Oh my, I'm so sorry for the long wait! Somehow I've been hit by a wave of writer's block and I just couldn't get a single word written for this chapter. And then somehow the safe file of this chapter got corrupted and I lost huge parts of my text which I then had to rewrite from memory. And then I had to start preparing for my exams. Welp, I think that's enough rambling from me for now :D
I hope you're all healthy and you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 49 – Shadows Take Their Toll
Obi-Wan had needed a long time until sleep had overtaken him. When he had finally closed his eyes, blocking out the headache that was burning in his head, he had not expected to be torn from his sleep by the Force just a few hours later. Gasping, he shot up from the bed, waking up Satine as well, who was lying next to him.
"What's wrong?" she whispered, startled, while he had already pulled on a shirt, grabbed his lightsaber and was on his way to the main room.
"Someone's here," he hissed between clenched teeth, trying again to get a clearer picture in the Force. It didn't feel like a warning, but Obi-Wan had learned the hard way that you couldn't be too careful.
Feeling that Satine was up on her feet in an instant, he went on and nearly bumped into Ahsoka who had left her room in a hurry as well.
"Did you feel that?" she asked agitated, her hands clutching her lightsabers tightly.
Obi-Wan nodded and made his way over to the door, quickly putting on his boots. "Yes, but I don't think it's a threat," he said with a firm voice, "Stay on guard, I'll go and check what it is."
"Do you really think it's a good idea to go alone?" Satine chimed in, stepping out of their bedroom, after she had hastily dressed herself. Awakened by their sounds, Padme joined them as well, looking confusedly back and forth between the two Jedi and Satine. "Did something happen?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "Ahsoka and I both sensed a presence. I will go investigate."
Padme looked at him with wide eyes. "Could it be Anakin?"
Clenching his jaw, Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, it didn't feel... it's just not him. But the presence still feels familiar."
Before their whole dilemma, he would have been able to tell for sure who had found them. But his connection to the Force had changed. It was there, yes. But it felt like the Force was incredibly distant and only spoke to him in a muffled way - like his head was stuck underwater.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," was all he said before he headed out the door, ignoring the looks the women threw at his back.
As soon as the door closed behind him, he exhaled deeply. As he often said, he had a bad feeling about this. But it was not because of the thing he had sensed in the Force. No, it was because of what would inevitably follow. His confrontation with Anakin. Maybe even Palpatine.
He did not expect to survive. But for the sake of his family - he would give everything he had. Even if that was not much anymore.
With sure steps he waded towards the hiding place of their ship, from where he had also sensed the presence. As he approached the clearing, Obi-Wan forced himself to stop for a moment. The closer he got, the clearer the Force signature became. Against his better judgement, he closed his eyes - reaching out in the Force for the first time in weeks. He stretched past the pain that had gathered all around him – and met a small beacon of light.
The presence was warm and familiar, and obviously it had sensed him as well, because it opened up to him.
Obi-Wan's eyes shot open. "Master Yoda."
He was met with the green troll's smile. "Searched for you, I did." The old master stepped out between the trees and Obi-Wan spotted the small ship hidden close to their own transport.
In confusion, the jedi master was only able to shake his head. "How… How did you get here? How did you find us?"
The diminutive master hummed and flattened his ears. "Spoken the Force has. Shown to me, you were. Battling darkness."
Obi-Wan swallowed thickly. "I died, didn't I?"
Yoda shortly met his gaze before he put both of his claws on his gimer stick and looked ahead in the direction of the house. "Always in motion is the future."
A simple 'yes' would have sufficed.
Obi-Wan rubbed his hand across his face. He was tired of always trying to make sense of the Grandmaster's riddles. Instead, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against one of the trees. "I assume you know what happened to Anakin?"
The expression on Yoda's face changed to one of regret. "Failed him we did. Lost in the Dark he is."
Chewing on the insides of his cheeks, Obi-Wan resisted the urge to throttle Yoda right there. "He's not lost," he bit out, "Just controlled by Palpatine. Anakin is not at fault. We can still bring him back."
Yoda grunted and turned to face him, eyeing him intently. "Do the right thing you must when the time comes."
He pushed himself off the tree, his mouth set in a thin line. "I won't kill my brother."
"Attached you are."
"Even if I was, what difference would it make?" he replied coolly.
"Changed you did, Obi-Wan," Yoda tilted his head, "A dangerous path you are walking on."
