Meanwhile in the Corust Jedi temple. Master Kenobi and Grandmaster Yoda are having a personal versation in the meditation chamber reserved for the masters use only. The normally pristine and calm air in the chamber was strangely heavy and foreboding today.

  Master Yoda was sitting on a pillow while looking at his old friend Obi-Wan Kenobi. The man was currently sitting opposite to him in a simir meditative posture.

  His eyes were closed but he could see his eyeballs frequently moving under his closed eyelids. He was struggling to keep his calm, his shoulders were tense, he was obviously restless and probably tired too. There were dark circles under his eyes, indig that he couldn't sleep well.

  Yoda took in the form of Obi-Wan, he was one of the exempry jedi masters of the st geions of the order, a role model to everyo was a respected role for those looking at it from the outside, while it felt more like a heavy duty for the ones who actually hold it.

  There were not many who uood this in the order as clearly as Yoda did. He ractically the face of the order, he o live this role more often than he would dare to think of. However, the force was always mercyful towards those ted their duties, and so it ossible to find refuge in the pany of those who bear the same, or simir burden.

  Yoda's ears raised a bit as he sehe looming aura weakening around Kenobi. He even allowed himself a genuine smile, this was good. He o himself while the dark aura was cleared from the room, as if it had bee out by an invisible broom.

  He was the one who fronted Obi-Wan after the st meeting of the Jedi High cil. It was obvious that he was troubled, haunted even. Everyone could se, we all know the reason, but nobody stepped forward to lend a helping hand to Obi-Wan, in his time of need.

  Yoda khat it was not for any malicious reason, the other masters wouldn't wish any harm on Kenobi. They treated it as arial given by the force to challenge him and fe him into a better, stronger, wiser man.

  He uood it as well, as he also did the same for a while. However, the years of experience accumuted by him taught Yoda something. He khat there were times, when one simply needed a guiding hand to push him or her into the right dire, or simply shared his troubles or worries with someone else willing to hear them.

  Yoda, as many times before in his years, volunteered to be that person.

  He sensed as Obi-Wan slowly came back from the meditative trance, after he substantially calmed down his mind. Kenobi opened his eyes, his eyes looked much clearer than before.

  As Obi-Wan sehe grandmaster gaze upon him, he couldn't help but look down to the floor in shame.

  How could I be blinded by such foolish thoughts... I even worried the Grandmaster.

  He smiled defeatedly as ahought came to his mind.

  What a hypocrite I am... to have the face to so often scold Anakin, telling him, that he o learn to let go, when I simirly struggle with the thought.

  It was that time Yoda chose to interrupt.

  -There is no shame in w for your ex padawan Obi-Wan. What would we bee if we would have to feel shame for such emotions... I wouldn't wish to imagine such times.

  Kenobi looked up at Yoda with a brighter expression now. He accepted the light scolding of the wise master as he realized how foolish those thoughts were, yet again.

  -I think... I need some sleep master, as I am now, I tend to see shadows in pces where they are not.

  Yoda ughed warmly reizing his own teags, spoken by his good friend, but theurned quiet as his words took on a more serious tone.

  -It is not just you; I am afraid, we all feel the shadow of the darkside growing ever rger around us. Not just the jedi, eveizehe ominous tension in the air. Our enemies are moving, preparing, while they gather their strength. The danger I fear is much greater than any of us could anticipate, and now with the disappearance of Anakin and Ahsoka...

  Master Yoda sighed heavily as he looked into the eyes of Obi-Wan.

  -It troubles us all, that is what I want to say. You don't have to carry this burden alone, we all share it, and hope that they will e to no harm.

  Kenobi seemed touched by such ho words from the Grandmaster, he blinked a few times as he looked aside while saying.

  -It seems... that I have truly worried you, Master Yoda.

  He took a few deep breaths before he tinued.

  -It is not the first time they disappeared for weeks, or months even. However, there is something different now... It's... I just 't feel their presenot as I used to, there is only a shadow of it... I 't decide, if it's only my imagination, my hopes pying tricks upon me... or...

  Yoda seemed to seriously think through the words Obi-Wan offered. His e with the force was greater than Obi-Wan's, but his personal link to Ahsoka and Anakin was far inferior. Therefore, it could be possible that Kenobi is able to sehem, when he is not. What he says, is also a possibility, that his emotions are misguiding his senses, but it is uo happen with a skilled jedi master like Kenobi.

