The station's corridors were lit by grilled wall panels creating useful areas of shadow. I melted into one as a detachment of stormtroopers marched past then emerged to continue on my way. I caught a sense of the Sith's presence nearby and drew my lightsabre before moving on down the passage. I would have to face him eventually I knew, but I'd deactivate the tractor beam first. Whatever happened to me Luke must escape. Gradually the dark presence faded behind me. Apparently he was in no hurry for our confrontation either. I returned my sabre to my belt.

The corridors were practically deserted, connecting little used technical installations near the outer hull. Living quarters and control centers would be located deep inside the station protected by layers of almost empty outer decks. The coast was clear yet I was all but overwhelmed by a presentiment of incipient disaster. A warning from the Force, or just nerves? I wasn't used to this kind of thing anymore. Perhaps I was growing timorous in my old age. I drew my sabre again before entering the power trench convinced I would meet with some last minute obstacle. But the walkway was empty and silent except for the hum of power conduits. I stepped off onto the narrow ledge encircling power terminal and edged carefully around it trying to ignore the yawning gulf below. I've never been fond of heights. I found the power switch and closed it then edged on to the next panel to make the necessary adjustments. I finished them just in time. The sound of marching armored feet broke the stillness and I just had time to restore the power beam before a trio of stormtroopers entered.

"Give me regular reports." the officer told the other two and left.

The troopers turned to each other. I sensed confusion, some irritation - and a buried apprehension.

"Do you know what's going on?"

A shrug. "Maybe it's another drill."

So far I'd had the terminal between me and the guards but I'd be in plain view the moment I stepped onto the walkway. They were facing away from me as they gossiped about some new model fighter but I insured their continued inattention by projecting an
illusion of sound and movement into the corridor behind them as I made my escape in the opposite direction.

The corridors were no longer deserted. I found myself dodging detachment after detachment of stormtroopers apparently in hot pursuit of a group of fugitives. Comlink conversations said something about a prisoner escaping from the detention cells. I didn't
need the Force to tell me Han and Luke were somehow involved. I had counted on the captain's pragmatic sense of
self-preservation to keep both him and Luke out of trouble. It seemed I had overestimated, or perhaps underestimated him. What had those boys gotten themselves into? And what was I going to do about it?

Nothing it seemed. I slowed, sensing the Sith ahead blocking the way to the Falcon's hanger then I turned a corner and came into
sight of him. I stopped. This one favored black armor topped by a grotesque breath mask. Mechanical breathing was clearly audible
in the otherwise silent corridor blending with the hum of his activated lightsabre.

"So you are still alive, Obi-Wan." he said.

"It would seem so." I agreed, igniting my own weapon. There was indeed something familiar about this Dark Lord but I hadn't the time or the inclination to track it down.

"But not for long!" he continued.

I raised an eyebrow. Chatty type for a Sith. "We'll see."

I had to insure Luke escaped. Ihad to see what was happening back at the Falcon. I lunged at the Sith. Our blades locked and relocked, humming and sparking. Perhaps I haven't mastered patience quite as well as I'd thought. I tried a spinning strike to cut through that armor, he blocked me. Too old and too slow, much too slow. Happily my opponent was no master either. The heavy armor impeded his speed and movement. I wondered why he bothered with it, effect perhaps? His attacks were conservative, treating me with a respect I feared I no longer deserved. Still...I had killed two of his predecessors, perhaps that alone justified a certain caution on his part. I worked my way around him and began backing towards the hanger repeatedly knocking his blade out of line as he followed me lunging and trying to re-engage.

Finally I reached the hanger's cargo port It didn't take that much effort to hold the Sith at bay as I tried to assess the situation. I saw no sign of Luke, Han and Chewbacca but sensed them lurking nearby. Stymied perhaps by the presence of several stormtroopers in the hanger. Then the Sith launched an attack that required my full attention to counter. Our blades locked. I wrestled mine free exchanging places with him. I had my opponent's measure now. Old and slow as I was I could hold this fellow off all day. Unfortunately I didn't have that kind of time. I glanced quickly aside and saw the five stormtroopers who'd been guarding the Falcon running towards us cutting me off from the ship.

