Stars in the Darkness - Part Thirty-Two
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"You have heard, my Master."
"Of course," Sidious snapped from where he sat in his huge, ebony chair deep within his hidden citadel on Coruscant, the cowl of his black robe pulled over his face and revealing only his thin, pale lips. "It would appear your operative went far beyond what was expected of him."
Count Dooku nodded. "It would appear so."
"Even I did not foresee he was capable of such wanton and callous brutality. The woman still lives, but the child is near death."
"Yes, Master."
Sidious leaned forward slightly. "An unexpected turn of events. However, we may be able to take advantage of it. When Kenobi called upon the dark side of the Force to bring his woman back from the Abyss, he was far away on Ahjane. Yet, even at that distance, I felt his power and was amazed at the strength of his will. However, now he is on Coruscant. Much closer. And much more is at stake this time."
"You think, Master, that he will try and do the same thing with his son?"
"Would you do any less, Lord Tyranus?"
Dooku cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the question. He chose to ignore it, but was disturbed when Sidious suddenly grinned at him, a death- head of a smile.
"I have foreseen it," Sidious went on, his voice a silky sneer. "Kenobi will try and bring his son's spirit back from the Abyss. When he does, I will assist him in his journey to the dark side, and he will be mine. Once I have him, Skywalker will follow. As will many others, and those who will not join us, will be destroyed. We are strong, my apprentice, and growing stronger, fueled by anger and fear, aggression and betrayal. Soon, nothing will stand in our way."
Dooku inclined his head in acknowledgement of Sidious' words. "What of Lursan, Master?"
"What of him?"
"Do you have any further use for him?"
"Has he been found?"
"Not yet, Master. But, if you wish it, I will find him and dispose of him."
Sidious remained silent for a moment. Dooku sensed he was calling upon the dark side, using its prescient powers to determine what course of action to take.
"For the moment, do nothing, Lord Tyranus," he finally said. "He will not be able to leave Coruscant. The security forces and the Jedi will see to that. If he should prove a liability, however, we can always take care of him."
"Yes, my Master."
Dooku bowed and, turning, left Sidious' inner chamber. As he walked through the wide doors and out into the dimly lit corridor, he wanted to share in his master's confidence that Obi-Wan would turn to the dark side of the Force, but the young Jedi had been trained by Qui-Gon, and Qui-Gon had once been Dooku's apprentice. As a result, he was not so sure Sidious was right. But, then, Dooku also surmised, a child's life was at stake. Who knew how far the Jedi Knight would go to save his son?
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Obi-Wan was about to go through the doors to the recovery room, but Dr. Melsi grabbed his arm, stopping him. He looked over at her.
"I just wanted you to know, Master Jedi, he's in no pain."
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said softly. "Thank you for everything you've done. I know you did your best."
"It's never easy," she said, her golden eyes looking deeply into his. "Losing a patient. Especially one so young."
Obi-Wan nodded, his throat tightening. Dr. Melsi stepped away, and Obi-Wan moved through the doors as they slid open. The recovery room was similar to those in the Healer's Wing at the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan had spent some time in them over the years, checking in on injured comrades. As he walked over to the bed, he noted the lights, which were usually bright, had been lowered.
Ben lay in the center of a bed meant for an adult. There was some tubing hooked up to his nose and a couple of thin silver wires attached to his arms. His eyes were closed and, for a moment, Obi-Wan feared it was too late, but then he saw the shallow rise and fall of his chest.
He was about to take off his robe, then remembered he hadn't had time to change. There was still blood on his pants and tunic. He wrapped his robe tightly around himself and sat in the chair next to the bed. For a moment, he just let himself watch Ben sleep, his eyes taking in his thick, black hair, so like Onara's, his snub of a nose, his lips, which were slightly parted, and the tiny dimple on his chin.
As he looked over at Ben, Obi-Wan struggled to hold himself together, but there was a slow rage building inside him, a hot, burning core of anger that had flamed into being with the firing of that blaster in the _Hall of Worlds_. While in the waiting room, he had sensed Anakin yearning to comfort him, but Obi-Wan had needed to be alone, to remind himself he was still a Jedi, because all he had wanted to do was find Lursan and rip his heart from his chest.
So he had repeated, over and over as he had stood in front of the window, the Jedi Code: _There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force._
"There is no death," he said softly as he reached over and stroked Ben's hair.
At his touch, Ben stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around, then over at Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan," he said, his voice weak, but full of happiness.
"Ben," Obi-Wan replied, smiling down at him.
"You found me."
"Yes, I did."
"I hoped you would." Then Ben looked around the recovery room. "Where's Mama?"
"She's sleeping."
"Is she okay? Did Lursan hurt her?"
"She's fine, Ben. She's just resting now. As you should be."
"Is Papa here?"
"No, not yet, but he's on his way."
