5. Someone Like You

"Your bladework is too loose," Master Skywalker barked. "Again."

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth, sweat beading along his forehead and muscles straining. But he did as he was told, starting from the opening stance and shifting through each form in quick succession, lightsaber hissing thinly in its training setting.

Upon recovering from the injuries of his first and only mission, Obi-Wan had been tasked with learning Form III. Master Skywalker was relentless, requiring him to correctly memorize every formation until it all but became natural. They'd been at it for three full rotations now and still, Obi-Wan failed to understand his master's urgency.

"Obi-Wan," his master sighed, gesturing for him to halt. "You're distracted. What is it?"

Obi-Wan dropped his aching arm, allowing the blade to fizzle out, and turned to face Master Skywalker. "Why Form III?"

His master's eyebrows arched high in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"Why are you making me learn Form III?" Obi-Wan repeated, barely-hidden frustration practically buzzing under his skin.

"I'm sorry, is there another form I'm supposed to be teaching you?"

It took a moment for Obi-Wan to realize that his master's question was genuine, and not edged with the sarcasm he had come to expect of him. "...Don't I get a choice?"

Master Skywalker stared at him, arms crossed over his chest and Force presence recoiling with something that felt like bewilderment. "Is Soresu not your primary choice?"

Obi-Wan made a face. "Of course not. When did I ever say that?"

Yet another thing to add to the list of things that made Master Skywalker strange; he sometimes made abnormal assumptions about Obi-Wan. Almost like…he was looking at someone else.

But to his relief, Master Skywalker carefully observed him, seeing him for Obi-Wan, and not for whoever this shadow was.

"Fine," his master decided, "I will give you the privilege of choosing another form, once you have mastered Soresu."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed, eyebrows pinching and mouth twisting with dissatisfaction. "You want me to master Form III? That would take years, if not a whole lifetime!"

His master smirked that infuriating smile of his. "Then there's no time to waste. Again."

But Obi-Wan refused to obey this time. "No."

Master Skywalker hardly seemed ruffled, merely huffing a small laugh as he repeated, "No?"

"No. Not until you explain why this is so important to you." Obi-Wan stared up at his master with a stubborn tilt of his head, refusing to back down even when the silence became unbearable. He would never have dared to do this with another master, but Master Skywalker was different. If anything, his master usually seemed entertained by any defiance Obi-Wan displayed.

But this time, there was no amusement in his voice when he said, "Obi-Wan, you were nearly killed. You want to be a Jedi Knight? Fine. But until you can better learn to defend yourself, I refuse to instruct you in anything else. Did you not swear to learn everything I had to teach you?"

Obi-Wan ground his teeth when he realized his master's true concerns. Through a clenched jaw, he bit out, "Master, we're not going to war."

Master Skywalker's expression shuttered close, eyes glinting sharp as Kyber. "That's where you're wrong."

Obi-Wan gaped, but before he could demand what in the stars he meant by that, they were interrupted by the steady tapping of a gimer stick. As one, they turned, watching as Master Yoda made his journey across the training salle.

"Master Yoda," Obi-Wan greeted the Grand Master with a polite bow.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Master Skywalker merely narrowed his eyes, peering down at Master Yoda with a suspicious glare.

"Mission for you, the council has," Master Yoda announced, pausing before them, mouth curling into a smile that felt notably devious.

"A mission," Master Skywalker repeated flatly. "You're kidding."

"Kid, I do not," Master Yoda said, smacking his walking stick against Master Skywalker's leg lightning-quick.

"Damn it," his master hissed, spitting out some particularly insulting words in a mixture of Basic and Huttese that made Obi-Wan wish the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Why did his master have to be so rude?

"What's the mission, Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan asked, pretending like his master hadn't just been cursing out the Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

"To Devaron, you will go."

"Why the kriff would we be assigned a mission there?" Master Skywalker scoffed.

"Isn't that the location of one of our temples?" Obi-Wan hurried to ask before his master could embarrass them any further.

"Right, you are, Obi-Wan," Master Yoda said, giggling his weird little goblin laugh. "Immediately, you must depart."

And without a by your leave, Master Yoda shuffled off.

"Damn toad face," Master Skywalker hissed, still rubbing his bruised leg.

Obi-Wan grimaced and thought that whoever Master Skywalker's real master was, he really should have taught him some manners.


In reality, the mission assigned to them by the council wasn't a mission at all, but a mandatory meditation retreat to the Temple of Eedit. Obi-Wan liked to imagine that it was just as much for his master's benefit, as it was for his.

Their voyage to the Duluur Sector was only half a standard rotation's journey, the planet of Devaron hovering just outside the Core. Obi-Wan spent most of the trip attempting to get ahead on his coursework, but after their last failed mission and his subsequent stay in the Healing Halls, it was beginning to feel like a gargantuan task. He had already written and submitted three different essays and was on the verge of starting a research paper, but the backlog of work didn't appear to shrink at all.

As a result, he was all too relieved when Master Skywalker called him out of the galley and into the cockpit, just as they dropped into realspace.

