Lyrics are from the song "Somewhere Down the Road," by Feist. If magic has been distilled into anyone's voice, it's hers.

Eye of the Storm: Third Epilogue

Part One: Day In the Life

Somewhere down the road, I'll see you again.

I don't know when.

And I know, your life will change;

And I know, my life will change,

Unchained.

"Try it again, Kali." Obi-Wan lifted his blue saber and made a gesture to the dark-haired girl he faced, watching as she gritted her teeth in frustration. "I know you can do it," he added, flashing her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

They were in one of the sparring rooms at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the wide, empty space made to feel even more so with the vast windows to one side that overlooked the earliest moments of dawn on the ecumenopolis. Beyond the transparisteel he could see gleams of traffic flickering before the lightening sky that was tinted with shots of purple and red as the sun began to rise. Before him, Kalinda's uneven gait echoed in the chamber, evidence of her recent injury at the hands of a galactic terrorist, as well as a physical reminder – as if she needed one – that her master was dead.

Will the wound ever heal? Unbidden, his eyes slid to her knee for one instant.

That was when she lunged at him, the hum of her master's old saber reverberating in his ears as she attempted an Ataru riposte, though her form was jilted and sloppy. Obi-Wan parried her with ease and they parted, coming to stand about five meters apart. They'd been sparring for some time, and he could see that she was breathing hard, and tried not to let the sight of the rise and fall of her chest beneath her shirt distract him. She needs a friend now, more than anything else, he chided himself as he took in her determined expression.

"That was better," he said. "You're improving, you know. Master Windu will be impressed with your progress when he returns from the Rim."

Kalinda rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that, Ben. I'm awful."

"No, your form is awful," he corrected. "You yourself are quite lovely, Kali." As he'd expected, this elicited a mock-glare from the dark-haired girl, and he chuckled to himself as she leveled her yellow blade towards him. For one moment he could feel the faint heat emanating from the saber before he slid out of her way, content in his Soresu stance.

"You're trying too hard," he added as she lunged at him – and he avoided her – again. "Slow down. Think." Another wide smile her way, and he was pleased to see the flush in her cheeks. "Relax."

"Will you-" Kali's teeth gritted as she paced before him, but she didn't complete the thought. However, he could see that her grip on the hilt of her saber was white, and that her lip was trembling. As he stood and deactivated his saber, she did the same, the cylinder-shaped object falling from her hand with a clatter as she put her face in her hands. "Just stop..."

"Kali?" Obi-Wan clipped his saber to his belt and moved to her side, putting a hand on the small of her back. At once she leaned into him, her shoulders shaking as she wept and he could feel her sorrow in the Force as tangibly as if it were his own. He said her name again, then made some soft, soothing noises as he embraced her. "It's okay, Kali," he said after she'd quieted. "It will be okay."

For many long minutes they stood so, until she pulled away a little and looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "I'm sorry." Her gaze tried to drop but he caught her chin in his hand and refused to let her look away. Finally she sighed. "I miss him, Ben. So much."

He nodded and – on impulse and despite his earlier thoughts – kissed her mouth once, gently. "I know. But it will get better with time."

The second kiss was soft, tentative, but he felt her relax into him a bit more, until they broke apart and she put her head against the front of his shoulder. "I guess you're right." A few moments of silence passed before she tilted her face up to him. "Not like my lightsaber skills, I guess."

Obi-Wan chuckled and smoothed away a bit of moisture from her cheeks, noting how the first shafts of light from the rising sun were starting to coat both himself and her in gold.

"I have faith in you, Kali." That was when she gave him the first true smile he'd seen from her in weeks, and as one they turned to the window to watch the dawn.

"This is stupid."

"Anakin-"

Stepping away from his fellow Padawan, the teenager crossed his arms and cast Obi-Wan a baleful look, the expression emphasized by the glaze of the Chandrilan mid-afternoon sun that coated the balcony of their hotel room. "Come on, Master. Why do we have to learn to do this stuff? Dancing? Really?" He shot Kalinda's Padawan, Honi, a look. "Tallis doesn't want to any more than I do."

Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan saw the red-haired girl tense, before she scowled at Anakin. "Don't presume anything, Skywalker," she replied in a cool voice.

"Yeah, okay," the young man said, rolling his eyes. "Hoth queen."

"Arrogant know-it-all."

While the apprentices bickered, Obi-Wan had risen from his place beside the music-player and had come to stand before his Padawan; for a moment they faced one another, each mirroring the other's combative posture. Taking a breath to gather his composure, Obi-Wan leveled his most authoritative gaze on the younger man. "I've explained it to you: the four of us are working undercover to root out a traitor to the Chandrilan government...to play our roles convincingly at the party tomorrow night, we have to-"

"It's a waste of our time, Master," Anakin protested with a wave of his hand, which was the moment that Obi-Wan realized that his young apprentice was just a hairsbreadth taller than himself.

When did that happen? It seems like yesterday he was that frightened boy from Tatooine...now he's seventeen and quite possibly the most a-

Obi-Wan was cut off from his next thought as Kalinda strode out onto the balcony from the room's interior, an assortment of garment bags slung across her shoulders. "I have our clothes for the party," she announced in a bright voice, squinting in the sun. "Who wants to try theirs on, first?"

It was clear the instant that she caught sense of the agitation that Obi-Wan and his Padawan were emanating, for she paused and turned to her fellow Jedi. "Dance lessons not going well?"

"We're managing," he said in a tight voice.

In response, Kalinda glanced between the Padawans, who were pointedly turned away from one another. "What's the problem? I know the music's a bit stuffy, but it's what they'll likely be playing."

Anakin exhaled and looked at her. "The problem, Master Halcyon, is that this is a waste of our abilities. And did I already use the word ridiculous?"

"Quite a few times," Honi cut in, her chin lifting as Anakin glared at her.

"I'm trying to ensure that they have a rudimentary grasp of the common Chandrilan Waltz," Obi-Wan said with a sigh, ignoring the younger set as he looked at the dark-haired woman. "It was supposed to be easy," he added in a quiet voice.

Kali smiled. "Were you trying to dance with Anakin? I can see why he might not appreciate that, Ben."

As Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest, Kali laughed and asked Anakin and Honi to help her with the garment bags; moments later she had the Padawans situated beside the music player and was standing before Obi-Wan. "It's really simple, guys," she said to them as she placed her right hand on Obi-Wan's waist and her left hand in his right. "We'll show you."

Her touch was light and for a moment his memory was cast back to the countless times they'd touched, as lovers, partners and friends alike, and he felt his annoyance with his Padawan receding in the wake of her smile. The music started and they began to dance.

Where Kali was not graceful in the heat of battle or even with simple sparring, she was an excellent dancer, as was Obi-Wan, and for several minutes they moved as one beneath the heat of the midday sun; their steps moved in perfect harmony as their hips swayed a cadence with the swell of music. On a whim he dipped her low, chuckling as she allowed herself to relax into his grip, trusting that he would not allow her to tumble to the ground. When he pulled her back up to him, he squeezed her hand a little tighter than was necessary, and her smile widened.

After a few moments she glanced over at the Padawans, who were standing beside one another before the railing, arms crossed, expressions dubious. "Care to give it a shot?"

Honi looked at Anakin, who gave a long-suffering sigh before extending his hand to the red-haired girl. "May I have this dance, milady?"

Though there was a bit more eye-rolling, soon the teenagers were attempting to mimic the movements of their teachers. "You guys are pretty good at that," Anakin commented after a few minutes as he and Honi grew more comfortable with the steps.

Obi-Wan shot Kali a smile, and considered the way the sunlight glinted off of her dark hair before he replied. "Practice and patience, my very young apprentice."

"And a healthy dose of determination," Kali added with a grin, right before he spun her again.

Dusk on Tatooine was perhaps his favorite time.

