A/N) This chapter I hope is exciting… Thank you to everyone who commented!


The Protector

Chapter 11: Betrayed

The early hours of the following night found Obi-Wan with his legs crossed and resting quietly in a corner in one of the long corridors that led from the control centre to the training room. Around him people slept, or talked quietly. Most had blankets wrapped around their bodies. Small children were curled up beside their parents: the conditions were cramped but it was better than being forced to work as a slave.

Obi-Wan submerged himself in the Force, focusing on the components that lay scattered before him. He didn't feel that he was ready to own a lightsaber again but he couldn't keep turning his back on it. It just felt like that he would need it. Perhaps having one would facilitate his acceptance as to who he was now. He was more hardened, sadder than he ever had been but here on Stewjon he had realised at how contented he was.

His hands moved through the air as he focused his energies upon the components, imaging them sliding together, feeling his way to the heart of the device, his crystal spinning in the air. He remembered what it was like to make his own lightsaber for the first time on Illum. There he had faced his fears of not ever being chosen as a Padawan, but in the here and now he was facing his troubles, his past.

He had killed Dooku with a lightsaber. He could have stopped it but since his talk with his parents and his sister he had found that he could not feel guilty over something that was not his fault. He had accepted that Dooku had made his choice: the Count had killed himself to make Obi-Wan feel guilty, to ensure that he would never forgive himself and enable his complete fall to the dark side of the Force: not through anger but through guilt instead.

The Count had failed in his final goal: for Obi-Wan had forgiven himself that night when he had told his parents the truth, even if it had taken him a few weeks later before he realised he had made that significant step.

Falling further into the Force, Obi-Wan discovered the remnants of the bond he had with Anakin. He had torn it in his anger and misguidance at his friend. The strands of the bond still lay scattered. He missed Anakin.

Could shattered bonds be repaired?

That had never been tried before.

Could it be done by him alone or did Anakin have to be there?

Obi-Wan put that thought to one side; that was something he would have to deal with later if he returned to the Jedi Temple. There was no guarantee that he would either.

And that was when he sunk so deep into the Force that it opened up before him. Images came to him, blurred images, not easy to interpret but enough, for just a brief second, for him to see himself on his knees in front of Grievous. Clouds swirled in front of the image preventing him from seeing anything further and Obi-Wan's eyes shot open as he fell out of his mediation posture.

His hand was clutched tightly around a lightsaber hilt.

He stared at it, transfixed at the design. He had been lucky to have found material that could be used in lightsaber construction, but what he had found had been enough to make a workable one. The design he had unconsciously modelled it on was his own old lightsaber, the hilt had had left behind with Anakin at the Temple.

What did that mean? Was it significant? He hadn't even considered what the design might look like when he had finished – it hadn't been a conscious decision to construct it in the way his old one was.

He held it in his hand, inspecting every inch of it, ensuring that all the components were in the right place. Getting to his feet he quietly moved through the sleeping people until he came to the storage room. Walking into the room, he shut the door behind him.

His thumb on the activation switch he waited, feeling worried at what he should expect. His lightsaber came to life, the blue blade shining elegantly in the air. It felt strange to hold a lightsaber in his hand again, it almost felt that he was a youngling again, handling a lightsaber for the first time. Marvel hit at him and he felt a warm feeling rush up his arm.

This was his lightsaber.

The Force had bequeathed with him a working blade. Did it except him back? Did the light side deem him ready? Obi-Wan sucked in deep breaths, calming himself as he considered his future. He had come to Stewjon seeking peace and healing and he had found it: until Alex's kidnapping when things had spiralled completely out of his control.

Yet had he run away?

No, he hadn't.

He had embraced it, acted accordingly to how he knew best. He had acted like a Jedi should.

Was he truly ready to wield a lightsaber blade once again?

If you weren't, your guilt would have prevented you from making a working lightsaber.

Obi-Wan grimaced. "That may be so but after this is all over will I still feel like that?" he answered Qui-Gon aloud.

It is your conscience that you have to learn to control. Right now you have something to live and fight for because you want to prove your worth. You want to prove to yourself that you are still a Jedi and unconsciously you are making that happen. But what if you returned to Coruscant, what then? What if you saw Padmé?

Obi-Wan swallowed. Guilt welled up inside him. Padmé had suffered a near-serious injury in the final battle between two Sith Lords, a fallen Jedi Master and a Jedi Knight. The Senator had been stabbed through the gut with a lightsaber. But it had been Obi-Wan's lightsaber that had done the damage. Obi-Wan had been holding the blade.

But it had been Dooku who had Force-pulled Padmé onto Obi-Wan's blade.

Padmé had survived but had lost her natural ability to have children. Obi-Wan hated himself for that. When he had last seen Padmé she had urged him not to blame himself. He had told her that he would try not to but it wasn't that easy to not do so.

"I can't blame myself for that," he said slowly, "but I won't ever forget what I did."

Do you feel you cannot be in her company?

