I joined Leia and Dodonna in the War room. Threepio followed me in and went to stand by Leia at the table-like tactical display. His presence was accepted without comment, apparently he was a normal part of the equipment.

Dodonna was explaining the plan of attack to Leia. "Gold Flight will make the first attack runs while Red Flight flies high cover and tries to draw enemy fire."

"And General Skywalker?" I asked.

"Will do as he damn well pleases, as usual." the General grimaced.

I hid a smile. Some things never change.

"Standby alert. Death Star approaching. Estimated time to firing range, fifteen minutes." I have never understood the military's
fascination with countdowns - they only increase tension and anxiety.

I closed my eyes and stretched out with my feelings. I quickly located Anakin and his two wingmen by their strength in the Force, the dazzlingly bright trio almost eclipsing the dimmer presences of the other pilots. I sifted through the latter in search of my student. Ah,
There he was, almost as bright as his father but flickering, uncertain, untrained. A combination of fear and excitement clogging the smooth flow of the Force.

Silencing my own anxieties I projected calm into his Force presence and felt him respond, steadying.

Red Leader's voice came over the comlink both in war room and Luke's cockpit, "Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, boys."

"Red Leader, this is Gold Leader."

"I copy, Gold Leader."

"We're starting for the target shaft now."

"We're in position. I'm going to cut across the axis and try and draw their fire."

Red Three, the boy who'd been sitting next to Luke at the briefing, followed his leader in. Then it was Luke's turn. He got his target,
and the the resultant fireball nearly got him! Reckless - just like his father. And, if I was honest, his Teacher. I kept my presence passive, at the edge of his consciousness. Luke didn't need any distractions. Suddenly Red Six winked out with Force waves rippling outward from the sudden gap. I flinched, sensing death never gets easier. This boy was the first, he wouldn't be the last. Luke flinched too, sensing Red Six's end through his link with me and his focus wavered.

I risked mindspeech. Luke, trust your feelings. I had underestimated him. He started a little then took my advice and steadied down refocusing his concentration on the problem at hand. He took out another battery of surface guns this time avoiding the fireball.

"Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters coming your way." by now I was so centered on Luke's cockpit I heard the warning through his ears instead of my own.

Ani's voice came over the link, crisply businesslike. "This is Blue One, we'll intercept but a few are bound to get past us. Keep an eye peeled, Red Flight." Of course. He would have been expecting this move as soon as the Imperials realized our fighters were small enough to elude their guns. The three Jedi pilots should be able to keep the bulk of the enemy ships from getting through - but not all.

"My scope's negative. I don't see anything." Luke said.

"Pick up your visual scanning." Red Leader advised. Scopes can be jammed, eyes can't, as every experienced pilot knows. Luke and
I peered upward through his canopy.

"Here they come," said Ani.

A full squadron of TIE fighters flashed over the Death Star's horizon and were intercepted by a trio of blue and white V-Wings. Three enemy ships vanished in fireballs before they could react. The others scattered frantically and the Jedi fighters broke formation to pursue. I tried to locate my son's ship but Luke was riveted on Blue One. The Imperials had learned through painful experience that single ships stood no chance at all against Blue Flight. But no combination of fighters lasted long against Blue One.

"'The best star pilot in the Galaxy.'" Luke breathed, awed, as he watched his father fly circles around the TIES.

It was getting bad now. The multiple deaths sent shockwaves of disturbance through the Force. It took all my strength to hang
on to Luke. I saw three TIES elude Blue Flight and flash down on Red Squadron. Then -

"General Kenobi?" a woman's voice and light touch shattered my concentration snapping me back to the war room. Leia was looking anxiously up at me her small hand on my arm. "Are you all right, General?"

I managed a tight nod but my voice wouldn't function immediately. Leia clearly didn't believe me. She looked around and spotted a chair. "Why don't you sit down, General."

