In a galaxy far, far away…
…
Turmoil has engulfed the galaxy. Chancellor Palpatine, now calling himself Emperor, has sent what remains of the Jedi Order into hiding and created what he calls the first Galactic Empire. Cries of "Safety, Security, Justice, and Peace!" echo throughout the Senate, shattering the hearts of those who once believed in the sanctity and safety of democracy.
At his side stands a man once thought of as the most powerful Jedi of his generation. HoloNet called Anakin Skywalker the Hero With No Fear. Now, he has fallen to the dark side of the Force, becoming the Emperor's merciless enforcer, Darth Vader. Under his new Master's command, he hunts down the remaining members of his former Order, none more ruthlessly than his former Master and friend, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Many despair as they watch the Emperor slowly, systematically take hold of the galaxy and crush it between his palms. Rebellion's whispered about in the darkest corners. Only the bravest of souls defy the Emperor's rule. Some planets demand the right to secede from the Empire. They get dealt with swiftly and fatally.
Yet, a small ray of hope remains.
The children of Anakin Skywalker are strong in the Force. Through them, it's believed the Sith shall be defeated and balance and peace again restored to the galaxy. Separating them is all that will give the infants a chance at surviving. Leia gets taken by the young Senator from Alderaan and his beautiful Queen while Obi-Wan Kenobi flees with Luke to Anakin's home world of Tatooine.
The former Jedi Master adopts the role of a hermit, silently watching over the boy until the time is right. His exile is not without conditions, however. Before parting ways with Master Yoda, he's told he will receive training from his former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn.
It's been months since Obi-Wan last heard from his former Master and he has begun to despair that Qui-Gon, as well as the mythical Force that has guided him for so long, has finally abandoned him…
…
Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi met with Senator Bail Organa in the conference room onboard the Senator's consular starship, the Tantive IV todecide the fates of two infanta who carried the weight of the entire galaxy on their tiny shoulders. Master Yoda sat at the head of the long, rectangular table, his great head bowed, shoulders slumped, and his eyes closed.
To a casual observer, it would seem as if the elderly Jedi was deep in meditation. Obi-Wan Kenobi, seated to his left, and Senator Organa, seated on his right, knew it was that the wise Master was contemplating the question put to him moments before by Bail.
Both of them waited for Yoda to speak. Not that they had anything to say. Words simply escaped them. Logic evaded them. Exhaustion and grief weighed heavy upon them all.
The Sith, long believed to have faded into obscurity and which surfaced over a decade ago had finally taken their vengeance upon the galaxy. Chancellor Palpatine, revealed now as the Sith Master, Darth Sidious, disbanded the Republic, orchestrated the slaughter of the Jedi Order, and proclaimed himself the Emperor of what he now called the first Galactic Empire.
Hope seemed lost. Rebellion seemed futile. At least, it seemed that way to Obi-Wan as he stared down at the gleaming floor. How could they fight a man with as much power as Palpatine now possessed? He not only had the entire Senate on his side but an entire army, as well.
The Clones who once followed their Jedi Generals loyally into battle were also his to command. Somewhere they were given orders to kill all Jedi on sight. Even Cody turned on me, Obi-Wan thought with a trace of bitterness and sadness.
People suspected of colluding with each other to help the Jedi or overthrow Palpatine were being brought before an inquisition and subjected to varying degrees of torture. Many who once thought of the Jedi as allies now considered them enemies. What are we to do? Obi-Wan wondered as he waited for Master Yoda to speak. How are we supposed to help the galaxy when our numbers are now reduced to almost nothing?
Any of the Order that managed to survive Order 66 had gone into hiding. At least, he hoped they had gone into hiding. Obi-Wan himself had used the Force to reach deep within the shell of the Jedi Temple's recall beacon's mechanism, subtly altering the pulse calibration to flip the signal urging all Jedi to come home to stay away. How many managed to hear the signal, he did not know. He could only trust it was more than just him and Master Yoda left.
Finally, the wizened Jedi stirred and turned his limpid gaze upon the two men who sat patiently awaiting his wisdom.
"To Naboo," he said in a voice that suddenly sounded old and frail, "we must send the Senator's body."
"Of course," Bail instantly agreed. "That is where she deserves to be laid to rest. Her family is there, after all."
