I'm back! Whoooo! Oh my gosh, I love you guys! You're all so great!
Thank you Alex for your helpful words. And the same goes to crystalcave! Thank you Sith Anya for your lovely words! And yes I saw 'The Island' and YES, Ewan was VERY hot! xD He's so freakin' adorable, and gah, that smile! Thank you Difinity! I really loved all your words, you don't know how happy they made me!Thank you Anakin's Girl 4eva! Thank you Anakinluver6! Thank you Alchemy Dream! Thank you Padfoot Reincarnated! Thank you Ellie! Thank you White Evergreen! Thank you rlturner79! Thank you all SO much! This goes for my many other reviewers!
I'm so grateful for your praise and it really makes me want to get out there and write my very own novel! Hehe.
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"Beautiful"
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Chapter 5
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"We're almost there." Anakin commented in a quiet and rather placid voice.
Obi-Wan turned his gaze away from the faint gray dot that was the Imperial cruiser, the immense blackness the only thing giving it away from this distance. "Really, Anakin, I thought we were past this. You don't need to hide your feelings from me."
Anakin blinked in obvious surprise, the year of seclusion as a reclusive and dark Lord caused him to forget how easy it really was to read others and be read, especially by Jedi. He also forgot about compassion. "I-I just don't want to seem weak." He stammered, bowing his head.
Obi-Wan sighed. "You say you're not afraid of our mission, yet I sense your fear." He commented a little worriedly. What could his former padawan be so bent out of shape about? Obi-Wan was fairly certain that Anakin's Force power had replenished itself well enough, and even though Anakin's mental barriers were slack, he knew it was because Anakin was very relaxed in his presence. A comfort he did not have around Darth Sidious, most likely.
Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan, the fear now in his eyes. He seemed quiet for a long time as if letting his emotions build until they would spill from his lips whether he wanted them to or not. "I'm afraid of losing you."
Obi-Wan felt something jab sharply at his heart. Anakin was worrying over his safety. "Anakin, you and I both know that I will be fine." He said reassuringly, but Anakin interrupted with haste.
"I know that inside...but things happen...what if...what if.."
"No what ifs, Anakin."
"But-"
"No buts either. Believe in me like I believe in you. If you worry about my safety while we are in battle it will only devert your attention and ultimately get us both killed."
Anakin recoiled in shame. Obi-Wan was right. "I'm sorry."
"You have no need to be sorry. You're dealing with many rapid changes, Anakin, it's only natural that you are apprehensive."
Anakin nodded slowly. "I hope he doesn't detect me." He said, referring to Darth Sidious.
"Just remember your training."
"I know...but there are still things to this date that I've over estimated him for..."
"If he senses us, he senses us." Obi-Wan said with a heavy shrug. "Let us hope the Force will be working in our favor."
Anakin slumped down in his seat, letting out a feral grumble of frustration. Obi-Wan couldn't help but chuckle at this childish display. Though well into his twenties, Anakin still had a tiny bit of growing up to do. His turn to the Dark Side had restricted much of his previous boyish energy. "Come now, Anakin, have a little more faith."
"When has the Force ever been in our favor? Need I remind you of Geonosis, Praesitlyn, Cestus, Neimoidia, and many others?"
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Now you're just being negative, Anakin, good things happened on those planets as well."
Anakin hmphed and shrugged. "If you say so."
Obi-Wan sighed, turning to the controls. "We're almost in range. Stop brooding and help me get past security."
Shooting a glare at Obi-Wan, he sat up and looked over the controls, pointing Obi-Wan towards ones that he could not reach. Soon they were entering the weakness in the Imperial Cruiser's guard, heading for the secondary docking bay, a bay that Anakin knew from experience was not often used, and if it happened to be in use, well, they could solve that easily enough. Right?
Anakin shoved down his fear, swallowing the lump in his throat. He had a foreboding feeling...and he wasn't sure if it had anything to do with Obi-Wan or his own fate. He refused to acknowledge that the vibe was leaning more towards Obi-Wan. He would keep his master safe or die trying. That was that.
