Mission to Mawan

Following their mission to Andara, the Master-Padawan duo of Kenobi and Skywalker experienced a minor conflict of their own: a spiritual and emotional rift that had created a damaging distance between them, impairing their interpersonal communication and overall relationship. Anakin felt that the memory of how his thoughtless actions had deeply wounded his Master was like "a knife in his heart," and it continued to haunt him. He missed Obi-Wan's dedication to helping him become the best Jedi he could be, but ever since Anakin had broken that fundamental trust and received a reprimand from the Jedi High Council, the pair seemed to have lost their rhythm. Anakin hadn't realized how developed it was until it was gone. His Master now seemed, above all else, cautious around him. He couldn't even recall the last time he and Obi-Wan had shared a tease or a joke. There were now shadows between them. Obi-Wan, for his part, wanted to give his 16-year-old Padawan the space and time to reflect, just as his own Master Qui-Gon Jinn had done for him, so that he could come to terms with his feelings and achieve a deeper connection with his core. His apprentice needed to understand that a bit of distance between them didn't mean the core of their relationship was in danger. Nevertheless, Kenobi resolved to use the mission to Mawan to resolve some of their differences.

Furthermore, since the Andaran mission, young Skywalker had experienced another Force vision. It occurred just after he had emerged from a refreshing afternoon swim in the indoor lake at the [Jedi Temple](/article/jedi_temple-legends], close to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He was sitting beneath the waterfall, enjoying the mist, when the peaceful scene suddenly transformed into a violent rush of air, so intense that it hurt his ears. The surging images of the unfolding vision, like pulses of light, overwhelmed him. He saw himself commanding a massive fleet, witnessed a slave rebellion of hundreds shouting his name, and saw his mother Shmi in Mos Espa embracing him, hearing the sound of her binding cuffs falling to the ground as he touched them. But with a final, climactic explosion of light and sound, he knew that he had somehow lost her forever, along with everyone he had ever loved. As the dream ended, he heard the echo of strange words: The One Below remains below.

This was the third time Anakin had experienced this particular vision, which had appeared in different forms and intensities. He was left troubled and exhausted by the vision, as it had seemed so real this time, unfolding in its most intense and insistent form yet. Although he immediately shared the dream with his Master, neither Jedi understood its meaning. When they consulted Grand Master Yoda, the ancient Jedi sage interpreted the One Below as a Koban title, referring to the centuries-long imprisonment of Yaddle, the revered Jedi Master of the same species as Yoda, by Advozsec warlords. Yoda felt that her impending departure on a very troubling mission to Mawan was no coincidence and that Anakin's dream was a warning and the answer to the Council's debate about which Jedi team to send with her to address the dire situation there. The visionary Padawan was disappointed by the interpretation of his dream, as he had hoped that the time had finally come for him to "step out of his dreams" and return to Tatooine to free the slaves, especially his own mother. As the diplomatic Jedi team set off for Mawan, Anakin Skywalker, normally excited about new missions, could only feel an inexplicable dread.

Upon arriving in Mawan's once-thriving capital city of Naatan—an important stop on the Hydian Way, the Core's primary trade route—Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had visited the world before, was disheartened by the extent of its decay. The devastation of lives and property was evident everywhere. Except for the criminal gangs—led by three primary crimelords: Striker, Decca the Hutt, and [Feeana Tala](/article/feeana_tala]—everyone had "gone underground" to live in the infrastructure tunnels, according to Euraana Fall, a city native who greeted the Jedi and served as their liaison with the planet's various factions. Before the Great Purge, the city's beauty stemmed from the fact that all goods were transported below the city and then airlifted to the surface, with all computer centers and control links also located underground. This left a beautifully landscaped city of parks, cafés, restaurants, and schools, filled with laughter, music, and lively conversation. What remained now was a garish jumble of rebuilt architecture over the city's half-destroyed buildings, with criminal elements selling weapons, spice, and illegal medicines to countless unfortunate individuals across the galaxy and profiting from it.

