A/N - I apologise for not updating sooner! As I said in my last update it has been exam season, however they are now over! So my updating should be back on track from now :) This chapter picks up where we left off with Obi-Wan and the visions, just for reference in case anyone doesn't recognise some of the scenes they are from various star wars authors and the characters again do not belong to me (I will put a more detailed event at the end of the chapter as SPOILERS)

Also this chapter has turned out to be my longest yet, I did think about splitting it up but there wasn't really a natural place to stop so this is a little treat! Thank you once again for all the support and reviews, they are as always very much appreciated. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you enjoy this update! Anyway enough from me, enjoy.


One phrase seemed to fill the air as multiple conversations blurred into one, 'the clone wars have started'. Obi-Wan wasn't completely certain he knew what that meant, what all the ramifications would be of a war but there was one thing that had been made abundantly clear from the snippets of conversations he could hear, the consequences of the upcoming battles would be catastrophic.

Obi-Wan watched the visions as the republic prepared itself for conflict, hundreds of thousands of clones were dispatched to war-torn worlds, ships deployed to meet the rising Separatist forces, Jedi became soldiers in a desperate struggle to keep the Galaxy from tearing itself apart. He winced at the implications of the Jedi's new struggle they had always been primarily peace-keepers, Obi-Wan himself specialising in diplomacy just as Qui-Gon had trained him, but now because of this war Knights became commanders and Master's generals in the grand Republic army. Things had really got this bad.

Brief scenes materialised out of the visions, Anakin receiving a prosthetic arm to replace the limb he lost on Geonosis, the Padawan struggled to train with the new hand at first, feeling a part of him was lost forever. Obi-Wan continued to watch as his Padawan grew more and more frustrated with the loss, with his failure with Dooku, the agonising loss of his mother, with the setback he would have to overcome. Obi-Wan's elder self was patient with his apprentice, helped him through the ordeal and trained with Anakin until he was just as competent with the metal hand as he had been with flesh. He was there for the young man, not as a Master which Yoda had advised, but as a father, a friend, a brother.

His elder self learned of Shmi Skywalker's death and how it had affected his Padawan, he remained by his side throughout the nightmares, through the emotional breakdowns over the memories, not once finding out the terrible truth of what Anakin had done to her murderers. Obi-Wan observed as his and Anakin's relationship strengthened, he felt that if he wasn't a friend to Anakin through these difficult times then he would have lost the young man forever. He didn't need a Master through the ordeal, he needed a friend so that was exactly what Obi-Wan was to him.

The loss after Geonosis affected them all in their own ways, so many of their own were brutally murdered that day, so many lives extinguished needlessly. It was a heavy blow for the Jedi order. Things in the Temple never seemed the same after that day, there seemed to be no levity in the ancient walls as every initiate, Padawan and Knight of the order had now seen first-hand what their lives were to be, the great sacrifice's they would be making to uphold peace in the Galaxy.

Obi-Wan despaired as the fleeting images materialised in and out of subject matter around him, most scenes not lasting longer than a few seconds, it was probably for the best he was not sure how much more death and anguish his heart could take. Senior Padawan's were fast-tracked into Knight hood as the war raged on all around them, the number of Jedi in the galaxy declined rapidly as every mission to keep planet's protected waged into all out battles and inevitably led to ghastly loss of life.

The worst vision for a while materialised around Obi-Wan, he found himself standing in what appeared to be the middle of a war ground. The ground was covered in deep mud and peppered with pools of blood, riddled with bodies of clones and droids alike. The revulsion of the mess made him feel queasy, the force around Obi-Wan was alight in turmoil, screaming out with the echoes of the men's grisly final moments. The place stunk of death. He turned towards the sound of explosions and blaster fire, seeking through the thrashing rain that poured down upon the battle field, mixing crimson and brown alike. Cannon fire ripped into the ground around the trooper's feet, blaster fire hitting their mark more often than not. Obi-Wan had seen enough to know the Republic forces were being overwhelmed, he found his feet moving of their own accord towards the raging fight, mind numb from the countless needless death that lay all around.

As he walked painstakingly closer to the destruction his breath almost stopped at the sight of bodies other than that of clones and droids, Padawan's lay dead strewn across the large space in front of him, hands desperately still clutching their saber hilts. This was no place to die, forgotten on some far away world filled with so much hate, soaked in the battle field itself, alone. Obi-Wan felt tears blur the edge of his vision as he strode forward and caught sight of the sheer number of dead Jedi, some Padawan's so young their braids no longer than a few inches. They had all been starting out on their journey as Jedi and had their lives cut ruthlessly short, it was not fair. Obi-Wan had seen death, had killed many himself but nothing could have prepared him for the overwhelming emotions this setting evoked, this many bodies.

His gaze fell upon his former student Anakin, drenched head to toe in sweat, blood and rain, caked in filthy mud, teeth gritted in determination as his blue saber swung again and again to keep the growing blaster bolts at bay. Clone's continued to fall around Anakin as their position was slowly but surely overwhelmed, fresh tears were springing from Anakin's eyes as he took in the scene, felt a great loss. It was then that Obi-Wan finally noticed that his elder self was nowhere to be seen, he felt with full force his Padawan's feelings and memories. He gasped as the depth of the emotions hit him with full force, Obi-Wan had been killed. Slaughtered on this world alongside all the other Jedi. The finality of the feelings took Obi-Wan's breath away, Anakin was close to losing the precious control he had over his emotions, threatening to boil over and descend into darkness once and for all. The sight shocked Obi-Wan, he had known that Anakin would never take his death well, but he had never realised that the feelings ran this deeply, that he was this much of an anchor for the young man.

