Chapter Twenty-Three
Kaleidoscope: Citrine
Obi-Wan stood only a few feet from the force field, appearing to be studying the energy cascade as he folded his arms and tugged absently on his sandy-blonde beard. Truthfully, he was watching a mirrored triangle in his mind's eye, soaring through the spinning whirlpool of hyperspace, heading directly into the blackest night that shrouded the Core worlds and was slowly spreading across the galaxy like a bloodstain. He could still feel the imprint of Sabé's fingers on his hand. It was accompanied by a faint ache deep inside his chest – like the absence of her touch had created a void, or perhaps had made him aware of a void that he had never known had existed in his soul.
Padmé noticed Obi-Wan's statue-like posture, remaining in place long after the force field had dissolved, and glanced up at her husband with a silent plea.
Anakin shook his head, his blue eyes brimming with empathy for the man whom he called his brother, and whispered into her ear, "Let him have a few more minutes. Then I'll go talk to him."
Three sets of light footsteps advanced from the right, and the Skywalker family looked in that direction as the remaining handmaidens drew near, ready to depart as well. Padmé walked forward to stand among them, meeting each one's eyes as she inquired, "Have you all chosen your primary location?"
Rabé, eager to get underway, took a step forward. She was dressed in faded battle fatigues from the Corellian military and weighted with more weaponry than Anakin had ever seen on one being, let alone a petite human woman. Padmé noted with a small grin that Rabé was also now sporting a Fallanassi protection tattoo under her left eye, its delicately shaped tendrils curling up her temple to meet her eyebrow and decorating the apple of her cheek.
"Milady, I have decided on the Arkanis Sector, with Tatooine as my primary location."
Anakin's brows rose. No wonder she was dressed to look like a beautiful yet formidable bounty hunter. It was the only occupation with that much personal arsenal that no one would question, even in the grittiest parts of Mos Eisley. And because of past experiences on the planet, both his and Padmé's, the Empire was sure to send a squadron of clone troopers to investigate. He only hoped that Rabé was up to the challenge – though judging by the way she handled the conspicuous nature of a heavily armed woman, Anakin was certain that she would be fine.
Dormé then spoke up in her usual soft manner. "I will stay on the Inner Rim worlds. I have several in mind, and I also have a few loose ends to tie up in the Hapes Cluster." From her place beside Rabé, the genteel woman was as different from her companion as day is to night. Dormé's slim frame was swathed in a vivid teal gown that shimmered with iridescent tones of green and blue whenever she moved, and her dark tresses were coiled into an elaborate design on one side of her head, woven through with a satin ribbon the same shade as her gown. The entire ensemble was just as elegant as anything Padmé had worn as a Galactic Senator, if not more so; the Hapans valued beauty more than any other trait, and the women in particular took a ridiculously vain pride in their looks. Dormé would blend into the Consortium as easily as a raindrop falling into the ocean.
Anakin's blue eyes flickered to the third and final handmaiden, only to find that she was looking at him as well. His stomach twisted in on itself almost painfully as he met Yané's deep russet stare. He had tried so hard since his strange flash in the conference room to remember the Jedi Padawan called Cian Wynn, but continually came up empty. The only thing he had to go on was the face he had glimpsed briefly in the conference room's transparisteel viewport and the words that ghostly face had whispered inside his skull. Yané had told Padmé that he and Cian had spoken to one another on Jabiim. Anakin felt incredibly guilty that he could not even recall what the other Jedi looked like, when it was obvious from Yané's description that Cian had thought very highly of him.
Yané was the only woman in the trio that was not dressed in order to play a role. Indeed, she was clothed in a jumpsuit very similar to the one that Padmé was wearing, except that hers was dove grey with navy trim and a little more close-fitting; Yané's lithe form made the utilitarian garment appear as chic as Dormé's costly outfit. The handmaiden's sleek brown hair was pulled back in a style much like the one Padmé had worn on Geonosis, and was wearing a holstered blaster on her right hip. She kept her gaze trained on Anakin while she announced evenly, "After I conclude some personal business on Telos, I will jump to a few worlds known to be places of significance for the Jedi Order."
"Like Ilum?" Padmé asked. She had been there once before, with Master Yoda, and knew that the frozen wasteland guarded several caves that were filled with crystals used during lightsaber construction. Yané finally shifted her stare from Anakin to Padmé and gave a short nod.
