OBI-WAN
Neither Obi-Wan nor Thalia woke until the sound of a ship's engines echoed throughout the cave. A sleek, grey shuttle landed on the beach and Obi-Wan had to turn his head as a fine spray of sand was sent through the mouth of the cave. He reached over and placed a hand on Thalia's shoulder, gripping it lightly until she opened her eyes. Obi-Wan had no idea how long it had been since they'd fallen asleep. They'd managed to make a fire, which Thalia had worried might attract more of those creatures, but as soon as they'd rested their heads on the sandy floor of the cave they'd fallen into a deep and uninterrupted sleep.
Thalia sat up suddenly and shielded her eyes against the ship's glowing engines. The ramp lowered onto the sand and Senator Bail Organa appeared, quickly followed by his Alderaan guards.
Obi-Wan helped Thalia to her feet and placed a guiding hand on her back, leading her out of the cave.
"Master Kenobi, my lady, thank goodness you're all right." The Senator said, his face white. "A lot has happened in the past twenty-four hours. It's best you come aboard."
The pair followed Bail onto the shuttle, which took them up to a larger ship. As Obi-Wan and Thalia stepped into the hanger, a figure hurried through one of the adjoining doorways. Senator Amidala hurried towards them, her face ashen and sharing Bail's worried look.
"Padme." Thalia cried, meeting her friend halfway across the hanger floor. She held the Senator close as she burst into tears. Thalia ran her hand in circles over Padme's back, trying to sooth her.
Senator Organa ushered them all into a small sitting room in the ship's residential quarters. Master Yoda greeted them. It seemed Bail had managed to get to him in time, but what might have awaited him had the Senator not found him, Obi-Wan was still in the dark about. The five of them were perched on plush, aqua chairs with cups of calming tea cradled between their hands.
"What has happened?" Obi-Wan finally asked.
"The Dark Lord of the Sith Chancellor Palpatine is." Yoda began. "The leader of the Separatists he is."
"He's been pulling the strings of the entire war. The Republic never stood a chance." Bail continued and Thalia's mouth pressed into a firm line. "He's merged the Senate and Separatists into a single Galactic Empire. He had control of the Clones all along, as well. At his command they turned on their Jedi generals and killed them."
"The Republic is gone." Padme whispered. "The systems that didn't join Palpatine have fled."
"How many other Jedi have managed to survive?" Obi-Wan asked, carefully trying to piece together a sensible question that wasn't full of panic or hysteria.
"Heard from no one have we." Yoda replied.
"I saw thousands of troops attack the Jedi Temple. That's why I went looking for Yoda." Senator Organa said. From the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan saw Thalia reach across and wrap her fingers around Padme's hand, which had a tenuous hold on her cup.
"Have we had any contact from the temple?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Received a coded retreat message we have." Yoda answered. "Requests all Jedi return to the temple it does. Says the war is over."
"A trap?" Thalia mused.
"Well, then we must go back." Obi-Wan began. "If there are any stragglers, they will fall into the trap and be killed."
"Hmm. Suggest dismantling the coded signal, do you?" Yoda asked.
"Yes, Master. There is too much at stake." He insisted.
"I agree. But dangerous it would be." Yoda warned.
"I think I might be able to help with that." Thalia said quietly from her seat, looking between the two Jedi. "We could probably dismantle it from Troska, using the technology at our disposal. We could also change the code and warn any other Jedi to stay away." She suggested.
"And a little more knowledge might light our way." Yoda nodded. "For your hospitality I thank you, Your Majesty."
. . .
Thalia worked furiously with her chief scientist on dismantling the counterfeit code. Her fingers flew across the blue keys displayed on the screen in front of her, gaining access to the Jedi's Temple's weakened security system. Senator Organa had taken Padme to rest, worried that her stress would not be good for her child.
After twenty minutes, a scale appeared on the screen. A red glowing light blinked from the bottom of the scale and when it reached the top the light splintered into multiple strands.
"Here's your signal." Thalia announced, pointing at the glowing scale. "I'll need the codes to change it."
Obi-Wan glanced down at Yoda. The codes had been an imperative part of the war. Only Jedi Masters were allowed to access the communication line, let alone be privy to the coding system. But Obi-Wan supposed none of it mattered any more. With a sinking feeling he realised how foolish they must have seemed to Palpatine; sending coded messages with such secrecy when they had to be confirmed by him anyway.
