Chapter 52
Darkness. Light. What was the difference?
Jedi. Sith. Two flawed orders bent to their respective codes to inflict their disadvantageous edicts towards the galaxy.
Peace. Passion. Hate. Forgiveness. Death. The Force.
Vader. The Jedi. Powerful individuals – each powerful destinies, only one will decide the fate of the universe.
Siri. Wake up.
Siri groans softly. Her head feels a sudden rush of repentance, the pain in her legs rescinded as her consciousness brings control over her senses. Her eyes slowly drag open, a vibrant campfire greeting her view. She is laying on her side on a strangely comfortable bed of a small ship. She sits up from her sleeping position and places both her hands on the ground behind her back.
She recalls when the planet almost broke apart and she has almost been killed. She turns her head around, looking down on one side where her vision meets a dirt wall shrouded in darkness. Siri manages to stand up and move over to the viewpoint, surprised to see the stars in the sky. Next to the entrance of the Falcon, there is a campfire, along with a man, leaning on his shoulder with his arms folded – looking to the outskirts of Tython's fields.
Siri shakes her head before recalling recent events. Her eyes widen and her fear spikes. Before Siri can even react and even reach for her lightsaber, the figure at the head states.
"Finally awake? Good." The shadow turns, his cape flowing closely behind him. Siri falls back into the old Jedi's indoctrination, her arms raised and prepared to fight. Her eyes narrow as the man come closer and closer to the campfire, the orange flames igniting the figure into view.
Hours ago, she had been clouded with emotion, had been unprepared to fight Obi-Wan and the man he has become. But she is willing to engage Vader if she has to for stealing Obi-Wan away from his rightful calling.
"Eager to fight, Siri?" Vader asks softly with his hands folded behind his back, "I expected the Order to train their Padawans better."
Siri huffs at his statement, "I am no mere Padawan, Sith! To prepare for combat towards one as vile as you? I can make an exception to one such as you, the same one that had caused rebellion within the Order, and sent unexpectedly shockwaves through the Force. I am a Knight."
Vader does not respond, instead he slowly circles around the campfire towards Siri, causing her in turn to move around the fire and keeping her gaze concentrated on the Sith Lord.
"I'm aware of that, young woman. I can sense it. Such anger. And I'm also aware that you are no mere Padawan but one can learn every day. Upon our encounter mere hours ago, I realized your capacity within the Force – moreover, your special attributes. But when I rescued you from your encounter with the reptilians, I inspected you further. You are Siri Tachi. One of the only Jedi who wields a purple blade and can touch the darkness without falling too far into it."
"I think I would've rather been killed instead of capture by you, Vader."
Vader stops in his tracks and tilts his head, "Are you in chains? Am I restricting your path to escape from my 'captivity'? By all means, leave – run. But everyone here knows that you would not leave Obi-Wan."
"And what makes you say that?"
"Because the man who you love stands before you, and if you leave, you would leave him with me. If you run. You may never find him again. I would not keep him away from you but he may feel so betrayed that he wouldn't want to see you."
That is true. Siri knows that she was no match and in no position to challenge the Force User in combat, she could easily make a run for it, maybe – just maybe she would stumble across a means to the ship, travel to the Jedi Enclave and inform them of events, to try to fix the seemingly unfixable damage. There, the Jedi can reform their efforts to capture Vader. Yet on the other hand, Vader can easily find the means to leave the planet with his companions – causing the Jedi to invest countless resources to hunt him when those resources could better serve their own Order and learning to keep their members under proper control. Siri's raised hands begin to descend; yet her stance remained defensive.
"Rest assured, Jedi. I have no intention of killing you as I would have already done so." Vader says as he begins to approach the Knight. Siri remains vigilant as he approaches her. He stops just in front of her, as if he is waiting for something. Shortly after, her stomach snarls – yearning for food. Siri swear that Vader snickers underneath that hood. The man turns and motions towards the campfire, a thick piece of meat skewered over the camp dripped with succulent juices, causing the flames to sizzle as they drip.
"Sit. I am not without mercy. Eat." Vader continues. She turns to the meat before looking back at the man. She turns to the food, then back at Vader once more. Her stomach snarls again, finally convincing her to sit just in front of the fire while Vader displaced the hanging skewer and passes it over to the hungry Knight.
"A gift from one of the Tythonian reptilian's who attacked you." Vader says as he paces across the cave, "I trust their meat will provide you enough satisfact-" He turns to face Siri and stops as she is greedily munching on the cooked steak. Her teeth dug into the tender flesh and rips it from the core, gulping it down with fast efficiency. Vader cannot help but grin. "Obi-Wan already had his feast and so did Qui-Gon and Shmi."
Siri nearly picks off the entire chunk of meat off the stick. Her eyes trace back to the man – as if they are craving for more. Vader notices this and understands. Carefully the man paces back to the entrance, through the shadows where the fire's touch could not lay, Siri sees the distinct silhouette of Vader drag a dismembered Tythonian reptilian from the shadows, his other hand igniting his lightsaber and slicing an entire leg off the abdomen of the beast. His blade retracts back into the hilt and Vader hangs it over his belt as he takes the sheered leg and snaps his fingers for Siri to provide the skewer.
"It took me a while to skin the beast." He says as he cleaves a thick piece of meat off the leg and stabs it with the stick before positioning it over the racks and hangs it just over the fire. "The other have already been loaded in our ship. Supplies are limited these days.
