Author's Notes: 'Oh, next chapter will be Dooku and Jango.' Force (smirking): Yeah, right … I got a few things to say, in general and about that! (exasperated sigh) One of these days, I'll learn I can't predict what they're going to do … any of them, whether it's the Force itself, Obi-Wan, Anakin, or Cody. I can't even predict what my own characters will do, which is more than a bit embarrassing. So. Instead of getting a conversation or encounter between Dooku and Jango in this chapter, here's a pair of conversations: one between the true monarch of the Star Wars universe, the Force itself, and one of its most beloved children, Obi-Wan Kenobi … followed by a conversation between the child of the Force and his master.
Chapter Ten
Force-Full Conversations
Force Afterlife
Looking back, It realized It had unrealistic expectations at the end of the Clone War and of Its child. Bring balance to the galaxy in only thirteen years? Foolish, indeed. Then again, the Force tended to put Its favorites through the proverbial wringer … whether one was discussing particular species or specific Force wielders. Such as the young man staring into the past. This one was always one of its favorites. They all saw Obi-Wan Kenobi differently … for his former padawan, the Force's own child saw him as he was before he left for the final confrontation with General Grievous. Qui-Gon Jinn saw the boy as he was just before he was knighted. Yoda saw him in so many ways, including the toddler whom he first met. And the Force? The Force saw him as all of them … the toddler, the initiate, the padawan, the knight, the master, the crazy wizard. But to be honest, the Force preferred the knight out of all of them, for reasons It couldn't explain. Nor did It try.
What draws your attention so, sweet child? the Force inquired. A small smile quirked the corners of the knight's mouth and the Force looked in the direction of Its beloved child's gaze. Ah. The Force enjoyed this the first time around … the two young knights wrapped around each other in the pool as Bant Eerin watched over their son. At that time, Obi-Wan still didn't realize/accept that Bran was just as much his son as he was Merit's … but he came to accept it, eventually. The Force hummed, That was a delightful afternoon … not just the emotions and sensations the two of you ignited in each other, but the reactions of the others.
Obi-Wan blushed and ducked his head, much to the Force's amusement. Making Obi-Wan blush was always fun. He said softly, I remember this now. We'd been sparring in the salles and Merit suggested a swim once we were done. That was her favorite pool … she loved it because it was so secluded. She wasn't comfortable with people … at least, people who didn't know her … knowing her past … or with people seeing her scars. Assumptions were made sometimes that because of how she grew up, she had no trouble with people seeing her physical scars. I think because of her past, she was more uncomfortable with having those scars on display.
Indeed, the Force acknowledged, and it was truly hard for her to understand that those scars weren't viewed with scorn, but with respect. Especially among her Jedi brethren. She was so accustomed to being judged for those scars by those she protected in her own time. Yes, Obi-Wan remembered that … he remembered that so well. The Force went on, She was ever a favorite of mine. As were you. Obi-Wan turned to face It, only to turn away, with a barely-concealed flinch. Much to Its chagrin, the Force realize It chose the form of Sheev Palpatine … a form used only with Anakin, and only when It wanted to get the boy's attention. The Force thought for a moment, and then shifted, before carefully tugging Obi-Wan back around to face It once more. There was a minute relaxing … just enough for a small smile to light the young man's face. The Force chose the form this time of a young woman who never actually existed, that of the young scavenger who became so much more, Rey. In her voice, the Force went on, But that is not what troubles you, child.
No, Obi-Wan admitted, no, it isn't. The Force waited patiently. It knew what troubled Its child, of course … but the words needed to be said, or they would continue festering in Its child's soul. (It also made a mental note to speak with Anakin … the boy had no business watching his former and future Master being intimate with Anakin's own great-granddaughter … the Force was entirely certain that if Merit realized her great-grandfather watched over her in such a manner, she would never be able to look at Anakin again, in any of his incarnations). The auburn-haired knight took a deep breath, before observing, I begin to remember more of the past after you sent those last four Jedi back. I remember being happy … not just content, but happy. Merit and I, we argued on occasion, though not often. We were both too terrified of losing what we were building, but we did argue, and then we reconciled. The Force very virtuously kept from snickering. Because yes, they certainly did reconcile!
