Synopsis: Obi-Wan senses something in the Force and waits at the Lars residence to protect Luke. Padme and Anakin arrive. Anakin and Obi-Wan have a heart-wrenching reconciliation. They discuss plans to overthrow Sidious, and Obi-Wan agrees to call on remaining survivors to assemble an army. Anakin meets Luke for the first time. Anakin and Obi-Wan visit Shmii's grave.

The sun had begun to set, and Tatooine's two moons rose gracefully into the dusky setting sky. Obi-Wan had sensed the disturbance long before Padme and Anakin's ship had landed, although he could not pinpoint exactly what that disturbance was. Regardless, he did not like what he sensed. Something big is going to happen, Obi-Wan thought to himself. He left his hut of solitude in order to make his way to Owen and Beru's home, subsequently where Luke was most likely sleeping idyllically in his crib. It had been a lonesome but peaceful existence since the fall of the Jedi, one that Obi-Wan took great pride in regardless of his sadness. Despite keeping a distance from Luke, he loved the child like he loved his former apprentice, and would do anything to keep the child safe.

Obi-Wan knocked on their door. Beru answered, her brow furrowed in curiosity in wondering what he was doing there so late. She knew it wasn't good, and she knew it had something to do with the child she loved as her own.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

"No, no, not at all," she murmured politely. Beru poured him a cup of coffee as they waited in the kitchen. Owen and Cliegg joined them soon afterwards. Owen stood quietly in the corner of the room, eyeing his father as he questioned the Jedi.

"What brings you here so late? Something wrong?"

"Something is disturbing me in the Force. I know not what it is, but I sense it growing closer with every passing second" he explained tiredly. Obi-Wan thanked Beru with a nod before sipping his coffee. She sat down with the trio, her eyes filled with frantic alarm.

"You don't think it's the Empire coming to take Luke away from us, do you?" she asked nervously.

"I don't know. I don't think so if they were only sending ships, or droids. No, I sense something much… greater, but I can't say for certain." Deep down, Obi-Wan sensed what was about to come- or rather, who. Whoever was approaching was strong with the Force, and unless the Empire had sent inquisitors, there was only one other person in the galaxy with knowledge of the Force who also possessed any reason to visit Tatooine. Obi-Wan prepared himself for a duel regardless of who he suspected would be on the receiving end.

"I will not let any harm come to Luke or your family. You have my word," he reassured them, "But I think it best for me to stay here until our unexpected visitor arrives." Cliegg's eyes narrowed suspiciously, thinking the same idea that Obi-Wan was.

"Do you think Anakin could be alive? That he's returning for the child?" Cliegg asked.

"I was under the impression he had died for certain," Owen muttered.

"I… I was too, but I also know Anakin's stubbornness and uncanny ability to overcome things that most men could not or would not be able to overcome. I'm preparing for it, but like I said, I will protect Luke and your family at all costs," Obi-Wan sighed uncomfortably. He had not discussed the details of his battle with Anakin, nor had he disclosed the fate of Anakin if he were to survive. It had been too painful to bring up, but it was unfair to the Lars family to keep it any longer.

"If Anakin had survived our battle on Mustafar, which I thought quite unlikely, I must inform you that it is not the same Anakin who you knew so many moons ago. The man that will be arriving, if he is to arrive at all, has fallen to the Sith. He is responsible for the fall of the Jedi Order and aided Sidious in the Empire's ascension." At this Beru stood up, frightened.

"I will not let him take Luke!" she yelled. Owen wrapped his arms around his hysterical wife, and Cliegg motioned for her to sit back down. Obi-Wan nodded solemnly.

"Nor will I."

xxx

Hours passed, and night fell. With each passing minute the disturbance grew stronger, and the familiarity of his apprentice's presence grew more and more. So you did survive, my old friend, he thought sadly. A great wave of dread filled Obi-Wan's soul not only at the remembrance of their battle, but above all their good times together- laughing, fighting, teaching him. All of it hurt to remember. He missed Anakin dearly, and now he braced himself to finally kill his apprentice once and for all. It sickened him. Why did you do this, Anakin? How could you?

The sound of a ship jolted the Lars family from their seats.

"Stay downstairs," Obi-Wan ordered. They nodded, and Beru ran to Luke's bedroom to cradle him nervously in her arms. Obi-Wan took off his cloak, holding his saber tightly in his hand. He exited the hut, and even throughout the night sky he could see the outline of a custom TIE. His saber dispatched with a hiss, blue light illuminating the ship. What happened next, however, surprised him.