Vader sits to the side of the fire; Siri is situated across him yet slightly to the left – where the flames will not obstruct each other from view. The former Jedi shakes her head at how easily she had succumbed to basic instinct, leaving herself vulnerable and open to attack from Vader. If he had decided to dispatch of her, he would have done so quickly with a swing of his lightsaber while she was devouring on meat like a fool. It is a good thing he has kept his word, and though she may seem resilient and stubborn, in heart she is relieved that someone who showed so much mercy to Obi-Wan found her.
"Why did you spare me?" Siri questions with a softer tone of voice, the fire in her throat temper by eating.
Vader turns his head to face the woman. He takes a drastic pause before answering the woman's question, "…We must come to a compromise. As of now, I believe we can work together in a manner. Obi-Wan is the most control I have seen around you than he has been for a long while and besides I find myself needing a light side companion."
"No, Vader. Why did you spare me?"
He slowly turns his head to face Siri, her eyes stares her down through his visor. Vader smirks.
"You figured it out?" Vader asks as he turns the stick and allows other parts of the meat to cook.
"Answer me." Siri hastens with irritations.
"You're quick to allow your emotions guide your tone and actions, Siri. Yet you close them off just as well." Vader says calmly, persisting to twist the stick.
Siri says nothing after that, only waiting for Vader to answer her question. He takes his time with the Jedi, he remains silent for a time, focusing on the fire and stirring the meat, which remains on the stick. A few moments passes and Vader finally speaks.
"I saved you because I don't wish to lose Obi-Wan by killing one of his old friends. Do not twist your facts to me saving you was out of selfish intentions. Your wounds were healed by me – out of mercy. A power such as yours cannot fall, the Jedi waste your potential – and the Sith will seek to destroy you or enslave you, that will not happen because of necessity. I saved you from those Tythonian reptilian out of mercy." Vader's tone escalates after he proclaims those final words. It was as if Vader had made an effort to bring his point out and understood. Siri would have believed Vader had his tone not give him away. She still couldn't understand why Vader wouldn't have found a way to morph that love for Obi-Wan that he had for her and the friendship with all the Jedi Padawans was not squashed. Vader's bond with Obi-Wan is closer and that even makes her jealous.
Vader skips the skewer from the rack and offers it to the hungry Jedi. Siri takes the stick, nodding to him – a quiet method of saying 'Thank you' before eating, with more control this time. In her mind, Siri wonders what to do next at this point in time. With her lightsaber gone, she could not hope to match Vader with the Force – he had demonstrated such power before, hence fighting him was not a choice. In her heart she also wished to learn more about him. Siri's entire knowledge on Vader was birthed from the moment he came to the galaxy, stories of heroism during the Naboo war and ultimately the spouts of distaste from the Jedi Council. Siri senses something more in the cloaked figure, but she can never be too careful around him.
"You are wondering what we do at this point." Vader says as he continues to stare into the sparking fire. Siri's eyes go wide and turn to face him, placing the finished skewer aside.
"How did you know what I am thinking?"
Vader turns, and Siri can feel amusement flickering off of him. "I didn't."
He stands and folds his hands behind his back. "I can sense your emotions however, the fluctuations of fear, question…" He turns to look over his shoulder, eyeing Siri with his big blue eyes, "…Hope."
He concludes as he slowly walks towards the entrance of the cave and stops just short of it, staying obscured from the moonlight and hidden within the shadows where the fire's light did not reflect.
"There are several things you could do. The first being the fundamental thing you can do at this point in time. Assisting me to keep Obi-Wan's sanity in check and start looking the more outlandish ways of the Jedi Code."
Siri arches an eyebrow; Vader is lecturing her about following the Jedi Code too much but also seems to be proud at her for keeping true to her beliefs? That is not something that Siri honestly saw coming. Today just seems to be too stressful.
"Even the Jedi Temple which haven't been accessed for centuries?" Siri queries.
Vader turns, "Ah, now we move to the things you could do."
Vader leans on the wall of the cave and folds his arms, "No doubt you have thought about turning me in to the Jedi Order, 'answer for all my crimes' and what not. Am I wrong?"
Siri did not answer.
"You need not respond; I have sensed your intentions anyway."
The Jedi grows pouty, even blushing slightly. Vader can read her easily like an open book. There is nothing she can hide from him no matter how hard she attempted.
"You can go to the Jedi Order, alert them of my presence here on Tython. But that will not solve the threat at hand, will it?"
"You are one who awakened the Sith the day you came to this galaxy and can be argued as the Dark Lord of the Sith. You are more of a threat than any before you."
Vader shakes his head, "You are mistaken, Siri. Divert your narrowed vision from what's in front of you – to the galaxy in the long term. There is a new enemy... The very Republic and Jedi Order that you served."
"The Jedi Order and the Republic are selfless. They want to protect the galaxy."
"Again, Siri, you do not understand. The Order is not the one which you believe it is. They are driven by hatred untampered, logic driven by incapability of accepting the change. I aimed to open the eyes of the Jedi Order, to open the eyes of the Republic of their hypocrisies, their ineffective philosophies that would have doomed the galaxy. Those on the inside - both Force Sensitive and not - aims to eradicate the Republic and the Jedi Order completely. Set the galaxy ablaze and from the ashes issue an Empire under his banner. Through this Empire – chaos, destruction and death. I did not fight for those craven ambitions."