"Those worlds are bound to have clones stationed on them," Anakin cautioned, a worried frown shaping his lips. "They will be there to make sure that no remaining Jedi find a safe place to hide from Order 66. If you are seen entering one of those places – even if they think you are Padmé – "
"They will not take me alive," Yané asserted bluntly, her face hard and unyielding. "I am not afraid of death. It is but a doorway through which we all must pass…and I know that Cian is waiting for me on the other side."
Anakin stared back at her, clearly frustrated by her attitude, and Padmé laid a hand on Yané's stiffened shoulder. She jerked slightly at the contact, the hardened cast to her features melting, and Padmé murmured quietly, "But you will be careful, won't you?"
Yané smiled tightly, like her face was still getting used to forming the expression, and reached up to pat Padmé's hand. "Of course. I don't have a death wish. I just wanted you both to know where I stand on the issue of possible detainment."
"We would never ask you to make that kind of sacrifice." Anakin strode forward quickly, standing right behind his wife, his cobalt gaze suddenly intense.
"I know." Yané glanced at him, and then returned her attention to Padmé. "It is a sacrifice that I am willing to make, and one that I will make if I must."
Padmé's wide eyes swam with tears and Yané, moved by her friend's compassion, swiftly enfolded her in a hug though she was mindful of the fragile infant snuggled against Padmé's chest.
They broke apart, and after a soft chorus of farewells the three handmaidens walked towards the Hapan Stingray, where they marched single file up the boarding ramp. After leaving Polis Massa, they would plot a hyperspace course to Eriadu and then part ways – Dormé in the Stingray, Rabé in a ship that she intended to purchase at the spaceport, and Yané on a public transport.
Anakin watched the Hapan vessel rise off of its landing struts, its silver-blue metallic skin lustrous in the hangar bay's lights, with a slightly disheartened expression. "I didn't even have the chance to go inside it," he mumbled sadly.
Padmé laughed softly, and stood on her tiptoes in order to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Your chance will come, Ani," she promised. The low whirr of servomotors filled the silence left in the wake of the Stingray's departure, and Padmé glanced over her shoulder to see Artoo rolling towards them, his extendable arm guiding a hovering bassinet laden with clean white blankets.
"Thank you, Artoo," she said warmly, and the little droid tootled in response. She touched Anakin's cheek lightly with her fingertips. He sighed and leaned into her hand, closing his eyes briefly. "Put Luke down in the bassinet, Ani," she advised, "and go talk to Obi-Wan. He needs you."
Obeying her words, Anakin bent down and laid his tiny son, now asleep, amid the tangled cloud of blankets. Then he straightened and looked over the top of Padmé's head at Obi-Wan, who had not moved from his spot near the force field for some time. "Artoo," he said in a low voice, "start powering up the Aiwha. I'll be along in a minute."
He slowly crept around his wife and moved to join his former Master, coming to a stop directly beside him. Anakin scrutinized Obi-Wan's face from the corner of his eye, wondering what he was thinking, what internal battle he was fighting – and like always, the Jedi Master's expression was passively blank, except for the barely discernible tightening around his eyes and the tension in his bearded jaw line.
The younger man clasped his hands loosely behind his back – a habitual stance he used for meditation – and commented offhandedly, "Padmé is relieved that her friend has someone like you to count on if things get rough on Coruscant, but I don't think you need to worry about Sabé; she's very good."
For a moment, there was no sound save for their even breathing and the slow building whine of the Aiwha's engines. Then, Obi-Wan replied in a pensive tone just above a whisper, "Indeed she is. She is quite unique."
Anakin turned his upper body to look at the older man, a lopsided smirk tilting his mouth. "You and Sabé seem to be getting along. In fact, I would say that you two were speaking on a more personal level than just old acquaintances when she said goodbye. One might think," he added, quirking an eyebrow, "that you were…disturbed to see her go."
Obi-Wan stiffened, his hand frozen on his chin in mid-tug. Spinning sideways in a smooth, abrupt motion, he fixed Anakin with a fierce admonishing glare. "Do not look for hidden meanings where there are none to be found, my young Padawan." Each syllable punched the air like a cracking whip. Anakin's face, rather than lowering in the usual contrite manner, was awash in surprise, his lips parted slightly and his blue eyes wide as he stared at his best friend. It took Obi-Wan another second to realize that he had addressed Anakin as his Padawan – a title he had not held for over a year. The slip had happened so naturally because it had been a frequent reminder from Master to apprentice during the course of Anakin's training, and because Obi-Wan did not have a steady grasp on his emotions.
