Another one-shot based around Obi-Wan Kenobi, inspired after seeing the first official trailer for the said Jedi's series that was released months ago.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Return to the Temple
This wasn't how it should have ended. This was not how Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master and General of the Grand Army of the Republic, imagined the Clone Wars would end. Three and a half years of fighting the Separatist droid army; the bloodshed, the losses, the betrayal, the pain, only for the galaxy to be consumed by the very darkness the Jedi had fought so hard to defeat. With Count Dooku and General Grievous dead, the Separatist command system all but on the verge of collapse, and the droid army scattered, depleted and pushed back to the Outer Rim, the war was all but over. The Jedi should've been getting ready to start a new era of peace for the Republic, to rebuild the damage inflicted by the terrible conflict. Instead, the Republic's loyal clone soldiers suddenly turned against the Jedi Knights, wiping out the peacekeepers they fought side by side with for years.
Obi-Wan and fellow Jedi Master Yoda had both been fortunate enough to escape their clone's betrayal, being rescued by Senator Bail Organa who refused to stand with Chancellor Palpatine, the man who gave the order to execute the Jedi.
Following their rescue, Senator Organa revealed that he'd seen thousands of clones attack the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, with no indication of any survivors. The two Jedi also learned that the Temple's signal beacon had been activated, calling all Jedi back to Coruscant. It was obvious, given the attack that had besieged their cherished home and the clones' betrayals happening throughout the rest of the galaxy, that the call to return home was a trap to lure any surviving Jedi back and kill them.
That was why Obi-Wan and Yoda returned to Coruscant, to stop the Republic from using the beacon to kill any more Jedi.
When they arrived at the Temple they found it in ruins: smoke still pouring out after hours since the fighting had ended, damaged windows, columns and status were fallen over, and that was just from what they saw on the outside. As the two masters reached the Temple's main entrance, the doors from which had been blown off, they were greeted by a group of cloaked individuals appearing to be Jedi. However, as the Jedi taught, appearances could be deceiving.
"Master Yoda, thank goodness you're safe," one of the supposed Jedi said in an all too recognizable voice. "We've managed to retake the Temple, but we expect the clones will launch a counterattack. I suggest we move inside before any more arrive."
The two Jedi looked at one another before Master Yoda spoke, "Quickly then," he responded.
"You clones make terrible Jedi," Obi-Wan commented.
Realizing that their trickery had failed, the clones pulled out blasters hidden within their robes and started firing, though their opponents already had their weapons out and activated. Now knowing of the clone's betrayal, the Jedi found it far easier to defend themselves against their former soldiers, thus avoiding the fate of so many other Jedi before them.
Soon more clones joined the fight. These clones, not disguised as Jedi, wore the white and blue striped armour of the 501st legion.
While Obi-Wan recognized a few of these clones, having fought side by side with the legion on countless occasions, he continued deflecting their blaster shots back at them while slashing and stabbing his blade through their armoured bodies. It hurt him to do this, but times had changed. He knew he couldn't dwindle on the past, not when the lives of his surviving Jedi brethren were at stake.
"Don't center on your anxieties Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration on the here and now where it belongs." Those were the words of his deceased master Qui-Gon Jinn from long ago, and they couldn't be more true right then as his now-former comrades kept unleashing wave after wave of blaster fire on him and Master Yoda.
Soon the fighting was over, with the two Jedi coming out victorious while all the clones they faced were now dead.
"Hurry we must," Yoda said after they'd finished clearing the Temple's outer defences. "More clones soon to come they will."
Nodding his head Obi-Wan followed Yoda into the Temple; aware that the danger was far from over.
The interior was far worse than the outside. More columns and statues were fallen over, not to mention many doors were blasted open, and carbon scoring from blaster fire was seen throughout the halls. Worst of all, the floors were littered with dead bodies of not just clones but countless Jedi of all ages. "Not even the younglings survived," Obi-Wan gasped in horror upon seeing the corpses of the Order's youngest members, lying on the floor cold and lifeless.
Kneeling, Obi-Wan inspected a dead human apprentice, one he remembered passing through the halls on several occasions.
"Killed not by clones, this padawan…" Yoda said, sounding as if the words he spoke were ripping through his chest. "By a lightsaber he was."
Obi-Wan looked up at Yoda in shock. A lightsaber? That could only mean another Jedi had gone to the dark side like Dooku and Barriss. But to do something like this, something so horrible against their kind… "Who? Who could've done this?"