Siri sits, paying attention to him and drawing this information, converting her perspective to a different light. She may not agree with him in regards to his actions, the Jedi Code has been infused within her for far too long for her opinion to change on that fact, yet she couldn't lie about the fact that Qui-Gon still felt lighter and that he spared Bant's life.
"I doubt the Council will make any significant contribution to changing this Order, and the Republic is slowly crumbling from both the pressure of the Sith Armada and pompous bureaucrats corrupted by the selfishness in their hearts. In all essence, Siri, I am the true threat, yes, the true threat to the corruption that spread across the galaxy."
Vader sighs as he becomes tired from constant talk, "Do what you will with the Council, Siri, but be aware that they would want you captured as much as me. Alert them of my presence, send hunting parties after me, come after me yourself if you want – it does not matter to me. In the end I will confront them all alone namely the corruption, they are toying with a power that must not be left in their unreasonable grasp."
"Enough." Siri exclaims, surprising Vader as he tilts his head to face her. She is standing, arms folded and eyes narrowed. The fires sparks, the quietness hung within the air for several moments, an uneasy presence sensed by both Vader and Siri – was it a distortion within the Force? Or simply the tension between the two diverting sides.
"You will not fight these threats. Against my better judgement – I truly believe you may be the only one who can amount any resistance against these threats like Gunray."
"You are suggesting to travel with me, Jedi?"
Siri nods.
"You are suggesting to betray the teachings of your Order and travel alongside the one whom you tried to detain. To stand beside Vader, to follow the great 'Sith Lord' like Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon before you. What would your precious Council think of that?" Sarcasm
Siri clenches her fist, "I am a Jedi, first and foremost. The Order has taught me many things, things my parents have not. While I stand by the Council and the Order, I know your power, felt it, and damned near tasted it. The Republic cannot withstand the Sith armada and the Jedi cannot amount to these unfathomable threats – especially when he was trained by one such as you. I simply must trust my instincts and take your word for it, Vader. You didn't choose to corrupt Qui-Gon nor Obi-Wan completely as easy as it seems to be. Your path to the dark can be rectified."
Vader huffs, "Dark, light, good, evil. I once thought the same as you, little Jedi. But believe me, Siri – there are many Jedi who share my views, those who were simply afraid to follow me to the war and those that came afterward but believed in my cause. Hmph, had you been under the tutelage of a better Jedi, perhaps they would have taught you the same as I."
"Adi Gallia is one of the best Jedi in the Order!" Siri yells defensively.
Vader chuckles, "Qui-Gon was a better Jedi and representation to your Order than they can ever be. But even so, there would always be one Master whom I truly respected, whom I truly took his teachings to heart. Listen close, Jedi, perhaps you may learn something about the Force – the true definition of the Force."
Siri couldn't help but be intrigued to this man. Against all better judgement, against all better instincts within her core trying to resist this man – she craves nothing more than to learn. Vader walks back to the fireplace with Siri sitting back down. In turn, Vader sits across her with the fire once more separating them. He holds out both his hands and speaks.
"The dark side." His right hand charges with Force Lightning, channeling throughout his fingertips and tracing the lines of his gloves. Siri grimaces as the purple entanglements sparks – she is not accustomed to this sudden demonstration of forbidden Force techniques.
"The light side." His left hand holds a Force presence, which illuminates within his palm. As Siri gazes on into his left hand she feels a sudden serenity and peace in which she had attempted to experience ever since she had been experiencing conflicting emotions with the Council and her position within the Order. Her emotions controlled and tempered…all in accordance with the Jedi Code.
"Two sides of the same card. No doubt the Order has stressed the avoidance of the dark side completely, explaining how many Sith Lords try to possess and bend the Force and the dark side to their will, only to have it devour them in the end. There is some truth to this, but the exaggeration is unfounded."
Slowly, Vader closes his hands and meets both his palms in front of him. A surge of Force energy erupts as his hands met, creating a fizzing effect, which takes Siri back slightly.
"Yet in the end – they are both wills of the Force which are meant to be explored, not addicted over. Many do not understand this subtle difference. Good. Evil. You characterize the Force when it is not something that is meant to be any different. The Force is a living entity; it surrounds us in all living things – no matter how meagre. The Force has a…"
"Will…" Siri interrupts with widened eyes, quickly coming to understand Vader's philosophy – yet her acceptance is still in question.
Vader smirks when she said that word. She is finally getting the lesson. Even Obi-Wan, his most cherished and only friend as well as apprentice – always argued and ignored his better instincts especially in regards to the Force. Obi-Wan was obsessed with the potential of becoming the best Jedi he could be. This Obi-Wan is obsessed with something else, craving another calling to his desire, to destined himself as far and as much as Vader.
"You are a quick study, Siri. Tell me, when you landed on Tython, isolated and with only one person. Did something…draw you?"
"Yes. A soft murmur, directing me towards something. Or someone."
Vader tilts his head slightly, "Are you aware of Force bonds?"
Siri hesitantly nods her head, "I have one with Ferus and so do everyone else in the Jedi Temple with someone, though they are encouraged to have reservations."
Vader sits still, watching Siri closely. The Jedi feels a shiver crawl along her spine. Suddenly, Vader's voice rings inside her mind.
"Siri."
Her eyes goes wide and she quickly turns her head around, to the sides and evens glancing up at the night stars.
"Look forward."
She does as the voice says. Vader sits, his head slightly tilted – silent and still.
