. The Sith was not about ready for an interruption. He was here with a purpose. She wasn't about ready to go along with whatever that was.

She struggled by pushing backwards, hoping to put him off balance, even if it was just a little bit. She needed only the tiniest window of opportunity to resist. Unfortunately, he did move back, but held his stance. His response was to twist her neck sharply to the right, not far enough to harm anything too badly, but enough to send fire through her tendons.

"I meant it," Maul said.

Oh, she believed him, but she wasn't afraid. She wasn't stupid either. she knew how to pick and choose her battles. She could wait, but the question of how many chances she would get was still there and she had a good feeling that there would not be many.

Maul quickly maneuvered them both back into the main room. His hand slipped down away from her mouth and down to a firm grasp on her small neck.

"Don't you have anything better to do than to get on my nerves?" Callisto asked, forcing annoyance in her voice, trying to blot out the growing fear that this was a hopeless cause.

There was some surprise in his voice. "No cry for help?"

She shrugged, but her should muscles barely moved under his iron grip. "Why bother. I took you before, I can take you again." She felt the short of laughter on her ear. "You'll slip up and I'll have my window."

This time his response was to slam her against the wall right before the entrance to the back room. One day, she knew she would just have to learn to keep her big mouth shut. The blow left her dizzy and made it difficult for her to walk. So much for an opening.

Maul held her loosely to the side as he opened the door. At that moment, she wasn't an immediate threat until she got her bearings back. Her head was swimming. mentally, she was trying to pull herself back together before he could do anything else or take her anywhere, but it was difficult. The hit had been a hard one.

She felt herself being pulled inside the room and to the back door. Was that how he had gotten in? Impossible. Only a few people knew the code to the lock, how could he have known it. Unless of course he knew how to hack computer systems. Even then, she would have had some sort of warning and she knew he didn't shot the entrance, otherwise she would have heard it.

The door was opening, she could hear it, but she could do nothing about it. Moving too quickly made her head spin more. If she tried to fight now, she would lose and possibly get killed. No, that's not right. If he wanted to kill her, he would have done so already and wouldn't have waited for Obi-Wan to leave. Yes, Obi-Wan...

"Obi-," she said as loudly as she could, but was cut off by Maul's hand returning to silence her.

"Silence. Or I promise you, the consequences will be dire," he growled. And with that, he opened the door, pulling her out with him.

The night air was crisp. The cold breeze helped to snap her back into full consciousness. Her head did hurt a lot, but it was enough for her to regain control of her own mobility, even if it was being subdued. She managed a swift kick backwards, hitting Maul square in the groin.

Now that was enough to make him lose his grip on her. She pulled herself out of his arms and whipped herself around, catapulting herself back inside. She misjudged her speed and the traction of the floor and slid into the wall. In a second, she flipped up to her feet and flung herself to the door controls, hitting the button to close.

Darth Maul was too fast for that and jumped back into the room, lightsaber activated and ready. Callisto backed away slowly, the Sith Lord matching each of her steps with an advance.

"I was hoping you would have come quietly," he said.

"I don't do things the easy way," she said firmly.

"So be it." He swung the lightsaber at her once, singing the front of her dusty, white shirt. She honestly wasn't sure now about her theory about him killing her. All she knew was an end had to be put to this quickly.

At least now her arms were free. Her blaster was instantly in hand...and then out. Well, half of it anyhow. The smell of ozone lingered in the air as the front part of her blaster lay smoking on the floor, destroyed by one swing of the blade. Maul looked directly at her, eyes ablaze.

Callisto reacted quickly, jumping back over the banister that led out to the balcony. The front entrance was blocked, so she had to be more creative. She opened the balcony door and moved fast back out into the night.

Outside, ships whizzed past, but nothing was close enough to hitch a ride on. Damn. Before Maul could follow her, she climbed upward on the building, rising higher into the atmosphere. Behind her, she could her a few low grunts as her assailant followed in pursuit. Thinking quickly, she kicked off one of her shoes, letting it drop directly on his head. No effect, he still followed. This was so not her day.

Maul stood upon the ledge directly below her. Using the force, he jumped up in the air and landed on the one above her. Callisto found herself breathless. She hadn't expected that.

He looked down at her with a feral glare.

"There is no where else to go," he said.

"Oh no?" she said. She let go of the ledge, allowing herself to drop down. With luck, a ship would break her fall and hopefully not her neck. if not, well, she's like to say it was a nice visit, but it wasn't.

Maul watched in open mouthed shock as she plummeted down, landing right on her back on a civilian transport. Callisto held on, blocking out the back to her spine and looked back at the Sith Lord, who watched furiously as the transport vanished, heading deeper into the lower part of the planet.

***** >>

*****

Part Eleven

Not even when she had cut the transmitter from her arm with a rusted knife had Callisto experienced such agony. A dull throbbing pounded through her skull and her back was ablaze with fire. But she did not cry and she did not think to give up or seek help. She was Callisto Lin, the name she had given to herself years ago while bouncing from one home and ownership to another. Her namesake and life was her own.

