Chapter Five – Six Months Later

Six months had passed since Obi-Wan had first heard about Ferus Olin's ambitious attempt to break into the Jedi Temple. He had spent many hours since trying to make some sense of it all, but he just couldn't. His mind couldn't understand it. The few Jedi who had survived the Purge had long gone into hiding in the Outer Rim, possibly never to come out of hiding again. They wouldn't dare attempt anything like that, as it meant almost definite suicide. Obi-Wan repeatedly asked himself the same question; what was so important that Ferus risked his life for?

There were many possibilities, however most were either unrealistic or out of character. Obi-Wan had concluded that Ferus had most likely joined an anti-Empire group and was on a mission for them. Or Ferus could have sought to steal the security holograms with the aim of making them public. He might have been trying to access and use the Temple's communication devices with the aim of getting into contact with the exiled Jedi.

The day after the report had been shown on Holonet, the Emperor had taken Holonet offline, removing many of the mainstream channels. When he was done, Holonet only consisted of small and easily controllable channels. He had also appointed several people to overlook Holonet's content twenty four standard hours a day. It seemed the Emperor didn't want news to get around the galaxy of his business very quickly. This made things complicated for Obi-Wan, as he could no longer access the report and analyse it to see if he had missed something.

A new legion of clones had been posted in Mos Eisley on the same day, and they had been broken down into smaller groups and spread around the planet to the town's and cities. Obi-Wan had overheard a couple gossiping in the markets about it. He had seen some of them. They always worked in pairs, and were always armed to the teeth. Since then, he had been taking extra care when it came to going out. He rarely removed his hood, and he now only gave his first name of Ben when he was asked for his name. He had decided that if he were asked for his surname he would say it was Jinn, after his former master. He liked the sound of Ben Jinn, and the clones would be none the wiser.

Obi-Wan also had a new routine now that he was on Owen's good side. They were now getting along quite well. He was allowed to visit Luke whenever he wanted, so he made the effort every day to visit the young boy. He was now nearly one and a half standard years old, and had begun to string some coherent sentences together. It was quite extraordinary for a boy of his age. He was strong in the Force, and Obi-Wan was sure he was using it to aid him in his learning.

He would wake up in the morning and begin the day with kata exercises for one standard hour. He needed to keep his body fit, strong and agile. Then he would meditate, and sometimes Qui-Gon would speak to him. He enjoyed speaking to his former master. They often talked of Luke and how he was growing up and exploring the Force.

After meditation, Obi-Wan would go to the markets to pick up some fresh food, other various items and sometimes a little toy for Luke. He had also chosen to take the opportunity whenever it came along to buy parts necessary to build a lightsabre. Luke would need to build his own when he got older, so he thought he'd better start stocking up on parts. Then, he would drop off his things at home and head to the Lars' farm. By this time it was an hour or two after noon standard time. He would spend a few hours with Luke, playing with him and his toys or helping he boy develop his use of the Force by using the Force to communicate with him. Then he would leave and head back to the hut.

When he arrived back at the hut he would prepare his evening meal and eat it. It was usually something basic, as Obi-Wan wasn't very adventurous when it came to food. After his evening meal, he would meditate for one standard hour. After meditation, he would either do some more kata exercises, lightsabre training or practice and expand on his Force capabilities for one standard hour. Then he would end the evening by writing or reading, and would go to bed shortly after.

This routine suited Obi-Wan perfectly. He could do all the things he wanted to do with general ease, and he was keeping his body fit and his mind sharp. On some days he would slip into Duke's when he went to the markets for a quick drink. It was quiet at that time of the day, and Duke didn't mention anything Obi-Wan would consider awkward to talk about. He and Duke got along quite well, and Duke was always up for a nice chat.

Obi-Wan had finished his market trip for the day, and he was well on his way to the Lars' farm for his usual visit. It was a journey which consisted of many sand dunes and hills. It was a hot day, and Obi-Wan couldn't wait to get in some shade to cool off. His tunic had been drenched in sweat and it felt really uncomfortable to wear. He was nearly there. He looked up to the sky, and realised that the sun was being blocked out by thick smoke. He followed the trail of the smoke, and then it hit him. The smoke was coming from the moisture farm.

