"Obi-Wan, it's time to wake up."

"I'm too tired."

"Laziness is unbecoming for you. Come on, you know not to do this."

"Do what?"

"Fall asleep in a snow cave. With inadequate clothing. Your fire went out."

"Master, it's fine."

"It's not. You're putting Siri in danger. Besides, is it fair to Anakin that both his potential tutors died in the span of a few weeks? What would that do to him? You know no one else is willing to take him on."

"Do I? Because the Chancellor seems to think the only reason I was chosen was because of you. Because it was your last wish. Master Yoda doesn't think it was a good idea, and frankly I agree."

"Since when have we listened to him?"

I open my eyes to see Qui-Gon smiling, a twinkle in his eye. He leans up against the opposite wall, impervious to the cold snow at his back. He looks down at me with those soft eyes and I immediately start to choke on an onslaught of sobs so intense it scares me. I want more than anything to jump up and throw my arms around him, but I can't move. My body is completely numb, my fingers have gone white. I just lay in a crumpled heap staring back at him, sobbing.

"I miss you so much."

"I know you do, young one. I miss you, too. But it's going to be alright." His voice is slow, cool, each syllable given special care.

"How can you say that?"

"You never fully trusted me. Not really. Why not try something different. Stop fighting everything. For once, give in to the will of the Force and just see what happens."

"How can this be the will of the Force?"

"I am the Force." He smirks. "At least, I am now. You are the blind man. I am the one who can see." He gives me a wink and I can't help but smile back.

"Master, I'm so tired. Why can't I move?"

"Well, fool, you forgot to check on your doorway of this ridiculous cave."

"Wh-what? What do you mean?"

"It got snowed in. That was your only airhole. You two have been sucking in each other's carbon monoxide for the past hour. I'd say you have only a few more minutes before you're both dead."

I feel small again. Like a boy who's made a mortifying error.

"Now, why don't you listen to me, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and get off your lazy arse?"

My whole body jolts awake and I take in a sharp gasp. I try to look around, but see nothing. I suck desperately for air and feel the shivering come back in uncontrollable spasms. The wind howls outside.

"Siri?" I croak. "Siri, wake up."

I hear no response and get onto my hands and knees and paw around, but I feel nothing. I left my gloves off this entire time and my hands have gone numb. Eventually I feel a dull thud from the lifeless stump at the end of my arm. I force my fingers to grab hold of clothing and shake her body with all the energy I have. Eventually I hear a soft moan.

"Siri, please," I fight through the heaving coughs, "you have to get up. We have to leave."

All I get is another moan and no movement. You have to let air in, you idiot. I stagger to my feet and feel around for the tunnel that led to our doorway. I crawl through, panting and hacking. My head hits what was the entrance, now a caved in wall of dense snow. My fingers are numb anyway- I use them to claw into the snow, then transitioning to repeated punching until my chest is wracked with coughing and I have to lay my head down and catch my breath. My head is spinning, and I feel so, so tired. I can feel my eyelids fluttering and I moan out loud, hoping my own noises will rouse me awake. I can't stop now, she'll die. I heave myself up and begin punching the wall again as hard as I can. Suddenly, I feel my fist pierce through, and the feeling of wind on bare skin.

"Oh my god, yes. Yes!"

I keep pummeling the wall with new vigor, now grunting with each strike. I can see bright white and a rush of wind slams into my face. I can't help but drink in the air and close my eyes in near ecstasy. With the new light I'm able to see Siri's pale, prone form and I crawl to it. She's still not awake, and her lips are blue, so I grab hold of her collar and drag her toward the door, inch by agonizing inch, until I'm yelling out loud from the strain. I drag her until her head is hanging out the doorway. Her woolen cap is whisked away in the wind and her blonde hair tumbles out all over the snow.

"Come on, Siri, breathe." I tap her cheeks. "It's time to breathe."

I lower my ear down to her mouth and barely hear faint, slow breathing. I rear back up and start shoving my hands down onto her chest. Her eyes snap open and she gasps for air, the color rushing back to her face and lips.

I collapse in the snow next to her, laying on my back and panting up into the swirling white sky. The clouds have form and shape to them now, no longer melded with the horizon and landscape. I look over to the east and see the clouds ablaze in the light of a hidden sun struggling to break through. Thank you, God.

"Obi-Wan. What happened? Did we pass out?"

"Yes," I pant. "We were suffocating. The doorway caved in."

She pauses for a long time. "I can't believe we could be so stupid."

I can't help it, but I start laughing until another fit of coughing takes over.

"I really don't know what's so funny about that."

"We're alive, Siri. We survived the storm."

