(A/N) Hello! Thank you SO much for checking this out! I'm so excited to be sharing it with all you wonderful people!

This particular story was dreamed up since I love AU's, so I thought, why not? Usually I just write them out, then forget about them, but this one stuck out to me. I think I can honestly say my favorite character in the whole Star Wars saga is none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi, so this started out as a take on Obi-Wan's thoughts during the end of RotS, but it morphed and changed into a full-fledged AU.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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A New Promise

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Prologue

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The hall was silent, save for the soft sound of breathing . . . but even that was hushed.

The two men stood, rigid, ten seconds seeming like ten hours. The light in the hall, though dim, felt like a hundred suns, their rays burning holes in their backs. The slight whirr of a medical droid interrupted the blessed silence as it made its seemingly-slow approach. "Her trachea was damaged significantly. She will recover in time," its eerily human-like voice said, far too loudly for their tastes, "but if we do not operate quickly, the babies may die. Do we have permission to continue with the operation?"

"Yes, of course," he murmured.

"Wait, babies?" The other man blinked, incredulous.

"Yes, sir," the medical droid said. "She's carrying twins." The droid turned back to the room Padmé lay in.

Obi-Wan rubbed his chin in thought and fixed his gaze on the operating table as the hall returned to silence once more.


"How are you feeling?" Obi-Wan murmured as he crept into the medical room. Padmé looked up and adjusted her hold on Leia.

"Better than before. Thank you." Her voice was rough and quiet.

"You look well."

Padmé nodded and smiled tiredly. The room was silent.

Obi-Wan picked up a sleeping Luke, gently cradling the baby as if he were made of glass.

"What did you decide?" Padmé asked. Obi-Wan sighed and went to stand by her bed.

"Padmé," he started. "You must know now that you are a dear friend to me and I would never do anything to hurt you. Right now, all the decisions we make are what we truly believe is best for the twins, the Jedi Order, and the Republic. The Empire must not find these babies. You know that."

Padmé nodded. Obi-Wan continued: "Master Yoda and I believe that the safest thing we can do for Luke and Leia . . ." Luke began to fuss. The Jedi bounced him gently, then gave him to Padmé. Luke calmed immediately and reached a tiny hand out to wrap his fingers around Leia's fist. Obi-Wan rubbed his beard and swallowed. "We've decided they need to be separated."

Eyes growing wide, Padmé unconsciously tightened her grip on the babies. Obi-Wan sank onto the edge of her bed.

"You're not serious!" she whispered.

The Jedi nodded, his eyes searching Padmé's for any hint of understanding. "Their combined strength in the Force is too noticeable. As they grow older and stronger, Palpatine will have no trouble locating them. But if they are separated, they still have a chance. Bail had mentioned bringing Leia to Alderaan to be raised in the Court. He and his wife would care for her as their own child until she is old enough to meet you and Luke."

Padmé was uncharacteristically silent for a long time. Then, in scarcely more than a whisper, she said, "Where will you take Luke?"

"Master Yoda suggested Tatooine, where Anakin's relatives are."

"No." Padmé shook her head. "It's too much of a risk. Ana-Vader might find him there."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I agree." He took Luke again, cradling the baby and stroking his face. "Wherever he goes, I plan to stay, to train him when he is old enough."

"Are you sure you want to train him?"

Obi-Wan knew what she meant. Did he want a repeat of what happened to Anakin? No.

"Yes," he sighed. "He may be our only hope for defeating the Empire."

"The last time you put such a big responsibility on your apprentice, it didn't end well." There was a frightening edge to her voice.

"The last time, I was young, blind, and inexperienced. I have learned from my mistakes, Padmé. And I made quite a few of them. With Luke . . . This time, you will be there. And . . . he is not his father. Anakin was angry with me for a number of reasons, and furious at the Jedi for taking him from his mother, then never letting him see her again. I promise you, I will not make the same mistakes with Luke."

Padmé gazed at her son. Then, quietly, she said, "I will take your word for it."

Obi-Wan inclined his head in thanks. After a while, he asked, "Do you agree that the twins must be separated?"

"No. Every part of me is saying they need to stay together. They shouldn't grow up without each other . . ."

"Remember: If Palpatine find them, he will turn them into monsters. They have the capacity to be as powerful as Anakin was. Combined, perhaps even more. Palpatine would turn them into puppets to his will. We are only doing this to keep them safe."

"I understand that. But you can't ask a mother to knowingly part with her child!"

"Can't I?" Obi-Wan leaned forward imploringly. "I know, for a fact, that a mother will always do what is best for her children."

Padmé's eyes were like daggers piercing his soul. "And what if you're wrong? What if the best thing to do is to keep them together so they can be twice as strong together?! Siblings are not meant to be separated, and what if I meet Leia later and she thinks I was playing favorites? That I didn't want her so I gave her to the Organas! I can't do that."

Obi-Wan didn't have the heart to speak.

After a while, Padmé whispered, "Is Anakin really gone?"

"I know," he said slowly, "that Vader is very much alive. But whatever remained of my brother Anakin before is now either destroyed or buried forever under darkness. I do not think there is much hope for him."

Silence reigned for a long time. It was an uncomfortable, grating silence, broken only by the occasional whimper from one of the babies.

Finally, when Obi-Wan was deciding on a way to excuse himself, Padmé murmured, "Dantooine."

"Excuse me?"

She sighed, not meeting the Jedi's gaze. "There's a forest planet called Dantooine, in the Outer Rim, without much around it. There are friendly settlements, but most of them are fairly primitive. . ."