Wonderful.

I looked back at my opponent. Better think of something fast, General, Ani will never forgive you if you get yourself killed and leave Luke all alone.

Behind the guards I saw Han, Chewbacca, Luke and somebody small and slender in flowing white robes making for the ship. The group faltered to an uncertain halt as they spotted me, locked in combat with the Sithlord and surrounded by stormtroopers. Luke started towards us, ready to take them all on in my defense. I had to do something fast before that boy got himself killed. Then it struck me. Sixty years and I'm still making the same mistake, so much for age bringing wisdom! What had I just been telling Luke? What had Qui-Gon told me time and again? I could hear him now: 'Let go your conscious self and act on instinct!'

I lowered my sabre and stood passive. Not thinking - feeling, waiting.

I sensed the Sith's uncertainty, his fear and anger. I saw his decision, his move seconds before he made it and turned aside the powerful horizontal strike, countering wth an uppercut that sliced through his armored forearm. Hand and sabre both clattered to the
deck as he fell back roaring in pain or rage with sparks rather than blood spitting from the wound.

I swirled through the hanger portal striking at the control panel as I passed. Blast doors closed behind me cutting off the Sith and an approaching squad of reinforcements. Of course there were still the five stormtroopers to be dealt with. After a stunned moment they opened fire.

Luke screamed my name and started shooting too, then Han in support.

I deflected the blaster bolts back on the troopers felling three as the boys shot down the other two. I'm fairly sure it was a wild shot from Luke that winged me. Burning pain shot up my right forearm and my lightsabre dropped from suddenly nerveless fingers, extinguishing itself as it fell. I very nearly followed it, barely catching myself against the bulkhead with my good hand.

"Ben!" Luke had covered the distance between us in record time. "Are you all right?"

"Real dumb question, kid." Han of course. "I'll say this for you, old man, you can really use that antique of yours."

"Thank you." I managed trying to regain my focus enough to apply Jedi pain control techniques.

"Chewie." Han ordered.

The Wookiee picked me up easily as a child but accidently jared my wounded arm. I couldn't quite restrain a gasp of pain.

"Careful!" Luke snapped.

Chewbacca growled an apology. I concentrated on breathing, on controlling the pain and rather lost track of things for a few moments.

...

"You got some kind of med-kit on this tub?" a woman's voice demanded. "General Kenobi, can you hear me?"

I forced heavy lids open and found myself looking into a pair of lovely, concerned and oddly familiar brown eyes at very close range. It took my scattered wits several seconds to realize who this girl with Amidala's eyes had to be. "I am very glad to see your Royal Highness alive." I heard myself say formally and with some understatement. At least we still had both twins. If Anakin had died with Alderaan they were our only hope to defeat the Emperor.

I discovered I was slumped in a chair in the Falcon's main cabin with both twins hovering over me. "I owe you my life, General." Leia said rolling up the loose sleeves of robe and tunic and cutting carefully through the shirt sleeve beneath. "And Luke too, of course."

I noticed she didn't include Han.

The blaster burn was long and narrow, scoring my forearm past the elbow. "Not bad." Leia said judiciously, spraying on a dressing.

Her brother, less experienced with wounds, looked decidedly green. "It's just a surface burn." I reassured him, "Ugly and painful but not dangerous."

Leia held up a hypo, looked at me uncertainly. "Would you like something for the pain?"

I smiled. "No."

She put it away a little reluctantly. "I thought you'd say that."

"But -" Luke began,

"It's not necessary." I told him. "Pain is of the mind, Luke, I have it under control now." He looked unconvinced.

Han chose that moment to burst into the cabin. "C'mon, buddy, we're not out of this yet!"

The twins both looked at me and I nodded. "Go." Luke headed for the gunports with Han while Leia ran to the cockpit to join Chewbacca.

"Oh dear, oh my," Threepio jittered.

"You might want to strap in." I suggested gently.

"Oh dear!" he moaned again. "I don't mean to be a problem, Master Obi-Wan, but I just wasn't designed for adventures!" Nor had he been. Poor Threepio. I must be mellowing in my old age, now I'm empathizing with Ani's neurotic droid!

