A/N: This was a hard chapter to write; it didn't cooperate at all, which means it didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned it when originally planning it out.
Side note: Jamiyan Tachi Kenobi is three years of age. I hope I didn't make her sound too old for her age; please overlook if she sounds older than three. Thanks!
Chapter 37
Tai Whitesun busied herself with folding the laundry and watching her husband and the little one in their care play with uniquely designed wooden blocks. When Anakin learned of her impending arrival, he sought long and hard for enough Japor Ivory Wood in which to carve a block set for his new relative. Obi-Wan had been very appreciative of the time and consideration his little brother had put into the gift. Without thought, Jayk reached up and took hold of the triangular block that now floated in front of him and placed it on the top of the house they were building. Just as Jamiyan was about to finish the small structure, she abruptly stopped in mid motion and looked up at her temporary guardians. Dropping the block, she got to her feet and went to the window as fast as her little legs would carry her.
She looked out at the sand that surrounded the little island of a house. Tapping the window, she turned to look at Tai and asked, "Where daddy?"
"Daddy's at work, Jamiyan," she replied while carefully picking up the stack of tunics she had folded in order to put them away.
The little girl shook her blond head and stared outside with intense blue-grey eyes. "No."
She turned back to Tai, expectation shining in her eyes. "Daddy here. Where daddy?"
Jayk moved over to sit next to the little girl. "Daddy is looking for grandma Shmi."
The little girl lowered her eyes, sadness permeating her features. "Grammy hurt."
Placing the stack of clothing on top of a nearby counter, Tai walked over to the child and picked her up. "I'm sure she's fine, little one."
A tear slipped down Jamiyan's cheek. "Hurt."
Jayk stood and went about collecting the little girl's belongings. "I think we should take her to the Lars'." He stopped and turned toward his wife. "She'll be worried until they come for her."
Tai nodded her agreement. "Perhaps she'll feel better if she at least has Khloe nearby."
X
"Do you think they have any idea which direction to go?"
Khloe reached over and placed a hand on Beru's forearm. "I'm sure they'll figure it out," she assured her.
"They'll find her," Padmé stated with conviction.
The three women sat at the table wondering how long it would take for them to return, and what condition Shmi would be in when they arrived home.
The sound of a speeder caught their attention and they hurried toward the upper level but stopped halfway up the stairs upon seeing Tai walking through the doorway with Jamiyan in her arms.
Khloe moved forward to take the (now wiggling) little girl from her mother and went back into the lower level of the house, the others following behind. "I thought you were going to keep her until they returned."
"She knows he's on Tatooine. We thought she'd be more comfortable to wait for him here."
"Koee, where daddy?" Jamiyan raised her hands in question.
"He went to get Grammy Shmi."
The little one's lip thrust forward in a pout. "Grammy hurt."
With Khloe's attentions focused solely on the little girl in her arms, Tai decided to say her goodbyes to Padmé and Beru. Before leaving, she instructed her youngest to call her as soon as they knew something. The young woman gave her consent to do as asked and walked her mother to the waiting speeder. Tai and Shmi had become close friends over the years; she hated to think of the possible outcome.
Jayk smiled as his youngest child approached. "How are you doing?"
"Worried, but okay."
"I spoke to Cliegg. He knows to call if he needs anything."
"Dad, you know Mr. Lars as well as I do. He'd as soon do for himself as to burden anyone else with his problems."
Jake smirked as if he knew something she didn't. "Don't worry, child. He knows better than not to."
After her parents left, Beru looked around the vast area of sand surrounding the house. If only she had gone with Shmi that morning to pick the mushrooms off the vaporators. She shook her head. What good would you have been to her? You probably would have been taken to, she thought. Straightening herself and smoothing out her clothing so she looked more confident than she felt, Beru made her way back into the house.
"Does she hurt bad, Jaim?"
"She wait fer daddy and Ankin."
Pulling the little girl closer to her, Khloe hugged her and sat down at the kitchen table. "Your daddy and Uncle Anakin are the best Jedi I know. Grammy Shmi will be home soon."
"Quig?"
"Pappy Qui-Gon and Uncle Owen went with them. They'll be okay."
Jamiyan wiggled until she could slide off her friend's lap. The rest of the afternoon, the three women watched over their friend's daughter, learning of Shmi and the others when Jamiyan offered what insight the force allowed her. They weren't always able to understand what the child tried to explain; they just hoped the force would protect her against any unkindness that may present itself in the finding of Shmi Skywalker.
