In Palpatine's private quarters lay Darth Maul. Haphazardly sprawled on a luxuriously cushioned sedan that he did not feel, Maul lay awake and glaring at the ceiling. He would not pass out. Pain was his ally; it sharpened the mind, enlivened the senses – and weeded out the weak from the strong. Gritting his teeth as if to keep any betraying groans from escape, Maul turned his face toward the window.

Outside in the evening, transports, cruisers, and all manner of private vessels gleamed in the setting sun as they crisscrossed the never empty sky of Coruscant. Someone had once said that Coruscant lacked beauty because one could never see the stars; perhaps that someone had lacked imagination. The landscape of Coruscant was a lighted topography of brilliance sound, a kaleidoscopic insult to the senses which never dimmed, never grew quiet. Maul felt that rather, Coruscant lacked beauty because it lacked stillness. Closing his eyes to the sights and sounds of life, he withdrew deeply into himself again, determined even as he shuddered with the pain of each breath that he would not be subject to weakness. It was in this condition that Palpatine found him.

Palpatine walked silently past his security checkpoints and into his private chambers. Clumsy, so clumsy; he could already feel the tell-tale surges of power which indicated the wounded Sith lord's presence. Any Jedi within a hundred feet would know where he was. Palpatine sighed; young people never seemed to remember the important things.

He stopped at the doorway to the room where Maul lay incapacitated. Ironic that Maul should have chosen for his sickbed to repose in the very same quarters which had once housed Queen Amidala and her annoying orange-clad entourage. Gritting his teeth, Palpatine stepped into the room.

And immediately ceased to be Palpatine.

Maul took a moment to respond to his master's intimidating presence. Then, without moving, without even opening his eyes, he spoke.

"My master."

"Yes, my servant." Whether intentionally or not, when in the role of Sidious, the august Senate member's regal tones took on a more hoary, serpentine quality. Especially when he was not pleased.

Maul turned to look at him.

"I failed, my master," he said. It was a simple statement. There was no remorse in his voice, no determination – just cold fact.

Sidious did not answer as he moved closer. Disapproval twisted his mouth.

"You were beaten by a Padawan," he said, disgust in his tone. Maul stiffened.

"He will pay," he said, the smooth sensuality of his voice belying the hatred on his face.

Sidious sighed. "Perhaps," he dismissed his student's ardent vow with a wave of his hand. "But not today. What do you need?" Maul had already run a diagnostic on himself while in his Sith Infiltrator; he quickly rattled off a list of medicines and supplies he would need to completely recover. Sidious felt a quick flash of disappointment; Maul was no longer close to death.

Anakin Skywalker's face floated tantalizingly before his mind's eye.

"I am glad to see you will recover, Lord Maul," he said. "Contact the droids, code Alpha 79. They will provide for your needs." He turned to leave, beginning the mental transformation back into Palpatine as he did so. "Oh, and Lord Maul," he turned once more, his voice once again cultured and ingratiating. "Do try to mask your presence. Any Jedi – even a padawan learne,r" he said spitefully "would know that you are here." And then he left.

Maul stared after him, unfamiliar fear growing in his heart.

He knew.

Sidious had already chosen another.

Silently, inwardly, Darth Maul exploded.

***

Obi-Wan and Anakin were coming to the end of their exercise routine when it happened. A roar of pure undiluted rage shattered the stillness of the Temple, seeming to disturb the very rock on which it was built. The shock of it was so great that Obi-Wan clapped his hands over his ears even though he knew it would not do any good; the sound was inaudible, transmitted solely through the Living Force. What or who could have created such an emotional juggernaut... Any other thoughts he had, however, were put aside when he saw Anakin's reaction.

The boy dropped to the ground like a stone, clutched his head in his hands, and screamed, "No! Not me! Go away! Don't come after me!" Obi-Wan ran to his side, holding the quivering boy, rocking him back and forth, until he was able to calm himself down.

Anakin looked up at him, eyes wet and frightened.

"What was it?" he asked. "What happened? "

Obi-Wan hesitated a moment before answering.

"I... I don't know." Anakin trembled in his arms.

"It was so loud...."

"I know. I... felt it a little. But why did you say 'don't come after me?'"

Anakin looked up at his master with naked, too-old eyes. "It was coming after me," he said listlessly. Obi-Wan's heart stopped. It had been aimed at the boy. He knew it, but acknowledging such a thing would surely only cause more fear and confusion. He had to bring the matter before the Council before moving on his own. Not for the first time, he wished Qui-Gon were here to give him direction.

"Anakin, I'm sure that whatever you felt was not really directed at anybody. It was probably just... negative emotions."

"But..."

"No more, Anakin. I think we've had enough practice for the moment. Go to your quarters and get cleaned up. I'll see you at the evening meal in about an hour."

"Yes, master." Eyes downcast, Anakin got to his feet and padded out of the training room. Obi-Wan watched him go. He felt badly about lying to the boy, but Ani had questions he couldn't answer right now. As the boy's teacher, he couldn't allow himself to be caught in a position of such obvious ignorace. He would lose the boy's respect. No, better to get his answers from the Council before talking to the boy again. He would go to see them immediately, right now. Surely they would have some insight on... whatever had just happened.