Leia's voice sounded over the com: "Here they come!" The ship vibrated under the first salvo, lights dimming briefly as power was channeled to the shields. I got up and headed for the cockpit steadying myself against the corridor wall ignoring Threepio's
plaintive cry:

"Sir! Master Obi-Wan, where are you going?"

"How many are out there?" I demanded, falling into
the auxiliary seat behind Leia.

"I count four," she replied, eyes glued to the
ports.

Only four fighters out of how many hundreds or even thousands to pursue a pair of prizes like the Princess and myself? Luke was even more valuable but they didn't know about him yet. I was insulted. How stupid did Palpatine's latest apprentice think I was?

Another hit. "We've lost lateral controls." Leia warned.

"Don't worry, she'll hold together." Han replied over the com. She did - barely.

Luke and Han eliminated a fighter apiece in short order but Leia cut into their celebration. "There's still two more of them out there!" Chewbacca growled at her. She looked at him helplessly. Obviously Kashyyk'ka hadn't been part of her curriculum.

"He wants the co-ordinates for our destination." I translated.

"Oh." she swiveled around and entered them in the computer. "Calculating course."

I had caught the first few sets of digits. "Yavin system?"

She nodded. "Our current base in on Yavin four."

another hit drew our attention back to the dogfight outside just in time to see the third and fourth TIEs turn into fireballs.

Han and Luke's hoots and cheers filled the cockpit. Leia jumped from her seat to hug Chewbacca and plant a resounding kiss on my cheek. It's been a while since I've been kissed by a princess. Twenty years. Chewbacca punched the button and we jumped to the temporary safety of hyperspace.

Making my way back to the main cabin I all but fell over Threepio, entangled in sparking wires and blaming Artoo for his predicament as usual. "This is all your fault! Master Obi-Wan, help me!" I found the cut off switch just as Han and Luke arrived on the scene.

"What happened to Goldenrod?" the Captain wanted to know.

"I thought I told you to strap in." I scolded.

"I was endeavoring to assist Artoo in extinguishing a small fire." Threepio replied with a forlorn attempt at dignity as Luke hauled him to his feet.

Han looked at the damaged circuitry and raised a brow. "Hmph, good work. Guess you two are some use after all." he frowned at me. "Better sit down before you fall down, old timer," and brushed by on his way to the cockpit.

I smiled after him. "Captain Solo will never win prizes for his tact." but there was a good heart there, better than even he knew.

Luke studied me in concern. "You okay?"

"It's been a long day." I told him. "And I'm not as young as I used to be."

Chewbacca appeared in the passage behind us and growled a remark.

"He wants you to assist Captain Solo in the cockpit while he checks the ship for damage." I interpreted for Luke's benefit.

"Sure. Let me help Ben back to the cabin first."

Leia stormed in a few minutes after Luke left. "Oh, that man!"

"Captain Solo?" I guessed.

"All he thinks about is himself and his reward!" she fumed.

I studied Anakin's daughter. No Master would ever have to remind her to keep her focus. If anything she was a little too focused on her mission to the exclusion of all else. She reminded me of myself at her age, very intense and a little narrow.

"Captain Solo has problems of his own," I told her quietly, "that only money can solve. I assure you, Princess, a debt to the Hutts is quite literally a matter of life and death."

She bit her lip then sighed. "Okay, maybe I wasn't fair to the man. But he's still insufferable." She gave me a worried look. "He won't believe we're being tracked."

So she'd seen it too. "Our aim is to destroy the Death Star." I reminded her. "It will be - convenient - to have it come to us."

Leia gave a little snort of not quite laughter. "Convenient!"

"That station can't be very maneuverable." I continued reassuringly. "We'll have plenty of time to prepare."

"I just hope it has a weakness we can exploit." she worried.

"It will. There's always a weakness, Princess."

At last a smile. "You sound just like General Skywalker."

"No doubt. We were taught by the same Master." I didn't want to ask but I had to know. "Was he on Alderaan?"

