#wait wait but also obi wans lightsaber and the light side of the force and that being what cody associated with obi wan

[friendlyneighbourhoodelf]

this may be way too niche but thinking about that raven cycle quote Ronan Lynch loved to dream about light. and codywan. obi wan dreaming of cody and all he sees is light

[ghulehthezombiequeen]

Let you break my heart again - Anakin x Jedi reader

masterlist.

Author’s note: hi. so uh. yeah I got a little silly and decided to write angst again. and wrote more than I was aiming for but that’s okay LMAO— Also omg THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE ON MY SWISS FIC?? you’re the best <3 Other things to note: Revenge of the Sith era Anakin but Anakin and Padmé aren’t married (they’re courting/dating), reader is a Jedi and has had a crush on Anakin since like the beginning of time /j, reader is majorly jealous of Padmé

Warnings: ANGST, unrequited love, hurt/comfort, Anakin uses a derogatory word for droids, no pronouns used for reader

Word count: 2114 words

Propped against a wall, you saw Anakin enter the Jedi temple, looking a bit disheveled. But  you knew he had just returned from a mission with Obi-Wan, so maybe it went terribly wrong, maybe it went really well. 

You attempted to approach him, but Padmé had already beat you to it, like she always did. You felt a pang in your heart as you saw him hug her, longing to be in her place. Sadly, you knew it would never happen, with the looks they’d exchange with each other when they thought no one was watching. But you were. Finally, after what had seemed like forever, Padmé left to do her duties. You took this opportunity and rushed to him, your heart skipping a beat. “Hey.. how did it go?” You asked with a soft smile. Anakin nodded at you, then sighed. “Fine, I guess.. We didn’t really do much, just killed a bunch of clankers.” You caught yourself before making a face at him for using the derogatory word for droids; but you understood why he chose that word. 

“Well.. I mean, at least it was.. good practice?” You giggled a bit, trying to cheer him up. 

Anakin forced a light chuckle. “Yeah..” He said, looking off to the side, his mind somewhere else. You gave him a soft look. “Hey.. everything okay over there?” You asked kindly, your heart skipping a beat as he looked back at you. “No.. not really…” he admitted with a sigh. He seemed like he wanted to say more, but couldn’t find the right words. “..thanks for asking, though.” He added sincerely. 

You furrowed your brows and studied his expression. “Hey, uh… do you want to go somewhere else and talk about it, perhaps?” You offered. 

He thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. “Yeah, I could use… someone to talk to...” 

“Alright, then. Wanna head to the library? It’s usually deserted at this hour..” You smiled at him, and Anakin perked up a little at the mention of it. “Yeah, actually… that’d be great.. there’s some new data I’ve been meaning to catch up on as well.” 

You two slowly made your way to the library, finding a table in the very back. Anakin sat down on one of the old worn out chairs, staring into the oblivion. “I feel… different..” He mumbled, almost to himself. “What’s wrong?” You sat down next to him, tilting your head and studying his expression. You waited a few seconds before speaking up. “..is it about Padmé?” You question. 

Anakin nodded. It was hard to explain, but he felt something. Something that both terrified him and excited him. 

“How did you know?” Anakin asked. “Ahah.. lucky guess?” You smiled, then giving him a sympathetic look. “..is she okay? Are you two okay?”

Anakin sighed. "Yeah... I think we are." He put his head down, leaning his arms on the table. 

“She's so beautiful…” Anakin whispered. “And she's smart.. And... caring... and... wonderful…”  Anakin trailed off, unknowingly breaking your heart with every word. “…You love her a lot… don’t you? Well, I bet my lightsaber she loves you a lot as well.” You tried to smile through the pain, asking the very question that could possibly break you, but you had to know. 

Anakin looked up at you, a look of uncertainty on this face. “No, it's not that. I love her… it's just... It’s hard to describe.” Anakin said. 

“But.. sometimes, I just feel like... I don't need this.” He looked away from you. 

“This… this whole Jedi… thing. I don’t know if I want to be a Jedi anymore.” Anakin whispered, his words dripping with emotion. “I want something different.” He said hesitantly, looking back at you. 

“…I see. What is it you want, exactly?” You whispered curiously. Anakin seemed to think for awhile. 

“I don't want the Jedi Order, that's for sure.” Anakin said. 