X
Obi-Wan stayed with the swoops while Anakin haggled with the Jawas over a possible direction in which to travel. They had both had enough experience with the scavengers to know that Obi-Wan's patience was severely tested when dealing with the little thieves. He was sure they were heading in the right direction, but how much farther out they would need to travel he didn't know. A sudden smile found its way to his lips as he felt a tug at the back of his mind. Reaching out to his little one, he embraced her with love before assuring her that he would see her soon. Pulling back, he was unable to completely distance himself from her after being gone for so long. Keeping a part of himself aware of her at all times, he refocused his attention on his surroundings.
A subtle shift in the force around him caused him to pause and look over at Anakin who was still speaking with the miniature species. Realizing the currents around him had nothing to do with Skywalker, he reached out beyond his immediate surroundings and found the source. He mentally growled in frustration. "Kriff," he muttered. Why didn't he stay at the farm?!
He remounted his bike and waited. When Anakin came back to his side, he roughly started the swoop. The younger man quirked an eyebrow in question; Obi-Wan tilted his head back the way they had come.
"Qui-Gon's trailing behind."
"Why didn't he stay at the farm?! Cliegg's injured," Anakin asked heatedly.
"Perhaps he thought Padmé and Khloe could handle it. How am I supposed to know what he's thinking?!" Obi-Wan countered.
Anakin said a few choice words as he started his bike. "Let's go. They said there's a camp northeast of here; about a half days ride. There was a human among their ranks."
X
They arrived just before nightfall but chose to scout the camp for Shmi's location rather than entering territory they didn't yet know. Looking down from the elevated rocks they laid upon, they located the guarded tent. When the suns descended, they jumped down from the cliff and entered the makeshift village from the rear. Arriving at the correct dwelling, Anakin ignited his lightsaber and cut a circular hole in the tough bantha hide big enough to enter through.
It only took a second for the two men to move to Shmi's side and begin untying her limbs from the frame she had been attached to. Gently lowering her to the dirt floor, Anakin held most of her weight as they both tried to gain her attentions.
"Ani?" came a sound as if it were dreaming.
A hand raised and touched the young man's cheek. "Ani?"
Anakin caught her hand and turned his face into her palm, kissing it before refocusing on the woman who had cared and nurtured him since infancy. "It's me mom."
"You've grown so much," she said. Her eyes began searching behind her son. "Where's your brother?"
"I'm here, Mom." Obi-Wan moved into her line of vision and smiled at her through the mist in his eyes. "You're going to be okay."
Shmi tried to take a deep breath but cringed in pain as her chest protested the expansion. "Can't…." She shook her head.
"Can't what?" Obi-Wan asked worriedly. When Shmi didn't answer right away, her eyes slipping closed, both men startled and began calling her name. "Can't run," she whispered. With that explanation, her body went slack.
"Mom!" Anakin shook her gently. "Stay with me, Mom!"
A calloused hand moved along her neck just under her jaw and paused. "She's alive…but barely."
"We have to get her out of here." Anakin laid her down gently and raised himself to his knees, looking around for something he could use to wrap her in. Having found something, he leaned over her to reach some old material nearby and began to prepare her for the trip back home.
Obi-Wan glanced toward the tent entrance before looking back at his surrogate mother. He tried to overlook the bruises, cuts and abrasions not to mention the internal injuries he could sense. He watched as Anakin meticulously wrapped Shmi in preparation for their journey home. He tightened the material around her to provide her body support against the jostling she was sure to endure.
X
Coruscant
"We cannot in good conscious allow this vote onto the Senate floor," Bail Organa stated.
Palpatine forced a smile. He had been obligated to attend this meeting with a number of the Republic's most influential senators. He was about to reply when a shift in the force caught his attention. Consulting his datapad, a ploy to obtain a reason to leave the meeting, the smile on his lips broadened, becoming more natural. "If you'll excuse me, something has been occurred that needs my immediate attention." Standing, he offered a courteous goodbye indicating they would reschedule when time permitted.
Arriving back at his office, Palpatine locked the door and went over to stand in front of the wall to ceiling windows, his eyes searching the sky. The smile curving his slips turned into a malicious smirk, his eyes narrowing slightly. Closing his eyes, he reached out for the presence of his one time apprentice. When he found the young man, he sifted through the currents to ascertain what the circumstances were around the Jedi's growing anger. Chuckling to himself he used the force to send unpleasant thoughts to the younger man, an attempt to aid the darkness that pursued him.
