Blinding light assaulted his eyes. He raised a hand and covered them, blocking the glare. Groaning, he rolled over onto his side and moved his body experimentally, feeling the sharp pain that shot up the back of his head. After taking a deep breath, he rolled completely over and pushed himself up into a kneeling position. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight, raised his head and looked around at his surroundings. He saw a rocky land, littered with small underbrush and craggy cliffs in the distance, all cloaked in a thick shroud of mist. He sat back on his legs and worked to clear his head of the pain and confusion he was feeling. As his healing skills began to work on him, he cast back into his memory…

They came at him from behind, as he battled the two foes in his path. Just as he touched their presence through the Force, his head exploded with pain, and he heard and saw no more.

Once he began to feel re-oriented, Obi-Wan stood and continued his search of his surroundings. It took him only a moment to realize that his light saber was missing, leaving him weaponless in a strange environment. Who hit me from behind? he thought to himself. Why didn’t they kill me? Why bring me to this strange place? All of these thoughts swirled in his mind as he stood and leaned against a large rock.

Suddenly, his mind touched another, somewhere close-by. He stood, alert to the presence he felt. He concentrated on probing the other mind, to determine whether this other being posed a threat. Just as he came to the realization that it was human, he was surprised to feel repulsed by a strong push from the other mind.

"Who are you?" he asked calmly. No response. Sighing loudly, he searched the mist around him intently with his eyes.

"You may as well show yourself," he said.

Another moment passed before the mist to his immediate right began to swirl. He turned toward the movement, and what he saw coming from the parting curtain of mist almost made his jaw drop. She stepped gently over the stones littering the ground, her path sure and direct. He saw before him a young woman of average height, with long black hair and pale skin, that seemed to glow in the morning light. She was dressed in a sort of tunic made of shimmery green skin from some sort of animal. Her right hand held a spear-like weapon, and in her left was what appeared to be a hand-held holovid cylinder. She came to a halt, perhaps four feet from Obi-Wan, and she held up the holovid cylinder in front of him.

"Yours," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

"Mine?" he inquired, a small smile playing across his handsome features. She pushed it toward him, forcing him to take it from her.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

She pointed to the spot upon which he had awakened. With a sidelong look, Obi-Wan pushed the enabling mechanism, opening the cylinder to reveal the message inside. With a flicker of light, the six inch high figure of a stranger appeared before them.

"Greetings, my Jedi friend," the figure spoke, smiling.

"Welcome to The Game! Some of my colleagues and I have put together these events for our wagering and pleasure. See, we enjoy taking Jedi, like yourself, and placing you in life-threatening situations on dangerous, relatively uninhabited planets. I am sure you have by now discovered you are without your light saber. Our challenge to you is that you make it to the ‘finish,’ using only your inner strengths and talents. If you make it to the finish, you will be transported off of this rock and given passage back to Coruscant. If you do not make it to the finish…Well, then you will die. Good luck, and may you hope your precious Force is with you."

The figure flickered out, laughing maniacally. Obi-Wan looked up from the cylinder to see the woman still standing before him, her head tilted inquiringly.

"Well, that was no help," he said to her. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. And who, may I ask, are you?"

"I am Nuala."

"I take it that you are a native to this planet."

"Dathomir. You are on Dathomir."

"You know nothing about this ‘Game,’ do you? Are there any spaceports here?"

"No," she answered.

"Well, I have to wonder where this supposed ‘finish’ is located," Obi-Wan mused aloud.

"I saw a ship," Nuala said suddenly.

"A ship? Where?"

"It landed north of here. I can show you."

"And why would you wish to help me?" Obi-Wan asked teasingly.

"The way is very dangerous. You need help to find your way through the pass. Death is sure to come to those who do not know the way," Nuala responded proudly, her chin raising a notch.

"Well then, lead the way," he responded, waving his hand in a move along gesture.