The scene seemed to flash forward once more as Obi-Wan witnessed Anakin regrettably pulling out, receiving a direct order from the Chancellor himself to evacuate. Obi-Wan could tell the young man was reluctant, he defiantly stood amongst the carnage for a little longer, azure saber sweeping in deadly arcs to keep the murderous droids at bay. He was the only Jedi left standing, the only survivor. Thankfully Anakin listened to orders and evacuated the last of the troops left standing off of the war-torn world, leaving the world's occupants to their upcoming war, he was fighting a losing battle. Obi-Wan couldn't take it if he had to witness his Padawan fall, cut down in vengeance on a world so far from home.

In the next visions Obi-Wan's theories over his death were quashed, was this fate Qui-Gon had been talking about that was worse than death itself? He winced at the damage that been inflicted to his elder self, marvelled at the sheer resistance at the hands of a very familiar figure, Ventress. It seemed they had always been destined to meet in this fashion then, maybe fate did have a sense of irony.

Obi-Wan remained a captive under Ventress for months, a testing victim for her dastardly Sith torture devices. The scenes were sickening, Obi-Wan honestly didn't know how he would be getting out of this one alive, everyone else already thought he was dead, Anakin thought he was dead. The scene fast-forwarded once again as Obi-Wan managed to escape Ventress' clutches and get back to his Padawan, after a short time healing the pair were back out on the front lines, the war's needs outweighing their need for rest, their need to console each other over the horrors of Jablim.

Obi-Wan witnessed his own Padawan's knighting, feeling a mixture of pride and worry, mirroring his elder self on that regard. The boy was far too headstrong, quick to anger, in an ideal world he would have remained under Obi-Wan's wing for several more years and perhaps he could have fixed those staining streaks. Obi-Wan had to admit however, Anakin seemed to be taking the new responsibility seriously. He was always training and aimed to be good enough to stop Dooku once and for all, the last encounter with the Sith had left a permanent mark on Anakin, Obi-Wan could feel his elder self's wish for a resolution also. As long as one of their own was out there wreaking havoc the war would never end, Dooku was far too cunning and dangerous as an opponent, influential over the entire Separatist cause.

Even though Anakin had been knighted that did not mean that the team was split up, Obi-Wan witnessed the pair dispatched on dozens of missions to deal with the uprising forces of the Separatist movement, growing closer and closer the longer they spent together. Obi-Wan revelled in the times that he and Anakin were together, the young man's prickly nature that always had caused friction with the two had mellowed greatly. This was the boy he had seen as a son once, the good natured Padawan who was selfless and had a good heart. To be able to see Anakin back to his old self made the shock of the war seem less, the needless loss of life tainted the force in the galaxy brought all of their spirits down, it was the moments of levity with Anakin that Obi-Wan lived for.

The vision's proceeded to get darker as Obi-Wan found his breath hitch more than once, unprepared for the sheer amount of loss and grief that accompanied the actions. The visions flashed through what appeared to be the same moment over and over again, of course it was not the same, it was only the resultant that remained constant. It was always a great battle, droids and clones fighting, innocents being caught in the crossfire. Villages and settlements went up in flames on so many worlds, falling victim to the dark side of the war. Jedi fell in greater numbers as the sheer amount of droids and enemy forces overwhelmed their positions, many dying protecting the innocents of the worlds, fulfilling their promise to the galaxy, doing their duty.

No matter how many versions of the same tale Obi-Wan saw he did not find it any easier watching the next, in fact the more he watched the harder it became to not just break down in tears over the horrifying images he was witnessing. How could have things got this far? Qui-Gon was right the future was calamitous, it was rapidly falling into complete chaos.

Obi-Wan's heart ached as he witnessed countless friends and other Jedi die, mercilessly cut down by the enemy, he had known most of them throughout his years at the temple so every loss felt personal, carving away at his heart. Time and time again Obi-Wan attended the funerals for fallen comrades, the affair regrettably became a common outing, too common. No matter how many times the words were said, Obi-Wan could never stop a piece of himself dying as the flames died away. 'We are all luminous beings not this gross matter.' There were only so many funerals one could take before the loss started to hit personally, the words becoming less of a comfort the more he heard them. How long would it be until he was burning? Or Anakin for that matter? Obi-Wan shuddered as did his elder self when the thoughts ran through his mind, he didn't think he would ever be prepared to see Anakin dead. The little boy he trained, blond haired and bright-eyed, burning. He couldn't bear the thought so buried it deep within his mind, unprepared to think again on such an awful future.

Amongst the death and destruction Obi-Wan saw his older self find some peace, from his relationship with his former Padawan Anakin of all places. He was evidently proud of the Jedi Anakin was becoming, he was already proving himself to be tactfully minded and had personally lead and dealt countless destruction to the endless droids and Grievous' battle forces. He even had his own Padawan now and from the few flashes that Obi-Wan witnessed he could see that Anakin was always meant to be a teacher, he and Ashoka made a great team. It was heart-warming seeing the pair of them together working side by side, noting Anakin's worrying visions lessen in impact, if there weren't a war raging then Obi-Wan would say things were finally well in the galaxy. As Obi-Wan continued to watch the worrying troubles of the young man's past seemed to disappear before his eyes. Here Anakin cared fiercely about his friends and troops under his command, he fearlessly led them all into battle, earning the nickname 'the hero without fear', time and time again and much to Obi-Wan's chagrin rescued his older self a fair few times. It seems the elder Jedi Master was always the bait…


Obi-Wan and Anakin were flying side by side, each in their own individual fighters heading towards what appeared to be a Separatist fleet in deep space. Obi-Wan was not a comfortable flyer in the slightest, but his skills seemed to have improved greatly. Of course they were still no match for his former Padawan, the young man was a natural at it.