X
She's suffering. Obi-Wan heard a whisper in the back of his mind.
Having also heard the mental words, an echo through the bond he shared with his mentor, Anakin paused in his ministrations as he thought of the alien species who had hurt his mother. He could feel a small flame growing from deep within and took a deep breath trying to dispel it. The flame flared in protest at the dousing light that sprinkled over it. Anakin shifted uncomfortably; something within him was awakening, lessons he had thought he could attempt but never give himself to. Struggling to push the thoughts away, he refocused his estranged attention on the task at hand.
Obi-Wan once again glanced toward the flap that stood between them and the village full of beings who had, without thought, tortured a bystander just because they could.
They don't deserve to get away with what they did to her.
Obi-Wan leaned down to help Anakin secure the hide he had covered Shmi with. The elder Jedi tried to focus his attentions on the woman in front of him, but each time he looked at her the harder it was to keep the fury he felt over the situation from emerging. Shmi is a kind woman, she doesn't deserve this, he thought.
Anakin blew out a frustrated breath; it would be so easy to avenge his mother.
Teach the Tuskens they can't take what isn't theirs without repercussions.
Anakin finished securing the bindings. He looked over his mother's body mentally counting each and every injury he had seen. Placing a hand on her cheek, he murmured, "If we don't get her home soon, she'll…."
Obi-Wan stood when he heard the last words that had been whispered into his conscience. One swing and he could teach them a lesson in taking what doesn't belong to them.
Anakin fiddled with his lightsaber, his hand itching to use it.
They nearly killed her.
Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan when he once again heard the whispers within his mind.
"Did you say something?" he finally asked.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. We'd better get going."
They'll do it again if allowed to live.
The darkness was closing in; the barriers holding it back were bending and flexing.
Eyes glancing toward the front of the tent, Anakin asked, "What's to keep them from coming back to the farm?"
Obi-Wan's gaze swung around to meet his brothers. "What do you propose?"
Put them down like the savage animals they are.
He could feel the shadows like sand mites crawling on his skin; he could hear its seductive whispers. He placed his hands over his ears as if that would somehow stop the mental murmurs. Feeling as if he were being pressed to act, Obi-Wan slowly paced back and forth in the confines of the circular hut trying to dispel the notions.
Anakin answered the voice, "It isn't the Jedi way." And yet he could see the logic in it. If they took care of the situation now, there would be no further problems in the future. Their family would be safe.
They should have killed her!
Obi-Wan's lightsaber flew from his belt to land perfectly centered in his hand. He held it tightly within his grasp, his fingers convulsing around the hilt.
Pressing against his brother's mind, Obi-Wan suggested a course of action. "Padawan, take Shmi back to the swoops and prepare to take off. I'll be there shortly."
Somewhat puzzled as to what was happening, Anakin went to collect his mother but stopped just before picking her up, his mind subconsciously fighting off the suggestion his brother had just given him. He shook his head. "No."
Realizing that Anakin was just as determined to exterminate the Tuskens as he was, Obi-Wan gave a curt nod, the smile accompanying it bordered on treacherous. "After you little brother."
She's weak, a set back.
Anakin stepped out of the tent and swung his blade, effectively decapitating the two Tuskens guarding the tent.
Igniting his blade, Obi-Wan leaned down, placing one foot outside the tent now that Anakin had cleared the way; a green blade suddenly shot out, coming to rest just beneath his chin. His movements stopped abruptly, his knuckles turning white due to the tight hold on his saber.
"Cap your blade, padawan."
Obi-Wan's smile held no warmth. "So, you made it. I was beginning to think you weren't coming."
Qui-Gon motioned for Owen to get Shmi out of the vicinity.
"I tend to be a bit slower these days, but I eventually make it to the party. What do you think you're doing?"
Yellow ringed eyes turned to look at the Jedi Master. A half smile adding to a cruel expression. "Bringing about the destruction of a race."
If anyone had taken the time to listen, they would have heard the sound of a heart breaking in two. "You're choosing the same path that Xanatos traveled, is that it?"
"I guess it's a testament to your training," Obi-Wan brutally replied. "I suggest you get out of my way."
Adjusting his grip on his saber, Qui-Gon took a defensive stance. He just hoped that what he was about to do would bring his padawan back to his senses. "You'll have to go through me if you plan to throw your life away."
"With pleasure." Moving quickly away from the green hue keeping him in place, Obi-Wan started to strike when his mind flew back to the Naboo mission. Qui-Gon fell to the crimson blade that pierced his chest…the Jedi Master struggling to breath…one last touch against a cheek wet with tears…."It's too late."