"That we did."

Siri takes a few deep breaths, and then with a grunt, she pushes herself up into a sitting position and begins scanning the snow, no doubt for signs of our snowmachines. I should be helping her, but I lay still, watching her long hair dance around her face in the wind. Her eyes suddenly light up. "I see something!"

She has to lean her hands on her knees like an old woman as she stands, but soon she's staggering away from me down the hill. I lift my head to see her brushing the snow off of an exposed handle bar of one of our vehicles. "Obi-Wan, get up and help me, for fuck's sake!"

With an exaggerated groan, I roll over and get my feet under me. We both ignite our lightsabers and carefully hold them over the snow until it melts away, painstakingly revealing our dripping snowmachines, until there's only a small amount that we can easily brush away with our gloved hands.

We don't bother to find the second one. Siri hops on, and I jump up behind her, closing my arms around her waist and breathing in the scent of her hair as it whips my face in the rushing wind. The world has shape and shadow now, allowing us to see the faded indentations in the snow that were our tracks. The engine groans so loudly as we slowly crawl back up the couloir that I'm worried it will stall, sending us tumbling back down the slope with our two-ton machine. I close my eyes, grip Siri's waist tighter, and release a silent prayer into the Force. By some sweet miracle, we crest the top of the hill, and are able to easily cut through the thick powder the rest of the way to the encampment.

As we approach, I see a stunned Quinlan pull away from a huddled group and run toward us. "Oh my God, where were you?"

Siri and I both seem to choke on our words. I feel my face flush hot with embarrassment. "We had to take shelter overnight in the storm." I finally say.

"Well, I'm afraid a search party went out looking for you in the city. They're in Wollongpore now. And Obi-Wan," he turns to me with a stern look, "I took over looking after your Padawan."

My heart skips a beat, and I can feel Siri looking over at me. "Thank you, Quinlan. I can take back over from here."

He keeps glaring at me. "He was really worried, you know."

"I understand that. But everything is alright now."

"Maybe you two should work more on his emotional control." He says under his breath.

"Yes, Quinlan, thank you. I'm good from here."

"Well if you two are done, can we alert the search party to stand down and return to base?" Siri interjects.

Quinlan purses his lips and shakes his head. "We lost contact with them hours ago. There's been no sign of them."

"Has anyone tried looking for them?" Siri nearly yells.

"A search party for the search party?" Quinlan snorts. "Yeah, sure, Siri. Anyway, we have reason to assume the worst." Quinlan pulls a folded note from his pocket and hands it to us.

"The recent, blatant invasion of Republic forces is considered an act of war. Your spies are now our prisoners, and the rest of your forces are ordered to evacuate Stewjon within 48 hours or you will be met with deadly force."

"They can't do this…" I say quietly, stunned.

"Well, they did. We may have to leave this planet without the others, and let the Republic return with their military forces to extract them. Or do battle. It's up to them, this is not our fight."

"How is this not our fight?" Siri jams the note back into Quinlan's chest. "We were sent here to stop this! We've been working this for months, and now you say we just give up and run at the first threat?"

"They've declared war, Siri!" Quinlan yells. "And not with the Jedi, mind you. With the Republic. They're association of us with the Republic is on them."

"But we do represent the Republic." I say as calmly as I can.

Quinlan rolls his eyes, "Oh give me a break, Obi."

"Like it or not, we do. That's ultimately what we fight for. Peace and democracy. Which happens to be the Republic. The closest thing we've ever had to a perfect system. That should be good enough for a humble Jedi Knight."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"We stand down. Don't leave. This isn't war, they have no legal right to declare it, so we don't have to recognize it. Right now, our security forces have been kidnapped by terrorists and we need to save them. Today." I start toward the briefing tent, and hear Quinlan's staggering footfalls crunch in the snow behind me.

"We don't have the authority, Obi-Wan! The council has already ordered our retreat. They're deploying a Republic unit to deal with this, it's not our fucking problem! This is all total bullshi!"

"Trust me, Quinlan, I agree with you. Nevertheless, it's still our problem."

.

.

.

I have to take a few deep breaths and calm myself before I enter our tent. I can't believe I feel this intimidated by a kid. I gently pull the canvas flap aside and see Anakin sitting on his cot, looking over reading material I had left for him. He looks up at me and snaps the book closed. Without a word he gets up and finally begins to unpack his gear despite my asking days ago. He hurriedly folds up each item of clothing and jams it roughly into the foot-locker at the base of his cot.

I tentatively step toward him. "Hi Anakin. I'm sorry I was gone for so long. Siri and I got caught in the storm."

