Obi-Wan surveyed the sickbay. He looked down at the datapad he'd been given and sighed. It took every bit of Jedi training and discipline to keep his head from exploding.
Seventeen clones from the 501st and one from Clone Force 99 were in observation and recovery. Three had not survived blaster ricochets. Medics were checking them over as several were disoriented or nursing serious injuries. He even called in Kix and Roe to look them over, run tests, and find out just what in the blazes was going on.
A part of him remained on edge. Whatever Tarkin had done could still be in effect. He didn't often feel this…uncertain. About anything. Not even his feelings for Satine which were easy to admit but impossible to ignore. No, what happened on the Restitution defied comprehension.
He wasn't as familiar with the 501st as his own unit but he knew several of these men by name. Coric, Dak, Zeer, and Attie were present but only the latter was conscious. The one survivor of the massacre on Teth.
"Attie," Obi-Wan said gently as he sat by the edge of the bed. "I have that right, don't I?"
The clone pressed a hand against his head as though still dealing with a massive headache.
"Yes…sir." He looked up and squinted from the light. "General Kenobi?"
"Yes, trooper. I don't want to cause you undue stress, but can you tell me what happened?"
'Why did you turn on us?' was the question he wanted to ask, but it sounded too harsh. Too accusatory. How could anyone reconcile the innocent look in the clone's eye with his actions an hour before?
"I-I don't know, sir. One moment, I was prepared to arrest Admiral Tarkin. The next I was firing my blaster towards you and General Luke."
"So it just…occurred randomly?"
"No, that's not it! I swear, sir. I mean you no harm. It's like this…overwhelming urge came over me without warning. I-I couldn't control it."
It was a story anyone might say if they wanted to avoid guilt, even criminal prosecution. Even a patient man like Obi-Wan took exception to his life being threatened. Yet being a Jedi afforded him the capability of discerning between a truth and a lie. Attie was not lying. He felt it.
"I believe you," he said with as much conviction as possible. Patting the clone on the leg, he put on a quick smile before standing up. "Get some rest, trooper. You'll be alright."
Somehow, that small bit of encouragement fell far short of the mark. It didn't bring warmth, comfort, or reassurance. The Jedi Master searched the Force but again found himself blocked from something so close yet unattainable. A shadowy, elusive thing, wild and dangerous. Obi-Wan imagined himself in a dark forest, able to sense the stalking evil that sought its prey, even flashes of the great beast. But never able to catch a glimpse of its true face.
Suddenly unsettled, he turned away in another direction. Kix caught his eye and walked over.
"General, I don't suppose you have an explanation for this."
"That's what I was about to ask you."
The medic rubbed a hand through his lightning bolt haircut, at a loss to explain something that as of yet could not be explained.
"I can't get much information out of them. Most are still recovering or asleep. And anyone who's awake isn't very coherent."
"What about the scans?"
"Standard scans all ended up negative," Kix told him. "But this isn't the first time this has happened."
Obi-Wan's heart skipped a beat.
"Not the first time?" he repeated.
"Four or five rotations ago, Tup tried to strangle General Luke without provocation. At the time he ordered a Level 5 atomic level brain scan, but it was never performed. I made time for an autopsy on our way to Kashyyyk and found something odd."
He showed Obi-Wan the report on the datapad.
"A tumor. Small and nothing liked I'd ever seen before. Non cancerous but for some reason it caused a severe hemorrhage. In non medical terms- his brain overheated because something was blocking the frontal lobe from receiving signals."
By the Force, this was becoming more horrifying by the second.
"And what are you implying?"
"I can't be certain and what I'm about to suggest should be medically impossible. But I have a feeling that whatever caused Tup to act violently is the same thing that caused all those men to do the same."
Obi-Wan stroked his beard and looked over towards the other end of the medical wing. On one of the beds lay the specialized clone that fired on Luke, yet beside him was another who did not. He decided to investigate further.
"One moment, Kix."
He came across the leader, Hunter, whose face looked even less happy than usual. He sat alone, as Wrecker and Tech were below deck guarding Tarkin's lackeys. Crosshair snoozed in relative peace, but it brought no joy or satisfaction to the Sergeant, his grim gaze lasered in on the teammate he loved so dearly.
"At the risk of intruding on a personal moment, I need to ask you something Hunter."
"Go ahead, sir," came the even but tense reply.
"Your teammate followed Tarkin's order and yet you and the others did not."
"Is that a question, General?"
Obi-Wan could have interpreted that as disrespect, but emotions were running high, including his own. Everyone wanted an answer. No one had an answer.
Hunter stood up from the bedside and addressed him directly, a soft intensity burning in the eyes he'd seen so many times. Clone eyes. The ones that stayed loyal to their own without fail.
