Pacing through the corridors of the quarters, a chestnut-haired Jedi Master stopped in front of a door, decorated with drawings of the stars and the moon, which were drawn with crayons. She gave a soft knock on the door. "Hello," she said, leaning her ears against the door, hoping to get an answer. Not a sound replied to her knock.
Strange, she thought, giving another knock on the door. "Lira, are you in there?"
Still no answers. She took a deep breath and slowly walked in, only to find her room empty. One of her eyebrows was raised as she walked around, examining the scene. Where did she go?
She let out a hard sigh and walked out of her apprentice's room and headed in the opposite direction, knocking on another door. "Girls, are you in there?"
Still, no answer from them. Her heart beats rapidly as she closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, walking inside the room, but no one was inside. Where are they?
Vanya took out her comlink from her utility belt around her cream-coloured Jedi tunic and dialed her. "Lira, are you there?" she asked, expecting an answer from her.
Her palms felt clammy as she heard nothing but statics through her comlink. Come on, ad'ika, answer the damn call.
After a few minutes of radio silence, she hung up and breathed in, holding her chest. Maybe I could call Eva then. I'm sure she'll answer me then.
She dialed her sister and waited for the younger twin to answer her, her left foot tapping on the Temple floor. But she didn't answer the Jedi Master's call. Damn it, Eva. Aren't you supposed to be the less trouble making twin?
She paced away from their rooms, huffing, and puffing. Passing by her comrades through the corridors, she bowed to them hastily as they watched her rushed, wondering where Master Doyvesky heading to.
Vanya stopped her tracks in front of the briefing room and took a deep breath, pinching her left thumb. She took a step inside the room and bowed to Master Yoda and Master Windu. "Master Doyvesky, troubled, you are?" the Grand Jedi Master asked, his hands gripped on the tip of his walking stick.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, holding her torso. "It's Lira and Eva," she answered, her voice trembling. "I couldn't find them anywhere in the Temple."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he shifted his focus to his friend, stroking his beard. "Did you try to comm them?" he asked, his lips feeling dry. Vanya felt tongue-tied as she shook her head, her eyebrows drooping.
The auburn-haired Jedi Master bowed to his Senior Jedi Masters as he escorted Vanya out of the room, reaching out to his former Padawan, Eva, with his comlink on his wrist. "Evie, where are you?" he asked, trying not to sound harsh. "Can you pick up the call?"
There was radio silence on the other end. "Evie, are you there? Hello? Are you there? "
Vanya nibbled her fingers as Obi-Wan repeated his words on his comlink, before hanging up. "She's not answering, Vanya."
"Try Lira," she suggested to her friend. "Maybe she'll answer."
Obi-Wan gave a nod as he reached out for Eva's sister with his comlink. "Lira, come in," he spoke. "This is Master Kenobi. Where are you both? "
They have waited in the middle of the corridor for a few minutes, wondering the whereabouts of both their apprentices. Obi-Wan kept his poker face as he watched Vanya catching her breath, wiping the sweat off her powdered face. Please be safe and sound, girls. I can't afford to lose you both right now.
He sighed and hung up, sighing. He placed his hand on Vanya's shoulder, sensing her unstable thoughts through her Force signature. "We'll have to wait a little longer, Vanya," he said, in a tranquilizing tone. "I'm sure they'll turn up eventually."
"But what if they don't?" her lip quivered. "What if something bad happened to them? They're just kids, Obi-Wan. You know how vulnerable they are to the harsh world out there."
"I'm aware of that, Vanya, but we cannot let our feelings control us. We must think rationally with our mind."
She bobbed her head, as she held back her tears and squeezed his hand on her shoulder. "I know, Obi-Wan. I just can't help it, you know, with the girls out there, doing whatever reckless-"
He pressed his index fingers on her pinkish lips, making Vanya close her eyes and took a deep breath, pushing his fingers away from her lips. "I'll try to calm myself, pal," she said, squeezing her fingers. "Thanks."
"What are friends for?" he nudged his elbows on hers, making me chuckled softly.
"Very funny, Obi-Wan," she rolled her eyes, nudging him back. "You should head back inside."
He nodded, giving her a slight smile on his face. Watching her leave, he walked back inside the briefing room, his lips curved downwards. Where in the blazes are they? He pondered, his gaze fixed on the holotable. They should be staying in the Temple instead of being out there, doing who knows what. I hope nothing bad happens to the twins. I can't lose them, like how I lost my master.
"Obi-Wan," the dark-skinned Jedi called out to him, catching his attention. "Should we be focusing on the Chancellor's murder?"
He nodded as he glanced at Mace Windu, putting his thoughts behind him. "Yes, Master Windu," he answered, rubbing his bearded chin. "Anakin and Ahsoka have searched through the Chancellor's residence last night. There were no traces of the poison anywhere. The crime scene was quite clean, I must say."
Yoda's eyes furrowed as he scratched his chin. "Disturbing, this revelation is," he spoke, looking up at his former student. "Unrest in the Senate, there is."
"I agree, Master," Mace Windu acknowledged. "If the news of the Chancellor's murder reached to the public, it'll be chaotic."
Too chaotic for the girls to go through right now, he squeezed his palms. "Yes, and the Separatist will use this opportunity to strike against the Republic."
"We can't let that happen," he told him, in a calm voice. "We must investigate this discreetly, without the Senate knowing this."
"I'll get my troops to investigate the Chancellor's place tonight," Obi-Wan suggested. "Anakin and Ahsoka will be searching through his office again. We must find the evidence so that we can bring the killer to justice."
"Careful," Yoda warned him. "If discovered the truth, chaotic, the galaxy will be."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan bowed to him, walking out of the briefing room, before stopping mid-track. "There is one more thing, master."
Mace and Yoda glanced at him, with stony faces. "My apprentice and Vanya's, Eva Bella and Ava Lira Young, have not reported themselves in since this morning. I'm worried that they may have strayed afar from Coruscant, or worse. Should I search for them?"
Yoda's head tilted upwards, processing his thoughts. "Find them, Master Doyvesky shall," he advised. "Focus on the Chancellor, you must. Let your emotions cloud your judgment, you must not."
"Understood, Master," Obi-Wan acknowledged, as he stepped out of the briefing room, contacting his friend through his comlink. "Vanya, I have some news for you."
"What is it, Obi?" she asked, answering his calls. "I told Master Yoda and Master Windu about the twins," he told her. "You'll be searching for them."
She released a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear but what about you?"
"I'll be too occupied with the Council," he lied, hiding his tinge of guilt in his heart. I should be looking for the twins as well. Eva's my former apprentice and I'm responsible for her well-being, as well as Vanya is responsible for Lira as well. "You should get Commander Tori to search for the girls as well. She knows more about Eva and Lira than both of us."
We only had the twins for six months while Tori got two and a half years with them. She's very lucky to have spent more time with them. "I understand, burc'ya," Vanya said, in a low tone. "I'll bring them back."
"Good luck," he wished her, before hanging up. I should've told her the truth instead of lying to her, he said to himself, looking at the view of Coruscant from the large window.
No, the Council told me not to tell anyone. But still, I lied to my good friend. If she found out about this, if the girls found out-no, they won't know about this. This is confidential. I promised the Council not to let it slip from my lips, and it won't happen.
He inhaled and exhaled his breath, and moved his feet in the corridor, heading inside the Temple lift.
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