A woman leapt from the ship and ran over to him. As she grew closer Obi-Wan recognized her despite her bruised face, her arms wrapping tightly around him.

"Padme? What are you doing here?" he asked incredulously. Before she could answer, the ominous black figure of a Sith Lord stepped out of the TIE. His presence reeked of Anakin. Obi-Wan sensed the tormented darkside within him, the memories of Mustafar flashing back in his mind. I hate yo!, Anakin had once screamed at him. The smile on Padme's face faltered as the two men stared back at one another, the thrum of Obi-Wan's saber the only sound for miles.

"Master…" Anakin breathed raggedly through his mask.

"Get inside, Padme," Obi-Wan ordered.

"No, Obi-Wan, he's turned back to the light. We're here to-"

"I said, get inside, Padme. Now. I beg you, you do not wish to see this," he demanded.

"No!" Padme cried, pulling futilely at Obi-Wan's arm. Suddenly, the Sith Lord pulled his saber from his side. Padme's heart stopped. No, Anakin, you turned, she thought in horror. She stepped away as the Sith Lord ominously approached his old master.

"There is no place for you here, Anakin. I have no choice but to end you," Obi-Wan yelled at him. Anakin took a few more steps before stopping to face his master. He threw his saber to the ground before Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan's eyes scanned him in confusion, fully expecting them to duel. Instead he waited to see what his apprentice would do next. Anakin was known for his unpredictability, something Obi-Wan was far too familiar with, and his behavior was not what Obi-Wan had been expecting. The Sith Lord pulled away at his mask until it hissed, dispatching it from his face. He let it fall to the ground before his feet. His face was horribly burnt and disfigured beyond recognition, but between that nestled two pained blue eyes overflowing with tears. Their eyes met. Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped. He has turned, he thought.

"Master, I am so sorry," Anakin sobbed. He stepped forward before Obi-Wan and fell to his knees, groveling before his feet, his shoulders heaving heavily as he cried. Obi-Wan only watched him in awe. Every bit of Anakin was filled to the brim with regret. His eyes poured tears, and he could not bring himself to look up at Obi-Wan in his shame.

"You're sorry…" Obi-Wan breathed in disbelief.

"Yes, I am so sorry… I was wrong, you were right- you were so right about me. I should have listened to you and the council. I never should have trusted Sidious, he lied to me. Everyone was right about me, I'm angry and evil and full of hate, and I'm wrong. Everything I've done is unforgivable, Obi-Wan. I wish I could take everything back, I was a fool… I swear on my life I'll do anything to make this right, to destroy Sidious, to restore the Jedi Order… I'll take every punishment I deserve. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, or believe me, but gods, Obi-Wan, I am sorry," he rattled passionately, bowing his head down to his master. Tears stung Obi-Wan's eyes. He himself felt anger, one of the few times he allowed himself to despite the Jedi's training against such emotions.

"'Sorry' isn't good enough. You murdered younglings, Anakin. You left Padme and your children to follow a Sith Lord. You are the sole reason the Jedi and the Republic are gone. You turned your back on me, the Republic, your order, and the lives of millions of innocents- what you've done, it's unforgivable. Under the laws of the Republic the punishment you deserve is death," he gritted. Padme's eyes flicked nervously between her husband and Obi-Wan, whose saber still thrummed. Anakin bowed his head further, exposing the back of his neck to his master. Obi-Wan's tongue lashed him to the bone, the facts of his deeds burning painfully into his mind.

"I will accept whatever punishment you deem worthy of me, master. I am sorry," he murmured.

"No, Obi-Wan, please!" Padme cried, pulling his arm. Obi-Wan's eyes pierced into her, his glare forcing her back. Stop, Padme. This was something beyond her control. I've brought my husband to his death, she thought in horror. Anakin awaited the killing blow for several seconds, only to his surprise instead of the sear of a saber, he felt a gentle hand rested itself on his shoulder. He looked up at Obi-Wan in surprise.

"But the Republic is gone. You deserve death, but that is not my call to make when I have failed you as a master. I can't bring myself to when I am as much to blame as you are in the chaos that has ensued. I should have been a better master to you, Anakin. I meant it when I said I loved you. If what you say is true, your only redemption for such horrific acts is to bring balance back to the Force. It's not too late to end this. You swear you want to destroy Sidious?" Obi-Wan questioned him. Anakin nodded his head rigorously.

