Disclaimer: Star Wars is not my creation.

Notes- dreams

/Exile's voice/

/force communication/

'personal thoughts'

Chapter Eight- Learning to Stand

Pain filled his already scorched mind. Obi-wan felt dead, after all, he had to be dead. His thoughts flickered back to that moment, the anguish of having life siphoned from his body. The pain of all those on Utapau were carried and amplified through the Force. He welcomed the unfamiliar silence, though he had paid a price to receive it. The cost his hazed mind could not recall.

A form of consciousness played with Obi-wan's senses. It was an illusive prey, and just as soon as he was sure that he could grasp it, the consciousness would move beyond his reach and understanding.

Obi-wan felt a familiar presence, and he strained to reach it, but as with the consciousness, it slipped away. He felt his knees kneeling against a hard surface. Cautiously, his eyes opened. Obi-wan took in his surroundings. He knew he was dead, no place could possibly look like this. Grey clouds twisted around him obscuring everything. The presence became stronger, and Obi-wan forced his eyes to find it among the smoke.

"I know you," his rusty voice echoed. No answer was given. "Why do you hide?" Frustration gnawed at him. "Please."

A faint blue glow glimmered softly behind Obi-wan. He strove to turn but the pain was too great. He fell hard to the ground. Turning his head, so one cheek rested upon the ground, he finally saw her. She peered sadly down upon his form.

"You were in my dreams." Obi-wan stated calmly.

"Yes."

"I am dead."

"No, this is your mind. You are trapped within it."

Understanding dawned on Obi-wan. "I do not want to leave. There is nothing in the present." The ground suddenly felt more inviting then it had before. He wished to melt into it.

"You cannot stay inside yourself. You have to stand to get above the pain of Utapau, until then it will continue to crush you beneath its weight."

Obi-wan's eyes blinked at the name of the planet. "It is too painful. You are asking for the impossible."

"It has been done before." The exile knelt beside him. "I was once where you are now. I rose above Malachor V. Now it is your turn."

Slowly, Obi-wan's hands pushing upward against the ground placed his knees under him again. He felt the gravity of what had occurred on Utapau pushing down upon him.

"I can't feel the Force." A childish voice escaped from his lips. Fear suddenly clenched his heart, as he remembered the cost.

"In time you will feel the Force again, and in time the echoes will heal. But now you must stand."

"Why?"
"You will be needed. Obi-wan, you will be a key factor in this war against the Sith."

"Why me?"

A sad smile crossed her beautiful face. "You had the misfortune of being sent to Utapau."

"But you knew I was going to be sent there." Suspicion filled Obi-wan.

"Yes, that is why I prepared you. We are connected, you and I, through blood." She stopped his questions by raising her hand. "The connection is far in the past. Thus I was able to give you pieces of my past."

"The ending of the dreams were you behind those?"

"No, the pain and silence was your mind's own talent for foreseeing the future… a changed future. This is not how it was meant to be played, but the results will be the same, complete and utter darkness."

Obi-wan struggled to rise, but once again he stumbled. "What part do I play?"

"That will be revealed in its own time; even I can not see the full extent. But the Republic will finally die. It has been a long death."

Obi-wan's eyes widened. "There must be someway to stop this!"

"Sometimes, one must let go. Out of death, numerous happenings occur, including rebirth. You are going through your own rebirth. I will not lie, the road you are on will be hard, and at times it will feel as if you are being crushed by the sheer weight of the task placed before you."

"I don't want this… I should have died on Utapau."

"Then why did you listen to me?"

"I don't know."

"I think you do. The answer will become clearer in time."

Obi-wan remained silent. He gazed through the murky surroundings of his mind, once more. He was startled to see that a bond had formed. 'But with whom? I felt all the bonds I shared shatter when I let go.'

Kora's eyes followed Obi-wan's to the bond. "That, Obi-wan, is Ravelin. She will be your focusing crystal to the force."

Obi-wan's brow creased. "I can feel it, but it is like it is coming over a great distance…"

He crawled to where the bond was and felt it. Obi-wan could feel her thoughts, her emotions. Without thinking, he grabbed on to the bond and began to stand. The screams of Utapau filled his mind, but finally he was above them. Consciousness flooded him. Even so, he heard her words.

/I will always be there./

Obi-wan felt as if he had been run over by something huge. With effort, he opened his tired blue eyes. The bright light in the room stung at his retinas. Slowly, his eyes adjusted and he searched the room. In a chair positioned beside Obi-wan's bed sat Qui-Gon. His former master eyes were elsewhere, and he did not see that Obi-wan was awake.

"You look horrible." Obi-wan watched with amusement as Qui-Gon jumped nearly off his seat.

"You are one to talk." Qui-Gon retorted with a critical eye scanning over Obi-wan's appearance. "How do you feel?"

