Chapter 21

How the Hell did I get myself in this situation? Han thought as he stood over Obi Wan's sleeping form with a blaster in hand. Han had been many things in his life, but a murderer wasn't one. He had killed before, of course, but only out of necessity and only when his own life was threatened. Obi Wan wasn't threatening his life, but Han knew he had to dispose of him regardless.

Vader had forced him into this situation. This wasn't Han's fault! He had nothing against Obi Wan. Sure, he thought he was a strange old man, but he had no desire to kill him. If Han wanted to escape Vader's grasp and maintain his ship, however, he would have to kill Obi Wan.

So why was the safety still on? He had never killed anyone like this before. His enemies were always staring him dead in the face with a blaster trained on him, not totally vulnerable and at his complete mercy. Every time he put his finger on the safety, Han pictured Luke's boyish face. What would Luke think of him if he killed his mentor in cold blood? What would Leia think of him? If she thought of him at all, that is…

What if he stunned the man instead? And then what? Stick him in an escape pod and eject him into hyperspace? How would that be any better than just shooting him in his sleep? Could he convince the Rebels that Obi Wan had abducted him somehow and get them to arrest the old Jedi? Han doubted they would believe him. After all, General Kenobi was renowned as a hero amongst the Rebels for his service during the Clone Wars. No, the Rebels wouldn't believe Han.

He had to do this. There was no other option. Clicking the safety off, Han pointed the now armed blaster at the back of Obi Wan's head…

Abruptly, the blaster was thrown out of Han's hand and collided into wall. Shocked, Han looked away from Obi Wan for the briefest moment. As he did so, something heavy collided with the side of Han's skull, knocking him over. Han felt Obi Wan jump on top of him and pin him to the ground, his cheek forced roughly into the floor.

"Were you going to kill me, Han?" came Obi Wan's remarkably calm voice. Han said nothing, his head pounding painfully. There was little point in denying it, however. "I don't advise sneaking up on a Jedi, even one of my age."

With that, Obi Wan released Han and stood up. Struggling to his feet, Han rubbed the side of his face gingerly. "I hope I didn't hurt you too much," Obi Wan said, tilting his head to investigate the extent of Han's injuries.

"Um… I just tried to kill you, Obi Wan," Han said, a trickle of blood pouring down his chin from his lip. "Why do you give a damn how I am?"

"You are the pilot," Obi Wan said matter-of-factly. "I doubt I could fly this ship without you."

Utterly bewildered, Han didn't know what to say. Did Obi Wan really not seem to care that Han had just pointed a blaster at his head? With a flick of his hand, Han's blaster went soaring across the room into Obi Wan's hand. With wide eyes, Han watched as Obi Wan turned the safety on and threw it back to him.

"You should put some ice on that," he said, gesturing to Han's bruised face. Speechless, Han looked down at the blaster in his hand. "I won't give it back to you if you try to kill me again," Obi Wan said casually. "Now go along. I'd like to get some sleep before we arrive."

Obi Wan was humming to himself as he awaited Mon Mothma's arrival. They had arrived on Hoth an hour prior and after a thorough search of their person and of the Falcon they were led deep into the Rebel Base. Han was seated awkwardly next to Obi Wan on a couch that could only be described as austere.

Obi Wan had suspected that Han might try something to get Obi Wan out of the way. After Obi Wan had made it clear that he intended to return to Ahch-To, Han had decided to take matters into his own hands. Obi Wan had pretended to sleep for nearly five minutes as Han deliberated whether or not to kill him. He had hoped that perhaps Han would decide against pulling the trigger, but alas he had not. Instead, Obi Wan had been forced to overpower the young man.

Obi Wan was roused from his thoughts when the doors to the conference room opened abruptly. Mon Mothma, the leader of the Rebellion, strode into the room, her distinctive white dress billowing behind her. Obi Wan rose when Mothma entered. Han, who wasn't used to diplomatic etiquette, was slow on the uptake and stood up far too late just as Obi Wan and Mothma were both sitting down.