"I don't see why I have to be the bait again?" Obi-Wan ground out through gritted teeth as he had to swerve swiftly to avoid an incoming fleet of enemy ships.

Anakin's snort of laughter echoed in the cock pit of Obi-Wan's ship, evidently amused at Obi-Wan's tense state. Even though Obi-Wan could see his elder self was outwardly annoyed he could see through the facade, he was enjoying the banter with Anakin.

"Because, Master, you are so very good at getting caught."

"Hmm… I would be careful if I were you, Anakin, I wouldn't want to be in your position in the dojo if I were goading a Jedi Master."

"Ha! I would like to see you try, Master!" Anakin's joyful laughter lifted both their moods, the fact they could find any sense of levity in such a perilous situation was a miracle in itself.

"Oh trust me, my friend, after we are finished here I will be teaching you many lessons…" Obi-Wan promised in a dangerous tone, mirth threatening to seep in and ruin the supposedly stern moment.

"I look forward to it, Master, now go get caught."

Obi-Wan watched as his elder self shook his head smiling, unable to wipe the grin off his face.

"Yes whatever you say, Anakin, you know you don't have to call me Master anymore right?" Obi-Wan's eyes twinkled as he spoke, face morphed into a teasing gesture as he prepared to fly towards the enemy freighter.

"I know, it's just habit I suppose."

They both knew it was more than that, nostalgic feelings of their long stretch as Master and apprentice filled the space surrounding them. Obi-Wan smiled genuinely for the first time since the visions began, it certainly was good to see this side of Anakin once more.

The force pulsed around the pair, sparking with mischief and camaraderie, just like old times. Obi-Wan sensed his older self had missed the ability to simply laugh with his apprentice, to enjoy in the little things in life, now finally he was once more. The pair promptly earned the public's endearance, heroes of the republic, the Negotiator and the hero without fear. Obi-Wan had to admit the two made a great team, they complimented one another in skills and approaches, because of the duo many worlds were saved from certain death.

As a technical outsider to the visions Obi-Wan could observe on proceedings well, it was clear to anyone who was looking what Anakin and he were to each other. The endless banter and joking, the care over each other's safety in battle, they were brothers. Obi-Wan could sense his elder self's feelings clearly, even though the galaxy was falling apart around him he believed everything was going to be alright, still held out hope for a brighter future. He had the comfort of Anakin being by his side through thick and thin, battling the same enemies that he was. The only thing that interrupted Obi-Wan's dark thoughts and unbecoming breakdowns was the fact that Anakin had been by his side throughout everything that had gone wrong in his life, he always would be.


Another scene started to materialise in front of Obi-Wan, smoke clouded the air as crashed and battered ships rolled to a stop on a dusty landscape. Far above in the sky he could hear the blaster fire and explosion which indicated a vicious battle was taking place, not knowing whether this vision would be positive or negative Obi-Wan found his feet moving of their own accord towards the crash site. As he moved closer to the wreckage he noted his elder self exit from another ship which had just landed, he was pelting towards the crash site worry evident on all of his features. Perhaps not a pleasant vision then.

He reached the downed jet the same time as his elder self and proceeded to drop down inside the cockpit to see who the unfortunate soul was who had suffered this fate. The downed Jedi lay sprawled on the floor of the cockpit, blond head pillowed in her arms. Siri. Time seemed to slow as the information worked its way through Obi-Wan's pained mind, this couldn't be, not her, not Siri. Obi-Wan dropped to his knees, hands reaching out to offer some comfort, any comfort to her. Of course he could not interact with a vision's occupants so settled to just remain and watch his older self's actions, hoping and praying that it wasn't already too late. The force reeked of death.

He could feel his older self's reservations to feel for a pulse, not wanting to have the finality of that action. Obi-Wan could not bear to have the certainty that Siri was dead, it would rip him apart.

"Siri."

"Blasterfire," The groaning voice responded, turning slightly to look up at Obi-Wan, "Magus."

Obi-Wan's elder self seemed to assess the situation outside of the cockpit before turning his attention back to the one who needed it.

"Padmé has him covered. We're safe for the moment," Obi-Wan replied.

"Everything is grey".

Obi-Wan felt tears pricking his eyes as her voice rasped out the confession, strength leaving her body with every breath.

"That was such a risky move," Obi-Wan admonished, unseeing or refusing to see the diminishing state of Siri's health.

"It worked didn't it?" She smirked before wincing over the pain.

Obi-Wan's elder self gasped as the realisation finally caught up with him, the gravity of the situation and the extent of Siri's injuries.

"I'll get the bacta…" His retreat was stopped as Siri caught his hand in hers, her agony etched over her beautiful face.

"Don't leave me. I wanted to say…"

Obi-Wan interrupted once more and again attempted to extract himself from Siri's dying grip, intent on getting help and forestalling the inevitable. "Siri, I must get the med kit…" He was again stopped by Siri.

"For star's sake, Obi-Wan, I'm dying. Do you have to interrupt me now?" The voice had dropped to a volume not much higher than a whisper, the effort to talk almost sapping all of the Jedi's strength.

Tears freely rolled down Obi-Wan's cheeks, he could see his elder self struggling to maintain the flood on his emotions. He guessed this version of himself had hardened his emotions so much already due to the war and all the loss, Obi-Wan himself was not accustomed to all of it. This loss was breaking his heart and he let it show, the force was in turmoil as Obi-Wan struggled to keep Siri in this world, holding on to her presence with every last ounce of strength that he could muster.