"Fine."

"Fine? That is all you have to say? You nearly died."

Obi-wan smiled painfully. "The truth is I feel like I was hit by a group of speeders."

Qui-Gon smiled. "Serves you right, pulling such a stunt. Just promise me you will never do that again!"

Nauseated, Ravelin turned her head so her cheek rested on the white pillow. In the background, she could hear HK-47 threatening a healer, who he thought might attempt to end his master's life. Ravelin sighed into the pillow. It was like the droid to see everything as a threat. She highly doubted that he was truly concerned about her life; after all, she was capable of defending herself. The answer in her mind was quite simple. 'He likes killing things. I think that is why he likes me best. Wherever I go, matters tend to go bad and end in violence.'

Another familiar voice filtered into her tired mind. It sounded like Sabia's voice. 'It could be her. She wasn't that far behind me.' Footsteps approached her bed. Still Ravelin did not attempt to open her eyes.

"How are you feeling, General?" Ravelin smiled at the use of her nickname.

"I've had better days, Commodore."

A seat was pulled toward the bed. "You fought Detritus, how did that go?"

"Once again, he has eluded me. Nebulous will not be pleased with the news that Detritus brings him. I almost feel sorry for Detritus."

"Your famed sarcasm strikes again. At least now, I know you are well."

"Ha-ha. I am bound to him," Ravelin whispered suddenly.

"So I have heard. You really should have rested, before going before the council."

"I had no knowing that he would grasp the bond so."

"Are you thinking of having it removed?"

Ravelin finally opened her eyes. They gazed intently at her friend. "That frankly cannot be done. Through me, he can feel the Force. Besides he has no connections to the Force, so the bond cannot safely be severed, if at all."

"Seems like you're stuck, General."

Ravelin looked thoughtful. "I can think of worse people to be attached to."

"Still it must be hard, after you lost-." Sabia stopped when she witnessed the look her friend threw in her direction. "I'm sorry, Rave-."

"No, there will be no apologies. That is in the past." Ravelin swiftly changed the subject. "Are Ciara and Oran here?"

"Yes, they felt it would be best if you did not have too much company. You need your rest."

"I'm fine… just a little out of balance."

"It will take time." Sabia continued. "I'm going to leave you to rest."

Ravelin saluted her friend. "Until next time, Commodore."

Detritus, filled with hatred, glared at Nebulous. The 'master's' eyes held the same loathing.

"You failed. You have ruined everything!" Nebulous screamed at his apprentice.

"Would you have me kill Ravelin, and have Morana on us?"

"I should kill you for your incompetence!"

Detritus's red blade suddenly left his holder. He glared in disgust at the man before him. He, however, was taken aback when Nebulous began to laugh. The laughter carried through the icy air.

"You dare pull your weapon on me?" Nebulous's eyes blazed with an unholy light. "You are a fool."

Anger led Detritus's strokes as he vainly sought to destroy his master. Nebulous leapt out of his raging apprentice's way, pulling his own blade. Together the two parried the others strokes, but to no advantage. Detritus force leapt behind his master, but Nebulous was too quick to face him. Their blades crossed, bathing their masks in claret light. The light was an existent mark of their hatred for the other. The lords competed to see who would be the first to withdraw for the lightsaber lock. Detritus found his arms slowly buckling, and he retreated down the bridge of the star destroyer. Nebulous followed on his heels. The apprentice dived off the main walk into the lower section that housed the computer consoles. He waved his lightsaber defiantly, challenging Nebulous to follow him.

With a shriek, Nebulous dived after his apprentice. The slaves working the controls quickly moved to avoid the rampaging Sith. Nebulous haughtily did a spiral flip, landing to the rear of Detritus. Detritus dodged the blow that would have separated his head from his shoulders.

Detritus had the sinking suspicion once that Nebulous was leading him on, but even this thought did not deter his resolve. Nebulous's lightsaber spun rapidly. Detritus's guard slipped, and it did not take long for Nebulous to exploit the weakness. Pain ripped through Detritus, as his arm was severed from his body. He was forced into a bowing position before Nebulous.

Nebulous placed his blade close to Detritus's throat. The Sith master's eyes still burned.

"I would kill you now, my 'apprentice', if I still did not have uses for you." Nebulous glared down at the wounded Sith Lord. "Clean yourself and then go rid us of the thorns on Mustafar. I will, personally, deal with those on Coruscant."

Author's Note: Continuing the tradition of 'Sever Wars'... lol. No, seriously, in every movie some limb gets severed, though in Darth Maul's case it was the other half of his body. Well, as the chapters progress, events are going to heat up... warning there will be much violence. HK-47- Joyous remark: Finally, Master, you see things the way they should be... with much killing!