They made their way through the mist, Obi-Wan staying close behind Nuala as she wended her way through the rocky passes. Sensing her reluctance to talk with him, Obi-Wan remained silent and kept himself alert to their surroundings. As they continued on, he began to ponder the ‘push’ he had felt from Nuala when he had attempted to probe her mind. Was she Force sensitive, he wondered. He continued along behind her, and he couldn’t help but notice the way her bare, muscled legs and softly rounded hips moved, sleek as a jungle animal, over the rocky terrain. The longer he watched her graceful movements, the more distracted he became, his body stirring in ways he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

He shook himself and re-asserted control over all his senses, just moments before Nuala came to a halt. Obi-Wan stopped as well and looked at her questioningly. Nuala’s head was cocked to the side, her body twisted around facing the mist curtain to their right. Obi-Wan picked up on the presence a moment before the Rancor came down upon him, having leapt from the cliff top on their left.

Nuala spun around and moved to help him, just as the Rancor she had sensed came at her from the right. Just before she turned back to take on the new threat, she saw Obi-Wan execute a perfect mid-air somersault over the head of his attacker, landing behind it.

Obi-Wan landed on his feet, and he quickly began to look for something to use as a weapon. The Rancor, having been confused, took a moment to turn around and see Obi-Wan behind him. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan ran towards what appeared to be a large outcropping, picking up a large stone along the way. His plan was to leap up onto the outcropping, out of the Rancor’s immediate reach, and then Force ‘push’ the stone into its skull, either killing it or rendering it unconscious. As he made his way through the mist, toward the outcropping, he saw it move. The outcropping was yet another Rancor, which had climbed up the cliffside, and was coming at him. He risked one quick look back over his shoulder and saw the other Rancor bearing down on him. Suddenly an idea came to him. Just as the two Rancors lunged at him, Obi-Wan hurled the stone at the beast before him and then dove to the side, using his Force speed. He hit the ground and turned over to see the two Rancors come together. The stone halted the lunge of the cliff climber, and when the other Rancor hit it, the force of the forward lunge hurled them both over the cliff.

Before he could catch his breath, Obi-Wan heard Nuala scream. In a moment, he was on his feet and running to her aid. As he broke through the mist, Obi-Wan saw Nuala struggling in the Rancor’s grip. She had dropped her spear and was pummeling the beast with her hands and feet, in every effort to stay away from its gaping jaws. The Rancor was bleeding from the many wounds Nuala had managed to inflict upon it before she was overtaken. Obi-Wan saw her spear lying on the ground, just on the other side of the beast. He concentrated on it, and using the Force, he raised it from the ground. He then ‘pushed’ it into the skull of the Rancor, killing it instantly. As the beast fell, it released Nuala from its grip. She had the presence of mind to quickly roll out of its way as it fell to the ground. When she came to a stop, she looked up to see Obi-Wan as he knelt down beside her.

"Are you okay?" h asked her, brushing the hair from her eyes.

"Yes," Nuala responded. "You are Jai, a Force master from beyond the stars?" Nuala asked.

"Yes, I am a Jedi," Obi-Wan answered, a smile playing subtly across his face.

He pulled Nuala to her feet and helped her to walk over to a large rock. They sat and proceeded to rest and catch their breaths. "Nuala, I noted earlier that you seem to have some knowledge of the Force yourself," Obi-Wan stated, after a brief moment of silence.

"We must get to shelter before darkness falls," Nuala stated plainly, deftly skirting Obi-Wan’s observations.

She stood and began to climb the trail behind them. Obi-Wan had no choice but to let the issue lie, for the time being, as he stood to follow. Just as darkness began to fall, they came to a cave, just under the overhanging cliff, at the end of the trail. Obi-Wan looked around and saw that there was a large pool of water at the base of the cliff, six feet below the mouth of the cave. Nuala turned to him and motioned to him that they would camp here for the night. It looked like a safe enough spot. They would be sheltered by the cave, and the pool would provide them with drinking water. Both Nuala and Obi-Wan crouched down to crawl into the cave’s shelter. Once inside, they proceeded to make themselves comfortable on opposite sides of the cave floor.

After a few moments, Obi-Wan decided to broach the subject once again.

"Who exactly are you, Nuala?" heasked.

Nuala looked at him and sighed heavily. Just when he thought that she would again refuse to answer him, she spoke. "I was once a member of the Nightflyer clan. We are witches, who have the ability to use what you Jai call the Force. I was cast out by my clan mother many moons ago, and I have lived alone in this part of our planet ever since."