He went to Anakin's room to tell him he probably would be late for dinner, but the boy was not there. Obi-Wan frowned; it was unlike Anakin to disobey an order. He went to the nearest wall unit and checked the log. According to the computer, Anakin was not anywhere in the building.

He had disappeared.

***

Spy-like, Anakin Skywalker furtively looked around him, trying to determine whether anyone of consequence was about. No one but a few temple workers seemed to be nearby (seemed to be - one could never tell with some of those Jedi Masters), and Ani decided to risk it. Slipping out of the shadows and walking with purpose, Anakin headed toward the door to freedom.

He was not really trying to escape, per se; he just needed to get out of the temple. Exactly what had happened, he wasn't quite sure; all he knew was that in the middle of his routine, a... presence had pushed itself into his mind so suddenly that he couldn't even keep his balance. He had fallen right to the floor.

Such evil. Such desire. Such hatred. He'd never felt anything like it in his life, and he had known two things about it immediately: one, it was near the temple. Two, it was coming for him. Anakin had never felt so relieved in his life when the presence, whatever it was, had faded away. Ani was very confused - Master Kenobi had barely felt a thing.

Or said he hadn't.

Either way, Ani needed to get out of the temple for a while. He was beginning to feel more than a little claustrophobic with nobody but calm, in-human Jedi to talk to. Not one of them seemed to know what it was like to live in the real world. Even other students his age were no good; none of them knew how to play any of the games he knew, and most of them had never even seen their parents. They didn't need to - the Jedi were a family unto themselves, and Anakin felt more and more like an interloper every day.

That was the real problem. Ani missed his mother. He didn't even know if she was alive or dead. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Bravely keeping back his sniffles, Anakin Skywalker stepped out of the Jedi temple and into the fading light of day.

***

Obi-Wan had mentally beat himself up the whole way to the top of the Council tower. Qui-Gon never would have lost the boy. Qui-Gon would have known what to do when Anakin dropped cowering to the floor like he'd been physically hit.

Obi-Wan was realizing more and more that he was not Qui-Gon.

He was prepared for some scolding when he reached the Jedi Council tower, but not the full nauseating sense of disapproval that hit him as soon as he walked in the door.

"Teach him your own way, you do," said Yoda, his voice slightly shriller than normal in his frustration.

"You must not take liberties with the boy's training simply because of his prowess," Mace Windu broke in. "Teach him according to the code or not at all."

"Suffered much, the boy has," Yaddle, of the same race as Yoda said in her sweet voice. "Spend more time with his pain, you should. If neglect to deal with the loss of his mother, you do, great anger that will bring."

It seemed each council member had a problem with him. Only Ki-Adi-Mundi sat silent, looking out the window. Obi-Wan stood silently through all of it, half of his mind wondering if Qui-Gon could see him now, the other half hoping that they would not ask the one question he could not answer. Eeth Koth spoke up next.

"Where is the boy now?" Obi-Wan braced himself.

Damn. Obi-Wan started to form a reply. "He..."

Ki-Adi-Mundi interrupted him, still gazing out at the city below.

"That strange disturbance in the Force - did you feel it?" Obi-Wan looked at Ki-Adi-Mundi, grateful for the subject change. "Yes," he said. "Anakin feels that it was directed at him personally."

"Ah." Ki-Adi-Mundi continued to look out the window and just then, a large bell rang three times: the evening meal. Mace Windu said, "This is not finished, Kenobi," and then the council members rose to leave. Ki-Adi-Mundi caught Obi-Wan's arm on the way out and pulled him aside. His voice was hushed as he spoke.

"I know the boy is missing," he said.

"Oh, no..."

"The others do not." Obi-Wan looked at Mundi, not comprehending.

"I did not tell them, and the temple worker who told me has been sworn to silence. You know that I did not approve of your promotion to Knight," Obi-Wan nodded, "but that is in the past. I too, was promoted too early, and I know difficulties you are facing - you are trying to fill shoes too large for you." Obi-Wan sighed and nodded gratefully again. Mundi understood. "I will help you however I can, for Qui-Gon's sake," continued Mundi. "He was a good friend of mine for many years. This, however, will be one of the only times I do anything this grand for your sake. Keeping information from the rest of the Council is not in my nature." Obi-Wan smiled gratefully. "Go find the boy. If you do not, I cannot help you. If you do, I will say nothing of this conversation and no one but the four of us - you, me, Anakin, and the temple worker - will be the wiser. Now go in peace, my son."

Obi-Wan could not believe his good fortune. Mundi allowed no profuse gratitude, so Obi-Wan bowed low and sped out of the tower and down to the street, hoping against hope that he would find the boy before nightfall. Mundi watched him go. "I hope that was to your liking, Qui-Gon," he said quietly to the empty room. "It was," Qui-Gon's voice answered. And with that, Mundi went to supper.

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