The storm grew darker.Obi-Wan steadily grew older, as did Anakin, shooting up in height and his face clouding over. The young man rarely seemed to smile in any of the images that raced past. His blue eyes were hooded in shadow as Master and apprentice continued to be at odds, each as stubborn as the other.
Deep down though, at the very roots of the storm, Qui-Gon could sense Obi-Wan's great fondness for his padawan, a feeling Qui-Gon recognized (as he felt that way himself), and he realized something.
Here was the reason Obi-Wan had bonded with Anakin so quickly. If what he was seeing had truly affected him, Obi-Wan already felt like the boy's father, or perhaps older brother-turned-father in the absence of Qui-Gon, so it had been only natural for him to slip into that role once faced with Anakin as a child.
Is this really what the Force showed you, padawan? Qui-Gon found himself wondering as he watched Obi-Wan and Anakin argue about whether or not Anakin would be allowed on the next mission.
"Master, you need me!"
"What I need is you to listen to what I'm saying, padawan. I do not feel your control is as strong as it needs to be for the type of mission I've been assigned."
"How would you know? We haven't been on any missions together in a long time! You're always holding me back, telling me I'm not ready! I'm not a child anymore; you can't keep telling me to stay behind forever!"
"So long as I am your Master, I can to tell you to stand on one foot and sing the Bothan national anthem, and you, my dear padawan, would have to do it," came the exasperated reply. "If you wish me to treat you with the respect you feel you deserve, Anakin, you must first prove to me that you are capable of acting responsibly. Which, if I might kindly remind you, you have not done."
A furious scowl answered him. "Sometimes I really hate you, Master."
A weary sigh escaped, expressing just how many times that statement had been heard. "I know, Anakin. Now get on with your meditation."
For some reason these don't really feel like visions…Qui-Gon thought, shutting his eyes and feeling the storm twist and rage around him as it swallowed up the voices. After all, how could simple visions be responsible for the depth of the suffering I sensed?
Obi-Wan's voice rose above the wailing Force, and when Qui-Gon opened his eyes, he found himself in the Council chambers, with Obi-Wan standing before the great window, staring out at the setting sun. He looked much older, a full beard covering his jaw, and his hair long since grown out of its padawan cut. Yoda sat in his customary seat, his skin looking decidedly less green and his hair beginning to thin, with his shoulders hunched in a defeated manner Qui-Gon had never seen him adopt. Mace stood in between them, his lips pressed together and lines Qui-Gon never remembered seeing creasing his forehead and cheeks.
"…but I have to admit," Obi-Wan was saying, his voice crisper than Qui-Gon recalled, and he turned away from the window. A small smile rose to his lips as he spoke, one Mace returned, though it came nowhere near his eyes. "Without the clones it would not have been a victory."
"Victory?" Yoda interrupted, making both turn to him. "Victory, you say?" Qui-Gon watched as the old Master's head lifted slowly, his eyes gravely sad. "Master Obi-Wan, not a victory. The shroud of the Dark Side has fallen. Begun, this Clone War has."
War? Qui-Gon thought as the image was swallowed by the blackness, feeling a horrible chill settle across his shoulders, and the first night on the ship came to mind, when Obi-Wan had attacked him upon waking, the Force giving him no warning to respond to. This war Yoda had spoken of, was that what had changed Obi-Wan so profoundly that he would attack an unknown Jedi first and ask questions later? What had happened to the Jedi idea of mutual trust?
... it was something I'd always done, to protect myself...
Qui-Gon shivered in spite himself and the Force continued to rage, bringing forth images of battle after battle. He watched as Obi-Wan's flying skills increased even further, as he and Anakin led attacks on enemy cruisers, dodging turbolasers and enemy droid ships. He watched as Obi-Wan grew even older, becoming more like the mental apparition he'd seen, with an aura of confidence and calm power, his hair graying at the temples. He became a general of the Republic Grand Army, and for the first time Qui-Gon saw his apprentice wearing a dress uniform besides Jedi tunics of tans and browns.
He looked rather smart, Qui-Gon had to admit, in a long-sleeved, high collared, crisp white jacket and a pair of khaki colored pants that fell slightly over a pair of brown dress shoes. The insignia of the Republic was embroidered on the left breast of the jacket, with several bars signifying his rank below it.