And she did not take kindly to threats against them. This was twice the black clad man had come into her territory unannounced and with violence. He had slain an associate of hers and had threatened the life of Shmi. Odome she could deal without since he had been nothing but a pain and inconvenience throughout the whole time they had known each other, but hat did not excuse killing him. What made her angry was his attempted assassination of Shmi. What did she have to do with any of that and for that matter, what did Callisto? After the initial encounter, she understood that she had been a hindrance in his mission, but now she was slightly confused...and angry. Oh, how she was angry. He had now invaded her sanctum, her private space. Strangely though, he had made no move to kill her, only to restrain and immobilize. Given the evidence, that was odd. Given the rest of it, it grew more and more strange. How had he found her so easily? Not very many people knew about her or where she went, and fewer people still cared. The Naboo Queen knew, but she seriously doubted that she had anything to do with it. the same went for the chancellor, although she didn't trust either. People that high in a society knew very little about what it was like to be a person like Callisto, but that didn't mean she wouldn't look into their affairs, hopefully without any of them knowing.

She moved down the list. The Jedi knew where she was, most of the immediate involved Jedi parties knew and had a vested interest in what she knew about that... Sith? had that been the word? She would have to investigate that personally since she was now intimately involved. She sighed inwardly. How she hated to get involved. Such things only caused more pain and more suffering to her and in this life time, she had already had more than enough. She wanted no more. She had half a mind to disappear right then and there, but that would be wrong. She couldn't leave, not like that. Ani would worry, and so would the goofy haired Jedi she suspected. Plus, if they could do anything about the tattooed man or if she could help to do anything, she wanted in. He had made it all very personal now. It's not wise to make things personal with Callisto.

She pulled her head up off the freeing metal, uttering a guttural cry. It hurt, everything hurt so much! All she wanted to do was to lay back down again, hoping that would alleviate the pain. she wanted to close her eyes and give into the defeat the cells of her body were screaming out to her brain. No, she couldn't do that. She had to get out of there. She had to live. She hadn't come this far to go down so easily.

anyhow, if she was to do anything about this situation, she would first have to get to safety. Sitting atop a transport without knowing the immediate destination was not wise. For all she knew, this thing could rocket up into space at any moment. That would be a very unpleasant surprise.

The ship moved closer to one of those massive sky scrapers which littered the city-planet's landscape.

"Here goes nothing," Callisto said to the wind. Then, with much effort, she leapt up while the ship raced closely next to the building and grasped tightly at a poll and dangled hundreds of feet below the surface.

"One problem solved. now, how to get in..."

*****

Captain Panaka vaguely wondered if there was such a thing as reincarnation. He wondered if perhaps he had been some terrible person in a past life and this was some sort of compensation for a life of misdeeds. Why else would the Queen be putting him in such unhappy positions?

He strode purposefully down the hall of the apartment complex in which higher Naboo administration had arranged for the young woman... Callisto her name was. He already imagined what her response would be to his checking up on her. Either no answer or a slammed door to the face. From the brief encounters he had seen involving her, he gathered that she was not the most polite of people. He wanted very little to have to do with that kind of person.

The Queen's reaction was different. He could tell that the Queen felt no pity for her, but an odd sort of sympathy and affection.

"She's led a hard life, Captain. That much is obvious. Given what that planet is like, most of the people she has had to deal with have been cruel so of course she would be mistrustful," Amidala had said.

"I understand that, your Majesty, but how long must we...."

"As long as she wished out company," Amidala had interrupted. "Chancellor, where is the place you have arranged for her to stay?"

"It is the residence complex near the Senate building. I'm sure she finds the surroundings a nice change of pace. I've seen to it that she will be...well taken care of," Palpatine's response had been.

"Captain, please pay her a visit and ask her if there is anything she requires," the Queen had ordered.

"Your Highness, is that wise at this moment?" Palpatine said hastily. "She has had a long trip and as I understand it has suffered some injuries. She might be resting and might take offense to the intrusion."

"I understand that, Chancellor, but I want her to feel at home."

Panaka could tell right from there that the Queen liked this woman, for whatever reason. He had taken his leave after that to go see Callisto.

At that moment, he was walking up the hall to the address he had been given. Hmm, odd, her door was wide open...

He peeked his head in. "Callisto?"

There was no answer. The lights were off and a cold breeze was seeping in from somewhere. This was not a good sign. Panaka had always been one to go with his first instinct, so he opened the door slowly, blaster in hand, expecting the worst.

He found the worst had already come. things had been knocked over, a window was open, and there on the floor was the smoking remains of a gun. There had been a fight here, not very long ago. The fresh smell of ozone still hung in the air.

