Well, here we are at the beginning of another story. There was a hint of new plotline based on a subplot of "The Promise", however, I'm going to deviate away from that for this story. I do plan on coming back to that subplot in a future tale, however. In any case, this story is being written because of the very successful run of "The Promise". It was wonderful to have so many reader/reviewers! In no special order, I would like to thank the following fans for their consistent loyalty and patience, especially toward the end of the story when I was struggling to write: MoAngel, JediDaughter1, starwarsforever, Star Wars for life, JediKnight13, Martin Kanou, JediAngel001, Kit M. Yonze, Jedi Hsoy and Bronze Raven. Without your continued support, the story would most likely never have been started, let alone finished. Thank you!

I have two more fans I'd like to mention who just recently found the Jedi Path stories and have enjoyed them: Digital Dreams and sideline; I hope this one lives up to expectations.

THE INHERITANCE

:::::Prologue:::::

She heard the shell explode behind her, but steeled herself not to turn back. Deadly shrapnel rained down around her and she pressed the blanket-wrapped bundle she carried closer to her, shielding it from harm; but miraculously, she managed to escape the barrage nearly unscathed. It could not be too far now, she was sure of it. Another shell struck a building to her right, throwing up a great cloud of dust and debris as they structure collapsed. "No." She breathed, clutching her precious burden tighter.

It could not end this way, not when she was so close. Just as the air began to clear, another explosion shook the war-torn street, nearly knocking her off her feet; she dared a glance behind her to see the Palace engulfed in flames. Blinking back tears, she kissed the top of her bundle and started forward again, picking her way through the littered motorway, there was no turning back now....there was nothing to go back to. She thought briefly of those left in the Palace, praying that at least some of them would be spared, but then she forced herself to focus on her own survival; not that her life mattered to her anymore, only that she lived long enough to reach her goal. She was near the edge of the city now, having to fight her way through the panicking throng trying to escape the city's final destruction. The bundle shifted in her arms, "Mama?" It murmured.

"Hush, it will be alright soon." She whispered.

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They watched the destruction from a small hillock near their waiting ship, "I fear we have come too late." The older of the two observed.

"Perhaps; however, I hope you are wrong." The other replied with a sigh, fingered the braid extending from behind her ear, "Some good must come from all this destruction."

The older one smiled, placing a hand on the younger's shoulder, "I hope I am wrong too." She answered.

The braided one turned to her elder, "We will wait, won't we? Until there is no hope?" She asked.

"Until it is too dangerous for us to remain." The elder said, "It would serve no purpose to do otherwise."

The younger one turned away, "Of course, Master." She responded, clearly disappointed by her companion's answer.

"Think, Padawan." The master began, "I am charged, not only to accomplish this mission, but to protect your life; that is my mandate. If it becomes clear we can no longer risk staying here, I must put your life ahead of this mission. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Master; but what of the babe? And the mother risking her life to bring him to us?" The girl questioned.

"We must trust the child's life to the Will of the Force. If it be the Will of the Force that the Jedi have him, then we need have no concern for his safety. If he and his mother are meant to die, we must accept that too." The master counseled.

The younger Jedi said nothing; at fifteen, she still had difficulty understanding how violent death could be the Will of the Force.

The master glanced back toward the city and breathed a sigh of relief; stumbling toward them, clutching a cloth-covered bundle, was the woman whose image they had been given, "Did I not say to trust in the Force?" She admonished her young charge.

But the girl was already making her way down to meet the woman; with a shake of her head, the master followed.

"Thank the Maker!" The woman exclaimed.

"Are you alright?" The master asked, eying the woman's torn clothing.

"I am now; I was afraid you might give me up for lost." The woman answered.

The apprentice glanced up at her master, "We wanted to give you every chance to reach us." She replied.

Her master did not disagree as she reached to take the bundle the woman offered to her, "You will take care of him?" The woman asked, tousling the child's ginger-colored hair.

"We will see to it." The master assured her.

"Then he will be a Jedi?" The woman queried.

"If what you have told us of him is true, there is a good possibility of that; we will need to test him, to see how Force sensitive he is, of course. In any case, whether he becomes a Jedi or not, the Order will be his family now." The master answered.

The woman nodded, swallowing hard and brushing away a tear as she brushed a hand across the boy's cheek, "Mama?" He murmured questioningly as he reached for her.