You know you're old when beautiful young women want to nursemaid you. I let myself be led to the seat and tried to give her a reassuring smile before closing my eyes again to regather my concentration. I sensed her hovering over me, then a burst of com-chatter pulled her away, back to the battle. It was not going well. Gold Flight's final run had failed thanks to a trio of enemy ships that'd gotten past Ani. Blue Flight itself was now in desperate straits, six to one are steep odds even for Jedi. I heard Anakin refuse Red Leader's offer of assistance and order him to resume torpedo attacks on the target.

Again I reached out. Getting back to Luke was like trying to fight my way through a Tatooine sandstorm. I was buffet by the multiple disturbances roiling the Force. Then one of the bright Jedi presences blinked out. Forgetting Luke I reached, almost in panic, for my son.

Ken-Jin!

Father?

Not my son. Not Ani. The other boy, Jazpar. My first relief was succeeded by a wave of sadness, partly mine partly Ken-Jin's, quickly
shunted away so it wouldn't distract him. I stayed with my son for a few moments. He and Anakin were fighting in tandem now, guarding each others backs and I was pleased to see Ken-Jin could keep pace with his Master. He really was a better pilot than his father. Reassured I remembered my duty and let go of my son to search for Luke.

I linked with him just in time to witness the end of Red Leader through his eyes. Luke's sense was grim, resolute, and perfectly calm. I was proud of him. Instinctively he took command, just as his father would have.

"Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up. We're going in full throttle. That ought to keep those fighters off our back."

"Right with you, boss." promptly from Wedge.

Biggs sounded worried. "Luke, at that speed will you be able to pull up in time?"

"It'll be just like Beggars' Canyon back home." came the confident reply.

A barrage of fire exploded around them as they began their run. "We'll stay far back enough to cover you." Biggs told Luke.

But now it was Red Three's turn to worry. "My scope shows the tower, but I can't see the exhaust port! Are you sure the computer can hit it?"

"Watch yourself!" Luke snapped back as blaster fire buffeted the three X-Wings. "Increase speed full throttle!" Speed was their best chance.

Wedge was insistent. "What about that tower?"

"You worry about those fighters! I'll worry about the tower!" Luke ordered.

Red Three's concern was not unfounded, I couldn't see the exhaust port either and I knew exactly where to look from the plans. A chilling possibility struck me: Could some Imperial Engineer have spotted the weakness and corrected it during construction? I let go of Luke and projected myself to the tower feeling my way down it. The port was there all right, exactly where it was supposed to be. It was just too small for the scopes. Wedge was right, no computer would be able to make this shot.

An explosion down the trench sent me back to Luke. Red Three had just taken a hit from the lead ship of a trio of pursuing TIES.

"Get clear, Wedge." Luke ordered. "You can't do any more good back there."

"Sorry!" Red Three lifted out of the trench on an escape vector. The TIEs let him go, realizing Luke and Biggs were the real threat.

I could feel the Darkness emenating from the lead ship and knew Seig was piloting it with all the skill one would expect of Anakin's
former apprentice. He was closing fast and Biggs couldn't hold him. His X-Wing vanished in a shower of flaming debris.

Grappled onto Luke's mind I shared his shock and grief and flash of anger as his friend died. He engaged his targeting computer if he depended on it he would miss, as Red Leader had done.

Use the Force, Luke I told him.

He started at the non-sound of my mindvoice and looked around almost as if expecting to see me somehow wedged into his cockpit. He looked uncertainly back at the eye screen of his targeting computer.

Let go, Luke!

Still he hesitated.

Luke, trust me!

That did it. Mind made up he switched off his computer to the consternation of Base Control.

"Luke, you switched off your targeting computer. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." he answered. "I'm all right."

I felt him focus, struggling to remember what I had taught him. Then an incoming blaster bolt took Artoo full on the dome. The little
droid's electronic death scream snapped Luke's concentration.

"I've lost Artoo!"

The droid hadn't been atomized. He was still there, a burnt and blackened shell. Perhaps Ani could repair him, if we survived.

