…Disclaimer: We don't own Star Wars. We are not George Lucas…
…Acknowledgments: Co-written with Seylin. Inspired by George Lucas' film, Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith…
…Warnings: Slash (Obi-WanxAnakin, implied Qui-GonxObi-Wan)…
…Rating: R/NC-17 (Please view Seylin's page for a link to the full version.)…
…Summary: Anakin's black and white world of the Jedi way has been stripped away by Palpatine's corruption. After the battle on Mustafar, Obi-Wan and Yoda are determined to get it back for him. But, with Padmé gone, will Anakin be willing to hear them out at all? The Jedi will need help, if they plan to save their Chosen One, and Senator Amidala has left them with exactly the help they need…
...Aubrey's Crap: Dearest MarshaMarshaMarsha, in response to your accusation that black and white and monochrome are different things: no they're not. Next time you feel the need to correct me, please be sure to look the word up before you do so. Below is a dictionary entry from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, I hope you find it useful.
Monochrome:
Noun
1. a. A picture, especially a painting, done in different shades of a single color. b. The art or technique of executing such a picture. 2. The state of being in a single color. 3. A black-and-white image, as in photography or on television.
So, in fact, I was no incorrect at all. Thank you very much for the attempt to assist me, but assistance without facts just makes you look like an ass. (No offense, of course. I'm really not trying to insult you...really.) Anywho, please enjoy chapter eight. Nine should be up on the eleventh, or thereabouts. My family's doing a big thing on the 13th, so in the event that that's an update day, please expect it on the 12th or the 14th. (We may be out of chapters by then anyway, this is just for future reference.) Thanks! Enjoy!...
Monochrome Shatter
Chapter 8: Broken Hero
Two hours later, Luke walked in rubbing his head, missing his long hair, the only long
pieces left were that in his padawan braid.
"Go on and start cleaning your room. If you're lucky you'll get it done tonight. And leave the door open so we know you aren't playing any games," Obi-Wan told him.
"Yes, Papa," Luke sighed going to his room. Obi-Wan smiled shaking his head going to his and Anakin's room. His smile grew when he saw his lover, leaning over he gave Anakin's forehead a gentle kiss.
"Mm..." Anakin let out a happy little noise, and leaned his head up, to move that kiss from his forehead to his lips. "Welcome home..." He opened his eyes, smiling, speaking against the elder's lips.
"What a welcome," Obi-Wan murmured returning the kiss. "Good sleep?"
"Yes." He nodded, still smiling. "Did you find out about my ship?" Obi-Wan pulled the key from his pocket and placed it in his hand.
"Ready and waiting," he answered. "Luke is cleaning his room, the door open so we can make sure that's what he's doing. It's getting late you must be hungry."
Anakin nodded, sitting up, and looking at the key with an odd kind of hunger in his eyes. It had been so long since he'd had an excuse to fly...most of his jobs were just in Coruscant. He hadn't flown in space since Mustafar. He was looking forward to it. Obi-Wan smiled sensing his happiness and left the room to start their supper. He paused outside of Luke's room.
"Luke, you cannot fit everything under that bed. Put the stuff where it's supposed to go," he said. Anakin laughed aloud, upon hearing that, and flopped back onto his back. He was sure this job wouldn't take too long to finish.
"Dad... can you help me put these games on the top shelf of my closet?" Luke questioned from the doorway, he was still a bit short to reach it.
"Coming." Anakin nodded, rolling off the bed to go help. He needed to explain about this job anyway...He'd never been gone for such a long one. Did Luke even know what he did for a living? He wasn't sure... Luke handed him about eight boxes when he came in, he then set to separating the dirty clothes from the clean ones.
"Luke," Anakin began as he started putting the boxes away. "I'm going to be gone for a while. You'll be good for Papa, right?" Luke looked up at him from the floor.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"Cornath." His father informed him. "It's beyond the Outer Rim. It'll take me a while to get there and back."
"You better take some light clothes, then. Cornath's atmosphere is very humid," Luke replied. Anakin paused, and turned to him, grinning.
"You've been paying attention, in class," he commended, feeling a small swell of pride. "More than I did, at your age." Luke smiled.
"I'd get punished more by Papa if I didn't. I don't want to wake up cold sometime," he laughed.
"Oh, I got punished too," Anakin assured him, with a small laugh. "I just didn't care. I was more interested in learning practical skills, than history or geography."
"I like history, I hope you don't mind snakes and stuff, that's what Cornath's people look like. Big lizards," Luke told him.