He released a slow, deep breath, his shoulders slumping a bit, and turned his head back towards the hangar bay's door. "I respect Sabé as a woman of character, and as a friend," he said, clarifying his earlier, vague statement. "She is unlike anyone I have ever met. I…do not want any harm to come to her. That is why I gave her the homing beacon. Because she is my friend," he reiterated firmly.
The old, quicksilver flash of boldness illuminated Anakin's cerulean irises, and the question left his mouth before he even had the notion to pause and consider the implications. "Have you ever wanted more than friendship with a woman?"
Sharp storm-colored orbs pierced his gaze – an unspoken reprimand as harsh as any words. Anakin stared determinedly back, refusing to withdraw the question that was more of a challenge than an honest inquiry because he believed whole-heartedly that the answer was extremely important.
Time ticked by. Anakin began measuring the seconds by each beat of his heart – until finally Obi-Wan's eyes grew less severe and he responded calmly, "My wants are contrary to my life as a Jedi, Anakin. I am older than you, and more set in my ways." He folded his arms across his chest, tucked his hands inside the sleeves of his robe. "This is the life that I have chosen, and it is the way I must remain."
Anakin inhaled quickly through his nose, fighting off a stab of annoyance. Obi-Wan was avoiding the issue – steering around a potential hazard without even considering that the hazard might not exist in the first place. All caution and no risk-taking, like nearly every Jedi in the Order. It drove him insane.
"You didn't answer my question."
Obi-Wan glanced sidelong at his moody best friend with a mixture of resignation and muted affection. "Perhaps I did want more…once. But I have grown up since then, Anakin, and striven to be the best Jedi that I could become – the great Jedi that Qui-Gon had foreseen I would be. You may have learned to surpass the restrictions of the Code…but I am firmly rooted in its principles." His eyes fell. "I doubt that I could change even if I wanted to."
The atmosphere inside the cavernous hangar bay suddenly changed, the air electrified with energy, and the tiny hairs on Obi-Wan's arms rose, causing him to shiver. A whisper, as gentle and tangible as a summer breeze, floated to his ear.
"Change is an inevitable part of life, Obi-Wan. Remaining stagnant is contradictory to the very nature of the Force itself. You must learn to keep your mind – and your heart – open."
Qui-Gon?
Obi-Wan blinked, his subconscious replying bewilderedly to the voice before the rest of his mind had begun to grasp the meaning behind the words. Qui-Gon had never spoken to him about change while he was alive; it was not from one of his memories of his beloved Master, whom he had loved as a father. Obi-Wan had committed every scrap of wisdom the man had uttered since he had become his Padawan.
But if it was not the echo of a memory, then what…?
Anakin could see the astonishment on his former mentor's face, the wide, childlike roundness of his blue-grey eyes, and smiled. Qui-Gon would be able to reach Obi-Wan – he was certain of it.
He bit the inside of his cheek to hide the smile, and changed the subject. "What 'mission' were you talking about before? The one you mentioned to Sabé?"
The older man blinked rapidly numerous times, the faraway glaze in his eyes evaporating, and offered Anakin the ghost of a smile. "Master Yoda asked me to make some house-calls on several enclaves throughout the galaxy, in search of stranded or wounded Jedi."
"But the enclaves were abandoned during the war. All the Jedi were called out to fight."
"They were home to many young members of the Order," Obi-Wan reminded him. "A frightened Padawan will head for the one place that he or she feels is safe. I must find them before the Empire does."
Anakin cocked his head to the side, remarking thoughtfully, "Yané was planning on traveling to some of those worlds as well."
"Yes, I know." He shifted his stance, transferring his weight from one foot to the other. The cast had finally been removed from his leg after a miraculous recovery where the bone seemed to have regenerated overnight. He had Yoda to thank for that. "She approached me early this morning and listed off several planets that Cian must have told her about. Fortunately, none of her intended destinations coincide with mine, so neither of our missions will be compromised."
Obi-Wan's level gaze turned oddly speculative as he said, "Speaking of missions…you have your own to prepare for. I expect you to be ready for my arrival on Naboo in one week – at dawn. I am to take you to Dagobah, and then resume my mission."
