Obi-wan was fascinated by the two children who had seemed to come out of nowhere. Both of their Force signatures sang so brightly in the universe that it was almost literally blinding to even look at them. But as bright as they were, they carried a pain around them, though it was more obvious in Luke.
He was an odd one. He was terribly overwhelmed by all of the life forces surrounding him, but he resisted learning how to block them. The boy was so oblivious to the powers of the Force, and he was understandably wary about it. What concerned Obi-wan was that Luke seemed most frightened of his own connection to the Force.
Obi-wan didn't delve into his mind, but he didn't have to. The boy was projecting so strongly into the Force that it was as though he was screaming out his pain for everybody to hear. Every time Obi-wan tried to talk him through meditation, or encourage him to try a simple trick with the Force, he got a strong feeling of fear and caution, as though he was asking Luke to face a bully, or even a tormentor.
Obi-wan knew that it could be a burden sometimes to have a connection to the Force. To have so much power, but so little influence on how it should be used. He'd never considered the Force itself to be something bad. He'd only rarely wondered if he would be happier if he hadn't been born with this connection at all.
The feelings that were plaguing Luke were so much stronger, because his connection to the Force was so raw and unfiltered.
Obi-wan tried to help Luke. He thought he'd be able to get through to him, because he had experience with Anakin. His padawan may have been more naturally practiced with his shielding than Luke was, but he'd still been overwhelmed when he came to the Jedi temple on Coruscant. Anakin had especially struggled with giving in to the Force's will, which was what Luke seemed to have a hard time with now.
Obi-wan didn't think he'd been the perfect master for Anakin. He'd messed up in many ways, but he had done his best and he liked to think that he had done decently enough. If he could help Anakin, he could help Luke.
Obi-wan worked with both Luke and Leia on meditation for a bit before attempting shielding again. This time he helped Luke build up his shields, just to show him that it really wasn't as bad as he thought it was. Since Obi-wan had to connect their Force presences he was able to read Luke's thoughts more clearly than he'd been able to before.
Obi-wan tried not to look into his private thoughts, because everybody was entitled to their privacy. When he slowly started to build Luke's mental shields, and the boy just grew more and more anxious, Obi-wan really couldn't help but notice why. Luke was scared of losing the new, but strong, connection to Leia. He was hurting, and terrified of being alone.
It was simple enough to have one's shields up and still feel a connection to people, but to get there somebody needed to be able to shield completely first. Obi-wan thought he could get Luke and Leia to that point within a day, but not when the boy was resisting it so much.
Obi-wan slowed down building up Luke's walls, trying to slowly ease him into it, and sending calmness and comfort his way while he worked. Luke gradually began to calm, and everything seemed to be going well, but the instant he finished the mental walls Luke tore them down in a fit of panic. He did it so suddenly and harshly that he probably gave himself a pretty bad headache in the process.
"I think that's enough for now." Obi-wan said. Luke groaned and laid back on the bed. Obi-wan wanted to offer his assistance, but he wasn't the best at Force healing, and he didn't want to frighten Luke with his Force presence. The boy's headache would subside.
"Sorry." Luke muttered. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Nothing's wrong with you." Leia insisted. She glared at Obi-wan, as if daring him to contradict her. He had no intention of doing so.
"This is a lot to take in at once." Obi-wan said. It was at least part of the reason why they began their training at a young age. The younglings were so surrounded by the Force that it just felt normal to them. It was all they had ever known.
"You need to relax." Leia took Luke's hands. "Taking a break and clearing my mind has always helped me calm down. What relaxes you?"
Luke was quiet for a moment before he smiled. "Flying. I mean, I've never actually flown, but I know everything about ships, and I'm the best speeder rider in the Jundland Wastes."
Obi-wan usually had little patience for teenage boasting, but he couldn't help but be amused by Luke's words. He sounded so much like Anakin. He was pretty sure that his padawan had said not only this type of thing, but with that exact wording as well.
"I don't think flying is an option right now." Obi-wan said. The Jedi Council wouldn't want Luke or Leia to go far. It was too dangerous for the two of them. Even if they could leave, flying on Coruscant wasn't exactly enjoyable or relaxing for anybody. "I can show you some of our ships though.
Luke smiled and his happiness made his presence so bright that it almost felt like being in a dark room for a long time, only for the light to suddenly illuminate everything. It was nice, but also painfully blinding for a long moment until he could get used to it.
