Many thanks again to Beloved Daughter for her kind review, and to Sara as well. It was great to write from R2s point of view, so I'm glad someone else liked it.

I can't believe I've been writing this thing for over a year (General Reader: (with sarcasm) Yeah! Neither can we!) I had no intention of making it this long when I started! But I really like where it's ended up so far. Here's to not jumping-the-shark before I finish!

Slight change of subject, SW Clone Wars killed off one of my absolute favorite clones this week. Clone Waxer was first seen in season one helping out Obi and the Twi'leks, then in season two saving Obi on Geonosis. He met with a horrific end, two groups of clones were tricked into attacking each other, so he was killed by his own, loyal, brothers and it was heartbreaking to watch them realize their mistake and then find out it was Waxer who was in command of the other group of clones. I am not usually an emotional person, but I actually cried, it was like I was mourning a dear friend, I was in complete shock. I knew this kind of thing was inevitable, that many of the characters that I had grown to love in this series would have to get killed off at some point, but Waxer and Boyle captured my heart right from the start, I still count 'Innocents of Ryloth' as my favorite episode of the whole show. Anyway, I just wanted to express my sadness at the passing of a beloved character who will be sorely missed from the show. You can expect another release of grief when they finally kill off Boyle, I just hope it isn't this season, and I hope it isn't as horrific as Waxer's, I don't think I could cope with that!

But you don't want to read this nonsense, you came here for …

"Great, R2," Obi-wan said still smiling at his metallic friend, "just don't get cocky!" And with the rudimentary plan set in place, he guided the droid towards the chancellors escape craft.

/Wait, how did I../ his legs buckled beneath him and he grabbed for R2's domed head for support as the realization hit him that he just knew where that second door led, even without thinking about it. This was getting worse, his knowledge of Palpatine's world was becoming too easy to access, and once again his head throbbed with his growing horror at the dark lord's influence even after his death. Another wave of pain shot through the right side of his face, causing him to grasp at his cheek and eye socket. It was swollen and tender, and there was a burning sensation that was building within behind the fused skin. He took a moment to take a few deep breaths and managed to stand back up, much to the relief of the little droid, whose whistles had become high pitched with distress.

"It's alright..R2,..just a little … Arrgh!" he cried out as another wave of pain erupted across his face and he fell to his knees, forehead resting on the carpet. It felt like the scarred skin was actually splitting open and something was pressing into the eye socket itself. His vision was suddenly bombarded with what looked like a constant shower of multi-colored sparks and his head remained pressed to the carpet as the burning pain continued.

"Not possible!..Not possible!." he whimpered as he became aware of his body's actions. The split skin was cooling now and he found movement returning to the healing eye lids as they spasmed for a moment before he was able to take control of them. The sparks were starting to die down as well at this point and an intensity of color flooded his vision as the eye continued to reform itself. The surface of the eye felt like it was being scratched with sand paper, but his control over the lids allowed him to ease the constant feeling of irritation by blinking over the freshly reformed surface.

R2 had turned around at this point and was whistling in low, concerned sounds, even leaning over a little to be able to touch Kenobi's shoulder with his domed head. Physical contact was something the droid had observed was very important to humans, and there really was no one else present who could help his friend, so he hoped his simple gesture would be enough to comfort him. He had no idea what was happening to Obi-Wan, the man was clasping his hands to his face and in obvious pain. R2 cursed the fact that he was no medical droid, that's what Obi-Wan needed right now, and he was about to head to the terminal again to see if he could access some human diagnostic program, when Obi-Wan sighed deeply and lifted his head.

The droid let out a long low noted whistle at the sight of his friends face. The right eye lids were no longer fused, but open, revealing an eye that was completely blood shot, the iris appearing a deep, almost black, purple. Instinctively the droid backed off a little, having never seen anything like that before. He had been aware of Kenobi being able to heal Nawe somewhat after the lad's first run in with Maul, but this was unprecedented and more than a little intimidating. The look of horror on Kenobi's face wasn't helping much either, but R2 quickly overcame his initial shock as Obi-Wan's head sank into his hands and he began to shake as heavy sobs wracked his body. It was still R2's friend sitting there on the floor, all too human before him and he moved back to the man's side to rest against his shoulder once more. How he wished he had arms right now, to wrap comfortingly around his good friend.