"As those books in your Jedi Temple told you, this is the potential of Force bonds. A range of powers connected between two Force sensitives. I did not think that the Force itself would have lured you there, for a bond to be formed with someone like you, and for you to become someone like me."
Siri's eyes look down to her injured leg, her fingers moving through the rips of her robes and meeting the healed flesh.
"Such bonds often form through battle. We are both strong in the Force, yet I did not believe a bond could be formed so quickly and to this extent. I'm... presuming that your bond with Obi-Wan, and due to my own, opened ourselves up to a bond."
Siri opens her mouth to respond and Vader can see her. "I don't enjoy this. Get out of my head."
Siri sighs as she closes her eyes and focuses. She did not even know where to start, this is an area within the Force where she had never checked into. She clenches her eyes shut, the hands on her knees quickly balling into clenched fists.
In Vader's mind, he can only hear the faint whispers and moans of irritation coming from Siri's inner core. A few moments passes and Siri finally gives up. Her eyes opens and she pants softly.
Vader chuckles and finally speaks with his physical voice, "No matter, as I said – Force bonds can be tempered over time like you no doubt know. As time goes by – perhaps you may learn many strengths which come with this new event that I have foretold."
Siri sits silently and furrows her brow as she thinks to herself, "Of all the people to be bonded with through the Force. It had to be him. Vader... One of the most irritating men in the galaxy."
The man smiles, "Indeed. You are bonded with me and I do not enjoy it as much as you. Had I left you to die in that black hole then perhaps you would not be sitting where you are this night. With enough concentration…or emotion in your case. Our thoughts travel to those who we are bonded with, Siri."
Siri sits there, sheepish. Great, now he was literally inside her head and now he can literally read her easily. What else is going to come with this kriffing bond?
"In the near future I can teach you more than just philosophy. Make you better than what the Council makes you out to be." Vader says as he stands up and brushes the dirt off his robes. Siri didn't respond, instead she turns her head away from the man and tries not to meet her eyes with his own eyes which seemed to be digging deep into her seconds before.
"Of course. Should my teachings offend your dedication to the Jedi code and the Order, then I will not force you. I cannot waste time bickering and arguing on what's 'right' and 'wrong' when the stakes are far too high with untitled enemies." Vader turns and heads towards the entrance of the cave.
"You should rest, Jedi. We must find a way off this planet if we have any hope of stopping these threats. I will keep watch should any uninvited visitors decide to snuff us out."
The Sith Lord - she's beginning to doubt he is one less and less - paces forward then stops, flips his cape to the side, revealing his lightsaber hanging from his belt and he removes it, throwing it towards the Jedi and landing it right in front of her.
"Assurance...in case you are hellbent on distrusting me. I will wait to see if you would try to strike me down while going against your moral codes in doing that." Vader concludes as he escapes the fire's touch and his silhouette situates itself next to the cave's entrance and simply leans against the wall with arms crossed.
Siri picks up his lightsaber, monitoring the weapon carefully before she became tired. She had become uncharacteristically drowsy and needed to sleep. She sleeps on her side with Vader's lightsaber in one hand and rests her head on the other. She made sure to sleep on the side to which she can keep an eye on Vader. Her blue eyes stares at the hooded figure for several minutes before fatigue begins to close them. It isn't because she didn't trust him…well she didn't, but not completely. She feels something within him, which she didn't expect within a thought to be Sith Lord and the things he taught her tonight amounted to more than her entire education within the Jedi Order. In turn, she knows that he felt something in her – he whispers it onboard his flagship after all. She didn't know what to do at this point.
She is dedicated to the Jedi Order and the Council despite the fact that they wanted to capture her. But she craves to learn more, wanted to do more where the Council would prohibit her from performing. Vader was a gateway to such a path. She didn't like a moment of this, but for now this mutual ground that was established tonight was the best that could be mustered for now. The Republic needed to be stopped; they both agreed on that much at least. It was an uneasy relationship, especially when it is solely dependent on each other's word alone.
Siri's mind needs to rest. Her eyes need to rest. Her breathing lowers to a slower pace. Her heartbeat vibrates throughout her body. Blackness greets her as she descends to sleep.
Siri awakes to find the familiar form of Obi-Wan Kenobi who is checking on her. Obi-Wan's cloak is white and rich much like the Jedi robes long ago that he wore but he is also hooded.
"I told you to never grow a beard," Siri quips, sensing his relief.
"I'm glad you are alright, Siri." Obi-Wan says, rising to his feet after a second.
Siri crosses her arms across her chest as she sits up on her feet. "What led you to siding with Vader? Was it power?"
"No," Obi-Wan replies, before without explanation, he changes the subject. "Come now, Siri, you have to be tired from traveling the galaxy. Bant nor you have been chained."
"Yes," a voice says spitefully.
At the edge of the camp, covered in sand and dust, is Bant.
She looks different than she had been away from the Jedi Order. Older in a way. And she is tired, exhausted even. Bant seems seconds away from collapsing under the strain.
Her eyes however linger on one thing alone. They burn immensely as they stare at Obi-Wan, hatred and disgust obvious.
"Traitor!" her friend snarls, taking a step towards Obi-Wan. "We should have listened to the Order!"
"You should really stand down, Bant. Don't become my enemy." Obi-Wan responds, almost too cheerfully in Siri's opinion.
The Mon Calmarian hisses between his teeth, before his eyes traverses to lock onto Siri's. Her expression changes in an instant, becoming more calmer and softer.
