"New to us, her powers are. Learn from her, perhaps we can."

"She is dangerous, master Yoda." Master Windu's stern voice echoed through the council chamber. All masters either nodded or remained unmoving, their gazes stuck on the pavement amid the room. "There is no telling what will happen if we keep her here."

"As I've told you before, master, the queen is not - " Anakin started to argue, frustration already clear in his voice, his arms crossed before his chest in a defensive posture as he continued to tell the masters of his experience with the Valerian royal. In his opinion, the queen wasn't dangerous at all. If anything, she would be a great asset to the Republic if she were to join.

Obi-Wan on the other hand was fidgeting with his beard as usual, his legs folded over each other as he sunk deeper into his thoughts. He'd felt her presence the moment she walked inside the temple, following her every move as she travelled through his home. He couldn't concentrate on the discussion at hand, his worry seeping into his mind.

He had tried to keep her away from this place. Before, she was safely locked up on her own planet amongst people that loved and supported her. She was safe to practice her beliefs, her powers. Here, she was surrounded by enemies and people that would try to take advantage of her the moment her guard was down. Even though he knew she could defend herself there was a nagging thought at the back of his head, that sinister sith lord that taunted him every day. Her being here was one step closer to Maul finding out about them, with all the consequences that would follow.

As time passed by he felt her slip away from his grasp until he couldn't feel her any longer as if she was being hidden from his sight by something else. Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes in thought, feeling Ahsoka's familiar presence still evident in the library.

"As stated in Master Kenobi's report, she fell to the dark side before. What's to say it won't happen again?" Ki-Adi-Mundi questioned, concerned eyes eyeing all his fellow jedi. "She is unbalanced, untaught, is known to succumb easily to emotion. The power she wields could easily be turned into a weapon against the Republic. If we try to teach her, we might only empower that which might be turned against us."

"Right, you are, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi." Yoda's eyes narrowed in thought. "Yet, judge her on previous mistakes, we cannot. Give her a chance to prove herself, we must. A conduit of the force, she is. Study her, we will." His green eyes seemed stead-vast in his decision until he saw the nervous state in which Obi-Wan resided. "Master Kenobi, your opinion on this? Know her best, you do."

He sat up straight at the mention of his name, his eyes clearing as he focused less on the force and more on the meeting he was attending. In the corner of his eyes, he could feel Anakin's hard gaze staring him down. Much to his surprise, Anakin was keener on defending their Valerian friend than him.

"Queen Lyanna is..." Obi-Wan sighed deeply, his fingers tangled in his beard. "She is very powerful; unlike anything we have ever seen before. I must admit that sometimes I too was sceptical yet she has proved me wrong time and again. She is resilient but she is also unbalanced and passionate. If we are to keep her here to study her we have to be careful."

Mace Windu sighed in response, leaning his elbow on the armrest of his seat. "We'll have to keep a close eye on her, for sure."

With that Obi-Wan's heart sank, feeling the distrust in his close friends. He could never explain the amount of trust he had placed in his Valerian friend for he was afraid he might show too much attachment to her. In the end, he started to doubt whether or not his trust was well placed, for he was afraid his own feelings were clouding his judgement.

The beeping of all their commlinks disrupted the council's discussion, their eyes flickering down to see the alarm burning on their wrist guards. "The vaults?" Master Plo Koon mumbled, seeing that he supposedly opened the entrance mere seconds ago.

"Lyanna." Obi-Wan's eyes widened immediately. Before he knew it he was on his feet, running through the exit and through the halls, his mind filled with worry and doom scenarios.

~

"Obi?" My voice echoed through the dark halls. My steps were slow and careful as I took in the sights around me. Every so often, as I passed another corridor, I saw small pyramid-like objects floating on altars. They twitched and turned, radiating a soft blue light that calmed every nerve in my body. The power radiated off of them, almost taunting me to come nearer, but power was not the reason I was there.