"You're not dying," He resolutely promised, attempting maybe to fool himself against the inevitable.

Siri struggled with her belt, unable to pull out what she was looking for. "I can't… get it for me."

Obi-Wan choked down a sob as her feeble attempts of moving were breaking his heart, his Siri was dying in front of him. Obi-Wan's elder self retrieved the object from her belt, her crystal and pressed it into her hand.

"No… yours," Siri let it fall into Obi-Wan's hand. "Now I will never leave you."

Her wheezing was getting worse, her body succumbing to the catastrophic injuries.

"You will never leave me," the elder Obi-Wan repeated, his own voice cracking with emotion as a few tears started to escape and fall down his cheeks.

Obi-Wan barely had any check on his emotion's anymore, anguish and agony coursing through every fibre of his being. Of course he knew why this death was so painful for him, the one he would struggle to let go if he even could, he and Siri were attached.

Siri's hand raised slowly and reached for Obi-Wan's cheek, slick with crimson blood, brushing his face slightly before allowing her hand to drop again.

"Don't worry so much," Her eyes closed and she was gone.

Obi-Wan lost control of the damn he was holding, he sobbed his heart out as he felt it splitting inside his chest. The agony of Siri's passing remained in the force for the both of them, he sensed the immense pain his elder self was experiencing as he laid his head on the cockpit and gripped her hand. 'What was worth living for if he had to carry this pain?'

Obi-Wan's gaze never left Siri's dead stare, her once stunning eyes held so much wonder and excitement for life now were left empty, clouded. He screamed out in anguish as he fell to the floor beside her, reaching out once more to hold her hand, willing to break through the vision and take her into his arms. Heart-wrenchingly his hands found thin air and a fresh wave of tears broke free, he settled to just sit close to Siri's body, unable to move away and accept the bitter truth entirely.

There was movement and by the time Obi-Wan turned to stare out of the viewport his elder self was already striding away. To any outsider it would seem nothing was wrong with the Jedi, to Obi-Wan however he could clearly see and recognise the signs of grief and intense barely controlled rage radiating from the man, tainting the force. From the horrified look on Anakin's face it seemed the young man had also identified his Master's worrying actions, Anakin had too known vengeance Obi-Wan imagined he would not try to stop him from striking down the bounty hunter who had caused all of this. All of his misery.

He absently watched his older self ignite his saber and hold it to the bounty hunter's throat, could he really kill an unarmed man? Obi-Wan knew at this point in his life he couldn't do it, even with the agony he was in now. He could never desecrate Siri's memory like that when her body was still warm, thankfully his older self hadn't changed that much and too made the same decision, not before speaking some choice words to the bounty hunter who he saw as nothing more than a piece of dirt.

Obi-Wan's gaze fell once more on Siri's bloodied features, she looked strangely at peace even when he knew he could never be again. Her loss had ripped a chunk of his heart right out, for once in his life Obi-Wan prayed he wouldn't have to experience such pain in any more of these visions, he wasn't sure if his heart could take it.


The visions seemed merciless as the very next memory was one playing out in the Jedi temple itself, in the communications room. Tears still stained cheeks, wet from Siri's death, mind still reeling Obi-Wan wished that the next thing he was destined to see would not break his heart further. His throat was already red raw from despair.

Alas fate was not so kind, he witnessed his elder self receive a notification of more Jedi casualties. On the list was Obi-Wan's life-long friend Garen Muln, first Siri now Garen… Obi-Wan found he did not even cry out, shock overcoming all of his emotions foremost. It seemed the news was affecting his elder self in rather the same way, after a short silence he excused himself and only after seeking solace in his own quarters allowed himself to weep for the loss.

He and Garen had been best friends from Obi-Wan's very first memories of existence, always getting into trouble together and helping each other through the perils of an initiates life. Of course those perils felt like nothing at all compared to what the Jedi faced on a deadly basis now, their troubles all seemed so inconsequential. Obi-Wan sobbed for the loss right alongside his elder self, slipping to the floor to join him, Garen had always joked he would be forever rescuing Obi-Wan when he became stranded on back-water worlds. Obi-Wan never imagined living to feel the pain of not one but two of his best friend's deaths, feeling their life force's ripped from the galaxy was more painful than watching his own Master die. This was a future that was immensely worse, so many deaths, so much loss, so much pain…

The visions flashed again as his apartment dissolved out of existence, Jedi died daily and it was becoming the norm. The remaining survivors in the temple went about their business with brusk efficiency, willing to look only forwards as the past only held pain. The temple itself became a deserted hollow place as the majority of Jedi were constantly required on the front lines, others only residing to recover from injuries before being deployed again. There was no joy in any of the faces in the visions, no moments of levity or mirth as the galaxy ripped itself apart.

Obi-Wan thanked the force he still had Anakin, the young Knight was the only person that could make Obi-Wan smile even in the slightest. He brought a levity to their rigorous and never-ending assignments, the dream team continued to work alongside one another standing side by side on the battle field, covering each other's backs. Anakin's Padawan had left the order so he too was grieving a loss, perhaps not at the same level as Obi-Wan but all the same they helped each other get through each day, just like brothers should.

The visions darkened ominously as subject matter once again formed in front of Obi-Wan, the scene was rather odd to say the least. His older self was riding a lizard and had just set off away from the Cody and the other clones, light saber in his grip as he rode off. The rest of the scene looked fairly normal with clone troopers deploying for what seemed to be a takeover of sorts. Obi-Wan had no idea what the outcome of this vision would be, perhaps his death with the bad feeling that he was already getting. His attention swung back round to the clone troopers as a communication was received.