Obi-wan led Luke and Leia out of the Halls of Healing. Nobody gave them blatantly confused glances as they walked through the temple, because the Jedi usually had more tact than that. However, Obi-wan could feel confusion and curiosity from many they passed, and he was pretty sure his young guests could sense it as well.
Leia kept her head held high and she didn't at all acknowledge any of the odd looks. She reminded Obi-wan of many politicians he knew. He wondered what kind of education she'd gotten.
Luke was the opposite. Whenever he felt someone's stares he would scoot closer to Obi-wan and turn to blankly look at the one he could feel was thinking about him. Obi-wan didn't know if he subconsciously overwhelmed them with his Force presence, or if his stare left them feeling properly chastised, but they always looked away and moved on with their day as though they hadn't stopped in the first place.
It was one of the most awkward walks through the temple that he'd taken. He imagined that if he was with either Luke or Leia then he would barely notice the attention. It was the contrast between their reactions that left him feeling like he was caught in the middle of something, even though they weren't at odds with each other.
They eventually got to the hanger, and Luke excitedly ran to the ships to get a closer look. Leia hung back, content to just watch Luke.
"He's such a child." She muttered. She didn't sound like she was trying to be insulting. She sounded like somebody who was watching a young child play, and she was feeling nostalgic for a time when she had fun like that. What was especially amusing to Obi-wan was that he was fairly certain that she was barely any older than the boy.
"How old is he?" Obi-wan asked. It would be interesting to learn more about their guests. Leia blinked and crossed her arms as she watched Luke thoughtfully.
"I don't know." She admitted with a frown. "I don't don't really know anything about him, but I feel like I know him."
Obi-wan had forgotten that Leia had mentioned that the one she was looking for, Luke, was a stranger. That made this situation more odd. "You two have a Force bond, unlike anything I've seen before." Force bonds like this were mostly between masters and padawans, and even then it was not this strong and personal, and the bond was something that built up over time.
Luke and Leia's bond seemed to come to them naturally, like they were literally connected through the Force, and had been for potentially their whole lives.
Obi-wan stroked his beard as he considered the youths. Their presence in the Force was nearly identical. Luke shone a bit brighter, but they still felt incredibly similar, which was remarkable when all Force presences were completely unique, and these two were far too untrained to mask their presence.
When Obi-wan was younger he used to do a fair amount of reading. It was his escape from high expectations and judgmental gazes. He read all sorts of things, but anomalies in the Force had fascinated him. Especially after he became Anakin's master and felt incredibly out of his depth. He didn't know how to help his young padawan when extenuating circumstances were the only reason he wasn't a padawan himself.
Anakin was practically a walking Force anomaly, and Obi-wan had hoped that some research could help him to understand him better. He hadn't been able to find anything about birth through the pure will of the Force outside of vague legends. However, there were other fascinating reports, including natural Force bonds.
There were a couple of theories about such bonds. Force sensitive infants who go through a traumatic experience together have been known to latch their presence to each other unknowingly. Sometimes younglings would cling to the Jedi who took them from their home and brought them to the temple, though it was unsure if they formed a weak Force bond or if it was just a biological instinct to latch to a parental figure.
There had been some theories about something called a Force Dyad. Two souls that are one through the Force. That was all the information he could find about it. It was a difficult topic to even find mentioned, and it seemed like it wasn't just something that was lost, but something that was forbidden.
There was a much simpler explanation for Luke and Leia. Something that Obi-wan had actually seen for himself. Their connection and the way they seemed to understand and cling to each other actually reminded Obi-wan of Masters Tiplee and Tiplar. Twins.
He was just a few years older than them, and he remembered training with them a bit. When they'd been younglings they'd been specifically separated, because the Jedi didn't want them to rely only on each other and isolate themselves from their peers. As they got a little older their teachers realized that despite their best efforts, a bond had formed, and trying to tear it apart would just deter their training.
Tiplee and Tiplar were allowed to get to know each other, though they each had additional lessons about the importance of not letting attachments and personal feelings blind them to their duty and the will of the Force.
To this day Tiplee and Tiplar could control their emotions rather than letting themselves be controlled. Despite this, they still had a bond, and they probably would for the rest of their lives.
It seemed impossible for Luke and Leia to be twins, but it also made far too much sense. Their Force presences were too similar, and their bond was too strong through no effort of their own. They were about the same age. They may not have grown up together, but even that made sense. Their powers were too strong, and clearly attracted too much attention. Their parents, whoever they were, had to have somehow known that the two of them would be better off if they weren't together.
