Chapter 25 Trust Between Brothers

When Padme returned to the kitchen, it was in chaos. Her mother was on her knees cleaning up the remains of Luke's breakfast, Leia's breakfast appeared to be on Gemma's head, Gemma was calmly picking pieces of it out her hair and eating them, Gemma's breakfast was in Leia's lap and Boba, also on his knees, was cleaning up the mess. All three children seemed quite pleased with themselves.

"I've only been gone five minutes; what's going on here?" Padme asked as she put her hands on her waist.

"Nothing, dear; we've got it all under control." Jobal assured her. "They were just having a little fun, that's all."

"That's all? This kitchen is a mess, and Gemma is eating food out of her hair." Padme said.

"Oh, honey; I cleaned up worse messes when you and Sola were little." Jobal replied. "Why don't you just take Gemma over to the sink and clean her up."

"Why did you let Leia do this, Boba?" Padme asked as she picked up Gemma and set her on the counter next to the sink.

"It's not my fault; I only turned my back for a second." Boba answered defensively. "And anyway, Gemma thought it was funny."

"Well, I don't; look at this mess." Padme countered. "And then you just let her eat it."

"Relax, Padme, no real harm's been done here; and it wasn't really Boba's fault, Leia…well, she was just copying what Luke did." Jobal replied.

"That's another thing, I thought you were feeding Luke; how did his bowl end up on the floor?" Padme asked, guiding Gemma's head to the water faucet.

"He did it without using his hands, you know, like they were doing with the ball. One moment the bowl was sitting there on his tray and the next, it was on the floor. Leia thought it was funny so she did it too." Jobal explained. "At least when you and Sola were children I didn't have to contend with that."

"I'm sorry, Mom; I forgot to warn you about that. I always have to hold on to their bowls when I feed them. Usually, Anakin and I both take one to prevent this." Padme told her, apologetically.

"That's alright, dear; we handled it." Jobal said. "What about Master Kenobi? Will Anakin be able to help him?"

"I don't know, Mom; he's going to try." Padme replied. "I think I want to contact Master Yoda and see what he thinks about what Anakin is doing."

"What is he doing?" Jobal asked curiously.

"It's too hard for me to explain; he's going to…well, try to reach Obi-Wan through meditation." Padme answered.

"It sounds complicated." Jobal said.

"It is; but Anakin thinks it will work." Padme replied.

"I'm still not sure I understand what happened to him in the first place." Jobal said.

"Don't ask me to explain that, Mother, because I don't even understand it." Padme told her.

"Well, you just run along then, Padme, Boba and I can take care of this; can't we, Boba." Jobal replied.

"Sure, I guess." Boba answered.

"Thanks; I'll be back in a few moments." Padme promised.

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"I know." Yoda answered when Padme repeated what Anakin had told her.

"You do? But I'm worried about Anakin, Master Yoda." Padme replied.

"Worried you should not be, Lady Padme; correct Anakin is to try to reach Obi-Wan in this way." Yoda assured her. "Save his brother he can."

"But won't he be lost too?" Padme asked.

"Lost? No; find his way back he can, bring his brother with him he will." Yoda said. "Let him die, Anakin cannot or blame himself always he will."

"I understand that, Master Yoda; but shouldn't Anakin just wait and let Obi-Wan come out of this on his own?" Padme wondered.

"He cannot, Lady Padme; mired in despair he is over what he might have done." Yoda answered.

"But what can Anakin do about that?" Padme asked.

"Ah, difficult it is to explain the bond between them. Strong they are apart, but stronger when together they are." Yoda replied. "And even stronger yet they will be when finished this is."

"So there's nothing I can do? I shouldn't stop him?" Padme asked.

"No, you must not. Together they must go through this or alone Anakin will be when over it is." Yoda answered.

"Because Obi-Wan will die?" Padme guessed.

"Yes." Yoda replied.

"I will do nothing then, Master Yoda; except wait." Padme said.

"A wise decision." Yoda told her, ending the connection.