"Execute order 66."

Without another word or even question the clone commander ordered his cannon men to take aim, and to Obi-Wan's horrifying outrage open fired on his older self. He hadn't stood a chance, shot in the back in a sense, betrayed by his own men. The attack left a bitter after taste in his mind as he stood shocked, witnessing his older self's fall to what was most likely imminent death. It turned out things were far worse than what was on the surface, Obi-Wan doubled over and grabbed his head in pain as hundreds of lives were extinguished all seemingly at once, not just any lives, Jedi.

He proceeded to grab at his solar plexus as the disturbance set in, feeling sick and dizzy all at once over the abrupt loss of connection with so many force sensitives. It was like watching hundreds of lights flicker out in a blackout, the staining of the force worsened with each passing second as more and more Jedi were brutally murdered. Turned on by their own men, all who had been issued the same order, order 66.

Before Obi-Wan could properly absorb the colossal loss of life, his friends, comrades, the scene swirled into something far darker. A fresh wave of tears rolled down his eyes as he walked the halls of the Temple, bodies of the dead littered the vast structure. Master's lay over their own dead Padawan's and younglings, protecting them until their last breath. The temple, home, was a killing house. It had been reduced to nothing more than death and destruction by their so called brothers in arms. Obi-Wan felt immense rage overtake him over the thought, how could they justifiably murder so many, kill the peacekeepers that had already sacrificed so much to save the Republic.

Master Yoda and his elder self looked grave as they moved through the halls, stopping to check on a group of younglings hoping for any signs of life anywhere. There were none. The last moments of every one perished stained the force in what should have been a safe haven, agonising pain as blaster bolts tore through their bodies. Obi-Wan felt tears prickling once more as they continued to move solemnly through the battle ground, a choked sob escaped his throat as a familiar huddle lay ahead.

He and his elder self rushed forward at precisely the same moment, not wanting to believe the horrible truth that lay ahead. Obi-Wan skidded to a halt at the edge of a group of dead younglings, the eldest couldn't have been older than 6 years old. That fact alone turned Obi-Wan's stomach they had been all so full of life… He fell to his knees at the sight of the Jedi laying protectively over their cold bodies. Bant.

Tears flowed freely from both versions of Obi-Wan, the well on his elder self's better controlled damn breaking finally at the tragic brutality of it all. He gathered Bant's body into his arms whilst continuing to sob, crying out for all the memories they held, crying out for his last childhood friend who had left him alone. He screamed in defiance at all the senseless violence that surrounded him, yelled out into the empty halls with the agony of each and every fallen Jedi's pain. Obi-Wan had never felt more alone than he had at this point, the dark side clouded the force like never before as the Jedi's bright light was slowly dying out. His older self had seemingly forgotten where he was, or more precisely who was with him. Obi-Wan half expected the Jedi Master to admonish his older self for the open display of emotion, for the lack of control over his murderous feelings towards the clones, towards the Sith. The little Master did none of these things, his own heart evidently thick with grief. He simply laid a gentle claw on Obi-Wan's shoulder and aided him to his feet, pulling him away from the heartbreaking dead in front of them.

"Come, young one. Nothing more can we do here…"

Just as Obi-Wan was about to turn away from his friend's body did he notice something that had been staring him straight in the face, her wounds they weren't blaster wounds. They were made from a light saber.

Master Yoda watched sadly as Obi-Wan started to watch the security footage, seemingly already knowing the terrible truth that Obi-Wan was denying himself. As if this can get worse… He darkly thought, to all intents and purposes his heart had been ripped out trodden on and he was now just a ghost of who he used to be, unwilling to find a purpose to carry on. As Obi-Wan observed the security footage proceedings he realised things were about to get a lot worse…

None other than Chancellor Palpatine stepped forward into view and knelt before him was… No it can't be, no I can't take this. This is not happening. Anakin. Obi-Wan had no more tears to give, he was bled dry. He numbingly watched as Anakin, his apprentice, his brother… pledged his allegiance to the dark lord and proceeded to lead the attack on the temple. Obi-Wan reached out a steadying hand to keep himself from crumbling to the floor and refusing to watch anymore, he had to see this through, had to see the ramifications of the future to its full extent. Perhaps he should have listened to Qui-Gon, his Master had been right, this was too much.

Obi-Wan watched in revulsion as the monster that had been his brother butchered Jedi, Padawan's, children… Realisation caught up with him over Bant's light saber wounds, he choked out a haunting sob as the answers became clear. Anakin had murdered Bant, had massacred every single Jedi. His family. Obi-Wan finally allowed himself to breakdown as he registered Master Yoda's instructions to his older self, he would have to kill Anakin. Obi-Wan would have to kill his brother, he honestly didn't know if he was capable, the thought of his Anakin the little blue eyed boy sprung to mind and hot tears escaped over the failing, his failing in stopping his Padawan's descent into darkness. He should have done more, stopped Palpatine from meddling, addressed his Padawan's anger issues earlier on. Obi-Wan should have listened to Yoda and the other councillors, the boy was too dangerous and Obi-Wan had foolishly thought he could single-handedly train the chosen one successfully. His arrogance had caused all of this, everything that happened, billions were dead because he failed. His friends were dead because of him, that knowledge alone almost made Obi-Wan give up all together, his trust in everything he once knew wavering violently. How could he go on after losing so much? After being in so much anguish that his heart had already burst? His elder self's change in stature told Obi-Wan he had already answered that question, it was his duty.