"Yeah..." He nodded thoughtfully, finally turning back to put the last box up. "I noticed that. Anything else I should know, O Wise One?" Luke thought a moment before shaking his head.
"No. I think that's it. Thanks, Dad," he thanked him carrying the container of dirty clothes to the wash room.
"No problem," Anakin called after him, leaving the room himself. He was going to miss his son, while he was gone...He headed into the kitchen, to see the other male he was going to miss.
"Wait and I'll help you separate them," Obi-Wan called to Luke.
"Okay, Papa." Obi-Wan turned and smiled at him.
"Come here and try this," he said offering a spoon to Anakin over the steaming pot of stew. Anakin obeyed, and made a happy noise.
"Wow," he mumbled, pleased with what he was tasting.
"Glad you like it. Grab some bowls, it's almost ready. Luke! Supper!"
Anakin gave him a quick hug from the back, before doing as he asked, whispering, "I'm going to miss you." in his ear, as he passed by him, to get to the cabinet that the bowls were in.
Obi-Wan didn't let the sadness he was feeling show; he didn't want Anakin to be go for long. Luke came into the kitchen, getting the spoons and cups helping his dad set the table.
"Master Yoda said you were falling behind in negotiations, why?" Obi-Wan questioned setting the pot of stew in the middle of the table. Luke looked down at his feet shrugging his shoulders.
Anakin eyed his son oddly. "You live with Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Negotiator, and you're falling behind in negotiations?"
"I don't know. It's hard, I just can't get my points across," Luke replied. His father licked his lips thoughtfully, before turning to Obi-Wan.
"Can you help him with that?"
"I can try. Negotiation skills are important. Some people have a knack for them, others don't," Obi-Wan answered, giving him a pointed look.
"Hope he takes after Padmé, on that level..." Anakin murmured, blushing subtly, and taking a drink from his glass. Aggressive negotiations were generally frowned upon.
"We'll work on it after supper, and we get you're clothes started, alright?" Obi-Wan questioned.
"Yes, Papa," Luke agreed and started eating his supper.
"And, you're going to help," Obi-Wan told Anakin with a smile.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin's blush darkened a little. "Do you really want him learning my method of negotiations?"
"No, I do not. You're going to take one side of the issue we choose and Luke will be on the other. It will be good practice for you both," Obi-Wan answered. Anakin snickered a little, before just nodding.
"Yes, Master," he agreed, finally, trying to calm himself down, so that he didn't choke. "Although, aggressive negotiations are necessary to know, you have to admit. They've saved both of our lives more than once."
"He can learn that way after mastering it peacefully," Obi-Wan agreed. Anakin shrugged.
"Have you taught him the 'Your Lightsaber Is Your Life' rule, yet?"
"It protects you, if you protect it," Luke answered for Obi-Wan.
"He actually pays attention..." Anakin blinked, a little impressed. "He knows the climate conditions of Cornath! Did I ever pay that much attention, in class?"
"Sadly no," Obi-Wan sighed smiling a little as he rested his cheek on his palm.
"I still managed, though," Anakin reminded him, sticking his tongue out a little, and digging into his food a bit faster. He was hungry, and he wanted plenty of alone time with Obi-Wan that night.
"Don't take after his study... or eating habits," Obi-Wan advised Luke. Luke laughed covering his mouth to try and hide it. Anakin offered him a dry look, and resisted the immature urge to kick him under the table.
"I still saved you ten times." He sniffed indignantly. "Even with apparently poor study habits."
"And for that I am thankful."
After they had each finished their supper Obi-Wan and Luke left Anakin with the dishes while they did Luke's laundry.
"Come on," Anakin tugged on Obi-Wan's sleeve, once he was finish with that. "How much laundry does he have?" Jedi swore off possession. He couldn't have that much. Obi-Wan laughed.
"You said you would help with a mock negotiation remember... and, my dear Anakin, Luke comes before our needs," he whispered giving him a soft kiss on the lips.
"I know, I know." He nodded. "Which is why I want to get started."
"Alright. Go to the living room, Luke should be there getting his points together already. I'll be there in a moment," he replied.
"Alright." He agreed giving him another kiss. "And, don't forget my...presents..." He warned lowly, before getting up to go find his son. Obi-Wan smiled and turned the wash on, he walked out to join the other two in the living room. He explained the issue they would both have to speak for and then sat on the couch between them.