"I don't know why Crosshair did what he did," he told him with a directness many Jedi lacked. "I saw an order that was wrong, he saw something else. But I also overheard you talking to that reg and Kix. With all due respect, sir, you're looking in the wrong places."
Obi-Wan almost staggered but chose not to respond right away. Among Qui-Gon's basic teachings was to consider all options before speaking. And what he wouldn't give for another vision of his old Master just for advice. What was he missing here?
"Sir," called out a weak voice.
He turned around and saw Fives rising from the bed, albeit slowly and with a great deal of effort. Kix immediately sought to quell that energy.
"Fives, don't strain yourself."
The ARC ignored the advice and called out again, this time a little louder.
"General Kenobi, I need to tell you something."
Obi-Wan rushed towards the bedside and crouched near his position.
"What is it, soldier?" A million different thoughts pinballed through his head as to what he might say. If anyone might have a clue, the hero who saved them from Tarkin's trap might be it. "Take your time."
Fives' strength slowly returned, though he was still quite weak from being stunned. He placed a head near the right side of his head, just above the Temple.
"This isn't a coincidence. None of it is."
Obi-Wan's blue eyes narrowed though not out of anger or irritation. He allowed the clone to continue.
"General Luke…he warned us of a plot. A plot by the Sith to turn the army against the Jedi."
A plot by the Sith to turn the army against the Jedi. Obi-Wan had to repeat those words in his head before talking again.
"He told you this?"
"Yes, sir," Fives said, doing his best to stay cogent. "He assigned Echo and I off record to investigate any suspicious activity among the ranks. Headaches, nightmares, aggression towards the Jedi…"
Hunter was listening in now so was Kix. It was news to everyone.
"Behavior like the kind Tup exhibited during that sparring match," the medic said slowly.
"He knew," Fives whispered. "He knew something was coming and tried to stop it. We ran out of time…"
He then grabbed onto his arm, clinging for dear life. Tears brimmed in his eyes. Obi-Wan's heart felt like it weighed two thousand pounds.
"I'm so sorry, sir. Please forgive me."
The Jedi placed a gentle hand on top of the clone's and helped lower him back onto the cot.
"There is nothing to forgive, Fives. Today, you have done more than any man in the entire Grand Army of the Republic."
Kix assisted in calming him down and his arm was released from the grip. But Obi-Wan stood where he was for about ten seconds, unmoving and unknowing. A stone statue.
Movement returned and he began power walking out of the medical bay.
"Where are you going, General?" Kix called out.
"To find Luke," he replied simply.
If anyone had an answer to this mystery he did.
I think it's time for another heart to heart chat.
He found Luke pacing in one of the private station rooms, hands interwoven into his thick hair, muttering to himself.
"…so stupid. How could I not have seen it coming? It was obvious. All part of the plan. Sidious-"
The blond stopped and saw Obi-Wan standing there. The thirty eight year old nodded towards the still visible hole over Luke's left hand.
"Your wound has still not been mended. A trip to the medical wing is likely required."
Luke brushed that statement aside.
"I'm fine. The men need assistance more than I do."
Obi-Wan resisted pushing further. Instead he focused on something else.
"I wasn't aware you had a prosthetic hand. It's much more advanced looking than Anakin's."
"Yeah."
For some reason, Luke didn't seem to want to talk about that subject either. His blue eyes avoided his own as he changed the conversation.
"How are they?" he asked, not moving his head.
"Not well, I'm afraid. Most are still unconscious and any trooper awake has difficulty describing what happened. I thought they might be drugged or have a viral infection, but neither theory adds up."
"They're not drugged," Luke said quietly. "Or suffering from a virus."
Obi-Wan swallowed in anticipation. Fives was right. Luke knew somehow.
"And what are the clones suffering from?"
Luke stood up and looked directly at him now, never appearing more serious than he ever had before including the moment they first met.
"Within every clone trooper ever made is an organic biochip implanted in their brain. It's linked to one of the one hundred and fifty emergency protocol orders of the Republic, specifically Order Sixty-Six. Upon voice activation, the chip overrides the clones' free will, suppressing any memories or emotions that could possibly conflict with the programming, and they will be forced to systematically execute every Jedi within their vicinity," Luke explained grimly.
When Obi-Wan said nothing, he continued. He looked too shocked to say anything.
"The one inside Tup malfunctioned. That's why he died so suddenly. His limbic system and frontal lobe battled against each other which caused the brain to essentially overheat and eventually kill him. That Fives was able to resist the chip is nothing short of miraculous."
Of all the things Obi-Wan expected, that lengthy explanation certainly wasn't on the top of the list.
"Are you saying that the entire Grand Army of the Republic is compromised?"
