"You have nightmares."
The statement was correct, but unfortunately the person issuing it was not someone Obi-Wan was willing to confide in.
"Sometimes," Obi-Wan conceded, inclining his head.
"What are these nightmares about?"
"Pain. Bloodshed. War. Loss. You know, the usual."
A stylus scratched on a sheet of flimsy. Obi-Wan didn't even bother snooping to see what was being written down.
"Would you like to talk about them?" The voice was gentle - encouraging without prying, concerned without truly caring.
"I don't think I can. Not at the moment." Not to you. You are neither Master Yoda nor Qui-Gon Jinn. You can't do anything to solve any of this.
"Very well, I see that continuing to pry will not be a productive use of our time. We can continue another day. Perhaps once we talk a bit more, then you would be more willing to confide in me."
Obi-Wan stood, bowing respectfully to the psychiatrist before taking his leave. He stood outside in the hallway, soaking in the stark, artificial lighting for a minute, before making his journey back to his room. His knee ached where he had twisted it, so it took him far longer than he would have liked to trace those familiar steps.
The door hissed shut behind him as he hobbled into the familiar chambers. It was small and cramped, but for now, it was home sweet home. He was just in time, too.
The Jedi Knight settled himself on his sleeping couch before pulling out his comm unit and establishing a secure connection. The familiar figures of his Master and Padawan appeared, side by side.
"You're late," Anakin teased upon seeing the familiar face.
"I'm not late," Obi-Wan retorted. "You're simply early."
Anakin made a face at him, but said nothing more.
"Do either of you have anything to report?" Qui-Gon asked, ignoring their bickering as always.
"Nothing on my end," Anakin responded, once again the dashing image of a proper and dignified Jedi Knight.
"Business as usual for me, as well," Obi-Wan added.
Qui-Gon nodded, and Obi-Wan could feel both of their relief through their bond. The three of them had been sent to investigate suspicious disappearances in a space station anchored a little ways off from the edge of Republic space. No news was good news, but Obi-Wan couldn't help but be concerned that none of them had found anything yet. They had been here for nearing a month now, and so far had nothing to speak of.
The two miniature images winked out as the other two Jedi signed off, and Obi-Wan shuffled back until he was leaning against the wall of the small room. Tipping his head against the cool metal and closing his eyes, he sorted through the information they had been given.
Asclepius was renowned as a rehabilitation facility that took in wounded soldiers and warriors from all over the Republic. It was well-staffed with skilled Healers who could treat every injury, both psychological and physical. However, the Jedi Council had received concerns from a few planets that they weren't hearing back from their most illustrious heros, despite reports of steady recoveries.
The three Jedi had been dispatched to investigate, having the most combined experience within the Order. Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile to himself as he recalled Anakin's horrified reaction to the assignment.
"Obi-Wan will be posing as an injured warrior from Stewjon," Mace had declared. "Anakin will be sent undercover as an orderly-in-training. Qui-Gon will oversee the mission from your ship."
Anakin had done an admirable job masking his thoughts in front of the Council, but he had bursted like a balloon on the ship.
"You can't go undercover as a patient," he had said in a rush. Not pausing to let Obi-Wan respond, he pushed on. "What if you get kidnapped as well? What if you disappear like the others? You're willingly putting yourself in danger again! I'll be the patient and you can go undercover as the orderly."
Obi-Wan held up a hand to stop his rambling. To his surprise, Anakin's mouth clicked shut - albeit in a disgruntled scowl.
"Firstly, you would forget about your 'injuries' and start prancing around like normal in all of five minutes. I'm sure the Healers are quite skilled, but I've never seen anyone cure a limp in that short of a time span. Secondly, I am technically a recovering patient after that last fiasco of a mission - thank you for that, by the way. This is the most efficient way. You should remain objective - you mustn't let your feelings override what is best for the mission."
Anakin's scowl only deepened. "I wasn't aware that coddling me was part of the objective."