"Dangerous?" he huffed exasperatedly, "I don't know if you've noticed, but in the last few years I've almost died several times - no thanks to the Council's decision. If you won't help me, at least don't stand in my way."
Obi-Wan didn't care what the grandmaster thought. Determined, he began stalking back to the house, his mind seething.
How dare that old troll ask such a thing of me?
"Not finished, we are," a voice rang behind him.
Gritting his teeth, Obi-Wan whirled around, facing off against the small man. "I made my decision."
Slowly, Yoda closed the distance between them, his green-brown eyes studying his very movement. "Much faith you have in Skywalker."
He wanted to laugh out loud but refrained to do so in the last second. Instead, he turned his head away, pursing his lips. "How could I not? I practically raised that boy," he retorted dryly.
A soft punch with the gimer stick against his shin let his attention return back to the old jedi. Obi-Wan watched how Yoda's fingers curled around the top of the walking aid and his large ears twitched. They stared at each other for a moment, before Yoda spoke again.
"Sure you are, that save him you can?" His voice was steady, but Obi-Wan could feel the anxiety radiating of the old master in the Force.
"I'll try with everything I have," he stated firmly, his fingers twitching against his side, "The chip in his brain needs to be destroyed."
"Risky that is," grumbled Yoda, "Not much we know about these things."
"Anakin might be our only chance to find a way to eliminate all the chips," Obi-Wan got a distant look, "He was always good with mechanics."
He remembered little Anakin dragging discarded droids into their apartment, rebuilding and then completely reprogramming them. 'Improving' them, as he had always proudly called it. And the boy had been only thirteen at that time.
Yoda stomped his cane on the ground and closed his eyes. "Do... or do not. There is no try. Help you, I will."
Relief washed over Obi-Wan, but was quickly replaced with a sense of dread that settled in his stomach as he saw a gunboat flying over the trees. The Darkness that followed its path was all he needed to know.
"They're here," he breathed, his eyes lingering on the sky where the shadow had passed just moments before.
Yoda followed his gaze before the old master began walking towards the house. "Time it is," he grunted, "Say your goodbyes, you should."
I'm not prepared to die.
Obi-Wan tried to stomp down the uneasiness that started to get the better of him and ripped his eyes away from the sky. Master Yoda was right, he should prepare for the worst. He tried to follow the old troll at a steady pace, but Obi-Wan couldn't quite suppress the tremors that shook his bones as he walked along.
He still wondered if he could have prevented the whole thing somehow. He should never have let Palpatine get so close to Anakin, should never have given his brother a reason not to trust him. Sometimes Obi-Wan thought it would have been better to leave the Jedi Order with Anakin right after Qui-Gon died. They could have gone to Satine on Mandalore, lived a normal life. Away from prophecies and a war they should never have fought for. And especially away from Palpatine, the Senate and intrigues that let the Jedi stray further and further from their true path.
With a few steps Obi-Wan had caught up with the old Jedi master and together they reached the hut. Without much fanfare, he pushed open the door and let Yoda in, well aware that Satine, Padme and Ahsoka were watching them with wide eyes.
"Master Yoda…," gasped Ahsoka, baffled to see the wise master alive after all this time.
Yoda smiled genuinely. "Good to see you it is, Young One."
But as soon as it appeared, the smile faded again and he turned serious. "Prepare ourselves, we must."
Ahsoka's eyes met Obi-Wan's and he knew that she had sensed the darkness as well. They had already talked about it. She knew what to do. Keep Padme, Satine and the children safe. Take the ship and flee, if necessary.
If only that would make it easier.
Her expression set in stone, Satine began to move over to him, neither of them caring that the Grand Master of the Jedi Order was observing them. As she had done so many times before, she laid a hand on his bearded cheek and locked him with her crystal-blue eyes.
"I know you won't promise me," she began, letting her hand wander up, so that she was able to trace the scars on his head, "And I know how much Anakin means to you. But please be careful."
Obi-Wan gave her a small smile and pulled her into a hug. "I'll try." As he withdrew again, he pressed a short kiss onto her lips, knowing that it might be the last time he was able to do that.
Not that he wanted to think about that.
"I love you," he whispered and pushed a bang of blonde hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear.
It was hard to tear himself away from Satine and Obi-Wan wasn't sure if that was the right decision. Nevertheless, he did it and turned to Ahsoka, who had also approached.