"Come on, Obi-Wan," he said, standing beside the pilot's chair and gesturing for him to take a seat. "Simulations are good and all, but you need to learn how to operate the real thing."

With cautious enthusiasm, he bounded forward and sat at the helm, Master Skywalker hovering at his back. The display of blinking buttons and gauges was intimidating at first glance, until Obi-Wan realized he recognized all the flight instruments from when he'd learned about them in his beginner pilot's course. And under his master's guidance, Obi-Wan took hold of the sublight maneuvers and began to navigate their craft down into the jungle planet suspended across their viewport.

"Easy," Master Skywalker cautioned as they began to feel the strain of Devaron's gravitational pull and hit the upper layers of atmo.

"I've got it, Master," Obi-Wan assured him, directing their atmospheric descent at a careful pace that kept the ship's stabilizers from becoming overwhelmed.

"I already keyed in our landing coordinates, so just keep an eye on the navigation system," he said, reaching over Obi-Wan's shoulder to indicate one of the screens.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan chirped, eyes darting between the viewport and flight systems, feeling every shake and shudder of the hull as they descended through the changing air pressures of Devaron. The flight simulations he'd completed were incredibly dull in comparison―none could capture the feeling of the ship itself, shifting and rattling as it transitioned away from the void of space and approached the alien planet below, all under Obi-Wan's deliberate control.

And for a moment, Obi-Wan imagined he could take them anywhere; felt the freeing sensation of having access to the entirety of the galaxy from the small cockpit of their ship. Nothing could compare.

Soon, the twin spires of the Eedit Temple came into view, and Obi-Wan began the landing sequence under his master's guiding hand. Once their airspeed was stabilized, he maneuvered the ship at the direction of the navigation system and angled their descent into the open hangar of the temple.

The moment the landing gear hit the ground, Master Skywalker clapped a hand against Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You're a natural, Obi-Wan! Not even Ahsoka―"

Obi-Wan peeked over his shoulder and stared up at his master. "Who's Ahsoka?"

Master Skywalker withdrew his hand and dragged it through his curls, a pained longing twisting through him. "She's…someone important to me. Maybe I'll tell you about her one day."

"I'd like that," Obi-Wan said easily.

After all this time, he still didn't know much about Master Skywalker. Any offer of information was worthwhile, even if he had to wait for it.

Master Skywalker merely offered him a troubled smile and turned to exit the cockpit. Obi-Wan jumped up and trotted after him, following him into the main hold just as the boarding ramp unsealed with a hiss and sunk down. They disembarked into the cavernous space of the hangar, stone walls erected around them, the open bay doors offering a view of an encroaching jungle, the air warm and hazy with midday sunlight.

It was when they hit the foot of the ramp that his master suddenly paused, shock briefly jolting the air around him.

Obi-Wan came to a delayed halt beside him and gazed up at his master; he looked strangely lost, an unexpected grief creeping to the surface.

"Master?" Obi-Wan gently prodded, resisting the sudden urge to grasp his hand as though he were a mere youngling.

"The Light," he murmured absently, "it is strong here."

A pang of affection beat in Obi-Wan's chest. "Yes, Master."

They made it only a few more steps before the master overseeing the temple swept into the hangar.

"Knight Skywalker, Padawan Kenobi, welcome to Eedit," the Roonan Jedi Master greeted them, leathery gray wrinkles smoothed over in a serene expression.

"Master Halsey," Master Skywalker greeted him amicably enough, offering a shallow bow in greeting. "I assume Master Yoda informed you of our…assignment."

The air around Master Halsey glimmered with amusement. "Yes, he personally briefed me on the situation."

"Great," Master Skywalker said through his teeth.

"Follow me," Master Halsey said, gesturing to them as he turned. "I'll give you a cursory tour and then you may get started."

"Thank you, Master Halsey," Obi-Wan offered as he shadowed the master's steps, hoping to mitigate any offense his master's unmistakable annoyance might have caused.

As they were guided out of the hangar and into the main tower, Obi-Wan found that the Temple of Eedit was easy to navigate. It was modeled after the Jedi Grand Temple in Coruscant, only scaled a thousand times smaller. Just like home, the corridors were plain, dominated by a sprawling entrance hall and colossal archways leading into the rest of the grounds. Its vast windows offered panoramic views of the planet's jungle life, with the occasional glimpse of temple statues erected around the base of the towers.

After Master Halsey showed them where everything was located―the dining hall, classrooms, dormitories―he lead them out into the circular courtyard that connected the two spires. A sparkling fountain laid at its center, surrounded by weathered slabs of matching gray stone, tall vegetation entrenched at its edges. It was empty at the moment, the majority of the temple residents partaking in second meal or locked away in the small temple archive.

"I will leave you to get started," Master Halsey said kindly. "Please, do not hesitate to reach out if you're in need of assistance."

"I think we'll be fine. Thank you for the warm welcome, Master," Master Skywalker said, the sharp edges of his demeanor softening the longer the vergence of Light hovered around them.