"Inputting codes for the perimeter check." Anakin muttered, pushing various buttons on the ship's console. With a hollow sounding whoosh, the little cruiser entered the docking bay from below, the craft letting out a sigh as it parked in an empty space amidst the small hangar. Anakin shared a look with Obi-Wan before both stood and exited the ship via lowered ramp.
Once outside, they saw the coast was clear inside of the hangar. Anakin explained how they'd gotten lucky considering the droid shifts, but there was a droid, or storm trooper, quite possibly, waiting outside of the hangar doors.
"We're heading through the engine room?" Obi-Wan inquired just to be sure.
Anakin nodded, looking over the small room. "We'll just have to deal with that one guard outside and then there is a vent that leads up into the engine room...at least I think so." He said, muttering the last part.
Obi-Wan's brow rose, albeit skeptically, in question, but he wasn't about to concern himself. He'd already come to terms with Anakin and when he said "I think."
"Right." Anakin said, taking a deep breath. "Let's bring back the balance."
Obi-Wan caught Anakin's arm before he started to march off, spinning him around to face him. Anakin looked at him with surprise and confusion. "If there is anything I have ever believed in, anyone, it's you, Anakin. We will come out of this alive."
Anakin gazed deeply into Obi-Wan's sea green eyes. "..vacation...we seriously need a vacation after this."
Obi-Wan grinned that special grin, lightening Anakin's heavy heart. "Gladly. Vacation's on me."
Anakin laughed and Obi-Wan smiled warmly. With vacation in their minds, they hurried to end this nightmare once and for all.
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"Well...that was...easy.." Obi-Wan grunted as he pulled the unconscious clone trooper up into the vents with them. They were considerably wide, wide enough for a man to crouch and walk. He turned to see Anakin leaning cautiously into another tunnel. "What's wrong?" He asked, walking over to Anakin and leaning out.
"Don't!" Anakin snapped, his hand flying out to pull Obi-Wan back into their tunnel as a huge wave of debris shot past nearly taking off Obi-Wan's face. Obi-Wan watched with wide eyes as a piece of garbage blasted by, centimeters from his nose.
He stumbled back with Anakin, the gust rattling them. "You didn't tell me this was a garbage shoot!" He protested, before whipping around, expecting the worst.
Anakin couldn't help but be amused. "Don't worry, Master, this tunnel and few others only exists so the engineers can get to the controls, in case of any problems."
Obi-Wan blinked before grinning slyly. "You called me Master."
Anakin looked a little perplexed before covering it up and shrugging. "You are still a Master, aren't you?"
"Well, considering the Order was obliterated...not technically."
Anakin frowned, squirming uncomfortably. "Do you think the Order can be restored?"
Obi-Wan smiled softly. "Of course."
Anakin smiled back, but without much enthusiasm. Another blast of garbage shot by. "Alright, let's go."
"Wait, what about the garbage?" Obi-Wan asked in alarm.
Anakin smirked. "Run fast."
Obi-Wan's face twisted in indignation, but he had no time to complain as Anakin dashed down the tunnel, and he was forced to follow him. The whole way, he kept chanting rather uncharacteristically, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die."
Anakin veered right suddenly, disappearing. Obi-Wan quickly raced to do the same. It was a good thing this tunnel was larger than the other. A sudden loud clanging filled him with dread, his head lashing over his shoulder to see a black wave tearing towards him. Before he could think, a hand suddenly mashed his head down and he was dragged roughly to the side. Anakin crouched over him as the garbage clattered past. "That was close."
Obi-Wan blew out a breath he'd been holding in. "Well, I forgot how much fun it was with you." He replied in dry humor.
Anakin rolled his eyes this time, and stepped forward, his body bent so he wouldn't hit his head on the ceiling. "Come on, there should be a ladder up ahead that will take us to the engine room."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes, centering himself, before following his former padawan.
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Anakin appeared from the engine room hatch first, getting out, and then leaning down to help Obi-Wan out, who already looked like he'd battled his share of clone troopers.