"Why were you cast out?"

She took another deep breath and continued. "I disobeyed my clan mother. That is a great crime amongst my people," she responded.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak again, but with a look, Nuala silenced him.

Before you ask, I will tell you. I did not always agree with the ways of my people. For years I kept my feelings hidden from them. But as I matured and came into my powers, they began to sense the discord within me. One day, my clan mother became angry with one of her mates. See, we keep men as slaves and mates, to perpetuate our line. Anyhow, she struck out at him, with every intention of killing him. When I saw what she was going to do, I put myself between them and stayed her hand."

Nuala fell silent again, and Obi-Wan watched as the pain played upon her face. He waited for a moment, sensing that she would continue.

"My clan mother became enraged when I openly defied her and protected her mate. By our code, I had no right to interfere in her affairs. With a mere flick of her hand, she struck me down and had me imprisoned. She killed him anyway, and then she put me on trial. Many of my clan cared for me, and they convinced her to exile me, rather than put me to death. I’ve been out here in the nether regions ever since," Nuala finished, sighing and blinking back her tears.

Before Obi-Wan could respond, Nuala turned her back to him and began to prepare herself for sleep. "We must sleep now," she said, her voice husky with emotion. "Morning comes quickly, and we must rest."

Obi-Wan sensed her pain, but he realized that she did not want him to. Instead of comforting her, as his first instinct bade him to do, he heaved a heavy sigh of his own and lay down to sleep.

A couple of hours later, his eyes snapped open, something having awakened him from a deep sleep. He looked over to where Nuala had laid her head, and he was startled to see that she was no longer there. Quickly, Obi-Wan came to his knees and crawled to the opening of the cave. He came out and stood, immediately focusing his mind on seeking out her presence. At first, all he could feel was the absolute quiet that surrounded him. Suddenly, he touched her presence. At the same time, he heard the soft splash of water below where he stood. He looked down the incline to the pool below, and he saw her there.

Nuala had awakened a few minutes before, her mind still in turmoil from the pain of her memories and her growing attraction to this man she was helping. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided that she just couldn’t go back to sleep and allow her dreams to continue on their torturous path. She silently left the cave and made her way down to the pool. Once there, she decided to take a moonlight swim to clear her mind. With a cautious look back over her shoulder, she decided that she was alone. She quickly dropped her tunic and slid into the water, its coolness enveloping her tired body.

Obi-Wan stood, transfixed, and stared openly at the sight before him. Nuala was standing in waist deep water, her side to his view, and her head turned away from him. He saw her wet, pale skin glowing in the moonlight, water droplets sparkling on her arms and breasts. He felt his body stir as his gaze became fixated upon her rounded breasts, and he began to harden when she raised her arms over her head and arched her back, thrusting her chest toward the night sky.

Nuala came out of her cat-like stretch and dipped herself again below the water’s surface. When she came up, she sensed his presence nearby. From the corner of her eye, she saw him on the cliff above her, simply standing and watching her. His absolute beauty, with the moonlight surrounding him, caused her breath to catch in her throat. Instead of hiding herself from his gaze, she continued to ignore his presence and waited to see what he would do.

Obi-Wan felt the brief touch of her mind, and he realized that she had become aware of him. He was surprised when she continued her ablutions. He paused only a moment longer, and then he decided that he had to go to her. As he reached the bottom of the incline and came to the side of the pool, he saw her climb out on the opposite side, onto a rock, and turn to face him across the water’s expanse. She sat, silently watching him, her knees drawn up to cover her nakedness. For some reason, that innocent pose caused all the blood to instantly slam into his loins, and he knew what he had to do.

Nuala sat on the opposite bank and watched as Obi-Wan began to remove his tunic. Her breath rushed into her throat and her heart pounded fiercely against her chest as she saw his body slowly revealed. He knelt to remove his boots and trousers, and when he stood, he was all at once revealed to her. He was beautiful, Nuala realized, and her eyes traveled down his form, using the moonlight as her only illumination. They rested momentarily on his sex, and she could see that his arousal matched her own. In anticipation, Nuala all but ceased to breathe, before her eyes traveled back up his body to meet his gaze.

