Summary: Obi-wan, caught by Ventress, wouldn't have fallen if the Sith Acolyte hadn't caught Anakin and tortured him in front of Obi-wan. In an effort to save him, Obi-wan gave into the darkness, killed Ventress, killed Dooku, and is now doing everything he can from the shadows to take down Sidious. This includes him training on Dathomir and planning something rather involved.

Chapter 12

Something I've noticed is that the further into the darkness one goes, the grayer everything looks. Eventually you can justify just about anything to yourself. I have to wonder if that is because one gets used to the darkness, or is it really all gray?

Plo Koon rarely worried because worry meant that one feared something, and fear led to the dark side. And yet, he had no problem admitting that Anakin Skywalker worried him. The boy had taken to knighthood like a fish to water in many aspects. He had become an intelligent, well-respected general who thought outside of the box and had a drive that pushed him beyond his limits time and time again.

He had never been the calm, well-respected Jedi that the rest of the Council seemed to think he should be. He formed attachments all too easily (even to the clones under his command), he tended to act first and ask questions later and he seemed bound and determined to accomplish the impossible—but he was still young and had time to grow and learn.

Except lately he'd seemed so different from the lively boy that he'd always been before. Now he seemed tired and withdrawn. He still fulfilled his duties with a flair that bordered on the insane, but any other time he had an air of (dare he think it?) uncertainty about him. He had been that way since his supposed meeting with his former Master, and while everyone else seemed to chalk it up to the boy having a wake-up call, Plo didn't quite agree. Anakin had always been headstrong, and seeing that give way—and not at all in a good way—didn't sit well with him. Plo had witnessed the reactions of apprentices and former apprentices of Jedi who had fallen. More often then not, they all bore many indications of mental trauma. The Chosen One, it seemed, was not immune to this.

So he took the boy under his wing, so to speak, and began to request missions with him (and thankfully, he wasn't the only one). Still, he and Mace couldn't always assure their assignment with the knight, and so he had come to the conclusion that Anakin needed someone else, whether that someone relied on him or he relied on them, he needed support through this rather trying time in his life. Master Yoda agreed, and so they had hatched a plot.

And from the look on the boy's face, it would be well worth it. Sometimes the Jedi Master really appreciated the breathing apparatus that hid his mouth and other features. The younger years couldn't see him trying to hold back a laugh.

"What?!" Anakin asked in shock as he stared at the togruta youngling who had just introduced herself and then declared that she was to be Anakin's Padawan. "No, no, no, there must be some mistake. Master Plo here was the one who wanted a new Padawan."

The girl frowned ever so slightly and shook her head. "No, Master Yoda was very specific. I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker and he is to supervise my Jedi training." She finished with a satisfied smile on her face. Then she turned sheepishly to the masked master. "Not that I wouldn't be honored to be your apprentice, Master Plo."

"Such words honor me," he responded warmly and returned the bow ever so slightly. She seemed so out of place amongst the normally cool tones of the planet, her red skin clashing with the local décor and causing her to stand out more than she otherwise would have. Yes, she would make a fine padawan for Anakin Skywalker.

The knight in question just stared at her for several seconds. "Master Yoda? But…why?"

Neither one of the other two Jedi seemed to be expecting such a question from the normally stoic young man and they exchanged glances.

"Why what?" the girl asked hesitantly.

Anakin seemed to realize who he'd been speaking to and blinked rapidly. "Oh, nothing," he said, his nonchalant attitude back in place. "Those droids will be back soon."

If they could have seen Master Plo's face, they would have seen him frowning. That was the most blatant topic change he'd almost ever seen. There was something here that needed to be addressed.

"Anakin," he said, "could you speak with me a moment."

The young man glanced uneasily at the master, his hands opening and closing subconsciously in nervousness. He really looked like he wanted to say no, but after a moment, to Plo's surprise, he nodded. The Jedi Master inclined his head in acknowledgement and led the knight a few yards away before turning back to face him.

"Anakin, I know there has been a mistake, but I have to ask, why you seem so hesitant to take the child on."

Anakin shook his head. "It really isn't anything."

But Plo knew better. "You may be able to trick your comrades into believing that, but please don't include me in that assumption."

He had to admit his worry grew when Anakin decided not to meet his eyes and tried to change the subject again instead. "I'm going to go check on Rex in the lookout station." He turned to walk away.