After landing in a large courtyard in a little-used part of the city, the group made their way to an old, abandoned meeting and concert hall, which seemed surprisingly untouched by the war. They would establish the Senate Provisional Committee's center of operations there. Euraana introduced them to their tunnel-worker representative contacts, who acted as intermediaries between the crimelords above and the citizens below: Swanny Mull and Rorq, a pair of short, stocky Mawans with pale complexions. The tunnel workers had set up temporary crimelord-run markets, where the underground dwellers (living throughout 20 sub-levels across Naatan's breadth) were forced to purchase their food and goods. The tunnel workers were paid for their services by both factions, and both parties had become dependent on the tunnel workers, whom they called "subrats," to bring them provisions and keep their generators running. The citizens also secretly relied on them as scouts to help protect them from crimelord raids. However, because they were enjoying their newfound power, most of the tunnel workers weren't fully supporting the citizens, as they didn't want them to regain control of the city, which would only push them back down the food chain.

Of the three crimelords, Striker was the most powerful and dangerous. He was the one who had managed to seize the capital city's power grid and a large cache of weapons from Decca, while the Hutt had managed to hold onto Naatan's main tunnels and transports. Feeana Tala, though not as powerful as the others, controlled most of the goods and services sold to the majority of citizens beneath the capital. Striker, rarely seen, had directed his personal operators on Mawan from afar for years, only occasionally visiting the planet. But now his presence was constantly felt. With the Jedi now present, it was the citizens' duty to work with Yaddle to retake the city and its power grid, while Kenobi and Skywalker would focus on persuading the crimelords to leave the planet, thus avoiding the Senate sending galactic security forces to enforce its will.

Soon, Swanny and Rorq led Kenobi and Skywalker underground to observe one of Feeana Tala's temporary markets, which was set up for the mutual benefit of thieves and citizen-dwellers. Almost immediately, the crimelord's keen senses detected them, and she had the Jedi duo surrounded by her troops. After Kenobi convinced her that they were indeed Jedi diplomats, she sat them down to negotiate. When she heard about their straightforward goals for her planet and the imminent arrival of the Senate security forces, she requested amnesty and a place in Mawan's new government if she cooperated with the provisional government committee. Once everyone agreed, a strange alliance of Jedi and Crimelord was formed. However, Kenobi knew that he and Anakin had to act quickly to neutralize Decca and Striker if they were to maintain Tala's loyalty.

Next, Rorq and Swanny helped Kenobi and Skywalker infiltrate Decca's stronghold in what was perhaps an even stranger alliance. They accomplished this by having the two Jedi perform as part of Swanny's band at one of Decca's celebratory "revels," traditionally held by the Hutt and her cronies after any defeat against Striker. Obi-Wan played the vioflute, and Anakin played the keyboard. At the vast substation party, which the Rooters (both old and new) had crashed, a plethora of swaggering beings from across the galaxy consumed "flameouts" as they feasted on meats and pastries. Decca the Hutt arrived, heaving her enormous bulk onto her custom-built repulsorlift platform adorned with shimmersilk pillows. Her lieutenants, including her two-tailed Kamarian assistant, jostled for position around her, while some forty gang members milled about. After some time, Decca signaled for Swanny and the Rooters to stop their music so that she could give a brief speech against the Jedi, who, rumor had it, had just arrived on the planet to drive them all away. As Decca finished her speech, a huge explosion shook the substation: a group of Striker's men had attacked Decca's compound. In the commotion, as Kenobi fought to protect Swanny and Rorq while pursuing Decca, Anakin was blown off his feet by a thermal detonator. Although he was lucky to be alive, he lost his lightsaber (which Kenobi later recovered) and was hauled away in a refuse bin to be taken before Striker. To his self-berating dismay, he had been captured.

Finding himself now within a significantly larger substation, surrounded by an operation that was far more streamlined and professional compared to the haphazard or disorderly setups managed by Feeana and Decca, Anakin was utterly astonished to once again confront his and his Master's most formidable adversary: Granta Omega, the Void in the Force, the Blank. He now understood that "Striker" was, in reality, Omega.

Resisting the inevitable allure of Omega, Anakin made it unequivocally clear to the "Void" standing before him that he held no interest whatsoever in the temptations Omega presented. Despite Omega's lack of Force-sensitivity, the dark side permeated his actions. After all, he had repeatedly attempted to murder Anakin's Master, utilizing a missile launcher. Skywalker held little regard for Omega's pursuit to expose the one Sith Lord still at large in the galaxy—to be near him, to be close to the Force, to understand the source of such power. Anakin's concern lay with Omega's methods: his willingness to exploit anyone or anything—including the Jedi, and certainly his immense wealth—to achieve his goals. Even at that moment, he flattered Anakin, asserting that the young Padawan surpassed all other Jedi, including his own Master, and that Anakin himself was aware of this: "While I remain interested in the Sith, my interest in you grows stronger."