"It is good that we left, for luring this scum out. Now we can dispose of another person who poses a threat and get rid of Vader!" Bant speaks, and Siri couldn't believe her eyes.
Confusion floods through Siri. What is Bant up to this time? And what is she going to do?
It is only then that her eyes fall onto the bookbag where lightsabers lay seemingly lifeless.
"What?" It is the female Skywalker that speaks, equally bemused. Bant spares a glimpse at the middle-aged female beside Obi-Wan, before shifting his attention back to her friend.
"Kenobi abandoned us, left us in exchange for a Sith, to deal with the threat Vader presented. And it's not the first time he has abandoned you is it, my old friend?"
It is obvious to Siri that Bant is referring to the moment when she had left the Jedi Order.
"Bant, you don't need to do this. Obi-Wan is hurting every passing moment. Let it go." Siri tries to reason with the Mon Calmarian. If she can just get him to listen to her…
Bant growls, and continues to speak.
"Ask yourself, Siri, why is he here? One of the most respected Jedi masters, and he is hiding away. He has given into his passions, desires, and everything that Jedi are not supposed to follow."
By this point, Obi-Wan has risen to his feet, but made no move to arm himself, unlike Bant, who had called her lightsaber hilt into her hand.
But she has not yet activated the blade, which is something at least.
"Your anger, your hatred for me clouds your judgement, Bant. We do not need to fight." Obi-Wan takes the opportunity to speak up. Siri can feel through the Force that Obi-Wan is telling the truth. He really didn't want to fight Bant.
Bant huffs aloud, her presence in the Force darkening significantly. The Mon Calmarian directs her attention again to Siri.
"How can you stand his pontificating, Siri?"
"Bant, don't." Siri responds. It is clear she is trying to irritate the Jedi Master.
"Ask him, Siri. Ask him why he is here, festering in his squalor." Bant starts to walk around the group, as if corralling them into a pen, ensnaring them in a trap. "Skywalker presents a threat. Kenobi left the Order just for a boy."
Siri wonders intently. The question lingers on her mouth.
"Siri, I needed to find my true calling. The Jedi wasn't giving me that." Obi-Wan replies kindly to the unsaid question, still at ease despite the situation.
"The movement he sees Skywalker, he would turn against us. Help me bring him into custody." The Mon Calmarian snarls, igniting her saber in rage.
Shmi bristles, raising her blaster at the Mon Calmarian. She didn't fire however, knowing what would happen if she did.
Siri is growing tense as well. She hasn't reached for her lightsaber just yet.
"Why are you here Kenobi?! Tell the truth for once in your worthless life!" Bant all but yells at older human. Obi-Wan however lingers, his face still, expression empty.
Bant's face is quite the opposite. A myriad of emotions clouds it. Rage, hatred, intrigue.
And then realization.
"Ohhhhh, you are not hiding, you have a purpose for... Shmi Skywalker here."
Out of the corner of her eye, Siri notices Obi-Wan grimace slightly.
"Perhaps you are protecting something?" Bant continues to jibe at their oldest friend, figuring something out that Siri had not yet.
Obi-Wan's signature in the Force radiates, long dormant emotions coming through his connection to Siri.
His posture changes too. For the first time since reuniting with him, Obi-Wan is tense.
And it is because of whatever Siri is figuring out.
"Or protecting someone?"
Siri is about to probe what Bant what she is going on about, when a snap hiss sound fills the background.
Obi-Wan is bathed in bright orange light. In his hand, his lightsaber is activated, the same as hours ago, but something is different.
He removed the crossguard emitters! Why -?!
Bant drops into a ready stance.
"Obi-Wan, what are you doing?" Siri asks, surprised at Kenobi's sudden change. Through the Force, Siri feels a fierce desire to protect someone emanating from the man, but she couldn't help but wonder. Who is Kenobi protecting? Skywalker? Both of them? Or... someone else?
"See, Siri, he is hiding something from us. I should have known coming here was foolish!" Bant chimes in, appealing to Siri's surprise at the situation.
"Stay out of this, Siri." Obi-Wan replies harshly. Siri widens her eyes.
"Or don't. Come, Siri, who truly is worth your time here. The one who broke you out of your cell or abandoned you to die, possibly going off with another woman in his life time."
Siri is surprised when she feels a spike of contempt.
"Leave her out of this, Bant!" Kenobi hisses back.
Siri is bemused. On one side, Bant is right. Obi-Wan is hiding something important. Fatally important if he is willing to kill for it.
'Would he try to kill me if I had discovered whatever it is Maul has figured out?' Siri's mind is playing games on her.
But on the other side, Bant seems to be clouded with emotion, still falling back to those old Jedi Codes.
But at the same time, she had proven she could be trusted. She traveled half of the galaxy with her.
And Obi-Wan had hidden away, and was keeping secrets from her, again. He didn't even have the decency to go with her!
Siri break out of her thought process in time to see Obi-Wan and Bant preparing to square off. Off to the side, Shmi stands, waiting in case, unsure of what to do.
Siri couldn't let Bant kill Obi-Wan, that much is decided.
But at the same time, she couldn't let Obi-Wan kill Bant, which he would.
They were friends at one point! Why are they both doing this?!
The two former friends stand for several seconds, staring at one another, waiting for the other to strike first.
"Bant, don't!" Siri calls out. This could all be avoided with a little bit of communication!
"Stay out of this, Siri!" The Mon Calmarian snarls at her. Deep within Siri, rage builds up.