The smell of burning sulphur filled the smoky air, the murky surroundings whirled into existence even as Obi-Wan's tears slowly cascaded down his cheeks. The bombshell of the last vision and the deadly truth about Anakin… Vader, was almost too much to bear. Obi-Wan found himself loathing the creature that stood in front of him, the monster that had ripped his Padawan to shreds. The monstrosity who had desecrated the symbol of the Jedi slaughtering so many innocents, had tainted Anakin's heart and now swaggered round mockingly in the skin of Anakin Skywalker, Vader.

"You have allowed this Dark lord to twist your mind until now… until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."

His elder self looked as drained as Obi-Wan felt, he started to circle Ana- Vader, unable to completely keep of all of his emotions from bleeding into the atmosphere. Betrayal, loss, pity, rage, disbelief, sorrow. The most prominent seemed to be sorrow, for Vader's first victim, Anakin.

"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do!"

Another victim of Vader's lay at Obi-Wan's feet, Padme. Obi-Wan was unaware of her reemergence in Anakin's life, the force told him the babies she was carrying were Anakin's. Another failure of his it seemed, he hadn't been able to stop Anakin from having an attachment to somebody, throughout the visions he had been shown one failure after another. He was sick of it.

"I have brought peace, freedom, justice and security to my new empire!"

Obi-Wan gawped up at Vader in disbelief, was he really this deluded?

"Your new empire?"

"Don't make me kill you…"

Obi-Wan's older self seemed to be still partly in denial, the force, hatred and conviction behind the voice shocking him slightly. Vader was going to kill him, well in a sense he had already succeeded. He had brutally and viciously murdered everything and anything that Obi-Wan had ever cared about, he had broken his heart.

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic… to democracy!"

"If you're not with me, then you're my enemy."

Obi-Wan could feel the shift in atmosphere as they both prepared for a fight, battle lines already drawn. Obi-Wan drew his saber as Vader's shoulders stiffened, only seconds remained before the fight for the galaxy itself would begin.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must."

"You will try…" The resounding impact in the force was astounding as Master and former apprentice started the dance, swift as lightening.

The ensuing duel was brutal and beautiful at the same time, both fighters pushing their own skill to the extreme and beyond, both men sinking deeper and deeper into the force. Vader drew on the dark side solely as he hacked aggressively away at his former Master, crystal blue eyes lost behind the darkness which now clouded them. Obi-Wan drew on the endless reserves of the light side, not willing to give in to the dark's beckoning for him to take vengeance. Here before him was the monster that had butchered those innocent children, had murdered Bant, had taken away Anakin from him.

A close hack to his neck had Obi-Wan's full attention back on the battle, he couldn't allow his mind to wander. Obi-Wan was no fool he was more than aware of Vader's abilities, he had trained him himself and knew exactly how deadly the former Jedi could be, his skills were apparent and with the aggression aiding his power Obi-Wan had to pull out all the stops just to keep the Sith at bay. He had to complete this for Vader's victim's sake, bring this man to justice. The deadly dance raged on as Master and former apprentice rocketed down corridor's, saber's slicing walls, ceilings, everything within a 2 metre radius.

Obi-Wan observed the fight almost detachedly, already having seen far too much to even have the energy to react over the situation. This was worse than anything he could ever imagine, how had it all come to this? Every strike was met with precision, every blow countered with equal force. The two azure saber's melded together like pieces of a puzzle, perfectly balanced by either fighter. It was as if they were fighting themselves, each strike was identical, each attack counter attacked in the same way time and time again. In a way they were fighting themselves or standing in a mirror at least, Obi-Wan had taught Anakin everything he knew, had fought with him side by side on the battle field for years. They knew each other's saber style better than they knew themselves, it was no wonder that neither of them had managed even a close shave, they were far too evenly matched.

Obi-Wan marvelled as the pair even attempted a force push at exactly the same moment, both minds in tune, the power building in the control room was phenomenal. Far above anything Obi-Wan had ever felt in his life, light crashed equally against dark over and over again as each of them pushed harder, strained to be the victor. Eventually both sides let out and crashed against one another, the fine line between them smashing as the opposing forces collided and each fighter was thrown to opposite sides of the room with the same vigour. Perfectly balanced, they were like either side of the same coin.

The battle raged on to perilous landings with lava rocketing all around them, the two fighters ignored it as they delved deeper and deeper into the fight. Lashing out and using their full emotions to their advantage, Vader his aggression and anger, Obi-Wan his sorrow over all lost. Obi-Wan watched as if in a blur as the battle ground continually moved to new heights, each stage more treacherous than the last. Eventually the pair were on the lava river itself, Obi-Wan on one object and Vader on another.

The murderous look Vader was giving him made Obi-Wan shiver involuntarily, he had never imagined seeing such powerful hatred staring at him with Anakin's eyes. Although they were truly Vader's now, that much was clear just by looking into them. Obi-Wan felt the exhaustion radiating off of the pair, both coming to the end of their reserves as they succumbed to the heat and overwhelming emotions. This was to be the last stand, they could both feel the finality in the air.

The ensuing fight was swift and merciless, both aiming for the killing blow but neither being allowed access. Obi-Wan felt hope strangely before he witnessed his older self flip away from the locked saber's to land on the bank of the river, nearly getting his legs sliced off in the process, that had been a risky move.

"It's over, Anakin… I have the high ground."

Even his voice sounded slightly hoarse, exhaustion seeping in after the gruelling battle. Sweat poured down the Jedi's face as the oppressive heat continued to sap his energy, hair sticking to skin going unnoticed.