Before I knew it I descended to the lower levels. All the doors there opened the moment I stepped nearby. It should've raised my suspicions even higher but I was too focused on following the path that was laid out before me. The air got thicker and colder, my breath coming out in tiny clouds before me as I lit my hand on fire to try and see clearer through the dense mist.

My mind drifted off to a similar situation not so long ago. I could almost picture the ashen tree before me, the echo flickering in the distance and calling me closer. The same feeling I felt as I did then, blossoming in the pit of my stomach, like a warning before the storm.

I halted in my tracks, doubt lacing its way inside. Obi-Wan wouldn't be here. This dark place, it felt nothing like what I had experienced on the upper levels. It being here was on itself a complete mystery. It was a trap of some sort, it had to be. When I turned to go back all I saw was a closed dark door. I tried opening it, but it was sealed shut.

"Lyanna." That same voice called from behind the mists. It was definitely not Obi's but someone far worse.

"Arthas?" I almost didn't dare speak his name. The complete absurdity of the situation did drive me further down the hall. He couldn't be here. He was locked up in his timeless prison, hidden in the deepest caves of all Valeria. I had been the one to put him there and there was no way he could've escaped from it. But if he was here, I had no choice but to try and stop him from putting into action whatever evil plans he had devised.

The moment I entered the chamber I was more dumbfounded than ever. It was completely empty, its ceiling rising till far above me, sheltering a single small, rectangular altar standing in the midst of it. On it, a similar pyramid-like object was floating through the mists. Unlike the others above this one was shimmering with a red glow.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, my fingers slightly twitching with fear as I stepped closer carefully. When I was but a few feet away the pyramid suddenly floated higher, parts of it extending. It was like it was opening up, revealing a tiny glowing red ball in the middle of it.

"An echo?" My eyes narrowed as I walked around it, studying it carefully. It was a similar power source, I was sure. It was no echo though, it felt different than any other I had ever come across. This, it felt like a memory, some sort of knowledge turned physical that was waiting for the right person to come and claim it.

Fingers reaching out between the multiple small pyramids it had broken into, my skin almost touched the luminescent fabric until a voice in the back of my head sounded. This is wrong. It resounded within me like thunder, shaking me from my trance. Retracting my hand as if it got burned, thoughts swirled through my head as my eyebrows knotted together. It was calling out to me, almost begging me to claim it, yet the gnawing sensation of danger was too powerful for me to ignore.

As my eyes focused more and more on the ball crimson eyes stared right back at me through it. Golden tones melted together with that same, dreaded, bloody red that was waved through the irises. The anger was clear in them, so clear that it send a chill through my bones. It should've terrified me yet all it did was spike my curiosity.

Was that a so called sith? Those beings that wielded the force much like the jedi, yet used it to do wrong instead of good? My whole understanding of the force as they knew it was little. The distinguishment was foggy and unclear, for on my planet we always judged differently.

"Lyanna!" A figure jumped through the mist, landing a few feet within the chamber as his eyes circled around the room until he found me, behind the altar, with the opened holocron before me. His blue lightsaber casted eery shadows over his soft features, his cerulean eyes widening the moment he took in my appearance. He dropped his guard, his arm holding the weapon lowering as his mouth fell open and a single strand of auburn hair fell before his captivating eyes.

"Obi-Wan!" A smile immediately formed around my lips, my heart almost leaping out of my chest the moment I recognized him. My entire body was on high alert almost instantly. He hadn't changed a bit. Even here he resembled that same light that drove me out of the darkness before and now he came to the rescue once again.

I didn't notice the distraught look on his face nor the fear that played within him, no, I was too distracted by his pure presence. I stepped down from the platform, forgetting about the power that begged me to take it. "I've been looking everywhere for you; you have no idea how -"

The relief I felt the moment he appeared evaporated the moment another jedi passed him through the entrance, narrowed eyes focussing on me and lifting his lightsaber. His hostility and distrust were clear, especially when he pointed the lightsaber at me. I recognized his face from the blue holomessage we had received in Valeria.

