A/N: I am so sorry this has taken so long. I've no reasonable excuse, other than a weird combination of fandom distractions, real life, and writers block.
Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed in the lengthy interim. Seriously, without all the positive support, I never would've come back to properly finish this story off. So thank you for that.
Story Recap:
Qui-Gon was injured on Naboo, leaving Obi-Wan to collect the hyperdrive generator on Tatooine. There, he and Padme befriended Anakin Skywalker. They negotiated: Anakin would build them a generator if they would get the Skywalkers off planet. Everything went well until the morning they left. They were attacked by the man-in-black and Shmi Skywalker died. Obi-Wan was grievously injured in the fight and they were forced to leave him and Anakin at the Temple when the Naboo and Qui-Gon left to liberate Naboo.
Qui-Gon was murdered.
Obi-Wan escorted Anakin to his new home, where the child was invited to start a new life as a Ward of the Queen. Although off to a rocky start, Anakin was just beginning to look forward to his new home when they were attacked by Maul. Obi-Wan, fearing for Anakin, has decided to flee Naboo and return to the Jedi Temple. With both the Queen and the Chancellor out of the palace and out of reach, they are traveling incognito to the nearest intergalactic spaceport, where they plan to catch a shuttle to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan fears that they will be pursued.
Last chapter:
Anakin ran through the fight in his mind and remembered how he'd stood frozen until he'd heard Obi-Wan's voice call for help, how he'd heard the voice in his head, not in his ears. How the shock had been enough to distract him from the anger.
But then the wave of confusion ebbed and the rage flooded back in, washing away every trace of numbness. That thing had killed his mother and he hadn't done anything about it! He'd promised he would, swore he'd avenge his mother. And he hadn't.
He'd failed.
"It's almost like we know what we're doing..." – Mythbusters
Chapter 20 Flight
Chrome covered walls, air-conditioning, the press of tired and peeved travelers. It was the same as half the spaceports in the galaxy—though, in this case, the nicer half. Following the Force, Obi-Wan cut through the spaceport crowd, keeping an eye on Anakin, who was still worryingly silent. They reached the moving sidewalk and stepped on, falling in with the shifting crowd. Terminal H passed by, empty except for old newspapers and un-recycled cups.
He kept his senses extended, waiting for the first hint of the man-in-black.
"Shuttle four-thirty-nine to Coruscant is now boarding in Terminal C."
The sidewalk was narrow and cramped, but he still felt exposed. Everyone else lugged heavy suitcases and trunks behind them, catching a shuttle for an extended trip out of the Chommell Sector; Obi-Wan and Anakin stood out carrying only two small bags, barely big enough for a couple changes of clothes. They passed Terminals I and J, along with a series of holo-ads for some new hand-held holo-game.
His master's 'saber hilt weighed on his belt and his mind, the reminder hitting his thigh with every step he took. It was unsettling. The weight was different than his own, heavier, and the grip was fitted for Qui-Gon's much larger hands. Obi-Wan tugged on his jacket, making sure it covered the distinctive handle.
But no matter. Obi-Wan kept his focus firmly on his surroundings and not on the intrusive lightsabre. The scenarios played out in his head, as his eyes darted around, cataloging exits and approaches, ambush sites, and possible hostages. He was tense, focusing on reading the Force, studying it for any oily Black ripple, any warning. But it merely sparked and chimed, threading its way through the crowd and guiding him to one of the terminals.
They passed Terminals K and L, passing businessmen and frazzled parents and a cluster of rushing security guards. The 'sabre hilt thumped against his thigh.
The Force led him forward, winding its way deeper into the spaceport, in complete accord with Obi-Wan's need to keep moving.
"N-47 is a controlled substance on Chommell Prime. Possession will result in immediate arrest and a minimum fine of 300 credits."
Terminals N and O were both empty.