"Pregnant, she must still appear," Yoda pronounced with a heavy sigh. "Hidden, safe, her children must be kept."
Obi-Wan did not even have to ask why. The answer to that was clear. Palpatine could never know about them. Their existence would be a threat that he would quickly eliminate.
"We should split the children up," he managed around the smoke, sand, and emotion clogging his throat. "If the Empire manages to find one of them, at least the other will have a chance."
"A wise plan, Master Kenobi."
Obi-Wan took no comfort in that small bit of praise from the elderly Jedi Master. He deserved no praise. Not after he failed to defend and protect the galaxy from the evil now infecting it. And certainly not when it was his fault that the greatest Jedi of the modern era had fallen to the dark side.
"How should they be divided?" Bail questioned as he sat back in his chair. "Who should take which child? And where can they be taken that will be safe from the reach of the Emperor?"
All were good questions. Ones that neither Obi-Wan or Yoda had ready answers for. Where was safe in a galaxy consumed by darkness? Where could they go that nobody would immediately recognize who and what they were? There was only one solution Obi-Wan could come up with and he spoke it now in a tone laced with regret and exhaustion.
"I will take the boy if Master Yoda will take the girl." He looked first at Yoda and then at Bail. "We can find a place to hide them, do what we can to keep them safe, and out of sight of those who might suspect who and what they are." He paused to swallow back the grief threatening to tear him in two. "Once they are grown we can train them as Anakin should have been trai—"
"No."
Master Yoda's flat refusal stunned Obi-Wan into silence. A glance at the Senator's face revealed he was just as surprised as Obi-Wan. He stared at Master Yoda for some moments, trying to figure out why he refused to not only take one of the twins and hide them, but to train them. If they are the only hope we have for defeating Palpatine and restoring peace and balance...
"How are they to learn the self-discipline a Jedi needs?" He frowned his bewilderment. "How will they acquire the skills they need to not only master the Force, but defeat a man as powerful as Palpatine if we do not train them?"
"Jedi training, the sole source of self-discipline is not." Yoda rest his chin on the hands he folded over the head of his gimer stick. "When right is the time for skills to be taught, to us the Living Force will bring them. Until then, wait we will, and watch, and learn."
Confusion ran through Obi-Wan at those words. Learn? He found himself wondering. What is it we are to learn? Before he could ask the elderly Jedi to explain what it was they needed to learn, Bail coughed, drawing both of their gazes. The Senator flushed and shifted in his seat. Seeing a man normally as cool and calm as Bail so unsettled brought everything that happened into startling, vivid contrast.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Masters," he said politely. "There was just something I wanted to say."
"Interrupt us, you may, Senator." Yoda's face softened. "Say what you want. Listen, we will."
Bail nodded and cleared his throat.
"I..." he began but then seemingly changed his mind about whatever he was going to say. Finally, he said, "As you are aware, my Queen and I have not been blessed with a child of our own. We have talked at length of adopting a girl." He looked between Obi-Wan and Yoda. "If you have no objections to it, I would like to take Leia to Alderaan. The Queen and I would raise her as our daughter." In the Senator's dark eyes there was a glimmer of hope. Of want. "She would be loved by us, I assure you. She would want for nothing."
Yoda and Obi-Wan shared a look. It wasn't even a question to either of them about this being the perfect solution. Leia would have a home. Wasn't that what Padmé would have wanted for her daughter? A home, roots, family, friends? The comfort and protection of people who would help her grow up in a galaxy filled with chaos? It was a far better life than she would have with either of them.
"No happier fate could any child ask for," Yoda told the Senator with a soft smile. "With our blessing, and that of the Force, let Leia be your child."
Obi-Wan felt some of the ice surrounding his heart melt at seeing the pure, uncomplicated joy that came over the Senator's face.
"Thank you, Masters," he stammered, his relief at not being denied the opportunity to raise Leia as his own palpable. "I don't know what else to say but thank you for this gift you have given me and my Queen. We will treasure her, I promise." He got up to leave, but stopped. He turned back to look at them. "Perhaps it is not my place to ask..." A frown puckered his brow. "But what will become of the boy?"
"Mm," Yoda murmured. "Good question, that is. Know, I do not."