Obi-Wan had merely grinned at him. "I wouldn't go as far as to say we're coddling you. After all, I believe bathing the patients is part of your duties."
The newly appointed Knight had driven even more aggressively after their conversation wrapped up, channeling everything he wanted to say into the steering of their ship.
Anakin grumbled to himself as he pushed a mop across the gleaming chrome floor. It would be so much easier if he could use the Force to speed his tasks along, but he could practically hear his two Masters scolding him for such whimsical use of it.
For an entire month, he had toiled along, completing menial tasks such as checking in on the patients, transporting them to their appointments, and general cleaning. His role as an orderly had given him access to many areas of the medical facility that he otherwise might not have been able to investigate, but a combination of worry and boredom was driving him insane. So far nothing had come to fruition, and no matter how deep he dug, he couldn't find anything suspicious or damning, despite their prior intel.
His only consolation was that he could keep an eye on Obi-Wan. His Master would always complain about him getting into sticky situations, but Anakin knew that it was Obi-Wan who he got it from.
It was another half an hour before he finished mopping the floors to a somewhat satisfactory extent, and it took a further five minutes for him to store the equipment. No matter how many times Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan chided him to be patient, the young Knight was practically vibrating out of his skin as he rapidly made his way towards the quarters of one Ben Kenobi - an injured warrior from the planet of Stewjon.
The duraplast door gleamed dully in the stark lighting of the hallway and bronze plaque on the wall next to it declared the name of the room's occupant in Basic. Anakin was about to barge in when the Force gave a little ping of warning. The Knight was even more tempted to storm in after that, but he lowered his hand and cautiously pressed it against the door as he leaned in, sending a few questing tendrils of the Force. He could sense nothing beyond, but the Force had warned him for a reason. He palmed the door open and slid in, reaching for the saber he had carefully concealed under his scrubs.
There was indeed no need to draw his weapon, for the room was empty. Anakin did a cursory check around, but he couldn't find his errant Master hiding anywhere - not that he had thought that would be the case. But, still, it didn't stop his nagging worry to make sure he missed nothing.
There was a datapad set into the wall right next to the doorway for the Healers to gain easy access to the patient's medical records. Anakin strode over to it and thumbed it on. As he scrolled through the information, he stubbornly ignored the reports of all of Obi-Wan's scars and injuries to check the patient log at the very bottom of the list. He didn't want to know how truthful his Master's listed medical history was, and he knew it was probably better for his stress levels to not find out.
The bottom of Obi-Wan's medical history stated that he had been taken in for surgery on his injured knee. Anakin's concern grew at the sight of that. Most treatments in the facility utilized the standard bacta tanks, and surgery wasn't necessary outside of anatomical reconstruction. He had a niggling suspicion that something was wrong.
Anakin spent the next few days scouring the facility for Obi-Wan, only doing the bare minimum amount of work to escape suspicion. He often sent out waves of the Force to scan for the missing Jedi, but something seemed to be blocking his reception. The information came back in jumbles, but he was eventually able to piece out a null center in the middle of the facility.
In an incredible feat of patience, he managed to wait until nightfall before continuing his snooping. Anakin waited until the harsh, fluorescent lights had been replaced by dim, blue glowstrips before sneaking out. He had changed back into the Jedi robes he had stashed in his issued locker and tucked his saber securely in his belt where it was easily at hand. He had barely remembered to update Qui-Gon before he set out.
The facility was quiet during the night. The glowstrips emitted just enough light for the security guards and night staff to avoid walking into expensive equipment, and Anakin expertly wove through the shadows. He used his identification badge to bypass whatever doorways he had access to, and carved through the rest with his saber.
It had been five days and four nights now since Obi-Wan had disappeared. Now that Anakin had a concrete lead, he wasted no time. He wasn't sure what lay in wait at the heart of the facility, but instinct told him he would find his Master there.
The deeper he traversed into the heart of the station, the more tenuous his grasp on the Force became. It didn't feel like they were using blockers; rather, the Force seemed to become overcome with distress and revulsion. The fickle entity roiled and squirmed, more of a distraction than an aid.