"It has to do with Obi-wan, doesn't it?"

The boy didn't stop or look back, but Plo refused to let this go.

"Are you afraid you'll end up leaving her the way he left you?"

That made him stop and whirl around angrily. "No! I would never leave anyone I care for like that!"

Plo raised an eyebrow in challenge. "So you are afraid you'll come to care for her?"

Anakin scowled. "Rex needs me."

"You're avoiding the question."

The boy turned to walk away again and Plo frowned. Normally he'd leave it at this point, but this wasn't something someone could just pretend didn't happen. He had a bad feeling that Anakin had been stubborn like this for far too long and too many things had gone ignored.

"You aren't him," he said. To his relief, Anakin froze one foot poised in the air. "You don't necessarily have his weaknesses and fearing you do will only continue to hurt you on a level that may not ever allow you to heal."

He at least seemed to think on that for a moment before he went to take another step further.

"At least take her with you," Plo asked, more worried than he thought he would be. This was worse than he thought.

Still, Anakin nodded ever so slightly and Plo felt a touch of relief. Then he turned to the girl who was watching them with more than a little trepidation.

"Follow him for now," he called out.

She didn't look too happy about whatever she my have managed to overhear, but she nodded and ran to catch up with Anakin. Plo watched them for a moment before shaking his head and turning away. He hadn't been the only one to warm towards Anakin. Mace Windu was a testament of that.

Still, this might be going too far too fast.

"I hope you're right, Master Yoda," he muttered to himself as he went to navigate through the rubble and check up on his own duties.

xXx

Obi-wan had taken to reading different theories on acting and what made a good actor. It wasn't the most fascinating thing he'd ever read, but it did give him the insight he was looking for.

Each of the beings hailed as the best actors in the universe seemed to have their own theory and method for acting. Most would research whoever they were trying to emulate, be it the race and species or the character or the historical figure, but after that it differed greatly. Some tried to put themselves in the shoes of the role they were playing. Others tried to look at things from the angle of their role and logically act in conclusion. Still others would hyper-analyze each and every little detail about the role and systematically try to come up with every plausible reaction. Still others would simply try to figure out what reaction they were going for and act accordingly.

It was the last one that appealed most to Obi-wan. He was intelligent enough to figure out what other people wanted most of the time, but he had rarely acted on the impulse to its full extent. Instead he had allowed his conscience to hold him to at least something honest and truthful. To act to a point where Mother Talzin, and consequently Sidious, wouldn't be able to see through everything he did, he would have to rid himself of that barrier…but he was reluctant to do so. His honesty with others was one of the few things of his old self that had survived his fall (alright, he hadn't always been honest, but he had always avoided lying unless he felt it had been necessary) and he knew if he gave that up that he would be taking a rather large leap further into the darkness.

But he could not come up with any other solution, no matter how he wracked his brain. To infiltrate the Senate, he had to learn to truly act—to become someone else entirely but keep his own goals and powers in mind.

And yet again, it all boiled down to Anakin. He'd already thrown his soul away for Anakin, and he would do so a hundred times over. So if it came down to his own morality versus Anakin's future, he knew exactly what he would do every time. Now he just needed to change his default reactions.

He sighed as he exited the Refracted Edge and stepped into the diffused Dathomirian sunlight. He certainly had his work cut out for him.

"So you're finally back."

Obi-wan glanced over at the presence he'd felt since he'd entered the atmosphere. Savage Oppress (really, they needed to come up with more original names) stood near some trees at edge of the clearing Obi-wan had taken to landing in, watching him with scowl firmly in place. Surprisingly Feral wasn't with him.

"Indeed," Obi-wan replied off-handedly and turned to head through the underbrush towards the settlement.

"It's been weeks," the Zabarak said as he fell into step beside the former Jedi.

Obi-wan frowned over at his companion. "I have my own goals to keep."

"What are they?"

The older man raised his eyebrow but otherwise looked unimpressed. "Why do you wish to know?" He was really asking why the boy thought he even had the right to ask, but Savage didn't seem to realize that. Then again he really wasn't the brightest candle on the cake. Not stupid, per se, but not necessarily a thinker either.

"Because I don't trust you."

Obi-wan contemplated that for a few minutes. "You are wiser than I gave you credit for," he commented absently, rubbing his chin.

