A/N: Thanks for reviewing everyone.
Angel of Darkness Forever: Don't you worry, Obi-Wan's agony is about to come to an end.
Dioussis: Obi-Wan isn't going to join the Sith so easily, as you'l see in this chapter, he's playing Dooku. And Anakin's master will be strict indeed.
Jedi Kay-Kenobi: Dooku's keeping Obi-Wan captive to weaken his will so he will be more susceptible to Dooku's ideas, and Obi-Wan knows this. Nice theory, but Dooku's not trying to lure anyone right now. The Sith have everyone right where they want them.
ejm12: Thanks, hope you enjoy the next chapter.
deamon-of-light: Thanks, I was hoping that the constant conversations weren't too boring.
Chapter 3: Revelations
After spending a week in the beautiful, placid countryside of Varykino, returning to Coruscant was like waking up from a dream. Into a life that was nightmarish in so many ways, thought Anakin. As his Delta-7 starfighter shot through Galactic City, Anakin Skywalker marvelled at the sudden changes that the war had wrought on the capital planet.
While air traffic had always been guided and directed; now it was under strict rules and supervision. Police vehicles flew all over the city, stopping random vehicles and conducting thorough inspections, searching for Separatist infiltrators or contraband. The Governmental District was filled with gunships and military speeders, all manned by the white-armoured clones that made up the newly commissioned Grand Army of the Republic.
Anakin had heard that the Jedi would be assigned to command the army of clones, but it would take some getting used to.
The starfighter slowed as it approached the pyramidal structure of the Temple, and Anakin was tempted to swoop around the spires, and buzz the Council chamber. Then he sobered, that was probably not the best idea, the issue of a new Master notwithstanding, the Temple had undergone a significant transformation as well, with hidden laser cannons and powerful shield generators being surreptitiously added to the structure
Anakin flew the fighter into one of the main hangars, and popped the cockpit open, leaping out of it in a single bound, landing on the deck. R2-D2 whistled, and Anakin gestured in the astromech's direction, using the Force to levitate Padme's wedding present to him out of its socket and down to the floor.
As he turned to the hangar exit, he saw Jedi Master Saesee Tiin approaching, a stern expression on the Iktotchi's face.
"Skywalker, good to have you back," said the ace Jedi pilot. "The Council would like to see you this evening, to discuss the matter of your new Master."
Anakin bowed, "I shall be there, Master."
The Master's downward curving horns swayed and his sharp teeth bore in a sincere smile, "1800 hours, don't be late."
Tiin turned and walked away, his horns twitching and swaying, the Iktotchi equivalent of whistling.
As he watched Saesee Tiin leave, Anakin could not help but wonder who was going to be his Master. It would most likely be one of the Council members, perhaps Tiin himself. Anakin wouldn't mind that, he and Tiin shared a love for flying, or maybe it would be Kit Fisto, the Nautolan was said to have a good sense of humour, could it be Shaak Ti?
Anakin pondered the various Jedi that might try to replace Obi-Wan, and a part of his mind screamed in sudden realization.
Replace Obi-Wan?
Replace Obi-Wan?
Replace Obi-Wan?
How could he even think of such a thing? Obi-Wan had been his Master for ten years, the closest thing Anakin had to a father.
And I've already lost my mother.
He shoved the thought aside, the last thing he needed was to dwell on that, the grief was too fresh, as were the memories of what he had done in the Tusken camp.
Anakin Skywalker headed for the turbolift, his mind warring with the idea of someone replacing Obi-Wan Kenobi as his master.
After all, it's not like he's dead.
Is he?
Obi-Wan felt like he was dead. His ears were aching from the hourly screeches and his body was twitching randomly from the electrical jolts that ran through the floor occasionally. Two days had passed since he had declared to the ceiling that he believed Dooku. Two days during which he had not eaten or slept.
All he had been able to do was dwell on Darth Sidious, on the so-called Grand Plan of the Sith. Everything seemed to make sense to him now. The blockade of Naboo had been created to oust Supreme Chancellor Valorum from office, and place Palpatine, no doubt seen as an easily controllable pawn into the Chancellor's chair. The Sith Lord had taken control of hundreds of Senators and had also united the merchant guilds together under a Separatist banner. Now the war had broken out in earnest, and the Sith controlled both sides.
The war was a mere pantomime, a tool used to achieve the ultimate goal of the Sith. The complete and total destruction of the Jedi Order. Everything Dooku had said was true, if the war was allowed to unfold, if the Council continued to blindly follow the orders of the Senate, the Jedi Order would be utterly annihilated.
Obi-Wan's mind reeled at these implications, but there was simply no denying it. The only way to stop this plan, to stop the Sith, was to join Dooku. If Obi-Wan joined Dooku, the Count would reveal the identity of Darth Sidious, and then Obi-Wan could inform the Council. The full weight of the Jedi Order would fall on Sidious and the Sith would be vanquished. It was what Qui-Gon would have done, and Obi-Wan would follow in his footsteps.
And you can avenge his murder.