"Yes, yes, master- I'd do anything, anything. You didn't fail me, I failed you as an apprentice. You were the best master I could have asked for… I love you, Obi-Wan. I never hated you," he sobbed. Tears stained Obi-Wan's eyes as his apprentice gripped his hand like that of a beaten child. Obi-Wan knelt down on his knees and embraced Anakin, who wrapped his arms tightly around him as he sobbed.

"You will kill Sidious. You will make this right, and so help me God if you turn your back on me, on Padme, on the Republic, on your word- I will end you. But I don't want to," Obi-Wan choked as his arms held his fallen brother.

"I won't, I promise. I'm so sorry, for everything," Anakin cried.

"I love you, Anakin. I will always love you." The two men held each other in the desert sand. Padme watched on, eventually joining them in their embrace. The trio was reunited, painfully and skeptically, but it was a start.

xxx

The Lars family listened intently from the depths of the hut, surprised to hear no sounds of a struggle, but instead three pairs of footsteps entering their home. They looked at one another nervously until Obi-Wan entered, beckoning them to join the kitchen.

"It's alright, but you're not going to like it," he warned them. Cliegg, Beru, and Owen cautiously came up the stairs to find Padme and a strange masked figure sitting in their home.

"Who is this?" Cliegg demanded, pointing at the Sith Lord.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured. Beru's eyes filled with horror.

"You said you wouldn't let him hurt us or take Luke!" she cried. Anakin flinched. Padme gently placed a hand over his, stroking him reassuringly.

"And he won't, as I promised-"

"You lied!"

"Beru, stop," Cliegg growled at her. His eyes bored into Anakin's mask. Obi-Wan sighed and continued his explanation.

"Anakin has returned to the light… I can feel it and see it in his eyes. While this doesn't excuse the atrocities he's committed, he is the Chosen One, and he is the only one who can defeat Sidious in combat. He is our only hope for stopping the Empire before it becomes too powerful to fight. We need him."

"He's murdered thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands!" Beru cried.

"Yes, and he can save millions."

"What happens after? He can't take Luke, I won't let him! How can you trust him after everything he's done? He's a monster," Beru snarled hysterically. Anakin's head raised at the mention of his son.

"Where is Luke?" he rasped. Padme too was eager to see her son. Suddenly, the cry of a baby sounded from downstairs. Anakin's heart skipped a beat. He tried to stand, but Cliegg's icy stare stopped him in his tracks.

"Sit down and take that stupid mask off, boy. I want to get a good look into your eyes, into your soul, if there's any of it left of you," he growled. Anakin nodded, and slowly took off his mask with a hiss. His breathing instantly became ragged, but his tired blue eyes met Cliegg's. The old man gazed sternly at him, then suddenly, his hand met Anakin's cheek with a heavy smack. Padme and Obi-Wan eyed Cliegg cautiously, while Anakin only bowed his head in shame.

"Your mother would roll in her grave if she could see what a bastard you've become. Shmii didn't raise you to be like this. So help me you will put an end to the misery you've created, or I'll kill you myself with my bare hands. Do you understand me, boy?" he snarled. Anakin's eyes filled with tears. Cliegg's words stung a thousand times worse than his hand.

"I promise you I will restore balance to the galaxy, and I will devote my entire life to righting my wrongs," he vowed. Cliegg gave no response. The tension in the room was taut.

"I want to see my son again," Padme murmured softly, breaking some of the tension.

"We will discuss rallying the rebel forces tomorrow, as well as how to best defeat Sidious- but I think everyone is tired and emotional, and it would be good for Padme and Anakin to see Luke," Obi-Wan said. Beru felt a panic, knowing her days raising Luke were numbered, but she nodded her head reluctantly. She led them to Luke's bedroom where he lay crying in his crib. Anakin's eyes glued to him immediately. He felt his breath leave him. I have a son, he thought joyfully. Beru's eyes welled with tears, and Owen quickly led her out to another room to comfort her. Padme rushed to the crib and picked the baby up in her arms. She smiled from ear to ear, happy tears rolling down her cheeks.

"He was so much smaller, I only got to hold him for a few minutes," she cried, gently bouncing the child in her arms. She turned to Anakin, who stood dazedly in the doorway watching them both. It was the most beautiful scene he'd ever seen: Padme smiling back at him with his son in her arms. It was something he thought he'd never see. I don't deserve any of this, Anakin thought.

"Don't you want to meet your son?" she asked worriedly, her brow furrowing. Anakin immediately stepped forward, the small baby coming into view. He looks like Padme, Anakin noted happily.