Ben closed his eyes, and Obi-Wan, fearing he was slipping away, put his hand on his chest, but his son's heart was still beating, his life force flickering like a flame in the wind, but still present. Ben opened his eyes again and looked up at him.
"Obi-Wan?"
"Yes, Ben?"
"Are you my father? My real father?"
Obi-Wan started, his hand trembling where it lay on Ben's chest. He lowered his head for a moment, then raised it, taking in and releasing a deep breath.
"Yes, Ben, I am your father."
Ben looked up at him, his blue-gray eyes shining, a smile on his lips. "I knew it."
Obi-Wan returned his smile. "How did you know?"
"I had a dream, and you were holding me, and you kept saying, 'Hold on, son, hold on."
Obi-Wan could only shake his head in wonderment. He had whispered those very words to Ben as he cradled him in his arms, channeling the Force to him to keep him stable, but he had thought Ben was unconscious. Now, recalling that moment, the tears began to flow down his cheeks. Ben reached up. Obi-Wan lowered his face and Ben softly touched his tears.
"I didn't know Jedi cried."
"They do, Ben, they do."
"Please don't cry, Papa," he said, gently stroking his face. "I'm not afraid."
"You're not?" Obi-Wan said in a choked voice.
Ben shook his head and lowered his hand back to the bed. Obi-Wan took it. It was so small in his. He gently squeezed it.
"You're my brave little Jedi," he said, his voice full of pride and love.
Ben smiled. "Mama calls me that. She calls me her little Jedi Knight."
"And you are," Obi-Wan whispered. "You're the bravest Jedi I've ever known."
"Am I, Papa? But, I can't be a real Jedi."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't have a lightsaber yet."
Obi-Wan lifted Ben's hand and kissed it. "Then I'll get you one, my love."
"Like yours?"
"Yes, exactly like mine."
Ben smiled, then closed his eyes, and Obi-Wan felt his life force slipping away.
"No, Ben, no," he cried. "Stay with me, son. Stay with me."
Ben opened his eyes, but Obi-Wan could see the light in their blue-grayness slowly dimming.
"Papa?" he said weakly.
"Yes, love?" Obi-Wan sobbed.
"Take care of Obi-Wan for me."
Obi-Wan blinked, for a moment not knowing what Ben was talking about. Then he remembered. Obi-Wan was the name of Ben's pet voorpak.
"Mama doesn't like to watch him eat," he went on softly, "so you have to feed him when she's not around."
"Of course I'll take care of him," Obi-Wan said, his tears blinding him. He quickly blinked them away, but more replaced them. "But, once you're well, you're be able to take care of him."
Ben nodded. Then he stared up at Obi-Wan. "Papa?" he whispered.
"Yes, Ben? Ben. Ben! BEN!"
--------------
Anakin, who had been standing, his arm around Padmé's shoulder, jumped at Obi-Wan's shattering cry. He moved away from Padmé and was about to run into the recovery room when he felt someone grab his arm. Whipping his head around, he saw it was Master Windu.
"Let me go!" Anakin cried.
"No, stay here," Windu told him, his dark eyes hard and sharp.
"But, my Master," Anakin cried as he struggled against the firm grip Windu had on his arm.
"Stay here, Anakin! That's an order."
Anakin swiveled his head over to where Yoda sat, hoping to convince him to do something about Windu, who had apparently lost his mind. Then, as he had back on Ahjane, on that terrible day when Obi-Wan almost lost Onara, Anakin felt his master calling upon the Force, pulling it towards him with all his strength and all his power. He had called upon the dark side that day, but, with Anakin's help, had not succumbed to it and had brought Onara's spirit back from the Abyss.
But this time, there was something different. Anakin could sense another presence within the maelstrom Obi-Wan was drawing unto himself. Something evil and foul, loathsome and vile, a malignant tumor, a festering growth, concentrating all its energy on Obi-Wan. As Anakin struggled in Windu's grasp, there was a sudden taste of ashes and dust in his mouth. He looked over at Yoda. The Jedi Master's eyes were tightly closed, his body straining as if he were fighting some terrible battle, his hands shuddering where they were clasped around his walking stick.
"Let me go," Anakin raged, but Windu held him fast. "My master! He's in trouble."
"I know," Windu said, a muscle in his jaw jumping wildly. "But you can not help him."
---------------------
Again, as had happened on Ahjane, Obi-Wan's consciousness, fueled by the dark side, tore through the veil that separated life and death. As soon as he felt Ben's life force slipping away, Obi-Wan threw his awareness into that howling tempest of nothingness, searching frantically for his son's spirit. But, this time, instead of Anakin helping him, as he'd done when Obi-Wan brought Onara's spirit back from the Abyss, there was a different presence with him in the Void, channeling its strength and its power to him. But it was not the Light. It was the Darkness.