After a brisk exchange of bows, the master departed, and Master Skywalker turned to cross the sprawling courtyard. As Obi-Wan fell into step behind him, his master decided, "We'll meditate for a few hours, but once we grab something to eat, I want to go over your forms again."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said with resigned determination. Since his master refused to budge on the matter, Obi-Wan figured the faster he could learn Form III to Master Skywalker's satisfaction, the faster he could move on to practicing a style he was more interested in. Besides, his master was a prodigious duelist; anything learnt from him would be invaluable.

At the other end of the courtyard, they turned and settled beside one another, kneeling under the shadow cast by the thick foliage of a Weeping Maya.

Over the course of their partnership, Obi-Wan had come to learn that meditation was not something that came as easily to his master as it did him, so he waited patiently, easing his breaths, listening to the rustling of wind-swept branches scraping against one another, tasting the scent of hewn stone and lush vegetation with every inhale.

Soon, Master Skywalker fell into the same state of tranquility, and as one, the Force rushed over them like a gentle stream of water, flowing through them, infusing them with Light. And for a while, Obi-Wan became nothing but a speck, a near-invisible trace in the unfolding arms of an infinite universe. Time and space ceased to matter. The cosmos flowed in vast waves of hidden destinies, every living thing a fluctuating pinprick amongst a web of interconnected lights; echoes of what was and what was to come.

It was amidst the dimming and diminishing of an unceasing beyond that a series of visions unfurled across his mind's eye, flashing rapidly without end. Obi-Wan managed to catch only glimpses.

The glittering lights of Galactic City smeared against the night sky as they shot entirely over the designated skylanes of Coruscanti traffic at frightening speeds.

"Sorry Master, I forgot you don't like flying."

"I don't mind flying, but what you're doing is suicide."

.

The violent flash of a lightsaber exploding to life inside the confines of a dimly-lit holding cell.

"Oh. It's you."

"This is how you thank me for rescuing you?"

.

A dark cavern trembling, collapsing in on itself; dust kicked up in tall, shadowy columns, scraping against their lungs with every breath.

"Master, you're alive!"

"And where's your lightsaber?"

"It…got knocked out of my hand."

.

Alien flora erupting in colorful pillars of vegetation; a dense jungle backed by vast, blue skies.

"Why do you even ask for my opinion? You never do things my way."

"We crashed the ship your way."

.

The familiar array of screens, blinking buttons, and gauges spread before the viewport of a starship's helm.

"Subtlety has never been one of your strong points, Anakin."

"Everything I know, I learned from you, Master."

.

.

.

Obi-Wan breathed and opened his eyes, blinking rapidly against the sudden assault of dappled sunlight striking his retinas.

It was difficult to make sense of any of it. But one thing Obi-Wan was sure of―Master Skywalker had known him for far longer than Obi-Wan could fathom.

"Master?" he said, unintentionally pulling Master Skywalker from his own meditation as he stared blindly across the deserted courtyard. "Who do you see when you look at me?"

His master turned to him, his surprise quickly melding into puzzled concern. But the longer the silence dragged on, the more his guilt became apparent, now that Obi-Wan had acknowledged the truth of the matter―he wasn't only Obi-Wan, Jedi Padawan; to Master Skywalker, he had once been much, much more.

And then, a wave of unrestrained warmth flooded their bond and washed over Obi-Wan, until he was submerged in such tender affection, his eyes welled with tears. They spilled over as he blinked, cascading gently down his cheeks.

"You are Obi-Wan," his master said, as though it were that simple. "The time, the place, the universe―they don't matter. Because it will always be like this―I find you, or you find me. And we choose one another. Always."

The truth of it settled heavily over Obi-Wan, sharp with possessive love and firm with steady devotion. He felt light, as though he would soon dissolve under the weight of his master's undying loyalty and float up into the upper layers of the planet's atmosphere, his entire being now held only in place by the gravitational pull of Master Skywalker's blazing starlight presence in the Force.

Obi-Wan exhaled a shaky breath and finally said, "I am not the first."

A pause. And then, "No."

It explained much of his master's attitude towards him, but also, raised so many more questions.

"I am not allowed to speak of what has happened to me," his master continued. "The council has forbidden it. For the safety of everyone involved."

Obi-Wan was forced to release his frustration and disappointment into the Force, lest bitterness take root. Resigned, he said, "I understand, Master."

Another wave of affection surged across their bond and Obi-Wan's worries suddenly eased. Master Skywalker reached over and briefly squeezed his shoulder, offering him a fond smile. "Thank you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan didn't feel as though he'd done anything to earn his master's gratitude, but he mirrored his smile nonetheless, before they turned and gradually settled back into their appointed meditation. After all, Master Skywalker was not allowed to answer his questions, but the Force appeared far more willing. Of that, Obi-Wan was certain.


A/N: Thank you so much for reading everyone! :3

Also, I've been asked about which era Anakin time travelled from a couple of times now, so I decided to make a quick blanket statement: The Anakin in this fic is Clone Wars Season 6 Anakin, or to be more precise, he's from post-The Wrong Jedi arc and pre-Conspiracy arc with Fives. I wanted to clarify that since this fic is from Obi-Wan's point of view and it won't be addressed in-text any time soon.

Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and as always, I'd love to know any thoughts you may have had on it. Until next time! :3