Obi-Wan didn't care at that moment that he wasn't acting like a proper Jedi. His whole world was lost and nothing would ever bring it back.
Leia pursed her lips and made a decision. Ignoring the guards that tried to grab her she walked over the man.
Carefully she rested a hand on the quaking man's shoulder blade and slowly began to rub circles on his back, offering some comfort. He kept repeating over and over again he had failed them all, naming her parents, her brother's teacher, and apologizing to some-one named Qui-Gon.
"You knew my birth parents?" she asked gently after a few moments, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"I do…did," whispered the man. "This is all my fault."
Leia snorted, "I doubt you can lay the rise of the Empire on your shoulders General Kenobi, even if you are a Jedi." She had said as much to her brother so long ago before he exiled himself.
Obi-Wan chuckled weakly as he wiped the tears from his face. How wrong this woman was, how much she sounded like Padme at that moment.
"Anakin was my responsibility. I was his Master, I practically raised him. I knew about his involvement with Padme, encouraged it with my silence. He should have been able to turn to me, and I should have known the Sith had their hooks in him," insisted Obi-Wan. "One does not just turn to the dark without some kind of provocation, some type of manipulation. I should have seen it when he was accepted into the Order; especially at his age and his circumstances. I failed my whole Lineage. My Great-Grandmaster, my Master, My Padawan, and my Great-Padawan."
Leia had thought her guilt was great for the destruction of Alderaan, it was nothing compared to the guilt and pain that was rolling off the man next to her. He truly believed the fall of the Republic rested on his shoulders. Leia wanted to bite back a sigh, why did it seem like the Jedi always believed it was their fault for everything?
Pursing her lips, Leia decided to let the matter rest of now. General Kenobi needed to be examined by medical and then receive much needed rest. Han once said that sleep had been the best cure for his hibernation sickness.
"We will discuss that later, now come," she said gently pulling the man to his feet. Surprisingly the man was no more taller than she was. He swayed dangerously on his feet, his hands coming up to clutch at his side. His wounds that he received while being shot down, were making themselves known. Pain from his mind and his body was too much for Obi-Wan to handle at the moment.
Another pair of stronger hands caught him, and though Obi-Wan felt no malicious from the being next to him, he still flinched heavily away.
"Easy there Sir," came a strong male voice.
"Apologies," Obi-Wan said softly, allowing the hands to guide him along.
"No problems," the voice laughed, "Got to be honest, when I went intercepted the package for the First Order, an actual Jedi from the Pre-Empire days was the last thing I ever thought I would find."
"And I never expected to outlive everyone that I knew," Obi-Wan said softly. "And find out everything I ever fought for, sacrificed for was for nothing. The Republic fell, my fellow Jedi slaughtered, and my student turned into a monster."
"Were all Jedi's this cheerful?" remarked the man ruefully.
Obi-Wan laughed, "Some were worse. Master Windu…" Obi-Wan trailed off. He had automatically reached out through the Force trying to sense his friend. The harsh darkness of the Force reminded him that there were no Jedi.
"I'll take your word for it."
After three rights and a left, they went through a door.
"General Organa, I wasn't expecting any patients today," came a smooth calm woman's voice.
A voice Obi-Wan immediately recognized as one that belonged to a Healer. How they all managed to have the same tone of voice was a mystery of the Force in Obi-Wan's opinion.
"We had an unexpected situation, Healer Tink. The package we intercepted was the man standing by Poe. He is General Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master who has been frozen in carbonite since the end of the Clone Wars. He currently is suffering from hibernation sickness as well as other injuries on his torso."
Suddenly a new pair of smaller hands were on Obi-Wan's person. Obi-Wan had been preparing for this moment ever since he heard the healer's voice. He was forced onto a small bench and instructed to disrobe.
Obi-Wan did as he was instructed. He knew more than one Healer who wouldn't hesitate to strip him when he refused to do as they asked. Carefully he stripped out of his robes. Very well aware that his body would see be inspected not only by the Healer but by General Organa and the man that had came with them.