However, Qui-Gon could sense his discomfort as he attended some form of political ceremonies, the lightsaber clipped on his belt the only thing marking him as a Jedi.
I hate this stupid suit, came the thought that rumbled through the darkness. Why did I let the Council talk me into wearing it? I'm a general, yes, but I'm a Jedi first.
He watched as Obi-Wan commanded an entire army of troops with technology Qui-Gon had never seen before, and one image he recognized from the morning Obi-Wan had attacked him, the jungle heat sending streams of sweat pouring down his padawan's face.
"General Kenobi? We're almost to the rendezvous point."
A tight smile. "Good."
Bloody battles came and went, ones that made him sick to his stomach to watch, with both sides taking heavy losses. Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan barked out orders through his communicator, his face always wearing the same awful determined scowl as he cut through enemy lines, his lightsaber a whirl of crystal blue. Cannon fire ceased to faze him, and Qui-Gon was a reluctant shadow as Obi-Wan somehow oversaw the battle from the middle of it, his gaze piercing enemy weak points and ordering his troops to attack.
"Anakin, what the blazes do you think you're doing?!" came the angry shout as three droids dropped to the ground in pieces, severed by a lightsaber. "I told you to lay down a fire to cover the troops on the north side of the field and you're chasing down a squad of insignificant destroyer droids!"
Unintelligible shouting echoed from the headset, earning a rather dark glower as the lightsaber sliced through four more droids.
"I don't care if they decided to throw you a tea party! It is not your job to plan attacks, Anakin! Now get back to the north side before those troops are completely overwhelmed!"
"Echuta!"
"Swear all you want, Anakin, but it's not going to change things! Now do your job and get moving!"
Obi-Wan rarely entered a battle he didn't wind up winning, with strategic talent and the same deadly focus Qui-Gon had always admired, as he was the one to bully his way through the waves of droids, paving the way for his troops. Qui-Gon was amazed that he hadn't been seriously wounded with some of the attacks he saw Obi-Wan execute, let alone killed by stray cannon fire, and it always felt like his heart was going to stop whenever Obi-Wan found himself in over his head.
Cannon fire rocked the ground, dirt, debris, and tens of troopers flying through the air with the blast. Shouting followed, commanding troops to strengthen the gaping holes opened in the ranks, ordering them to return fire and aim for the cannons in the distance.
"Raise shields!" came the next order, and a liquid-like material draped around the cannons, warding off unfriendly fire until the massive guns had charged properly.
"Anakin! Pull your fighters back until after the bombardment!"
"I copy, Master!"
Obi-Wan would always manage to pull himself out of the most dire of situations, losing all of the awkwardness Qui-Gon remembered seeing him display whenever he was overwhelmed. He remained calmer than he had any right to be as he drew a deep breath and proceeded to mince the surrounding droids to pieces, no matter how many there were. Part of Qui-Gon was amazed at the radical transformation, marveling at the pure skill Obi-Wan possessed, but he supposed continuously fighting for his life was going to alter him beyond recognition.
"Here they come, Master."
"I know, Anakin. I do have eyes, after all."
"Promise no crazy stunts this time around? I would hate to have to rescue you from underneath a pile of droid shells."
"When has that ever happened? Remember, Anakin, I was the one who rescued you the past five times either of us has been in danger. Besides, I leave crazy stunts to you."
"Yeah, so you can yell at me half way through the fight."
A teasing grin appeared. "It gives me some way to break the monotony."
Another image flashed before him, one of Obi-Wan, back in his Jedi clothes, as he stood on a hilltop covered with short, golden grass. A smudge of dirt covered his left cheek, his hair dusty and clotted with sweat. His tunics were stained with grime, the edges of his robes singed from blaster fire. His boots were covered with mud and a dark, sticky substance Qui-Gon was hesitant to identify, and the trooper who stood before him was just as dirty, once pristine white armor dulled with dirt and nicked from unseen battles.
Obi-Wan was issuing orders to his second-in-command, apparently the trooper who stood beside him, his face molded into a severe expression Qui-Gon had never seen him wear. Qui-Gon stared, slightly stunned at how much authority Obi-Wan invoked with a simple glance, his gaze cool as he surveyed his surroundings. He held himself differently too, with his shoulders pulled back, and his head held high; a stance Qui-Gon realized was the one he'd adopted when he'd told off the Council.