Obi-Wan stepped into the water and waded through the waist-deep coolness to her side of the pool. When he reached the opposite bank, he stopped in front of her and gazed up into her eyes. Without a word, Nuala unclasped her knees and let her legs fall down to dangle over the rock’s edge. With their gazes locked upon one another, Obi-Wan reached up and placed his hands over each of her knees. He slowly spread her legs apart and stepped in closer to her. Nuala released a pent-up sigh as he closed his eyes and lowered his head toward her breast. With the first touch of his tongue, she closed her own eyes and flung her head back, her hands coming up to rest on the sides of his head.

Obi-Wan flicked his tongue over her nipple, tasting the water that continued to cling to her flesh. As he closed his lips over her, tugging and sucking upon her flesh, his hands moved slowly up her inner thighs, toward her hidden flesh.

As Nuala felt his insistent tugging on her breast, she allowed a moan to escape her lips and tightened her grip on his head. Suddenly, she felt his fingers reach the junction of her inner thighs. She sucked in a breath as she felt his fingers slide into her.

Obi-Wan reached her sex as he continued his ministrations on her quivering breast. He slowly slid two fingers into her warmth as his thumb began to slowly massage her clitoris. He moved even closer to her as he began to move his hand inside her, his fingers sliding in and out of her while his thumb continued its sweet torture.

Nuala could feel the tightness building within her, and she slid her hands down his back, raking her nails against his flesh. She could feel his lips and teeth on her skin and his fingers inside of her.

Obi-Wan felt Nuala thrust against his hand as she raked her nails down his back, and he sped up his movements between her legs. His fingers began to piston in and out of her ruthlessly, and he could feel her pleasure as it peaked.

Nuala couldn’t take it any longer, and she thrust herself once, hard against his hand. Gripping his shoulders tightly, she felt her body explode into a million bright particles of light. She threw her head back and arched into him, screaming her pleasure to the night sky.

As she came back to herself, Nuala listened to the night surrounding them. All she could hear was the rasping of their mingled breaths and the soft sounds of the water lapping gently against the bank. She lowered her head and looked into Obi-Wan’s eyes and found his gaze fixed intently upon her face. He pulled her toward him and lowered her into the water. When her feet touched the bottom, she looked up at him, and he lowered his lips to hers. They wrapped their arms around one another as their tongues explored each other’s warmth. Nuala could feel the hardness of his sex pressed against her stomach as they kissed and caressed one another. She slid one hand down between their pressed bodies and grasped his hard organ in her fingers.

Obi-Wan groaned as he felt her hand sliding down his hard shaft, her fingers squeezing him gently. He reached around her and grasped her buttocks, lifting her against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and brought both of her hands to his shoulders, holding him tightly. Obi-Wan lowered her slowly onto him, and Nuala felt his sex pushing into her, stretching her. With a quick thrust, he embedded himself in her wet warmth, and they both gasped aloud at the sensation. Nuala began to rotate her hips, grinding her pelvis against him as he continued to thrust in and out of her. The cool water began to lap against their bodies as their movements sped. Again their rasping breaths mingled together as Nuala leaned back from him, letting the water float her as he continued to thrust. In moments, they were both jerking, their muscles quivering, as they both began to feel the heat building within them. Obi-Wan thrust hard one final time, and his come flooded into her. Nuala followed him, her body again exploding with passion, her inner muscles clamping down upon him, squeezing and draining him.

As they both came down from the heights of their spent passions, Obi-Wan again lowered Nuala to her feet and pulled her against him. He looked into her eyes and saw the tears that pooled there. As they slipped over and down her cheeks, he leaned over to kiss the salty tracks away. They stood together, holding one another, while the soft moonlight played across their flesh and the water’s surface around them.

Morning came. Nuala awakened with Obi-Wan’s arms around her and her back pressed against him as he cradled her smaller form. For a moment, she lay in his arms and replayed the previous night in her head. It was the most beautiful experience of her young life. The women of her clan had never taken a man to their bed in passion, only as a duty, to procreate. She never knew that there could be such beauty and passion between a man and a woman.