During the daylight hours, the sky was a wan, faded blue, as if it were coated with dust like everything else on the planet, and the only discernible breeze was the gust of air from his own lungs as he made his way across the crunching sand to and from his hut in the Judland Wastes. The air was thick and dry, causing his throat to scratch and his eyes to water until they, too, were emptied of moisture.

But he took a quiet kind of delight when the suns began to settle below the horizon and the entire sky turned pale lavender, followed by inky blue; when he could taste the cool, sweet tinge that the dusk brought about. Those were the moments when he could inhale without coughing and catch the scent of distant, night-blooming flowers. It was at this time that he felt alive, as he had not felt in the three years since the fall of the Republic and the Jedi Order, as he often thought he would never feel again.

The man who used to be Obi-Wan Kenobi was seated on a ridge of speckled sandstone about a quarter of a kilometer from his home, watching the last curving edges of the suns drift away when he heard the sound of the speeder. Since he was sheltered by a strategic thrust of rock, he was able to see without being seen, so the Jedi only turned towards the source of the noise and frowned; the noise should have been enough to make him take shelter, as any approaching vehicle surely meant danger, but something stilled his body and whispered: wait, watch.

So he did.

From his place, he could see his hut – his abode, as he'd wryly come to think of it – and make out the dingy-looking speeder as it pulled up outside his door. A dark-robed figure emerged and approached his door with an unsteady gait that was so familiar he decided that he was dreaming. Something in his heart called out, but he kept his place, still wary. It must be a trick, he thought with another frown. Surely it can't be who I think...she's dead. As are they all.

The grief he felt at the knowledge had not faded with time, but he was able to set it aside a little easier now. So he kept his place, seated, elbows resting on upturned knees, and waited.

The figure stood by the door for a moment until he saw that the head beneath the cloak cocked to one side, as if listening to something. He nearly called out, but bit back the urge.

Dark robes shifted, rippled, as the figure seemed indecisive; finally – and to his astonishment – the figure turned and began to walk towards his position, each step deliberate. Obi-Wan knew he was well-hidden, but that the rock-formation was unusual enough to draw some attention, so he kept his place.

Dusk had fallen in earnest and he could see the pinpricks of distant stars starting to form above his head in the deep purple swathe of sky. There were few insects on Tatooine, but those that could withstand the caustic environment made their presence known, and for a moment he was nearly deafened by their calls. I never could quite get used to the blasted things. Blinking, Obi-Wan worked to ignore them and focus on the more pressing matter at hand.

That was when she found him.

For a moment they stared at one another; finally she drew her cloak off of her head, revealing a face that he had known since his earliest days, and for a moment he couldn't breathe.

I'll find you, Ben.

"Ben?" Her voice was tentative, her expression concerned and a little perplexed, as if they'd been playing some game as children and she was unsure of the rules.

The insects and his own wariness forgotten, Obi-Wan rose and crossed the brief length of space that was between them; in the back of his mind he knew that he said her name, but all he was aware of for several minutes was the dark-haired woman in his arms as he murmured into her hair.

Finally she pulled back and looked up at him, her eyes bright and her face wet despite Tatooine's determination to extract moisture from every source. "I knew you were alive."

"Kali." It was all he could do: just say her name over and over. His calloused fingers reached for her cheeks to wipe them dry, but she stilled him with her palms over his hands.

After a few more minutes she gave him that wry look he didn't remember how much he'd missed until it was before his eyes. "Aren't you going to invite me inside for some refreshments?"

Laughing, he did so, and they sat in silence within the confines of his small home for a little while while he prepared a pot of Cyrodil tea, the one luxury he allowed himself. Once they were each sipping the liquid, the talk began. War-stories were shared; she showed him the scar on her knee that had never fully healed and had been exacerbated on the night of Order 66. He told her of Utapau, of Coruscant, of Mustafar, and watched as her expression grew darker and darker.

"We'd heard of Vader," she replied after a few moments of silence. "But I had no idea..." She shivered and glanced outside, beyond the thin curtain he'd erected to cover the window; they could see that night had fallen in earnest.

Obi-Wan lowered his eyes. "I failed him, Kali. I failed everyone."