I was afraid we wouldn't. Sieg had to get us with his next shot. I tried to think of something, anything, I could do to stop him
- and one of his wingmen exploded in a burst of luminous gasses.

A familiar voice filled the cockpit, "Yahoo!" and the Millenium Falcon came out of the sun diving down on the two remaining TIEs.

The surviving wingman panicked, dodged into his leader sending Seig's ship spinning into space then ricocheting into the trench wall and immolating himself.

"You're all clear, kid. Now let's blow this thing and go home."

Luke smiled up at the Falcon then focused a final time on the exhaust port and pressed the firing button. The torpedoes went right in heading for the main reactor. We pulled away at best speed joined by the Falcon, Wedge, a Lone Y-Wing, only survivor of Gold Flight, and the two Jedi V-Wings. Then the Death Star blew up behind us in a dazzling display of expanding energies. The shockwave of those tens of thousands of deaths would have knocked me loose had Luke not held me fast.

"Great shot, kid. That was one in a million!" Han crowed over the comlink.

"Thanks Ben." Luke said silently, only to me.

"Remember the Force will be with you," I promised, "always."

I heard Ani's "well done, son." - and then I was back in the happy pandemonium of the celebrating war room.

Leia kissed Dodonna, then Willard, returned Threepio's hug, then turned to me and the joy went out of her face like a snuffed lamp.
"General Kenobi! Are you all right?"

I felt terrible, and doubtless looked worse. The effort of reaching Luke and staying with him had drained me. Leia and Dodonna both
hurried over faces clearly reflecting their alarm.

"It's nothing." I tried to assure them in a thread of a voice. "I just need to rest a moment." since for all they knew I'd just been sitting there all this time that made very little sense to them. I saw the confused look they exchanged before I closed my eyes again. By the time the few surviving ships returned I'd recovered enough to walk to the hanger wit Leia hovering anxiously at my elbow. But the instant she saw Luke climbing out of his ship she forgot me and arrowed straight through the gathering crowd of excited, cheering ground crew to throw herself into her brother's arms.

I decided not to risk the scrimmage on the hanger floor and instead waited patiently in the entry arch until my trio of young friends manged to detach themselves from the crowd and head towards me, ams interlaced, with Leia in the middle. Han and Luke pulled up sharply, in visible dismay, at their first sight of me. Luke let go of his sister and put his arms around me, half in embrace half in support.

"Ben! are you all right?"

I was getting almost as tired of that question as I was of 'I thought you were dead.' "It's been a very long day." I told him. And I'm definitely not as young as I was.

"I felt you out there with me." he continued.

I made innocent eyes at him. "How could that be, Luke? I was in the war room the whole time. Ask Princess Leia."

He looked confused.

His sister, more knowledgeable in Jedi ways, stared at me in sudden comprehension.

I transferred my attention to Han. "Thank you for your most timely intervention, Captain Solo."

He gave me a lopsided smile in return. "You're welcome. You knew I'd come back - didn't you?"

I smiled at him. "Knowing the man you are I expected nothing less."

...

Han Solo: I peeked in through the cracked door. The old man didn't stir so

I opened it a little wider and eased through. Chewie, big
clumsy oaf that he is, had the good sense to stay in the hall.

At least he was breathing. Out like a light though. I couldn't
even guess how he'd managed to wear himself out like that sitting
quietly in the War Room. Well, to be honest I could guess - I just didn't
want to believe it.

'Being the man you are I expected nothing less.' he'd said. He
meant it as a compliment but it made me kind of uncomfortable, like
he knew me better than I knew me.

Maybe he did at that.

After all here I was, a hero in spite of myself. And it looked
like I'd be hanging around this bunch of idealists for a while yet.
For some reason I kind of wanted to live up to my new status. Besides
Luke and Her Worship were so darned proud of me, I couldn't let them down.

And there was the old man to consider too. By now I knew there
was no chance of taking him home to Tatooine. Okay, it's a hellhole
but at least he'd been safe there.