He flipped on the lights, moving from room to room, looking for Callisto or whoever had been in here, but there was no one.

Fearing the worst, he left quickly to find the Queen.

*****

"Missing?" Amidala said incredulously. "What..." she trailed off.

"There appeared to have some sort of struggle, your Majesty. I could find no trace of her or anyone else. It couldn't have been that long ago, everything just felt too fresh."

"I'm sure she'll turn up soon, my Queen," Palpatine said confidently. "She did not strike me as one to remain unnoticed for long."

"That may very well be," Amidala said, her voice hard. "But that does not mean I have to sit and wait. Captain, find the Jedi and tell them what you have found. There may be a connection of some sorts."

Panaka nodded once and backed out the door.

*****

She was sleeping. Qui-Gon didn't dare wake her. Never in his entire life, on any travel or from any vision had he ever seen before him such an image of perfect serenity. The gentle rise and fall of her chest with each breath filled him with a such a calm. It was one of those moments he wished he had the power to freeze time so he could forever revel in that moment.

But such happy things were always short lived. He was not surprised to here the chime of the door. Fortunately, the sound didn't awaken Shmi. She still lay there, wisps of dark hair resting atop her quiet features. Carefully, she slid her head off his broad shoulders and got up, but not before pulling an afghan across her. Anakin was often cold after having lived on Tatooine for so long and he suspected she felt the same.

He pulled his cloak back on and went to the door. There in front of him was Obi-Wan, his face ashen with worry.

"Something had happened, Master," Obi-Wan said.

"Obi-Wan, I told you that title is..."

"Callisto is missing."

Qui-Gon brought his lip down to a thin line. He pulled his former apprentice out into the hall, shutting the door behind him as to not wake Shmi.

"What?" he asj\ked, this time louder.

"Captain Panaka had gone to her temporary residence and found the place ransacked. The remains of her gun was found and the back door and window opened. She was no where to be found."

Qui-Gon could hear the frantic tone in his former apprentice's voice.

"She is alive, Obi-Wan. Of this I am quite certain."

"But how can you know that? She had already been hurt quite badly. Damn it, I had just BEEN there. As I left I could sense something. I KNEW something was wrong, but I didn't think. I just didn't think to go back and make sure she was all right. There was no way she could have fought anything in the condition she was in. I just should have been there. If she...I... I will never forgive myself if she's..."

"She is alive. We will find her. She will be fine," Qui-Gon said calmly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder to steady the younger man. He exhaled loudly and shook his head. There was never a moment of peace. "How long ago was this?"

"Panaka came to me about an hour ago. I went to your quarters, but I was told you were here. Whose place is...this... Oh," Obi-Wan said, slowly realizing what he already knew.

Qui-Gon felt his face flush. No need to explain anything now, there are more pressing matters.

"They don't know who it was," Obi-Wan said, desperate to bring the subject away from his OTHER suspicions, "but I think we both know who was responsible."

"This is most disturbing, Obi-Wan. I was afraid that she would become a target, but I did not think so soon."

"Is it because of her protection of Shmi?"

"Possibly, but it is not sitting well with me. There is something else going on here, something that I can't quite touch on. We must find her and get to the bottom of this quickly. I do not know where it is leading."

Obi-Wan nodded and followed Qui-Gon as he moved down the hall, letting a guard stand over the door in watch in his stead, out into the cold night. He paused once, watching Qui-Gon as he walked ahead and shook his head. He...He really didn't want to think of the man he had known as almost his only family...that way.

*****

This was the second time he was going before his master in failure. Darth Maul did not like the pattern he had evidently had formed and knew without even having to think about it, that Sidious would be most displeased with him. The mere thought of it sent a rippling shiver up his spine.

Strange that he still felt such fear. By now he had supposed he had mastered it to the point that he could wield it as well as a sword. Apparently, he had yet to completely master it all, which was why he was still the apprentice and not the master.

For the time being at least.

The Sith were patient. it was a virtue he still struggled with. His predecessors were adept in the art of patience, having waited thousands of years for cracks to form in the Jedi that they could pounce on and claim revenge, always keeping a keen eye out for that perfect moment.

Sidious had found it through politics, taking up the guise of a politician and seizing control of the government, a move the Jedi would never have foreseen. The thought of the wool being so completely pulled over their eyes sent a delicious fire through Maul's chest. All of them had been so cleverly tricked that it almost took his breath away. Poor Trade Federation. they had been so completely used and had absolutely no alibi. Of course if they were to finger the Sith, it would mean immediate death to whatever fool dared to betray them.

Maul hoped that death was not in his future. Three missions he had failed. First, the Jedi had escaped him, then the slave woman, and now this impetuous red haired creature. The first one had been a difficult task and easily excused. the second two were a definite embarrassment. How could he had let victory slid through his fingers so easily? Of course, on Tatooine this last time, the Jedi had sown himself again in interference, but just now? She had completely escaped him. At least she had suffered somewhat for not cooperating. Given her physical condition now, he doubted she would be much of a match for anything next time.

