Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter 2

Obi-Wan put the last of the tools away and looked back into the engine compartment. Working together they had managed to salvage more than he had originally thought they could which was good. But there was nothing more they could do now until they received new parts. He looked out the viewport and noticed the storm gathering in the distance, the storm that would trap them in the Skywalker home for the night. He smiled slightly as he remember Anakin's embarrassed retelling of how he had reacted when he had first seen Padme. But the child had been right, she was an angel. He cleaned himself up and retreated to his quarters, sitting cross-legged on the cool metal floor. It was time to try and find out what had happened to him. He closed his eyes and examined his own Force Signature, finding the Light just as blinding as last time but he also found the bond with Jinn. He very carefully shielded it to keep the man from sensing anything wrong and then delved deep into the Force, seeking answers. What he got was a series of scenes that had him almost running for the fresher. He felt sick as he saw the war, far worse than it had been, saw his beloved apprentice so close to Palpatine and then…he was unaware of the tears that fell as he saw Anakin killing the Younglings at the Temple. He hadn't thought anything could be worse than seeing his wife with another man, even one he loved as his own son. After nearly losing his leg on Geonosis he had gained an even stronger stomach for bloodshed but this…..this was beyond anything he could have imagined. And the Force whispered that this was why he was here, to stop these visions from ever coming to pass.

He knew now what could happen as well as how it had happened back home so he had a chance to ensure things turned out for the better. It was obvious Anakin could not be a true Jedi but to allow him to be what it meant to be a Sith here would also be catastrophic, he had to find the middle ground. Neither Light nor Dark but Grey. And who better to train him than Darth Charon, the last Sith Lord in his own Galaxy. Anakin had never attained the rank of Lord as he had never taken an apprentice. Although maybe now he would with Obi-Wan having vanished. He knew Ani would take care of Padme, Luke and Leia just as he would have cared for Moira and Ben if anything had happened to Anakin.

Obi-Wan pulled out of his meditation to just sit and think for a while. He examined his own emotions over events and the visions, accepted them and moved on. Yes what he saw disgusted and even scared him but he could not afford to dwell on such things. By the time Qui-Gon returned he had to be able to act as was expected of his Padawan. Once he had longed and dreamt of holding that title but that had been a long time ago. He pulled the long braid forward so he could study it, taking in the various beads that signified this Obi-Wan's achievements of which there appeared to be many. He let it go and moved to the door as he sensed a member of the crew approaching. The man started but then straightened. "The Queen requires your presence Master Jedi." Obi-Wan nodded and followed him into the large room where the 'Queen' awaited him. Panaka pressed a button and they listened as the Governor begged them to contact him.

"It is a trap your Highness, send no reply." He commanded firmly yet softly. "They will be able to track any transmissions." Panaka nodded in agreement to the Jedi's words.

Obi-Wan returned to his quarters and sank to the floor. He knew the apprentice would arrive soon, they had simply tracked the incoming message instead of waiting for them to send a reply. The question was should he slip away and confront him now or let things play out further? He removed his lightsaber from his belt and studied it, the grip was different to what he was used to but was similar to how his lightsaber had been when he was an apprentice so he should be able to adjust easily enough. He turned it on and stared at the blue blade, smiling slightly as he remembered the training sabre he had used as an initiate at the Temple, it had been blue too. He put the blade aside and took a deep breath before closing his eyes and immersing himself in the Force once again.

He opened himself to the Force and to the different memories provided, plunging into them. He had to know everything about this Obi-Wan in order to pass as him. It appeared the worlds divided when he was sent to Bandomeer and the AgriCorps. This Obi-Wan had been taken as Qui-Gon's apprentice at the last minute while he hadn't. From there things diverged wildly until now, for some reason these events seemed fixed in time. He saw the pressure he had lived under to be the perfect Padawan but also how his friendships had grown over the years. In his home timeline he had actually checked up on them after he returned to Coruscant and then during the war. Most of his childhood friends had died during the Clone Wars and yet here they were alive and still close. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. After all he hadn't seen or spoken to them in years, except for Bant who had been Qui-Gon's Healer as he struggled to heal and then died. But this worlds Obi-Wan had spent the day with them all just before leaving for Naboo. He focused his breathing and forced himself to open up and accept the memories. He had to let them become his own or who knew what could go wrong. Without meaning to he reached for his apprentice and was utterly shocked to feel his presence nearby, shining brightly in the Force even as a weak bond snapped into place between them. He instantly shielded it, not wanting to confuse the boy and quickly surfaced from his light meditations.

Obi-Wan stood and winced but there was no pain, he had gotten so used to the aches and pains of an aging and scared body that moving so easily was a surprise. He went to the kitchen and made himself a meal, noticing that storm had set in while he was meditating. He patrolled the ship, needing to move, not that he thought anything would happen tonight. An hour later his commlink beeped so he withdrew it to find Qui-Gon on the other side with a blood sample ready to transmit. He went to the computer and then told him to send it, running the test despite knowing what it would say. No came the dilemma, should he lie and keep Anakin from learning about the prophecy so young? Or should he tell the truth and let Qui-Gon become utterly focused on it? If he lied would Qui-Gon still try to free Anakin if his reading was normal or only a little higher than normal? In the end he couldn't risk it so he told the truth. "Master?"

"Yes Obi-Wan?"

"If the boy is who you think…you aren't going to tell him are you?"

"And why shouldn't I Padawan?"

"Because he is a child. That is too much pressure, not to mention we don't know how the Council will react to him."

"You talk as if he is coming with us."

"I know you Master, you wouldn't have me test the blood unless you planned to bring him with us." His answer received a warm chuckle.

"Very well Padawan, I will consider your words. Good night."

"Good night Master." Obi-Wan put the commlink down and sighed. He hoped that Qui-Gon listened to him, Anakin didn't need to know how different he was. Tomorrow morning was the race and then they would be able to leave this horrible planet. That was when things would really get complicated. How to keep Sidious from gaining control without anyone realising he was doing so? The first thing to do was to keep the vote of no confidence from happening or to ensure another candidate won. He frowned and leant back in his chair. The easiest way to do that was to simply not return to Coruscant until the Naboo crisis was over. He groaned, how had they beaten the droid army last time around?

TBC….