That, if anything, should have been Anakin's main clue of what he would find. But, he was too distracted and worried to further ponder the implications.
The heart of the facility was a series of maze-like rooms and hallways. The air reeked of antiseptic and the stale stench of blood. He could practically taste the metallic scent in the back of his throat, and it made his nose itch.
Anakin proceeded down the long hallway, peering into the first room. Light spilled out into the hallway, leaving an illuminated rectangle on the checkered ground. The window consisted of two panes of transparisteel with a web of metal sandwiched in between them. Anakin recoiled at the sight behind it.
On the gurney lay a humanoid male, but his skin was an unnatural greyish-blue pallor, with webs of ice crawling along his flesh. He was hooked up to various machines, and the one that looked like a heart monitor indicated that his heartbeat was unnaturally slow. Another one machine looked like it was pumping blue fluid into the poor creature's veins.
Anakin felt anger and fear rising in his heart. Pushing away from the viewport, he hurried on to the next room. The next patient was little more than a skeleton, her emaciated frame huddled against the corner of the empty room. Her bones jutted out painfully, and her ribs barely rose as she took feeble breaths.
The next few rooms only served to heighten Anakin's horror. There were all manner of species in here, all broken and defeated by various machanisms of torture. The Jedi felt sick to his stomach.
These were all patients who had come to the facility seeking the promise of rehabilitation. They were proud warriors who had been set to the lowest points in their lives in defense of their homelands and loved ones, and had been promised the hope of renewal. They were unable to defend themselves from those they trusted in their most vulnerable state. Their very healers had turned into their murderers.
Panic drove Anakin's hurried footsteps as he forced himself to look upon every single batter frame in hopes that none of them were his Master.
It hit Anakin with a sudden clarity why the Force felt so convoluted in here. It reflected the pain of these poor souls. The Knight broke out into a sprint, no longer caring about subtlety or stealth. He could think of nothing else but finding Obi-Wan and making sure that he was unharmed.
At the end of the hallway was a set of double doors. He burst through them, letting them flap shut behind him. Anakin found himself in a brightly-lit laboratory. At the center of the room was a flat, metal table, hidden by the white-clad bodies of multiple Healers. When they turned in confusion, Anakin saw that the fronts of their robes were stained such a dark crimson that it was almost black.
"Where is Ben Kenobi?" Anakin snarled, igniting his saber.
An alarm began to blare, lighting the room a pulsing red, but the Healers paid him no mind. Instead they turned back to their prey.
Anakin could hear footsteps storming down the hallway towards the innermost sanctum as he stalked towards the table, hatred burning through his entire being. He stopped dead a mere meter from the table, as he recognized the presence that was as much as part of him as his own heart.
He lost control.
Anakin felt the Force shirek in agony, echoing his cry. Pure energy exploded outwards, but it was unlike any power he had ever felt. It was cloying and insidious, whispering about unlimited potential. He could make sure nothing bad happened to those he loved ever again. He could crush everyone evil like these false healers. He alone could be judge, jury, and executioner.
After all, who else but he could bear this burden? He was the Chosen One. The child of the Force.
For a moment, he was suspended in time as the Dark Side of the Force filled his veins and enacted his will with terrifying ease.
And then there was nothing.
Anakin collapsed to his knees, his head reeling. His breath sawed through his lungs, but he ignored it as he rose, throwing himself towards the table.
His heart froze in his chest at the sight. It was Obi-Wan indeed, as much as Anakin wished it weren't so. His chest had been cut open with clean, surgical precision. There was a rack on the other side of the table, filled with vials of blood, each labeled with his surname and midichlorian count. Tubes snaked into his chest, drawing even more. A shaking hand reached out, hovering just above the clammy skin, not daring to touch and elicit even more pain.
Anakin realized that he was trembling. Obi-Wan had always bounced back from everything they had been through. He always had a witty joke prepared or some playful complaint about hovering Healers. Anakin had never seen him this pale or still before - like a corpse.