Gods, he hoped there was a next time.

Sidious entered the room. Again, Maul knelt before him in shame. He really wished he hadn't have moved down so quickly. The kick Callisto had given him sent a fire through him that was most unpleasant.

"Arise, my apprentice," Sidious ordered, his voice smooth and calm.

Maul gladly got up, this time slowly to avoid an unnecessary discomfort.

"I have failed you, my master. She escaped me."

Beneath his cowl, a cold smile spread across Sidious' face. "Yes, I know. I am not angry with you Maul. Remember, I commanded you to attempt to bring her before me. If she escaped, then it was a test of her abilities. Most impressive that one so untrained could elude a Sith."

Maul told the story from start to the end where she allowed herself to drop several feet down onto a transport.

"There was no time for me to get to my own transport. She was gone to quickly," Maul said.

"Yes, I would imagine so. Interesting how she managed to escape in that fashion. It was an awful risk for her to fall like that. Either she knew what she was doing or she did not fear death. Perhaps it was both. A very pleasing combination in an asset, is it not?" Sidious said.

"Yes, Master. But I am not sure she will come willingly. Her anger is strong, but it is becoming directed at us."

"You have much to learn still, Lord Maul. She will come to us, sooner than you think. Until then, there are other things which must be dealt with. An opportunity had shown itself to me and it must be taken. This time, extreme caution must be taken. this requires both of us, Mau, if we are successful, victory will come sooner than expected."

Maul did not bother to mask the growing smile.

*****

Part Twelve

It was still cold inside the ransacked residence. Obi-Wan found himself unintentionally wrapping his own cloak tighter around himself. The thought that unexpectedly invaded his mind was, "Callisto would hate this." He remembered how cold she looked in the ship and it had been comfortably warm in there. Here in the apartment, it was brutally cold. The window and door had been open for hours, allowing the freezing night air inside. It was almost to the point where he could make out the faint clouds of his own exhalations.

Qui-Gon bent down to look at the remains of the blaster on the ground, scrutinizing every detail. It was no longer smoking, but had now partially melted to the metal structure beneath the carpeting.

"It looks as if a lightsaber cut through this," Qui-Gon said with little emotion. "A very clean cut. Any higher up and the weapon would have exploded in her face, but I'm not sure if that had been the intention of her attacker."

"It was him, wasn't it?" Obi-Wan asked, allowing the grim emotion he was feeling to seep into his voice.

"I can think of no other suspect," he replied. From the start he had sensed that it was the Sith. Who else could it have been. No one else would have been so bold as to attack her in this fashion. He had a feeling that she had many enemies on Tatooine, but many of them probably believed her dead after what had happened there, especially after the building exploded during their take off. He later learned she had planned it that was. She was shrewd, he would give her that, but she often let her emotions take the best of her.

He hoped that she had not let that happen here, and that she was safe, but he could not shake the growing sense of dread.

Apparently, neither could Obi-Wan. He could see his friend pacing quicker and quicker out of the corner of his eye.

"It will do you no good to get this upset here and now. It will also do Callisto no good," Qui-Gon said, trying to ease him.

"I should have been here," Obi-Wan said. "I had just been here."

"There was no way you could have known."

"I know that! But I could *sense* something was wrong, but I ignored it. I should have went with my instincts."

"Then go with them now, but do not let yourself be carried completely by them. We must get to the bottom of this." Qui-Gon stood up. He beckoned for obi-Wan to follow him out the door.

As they walked to the transport to the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan kept his gaze locked to the floor. He was overwhelmed by guilt and he just couldn't shake it off. For all they knew, she could be dead.

He exhaled shakily. No, she wasn't dead. He was certain he would have felt it if she had been killed. She was somewhere, hopefully still on the planet. With luck, she had escaped the Sith somehow. She was strong...no no, she wasn't. She was still recovering from wounds dealt to her in the last encounter. She had not been at full strength. Even when she had been, she had lost badly. If he had not arrived when he had on Tatooine by means of a hunch, she would have died and so would have Shmi. When he had battled the Sith back on Naboo, it had taken both Qui-Gon and himself to keep him at bay.

Oh, how he hoped she had eluded him somehow, that she was on her way back to him.

Back to him? Where had that thought come from? Back to *them*, that's what he had meant...hadn't he? Yes, she was tied to a number of people... Anakin, Amidala, Shmi, himself and the rest of the Jedi. She was the concern for a number of people, nit just him.

Then why was he so worried. He could feel the gnawing in his stomach and deep inside his chest. He was worried for her and was slowly becoming more desperate for more information.

Qui-Gon had said that he had feeling for her back when they were on the Queen's ship. He had blown it off with a laugh, but had it been true? Had his master seen something beneath the surface forming that Obi-Wan had not? Was he that blind?