Anakin looked thoughtful as he gazed around the room which glowed red with energy conserving lights. "Okay...so we need to head this way." He muttered, leading them forward.
Obi-Wan looked down at the grates they walked over, watching through the criss-crossing mesh as pipes interlocked with each other this way and that. He felt that sinister force a split second before a rumbling voice filled the room.
"Lord Vader. You have returned."
Anakin's eyes narrowed. "Why don't you show yourself so I can give you a nice welcome back?" The malice in his voice was not hidden.
Darth Sidious's laugh gurgled around them. "After all I have done for you, you still return to the Jedi." The voice chided.
Obi-Wan's eyes darted to each and every shadowy space amidst the cluttered engine room. The noise from the generators drowned out any chances at hearing foot falls. When voices went silent, Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin and scowled. He looked frozen in place, his eyes misting over, brows twitching. For some reason, his heart started to beat faster. "Anakin." He said, reaching out to touch his old padawan's shoulder only to recoil it sharply as some icy and unseen wall stung him. "Anakin." He tried again, more firmly.
Nothing.
His head turned sharply to regard a black figure that now showed itself, standing some meters down the wide walkway.
"He will be busy for a little while, I have...given him some things to think about." The Sith Lord purred, that wrinkly grin the only thing that could be seen from under the hood of his cloak.
Obi-Wan cursed under his breath, sparing another glance at Anakin who was, indeed, looking spaced out.
"The boy forgets that I know him just as he knows himself."
Obi-Wan grit his teeth, his hand wrapping around the hilt of his light saber. "He will join me in battle soon. You underestimate his will."
Darth Sidious grunted in obvious disagreement. "Haunted, fearful, pained...his will fails under these emotions."
Obi-Wan glared harshly. "He is a stronger person now..."
Darth Sidious seemed to consider that before bringing out his own saber. "Then I better dispose of you swiftly."
"You will try." He hissed, before running forward to meet the Sith Lord, their blades clashing heatedly. Obi-Wan's blue blade blurred with each countering swing, and twirl, Sidious's blade doing the same. The fighting was incredibly intense, the movements of the two barely conceivable with the human eye.
Meanwhile, Anakin was trapped in a room with millions of dead stars surrounding him. Cold clumps filled an endless void. All of these failed, floating rocks representing a person he could not save, a person he'd killed. So many filled the space around him and they were closing in, whispering to him in voices of agony and betrayal.
No, please...I'm sorry. I'm sorry. He gasped out, feeling as if the breath was steadily being emptied from his lungs. Please forgive me.. He pleaded.
You are forgiven...
Suddenly the room went away and his vision was coming back to him. Light tainted red, two figures battling each other with quick and lethal motions. It clicked a second too late. Obi-Wan!
Obi-Wan's saber was cut just below it's emitted blade, severing the light and leaving him weaponless. He watched in grim horror as Sidious lifted his blade...and extinguished it. A mad glint sparked in his eyes before his hand thrust from his robes. "I will kill you quickly, but it shall be most excrutiating." He said with bubbling mirth.
Obi-Wan barely had time to gather the Force around himself as lightning crackled from the Sith Lord's fingers and wrapped around his entire body. Indeed, the pain was very excrutiating.
Anakin's mouth opened, uttering some wordless sound at his former master's suffering scream, his body writhing where it stood.
It happened in mere seconds, and then everything was quiet. Everything except for him.
"NO!" He howled as Obi-Wan slowly and wearily fell to the metal floor. His back hit the grates with a defining thud, and Anakin found himself on his knees beside his old master in seconds. "Nooo!" Anakin keened, his cry doused in heart-wrenching sorrow. "You can't leave me!" He wailed, lifting his companion's head, and cradling it in his arms. His shoulders shook heavily when Obi-Wan did not even lift an eyelash. He remained still, not even bothering to impart Anakin with any last words.
