Sorry for the wait! I hope it'll be worth it to you!
ooooo
Several hours later, Padme was still writing in her journal. Strong arms wrapped around her from behind. A huge smile graced her face as the excitement at what Yoda had told her returned. She shivered a bit as Obi-Wan's breath hit her ear.
"Are you going to tell me what has you so excited, or are you going to keep me in suspense?" Padme turned around to face him. Obi-Wan was awed by the look of sheer joy that graced her face. It gave her a glow and a beauty that took his breath away.
"No, I'll tell you!" Padme tried to keep herself from talking too fast. "Yoda gave me the most wonderful news I could have ever hoped to hear! Oh, Obi, it's incredible!"
"Then tell me!" Obi-Wan laughed. He couldn't help but be excited to hear her news.
"Yoda told me that he can teach me how to maintain my identity when I join the Force! I won't be able to be seen or heard by the living like you, but I'll be able to communicate with the Force-sensitives who are there!" Padme watched as realization dawned in Obi-Wan's eyes. "Obi, I'll be able to be with you forever!"
Obi-Wan couldn't find any words to say. He pulled Padme into a fierce hug. Tears of joy flowed down both faces. They finally pulled apart, wiping the tears off each other's face. Both were now glowing with joy.
Padme took Obi-Wan's hands in hers. "I feel like I can face anything! Death holds no fear for me now! Of course, I would like to spend as much time with you as I can on this side of the Force, but I will be satisfied no matter what happens now."
Obi-Wan smiled at Padme. "I knew that I would be with my dear friends again upon entering the Force – friends like Bant, Garen and Reeft. That knowledge has helped me to bear their deaths. Now knowing you will be there, it will feel like going home."
Padme snuggled into Obi-Wan's arms. "Yes. Home is wherever you are." She sighed contentedly as Obi-Wan kissed the top of her head. "And I'll get to be with Luke and Leia when their time comes. I'll finally get to know my children personally!"
Obi-Wan smiled hugely. "That's right! Oh, Padme, how wonderful for you and for them!"
Padme turned her head to look at him. "I have no doubts that they will love being with you, as well. We will all be together as a family, forever."
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Obi-Wan sat with Yoda, who was enjoying another cup of his tea. Obi-Wan glanced over at a now sound-asleep Padme. "Padme told me what you told her. Thank you so much for that, Master."
Yoda looked at Obi-Wan warmly. "Glad to do it, I am."
"Padme also said something about me being seen and heard by the living. I'd heard stories about this being possible for a Jedi, but are they really true?"
Yoda nodded his head. "True they are. Teach you I will. Important this will be for Luke and Leia. Teach them we can, even after death."
Obi-Wan nodded, looking down at his hands. "Master, …what do you think…about me and Padme?"
Yoda placed a clawed hand on Obi-Wan's arm. "Need my approval, you do not."
Obi-Wan looked up into Yoda's eyes. "Yes, I do. I mean, this goes against the Code…"
"Obi-Wan, gone those days are. Gone is the Jedi Order as we knew it. Yes, good it is for a Jedi unattached to be. However, normal times these are not. Going off on missions you are not. Hiding your mission now is. Until the time for training Luke, waiting your mission is. An easy life you have not had, Obi-Wan. A gift to you from the Force Padme is." Yoda noticed Obi-Wan's look of surprise. "Help you bear your burdens she will. Deny this gift you should not. If my approval you seek, have it you do."
"I'd not thought of it that way, Master. Thank you."
Yoda smiled and patted Obi-Wan's hand. "Suffered much you two have. Need each other you do." Yoda could tell that a burden had been lifted from Obi-Wan. The smile Obi-Wan gave him warmed his heart. Yoda grunted as he got up to get more tea and a cookie. "Pushed aside for a time some of the old rules must be. Necessary attachment might be if built back up the Jedi Order is. However, stray too far from it they must not. And get back to the old Code they someday must."
Obi-Wan nodded his head. "I agree, Master. The Code is too important to let go." He smiled at Yoda as he sat back down in front of him. "And I am prepared to do what I must, including starting Luke's training."
"Knew this I did. Rely on you I always could." Yoda set down his cup of tea. "Start training you I will on appearing to the living, once a part of the Force you become."
