This and the next chapter are really new! I had never planned to write them, but while typing the story, I suddenly had an idea like "Wow, this could be a cool chapter!" I hope you like it!
Thanks for reviewing:
Geri K: Thanks a lot for your private message. I agree with you and Phoenix Red Lion: Obi-Wan should not listen to all the rubbish everyone's telling him. He deserves a better life! Poor, poor Obi ;-) I really enjoy your reviews because I think for a writer it is the most rewarding experience if one's fanfiction evokes any emotions in one's readers. I just felt like I should tell you Obi-Wan did not fail in my opinion because I myself get sometimes annoyed by fanfictions in which Obi-Wan is portrayed as the evil guy who cut off Anakin's legs etc. etc. ;-)
Jedi Knight 13: Don't you underestimate Master Yoda - lol! Ok, he may seem old... ;-) Yes, the Jedi-Order has to change, you're right there, and Qui-Gon is the stimulus. I didn't realise my writing skills have improved... well, if you say so - thank you! I guess writing English is getting easier and easier for me and I'm able to do it more quickly now.
Phoenix Red Lion: Wow, thanks a lot! I LOVE such reviews ;-) Obi-Wan is in a really horrible situation, caught between the two opposing sides and his feelings and everyone wants him to do something different and no matter what he does - someone is going to tell him he's wrong either way. So, yeah, grabbing Luke and Leia and running away would be a good option ;-) But Obi-Wan would never just run away like that, would he?
Xenia Marvolo: Yes! YES! FINALLY! Someone who's on Anakin's side!!! Yippee! ;-) I don't say I'm completely on Anakin's side but it's good to have someone side with Anakin as most of my readers seem to be great Obi-Wan fans (well, I'm too...lol, but I like Anakin a lot too). It's interesting to see how differently people see this story...
Sentrosi: You're a real citadels-freak, aren't you ;-) I'm afraid I don't know so much about combinations. Do you perhaps mean "Wehrturm" (the thing that cannot be destroyed)? Thanks for reviewing!
It was an odd court. It took place in the middle of a jungle and you could not even see everyone participating because trees and leaves shielded them from view. Obi-Wan stood next to Master Yoda and watched two rebels tie Anakin to a tree. Beru and Luke were not here. Obi-Wan did not know how much Luke had understood from the short conversation between Obi-Wan and Anakin, but he certainly did not want the little boy to have to witness this. The younger ones of the younglings had been sent away too. The older ones, however, who remembered very well what Anakin had done to them, were allowed to stay. They bustled with excitement and tried to catch a glimpse on Anakin. Some had even climbed up into the trees in order to get a better view over the rebels' heads.
Then one of the rebels stepped forward and raised his voice. "Welcome everyone. All of us have waited very long for this day. We have fought very hard to achieve this. Many of our loyal friends and comrades died. But their deaths were not in vain. They died for justice, freedom and democracy!" The crowd cheered at these words. "We will never forget them! We will honour them by freeing the galaxy from enslavement. This is the day we strike back! This is the day when justice defeats evil! This is a day which will always be remembered as the day of the Republic!"
The guy sounded a bit overconfident to Obi-Wan. After all, they had only caught one Sith. The other Sith, who was probably the greater threat, was still alive. Darth Maul had died, Darth Tyranus had died but, so far, Darth Sidious had always managed to get a new apprentice. Speaking about the day of the Republic was a bit early. But maybe that was just Obi-Wan. He had never really approved of such political pomp and fiery speeches. Maybe it was needed here in order to encourage everyone. The rebel alliance was such a small group compared to the millions of stormtroopers and they badly needed all the encouragement they could get. With a squelching sound, Obi-Wan yanked his boot out of the mud. He had to do so every minute because the foil was so splashy he sank down again and again. He envied Yoda for his lightweight, who certainly did not face such problems.
"In front of us stands the man who is responsible for all of this", continued the rebel leader. "Darth Vader, Sith-Lord, murderer and tyrant! He destroyed the Republic and democracy! He killed the Jedi in an incomparably evil purge! He oppressed many free peoples with his reign of terror! He hunted our friends down and tortured them to death!"
People were stirring and muttering angrily, some were shaking their fists in Anakin's direction.
