A/N: I meant to say this during my last post but forgot. I know that my characterization of Obi-Wan in chapter 10 could be controversial. I don't want him to be too out of character, but I do intend to develop him in a way that is meaningful and will carry on into the sequels. I can't say how or why; the only clue I can give is the title of the chapter (The Temptation of Obi-Wan Kenobi). The "temptation" that I speak of is NOT his crush on Mon Mothma specifically, though the crush is related to the "temptation". My point is, his thoughts and actions in this story all have a reason that will be more apparent as we get to the sequels.
Chapter 12-More to the Force
Ghosts have always been a part of Palpatine's life. He did not know whether they were real or imagined. He did not care, either. They were real enough to him. The billions who had died violent deaths because of him, never able to find peace. Their numbers increased by the day, by the second. His father was there, looming in the shadows. His old apprentices, Maul and Dooku, their eyes staring at him with all the hatred of the Dark Side. Dead Jedi, Senators, politicians, soldiers, civilians, they all wanted a chance at revenge against the source of all their misery.
The legions of ghosts pounded at Palpatine's shroud every second of the day, trying to penetrate into his sanctuary. Let the try. The further they go, the more darkness they will find. The dark shroud of Darth Sidious was impregnable not because of its strength, but because of its darkness. Even the greatest of the Jedi were not able to see through it.
The ghosts never relented, though. Not for a moment. Sometimes it took all of Palpatine's willpower to keep his shroud up, and to keep the ghosts out. He rarely slept anymore, and when he did sleep he dreamt of the ghosts. But his shroud was darker than ever, fed by the anguish that he unleashed into the universe, living or dead. Darth Sidious was confident. The ghosts, the billions of haunted faces that would hunt him relentlessly for eternity, would never win. Their attempts to break through fed the very wall that kept them out.
Palpatine piloted his stealth cruiser towards the Protector. He paid scant attention to the battle going on before him. It was an insignificant event in the long run. What mattered now was the boy that was currently sleeping onboard the Alliance flagship.
He felt the presence of the Chosen One immediately, before he had even emerged from hyperspace. This was an interesting turn of events for Palpatine; he had not expected Skywalker to arrive on the scene so soon. And he had company too. A certain Senator. Darth Sidious smiled to himself as he reversed course on his ship. Yes, he would have patience. Another hour wouldn't hurt. Not in the long run. And until then, more ghosts would join the darkness outside his shroud.
She wandered through the corridors of the strange ship for what seemed like hours before she found Owen. He was sitting silently besides the closed bacta tank that held the remains of his slain father. Owen had not said a word to anyone since that night on Utapau short of a few curses aimed at the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Beru's own grief for the loss of her father-in-law was now starting to become overshadowed by concern for her husband's mental state.
Beru carefully lowered herself by her husband and put her arms around her. She didn't make any attempts to start conversation; if Owen wanted to talk she'd let him speak first.
"The Jedi says he's one with the Force now." Owen did not bother to acknowledge Obi-Wan's name. "I don't understand how the Force could let something like this happen."
"It wasn't the Force, maybe," replied Beru tentatively. "He was killed by that Sith, who uses the Dark Side. I think that the Dark Side is different from the Force."
"It's all the same damned thing. It killed my father, it killed Shmi, and I never even knew my real mother."
"I'm still here, Owen. I'll always be here with you."
Owen held his wife tightly, still not having forgiven the forces that be.
"It's ridiculous," he finally said. "These Jedi and Sith. They fight their holy wars, and we suffer their casualties. They act like they are the only ones that matter in this galaxy. To them we're nothing more than a bunch of props."
"We're fighting for a good cause, I'd like to think. I don't want to believe that Cliegg died for no reason." Beru wanted to argue further, but her knowledge of the mystical forces was limited. She had never been much of a debater in her short life.
"Not for a reason that matters to us. You really think the Empire would care about us if it weren't for that Jedi?"
"They would if Luke was with us."
She made her point. As much as her husband despised all things Jedi, he had really taken to the boy in the past year, and like her, saw him as their own child. Beru marveled at how special Luke Skywalker was to them, how he had changed their lives; how he was both a blessing and a curse.
"The Skywalkers are back." She finally brought up the subject that was troubling her even more than Cliegg's recent death. "Owen, I don't want to give Luke back to them." Owen squeezed her shoulder in agreement. "He's as much our child as he is theirs. They weren't up during all the hours of the night taking care of him."