But now they were coming to the crux of Obi-Wan's issues. Its young knight murmured, After all the mistakes I made, after how badly I failed … how can I be permitted to be this happy? How can I permit to … to care so deeply for a troubled young woman, and have her affection in turn? I … I thought after my years on Tatooine, watching over Luke that I finally worked through my guilt and everything that resulted from my mistakes, from not being the kind of master Anakin needed. And what's to stop me from making the exact same mistakes again? No, I'm not Anakin's master this time around, but …
The Force didn't point out to Its headstrong child that he would always be Anakin's Jedi Master … always. Obi-Wan wasn't ready for that knowledge, was in fact mourning the loss of Anakin in his second life, even as he rejoiced in his relationships with Merit and Bran. He wasn't yet able to voice how dear Merit was to him, but that was to be expected (and was equally true of Merit). And truthfully, the Force never expected anything else from this child.
It at last said, You made mistakes, child … but you were far from the only one. There is much guilt to be spread about, and only a fraction of it should be placed on your shoulders. I must carry some of the blame as well. Obi-Wan's blue eyes widened and the Force inclined 'Rey's' head, added, I saw for some time how the galaxy was going, and only chose to intervene at the very end, with a single child with terrible scars. That was why the Four were sent back. Not just to save the Jedi and all who were lost, not even to spare you so much heartbreak … as worthy those causes are. But also to give the galaxy a second chance to save itself, by scattering the Four like seeds. Thane and Merit's task was to prepare the Jedi as much as possible, to give them the tools to save themselves. They were assigned that task because of Anakin … but Aidan and Amidala? Their task is to prepare others. Not just Xanatos and not just Asajj Ventress, but others whom you don't know, whom you have never met. Those of Anakin's bloodline are chosen to save individuals … but those of your bloodline are chosen to save far more.
Obi-Wan was silent for several long moments, turning that over in his mind. The Force went on, Aidan and Amidala are truly your children, Obi-Wan. And they're aware of what their purpose in the past is. I'm not sure if Merit has put the pieces together. If she hasn't yet, she will soon enough … and it's no stain on her intelligence or capacity for reasoning if she hasn't. Your grandson and great-granddaughter have each other, while all that's left of Merit's life in the future are her memories. And besides, the last thing she expected when she went into the past was to fall in love with you … something that happened before the first attempt on her life. She has had a great many adjustments to make … as a Jedi, as a woman, as a mother.
At that, Obi-Wan's eyes widened and the Force smiled at him tenderly. It murmured in Rey's voice, And, child, you should know … you saved her. She lives and thrives because of you. I said a moment ago that those of your bloodline are called to save others. And that's true. But those of your bloodline are also called to save Skywalkers, something which you've done so many times. And if It had a corporeal form, the Force would have kicked Itself, because of course, Its words would remind Obi-Wan of that horrific fight on Mustafar with his brother. It realized that even before seeing Obi-Wan's bitter smile.
Oh yes … I did such an excellent job of saving Anakin, I left him to burn! I couldn't even give him the mercy of a killing strike! was Obi-Wan's equally bitter answer. The young Human Master shook his head, closing his eyes as he whispered, Every time I think I have forgiven myself for failing Anakin, I remember that. How he has forgiven me, I will never know. That was something the Force had no answer for, and a conversation the two brothers would need to have between themselves. But there was something Obi-Wan forgot in his frequent recriminations … several things, in fact.
Your task that day wasn't to save Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan, the Force said with infinite gentleness. And it wasn't. Obi-Wan stared at 'Rey' in shock. Imagine that … rendering the Negotiator speechless, without using Its own power against him! Rather than revel in Its achievement, the Force went on, Your task wasn't to save Anakin Skywalker … but rather, to save Luke and Leia. And you did that. You were in shock, so I'm not surprised that you don't remember my nudging you to go to them after your fight with Anakin … but I did. They needed you, Obi-Wan, and you did what had to be done. Perhaps that's why Anakin has forgiven you … because you put the well-being of his son and daughter first.