"Yes."
"But...how could this have happened without us knowing? It was Master Sifo-Dyas who ordered the clones."
"He ordered the army but never saw it to completion," Luke told him. "The entire operation was secretly taken over by the Sith. Tyrannus, the man Jango Fett said recruited him, is actually Count Dooku."
"...the Sith were behind this?" the copper haired Jedi repeated.
"Yes. They've been behind everything from the beginning. Once Order Sixty-Six comes down, the Jedi will all be wiped out, the clones turned into slaves, and nothing will stand in the way of the Sith from ruling the galaxy."
Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair, trying to make sense of everything he was hearing.
"Those emergency protocol orders can only be activated by the Supreme Chancellor and the Senate. So how could-"
He stopped as two and two came together in a cataclysm of horrific realization.
Palpatine. It all made sense. Why he took such an interest in Anakin, the outright refusal to give up his emergency powers, the sudden last gasp of the Separatists, antagonizing the Jedi...
"The Chancellor," he breathed out. "He's the one behind everything? He is Darth Sidious?"
Luke nodded sadly.
"I need a drink," Obi-Wan muttered, taking out a flask and draining the contents in one gulp.
"Unfortunately, he is. And that is the reason I've come back. To prevent the same thing from happening again."
Obi-Wan blinked twice before responding.
"Again?"
Blue eyes bore into each other as the blond looked as though he might cry and vomit at the same time, clearly struggling with what to say next.
"Luke….what is the truth? Why are you here?"
Luke ran a hand over his mouth before responding.
"Obi-Wan, do you trust me?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this...but yes. Even now, still having no clue who you are."
"We have a strong bond through the Force, a connection. Different from the one I have with Anakin but...if you open up yourself to me fully, I can show you everything."
The Great Negotiator thought himself to be mad to accept such an offer, but he did nonetheless. Qui-Gon said to trust Luke Ahch-To, so he would.
"Do it," was all he said.
Luke moved so fast there was no time to react even if he wanted to. Pressing a finger to his forehead, a white flash consumed the room and Obi-Wan felt as though he were being pulled from reality and into an entirely different plane of existence.
At first, nothing appeared. Then images began to materialize as though being channeled on a Holonet replay.
'Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi.'
The tall, fatherly figure of Qui Gon gestured a small, blond little boy towards a fresh faced, auburn haired padawan, marked by the braid stretching down his neck.
"Are you a Jedi too?" the little boy asked, sounding delighted and offering his hand. "Pleased to meet you."
The Padawan shook it, silently laughing alongside his master at the boy's precociousness.
The present day Obi-Wan took a few steps back. This was a memory, or more specifically, his memories. How could he be observing them from an outside perspective?
Utterly perplexed, he said nothing at the risk of disturbing the scene in front of him but they seemed to neither acknowledge nor hear him.
In a matter of seconds it changed into something else.
Obi-Wan and Anakin chased a mysterious bounty hunter through the streets of Coruscant. They were both ten years older now with the latter bearing the Padawan braid and the former a bearded Master sporting a bold mullet.
'I'm sorry, Master. I forgot you don't like flying,' Anakin said, pulling up their speeder at the last second, narrowly avoiding a crash.
'I don't mind flying, but what you're doing is suicide!'
The chase continued for some time until Anakin elected to take a shortcut, losing their quarry in the process, much to the consternation of his master. Stopping in the middle of the lane, Obi-Wan again became irritable.
'Well you've lost him.'
'I'm deeply sorry, Master.'
'That was some shortcut, Anakin. He went completely the other way. Once again you've proved-'
'If you'll excuse me!'
The padawan leapt out of the speeder, falling downwards at breakneck pace in an effort to make good on his promise to catch the bounty hunter leaving Obi-Wan to sigh deeply.
'I hate it when he does that.'
Thirty eight year old Obi-Wan felt a surge of guilt go through him. There were many days he'd recollected on their time as teacher and student, wishing in certain instances for a second chance to do things differently, that he'd been too harsh on the young man. But the purpose of the memories were still elusive.
"These are things I've already experienced. What is Luke trying to prove here? And how does he know them?"
The scene changed again, this time after he and Anakin had faced Count Dooku on Geonosis. He no longer sported the padawan braid, formerly blond, darkening hair just starting to grow out. A biomechanical hand was wrapped in a black glove. By this time, Obi-wan had ditched the mullet.
'...repairing the ship. They don't have time to notice us.'
Both men were flying a ship in an emergency rescue of Padme on General Grievous's ship. Playful tongue and cheek was now a regular part of their repertoire.
'Subtlety has never been one of your strong suits Anakin.'
'Everything I know, I learned from you Master.'
'If only that were true.'
Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile at the memory. Their rocky relationship as Master and Apprentice became quickly superseded by their ability to work together as equals. Winning many battles for the Republic, the duo became famous throughout the Republic and a favorite of many citizens. For all the complaining of Anakin's recklessness at times, some of his most treasured moments throughout the war were the crazy adventures they'd experienced together.
"Brothers," he said to himself. "That's what we are. What we became."
The memories seemed to respond to his reaction as it finally switched over to something unfamiliar. Both men had aged, though in much different ways. Obi-Wan looked much as he did now, hair and beard with signs of gray to compliment the lines of stress on his face. Anakin's locks were almost shoulder length and though he retained a great deal of good looks and youthfulness, something about him seemed...darker. A loss of innocence perhaps. The inner conflict of a young man struggling to make sense of his place in the world.
Mace Windu spoke in front of everyone. Anakin stood at the center of the room where each of the dozen masters peered down in judgment at the young Jedi. Only Obi-Wan Kenobi seemed to have any reluctance or sympathy.
'You are on this Council, but we do not grant you the rank of Master.'
'What?'
The outrage in Anakin's voice only increased.
'How can you do this? This is outrageous! It's unfair! How can you be on the Council and not be a Master?'
Windu's response was quick and sharp.
'Take a seat, young Skywalker.'
Anakin reigned in his outburst and bowed.
'Forgive me, Master.'
But the Chosen One was not the least bit sorry, nor did he understand why he was denied what, in his opinion, he'd rightfully earned. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked aloud. "It was the other way around. We granted Anakin the rank of Master, not a seat on the Council."
Again, the image faded in favor of a new one, this time featuring both him and his former padawan.
'...put me on the Council and not make me a Master,' Anakin continued to complain. 'It's never been done in the history of the Jedi, it's insulting.'
'Calm down, Anakin, you have been given a great honor. To be on the Council at your age has never happened before.'
They stopped and spoke directly to each other in one of the vast hallways.
'The fact of the matter is you are too close to the Chancellor. The Council doesn't like it when he interferes in Jedi affairs.'
'I swear to you, I didn't ask to be put on the Council," Anakin insisted.
'But it's what you wanted,' Obi-Wan countered. 'Your friendship with Palpatine seems to have paid off.'
'It has nothing to do with this.'
'The only reason the Council has approved your appointment is because the Chancellor trusts you.'
That line certainly didn't sit well with Anakin.
'And?'
'Anakin I am on your side, I didn't want to put you in this situation,' Obi-Wan said without looking at him.
'What situation?'
Looking supremely uncomfortable and turning his gaze to the floor, the auburn haired Jedi reluctantly answered.
'The Council wants you to report on all the Chancellor's dealings. They want to know what he's up to.'
After a supremely awkward pause Anakin's response was one of disbelief.
'They want me to spy on the Chancellor? That's treason.'
'We are at war, Anakin.'
Shaking his head the brunette steadily grew more cross.
'Why didn't the Council give me this assignment when we were in session?'
'This assignment is not to be on record.'
'The Chancellor is not a bad man, Obi-Wan. He's befriended me. he's watched out for me ever since I arrived here.'
'That is why you must help us,' his former master almost pleaded. 'Anakin, our allegiance is to the Senate, not to its leader who has managed to stay in office long after his term has expired.'
'The Senate demanded he stay longer,' Anakin argued.
'Yes but use your feelings, Anakin. something is out of place.'
The brunette's personal opinion on the matter did not change, however.
'You're asking me to do something against the Jedi Code,' he sniffed. 'Against the Republic, against a mentor, against a friend...that's what's out of place here. Why are you asking this of me?'
For once, Obi-Wan looked as though he agreed wholeheartedly, the bearded face ladened with doubt over what was being done.
'The Council is asking you,' came the weak reply.
"That didn't happen either," Obi-Wan said aloud once more as the scene disappeared from view. True, the Council had considered the exact scenario but Luke convinced him otherwise and Master Yoda eventually saw the folly of doing so. And for good reason as the memory showed him.
"Who's memories are these?" he asked up above.
It shifted again, this time the two were walking in a hangar towards a Republic Star Destroyer but the mood was much more amicable.
'You're going to need me on this one, Master.'
'Oh, I agree. However, it may turn out to be just a wild Bantha chase.'
The two stopped as Anakin, suddenly looking remorseful, struggled to find proper words to say to his old mentor.
'Master, I've disappointed you. I haven't been very appreciative of your training. I've been arrogant and I apologize. I've just been so frustrated with the Council.'
Obi-Wan gave a wide smile in return, the faith in his former apprentice never wavering for a moment.
'You are strong and wise, Anakin and I am very proud of you. I have trained you since you were a small boy and I have taught you everything I know. And you have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be.'