/This isn'tright,/ began the stream of conscious thought that whisked around Kenobi's head /This isn't supposed to happen! How could it happen? How can I see? What am I becoming? I'm losing myself, I'm losing that which defines me. I'm notworthy of this healing. I'm not that person. I'm not dark, but I'm not lighteither. I don't want to have to choose between those extremes. Why should I have to choose?

Why can't I go back to the way things were with Padme? I knew my place there. I had faith in my own abilities there, at least for a time. I knew my purpose, at the very least. But I don't have that now, I have a twisted reality polluted by the memories of two dead men swirling around inside my headvying for supremacy. Thank goodness I didn't get too close to Dooku or he'd be flying around in here too!

How selfish does thatall sound! How self indulgent, how arrogant to think of myself as the centre of the maelstrom, because that's what I feel, that I'm the pivot to the turmoil around me. 'I'm the cause of Qui-Gonn's fall, I'm the cause for the injuries sustained by my crew in the blast on the platform, I'm the cause for Maul's assault on Nawe, I'm the cause for almost getting Jango, Padme and Anakin executed, I'm the cause for Boba being left in the hangar to be tormented by Ventress and Maul, I'm the cause for Dooku's assault in Assaj, I'm the cause for Ryn's death, I'm the cause for the fall of the republic, I'm the cause for Maul's escape, I'm the cause for the Jedi Order being disbanded, I'm the cause of Bail's predicament, I'm the cause for Nawe's life being in danger once again'

Perhaps some of those are valid points, but to assumethe progressof the galaxy revolves around me is the most preposterous notion in existence. I am not omnipotent. I don't control the fate of anyone but myself. And I know I've made some bad choices along the way, but they were my choices, and not all of them were all that bad, I have to admit that to myself.

'I saved a great many people the day the fake separatists attack Theed, my warning to my crew on the platform over Coruscant saved lives, I saved Nawe from his torment in the hangar, I gave Jango hope, I gave Boba a surrogate father, I gave Dex a teammate, I saved Padme from certain death at the hands of Ventress, I saved Ventress, for crying out loud, I held down the most powerful evil this galaxy had seen in a millennia, if only for a moment'.

I am not the failure I would have myself believe. I have strength and it doesn't just come from the force, but from my friends, from my encounters. I am not all powerful, I never claimed to be, but I wield power with more grace than I have ever admitted to myself. So maybe it's time to dwell on that for a change. Maybe I don't need to be the one to protect everyone, shield everyone from my mistakes, because they have choices too, and I had so easily forgotten that.

All I can do from here on in is make the best choices I can and hope those around me do the same, because that is all I can wish of them and all they can wish of me. I am not a puppet to the force, or my former master, or any sith lord. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I am a good man./

Obi-Wan took in a series of calming breaths and the shaking finally stopped, the droid's offer of comfort actually helping him a great deal to calm himself and find some semblance of peace. He wrapped his right arm around the droid and looked up to the droids camera port. R2 was gleaming, or so it seemed to him seeing the droid through his replenished vision, the polished black and gold plating almost alive with movement as light bounced across the surface. It was difficult to turn away from it and he smiled at his twittering friend. His new formed eye still felt scratched through, but it was certainly working extremely well.

There, came Obi-wan's other inner voice still stubbornly trying to bring the young man where it could control him further, our midi-chlorians have been waiting ten years to do that, you stubborn, obnoxious, self indulgent, -

"I get it!" yelled Obi-Wan to the ceiling, sending R2 back a few steps, and his head fell back into his hands as a groan of exasperation came from his throat. He looked up quickly and apologetically at R2.