Obi-Wan clutched tightly at his utility belt and robe, afraid that if he let them go, he would never see them again. He flinched at the unfamiliar hands touched his bare torso pressing on his injuries. "Does that hurt Mister Kenobi?"
Leia and Poe watched the examination. The man in front of them was surprising. Not an ounce of fat lay on his frame. What he had in abundance was scars. Scars covered his torso, front and back. Burns and cuts, highlighted by the dark bruising covering his side.
As Poe circled the man, he couldn't believe the damage he could see. The amount was shocking, how could one man live through it all.
Leia recognized many of the scars on the Jedi's body. The burns were from lightsabers, the cuts on his back-he had been whipped at one point. Other spoke of torture. Many were still pink, meaning they weren't that old, at least that old to General Kenobi.
He was silent as the medic poked and prodded at him, only answering the questions he was asked in quite short answers.
After several long minutes the Healer stepped back from Obi-Wan and made a small noise in her throat. "Your ribs appear to be cracked General Kenobi, I will have to bind them for a few days. The bruising I will treat with bactra patches. I will have to get them from the other exam room, if will excuse me."
To Obi-Wan's unseen eyes the Healer exchanged looks with Leia and Poe, and they followed her out of room.
Obi-Wan was too tired to reach out to enhance his hearing with the Force to hear what they were discussing about him. Instead he reached into his utility belt, Obi-Wan found that he had not lost some of the most precious items that he had carried with him since the war begun. Two braids of hair, one golden with a red bead, the other pale blond, a set of silka beads, and a black river stone. He fingered each one gently, even without his sight he knew by touch alone which was which.
He didn't bother to put them away when the door opened a few moments later and the force presence of his Padawan's daughter came back in. She remained silent as she came to his side. Obi-Wan said nothing, just continued to stroke all that was left to him of the past.
"What are those?" asked Leia softly touching Obi-Wan's wrist.
"Mementos, proof I was attached," murmured Obi-Wan. "This rock was a life-day present from my Master, I have carried it with me since I was 13. This braid was your Father's Padawan braid. He presented half of it to me when he was Knighted. He gave the rest of it to your Mother. This bead was part of your Mother's royal costume and represented Naboo when he was accepted as a Padawan. These beads were part of my Grand-Padawan's set, Ahsoka Tano. I doubted either knew I had these."
He purposely left out who the other piece of hair belonged to, his beloved Satine. The hair was given to him as a keepsake from his Padawan days when he almost left the order for her. He had learned to live with that heartbreak long ago. Which sadly meant her death was easier to accept than his Masters had been. Instead he focused on the last two mementos he carried with him.
Obi-Wan's hands then traced his gauntlets, and Leia noticed they were different. One was royal blue and the other golden. "The 212th and the 501st. Our men presented me with them. I was head of the 212th and Anakin was head of the 501st. But we spent almost the entire war side by side, they were Our men. These are the only things I have left of my life. I don't care if it is against the Jedi Code, I'm damn well going to keep them," Obi-Wan said more to himself than to Leia.
Glaring at the floor with unseeing eyes, he answered her unspoken questions of why it would be against the Jedi Code.
"No attachments to people or objects. There is no emotions, there is peace," Obi-Wan said bitterly placing the objects back into his belt except for the gauntlets. "Maybe if we, the Jedi, had accepted our emotions, learned to work with them instead of pretending we didn't have them. Maybe we wouldn't have been destroyed," Obi-Wan spat.
"Luke found some teachings of your Order. But much was destroyed by the Emperor," Leia began, leaving out the part that Luke had been visited by Jedi ghosts all who seemed reluctant to tell Luke about the demographics of the Old Order. "But they lacked details. You say that you could have no attachments however Luke and I exist. I know you said he was older and came into the Order in difficult circumstances.