"No, Darling; you must go with these people. They will take care of you." The woman said, smiling gently though her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Mama not come?" The boy questioned, "Why, Mama?"

"You are welcome to come to Coruscant with us; you need not remain here." The master stated.

"No, my home is here; I must try to salvage what remains, if that is possible." The woman answered, "But it has become too dangerous here for our son."

"Adi, take the boy to the ship." The master ordered.

"Yes, Master." Adi answered, taking the boy.

"No!" The child protested, holding his arms out to his mother, "Mama, please!"

"Adi, take him to the ship." The master instructed.

"But...." Adi objected.

The boy's mother reached out and cradled the boy's face in her hands, "Listen to me, my dear child; you must go, now. I know it is hard to understand, but Mama and Papa have much work to do, very, very dangerous work, and we need to know that you will be safe. The Jedi will take good care of you; we have talked about this, remember?" She told the boy.

"I love you, Mama; don' wanna leave." The boy whimpered.

"I love you too, my sweet boy; I don't want to leave you. But it is the only way." The woman persisted.

"Will you come?" The boy asked.

"I....I don't know." The woman replied, fighting back tears, "You go with Adi, be a good boy."

The boy gripped his mother's hand for a moment, unable to hold back his own tears, "Yes, Mama." He answered and did not protest further as the apprentice, Adi, carried him the short distance to the ship....but his gray-blue eyes never left the figure of his mother.

Once the pair had disappeared inside, the master turned toward the woman, "Are you sure you want to give him up to the Jedi? It is not your only option, you know." She said.

The woman sighed, "We have been told he has the gift of the Force." She replied.

"Milady, there can be no further contact with him if you choose the Jedi. If you wish to see him again, perhaps it would be best if you allowed us to foster him to a good family; that way, when it is safe, you can bring him back here." The master continued.

"Master Jedi, my husband and I have talked of this at length. We understand the consequences of giving him up to the Jedi." The woman answered, then sighed, "The truth is, we....it is probable that we will not survive much longer. My husband may already be dead; I saw the Palace burning behind me. So, you see, it is important for me to know that our son will live. I can die happily with this knowledge."

"Your selflessness does you credit." The master said.

The woman shook her head, "I should return to the city, the people will look to me, to us, if my husband survives." She replied.

"I admire your bravery. There are not many who would turn down an offer to escape." The master told her, "May the Force be with you, Milady."

"Thank you. And may it be with you, Master Jedi." The woman answered, then, with a bow, turned back toward the devastated city.

"How old is the child, Milady?" The master asked.

"Just past two." The woman revealed, turning to regard the Jedi with a sad smile, "He is....very bright for two, don't you agree?"

"Yes, he appears to be." The master agreed, "And his name?"

"Of course, his name.....we call him Obi-Wan." The woman said.

"We will take good care of him, Lady Kenobi." The master assured her, "I give you my word."

The woman's smiled brightened just a little, "I have no doubt of that. Thank you, Master Jedi." She replied turning once more toward the city.

The Jedi master watched the woman for several minutes, but she never turned back. Behind her, she could here the engines of the ship firing up. As if on cue, another missile struck the already ruined city; time, she realized, as Adi already had, to go. The future for Lord and Lady Kenobi looked bleak; but they had seen to it that their son's would not be. The Jedi would claim Obi-Wan Kenobi as one of their own.

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Forty years later

"It is a certainty? You have located him?" The Prince questioned.

"Yes, My Lord; our suspicions were correct." Came the answer.

"Then she managed to reach the Jedi after all; interesting that she chose not to reveal this to us when the city fell." The Prince replied.

Perhaps she still feared for the safety of the boy, we were the losers in that conflict, you know. Had Quell known a young heir survived, he would surely have had hunted him down." The other answered.

"I suppose you are right. But his survival complicates matters; what do we do with him now?" The Prince wondered.

"My Lord, he is a Jedi, surely you do not believe he will seek the Throne?"

"Perhaps not; but we are still obligated to offer it to him." The Prince stated, "Although I would not like to think what would happen were he to choose to take it."

The Prince's companion did not reply. After forty years of struggle, they had finally ended the inner conflicts that had caused the rebellion; no one knew what would happen should another Kenobi take the Throne.

Okay, so there it is; I hope it sounds intriguing enough to continue reading. Remember, reviews are important, they let me know there is actually interested in my musings. There will be no reason to go on with it if there is little or no interest.