"I feel that she would judge me but I know deep down that she wouldn't. She's still my friend regardless of that. She'd want me to move on. But forgetting isn't as easy. I took her ability to have children away."

Did you?

Obi-Wan felt completely stumped. "What do you mean?"

In this day in age, especially the Kaminoans, new tissue can always be regrown…

"So she can still have children?" breathed Obi-Wan.

But Qui-Gon did not reply.

Had Padmé and Anakin kept something back from him deliberately or had they not realised their selves?

Was his guilt really for nothing?

He knew then that to solve his feelings that he would have to return to Coruscant. But he wouldn't abandon his people for the sake of his own confused feelings. His family came first: they were people who needed him most.

Disengaging his lightsaber, he clipped it onto his belt, feeling strange at the familiar weight that he hadn't carried for over a month, and walked out of the storage room. He had work to do.


It was a few days later that everything was ready. Owen had made all the arrangements. Guilt gnawed at him as the time came for him to leave. He had tried to sound out his parents and sister if they would take a way off planet if there was a way but they had all refused. They would take their duty and stick to it, even if it meant death.

Rena had been the most suspicious of all, probing him as to why he was even inquiring to them about this. He was certain she had realised what he was planning on doing. But he also knew his brother remained unaware. Obi-Wan was completely in the dark about what was about to happen.

Alex was sleeping, drugged to sleep so that he could not stop his father. The young boy had become very close to his lost uncle: the uncle that Owen had hated, who he now respected in more ways than one. He had saved Alex from the Separatists and yet he planned to betray everyone.

I have to do this.

It was the only way he was convincing himself that he could go through with it.

He was doing it for his son. For Alex's survival, so that he could grow up on a world without conflict or strife.

Who knew how many people he loved would die because of his actions? Would they ever forgive him?

Carefully, Owen fixed a blaster to his belt, picked up his son and quickly but quietly moved through the base. He was due to go out on duty in thirty minutes. By leaving early he hoped to not raise suspicion. Danja was back in his quarters, under the watchful eye of one of the guards who had been assigned to his quarters whilst Owen did his duty.

He only had one small bag of possessions.

Owen reached the exit, input the security code giving him access to the outside and he stepped out. The sun was just starting to come up as he quickly jogged away, his heart beating fast in his chest. His conscience yelled at him to return, to not do this, but he could not.

He kept going.

Five miles east of the base was an abandoned speeder, placed there by Danja's brother. Laying his son down on the back seat, Owen powered the speeder up and sped it across the landscape, unaware that he was being watched.


Maje waited beside the shuttle, his eyes peeled for any sign of the speeder that would contain Owen Kenobi and his worthless son. He didn't like the idea of simply letting him go but his father had ordered him to. It would make it much more potent for Owen to live as a traitor rather than to die as a martyr.

Still, at least they would have the Jedi who was leading the resistance against them.

In the distance a small speck appeared.

There he was. Owen was on time.

The speeder started to slow, stopping just yards away from where Maje waited.

A figure clambered out of the speeder and hefted something from a seat and started to walk across the grass towards him.

"Maje?" Owen Kenobi said as he approached.

Maje grinned. "I never thought you would be one to abandon the people."

"Yes, well, some things are more important," muttered Owen, looking down at his sleeping son. "I want him to be safe. I didn't want to be involved in this…"

"You should be thankful we even agreed to you request. Good thing you have something to trade! Danja is in position?"

Owen nodded. "He is."

"Good. And the Jedi?"

"Knows nothing," confirmed Owen. "And…" he bit his lip, "who he is makes my betrayal even worse."

Maje laughed, folding his arms across his chest. "Which of those mystic sorcerers is it?"

Owen breathed out slowly. "My brother."

"Well, well, how convenient. I'm sure Grievous will have fun dealing with him." smirked Maje. "He's not at all happy that a Jedi is here… but the fact that it is your own brother? That makes your desertion even more beautiful." He held out his hand. "The keys to the shuttle. Circle around the planet and then go into orbit. There is a Separatist fleet above but not circling the entire world. And remember, don't come back, or your mother will die. Do you have the information?"

Owen shivered. That was part of the deal to ensure his compliance in not betraying his uncle: make his mother's life a bargain he could not break. Michael had promised to protect her at all costs providing Owen gave him what he wanted.

He steeled his shoulders. "I won't." He reached into his pocket and drew out a data card. "Here. This contains the co-ordinates of our base."

"Then go," finished Maje, placing the keys in Owen's palm. "And good riddance. Oh, and if these co-ordinates are wrong we will know about it. We do have a contingency plan in place if these do not check out."

"They are the correct co-ordinates." Taking the keys, Owen boarded the shuttle, strapping his son into the seat behind him. Owen activated the engines, moving the joystick forward to lift the shuttle up into the sky.

As he veered the shuttle away, he didn't look back.


Obi-Wan knew something was wrong when he couldn't find Owen or Alex.

"OBI-WAN!"