He meant every word, warmth spread from brother to brother in mutual respect and appreciation.
'But be patient, Anakin. It will not be long before the Council makes you a Jedi Master.'
The two nodded at each other before Obi-Wan left to depart on the ship.
'Obi-Wan,' Anakin called after him. 'May the Force be with you.'
'Good-bye, old friend. May the Force be with you.'
But the contrast between their respective positions could not have been starker with Anakin hidden by shadows and Obi-Wan awashed in the afternoon sun. Little did both of them know, it would be the last time they spoke as friends.
The present day Obi-Wan almost yelled at his counterpart.
"What the blazes are you doing? Don't leave him alone!"
The parallel between that scene and the one on Mandalore hit too close for comfort. Those were almost the exact same words he'd said to Anakin before they parted ways.
"I left him with Sidious," he said to himself. "Like a bloody fool."
The consequences of doing so were laid bare in the next memory.
"He is in grave danger."
Obi-Wan followed what looked like a heavily pregnant Padme Amidala within the vicinity of her flat. The brightness of the room contrasted with the air of evil surrounding them all. Including that of her husband.
"From the Sith?" the beautiful woman asked.
"From himself," Obi-Wan croaked. "Padme...Anakin has turned to the dark side."
The present day Jedi Master felt himself go numb.
'You're wrong,' she shot back in horror. 'How could you even say that?'
Obi-Wan didn't respond right away, hoping to spare Padme the disgust and heartbreak. But he couldn't.
'I have seen...a security hologram of him...killing younglings,' he said, placing a hand over his mouth, unable to speak more of the atrocities.
'Not Anakin. He couldn't,' she whispered.
'He was deceived by a lie, we all were. It appears the Chancellor is behind everything including the war. Palpatine is the Sith Lord we've been looking for,' he explained. 'After the death of Count Dooku, Anakin became his new apprentice.'
Padme took in these words, mouth agape still unable to process them.
'I don't believe you' she responded, denial in her voice. 'I can't.'
She sat back down on her couch where Obi-Wan joined her, eyes gazing intently.
'Padme,' he said quietly. 'I must find him.'
She looked at him as though he were some ugly, deplorable creature.
'You're going to kill him, aren't you?'
Obi-Wan didn't bother denying it.
'He's become a very great threat.'
'I can't,' she repeated. The noble Senator from Naboo, overwhelmed and confused by the series of terrible events occurring around them, refused to believe her beloved husband had become a monster.
Obi-Wan asked no more questions, instead rising from the couch to be on his way. He offered parting words of sympathy.
'Anakin is the father isn't he?'
It wasn't so much a question as it was confirmation of what he already knew. Padme's expression spoke louder than words.
'I'm so sorry.'
The vision gave Obi-Wan far too much to process. How could his best friend, the most moral person he knew, be capable of such acts? Why had they been so blind to the true nature of Palpatine? What significance was there to Padme being pregnant? He sensed it was a key part of the story being shown.
The future? No, something else entirely.
Suddenly feeling sick, Obi-Wan desired to see no more. But it was only a taste of the true carnage to come, for what he saw next rattled him to his bones.
A fiery, red planet belched out constant smoke, ash, and magma. Amongst these fires, two men wielding blue lightsabers, dripping with sweat from the heat, dueled fiercely over a river of lava. The former apprentice now fully turned against his master and all that he once loved, his heart consumed by rage, his mind ravaged by lust and power.
'This is the end for you, my Master!' Anakin vowed.
Their strikes were so quick and precise they were practically a blur to any outsider who possessed no knowledge or ability in the Force. Despite the power of the Chosen One, Obi-Wan's defenses held firm, their battle becoming a never ending stalemate. The ultimate offense hammering away at the ultimate defense.
The auburn haired Jedi, no doubt going through emotional turmoil of his own, saw an opportunity on the opposite side of the river. Disconnecting his saber from Anakin's and avoiding a killing blow, he landed on top of the lava bank.
'It's over, Anakin!' he declared. 'I have the high ground.'
But the arrogance of the newly christened Sith was on full display.
'You underestimate my power!' he said, preparing to jump.
'Don't try it,' Obi-Wan warned, but it went unheeded. Anakin launched through the air attempting to land on the other side to re-engage the duel. But it was mistimed- a costly error that proved to have lethal consequences.
The Master's saber sliced through the Chosen One before he could land, cutting off his remaining organic arm and both legs, tumbling down in a pathetic heap near the edge of the fiery river.
Obi-Wan switched off his weapon, the full horror of the duel bleeding open like a mortal wound. The boy he trained, the man he raised, his best friend was a shell of the person he'd once been. Physically and mentally.
'Help me, Master!'