It was just too bad that their parents didn't recognize that the Jedi Temple was the safest place for both of them. They could have helped Luke and Leia hone their powers and protected them from anybody that might want to use that power and dim their lights.
And if they'd grown up at the temple they would be able to have known each other. Maybe they wouldn't have had a traditional sibling relationship, but it would still be something.
Obi-wan didn't mention his theory to Leia. He wanted to speak to the Jedi Council about it first. He wanted to hear their opinions. The Council would know how to proceed from here.
Luke looked at all parts of the ships. The wings. The thrusters. He was able to convince an engineer to show him the engine of the ship he was working on. After several minutes he waved Leia over, claiming that she needed to see the 'ancient ships'. Now he definitely sounded like Anakin. Obi-wan got the impression that if a ship wasn't the latest model, it was practically a relic. And yet Anakin kept his personal ships until they were all but unusual. Obi-wan didn't understand how Anakin could insult and admire a ship in the same breath. And yet here Luke was, doing just the same. Perhaps it was a Tatooine thing.
Leia had acted like she was more mature than Luke, but she started to relax as he showed her around the ships. At some points she looked almost as fascinated as he was. When Obi-wan finally approached the two of them to show them more of the temple, Leia was the one excitedly sharing information with Luke. Obi-wan heard her mention something about a ship such as the one they were standing in front of being used for an important diplomatic mission. He didn't get specifics, because as soon as she noticed him she clammed up and put on a professional air again.
"There are far more interesting sights in the temple than the hanger." Obi-wan said. Leia looked intrigued. Luke just looked disappointed and cautious. Perhaps he knew that Obi-wan intended on taking them to some of the meditation rooms or gardens to see if the calm air helped either of them with their shields.
"I'm fine here." Luke said. He looked at Leia, seeming to debate with himself for a long moment. "Maybe you two should work on your shielding alone, so I can't get in your way."
Leia crossed her arms and gave him a disapproving look. "You wouldn't get in the way."
Obi-wan didn't quite agree. He thought that Luke's idea was actually a fair one. He could work with Leia on her shields, and hopefully if Luke was amusing himself from the hanger he would be decently distracted from the way he was suddenly cut off from her.
"My old padawan, Anakin, has a fascination with ships himself." Obi-wan said. "I can send him this way, and you can talk about ships with each other. And he can keep an eye on you, in case something should happen." He had thought that Luke would be frustrated about the implication that he needed to be watched, but the boy said nothing. If anything, he looked excited.
"I'd like that." Luke said. His voice was surprisingly even, not at all reflecting the joy and eagerness that Obi-wan could feel through the Force.
He thought that Anakin would be able to get through to Luke in a way that he couldn't. They had similar passions, and they'd both grown up on Tatooine, oblivious to the ways of the Force. Obi-wan prided himself on how he could empathize with people, but Anakin's understanding could be so much more insightful.
Obi-wan nodded and turned to Leia, who looked uncertain about this plan. She went to Luke and took his hands in her own.
"You will let me know if you need me." Leia said. Her tone made it sound like it was something between a demand and a request.
Luke gave her a bitter smile. "I don't think I'll be able to help it." Leia wasn't impressed with his weak attempt at a joke. His smile softened and became more sincere. "I'll be fine."
"You'd better be." Leia said. She gave him a pointed look. "Be careful with Anakin. Remember what I said…and have fun."
Luke beamed, that excitement of his coming through again. "I will." He turned his attention back to the ships. Leia sighed and looked at Obi-wan.
"I guess we're doing this?" Leia sounded nervous.
"It will be better than before." Obi-wan promised. Leia already had a sense of shields, and with the lower risk of them being torn down she should thrive at this. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go somewhere quieter."
Obi-wan considered taking her to the peaceful gardens, but he thought she would be more interested in seeing the flora than meditating. She had never been to the Jedi Temple before, but she seemed to know a bit about it in a theoretical way. She was interested in seeing things for herself, but that could wait until she was at least able to shield.
Instead he brought her to his private room. On the way he tried to get a little more information.
"What did you two talk about while I was gone?" Obi-wan asked. Leia's casual expression became closed off. It wasn't an obvious change. Obi-wan only noticed it because he worked with politicians, who often did the same thing.
"We were setting up boundaries." Leia said. "We're both so new to this." Obi-wan could sense the truth from her, and he was impressed. They were both going through a lot of changes very suddenly. It made sense that they were leaning on each other for emotional support. It was very mature of her to discuss boundaries so they knew where each other stood and didn't end up hurting each other in the end.