She turns her attention to Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan, there has to be another way. Don't harm her!"
Obi-Wan didn't even spare her a glance, too concentrated on Bant. "You would not harm my family. I would kill even you to avoid that."
She is being ignored by both parties. And her anger is flourishing.
Beside her, Shmi grows apprehensive.
Bant is growing restless. It is obvious that she would strike first, and in doing so, Obi-Wan would strike her down.
Seconds later, Bant lets out a battle cry, and charges, swinging her saber at Kenobi.
Siri reacts instantly.
"NO!
Nobody sees Siri move, she is that quick.
Bant brings her blade down, intending on catching Kenobi's blade in a lock. Instead, she is met with a purple blade, pushing back against her. Shock floods through the Mon Calmarian.
Likewise, Obi-Wan has expected to clash with Bant's purple blade, but he too is now locked with a blue blade.
Between the two friends, Siri stands, lightsaber ignited, pushing against both of them, preventing one from killing the other.
"Stop this, you understand me! This could be avoided!" Siri shouts. "You would both do what I say!"
Bant attempts to push her back, to remove her from her path, but Siri does not relent, turning her face to her, barring her fangs.
"STOP PROTECTING HIM! THE OBI-WAN KENOBI THAT YOU KNOW IS DEAD!" Bant all but screeches at her, pulling back from the lock and attempting another swing. Once again however, Siri intercepts the strike with her own lightsaber.
Behind her, Obi-Wan attempts to evade to the side, trying to catch Bant because she is distracted by Siri. It is obvious now that Obi-Wan attempting to talk Bant out is out of the option and that he would lash out and strike him down.
Siri didn't let him. Like Bant, she flips onto her, swinging her lightsaber to clash with Kenobi's. A look of surprise, as well as betrayal covers the former Jedi's face.
"Siri, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan asks, astonished at his old friend's actions though he really shouldn't be.
"Stopping both of you making a huge mistake!" Siri snaps, looking poignantly at them both.
"MISTAKE?! HE IS A SITH LORD!" Bant exclaims, again trying to bring his saber round Siri's form.
Again, Siri parries her attack, her own anger growing.
"Bant, if he was a Sith Lord, he would have murdered both of us in our sleep." Siri responds, pushing against Bant lightly, trying to get him to back away. She isn't going to harm her, nor Obi-Wan. She just had to convince them both to listen. "And Obi-Wan, please you don't have to kill Bant."
"I would kill anyone who threaten my family!" Kenobi shouts in anger, twirling his saber in his hands, purposefully aiming strikes directly at Siri.
For the first time in well ever, Obi-Wan is actively attacking her, trying his hardest.
She evades around him, flowing like water down a stream. They clash blades, deflecting blows and redirecting others.
"You are going to kill me too, huh Siri, even though I am only defending myself. Bant is the one who started this!" Kenobi yells, pushing her blade down to her stomach before kicking her in the side.
Siri senses movement behind her. Bant is attempting to join the fight, to assist her with Kenobi.
She didn't let her. Pushing against Kenobi's blade, she forces him back stumbling, before turning to the Mon Calmarian, and unleashing a Force Push at her.
It catches Bant by surprise, as he falls backwards, rolling in the sand.
Siri turns in time to lock blades with Bant.
"Damn it, Bant, come to your senses! This is pointless! What will you gain from this? Your death, that's it! He's the superior duelist of us all!" Siri tries desperately to appeal to Bant. She wants her to live, or at least not go down like this. "Obi-Wan, talk to me! You know that Bant was once your friend!"
"I am tired, Siri! Tired of being used. Tired of being abandoned. Perhaps I seek my death as an escape from this cruel existence! Anakin left me! I need to find him! Only then I would be completed!"
Siri feels remorse coming off of her. She should have seen it. Obi-Wan was heavily depressed. Everything he was supposed to be had been stripped from him. A lot of things have gone wrong with his life.
Bant regains her footing by now, and is standing behind Siri, saber igniting, but not making any move to get involved.
"We were all used Siri, you, me, Obi-Wan. Each of us was used and disregarded when we no longer had value. The Jedi left us all and is willing to cut down former Jedi among their Orders! Who know what they had planned for us?!"
Obi-Wan hisses again, spitting as he speaks. "I have nothing in common with the likes of the Jedi anymore!"
Siri's face softens, compassion coming through in her tone.
"Yes, you do. We are all lost in our own way. We all seek to find our purpose in this new world. If you die, all of your struggles would be meaningless. But if you live, you can find your purpose. I will help you find your purpose. I-I care about you more than I like to admit, Obi-Wan."
Kenobi's face is a myriad of emotions. Anger, hate, regret, and strangely, fear.
Behind her, Bant extinguishes her lightsaber.
Siri sends an appreciative thought through their bond in the Force, one the Mon Calmarian reciprocates.
She understands what Siri is trying to say.
Obi-Wan's eyes directs on Siri's.
"You… you would help me, after everything I have done. You are willing to become something more?"
Siri is taken aback by Obi-Wan's speech. It is quiet, somewhat shy and repressive. He is terrified, he had always been scared.
And he needs an anchor or he is lost.
"You have my word." Siri replies, pulling out of the saber lock, extinguishing her lightsaber.
Obi-Wan stares at her for a brief second, before deactivating his blade off and collapsing onto the sand before him, sobs echoing from his form.
Siri reacts instinctively, crouching down and wrapping her arms around the man in comfort.
"It'll be ok, Obi-Wan. I promise."