They stepped inside the ship. Obi-Wan sat as Qui-Gon ordered the droid to take them to their next destination, sending the occasional worried glance in his direction. Obi-Wan responded with a nervous smile, then returned his gaze to the ship's floor.

Perhaps he had feelings of some kind after all.

He shook his head. As much as he wanted to explore this, he had to find her first. IF he was wrong, and she was dead, he would never be able to forgive himself. If she was still alive and being held somewhere, he had to find her. He had to find her and get to the bottom of this...of all of this.

*****

Callisto vaguely wondered if her lips were turning blue. Given what it felt like outside, it wouldn't surprise her if her cheeks were flushed as well. Never in all her life had she felt so cold. this had to be what walking across the arctic points of a planet felt like, minus the snow.

She painfully wrapped her arms around her body for warmth. She also glanced from side to side to see if she was being followed. The man had found her once and he could find her again. This time it would be easier. Not only was she badly hurt, but she was now in territory that was quite alien to her. This was much different from navigating through Beggar's Canyon or through the streets of Mos Eisley. This was a place filled with tall building, ships, and an ocean of people. Everywhere there was people.

She could feel her skin crawling and her breathing quicken. In all honesty, she didn't like it here. There were just too many people. She would prefer the isolation of the desert to this menagerie. But no, she couldn't go back to Tatooine, nit after what she had done. If she showed her face even close to that sector, she would have bounty hunters chasing her wherever she went. She could hold them off for a while and then she would slip, ending up dead. Callisto wanted to live and that surprised her. For years she said she didn't care whether she lived or died. now she was seeing how wrong about that she was.

It had to be the company of the Jedi. They were having adverse affects of her life philosophies. Ever since that Obi-Wan Kenobi fellow wandered into Odome's home to her rescue, everything had gone askew. She was now having serious doubts about everything in general.

For one thing, what the hell was she doing in this planet! Yes, she had technically been brought here by the Jedi, but why in the name of the gods had she lingered. Granted she had no funds with her, but she could have tried to find some as quickly as possible and just high tailed it out of there. Yet, she stayed and even agreed to speak to that council about that awful man.

Was she ever glad she had the opportunity to kick him where she did? He had it coming as far as she was concerned.

Unfortunately, he would remember it as clearly as she did, but with feelings of hostility all directed at her. Both fights had proven she was not a match for him. In each occurrence, chance had taken her side. The first she had been rescued, much to her dismay at the time. Callisto did not like to ask for help, much preferring to do things herself. Instead, the Jedi with the weird haircut had come into the fray, lightsaber blazing. If it hadn't been for him, she would have been killed and so would have Shmi. Callisto could forgive her own death, but if something would have happened to Shmi, she would not have been able to die with a clear conscience. She had made a promise to Anakin and she kept her promises, no matter how far fetched they seemed.

She sighed. She had also promised Obi-Wan that she would help deal with this man. Those hadn't been the exact words, but by discussing the warrior, to her that meant she was involved. When she got involved in anything, it was all the way. It was how she did things.

Which reminded her...she needed to find a way to get where she was going. There had to be a place where she could either place a call or find some information she was looking for. More than ever, she was becoming more certain that someone told Mr. Pointy Head where she was and she was determined to find out who. Something didn't fit in all of this and if anyone else was involved, she wanted to know who the piece of bantha fodder was so she could deal with it personally.

Quietly, she slinked into an alley, following her gut. Somehow she had the feeling what she was doing was not the wisest course of action. All of this was bigger than her. If she slipped up, she could be easily crushed.

"Too late now," Callisto said to no one in particular. She was involved now and people were going to regret it. Provided they lived of course. She would have to see how she felt later.

Carefully, she opened a window without tripping an alarm. Over time, she had become an expert at getting into places where she wasn't supposed to be. it had served her well then and it would serve her well now.

She accessed a computer panel, recollecting everything she had seen Odome do in his lifetime. He had always thought she wasn't paying attention and had gone through his routines and actions without any thought to cover them up. It was amazing the things one could pick up when others thought they weren't being watched.

Speaking of which, she disabled the rooms cameras. She could work easier without an eye of her shoulder. With a small degree of difficulty, she was able to pull up a few files of the people she was looking into. At first glance, they didn't have pertinent information, but she had an eye for detail. One thing could easily lead to another. She would look and then compare and contrast to what she knew from what she had heard.

"Let's just see who you are," she said to the screen in the dim light.

*****

Part Thirteen

Dawn came to Corsucant.

At least the side that Obi-Wan Kenobi was on. The first rays of orange stretched lazily across the brightening sky. He squinted against it, trying to look past it, as if it would tell him what lay ahead of him. Unfortunately, the large star held more answers to what he wanted to know than what was already in front of him.

