The Will of the Force

They were dead.

No. Dead didn't even describe the evidence of horror before her now. Her mind couldn't even grasp the whole detail and she was pretty sure that she didn't want it to. There were no bodies. Parts of bodies, yes, but nothing whole. Nothing substantial enough to make an ID without picking through the carnage.

//What happened here?//

Her mind was too numb to register the question that it just asked.

//It's all your fault.//

Well, hell, she already knew that. What was her brain telling her that she didn't already know?

//You failed.//

She flinched at the thought. Her ego liked to think she was invincible. She knew that, too, for a fact. Hell, she'd lived through Quizia only knew what, reinforcing that rather arrogant belief. She admitted it. She was arrogant. Live as long as she did, escape the things she did, fight daily the evil she did and walk away.

Arrogance came with a price.

"What do we do?" The student hovered behind her, not really seeing everything, but that was okay. He'd already seen it several times. He just shut his eyes and let the Force guide him to where ever he was needed.

"Get everyone out of here and keep an eye out for Sith. Send them home and tell them to lay low. The damned Prophecy is coming true." Ashanti's tail lashed once in fury. It rolled off her in waves and the student backed up several steps. "I hate prophecies," she muttered loud enough for the student to hear.

"What are you going to do?" The student persisted, drawing his saber instinctively, though why he did not know.

Ashanti's face was a mask of nothinginess. "I'm going hunting."

~Oh, Ashanti, no.~ Qui-Gon's Force spirit hovered next to her. ~Are you mad?~

*Did you see that? Were you even paying attention to what was around me, Qui-Gon?* she snapped in her mind. His spirit drew back from her momentarily.

~Ashanti..~ he began placatingly, wishing he could comfort the cold woman he was still connected to because of the Force.

*Has the Force place you reside in now blinded you to what goes on here, Qui-Gon?* Ashanti demanded, still striding down the corridor with a determination that gave Qui-Gon pause. *Is it so safe and warm in that little coccoon you dead Jedi exist in that it makes you oblivious to everything that's happening here now?*

~There's is nothing to be done. You can't understand.~ Qui-Gon was helpless to explain it and wasn't sure Ashanti would listen even if he could.

*The hell there isn't. Leave me alone, or help. Those are your choices.* Her tone brooked no argument and Qui-Gon offered none.

His master was going to die soon and he'd be damned if she was crossing over without him there.

"She comes." Sidious couldn't help but smile in pleasure. The Titainien was often a pain in ass, but never more than now. Her self-righteous anger would be her undoing, he estimated. Titainiens were so predictable. Anger them enough and they hang themselves. "I want her dead. Kill the loyal followers of Yoda and the rest will crumble. Then we find Yoda himself."

"Then it will be finished, Master?" asked the apprentice, almost too eagerly, but Sidious ignored the emotion.

"Yes, it will be finished. She is one that could be dangerous to our cause. She will have to be finished."

~You're going to get yourself killed.~ Qui-Gon warned unnecessarily.

*Maybe.* That was all she was going to allow.

~There's no maybe in this, Master,~ Qui-Gon rebuked softly. ~I see it and that's why I'm here.~

*Can always use more company, Padawan, but stop hovering. I hate it when you do that.* Qui-Gon sighed, a useless action considering he had no breath. He was hovering. It was hard maintaining this spirit form, but for some reason the Force was allowing him to do it. He wasn't going to argue about it, but it was a little too convenient for his peace of mind.

If there was one thing he had learned about the Force, it was that it rarely worked in someone's favor for convenience sake.

~Ashanti, you're going drive Yoda to an early grave.~

*He's already got one foot there. I told him if he didn't leave Coruscant I'd help him get the other foot in.* Ashanti's expression was grim as she went down the steps of the Temple at a good clip.

Qui-Gon was appalled. ~You didn't!~

*Of course I did. The little green menace of my sanity conceded the point and went where ever it is that trolls reside.*

~Dagobah. That's where he's going.~

*Doubtful. Probably helping that idiot padawan of yours clean up his mess first. Nice move on that one, by the way. The Chosen One? What kind of balance did you think he was going to bring to the Force, Qui-Gon?*

~Whatever balance the Force needed, good or bad.~ Qui-Gon answered truthfully, knowing full well that Ashanti's temper would snap at the remark. He was so glad he was already dead when she exploded.

*Ever count on the death count rising to, oh, say, ten thousand?* Ashanti shrieked as she turned a corner and leaped off the platform. Her faith in the Force never wavered as she tumbled down towards Coruscant's smoggy ground. Qui-Gon had no clue if she really knew that personal cruiser was going to conveniently be there, but since she never twitched a muscle at it's appearance, Qui-Gon gratefully dismissed the idea that his master had gone off the brink.

He also tried not to remember how many meters it was from the Temple's main landing platform to the ground. Suffice it to say, the term 'splat' would be an understatement.

~I followed the will of the Force.~ Qui-Gon informed her.

*Next time, don't. It's more trouble than it's worth. Now leave me alone. I want to die in peace.*

Qui-Gon's spirit shifted back and drew away from her. The empty void was harsh, but Ashanti blocked out the feeling. She concentrated fully on the evil just beyond her reach. She knew she must face it. Master Yoda had agreed reluctantly with feeling when she confronted him about it.