He turned around in the corridor. Bro was running up to him, panting heavily. "What is it?"

"It's Owen…He's gone. He's betrayed us all. I didn't follow him the whole way but he took Alex with him and there is a Separatist droid army coming right for us. They've already taken out two of the sentries. And our alarms are down, the droids can walk in here easily!"

Obi-Wan swallowed, mindful of the people in the corridor who had heard Bro's statement. Fear was already spreading through them, mothers grabbing their children, already moving, hoping to escape. "Is Grievous with them?"

Bro nodded numbly. "He's at the head of the army."

"Bro," he began calmly. "Get everyone as quickly as you can out of here." He raised his voice. "Anyone willing to fight, grab your weapons and prepare to fight! If we survive this we can consider Owen's betrayal later!"

Obi-Wan turned and started to run back down the corridor, his lightsaber hilt already in his hand. He had had the feeling that he would need it but he hadn't expected to need it so quickly. He tried to ignore the hurt feelings that roared up inside him with Owen's betrayal. He could not dwell on that, not now.

All around him people were running in the opposite direction, save for those that were willing to fight alongside him.

As he moved further towards the entrance, he heard the sound of blastershots echoing through the corridors. Screams echoed and Obi-Wan threw himself round the corner. His blue blade came spluttering to life.

General Grievous stood in the corridor, surrounded by battle droids. His organic eyes found Obi-Wan and widened in surprise. "KENOBI!"

"Grievous," stated Obi-Wan, swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat as he considered his rival. He held his lightsaber up in a guard position. Those that had joined him to hold off the Separatists, lined up just behind him facing the droids, blasters pointed straight at the battle droids.

"So, you are the Jedi causing my forces so much trouble," Grievous growled, coughing slightly. "I never would have thought it was you I was contending with!"

Obi-Wan smirked. "The last time we met Grievous you got one up on me, I won't let that happen this time!"

Grievous laughed, his arms moving to his sides, taking hold of two of the lightsabers he had hanging around his waist. "I have the advantage, Kenobi! My forces vastly outnumber yours! If you think you can prevent me from capturing all of my slaves then you are mistaken!"

Coldness swept through Obi-Wan's body. He knew. The droid General knew where the other exit of the base was, where it would come out. He had forces already waiting for them.

They had lost even before the fight had even begun. It was a total betrayal of all their secrets.

Why Owen?

He almost felt like giving up but a part of him yelled at him to not do so. He levelled his blade, watching wearily. Grievous would not attack first, not in an enclosed space. The battle droids had their blasters trained mostly on him.

"Obi-Wan, what do we do?" asked one of his fighters. There was fear in the other man's face, his blonde hair falling into his eyes.

Grievous had every advantage. If they fought these brave men would die. He had no way of knowing if the blasters were set for kill or stun.

Even before he would reach Grievous he would be shot.

"Attack me and your little fighters will be killed, Kenobi!" rasped Grievous. "Do you really want to feel responsible for more deaths?"

Deep breaths kept him going. He was ready to fight, even if it meant his own death. But he couldn't risk the deaths of so many others.

"Drop your weapons," Obi-Wan ordered. His lightsaber blade disappeared as he removed his thumb from the activation button. Glancing at the hilt, he threw it at Grievous' feet. "I surrender."

All around him his men did the same, their blasters cluttering to the floor.

Grievous' laughter echoed around the corridor and the droid General stomped forward, his eyes fixed entirely upon the Jedi that had long defied him. He stopped right in front of Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan held his ground, not letting Grievous intimidate him.

A metal hand came out, clasping the Jedi around the throat. He was thrown into the wall, his head hitting the side of it. Was this the end? Would Grievous kill him now? But the droid general was walking away, his metallic hands behind his back.

"Take Kenobi back to the city. He will be publicly executed once he has been interrogated. He may still be hiding information from us that could be of some use. The other slaves who escaped us, including the children, will be starved for a week for their defiance in joining this Jedi scum!"

Battle droid arms grasped Obi-Wan from beneath his armpits and they hoisted him up. His head sagged as he was led away.

He had failed.

And he had been betrayed.

Again.

To be continued…

Please let me know what you think!

Is Obi-Wan's guilt over Padmé's injury for nothing? I'm not answering that. Owen has betrayed his family. And, well, everyone is now captured. No fight between Obi-Wan and Grievous this time, partly because the stakes are quite high and he doesn't want to risk fighting Grievous if it means people will die. Those that may remember 'Dangerous Games', Grievous was the one who captured Obi-Wan at the start of the story, so I'm referring to that battle when Obi-Wan says that Grievous got one up on him last time they met.

The next chapter… Interrogation and execution…

I hope to update again next week but it all depends really. Slowly getting through all the uni work I have to do. In 2 weeks I have the major exam (argh!) and apparently I am stressed according to my doctors which isn't a good thing so I'm just trying to get as much done as I can without getting stressed out. Writing fic relaxes me but we will see.

Until next time!

the-writer1988