After their time in the pool, they came back to the cave to sleep. Instead, they spent the rest of the night talking. Obi-Wan told her of his experiences becoming a Jedi, saving a Queen from a distant world and the pain of losing his mentor, a Jedi master named Qui-Gon. Nuala told him of her people and her life with them before her exile. Obi-Wan then told her that she possessed the ability to use the Force, and that this ability could make her a very powerful woman. He explained to her, in detail, what the Force meant to all life, and then he did something she never would have expected. He asked her to come with him when he left Dathomir. He asked her to return with him to a place called Coruscant. She couldn’t answer him. To leave her homeworld was such a scary thought. They finally slept, her answer unknown.

Obi-Wan stirred behind her, and she turned over to face him. Their eyes met, and he smiled sweetly at her. "We must go soon," she said to him, regret in her voice.

"How much farther is it?" he asked.

"If we continue on straight through the day, and we wait to stop at night, then we should be there tomorrow at mid-day," she answered. With a quick kiss, they rose to prepare themselves.

"Are you hungry?" Nuala asked Obi-Wan as they moved down the trail.

"Well, I could do with a little something," he answered her, smiling and rubbing his stomach.

"Come. Follow me," she replied, moving off the trail.

They came out into a clearing, where the normally sparse underbrush thickened to a relative forest. Obi-Wan looked around him at the impressive foliage. Nuala walked over to a cluster of bushes and began to pluck some large red berries from them. When she had a handful, she came over to where Obi-Wan stood and passed them to him. "These are blumfruit. They were brought here a long time ago, from another planet," she told him.

Obi-Wan took the proffered fruit from her with a smile. Nuala went back to pick herself a handful of the juicy berries, then they both settled down for a moment, to eat. They ate in silence, ever so often casting glances at one another and smiling sweetly.

Quiet moments passed, and they were almost finished with their repast when Nuala cocked her head to one side, listening intently to the air around them. Obi-Wan sensed their approach at the same time Nuala jumped up from her seat. They ran to each other and turned towards the flapping sound they could both now hear. The creatures burst over the trees and dove straight towards the pair.

"Pterosaurs!" Nuala shouted.

The larger of the pair flew right at Obi-Wan, using its leathery wings to disorient its intended prey. Before Obi-Wan could duck completely out of the way, he felt the burning sting as the beast’s sharp claws cut into his shoulder. He fell to his knees and flung out his arm. He concentrated on his attacker and force ‘pushed’ it away from them. He then turned to see Nuala battling her own attacker. He rose to go to her aid and saw, as he came to her side, that she herself was wounded, with a trickle of blood sliding down her face. He reached out again and ‘pushed’ the beast from Nuala. As it struggled to regain its equilibrium, he grabbed Nuala, and they broke into a run, seeking the nearest shelter. A few feet down the trail, they found a small depression in the rocky mountainside. They dove for it and crouched down as far into it as they could. The Pterosaurs flew up to the opening, flapping and screaming at their escaped prey. They continued to do so for almost an hour, before they finally gave up and flew away. Seeing the Pterosaur’s departure, Obi-Wan and Nuala crawled out of their hiding place. Nuala looked up at him.

"You’re hurt," she said, reaching up to lightly touch the wound on his shoulder.

"It’s not bad," he responded, reaching up himself to lightly brush the wound on her head.

Nuala allowed herself a brief moment to lean her face into his cupped palm, before she told him that they should move on before the Pterosaurs returned. Holding hands, they ran up the trail, leaving the clearing behind.

Dusk was approaching when they came to the end of the trail; a dead-end. They were left facing a crevice cut into the stone of the mountain. Obi-Wan looked up, his eyes following the face of the mountain. He realized that climbing would be treacherous and very time-consuming. Night was quickly approaching, and they had to find shelter.

"There is a pathway through the mountain," Nuala spoke, recognizing his train of thought. "But it’s a very dangerous one," she added.

"I don’t see that we have much of a choice," Obi-Wan responded, turning to her and smiling charmingly. "We’ll just have to be careful, won’t we?"

They entered the dark crevice single file and moved down the passageway. As they continued, the darkness began to lighten.

"Is that Glimmershim?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes. There are many untapped veins in these mountains. It should help light our way," Nuala replied in a whisper.