"Obi, what is wrong?" My voice trembled with an ice-cold fear as I stepped back slowly, my hand reaching out to the sword on my belt when I recognized his stance. Other jedi guards too dashed through the entrance, their white lightsabers lighting up the room as they pointed them at me. "What's happening?!"

"What are you doing here?" Windu's voice was steady and clear as he tracked closer, holding his purple lightsaber firmly in his grasp.

"I... I don't, -" One of the guards suddenly stepped closer, making me flinch back in fright and jump into a defensive stance, grasping my sword and letting it extend to its full size. "Stand back!" Panic started to erupt from within me as they circled around me. It disrupted my usual rational train of thought, almost like my mind stopped working completely.

"I asked you a question, your majesty." Windu pressed on as the hostility seemed to darken the area around us. The holocron behind me started to burn brighter as the guards circled around, trapping me in the midst of the chamber. It felt like I was prey to them, a feeling that was not familiar to me.

"Why don't you drop your weapon and ask me nicely, jedi." My eyes flared hot with both anger and fear as I lifted my sword before my face defensively and my hand became enveloped with nervous flames.

I was not prey. I was a queen, for gods's sake. The adrenaline started to feed into my concentration as I narrowed my eyes at the hunters. The moment I glanced away from Windu and towards Obi-Wan my heart almost broke at the seams.

"Lyanna, please." He spoke, lowering his lightsaber as he reached out, holding out his hand with his palm facing upwards for me to place my weapon into. Hesitation flickered through me, the tendency to give in to him coming easily, especially when I looked into his concerned eyes.

Again, I could almost hear the waves crashing into each other the moment I saw those different shades of blue flowing into one perfect colour. There was this urge to trust him, to give in immediately and let him take over control. It was almost a relief to give in so easily. When I felt the guards coming closer I flinched back, the flames growing bolder.

"I don't know why you're threatening me but I urge you, stop it, now." I hissed through gritted teeth, jaw clenched as my eyes flickered to everyone around me. "Or I will burn you."

"Do you have any idea what that is?" Windu raised his voice as he pointed at the object behind me. "It is a sith holocron. It only opens to a similar power source and you were standing right before it."

"A sith holocron?" I dropped my guard as realization hit me. Why was it calling out to me? From the corner of my eyes, I saw one of the guards stepping forward swiftly, resulting in me raising my sword in one move.

"Stand back!" Fear grew within me. If they really thought I was a sith, there was no way I was getting out of this unhurt. They had me cornered like a caged animal, feeding into the anger that had been burning within me since the meeting.

I unwrapped my wings, letting the feathers burn with an intensity that could melt down anyone that stepped nearby. The feathers waved before me, shielding me from the predators that were circling around me. It confused them, that much was sure, raising their hands before their faces to try and shield themselves from the heat.

The adrenaline was coursing through me, heightening all my senses to the point that I could hear each breath they exhaled. Even time seemed to slow as I focused on their movements, their tracks, to try and predict their next move.

"Princess." That nickname, that damned accent.

My eyes widened as I glanced at him over the silver material of my sword. Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and stuffed it back on his belt, walking closer carefully and lifting up his hands in surrender. "It's all right." He continued, the velvet way the words rolled off his tongue already soothing every emotion within me. My wings wavered, slightly folding behind my back.

"We will talk about this." Obi-Wan whispered when he came to a halt a few feet before me. As I searched his eyes for any form of deceit I lowered my sword and doused the flames, my heart hammering within me. I had pictured our meeting many times but this, this I had never expected. We were facing each other as enemies once again, something I had tried desperately to avoid.

"Obi." It sounded like a desperate plea for help or for him to understand what had happened. There were no ill attentions, he had to know that. His pupils widened with remorse in response, fighting to force back the tears that welled up in his eyes. Obi-Wan stepped closer while the guards remained vigilant, raising his hand and placing it atop of my own.