Anakin paled, and his eyes darted around wildly, searching for Padmé. He calmed somewhat when he saw her standing a few meters away, near the Aiwha's boarding ramp, leaning into the bassinet while caressing Leia's forehead with gentle fingers. Yet his eyes retained their frantic, feverish gleam as they swung back to Obi-Wan.
The Jedi Master had summed up his reaction in a heartbeat. "You have not told her?" It was more of a statement than a question.
He shook his head, his gaze shifting to Padmé as though drawn by a magnetic current. "I can't. Not yet," he muttered urgently, and it seemed to Obi-Wan that he was trying to convince himself more than the Jedi Master. "She's so…happy now. I can't ruin that. I'll tell her in a few days."
"She does not appreciate being kept in the dark, Anakin," Obi-Wan chided gently.
Anakin let out a gusty sigh, raking a hand through his tousled locks. "I know. But I can't –" He cut off abruptly, the wildness in his blue eyes intensifying for a brief second, and then it vanished altogether as he spun around, a casual grin lighting up his face.
The sound of Padmé's voice caused Obi-Wan to rotate at a slower pace than Anakin while she was announcing to them with barely restrained joy, "We're all set." She had removed the sling that had been carrying Leia, and must have sensed her husband's unspoken question because she added, "Threepio is looking after the twins."
"A droid of many talents," Obi-Wan remarked wryly. Then he gestured towards the Aiwha with a hand. "I'll see you off."
The trio ambled leisurely to the boarding ramp, at which point they halted, glancing at one another as though each wanted to say some type of meaningful farewell – but could not find the desire to break the peaceful communion that now existed between them.
Eventually, Obi-Wan felt inclined to cease prolonging the inevitable. Turning to Padmé, he extended his hands to her with an affectionate smile. Her heart-shaped face glowed as brilliantly as a star, dark eyes shining, and bypassed his hands to enfold the Jedi Master in a warm embrace. "You are my brother, Obi-Wan," she whispered, tears sparkling like chips of diamond on her eyelashes. "Be safe. Come visit us soon."
He pulled away from her a bit, the wiry hairs of his beard scratching her skin as he kissed her cheek in a familial way. Padmé's gaze slid sideways to her husband – an automatic reaction she had cultivated in recent weeks – to gauge his emotions. There was not the barest shadow of jealous possession darkening Anakin's handsome face, and his eyes were clear, the irises twinkling like laser-cut cobalt crystal.
Obi-Wan stepped away from her and faced Anakin, his expression laden with a myriad of feelings. The younger man returned his fixed stare, reading some of the more definable emotions on his former Master's face, and he flattened his lips together to keep the lower one from trembling. He had so much that he wanted to say – so much to thank him for…but the words would not come. Anakin sought to convey his thoughts through his eyes, boring steadily into Obi-Wan's gaze, and saw the Jedi Master's composed features flicker in response. He lifted his right hand in silence. Anakin reached out to clasp his forearm – the universal symbol of brotherhood – and held on tightly.
And there was nothing else to say. These two men were brothers – welded together by time and circumstance, battered and shaped by conflict, plunged into the very fires of hell itself, and had emerged not in broken, twisted pieces – but strengthened by a re-forged bond that would outlast eternity.
Yet, Obi-Wan could not resist the impulse to speak a final benediction nearly as old as the universe itself. "May the Force be with you," he murmured huskily. "My brother."
Anakin's squared chin quivered, his vision blurred with saltwater, and found that he had no voice through which to return the traditional farewell. So he nodded shakily, clenching his teeth against the overwhelming surge of camaraderie that he felt for this man who was a brother, a father, a teacher, a comrade-in-arms, and a friend.
Reluctantly, he released Obi-Wan's arm, his own falling limply to his side, and heard a quiet sniff.
Padmé was wiping at her eyes with her knuckles, her cheeks damp with tears, though a tiny smile lightly curved her full lips. Anakin pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head. "Ready?" he asked in a hushed tone.
She nodded, taking a deep breath, and raised her chin to offer Obi-Wan a bright grin. "You're welcome on Naboo anytime, Obi-Wan. We would love to have you."
"Thank you, Padmé," he replied warmly. He met Anakin's eyes for a heartbeat, and the young man could see the silent reminder in those blue-grey orbs. One week.