The pain Obi-Wan felt from Yoda as the latter shut his eyes and turned away revealed both so much and yet so little to the younger of the two masters. Yoda knew who was responsible, That much Obi-Wan could tell. But for some reason he refused to reveal the identity of this... traitor, this animal; instead continuing forward to the Temple beacon room. Why he would keep this secret puzzled Obi-Wan. Then again, Yoda himself had always been a puzzle even among his fellow Jedi from the way he talked to the secrets he kept from everyone. Obi-Wan knew the Grand Master did things the way he did both to protect people and help show them how to learn on their own; but keeping the identity hidden of the Jedi responsible for the slaughter of innocent children, not to mention who knows how many other Jedi during the destruction of the Order's sacred home, it seemed a bit much even for Yoda. Obi-Wan knew he'd have to get to the bottom of this, regardless of whether or not Yoda told him himself. First, however, he needed to make sure no more Jedi walked into this catastrophe.
Going deeper into the Temple, reaching areas only high-ranking masters were allowed access to, the two Jedi faced additional resistance from 501st clones, several squads of commandoes and even blaze troopers; clones armed with jetpacks, flamethrowers and heavy armour. It didn't matter though as the Jedi managed to cut their way through the clones standing between them and their objective; regrettably cutting down more of the soldiers they once called allies, friends. Though by now, the emotional pain caused by the clones' betrayal was already subsiding, replaced by reluctant acceptance over the fact that the soldiers the Jedi commanded throughout the Clone Wars were now their enemies.
Throughout their journey, they kept a close ear to the commlink Senator Organa had provided them. Upon returning to Coruscant, the representative of Alderaan had been invited to a special session of congress, probably to explain the clones turning against the Jedi. Bail was hesitant to go as he feared it could be a trap. Since the outbreak of the war, Palpatine had been gaining more and more emergency powers, giving him further control over the Republic while diminishing the abilities of the Senate. Bail feared that Palpatine might try to execute the senators like he did the Jedi to ensure his complete control. Obi-Wan encouraged Organa to go, however, to prevent suspicions of his recent activities; as well, the Jedi Master doubted the hundreds of star systems that made up the galactic-wide government would stand by and allow their representatives to be executed in cold blood. Such an act could lead to the very collapse that the Republic had been struggling to prevent, why this war was fought in the first place.
Obi-Wan's theory was proven right: instead of further bloodshed, Palpatine announced to the senators that the Jedi were now traitors, after having attempted to "assassinate" him and overthrow the Senate. Neither Organa nor Senator Amidala who sat beside the former during this session believed the Chancellor's accusations, but a great majority of the other senators thought otherwise given the thunderous applause heard throughout the rotunda. The cheers only grew louder as Palpatine further announced the execution of nearly the entire Jedi Order, with the promise of the remaining survivors being hunted down and defeated. When the applause began to die, the Chancellor officially declared the war's end and then unveiled his plans to use his emergency powers to reform the Republic into the Galactic Empire. Declaring himself emperor of this new regime, he promised to bring about peace, justice, freedom and security across the galaxy. A new round of applause erupted, as senators, representatives, and aides alike cheered, none opposing Palpatine.
It pained the Jedi to hear such joy coming from the countless representatives who supported this literal end to the Republic; almost as much as it had pained them to see their slaughtered brethren lying on the floor of their own home. Over a thousand generations of Jedi gave their lives to protect and preserve the Republic, only for the hundreds of senators that made up the democratic body to turn their backs on everything they stood for. It hurt like a burning dagger stabbing through Obi-Wan's chest and made him question everything the Jedi had done for the Senate. Even when the Republic seemed corrupt the Jedi remained loyal, believing that justice would prevail and allow for the Senate to see the error of its ways. The fact that it only just kept getting worse until the Senate disavowed its very founding principles, not to mention its oldest allies, only showed that Dooku had been right from the beginning; the Republic was beyond salvageable; both Obi-Wan and Yoda realized this now. They knew drastic changes would have to be made to ensure the Jedi were to survive as Master Windu had said throughout the final days of the war. Aside from escaping the capital, the Jedi would need to go into hiding and avoid all places they'd be expected to go. They'd have to reorganize, adapt, and ready themselves for when the Force called for the restoration of balance.
All the more reason to get to the beacon as soon as possible to prevent any surviving Jedi who may already be on their way home from getting caught in the newly formed Empire's trap.