"Ok, Luke, you start with your opening statement and we'll go from there." Luke nodded and stood, starting his side of the issue. "Don't stare at your feet, and even if you don't know what you're talking about, make your voice strong so that it sounds like you do." The lesson lasted for another hour before Luke yawned.
"Alright, kiddo." Anakin smirked at him. "Get to bed, or you'll never wake up tomorrow." He leaned back idly against Obi-Wan, allowing the older man to wrap his arms around his shoulders. Obi-Wan waited until he felt Luke was falling asleep before he turned and attacked Anakin's ear, picking up where he left off in the gardens. Anakin let out a low moan of pleasure, and pressed against him.
"Oh...Master..." He hadn't been kidding, all those years ago, when he'd said that the Master and Padawan positions could make for some kinky sex games. "Please...teach me..." It was still so early on, it was obvious that he was playing.
"You don't like to be taught," Obi-Wan replied, before continuing with his slow torture.
insert
porn here
Anakin panted, and rolled over, to face Obi-Wan, his eyes half lidded with fatigue. "I'm going to miss you."
"Don't remind me..." Obi-Wan whispered, laying his forehead against Anakin's. He let some of the sadness he was feeling to go through their bond but not all of it.
"I won't be gone long," he promised softly. "I'll probably only be on the planet for about a day. Most of it will be in travel."
"You'll still be gone... it will be cold without you here." Anakin kissed him gently.
"My hyperdrive's working fine," he promised softly. "I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Mmm..." Obi-Wan sighed burying his face in the side of Anakin's neck. 'I love you. Be careful,' he whispered through their link.
"You be careful too," Anakin mumbled. "I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing." Obi-Wan just tightened his hold on him and then fell asleep. He knew Anakin would be gone when he woke up in the morning.
Yes, he was gone. He'd been gone for about an hour, but he'd left a note and a holo-transmission for them, saying goodbye. By the time Luke and Obi-Wan got it, he was already in a teleporter heading for the Outer Rim, to go find this planet he needed to be on.
2 and a half weeks later
Obi-Wan looked at the cat woman standing in front of their door waiting for them it seemed.
"Larisa, it's good to see you. Is there something we can do for you?" He asked.
"No, Master Kenobi. I just thought it would be good for you to have a break from your own cooking for a night," she answered with a kind smile and nodded to the bag of food at her feet. Obi-Wan returned the smile as he opened the door and waited for she and Luke to enter.
"That would be lovely, thank you." The night went on without incident, Larisa agreed to do a mock debate with Luke to help him with his negotiation skills, he had improved a great deal with Obi-Wan's coaching each night. Larisa was saying goodnight and was about to leave when Obi-Wan stopped her staring at the door.
"What is it, Master Kenobi?" She asked quietly. He shook his head, there was a great dark energy coming from the other side of the door.
"Luke, go to your room and stay there," he ordered. Luke jumped up and went to his
room without question, he rarely heard his papa's voice get that harsh, and when it did he knew it was not a time to argue.
The door exploded revealing three hooded figures. Obi-Wan pulled out his light saber and stood in front of Larisa. The figure in front seemed to be the leader, it raised a scaly clawed hand and motioned the others forward. Obi-Wan tried to fight them off but their own lightsabers and blasters soon had he and Larisa separated, they were pushing him back down the hall, his light saber making marks on the wall when it hit.
One of the figures went into Luke's room.
"Luke!" He yelled and tried to get by them but it just wasn't possible. He heard Luke's light saber and the sounds of him trying to fight the figure off. They were in his and Anakin's room now, he was quickly cornered, light saber knocked away. Brining his hands up he tried to keep them away with the Force. The hooded figures kept pressing against the walls he put up before they finally broke through them.
"PAPA!" Luke screamed. Darkness started to claim him, he had used to much of the Force. Obi-Wan could feel his wrists and ankles being tied, and then... pain... indescribable pain, he would have screamed but he had been gagged as well so he was forced to scream into it.
'...Anakin... I'm... sorry...' he thought before the darkness truly claimed him.
Two hours later, Anakin scowled, and his stomach churned, as he stopped dead outside the apartment building. He could feel dark energy present although not as powerful as it would be if those it belonged to were still there. As quickly as possible he went up to the top floor. His scowl became more prominent was the elevator doors opened on the top floor. The entire place wreaked of the dark side. It made a bloodlust he hadn't felt in a long time rise up in him, and he didn't like that. But, he could also sense something amiss in there, so he swallowed his anxieties down, and went inside anyway, to investigate.