To be continued....
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"You have heard, my Master."
"Of course," Sidious snapped from where he sat in his huge, ebony chair deep within his hidden citadel on Coruscant, the cowl of his black robe pulled over his face and revealing only his thin, pale lips. "It would appear your operative went far beyond what was expected of him."
Count Dooku nodded. "It would appear so."
"Even I did not foresee he was capable of such wanton and callous brutality. The woman still lives, but the child is near death."
"Yes, Master."
Sidious leaned forward slightly. "An unexpected turn of events. However, we may be able to take advantage of it. When Kenobi called upon the dark side of the Force to bring his woman back from the Abyss, he was far away on Ahjane. Yet, even at that distance, I felt his power and was amazed at the strength of his will. However, now he is on Coruscant. Much closer. And much more is at stake this time."
"You think, Master, that he will try and do the same thing with his son?"
"Would you do any less, Lord Tyranus?"
Dooku cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the question. He chose to ignore it, but was disturbed when Sidious suddenly grinned at him, a death- head of a smile.
"I have foreseen it," Sidious went on, his voice a silky sneer. "Kenobi will try and bring his son's spirit back from the Abyss. When he does, I will assist him in his journey to the dark side, and he will be mine. Once I have him, Skywalker will follow. As will many others, and those who will not join us, will be destroyed. We are strong, my apprentice, and growing stronger, fueled by anger and fear, aggression and betrayal. Soon, nothing will stand in our way."
Dooku inclined his head in acknowledgement of Sidious' words. "What of Lursan, Master?"
"What of him?"
"Do you have any further use for him?"
"Has he been found?"
"Not yet, Master. But, if you wish it, I will find him and dispose of him."
Sidious remained silent for a moment. Dooku sensed he was calling upon the dark side, using its prescient powers to determine what course of action to take.
"For the moment, do nothing, Lord Tyranus," he finally said. "He will not be able to leave Coruscant. The security forces and the Jedi will see to that. If he should prove a liability, however, we can always take care of him."
"Yes, my Master."
Dooku bowed and, turning, left Sidious' inner chamber. As he walked through the wide doors and out into the dimly lit corridor, he wanted to share in his master's confidence that Obi-Wan would turn to the dark side of the Force, but the young Jedi had been trained by Qui-Gon, and Qui-Gon had once been Dooku's apprentice. As a result, he was not so sure Sidious was right. But, then, Dooku also surmised, a child's life was at stake. Who knew how far the Jedi Knight would go to save his son?
-------------
Obi-Wan was about to go through the doors to the recovery room, but Dr. Melsi grabbed his arm, stopping him. He looked over at her.
"I just wanted you to know, Master Jedi, he's in no pain."
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said softly. "Thank you for everything you've done. I know you did your best."
"It's never easy," she said, her golden eyes looking deeply into his. "Losing a patient. Especially one so young."
Obi-Wan nodded, his throat tightening. Dr. Melsi stepped away, and Obi-Wan moved through the doors as they slid open. The recovery room was similar to those in the Healer's Wing at the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan had spent some time in them over the years, checking in on injured comrades. As he walked over to the bed, he noted the lights, which were usually bright, had been lowered.
Ben lay in the center of a bed meant for an adult. There was some tubing hooked up to his nose and a couple of thin silver wires attached to his arms. His eyes were closed and, for a moment, Obi-Wan feared it was too late, but then he saw the shallow rise and fall of his chest.
He was about to take off his robe, then remembered he hadn't had time to change. There was still blood on his pants and tunic. He wrapped his robe tightly around himself and sat in the chair next to the bed. For a moment, he just let himself watch Ben sleep, his eyes taking in his thick, black hair, so like Onara's, his snub of a nose, his lips, which were slightly parted, and the tiny dimple on his chin.
As he looked over at Ben, Obi-Wan struggled to hold himself together, but there was a slow rage building inside him, a hot, burning core of anger that had flamed into being with the firing of that blaster in the _Hall of Worlds_. While in the waiting room, he had sensed Anakin yearning to comfort him, but Obi-Wan had needed to be alone, to remind himself he was still a Jedi, because all he had wanted to do was find Lursan and rip his heart from his chest.
So he had repeated, over and over as he had stood in front of the window, the Jedi Code: _There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force._
"There is no death," he said softly as he reached over and stroked Ben's hair.
At his touch, Ben stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around, then over at Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan," he said, his voice weak, but full of happiness.
"Ben," Obi-Wan replied, smiling down at him.
"You found me."
"Yes, I did."
"I hoped you would." Then Ben looked around the recovery room. "Where's Mama?"
"She's sleeping."
"Is she okay? Did Lursan hurt her?"
"She's fine, Ben. She's just resting now. As you should be."
"Is Papa here?"
"No, not yet, but he's on his way."