"Please." He whispered, tears falling from his eyes where they settled on his former master's tunic, the creamy tan fabric soaking them up, but soon too many fell and the drops formed a tiny stream. "Wake up...wake up. I need you..." He continued to speak, rocking back and forth in a manner that was slow, but filled with hysteria. Anakin was losing grip on everything. When he attempted to flail for an image of his children, he could see none, only Obi-Wan's peaceful features. This was all his fault.
Sobbing deeply, he set Obi-Wan's head down, backing away a few centimeters where he would hunch over, shaking his head. His hands were pressed to his forehead, rolled into tight balls, blood squeezing from the crevices of his human fingers, his mechanical ones crunching faintly. "You can't take him away! You can't!" He screamed, choking out these words amidst catching breaths. He could feel the Force and he felt sick, he wanted it to leave him entirely.
"...it was foolish to think you could defeat me...Anakin." Darth Sidious said with disdain, his voice dripping with empathetic charm. "Stop this now, and return to me. I will not punish you. Obi-Wan bestowed you with knowledge of the other Jedi's whereabouts, did he not? Together, we can finally destroy them. Come with me, and I will make the pain go away." He soothed, his steps almost snake-like as he came closer. His cloak was ripped from a clean, but harmless swipe Obi-Wan had landed, his hood down, his wrinkly visage filled with triumphant cunning. His demonic eyes sparked with savage lightning.
Anakin's sobs had stopped, his huddled form as still and desolate as a winter night. "..."
"What was that?" The Sith Lord asked, all smiles as he stepped closer to Anakin.
Anakin's head lifted instantly, his eyes burning hot, blue flames. "This is the end!" He snapped, his lightsaber, which he had retreived from Obi-Wan's waist, out in a mere half-second, the red blade blazing toward Sidious' middle.
"Hah!" Darth Sidious scoffed, his own red blade countering Anakin's expectantly. "You have set your fate! You will die with all the other foolish Jedi!"
"It's a better fate than dying a bitter, used vessel!" He roared, his blade singing without pause. In the dark red of the room, those blue eyes stood out brillantly, boring into the Sith Lord determinedly.
Anakin brought his Sith blade down in an over-hand chop, smashing relentlessly at Sidious's own glowing saber, and though he looked calm enough, Anakin could tell, see the hints, that Obi-Wan had done a good job of wearing the Sith Lord down, if not a little. The thought of Obi-Wan brought new strength to him, inconceivable strength; he found himself overwhelmed by the strange set of emotions his former master's death brought in him, the deepest well of sorrow, a sorrow so strong that it threatened to smash him in hurriance waves, the pressure ready to decimate every cell in his body. Just as this sorrow had reached it's peak, it veered off into a righteousness so furious he could not believe it. How could he even have the audacity to stand and do battle?
He fought this man for Obi-Wan. Lived on, if not for this one purpose, to destroy the man who had ended a great Jedi's life. Again, the Sith Lord had led him to the death of another person so dear to him words could never express. Anakin thought his life was over, that it was all over. Obi-Wan was dead...
He grit his teeth, sucking in a sob, still hacking and hacking at the man who had slowly and meticulously killed everything he had ever loved, everything that had made him the man he was today. The man he was now. Not the angry, power-hungry fiend of a man, but the loving, caring, compassionate soul that defined all that he truly was.
Darth Sidious was a genius, an utter abomination, and he had done a grand job of messing Anakin up, warping him...taking that burning sun inside of himself and using it for his own purposes. He had poisoned him subtly over all those years of feinted friendship. That sun had been the burning fire inside of himself to do good, to capture the dreams a poor slave boy so desperately wished to fulfill. Anakin had wanted to be a hero, be something so completely grand that Shmi's proud smile would burst from the heavens like the light breaking from a mass of dark, ominous clouds.
But he was not a hero...he was a failure...could he truly be blamed? He'd gone through so much. It was a wonder he could take any of it...and now...Obi-Wan.
"Ahh!" Anakin hollered, pain dripping all over that broken cry. He did not tire, he only fought. Fought and fought, strove and strove to end this man's despicable reign.