"We'll need to salvage what we can from the wrecks," Obi-Wan said, his voice hoarse but steady, instilling a sense of unruffled power, and his lips tightened. "We're running low on spare parts, so you have my permission to cannibalize whatever enemy craft that seems like it would suit our needs. See if you can salvage their main control unit, though. It might hold some clues to their battle plans."
"I've already got a team working to decode their main computers," the commander said. "We got lucky in this siege, sir. Most of their stronghold is intact."
Obi-Wan gave him a small smile, though his eyes remained dark. "Good. We need every scrap of information we can get if we're going to win this war."
"Shall I send them to you once they get some definite results?" the commander asked and Obi-Wan nodded, his gaze occasionally flicking over the shallow valley below him, and Qui-Gon's heart nearly stopped when he saw what lay there.
Bodies stretched as far as the eye could see, of dead troops and mangled droids, oil and blood staining the ground pitch black. Demolished weaponry jutted from the earth like broken bone, wires still sparking and lights still flickering. He could see crashed ships, their burning hulls billowing black smoke, giant craters from explosions long passed, and the Force seemed to weep as it curled around the battlefield, mourning so much loss of life.
"Estimate a body count, Cody," Obi-Wan was saying, coughing a little when the wind shifted and smoke from the battlefield wrapped around them, and the commander nodded. "Have all divisions report their missing, and send a squad or two to run a sweep of the field in search of wounded. I'll ask Anakin if he wouldn't mind helping you."
"Shall I have reconnaissance do some flyovers of the surrounding area?" the commander asked as two other troopers hurried up.
"Yes," Obi-Wan said, his eyes flat as he nodded to the two newcomers. "Tell them to pick off any stragglers while they're at it. The enemy will know of this defeat soon enough, and we need time to regroup before we attack the next base. If you need me for anything further, Commander, I'll be in my quarters."
"Yes, sir," the commander replied, saluting, which Obi-Wan returned with a small nod, and the commander then turned to the other two troopers, barking out orders.
Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan turned away from the field, his face stoic as troopers saluted him, and he nodded to each in turn as he cut a path towards the prefab-shelters in the distance. He entered one, and shook his head when Anakin, who looked much older than before, Qui-Gon guessed somewhere in his early twenties, offered him a meal of army-issue rations.
"Padawan, would you mind helping Commander Cody search for survivors? I would do so myself, but I need to get at least a few hours of rest before I start collapsing," Obi-Wan said, shucking his brown robe as he sat on a cot in the corner, and began to pull off his boots.
"What's the point?" Anakin asked around a forkful of rations. "I mean, they're just clones; it's not like they're irreplaceable. And besides, we have few medical supplies to spare."
Obi-Wan stopped pulling off his boot and stared up at Anakin, as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "A life is a life," he said, frowning, "whether it's a clone's life or an insect's, and hearing you disregard it so flagrantly worries me, Anakin."
The young man rolled his eyes at that, but set aside his rations and stood. "I'll help, Master. You don't have to give me a lecture on it. And go to sleep; maybe it'll help you mellow out."
"Padawan!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, his frown deepening. "Expect to find yourself meditating on disrespect when I have enough energy to make sure you're doing it!"
"I'm not being disrespectful, Master," Anakin snapped, shoving his feet into his boots and straightening his tunic. "You're the one who needs to relax. Yes, I know we're in the middle of a war, but you always get like this after a battle. Shouldn't you be used to them by now?"
Obi-Wan lifted his head, his expression dark and his eyes haunted. Qui-Gon swore he saw a shiver shake Anakin's shoulders when he met his Master's gaze, but it was gone before he could truly register it.
"Hear me, padawan," Obi-Wan said, his voice barely above a whisper and as frosty as a night on Hoth. "I will never get used to battles like this. I do not rejoice in such sacrifices of life, though I do understand they are necessary for the greater good, and I still maintain in the depths of my heart that the Jedi are not meant for this kind of war."