"You want to hide there." It was not a question.

"Yes."

"And keep both children."

"Of course!"

Obi-Wan sighed, stood, and placed Luke in his crib. "I will speak with Master Yoda."

A slight smile touched Padmé's face. "Thank you."

The Jedi inclined his head, then turned and exited swiftly.


As he strode through the halls, Obi-Wan contemplated what Padmé had said: that a mother would not willingly part with her child. But hadn't his own mother done just that? He wondered if it had been simple for his mother to give him away, or if she had cried and begged them not to take her son. Or perhaps she saw that becoming a Jedi would be the best thing for him. . . After all, parents always tried to do what was best for their children.

Perhaps, when Padmé and the twins found a home, he would go to his home planet Stewjon to find his family. . .

Obi-Wan was so absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to notice the small, green Jedi Master in his path until he was nearly stepping on him. Obi-Wan came to a screeching halt, disguising his awkward stumble as a bow.

"Master Yoda," he greeted.

Yoda raised a critical eyebrow and smirked up at Obi-Wan. "Master Kenobi. Speak with you, I must."

"I was on my way to speak with you, also."

"Regarding Senator Amidala, hmm?"

"Yes, Master."

"Come." The green Jedi hobbled away, leaning on his gimer stick. Obi-Wan turned and followed him.

The pair soon arrived at a sterile, white room that featured only three low, blue chairs and a table to match. Yoda settled himself into the nearest chair, seeming perfectly at home. Obi-Wan perched nervously next to him.

"Master," Obi-Wan started. "I was speaking with Padmé, and she insists we let her stay with both twins."

"Agree with this, you do?"

"To an extent, Master. I believe it will be safer for all of them if they are separated. . . But, to be honest, I understand her perspective. She is a mother and she loves her children dearly. It would kill her to lose one of them. I think if we choose a system far enough away from the Core, they will have a measure of safety. I plan to stay with them, to protect them and to train the children."

Yoda bowed his head in thought. "If the will of the Force this is, obey it you must." He sighed. "Trust you I do, to make the right decision."

"Thank you, Master."

"Where will you take them?"

"Padmé suggested Dantooine. It's close to Naboo, where her family is, but not so close that it's dangerous for them."

Yoda nodded. "Very good. Now, work I have for you, during your time on Dantooine. Contact I have made with someone in the netherworld of the Force. Someone who has learned the secret of immortality."

"Who was it?"

"Your old master."

Obi-Wan leaned forward in his seat, eyes wide. "Qui-Gon!"

Yoda nodded solemnly. "Teach you, he will. . . Obi-Wan, farewell this is. I will go to Dagobah to learn what Master Jinn has."

"Well then, farewell, Master Yoda. . . Until we meet again."

Both Jedi stood and bowed simultaneously.

"Obi-Wan," Yoda said quietly. "Take good care of the children, you must. Enough of the future I can see to know that they will be very, very important in the fight against the Empire. Train them well."

"Yes, Master."

"May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi."

"May the Force be with you also, Master Yoda."


Obi-Wan leaned his head back, breathing slowly and purposely. He shifted, adjusting his back, which was disagreeing with him. "Sore" was an understatement. The seat he occupied was anything but comfortable. He considered going to the back of the ship so he could lay down and sleep for a few minutes, but they were nearly at their destination and he didn't want to wake Padmé before he had to.

The trip to Dantooine took twenty-one hours in hyperspace. The twins had been annoyed and they constantly wailed their displeasure for the first few hours. As of now, they were sleeping in an extra room, while Padmé took a long-needed nap. Obi-Wan had employed R2-D2 with watching the babies so Padmé could sleep and he could fly the ship. There was one hour left, and it couldn't go by fast enough.

Obi-Wan sighed, closing his eyes and kicking his feet onto the dashboard. That was something he would have scolded Anakin for doing, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

During the trip, the adults had hardly spoken with each other, unless necessary. All that had transpired in the last few weeks was finally taking its toll on them. It had been one week since the twins were born. Obi-Wan and Padmé had stayed on Polis Massa to let her recover, then after sending C-3PO and warm wishes with Bail Organa, they crowded onto Padmé's small cruiser with the twins and R2-D2. Obi-Wan had been concerned that arriving with a Royal Nubian Cruiser on a fairly undeveloped planet would raise suspicion. So they stopped at a spaceport, sold the cruiser, then bought an even smaller vessel that was meant for two people. There were two beds in cramped rooms, one lumpy, age-old couch, and a kitchen unit. Obi-Wan had settled himself into the cockpit, and there he'd stayed for the last twelve hours. He'd tried lying down on the two seats, but that was even more uncomfortable than staying upright.

He rolled his head, hearing all sorts of joints crack. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing, he thought wryly, running a hand through his newly-cut hair. He and Padmé had dressed as refugees fleeing the destruction of Coruscant. After a bit of discussion, they decided to pose as a married couple, since anything else would raise questions that couldn't be answered. Obi-Wan decided to change his name to Ben, and Padmé agreed to take the name Pooja Kenobi, though with extreme reluctance. He had asked her about that and she'd answered: "Anakin and I were legally married. My actual surname should be Skywalker."

She had also told him that it was a blessing that Luke's hair and eyes matched his own, since he would be masquerading as the boy's father. He'd smiled grimly and a wave of agony passed between the two.

Though it was only an hour, it felt like five before the control panel started to blink and beep, signaling their arrival at Dantooine. Padmé woke and strapped herself into the copilot's seat. Then they began their descent into a new life.

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Hope you enjoyed!

To be continued...