Upon reaching the Temple's security centre, the two masters were once again ambushed by additional soldiers, though not the 501st or heavy troops from before. No these appeared to be elite clones, not ARC troopers or Clone Commandos, but a completely different kind. They wore modified phase two armour with vibro-blades attached to gauntlets on both arms and carried pairs of upgraded versions of the DC-17 blaster pistols. Neither Yoda nor Obi-Wan recalled seeing these types of soldiers before, but then again there were many things the Jedi didn't know about the army created by the mysterious Kaminoans and the late Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas.
Far faster and more agile than the standard clone, with reflexes almost equal to that of even the Jedi, nearly getting past their defences; and their vibro-blades appearing to be made of an alloy strong enough to resist lightsabers, these were certainly some of the most dangerous clones the Jedi had ever encountered. However, Yoda and Obi-Wan were among the most skilled warriors and powerful masters of the Order. With the Force as their ally, they managed to overpower every last of these elite soldiers just like the clones they faced before them.
Obi-Wan then went into the beacon's control room, using his access codes as a member of the Jedi Council to erase the original recall message and transmit a new message.
"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen; with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder to any surviving Jedi: Trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple, that time has passed, and our future is uncertain. Avoid Coruscant. Avoid detection. Stay hidden at all costs. We will each be challenged: Our trust. Our faith. Our friendships. But we must persevere and in time a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you."
As he finished recording his message, Obi-Wan turned to see Yoda, who'd been standing guard outside the beacon room.
"I've recalibrated the code, warning all surviving Jedi to stay away," he reported, which the Grand Master found satisfying.
"For the clones, to discover the recalibration, a long time it will take."
Obi-Wan agreed. By the time it took the clones or Palpatine to learn about this, hopefully, almost all the Jedi who managed to survive Order Sixty-Six will have heard the warning and gone into exile. With his mission complete, Obi-Wan exited out of the beacon room, though as he did so, a disturbing question that had been at the back of his mind, resurfaced. "Wait, Master, there is something I must know." Walking over to one of the security terminals, Obi-Wan began scrolling through recent footage while Yoda watched concerningly.
"If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find," he warned.
"I must know the truth Master," Obi-Wan replied as a hologram activated showing footage from earlier when the clones first attacked the Temple. What he witnessed changed everything: younglings fighting for their lives, but so easily overpowered and struck down by a Jedi as Obi-Wan suspected. Though not by just any Jedi. No this was being done by... Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan's former pupil, his best friend and brother; the prophesied chosen one who was foretold to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force.
The colour in the Jedi Master's face quickly drained as he watch Anakin slaughter innocent children and several Jedi Knights and Masters who tried to defend the younglings, including Cin Drallig; the Temple's Battlemaster who'd helped tutor Anakin in lightsaber combat during his days as a Padawan. Now Anakin was cutting him down without mercy or empathy. "It can't be… it can't be…"
As much as he couldn't bear to do so, Obi-Wan continued watching his former apprentice slaughter Jedi, like animals, not caring about their age or if he'd known them personally at one point or the other. Eventually, Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of Anakin kneeling before a man covered by a dark cloak; yet, the Jedi Master caught a glimpse of a scared Chancellor Palpatine within that hooded cloak.
"Darth Vader," Palpatine said to Anakin.
"I've done as you commanded Lord Sidious. The Jedi have been destroyed. Their temple has been taken. No survivors," Anakin said to Palpatine, the name he used to address the Chancellor causing Obi-Wan to go into near shock.
Sidious? Palpatine was Darth Sidious; the Sith Lord the Jedi had been searching for? It all made sense now. Dooku wasn't lying on Geonosis about the Republic being under the control of the Sith. From the Blockade of Naboo that allowed Palpatine to achieve the position of chancellor, to the beginning of the Separatist Crisis which kept him in office after his final term expired to the beginning of the war where he was first granted emergency powers, Palpatine was behind everything; playing both sides to cripple the galaxy and allow him to take complete control. Following the death of Count Dooku, Sidious had required a new apprentice, and who better than the Jedi Order's most powerful member, the one who the Sith Lord had spent years bonding with under the guise of a mentor and father figure.
"Good, good. You have done well my new apprentice," Sidious praised. "Now, Lord Vader, go and bring peace to the Empire."
He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. Anakin had turned to the dark side. There had always been darkness within him, but Obi-Wan never thought his student, the one who Master Qui-Gon Jinn had believed was destined to save the Force from the dark side itself would turn against the Jedi and pledge himself to the very evil he'd fought so hard to destroy. And Yoda knew this. Somehow he knew this. That's why he refused to reveal who was responsible for the slaughter of the younglings. He of all people knew how close Obi-Wan and Anakin were. When Qui-Gon died, Anakin ended up filling the hole in Obi-Wan's heart where his master had been. Seeing him bowing before the embodiment of evil, everything he and the rest of the Jedi stood against was tearing Obi-Wan's heart apart; ripping it piece by piece; each one more painful than the last. It was too much for him to take. "I can't watch anymore," he said, shutting off the security feed.