I wait for a response but get none. I stand awkwardly watching him unpack, paralyzed with indecision as to what to say. My panic begins to dissipate, and anger settles in. "Anakin, are you listening to me?"

"Why am I here?" He snaps back, still not looking at me.

A laugh escapes, and I can hear the unintentional condescension it may give. "What are you talking about?"

He finally looks up at me. Glares up at me. "Why did you drag me along? You've barely talked to me, we've barely done any training, and then you go on your missions without me and I just have to sit here all alone and no one knows what to do with me so I just sit here in our tent bored out of my mind."

I stand wide eyed for a moment. I don't know whether to be shocked a Padawan could speak to their master this way, or impressed with how astute beyond his years he actually is. "Well…we talked about this, Anakin. There isn't much you're qualified to do at this early stage, so all I can do is basic lessons in a safe environment. And I didn't intend to be gone so long-"

"Right, the weather." He says sarcastically. He gets up off the floor and sits at the table, flipping through booklets that I don't recognize. Possibly given to him by Quinlan.

"How did things go with Master Vos? I hear he was able to step in while I was gone."

"Pretty darn good, actually." His voice is icy.

"You'll have to humor me, was that sarcasm?"

Anakin turns to face me. "No. It really wasn't. I like him. He taught me a lot of stuff, actually. He stayed with me for a long time. I think he cares about me."

"That's good. You know I do too, right?"

"Well no, not really. But that's fine. You're just my teacher."

"Okay, Anakin, this has to stop. You can't be talking to me like this. I don't know what's gotten into you, but-"

"Gotten into me? So what, I'm the problem now? Are you really going to ignore what you did? What you said?"

"Wait, what I said? What do you mean?"

"That you're avoiding me on purpose! That I remind you of Master Jinn too much so you don't want to be around me!"

I gasp. "Anakin…did you…did you hear me through the Force? When I was talking with Master Tachi?"

He keeps his indignant glare, but slowly raises his eyebrows in confusion. "Of course," he says. "You taught me how. I was trying to keep track of you while you were gone, make sure you were safe."

I'm in awe. I feel an incredible urge to sink to my knees, to grovel, beg his forgiveness. "Anakin, I'm so, so sorry. I really had no idea you were connected with me when I said those things. I didn't mean for you to know. And you're right, I have been avoiding you. I have, I can't deny that. This changes now. I promise, I will do better."

He sneers and looks away, as though he can't bear the sight of me. "Master Vos cares more about me. He's a good teacher. Why can't he be my Master?"

I have to be stern now. "It doesn't work that way, Padawan. You and I have been assigned together, it's a bond not easily forsaken. You must understand this."

"It already was!"

"Anikan, honestly, you're blowing yesterday out of proportion-"

"-I'm not talking about that!" He snaps.

"Then what are you talking about?"

"When Qui-Gon died! He was my Master, not you! I never would have left home if I knew I'd lose him. You should have died that day, he should have been my Master!" Anakin's eyes bulge. He slaps his hand over his mouth and stands pale and frozen.

I freeze, too. We both stand in silence, listening to the wind howl in the distance. I feel a heavy sadness drop into my chest like a lead weight. I try to hold my tongue, but the words tumble out of me and I can't take them back. "You're right. It should have been me. Not him. But this is what we're stuck with. It's total shit, but this is our life now and we have to make it work. For him."

He lets the hand slowly drop from his mouth and I see his eyes begin to water, his face contorted in remorse. He looks like he wants to say something, probably apologize, and I can't help but turn away before he has a chance. I clear my throat and speak as I walk toward the doorway. "I have to abandon you again today, apparently. Some of our forces were kidnapped and require extraction. You're not authorized to come, it's too dangerous. Please keep reading your assignments."

I hear a small whimper sound behind me as I let the tent flap fall closed. This is the worst possible to time to leave him. It's like I'm just trying to punish him, let him feel bad about this. I'm a terrible Master. He should be alive, not me.

I stomp faster through the snow, trying to outrun the savage thoughts in my head. I reach Siri, sitting on her snowmachine outside the supply tent, talking with Quinlan. "Are you two ready?" I accidentally shout as I mount my own snowmachine, firing up the engine before I even get a response.

They look at each other and shrug. We don our helmets and peal out of the compound once more, into the softly falling snow. I internally thank them profusely for their haste and feel a wave of reassurance through the Force.

I rev the engine for all she has, tearing through the snow toward Wollongpore with an unslaked thirst for vengeance weighing heavily in my chest. Together we ride in silence down the valley, bouncing in unison over the uneven glacial debris.