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"Very good, Anakin; you are very close now." Qui-Gon told him encouragingly.

"Why the Temple, Qui-Gon?" Anakin asked.

"Obi-Wan feels safe here." Qui-Gon answered.

"Safe. From what he's seen himself do?" Anakin asked.

"Safe from what he knew he would do if you had turned." Qui-Gon explained. "There is a difference, I think."

"So where is he?" Anakin asked.

"What would be your guess, Anakin?" Qui-Gon answered with a question.

"His own quarters?" Anakin asked.

"Yes." Qui-Gon confirmed. "And here we are."

"What should I do now?" Anakin wondered.

"Well, he's there waiting for you; go on in." Qui-Gon instructed.

Anakin touched the door lightly and it slid open; Obi-Wan was sitting in his chair, one hand resting on the arm of the chair and the other stroking his beard.

"Obi-Wan, I'm sorry." Anakin began.

"This isn't your fault, Anakin; if I had trained you better, this nightmare would not even have been a possibility." Obi-Wan said.

"But if you had not trained me as well as you did, this nightmare would have been a reality." Anakin countered.

"If you had turned; I would have fought you and you would have ended up…" Obi-Wan trailed off.

"A monster. But don't you see that I would have already become a monster before we fought? From the moment I would have allowed Palpatine to attack Mace, I would have already started to change." Anakin argued.

"I would have fought you, Anakin." Obi-Wan repeated.

"No, you would have fought what I had become, Darth Vader; not me, Obi-Wan. That's who you would have been fighting; and he would have wanted to kill you." Anakin replied.

"I should have tried to reason with you." Obi-Wan said.

"You did, my brother; but that thing I became in my nightmare wasn't listening to you. I know this already, and now you must accept it as I do." Anakin told him. "Look, Obi-Wan, you can accept what I would have done if I had turned to the Dark Side; why is it so much harder for you to accept what I would have forced you to do?"

"Because if I had been forced to fight you, it would have meant that I had failed in training you. The fact that you even had this nightmare is proof of my failure." Obi-Wan answered.

"Well, I don't see it that way. All I see is that I made the choice I did because of your training." Anakin replied. "You love me even though you've seen what I would have done if Palpatine would have killed Mace; and yet you can't accept what you would have done in that nightmare."

"You're right, I can't." Obi-Wan agreed.

"Then you have to understand that I would have forced you into it; Darth Vader would have forced you." Anakin told him. "You're better than this, Obi-Wan; come on now, Zak needs you, the Order needs you, my children need you…I need you."

Eyes met, and Obi-Wan suddenly realized what Anakin had been trying to tell him, he knew that his brother was right and that Anakin loved him unconditionally.

"And whether you realize it or not, my brother, your love is unconditional, too." Anakin said, as he gleaned Obi-Wan's mind. "I underestimated that love, because I thought you would turn away from me when you actually saw my nightmare; and when you retreated into yourself, that's what I thought you'd done. I didn't trust you; and in that I failed you."

Obi-Wan looked away, "I'm sorry, Anakin." He said softly.

"Don't be; it wasn't your fault. Now, let's do this and get it over with." Anakin replied. "We have more important things to do."

And there it was, a sign that Obi-Wan was finally ready…his warm smile; Anakin smiled back. Without a further word, they stepped through the open doorway together.

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Zak felt it, the first connection he had felt with his master since the previous evening when he and Master Anakin had begun to explore Master Anakin's nightmare. His master was coming back; he just knew it. He pushed down the strong urge to open the door and forced himself to be patient. Master Anakin had told him they were not to be disturbed, and Zak knew that included him. He would wait…impatiently.