Anybody could see General Skywalker thought the world of him -and
the kid practically worshipped the ground he walked on. Same deal
for old Dodonna and Her Royal Heightyness, but I didn't trust any
of them to - well - take care of him.

Yeah, yeah, I know. He was General Obi-Wan Kenobi, I'd seen what
he could do. But he was just too old for this kind of thing and I had
a real bad feeling about what might happen to him if there wasn't
somebody sensible around to - well - protect him from his legend. If
you know what I mean.

...

Even as I dreamed I knew it was more than a dream, that Owen was really there with me, that the Force was giving us a final chance
to say all the things we'd left unsaid. We seemed to be sitting on boulders at the edge of the Jundland Waste, neutral ground neither his nor mine. I spoke first.

"I'm sorry, Owen."

He shook his head. "It wasn't your fault." He made a wry grimace. "Had nothing to do with you, it was those droids."

"Anakin's droids."

"Yeah, I figured out that much. Maybe if I'd taken them to you -"

"The stormtroopers would have caught us all." I interrupted.

He thought about that and nodded slowly. "Yeah, they might've at that. I guess it was for the best then. Luke got away, that's what counts."

The one thing we'd always agreed on.

"I didn't mean it," he said suddenly, "I wouldn't really have sold you to the Hutts. You knew that didn't you, Obi-Wan?"

"Of course I did." Yes, my feelings had told me all along that it was an empty threat.

"Then why did you stay away?"

Why had I? "Because it was what you wanted. I owed you that much.

Owen made another grimace. "I hate to think what Anakin must be thinking about me."

"He understands. You were trying to protect Luke, he certainly doesn't blame you for that."

"You warned me I wouldn't be able to hide him forever. So did Beru."

"The Force was bound to take a hand sooner or later. It's his destiny, Owen."

"Destiny be damned!" he snapped. "And your Force too." Caught himself. "Sorry, I don't mean that."

"Yes you do." I smiled. "There have been times I've felt the same."

He looked at me, astonishment giving way to a new understanding. "It was hard for you wasn't it?"

"Harder than you'll ever know."

"I wish I'd realized." he almost whispered. Then, earnestly. "I never blamed you, Obi-Wan, even if it looked like I did. They took you away, you didn't choose to go. I always knew that. It's just - I missed having a brother."

"So did I." I managed, blinking back tears.

He held out his hand and I gripped it tightly.

"Take care of Luke for us."

"I will."

"And good luck." he grinned suddenly. "You're going to need it!"

...

Anakin Skywalker: "Ani?"

I looked up from Artoo's blasted shell to see Qui-Gon, my old Master,
shimmering softly in the shadows of my workshop.

"Have you seen him?" I demanded, "have you seen what I've done to
him?"

"What you did?" the heavy eyebrows lifted, the soft voice falling to a gently chiding note.
"And of course I've seen Obi-Wan, many times, I'm very proud of him."

"He's old." I whispered miserably.

"He'd be old no matter where he spent the last twenty years." Master
pointed out reasonably.

I threw the spanner I was holding across the room. It hit the wall
with a bang and the floor with a clang. Qui-Gon didn't so much as blink.

"But not like that!" I fought to regain control of myself eventually mastering myself
enough to pick up another tool and resume work on Artoo. "The greatest
Jedi Knight living and I ruined him, Master. Forced him to waste twenty
years of his life on that desolate sandpile."

"Obi-Wan doesn't consider those years wasted." my Master replied calmly.

He came and knelt down beside me, laying a cool, transparent hand
on my arm. "He hasn't diminished, Ani, he's grown. Let go of your
memory of what he was and see what he's become." He gave me a little
shake. "And stop indulging your propensity for guilt! Remember,'without
remorse, without regret'."

"I'll try, Master." but it wouldn't be easy.

A few final adjustments and Artoo came alive, emitting a stream
of high pitched electronic insults impuning the sanity of the entire
Skywalker family - especially me.

I pretended to be shocked. "Artoo Detoo, such language! What kind
of droids have you been associating with?"

He told me, and reminded me whose fault it was. Then he noticed
Threepio turned off in the corner.

"Oh he's all right. I had to shut him down before he overloaded
his circuits. He was very upset, you know how fond he is of you."

Artoo admitted the feeling was mutual and was I sure Threepio was
all right?

"Of course I'm sure. Now I'm going to shut you down too so the
new connections can fuse. I'll bring you both back up in the morning
good as new."

He whistled assent and I switched off his powercenter. "Sleep well,
little friend."

"You fixed him."

I looked up, startled, to see my son watching me from the doorway.
My focus was shot I hadn't sensed him at all.

"I've had a lot of practice putting this little droid back together."
I said recovering. "Threepio too for that matter."

"I'm glad." He moved into the room but kept his distance. "I've
never met droids like them. They're almost like - people."

"That's because they haven't had their memory banks washed clean
every four or five years." I told him getting to my feet, careful
to let him maintain his space. I know how intimidating my size can
be. "Most droids aren't given the chance to develop a personality."

"You've had them a long time?" he obviously wanted to talk. A good
sign, I hadn't missed his ambivalence towards me, the father who'd
abandoned him.

"Since I was nine years old." I answered, leaning against the edge
of my workbench. The droids were a nice, safe subject. We could move
on to more delicate ground later. "I put Threepio together myself
from salvaged parts but your mother gave me Artoo."

he blinked. "You met my mother when you were nine?"

"M'hm." I smiled at the memory. "Watto called me into the shop
one day and there she was, the most beautiful girl in the entire universe.
I knew right then I'd marry her someday. Of course she didn't believe
it, being fourteen to my nine."

"You told her?" our son asked incredulously.

He had a point. I shrugged embarrassed. "I thought she should know.
She was traveling with two Jedi Knights, Master Qui-Gon Jinn and
his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Ben?"

I nodded. "He wasn't much older than you at the time. Master Qui-Gon
sensed the Force was strong in me and bought my freedom from
Watto so I could be trained as a Jedi." of course it hadn't been anywhere near
that simple but this wasn't the time to go into all that.

"Bought!" Luke blurted. "You were a slave?"

It was my turn to be surprised. "We both were, my mother and me.
She didn't tell you?"

"No! Gran said you'd worked for a junk dealer and raced pods when
you were a kid - but nothing about being slaves!"

"Maybe she thought I'd rather you didn't know. I was ashamed of
it as a boy."

"What did you have to be ashamed of?" Luke demanded indignantly.

I shrugged again. "We were looked down on, treated like chattel,
not people. That hurt my pride. It was years before I could let go
of my anger." and not before it had cost my Master his life.

Luke moved closer. He was little more than an arms length away now.
"When did you marry Mother?"

"After the war, when I was just a little older than you. She'll
be here soon. I just hope she got my message telling her Leia's safe."
should I tell my son about his sister?

"My mother's alive?"

Another surprise, but then Obi-Wan wouldn't have had time for much
family history. "Yes, thank the Force."

So much to tell him, where to start? "It was Palpatine who married
us."

Luke's jaw dropped.

"We considered him a friend in those days. It was quite a shock
when we finally learned the truth. Not long before you were born."
I decided not to tell him about Leia, not til I could discuss it with
Padme.

"Your mother went home to Naboo for your birth. It's a small, out
of the way planet we assumed she - and you - would be safe there.
We were wrong. The Emperor sent his Sith Apprentice and a detachment
of Red guards to assassinate her. A lot of innocent people, most of
them friends of ours, were killed. Your mother's best friend, Obi-Wan's
wife, died defending the two of you and we nearly lost him too."

Luke stared round eyed. "Ben's wife?"

"Her name was Sabe. Ken-Jin is their son."