Immediately Obi-Wan grabbed his lightsabre and called upon the Force to give him an extra boost as he sprinted across the scorching sand, with the sun shining in his face. He jumped many of the hills, as it was taking far too long to run up and down them constantly. He could now see the farm in the distance, and Obi-Wan's heart fell. The farm had been set alight, and the flame were still raging. It was unlikely that there would be any survivors.

Obi-Wan reached the farm and ignited his lightsabre. He dashed down the stairs only to be met by a raging fire. He raised his hand and summoned the Force to create a Force push, which cleared a path between the raging flames for him. He had to get to Luke as soon as possible. Every second wasted was a second too long. He heard the quiet cries of a baby as he burst into Luke's bedroom.

He wasted no time as he scooped the child up in his arms and ran back up to the surface. He put the boy down a safe distance away from the farm. Stay right here young man, I'll be back before you know it. Obi-Wan turned his attentions from Luke, to Owen and Beru. He ran back down the stair case. He was going so fast that he nearly tripped over his own legs. He burst through the gap he had made before, and searched the remaining rooms.

He found Owen and Beru brutally murdered in their bedroom. Their bodies had been hacked into repeatedly, judging by the wounds their bodies showed. Then, they had been burnt alive, presumably to end their suffering. The wounds showed the distinct sign of spear point piercings. Obi-Wan looked around the room, and something caught his eye. It was a long staff like melee weapon. A gaderffii, the chosen weapon of the Tusken Raiders.

Obi-Wan put a hand to his forehead as the realisation hit him that the Tusken Raiders had been after revenge for the killing of one of their tribe. They had been looking for revenge, and they were merciless about how they got it. They had been looking to hurt Obi-Wan in particular. Two innocent people were now dead because of Obi-Wan's actions six months ago. He felt the feeling of guilt creep upon him suddenly.

Obi-Wan decided that a burial was in order. He put the remaining fires out with some water from the kitchen, and had dug two burial spots next to the burial spots of Shmi Skywalker and Cliegg Lars. It felt right that they were buried next to them, and so near the place where they had lived all their lives. He put Luke in his cot, wrapped in Obi-Wan's cloak and he fell asleep. Obi-Wan wrapped the bodies in clean sheets, and buried them. He finished the ceremony off by hammering two wooden crosses into the ground behind the burial spots. He then took Luke, who was still fast asleep, back to the hut to ponder his next actions.

Obi-Wan spent most of that evening racking his brains for ideas of what to do. He couldn't possibly look after the boy by himself. He had no experience of caring for a baby what so ever, and he couldn't afford it. He couldn't give Luke to the adoption agencies, as he would never see him again. He needed help, and fast. He put Luke to bed on Obi-Wan's mattress, and he opted to sleep on the floor. He didn't sleep well at all that night. Images of Owen and Beru's corpses haunted him throughout the night.

The next morning, Obi-Wan had made up his mind about what he was going to do. He left the sleeping Luke in bed while he made a short trek to a cave he had discovered when he first came to Tatooine. Inside it was his old Jedi Star fighter. He got in the cockpit and switched on the engine and communications devices. The fighter rumbled and a thick layer of dust was shaken off onto the floor. He fiddled around with the settings and the frequencies a little, and attempted a communication.

"This is Obi-Wan Kenobi requesting an immediate response." There was a pause. For a few minutes there was no answer. Obi-Wan heard some static before the frequency settled.

"Master Kenobi! It's good to speak with you again."

"It's nice to hear a friendly voice, Senator Organa."

"How is life on Tatooine treating you? You've not fallen on the wrong side of the Hutts have you?" Obi-Wan sensed the sarcasm in Bail's voice and chuckled.

"No, I'm being a good exile. I have a rather pressing issue to discuss with you."

"Go on Master Kenobi."

"When I came to Tatooine about a year and a half ago, I left Luke in the care of his aunt and uncle." Obi-Wan paused. "I went to visit them yesterday, and I found that their farm had been set alight, and they had been murdered by Tusken Raiders."

"What about Luke?" Obi-Wan detected the senator's alarmed tone.

"He is fine. I managed to rescue him before the fire devoured him. He's unharmed, and that's the main thing."

"That's excellent news Master Kenobi. So, what can I do?"

"You could come to Tatooine. I need someone I can trust to fly me and Luke to Dagobah so I can discuss things with Master Yoda."