Ignoring Han's awkward behavior, Mothma extended her hand to Obi Wan. "General Kenobi," she said with a warm smile. "It is an honor."

"Likewise, Senator," Obi Wan replied, shaking Mothma's hand lightly.

"I take it you come bearing news about Senator Amidala?" Mothma said, releasing Obi Wan's hand and clasping her own hands on top of her lap.

Obi Wan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I saw your message to Padme on Yavin 4," Mothma told him. "I know she went to find you on Corsin. We haven't heard from her since, however."

With the seasoned eyes of a diplomat, Obi Wan could tell that Mothma was desperate for information about Padme although she was attempting to play it cool. No doubt, she feared that something horrible had happened to her ally and friend. "Padme is well," Obi Wan said, deciding to put Mothma at ease.

Mothma exhaled and closed her eyes. "I am glad to hear it," she said.

"I assume she told you about the nature of her relationship with Darth Vader?" Obi Wan asked cautiously.

"She did," Mothma said. "Did she attempt to find him?"

"She didn't have to," Obi Wan said. "Vader found her. He captured me on the Death Star and forced me to send that message to lure her away from the Rebels."

"I see," she said, looking concerned again. "How did you escape?"

"Vader is no more," Obi Wan said with a half-smile. "I assume you heard the announcement from the Emperor a few days ago?"

"I did," Mothma said. "You mean to say he's dead?"

"In a sense," Obi Wan said vaguely. "He has decided to turn against the Emperor thanks to Padme's efforts. He has become Anakin Skywalker once again."

Mothma furrowed her brow, clearly skeptical. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Padme suspected you might be doubtful," Obi Wan said, reaching into his cloak and producing a holorecording. "She recorded this for you."

Mothma extended her arm and accepted the circular recording. Placing it on the table in front of her, she activated the recording.

"Hello, Mon," Padme's hologram said. "I am recording this to confirm that whatever Han is telling you is true. I am perfectly safe where I am. I am with Anakin and our children. I discovered that Luke Lars is my son. I know this is a lot of information, but I hope you can tell that I am being genuine with you. I ask you to grant Han's requests and provide him with the supplies we need. Anakin has decided to train the twins, and I believe this is our best chance at winning this war. I ask you not to try and track me down and to not seek retribution against Anakin. I hope we will see each other again soon."

The hologram flickered out, revealing a bewildered Mothma across the table. Obi Wan remained silent, waiting for Mothma to say something. "Is this… is all of this true?" she finally asked.

"I assure you, everything Padme said is true," Obi Wan said. "Luke and Leia are being trained by Anakin in the Jedi arts. Once they are sufficiently powerful, they intend to take on the Emperor and end the war in one clean blow."

"I'm sorry, I can't possibly believe that," Mothma said much to Obi Wan's dismay. "Why would Vader do this? Even if he has turned against the Empire, why wouldn't he defect to us?"

"Are you offering to harbor him?" Obi Wan asked curiously.

Mothma hesitated. "No, but –"

"Anakin doesn't trust the Rebellion," Obi Wan interrupted. "He suspects you will arrest him if he seeks your assistance. Can you honestly tell me that you would not do that?"

Mothma shook her head. "I cannot make that commitment. However, we may be able to reach a compromise if he supports our cause."

"Anakin doesn't make compromises," Obi Wan said. "He will act independently of the Rebellion if you do not grant him a full pardon."

"And what will you do?" Mothma asked. "Will you join us?"

"I am too old to be of any use to you," Obi Wan said with a charming smile. This was a lie, of course. The developing bruise on the side of Han's face was proof that Obi Wan was more than capable of combat. Nevertheless, he felt he would be more helpful at Anakin's side.

"So what would you have me do about Vader?" Mothma asked. "Simply allow him to act unilaterally?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I would have you do," Obi Wan said. "You cannot win this fight without him, Senator. Surely you must know this."

Mothma pursed her lips and looked down at the holorecording. "And what of the children? Are they content by their father's side?"