"No. You did everything you could have done," she replied at once, her eyes narrowing. "Ben...if Anakin turned to the Dark after spending more than five minutes with you, well..." A frown crossed her face and he got the sense that she was choosing her next words with care. Finally she shook her head. "Maybe it was inevitable."

The sentence was soft but it hit him hard. For a moment he leaned back in his chair and stared into the dregs of his tea, part of his mind noting that at least the blasted insects had stopped their calling. "Perhaps," he said at last, thumbing the rim of the ceramic mug.

There was more silence until she exhaled and glanced around the room. "Why here?" He looked up in confusion and she raised a brow. "You hate this planet."

"I have work to do," he replied, folding his arms before his chest. "I have a mission."

"A mission," she repeated, eying him. "Care to elaborate?"

"The less you know, the better," he said at last, meeting her eyes.

Her lips pursed as she studied him. "I tried to find you through the Force, but you weren't there. It was like..." The dark eyes he knew so well dropped for a moment and her throat moved in a tight swallow. "It was like you were dead."

It had been necessary to shut himself away. So much depended on Luke's safety, he had taken to concealing his presence as best he could, thinking that it didn't matter, anyway, as everyone he loved was gone. In a soft voice he tried to explain all of this to her, without giving too much away. When he was done he placed a calloused hand on her smooth one, prompting her to meet his gaze. "Please trust me, Kali."

Though she nodded, he could see that his reticence bothered her, so he tried to change the course of the conversation. "Stonewall...is he...?"

As he'd hoped, the mention of the clone captain – former captain, he supposed – made her smile, though he noted a flicker of apprehension from her as well. "He's wonderful." Her face flushed and she gave him an abashed look. "We're married, actually."

"Married?" He couldn't help it when his body leaned forward and his eyes widened.

Her tone grew prim. "Don't act so shocked, Obi-Wan. Technically, I'm an Altisian Jedi."

"Of course," he replied with one of his old grins. "Degenerates, the lot of you." She laughed at this and for a moment the mood was considerably lighter than it had been before.

Then she cast him an unreadable look, and he sensed her anxiety growing. "Come with me to Mundali."

It was not unexpected, and he'd been formulating his response since she'd mentioned the planet. "I can't," he replied with a shake of his head. "I'm needed here, however much I might want to accompany you to your paradise-world," he added with another, softer smile in her direction.

But Kali shook her head. "Please?" Again, he declined and she frowned; he could feel the apprehension rolling off of her in almost palpable waves, and knitted his brows as she glanced down at her hands, resting on the table. "Why not?" He opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off. "I don't want 'Master Kenobi's' answer. I want to know why, Ben."

The tone of her voice was one he knew well, so after a few moments of deliberation he relented, and told her about Luke. When he finished, her reply was immediate. "Bring him with you."

There was a twinge of longing in her voice that was unlike any he'd heard from her before, and he studied her for a moment. There is something different about her, he realized as he watched his old friend. Something she's not telling me. "You want me to bring a toddler halfway across the galaxy?"

"He'd probably like it," she said in a soft voice. For a few moments there was only the sound of the wind beyond his window before she spoke again. "It's safe, Ben. The planet is..."

"Shielded, yes," he answered. "But his family – the only family he has – would never allow it. And this place is safe, too. Anonymity has its advantages, you know." Anakin – Vader – will never return here. Of that I am quite certain.

"Just you, then," she said, her face alight with hope.

A helpless laugh escaped him even as he shook his head and tried not to think of sand, heat and dust. He rubbed his face with his hand. "Kali...I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't."

She still didn't look convinced and for a few heartbeats he simply watched her, until she met his eyes with renewed determination. "Just for a little while. Consider it a meditative retreat. I promise that you'll be brought back so you can continue your mission, but there's no way I'm letting you go so easily." Her hand lifted as he made to argue. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, I'm not leaving this dirt-ball without you, and that's final."

When her dark eyes met his, the rest of his arguments fled his mind, so he sighed and gave one curt nod. "Very well."

One more part after this. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed!