Title: Strength over fear

Author: ewan's girl

*Author's note: You know I just realized that this is the longest story I have ever written! Thank you for all who are still reading this and reviewing, it means a lot to me.

Chapter 20:

Obi Wan sat down on his sleep couch, feeling drained from packing. He was gathering what he needed back at the Temple and was in a hurry to get Padme off the planet, but he was pushing his just healed body too hard. A soft knock at his door forced him to ignore his weariness, he rose to his feet and opened the door only to come face to face with his apprentice. Ferus gave a slight bow towards his master, but it went unoticed because Obi Wan had turned back into his room. Ferus sighed and shut the door, the two stood in awkward silence for a moment, before Ferus spoke.

"When do we leave?" He asked, motioning to the bag Obi Wan was packing.

Obi Wan picked up another tunic and placed it in his bag. "I leave as soon as possible, you are to stay here and finish your training." Obi Wan didn't face Ferus, because he didn't want to see the look on his face. "Master Windu has offered to train you."

"Yes master." Ferus replied calmly.

Obi Wan turned around, astonished. "That's it? Yes master?" He asked and Ferus nodded.

"What else can I say master? I wouldn't be able to change your mind." Ferus commented.

Obi Wan softened his features, remembering how much Ferus reminded him of himself when he was an apprentice. "I know what you are thinking padawan, and you're wrong." He walked up to the young man. "This has nothing to do with you."

Ferus looked into Obi Wan's eyes. "I'm sorry master but you are the one who is wrong. You don't know what I am thinking, because I know this has nothing to do with me, it has to do with Skywalker." Obi Wan avoided his gaze at the mention of his former apprentice. "I only hope one day you will realize that he knew what path he was taking, it was not your fault."

Obi Wan clapped a hand on Ferus' shoulder. "You've been an amazing apprentice Ferus, and you're a much wiser man than I. . .I forsee you'll be a great Jedi knight." Obi Wan smiled to himself at his choice of words.

Ferus smiled, surprising Obi Wan because he had never seen the apprentice smile before. Ferus then bowed. "Thank you master." He exited the room, leaving Obi Wan to his thoughts.

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The smell of burnt flesh would've been enough to make lesser men ill, the body half eaten by lava would cause most men to turn away in disgust, but to the Sith lord it was the most beautiful sight he's ever witnessed. He could sense such pain, but not only just physical pain (which was intense) but emotional pain. Sidious knew this pain would feed the dark side, summiting his apprentice totally to its wim.

The elderly Sith watched the charred, lifeless body float aimlessly inside a glass tube filled with bacta. He knew it would be a long, painful process to bring his apprentice to life, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would all be worth it. Sidious placed a withered hand on the glass and smiled.

"Soon my friend you will have your revenge." He hissed, as was suddenly met by two intense blue eyes staring at him through the liquid. Palpatine then chuckled as a horrible scream errupted from inside the bacta tank. He continued to smile as the body writhed in pain as conciousness returned, the medical team scrambled to admit pain killers, but the Sith stopped them. "No, he must learn to enjoy the taste of pain." Sidious stated, and the healer backed away in fear.

Sidious then returned his hand onto the glass and spoke in an ancient tounge; as soon as the words left his lips the body seem to calm down, but the eyes still held an incredible amount of anquish. "Rest my young apprentice, your mind maybe ready, but your body is not." Sidious then turned away from his young charge and stared at the team of healers. "How much longer before he is ready?"

"My lord, so much damage has been done to his body, he is lucky to be alive." The head healer began. Sidious then held out his hand and the doctor began to choke on thin air, the other healers backed away. "My lord, we don't know if his body will accept the mechanical organisms." He choked out.

Sidious kept a placid face as the healer's body fell to the floor, the Sith then stared at the remaining doctors. "See that his body accepts the mechanical organisms." He hissed and the four remaining healers nodded in fear.

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Obi Wan headed for the transport that would take him, Padme and her unborn child to Naboo. As he entered the hanger he noticed a familiar slender figure sitting on the wing of his transport, her arms folded across her chest. Obi Wan sighed and walked to the transport, carrying a box of supplies, followed by Padme's two droids also carrying boxes of supplies.He pretended to ignore the stares of the blonde woman, who's eyes were burning into him, and began to put the boxes on the transport.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, jumping down from the wing, coming to the bottom of the ramp.

Obi Wan came down the ramp, rubbing his still sore back. "Siri." He acknowledged her, not sure how to continue.

She gave him a challenging stare, one he was all too familiar with. "Obi Wan." She shot back.

"Ben." He reminded her.

Siri let out a long, frustrated sigh, obviously tired of fighting him on this subject. "Ben." She complied.

He turned away from her and took another box up the ramp of the ship. Siri felt frustration build inside of her. "You are not ready for a mission." She called up the ramp. "The Council should see this."

Obi Wan returned down the ramp, avoiding her gaze. "The Council is not sending me, this is my choice." She forced him to look at her. "I have to do this, and this must not go anywhere else except between us Senator. . ."

"Senator Amidala is pregnant, with Anakin's child." She stated, taking him by surprise.

"How did you. . ."

"It's easy to sense a Force signature off of someone who has never had one before." Siri explained. "I just put two and two together as to who the father was, give me some credit Kenobi." Obi Wan stared at her in disbelief. "Master Yoda and I sensed it the first day they had you in the bacta tanks, we then took turns in hiding the child's presence, just in case." She then looked away from Obi Wan. "Obviously Master Yoda wanted you to sense the child's presence." She stated.

Obi Wan contemplated everything. "I have to do this Siri, I don't expect you to understand, I made a promise to her."

"No, I have no idea about Kenobi and his promises." She stated sarcastically. "I had wished that perhapse one day I would be worthy of one of those promises." She said under her breath, and began to walk away.