"You underestimate my power!"

"Don't try it…" The voice was dangerously close to pleading, wishing Anakin back, resigning to the fact this was Vader.

Obi-Wan could see by the foolish look on Vader's face that this was precisely what the idiot was going to do, in some way Obi-Wan wanted another option, wished for another way that this could end. Deep down he knew however he had to and would do this, strike down Vader and do his duty as he always had.

Vader leapt high above Obi-Wan but as the Jedi had said he had the high ground, his saber swung out at the Sith's legs and seared them straight off. Vader landed in a heap and proceeded to tumble down the bank towards the lava's edge, grunting and grimacing over the pain and shock of loss of limb. He attempted to claw his way back up, away from the unforgiving lava, it was futile.

Obi-Wan extinguished his own light saber and finally allowed the inevitable to come, the emotions he had been burying during the battle all coming to the surface. Obi-Wan weeped not for Vader but for the boy he had lost, for Anakin.

"You were the chosen one! It was said you would bring balance to the force… not leave it in darkness…"

"I hate you!" Vader screamed, eyes darkened to an awful yellow emanating loathing, Obi-Wan knew he meant every word.

"You were my brother, Anakin… I loved you…" There the dangerous truth finally spilled past his own lips, the deadly recognition of attachment spoken. It was too late, Anakin the intended recipient was not there to hear it, Vader was.

Tears steadily flowed down Obi-Wan's cheeks as Vader slipped further and further towards the lava, memories of their time together playing through his mind. They were good memories, this would not be. If Obi-Wan's heart hadn't already broken he was sure this would have done it, he had always said it he was sure if he saw Anakin's death he wouldn't be able to continue. Standing here above the shell of his best friend Obi-Wan wasn't sure if he could carry on, what was the point of it all?

Hellish screams of agony echoed throughout the landscape as Vader's mutilated body hit the lava, promising to haunt Obi-Wan's days until his own dying breath. He turned away as Vader incinerated, agonisingly painfully as the fire entombed his body. For a moment, just a brief moment Obi-Wan thought he caught the briefest flash of recognition in those eyes, for one fleeting moment thought he witnessed a flicker of change and for one second amongst infinity it was in fact Anakin Skywalker, burning.


The last vision dissolved away into nothingness, Obi-Wan gasped outright at the loss of contact with his Master's mind. He took in large gulp full's of air as his racing heart rate rocketed in his damaged chest, Obi-Wan felt a steadying hand grip his shoulder as he almost keeled over on the spot, in shock over the trauma. He opened his eyes to find himself back in the present, away from all that pain. From Anakin… Obi-Wan felt hot tears cascading down his sobbing face, registered hearing himself still gasping as all the emotions hit him with full blast once more. No wonder why Qui-Gon didn't want him witnessing that future… All in one go no less.

"Easy, Obi-Wan, it's okay you're back. You're here."

Qui-Gon's steady voice helped to ground him, the rock-solid grip on his shoulder moved to rub his back, other arm looping round his shoulders in a one armed embrace. Obi-Wan leaned into it, grateful for the comforting contact. He had been preparing himself for the worse, but nothing could have prepared him for that. So much death, so much agony, and Obi-Wan had felt all of it. Every life being extinguished, the agony of seeing he and Anakin drifting apart and… and… he couldn't even acknowledge what he had just witnessed his Padawan become, the sheer amount of friends lost because of it.

"Not, Anakin, it can't be…" Obi-Wan spluttered, mind numb from the events hopefully believing that the little boy he knew would never turn into that monster.

"Sidious corrupted him, pushed him further and further away from the Jedi for decades. Away from you…" Qui-Gon's tone was regretful, he gripped Obi-Wan's shoulders harder as if the action would help protect him from the future itself.

Now Obi-Wan could see what Qui-Gon meant when he said his actions, if it hadn't been for his Master, Anakin would have never been trained. He pushed for it against all of the council's wishes, he bestowed him on Obi-Wan even in his dying breaths… Obi-Wan was the true failure though, that much was clear. He let Anakin get away with too much, allowed the boy to be corrupted.

"My Padawan… I…" Speech left him, his mind went blank in shock. No words could begin to describe how he felt, the agony he felt.

"Obi-Wan, you've already seen the seeds of darkness within him. Sidious did too."

He gasped involuntarily as the memory of what Anakin had done to Skepaf came to mind, he remembered feeling the immense power emanating from his Padawan then. The untamed fire. Grief threatened to overwhelm Obi-Wan entirely as floods of tears ran down his cheeks, he had failed the boy so badly, let him be groomed by a Sith Lord, let him fall…

"That is my future?" Obi-Wan finally managed to choke out, when the shock subsided slightly.

"No, Obi-Wan, not now. Don't you see events are already occurring differently. Maybe it was wrong of me to interfere but I could not see that done to you. I couldn't stand it."

They were both silent as the ramifications settled in, it was true events were already occurring differently. In that alternate universe Obi-Wan never met Dooku until he was much older, on the cusp of the clone wars. Nobody ever learned of Sidious' true identity until it was too late, Dooku knew and now Obi-Wan knew. Palpatine. The Chancellor had created the perfect plan, he had seen the potential in Anakin and turned him away from the Jedi, from Obi-Wan bit by bit. Obi-Wan had already taken note in the man's interest in Anakin, every time he had brought it up the boy had gotten defensive stating that they were just friends and that he was a good man. Obi-Wan should have never backed down…

"Are you telling me Anakin must die? I am not doing that, Qui-Gon. Not that little boy, I know him he is not that monster!" He all but yelled the ending, unwilling to sacrifice an innocent 12 year old boy.