Simultaneously, Yaddle contacted Obi-Wan, requesting a meeting at the airlift, a system resembling a repulsorlift but utilizing pressurized air columns to transport underground residents to the surface. Obi-Wan informed her of Anakin's disappearance following the attack. However, she expressed confidence that, through collaboration, they could swiftly find a solution: "Cooperate, and solve each other's problems, you might." Upon joining Kenobi and his small Mawan allies at the airlift, Yaddle revealed that Striker had seized not only the power grid's mainframe substation but also a crucial central relay station—essential as a network hub for restarting the grid: Substation 32. This was the same station where Decca had held her "revel," but which Striker had reclaimed that evening. By controlling this substation, Striker could thwart the power surge necessary for grid start-up. The Jedi needed to recapture it, an action that could also provoke Striker, precisely what Kenobi and Anakin had been attempting to do, to lure him out. An attack on the substation would force Striker to dispatch reinforcements, which they could then follow back to his hideout, where Anakin might also be held. Their challenge was that the station would now be heavily guarded by Striker's "best men," equipped with grenade launchers and missile tubes, to protect the grid. According to Swanny, there was only one entry point. However, Obi-Wan countered, for the Jedi, there would always be another way.

With the skill of a seasoned professional, Omega skillfully manipulated Anakin's own memories and experiences as a Jedi—including particularly intimate moments at the Temple that Anakin believed only Padawans could know—to tempt Skywalker to abandon the Order (which he described as "rigid" and "boring") and join him. Omega mentioned meditating on favorite rocks in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, observing Senatorial starships docking from the Council receiving room, and being reprimanded by Jedi instructor Rei Soffran. He appealed to Anakin's desire for freedom, a longing to be truly unburdened by restrictions, including a Master and a High Council to whom he was always accountable. This prompted Anakin to reflect on his last mission and the remarkable freedom enjoyed by Andara's student mercenary squad, who selected their own missions and answered to no one but themselves. Before their operation dissolved, Anakin had admired, and perhaps even envied, them, as their existence seemed to embody true freedom. Asserting that Anakin already had one foot on the path of the dark side, and urging him to abandon his Jedi aspirations (including fulfilling his destiny as the Chosen One), Omega challenged Anakin to confront reality and question whether he was truly free. But Anakin retorted: "The dream feels real because I am living it." Omega countered that only wealth could guarantee freedom, and that he could offer him a greater degree of freedom than the Jedi ever could. However, this was a form of freedom that Anakin still rejected: his resolve had solidified into a durasteel fortress within him.

However, Skywalker was unprepared for Omega's subsequent offer: the empowering ability to raise an army and liberate his own mother from slavery—his deepest wish, hope, and desire. Anakin's recent Force vision flooded his mind: touching Shmi's binding cuffs and hearing them fall to the floor. But he then realized that his dream had been a blinding glimpse of not what would be, but of what could only be: seeing the light in his mother's eyes, feeling so powerful, so sure—that liberation's mere thought, flaring up, searing him with promise. They could leave tomorrow, Omega whispered. Give true freedom a trial run, because he could always return to the desperate Jedi; they would take him back. Still, Skywalker would not relent, for he knew just as Omega did that the Jedi would not take Anakin back if he did such a thing, that Omega's offer therefore was hollow at its core. And so Omega suggested instead that they make a deal: he would take his operations offworld if Anakin, his safety insurance hostage, could persuade Yaddle (and no one else) to meet with him there to hear his conditions. He would arrange to bring Skywalker's comlink to him. Anakin could then make his final decision whether to join Omega as the crimelord prepared to depart the planet. But Skywalker was resolute: "I don't need to decide. I know who I am. I know what I want." Nevertheless, after Omega lamented the Jedi's unwavering "self-righteous" behavior and then departed, Anakin was left not only with questions—how did Omega know so much? had he corrupted a Jedi or infiltrated the Temple?—but also with the ache of his unrequited dream: We could leave here tomorrow ...

As Obi-Wan and Yaddle prepared underground to implement their plan to seize control of the power grid above, Kenobi recalled the One Below from his Padawan's dream and worried about Yaddle's safety during their impending assault on Substation 32. However, Yaddle reassured him, after he'd attempted to dissuade her involvement, that she was unconcerned about Anakin's vision, as she understood Kenobi's thoughts, and trying to shield her was simply a waste of time. Accepting her rebuke, they turned to the matter at hand.