Before he knew it, she had her arms wrapped around his neck and her head buried in his chest. "Don't make me choose between you or Anakin," she murmured, and Obi-Wan felt a feeling of warmth flaring up inside of him. Shallowly, he returned her embrace and stroked her Montrals with one of his hands. Buried deep within him had always been the feeling that Ahsoka would always choose Anakin. No matter what came. Now hearing this filled him with both a joy that he had managed to build a relationship with his grandpadawan despite their rather rough start, and a sadness that he would make it all the more difficult for her if only one of them returned.
"I'm sorry, 'Soka… I'm so proud of you."
When they parted again, Obi-Wan felt the bond between them thrum with strength and contentment. It twinged his heart that it was right next to the gaping, bleeding hole Anakin's bond had left behind.
The last one he said goodbye to was Padme. They stood awkwardly in front of each other for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say.
"I'm still sorry for lashing out on you," she finally started, "And I know I shouldn't take for granted what you do for Anakin."
Her brown eyes met his blue-grays. "Thank you, Obi-Wan. For everything," Padme paused for a moment, looking like she wanted to say more, but then she slowly closed her mouth again.
"Take care of yourself," was all she pressed out before she hurriedly retreated back into her room and the door closed with a soft click.
Obi-Wan found his gaze lingering on the spot where Padme had stood just seconds ago, pondering about the words said.
"Give her time," Satine mumbled next to him, gently grasping his hand.
"Hmm." He wasn't sure what to make of the senator. He and Padme had never been close, mostly because he officially hadn't known about her and Anakin's relationship for a long time and as a result, he had to pretend he was oblivious to what was happening around him.
"Go, we must."
Yoda's voice ripped him out of his thoughts. He gave Satine's hand a final squeeze and then let go.
"He's right," he said, letting his eyes roam between Satine and Ahsoka, "You know what to do. Barricade yourselves. Don't let anyone in who isn't one of us."
His limbs felt heavy as he made himself turn towards the door; Yoda close behind him. Opening it, he was met with the blazing morning sun whose warmth normally always helped to ease his mind.
Now it felt more like mockery.
Yoda already had hobbled past him, waiting on the small clearing. Obi-Wan still had his hand on the door, hesitating.
The jedi master tilted his head back for the last time. "May the Force be with you," he breathed before pulling the door closed, barely hearing the answer that had slipped from his grandpadawan's lips.
Silently he caught up to Master Yoda, who had waited patiently for him. The troll shot him a look but said nothing as Obi-Wan fell in line beside him.
They walked through the forest, again in the direction of the camp where the shuttle had probably landed.
Obi-Wan still couldn't get rid of the feeling that Yoda was watching him and that made him stop. "If you want to say something, just spit it out," he said exasperated, crossing his arms over his chest.
The grandmaster hummed and quirked his eyebrows, leaning heavily on his stick. "Broken the code, you have."
"You're blind if you see that only now," huffed Obi-Wan, "I told the council years before that our Code is stuck in the past."
"Still consider yourself a jedi, do you?", queried Yoda.
Obi-Wan's mouth opened but closed immediately again as he thought about it.
Am I a jedi? He broke the code, the principles the jedi lived by. And had used the Dark Side.
"I don't know," he admitted, "But even if I considered myself one - I'm not sure I want to be a jedi any longer."
Yoda's ears flattened and Ob-Wan felt a hint of sadness flit through the Force. "Risen above many things you have, Obi-Wan. A great Grandmaster you would have been."
Now he was confused. He felt like he was missing something. "What do you mean?"
The other jedi grunted and began walking again. "Old I have become. To an end, my journey has come."
Yoda stopped at the edge of the forest and tilted his head a little. "Right you were. Stuck the jedi are. Diverted we have become. A new leader they need."
Obi-Wan watched the small master's silhouette glinting in the sunlight. "I'm honored you thought that I am capable of filling that position," his mouth was suddenly very dry, "But I am certainly not strong enough and-."
Clack. The tap of Yoda's gimer stick on the floor made him stop. "Not about strength, being a grandmaster is," the man objected, "About the ones you are to guide and protect, it is. In the right place, your heart is. And a strong mind, you have. Loved by the people you are."
"I don't want to be the grandmaster." The words slipped so easily from his mouth that Obi-Wan almost felt shocked about himself. "I'm resigning when this is over."