Anakin shifted closer to his side, the boy's shoulder pressing into Obi-Wan's elbow and blocking the Jedi's clean access to his master's 'sabre. Anakin had done well in the fight last night, but there was no knowing if he would stay out of it this time around. The attack had only fueled the fledgling vendetta the boy was nursing, and now that the first shock of the attack was fading, Anakin was far more likely to rush heedlessly into a second one. Obi-Wan's eyes dropped to the silent, tense child. He hovering nervously close to Obi-Wan, like he expected the older man to just disappear. Somehow, his dogged nearness was comforting.
The Force sparked and tugged and the two stepped off the side-walk. Gate Q. According to the sign next to the gate, it was a freelance passenger set to land on Vetruk in four days. A Core-world, but one a good five days from Coruscant. He tracked the route in the posted map, then led the way to the ticket counter, where a pleasant looking human stood. She gave them a practiced smile as they approached.
"Heading to Vetruk?" she inquired. Her nametag read Margh.
"No, Sinda" It was the ship's penultimate stop. Though Vetruk was technically closer to the capitol, it would be easier to find discrete transport to Coruscant on Sinda. It might be more expensive, but the Naboo had provided more than enough credits. It would also make them harder for the Zabrak to find them before they reached the safety of the Temple. "If there's a cabin left for us." The flight was set to leave in an hour.
She toggled something on the computer in front of her before looking back up. "We've a couple of double bunks left."
Obi-Wan nodded, and forced out a smile. "That will do."
"Anything for steerage?" she asked, eyeing their lack of luggage.
The Jedi's smile tightened. "Our luggage was lost during our last layover. Just our carry-ons."
Her face flinched in experienced sympathy, but the rest of the transaction continued without a hitch. She accepted their IDs without hesitation and took their cash payment with nothing more than a bemused eyebrow. She handed them their tickets, two small cards that she informed them would double as keys to their cabin and as meal cards.
"And here's a map to your cabin," Margh added, giving one to Anakin and the other to Obi-Wan. "When you go in, it's through the lounge and through to the left. Just follow the signs! The dining hall is straight ahead, but it won't be open until after takeoff."
"Of course, thank you."
"Let us know if you have any problems."She waved them down the hallway and up the ramp.
Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of the ship's exterior—unremarkable—before they passed through the airlock into the ship's interior. The short hallway opened into a small lounge—a bar, a few holo-decks, couches clean enough to pass muster. A silver protocol droid in the corner answered a small family's questions.
The fore hallway was marked for crew only and the staircase seemed to open onto the dining room. The aft hallway led to a narrow hallway of passenger cabins. Checking their number, Obi-Wan led the way to their room. Small as expected, but not unduly so, and like the lounge, it was clean.
It was a sight better than Obi-Wan had given himself to expect, and he was content to collapse on to the small inset couch. Anakin managed to muster a shade of his usual curiosity; he spent a few moments opening cabinets and pressing buttons. But then it seemed to drain out of him and he deflated. Instead of climbing up to the top bunk he would no doubt claim, the child curled up next to Obi-Wan on the couch, bony elbow pressed into the man's side.
The Force calmed; it seemed they had arrived where it wanted them. No sign of the man-in-black, but Obi-Wan kept a careful watch in the Force, following the movement of every being on board, and of those milling about the 'port.
Anakin shifted. The silence closed in again.
I'll comm the Temple the moment the ship comes out of its first jump, he decided. Report what I've learned about the man-in-black. Warn them so they can begin the man-hunt. The sooner the Zabrak was found, the sooner life would go back to normal – Anakin could safely return to Naboo and his own life could settle. He could return to the Temple, to his friends. He could finish preparing for his Trials and become a Jedi Knight. He could fulfill the destiny he'd pursued since his entry into the Temple as a crecheling. Normal would be good. After everything.
The monitor in the corner beeped and then flickered on. Obi-Wan returned his focus to the present. The safety vid – and the last moments for the Zabrak to make his move at the spaceport. Would they make it off the planet? Was the man-in-black still tracking them? Would he follow the trail? Or would he assume they had taken the express to Coruscant?