  Yoda decided to advice Obi-Wan, opening his eyes to other possibilities.

  -It is in our nature, that we always look for the best and the worst possible outes first. It might be prudent to take a step bad think of solutions we missed to take into at.

  -Such as?

  Asked Obi-Wan with a fused expression.

  -Hmmm, for example what you described could also be the result of an unusually great distaween you and them, or they might have decided to iionally suppress their force presence.

  Obi-Wan's eyes widened as a new idea popped into his mind. Ohat was so obvious, he felt like a fool to not think about it.

  -Or someone else has decided to hide their location from our sehat girl was there! She must have a hand in this, how did I not see it!

  -You mean, Nizzal, yes. It is a possibility I thought of, but could she truly be capable of hiding all of their presence for so long?

  -If we believe only half of what she told us, then we should expect her to have friends. Friends that might be simirly capable as her.

  -Aire order of force sensitives, that were capable of hiding from our eyes, and even maniputing some of our archive information, what you say is more than likely, Master Kenobi.

  Obi-Wan's expression turned even more serious this time... as he stated.

  -It is firmed, then.

  -I am afraid, yes. The iigation has found undeniable proof that our eleic data was maniputed by someone... no, more than one people, it happened over the span of mauries.

  -Impossible! Such manipution 't happen in front of our eyes, I ot accept this!

  -No, it is possible. You have to think with a wider perspective, and you will see it.

  Obi-Wan turned grim, as he began to think deeper into this. He decided to speak his thoughts out loud to share it with Yoda.

  -How you infiltrate the jedi order, without raising any suspi... We have the best security systems and the temple is guarded by bur soldiers and highly traiemple guards. You ot ehis building without being seen... it is impossible.

  Master Yoda o his thoughts with a proud expression appearing on his face, while signaling that he also came to the same clusion.

  -Therefore, you oer legally, in a way that you won't raise the arm with your presence, but that means you o act like jedi, you o be force sensitive too, and be raised to the rank of a master. Otherwise you won't be able to ge important data in the library's archive... But that means, that you basically o live here your whole life... Who the hell would do something like that only to ge some old files that might never get discovered on their own? This is ridiculous.

  Yoda nodded silently, then added a few lines of his own.

  -Ridiculous you say, but not impossible, unlikely, yet possible.

  The grandmaster waited for his words to sink in, then tinued his expnation.

  -Some of them have lived here with us for who knows how long. They have worked with us, did our bidding, and likely affected our own thoughts from the background. That means, two things most importantly.

  Yoda waited for a few seds, before he eventually tinued.

  -Ohey likely didn't wish harm upon us, sihey did help oals through the years as if they were true members of our own order. The sed one, is that it is unlikely, if irely impossible for us to separate one from the other. It would only lead to unnecessary suspi and eveer tension among us. We should not reveal this information to anyone beyond the members of the Jedi High cil.

  -Then what we do?

  Asked Obi-Wan realizing the weight of the information he just received.

  Hearing the already expected question Yoda sighed as he slowly turned his face to look out of the window with a tired gaze.

  -We only wait and hope that they will eventually e to us, just like a certain twi'lek did.

  -I wouldly say, that she came of her own accord though...

  Added Obi-earing a bit sarcastic as he said the words.

  Both masters smirked loudly remembering the day when the scared child was literally dragged into the cil meeting by two temple guards. She acted like a doe caught in the headlights of a speeder, while discretely looking for a ce to run away.

  Who could have guessed the sort of trouble that this small kid eventually brought upon their heads.

  In the halls of the Temple of Unity.

  From the perspective of Ahsoka.

  I went to check over Nizzy, only to be discretely chased away by fuards reminding me of the temple guards of the jedi order.

  They were covered in armor from head to toe with their lightsabers hanging on their belts proudly for everyoo see. I was thinking to head bay room only to bump into my master on the way.

  -Greetings, master.

  I said feeling a bit guilty since I disappeared without notifying him directly... I could se in his eyes, that he wasn't really happy about that. However, I could also sehat it was not on the level that he would bring it up by himself.

  At this state there was only two ways to deal with him. Stay silent, and wait until he gets over it, or apologize immediately. This time, as I uood that I was in the wrong, I decided to swallow my pride and apologize.

  -... Master...