All his life he had wanted to become a jedi master. But now? He thought he finally had found his place in the galaxy.
And that wasn't within the jedi order.
"Understand that I do. Still saddened I am."
"I'm sorry, master," Obi-Wan stepped next to Yoda, "But you have to find someone else to rebuild what has been lost."
"The Force will guide us… Now come. End this we must."
They descended down the slope Obi-Wan and the rest had taken a few days ago, observing the camp that came into view. The gunship had landed in the middle of it.
Obi-Wan's breath got caught in his throat as he saw who had exited the vehicle. Two figures cloaked in dark robes, definitely Anakin and Palpatine, and a squad of clones – with golden markings on their armor.
My men. Cody.
"Calm you must remain," Yoda spoke softly to him, but that didn't help him at all.
"I can't kill those I fought back-to-back with for years."
"Focus on Skywalker. Depending on you he is."
Obi-Wan swallowed the bile that rose inside him and nodded stiffly. "Please don't kill them."
He didn't get an answer.
Instead, they continued to move toward their destiny, and the closer they got, the more oppressive the darkness that surrounded them became. It was heavy, contaminating the air they tried to force into their lungs. Obi-Wan felt sick at the thought that not only Palpatine was the source of this blackness - but Anakin as well. For a moment he lost focus and planted one of his feet incorrectly, his right knee stinging painfully at the abrupt movement. Obi-Wan winced and stepped back onto the path. Without the splint, he would have fallen for sure.
Yoda had stopped in front of him, and he gave him that worried look again.
"I'm fine," Obi-Wan grumbled softly, rubbed his aching joint briefly, and then started moving again, ignoring the Grandmaster.
His heartbeat slowed as he crossed the entrance to the village and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. People had left the streets - at least those who had been fast enough. A small group sat huddled together in the center - their hands clasped behind lowered heads.
A wicked cackle broke the silence - Palpatine. "What's the best way to catch a Jedi?" the emperor chimed in, his voice dripping with arrogance, "You go for the innocent."
Though Yoda and Obi-Wan were still hidden behind a corner of a house, they knew what followed when two blaster shots cleared.
Two lights faded in the Force and Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut, mourning the innocent souls. But at the same time, he couldn't stop the anger surging through his veins and he grabbed his lightsaber from his belt – his knuckles white from the tightness of his grip.
In unison both jedi masters stepped out of their hiding place, out into the open.
"And here I thought we should expect better from our leader, Emperor Palpatine," called Obi-Wan, striding forward confidently, "What is it you want your Empire build on? Piles of bodies? Who is left if you first kill all the jedi and then your fellow people?"
The disgusting smile shone yellowy beneath the obscuring hood. "Ah, Master Kenobi… cunning as always. And I see you have company – non other then the mighty grandmaster Yoda."
Gathering his wits, Obi-Wan analyzed the scene before him. There were eight villagers in number. Their fear was clearly palpable in the Force and he had to restrain himself from reaching out with the Force and calming them down a bit. He needed his strength. Behind the hostages stood seven troopers of his battalion, their weapons aimed unerringly at the heads of the inhabitants.
Crys, Waxer, Boil, Wooley, Longshot, Gearshift and Cody.
There was no recognition from the side of his men. Resignedly, Obi-Wan watched as every now and then a finger twitched on the trigger, struggling not to follow the programming and open fire on the Jedi.
And then there was Anakin - Vader - his best friend, his brother. His face was equally concealed like Palpatine's, but Obi-Wan didn't need to see it to know that amber eyes were glaring daggers in his head.
"This is a matter that concerns only us. So let the civilians go," he tried again, undeterred.
Palpatine put a hand on Anakin's shoulder, grinning. How Obi-Wan wanted to cut off his head for that alone.
"I think my apprentice should decide that. After all, we are here in his interest. Aren't we, Vader?"
Obi-Wan saw Anakin's jaw working underneath the hood, teeth grinding against each other. A habit he hadn't gotten rid of since childhood.
"Fine," his friend finally grounded out, "But under one condition: I want a duel. Just you and me, Kenobi. Right here and now."
Palpatine actually seemed surprised by this decision if Obi-Wan had to guess by the second the chancellor's face slipped. He couldn't help himself and failed to suppress his grin.
No one predicts Anakin Skywalker.
"Fine. I accept," he called back, straightening his back, "Then let them go."