A gruff voice cut through the air. "Put your hands up and turn around slowly," it ordered.
Anakin felt his nerves steel. He stood up slowly, turning around. A lone guard faced him, blaster at the ready.
Without a word, the Jedi Knight raised a hand, using the Force to yank the guard toward him. The entity felt sharp now, and cold - like ice. Anakin worked on auto-pilot, not fully aware of what he was doing. Fear wrapped around his heart and guided his actions.
One hand curled in a claw, using the Force to hold the guard up by the throat. The other ripped the tubes out of Obi-Wan's chest, sending blood spraying everywhere. Anakin didn't even flinch as the crimson droplets landed on his cheek.
Wielding the Force with surgical precision, Anakin willed the life out of the guard and into his fading Master. He watched detachedly as the gaping wound sealed itself up and the color returned to Obi-Wan's skin. Without a single glance backwards, Anakin tossed aside the guard's dead body among the other charred corpses of his colleagues.
The perpetual motion of Coruscant blurred together as its inhabitants rushed through their lives outside the Temple's windows. It was always a cacophony of chaos and noises - a stark contrast to the room Obi-Wan was currently sitting in.
He knelt on his sleeper, eyes closed in meditation as he meticulously sorted through the events of their mission. But, the final few days were nothing but a blur of impressions. In the forefront of his mind was Anakin's anger and fear. He had felt it, and it had cut him to his core. It was reminiscent of the Anakin he had lost - and the one he never wished to see again. The Knight in question had refused to see him during the past week that Obi-Wan had been kept in the infirmary for observation, so the best he could do was hope for a ray of clarity to pierce through his muddled mind.
Finding no more answers than he had the last few meditation sessions, Obi-Wan opened his eyes with a small huff. He would be allowed out of this prison in a few hours anyways. That would be sufficient time to build up a sufficient arsenal of lectures to hurl at Anakin.
Of course, Obi-Wan allowed none of his ire to show when Master Vokara Che strode in for a final glance over. He bowed respectfully to the Chief Healer and excused himself once she had given her seal of approval.
Anakin had brought him back perfectly fine - albeit unconscious - but Master Che had insisted on looking him over just in case. They had been astounded to discover that even the wounds Obi-Wan had incurred during their previous mission had been healed, on top of whatever he had suffered before Anakin had found him. Now that the Healers were positive that Obi-Wan would not keel over at the slightest breeze, he was able to once again attend to his wayward Padawan.
He was an unstoppable force as he all but barreled his way through the Temple to Anakin's quarters. Obi-Wan felt slightly bad for almost trampling a few tiny Initiates on his way, but he figured he could always blame Anakin if any irate Creche Masters hunted him down later on.
But all was for naught when he arrived in front of the apartments that Anakin now had all to himself. He could already sense that Anakin was not behind those familiar doors.
"Of course he's off sulking somewhere," Obi-Wan grumbled to himself, already heading to the next destination he had in mind.
The hangars were bustling with life once he had arrived, but the Knight made his way to the quiet little corner sequestered away behind a large cargo ship that rarely left the premises. He could hear Anakin tinkering away right around the corner.
Obi-Wan gave a little harumph for greeting, leaning sideways against Anakin's latest project and crossing his arms expectantly.
"Fancy seeing you here, Master," Anakin said, not looking up from where he was welding shut a large scar on the fighter's flank.
"You know, as much as I am loath to admit it, I missed your hovering this past week. Care to explain why you haven't been waiting hand and foot on your beloved Master while he was incapcitated?" Obi-Wan drawled.
"You're even more terrifying than Master Qui-Gon while you are in the Healers' cage. I merely wished to avoid your ire." Anakin's response was directed at the cracked transparisteel cockpit that he moved on to.
Obi-Wan sighed, deciding to take the more direct attack. That had always worked best with Anakin.
"Want to tell me what's the matter?" he asked, settling down next to Anakin, making sure to give his Padawan some space that he could choose to close.