"So why don't you do something about it, instead of fighting?" Anakin shot back. "If you're so against it, don't just go along with what the Council orders you to do. Argue with them! Qui-Gon would've!"
Obi-Wan shut his eyes and drew a deep breath. "No matter how many times we have this argument, Anakin, the outcome will be the same. I am not Qui-Gon. Yes, he might've argued against the war, but he is dead, and I am doing what I can to save as many lives as possible."
Obi-Wan opened his eyes and fixed his apprentice with a cool stare. "At the time I thought the Jedi would do good things by leading the troops. Now I find it is costing us our principles, undermining us at our very roots, but what would you have me do? This war would be here whether I argued against it or not, and so I do what I can to try and resolve it quickly."
Anakin turned to go, the door sliding open to admit him. "The Council would listen to you, Master. You just don't have the courage to try."
"Perhaps I don't," Obi-Wan replied, his eyes darkening with sorrow. "But the Jedi are in this war, and it is my duty to the Order to follow the commands given to me by the Council."
"You always say that, Master," Anakin responded, still not turning. "And sometimes I wonder who you're trying to convince."
He glanced over his shoulder then, meeting Obi-Wan's weary gaze. "Whatever happened to following the Force, even when it leads you away from the Council?"
With that, he left, leaving Obi-Wan to tilt his head back and sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"It's times like these, Master," Qui-Gon heard him whisper, "that I wish I had your strength."
Darkness crept forward, swallowing the image, and was replaced by the great mass of images. He watched while Obi-Wan accepted a place on the Jedi Council, talking with his fellow Masters as they planned different strategies for the war, many of whom were also generals with their own divisions of troops. Somewhere in the maelstrom of images, he watched Anakin become a Knight and Obi-Wan seemed to relax because of it, smiling more often despite the chaos around him.
"See, Master? We're still in one piece. My landing wasn't that bad, considering we were essentially shot down."
"I'm not your Master anymore, Anakin. You don't have to call me that," came the weak reply. "And remind me to put this landing in the Skywalker hall of fame, along with all the others, all right? I certainly have the proper symptoms, as my legs won't quit shaking and I feel like throwing up."
"And you remind me why the Council keeps sticking us together on missions when all we do is argue?"
"Because, my dear former padawan, I'm the only one who can work with you and not want to kill you by the end of the mission. Besides, for all our arguing, we have the highest success rate, and that makes us awfully popular. Now, are we going to try and rescue that ambassador, or not?"
The voices disappeared back into the raging storm, which grew colder and darker, the Force writhing in agony around Qui-Gon. He could hear muffled screams as they passed him, along with Obi-Wan's voice arguing with someone, a wave of heat slamming into him, and then it was gone. The darkness drew back like some curtain on a stage, revealing the afternoon sky of Coruscant and the Jedi Temple in the distance, and Qui-Gon felt his heart clench. Smoke rose from one of the spires.
He took a few steps forward and found himself in the main hall of the Temple. He looked around slowly, his eyes slowly absorbing every detail. It made his chest tighten, as though someone had squeezed all the air out of his lungs. Bodies of countless Jedi lay strewn in every direction, blaster marks scorching their skin, their faces frozen in expressions of horror and utter shock… Masters lay dead over their padawans in a futile attempt to shield them, the older trying to protect the younger…
None had survived. The Temple lay in utter ruin.
I can't believe this, Qui-Gon thought, cracking open an eye. Rubble and blood coated the once pristine floor, the Force echoing with the screams of the dead. He shivered as he was drawn forward, swallowing around his constricted throat.
Who had done this? Why had they done this?
"Wait, Yoda," came Obi-Wan's crisp tones, and when Qui-Gon glanced towards the sound, he found himself in a small room with his apprentice and a Yoda that appeared even older than before. Fatigue poured from both Jedi, their robes rumpled and well worn, their eyes darkened from the sights around them.
"There is something I must know," Obi-Wan continued, moving towards a holo-unit that sat to the side. Qui-Gon watched Yoda's lips tighten as the older Jedi's gaze followed Obi-Wan's steps.
"If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find," Yoda warned softly, his clawed hands tightening on his gimer stick, and Qui-Gon frowned. Did he already know who had done this?