She looked at me startled then appalled. "Oh no, General! he left for Yavin four the same day I did." My relief must have showed for she continued contritely, "I'm sorry, I should have realized you'd be worried about him." hesitated. "Is Luke -?"

"His son." I finished quietly.

Her eyes widened. "I didn't know he had a son!" "It's been a closely guarded secret." I explained. "If the Emperor had found out..." I didn't have to finish the sentence.

"I understand. he's not a Jedi is he?"

"Not yet. His training's been delayed by circumstances beyond my control." My own brother for one.

The subject of our conversation entered along with Han. "You know your worshipfullness, you could at least say thank you before biting my head off." the latter jibed.

Leia elevated her chin. "I've already thanked General Kenobi," she replied haughtily. "As for you, you'll get the payment you've been promised."

He didn't seem to hear the last, he was too busy staring at me. "General Kenobi? Obi-Wan Kenobi?" I looked back mildly surprised. I wouldn't have expected my name to mean anything to a man his age. "You're supposed to be dead." he continued with his usual tact.

"Not quite yet." I replied. "Though not for lack of trying on the Empire's part."

...

Han Solo: I just gaped at him. Of course I'd heard
of Obi-Wan Kenobi, they still teach his Mandalore
campaign at the Academy. Though I didn't believe the
stories about mystical powers, not then, he'd been one
hell of a fighting general and his performance back on
the Death Star made it clear he was still a force to
be reckoned with.

But the old man looked like hell, exhausted,
wounded. Living legend or no he was just too old for
this kind of nonsense. Not to mention having a price
on his head that made the bounty Jabba'd threatened to
pin on me look like chump change. And no, I never even
thought about trying to collect it. I don't touch
blood money. Ever.

...

"What the hell's the matter with you?" Han turned furiously on Leia. "Dragging him into your stupid rebellion, look at him! Are you trying to get him killed?"

She flushed, angry as he was but guilty too.

I must have been looking fairly pathetic at that. Still Han's outrage caught me by surprise. "Princess Leia is the daughter of an old friend." I said firmly. "She is welcome to whatever help I can give her."

"Thank you, General," she said stiffly. "The Rebel cause -"

"Is worth his life?" Han interrupted. "Well pardon me your Princessness but that really stinks!" he stalked past a gaping Luke back to the cockpit leaving a slightly stunned silence behind him.

I looked at Anakin's daughter, staring tight faced at the hands folded in her lap. I recognized the expression, I'd seen it on her mother's face when she was trying not to cry. I leaned forward to take her chin and turn her to me. "Leia, you haven't dragged me into anything. I chose this path long before you were born."

She blinked back the tears filming her eyes. "Captain Solo is the most impossible man I've ever met in my life!"

And you're quite taken with him. I thought. Unsurprising really, she was young and he was handsome, dashing and completely unlike the men she usually associated with. I smiled. "Not if you know Anakin Skywalker he isn't!"

That made her laugh. "General Skywalker is difficult in a completely different way."

"You know my father?" Luke finally joined the conversation.

His sister nodded. "Only since I became involved in the Rebellion." she smiled at her brother. "You look like him a bit, the same coloring."

"I've never seen him." Luke said flatly.

Leia picked up the emotion behind the words. It seemed there was already a rapport between them despite all the years of separation. "You'll love him. He's -" she paused searching for words. "He's like a sun, warm and shining. He - draws people."

I nodded to myself. Yes, that was Ani.

"I'm kind of nervous." Luke confessed.

"I don't blame you." his sister answered. "It must be strange never to have known your own father." her voice cracked a little on the word. I knew she was thinking of Bail.

Luke proved the rapport worked both ways. "I lost my family and home today too." he told her quietly. "But at least my world is still there, my friends...I wish there was something I could do to help, Princess."

This time she let the tears fall. "You already have, Luke. You've given me the chance to se it never happens again. To anybody."

...

"Ben? We've landed." I opened my eyes to see Luke bending over me. "Are you feeling better?" He wanted to know.

"Yes, thank you." and looking a little better too I hoped. But the concern in his eyes suggested otherwise.