With assurances from Swanny that they could boost the power grid from another source once they'd disabled Substation 32's central relay (as the entire grid might otherwise explode), they asked Swanny if he could assist by redirecting the underground wastewater to flood the substation. They knew they had to achieve their objective within the hour: Feeana was impatient, and they were relying not only on her forces to secure the recaptured city but also on the trust of the Mawans: the underground dwellers would only surface if they were promised that they could hold the city through the backing of Feeana's gang and control of the grid.

As Swanny departed to fulfill his role, Kenobi and Yaddle skirted the heavily fortified substation's perimeter to initiate their attack. Soon, floodwaters began seeping beneath the station's double durasteel doors; Yaddle used the Force to prevent them from bursting until they had risen high enough to trigger the equipment alarms and avoid alerting the guards prematurely. Yaddle received confirmation on her comlink that the grid team had bypassed the station and was now awaiting assurance that the power surge would restore the grid. With the alarms now blaring, the Jedi Masters launched their attack. Gathering the Force around them, they charged forward, releasing the floodgates, as the guards fled. The attack droids, of course, stood their ground, but Obi-Wan was amazed as he joined Yaddle in battle and witnessed her graceful movement, her lightsaber a blur, the rising Force charging the air about them as they deflected the heavy blaster fire. Soon, a platoon of battle droids lay sizzling in puddles of water.

Once Yaddle received confirmation that the power grid was up, having been secured, and the city of Naatan was lit once more, she left to rally the Mawans for a return to their homes. Kenobi waited for Striker's reinforcements; when they arrived and beheld the water, the sizzling droids, and the absence of guards, they retreated to their leader's headquarters ... with Obi-Wan in tow.

Anakin was completely confident that Master Yaddle could handle Granta Omega. He agreed at least to contact her with Omega's proposal, for then she would be able to tell Obi-Wan that he was still alive. But he'd discovered, although he didn't know why, that, for Omega, the conflict was a very personal one against his Master: that Omega hated Obi-Wan. Calling Master Yaddle on the comlink Omega had provided, Anakin revealed Striker's true identity and that Omega had for the second time made him his prisoner. When Yaddle was told of Omega's wish to meet with her, she told Anakin that she would have met with him simply if he had asked, and that there was no need of taking a hostage; but Anakin explained it was for insurance that she come alone and not betray him (but, to double the insurance, he would use tracking droids as well).

Skywalker also disclosed that he was unsure of their present location, as Omega had changed bases (as Kenobi had discovered after he'd followed Striker's reinforcements to their original headquarters, only to find Omega on the move again, as he'd detected Obi-Wan's pursuit). Anakin wanted Yaddle to confirm that she wasn't coming because of him, because he was fine, but she skirted the petition simply by stating that she would come once Obi-Wan had been informed. Omega had a list of coordinates to his new location that he would release, one at a time: if he detected at any point that Yaddle was not alone, he would disappear with Anakin. Yaddle agreed to the terms, and in great respect Anakin saluted her: "May the Force be with you"; which, upon hearing, Omega, rolling his eyes, uttered, "Oh, please."

When Kenobi learned from Yaddle that Striker was Omega, he was at once incredulous and angry, and wished to accompany Yaddle, but she refused him, not only because of Omega's terms but also because she needed Kenobi's help with the Mawan exodus back to their homes. Even so, Obi-Wan's most dangerous enemy had in his possession his most treasured companion, his Padawan. But Kenobi understood too well the Jedi Way, and it grounded him: helping shepherd complete strangers back safely to their homes was most important now, putting their needs before his own. Agreeing to Yaddle's wish, he asked for her to tell Omega that Kenobi would see him soon, to which Yaddle responded sternly: "A threat that is. And so deliver it I will not."

Striker's new hideout was one of the airlift shafts that Anakin remembered he'd used only hours before to descend below, though it felt to him like days; they were now some twenty levels down, Anakin guessed, near the northeast quadrant of the tunnel system. Yaddle arrived to hear Omega's conditions right after he'd offered Anakin a final chance to choose his side, but Anakin replied that he'd already made his choice: "Ah, the wee one approaches," Omega announced mockingly, only to follow up with rude mimicry of her species' particular manner of speech: "Impressed with your speed, I am." He then prefaced his conditions by disclosing his possession of a "beautifully simple" canister—loaded into the airlift tube, its detonator remote-controlled—packed with powerful biochemical explosives: dihexalon gas, which was toxic and deadly to all life-forms. It was his insurance to get himself, his soldiers, equipment, wealth and records safely off-world.