"I believe so," Obi Wan said.

"That's not true," Han interjected, leaning forward off the couch. "Leia hates the bastard."

Obi Wan gave Han a sharp look. "Leia hates Darth Vader," Obi Wan said, furious that Han was attempting to sabotage this sales pitch. "She does not hate her father."

Han snorted and leaned back, one hand rested casually on the arms rest. "Sure," he said, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say, man."

Mothma looked at Han curiously for a few moments. "And you believe Vader… I mean Skywalker's intentions are genuine?" she asked, turning back to Obi Wan.

"Absolutely," Obi Wan said. "He would do anything for his family."

Mothma nodded once slowly. "Very well," she said finally, sounding far from convinced. "I will trust your judgment, General Kenobi."

"Thank you, Senator," Obi Wan said with a bow of his head. "You won't regret this, I promise."

"What supplies do you require?" she asked.

After providing Mothma with a detailed list of what they would require, both for the training of the twins and for basic survival on Ahch-To, Obi Wan and Han stood up to leave. "I will have everything delivered to your ship within the hour," Mothma said, rising to her feet as well. "If I could just have a word with Mr. Solo in private, first."

Obi Wan froze, surprised by this request. "Of course," he said, not daring to object. "I'll wait outside." Stepping outside, Obi Wan paced back and forth in the icy hallway. What was it that Mothma wanted with Han? Was she going to attempt to use him as a spy of some sorts? Han certainly didn't have any loyalty to Vader, it would be easy to employ him for a sizeable sum of money. Obi Wan would have to keep a close eye on the young smuggler.

A few days later, Obi Wan and Han returned to Ahch-To. Obi Wan hadn't asked Han what Mothma had talked to him about, but he could see that the younger man was clearly on edge. His stress could have been entirely unrelated to that conversation, however. After all, he was practically being forced to live on a deserted island for an indeterminate amount of time.

Luke and Leia were waiting for them at the bottom of the island, evidently having been sent by their parents to greet Han and Obi Wan. Squinting as he stepped off the Falcon, Obi Wan could see that the twins had changed in the few days they had been apart. Physically, they were no different, but they seemed to hold themselves differently now. They exuded the casual confidence of their father.

"Welcome back, Ben," Luke said, walking towards him and offering his hand. "How did it go?"

"Very well," Obi Wan said, shaking Luke's hand and using his other to shade his eyes. "Unexpectedly well, I must say."

"Hey, Han!" Luke said, looking beyond Obi Wan. Turning around, Obi Wan saw Han standing at the top of the ramp, his hands on his hips.

"'Sup, kid," he mumbled as he walked down the ramp. "Where's your Pop?"

"He's not here," Leia said, only now stepping out of the shade and joining them.

"Sent you to do the dirty work, did he?" Han asked.

"It's a part of our training," Luke said importantly.

Han rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You tell yourself that, kid," he said dismissively. "Well come on in, we've got a lot to bring up."

"Ben, why don't you head on up," Luke suggested. "We can handle this."

Obi Wan glanced subtly at Han to gauge his reaction. As he expected, Han looked very receptive at this suggestion. Han wanted to get the twins alone for some reason. "I think I will," Obi Wan said. "I'm too old for this type of activity anyway."

"See you at the top, old man," Han said, turning around to go back into the ship. Smiling wryly at Han's retreating figure, Obi Wan turned back to Luke and Leia.

"Go on," he said, nodding his head at the ship. "There's a lot to carry."

The twins followed Han up the ramp and into the ship. Obi Wan waited for a minute before following them into the ship, taking great care to stay quiet. Sneaking down the hallway towards the main hold, he overheard Han saying something.

"You can't tell Vader about this, okay," he said in a hushed voice. Obi Wan pressed himself against the hallway, as he tried to get as close as he could to the main hold without being visible.

"What are you talking about, Han?" he heard Luke ask.

"Mothma wanted me to give this to you," Han said. "She said you should contact her if you want to rejoin the Rebels."