"Yoda, I must know," Obi-Wan replied, his fingers dancing over the control panel. Lights flashed in response and Yoda made a soft sound of regret, shaking his head heavily as images began to appear.
Qui-Gon's heart nearly stopped when he saw what the recordings showed.
Anakin.
"It can't… it can't be…" Obi-Wan whispered, his voice trembling uncharacteristically.
It had been one of their own who had destroyed the Jedi, his eyes blazing a sickening yellow as he slaughtered knight after knight, child after child. Qui-Gon was shivering, unable to tear his gaze from the atrocious sight before him, the traitor deactivating his lightsaber and surveying his handiwork.
This is impossible, Qui-Gon thought as a second figure joined the first, a man garbed in robes of blackest pitch.
"The traitors have been taken care of, Lord Sidious," Anakin rasped, kneeling, and Qui-Gon started in surprise.
"Traitors?!" he exclaimed, his voice lost beneath the chuckles of the second man.
"Good… good… You have done well, my new apprentice. Do you feel your power growing?" the man said, his lips splitting in a wide grin.
"Yes, my master," Anakin replied, dipping his head.
"Now, Lord Vader, go and bring peace to the Empire."
"I take it this is Vader's ship then? Did he bring me here?"
"Oh, padawan," Qui-Gon breathed, shutting his eyes against the tears he could feel forming. Anakin was the mysterious Vader, and he had… he had…!
I can't believe this, Qui-Gon thought. Anakin, the innocent child he had met on Tatooine, the one with a heart large enough to help absolute strangers, was destined to annihilate the Jedi, to kill his own family?
A shuddered gasp made Qui-Gon open his eyes and he watched as Obi-Wan slammed his palm against a button. "I can't watch any more," Obi-Wan whispered as the image dissolved into nothing, leaving the Jedi in utter silence.
Obi-Wan was trembling, his hands curling in on themselves as he stood before the holo-unit, and his eyes had squeezed shut for the moment. Qui-Gon could feel the raw pain that poured off him, steady streams of denial raging through the Force as Obi-Wan attempted to grapple with the knowledge he'd just gained.
Not Anakin, came the panicked thought. Anakin would never... there must be some sort of mistake! Anakin is... he would never
"Destroy the Sith, we must," Yoda said softly, making Obi-Wan lift his head slowly. Qui-Gon looked down to find the old Master watching Obi-Wan, sorrow shining in his green eyes.
"Send me to kill the Emperor," Obi-Wan replied, his words steady despite the red rimming his eyes and the way his shoulders shook ever so slightly. "I will not kill Anakin."
Yoda shook his head sadly. "To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough, you are not," he said, his tone heavy, and the Force wailed in response.
Obi-Wan hung his head, denials pouring off him even more furiously. "He is like my brother," he whispered, Qui-Gon straining to hear.
He is like my son, came the thought that followed it, the words dying on Obi-Wan's tongue.
"I cannot do it."
Frost-covered durasteel laced Obi-Wan's tone, his eyes hardening to a slate grey.
I won't! I will die before I kill him, turned or no!
Qui-Gon shut his eyes once more, barely registering Yoda's assertion that the Anakin they knew had long since been lost. Obi-Wan's vehement denials and steadily rising anxiety, however, slammed into him, making him sick to his stomach. The more time passed, the more trapped Obi-Wan became, Yoda forcing him to do the one thing he absolutely couldn't.
"But I don't know where to look," Obi-Wan finally said, grasping at straws, and Yoda began to walk away.
"Use your feelings, Obi-Wan," he called, "and find him, you will. Visit the new Emperor, my task is. May the Force be with you."
Then he was gone, leaving Obi-Wan to lean heavily against the holo-unit. Qui-Gon watched as his apprentice buried his face in his hands, his shivers growing more pronounced with each passing moment. Qui-Gon reached out in response, trying to be of some comfort…
The Force wailed, swallowing the images and presenting him with new ones. Incredible heat blasted Qui-Gon's skin, making him gasp, and he looked around in shock; the entire planet appeared to be a giant volcano, spewing toxic fumes. He could see some kind of collection facility in the distance, and along a catwalk that jutted out like a peninsula over the river of lava, he could make out two clashing lightsabers, both the same shade of crystal blue.