Yaddle was presented with three death-choices: she must choose death for either the Mawans (who even then were being taken to their homes by Kenobi, whose own death would simply be "a bonus"), Skywalker, or herself. It was then that Anakin guessed that Omega's ambition was growing, for he understood now what he truly wanted: still trying to impress the Sith Lord, Omega now had moved beyond Kenobi as a target to something bigger: a Jedi High Council member. This would be far more impressive to a Sith Lord than a run-of-the-mill Master or his Padawan. Moreover, Anakin began to suspect what Omega already knew—the no-contest choice Yaddle would make. She would sacrifice herself: The One Below will remain below.

Anakin furiously berated and chastised himself for his stupidity in again allowing himself to be captured by Omega and for putting Yaddle in such peril. He'd been an unwitting pawn—used—once again. He had been the bait for Omega's lies and deception: this Void in the Force sought no agreement or truce, but wanted rather high-profile death to appease his own vanity and achieve a measure of galactic power by association with the Sith. And by Yaddle's choice, Omega would also have revenge on Anakin, who would have to live knowing he had caused Yaddle's death.

In one swift lightsaber movement, which caught Omega in mid-sentence, completely by surprise, Yaddle had surgically severed Anakin's binding cuffs, which clattered to the floor. Skywalker's vision flashed in his mind—the cuffs were not Shmi's, _they were his! _Yoda and his Master had been correct in their caution about interpreting dreams: that one should not allow one's own emotions or desires to overlay themselves upon visionary images. "Launch it!" Anakin suddenly heard Omega exclaim, as the crimelord turned to Yaddle, who'd been a blur of light, advising her that she'd just ensured the deaths of thousands. But then Yaddle straightaway Force-jumped into the airlift tube, as it filled with a rush, hitting with her saber-hilt its maximum eject button. Then, like the blast from a laser cannon she shot upward, through the tunnel levels, high into the air. Omega stood there stunned, as immediately Anakin followed suit, jumping into the tube as he hit its maximum launch setting. Having been himself shot to the surface and into the night sky at an astonishing velocity, he lost his breath as he careened back towards the ground, the Force helping to slow his descent and break his fall. Rolling with the impact, he looked again skyward to the glittering heavens and saw Yaddle, still suspended by the Force, above Naatan's tallest buildings, holding a silver canister to her chest. Yet, even at her distance, she spoke clearly to him, whispering a special parting message to his mind: that if Anakin could someday find his way to embrace, with the aid of the Force, something that was for him personally very explosive—his anger—it might then be consumed and destroyed; his success or failure in that effort would dictate and define his role as the Chosen One.

Hardly registering the meaningful words, a terrible realization began to flow over Anakin: he clearly saw now what Yaddle was about to do. He screamed out for her to stop, but knew it had already begun—she drew a great Force-net around her, so tightly, fiercely, strongly, that Anakin fell to his knees. Never had he felt the Force move in this way before. He was speechless, motionless. Far below, Granta Omega detonated the bioweapon, releasing only a sharp pop, as the Force burgeoned before Anakin's dazzled senses. Omega's deadly canister, meant to explode, had instead imploded as Yaddle absorbed into her own body its toxic gas and explosive power. In a shower of swirling light particles, the esteemed Jedi Master simply vanished, evaporating into the energy of the Force. In the cool night air Anakin's face streamed tears which he did not feel: Master Yaddle was dead.

A living Jedi legend had ceased to be, and a numbed Anakin Skywalker struggled to comprehend it. Time seemed to stand still for him. Yaddle's incredible strength and wisdom—so vital during these dangerous times—had been violently silenced ... and all because of him. Because he had spotted a thermal detonator too late, been captured and tricked again by Omega. But why had Yaddle sacrificed precious moments to save Anakin's life before going after the bomb? She had risked thousands of lives for his. And then he reflected on her final whispering to him. Was that why she had saved him? If so, he couldn't bear the responsibility of it, that burden.