But the Master made no motion to assist or do anything to help the fallen apprentice.
Moaning and desperately trying to use his remaining arm to climb back up the hill, Anakin's once pure, blue eyes now turned a sickly yellow as he realized Obi-Wan intended to let him die. At that moment the last vestiges of his old self disappeared into the rage and hatred of Darth Vader.
'You were the Chosen One!" Obi-Wan yelled hoarsely from above. 'It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force! Not leave it in darkness!'
He walked up the hill and grabbed Anakin's lightsaber but not before taking another glance down. For the briefest of moments, he saw a frightened, scared little boy, one who's fear never truly left him. Just as quickly, however, it vanished, replaced by a frothing, spitting Sith consumed by his own darkness.
'I HATE YOU!' the monster screamed. Every word punctured like a knife.
But Obi-Wan felt no rage in return, no hatred towards the man who'd once been Anakin Skywalker. Only pity...and deep sorrow.
'You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!'
The sickening scene only became worse. As if to symbolize the culmination of Anakin's suffering, the end of his robes, already beginning to smolder from the hot sand, caught fire, racing up to his torso and then his head- hair charring, skin blackening to a crisp.
Obi-Wan looked away, unable to witness the intense agony. But he heard the screams, the cries of pain...the desperate pleas to be rescued from this hellish nightmare.
For a half second, the former Great Negotiator looked like he might rush down to the bank and save him. But the thought came as quickly as it went. There was nothing left to save. Instead, Obi-Wan trudged back up the hill, leaving the once proud, mighty Jedi Knight to his fate.
"Please...no more," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "No more."
But he was not spared the next painful sequence of images.
A woman lay in labor, otherwise perfectly healthy, but losing the will to live.
'Don't give up, Padme,' Obi-Wan whispered. But he may as well have been talking to half a body. Anakin had already died, the woman he loved would soon follow suit.
Barely holding on from the stress of the birth, the maternity droid soon revealed to her a child...a boy, crying and waving his little arms.
'Luke,' Padme weakly christened.
Obi-Wan's jaw dropped. Luke wasn't merely some random wanderer sent by the stars. He was of the Force itself. The son of Anakin and Padme.
A second baby, this one a girl, emerged minutes later.
'Leia,' came the second name.
But by this point, Padme was all but spent. Clinging to the last seconds of life, she touched the Jedi's hand as he held the babies in his arms.
'Obi-Wan,' she panted. 'There's good in him. I know...I know there's...still…"
She drew her last breath and departed from the world, dying of a broken heart. A heart nothing and no one could mend.
"Why...why am I privy to all this?" Obi-Wan asked the skies, unable to hold back more tears. "What purpose does it have for me?"
The answer came swiftly in the next sequence. An older, far more seasoned version of himself appeared. His head was now entirely gray to go with an equally gray beard. Looking tired, but not frail, there was another person of note in the room which he recognized as belonging to Tatooine. A youthful, blond haired teenager that reminded him so much of someone he already knew.
"Luke."
'My father didn't fight in the war, he was a navigator on a spice freighter.'
'That's what your uncle told you,' Obi-Wan told him otherwise. 'He didn't hold with your father's ideals, thought he shouldn't have gotten involved.'
'You fought in the Clone Wars?' Luke asked while tinkering with Threepio.
'Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight, same as your father.'
A look of longing passed over the youth's face.
'I wish I'd known him.'
'He was the best pilot in the galaxy,' Obi-Wan said with a smile. 'And a cunning warrior. I understand you're quite a good pilot yourself.'
Luke didn't say anything, taking in the compliment, happy to hear more about his father's exploits.
'And he was a good friend…' he added softly. 'Which reminds me, I have something for you.' He got up and went over to a chest of old trinkets and junk, pulling out a familiar weapon.
'Your father would have wanted you to have this when you were older, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damn fool idealistic crusade like your father did.'
'What is it?' Luke asked curiously.
'It's your father's lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster. It is a weapon for a more civilized age.'
The blond ignited it, waving it around like a kid playing with a toy for the first time.
'For a thousand years the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the old Republic. Before the dark times...before the Empire.'
There was no hiding the trauma and bitterness in Obi-Wan as he said those words. Being nineteen and ignorant of the truth, however, Luke missed it entirely.
'How did my father die?' he asked, switching off the blue blade.
Obi-Wan swallowed before delivering the answer, working his mind to come up with a proper story.
'A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct.'
Luke became downcast at that realization, still having no idea of his true heritage.
'Vader became seduced by the dark side of the Force.'
'The Force?'
Obi-Wan wasted no time in explaining.
'The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.'
Luke nodded slowly, trying to understand when in reality he certainly did not.