He sighed, breathing in the warming air outside the Jedi Temple. A few yards away from him, Qui-Gon was locked in deep conversation with Mace Windu. Off to the side, Yoda stood, also facing the direction of the sun with his eyes closed, sighing a few times loud enough for Obi-Wan to hear. It was clear enough to the young knight that he was not the only one deeply troubled. The difference was that Yoda was dealing with it all much more calmly than he was. He wanted to turn up every stone and throw open every door until he found some trace of Callisto. His breathing even quicken at the though of it. This he hated, this...waiting. He found it impossible to stand still in one place, taking to shifting from foot to foot until he was pacing.

He had just been there when she was attacked. For all he knew, the Sith had been in the apartment even when they spoke, but he did nothing. He had thought to offer to stay, but he had assumed that she would reject his offer of protection. She was a stubborn woman and didn't like help. She was just so used to doing everything on her own, she probably never once thought to ask for any kind of help. of course, he supposed he could have forced the issue, but then things probably would have gotten ugly with two free spirits such as themselves. But wouldn't that be better than standing there, wondering where she was and what to do, yet doing nothing.

Yoda looked over in his direction.

"Help her, that will not," Yoda said calmly.

Obi-Wan couldn't keep it inside any longer. "I can't do this. I can't just stand her waiting while she..." His voice trailed off. He didn't even want to *think* what could be happening to her at that moment.

Yoda hobbled in his direction, very quickly for someone with such small legs.

"Danger, there is. Much more there is, than meets the eye. Frustrated you are, as I am, but do not let the anger seep in. Dead, she is not. Alive, she is."

"We don't know that."

Yoda shook his head. "Still much to learn, you have. Feel. She is there."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. So many life forms littering the planet's surface and beyond. The sea of people, plants, animals and anything else the imagination could recollect was hard to seperate. The living Force was not the highest of Obi-Wan's talents, as Qui-Gon had pointed out to him more than once. It was difficult to sperate them all and focus, especially given the whirlwind of thoughts which spun through his head.

Then there was a flicker. It could not really be described in the physical world, but if he had to paint the picture, it was like there was a tiny flash of white the size of a pin prick in a swirl of ever color of the spectrum. It was her, it had to be.

Obi-Wan opened up his eyes, surprised, delighted, and relieved to have seen what he did.

Yoda's demeanor did not change. "See."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master, I saw her...for a moment."

"Not enough, is that? Wish to find her, you do?"

This was probably exactly why Yoda held such a high place on the council. He always seemed to know exactly what everyone else was thinking, how to go about it, and what best interests were at heart. Both he and Qui-Gon did not always agree with the aging master's decisions, but he was respected much for all of them.

"I do."

Yoda sighed. "Talk you out of this, I cannot do? Hmm?"

Obi-Wan forced a tired smile. "Its a thought I can't shake."

"Not wisest course of action, this is. Danger there is. Sense it I can, you can too."

The young man realized that he was right. Something was wrong. He could feel it in the air, almost tasting it on his tongue.

"Yes, I can sense something." It was almost like the disturbance he felt in the Force, back on the Trade Federation ship right when the whole crisis had began. He had returned his concentration back to the present as Qui-Gon had advised, but the sensation was impossible to forget. it was almost like walking in the domain of a fierce predator. You knew it knew where you were, it was just deciding when to attack.

It was the Sith, he was certain of it.

"I have to find her. If I don't..." Obi-Wan began.

Yoda dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Find her you wish, then find her you must. Take care and be cautious, young Knight. May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan didn't even respond. Even before Yoda had finished speaking, Obi-Wan had disappeared through the door, bringing all of his skills into focus as he began his own search.

Qui-Gon barely caught a glimpse of his disappearing friend. "Obi-Wan," he said, but the young Jedi was gone. "I really wished he would have waited. I would have liked to help him."

Yoda joined them. "Cannot do that. This is something alone he must do. Other things there are for us to do. Meeting is soon. Discuss this we will then."

Both Mace and Qui-Gon nodded to Yoda as he passed through the door and into the temple. Then the two men exchanged a worried glance.

Already things had been set into motion.

*****

Callisto was not sure how much time had gone by. She just now noticed the sun light streaming in through the window she had broken the night before. Well, technically she noticed it. At least she glanced in its direction. For some hours, she had been engrossed in the information laying out in front of her eyes.

So many pieces, so very, very many. It was taking forever to place them together and to save them as physical proof. She did not like to make false accusations and this was a big one. A monstrously huge one.

"Why the hell am I doing this?" Callisto asked herself.

It was a valid enough question, but finding the answer was a little harder. She really wasn't sure. What had the Jedi or anyone else on that planet done for her? Why was she out there sticking her neck out for people she didn't know or truly care about? Well, there was Anakin, she did like the kid and his mother as a direct result. If she could do anything to protect him from the experiences she had been forced to endure, she would do it without a second thought. somehow, that didn't feel entirely accurate. She wasn't just out there for the boy and his mother. In her mind, she could feel the beginnings of an alliance with the Jedi. She decided she at least respected the two Jedi she had first come into contact with. Qui-Gon had been quite kind to her without asking for anything in return and Obi-Wan had saved her life. She owed him one for that.