"Siri, I missed you."
"I missed you too," Siri admits, lugging him over her shoulder before wiping his tears from his eyes. "The Jedi... They now are hunting me. What am I supposed to do?"
"What do you believe you should do?" Vader asks, approaching them and surprisingly removing his hoodie, revealing someone who couldn't be outlined by stress, most likely due to having fight so many Jedi and his own battles throughout the years.
"I-I don't know," Siri replies, biting her lip as she couldn't imagine herself outside of the Order. "How can I turn my back on the very Order that I swore my loyalty to a long time ago?"
"Swore that loyalty?" Obi-Wan responds. "Or was forced to?"
"And what about Vader?!" Siri flips around on Obi-Wan. "Did he force you to join him and become his own band of Sith or whatever he is doing these days?!"
"No," Obi-Wan replies, rubbing his hand through his beard, sadness in his eyes. "Vader had given me something the Jedi never did: a choice. The Jedi took me from my parents, forced me to fight their battle for them, and was willing to ship me off to a farming corp. I have buried this all in for so long, but when I joined Vader, I was ready to acknowledge them."
Obi-Wan leans in, toying with her earlobe with his teeth, making Vader grin. Obi-Wan has always been a thing for ladies across the galaxy that aside from himself during the Clone Wars, many females would fancy the idea of ending up in the same bed as the old man. "Don't resist it, my dear Siri, I know you feel the same about me as I do for you. You didn't leave the Jedi because of the Force guiding you or another one of your excuses but because you have feelings for me. You know you would have never felt right if you ended up killing the one who you love."
Siri groans, leaning against him. "Damn it, Kenobi, you always were a ladies' man."
Instead of being insulted by that comment as he would have use to, Obi-Wan seems to take that as a compliment. She doesn't know what happened to make him change this dramatically but it is both welcoming and not. Obi-Wan clearly learned a lot from Vader - that or he had finally given into his long awaiting wants that must have always lingered just underneath the surface.
Obi-Wan grins, his hand falling on her waist. "Those desires that you have, Siri, can only be acknowledged if you join us. You have to embrace your feelings or else the Jedi would try to keep us apart. You don't have to acknowledge some sort of Sith loyalty to Vader but all you have to do is accept reality as that."
"There would be a time for that later, lovebirds," Qui-Gon appears out of seemingly nowhere, causing Obi-Wan and Siri to break out of their embrace. In truth, he has been behind them with a smile across his lips for quite a bit. "And to think, my old Apprentice, you would scold me for disobeying the Codes of the Order."
Obi-Wan smirks. "If you can have your fun with a Skywalker, Qui-Gon, I have the right to seek... my own partner."
Qui-Gon roll his eyes and put on an observant front. "And to bloody think, I thought you were never going to embrace such feelings as you are said to be mainly loyal to the Order by every member on not only the Council but also in the Temple, but being around the beautiful female friend you had among the Order is enough to change that quickly, I see."
"At least he had not rushed to impregnate her like you did with Madam Skywalker," Vader retorts humorously, obviously enjoying the bantering session currently going on.
"Wait!" Siri yells, flipping around to face Qui-Gon. "You are pregnant with the boy's mother!"
Obi-Wan grunts to himself. "This is going to take time."
"And you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, should fix up that arm. You haven't done so for long. No more delays or we would be having words!" Shmi Skywalkers demands, sounding like Master Gallia when she had found out that Siri didn't show up to a Council meeting.
And what she finds more humorous is Obi-Wan walking off like a well reprimanded Youngling.
Siri feels a terrible emotion known as guilt when she sees Bant being dragged away. Luckily, she can tell Vader have no infamous purposes in killing them, no insidious plan to break her, nothing...
Aside from perhaps a small remorse that isn't suspected from someone like him.
She quickly realizes that Vader isn't what the Jedi Council described to her. Vader is compassionate, affectionate, and softer than the Jedi had told all of them what he was like. Yes, there is a darkness that can be unleashed within moments if he chooses to do it, but he keeps that darkness at bay like it is a companion.
That in itself is a contradiction of the Jedi Code. Then again, Vader very presence is. He should naturally be in their Jedi prism, never to escape, and monitored for hours by Jedi Guards. He should never be able to use the lightsaber let alone the Force, everything important to him and benefitting of him stripped away from him.
"I'm surprised you managed to find us," Obi-Wan says, as if he wasn't suspecting this is how the day was going to end. "You have become... more beautiful."
Siri smirks, unable to resist offering him a witty comment. "And you have become quite the Maverick. Last I saw you; you were a walking book of protocol and rules outlined by the Order. Now, you are everything that many of us in your class would have never dreamt of."
Obi-Wan says. "I guess I am more like Qui-Gon than I thought."
"Like I said I believe about thirteen years ago," Siri quips, folding her arms across her chest, as if she has won some great challenge.
"Oh really, if I remember, you disliked me breaching the rules from time to time like Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan replies teasingly.
Siri roll her eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant you should stop getting yourself into predicaments where I had to bail you out."
That is when she feels some sort of pain which causes her to reach over to her gut and grunt. The earlier kick from Obi-Wan still hurt badly.
"Siri..." Obi-Wan's eyes become concerned.
"I didn't know you could pack a punch as much," Siri responds.
Despite the levity of her comment, Obi-Wan didn't smile, instead checking on her, his gentle hand rubbing against the female before saying strongly. "We got medical droids on board; you should check that out. I have my own issues that I need to check out."