Fear began worming its way through his heart as he recalled all the images he'd seen over the past few days, ones centered around a planet like the one before him. Whatever event played out here was the heart of Obi-Wan's sorrow; Qui-Gon could feel it.
But what is this? What's going on? he thought, and gasped when a slightly translucent apparition appeared beside him.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said softly and to his utter surprise, the man turned to look at him. He was a perfect replica of the Obi-Wan Qui-Gon had been watching only moments ago, from the well-worn tunics to the heavy, dismal expression.
"Is this what you saw?" he asked softly, meeting Obi-Wan's icy, exhausted gaze. "Is this what the Force showed you when you collapsed?"
"You think these are visions?" Obi-Wan replied coldly, his eyebrows rising. "These are my memories, Qui-Gon. They actually happened."
Qui-Gon staggered under the weight of his statement, watching as he turned his attention to the two figures battling in the distance. Obi-Wan shut his eyes then, a tiny shiver shaking his transparent frame, and as suddenly as he had appeared, he vanished.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon called, stretching out a hand to where the other had stood, and suddenly he was closer, watching as former Master and apprentice fought their way across the scaffolding, their movements an utter blur. The molten lava bubbled far below them, the heat suffocating, and Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan flipped over Anakin and hit the young man with a powerful Force-wave that nearly sent him flying. Anakin recovered quickly, rolling to his feet and throwing himself back into the fight, hacking downwards viciously.
"Anakin, stop!" Obi-Wan yelled over the roar of machinery. "Please don't do this!"
"I already told you, old man, my name isn't Anakin!" the other yelled back as their lightsabers crossed, hissing and sparking. "It's Darth Vader!"
"No it isn't!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, his arms trembling as their blades locked in a contest of wills. "It's Anakin Skywalker, no matter how much you try to deny it! You've been manipulated into believing a lie!"
"You're wrong; I was merely shown the truth! Jedi are fools, Obi-Wan!" the younger man yelled, breaking their power struggle by smashing Obi-Wan with a Force-wave of his own, the power of the Dark Side sending shivers down Qui-Gon's spine.
"You're weak, you're cowardly, and you're pathetic! I've destroyed the entire Temple nearly single-handed!" he continued, leaping at Obi-Wan's fallen figure, bringing his lightsaber down. Obi-Wan rolled, leaving it to slice through the metal of the catwalk, and he reignited is own lightsaber, bringing it down towards Vader.
"Why did you do it, Anakin?" Obi-Wan yelled as their blades met once more. "Why did you kill everyone? The children had done nothing! They were innocent!"
"They were Jedi! Jedi have been sentenced to death!" he yelled back and they lapsed into a period of silence, with Qui-Gon barely able to see what was happening, they were moving so quickly. Part of him didn't want to see any more, but no matter how many times he shut his eyes, the image remained before him, playing out to who knew what ends.
Stars and galaxies, Obi-Wan, he thought, watching the two bash each other back and forth across the catwalk, neither one gaining the upper hand. The Force churned around them as they drew on the respective sides, light and dark colliding with a volatile explosion of power.
I know you have a forgiving soul, but how could you stand to be around Anakin after all this?
Obi-Wan and Anakin yelled something he couldn't understand and then to Qui-Gon's utter amazement, Obi-Wan shut off his lightsaber. He fell to his knees, letting Vader bring his blade a hairsbreadth from his neck.
"I can't do this anymore. I can't reason with you, so if you're going to kill me, Anakin, then do so," Qui-Gon heard him say, his voice flat and worn.
Vader fixed him with an incredulous, if haughty, stare. "That's it? You've exhausted yourself already? And here I thought the great Obi-Wan Kenobi would be more of a challenge!"
Qui-Gon felt every part of him rail in anger and fear no matter what he did to try and calm himself as he watched Obi-Wan shut his eyes and bow his head. "Even if I managed to best you, Anakin, I couldn't kill you."
"Of course you couldn't! Because you're a weak Jedi," Vader sneered. "You believe in life above all else, for every single thing in the universe. Well, I hate to tell you, Master, but things are selfish. Everyone's looking out for their own survival; the weak are the ones who get killed off first."
"You're wrong," Obi-Wan whispered, looking back up at the young man and he drew a deep breath. Qui-Gon could feel the Force clenching around him and he tried to look away, but couldn't.