"He's all we have left."
Husband and wife sat with uncertainty in the small room, unsure of whether the mysterious Force was going to finally grant them some happiness, or whether it would brush them aside without even the courtesy of significance.
Anakin liked being a hero again. As he and Padme boarded the Protector he treated every step he took as a lavish victory parade. Other soldiers openly gawked at the couple. The Jedi and the Senator who dared to love, the Hero With no Fear and the famed politician from Naboo, fighting on their side. The greatest pilot and warrior to ever live, who saved a planet when he was nine, who maintained the Galaxy's spirits during the Clone Wars, and the soon-to-be savior of all that is good and righteous against the dark deeds of the Empire. The beautiful Queen who had fought to protect her planet from invaders, who dared to defy and resist her fellow Nubian the Emperor, and whose mere presence assured the Alliance of the pureness of their intentions and beliefs. Few outside the inner circle of the Alliance knew of Anakin's turn, and they kept their mouths shut. It would not do wonders for morale if the fighters knew that Anakin had once served the Emperor as an apprentice, and more importantly, that the great hero was indeed human and consequently humanly vulnerable.
As the procession made its way to the bridge of the ship they found themselves before the de facto leaders of the rebellion, the former Senator Mon Mothma, the courageous and pure-hearted political leader, and the great General Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was a hero from the Clone Wars with extraordinary powers, but more importantly, he was the best friend of Anakin Skywalker. His greatness came from his association with his friend.
Padme greeted her fellow Senator with quiet reserve. Though she respected Senator Mothma for her conviction and beliefs, the two of them had never had more than a professional relationship. Padme personally found her disquieting; Mothma's often cold demeanor reminded her of herself before she met Anakin again, a part of her life and personality that had gone the way of the Old Republic.
A much warmer hug she had saved for her dear old friend Sabe, standing at Mon Mothma's side. She had been concerned for her former handmaiden and decoy in the days following her abdication of the throne; Sabe had lingered from place to place without a cause, and Padme was proud to see that she had finally found a worthy direction for her life.
Master and Padawan approached each other cautiously. Obi-Wan was the first to extend his arms.
"Welcome to the war, Padawan," he said as he hugged his friend. "You picked just the right time to join it."
"I'm picking the right time to win it, Master," Anakin said cockily as he withdrew from the embrace.
"Still with the arrogance, Anakin." The two of them began to saunter away from the politicians gathered in the center of the room.
"This time the arrogance comes with wisdom and vision."
"Really? Are you sure that your newfound wisdom isn't the taint of the Dark Side." Obi-Wan still remembered Anakin boasting about his newfound powers on a planet named Mustafar.
Anakin looked at his mentor with what almost looked like pity. "Someday, Master, you will learn that there is more to the Force than just the Jedi."
Obi-Wan wanted to object, but he noted with curiosity the way Anakin had spoken. His voice lacked any rebelliousness, but instead was brimming with certainly and resolve.
Seeing Obi-Wan speechless, Anakin continued: "You know, beneath these Jedi and Sith veneers, we are all humans and sentient beings."
Obi-Wan sighed. "I remember Qui-Gon telling me something like that. He was lecturing about the living force, I think."
Anakin was about to tell him about his recent encounter with Qui-Gon but he decided against it. He suspected Obi-Wan might still resent the fact that the Jedi spirit had visited Anakin and not him. "He was wiser than us all, in my opinion. If only we had heeded his words earlier."
It was unintentional, but that comment struck a blow to Obi-Wan. Memories of the duel on Naboo replayed itself. Obi-Wan wondered where he went wrong in the years afterwards and marveled at how despite his mistakes and failures in training Anakin, looking at him now was a startling reminder of his old Master. Anakin had always been a maverick, but now his unorthodox views were truly accompanied by knowledge and a maturity that Obi-Wan himself wondered if he would ever achieve.
Anakin sensed the discomfort in Obi-Wan and decided to change the subject. "Sidious has found another apprentice. I just faced him on Korriban."
"I know. Padawan Grello. He attacked our base on Utapau. He killed Cliegg Lars."
An eerie feeling all too familiar to him bit at the heels of Anakin's soul. He kicked it away. "How are Owen and Beru doing?"
"Owen: hostile. Beru follows her husband's lead. Neither one of them has spoken a word to me since the attack."
"I will see to it that he is honored for his sacrifice," Anakin said with determination. He then realized another facet of this new revelation. "How did they know you were on Utapau?"