Strike him down, let nothing stop you from exacting justice.
"NO!" Lightsaber dropping to the ground, Obi-Wan stumbled back before falling to his knees. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill the man who had raised him and taken care of him. His hands shook as he leaned forward trying to gain his bearings. The voice grew louder, his will bending to the suggestions battering within.
Qui-Gon quickly picked up his padawan's saber and placed it on his belt before kneeling down beside his former apprentice. When he felt Qui-Gon's hand at the nape of his neck, Obi-Wan whispered, "Master, help me, please!"
The Master's heart was hurting all over again. He had only seen his padawan this confused and this desperate one time before. "Tell me."
"Palpatine. I can't…." The younger man bit his bottom lip as he fought to win what he felt was a losing battle. A sudden commotion through the bond he shared with Anakin helped to focus him.
When Qui-Gon placed his other hand on his padawan's forehead and leaned down near the younger man's ear, Obi-Wan suddenly threw him back and stood. Calling his saber to his hand, he ignited it and stepped outside the tent.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon moved quickly to intercept his former padawan. What he found when he stepped outside nearly brought him to his knees.
"We have to stop him!" Obi-Wan implored, pressing the heal of his hand to his temple in an attempt to soothe the stabbing pain just behind his eyes.
Qui-Gon nodded and the two headed toward Anakin in an attempt to stop the massacre he was exacting on the village inhabitants.
A blue humming blade was targeting a child when another blue blade intercepted its path. Anakin looked up, shock on his face. "What are you doing?!" he yelled. "They nearly killed her and you protect them?!"
"I was wrong, Anakin! This isn't the way."
Yellow slivers laced through the padawan's blue gaze until the original color was no longer recognizable. The blue in Obi-Wan's gaze reasserted itself the instant he locked blades with his younger brother. It was no longer a matter of Shmi being kidnapped and beaten; it was a matter of saving Anakin's soul. The younger Jedi pulled his blade back and suddenly leaped over his mentor before striking from his other side. "If you're not going to help me, then you can die with them!"
"Anakin…Anakin, no!" Qui-Gon raced to where the brothers were fighting. He tried to deflect the situation, but was unsuccessful. All he could do was sit and watch as chosen fought chosen.
The battle was fierce, each gaining the upper hand only to lose it a few moments later. Their strikes were exact and well matched by the other. The Tuskens had long since fled from the camp, some standing on the outskirts as they watched the two combatants exchange blows. When Obi-Wan backed into a pile of rocks surrounding a now doused campfire and lost his footing, Qui-Gon tried to right him with a subtle force push but he wasn't quick enough. Upon seeing his brother's struggle to stay upright, Anakin stabbed forward and caught his mentor in the right shoulder, his blade slicing cleanly through material and flesh. Obi-Wan cried out, his saber falling from his now limp hand. The younger man stood over the one who had raised him, his blade aimed at the other's neck. One quick swing and the barrier stopping him would vanish.
Obi-Wan's gaze held pain but no fear. He subtly called his saber to his left hand but merely held it, positioning it with blade capped. Anakin watched the man before him, the echo of whispers traveling through his mind ordering him to strike him down, but his heart told him 'no'. Qui-Gon walked toward them but stopped when Obi-Wan held out a hand indicating for him to do so.
"I hear the voice to, Anakin; it tells me to exact vengeance. I hear it promising me peace, power, if I just rid the galaxy of this one camp of inhabitants. But it's not our way. Fight it, padawan, don't let it best you."
The young man shook his head in denial. "You're weak, Obi-Wan."
The confident smile that curved the older man's face sent a chill down Anakin's spine. "Do you really think you have me at a disadvantage? Think, little brother."
Anakin glanced down and saw the capped hilt aimed directly at his lower torso. A press of a switch and the blade would go straight through his stomach.
"Touché." Anakin knew how quick his brother's reflexes were. In the time it would take to swing and take the others head, he himself would be wounded and dying.
"Anakin," Qui-Gon spoke up. "This isn't what Shmi would want. You both know this is not how she would have it."
When the young man remained silent, he added, "Do you still think your time with Palpatine had no effect on you? This is what we were trying to prevent, young one."
Find yourselves you must or lost you will be.
Obi-Wan's eyes briefly closed as he heard another whisper, a murmur not soiled with darkness, but of light and purity.
