"And take me to the Aether."

Even though it was supposed to bring me relief, that sentence was also accompanied by a whole lot of dread. It settled in my stomach and made me almost nauseous at the thought of what was to come. It had been my own decision, but right now it felt like I was walking towards my doom. Saving Obi Wan's life had been worth it but I also knew that I needed to tread carefully, lest I bring even more people into danger.

I nodded at Maul, nonetheless, before making a slow but steady path towards Obi Wan, not taking my eyes away from his yellow ones as I passed him. They were challenging me, his lips pulling up into a smirk when he realised what I was aiming to do. I simply lifted my eyebrow in challenge as my eyes narrowed, a spark of fire enlightening them, daring him to keep me from the man on the ground. I didn't care about the consequences; all I knew was that I needed to get to him.

When the sith didn't interfere I all but leapt towards the jedi's figure, kneeling on the ground before him hastily. My hands darted towards his side and pulled away the bandages to see the damage that was done. A few of the superficial stitches had been torn, but the innermost layer was still intact. He would survive.

Even after everything, a deep relieved sigh still managed to escape me. "Lyanna, whatever you're planning to do, you need to, -" Obi Wan let out an anguished groan as I burned the edges of his wound with my fingertips to stop the bleeding.

"Ssh, Obi." I whispered and looked over my shoulder, watching Maul and his men eyeing us closely.

In the corner of my eye, I could see Obi Wan lifting himself off the ground, nearing me till I could feel the warmth of his breath against my ear. Even after everything, it still send a shiver running down my spine and made me close my eyes momentarily. "He's got the entire city rigged with explosives." Obi Wan muttered there, his blue eyes darting towards his enemy.

Our gazes connected after that; my breath practically punched out of my lungs. "So that's why you surrendered." I cursed under my breath, hating myself for presuming he'd done it deliberately. "All right, okay." My hand went to his face almost instinctively and held his cheek, his dirty skin surprisingly soft against my thumb.

Time was pressing. Maul wouldn't let me remain for much longer, that much was certain. So, I quickly retrieved something from the satchel at my side, making sure Maul and his men weren't able to see me doing so.

While I was fumbling Obi Wan's hand covered my other. "Anakin will get here soon, and when he does-" He whispered, his voice laden with pain as he struggled to get up further.

"Ssh, stay still." I pushed him back down and placed the insignia I'd found in the sith temple in his fist and closed his fingers around it. It would lead him to the location I would be going to, if he was smart enough to figure it out. Obi Wan's eyes widened only slightly when he felt the material pressing into his palm before wrapping his fingers around it tightly. "Listen to me carefully, Obi. You need to recover first, let them treat your wound and then, -"

"I'll find you." He covered my hands with his other, squeezing reassuringly. The blood covering them was slick against my skin, but the warmth of his still comforting. It made a tension in my body ease almost instantly. A wave of calm washed over me and I soon realised he was using the force to calm me. The gesture made me glance up at his eyes, finding only pure willpower there. Obi Wan's grip tightened as he stared right into my eyes.

I saw in his eyes that he wasn't afraid, even though I was going with his oldest nemesis. "You always do." I smiled at him as tears started to line my eyes. He mirrored my grin and lifted his own hand, wiping away the single tear as it glided down my face. I closed my eyes and leaned against his palm, breathing in deeply and gathering all the courage I had left.

"It's time, doctor." Maul's voice made us tear apart. "Say your goodbye's." I glanced back at him over my shoulder with a hateful glare before turning back towards Obi Wan.

"Lyanna, wait, -" His grip on my hands tightened as if he was afraid to let go. Still, in his weakened state, I managed to pull back my hands and instead placed them on both of his cheeks. "Please, be careful." He whispered after a deep sigh.

Leaning forward I placed a gentle kiss against his forehead and whispered there softly. "We'll make it another miracle, Obi." His hand ventured up to my neck, fingers threading through my hair to pull me down.

He rested his forehead against mine. "Another miracle." He whispered assuringly, making it sound like a promise. Too soon I had to tear myself away from him. Too soon was I back on my feet and turning my back to him, giving him no chance to hold me back.

Within a few seconds I shut the remaining chaotic emotions away in a deep, dark hole within me, throwing the door closed and locking it up. My face consequently drained of them, eyes going numb and empty. With confident strides and my back straightened I walked right past Maul without even giving him a spare glance.

"Come on then, Maul." I drawled as I walked right past every one of his soldiers. They even stepped aside when they saw the fire appearing in my eyes. Only when I was at the exit of the radio centre did I glance back at him, my hand poised against the doorframe and a sinister smile playing on my lips. "Destiny awaits."

~

The moment the door closed behind me I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was in the middle of Maul's ship, one of Mandalorian origin, which was now flying through the vast space towards our destination. The planet of Adrena we'd left behind, together with the city Maul had captured to take control of its vast spice mines. Apparently, the mission we were on now was far more important than his own criminal empire.