They walked perhaps 100 yards, when the passageway opened into a cavernous room. They halted and searched their surroundings for the next passage. Suddenly they heard a scraping in the rock walls. Obi-Wan pushed Nuala behind him as he reached out to pinpoint the origin of the sound. The scraping grew in volume and was joined by a high-pitched chirping.

"Arachnors!" Nuala screamed.

Before Obi-Wan could respond, he saw the first of the creatures as it dropped down from the ceiling above, lowering itself by a large sticky thread. It touched down and immediately started towards them, its spindly legs clacking across the floor, and its gaping jaws opening and shutting with loud clicks. Obi-Wan threw up his hand and ‘pushed’ it away, sending its body smashing into the wall, gouts of black blood spraying him and Nuala from the force of its impact.

"Here!" Nuala shouted, pushing a large pointed stick into his hand. He saw that she held a similar stake in her own, as well as a large stone in her other hand. They turned, back-to-back, and faced the other Arachnors as they too began to descend. There were five more of them, and they all came charging at the two humans.

Obi-Wan used a combination of his power and the large stake in his hand to fend off his attackers. Blood splattered him as he managed to stab the creatures repeatedly. His once white tunic became black with the viscous fluid. Behind him, Nuala wielded her own primitive weapons with skill and accuracy. She stabbed one of the creatures repeatedly in the eyes until it finally dropped. She quickly turned, but wasn’t in time to prevent being dropped by the other Arachnor. It pinned her down under its body, its legs on either side of her, fencing her in like bars on a cage. She looked up to see the gaping mouth as it came towards her face. With a scream and all the power she could muster, she shoved the large stake straight up into the beast’s body, piercing its heart. Great gouts of blood poured down on her before the creature spun away, flailing itself around in its death throes.

Shakily, Nuala got to her feet, rubbing the disgusting liquid from her face. She looked up and saw Obi-Wan standing over his slain foes. They only hesitated a moment before joining hands and running towards the nearest passage through the rock walls ahead of them. Very fatigued, but high on the adrenaline still coursing through their veins, they continued to run until they could see the end of the tunnel up ahead. Darkness was upon them as they left the mountain behind. They ran another 50 yards before they felt safe enough to stop again. Once they halted, Nuala turned to see Obi-Wan looking at her, concern plainly etched upon his face. She smiled at him, in an attempt to assure him that she was all right. In a burst of speed, they were in each other’s arms.

Obi-Wan’s lips found hers, and he kissed her with a passion and an urgency he had never felt before. Nuala pressed her body against his and kissed him with equal fire. Their hands were everywhere at once, never minding the sticky blood that clung to their garments and skin. They both felt the same way, deep down inside. They both had the urgent need to re-affirm their lives, to prove, in that most primitive way, that they were still alive. As their mouths continued to devour one another, their teeth, tongues and lips meeting with bruising force, Nuala reached down between their bodies and freed Obi-Wan’s already swollen sex from its confines. He reached around and lifted her from the ground, his hands holding her tightly to him. Her tunic slid up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He backed her into a tree off the path, and without any further foreplay, he thrust himself to the hilt into her.

Nuala screamed in pleasure, tearing her mouth away from his, when she felt him enter her, hard and fast. Their mating was furious. Obi-Wan pounded into her, pushing her hard against the smooth trunk of the tree at her back. The only sounds in the still air were the harsh breaths and the groans of the two lovers, clinging to one another in desperate need. It was short. It was hard. And then it was over, their mingled shouts of release carried into the night sky.

Obi-Wan lowered her to her feet and held her against himself. Nuala laid her head against his chest and listened to the slowing beat of his heart, while she tried to compose her emotions.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a whisper against her hair. When she didn’t answer, he pulled away and tilted her face up to his. "Are you okay?" he asked again.

"I will be," she answered quietly.

Two hours later, they were both bathed, in a nearby stream, and they had found shelter for the night. They sat together, Nuala cradled against him, under cover of the green ceiling of their hastily constructed lean-to.

"You never answered me," Obi-Wan said softly.

"What?" Nuala replied, wanting to hear him ask it again.

"Will you come with me tomorrow?" he repeated, holding his breath in anticipation of her answer. Just when he thought she wouldn’t answer, he heard her whispered, Yes. He pulled her tightly against him and lay down to sleep, a smile on his face.