Ben closed his eyes, and Obi-Wan, fearing he was slipping away, put his hand on his chest, but his son's heart was still beating, his life force flickering like a flame in the wind, but still present. Ben opened his eyes again and looked up at him.
"Obi-Wan?"
"Yes, Ben?"
"Are you my father? My real father?"
Obi-Wan started, his hand trembling where it lay on Ben's chest. He lowered his head for a moment, then raised it, taking in and releasing a deep breath.
"Yes, Ben, I am your father."
Ben looked up at him, his blue-gray eyes shining, a smile on his lips. "I knew it."
Obi-Wan returned his smile. "How did you know?"
"I had a dream, and you were holding me, and you kept saying, 'Hold on, son, hold on."
Obi-Wan could only shake his head in wonderment. He had whispered those very words to Ben as he cradled him in his arms, channeling the Force to him to keep him stable, but he had thought Ben was unconscious. Now, recalling that moment, the tears began to flow down his cheeks. Ben reached up. Obi-Wan lowered his face and Ben softly touched his tears.
"I didn't know Jedi cried."
"They do, Ben, they do."
"Please don't cry, Papa," he said, gently stroking his face. "I'm not afraid."
"You're not?" Obi-Wan said in a choked voice.
Ben shook his head and lowered his hand back to the bed. Obi-Wan took it. It was so small in his. He gently squeezed it.
"You're my brave little Jedi," he said, his voice full of pride and love.
Ben smiled. "Mama calls me that. She calls me her little Jedi Knight."
"And you are," Obi-Wan whispered. "You're the bravest Jedi I've ever known."
"Am I, Papa? But, I can't be a real Jedi."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't have a lightsaber yet."
Obi-Wan lifted Ben's hand and kissed it. "Then I'll get you one, my love."
"Like yours?"
"Yes, exactly like mine."
Ben smiled, then closed his eyes, and Obi-Wan felt his life force slipping away.
"No, Ben, no," he cried. "Stay with me, son. Stay with me."
Ben opened his eyes, but Obi-Wan could see the light in their blue-grayness slowly dimming.
"Papa?" he said weakly.
"Yes, love?" Obi-Wan sobbed.
"Take care of Obi-Wan for me."
Obi-Wan blinked, for a moment not knowing what Ben was talking about. Then he remembered. Obi-Wan was the name of Ben's pet voorpak.
"Mama doesn't like to watch him eat," he went on softly, "so you have to feed him when she's not around."
"Of course I'll take care of him," Obi-Wan said, his tears blinding him. He quickly blinked them away, but more replaced them. "But, once you're well, you're be able to take care of him."
Ben nodded. Then he stared up at Obi-Wan. "Papa?" he whispered.
"Yes, Ben? Ben. Ben! BEN!"
--------------
Anakin, who had been standing, his arm around Padmé's shoulder, jumped at Obi-Wan's shattering cry. He moved away from Padmé and was about to run into the recovery room when he felt someone grab his arm. Whipping his head around, he saw it was Master Windu.
"Let me go!" Anakin cried.
"No, stay here," Windu told him, his dark eyes hard and sharp.
"But, my Master," Anakin cried as he struggled against the firm grip Windu had on his arm.
"Stay here, Anakin! That's an order."
Anakin swiveled his head over to where Yoda sat, hoping to convince him to do something about Windu, who had apparently lost his mind. Then, as he had back on Ahjane, on that terrible day when Obi-Wan almost lost Onara, Anakin felt his master calling upon the Force, pulling it towards him with all his strength and all his power. He had called upon the dark side that day, but, with Anakin's help, had not succumbed to it and had brought Onara's spirit back from the Abyss.
But this time, there was something different. Anakin could sense another presence within the maelstrom Obi-Wan was drawing unto himself. Something evil and foul, loathsome and vile, a malignant tumor, a festering growth, concentrating all its energy on Obi-Wan. As Anakin struggled in Windu's grasp, there was a sudden taste of ashes and dust in his mouth. He looked over at Yoda. The Jedi Master's eyes were tightly closed, his body straining as if he were fighting some terrible battle, his hands shuddering where they were clasped around his walking stick.
"Let me go," Anakin raged, but Windu held him fast. "My master! He's in trouble."
"I know," Windu said, a muscle in his jaw jumping wildly. "But you can not help him."
---------------------
Again, as had happened on Ahjane, Obi-Wan's consciousness, fueled by the dark side, tore through the veil that separated life and death. As soon as he felt Ben's life force slipping away, Obi-Wan threw his awareness into that howling tempest of nothingness, searching frantically for his son's spirit. But, this time, instead of Anakin helping him, as he'd done when Obi-Wan brought Onara's spirit back from the Abyss, there was a different presence with him in the Void, channeling its strength and its power to him. But it was not the Light. It was the Darkness.
To be continued....