Shift

A Revenge of the Sith AU

Chapter 2: The First Ripple

Disclaimer: The plot is mine, but everything else belongs to Lucas.

A/N: This is based more closely on the novel version of Revenge, than on the movie (as good as the movie was, the book was masterful).

Obi-wan Kenobi: The Negotiator, the Sith Killer, a General of the Republic, Jedi Master to the Chosen one, the second-youngest person ever to be raised to the Jedi Council (only Master Windu was younger), one half of the legendary Skywalker-Kenobi duo, hero of the Clone Wars, the Jedi that every other Jedi in the Order wanted to be like…. Obi-wan was all of these things.

He was also dead exhausted.

But then, after spending months of war leading the Outer-Rim campaign, only to have to leave the battle field mid-battle so that he might come hurtling back to save a besieged Corisaunt, getting into a lightsaber dual with a Sith, having said Sith throw him into a wall, having to fight General Grievous upon waking up form getting thrown against the wall, help land half a space ship, and then top it all off with a grilling by the rest of Jedi Council, Obi-wan felt that he had a bit of a reason to be tired.

He just wished that he didn't have to get up early tomorrow for the briefing on the progress of the outer rim sieges. It was only a few days since he left the sieges, after all; a few days in which he had not slept more than a few stolen moments here and there. What he wouldn't give just to be able to doze off for about 12 hours without interruption.

Obi-wan knew that these were not really very Jedi-like thoughts, and he also knew that if Anakin had been the one complaining, he probably would have given his former Padwan a gentle reminder that this was his duty as a Jedi. But it wasn't Anakin complaining, and Obi-wan was so very, very tired.

With a sigh, the Jedi Master rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling of his quarters. It didn't help that, despite his exhausted state, he couldn't seem to be able to fall asleep. Why was it, he wondered bemusedly, that whenever you were the most tired, it was always then that you had the most trouble actually getting the rest you needed?

Obi-wan was quite well aware of this annoying little paradox when it came to exhaustion and sleep; after having spent his entire life from about the age of 13 on being sent on increasingly more difficult and dangerous missions, loosing the one person who he had seen as a parental figure, and then having to raise a over-powered hyperactive teenager when he was just barley more than a teen himself, he figured that he pretty much had the corner market on exhaustion.

But now look at me, Obi-wan though with a snort. I've degenerated to inane musings about the past. This is getting me nowhere. At this rate I'll fall asleep in the middle of tomorrow's council meeting, and wouldn't that just be lovely.

With a groan, Obi-wan pushed himself upright, his body screaming out in protest against this movement. Until now he had managed to totally ignore the battering and subsequent bruises that he had suffered on the Invisible Hand, but it seemed that in revenge his injuries were making their presence known with a vengeance.

Standing, Obi-wan left his bed and pulled on his tunic. Moving slowly out into the common room, snagging his cloak as he went, he made his way towards the hallway door. Perhaps meditating in the Room of a Thousand Fountains would help. Force knows he needed the relaxation meditation would bring. Just as he reached the door to his room though, he felt the slightest warning in the Force.

As Obi-wan's left foot made contact with the ground, a blinding spike of pain erupted through his leg.

With a gasp, Obi-wan felt his entire left leg crumple beneath him. He managed to catch the doorway as he fell, preventing himself from crashing full force into the ground. Sliding to the ground, his leg dying down to a dull throb, Obi-wan stared in confusion at his offending appendage.

What the?

Slightly dazed, he reached out, his fingers brushing against his knee where the pain had originated from. With surprise, he realized that his knee seemed to be quite tender and swollen.

What in the Sith…Where did this come from?

Gently probing his knee with his fingers, Obi-wan tried to figure out what was wrong. He was forced to withdraw his hand with a hiss of pain, though, when the throbbing from moments earlier suddenly flared up again.

Sith-spit. How did I not notice this before?!

Deciding that moving probably wouldn't be the best thing, he reached into his pocket for his comlink to call for assistance, before remembering with a swallowed curse that the blasted thing was on his bed side table in the next room.

Great.

After a moment of quickly dismissed self-directed annoyance, (during which time Obi-wan debated whether or not to try getting up after all), he decided that this day was just getting peachier and peachier, and that he better just stay where he was.

As he didn't have his comlink, Obi-wan found himself presented with only one option. Closing his eyes, he reached out through the Force to the bright spot that was his former Padwan. Anakin's mental shields where up, as usual, but Obi-wan sent out a soft tendril of thought, knocking gently on the edge of the other man's mind.

Anakin. Anakin its Obi-wan, I need your help.

Wha…? The thought came across unfocused and half aware. It seemed that Anakin had had no trouble finding the rest that had so eluded his partner. Obi-wan, what is it?

I have a problem… I cannot move my knee just collapsed under me. I seem to have injured it -though I cannot recall how that might have happened- and I don't have my comlink Normally Obi-wan would not have allowed so much of his irritation at himself to show, but he was exhausted, hurt, annoyed, and slightly embarrassed; frankly he just didn't have the energy to care that he wasn't his normal clam self.

Obi-wan… hang on, I'll be right there. Where are you?

I'm in my quarters. I was on my way to meditate when my leg gave out. You don't have to come yourself; you need your rest just as much as I do. If you could call the Healers though, and let them know that I need assistance that would be sufficient

Master Obi-wan could almost hear Anakin's exasperation. Of course I'm coming. Hang on and I'll call the Healers. Be right there

With another groan, Obi-wan severed the connection. Sitting back a bit, he navigated himself through a series of rather painful shifting before he was able to settle his back against the doorframe.

Great, he thought, running his fingers through his hair and breathing deep to combat the pain from his leg. Now I won't get any sleep at all.

TBC…

A/N: If anyone is a doctor, nurse, or otherwise occupied in the health care profession, I would love to have feed-back on my medical story line. Any help would be wonderful.

And thanks to ladynarutochan, yodudes5, jumpforjoy, and funyun for you comments! And yes, funyun, I did have Galadriel's voice from FOTR in mind when writing chapter 1. I just love that part of the movie!!!!!