Still, it didn't feel enough. There was some factor she was missing. It was like she was holding back from herself.

It would have to wait. She had to focus on the present.

"Display ballot records for recent election."

Before her, in 3D, a list of what felt like infinite words spilled out in rolling white text. There were certainly a lot of worlds in the Galactic Republic."

"Rodia..... Bail Antilles.... Naboo... Palpatine.... Falleen.... Palpatine... Trade Federation... Palpatine? Wait a damn minute," she said, scooting back in the chair as if shocked by electricity. "That can't be right, it makes no sense? Why the hell would the bloody Trade Federation vote for the representative of the world they were invading. Not out of a sense of decency for sure."

This was certainly developing into quite an interesting web. Once again, she was involved and this time there was o escape. She was following this one in wherever it led.

"Save file to chip. Display saved recordings 272A9 from Trade Federation database."

In the artificially, genderless voice, the computer responded, "Access denied. Voice activation required."

"Not what I wanted to hear, sweetheart," she told the computer and promptly reached in, yanking a few wired and dabbling around with the machinery. A moment later, another image fell before her, this one chilling her straight down to the core.

In a very faint, very fuzzy picture with crackling sound, she could make out a few men, Neimodians to be sure, sitting at a table. Even fainter was the figure sitting at the head of the table. No, he wasn't actually there. This was bizarre...she was looking at a holo image of a holo image.

"...it is out of a range."

"Not for a Sith." Another image stepped into view.

At that, Callisto fell out of her chair. "Holy..."

It was the man who had now attacked her on two occasions. She had just struck gold. She could feel the fear and excitement of her discovery racing through her veins like a drug. She was too excited to even check to see if this was being saved properly or not, but she was certain it was. She had done this before.

Dear gods...it was him. It was the tattooed bastard who had broken her arm and roughed her up in her own quarters the other night.

"This is my apprentice, Darth Maul. He will find your lost ship."

Darth Maul and the other man disappeared. The Neimodians broke into some shocked conversation and the old transmission ended. One could always trust the Neimodians for being so mistrusting. Whoever these Sith were, the Neimodians had apparently had all this saved in case of an emergency so they could defend themselves.

Well, this was an emergency. She hoped they didn't mind.

That voice. the other one, she had heard that voice before. She tapped in a few possible candidates. How many of them were on files was anyone's guess. It was worth a shot though.

"Run a match on files 1-37 against 272A9 section A."

"Computing."

Several minutes passed by.

"Come on you piece of bantha...."

"Results. Match found. 272A9 section A matches file 4b section G."

She leaned in closer. "Display." This could mean everything. She may have just found the key to saving herself and all those other people she had come to know. This would protect Anakin and his mother...and yes, it would protect the Jedi. Most of all, it would give her an advantage that she didn't have.

The results rolled out on front of her. This time, she couldn't control her own shock at what she saw.

"No... No, there has to be an error. That's impossible," Callisto said.

"Is it?" that same smooth, familiar voice she had just scanned said from out of the darkness.

Before Callisto had even the chance to begin to turn her head, an unseen movement threw her and her chair across the room, smashing into some equipment. Fresh sparks jumped forth onto her skin, burning her. Quickly, she pushed the chair off her, but too late. He was upon her before she could even open her eyes from a quick blink. There was the slap of the back of a hand across her face, knocking her across the ground, onto her back.

Shaking off the shock of such fast blows, Callisto bent her legs, about to leap up to her feet. She was not going down this way, not in a million years...

There was a sudden glint of light through the air, swinging at her arm. A blade sliced through the vein in the soft tissue inside her arm where the elbow bent from the inside. Warm blood gushed out from the freshly severed artery.

Callisto fell back, holding onto the wound, and losing consciousness fast. Before her eyes closed, she could make out a hooded figure standing above her...

...and then a second.

*****

Part Fourteen

Sidious looked down at Callisto's unconscious body, then over to Maul. The look on his apprentice's face was priceless. He had known that occasionally Maul had doubts about his master's physical prowness, but no longer. He had succeed in less that a minute what Maul had failed to do on two separate occasions. As per usual, he had to be given credit. She had been weakened considerably by Maul's previous attempts and was in partial shock. Otherwise, there would have been a fight, albeit a short one.

"I told you should would come to us, Lord Maul," Sidious said, a small amount of satisfaction in his voice.

Maul only nodded.

"I am pleased that you detected this as fast as you did. A moment later and she might have possibly let this be discovered by others. If that had happened, things...would not have gone smoothly."

Maul let his gaze drift away from his master's face and onto Callisto.

"What is to be done about her now?" Maul asked.