"Why would we do that?" Luke asked. "We won't betray Father. Right, Leia?"

Obi Wan didn't hear Leia answer him. No doubt, she wasn't as loyal to Vader as Luke was. "Look, you don't have to use it," Han said. "It's just an option."

"I'm not taking it," Luke said irritably.

"Give it to me," he heard Leia say.

"Leia!"

"I'm not going to use it, Luke," Leia said. "But we might need it, okay?"

"Why would we need it?" Luke asked.

"Just in case, alright?" Leia said.

"And what if I tell Dad?" Luke challenged.

"He'd kill Han if you did that," Leia replied. "You know he wants to."

Luke didn't reply for a while, considering this point. "Fine," he said after a while. "I won't tell. But we're not going to use that. The Rebels would take Dad away if we called for their help."

"I know that, Luke," Leia said. "I'm not going to use it."

"I thought you hated that guy, Leia," Han said, sounding disappointed. "What's changed?"

Obi Wan inched closer, curious to hear Leia's answer. "We need him, okay?" she said. "There's no good in turning him over to the Rebels when we can still use him."

Slipping away from the doorway, Obi Wan tiptoed down the hallway towards the guest room. So that had been what Mothma had talked to Han about. She wanted to get the twins to defect. Clearly, she had suspected that they were being held against their will or were otherwise reluctant to be trained by Vader. Han's comment about Leia hating Vader no doubt fueled that hypothesis.

Unfortunately for Mothma, the twins were loyal to their father for now. Closing the door behind him, Obi Wan wondered why Leia had not jumped at the opportunity to return to the Rebels. Had she told the truth when she said that Vader was merely a useful tool? Or was she developing an attachment to Vader? Obi Wan had noticed that their relationship seemed to have improved dramatically over the past few weeks. She had even slipped up and referred to him as Dad that one time…

Or perhaps she was only saying that for Luke's sake. Maybe she intended all along to contact the Rebels once Luke was out of sight. Obi Wan would have to find out the truth if he wanted to protect Vader.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway confirmed that the trio had begun taking the cargo out of the main hold. Obi Wan put his ear against the door to listen closely. Confident that the three were now gone, Obi Wan opened the door and stepped back out into the hallway. As he turned to leave, however, he came face to face with Leia who was pointing a blaster at his chest.

"You're a sneaky one, aren't you?" she said menacingly. Obi Wan raised his hands and took a step back. How had she known he was here? "I could sense you," she said, answering his unvocalized question. "I knew you were there all along."

"Impressive," Obi Wan said calmly. "And what do you intend to do with me?"

"Promise you won't tell Vader about the comlink, or I'll blast a hole through your heart," she said with a snarl.

Obi Wan lowered his hands and shook his head. He was really getting sick of these young people trying to kill him. With a flick of his wrist, Leia's blaster flew out of her hand and smashed into the hallway with a clang.

"You wouldn't kill me, Leia," Obi Wan said. "Besides, you have nothing to fear from me."

"Oh yeah?" Leia said, apparently unfazed by being disarmed so casually. "Why not?"

"You and I think alike," he said, taking a step forward and kicking the discarded blaster behind him. "I know Anakin can be very useful to us, but I also know that he is a deeply flawed person."

"What are you saying?" Leia asked curiously.

"I'm saying we shouldn't put all of our eggs in one basket," Obi Wan replied. "If your father ultimately decides not to face the Emperor, I want to make sure that you will be able to perform the task yourself."

Leia's eyes widened as she realized what Obi Wan was saying. "What about Luke?" she asked. "Is he not capable as well?"

"I don't trust Luke to abandon his father," Obi Wan said. "Besides, I see more raw strength in you."

Leia narrowed her eyes as she stared back at Obi Wan suspiciously. "Alright," she said eventually. "Let's shake on it. If Vader fails, we will take on the Emperor ourselves."

"We shall," Obi Wan said, reaching out and shaking Leia's much smaller hand. "Although I certainly hope it doesn't come to that."

END OF BOOK 2