With a wave of his hand Anakin motioned for the clones to lower their guns. Hesitantly they complied and stepped back in unison.
Without sparing them a glance, Anakin growled: "Move before I change my decision."
Distraught, the remaining hostages stumbled to their feet and ran as fast as their wobbly legs would carry them into their huts, slamming and locking the doors behind them. It was almost cliché as Anakin stepped forward to face him, cloak billowing in the wind that swept through the village, mused Obi-Wan. And yet he was aware of the seriousness of the situation. There was no way around it. He had to duel his brother. To the blood.
He shared a side-glance with Yoda who stepped back as well, giving the two fighters space.
"Focus, Obi-Wan. Handle the rest, I will," came the steadying grandmaster's voice through the Force.
Obi-Wan blew out a breath and took his position opposed to Anakin. It was like all the times they had trained together. At least that's what he tried to tell himself. The truth was, nothing would ever be the same again - no matter how this duel would end. Nothing had ever felt more wrong than raising his weapon to his best friend now, even though he had done it a thousand times before. Neither of them had ever held back during their later training, even when many other knights and masters had watched them with a wary eye.
Anakin removed his cloak and unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, his yellow eyes glinting furiously. "You have taken from me what is most important to me," he hissed disdainfully in a voice that made Obi-Wan's blood run cold, "And now I'm going to take it back."
The azure blade activated in his friend's hand with a snap.
"I did not take your family from you, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied almost calmly, if the slight break in his voice had not betrayed him, "The man you call Master is solely responsible for that. He placed a chip in your head - twisted your memories, made you a slave he could shamelessly manipulate."
He refused to draw his own blade yet.
Anakin stood still and unmoving before him, holding the glowing blade ready in front of him.
It seemed as if he hesitated.
Obi-Wan seized the moment and cautiously took a step toward him, one hand raised placatingly. "Let me help you..."
As if he had been burned, Anakin suddenly recoiled and held his head, his face pained.
"Anakin!" He took another step forward when Palpatine's voice suddenly stopped him.
"He's causing you pain, my boy," rasped the old voice, "Kenobi is lying. Finish it."
The hands on Anakin's head tightened, and Obi-Wan backed away as a wave of darkness surged toward him.
Not more than a moment later, Anakin leapt at him, swinging his lightsaber toward his head. On reflex, Obi-Wan brandished his own blade and blocked the blow mere centimeters in front of his neck. He felt the heat prickling against his skin and knew that Anakin would go for the kill if he let his defense slip.
His friend stared at him over the blue blade, amber eyes bloodshot and the veins in his face grayish.
There was nothing resembling the boy he had trained for a decade.
With one thrust, he managed to deflect Anakin's blade away, once again putting distance between them.
"We don't have to fight," he urged, holding his sword defensively in front of him.
"But maybe I want to," Anakin sneered, advancing again. He attacked next with a slash from the side and their blades met again. The force rattled the bones in Obi-Wan's arms. Instantly, Anakin changed direction again, swinging for his feet so that he had to jump back. Dirt and smoke were thrown up as the blade scraped the ground and burned it.
The moment Obi-Wan backed away, Anakin had already caught up to him again. Their exchange of blows was too fast to follow with the naked eye.
One particularly aggressive attack required him to make a hasty lunge to avoid being hit, and in response a sharp pain shot through his knee, momentarily knocking him off balance. Anakin chuckled as he watched the knee momentarily threaten to give way and his eyes twinkled manically at him.
"You don't stand a chance, old man. Just give up. I don't want to have to cripple your other leg."
Despite the obvious threat, Obi-Wan retreated to his humor and forced out a laugh. "Old? Have you looked at this shriveled face of your dear emperor?"
Anakin's face darkened and with a leap he moved behind him, lightsaber aimed at his center. Twisting, Obi-Wan whirled around stopping the blade mid-strike. It was a move he had taught Anakin himself, but unfortunately his friend did not remember it.
Taking advantage of his former student's momentum, he slipped past the swooping blade to the left and grabbed the top of Anakin's forearm, sinking into the Force - and pulling with all his might. Still holding the arm, he brought Anakin down. Not wasting a second, he deactivated his lightsaber for a moment, intending to knock his friend out with a blow to the back of the head.