“I want freedom. I want... something... more. Something..." He trailed off. 

“I want to be happy.” Anakin finally said, almost as if it was a confession. “But I'm... afraid.” 

You nodded in understanding. You want freedom too, but not in the same way; you wanted to just be free from this unrequited love, to be free from this constant heartbreak…

“…why are you afraid?” You asked him softly. 

Anakin stared at the table in front of him. “I don’t know, it’s just… if I let go of this… this Jedi thing…” He said, the word ‘Jedi’ having a slight hint of hatred in it. “..I’m not sure if I can become anything else. But at the same time… I don’t want this.” He continued, looking like he was on the verge of tears.  

You nodded. “I understand. I really do..”

You so desperately wanted to reach out and hold Anakin's hand, to comfort him and tell him that everything will be okay as long as they have each other. But you couldn't. You weren’t Padmé.

“…I feel like I'm going insane…” Anakin whispered, his voice quiet and strained. He felt ashamed, but also somewhat relieved that he finally let it out. 

“Sometimes I even think... I even thought…” Anakin trailed off.

“Never mind.” He said with a sigh.

“Wait, no.. you can tell me.. I promise I won’t tell anyone..” You reassured him. 

He looked back up at you. “Sometimes… I have these… thoughts.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “What kind of thoughts?” You asked gently. 

“…Dark thoughts. Violent thoughts. Thoughts that could.. that could get me expelled from the Jedi Order.” Anakin finished, his voice strained. He looked at the table, and you did too. “…I see.” You finally reply, looking back up at him in sympathy. “…do you think it’ll affect you soon? Like…. You’re almost at your breaking point?” 

Anakin took a deep breath and let it out. “I don’t know…” he answered. 

“I don’t know what I’m capable of..” He continued, his voice starting to shake. You notice him slowly, hesitantly reach his hand over the table and rest it on yours, his fingers trembling. 

You stared at your hand for a moment, then back at Anakin, feeling the pang in your heart again. Oh, if only he knew the pain he’d just caused… “Hey.. it’s okay, you’re strong… I know you can get through this. I know it.” You whispered to him, giving him a soft smile. 

Anakin leaned his head against the table, keeping his eyes shut. “Can you… can you do me a favor..?” He asked quietly. 

“Anything. Yeah.” You whispered immediately, ready to give your life for Anakin in a heartbeat if you were asked to do so. 

Anakin sighed. “Can... can you promise to stick with me? No matter what? Like a Jedi and his Padawan?” 

Anakin looked up at you. "Can... can you do that for me?" He asked. He looked like he was begging you for help.

You nodded. “Of course.. I’ll always be on your side, no matter what. I’ll always be here for you.” You whisper with a smile. Anakin looked up at you, tears starting to form in his eyes. “Thank you…” he whispered. 

A moment later Anakin embraced you in a tight hug, a feeling of relief washing over him. 

You tensed slightly, a blush forming on your face. The pang in your heart hit harder again, and you knew that this moment would haunt you forever. 

Nevertheless, you placed a hand gently on Anakin’s chest and wrapped your other arm around his waist, hugging him tighter. “Shh… don’t cry..” You whispered, hating to see him in pain even though you were probably hurting even more than he was. 

Anakin's words were muffled as he buried his head into your shoulder. It had been so long since someone had embraced him in a welcoming way. 

“I’m… I'm scared…” Anakin whispered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

You were the only thing grounding him to reality. 

“Hey, it’s okay… you��ll be okay.” You whispered reassuringly, rubbing Anakin’s back soothingly. The longer the two of you hugged, the more it hurt you. But you couldn’t understand it. Why were you feeling so much pain when he was showing you affection? Isn’t this what you wanted? 

Anakin lifted his head from your shoulder, looking back at you. He could feel his breath catching in his throat as he gazed into your eyes. Before he could even think, Anakin leaned in and softly kissed your lips. You could feel your cheeks get redder as he kissed you. Was this even real? You didn’t care; this was the happiest you’d ever been, almost as if you were in a trance. You kissed him back without hesitation, but then as quickly as the moment came, it was over; Anakin pulled away. Your eyes widened in realization as you snapped back into reality. Anakin seemed shocked as well, surprised by what he just did. “I….” He whispered, unsure of what to say. 