Not that I was surprised. The Aether was a powerful artifact, one that could steal someone's life force and enforce the wielder with it. It could even extract Arthas's power or mine entirely and give it to someone it didn't belong to without them bearing the consequences of a most painful death. If needed, legends say it could even give a single person all 4 of the Vanir powers, making them essentially the most powerful person in the entire universe. Make them a god, even.

There was a reason it had been hidden for centuries, until I discovered its hide out mere hours ago.

I opened my eyes and let them drag over my surroundings, finding only simple lodgings in the tiny room. My limbs were exhausted and feeling like they were dragging me down, courtesy to the drug they'd given me. With a deep sigh I dropped myself on the bare mattress in the corner. The moment I'd boarded the ship they'd surrounded me and grasped my arms, a single Mandalorian advancing with a needle in his grasp.

"What in the hell is this, Maul?!" I'd protested fiercely against their hold and could've broken free if I really wanted to. Still, I eyed the red-armoured man as he'd walked towards the sith, remaining within their grasp. The last thing I needed was a fight while he still held the lives of the people in Adrena in his hands.

"I believe you Valerians call it deathshot." Maul accepted the syringe as it was handed to him, the ramp to his ship closing behind him. The light of the rising sun faded till it was all but gone with the closing of the doors.

His yellow eyes eyed the substance as he held it before his face. "As I've gathered from the reports master Kenobi so kindly provided to the jedi order, it will leave you unable to wield your power." His voice was pensive, each word dragged out carefully. His gaze turned to mine as the corner of his mouth pulled up into a smirk. "Do you mind?"

"Fine." I growled as I pulled against the men holding me, ripping my arms free with one swift move. "But only if you deactivate those explosives on Adrena."

Maul let out single, humourless chuckle and grasped for a device hanging on his belt. "When I kill Kenobi, it won't be like this." He tore his gaze away from mine only to punch a code into it. When an answering beep followed he squeezed it to a pulp after and dropped it to the ground. "I'll make him suffer as I've suffered." He nodded at the syringe and gestured towards my arm. "Your majesty."

With a huff I extended my arm and lifted the tunic covering it, baring the evident vein, preparing myself for the pain that would follow. His cold bare hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me forward, almost making me stumble into him had I not recovered my footing in a heartbeat. He seemed to amuse himself at the possibility and eyed me with a smirk, before turning his attention back to my bare skin.

A single finger traced the blue vein on my arm, making goosebumps rise on my skin. "If you think this will hold me down for long, you're sorely mistaken." I snarled as he carefully injected the poison into my bloodstream. Soon I felt it burning the inside of my arms and travel towards my heart, where it felt like it was punching holes in every pore of my body. I couldn't help the pained groan that left my lips nor the temporary buckling of my knees at the sensation. I felt the flames flicker and then sputter out, until there was a void inside my heart.

The sith watched in amazement as the poison did its work, felt the power within me flickering to a mere spark. His grin widened at the sensation, until his eyes narrowed. Maul's grip tightened around my wrist threatingly. "Now, tell me, -" He pulled on my arm harder until I was but inches away from him. He towered over me with yellow eyes glaring down at me. Still, I stared back defiantly, pressing my lips into a thin line. "- where do we find the Aether?"

Slowly a sinister smile pulled the corners of my lips upwards, mirroring his own grin. "Where it all began, of course."

~

"So, let me get this straight." Anakin looked at his former master while sitting on a desk, his long legs dangling off the end as he folded his lean arms before his chest. He watched Obi Wan lying there, in the med centre of their base on Adrena, his eyes staring out in front of him.

As soon as he got the call Anakin had ventured towards the city of Adrena, picking up his former master he'd been searching for for days. He'd found him in a puddle of blood in the middle of an abandoned building, mumbling about a certain red head that had been kidnapped by an all too familiar sith. He'd taken him to the med centre immediately to take care of the wounds.

Now, only half an hour after their arrival, the older jedi was looking much better than before. In Anakin's eyes though there was a mixture of worry and mischief, a combination that was all too familiar to Obi Wan.

"Now we all already know how you pissed the queen off and made her run away. But then you went after her alone, followed her into an ancient sith temple where you encountered Maul, -" Anakin put up one finger as his dark eyebrows furrowed together. "- and then he was joined by a whole group of Mandalorians, at which point you failed to contact me about it, -" He put up a second finger as his voice rose higher. "- after which you decided it was a good idea to destroy a cliff you were standing on, -"

"I needed to distract her, Anakin." Obi Wan sighed deeply and hid his head in his hands, fingers running through his coarse beard as a med droid was taking care of his wounds. Its cold hands felt nothing like the tender, warm and sure fingers of the woman that had previously done the same. A sharp, painful sting shot through his heart at the thought.