We joined Leia, Han, Chewbacca and the droids in the Falcon's airlock. The atmosphere was still somewhat fraught. I could have cut the tension between princess and pirate with my lightsabre.

Luke was nervous, so was I a little. I'd have some explaining to do to his father.

"At last a place of refuge!" Threepio exclaimed as the hatch opened on the junglescape of Yavin Four.

"You want to break it to him, or should I?" Han snickered to the Princess.

She ignored him leading our rag-tag little band down the companionway to a Rebel welcoming committee. A personnel scooter transported us to a pyramidal temple which had been adapted for rebel use and deposited us in the middle of a bustling hanger full of fighters, pilots and ground crew.

"Leia!" my heart skipped a beat at the sound of that voice.

"General Skywalker!" Leia ran to the arms of a tall fair haired man in Jedi robes.

Luke gulped. "Is that -?"

"That's him." I confirmed.

"When we heard about Alderaan I feared I'd lost you too," Anakin was saying to his daughter.

She drew away from him, visibly gathering her composure. "I wasn't on Alderaan. I'd been captured by the Empire. General Kenobi rescued me."

Ani looked past her, his eyes widening as they found me. He's never been any good at hiding his feelings; shock, disbelief and, oddly, guilt passed all too clearly across his face before he swept me into the familiar bear hug. Do I really look that bad?

...

Anakin Skywalker: I never would have known him if
not for those eyes and his smile. Obi-Wan, my old
friend, what have I done to you?

...

When I could breath again I introduced father to son. "This is Luke. Luke, your father, Anakin Skywalker."

Ani read his son's tension and knew to go slow. "Welcome to Yavin Four," he said almost formally, "I'm sorry this meeting's been delayed so long. Obi-Wan will have explained why it was necessary."

"I understand." Luke managed, half stifled by confused emotions.

"I hate to break up this little reunion," Han interrupted, "but according to her Worship the Death Star's right behind us."

Anakin cocked a mildly interested brow. "Indeed? That's convenient." He turned to his daughter. "Leia?"

"I hid the plans in Artoo." The little droid whistled triumphantly.

Ani smiled at them both. "Good thinking, Princess. All right, Artoo, let's see what you've got."

In the briefing room Anakin introduced us to the Rebel command staff while Artoo communed with the tactical computer. There were two Jedi, both too young to have been Temple trained and one still wearing the braid. The tradition was being carried on in spite of all obstacles.

General Jan Dodonna was a man about my age who stammered like a boy as he said how honored he was to meet me. "But I thought you were dead?"

I wish people would stop saying that. I'm beginning to run out of good comebacks. I settled for "Maybe I was." then quickly moved on to introduce my companions: "Captain Solo and his first mate Chewbacca."

"And this is my son Luke," Ani finished for me.

Dodonna's eyes went even wider. "I didn't know you had - that is I'm pleased to meet you young man."

"What I don't understand is how you all come to be together." Anakin continued.

"My father had asked me to find General Kenobi and try to persuade him to join us." Leia explained. "But my ship was intercepted as we entered the Tatooine system. I had just enough time to hide the plans in Artoo and record a message to the General asking him
to see the droids safely to Alderaan -" her voice shook on the name and Luke quickly took up the story for her.

"Somehow they made it down to the surface but were picked up by Jawas before they could reach Ben." He looked uncertainly at his father. "You remember about Jawas?"

Anakin nodded smiling. "Native scavengers," he explained for the others' benefit. "with a tendency to pick up anything that's not nailed down."

"It was a terrible experience, Master Anakin," Threepio told him. "I thought we were lost for sure. Thank goodness they took us to Master Luke!"

"We needed some new droids on the farm, so Uncle Owen bought them."

"What an incredible coincidence." a Rebel officer exclaimed.

"There is no coincidence." Ani and I responded in chorus, quoting our Master. We exchanged smiles and I
continued. "It was the Force that brought the droids to Luke, and Luke to me."

Dodonna and his staff had obviously heard this kind of thing before and learned to accept it. Han had not. I heard him snort his disbelief, turned to him. "We hired Captain Solo here to take us to Alderaan but arrived too late, after the planet's destruction."