They woke the next morning, both of them feeling optimistic. Just a couple of miles, and they would leave the past two days of hell behind. They hit the trail, a burst of energy propelling them to the ‘finish.’ As they pushed on, they would pause every so often, casting warm smiles at one another, seeing the future mirrored in one another’s eyes. The sun had reached its peak when they came to the top of the trail, and there below them waited the ship that Nuala had seen. There was no one in sight, and that made them both uneasy. They linked hands and carefully approached the clearing. Obi-Wan projected his mind in an effort to touch upon any other persons. He felt them at the same moment the voice shouted from behind, "Don’t either of you make any sudden movements!"

They stopped and raised their hands into the air. Obi-Wan saw the man who had appeared on the holovid as he stepped from the ship, followed by two armed men.

"Well, young Jedi, I am duly impressed," the man said with a wide smile plastered upon his face. "And I see that you picked up a companion on your journey."

"What kind of game are you playing?" Obi-Wan asked, a menacing note creeping into his voice.

The man laughed and replied, "Just as I told you, a friendly wager amongst my companions and myself. And you are the first of the Jedi to actually survive the Game. If I let you leave here alive, I stand to lose a great deal of money."

Obi-Wan looked down for a moment, and as his eyes came back up, he saw his light saber strapped to the man’s belt. He concentrated and prepared himself for the struggle he knew was to come.

"I say we continue the Game a while longer," the stranger said with a nod to his men.

At his nod, the men behind Obi-Wan and Nuala took hold of her and pulled her away from him. Obi-Wan directed his thoughts to his saber, and with a slight ‘push’ of his mind, he lifted it from the man’s belt and brought it quickly to his own hand. In a moment, he had it ignited and began to block the blaster fire. The two men holding Nuala moved over behind their leader, while Obi-Wan fought the others. In a matter of minutes, he dispatched his attackers and then turned to his nemesis.

"Let her go," he said to the men holding Nuala.

"Or you’ll do what? Kill me?" the leader replied. "You kill me, and they will surely kill her before you can get to her."

"What do you want from me?" Obi-Wan asked as he watched Nuala struggle against her captors.

"I told you. I want the Game to continue. This time I want to up the ante a bit. I want a squad of my men to hunt you as you make your way to the next ‘finish,’" he responded, a wicked gleam in his eye.

"What about her?" Obi-Wan asked, his head tilting towards Nuala.

"Why, she can go back home, or wherever. She is not important to me, young Jedi."

"Nuala, no!" Obi-Wan shouted as he saw her break free of her captors and run toward him. Before she came half way, one of the men raised his blaster and shot her down.

"Nooooo….," Obi-Wan screamed, and he ignited his saber, running towards the murderers.

Because of his anger and naked despair, Obi-Wan fought fiercely. He defeated the soldiers quickly, and then he turned to their Sithspawn leader, seeing the blaster he held before him. The man fired at Obi-Wan, and he easily blocked the blasts with his saber. He looked the Sithspawn straight in the eye as he disarmed him with a flick of his wrist, and at the same time tossed his saber, end over end, straight at the bastard’s heart. There was a sizzle of burning flesh as the blade sank into the man’s chest, exploding his black heart instantly. Obi-Wan stood in the clearing and looked at the carnage that surrounded him. When his eyes landed on Nuala’s inert form, he raised his head towards the sky and screamed his anguish over losing her so senselessly.

As dusk approached, Obi-Wan sat in the cockpit of the small freighter and stared at the mountains in the distance. Somewhere over those rocky tops, Nuala’s ashes blew. He had taken them from her pyre and scattered them to the winds that blew down from the hills. Before he closed the hatchway, a breeze blew into the cockpit, and for a brief moment, Obi-Wan thought he heard Nuala’s sigh. He shook himself and continued his pre-flight preparations. It was time to go home to Coruscant and rejoin his Jedi brethren. But, his life was again changed forever.

DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fiction written in appreciation of Star Wars; to promote the franchise and to keep it alive. All characters and settings original to Star Wars are copyright to Lucasfilm, Ltd. The rest is copyright to the author.