Anakin closed his eyes with a sigh, setting down his power tools. His hands fell limply to his lap, and Obi-Wan could tell that the young man was sorting through his words. He felt a spark of pride watching Anakin control his impulsiveness and master his emotions. He had matured so fast in the past few years.
Obi-Wan quietly picked up the tools that Anakin had dropped and started working on the fighter ship, allowing Anakin some space to think. At last, Obi-Wan sensed that he was ready to talk. He set the tools down and shuffled on his knees so that he was facing Anakin head on.
"I reached for the Dark Force," Anakin blurted out, not looking at him. Obi-Wan felt his heart grow cold as Anakin monotonously recounted the details of the mission. It sounded like he was doing his best to compartmentalize his emotions, rather than process them in a healthy manner.
To his surprise - and slight horror - Obi-Wan found that he wasn't as concerned about Anakin's discoveries as he should have been. He should have been filled with righteous anger over what those poor warriors had suffered, but his mind was instead occupied with worrying over his Padawan.
He had known that Anakin's original turn to the Dark Side had something to do with his love of Padme and his fear of losing her. He had desperately hoped that the same would not happen in this parallel. However, he never would have imagined that that same desperate love would encompass him as well. He was aware that Anakin held him in high regard, and even thought of him as a brother, but he never knew how far Anakin would have gone for him.
Well, now he knew.
It was Obi-Wan's turn to gather his thoughts. His head was reeling at the thought that he had been essentially brought back from the dead through the sacrifice of another's life, but he set that knowledge aside to deal with later. He had more delicate and pressing matters to attend to.
"Anakin," he started slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Do you regret your actions?"
"No!" came the vehement denial. "I would have done the same thing over and over again if it meant saving you. I regret that I had to reach for the Dark Side, but it was worth it." His glare was angry, but Obi-Wan could see the fear lurking behind his thin facade.
"Anakin," he said again, placing a soothing hand on the young man's shoulder. "I don't blame you. I'm not angry. I'm not upset. I'm just worried about you."
Anakin's breath shuddered out of him in an almost-sob. "I don't know how it happened. I couldn't help myself. I just felt so angry and scared. And it was just so easy to reach for the Dark Side. I felt so powerful. I was in control of not only everything around me, but also myself."
He looked at him with sad, haunted eyes, and Obi-Wan cut loose all his restraints and threw himself forward to wrap Anakin in a hug. He gave a teary smile as Anakin's arms closed around him, fisting in the back of his robes.
"Breathe, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered, rubbing soothing circles on his back. The Knight didn't answer, merely burrowing deeping into his embrace.
Finally, he pulled back, wiping away frustrated tears. "I could have been stronger," Anakin huffed, once again staring at his clenched hands instead of at Obi-Wan. "I should have been better. You saved Qui-Gon without reaching for the Dark Side. I could have done the same. I'm the Chosen One. I-" he cut himself off with an angry shake of his head, his blond locks flying in a halo around his face.
"There's no use dwelling on the past," Obi-Wan chided. "We only use it to learn from our mistakes. If we live in the past, we cannot move on to our future."
"Still -" Anakin began once more, and Obi-Wan cut him off by grabbing him into another tight hug.
"Let me tell you something I learned a long time ago," he said, still squishing Anakin to him. "There is a thin line between love and hate. Both are passionate emotions that set our hearts alight. Passion can turn into anger or hatred - or even fear. That's why we have the Codes. The rules that seem so heartless exist to protect our hearts.
"You are someone who feels very deeply. I have never seen you turn an eye to someone in need - and that goes doubly so when it comes to those you love. There is nothing wrong with that.
"Let your passion guide you. But don't let it overwhelm you."
Obi-Wan released Anakin to let him breathe and dipped his head to meet his downcasted eyes.
"Remember. I am your Master. I will be here to support you whenever you need me - and even when you don't want me. You understand?"
Anakin nodded, and a small smile finally graced his features. They embraced once more, but this time it was comfortable.