"Not you, my friend," he said to reassure the droid and a sad smile crept across his face. He reached up to tap him gently on his shoulder. "I have a rather complicated relationship with myself right now. But I'm working through the issues, old man. I'll be right as rain after a spot of rescuing, I'm sure"

R2 shook his head and chirruped, which Obi-wan took as meaning the droid knew he wasn't fooling anyone with that attitude.

"Don't judge me, R2," he said harshly, his emotions still mixing around his mind despite his self proclamation of being a good man. "It's very unbecoming of a tech droid."

He got to his feet and sighed deeply as he looked on the obviously hurt little droid.

"I'm sorry, R2, you're not catching me at my best," he chuckled sadly to himself and under his breath whispered sarcastically, "A good man, indeed! What rot!" The droid nudged him in the side, showing he wasn't that hurt by his former captain's words.

/Nawe!/ screamed his consciousness, /Enough with the self hate for now. Get. Nawe!/

He rubbed his head again from the internal slap-in-the-face he had felt and moved to the door leading to the ex-Chancellor's shuttle.

"Come on, R2, let's get Nawe out of trouble,.. again!" and the droid chirruped what could only be described as a chuckling noise.

Transition – Transition – Transition – Transition

"Come on, oh Mighty Hero of the Republic, I want to talk to you."

The voice was strangely familiar to Nawe, but he couldn't quite place the woman's voice. He just had to open his eyes now and find out who was calling to him. The light at first was rather blinding, but his eyes quickly adjusted to the calming colors of his hospital room. He looked over to see the face of Medic Kravis peering at him from the left side of the bed.

"Hello there," he said, slightly slurred from his waking lips, "fancy meeting you here!" and with that he yawned and stretched to get into a sitting position where he scratched his head.

"Yes, yes, please to see me, that's great. Kenobi is missing!"

That got him awake!

"Missing? What do you mean, he's missing? What happened?"

Kravis shock her head.

"It's not clear, but the hearing was in recess when he just took off out of a window! No sign of him anywhere, and the senate is going crazy! They've closed off all access to the senate building, and increased security here around you, although I'm not sure how much more secure this place could get. It's locked down tighter than a B'omarr monk's underpants."

"Medic Kravis! I'm shocked!" exclaimed Nawe mockingly, trying his best to lighten the mood as his former captain would often manage, "I find it hard to believe they even have underpants!" to which the medic laughed hole heartedly, but quickly placed a hand over her mouth to silence her guffaws and glanced to the door of his room, hoping her outburst wouldn't have anyone burst in.

The whole situation with the republic crumbling away and the Chancellor's death had left a tension in the air that clung to everything around the pair and within the building they were housed in. After Kravis had realized Nawe was being sedated unnecessarily, she had taken a risky course of action to wean him off the medications and convince him to play along with her plan so that the two could at least talk and find some comfort surrounded by strangers as they were. Nawe was the only patient on that floor of the facility, the rest of the rooms occupied by various security personnel from numerous systems all vying to be the ones to protect their Hero of the Republic, especially after the failed kidnapping attempt on his person and rescue attempt on Kenobi, that had seen the alleged Jedi traitor transferred to the senate building.

Anyone else would probably have been honored by the accolade of Republic Hero, but Nawe had found it repulsive when Kravis had first told him about it. He had not been able to fully confide in her about what had happened that day, as it was clear she was still as brainwashed as most of the Republic had been to Palpatines evil, but her familiar presence had lifted his mood a great deal over the couple days that their deception had, so far, lasted.

"If he comes here, he'll have to get through me first, young man!" she said, determined to protect her charge.

"I don't know how to convince you, Kravis, but he's not what you think."

"I know what I saw, Nawe, I'm not a fool. It's no coincidence he's the traitor and you're the hero."

"Stop that, right now! You have no idea what he went through out there. What he was prepared to sacrifice to save us all, what we all were – " he faltered as he remembered how they had been prepared to die to stop Maul and how the plan had all fallen apart before their eyes. It had taken Medic Kravis some time to convince him he was still alive after he had woken up that first time in this room and she had needed to restrain him to keep him from tearing the room apart when he found out about the aftermath of that fateful day and the terrifying fate his former captain was facing in the senate hearings.