My son was beginning to look bewildered. I decided to sum up and
leave the rest for later.

"After that we knew there was no safety for any of us while Palpatine
lived. But he didn't know about you and we wanted to keep it that
way. That's why we sent you to my mother and the Larses on Tatooine,
along with Obi-Wan to watch over you from a distance."

...

"Ben!" Luke greeted me the next morning with evident relief. "You're looking better, a lot better."

"Thank you." I said, a little drily. I couldn't return the compliment. The boy had circles under his eyes, I doubted he'd slept much. The
accumulated shocks of the last few days were beginning to catch up with him.

"We were really worried about you last night." he rattled on. "Leia and me, even Han. Father said you'd be okay after you got some sleep."

"As you can see he was right. Where is Anakin?"

"Jedi training hall. He said to join him when you were ready."

"I'm ready."

Captain Solo joined us on the way, emerging from a side corridor trailed by his Wookiee shadow. Han gave me an intent look then nodded satisfied. "You look better."

"So I've been told."

"Hey, you should have seen yourself last night, General, I've seen healthier looking corpses." he fell into step with us. "Where're we
going?"

"The Jedi training hall." I replied.

Han seemed surprised. He looked past me at Luke. "I thought you'd decided to -"

"There's Threepio and Artoo." my student interrupted quickly.

The two droids were standing next to the door to the hall. "Good to see you back in one piece, little friend." I told Artoo.

He whistled amiably in reply. "Artoo says he's doing nicely, thank you sir." Threepio interpreted. "And may I say how glad we both are to see you've fully recovered, General."

"Thank you." I said as graciously as I could manage. 'You're looking better.' was quickly joining 'Are you all right?' and 'I thought you
were dead.' on my ever lengthening list of lines I was very tired of hearing.

Anakin gave me the by now familiar assessing look, opened his mouth -

"Don't say it." I warned.

He didn't. Instead he grinned and suggested a sparring match. "Give Ken-Jin a chance to see his old man in action."

I was afraid he'd be disappointed, and Anakin as well. "I'm badly out of practice" I warned. "Old and slow."

"Good." was the calm reply. "Maybe I can win for a change."

After the first few passes I could see Anakin was disturbed. Caution and defensive tactics were not like the Obi-Wan he remembered. But he'd have to accept I wasn't that man any more.

On the other hand I was pleased by the way his style had matured. He would never be the swordsman our Master had been but then few Jedi were. Still he was much better than competent and I didn't doubt more than a match for most opponents.

...

Ken-Jin Kenobi: I admit I was disappointed. The skill was still there,
no question of that, but this wasn't the kind of swordplay that had
made my father a legend.

He'd said it himself: he was old and twenty years out of practice.
It was unreasonable to expect the kind of performance he'd been capable
of his prime.

Then I saw Master give him an opening a little too obviously.

...

Anakin Skywalker: I knew I'd made a mistake. He stepped back and gave
me that look. The one that said he was about to teach the unspanked cub
a lesson.

...

Old and slow I may have become but I'll be five days dead before I need charity from the likes of Anakin Skywalker! Impulsively I went on the offensive, wiping aside his blade and aiming a horizontal strike at his midrif. He sidestepped it - barely - and tried to counter with a diagonal cut which I let slide off my blade and returned with an overhead cut. He retreated and I pursued wiping his guard aside for another try at an diagonal strike. The old energy came flowing back as I let go, stopped thinking and controlling and acted on instinct. Anakin continued to retreat, fighting defensively as we circled the hall. Suddenly he extinguished his sabre, spreading his hands in surrender. He was grinning ear to ear, so was my son. Luke and Han looked stunned and I was a little dazed myself. Where had all that come from?

"Old and slow!" Anakin panted.

"I - may have overstated." I admitted. My old self seemed to be coming back with a vengeance. Which was good, I needed those skills.
But I didn't want to lose the gains I'd made as Old Ben either. Somehow I was going to have to combine the two, the man I was now with the man I'd been.