"I can't kill you because you're family, Anakin."
There was a long pause as the two stared at each other, and Qui-Gon watched as surprise, then fear, and he wasn't sure what else flickered across Vader's face. His jaw clenched and he adjusted his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber, a sudden flash of uncertainty rippling through the Force.
"You're lying," Vader growled at last, his yellow eyes narrowing and Obi-Wan shook his head. "You've got to be. You don't care about me. You hate me. I know it. I've lived with you for years and I know how you feel."
"Anakin, that's not true," Obi-Wan said, disbelief making him shake his head. "How could you think that I'd hate you? If I hated you, I wouldn't have remained your Master, even if I had made a promise to train you! I certainly wasn't the best Master to you, but I did what I could, and came to care about you quite a bit! Why do you think I was always watching out for you, making sure you had everything you needed? Did you think it was because I felt obligated to a promise?"
Vader was the one shaking his head now, and he backed away from Obi-Wan a few steps at a time. The lightsaber dropped from his fingers and deactivated, rolling away, forgotten.
"It all was because you felt obligated! You thought I was some stupid, noisy little brat who'd replaced you in your beloved Master's heart! You resented every day you ever wasted on me, and you were so happy to see me knighted, because it meant you'd never have to deal with me again! You weren't happy because I'd succeeded; you were happy because you'd fulfilled your promise!"
"Anakin…"
"No! Shut up, old man! I don't want to hear any more of your lies!"
"Anakin, you were my brother! You were my son!" Obi-Wan shouted, his fists clenching, and Qui-Gon swore his heart was going to break from the gut-wrenching frustration and sorrow he sensed in his apprentice.
"And I loved you, more than you could ever realize!"
"Liar!" came Vader's panicked retort as he fell to his knees, his fingers coming up to clamp down on his ears. "You never cared! You're a Jedi! Jedi don't love!"
"But I did," was Obi-Wan's whispered reply. "I do. And I would've helped you, Anakin, no matter what it was. All you had to do was ask."
"Liar!" Vader screamed. "That's all you do, is lie! You turned everyone against me! You're the reason I killed them all! It was your fault, Obi-Wan!"
"It is my fault," he replied, startling Vader. "It's my fault because I wasn't a good enough Master. I failed you, and I failed Qui-Gon, and now because I couldn't see your pain and confusion, the entire galaxy has been thrown into chaos, the Order is hanging by a thread, and everyone I've ever cared about is dying or dead. I want to help, Anakin, because I want to believe that we can undo this, and because you mean everything to me."
Vader looked up at him, his eyes flickering between yellow and a tearful blue, and Obi-Wan started to reach for him, his fingertips coming to brush a few sweaty strands from the young man's face.
"You are my padawan, Ani," he whispered, and Qui-Gon watched Vader start at the use of his nickname. "You are my son. So please; come back."
They stared at each other for several seconds, and finally Vader drew a shuddering breath, straightening his shoulders and fixing Obi-Wan with a stare that sent shivers of apprehension down Qui-Gon's spine.
"You know…" Vader said at last, his hands falling into his lap, and a cool expression melting onto his face. "You're a real piece of work, aren't you, Master? You think that by pouring your heart out you can change things? It's sad, really. If you'd felt this way all those years I was your apprentice, why didn't you say something then?"
Qui-Gon felt a chill steal over him and he watched Obi-Wan's mouth drop open in shock, Vader sneering at the sight.
"You think I'm lying?" Obi-Wan whispered. "Anakin, when do I lie?"
"Oh, Jedi don't lie," Vader said, anger pouring off him. "But it's all about certain points of view, isn't it? You can make yourself believe, as I stand over you with a lightsaber at your throat, that you've always thought of me as family. And then you think that by expressing these long-hidden feelings, ones you've known I've always wanted to hear, it'll make everything better, and then we'll have a big, sappy hug fest and everyone will go home happy."
"Anakin-"
"I said, shut up!" Vader screamed, a powerful Force-wave slamming into Obi-Wan and knocking him to the end of the catwalk, where he lay, stunned. Qui-Gon cried out in alarm, but his voice went unheard as Vader rose slowly, summoning his lightsaber and igniting it.
