Title: And miles to go before I sleep
Summary: With the death of Sidious and redemption of Anakin, Obi-Wan thought he had finally completed his duty and could find eternal peace in the Force. Instead of joining the Force though, he found himself back in the past. However, things were not quite the same in this new reality he had woken up in, and his battle to save the people he loved most in the galaxy might just be beginning.
Title from the Robert Frost poem, you know which one. Star Wars doesn't belong to me too, of course.
Chapter 1:
It was finally over. The darkness had retreated after twenty years of dominion, and balance had been restored. Everywhere in the Galaxy, people rejoiced. And over on the forest moon of Endor, where the Rebel Alliance made their last stand, the celebrations were in full swing.
From his vantage point both within and separate of the Force, Obi-Wan Kenobi watched. The Force itself was blazing brightly after the triumph of the Light, and he allowed himself the indulgence of basking in its warmth.
Around him, he felt two Force signatures materialize. One was Yoda, whose Force signature was familiar to Obi-Wan, having spent so much time with him at Dagobah after Obi-Wan's own death. He knew Yoda appreciated the company, even as he repeatedly groused over the lack of privacy and silence. The other Force signature was even more familiar to Obi-Wan, and much loved, but also one that he had not felt this untainted in many years. His brother, his son, his best friend, his partner, all rolled into one. There were so many words to say, but he settled on flippancy for now. They had all the time in the galaxy now, after all.
"Anakin. It has been a long time. You look much the same."
Anakin's eyes, no longer the feral hatred-filled yellow eyes of the Sith, reflected the blue ethereal light of the Force. Smiling sheepishly up at his former Master, Anakin shrugged. "Master. You on the other hand, have quite a bit more grey hair than before." He was cut off from saying more by Luke, who had by now noticed their presence and was looking directly at the three of them. Turning as one, the three of them smiled and nodded at Luke, making no effort to hide their pride in the success of him and his friends.
Anakin's pride in his children was particularly fierce, so strong it was almost a tangible manifestation in the Force. "How could I not have known that Leia was Padme's child? She is so like her. And Luke, he is such a beacon of light in the Force that he chased away all the darkness in me. They are the best of Padme and I."
Obi-Wan nodded approvingly. "They truly are."
"And now, guide the Jedi Order to new beginnings, they will."
Luke gaze lingered a while more on the three of them, the unblemished form of his father and his two dearest mentors, before he was drawn away by his sister to rejoin the celebrations. Looking on, the Force-ghosts basked in the joy that permeated the air around them.
As the festivities wound down, Yoda finally spoke, breaking the silence that had descended around them. "Old, I am. Waited for this I have, for a long time. Join the Force, I will now, and enjoy my eternal rest." Favouring them both with a serene smile, he closed his eyes. For a moment Yoda glowed brightly within the Force, then slowly, his form dissipated into nothingness, leaving only peace behind.
And two Jedi, both suddenly at a loss for words.
Without the buffering presence of the wise old troll between them, and with most of the revelers passed out from celebration-induced exhaustion, the two old friends could only regard each other silently, only an arm's length apart from each other but also a lifetime of love and betrayal and devastation between them. Both of them could hear the siren's call of the Force pulling at them, but they knew that before they could go, they had to first obtain each other's forgiveness.
"Master, I'm sorry for everything…"
"Anakin, I must apologize…"
They both spoke at the same time. Glancing at each other, they burst out laughing, chasing the tension between them off. Obi-Wan quirked an eyebrow while Anakin shook his head ruefully. "You first, then, old man."
Obi-Wan immediately launched into the speech he had imagined himself saying so many times before. "Anakin, I have to offer my deepest apologies to you. I failed you terribly as a Master and as a friend. I didn't give you…"
"Hey, wait a minute. I think I should be the one to apologize, not you. I was the one who turned to the dark side."
"Must you always interrupt me?" Obi-Wan growled, mock-irritably.
"Yes, when you are wrong. I fell due to my own hubris, Master. I wanted power and recognition and thought I would find that at Sidious' side, that I could learn enough to save Padme. I never thought that in turning, I would be the cause the one thing I wanted prevented most. It was all on me. And then I killed everybody. I am so sorry Master. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, or that of any other, but please believe me when I say that I am truly sorry for all this."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I have long forgiven you, Anakin. This wasn't your fault at all. You were misled by Sidious, Anakin. And we let it happen. In forcing you to fit the mold of a typical Jedi, we doomed you. As your Master, I should have seen that. And I should have fought more for you."
"Master…"
Obi-Wan's head bowed with guilt. "I was not the ideal Master for you, Anakin. I was too inexperienced, too bound by the rules to help you. If I could have just recognized that you needed more from me… Many times over the years I had wondered, how things might have been different if Qui-Gon survived to train you and I had died instead. With him by your side, you would not have turned."
Anakin shook his head adamantly. "Don't say that, Master. You did a kriffing great job. There's no other Jedi that could have trained me as well as you did. I made my own choices."
"Why is it that you have to always argue with me, Anakin, every single time, even when we are dead?" Obi-Wan returned exasperatedly.
"Keeps things interesting, don't they? And besides, you are wrong this time, Master."
"We'll just have to agree to disagree then."
Anakin nodded, still looking unconvinced. "If you say so, Master."
Obi-Wan snorted. Some things never change, and it seems his frequent arguments with Anakin had withstood the test of time. He could feel the Force's pull over them grow stronger, and knew Anakin could feel it too.
"It is time. Are you ready?"
Anakin shook his head, his gaze turning outwards toward the distance where Luke and Leia had gone. "You move on first, Master. I want to stay here a while longer, watch my children."
Accepting that, Obi-Wan grasped Anakin's shoulder. "See you later then, my old friend." Closing his eyes, he searched and reached for the swirling vortex of the Force. The light intensified around him and he could hear thousands and thousands of voices in there, welcoming and embracing him. In that very moment he felt peace as he had never felt it before and knew that he was finally, finally coming home.
End Chapter 1
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