Suddenly, Anakin's Master was there, above him: he had felt a great disturbance in the Force, that something terrible had happened. Like a vacuum, he had felt its forceful surge and retreat, then silence. In neutral tones, Anakin told Obi-Wan of Yaddle's death. Kenobi stood long in stunned silence also, gazing at the starry sky. When Skywalker broke the silence with a stream of self-accusation, his Master commanded him to stop, for self-judgment was not the Jedi way. Yaddle had made the only choice that she could see, and did so freely. Handing Anakin his lightsaber, Obi-Wan told him there would be a time to mourn, but now they must continue to be the Jedi they were sent to be. Even so, Anakin remained comfortless: he felt his Master's words were automatic and empty, that he was drowning under the great sorrow and guilt that had rushed in to fill him. And flashing again in his mind's eye was his vision: its explosion of light and sorrow told him that, indeed, he had lost everyone he had ever loved, including Obi-Wan. His vision had proven true.

Yoda was officially informed of Yaddle's death via emergency channel comlink, but the wise old Jedi had sensed her passing already, informed immediately by the Force. Obi-Wan had officially delivered the news that already had brought great pain to Yoda, whose voice was "liquid with sorrow" in his proper acknowledgment of it. But Kenobi felt the oppressive weight of that pain too, as did his Padawan.

From his earliest memory, Yaddle had been a part of Obi-Wan's life. Taking special delight in the young Jedi students, she had turned a blind eye to their pranks, hidden sweets in their pockets. Her touch on young Kenobi's head had felt to him like the most comforting thing in the world. With the hard lessons of maturity, Yaddle was there still, but in a different way. When Yoda had seemed unapproachable, in seeking wisdom towards the right path, Obi-Wan had respectfully knocked on Yaddle's door on countless occasions—an exceptional allowance and availability, indeed, by a member of the Jedi High Council. He knew this loss to the Jedi Order was so precious, Yaddle's worth woven into the fabric of the Temple for so long, that he had not seen it clearly until it was gone. Her quiet wisdom and presence simply were always there. And losing her was almost as bad as losing Yoda would be.

The Jedi had not rested since Coruscant, because there simply was no time. Panic was growing in the Mawan streets, for with Yaddle's death the fragile coalition that she had built threatened to come undone; news of the bioweapon was everywhere. And what if Omega had another? The unstable situation in Naatan caused the Senate to recant: it went back on its word to send a security force, for it would not risk its galactic reputation on behalf of a planet's security if its forces were bound to fall to crimelords. Feana Tala, on the brink of deserting the city and pulling her patrols, was also close to recanting her faith in the Jedi. For she doubted that Naatan could withstand an attack by Omega. All would surely retreat underground again, but this time, they would remain below.

Kenobi and Skywalker, as they ingested and imbibed much-needed nourishment in the second-level café of the Senate Provisional Committee's makeshift command center, were able to persuade Tala, however, to hold out a little longer. This, bolstered by the promise of Yoda's arrival (his personal transport to the planet having already taken flight) would help ensure the Senate's support, a renewed commitment to aid Mawan.

Amidst the shifting tides of fear in the ranks of citizens and Senators, Obi-Wan Kenobi struggled with his own resurging anger, born of grief. He found it difficult to keep his temper cool or to speak in measured, reasonable tones. Instead, he wanted to shout at everyone that a great Jedi Master had sacrificed herself for their peace and security—and it would be a tremendous favor if they would just follow through! He understood his grief was making him short-tempered, and that his heart was, at once, heavy and angry that Yaddle had to die. Knowing that carrying these volatile emotions would only drag him down, Obi-Wan saw the need to absorb them and let them go. But he felt that he was struggling against a rising tide.

He was also struggling to reach his sorrowing Padawan. Granta Omega, who doubtless was now planning his revenge, would moreover surely exploit that sorrow for his own ends. He had already achieved his great goal of killing a member of the Jedi High Council. How could Kenobi ever banish his anger while he knew Omega gloated in satisfaction?