You looked at him in horror, thinking of what Padmé would do if she ever found out. 

“I… I’m sorry, I.. oh, no…” 

Not thinking straight, you quickly got up and ran away from the library, tears starting to blur your vision. 

���W-Wait! Come back!” Anakin called your name as he got up from the table, running after you. 

“J-Just leave me alone, Ani…” you pleaded as you covered your mouth with your hand, a sob escaping your lips. 

Anakin kept following you as you both raced down the halls, your footsteps echoing. Eventually he caught up with you and grabbed him by the shoulders. “No.. No, I won’t. Let me help you.” He said firmly as he took your hand and held it. “Please… you’re hurting me more than you realize..” You stared at him, tears starting to fall down your cheeks now. You wanted to pull your hand away, but you couldn’t find it in your heart to do so. 

“No, I want to be by your side. Through thick and thin,” Anakin said with a slight smile. “Padmé means a lot to me, but you... you are very special to me as well.” 

You looked away from him, taking in shaky breaths as more tears fell down your cheeks and you wiped them away before looking at him again. 

“Wait.. so… y-you don’t love Padmé?” You asked slowly. 

Anakin went red. “What? No no... I do love Padmé.” Anakin said, his voice getting a bit higher than he intended. Was he lying?

“But... I also love... I mean... uh…” Anakin was fumbling with his words. He wanted to say 'I love you,' but he didn't want to scare you. Anakin wasn't sure what he should do. He was stuck.

“Anakin.. don’t play games with me right now.” You pleaded. 

“Do you love me, or her?” You asked bluntly, tears still falling down your cheeks, your eyes turning puffy. 

Anakin took a deep breath.

“I… I choose... you.” Anakin said, looking at you.

For the first time since you had known each other, Anakin looked completely honest. He wasn't lying about anything. He looked at you with eyes of complete adoration.

"I choose... you." Anakin repeated.

You looked down at the ground, his words registering in your brain. “H-How do I know… you’re not lying to me right now to make me feel better?” 

Anakin took his fingers and lifted your gaze. “Look me in the eyes,” Anakin said, and you did.

“I’m not lying to you, and I never will.” He said with complete honesty. 

“You mean more to me than anyone in the galaxy.” Anakin's voice softened. "You are more important to me than even Padmé,” Anakin said, looking you right in the eye.

You looked at Anakin with a desperate expression, shaking your head. 

“Oh, Ani…” You whispered, and before you knew it, you’d placed your lips on his again, this time full of passion. 

Anakin wrapped his arms around you and kissed you back just as passionately as tears formed in his eyes. “I love you.” He whispered.

Hearing those words from Anakin’s lips melted your heart, and you felt tears forming in your eyes again, but this time from pure joy. 

“I love you too.. Oh, Ani.. I’ve waited so long to hear you say that..” You whispered back, kissing him again. 

Anakin kissed back, not wanting the moment to end. He embraced you as if you were the only thing holding him together. 

It was like a fairytale come true. 

Anakin finally felt happy. Really happy. He had you to thank for it, as well as his own courage to take a chance. 

And now, you were finally with the one you loved. 

[im-a-wonderling]

Rescue Me, Part 4 ~ Obi-Wan Kenobi

If I didn't have @writing-on-the-wahl's help, this part would've taken so much longer and would've been so much worse. As always, my friend, you are an angel, and I adore you.

Summary: Now a Jedi Knight with her own padawan, Y/N gets an individual mission unlike anything she's done before.

Warnings: Yeah, this one's dark, so bodily harm and mortal peril and possibly more?

Word count: 9.8k

Rescue Me masterlist | Main masterlist

“Why does the council want to see us?” Ghon asked, keeping up with my brisk pace as best he could in spite of his tiny stature. It likely looked comical, but none of the Jedi we passed gave us a second glance. 

We’d landed on Coruscant not ten minutes before, and the waiting attendant had immediately informed us the Jedi Council was waiting.

The guilt of dulling my feelings for Ghon’s benefit weighed on my mind, but my padawan didn’t deserve to feel my anxiety as well as his own. Perhaps a day was coming where I would be able to stand in front of the council with confidence, but it wasn’t coming any time soon. “Likely to debrief us on our mission and brief us for the next one,” I replied, answering his question as calmly as I could. 