Sidious paused, letting it all settle in his mind. "I had expected this from her, but not quite this soon. She has forced some acceleration. See to it that she is contained."

"Yes, my master," Maul said. He bent down and picked Callisto up, tossing her over his shoulder. He then began to walk away.

"And Maul," Sidious added.

Darth Maul turned around.

"Make sure she doesn't bleed to death. It would be quite a waste."

*****

Obi-Wan wasn't inside of himself as he ran. At that moment he was outside himself, reaching out with all of his being, following his instincts. the Force reigned supreme in his senses. He ran, not knowing where he was going, only knowing that he was getting closer.

He turned a corner, the Senate office building coming into view.

*****

Sidious watched as Maul carried the young woman out of the room. So far, he was quite pleased. She had shown up on their steps sooner than expected, but it was of no consequence. If anything, her actions helped with his own plans.

Speaking of which, he would have to see to it that the Neimodians paid the price for the holding of this information. It was clear to him that they planned to use this to bring him out into the open to suffer with him if they failed. Not a wise decision on their part.

For the mean time, he would have to see that what Callisto had found was destroyed.

Immediately.

*****

Obi-wan drew closer. He could sense her, he knew it. He wasn't sure how he had come to be so certain, but he could question it later. What he did know was that she was in danger. He could feel a sharp tension in the air, like the universe was holding it's breath, waiting for whatever dark presence was there to pass.

He ran.

it was almost like a nightmare. With every step he took, the building seemed to move farther away and his steps felt slower with each movement, even though he moved through the streets like a blur.

She was there, he could feel it. the Force told him that she was there. He could see that bright, blinding light in the sea of colors. He had recognized it for her when he had reached out earlier. Now he focused completely on it, ignoring all other distractions. He had to find her. He had to tell her...

Tell her what? That he felt for her? That he was sorry he had been so rude to her before, that he didn't think politely of her after they had a first real meeting? That he wanted her to stay, that he was going to protect her?

That he loved her?

No, it was too soon. How could he love someone that soon? Such things were impossible or were they?

Well, that was even more reason to find her. So that he could figure this out.

He ran faster still.

*****

Sidious looked at the screen with the damning information on it.

"Clever girl," he drawled out.

Then he lashed out with his hand, the screen exploded in a show of glass and sparks, sending shards raining down on the floor. He worked quicker still, deleting ever record, destroying every single bit of information that had been uncovered and even the others that existed from ever being seen by eyes again.

He stopped, standing in the middle of the room, examining the destruction he had just unleashed. He smiled.

"Clever girl indeed."

*****

He was closer now.

Obi-Wan's lungs were strained and his legs burned.

But he did not stop. He didn't even slow down. The only thing he did was run, finally reaching the building. He didn't even know where he was or exactly where he was heading, only following the source of his instincts. He felt her.

And something else.

*****

Darth Maul moved down the empty hall, carrying the still unconscious Callisto on his shoulders. The weight of her body did not slow him, although it did make his left arm a little sore. His back felt wet. He turned his attention over to the side that felt the most damp.

The blood from her arm was soaking his robes.

He shifted her over to the right, tossing her over to where he could reach it. He help onto the place where she had been slashed, applying hard pressure to stop the bleeding,

*****

Obi-Wan saw an elevator, but he did not use it. Instead he barreled into the stair entrance, rasing upwards as fast as his feet would carry him. Something inside of him was telling him to rush.

He didn't know why, only that he had the feeling and he went with it.

There wasn't much time.

*****

Darth Sidious quickened his pace to catch up with his apprentice. As if sensing it, Maul slowed his own walk to allow for it.

"Is everything in place, my apprentice?"

"Yes, my master. I saw to it personally that it was all set. Soon revenge will be had."

"The first part of it," Sidious said. "I want them all wiped out. Unfortunately, that can't be done with one blow, but I am patient. We have waited years for revenge, and we will have it, but in steps. Fortunately, this one will prove to be the most beneficial."

Maul smiled and turned the corner, past a doorway.

*****

Obi-Wan burst through the stair exit and into the hall.

It was empty.

"No," Obi-wan said. "she has...she has to be here."

It was then he noticed a door slightly ajar. He pushed it open slightly with his hand.

Inside the room was dark, but the light from the hall made the shards of glass scattered all about the room glitter like jewels. He turned on the lights.

"By the gods," he breathed.

The room had been totaled. An exposed computer panel looked as if a bomb had exploded. All about the room, fragments of it lay in various sizes, shapes, and colors. IT was horrific. But that wasn't the end of it.

In the center of the room was a broken chair. Lying underneath it was a puddle of blood, a very large one.

Obi-Wan walked over to it, tossing aside the chair. He bent down to it, looking closer at it, taking note of the trailed that led away from it.

She was gone. He had been here, only moments ago, but now she was gone.

Obi-Wan felt all the energy seep out of his body as he slipped onto the ground besides the puddle.

"Callisto," he breathed