Larisa's body lay on the floor behind the couch, blood matted the fur around the wound in her stomach. Her eyes were closed, never to open again.
'What happened?' Anakin wondered, feeling a bit nauseous, as he saw the corpse. What had happened that this sight would greet him when he came in.
"Obi-Wan?" He called hesitantly through the almost eerie silence. Only silence answered him, no energy from the Force or anything, not from Obi-Wan or Luke.
"Master!" He called again, delving deep into the Force, and starting the wander around. Fine. If the Force wouldn't tell him, he'd find his lover the old fashioned way. Pain greeted his senses as he started down the hallway. Burn marks from lightsabers seemed to mock him on the wall. Luke's room was once again a mess but from the high dark energy levels that had been there and the marks on the wall, he highly doubted it was just because his son was a slob.
His breath caught in his throat, when he finally did find Obi-Wan. He had a distinct feeling that he'd been tricked.
'Baby,' he called to his lover, moving forward toward him, and kneeling down next to him, carefully running an unfeeling hand through the sweat stiffened hair. 'What happened?'
Obi-Wan's senses tingled as they brought him back to consciousness. He could... he could feel... Anakin! His eyes opened and looked at the hazy figure of his lover. Relief overcame him, over riding the pain he was feeling.
"Anmmm mhmmm lmmm!" He tried to manage around the gag that was still in place.
"Hush," Anakin ordered, finally noticing the gag, and tugging it away quickly. "Now, what?"
"They took Luke!"
"Who took Luke?" His eyes darkened. Someone was going to be subjected to a major ass kicking. "When?"
"They were hooded, I never saw the faces... I don't know how long I was unconscious," Obi-Wan answered sadly. Hooded? Anakin scowled, and with deliberate silence, untied Obi-Wan, and helped him sit up, before speaking again.
"This place is crawling with the dark side," he stated, in an almost unnaturally calm tone. "We can't stay here. Go to the Temple, and Yoda will give you a room. I'll catch up with you, after I find Luke." Obi-Wan nodded, he wanted to find Luke just as much but Anakin seemed to know something he didn't. Anakin helped him to stand being mindful of the way Obi-Wan slouched a bit, a sign something was wrong with his ribs.
"I'll catch up to you," he repeated, prodding him toward the elevator.
"Be...careful..." Obi-Wan told him shakily through clenched teeth.
"They'll be dead." Was all he promised, before heading for a flight of stairs. He didn't plan on waiting for the elevator to work.
Luke stared defiantly at the hooded figures that had taken him from his Papa, inside he was scared as hell but he would not allow them to see or feel that.
"Ssstrong he isss," the leader hissed.
"Let me go, you freak'n lizard!" Luke yelled struggling against his bonds. He didn't really know what they looked like except for the scaly tail that stuck out of the long cloak a bit.
6 hours later
Anakin had been using the Force, to find the ship with his son on it, it had taken some time but he found it. The creatures on board didn't have very strong mental defences, it only took a couple of simple Jedi mind tricks to get on board. Then...well, then it was a simple matter of search and destroy.
Luke's head snapped up when he felt his father's presence, he wanted to call out to him but the lizard's had gagged him just like they had Obi-Wan.
'Dad!' He exclaimed through their mind link.
'Keep quiet,' Anakin ordered him simply. 'Don't say anything out loud. And...just trust me, when I get in there.' He wasn't positive how his son would react to watching him, quite frankly, savagely murder a bunch for foreigners, even if they had kidnapped him. Luke became quiet and started trying his best to loosen the ropes that held his hands behind his back without being discovered.
"There'sss an intruder!" Luke glanced up, he hoped his dad would be okay.
"Very good," Anakin muttered sarcastically, pressing the handhold of his saber against the alien's chest. All he had to do was turn it on, and the thing was dead. Which, he did quite promptly, pulling the humming blue blade out with a vaguely disgusted look. "Anyone else want to play?" He wondered in a pleasant tone, turning to the rest of the creatures in the hallway.
There was silence for a moment before each of the lizard figures pulled out a light saber of their own, the blades humming as they were activated. Looked like they weren't going to go down without a fight. Anakin snorted, and threw the hood of his cloak back. This would be fun, he decided, getting into his favourite stance, before it began.
Luke finally got his hands free and silently thanked his Papa for teaching that trick to him. He focused his eyes on his light saber and watched as it shifted then flew off the table to his waiting hands.