Yoda's Consular-class cruiser soon landed on Mawan in the cold, gray dawn. The Grand Master's first point of business was to see the place where Yaddle had died. And so, standing silent, he tilted back his head as if tasting the air, closed his eyes to feel her still-lingering presence, underneath the spot where Yaddle's life had ended—a private, final goodbye to his longtime friend. "Ready, I am," Yoda finally said, and they headed back towards the command center. There, they learned from Swanny and Rorq that Decca and Omega had settled their feud and had joined forces, something Kenobi had feared. Worse yet, with Omega accessing Decca's fleet and Decca accessing Omega's weapons, they now planned an allied assault on the city. With only security patrols to put up what was sure to be a doomed defense of the capital, Yoda asserted that they had to prevent the combined attack by preemptively attacking the enemy's strengths—transports and weaponry.

The Jedi-led team therefore conceived a plan whereby, with the help of Swanny and Rorq, they could re-route the underground wastewater pipes to intersect with Decca's fuel-depot pipes (Omega had just delivered to Decca a huge shipment of fuel). When the transport fueling began, the Hutt's transports would unwittingly be filled with wastewater instead of fuel, rendering them useless until they were pumped and dried out, which could take several days. Any water in the fuel would further cause engine problems. Anakin was to accompany the Mawan tunnel-workers to the point where the re-route would be done, to keep watch for them. Once finished, he'd rendezvous with Obi-Wan and Yoda at the fuel depot.

Skywalker, too, was battling anger and thoughts of revenge against Omega. His burning rage frightened him and threatened to spin out of control. Grateful he was for the presence now of the greatest Jedi Master then living, which presence was as deep and huge as his rage. It would surely help to keep his anger in check, and he would also look to his Master for the control he sought. But Anakin knew that both Obi-Wan and Yoda also felt anger and grief—he could see it in their eyes, feel it in the air around them, note it in their movement and speech. Yet somehow, he could see but only admire, they were finding the means to manage and dispense these raw and forceful energies: Yoda, who was clearly grief-stricken, had yet traveled to Mawan to finish Yaddle's work, and he was not deterred, but remained, like Obi-Wan, still focused and disciplined, and nothing could deflect either of them, not even sorrow. Anakin yearned himself to possess that inner calm, and realized after all that he did need a Council and a Master, for they showed him how far he had to go, how much he had yet to learn. He must win Obi-Wan's trust back. But he knew he was drowning in his own guilt: Yaddle had died before his eyes, and he knew that because of that knowledge he would forever be marked.

Finished with the wastewater re-route just in time, just as Decca's fuel-workers began to pump, Anakin raced back to join Obi-Wan and Yoda at the fueling depot entrance, where they hid behind a speeder. Decca was, of course, furious at Omega's suspected double-crossing sabotage. She released seeker-droids to track him down, and Yoda, Kenobi and Skywalker followed. They tracked Omega to a large landing area warehouse filled with enough weapons to mount an invasion. Omega was talking with an armored soldier, when suddenly Feeana Tala stepped out of the shadows and shot the seeker-droid down, announcing to Omega and the others that they had, it appeared, company: Feeana had betrayed the Mawan cause. Rolling into formation behind her were a troop of battle droids, armored gang soldiers with repeater blasters, and a grenade launcher.

Though vastly outnumbered and outmatched in terms of firepower, the Jedi, heeding Yoda's command, fearlessly charged into the fray, despite Omega's formidable arsenal surrounding him. Omega, with Feeana comfortably positioned behind his forces on a gravsled, stood with arms crossed, clearly relishing the prospect of a staged battle for his amusement. Suddenly, a massive wave of Force energy surged into the room, propelling Obi-Wan forward. Imbued with its power, he unleashed a devastating attack, slicing through five attack droids in a single sweep, their shattered remains clattering to the floor in smoking, twisted heaps. Yoda, displaying his own prowess, eliminated ten droids before telekinetically lifting heavy durasteel containers into the air. Releasing the containers' flamethrower contents in a fiery torrent, Yoda incinerated the remaining weapons cache, transforming it into a molten, smoking mass of intense heat.

"Advance!" Omega shrieked, his composure shattered. "With pleasure," Obi-Wan retorted, leading the charge alongside Anakin and Yoda. Lines of droids were sent hurtling, obliterated into scrap as Omega's soldiers faltered and retreated, Omega himself leaping from the gravsled, desperately urging his fleeing troops to hold their ground. Anakin, mirroring Yoda's unparalleled skill, exhibited perfect balance and focus; Kenobi had never witnessed his Padawan fight with such brilliance.

Leaving Yoda and Anakin to deal with the remaining droids, Obi-Wan pursued Omega, who was attempting to escape. Channeling the Force, he bypassed the droid lines and leaped over the gang soldiers, following Feeana and Granta into a plastoid tunnel where a sleek, compact cruiser awaited.