Sidious began to look rather worried, his lips sagging deeply in an angry scowl. He could not let this boy win! The death of his master had not pushed him back to the Dark Side...no...it had only reenforced his desire to end the Sith Lord's dreams and save millions of future people the pain of their deaths. Sidious wondered if Obi-Wan had been killed back in the battle over Coruscant with General Grievious would Anakin have turned into this same virtuous hammer?
Meters from the fight, where the body of Obi-Wan lay, the significant twitch of a finger was missed by the two shrouded in torrid, white-hot battle. And with a sudden intake of breath, the Jedi Master rose, his chest rising and falling rapidly, panicked lungs working wildly to retreive much needed oxygen. Obi-Wan gasped heavily, his left hand clutching at his heart which beat painfully inside of his chest.
Looking around with wide eyes, he spotted Anakin and the Sith Lord working their way down the branching walkway, sabers merely a constant and turbulent blur. His head felt like it was going to explode, and though he could not move, he was glad to take the time of his immobility to thank the Force. If he hadn't grabbed a hold of the last of his reserves...well...let's just say he'd be having a much longer talk with his master, Qui-Gon. A talk that would last an eternity.
Patting at the ground spastically, he tried to locate his lightsaber before the dull rememberance of its fate returned to him. He had no saber...he could do no good. Anakin would have to win this by himself...
Obi-Wan wanted to call out, to tell Anakin was he was all right, but he knew that doing so would very well get his former padawan killed. Pain shed from Anakin in pools, but there was also justice in these floods of emotion. There was peace.
The Jedi Master could only watch in awe as the Chosen One drove the Sith Lord back more and more, his sheer will something Darth Sidious could never hold a candle to.
Anakin found a final break in Sidious' guard, and with the monumental raise of his saber, he swiftly sent it sinking deep into the Sith Lord's shoulder, burning ravenously all the way to his waist.
Darth Sidious let out a reeling howl of misery as he shuddered and slumped in a dead heap.
Anakin stood over this sad pile, his chest rising and falling second for second. He stared and stared at the man he'd taken comfort in once, unable to believe that he was finally dead. Finally diminished.
It was then that the sobs took him once more. He dropped his saber, his hands cupping his face, body bent obtusely from where he stood, swimming in the fresh sorrow of remembrance.
"Anakin..."
Anakin's head shot up in alarm, his glistening blue eyes landing on Obi-Wan who stood not but three meters away, his right arm wrapped around his waist to keep himself from buckling. "...wha..." He stuttered, his heart frozen in cautious hope, but also fear that this was merely an illusion conjured to soften the agony of his loss. "Obi..."
Obi-Wan offered him a weak smile, the best he could give in his state, before his brows furrowed in discomfort and he fell forward.
Anakin was on his knees in front of his master, there to catch him in his arms, hugging him close, sob-filled laughter shaking his form.
Obi-Wan sighed gently, returning the hug feebly, though he wished he could do so with much more fervor.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you..." Anakin chanted softly as he held onto Obi-Wan as tight as he felt reasonable. He didn't want to hurt his master anymore than he already was.
"..thank you.."
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TBC...
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Whoooo! Was that crazy or what? xD Oh man, I have to say I really loved making this chapter. So many different ideas came to me, but I just let my fingers type and the story formed itself, and rather good I might add.
I reallllyy hope you guys liked this chapter, and boy I cried a few times in the process of making it! xD I was making myself cry, but hey, I guess that's what make a good writer, to express their emotions and actually feel them as they go. Which I love to do. Emotional stories are my life.
Thank you for reading, I look forward to your reviews!
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I'm also thinking about writing another Star Wars fic after this.
The basic summary is: Qui-Gon lives through Phanton Menace and takes up training Anakin, while he dumps Obi-Wan off onto the Jedi Trials. And though he passes, Obi-Wan is bitter about Qui-Gon's new attachment to Anakin. He's jealous, and inside, he doesn't feel like he was ready to be free of his padawan rank. So he grows dark and distant with anger...and from there I'm going to turn it into a Siri/Obi-Wan fic. Tell me what ya' think. ;)
-Aryll