X
Coruscant
Palpatine's gaze turned toward the Jedi Temple, his features creasing into a sneer. Master Yoda. He attempted to tighten his grip on the two young men. Just as he would have unleashed a tidal wave of dark side energy into the broken bond he had attempted to build within young Kenobi's mind, he felt a surge in the light side: Master Yoda was not giving those two up without a fight. Though the troll had no idea with who he was battling.
You cannot stop me, Jedi.
Have them you cannot.
When Palpatine felt his hold loosening, he growled in frustration.
There will always be another opportunity in which to entice them. He sent a mental smirk as if he had actually somehow won this round. Do you think this battle between the two 'brothers' will just be forgotten between them? Palpatine was making an educated guess.
Yoda allowed stern amusement to travel through the force. Underestimate them you should not. With that last parting statement, Yoda withdrew from further communication, concentrating on his boys.
X
The yellow within the teen's eyes slowly faded outward into their natural blue color as Anakin lost his lust for revenge. Retracting his blade, the young man stepped back, his stance unstable.
Two strong arms pulled Obi-Wan from the sand he knelt on and helped him to stand. "How bad is it?"
"Its fine," he lied. He went to take a step toward his apprentice when his eyes rolled back and he collapsed from the pain, falling into waiting arms.
Carefully, Qui-Gon entered Obi-Wan's mind and found darkness hovering as if ready to strike out at any moment. Erecting sturdy shields around the young man's mind, Qui-Gon gathered a burst of light and sent it through the bond they still shared in hope that it would drive out the clouds that were beginning to choke the younger Jedi. Little by little, the darkness receded from whence it came, scurrying away in fear of the light that would shine on its secrets. When he finished, he walked over to a now wavering Anakin and quickly did the same for him. With both young men unconscious, Qui-Gon picked up one and carefully placed him over his shoulder before repeating the action with the other, using the force to help him, and walked back to the speeder he had brought. Shmi was in the backseat where Owen had placed her; he waited for Qui-Gon to settle his brothers into the vehicle before securing one of the swoops to the back of the speeder and getting on the other in order to take it back to the farm.
X
Jamiyan wandered around the courtyard as if lost. Khloe ran to her little friend when the child began screaming in horror. Picking her up, the young woman held the toddler tightly against her chest.
Padmé hurried toward them. "What's wrong?!"
"I don't know," Khloe shook her head, baffled.
"Jaim?" The little girl continued a blood curdling scream. Tears cascaded her cheeks and her hands tightly clenched the material of Khloe's tunic. "What is it, child?"
Jamiyan quieted enough to call out, "Daddy!" Khloe's face paled at the announcement. She closed her eyes and held the toddler closer. "It'll be okay. Daddy will be okay," she tried to soothe.
Abruptly the crying stopped. Jamiyan lay exhausted against the young woman who held her. A hiccup was heard, and then another. Finally the child laid quietly, her breaths even and deep.
"Is she okay?" Padmé asked.
"No…not until he walks through that door."
X
Qui-Gon pulled the speeder up close to the passageway that lead down into the house. Obi-Wan had awakened a few minutes before they arrived. He sat shell shocked in the front seat, staring straight ahead but not really seeing anything. He could feel the shields that his master had built to hide him. He also remembered the words he had spoken against the man who had taught him. He moved to exit the vehicle while Qui-Gon gently lifted Shmi from the back seat. Having parked the swoop, Owen hurried to the speeder, helping a now waking Anakin out of the vehicle.
A squeal caught Obi-Wan's attention. He turned to look toward the house when he felt little hands enfold the lower portion of his leg. Looking down, he couldn't help the tears that escaped his eyes upon seeing his little girl. Bending down, he carefully unwrapped her arms from his leg and picked her up, his shoulder protesting the movement and the weight. She immediately enclosed her arms around his neck and laid her head on his good shoulder. She was quiet and that worried him. She was usually talkative from the minute he picked her up until it was time for bed. Caressing her hair with one hand, he leaned his head down as asked, "What's wrong Jaim?"
"Scared," she whispered.
"Of what?" he asked, perplexed.
"The whispers," she innocently answered.
Obi-Wan tensed. Whispers? Khloe came up beside him as they followed the others into the housing complex. She told him the meaning behind his daughter's words. "She felt you. Whatever it was that happened, she felt it."
Face paling at the words, Obi-Wan held his daughter closer to him. "It's all right, little one. I'm here," he tried to assure her. Jamiyan relaxed in his arms and soon fell asleep, completely trusting that he would protect her from the darkness she had seen.