Yes being won in a bet is an odd way to coming into the Order, thought Obi-Wan.
"Why was he an exception?" continued Leia.
Obi-Wan snorted "He wasn't an exception. Anakin, well Anakin had been too old when he was allowed into the Temple. Most Jedi were taken in at birth or a few years later. Anakin was nine, and had known about life outside of the Order, the harshness. There had been a prophecy, about one who would bring balance to the Force. Anakin was believed to be this chosen one because he had no Father. My Master would not take no for an answer from the Jedi Council and insisted on his training. Anakin always flaunted the rules, always asking why things were the way they were. He allowed attachment to rule his actions, marrying your Mother in secret. They thought they had hidden it so well, but they forgot I knew Anakin better than anyone else. And I allowed my attachment to him to keep this secret from the High Council."
Before Leia could say anything to this statement, Healer Tink came pack in with the bactra patches.
Obi-Wan held still as bactra patches were applied to his bruises and then raised his arms as his cracked ribs were wrapped. He made a move to put on his robe, when the Force rang with a small warning. Before Obi-Wan could react, a sharp pinch was given to his neck and a dose of drugs was forced into his system.
For the second time Obi-Wan was forced into darkness as the drugs worked into his system. He just hoped that this time 50 years would not pass him by again.
"He should sleep for a few hours, the hibernation sickness should pass by then," Tink informed Leia as she leaned the man down until he was laying across the examination table.
Leia watched as Tink bustled around the Jedi tucking a blanket around the man.
Leia was so conflicted regarding this man. The report Tink had given her was worrisome. Half healed burns, cracked ribs, internal bruising. The blood sample she had swiped would tell them more about the health of the Jedi.
Great power rested within the man, Leia could sense that. He had a place in the war to come. But where that was, Leia didn't know and that slightly worried her.
For the millionth time, Leia wished that her brother and husband were beside her. They would know what to do in this situation.
For now, Leia picked up the utility belt Tink had set aside and tucked into the Jedi's grasp. Hoping that the mementos of his loved ones would bring him comfort when he woke up.
If she had stayed Leia would have seen the ghostly blue image of older man appear beside the Jedi.
"Oh my son" the ghost whispered taking a seat on the edge of the bunk. "I am so sorry."
"It doesn't count Qui-Gon, if he isn't awake to hear it," came another voice as another blue ghost appeared. This one of a beautiful young woman with long dark hair, and brown eyes.
"I know Padme. But I still needed to say it," Qui-Gon sighed. "If I hadn't been so thick headed, then he wouldn't be in this situation. He is all alone, Obi-Wan has never did well on his own."
"He is not alone, he has my daughter for now. The Force will bring him to others when the time is right. And you and I will be there when he needs us he most. All is the will of the Force Qui-Gon as you have said. You must get over your guilt, so that you can help Obi-Wan get over his."
Qui-Gon smiled softly down at the sleeping figure. "He always did take the weight of the universe on his shoulders. He's always carried the guilt of the universe on his shoulders to. The Force has chosen a rough road for Obi-Wan. His life has always seemed to be marked by tragedy. Yet the light still shines within him. A light this universe surely needs. With Obi-Wan's coming, hope will be reborn throughout the Galaxy. We just have to make sure that he doesn't drown in grief in the meantime."
"A mighty task Qui-Gon."
The ghost smiled, his eyes sad. "It will be Padme, it will be."
The ghostly blue forms remained standing guard over the sleeping Jedi as the ship continued into the night.
And welcome back! A spark of inspiration has returned after seeing the new Star Wars movie. Which I must say, I liked it while also was disappointed in it.
Also I know Padme shouldn't appear as a Force Ghost, it originally was going to be Anakin, but inspiration struck. Aka the last scene of the movie.
*slight spoiler*
*
Blonde Slave boy+racing for gamblers+force ablilities= somebody that Obi-Wan used to know.