Qui-Gon shook his head rigorously, calming Obi-Wan's outburst. He could see what the possible future had done to Obi-Wan's mental state, Obi-Wan and Anakin were so close now. It was almost inconceivable to Obi-Wan that they could grow so distant, that they could end up on opposite sides.

"No he is not yet. The key is Sidious, he got his claws into Anakin early, he has started already, you always felt his relationship with Palpatine was dangerous."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, bringing his breathing back under control. It was true he had always brushed aside his dislike for Palapatine as being the same as all other politicians, he didn't trust any of them. If he hadn't seen it first hand with his own eyes Obi-Wan would never have believed the chancellor to be the Sith Lord, but the more he thought about it the more it made sense. Who better than he? The Senator had levered himself into position during the Naboo crisis, which he would have obviously set up himself. It was the perfect place to hide, in plain sight.

"The Sith Lord, right under our noses all that time… None of us saw anything, how is that possible?"

He found it extremely hard to believe that not one Jedi noticed the malice or deception from the chancellor before, hadn't picked up on his meddling. He had manufactured the entire war and nobody noticed a thing.

"The dark side clouded all the Jedi, Sidious is extremely powerful and patient. Do you see why it is so important he is stopped?"

Obi-Wan chuckled darkly, patient was an understatement. The Sith had painstakingly waited decades, putting pieces in the right place over the years for the final plan. Playing with the galaxy as if he were moving pieces on a dejarik board.

"Not just him, Dooku is a Sith also." Obi-Wan met his Master's gaze once more, intent on the task that had been placed in front of him by the force, or Qui-Gon, or both. This is getting confusing…

"I know, I went to him in hopes that if he could rid the galaxy of Sidious then… well then at least the future would be shifted enough to change."

"Hmm." Obi-Wan mulled over the implications, it did seem that Sidious was the main plotter behind the disaster. With him gone the future would change drastically, for better or for worse they would have to wait and see.

"I never imagined this would happen to you, Obi-Wan, I beg your forgiveness." Qui-Gon's sincerity broke through his own haze, eyes pleading for forgiveness, pleading to see Obi-Wan's acceptance that what he did was what he thought was best.

"You did what you thought was right for the good of the galaxy, there is no need for forgiveness." Obi-Wan laid his hand on his mentor's shoulder as he spoke, he knew Qui-Gon never meant for his and Anakin's captivity and struggles, he only did what was best for innocents. As he always did.

"Oh, my brave Padawan, I only regret that it had to happen this way. You are a faithful servant of the force and you do not deserve this fate." Qui-Gon shook his head slightly and pulled him into an embrace, Obi-Wan always seemed to be the one to get the brunt end of everything the force dished out, and he always took it in his stride.

"Perhaps it's my destiny, I suffer so others can live in freedom."

Qui-Gon pulled back but kept his hands gripped on both of Obi-Wan's shoulders, face morphed into a pained expression over Obi-Wan's theory. Neither of them could discredit it, from the looks of things that was exactly what Obi-Wan was destined to do, and he could live with that, if others' lives were better because of it.

"You deserve a better life than that, Padawan, why do you think I meddled with time itself? I did not do it lightly." Qui-Gon lips twitched slightly as he finished, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"I can see that," Obi-Wan replied with conviction, understanding Qui-Gon's actions and even agreeing with them on some level. Now they just had to ensure their future was not as bad as the one Qui-Gon had recently prevented, the extent of change would be decided by their actions in the coming days.

Qui-Gon pulled his Padawan back into a quick embrace before ruffling his hair affectionately, echoing a past action that always brought an annoyed smile to Obi-Wan's face. It didn't fail to this time. Obi-Wan revelled in the silence for as many moments as he could, acutely aware that his time here was running short again. He could feel his wounds growing wider, the agony increasing as he shifted against Qui-Gon. His physical body seemed to be calling him back once more… He removed himself from the embrace regrettably and looked straight up into Qui-Gon's guilt ridden face, desperate to get this last promise off of his chest before he was forced away.

"Sidious must go. For the good of the galaxy," He managed to splutter out, voice rasping again as his throat seemed to constrict.

"For the good of the galaxy," Qui-Gon muttered in agreement, whilst gripping his Padawan harder as violent hacking coughs overtook his body. Qui-Gon's other arm snaked around Obi-Wan's shoulders as they shook, offering any comfort he could as his Padawan started to struggle for breath, agony becoming too much to remain upright.

Obi-Wan felt himself being lowered onto Qui-Gon's lap, on his side so the struggle with breathing in air to his emptying lungs was less pronounced. He felt himself drifting away from his surroundings as the sounds once again started to feel distant, echoing in his mind slowly until they were nothing. The gentle touch on his body fell away as Obi-Wan's eyes closed and he was dragged back reluctantly to the real world, new found knowledge making his mind up on the next course of action. He just wished Dooku had been able to get to him in time, he couldn't very well give up now he knew what could become of the galaxy, what could become of Anakin. He had a job to do, Obi-Wan was going to stop Darth Sidious…


A/N - As stated in the first author's notes there are a few references in here which you may be overly familiar with. First is the battle of Jablim arc which is novelised in the comics, specifically the republic series issue's 55-60 if you wanted to check them out. Also the entire scene with Siri has been affectively taken from a book called Secrets of the Jedi by Jude Watson, I highly recommend it, it is a very good read.

That's all for this week, now that I'm getting back on schedule the next part should be up next weekend!

Until next time...