That's exactly why … still not crazy about the twins being split up, but I can't deny that Owen and Beru, and Bail and Breha, did an amazing job with them both, Anakin observed and the Force backed away, to allow the two brothers to talk. Maybe this time, Anakin's words of love and forgiveness would actually take with his stubborn older brother. For Its own part, the Force had another conversation to have, this time with Jango Fett, who just arrived. The Mandalorian bounty hunter had his role to play as well … and hopefully, now that the Force had his attention, he would actually listen. Because the first thing the Mandalorian needed to realize … just because he wasn't Force-Sensitive didn't mean he didn't belong to the Force. All beings, sentient and otherwise, belonged to It.
SWSWSWSWSWSW
Anakin Skywalker knew his Master well … he knew that Obi-Wan would be mortified if he realized that Anakin watched him with his beloved great-granddaughter (although, to be perfectly honest, Anakin wasn't watching because he wanted to, but because he needed to talk to Cody, and that's where his brother's clone commander was. Watching Obi-Wan and Merit make love was at the top of the thousand things he had no desire to see, second only to seeing Palpatine naked. Ew. No. Just … no). He also knew that his non-human parent was quite correct. If you wanted to save an individual, you sent a Skywalker. If you wanted to save a group or a planet, you sent a Kenobi. The Force was also correct when It pointed out that Obi-Wan saved the Skywalkers he was meant to save … namely Luke and Leia.
What he didn't know was why his former master's insecurities were returning now. They made peace, the two of them, and rebuilt their relationship, well away from the constant interference of Sheev Palpatine. It was years since Obi-Wan's guilt reared its ugly head, so why now? Unless … Anakin glanced at the scene playing out before him once more. Obi-Wan and Merit in their favorite pool, Merit wrapped around his once and future Master as they kissed. It was so peaceful, they were so happy … until a furious Bant burst in with a terrified Bran in her arms, and Qui-Gon in hot pursuit, both determined to reach Bran's parents first.
Oh. Anakin began to understand, then, as he remembered the events leading up to that particular confrontation. He turned into a right brat when he hit the double-digits, even worse than he was the first time around. Part of it was his jealousy of Bran … while Merit didn't give birth to him, she was still his mother. Anakin was jealous that the boy had his mother, while Anakin wasn't permitted to even check on his. It was uncomfortable, having two sets of memories. It was even more uncomfortable to realize just how he was wrong about so many things during his first life. Not that he did much better in his second life, especially when he was a padawan. In this particular instance, Bant was watching over Bran and other younglings … Bran, wanting to 'help' Anakin by making one of his droids look 'better' painted it and accidently gummed up its joints. Anakin flew into a rage and accused the sobbing little boy of doing it on purpose. Surprise, surprise … Qui-Gon took his side. Also not a surprise, Bant had someone spell her while she took Bran to his parents.
As his great-granddaughter reached out to catch her son with one arm, drawing him protectively against her and Obi-Wan, Anakin rested his hand on his brother's shoulder. Every day since he chose Luke over Palpatine (love over power) and became one with the Force, Anakin made it a point to tell his brother just how much he loved him, how sorry he was, how deeply he had missed him, how grateful he was to Obi-Wan for watching over Luke.
He said now, his voice very soft, You've spent almost your entire life taking care of Skywalkers, Master … it doesn't seem like your second life will be any different than your first. There was a soft huff of laughter, and with a small smile, Anakin continued, And you're as good at it now as you were the first time around. I should be annoyed with you, seeing my great-granddaughter wrapped around you, but the Skywalkers are, overall, like octopus. And more than that, after the hell my grandson put his children through, I'm just grateful she's still capable of smiling. That's because of you, Obi-Wan. You make her smile, you make her happy.
I was happy as well. The words were very soft, but Anakin heard them anyhow … and that's when it all fell into place for him. His beloved, foolish master believed he didn't deserve to be happy … in fact, feared being happy and what the consequences of that would entail. But there was something even darker, and his master gave voice to it a moment later, asking softly, But how long will it last? How long will this sweet interlude last before it all falls apart … before I fail Merit as badly as I failed you? Anakin's mouth went dry, and he struggled for several moments. But a conversation with his Leia returned to his mind at last, and Anakin mentally thanked his daughter for that.