"I am to blame for that, I'm afraid. Our escape from Tatooine was all too easy. I don't know how, but the Empire let us go on purpose and then somehow tracked us to the base on Utapau. Apparently the Emperor sent Grello to find your son." Obi-Wan looked Anakin in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Anakin. I let you down."
Anakin fought the fear and anger that was starting to broil in his heart and won the battle for the moment. "It wasn't your fault, Obi-Wan. You did the best you could. Besides, that's in the past. We have plenty of problems we have to focus on right now." Anakin turned and walked towards Padme. Obi-Wan followed him step for step.
Padme saw her husband approached and eagerly ran towards him. "Anakin, I was just going to look for you. Let's visit Luke. We haven't seen him in a year now, you know." She was surprised that Anakin did not share her excitement. The gleeful war hero from just a few minutes ago had disappeared. She soon learned why.
"Padme, we need to get you and Luke out of here. They attacked Utapau and tried to take Luke. They know he's alive."
"I believe the safest place for you and your son would be Dagobah," interjected Obi-Wan. "Master Yoda will be able to protect you if it comes to that, but I doubt that the Emperor will know of your location. Like Korriban, it is a planet of darkness. Thus the perfect place for you to hide."
Padme didn't particularly like the idea. She had just come out of hiding, and now she had to do so again. The end of this whole conflict had seemed so close when they had left Korriban. Perhaps it still was, but perhaps both her and Anakin were fooling themselves by underestimating Palpatine. "Anakin, I don't want to hide again. And I don't need to. You're here. I know you will protect me." She drew him aside to shield their conversation from the other people in the room.
"I'm afraid I can't promise that. I will have to fight in this battle. What if I die?"
"Anakin, you won't."
"But I could. Either way, there is a chance that we could lose this battle. If you stay on this ship, you and Luke might be killed. And I can't even imagine what would happen if Palpatine knows that Luke's here." Seeing his wife's hesitation he added, "I'm sure Obi-Wan would be able to take good care of you."
Upon hearing his name Obi-Wan interrupted the couple. "Anakin, I'm not sure if I can accompany your family to Dagobah. I, like you, have a duty to fight here in this battle."
"No, that is unacceptable." The anger was back. All of his emotions centered around his family now, and he would not let any harm come to them. "Obi-Wan, if you don't go with them, then I will."
"But we need you here," pleaded Obi-Wan. It was surprising to him how Anakin's mood could shift by the second with barely any transition from wise sage to stubborn child.
Anakin sensed his master's thoughts. "You're wrong. I'm not a child. I'm a husband and a father, and my family needs you. I can't send Padme and Luke out there by themselves. They'll be helpless."
Padme interrupted both of them. "Look, I'm sure I can take care of myself. After all, it's just a trip through hyperspace, right? And once I arrive on Dagobah Master Yoda would be able to protect me." Anakin didn't get a chance to say a word as Obi-Wan finally came up with a compromise.
"Anakin, remember F'ibo Jek?"
Anakin searched his memories. F'ibo was a T'wilek, a recently knighted Jedi during the last days of the Clone Wars. Anakin had not known her well, but she had a good reputation as a warrior. She had been involved in the battle at Rodia when Order 66 had been issued. "Yes, I do. What about her?"
"She survived the Purge, barely. Apparently the Alliance just recently found her clinging to life on one of Rodia's moons. I just found this out." Obi-Wan remembered how relieved he had been, knowing that he was no longer the last of the Jedi. "She's recovered since then and is here fighting with the rest of us. I can ask her to escort Luke and Padme. You've sparred with her before, right?"
"Yes I have." Anakin recalled that she had surprisingly feisty and he had to work harder than usual to dispatch of her. He knew where Obi-Wan was going with this train of thought and looked at Padme. She gave him her approval with her eyes.
"I'm sure she will take good care of your family," continued Obi-Wan, oblivious to the silent exchange between the two. "They will be safe, unless the Emperor himself goes after them, of course."
Thank you to all who have read this far. I hope you are enjoying this story. As this episode is winding down I am going to share with you a few previews/teasers that will be in the aforementioned sequels:
...Anakin faces an entire droid army by himself on the Icy planet of Hoth...
...The second and final Jedi Purge...
...The Death Star looming menacingly over the planet of Naboo...
...and the final duel that will determine the fate of the Galaxy...