As Omega and Feeana scrambled into the cockpit, preparing for their getaway, Omega turned to boast that his father had instilled in him the importance of having a backup plan. Kenobi paused, surprised by both Granta's demeanor and the realization that Omega's background investigation had failed to uncover his father's identity. "Astonished?" Granta sneered, finally revealing his father's lineage: Omega was the offspring of Xanatos of Telos. Kenobi was stunned: he should have suspected it, recognized the signs in Omega's cynical remarks, insults, and overall disposition—for his father was Qui-Gon's former Padawan who succumbed to the dark side, Jinn's greatest adversary, who had invaded the Temple and even attempted to assassinate Yoda. The clues had been present: Sano Sauro's abduction of the promising boy from his mother's care on Nierport Seven (where Xanatos had concealed them) to properly train him in the ways of the galaxy. Bitter that he hadn't inherited his father's Force abilities, Omega now held Kenobi responsible for his father's demise. Driven by a desire to prove his worthiness to his deceased father as a Force-sensitive, he had pursued the Force across the galaxy, amassing even greater wealth than his father.

Obi-Wan recognized that Omega was prepared to sacrifice Feeana to ensure his own escape. Seizing her ankles, Granta cast her off the ship's hull. However, Anakin, enveloped in the Force, soared through the tunnel, catching her mid-air and saving her life. Nevertheless, Omega, igniting the engines, sped away—the Force Void, Xanatos' son, had eluded them once more. Feeana confessed to the Jedi her folly in aligning with Omega, whose betrayal had shocked her; she had acted out of desperation for her troops and fellow citizens. Regardless, Tala was rightfully imprisoned with the other captives.

Every Jedi student had heard the legend of Xanatos and the Temple invasion, and Obi-Wan, despite briefly discussing it with him, noticed the myriad questions in Anakin's eyes. He assured his Padawan that they would delve into the matter later, as they had a mission to complete—as it always seemed to be for Kenobi when he desired to spend more time with his Padawan. Circumstances consistently intervened, whether it was a mission to fulfill, an important destination, or a battle to wage—furthermore, Obi-Wan lamented the unspoken words that lingered in his own heart.

Upon the arrival of Decca's forces, she and her troops were awestruck by the devastation wrought by only three Jedi warriors. Yoda, after confronting Decca, successfully convinced her that she had reached an impasse. His remarks also filled her with unease when he hinted at the Jedi's consideration of establishing a satellite Temple on Mawan. That revelation solidified the Hutt's decision to abandon the planet. Anakin was grateful to have witnessed, beyond Yoda the master teacher, Yoda the warrior—the awe-inspiring demonstration of his incredible power in the Force; and somehow he knew, even then, that he'd only seen a glimpse of it. The Grand Master inquired of Anakin, upon returning from his discussion with Decca, if the boy understood how diplomacy was always preferable to conflict, to which Anakin responded with an appreciative nod.

However, Yoda suddenly sensed something else in the boy's countenance, and he spoke with him briefly about his feelings regarding the cause of Yaddle's death. He sought to reassure Anakin that her demise was not his fault, just as the movement of stars and their subsequent fall had no connection to Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was thankful for Yoda's words, but questioned why his own Master had remained silent. Obi-Wan had simply offered no solace when Anakin had criticized himself for Yaddle's passing. The truth of his vision was undeniable, and its realization felt like a deep wound. It was a profound loss. And it seemed that a vast chasm now separated him from his Master.

Upon the Jedi team's return to Coruscant, a special memorial service was conducted for Yaddle in the Great Hall of the Jedi Temple. The Hall and its surrounding balconies and levels were filled with hundreds of Jedi who had gathered to commemorate the great Jedi Master's immeasurable impact on countless lives, including the recent thousands for whom she had sacrificed herself. Glowlights were extinguished; thousands of tiny lights were projected onto the ceiling; then one faded out. Guided by the Force, each Jedi focused their attention on that one empty space, silent, still, lightless. With the collective power of every mind and heart focused on one being, the memory of Yaddle resonated through the room, and her absence permeated the Great Hall. Anakin Skywalker was present, and he perhaps felt the void most acutely.

Yaddle's position on the Jedi High Council was soon thereafter filled by Togruta Jedi Master Shaak Ti.