"Here, the codes are." Yoda said, stepping over to the screen and began the long process of reciting the sacred system Obi-Wan had remembered pouring over as a newly appointed Master.
"There." Thalia said after what felt like hours. She lent her hands on her lower back and stretched, trying to relieve some of the tension in her spine. Upon arriving back on Troska, she'd washed the sand from her hair and had changed into a grey, satin gown with tight, bracelet length sleeves and a sweeping A-line skirt, which shimmered with a layer of sheer material, only decorated with tiny, lavender four-point stars. On her head she wore a thick, silver circlet that held her hair in a knotted bun. Obi-Wan knew she was tired, but she didn't let it show. She put on her gown for the same reason he put on his robes, to be seen as a leader and to show everyone that no matter what, they could rely on her to be ready.
"I've recalibrated the code, warning all surviving Jedi to stay away." She said, looking at the two Jedi.
"For the clones, to discover the recalibration a long time it will take." Yoda nodded.
The room was silent for a while as everyone thought of what to say next. However, Obi-Wan knew exactly what he wanted to say, but he also knew that voicing his thoughts meant he could never take back their repercussions.
"Your Highness, are you able to access the Temple's security holograms?" He asked, meeting Thalia's gaze for the sole purpose of avoiding Yoda's. "There is something I must know."
"If into the security recordings you go, only pain you will find." Yoda warned.
"I must know the truth, Master." Obi-Wan insisted. Thalia looked between the two Jedi, unsure of who took precedence, but when Yoda didn't reply, she turned back to the screen and brought up the security footage of the Jedi Temple.
A hologram of three, young Jedi sprung to life. Their lightsabres were drawn, and they were fighting something out of view. One of them fell to the ground, a glowing hole in the middle of their chest. A lightsabre wound. Whoever they were fighting must have been a Sith.
Obi-Wan felt his stomach twist as the attacker stepped into view. Anakin slashed his lightsabre at the Padawans and they both fell in unison, their bodies cut clean in half.
"It can't be." Obi-Wan whispered, shaking his head.
The hologram changed to Anakin kneeling in front of Palpatine, a dark hood covering the Chancellor's face while Obi-Wan's apprentice looked up at him with yellowing eyes. The eyes that lived inside Sith like Darth Maul.
"You have done well, my new apprentice." Palpatine drawled. "Now, Lord Vader, go and bring peace to the Empire."
"I can't watch any more." Obi-Wan gasped as he felt his heart split in two. Thalia shut off the recording, the look on her face reflecting what he felt.
"Destroy the Sith, we must." Yoda said quietly.
"Send me to kill the Emperor. I will not kill Anakin." Obi-Wan said, keeping his words as steady as possible.
"To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough you are not." Yoda replied.
"He is like my brother. I cannot do it." He insisted, feeling the lump in his throat becoming almost unbearable.
"Twisted by the Dark Side, young Skywalker has become." Yoda stated. "The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader."
"I do not know where the Emperor has sent him." Obi-Wan said hopelessly as Yoda began making his way towards the door. "I don't know where to look."
"Use your feelings, Obi-Wan, and find him you will." Yoda said finally, giving Obi-Wan one last pitying look before the door slid shut behind him.
Obi-Wan's legs finally gave way and he dropped into the nearest chair, dropping his head into his hand in despair. Anakin? How could he have let this happen?
Mere moments later, he felt Thalia crouch on the floor in front of him, her hands resting on his knees.
"This is all my fault. I have failed him." Obi-Wan moaned, pressing his palms to his eyes.
"Obi-Wan, you have not failed him. You are all the good that lives on in him." Thalia whispered and gently folded her fingers around his wrists, pulling his hands away from his head. She knelt forwards and pressed her forehead against his. "I am so sorry, Obi-Wan." Her voice wavered. She opened her arms wider and when he reached for her, she pushed off from her heals and wrapped her arms around him.
Obi-Wan let himself lean into her as every particle in his body felt like it was filled with concrete. His head rested against her shoulder. She smelled like rosewood. It was comforting and he let his eyes close as her hand traced soothing circles on his back.
"I can help you." Thalia said, so quietly Obi-Wan thought he might have imagined it. "I know where you can find him."