"Siri." Obi Wan called after her, she turned and looked at him and he stared at her awkwardly. "I cannot give you want you want." He admited.

She looked at the floor then back at him, he noticed a strange look in her eyes. "When I bound myself to you I did it under my own devices, I never expected anything in return."

Obi Wan walked up to her, taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry." He told her.

Siri felt her eyes begin to water, she shook her head and removed her hands. "Will I ever see you again?" She asked.

Obi Wan looked at her and felt extreme sorrow for hurting her. He pulled his light saber off his belt and handed it to her. "Here." He put the weapon in her hands.

She looked at him in a state of shock. "You cannot give this to me." She tried to give it back to him.

He closed her fingers around the cylinder. "I have many things to consider Siri." He stated softly, staring into her eyes. "In nine months I will be faced with a choice, and I may return for this." He motioned to the saber, he waited a moment before continuing. "If I do not return, I want you to have it." He felt his own eyes begin to water due to his unshed greif over Anakin and his guilt of hurting her. "I want you to have atleast some part of the man you bound yourself to." He cupped her face and kissed her passionately, they stared at each other for a moment. "I know it is a small compensation for the gift of your heart that you have given me, but for now it is all I can give you." He then kissed her forhead and climbed the ramp into the transport.

Siri then felt a presence behind her, she turned and watched a greif stricken, nervous woman heading towards the transport. Siri moved aside so Padme could pass, neither woman said one word to each other, but through their eyes an entire conversation was spoken.

Siri sighed deeply as the sleek transport shot out of the hanger. She glanced down at the saber in her hands as a single tear traced down her cheek.

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(Six months later)

The large orange orb peeked above the horizon, casting away the shadows for yet another cycle. The brilliance of the morning always gave Obi Wan comfort, the rutine of daybreak gave him some sort of consistancy in his life. He had never been one of those Jedi to rise with the sun, unlike his master and apprentice he tended to sleep late, preferring to gaze at the stars instead of the sun. He use to prefer the night, prefer the cover of dark; that is until Mustafar.

Now the night only offers nightmares, and time to contemplate his mistakes. The night also haunted him with visions of that face. The once innocent smile of a sandy haired, bright eyed boy had turned into a grin full of evil mallace. Obi Wan woke most nights in a cold sweat, heading for the balcony to wait for the comfort of the light, this had become a rutine for the Jedi for the last six months.

Padme stirred, realizing that she would not be able to sleep on her back, unfortunatly her stomach was too swollen to do much else. She sighed a frustrated sigh and rose to a sitting position (not without much effort). She waddled into the freshner and after a few moments returned to her dark room where she contemplated her next course of action. She stood there, rubbing her every growing belly.

"I'm hungry." She stated to the empty room, remembering that in a fit of hormones she had commanded her usual droid companions to leave her alone. She pulled on an oversized robe and headed into the hallway.

She quietly exited her quarters, not wanting to disturb her Jedi protector. The two of them had lived together for six months in the home that Padme had bought right after she and Anakin were married. She sadly realized that her husband had never set foot in that home, and now she shared it with another man.

She glanced into the room directly next to hers (Obi Wan always left the door open in case she needed him) and noticed his bed was empty, she looked and found the him sitting on the balcony. She grabbed a blanket and walked towards him.

Obi Wan sensed her enter his room. "Is everything alright?" He asked, with a hint of concern in his voice.

"I couldn't sleep." She answered. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm watching the sunrise." Obi Wan explained.

Padme watched the beauty unfold before her. "Mind if I join you?" She asked.

Obi Wan helped her carefully to the ground, letting her lean on him for support, he then wrapped the blanket around them.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the view as well as the company. The two friends then began talking about memories past as well as other topics. Padme learned much about spirituality from him and she inturn taught Obi Wan a great deal about politics. It never failed however that when the conversation grew deep it always turned to the topic of Anakin.

"Do you think it would've been different if he knew I was pregnant?" She asked, aimlessly rubbing her stomach.

Obi Wan kissed the top of her head. "I would like to think so." He answered softly.

"But. . ."

"But the Jedi code states that once you begin down the dark path it will forever dominate your destiny."

Padme looked up at Obi Wan and noticed a look in his eyes that took her back to right after Qui Gon died. "And what about his child's destiny?" She asked.

"The child inside you is not Anakin, his fate is not tied to his fathers." Obi Wan stated, although not totally believing it himself for some reason.

"But he will still have the same temptations." She continued. "He has the same blood."

Obi Wan held her tightly. "I promise you Padme, I will not allow that to happen. I will protect your child for eternity if I have to."

Padme wiped the tears from her face, and offered him a sad smile. "I know you will." She stated softly, not sure how to continue. "Perhapse if he never learns to be a Jedi then he might be protected from the dark side." She waited for Obi Wan to react but the Jedi sat, staring at the finally risen sun with a placid look on his face. "Ben?" She purged.

Obi Wan scratched his head and looked at her. "That choice is yours Milady." He stated, and helped her to her feet. "Whatever you choose Padme, I will support."

Padme smiled at him, then wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him as best she could despite her large stomach. "I don't deserve you." She stated.

Obi Wan held her for a moment then suddenly felt a disturbance through the Force. He pulled her away from him and stared into the distance, listening.

Padme looked at him with a worried glance. "Ben?" She asked.

Obi Wan closed his eyes for a moment, then quickly pulled her into the house. "We have to go, Naboo is no longer safe." He stated, grabbing his survival pack.

"Wait, what?" She asked, very nervous.

He continued to gather his belongings, then ran to her room to gather some of hers. "We have to leave now!"

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TBC: MUAH HA HA! I'm so evil I know, I hope you liked this chapter, please review.