Obi-Wan shook his head, as if trying to shake the very thought out of his head. He was a Jedi Knight, and Jedi did not indulge in vengeance. He would join Dooku, but he would never stray from the Light the way the Count had done, Obi-Wan would just play the Sith Lord's game until he had the name of the second Sith. Then he would escape and bring the Sith's identity to the Council, and they would bring the full weight of the Jedi Order down on the Sith.
Staring at the door with bloodshot eyes, Obi-Wan called out, not for the first time. "Dooku, I believe your words. I will join you!"
In the middle of his speech, the shining doors slid open, revealing the surprised visage of the venerable Count.
"This is excellent news, Master Kenobi," Dooku sounded truly happy, "Come, we shall speak immediately."
Still stunned at the sudden arrival of the Sith Lord, Obi-Wan came to his feet slowly and followed Dooku out of the room.
The Count led the way to a finely furnished lounge, decorated in natural greens and woods, and boasting a wraparound viewport. From his position, Obi-Wan could see the terrain surrounding the facility for the first time.
The base was situated on a high hill, the foot of which bordered a vast, grey sea. The bone-white beach was visible even from the summit, as well as the lifeless choppy waters.
Dooku settled into a flowform chair, and gestured Obi-Wan to an identical chaise facing the grey water.
"You said that you are ready to heed my words. Does that mean you are willing to join me, Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Dooku's charcoal eyes seemed to bore deep into Obi-Wan's skull, but the Jedi Knight met the Sith Lord's stare without flinching.
Obi-Wan felt a fresh wave of apprehension, and a part of him rebelled at the thought of joining Dooku in anything.
This is just a ruse, he told himself. Obi-Wan would agree to whatever Dooku wanted in order learn the identity of Darth Sidious. Once he knew the truth, he would find a way to escape and inform the Council. They would know what to do and would deal with the Sith, both Sidious and Dooku.
He took a deep breath, "I will join you, if, and only if you reveal the identity of Darth Sidious," said Obi-Wan, allowing some of his aching hunger and bone-weariness to seep into his voice.
"I shall," Dooku promised, "I give you my word, if you join me, I will tell you everything."
Obi-Wan nodded, "There is one other thing, Dooku." His eyes hardened, and his tone grew colder, "I am a Jedi and I intend to remain one. I am still sceptical as to your true allegiance; your actions on Geonosis are very questionable."
He held up a hand to forestall Dooku's rebuttal, "But I will listen to your words and will join you in destroying the Sith."
Dooku smiled, "I am still loyal to the Jedi; I simply feel that the Council is wrong to swear unshakable loyalty to the Senate. But I will never swear true allegiance to the Sith."
Obi-Wan nodded curtly, "Then we are in agreement, Count Dooku. I will join you."
Dooku's expression grew grave, "Then, kneel before me, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment, then rose from the chair and dropped to one knee.
"Do you swear to serve me in our mutual goal of destroying the Sith?"
"I do," the Jedi Knight intoned.
"Then rise, my friend. We have much work to do."
They adjourned from the lounge to a well-appointed conference room. Dooku sat at the head of the long apocia table, and Obi-Wan sat at his right hand.
"The identity of the Sith Master?" Obi-Wan asked expectantly.
Dooku nodded, "Yes, but first, let me provide some context."
He tapped a key, and the holoprojector in the centre of the table hummed to life, generating an image of a bluish planet.
"Naboo," said Obi-Wan.
"Correct," replied Dooku, "This is where it all began."
He gestured at the planet, "Darth Sidious is from Naboo. That is why the Trade Federation blockaded the planet, on the Sith Lord's orders."
Obi-Wan made an exasperated noise, "Your equivocation grows wearisome, my lord."
Dooku smirked, "Patience, Master Kenobi."
He tapped another key, and the image of the interior of the Senate Rotunda appeared, and Obi-Wan recognized the figure of Finis Valorum.
"The man that replaced Valorum is a pawn of the Sith," said Dooku, his voice dripping with contempt, "Palpatine is a weak-minded fool, his every action controlled by Darth Sidious. But Sidious is after more than just the Senate. The Dark Lord desires the perfect apprentice, a being that is unrivalled in his potential."
The image of a second man materialized a face Obi-Wan knew as well as his own.
"Darth Sidious desires the Chosen One, to turn to the Dark side of the Force and create the strongest Sith Lord to ever live."
Obi-Wan stared at the image of Anakin Skywalker, the implications of this revelation running through his mind. Anakin had the greatest Force potential of all the Jedi, his midi-chlorian count outstripping even Yoda. If the Sith could turn him, Anakin would be unstoppable, and the galaxy would tremble in his wake.
"Anakin will never surrender to darkness," he proclaimed, but Dooku shook his head mournfully.
"Oh, my friend, how I wish that were so."
He depressed a button, and the lights in the chamber dimmed, and a vast holoprojection shimmered to life, depicting a large, primitive encampment in the middle of a desert.
"Are you aware that young Skywalker was experiencing troublesome visions regarding his mother?"
Obi-Wan felt a cold chill creep into his guts, "Yes," he said cautiously.
"When the Jedi Council sent him to Naboo to guard Senator Amidala, those visions worsened."