The Room of a Thousand Fountains was quiet and peaceful. The air was still and tranquil, breathtakingly fresh in comparison to Coruscant's smog-filled atmosphere.
This had been Obi-Wan's favorite night haunt ever since he was an Initiate. He had been berated as a Padawan for sneaking here after curfew to think, but no one had done so after he was Knighted. He often spent long nights here, meditating for guidance on how to raise an unruly and rebellious Padawan. He hadn't received many answers, but the momentary peace was enough for the frazzled young Master.
Now once again, he returned, tucking himself into a little alcove nestled between a willow tree and a bubbling fountain. The Jedi breathed in deeply, not for the first time wishing that he had Qui-Gon's deep connection with the Living Force. He wondered what it would be like to so deeply and intimately feel all the life around him, bursting with energy and infinite potential.
How beautiful it must be.
Obi-Wan smiled and closed his eyes, basking in the glow of the Temple around him. He cast his mind back to the discussion they had a mere couple of hours ago. It was a landmark in his mind.
Anakin had been genuinely remorseful in his usage of the Dark Side of the Force. He showed fear and disgust at the thought of turning.
Obi-Wan hadn't known what exactly caused Anakin to turn in their past life - he had been too busy fighting for his life to ask. The day's events had confirmed Obi-Wan's belief that there must have been a massive tipping point that forced his hand. There was no way Anakin would just wake up one day and choose to be evil. He was just too good and kind-hearted for that.
That knowledge lifted a massive weight off of Obi-Wan's shoulders. Even though he didn't know how Anakin had reached the point of no return, he now had hope that the boy could be brought back from it - and if he had to be dragged back, kicking and screaming, then so be it.
And yet, Obi-Wan was somehow confident that Anakin would not even consider turning this time around. Qui-Gon's guidance had kept Anakin from straying under Chancellor Palpatine's insidious influence. Obi-Wan's intervention had prevented the loss of his mother. The only factor left was Padme, but the two of them were currently deeply in love and happily married. Obi-Wan had been completely flattered when the two of them had confided in him; he had only guessed the last time around.
He was happy that the relationship between him and Anakin was a lot more solid this time around. They had loved and trusted each other in their past lives, but somehow it had not been enough. There had always been something lurking below the surface, old fears that neither of them had been strong enough to voice. This time around, Obi-Wan worked hard to be completely open. He was careful to truly demonstrate to Anakin that he trusted him wholly and completely. He had enough self-awareness to know that he was quite the nagger, but he put special effort into explaining all of his reasoning to Anakin.
The boy had been jealous of him in their past life. After all, Obi-Wan had enjoyed a close relationship with Qui-Gon, held the complete faith of the entire Council, and had earned the rank of Master the moment he had entered Knighthood. Anakin, on the other hand, had lost Qui-Gon before he really even got to know him, faced suspicion from the Council from the moment he was introduced to them, and was passed up for promotion even when he deserved it. Obi-Wan blamed himself for not advocating harder for the boy. Mace had caught this envy in Anakin early in his teenage years, but Obi-Wan had refused to believe him.
After all, why would the Chosen One be jealous of him?
But that jealousy had finally been revealed to him on Mustafar. He had been so blind not to have seen. He should have been a better Master and reassured Anakin of his insecurities. Perhaps then he would not have felt the urge to see counsel from Palpatine.
Now he knew better. He would not give Anakin cause to doubt him. He would support Anakin faithfully. He would be a good Master.
Author's Note:
Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've updated this story, so thank you all for your patience and support. In addition, I greatly appreciate being added to the "Time Jumping" community alongside of some of my other favorite fics. Hopefully my future updates won't be as far and few in between, but we shall see.
As for this chapter, I hope you'll once again forgive my liberal interpretation of the Dark Force. And to address a question on Anakin and Padme - there most likely won't be any romance popping up. It's not really my forte in terms of writing, and I'd rather focus on other kinds of love that are no less important, such as familial or mentor-student.