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Darth Vader paced around the bridge of his Star Destroyer. He stopped at a viewport and looked down at a rusty-hued planet. He was in the Outer Rim as ordered. To Vader, this mission Sidious had sent him on was an infuriating distraction from his real goal. But he would not so blatantly disobey his master as to neglect the mission entirely. After all, he didn't want to be killed before having had the pleasure of killing Obi-Wan.
Vader had the people under his command handling most of this mission of bringing wayward planets under the control of the Empire. He would only step in if it became absolutely necessary. Vader impatiently tapped the side of the datapad in his hand. On it was the list of planets that had yet to bow to the rule of the Empire. He let out a snort of disgust. Tatooine was on it. He'd save that horrible wasteland for last. He hated his former homeworld with a passion. He would definitely let other's handle the work there. He had no desire to set foot on Tatooine again.
As Vader stared out the viewport in contemplation, an idea formed in his head. He turned and walked across the bridge towards the turbolift, purpose evident in his stride. Everyone gave him a wide berth. Vader smiled beneath his mask. He loved having that effect on people.
Vader paused as he arrived at his destination. He looked down row after row of probe droids. Vader smiled again. Perfect. He'd program these droids to search for Obi-Wan, and launch a few at every destination on this mission. He'd let the probes do the searching for him, especially since every bounty hunter in the galaxy had already been hired by his master. He would search through the Force, as well. If Obi-Wan was nearby, he'd feel him.
Picking up a probe droid, Vader quickly got to work. It won't be long now, Obi-Wan. Soon, I will be rid of you forever!
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A few days later, Padme was sitting and listening while Obi-Wan and Yoda reminisced. She knew that they were both trying to prolong their time together as much as possible. Yoda had already taught them the things they needed to know before joining the Force. Padme felt that they should probably get going, but she didn't want to be the one to end this reunion.
Padme was brought out of her thoughts as a sudden sorrowful silence engulfed Obi-Wan and Yoda. They had all come to the same conclusion at the same time. Yoda sighed heavily. "Time it is for you to go."
Obi-Wan nodded. He had hoped that by delaying the inevitable, he could ease the sadness of this goodbye. It had been a false hope. Sadness gripped his heart like a vise. He glanced at Padme. "We better get packed."
Padme nodded and went with him to pack up their belongings. She wished there was something she could do to ease the pain of their parting. Silence reigned as they gathered their bags and set them outside by the door. Obi-Wan quietly sent the bags sailing over the swamp to their ship. He turned back to the doorway, where Padme was saying goodbye to Yoda. Oh Force, help me get through this.
Padme knelt in front of Yoda, smiling sadly. "Thank you for everything you've done, Master Yoda."
Yoda gave her a soft smile. "Glad to do it I was." He watched as Padme got up and moved aside to let him and Obi-Wan have some privacy. Yoda fought to keep his calm center. The moment he had dreaded since they had arrived was now here.
Obi-Wan came and knelt in front of the little master. He was trying to swallow down the lump that had formed in his throat. "I shall miss you, Master."
Yoda's ears drooped. Sadness was etched on his normally neutral face. "Miss you too, I will, Obi-Wan." He placed a clawed hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Meet again this side of the Force, we will not."
"I know." Obi-Wan could barely speak above a whisper. "Master, I cannot even begin to describe what you mean to me. You are my mentor and my dear friend."
"Dear friend to me you will always be, Obi-Wan." Yoda smiled again, pulling a fond memory from his past. "Knew I did, from the first time I saw you as an infant, that important to me you would become. Knew I did that our lives would be linked."
Obi-Wan couldn't help but be surprised. "But you were always the first to say that the future is always changing."
"True that is. But change that feeling did not. Grew stronger with time it did. Tried I did not to let that color my behavior towards you." Yoda smiled again warmly. "But affection for you I could not help but feel."
Obi-Wan smiled back. "The feeling was mutual."
Yoda cleared his throat and straightened himself with determination. "Remember we must, that this is not truly goodbye. Eternity together we will spend. Work we will do together, even after death. Someone I would prefer to work with more, there is not."
Obi-Wan smiled faintly. "I couldn't have said it better myself." He pulled Yoda into a gentle hug. "Goodbye, Master. May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan." Yoda watched as Obi-Wan got up and came to stand beside Padme. "Take care of each other."
Obi-Wan and Padme looked at each other and then back at Yoda. "We will." Obi-Wan took one last look at Yoda before picking Padme up and setting out across the swamp. As he made his way towards their ship, a voice entered his mind. Until we meet again, Obi-Wan.
