Chapter 2

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Jedi, as a rule, rarely celebrated birthdays. Obi-Wan had always done little things for Anakin on his birthdays, carried out small rituals the child had brought from Tatooine.

Obi-Wan was no longer a Jedi, but had kept most of the customs he'd developed over the years. On the twins' tenth birthday, neither of them expected gifts.

Even former Jedi can change their habits, sometimes.

When Luke woke that morning, he was surprised to find Obi-Wan already awake. A bowl of cereal was set down at each of their typical places. All that was needed was milk.

"Good morning, Luke," Obi-Wan said, smiling at him through tired eyes. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh-huh," Luke confirmed, pouring a stream of milk onto his cereal.

"Is your sister awake yet?"

"I don't know. I don't think so," Luke replied.

"Ah. Well, when she does wake up, I have something for you both," Obi-Wan told him, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Luke stared at his guardian for a moment, mouth hanging open. Naturally, he then proceeded to set a record with how fast he ate his cereal and woke Leia.

Leia was still yawning as her brother tugged her into the kitchen ten minutes later. She sat down by her bowl of cereal and laid her head on her arms, closing her eyes.

Luke poked her. "Leia, hurry up. Eat. Slowpoke. Don't you want to see what we got?"

"Mmm…I'm tired…leave me alone…"

"Luke, leave your sister alone," Obi-Wan commanded. "I'll just bring it in here."

Luke glared at Obi-Wan's retreating back, and didn't say anything.

"Wake up, Leia," Luke told his sister, annoyed. "Come on."

"Didn't get much sleep last night. Tired."

Giving up, Luke stood and waited for Obi-Wan.

He didn't have long to wait. Obi-Wan returned from his bedroom minutes later, holding two small packages and with a small bag slung around his shoulder. "Alright," he said, "Here they are."

Luke tugged his from Obi-Wan's hands and ripped the brown paper from it. "Um, neat," he said, rather unenthusiastically, his face falling as he examined his gift. "What is it?"

Obi-Wan laughed and gently pulled it from his charge's hands. "It's a commlink," he said, fiddling with a few knobs along the side. "You talk into it and and the person on the other end can hear you, no matter how far away they are."

Luke perked up slightly. "That's pretty cool. Does that mean Leia and I don't have to go with you to Mos Eisley any more?"

"That's why I got them," Obi-Wan said, "I know how much you hate going with me."

"I don't hate going with you," Leia said suddenly, standing and ambling towards her brother and Obi-Wan. "Can I see mine?"

Obi-Wan handed the second package to her, and she carefully peeled away the tape and unfolded the paper. "Thanks," she said, sending him a genuine smile. "Do you have one too?"

"Yes, I do. Hand me your so I can set the frequency to match mine."

Leia complied, and after a few seconds, Obi-Wan handed it back to her.

Luke had been sitting down on the clay floor examining his commlink. Suddenly, he turned to Obi-Wan. "Who did you talk to on yours before you got us some?" he asked hurriedly.

"No one in particular," Obi-Wan said lightly.

Leia glanced over her shoulder at her brother with widened eyes. "Shut up," she mouthed. He rolled his eyes, but complied.

"What's in the bag?" Luke asked, partly to annoy Leia.

"That's the other part of your present," Obi-Wan told them. "I've bought a holovision. You can watch things on it—people and stories and things like that. I think you'll find it interesting."

He pulled it out and flicked it on, placing it on a table. "There. You're all set up for the day now. I have to go in for supplies now."

"What?" Leia asked, startled, "Already? But it's our birthday!"

"I know," Obi-Wan said apologetically, "And I'm sorry. But we really do need more supplies. You two are getting old enough to be home alone for a while. Just make sure to lock the doors and windows. You can watch holovision or something."

Leia looked downcast. "Okay," she said reluctantly.

"I don't know if I'll make it home tonight," Obi-Wan said, "But if you ever need me, you can get hold of me."

Leia threw her arms around him. "Be home soon please."

Luke mimed throwing-up just behind them.

And then he was gone.

For the last ten years, Darth Vader had relayed every piece of intelligence he received in any way, shape, or form directly to his Master.

He was quite sure that Palpatine had not done the same for him.

And so he felt very little guilt in not informing his master when he discovered the location of the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with what he was certain was the child of Anakin Skywalker.

He had been fairly certain for some years that there was a child. Tremors in the force and a complete lack of death records at the facility where Padme had died had sparked his suspicions, and Kenobi's utter disappearance had fueled them.

Through his old enemy Jabba the Hutt, he had set up a bounty that would allow anyone with information leading to the capture of Kenobi. Apparently, someone in the Tatooinian town of Mos Eisley had noticed a man with a suspicious similarity to the old Clone Wars general coming into town for supplies on a fairly regular basis.

Kenobi was clever to have hidden for ten years. Even Vader, who loathed Kenobi, was willing to admit that.

But he wasn't nearly clever enough.

Vader was fully prepared to kill Kenobi at the first chance he got. Whatever he'd once thought of him, Kenobi was a liar, a traitor, and everything else that Vader hated.

Vader would relish his death.

Holovision was much more interesting than Luke had expected.

It had always seemed to Luke that most things that Obi-Wan found interesting were things that any sane person would run away from as quickly as possible. The man's favorite hobby was sitting on a mat with his eyes closed, for crying out loud! What exactly did that tell you about him?

But this—this was something Luke could appreciate. Why couldn't they have gotten one of these years ago?

He stared intently at the screen, mouth hanging open. A dragon crept up on the screen, slinking silently up behind a man. Closer…closer…

"Yes!"

The dragon snapped the man up in his mouth. Luke cheered as the man tried to get out, to no avail.

"And the dragon wins!"

Leia frowned. "Luke, that's gross. Let's change the channel."

"Huh? No way! This is cool."

"Luke, change it!" Leia became increasingly agitated as she spoke, and swiped at the remote in her brother's hand. "I won't watch it!"

The twins tussled for the remote. Leia punched her brother's arm, and he dropped the remote. Leia snatched it up victoriously, and pushed the first button she found. The screen waved and turned to static before a picture finally began to emerge.

As it finally became clear, Leia froze instantly, her mouth hanging open and her face trembling. She backed up into the couch, covering her face with her hands, and wailed, a hushed sort of moaning.

Luke looked at her nervously. "Leia—Leia calm down—what's wrong?"

She screamed, and kept screaming, and Luke was scared. He touched her arm. "Calm down—wait—please, stop, Obi-Wan will be here soon—"

She was pointing at the holovision, and Luke sensed what was frightening her. He tugged the remote from her sweaty hand and began pressing buttons until the screen faded into black.

Leia shuddered and sobbed, clutching her knees to her chest. Luke hesitated, then put an arm around his sister.

He was terrified.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked, voice trembling, "Do I need to call Obi-Wan?"

She shook her head furiously, wiping her eyes on her bare arm. She pushed her brother away harshly, and wouldn't look at him. "No. I'm fine. But—that man—that thing on the screen—you saw him, Luke?"

He nodded. He thought it had looked cool. It had been a shiny black robotic looking thing, raising its arms and giving some sort of speech.

"I know him," Leia sniffled, "I have nightmares about him. Every night, and he wants to kill Obi-Wan and everybody. He hates everybody."

"He's not real, Leia. It was just a dream," Luke tried to convince them both that it was true.

"He is. I know it. And last night he said he was coming for us, and he's there, in the holovision—he came."

Neither of them was brave enough to turn the holovision on after that, or even to leave the room alone. When they needed food or water, they were sure to go to the kitchen alone. They spent the rest of the day cuddled up on the couch, reading books and looking out the window for something that didn't come.

As birthdays go, it wasn't the best.

As a rule, Obi-Wan didn't believe in getting drunk. It made him loose control, he usually ended up doing something he regretted, and he could be sure he'd have a killer hangover in the morning.

Even former Jedi break rules, sometimes.

The twins tenth birthday was also the tenth anniversary of the day he'd lost Anakin. It was the tenth year since the Empire had been founded. It was ten years today since the creation of Darth Vader.

It was ten years ago that he had failed.

"Give me the strongest thing you've got."

Two hours later Obi-Wan had forgotten all about Anakin, the Empire, or the twins. His head was buzzing with unknown alcohol, and his vision was cloudy and blurred.

He stumbled to his feet, tripping into tables as he lurched across the bar. He was barely able to find the door, and as soon as he exited, he vomited into a suspicious looking puddle.

His throat and nose stung with acid.

Someone came up behind him. "Here. Let me help you," said a voice, sweet and strange and familiar all at once. A bottle of water was pressed into his hands. Obi-Wan fumbled with the cap until the stranger pulled it out of his hands and twisted it open. Obi-Wan turned it upside down and coughed down the drop or two that he managed to get into his mouth.

"Tanksh…don' usally get like thish…" Obi-Wan slurred, swaying on the spot. "Today just ish a dad bay." His eyes filled with tears. "I shouldnta got drunk, should I?" he sobbed. "Ish just thish ish the day ten—ten yearsh ago when I losht a lot a shtuff—you ever know a guy named Anakin?"

"No." The stranger was quick to reply. "I don't think you should drive yourself home tonight," the stranger said. "Come get in my speeder and I'll take you home."

"Hey, thatsh real—really nishe a you. Okay." Obi-Wan allowed himself to be lead to a speeder that was parked about one hundred meters from the bar.

Drunk, Obi-Wan allowed himself to talk and be human in a way he normally never was. This time was no exception.

"So, I wush jus' getting' drunk cause my—my kid Anakin I really messed thingsh up f—f'r him. Dinnit mean to…was a good kid. Good Jedi. Ever heard a Jedi? He wash really—really damn good…"

The stranger sat stiffly in the seat next to Obi-Wan. "If you could, please, I'd appreciate directions to your house."

"Yesh…yeah, a coursh…thish ish real nishe a you…"

And Obi-Wan gave him the directions.

And they were off.