"- only to almost fall to your death had Lyanna not caught you. She carried you further but was followed by said Mandalorians who then caught her in a net which ultimately led you to being impaled by a branch while being caught in a waterfall, and almost got killed because of it -" Now there was laughter evident in the blue eyes of the younger jedi as he stuck up the fourth finger.

"It was a big branch, Anakin."

"- had it not been for her being a skilful doctor. But then, then you got stuck in the middle of a city controlled by said sith, almost died because of blood poisoning, -" Anakin's eyes flared at the thought. "- after which you decided it was a good idea to split up while you hadn't recovered fully yet and ultimately got caught again." Now all the fingers of his right hand were up, at which he cocked his head to the side while he smirked.

Before he spoke up next though that smile faded and his eyes turned distant. It hadn't been only because of the sorrowful look in the older jedi's eyes, no, Anakin himself was worried also. "And now, now you've lost your girlfriend to the very same man. The one that..." He didn't dare continue.

Obi Wan send him a hateful glare before standing up from the brancard and carefully pushing away the med droid looking after him. His wound had been sealed, and thanks to another few doses of health stims his body was spiked with adrenaline. The cause of the shaking of his hand though he couldn't entirely dedicate to the stimulant alone.

"Do you have any idea where she's headed?" The mocking tone had vanished entirely from Anakin's voice. Gone was the lightness of his tone and instead it was laced with a deepfelt sorrow. From the periphery of Obi Wan's vision he saw Anakin walking towards him carefully, eyeing him closely.

"Lyanna's promised to take him to the Aether." Obi Wan muttered, deeply in thought, as he retrieved the insignia she'd given him and held it in the palm of his hand. "And she's not one to break promises." He examined it closely, turning it around multiple times, but not finding any more clues than he had at first glance.

"But where is it hidden?" The jedi whispered as his mind ran, knowing Lyanna had given this as a clue. There was a wolf like creature depicted on it, with paws like lava resting on the dark ground. Flames spurted around its ears and tail and in its eyes there glowed an unholy fire.

"What is that?" Anakin stepped closer till he could look over his friend's shoulder. "Some kind of... dog? On fire?" He heard Kenobi scoffing after before he handed the object over to him. Anakin quickly glanced at him, noting the sudden way his eyes lit up.

"Of course." Obi Wan muttered under his breath and then smiled as he ran his hand through his hair. "Lyanna, you brilliant, brilliant girl." He sped over to the desk Anakin had been leaning on and swept his arm over the surface, clearing the desk of its contents before placing his datapad on top of it.

"What?" Anakin followed his ministrations with a confused glance and watched as he summoned the few files they had on a very specific planet. "You think she took him to Valeria?" His emerald eyes settled on the side of the master's cheek.

"Not just to Valeria, Anakin, -" Obi Wan mumbled as he opened the files on the ancient gods of the planet. He scoffed again and smiled brightly, already too lost in his train of thought to answer the question. "Oh, Valerians, always so literal." He chuckled as he summoned a file on one god in particular.

"Is that the brother?" Anakin's frown deepened when he saw paintings, most likely of Valerian origin, with a strange likeliness to the force conduit they'd met before. Only here he had black hair that reached his shoulders, with strange black magic twirling around him. The only thing he recognized were the glowing red eyes and paleness of his skin. Anakin fastened his gaze back on his former master as his confusement began to expand. "Care to elaborate?"

Obi Wan's gaze darted towards him, eyebrows knotted together as he motioned towards the pictures. "You don't see it?" He waited several moments for him to catch up but when he didn't, he let out an almost disappointed groan. "We know him as the brother, son of the father, but the Valerians know him as Loki, -" Obi's blue eyes turned back towards that of the supposed god. "- Arthas's ancestor. Now, Valerian legends tell us he also had another son, one which could turn into the shape of a great black wolf called Fenrir."

Obi Wan skimmed through the images on the datapad until he arrived at the image he was looking for, showing a creature similar to the one on the insignia. "It was the Blackwing's coat of arms, much like the gryphons are to the Stormrages and phoenixes to the Firehearts."

"But that one doesn't have glowing paws or fire burning from it." Anakin protested as he folded his arms before his chest tightly, not following his master.

"No, because this one is a merge of two." Obi Wan put up another picture of a phoenix and laid it over the one of Fenrir, merging the pictures into one that was similar to the one on the insignia.

"Wow, okay." Anakin mumbled quietly as his eyes widened and realization dawned in. "So, Fireheart and Blackwing, where does that take us?" He again looked to his former master for the answer.

"That's where it gets tricky." Obi Wan mumbled softly. "Lyanna told me that Anduin and Arthas had a deal, one in which they would rule side by side after defeating the jedi and sith that had infiltrated their planet. This insignia was probably the one that was supposed to be theirs, and if I'm not wrong the one they wielded during the war."