"I'm sorry, Nawe, I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to let you know we're ready if he comes here."

Nawe shook his head.

"He won't come here," he said sadly, "he'll find somewhere safe to go, he'll get off world, he doesn't owe me anything." He looked at her concerned face, realizing rescue wasn't what she had in mind.

"And he won't be coming here for revenge, either, that's not how he thinks, believe me!" He shook his head in disgust of the very thought of that notion.

"How can you be so sure? You're the Hero of the Republic for your defense of the Chancellor."

"I asked you to stop calling me that!"

"Well it's true, you revealed the conspiracy and stopped him from helping the others, and then he and his cohorts kidnapped you for your valiant efforts."

"They didn't kidnap me, I went with them, I'd do it again if I could, I'd help them take on Palpatine if I could!"

"Don't say that! He was a great man, he held this republic together."

"He tricked us! He lied and he cheated and he burned us all with his control over us. Didn't you see his release of power into Kenobi and I? I felt in that instant the hate and contempt he had for everyone of us. I saw my role as his puppet positioned in just the right place for his purpose. He used me, manipulated me, twisted the love I had for my captain, a man who saved my life again and again, into something sickeningly wretched and hateful. I saw the truth of him as he turned my body to, what felt like liquid fire. And even with my pike sticking through his body, I saw the love my captain had for me pierced through with confusion, disbelief and shame. He actually felt ashamed of himself. I could feel him try desperately to remove the worst of the pain from me in that instant. So don't claim to know what happened there, how could you know what we went through!"

They both sat in silence after his outburst, Nawe breathing heavily, Kravis in shock after his revelations. She didn't know what to think, it was all so mind bendingly complicated than she was prepared to handle and she stood up away from the bed and headed for the window where the night lights coming from the surrounding buildings just didn't seem as bright to her as they had only a few nights ago.

"You have to realize," she said quietly, still facing the Corruscant night, "how central to our existence Palpatine has been these last ten years. He was the republic, as has been made clear by the way his death has destroyed it." She turned back to face him. "You're asking me to believe that the person we put our complete and total trust in was actually our deepest and darkest enemy and that no one in the entire galaxy of systems saw that, except the leader of the separatists, a lying former Jedi and an untried Jedi padawan? Please tell me you see how crazy that sounds?"

"I don't deny that," came Nawe's quiet reply, "But can you honestly say that the man you knew as Latterie would be capable of that level of deceit. You were there, Kravis, when I was brought in after suffering at the hands of that tattooed menace. I would have died on that hangar floor if Kenobi hadn't intervened. He gave up his freedom for me that day and paid a far heavier price for it in the long run."

"Yes, well," said Kravis darkly, "people change."

"That's right, they change. They are not what they first appear. Just as Palpatine was not as he first appeared to us all."

"That's different, he –"

An incessant beeping came from the room's communications system.

"Quick, lie back down, be asleep!" hissed Kravis quietly and helped Nawe settle back into his coma pose, one they had practiced many times in such instances. Nawe sank into the pillows and breathed deeply as he heard Kravis move to the com station. She cleared her throat, took one last look at her faking-sleep patient, and then answered the call.

"Medic Kravis, there's been a multi-vehicle mid-air collision, we're getting swamped down here. Leave your patient and come down to assist, immediately!" Kravis recognized one of her young colleagues as the caller.

"Oh my goodness, I'll come down right away!" She turned off the com and turned to Nawe who was sitting back up now that the call had ended. They both shared a worried look.

"I'll have to go, but I'll get back as soon as I can." And she touched his knee in reassurance. He nodded his understanding and settled once again to fake sleep for when she opened the door to his room.

He had meant what he said about Kenobi not wanting to come for him, so the thought of this being a ruse didn't occur to him until the slim figure slipped in through his window and he sat up in complete surprise, startling his intruder who had assumed the lad would be asleep.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and then Nawe heard a sound that sent a chill down his spine, the snap-hiss of a lightsabre being ignited.