"Cliegg Lars still lives on Tatooine," Obi-Wan offered. "As does Anakin's stepbrother." He searched through his memory for the man's name. Anakin mentioned his stepbrother only once after they returned from Geonosis. Then it had come with a great deal of pain. Obi-Wan assumed it was because thoughts of Tatooine dredged up memories of his mother and her death at the hands of the Tusken Raiders who tormented the inhabitants of the desert planet. "Owen is his name. We could take Luke to him."
"Are you sure he still lives there?" Bail questioned, his tone revealing his concern. "People do not stay long on a planet like Tatooine."
"As far as I am aware, he and his wife, Beru, still work the family's moisture farm outside of Mos Eisley."
"Hm."
Obi-Wan glanced over at the Jedi Master and saw something he couldn't quite define flicker across his wrinkled face. As if there was something about the planet of Tatooine and the Lars family in general. His brow puckered as unease flip-flopped in his stomach. What about them could Yoda sense that he did not? He shrugged off his disquiet and doubt.
There were more pressing matters to attend. Like resolving where to send Luke that would be safe. Later, would be time enough to wonder about the things he saw on the wise Jedi Master's face.
"You don't approve of sending the boy to his family?" Bail broached the silence to ask. "Why?"
"As close to kinfolk as the boy can come," Yoda said slowly, thoughtfully. "However, Tatooine, is not like Alderaan. Deep in the Outer Rim, it is. Many threats, there are. Much danger, there is."
"Anakin survived living on Tatooine," Obi-Wan couldn't stop himself from pointing out. "Luke can manage to survive there, too. And I..." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "Well, I could take him there, and watch over him. Protect him from the worst of the planet's dangers."
Yoda's ears perked up at his offer and there was a slight twinkle in his green-gold eyes. When he spoke, there was a hint of humor, just a touch of it, in his voice.
"Like a father you wish to be, young Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan felt a surge of heat creep up to warm his cheeks.
"More like an eccentric old uncle, I think," he told the elderly Master sheepishly. "It is a part I believe I can play satisfactorily."
"Do this, without reservations, you will?"
"I will," Obi-Wan confirmed with a slight nod. "In fact." He allowed the hint of a smile to grace his features. "I can't imagine a better way to spend the rest of my life really."
"Settled it is, then." Yoda's hand waved through the air. "To Tatooine, you will take the boy."
"If you'll excuse me, Masters," Bail said as he stood and moved to the door. "I have to call the Queen and tell her the good news." He paused to look back at them. His dark eyes were momentarily troubled. "Master Yoda, do you truly believe the twins will be able to defeat Palpatine and bring peace and balance back to the galaxy?"
"Strong the Force runs, in the Skywalker line," Yoda informed him sagely. "Only hope, we can that when the time is right, defeat Palpatine they will."
"Hope is better than nothing," Bail said with a sigh. "It's enough to have even that after everything that has happened these last few days."
"Agreed." Yoda tilted his head. "Sustain us in the dark days, hope will."
"What will you do, Master Yoda?" He glanced first at Obi-Wan and then back at the ancient Master. "We know Master Kenobi plans to stay on Tatooine with the boy. But what about you?"
"I, too, shall go into hiding." His fingers flexed on his gimer stick. "Until the time is right, disappear we both will."
Bail bowed and said, "Until we meet again," before exiting. Obi-Wan moved to follow him, but Yoda's gimer stick barred his way.
"Master Kenobi, a moment of your time I need." The elderly Jedi gestured for Obi-Wan to return to his seat, then continued, "News I have to share with you."
"Of course, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan resumed his seat. "What news do you wish to share with me?"
"In your solitude on Tatooine, training I have for you. I," the Jedi Master said, "and my new Master."
Not sure that he had heard Yoda correctly, Obi-Wan hesitantly asked, "Your new Master?"
"Yes." Yoda smiled up at him. "And your old one…"
A/N: Hello, all and welcome! Hope this finds you well!
There is really so little written about Obi-Wan after he leaves the Tantive IV and reaches Tatooine (as well as what happens while he's there) that I thought to fill in those blanks a little with this what-if type story. Hopefully, you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!
Please, if you like this story, follow/favorite it! Also, feel free to comment below about if you liked the story (or didn't)! Take care, all!