"We all know how that turned out." Anakin muttered under his breath.

"But we never thought about why the sith were there in the first place, why they had infiltrated their planet." Obi Wan skimmed through other files until he arrived at the one of the Aether. "What made them come to their planet, what would make them desperate enough to fight those powerful ancient warriors, something that was considered a death wish at that time. What other reason than power?" The red of the images cast him in the same glow, turning his eyes almost purple in the light. "But that power was already being wielded by someone else."

The master's eyes grew distant as he connected the dots. "Anduin had taken it to defend his home." Obi Wan realized as he frowned and stepped away from his datapad. He'd heard the stories from Lyanna, the ones where one of the only consistencies was the amount of his unfathomable power, the endlessness of it. No one other had ever been that powerful until another foe arose, one that was first an ally to the former Valerian monarch. "Fireheart was in control of the Aether, until Blackwing betrayed him and took it away, hidden it in his own home and thus became the most powerful Valerian alive."

Obi Wan let out a deep sigh as his mind wandered and he turned his back towards the desk. "Of course, this is all speculation." Then, his gaze darted towards the insignia in his palm. "But if I'm right, it means that the Aether is hidden inside Blackwing's ancestral home. He had the Aether in the end. It can be the only explanation for the amount of power he has."

Anakin silently followed the pacing master with his eyes. "We can't let Maul get close to it, before we bring endless destruction upon ourselves and bring the entire galaxy in danger." Obi Wan muttered as his fingers darted up, towards his beard, where they ran through the coarse hair in thought. "Lyanna has to realise that, so why is she taking him there deliberately?"

"To save you?" Anakin chuckled, as if it was obvious to him, and received only a glare from his friend before he resumed his thought process.

"No, there has to be more. She's not that reckless." Obi Wan bit on his lip to the point he almost drew blood. He knew she wouldn't risk the lives of countless innocents unless there was a chance she could do good, more good than saving his life only. "What do you hope to gain, princess?" Obi Wan muttered as his eyes narrowed in thought.

When another idea, or rather a memory, popped inside his head he quickly turned towards his datapad and scanned his files for answers. After a few frantic seconds he'd found the one he was looking for, the one Lyanna had been reading when he'd caught her in her apartment in Coruscant. It was one of the old jedi files on the Aether. Obi Wan quickly skimmed through the texts, hoping to find what she found.

"-The Aether, an ancient sith artifact able to transfer life force from one being to another, prolonging their life and strengthening their powers but corrupting the - No, no not that, -" Obi Wan groaned in frustration until his eyes landed on another piece of text. " - can remove any curse, corruption or affliction from the wielder."

His eyes widened and stared into the distance as his mouth fell open. "Lyanna." Obi Wan muttered disbelievingly.

"Wait, what is it?" Anakin scooted from his place against the wall where he'd resided the entire time the older jedi had been figuring everything out. He saw the fear settling in the eyes of his friend before he turned them towards him.

"Anakin, we have to hurry." He said, letting realization kick in before he quickly turned towards his datapad and shut it down. The jedi pulled on his clothes quickly, fastening the wrist guards while the cloths of his tunic still hung over his shoulders before turning towards the door.

"Obi Wan!" Anakin cursed under his breath and sped after him when he'd disappeared into the hallway. "Wait!" He quickly caught up, using his longer legs, and glanced at the worried look on his master's face.

"We'll need to set course for Valeria immediately and inform Aidan." Obi Wan stated with a low voice.

"Of course, but, -" Anakin mumbled incoherently until he spoke up with a louder voice. "- can you at least explain to me what is going on?!"

"She'll try to remove the curse placed upon her, Anakin." Obi Wan muttered impatiently while still pulling on his clothes. "The one she received when she turned back from the dead, the one her father had that made him turn mad, the one we made her believe was pure evil and something to get rid of."

"And? Isn't that a good thing?"

Obi Wan stopped dead in his tracks and pulled Anakin to a halt with a vast grip on his lower arm. "That curse bound her to me and Arthas, and it was the only thing keeping her alive after. The only thing that's keeping her alive now." Anakin's eyes widened at the new information; his brain almost unable to process everything that he was being told. "If she tries to remove it I'm afraid..." Obi Wan took in a deep breath to calm his rising nerves.

"I'm afraid that when she succeeds, there will be nothing to bind her to this galaxy. She will have no anchor, no tether to keep her here." His widened blue eyes glistened with worried tears. "Anakin, if she tries to break it, there's no telling what she will become."

Hellooooo my darlings

How you doing? Enjoyed the series?

'Cause I sure as hell did. (Omg that scene with the broken helmet, I was crying so many ugly tears it was HELL.)

Sorry for ditching you for a few weeks but as you know, I have a busy life! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, in the least J

See you next time!