"Destroy the Sith, we must," Master Yoda stated afterwards.
Obi-Wan knew what that meant. "Send me to kill the Emperor. I will not kill Anakin," he begged, which the older master declined.
"To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough, you are not." Yoda refused.
"He's like my brother. I cannot do it."
"Twisted by the dark side young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is; consumed by Darth Vader."
It pained Obi-Wan to admit it, but Yoda was right. From the recordings, he felt the darkness, the fear, the anger, the hate pouring out of his former pupil like lava erupting from a volcano. Anakin, his former Padawan, his brother, was gone. In his place was a new Sith Lord, one too dangerous to be allowed to roam free. He needed to be stopped before he became too powerful to destroy and Obi-Wan stood the best chance of defeating him.
Though Anakin was now Darth Vader, the only real changes he made upon becoming a Sith were his allegiances and moral codes. This newly appointed Sith Lord still had the same physical characteristics such as the fighting style Obi-Wan had spent years training him in. It was also likely to assume that Vader, still very early into his apprenticeship as a Sith, had yet to rid himself of certain emotional and mental weaknesses Anakin carried, including his lack of control over his emotions. That was why Yoda had chosen him; he knew Anakin better than anyone else. Only he could use his weaknesses to overcome his strengths and take him down. Still, however...
"I don't know where the Emperor has sent him," Obi-Wan admitted. "I don't know where to look."
Having already begun to head out of the security room, Yoda turned around to face his fellow master. "Search your feelings Obi-Wan, and find him you will," those were the final words of advice Yoda gave before going off to carry out his assignment.
While Yoda went to deal with the newly appointed Emperor Palpatine, Obi-Wan was left to find and kill his former pupil. True he'd said he didn't know where Vader was, but he did know someone who would undoubtfully know of his location. Someone who Obi-Wan trusted would do the right thing no matter, especially when she learned the full truth as he suspected she hadn't yet. But first, knowing this would be his final time in the Jedi Temple, the Jedi Master went to retrieve an item that he couldn't allow the Sith to claim. Entering his quarters, the room he'd lived in since his days as a youngling, Obi-Wan walked over to a small cubby beside his sleeping mat. Opening it up, he pulled out Qui-Gon Jinn's lightsaber; the weapon his master constructed and used many times throughout his Jedi career, long before taking Obi-Wan on as his apprentice. It had been that very same blade that Obi-Wan had used to defeat his mentor's killer after losing his own during the Battle of Naboo.
Clipping the sabre's handle onto his belt and securing it, Obi-Wan took one final look at the place that he called home for so long. So many memories rested in this small room, both good and bad. Looking up he saw the model starships he built when he was younger, chuckling as he remembered how he once dreamed of being a pilot. "Flying is for droids!" He'd said this many years after achieving the rank of Jedi Knight. Things certainly changed as they always did. It made Obi-Wan wonder what if the Jedi Order had listened to Dooku before he left; before he'd been forced to turn to the dark side. Had the Jedi withdrawn from the Republic could they have stopped the Sith and the corruption they exploited from tearing the galaxy apart? Could they have saved the billions of lives lost in the Clone Wars; perhaps even prevented the people from being tricked into handing over their freedom to the power-hungry tyrant Sidious?
So many what if's, yet he knew none could change the outcome of current events now. The Temple was lost, the Order was shattered, the Republic was gone, and Obi-Wan was among the last of the Jedi. He couldn't change this, any of it. All he could do was carry out the mission placed on him by Yoda. If he succeeded, then perhaps there was hope for the future—one not ruled by darkness and deception.
Making his way one final time through the halls of the Jedi Temple, each step bringing back memory after memory, Obi-wan reached the Temple's hanger without facing any additional clone resistance along the way. There to his further fortune, he managed to find a speeder not wrecked from the clones' attack. Hopping in, he powered it up, guiding the craft out of the Jedi Temple towards the next chapter of his life.
Stay tuned for the final one-shot in this trilogy. FYI a warning will be mentioned at the top of the one-shot as it contains several spoilers for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
I'd like to point out that the clone assassins and blaze troopers were both originally from the Revenge of the Sith video game back in 2005 and were stationed in the Temple to guard against intruders after it was taken over by the Sith; fighting against Obi-Wan and Yoda when they returned to deactivate the temple beacon.