'Luke,' the old man said to him, eyes gazing deeply into his soul. 'You must learn the ways of the Force. The galaxy needs you.'
Understanding dawned on Obi-Wan.
"I'm Ben," he said. "I was his first master.'
The understanding was replaced by a certain sense of guilt. He hadn't been honest with Luke about his heritage when asked. It only made sense Luke wouldn't be keen to return the favor.
"He lied to protect us, because he knew we wouldn't listen."
But he barely had time to analyze it further as the scene again changed. He saw the older version of himself yet again on some sort of space station, similar to that of Ringo Vinda. However, that wasn't what caught his eye.
A tall, menacing figure in a black cyborg suit was waiting for him at the end of the hallway. A red blade hummed ominously against the backdrop of cold, mechanical breathing.
Obi-Wan ignited his own azure saber as the figure drew closer, radiating anger, hatred, and chief of all an insatiable thirst for revenge, quenched only by his death.
'I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan,' the deep voice emanated from the suit. 'We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master.'
'Only a master of evil, Darth.'
The two began fighting, far less impressive than their duel on Mustafar, both slowed by age and injury. But the tension had never been higher.
"He survived," Obi-Wan breathed out. "This is Anakin?"
For about five minutes, the two hacked and hammered away at each other. But it was clear that Vader had the upper hand, pushing and slamming the fifty-seven year old around and keeping him on the defensive.
'Your powers are weak old man,' the black cyborg taunted.
But far from being perturbed, Obi-Wan seemed confident even assured.
'You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.'
'You should not have come back,' Vader practically snarled.
He pressed forward, steadily driving the fifty seven year old back down the hallway. Vader's strikes were violent and the mark of someone not merely trying to win a battle but wipe out an old foe from existence. The same one who'd left him to die in lava all those years ago.
Obi-Wan struck back, using the Force to hit Vader with a stray box, ducking underneath a swing of the crimson blade. But was not fast enough anymore to compete with the Sith. He was hit in the face twice before a Force push slammed him back into a wall. He avoided yet another beheading, stood up, twirled his blue blade and tried an attack into Vader's side but missed.
Employing Soresu, it no longer held up as it once did. He broke through a deadlock and swung again at Vader but it went wide, slipping down to the floor. The Sith stepped forward intending to end his life with one stab, but Obi-Wan used the Force to send Vader back skidding against the steel floor with a flutter of his dark cape.
Returning to his feet and pointing the blade back again at his adversary, he suddenly noticed Luke running towards the main hangar with a group consisting of a young woman, young man, R2D2, and Threepio. They caught each other's eye and the blond made an about face. Instead of escaping on their parked ship, he intended to help him.
Knowing he hadn't come all this way to win a fight in which the odds were against him, Obi-Wan decided the time had come to impart a final lesson to both his former apprentice and new one. As Vader again stepped forward to issue the killing blow, he raised the azure saber in the air and closed his eyes.
The black cyborg's red blade cut through the robe but made no contact with anything else.
'NO!'
While the Stormtroopers blasted errantly at Luke and his cohorts, Vader stomped the ground in confusion as there was no body, no piece left of his enemy as proof of victory. Just mahogany robes, a cream colored tunic and a lightsaber.
'Obi-Wan,' came an angry growl.
So Luke had been telling the truth...from a certain point of view. A dark side user had killed his master...the master being himself and the dark sider, Anakin.
It was no wonder they'd shared a connection from the get go. They'd known each other from an entirely different lifetime.
Obi-Wan now saw an alternate setting, the complete opposite of a high tech space station. All around were swamps, buzzing insects, tall trees, gnarled roots, and a permanent dampness to whatever the planet it was. Luke was there, now a few years older, almost the same age as Anakin was now. One of his hands appeared to be covered in a black glove. No longer a naive padawan in training, he carried himself with a different air.
'Ben...why didn't you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.'
The ghost of Obi-Wan, alighted by a blueish hue stood before him, looking exactly the same as the moment he died.
"How is that possible?" Obi-Wan asked.
He thought back to the talk he'd had with Qui-Gon, his old master mentioning a kind of training in order to preserve one's consciousness after death. Could he have learned the same thing?
'Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader,' the older counterpart explained. 'When that happened, the good man that was your father was destroyed.'
Luke's expression stood neutral but also contained a sliver of skepticism.
'So what I told you was true. From a certain point of view.'
'A certain point of view?' came the disbelieving reply.
'Luke you will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view,' Obi-Wan said, sitting down on a log as though he weren't transparent. 'Anakin was a good friend. When I first knew him, your father was already a great pilot, but I was amazed at how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda...I was wrong.'
'There is still good in him,' Luke insisted.
But Obi-Wan was not so confident.