The Zabarak's eyes narrowed threateningly. "You intend to—"

The former Jedi shot his temporary companion a dry look and cut him off. "Please. It is in the nature of anyone aligned with the dark to be untrustworthy. However, no, I do not intend to renege on my deal with you. I was simply pointing out that your actions are prudent."

He paused for a moment. "Where is your brother? I could use a good spar." Two on one might get his mind off of things he really didn't want to think about. Sometimes he wondered why he couldn't just shut the thought processes off. It seemed like his mind was always trying to draw conclusions and connections. As a Jedi, he'd been able to calm that tendency, but as a Dark Jedi, he found the process becoming more and more difficult.

Savage grit his teeth and looked away.

"He's hunting."

And Savage was lying. Really it wasn't that difficult to put it all together. Savage had been acting strangely for him, actually initiating and engaging in conversation…so why…?

And then it clicked and Obi-wan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"They took him, didn't they?"

Savage looked at him sharply, a slightly panicked glint to his eyes. Before he could deny it, though, Obi-wan held up a hand.

"Who?"

Savage grit his teeth and refused to look away, eyes staring stubbornly into Obi-wan's.

"Savage…" his tone was warning, but not one of physical pain. It was more of an 'it would be intelligent to tell me so I can help you' kind of warning that he'd practiced on Anakin. He wondered if it came across like that now.

Apparently, Savage seemed to sense his intentions or simply realized that there was little he could do about it now, because he answered. "The Nightsisters."

"And I assume they told you to interrogate me for information in exchange for his life. I also presume that you were told not to tell me any of this."

His frustrated silence was all the answer Obi-wan needed. So they'd gotten word of the former Jedi training the two brothers and had decided to test his emotional connection to them. This had to be one of the 'tests' Viscral had told him about. They'd also included mild torture, survival on the planet without his lightsaber, strength endurance, physical endurance and just about anything else they could do. This would be the first time they'd really tried to test his emotions.

So now he had two options: he could let them kill Feral, or he could go and rescue the boy.

He knew which answer they would want him to give. They'd given him a test in every sense of the word, and if he wished to pass, he would have to give them the answer that they were looking for. They'd want him to ignore that it ever happened, think of himself and simply continue on. Undoubtedly they knew of some sort of deal between the three of them and they wanted him to go back on it.

Because if he went after Feral, then it would be allowing his emotions and attachment, no matter how insignificant compared to the other attachments he had in his life, to rule him.

Except they'd be wrong. Firstly, he didn't want to go back on his word. He was determined to keep something light in his ever-changing personality, no matter how insignificant or obstructive, because otherwise he wasn't sure he would be able to continue to help Anakin. So he wished to keep what integrity he'd had. He had said he'd help the boys, and then he'd given them a promise and, as he had told Savage, he had no intention of going back on his word.

Secondly, Feral wasn't a weakling. He was decently strong and Obi-wan didn't wish to lose an ally. Savage was stronger and more easily manipulated, but only if his brother was there. True, Obi-wan was sure he could spin some sort of revenge scheme if the boy died, but getting Feral back would put both of them in his debt…and he could use that.

Thirdly, well, he did have to admit that there was some sort of protective instinct there. It was apparently in Obi-wan's very nature, whether light or dark, to protect those around him, but it wasn't the driving point. He could argue this if it came down to it as well.

"Well, it would seem we'll have to go and demand his return," Obi-wan said to Savage and turned to head into the forest. He knew approximately where the Nightsister's base was. Besides, this would be a good test of his progress. He would suppress his Force Presence and see if he could hide from Talzin.

"What?" Savage asked him, his voice heavy with shock.

Obi-wan glanced at him over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised in challenge. "I believe you heard me."

"But why?"

"Because I promised," Obi-wan replied simply. "Besides, I would like to have a bit of a conversation with his captors, and this is a good excuse."

"Excuse?" the Zabarak's voice had gained a tinge of anger and defense.

Obi-wan waved his concerns away with his hand. "Don't worry. If anything befalls your brother, I will pay them back twofold."

"Because you promised?" It almost amused Obi-wan that the being sounded so confused.

"Yes."

For some reason the usual silence that seemed to accompany Savage seemed far more thoughtful that day.

xXx

Obi-wan stopped and held his hand up in a fist to signal for a company halt. It took him a moment to realize that he'd already fallen back into the role of a General. Savage either recognized his sign or took his sudden stop as enough of a signal to pause too.