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The transition from the calm safety of the Jedi Temple to the hot volcanic environment of Mustafar was instantaneous and these two brothers witnessed again the events as they played out there. Anakin, having seen it so many times in his sleep, could look at again almost passively; but he could feel Obi-Wan's pain as he was forced to watch all over again. "Just remember, my brother; it would not have been me. I would have been gone and only this thing, Vader, would have remained. He would have wanted you dead; remember that." Anakin said. The battle began in the control room…Anakin choking Obi-Wan with his artificial hand…Obi-Wan disengaging the servos driving Anakin's fingers so that Anakin would release him... The Force push that sends them both flying in opposite directions… Anakin's wild swing that destroys the control panel and disables the shield…the fight continuing out onto the catwalk…the destruction of the walkway…. The leap to the tower that in turn is also destroyed by the unshielded flow of lava… Both of them now on droid platforms… "I have failed you, Anakin; I have failed you." "Palpatine is evil." "In my eyes, the Jedi are evil." "Then you are lost!" "It's over for you, master." Obi-Wan leaps to the patch of ground as the platform nears it. "It's over Anakin, I have the high ground." He says. "You underestimate my power." Anakin replies. "Remember this is not me." Anakin told Obi-Wan as he gripped his shoulder. "Don't be a fool, Anakin; don't try it." Obi-Wan pleads. Anakin felt Obi-Wan's pain increase as the Anakin in the vision leaped over Obi-Wan's head. Obi-Wan swings blindly and his arm and legs are severed by Obi-Wan's weapon. He felt Obi-Wan give out a low sob and gripped his shoulder harder. "It's not me; it's not me; it's not me." He said over and over again. "You were the Chosen One. It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them…." "I didn't join them, Obi-Wan; remember, you taught me well. I did not fall." Anakin reminded him. "…you were to bring balance to the Force, not leave it in Darkness!" "I did bring balance, my brother; because of you, I did what was foretold; your teaching helped me." Anakin assured him, gripping his shoulder even tighter. "I hate you!" Anakin screams. "Almost there, Obi-Wan; almost there." Anakin said, still gripping Obi-Wan's shoulder. Obi-Wan felt himself coming up, out of the place he had been hiding….

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"NOOOOOOOO!" The cry reverberated throughout the house, causing Padme's mother to drop the plate she was holding and it smashed into pieces on the floor. Almost immediately, the entire household had converged on the room that Anakin used for meditation. Zak stood firmly in front of the door, "no one goes in there. That's what Master Anakin said, no matter what." He said with authority.

"Let me in, Zak." Padme ordered.

"No." Zak said.

"Zak, we have to know what's going on in there." Ruwee insisted.

"No, you don't. Master Anakin said absolutely no one was to go in until he says it's alright." Zak replied.

"What if Master Skywalker can't come out of there? Let Lady Skywalker in so she can see if he's alright." Boba said.

"It wasn't Master Anakin who cried out. He's fine; and if we stay out, Master Obi-Wan will be too." Zak argued.

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"You were my brother, Anakin, and I loved you." Obi-Wan says sadly after picking up Anakin's discarded lightsaber….then turns and walks away. "Obi-Wan?" Anakin inquired tentatively. "Yes." Obi-Wan answered quietly.

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"Let us in now, Zak; I'm warning you." Boba threatened.

"No, I told you; I can't." Zak maintained.

Boba pushed him against the door and reached for the controls.

"Stop it; I can't let you go in there." Zak said as he struggled to move Boba away.

Padme reached over both of them, hit the button and the door slid open. Zak, who had been shoved against the door in the melee with Boba, fell backward onto the floor; Boba caught himself on the edge of the doorway. Zak rolled over, "I'm sorry, Master Anakin; I tried to keep them out." He said.

"It's alright, Zak; it's all over now." Anakin assured him. "Now, get out, all of you, and give Obi-Wan a little chance to get his bearings back."

"I'm sorry, Anakin; I heard that scream, I thought it was you and that you needed help." Padme told him.

"Well, it wasn't; and I'm fine. And if you leave Obi-Wan alone for a bit, he will be too." Anakin replied. "Now, please; leave us for a while longer."

"Master?" Zak ventured.

"It's alright, Padawan; but please do what Master Anakin asks." Obi-Wan answered hoarsely.

"Yes, Master." Zak replied, relieved to hear his master's voice one again.

He scrambled to his feet and backed out of the room with Padme. She hit the door control and the door slid closed.