"He seems like a nice young man." Obi-wan said. Leia smiled, her stern mask coming down quickly.
"He does, doesn't he?" Her smile grew sad. "I just wish I knew what was bothering him. I wish I could help."
"I'm sure we'll figure it out." Obi-wan said. A young man without shields couldn't hide something like this for too long.
They went into Obi-wan's room. He brought out his meditation mats and made themselves comfortable on the floor. He instructed Leia to take a minute to meditate and calm herself while Obi-wan contacted Anakin and asked him to find Luke. Soon they were able to start.
"Let's try this again." Obi-wan said. "Close your eyes. Let's see if you can build your shields, just like I did earlier."
Leia was a quick learner. She was able to start building her shields. Midway through she faltered, though Obi-wan was sure that it was from her concern about Luke, and not because of a lack of her control. He gently nudged her presence with his own, and that was enough to get her to continue. She made up her shields, and when the final piece fell into place nothing horrible pulled her out of it. Leia, and Luke, had done it.
"Well done." Obi-wan said. Leia smiled proudly and opened her eyes. Her shields didn't so much as falter.
"It feels so easy." Leia said. She smiled like a schoolgirl. "I used the Force. On purpose."
"Yes, you did." Obi-wan could feel how proud she was of herself, and he was proud of her too. It may be a simple task, something that children half her age had long-since mastered, but for someone who wasn't used to the Force, taking the first step was the hardest.
"What next?" Leia asked, eager for more. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Now you maintain this shield until it's second nature to you." Obi-wan said. Until both the youth could keep up their shields effortlessly, he didn't want to overwhelm them with anything else.
He stood up, offering a hand to help Leia to her feet. "While you keep the shield up, why don't I give you a tour?"
Leia's disappointment about not learning more fell away. She looked as eager as before. She just seemed to like learning, whether it be about Force skills, or ships, or Jedi culture.
Leia's shields truly were impressive. They didn't fall as they began her tour and she got excited about the sights. Even when Obi-wan poked ever so gently at her shields, she didn't falter. Obi-wan didn't know if it was because of the strength of her power, or if she just had that much control. He would have to see more of her Force skills, and he found himself looking forward to it.
At some point during their tour Obi-wan felt two strong spikes in the force that were strong enough to make him falter slightly, though he did his best to hide it. He recognized Anakin's frustration and distress. It had to be strong for him to be unintentionally projecting it towards Obi-wan.
The other spike was much stronger, and clearly came from Luke. It too had fury and despair in it. The emotions were so strong that Obi-wan, merely receiving a projection of them, felt like he couldn't even breathe. They were completely debilitating. Whatever was making Luke feel this was, it was as though it was tearing his very soul apart.
He wanted to offer comfort. He wanted to find Anakin and Luke and see just what had happened to upset the two of them, but he couldn't. He had Leia right at his side, and she hadn't noticed the intense emotions. Her shields were keeping her from feeling Luke's projections, and she wasn't familiar enough with the Force to otherwise sense them the way that most of the Jedi in the temple probably could.
She was doing well, but if she knew that her new friend was hurting and she had been unaware of it, it might set her back. She may become even more reluctant to hone her skills than Luke was. Leia would find it more important to be at Luke's side and provide comfort when he needed her than to keep herself safe from a Sith threat that she couldn't possibly understand.
Luke needed to calm down, but he had to do it without Leia. They could rely on each other, but not so much that they were completely dependent. She needed to practice her shielding, and he needed to get control of his own emotions. It couldn't be helped.
Obi-wan would check on Luke later but Leia needed guidance. He had already committed to training her, at least a little bit, and he couldn't back off now. Besides, Anakin was with Luke, and even though his old padawan still struggled with his own emotions, and Obi-wan could still sense his grief, he was already getting his feelings back under control. He would be able to help Luke. Obi-wan could sense that they weren't in danger. There wasn't an active threat. They were just upset. Anakin could handle that much.
"Are you alright?" Leia asked. He knew she couldn't sense his guilt and unease. She was simply curious about the way he faltered slightly in his steps. She was an observant one.
"I'm just fine." Obi-wan said evenly as he pushed down the guilt. He told himself he would help Luke later and make it up to him. "Do you want to see the libraries?" Leia's eyes lit up, and it was almost enough to help him ignore the painful glare of Luke's own light reaching out to him for help.
Everything would be fine. There was no reason why it wouldn't be.