"We can't go any further without chancing being spotted," he whispered quietly. Savage frowned but nodded.

"Can you suppress your Force Signature?" Obi-wan asked.

Savage's scowl seemed just slightly puzzled, as if he were questioning why such a thing would ever be necessary and shook his head in a negative.

"I see. Perhaps that is something you and your brother should work on." He really tried to keep the dryness out of his voice, but wasn't sure how successful he was as Savage didn't seem to give him any indication other than his usual disdainful expression.

"How many Nightsisters do you think you can fight off at once?"

Obi-wan had thought that Savage only had two moods: Angry and protective. He was proven wrong when the man's expression turned rather wry. Obi-wan had to wonder if Savage simply looked so negative all the time because of the black tattoos all over his face and body. It seemed to be some sort of local tradition because Feral had some as well and so did many of the others. He had to wonder if this planet was where the Sith he'd killed on Naboo came from as well.

"However many I need to," Savage said, his voice like gravel.

Despite himself, Obi-wan found he was impressed with the answer. It reminded him of something he would have said. He wasn't sure exactly what to think of that.

"Good," he replied, "because you're going to have to stay alive long enough for me to sneak past everyone."

Savage blinked at him, expression surprised.

"You go in, make as much noise as possible. They might even be expecting you. Try not to get captured, but I need the biggest distraction you can give me."

The Zabarak's eyes narrowed slightly. "How do I know you will not simply leave me to be captured?"

Obi-wan wanted to sigh. Okay, he really wanted to stab Savage through the gut with his lightsaber just to be done with it, but he also knew the boy's paranoia was probably what would keep him alive. That didn't make it any easier to deal with.

"You have a point," he finally said and made to turn around. "Let's just forget the whole thing."

"What about your promise?" Savage asked angrily.

Obi-wan paused and turned around, face deadpan. He didn't care if he looked condescending. The Zabarak really needed to start using that brain of his.

"Precisely," Obi-wan said after a moment. "You've followed me this far, but it seems we have reached a branching point. Choose whether you believe me or not, because if you do not, our chances of living through this, let alone getting your brother back, are greatly diminished."

Savage's brow furrowed together as he studied the slightly shorter man before him.

"I don't have a choice," he finally said. "If I try to rescue him alone, I will die. If I don't, he will die. The only way we both have a shot at living is by trusting you."

Again, Obi-wan found himself impressed. His argument was logical and he seemed to have thought it out.

"Well then," the former Jedi said with a shrug, "trust me. Now, rush in there like you're in a rage. Draw as much attention as possible. I will need a minimum of ten minutes." If the Force was with them, that would do. If not...

"I'll get you thirty."

Obi-wan almost smiled at that.

"Good. Go."

With a nod and a determined set to his face, Savage turned and ran into the trees in the direction of the Nightsister base, screaming and yelling as loudly as he could, crashing through the underbrush like a baby rancor.

Obi-wan waited for about a minute before he followed, although he took to the trees and while his pace was fast, he went through the forest as silently as a wraith.

xXx

Sneaking by the sisters keeping watch wasn't difficult, especially when they were distracted. At the four minute mark, he passed Savage who had engaged several women. He was managing to hold his own, but only barely. Even at the distance from which he saw the skirmish, Obi-wan could tell the women were playing with the Zabarak. He was fine with that, as long as they continued to play and kept their focus away from the Dark Jedi.

At the eight minute mark, he found Feral trussed up in the center of a long, jagged clearing set before an ominous, gaping hole leading into the large mountain that rose over the whole scene, casting it in shadow. Not that there was much direct light for shadows to exist. The atmosphere saw to that.

Not for the first time, Obi-wan realized just how much he disliked this planet. His opinion towards Dathomir wasn't strong enough to classify as 'hate' just yet, but it was rapidly descending.

A rather substantial part of his diminishing opinion would have to be the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers and their attitude towards him. The sisters saw him as a tool to be used while the brothers saw him as an outsider to be feared at best, usurper at worst. The only real exception to that was trussed up in the center of the pathway leading to the opening (which Obi-wan assumed was part of the Nightsister's base).