"I see. I'll see about leaving later tonight."

"Thank you Bail. I appreciate it very much."

"No problem Obi-Wan. You hang on in there."

"I will. I'll see you soon then."

"Goodbye Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan turned the ship's engine and communications devices off and returned to the hut.

Vader was struggling. He had been struggling for weeks now. Sidious was at a complete loss as to why his apprentice could no longer use the Dark Side as he used to. It was as if Vader didn't care anymore. He attempted the exercises given to him and he failed them every time.

Vader hadn't informed his master of the conversation he had had with Ferus Olin just before his death. His words had had an affect on him. His confidence was shaken, and his heart was full with regret and guilt. He had also begun to dislike his master. He was becoming unbearable. All Vader got from him was task after task after task. No praise or reward for completing those tasks though. His reward for completing the tasks was that he wouldn't be punished for failure.

Sidious especially enjoyed using Force lightning. He found it to be an effective form of torture on Maul and Dooku, yet it seemingly had no effect on Vader. It was as if Vader was resistant to lightning. He was getting really impatient with Vader. He no longer tried, his effort, if you could call it effort, was minimal and he was fast becoming useless.

Vader no longer had the hunger for the Dark Side. He no longer showed anger or hate as he used to. In fact, Vader rarely showed any emotion at all anymore. He hadn't killed anyone since he murdered Ferus on Coruscant.

"It's never too late. You can be the great Hero With No Fear once again. Remember him, Anakin? He was a good man, and I'll be damned if he is gone forever."

Vader kept replaying those words over and over in his mind. Ferus' words had stuck with him ever since that day, and they haunted his soul always. The words reminded him of the hundreds of innocent younglings and Padawans he had murdered in the Temple.

The feelings got worse, and Vader began to have nightmares. Images of him ruthlessly murdering Jedi flashed in his mind every night. He couldn't rid himself of them. His mind was tormenting him, and he was pushed to the brink of insanity. He rarely slept in recent times. He would lie on his mattress night after night with his eyes wide open, fearing what he would see when he closed them.

Vader sat down on the floor. He hadn't slept a wink in five days, and he was absolutely exhausted. He heard footsteps approaching.

"Your brother-in-law and his girlfriend were killed yesterday." Vader looked up at Sidious, who continued speaking. "The clones found their farm burnt to a cinder, and their bodies had been buried."

"By who?"

"They don't know."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"The clones found a babies bedroom. There was a cot and lots of toys in it."

"So? Beru probably had a kid or something."

"Nothing of the sort showed up on her medical records. A DNA sample of the child was taken at a med centre, and we decided to try a DNA match to see who the father was." There was a pause. Vader looked irritated by Sidious' silence.

"And?"

"They found a match. You." Vader's jaw fell open slightly. He blinked in confusion.

"You mean to tell me he is my son? My wife never gave birth. She died, remember?"

"The records do not lie. Go to Tatooine. Find your son, and bring him to here. Together, we will train him to become a Sith Lord!"

"Yes master." Sidious walked away and left Vader in a state of disbelief to ponder his mission. He was annoyed by his master's last sentence. If the boy indeed was his child, he didn't want that sort of a future for him. He wasn't even sure if he wanted it for himself anymore.

If the boy was his son, he would want his son to have a normal life, not the life of a Sith. He wanted his son to have friends, go to school and be loved by someone. He wanted his son to grow up to be a mechanic, or a scientist or a doctor. Never a Sith. He would never allow it. I'd rather he grew up with Obi-Wan than Sidious.

Authors Note: Wow, I never thought this story is getting so many hits now. 1500 hits and counting. I feel obliged to thank all of you who have read, continue to read, review and added Redemption to your favourite stories or your alert lists. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

I was rather stuck as to where I wanted to go with this chapter, and I thought to myself "lets add an element of A New Hope into this chapter" and the Owen and Beru death hit me. It helps the plot advance, as Luke can now be seen as being Obi-Wan's apprentice. His training will begin soon enough. Meanwhile, I felt it cruel on Vader to not include him in this chapter, so I did in the end. In the next chapter he will travel to Tatooine in search of his son.

Anyway, thank you all once again for continuing to stick with Redemption. Please submit a review as it helps to motivate me, just a few words will do. I hope you have enjoyed chapter five and I hope you'll continue to read Redemption.