"No!" The lizard that had been left guarding him screeched. Luke just smiled as he activated the light saber, he knew he probably couldn't defeat the lizard on his own but he could at least defend against it until his father got there.
"Never fight with the hired help," Anakin advised the pile of corpses coldly, once that was done, before heading into the room. A small, proud smirk quirked his lips, as he saw Luke being the perfect distraction to the guard, and it only took one stroke, before the thing's head was on the floor, and rolling away from them. Luke deactivated his light saber and ran over to him, throwing his arms about his waist.
"Dad!" He exclaimed.
"Hello to you too," Anakin snorted, placing his own light saber on his belt, before quickly prodding him toward the door. "Obi-Wan's waiting for us at the Temple," He explained, as they went. "We're going to be staying there for a while, my ship's in the hanger here." Luke turned worried eyes up to him.
"Is he ok? I heard... I heard him screaming... and Larisa... they hurt her to."
"She's dead, he'll be fine," Anakin deadpanned, in response, he'd never been great at giving news easily. "But, we can't live there anymore. So, we'll be staying in the Temple dorms, until we can find some place else." Luke looked at the ground nodding. He would miss her greatly...
"Come on," Anakin grunted, sitting down in the cockpit, and pulling his son into his lap. "It's a long flight back to Coruscant, so get comfortable." Luke nodded and lay his head against Anakin's chest, listening to the gentle hum of the engine's he was lulled to sleep, feeling very safe once again.
Once they landed back outside the Jedi Temple, Anakin prodded him awake gently.
"Luke," he murmured, raising the roof up. "You need to go talk to Master Yoda, to see where you'll be staying." Luke rubbed his eyes waking up.
"Okay, Dad," he answered and went off to find the old master.
And, while Luke was doing that, Anakin searched for the Force, for his old master. He found Obi-Wan laying on the bed, but he walked right past him, into the small bathroom behind him. He looked slightly strained, and once he was alone again, the adrenaline crashed, and he broke. Leaning heavily against the wall, his eyes screwed shut against the tears flowing from them, sinking down to the floor. His shoulders wracked with sobs. He didn't know what had happened, but...
He'd been late again. Almost too late again. And, that thought was almost too much for him to handle.
He felt strong arms wrap around him a few moments later. The owner of those arms said nothing, they just held him.
"S...sorry..." Anakin managed to choke out, leaning heavily against Obi-Wan, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet. "I'm...I'm so sorry..." The arms only tightened their hold.
'Don't blame yourself. It was not your fault,' Obi-Wan soothed through their link, he didn't trust his voice to speak.
"I'm...I'm tired..." He mumbled miserably. "I'm so tired of being the person to save everyone. Even now...I'm the one...but I can't." His shoulders shook harder in their unhappy grief. "I can't really save anyone!"
'You saved me, twelve times now? And you saved Luke... who knows what they would have done to him if you hadn't...' Anakin could only shake his head, and cough slightly, against his tears.
"I'm not a hero," he stated. "The Force only knows what I'm supposed to be, but I...I suck at being the Hero and the Villain..." These facts were truer than he'd like to admit. "And, I'm tired of trying..." Obi-Wan slapped him, hard. He then brought Anakin's face back towards his and kissed him deeply. The normal taste was mixed with that of their tears as well.
'I'm serious!' Anakin continued, even through the kiss. 'I'm not good at it.'
'I don't care about any of that Anakin... only you being here... knowing you are safe is enough. Forget everything else,' Obi-Wan replied after pulling away. Anakin just stared at him for a moment, before letting out another sob, and completely collapsing against him. He was, in addition to being emotionally tired, completely exhausted. He hadn't slept in so long...Fatigue was making everything look like a bigger deal than it actually was. Putting that with what really was a big deal was a problem.
Obi-Wan continued to hold him until his crying stopped, he could feel Anakin giving into sleep but he didn't want him sleeping here on the bathroom floor.
'Come Anakin, come with me to the bed.' He slowly helped him up and then together they went to the bed. Obi-Wan lay him down before laying beside him, he wrapped his arms around him once more.
"I'm so tired..." Anakin mumbled helplessly, eyes already closed. He didn't even have the energy to have his muscles tensed. He just let his mind shut down, once they were laying down, vaguely amazed by how soft the mattress was.
'Sleep,' Obi-Wan encouraged. But...he already was asleep. It was just a matter of when he'd wake up again, at this point.
To be continued...
Next: The Chosen's Choice