Obi-Wan began to lean forward, his eyes affixed on the desert camp.
"Skywalker decided he could not stand by and let his mother die. So he took Amidala with him and went to Tatooine, to rescue the only family he ever knew."
Obi-wan felt his heart sink slightly; the Council would furious when they learned that Anakin had violated the rules of the Order and made contact with his mother.
Dooku was not finished, however.
"When Skywalker arrived on Tatooine, he discovered that Shmi Skywalker had been captured by barbaric nomads called Tuskens. Upon learning of this, Anakin Skywalker immediately set out in search of her, intent on saving his mother."
"When Skywalker reached the Tusken camp, he made his way to his captive mother. Sadly Shmi Skywalker had been greatly weakened during her captivity, and she was dying. She barely managed to hold on long enough to say goodbye to her son."
Dooku poised his hand over the console, "As you know, Anakin Skywalker cannot control his emotions as the Code dictates, and his anger can be lethal."
The chill in Obi-Wan's belly had spread to his chest, and his hands began to shake, in trepidation of what he suspected, what he feared Anakin had done.
Dooku tapped a final key, and the figures in the hologram began to move.
The camp was quiet as a graveyard, the Tuskens were sleeping in their tents, save for a few sentries sitting idly by the fireplace. Abruptly a figure strode out of one of the tents, and even in miniature, Obi-Wan recognized Anakin's furious face. The Chosen One's lightsaber burned brightly in his hand, a molten pillar of azure flame.
The sentries by the fire jerked to life and whirled, their rifles raised. They never had a chance.
Anakin moved so fast, he seemed to vanish in one spot and materialize in another. He slashed his blade up in two lightning-fast movements, and the Tuskens fell to the desert floor, dead.
Anakin's enraged face was wet with tears, and he glanced around the camp, as if searching for more sentries. Finding none, he fell to his knees and let out a howl of grief so profound that Obi-Wan felt a shiver go down his spine.
After a long moment, Anakin rose and turned to the closest tent, the sorrow gone from his face, leaving only a look of hatred. He gestured and the entire tent was ripped off the ground by an invisible force, and flung away, revealing the four figures that had been sleeping inside.
The Tuskens rose, and Obi-Wan realized that these were not adults. Standing only a meter tall, the four Tuskens were all children, ten standard years old at most. Obi-Wan realized what he was going to witness, and he wanted nothing more than to look away. He forced himself to look, and watched as Anakin Skywalker loomed over the Tusken children, and like an avenging angel, cut all four of them down in a single stroke.
Obi-Wan felt something hot and wet trickle down his cheek and he realized, detachedly that he was crying.
More tears rolled down the Jedi Knight's face as he watched his apprentice, the boy he had raised for a decade, slaughter every last man, woman and child in the camp.
Finally, after he was the only living being in the camp, Anakin Skywalker picked up his mother's body tenderly and walked away from the Tusken settlement, never looking back.
The hologram vanished and Obi-Wan let his gaze slide to the cream-colored face of the table, trying to let its bland features distract him from the pain he was feeling.
He wanted to decry the scene as a lie, a fabrication, but it explained too much. It explained why Anakin had been having nightmares about his mother. It explained the residual anger and guilt he had felt in his apprentice on Geonosis. And it explained the inexplicable feeling of loss he had experienced while shackled in Dooku's Force prison on Geonosis. What Obi-Wan had witnessed was real; there was no doubt of that.
He wanted to scream, to sink into despair, to feel anger towards Anakin for his horrendous act. Instead all he felt was sorrow and pity. Sorrow that he had failed so miserably as a Jedi and a teacher and pity for Anakin's loss and what would happen to him once the Council learned of his actions.
But more than anything, Obi-Wan could not shake the feeling that this was his fault, that somewhere along the way, he had failed Anakin.
He stared blankly at the table and took slow, ragged breaths. His body was sore, his stomach growled incessantly, and his heart was filled with cold, aching pain. Obi-Wan looked into the featureless table and drew on the Force, trying to ease the pain in his heart, to little avail. As he tried to master his pain and grief, his mind went back to the reason he had been shown this nightmarish scene.
Darth Sidious
He took a deep breath, and wiped the tears from his face and looked up at Dooku's sorrowful expression.
"What does that have to do with Darth Sidious?"
Dooku sighed, "Darth Sidious was there. On Tatooine, with Skywalker."
Obi-Wan blinked in stupefaction, this was not possible, was Dooku saying what Obi-Wan thought he was.
"Yes, Obi-Wan," said Dooku, "Darth Sidious has been close to Anakin Skywalker since he was first brought to the Temple."
Obi-Wan felt the cold chill returning, how he could have been so blind. He had not only failed to see Anakin's potential for cold-blooded murder, he had not realized that the person Anakin was so close to was a Sith Lord.
Dooku touched a key, "Obi-Wan, you have known Darth Sidious for over ten years."
A new image blossomed into existence and Obi-Wan gasped in spite of himself.
The hologram stared out at Obi-Wan with a look of stern conviction and determination on her beautiful face.
"Darth Sidious is Padme Amidala."
A/N: If you liked it, please review.