Our eyes were locked as he pushed down my hands, taking my sword from between my fingers carefully. I had to trust him; I had no other choice. Maybe those memories we shared would be enough for him to be willing to fight for me, even if that meant going against his own order. Yet, that voice in the back of my head reminded me how strongly he held onto his jedi ideals. Could I really trust him with my life?

In any case, he was my only hope. When the material wasn't in touch with my skin any longer the blade retracted, folded inside the small cylinder that now bounced in Obi-Wan's hand. I casted my gaze down the moment I was left unarmed, heat rising to my cheeks and fear once again settling within me.

My wings folded behind my back, retracting them until they were no longer visible. Thrills went through my limbs as I tried to hug my arms around my chest, seeking warmth under the ice-cold gazes watching me. Obi-Wan remained in front of me, staring me down with words stuck in his throat.

"Good, Master Kenobi. We will let the sentinels take her to a secluded room while we discuss these events." Windu shut off his lightsaber, eyeing us as he walked closer. He saw the shocked reaction his words evoked from me, my eyes flickering to Obi-Wan in a plea. "And, we will have to cuff her, to be sure."

"What? No, are you, -" I protested immediately, trying to step towards the hostile jedi master yet was held back by Obi-Wan who put his arm between us.

"Lyanna, it's all right." He reassured me as he wrapped his arm around me to hold me back, his hand placed firmly on my waist when he saw the dangerous furious glint in my eyes. Looking back at him, I felt the anger grow worse. He wasn't even trying to defend me. Instead, he accepted the metal cuffs one of the sentinels handed him with a reluctant sigh.

"This is ridiculous." I whispered so that only he could hear, hoping to get a reaction from him that might reassure my emotions. Instead, Kenobi kept his gaze away from mine as he clasped the metal around my wrists.

The realization dawned on me that he wouldn't help me, not in this situation. He was a jedi once more and I was an intruder in his home. The usual warmth that radiated off of him had grown cold. "I am not a sith." I spoke louder, watching Master Windu.

"We will see, your majesty." He bit back as he folded his arms before his chest. "As for now, you are our prisoner."

"You keep telling yourself that." I couldn't resist the sarcastic comment as I pulled on the chains around my wrists to test their strength. The metal was digging into my skin, leaving red strains. If I wanted to, I could easily melt them off. My gaze landed on Obi-Wan once again as he shuffled away, keeping his gaze focused on the floor. "We both know how well that worked last time."

That spiked his attention. His blue eyes met mine as they narrowed, warning me to not try anything. I could almost see us back in Velen, me diving off the balcony after burning his arm. Obi-Wan's mouth was set in a thin line as his jaw clenched together. Instead of retorting, he placed his hand on my upper arm and guided me towards the exit, the silence hanging over us heavily with each step we took.

As we reached the exit of the vaults both jedi turned to face me while others watched the commotion from afar. From within the crowd I could spot Ahsoka, her eyes filled with worry and regret as she noticed the cuffs around my wrist. She mouthed a 'sorry' as she eyed me, making me shake my head as a response. It wasn't her fault, after all.

"Take her away." Windu ordered the sentinels holding me in place. I was dragged away almost immediately, their holds tight around my upper arms as I stared at Obi-Wan over my shoulder.

He just stood there, eyeing me reluctantly as he lifted his hand to stroke his beard in thought. Even after all that had happened between us he didn't hold them back; he didn't stop his soldiers from dragging me off to prison. I couldn't hold his gaze for much longer so instead focused on the path the sentinels were forcing me to take.

A deep breath escaped from my lips as I looked down. "I knew this was a bad idea."

Hellooo there, my darlings.

Early update because I got excited and well, this draft was already done for weeks and I just had to publish it. I guess it's a way of me saying thank you for continuing to read my story! I'm really glad that some of you have decided to continue this journey with me and I can't do anything but be grateful for that.

So, thank you!

Don't forget to leave a vote and comment (I sure do love those) and be safe!