"Murderer!" a young woman suddenly burst out. "Murderer! You killed them, I know you did! You will pay for it, I will enjoy seeing you suffer, I will enjoy every second of your death!!!"
Anakin viewed her with mild interest as though she was not really worth bothering. From somewhere, a fistful of mud was thrown directly into Anakin's face. Anakin's head jerked back against the trunk, Anakin coughed and spat mud out of his mouth. The crowd jeered and others followed this example. The rebel leader tried to go on with delivering his speech but meanwhile no one paid attention to him anymore. Stinking mud, mouldy fruits, branches and soon even stones flew through the air. Everyone was screaming and cheering and raging and yelling accusations. Obi-Wan ducked when a squashy fruit almost hit his head. Turning around to see where it had come from, he saw two Padawans sitting on a tree's branch, who gave him the thumbs up when they noticed they were being watched by him. The sight of these two young Jedi made Obi-Wan incredibly sad. He quickly turned away again and watched the spectacle. It was as if the people around him had turned into a pride of wild and ferocious – hungry – animals which could not be stopped anymore. Obi-Wan caught the eye of Bail Organa, who was standing opposite him a few feet away. He watched just as impassively as Obi-Wan did and returned him a sad look.
Finally, Master Yoda intervened when two rebels had just started hitting their blasters into Anakin's stomach again and again. Yoda hit his gimer stick against the trunk of a nearby tree (and amplified the sound with the Force). "Behave yourselves, you will!" It took him some time to get everyone's attention but at long last the crowd had calmed down so that Yoda's words could be heard. "The dark side I sense here. Uncontrolled hate, anger… Revenge the way of the Jedi is not."
"No Jedi we are", an old man mocked Yoda, and Obi-Wan felt a big lump in his throat at these words. Immediately, everyone started jeering and screaming again and Yoda had to hit the trunk several times very loudly.
"Revenge and torture neither the way of the Jedi nor the way of democracy is. The way of the Sith it is."
"Master Yoda is absolutely right", Bail Organa spoke up in order to support Yoda. "This is how democracy dies. Do we have the right to call such behaviour right and just? Is this what we're fighting for? Is this the future we want for our children? We have to be role-models! How can we fight for the good if we destroy our own principles? If this is really what we're fighting for, then this cause has become worthless. Then I think it would be better if I left this alliance."
Obi-Wan could hear gasps among the listeners and he was really glad for the impact Bail's speech had made.
"Stop this trial, we will", Yoda declared and there was no one now who dared to argue. "Calm down you need and then start anew we will. Lord Vader's presence required is not anymore. Know what he did, we all do. Debate this case we will in his absence. Better this is for all of us, I feel. Master Kenobi, inside my cave you bring him."
"What?!" Someone exclaimed at once. "Is that some new kind of your Jedi's tricks? We all know Kenobi used to be friends with Skywalker, he's going to let him free!"
"Ashamed of yourself you should be", Yoda reprimanded the rebel. "A fine Jedi and an honourable man Master Kenobi is. Do his duty he will. Your accusations from the dark side they stem. If mistrust each other we do, already won the Sith have."
Obi-Wan was not happy at all with his task but he knew he had to do it. Master Yoda knew everyone but Obi-Wan or Bail Organa would rip Anakin to pieces if they were sent to guard him. And Yoda needed Bail because apparently he was the only one who could keep the enraged rebels under control as Bail was one of the alliance's founders and one of its most respected members. So that left only Obi-Wan and though he did not want to do it, it felt good to know that at least one person in the galaxy – Master Yoda – had faith in him… a little bit.
With a heavy heart, Obi-Wan pulled his boot out of the mud again and approached Anakin. He looked awful: all bruises, blood, mud and rests of fruits. Leaves and twigs stuck to the mix of blood and mud. Slowly, Obi-Wan freed him from the tree he was tied to, tied his hands behind his back and led him away. Anakin staggered and swayed, and had Obi-Wan not caught him in time, he would have fallen down.
"I can walk on my own", he growled immediately and tried to yank himself free from Obi-Wan's hands.
"Yeah, sure, I can see that", Obi-Wan commented and let him go, only to see him topple over. Always so stubborn… "Come on now, Anakin, don't be stupid. You very obviously cannot walk on your own." With that, Obi-Wan pulled him up again and, fortunately, Anakin stopped being stubborn and trotted along with him.