The vague, misty shadows played with the air in slow swirls, blurring the lines between vegetation and ground to the unaccustomed eye. Anything could be hiding there, especially if they could suppress their Force signature. It screamed 'trap' so obviously that Obi-wan couldn't help but glower at their opinion of him. He was positive Feral had been set out like this for him and not Savage. This was, after all, his test.

As a Jedi, he would have gone in as quietly as possible and would have tried to rescue the boy at a close range. Doing anything else would boarder on 'casual use of the Force' or at least dependence on the Force. At this point, though, the 'anything else' he had in mind would be the most prudent. Besides, it wasn't like he had any other masters he had to answer to, and no Padawan to stick to the rules for.

He tried to ignore how much that hurt (despite the fact that he'd brought up the argument to rationalize his next actions) and reached out with the Force to nudge at Feral. He didn't seem to be harmed in any way, because the young Zabarak opened his eyes and looked around in puzzlement.

At that point, Obi-wan focused on the bands holding him to the pole he'd been tied to and broke them a part. Feral slumped forward and looked at his wrists disbelievingly.

"Come on, Run," Obi-wan hissed under his breath, even going so far as to nudge the boy away from the mountain. Feral looked up and glanced around for a moment before he caught on and began to run towards the forest.

Before he even took three steps, though, he rose into the air, grasping at his throat.

Obi-wan frowned and glanced towards the mountain. Where before there had only been empty air and mist, Mother Talzin now stood next to Viscral under the arch that served as a gateway to the hole in the side of the rock. Then, much to his annoyance, Talzin turned and looked directly at him.

"Come out, little Jedi," Viscral called out.

Seeing little point in keeping hidden, Obi-wan dropped out of the tree he'd stationed himself in and onto the moss below. Taking his time, he stood slowly and stepped into the rocky clearing.

As soon as he did, Viscral shook his head. "Still taking pity, I see."

Obi-wan shrugged. "I had my reasons."

"And they are?"

"My own."

Viscral glanced at Talzin, his gaze ever so uncertain for the slightest moment before he turned with full confidence back to the human standing in front of them.

"Not good enough. He dies."

Obi-wan frowned and glanced up at Feral, who seemed to be breathing heavily (but still breathing, for now). "He's still useful to me."

"Oh? How?" This time it was Talzin who spoke in that strange, multiple voice of hers.

"For this, he and his brother will owe me," Obi-wan shrugged. "They already owe me for training them."

Mother Talzin smiled. It did nothing to improve her features. "Gathering your allies?"

Again, Obi-wan shrugged. "From a certain point of view."

For a moment nothing but a slow breeze broke through the clearing, not even doing much to stir the trees. Finally, after a tense moment, Feral dropped to the damp ground, coughing and sputtering. Talzin never took her eyes from Obi-wan, who hadn't moved.

"You have improved greatly," she said, "but still not enough."

Obi-wan frowned. "How could you sense me?"

Talzin looked thoughtful for a moment. "Every presence causes ripples."

"Yes," Obi-wan replied, "but when one hides their signature, it eliminates those ripples."

Talzin just sighed and shook her head. "You equate the ripples in the Force as a stone thrown into a pond and the disturbance on the water's surface. The ripples I speak of come from those creatures that live in the water. The water will always be displaced, whether ripples from movement are felt or not. There is always proof of your existence…and your presence is not so small that you can hide it that easily."

Obi-wan frowned as he thought over that for a moment.

After a few minutes, when Feral's breathing had returned to a semi-normal state, Talzin snapped her fingers. Immediately, a Nightsister appeared at her side, mist whirling wildly.

"Inform the others to stand down. The intruders will leave."

"Yes, Mother," the woman said with a bow of her head before she vanished back into the tree tops, leaving another trail of churning mist in her wake.

"Feral," Obi-wan said tersely. Then, with one last thoughtful glare shot at Talzin and Viscral—neither of which had moved—he turned on his heels and strode into the trees towards where he could feel Savage's presence.

Three hours later, they returned to the village in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

xXx

A.N. In my defense, I thought I'd already posted this. ^^; And about 4 chapters afterwords... *ahem*

I've begun to think that my Dark!Obi-wan isn't...well, dark enough. What do you think? Is there any way in the story that you would think I could make him seem darker? Or is he falling at a slow, but believable pace?

Oh, and thank Windona for being seriously awesome and beta-reading this, being a fabulous sounding board, and just being plain awesome.