But before it came to that, a warning in the Force snapped him out of concentration. His head shot to the side and he saw his men open fire on him. Cursing, he blocked the first bolts and watched Yoda's green lightsaber come to life. The jedi master made a short work of them. The shots went right back to their shooters. Obi-Wan's face distorted as he felt the Gearshift's and Crys presence vanishing.
But there was no time to mourn them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Palpatine draw a crimson lightsaber. Yoda and Sidious were instantly viciously charging at each other, their lightsabers moving in a blur. Even though he already knew that Palpatine was the Sithlord they had been looking for, it still shocked him to see the otherwise frail-looking man attack the Jedi Grandmaster at an insane speed, not skimping on extravagant maneuvers.
In the few seconds that this distraction had cost him, Anakin had recovered. Before Obi-Wan could do anything about it, he was caught in a Force blast. His feet left the ground - and the next thing he felt was his back making painful contact with the wooden wall of a hut, splintering it behind him. The air was forced from his lungs as he hit the floor inside the hut hard and banged his head.
Groaning as the pain coursed through his body, he turned from his back first to his side, blinking to dispel the flashes that were obstructing his vision.
"That definitely leaves more than a bruise," he grumbled, rubbing his neck; then pulled his knees under him and braced himself on all fours.
His lightsaber had been torn from his hand on impact and now lay about an arm's length away from him, among the splinters of the wooden planks. Hastily, Obi-Wan grabbed it and heaved himself to his feet, still stunned, his back screaming in protest. Just as he was almost upright, an invisible hand grabbed his ankle and pulled him back brutally. His knee twisted painfully, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but cry out as the leg was abruptly stretched. Once again, he crashed to the ground and his chin scraped across the floor momentarily before he was flung up again, finally hitting the dirt right at Anakin's feet.
A blue blade was held just above his neck, close enough to burn the skin a little.
"You're making this unnecessarily difficult for yourself, Kenobi. Just give up. Then perhaps I will grant you a less painful death."
Obi-Wan stared ahead of him and swallowed dryly.
"I promised your son that I would bring you back, Anakin," he breathed, his fingers clenching, "And I will."
He closed his eyes and bowed his head.
I am one with the Force
- and the Force is with me.
"I'm sorry", Obi-Wan muttered, feeling Anakin's confusion which then turned into terror, as he grabbed the hand holding the lightsaber, not caring that the blade cut into his own forearm and activated his lightsaber – cutting through Anakin's hand.
Anakin screamed, holding his stump and scrambled back like a hurt animal. Obi-Wan's eyes rested on the severed prosthesis, remembering that his friend had rewired it so that he was actually able to feel everything – even pain.
He straightened himself, acknowledged the large burn over his arm and then returned his attention back to Anakin. His friend was still dazed from the sudden limb loss, so that he wasn't really aware of his surroundings.
It reminded him so much of their first fight with Dooku on Geonosis. Just that the Count hadn't taken Anakin's hand – but him. Swallowing his guilt, he got closer to his friend, careful not to make any sudden movements.
Hesitantly, he somehow managed to set one of his hands on Anakin's shoulders. His friend tried pushing him away with the Force, but Obi-Wan was resilient and held on, anchoring himself to the ground.
"Get away from me, you monster!", Anakin yelled, twisting in his grip, "Haven't you taken enough?"
"Anakin, I'm trying to help you! You are not yourself!", Obi-Wan yelled back, tightening his grip. Anakin's arm shot back and collided with the pit of his stomach, but even then, Obi-Wan didn't let go. This was his only chance.
Breathing through the pain, he wrapped his arms around Anakin, effectively pinning the latter's upper arms. His friend snapped his head back in response, almost colliding with Obi-Wan's own head.
Anakin had always been strong – way stronger than his fellow master. But maybe it was the desperation that occupied Obi-Wan's mind that helped him to hold his friend down.
He shifted one of his hands up, so that it came to rest on Anakin's temple, his fingers tracing the small, distinctive scar. The chip. It was right there. Now he just had to deactivate it.
Keeping Anakin as still as possible, he sunk into the Force, begging her to help him with this for once. The chip appeared in front of his inner eye - the wires, the small storage unit, every tiny electrical part.
Mace had told him that the memory unit was the part controlling it's wearers behavior.
"Please let this work," he murmured and used the Force to break it.
For a moment nothing happened. And then something snapped.
Did I mention that I find it hard to write fight scenes? And there are still so many ahead o.o
Let me know what you think and see you on the next chapter ;)