"Hello. My name is Margh," the lady from the ticket counter, "and on behalf of the rest of the Ilun crew, I would like to welcome those of you just joining us here on Chommell Prime. The airlock is closed and the pilot is preparing to lift us off. We are scheduled to arrive in Vertruk at thirteen hundred, local time. Current estimated flight time is six days, and fifteen standard hours, with three stops and four hyperspace jumps. Meal times are noted in your packet and exit routs are detailed on the back door of each cabin. In case of emergency, please report to your designated emergency pod. Thank you! We hope you enjoy our flight!"
The lady's face disappeared, replaced by a map of their route to Vetruk, as well as markers indicating the ports of call in between. Obi-Wan closed his eyes as the ship began to shudder, engines groaning and metal settling. There was a moment of disorientation as the thrusters shifted and the ship tilted, leaving the dock.
The ship broke atmosphere.
There was still no sign of the Darkness.
The ship broke the star's gravity well.
Still no Darkness.
But it wasn't until they reached hyperspace that Obi-Wan let out the breath he'd been holding.
They had escaped.
Force willing, they'd be in the Temple inside of a week.
Force willing.
Flashes of red and sickly, suffocating Dark (choking, sucking Dark, that never wanted to let go, that trailed after him and sang to him and wanted him) followed Anakin into the waking world. The cabin was dark and scary and the only light was the chrono dimly glowing 3:37am and the shine that always seemed to follow Obi-Wan. Anakin shivered, wanting nothing more than for all of it to go away.
He burrowed deeper into the blanket, wishing it was thick enough to keep all the awful scary things away. He wanted his Naboo blanket back.
He wanted Mom back! He wanted her and he wanted Tatooine and everything he understood and remembered. He wished he'd never left the Temple to go to Naboo, and he wished he was still on Naboo because his bed was awesome and he just wanted it to stop—the awful cold in his chest, he wanted it to stop. He wanted to stop dreaming about the man-in-black, and messing up and he didn't want to be on this stupid ship with stupid Obi-Wan and—and—he just—he wanted Mom. Why couldn't he just have his mom back?
What had he done wrong?
He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt someone scoop him out of his flimsy nest. Then he found himself tucked into Obi-Wan's side (and he knew it was Obi-Wan because only Obi-Wan could smell quite like that) and there was a wet spot where his face was buried in the man's tunic.
And he curled up tighter and cried.
Obi-Wan held a second hot cup of kaf in one hand and flipped through the pages of his holonovel with the other. They'd returned to their cabin for privacy after breakfast, Anakin retreating to his upper bunk, the Jedi settling into the couch. He couldn't relax into the book, into the present moment, because he was too distracted by his forced inaction. It grated that he couldn't even comm the Temple until the next hyperspace stop (3 hours and…twenty-five minutes according to the wall-chrono). He wanted to alert the Jedi, to at least know that the manhunt had started. Obi-Wan's hand tightened around his mug, then took a long sip of his drink and waited for his earlier mug to start kicking in.
Anakin shifted heavily on the bunk above, flopping down on his stomach and resting his chin on his hands just on the bed's edge, catching the Jedi's attention. Obi-Wan's gaze shifted to him curiously.
"Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan's eyebrows shifted up in surprise. Anakin had barely said a word in nearly two standard days, and certainly hadn't instigated a conversation. He covered his surprise with another long drag from his mug. The boy's determination and curiosity rang in the Force, rather than the fear-pain-lonely that had been his companion.
"Yes, Anakin?"
The boy licked his lips. "How come I heard you in my head that night?"
Obi-Wan was used to Anakin's strange questions. "The same reason you hear me in your head any time I speak. Your ears are connected to your brain via the – "
But Anakin shook his head so hard that his whole body shifted with the motion. "No! Not like that. I heard you in my head," he repeated, tapping his temple for emphasis.
Obi-Wan choked on his drink. "What?"
Anakin gave him a look. "That night. You told me to call security." He pulled himself forward until most of his body hung over the edge of the bunk, his signature brilliant with curiosity. "But…Obi-Wan. You didn't say it out loud."