"Y-yes, of course… I'm just overwhelmed, I'm sorry," he murmured shakily. Padme smiled and gently placed Luke in Anakin' arms. Tears streamed down Anakin's face, and he let out a chuckle of disbelief. I can't believe I'm holding my son, he thought.

"He looks just like you," Anakin cried. "I… I should have been there when you gave birth… I should have-"

"Ani, no more living in the past. All that matters is that you're here now, with me, with Luke. Nothing else matters," she murmured, lovingly caressing his cheek with her hand. Anakin smiled painfully, kissing her fingers before pulling her into an embrace. The family held each other, their tiny baby sleeping soundly in Anakin's arms.

xxx

Obi-Wan awoke early. He groggily got up before looking around the hut for Anakin. It was time they discussed what to do about the Empire. In addition, although Obi-Wan was certain his apprentice had turned back to the light, he was still on guard with Anakin. It would not be overnight that he would be able to forgive or forget what Anakin had done, nor trust him for a long, long time.

He creeped quietly through the hut, finding the Lars family asleep soundly in their beds. He checked on Luke's room, where Padme slept heavily, Luke curled comfortably in her arms. Anakin was nowhere to be found despite sensing his presence. This worried Obi-Wan. What is he planning? What is he going to do? he worried.

Obi-Wan grabbed his saber and followed his apprentice's aura through the sands until the path led to a familiar location. Suddenly, he knew exactly where Anakin was, and his concerns melted. Obi-Wan put his saber away and trekked through the desert until Shmii's grave came into view, the masked Sith Lord kneeling before it. Obi-Wan joined quietly behind.

"I dream about her often, even after all these years… A part of me is glad she never had to see what monster I've become," Anakin murmured sadly as he ran his fingers lazily over the sand above his mother's corpse. Obi-Wan sat down beside him with a tired sigh.

"She loved you more than anything, Anakin. She loved you enough to give you to someone she thought could have given you a better life. If she were alive still, she would have no one to be angry with other than myself. I kept a promise to Qui-Gonn, who made a promise to her. I failed you… I want you to know I visit her grave often to apologize for it all. I should have been a better master, and for that, I am sorry," Obi-Wan murmured.

"You were a good master, the best, Obi-Wan. I should have listened to you. Everything you said about me was right, but I was too blind and stupid to listen. I'm not anymore. If I could take back the past and do it differently, I would in a heartbeat- but I can't. All I can do now is put an end to Sidious and restore whatever is left of the Republic and the Jedi, and after that… Well, if death is my punishment, then I'll accept it. But I want to make things right until then. I want to be your apprentice again, if you'll have me. I want to defeat Sidious with you by my side. You have my word I will heed everything you say the way I should have the first time," he murmured. Obi-Wan smiled sadly.

"I will, if you will accept a master who made his own mistakes," he replied. Anakin nodded his head rigorously. The two men sat stoically together for several hours, simply gazing out into the Tatooine sunrise. They said nothing on the walk back to the Lars residence, where the family had woken up. Padme stood at the kitchen table upon entering. When she saw Obi-Wan and Anakin, she leapt up to scold them.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you both all morning! We need to plan our next move against Sidious. Every second we wait, more lives are being lost or oppressed. We need to fight," she said fiercely. Anakin admired her spirit for all that was good and just, something he loved deeply about her. Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we need to discuss what comes next. It is vital we call the surviving Jedi here, as well as General Organa and his forces. I know he will always remain loyal to the Republic. Saw Guerrera's forces will be of help as well. Together, I think it is vital we dispose of Sidious and his main base. Once the head of the snake is gone, we can quickly get rid of the rest and restore the Republic," Obi-Wan murmured. Anakin looked up at him in surprise.

"Surviving Jedi?" he asked.

"Master Yoda and Ahsoka survived. I'm certain there are others, but I do not know their locations," Obi-Wan murmured. Anakin felt both thrilled and terrified. What would Ahsoka think of him now? What would Master Yoda say? It haunted him.

"Sidious is still residing at Mustafar with Tarkin, although they are making arrangements as we speak to expand. They're building an Imperial army, but until it's complete they remain on Mustafar. Right now they are busy with identification numbers and replacing the currency. They're weak and vulnerable. I say we strike him hard and destroy the army while Obi-Wan and I infiltrate the throne room to defeat Sidious ourselves. Together we're more than a match for him," Anakin said. Obi-Wan nodded.

"I will send word to everyone I trust. When our forces are gathered, we will destroy Sidious once and for all," he declared. Anakin and Padme nodded passionately. Sidious's days, as well as the Empire's were numbered.