  -Do you want to say something, padawan?

  Uugh... he just has to make it more difficult right...

  -I... I am sorry that I left the temple without saying anything... I shouldn't have dohat... I apologize.

  His strict expression seemed to crumble away, and a weary smile took up its pce. He seemed tired, unusually tired now. Normally he acted like it was nothing, even when he was really hurt or worried, but now he didn't act like that.

  His expression this way looked much older. There wasn't any sign of the childishness and his usual haughtiness I was used to seeing.

  This face of his simply disturbed me, as if I saw behind a curtain that I wasn't supposed to see.

  I couldn't help but step closer and give him a hug.

  -I am really sorry if I worried you, master... It won't happen again.

  He was surprised as his whole-body tensed up from my ued hug, but eventually he decided to hug back lightly, as discreetly as possible and only for a short time, before we separated.

  He looked at me, we exged a thoughtful expression, then he said.

  -Thanks, Ahsoka. This pce, it gets on my nerves for some reason... I sense eyes lurking in every er, and I think... that I might have started halluating.

  My eyes opened wide as I looked at his fused expression then I asked.

  -You too master?

  We looked into each other's eyes with plicated expressions. Then Anakin turned in a way that he could look out on a nearby window over the city of Unity. As he said.

  -It is getting dark, we should get something to eat, e to my room, I think we order something through the droids and share our new experiences while waiting for it. What do you say Snips?

  He looked at me with a half-smile, it felt genuine. Not as perfect as the usual one he used to make, yet it was hohis time. I think, I like this better.

  -It is a great idea, Skyguy.

  I answered to him, while teasing him back, and we soon began to walk towards his room, already beginning to talk out our unique and strange experiences.

  In a secret location on Corust.

  An old man was walking through a dark corridor, his form was covered in dark robes, his face hidden under a rge hood. The spring iep of this old man was far frile. Every step he made was full of fidend power, his very presence demanded fear and respect from everyone who knew what was good for him.

  Especially now, as the man seemed to be nearly overe by ahe deep gold eyes hidden in the shadow of the hood were shining dangerously strong with their ominous light.

  From the perspective of Darth Sidious.

  I 't believe that my i apprentice has decided to grow something resembling of brain cells at the worst possible moment of all. If this goes on, he might bee something more than a momentary tool in the end...

  Tyranus, I might have uimated him, could he possibly betray me, and order the execution of Anakin, because he realized my pns of repg him? That idea seems beyond his limited imagination, then again, if he hadn't do, then where did Anakin disappear?

  He even realized my influence over him and fought back just before he disappeared pletely. Could it be that twi'lek again? Heh... what am I thinking... It is ohing to destroy my teique created around the jedi temple... but this, kidnapping Skywalker and his annoying padawan without a trace. This is a pletely different story, yes it must be Tyranus hand in it, there is no other expnation.

  Hmmm... but now, as things stand, I have no more need for Padmé. She has annoyed me long enough in the seoo, and since my sg ot find even a trance of Anakin basically anywhere in the whole cursed gaxy, I might just accept that he indeed died.

  The man covered in dark clothes stopped in his strides to think.

  -A pity, but if he was that easy to destroy, then I might have overestimated his capabilities. Raw power is not everything after all, isn't that the truth my dear master... Pgueis the Wise... Keh-he-he... cough...

  The man's dry ughter echoed through the empty corridor.

  Then just as suddenly as it began his ughter died out. He took out a mobile holounicator device from a pocket hidden in his sleeve raised it in front of his fad started a call.

  Soon the familiar kneeling form of Darth Tyranus appeared in the form of a blue opaque hologram.

  -What is your wish, master.

  -There is a ge in our pns Lord Tyranus.

  He began slowly.

  -I have decided that we have no more use for su annoyi as Senator Amida. Her pitifully idealistic approach to politics has amused me for a while. Yet she has tradicted our pns more times than I am willing to tolerate. Tell your p dog, that we no longer need her alive. This should substantially shorten her requested time to prepare for the infiltrating mission.

  -I uand master.

  -Good. There might be more to you, then I initially expected Lord Tyranus, but do not fail my expectations, this is your st ce. You will be wise to remember this.

  -I won't fail you, my lord.

  The call ended as abruptly as it began. While the shadowy form of Sidious tinued his path on the long corridor belonging to one of his secret bases.