"How could you have heard me in your head?" Obi-Wan replied sharply. That was impossible. To communicate silently required either great skill in the Force or…or great need. It also required some kind of bond –
He barely heard Anakin's smart response, "That's why I'm asking you," because Obi-Wan was already sinking into his own head, to the corner he'd avoided since his master's death.
His master's bond was grey and curled, a faded purple mark. But next to it – smaller, but so intense, was the tethered end of a bond he'd never seen before. Keeping his eyes fixed on Anakin, Obi-Wan reached out and touched it. Hesitantly. Anakin shifted back, a hand flying up to the back of his head, looking around wildly.
Something like fear filled Obi-Wan's stomach, heavy and fluttery at the same time. This wasn't possible. Bonds were the result of long relationships, childhood friends and long, desperate missions and the efforts of a dedicated master and apprentice. He'd never even heard of such a connection forming so quickly. So deeply. Distantly, he realized his hands were shaking and memories of his master's snapped life-force echoed. He winced in pain. This isn't possible.
A taught string set vibrating by a hesitant touch pulled him from his shock. It came from Anakin – curiosity, concentration, confusion sang down the line until they all hit Obi-Wan and tangled with his own fear, curiosity, denial, and sheer bewilderment.
The boy had figured out how to manipulate his end of the bond.
"What was that?" Anakin asked, wide eyed, sliding headfirst off the bunk and scrambling around to stand right in front of Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan! What was it? I've never done that before! Is that how you talked to me? Is that what it was?" He grabbed the Jedi's arm and Obi-Wan didn't feel the need to shake him off.
Keeping his answer clinical, hiding the shock that reeled through him, Obi-Wan replied, "Two Force users sometimes form a connection through the Force. It allows them to – not communicate, not usually – but to…work more easily together. Communicating with words…it is very rare and usually only happens in times of extreme stress." It had happened twice during his apprenticeship.
Anakin shook his head and the hand he had clenched around Obi-Wan's arm pinched the man's flesh. "But you did talk to me – " and then he stepped back and his eyes flew up and Obi-Wan knew exactly the moment the boy registered what he'd heard. "Two Force users?!" He rocked forward on his toes and Obi-Wan worried that the boy would topple over. "Wait! What does that mean? Does that mean me? Is that – "
Obi-Wan reached forward and grasped Anakin's elbows. Taking a deep breath – what are you doing, Kenobi? He can't possibly be trained! He isn't supposed to know! – he nodded, "You…have that potential, yes." No sense in hiding it. There would be no placating the child, no distracting him or putting him off this time. Not when the boy was literally inside his head.
"I can be a Jedi?" he asked so hopefully and breathlessly, eyes shining.
Obi-Wan's breath caught in his throat and his heart squeezed at the boy's desperate hope. But he'd resolved himself to honesty, relieved to tackle the external demands of a small child to better avoid his own internal panic. "No. You are too old. The Council would never allow it."
"But you're taking me back there."
"For your safety. Not for training."
Anakin's mouth twisted. "You're not even going to try?"
"If they knew you were aware of your…potential it is unlikely the Council would ever let me take you back there, your safety notwithstanding." After the events of the last few days – few weeks – Obi-Wan was not prepared to take Anakin's safety lightly. Though how the impetuous boy would manage to hold his silence when thrown once more into Temple life was beyond Obi-Wan's ken. The temptation to put himself forward, to demand attention, to learn something new would dominate the boy's second stay. And what kind of justice was there in not training the boy at this point? Of sending him off, back to Naboo, aware of his gifts and potential and completely undisciplined?
There is only the here and now, padawan. Focus on the present. For now he needed to calm Anakin.
"You mean they'd send me back to Naboo? Even with…with him out there?" blind fear flickered across the boy's face for a long moment, before he gathered his anger and smothered it. He pushed away from Obi-Wan and stomped his foot. "No fair! I want to learn how to do that stuff!"
Obi-Wan took another deep breath and reached once more for Anakin, tugging the boy's arms out of their position tight across his chest. At this rate, his talk with Yoda at the next hyper' stop would be easy.
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(Thank you so much, both everyone who's reviewed and all of the other crazy people who've stuck with the story this long. It's the home stretch!)