"You think that by telling me all this, you can stop me from being a threat," Vader hissed, stalking towards Obi-Wan, who was attempting to rise. Parts of his tunic had been ripped in the slide, his face scratched up and a livid bruise appearing across the side of his cheek.
"Anakin, what I said was the truth," Obi-Wan said, clutching the single thin guardrail for support as he drew himself up, the hurt in his eyes making Qui-Gon's heart clench, and he heard Vader growl.
"The hell it was!" Vader snarled and another Force-wave slammed into Obi-Wan, ramming him against the rail, which snapped under the strain. Qui-Gon fought against whatever locked him in place, trying to run forward to grab onto his apprentice. He could do nothing as Obi-Wan fell backwards off the catwalk when the rail failed to support him, his blue-green eyes wide with shock.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried, stretching his hand out, and Qui-Gon struggled, his mind yelling and cursing as he watched Obi-Wan plummet down towards the lava. He could see the fear in Obi-Wan's eyes, and an anger like he'd never known raged through him when Vader began to laugh. If he'd been able to attack the Sith, he would've.
This cannot be happening! his mind screamed. This was just a vision; it had to be! His padawan, his son, wasn't going to fall to his death at the hands of some turned apprentice! How could Obi-Wan have remained so calm throughout the past week? Hadn't this been eating him from the inside out?
"Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon yelled, watching in horror as his apprentice hit the molten rock, the white-hot river consuming him before he even had the chance to cry out.
"NO!"
The Force began to scream.
All Jedi on Coruscant that day froze when the Force fell utterly silent. Initiates were puzzled when their weak attempts to connect with it failed, padawans began to worry that something had gone wrong with their techniques and they'd somehow been blinded to it, Knights felt an uncommon flash of fear, and Masters all but panicked when the comforting presence that had been their companion for years went still.Then it began roaring, a mind-blowing scream tearing through it and sending every Jedi to their knees in pain. The more sensitive ones sobbed at the blackness and the grief that pounded them, while the more experienced ones threw up every shield possible just to stave off the assault.
No Jedi had felt anything like it. The Force was howlingin pain, writhing and heaving and shuddering, and no one knew what to do, or what they even could do, for that matter. They didn't know why it was acting the way it was, so every Jedi fought to weather the storm, with the older ones attempting to protect the younger ones, who could do nothing but clutch their heads and cry.
And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the storm passed, and the Force returned to normal, leaving all the Jedi to pick themselves up and wonder what in the galaxy had just happened.
Two of the most experienced Jedi, who had been walking down the hall towards an apartment that belonged to a certain Master and apprentice, picked themselves up and shared a worried look.
"What was that?" the taller Master whispered, still shaking as he helped the shorter Master to his feet.
"Know, I do not," the shorter Master responded, his green eyes narrowing as he spoke. "Sense something terrible has happened, I do. Hurry, we must, to Qui-Gon and his apprentice."
They began to run.
Deep within the secure chambers of his most private quarters, the second, more powerful shadow stirred from his dark meditation. He opened a pair of eyes, yellowed from his contact with the dark power, which instantly narrowed in contemplation of the great disturbance he had just sensed.It had come from the Temple.
He sat back, gasping as the Force began to churn chaotically, howling and screaming in pain, and he reveled in it, sucking it towards him. He basked in the anguish he felt, letting it flow over him and fill him up with power, and he was angered when the Force calmed at last.
What had caused it?
Sitting up, he began to focus, tracing the path of that great dark wave, until he found his way into the Jedi Temple, watching its occupants blink and shake themselves in amazement. He reached out further, trying to sense the presence that had released so much darkinto the Force, and when he arrived at his destination, he wasn't the least bit surprised.
It was Kenobi, and the Jedi's life hung by the tiniest, most frayed thread.
Pity, part of him thought. He would've liked to study the Jedi up close, but he would settle for him dying.
He withdrew then, settling back into his meditation. He had a new feeling to contemplate, one that had cropped up in the wake of the wave, and he was eager to study all the different facets it presented.
Perhaps it could help to speed along his plans… his lips twisted and parted in a smile, his teeth flashing in the darkness. Yes, it certainly could.
Perfect.