"Fortunately," Leia said quietly. "Or you would have died too. Tarkin said it would be an example to the other worlds...he made me watch."

Anakin put an arm around his daughter and she leaned against him for comfort as she went on steadily. "I was to be executed afterwards but Luke got to me first."

"We'd been pulled in by the Death Star." her brother explained. "We hid from the Imperials in Han - Captain Solo's - shielded cargo bays, then Ben went off alone to disconnect the tractor beam so we could escape. While we were waiting Artoo found out the Princess was aboard so we went to get her."

"Just like that?" Dodonna asked, with a hint of a twinkle in his eye.

Luke blushed. "We had to do something, they were going to kill her. Han and I were in stormtrooper armor, we put some binders on Chewie and marched into the detention block pretending to be a prisoner transfer.

Dodonna grinned directly at Ani. "He's a Skywalker all right!"

Luke went even redder. "I couldn't have done it without Han and Chewie."

"Yes, Captain Solo, we owe you a great deal -" Dodonna began.

"Fifteen hundred credits to be exact." Han interrupted crisply. The general blinked. His officers looked shocked, Luke and Leia dismayed.

Ani lifted a questioning eyebrow at me and I nodded. "That was the fee we agreed on. I would say Captain Solo has more than earned it."

"He certainly has," Anakin concurred.

...

Han Solo: I know these idealistic types. They'll do
you dirt without a quiver in the name of their
precious cause. Skywalker and the old man were
different, they knew a deal was a deal. General Kenobi
would see I got my money if he had to go out and raid
the Imperial Treasury for it.

I don't know why that made me feel like such a
heel.

...

"Yeah, well thanks." Han seemed slightly off balance for some reason. "If you don't mind I'd like to be paid and outta here before that planet-killer arrives."

"Of course." Ani said calmly. "We're short on credits, will precious metals do?"

"Sure." Han looked even more uncomfortable.

"General -" Dodonna began and was silenced by a sharp look from Anakin.

"If you're smart you'll be out of here too." Han burst out. "You got plenty of time to evacuate."

Anakin shook his head. "That would just delay the inevitable, Captain."

"Yeah, well, death is inevitable but I never heard that was any reason not to try and avoid it as long as you can."

It was a good argument. Ani grinned and I could see he to was taking a shine to our Captain Solo. "The odds will never be better than they are now, we might as well get it over with." He said cheerfully then sobered. "We've hidden long enough. Time to make a stand."

"You're crazy." Han said flatly, proving yet again diplomacy was not his long suit.

Dodonna, his officers and the two young Jedi bristled but Anakin just laughed. "So I've been told."

Frequently and often by me.

Perhaps fortunately Artoo finished downloading just then and the Death Star plans appeared on monitor. Murmurs of dismay came from the Rebel officers and Han looked smugly vindicated garnering glares from both twins.

Anakin folded his arms and watched the schematics flow past. "Defenses are geared towards a large scale assault." he observed after a moment. "A fighter could get through."

"And do what?" Han demanded.

"That's what we have to establish." I replied, adding to Ani. "The exhaust system is our best bet."

After several hours intensive study we found the weak spot. A torpedo fired up a particular thermal exhaust port would start a chain reaction that would destroy the station. But it would take an expert marksman to do it. By now the group around the monitor was down to Anakin, his two students, myself, Dodonna and a couple of his aids. The other officers had been sent about their duties. Han had gone off to inspect his payment and the twins to get some much needed rest.

"I could do it," Ani decided. No doubt he could. But the expressions on the two young knights' faces made it clear he wouldn't be doing it alone.

"No." Dodonna's tone brooked no argument. "You are not taking that behemoth on single handed." Ani's padawan made to speak, was silenced by a stern glance. "Or with just your wingmen for back up. You may be the hottest starpilot in the Galaxy, Skywalker, but the more fighters the better the odds of somebody getting through."

And the more who would die trying. But Dodonna was right. Not even Anakin could simultaneously fight off a few hundred TIEs and make the torpedo run. It would have to be an attack in force.