After leading her to what must be the medbay, Obi-Wan leaves her behind to the mercy of the two medical droids. As it turns out, she would be feeling pain for a couple of days as there is a bruise but she would be alright.
After having her own injuries tended to, Siri walks to the back where she senses Obi-Wan is. As she walks through the ship, she is surprised to sense the tenderness for each crew member onboard. These are people who care about each other but they seem to be hunted by the shadow.
Where is Skywalker?
She enters inside of the ship to see Obi-Wan is sitting at a work bench, the sleeve of his left arm pulled up to reveal robotic. Parts and wires dangle all around as Obi-Wan digs through his toolkit with his only fresh hand.
"Kriff me!"
Siri lets out a shout of surprise. She had seen many things throughout the years especially since her time under Master Gallia, including those with prosthetics, but seeing Obi-Wan with one... it's mind boggling.
Obi-Wan starts, releasing the tool in his hands and muttering a curse under his breath as he hastily yanks his sleeve down to cover the arm.
"Calm down, Siri," he chides, for once sounding like that Jedi Padawan who she knows. "There's no need to cause a scene."
"You have a prosthetic?!" she exclaims, voice high-pitched with terror. She can never imagine Obi-Wan Kenobi having robotic arm. He has always been the most loyal Jedi who didn't fall into combat as he always does. The thought of him losing to someone at least once is something that knocks the entire galaxy out of her.
And honestly, Siri can't say why it shocks her so much that he has a robotic. Probably because it's proof that once who would have been destined for possible Grandmaster by so many would be without a prosthetic. That's a good thing, she supposes, but she's still completely surprised at her discovery. And wait. Does that mean she hurt him?
Obi-Wan gives her a flat look, breathing heavily as he slowly pulls up his sleeve again, revealing the black and gold arm beneath. "Yes, Siri, I have a prosthetic," he replies, sounding both irritated and tired as once. Now that she looks closer, Siri can see her lightsaber left a mark on it, damaged wires from the earlier wound. "My lungs are also metallic as well."
"Oh," she realizes, feeling like an idiot when she recalls the way his arm sparked. She had thought it a trick of her imagination, or something else entirely, but she understands all of it now. "How did that happen?"
He tenses, the fingers of his remaining organic hand clenching. "It was on Tatooine," he tells her succinctly. "I fought some Jedi who ambushed along with Anakin. We nearly died. Vader saved us. Windu took my arm there." His voice is flat, level, a stinging reminder that for a second shows more humanity in this moment out of Obi-Wan unlike it ever did for decades. Their bond can hardly hide the boiling up anger. He tended to shield his emotions in his time as a Jedi, keeping a lit over them despite his rashness, impatience, and openly dismissive back in those days.
She cannot even imagine herself in his place. How does he survive with that thing? And how dare Master Windu dare to hurt her friend? Something within her roars at that, about to snap when she feels regret immediately taking its place. She has also caused him pain and was willing to kill him alongside Bant. Were it not for their past, Siri would have struck him down.
She tentatively places a hand on his back and murmurs an apology. "I'm so sorry, Obi-Wan, I cannot imagine the pain Master Windu always put you through. That is unjustifiable in every manner, and I apologize for what I did to you."
Obi-Wan shrugs her off, remarking his old friend with a smirk. "That's not necessary," he says at last. He is trying to push her away. He is trying to seem as emotionless as the rest of the Jedi, but Siri is not obligated to let him do so.
"No, it is." She slowly tilts her head before asking almost nonchalantly. "What does it feel like?" She feels immediately stupid afterwards. Too much is happening this day for her liking, and the last she needs is unintentionally pissing Obi-Wan off.
"Such a sentimental question to ask," Obi-Wan says dryly. "Come and find out."
Siri didn't know Obi-Wan would have taken it personally but his frigidness. The golden, electrostatic fingers are smooth and cool, contrast a human hand would be.
"Can you feel that?" Siri wonders as she guides her movements downwards.
He moves his hand before at last reacting, his robotic hand grasping her cheek. "Yes." He chuckles, and when he looks up at her, she can see a sparkle in his blue eyes. Gone is the confliction seconds later; he had made some assumptions of her, assuming that she would not be able to stare at him the same. "I must say that I am shocked that you have never touch one."
"It's not that; it's the fact that I never envisioned you with it," she replies, getting straight to the point. Siri is well aware that Obi-Wan is not exactly the best at dealing with engineering. While not impressive compared to others in the Temple such as Plo Koon, he is decent at building things and only in rare circumstances.
Obi-Wan chuckles a bit joyfully. "I honestly forget," he admits, turning his hand over. "Vader has his own robotic arm, a trauma from his younger days. He taught me how to adjust with mine."
But in spite of the tender moment between the two, Siri feels it. She feels the darkness birthing at that moment unnaturally, inbreeding her heart. She hates the ones who done this to Obi-Wan and she would ensure that no one would ever hurt him again.
Most Jedi who join the dark side are not motivated by a desire to become evil villains. Instead, they are often under the misguided notion that embracing the dark side would help them to right perceived wrongs or to save those that they hold dear. In their warped world view, the Sith see themselves as bringing order to a chaotic universe or freeing themselves from the chains of attachment.
Siri knows that many years from now she would lament over this, that she would always be sicken over the Jedi that she may have to harm if not worse in the near future.
"You would put Obi-Wan over the Jedi?' A voice whispers.
And the answer to that question is simple.