'He's more machine than man now. Twisted and evil.'
Luke shook his head, just as Padme had all those years ago, refusing to believe Anakin was completely gone.
'I can't do it, Ben.'
'You cannot escape your destiny. You must face Darth Vader again.'
'I can't kill my own father,' Luke continued to insist.
'Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope,' Obi-Wan said sadly.
'Yoda spoke of another.'
The ghost did not lie this time.
'The other he spoke of was your twin sister.'
'But I have no twin sister,' Luke stated, confused.
'To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous.'
Realization struck Luke like a runaway bacta tank.
'Leia...Leia is my sister.'
'Your insight serves you well. Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor.'
At this point the present day Obi-Wan desired to know the full story. Did Luke end up killing Anakin? Did he destroy the dark side user in his stories? He never specified anything except going into exile afterwards.
"He's alive," he reasoned. "Clearly he won somehow."
The memories wasted no time in showing him. Luke not only won but brought Vader back to the light. Darth Sidious fell to his doom along with the fascist Empire he led. A miracle.
The celebration among the rebels could only be described as the most joyous occasion since the days of the Old Republic. All across the galaxy, news of the Empire's fall prompted thousands of star systems to declare their independence in favor of the Galactic Alliance in favor of restoring democracy. X-Wing's blasted fireworks across the nighttime Endor sky. The Emperor was dead and his cruel reign of tyranny finally over.
Furry creatures danced and celebrated, R2D2 beeped and buzzed, even Threepio jerked around in manner to the music befitting a protocol droid. A pyre with the armor of Darth Vader was lit as Luke Skywalker honored the memory of his father.
'I burn this armor and with it the name of Darth Vader. May the name of Anakin Skywalker be the light that guides the Jedi for generations to come...rest well father. The Force is with you.'
A young woman with dark brown hair, no doubt the sister Ben spoke of, hugged Luke while a tall young man of handsome proportions kissed her on the forehead. It was not a funeral but a life celebration. The darkness had finally abated and balance restored.
Behind the joyful scene stood the ghosts not only of Obi-Wan, but Yoda as well. Within seconds another familiar face joined them.
Anakin Skywalker had officially returned as he was known during the Clone Wars- good looking, tall, smiling, and without a single trace of malice or fear in his heart. The Chosen One had fulfilled the prophecy, his son would now continue to build on that foundation.
The scene faded away and Obi-Wan thought he grasped the whole story. At least he thought he did. Luke had redeemed Darth Vader and somehow returned him back to Anakin Skywalker. This 'Empire', no doubt ruled by Palpatine, cast into the dustbin of history and the Jedi Order restored.
That should have been the end of it. But it wasn't.
"He did it. He redeemed Anakin and defeated the Sith. So why did he come back?"
The situation begged the question, but Obi-Wan sensed he was about to be disappointed once more. One more memory had yet to be shown.
Twenty five years passed. An older Luke Skywalker, now bearded and middle aged, stood on the shore of an island of some far off planet, unknown to most. All traces of youthful wonder and optimism were no more. A bitter, guilt ridden man stood in its place.
And yet, he was not alone.
'Obi-Wan,' he asked the ghost. 'What if I fail all over again? What if I don't succeed?'
'You will, Luke. You saved the galaxy many years ago and will do it once more.'
Tears welled up in the eyes of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master of no one and nothing.
'I saved the galaxy and then I ruined it,' he responded. 'I began blaming you, my father, Yoda, anyone for the state of things when really it's my fault. I could have rebuilt the Jedi and maintained the balance. Instead, I became exactly what I criticized you for doing...a Jedi Master that created another Darth Vader.'
The sad truth hit deep as there was no denying much of its potency, but Obi-Wan struck a different tone.
'We have all failed at some point or another in our lives. It is the strength to keep going and those who take heart that stoke the eternal fires of hope.'
'You lost an apprentice, Obi-Wan,' the dark blond choked as he sank to his knees. 'I lost my family. Leia, my sister, my best friend Han, their child, my nephew. I lost him to the dark side...when will I finally learn?'
Obi-Wan's ghost reached out with his hand until it touched the bottom of Luke's chin, tilting it upwards until they were gazing into each other.
'Being a master doesn't mean you stop learning. On the contrary it is an integral part of who we are as living beings. It never stops. Mistakes are constantly made. That is when we rise and pick ourselves up again.'
He beamed a great smile down on his apprentice.
'You are and have always been a hero, Luke Skywalker. The galaxy's last and greatest hope. You will complete the training given to you by Yoda. Use our memories as a guide in changing the past once you arrive there….'
Slowly, the Last Jedi pushed himself back up on his feet, combating the hammer of despair, willing himself to give another try.
'...and may the Force be with You.'