How long before Merit fails you as I did? Anakin countered and his Master looked at him quickly. Anakin nodded slowly, keeping his eyes focused on Obi-Wan's, because of course that wouldn't occur to Obi-Wan. He went on, I don't think she will. Merit, in some ways, is far more like you than she is like me. Duty is ingrained in her … duty to her family, to her Order, to the galaxy. That's not a bad thing, mind you … it means that Merit is capable of thinking beyond herself. But … you and she, you both need to realize that being too selfless can be just as much of a problem as being too selfish.
You sound like her. She often forgot to eat, but whenever I did the same, she would sit on the table in front of me while I was working and hand-feed me whatever was on hand, Obi-Wan answered, sounding exasperated and amused and affectionate all at the same time. Anakin snickered, because not only could he see his great-granddaughter doing just that, he actually remembered a few times when he witnessed such a thing occurring. Obi-Wan murmured, She always worked so hard to make sure I didn't have to choose between her and Qui-Gon. Said that I shouldn't have to. I lost my father, she told me once … I can't bear for you to lose yours.
She was right. There was no reason in the world you should have to choose between two people you love. And that was why you chose her that day … because she would have never asked it of you, Anakin observed. His brother's head moved in a way that said that Anakin was on the right track, but that wasn't entirely correct. That was fine, though … he didn't always have to be right. It was enough that he was on the right track.
I chose her and Bran because Qui-Gon was out of line. Bran was a very little boy and our former Master frightened him, Obi-Wan answered as his younger self emerged from the pool, Merit following behind with Bran in her arms as Obi-Wan wrapped her robes around her. At the time this happened, Anakin was agitating for Qui-Gon to 'put that little brat in his place.' Now, however, Anakin almost felt sick at the terror in Bran's eyes as he curled against his mother.
And to distract himself from that awful feeling, Anakin replied, My point stands. It wasn't Merit who pushed you to choose between her and your father. He did that, because he was jealous.
There was actually a bit more to it than simple jealousy, but that was at the heart of the matter. Even at twenty-eight, Obi-Wan was already becoming a force to be reckoned with … no pun intended, even more than he was the first time around. Anakin's request to his only great-grandson paid off in ways he couldn't have imagined. I want Obi-Wan to have a chance to be happy, he'd told Thane, I want him to have a chance to be a Knight without having a padawan. And he had, and oh, he was even more magnificent! He looked over his brother's shoulder at the determined young knight standing protectively in front of his partner and dear friend, along with their child. There was a banked fury in his eyes … and Qui-Gon looked stunned to be on the receiving end of that fury. He was still seeing Obi-Wan as the padawan, rather than the knight. But that was what happened … children grew up.
Not once did Obi-Wan raise his voice as he poked holes in Qui-Gon's story. He didn't have to. His eyes said everything that needed to be said. And Bant, who only told Merit and Obi-Wan an abbreviated version of what happened, had no need to speak once she told her side of the story … Obi-Wan was able to figure out the rest. Anakin murmured, I was so angry with you at the time for defending Bran … when I was the one who needed to be taken down a peg or five. But I came to realize just how much of an ass I was being. Bran was just a toddler … he thought he was helping. I found out later that you taught him how to help properly.
He was a wonderful little boy … and grew into an even finer man, Obi-Wan said softly. But he had the example of Merit, and later his birth father, especially once his birth father stopped trying to kill us. And Obi-Wan himself, Anakin wished his former master would stop forgetting that. The man Bran Solo became after the Four went back was far different than the man he'd been in the original timeline. The future was still in motion, but he was going to be one less tool for the would-be Emperor to use. Obi-Wan added after a moment, You did as well, Anakin. The original timeline or this one … I've always been so proud of you. Anakin swallowed hard, wrapping his arms around his brother's waist from behind and burying his face in his shoulder. Obi-Wan turned away from the vision of the past to embrace Anakin, murmuring, That being said, we will have words if you ever watch my encounters with Merit again. I realize that she's your great-granddaughter, but what we did together in the privacy of our quarters is none of your business!
Anakin laughed aloud with delight, because in truth, he really didn't want to watch them together either. But because he was Anakin Skywalker and took great pleasure in driving his older brother utterly insane, he just had to respond in a mock whining voice, But Master, that's not faiiiirr! Obi-Wan just rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at thecorners of his mouth.
TBC