"Sorry to see you go, my padawan," Yoda had told her, clutching her tail tightly with great affection. The blood smearing his green skin was a slightly darker green. His eyes, also green, were dark with pain and worry. Once again, they were going down separate paths, but Ashanti's led to certain doom, and they both knew it.

"I'm only doing this so you can get your chunky green rear off this planet and safely away." Ashanti recalled her haughty attitude with a grim smile. "Now move it. I'd rather not die for nothing."

"Never. Tales of the crazed Titainien Jedi live on in infamy." Yoda's deep green eyes gleamed with a momentary wave of fond amusement.

"Please, Master, go. Hurry. May the Force be with you." She had hugged him tightly, tears stabbing her eyes, but she had fiercely blinked them back.

"May the Force be with you."

*Hell, no one told me I would have an audience in the Force to bid me farewell and then welcome.* She made this comment, sensing Qui-Gon's return.

~I'm insulted.~

*You'll get over it. You usually do.*

~You think so little of me as that? I came to help, you know!~ Qui-Gon protested.

*Then tell me where the Sith lord is and then stay out of my way.* She tipped her head in a moment of reflection. *Will I have a comfy room in the Force? You know I like tree motifs.*

Qui-Gon, realizing that explaining what it was like to be totally bonded with the Force was impossible and opted for the agreeable approach. ~I'll see what can be done.~

*I'm serious, Qui-Gon. If I'm going to die a hideous death there better be some damned trees to sit and reflect in or I'm gonna be one hacked off Titainien!*

She was growing fearful and it was turning into something like hysteria. Qui-Gon hurried to soothe her. She had to concentrate now on the battle before her like she had never done before. ~Drad's seeing to it now.~

Tears stabbed at her eyes again and she leaped from the transport's roof to a near-by building, her claws sinking into the building's siding. The scritch of metal had always been irritating and still was even as dead as he was. Qui-Gon hoped her claws stayed where they belonged. Gravity, plus the altitude would be factors against her.

The Sith was right inside, after all.

*Tell Drad I could use some help now. You see to Yoda. His mission is more important than mine.*

~Yoda is fine. He's sneakier than any of us ever thought.~ Qui-Gon's voice held a note of amusement.

*You never had him as a master, then. I could have told you he was a sneaky devil. Conniving too. Did I ever tell you about the time...?*

~Ashanti. Go in. They know you are near and you don't have the strength to fight them both plus a multitude of guards.~

*Why not? I have some pent-up frustrations and it's not like I'm going to live through this anyway.* Ashanti's nonchalant attitude was all a sham and they both knew it. Appearances, though, had to be kept up.

~BE SERIOUS!~ snapped Qui-Gon, tired of the banter.

*Padawan, I have never been more serious in my life.* She paused and gave her familiar quirky, trouble-making grin to the air around her, knowing that Qui-Gon could see it. *Wish me luck.*

~May the Force be with you.~

"She's here. Destroy her." Sidious was pleased at her ingenuity. He knew for a fact that just moments ago she was at the Temple, viewing the carnage his apprentice had left in the Council chambers. Currently, his spies were watching the fleeing students, snipers picking off the ones he had assigned them to. The ones strong enough in the Force to continue their training on their own.

The others were of no consequence. Without the Temple and masters to guide them, they would fade away, useless to the Jedi Order should they struggle against his power.

"I'm crashing the party, Palpatine. What an irritating name! It sounds like a serious heart condition. Palpatine." Her voice was gratingly cheerful, even as she insulted him.

"It served my purpose, Ashanti Vende. Here to give a distraction while your little wizened master flees?" Ashanti paused at his knowledge of her grand plan. Or rather the Force's grand plan.

"How did...?" She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to.

He did it for her anyway, though they both knew the answer. "The Force is a powerful ally, is it not?"

"May the Force be with me?" she snorted in disbelief. "Yeah and every other freakin' Sith lord. Let's get this over with. My padawan promised me a nice tree to meditate in. I haven't done that in a while." Her lightsaber flickered on, it's purple beam glowing strong.

"You are indeed strong with the Force. A shame that all that power will not be tested." Sidious smiled broadly when the Titainien fell into two peices, straight down the middle. His apprentice stood behind her. "I told you to expect the unexpected from a Titainien. The outside would be the only way she could get in."

"Yes, my master." She never knew he'd been there.

"Have this cleaned up. Drop it anywhere you like. It makes no difference to me." Sidious smiled coldy. "The front steps of the Temple will do nicely."

"Yes, my master."

Sidious left the room, the Jedi's expression of grim determination still etched in his mind. Yes, Ashanti Vende had once been a tough one, but nothing was stronger than the Dark Side. Now he had other things to attend to. Revenge was at hand, after all, and things needed be organized.

~QUI-GON!~ The voice thundered in obvious consternation. ~WHERE IN QUIZIA'S NAME ARE MY TREES?~

Qui-Gon sensed Drad's spirit next to him. ~Uh-oh.~

Drad gave the impression of a sigh. ~Yes, I know. Eternity is going to be something to sing about with Ashanti around.~

~WHERE'S MY TREES?~

~She's your love, I'll let you handle it.~ Qui-Gon tried to slip away before Ashanti got the hang of getting around in the Force.

~I hear the Council calling me.~ Drad hurriedly excused.

~Oh, no you don't!~ exclaimed Qui-Gon, following him into the Force.

~QUI-GON JINN! IS THAT A MASTER COMING TO ME?~ Her voice whimpered. ~I'm on vacation....~