When we arrive, it's as though we were expected. Another rally seems to have been assembled in the city courtyard, and every person eerily turns to face us as we approach- our engines the only sound ricocheting off the enclosed walls. When we stop and shut down our snowmachines, the silence that engulfs us is nearly suffocating. I dismount with a heavy thud, and begin to walk toward the stage scanning for Rowan or any member of his inbred, lawless family. Instead, I'm met with the Senator's blond, smiling form walking right toward me. I can't help but take a step back, my skin crawling.

I quickly gather my senses and offer a begrudging bow. "Ma'am, we've been given notice that members of our team have my unlawfully kidnapped. We're here to extricate them. Please direct us to them, and we will be on our way."

"Kidnapped?" She says in exaggerated shock. "Why I believe you mean arrested, Master Jedi. I don't know how you do things on Coruscant, but espionage is a crime on Stewjon. According to galaxy-wide Republic laws, a crime punishable by death."

I can feel the smug, self-aggrandizing smiles of the crowd dig into me and I shudder.

"You're speaking in terms of war, Madame Senator." Siri steps up beside me. "We are not at war with Stewjon, therefore this is kidnapping. These forces were merely sent to find their missing comrades, nothing more. Please, tell us where they are before we have to escalate."

The senator's blue eyes crinkle with a smile. "Escalate?" She laughs.

Quinlan suddenly steps up and ignites his lightsaber. The once confident crowd jolts back, and I can't help but share in their concern. I venture a glance over at Quinlan, but he glares ahead at the senator. I see Siri reluctantly pull her sabre from its hilt, but just hovers her thumb over the button.

"You Republic scum!" A man's booming voice sends a shockwave through the courtyard. I actually feel afraid.

People scramble aside to reveal Rowan thundering toward us, his family struggling to keep up behind him. With caution, I pull out my blaster, leaving my lightsaber at my belt.

"Sir, this is Republic business, this doesn't concern you. Stay back!"

He continues to bowl toward us like a charging bear, head lowered and seething in rage. "This is what your kind does. You bullies show up uninvited, weapons drawn, just taking what you want by force. Well we've had enough!" A brilliant green shaft of light ignites from Rowan's hand with a distinct, familiar hum. My stunned eyes strain to register what I'm seeing: a civilian standing before us with a lightsaber.

Quinlan jumps in front of Siri and I, sabre held high. "Sir, we have warned you. Back off! This is not your concern."

I'm watching an ensuing catastrophe unfold in slow motion before my eyes. "Quinlan, wait-"

Suddenly Rowan raises a firm palm toward Quinlan, sending him hurdling back, tumbling across the courtyard.

"No!" Siri yells, lunging toward him. As I see Rowan raise his sabre up in the air, I feel my hands move of their own will to raise my blaster high and squeeze the trigger. He crumples forward, eyes wide, lightsaber falling from his hand and clattering to the ground. I drop my blaster and rush forward, catching Rowan before he hits the ground. His weight takes me down with him, and I fall to my knees, cradling his panting body in my arms.

The whole crowd is silent, watching us in shock and disbelief. I pull Rowan's robe and tunics aside to inspect the wound, praying it isn't a fatal shot. I suddenly feel his cold, bloodied hand grasp mine and hold it still. I meet his gaze; his eyes are wide, and his lips are moving soundlessly, struggling to tell me something. I can only stare back at him, inexplicable tears beginning to sting my eyes.

There's a jostling in the crowd. I hear several people run up to us, and the silence is shattered by a woman's scream. "Papa!" I snap my gaze up to see his children standing pale and open-mouthed at the periphery of the crowd.

The senator, with her sickening smile, shakes her head at me. "Oh, my. You've really done it now, sweetie."

Suddenly I feel hands clamp down on my arms and hoist me into the air. Rowan's body tumbles lifelessly out of my lap and onto the cold ground. I feel the barrel of a blaster jammed into my temple, and arms wrap tightly around my waist.

"Get off of me!" Siri yells from somewhere behind me. I try to look back at her, but feel metal crack my forehead and send my vision into a dark tailspin. I can't see anything, but can still feel my limp body being dragged; I can hear shouts of approval in the crowd, wails of anguish from Rowan's family.

A man's voice enters the fray. "Step back everyone, I'm a doctor. Sir, can you hear me? Mr. Kenobi, stay with me!"

"I'm fine," I mumble. The world slowly returns and I shake my head, blinking my eyes until things come back into focus. I realize I'm alone. The doctor wasn't talking to me. He's kneeling, grunting in strain with each forceful chest compression. He's kneeling over Rowan. He was talking to Rowan. Trying to resuscitate Rowan. The man I just murdered.