Obi-Wan watched the couple stroll side by side up the boarding ramp, his arm holding her close and hers coiled around his waist, and the ship sealed with an audible hiss of pressurized air.
The Aiwha rose smoothly from the hangar bay floor, guided by Anakin's practiced touch, and Obi-Wan raised a hand above his head in farewell as the vessel floated out to space.
He sensed the Administrator's arrival just as the Polis Massan reported, "All of our security precautions have been implemented, Master Kenobi. The med droids' memories are successfully wiped, the data chips and computer logs have been erased, and all tangible evidence has been destroyed."
"And the secondary protocol?" Obi-Wan asked with quiet seriousness, his head turning just a fraction of an inch towards the Administrator.
"Uploaded and ready."
The Jedi Master nodded introspectively. The secondary protocol he was referring to was not just another contingency plan…but a last resort. It was a highly corrosive computer virus that Artoo had modified specifically for the MedCenter's network. When triggered by a six-digit keystroke sequence, the virus would erupt from its secured hideout buried behind a dozen firewalls and infect the entire complex in a matter of seconds. At one minute, the virus would begin erasing every stored file in the database. At three minutes, it would proceed to delete the main system hard drive. By five minutes, the network would be a blank slate.
An added feature to the virus, dubbed "Little Blue" – Anakin's suggestion as a tribute to its creator – was that any connected device would automatically become infected as well. The unknown side effect of the infection was that the virus's counterpart would clone the connected device's data on the auxiliary system before file deletion. That way, if an Imperial tech happened to link with the system, every scrap of information known to the Empire would become available to their side at the touch of a button.
Ingenious, to say the least.
"I should also inform you, my friend," Tuun continued, interrupting Obi-Wan's musings, "that Port Control has received a broadband transmission indicating that a Star Destroyer has been spotted in the Sluis Sector."
Obi-Wan became absolutely still – a marble carving – at this news. The Sluis Sector was only a mere 200 parsecs from Polis Massa. As he had suspected, the Emperor was relentlessly driving the clone troopers in their sweep of the galaxy to find Anakin Skywalker's child. He had not expected them to reach the fringes of the Outer Rim quite so soon, however.
"Then it is long past time for me to depart," he replied firmly, and strode off in the direction of the Delta-7, primed for take-off. Obi-Wan climbed into the cockpit, settling himself comfortably as best he could – he had a very long flight ahead of him.
Stretching out with his right hand, he waited for Administrator Tuun to wrap the elongated digits of his hand around his own before speaking. "I do not wish to belittle the repeated gratitude of myself and the others," Obi-Wan began quietly, "but we truly owe you and this colony a debt that can never be repaid. You have given so much to us, and yet you are willing to sacrifice even more to preserve the safety of Anakin and his family, and the Jedi as a whole." He withdrew from the Polis Massan's grasp and began flipping switches, the Delta-7 thrumming beneath him. "Farewell, my friend," he called, just as the transparisteel cockpit bubble sealed around him. Tuun retreated to a safe distance as the snub fighter hovered into the air and swung around like an arrowhead, heading for the hangar bay doors.
Once the vessel was past the hangar's shielding, Obi-Wan gunned the engines and shot off into orbit, following the specified coordinates to a safe jump joint just outside the asteroid field. Entering the numbers into the navicomputer, guided by Yoda's recollections and the Force, the Jedi Master took a deep breath and gazed out into open space. The inky blackness, decorated by thousands of glimmering stars, felt oddly welcoming to Obi-Wan. There were no complications in space; it was empty, peaceful, and soothing. Of course, he probably would not feel that way after he had been trapped in this extremely small cockpit for the next four days. He would have barely enough time to search the ruins before he had to turn around and head clear across the galaxy to Naboo. Obi-Wan was not very confident that any wayward Jedi would take refuge in the salvaged enclave on the southern plains of Dantooine – but it was not a well-known spot to most galactic citizens. Not to mention the fact that most of the grounds surrounding the ruins were infested by laigreks, kath hounds and other…unsavory creatures – none of which posed any threat to a Jedi.
Perhaps one of his brethren was sheltered there. After all, the universe was full of surprises.
"One never knows…" Obi-Wan mumbled to himself. He activated the hyperdrive, and starlines streamed all around the cockpit as the Delta-7 leapt into hyperspace, leaving Polis Massa behind and launching the Jedi Master headfirst into the swirling oblivion of the unknown.