Ghon frowned. “But we just got back!”

I didn’t bother admonishing him for the complaint, not when I was also weighed down with a fatigue that seeped through to my bones. There was very little time for rest since I’d become a Jedi Knight, and it was almost too much for me to handle at twenty-two years old. Ghon was only eleven. 

“Such is the way of war,” I sighed as we stopped in front of the sliding doors. As we waited to be called in, I resisted the urge to smooth down my robes. My appearance did not matter. In fact, the more ruffled I appeared, the more humble I appeared. 

The Force buzzed to my left, and I glanced at Ghon to see him chewing on his lip.

He’d barely qualified as a padawan, evident by his deep-seated need to please. He needed lots of encouragement, but he made it easy to give. Everything he needed to be doing, he was. If only he could believe it.

I reached out and tugged lightly on his braid, making him smile. I barely had time to drop my hand at my side again before the doors slid open.

Each face expectantly watching us featured grim expressions with worry lines. The tension in the room was palpable, and I knew it had everything to do with the war tearing the galaxy apart. Every Jedi felt it, the pain and death radiating off each planet, and there was no solace from it. 

But the most depressing sight was the empty seat.

The seat which had been empty the day I cut off my own padawan braid with my lightsaber, and empty every time after. I knew better than to ask. Once in a while, a story drifted my way of some daring escapade, and I would know that my old master was still alive. 

I couldn’t lament it, for it was as he said: this is what we were made for. 

I bowed once I reached the center of the room. “Masters.”

“Congratulations on your success on Rodia,” Master Mundi said, mustering a smile. “Senator Farr thanked us on behalf of his people.” 

Senator Farr, leader of the swampy, waterlogged planet of Rodia, reached out to the Republic to ask for aid after he defied the Trade Confederacy. The Republic obliged, sending relief aid in the form of supplies and a Jedi healer. 

Me. 

I inclined my head. “I was gratified to be of help.”

The Force rippled as the attention in the room shifted to the young man beside me. “And your padawan seems to be learning quickly,” Master Mundi added.

I opened my mouth to agree, but the words died.

The humming of a light. 

Instantly, my insides were all aflutter. I hadn’t felt that light in months, and yet I could never mistake it. On every planet I’d been dispatched to, I searched for it and never found it. The sparse amount of times I’d been on Coruscant even, the light was nowhere to be found.

But now there was no mistaking it: the light was here. The sensation grew steadily, the source far too close to be anywhere farther than Coruscant's atmosphere.

I looked around at the council members to see if they’d felt it too, but none of their signatures seemed any different than they had before. 

“Yes,” I cleared my throat, “he is eager and very intelligent. He was of great assistance on Rodia.” 

“You picked your padawan well,” Master Fisto said, smiling at Ghon. 

“That I’ve never doubted,” I managed to say in spite of the humming. Maybe they would think me arrogant for saying it, but I never wanted Ghon to feel he stood alone in front of the council. 

Master Windu leaned forward, dousing me in the full weight of his skepticism that momentarily drowned out the humming, bracing his elbows on his knees. “How is Padawan Ghon’s learning going?” The light drew nearer, its humming filling my ears like the buzzing wings of a Grutchin. Ghon shifted beside me, reminding me of the question. 

“All things considered, I couldn’t ask for more. I look forward to the day when he doesn’t have to learn during a war.”

“As do we all,” Master Mundi murmured. 

The light grew louder still, loud enough for me to hear the exhaustion and anxiety within it, echoing the stress already present in the room.

“And what does your padawan think?” Master Windu asked.

Overwhelmed by the light as I was through the Force, I could still feel the flash of uncertainty fill the room and knew the council could feel Ghon’s reaction as strongly as I did.

“It’s been an honor to learn under Y/F/N Y/L/N.” He lifted his chin even as his hands shook slightly. “I’ve learned much.”

The light was shouting now, making it impossible to perceive anything else. “Well, it seems you’re a good teacher,” Master Ti's lips formed, his voice lost within the volume of the Force.

And then the humming cut off, beautiful silence caressing me. And into the silence came the words: “I should hope so.”

My breath caught in my throat. That voice. I could be dead and buried six feet under the ground and still recognize it. Still want to run towards it. 

Slowly, with my heart hammering in my chest, I turned to look.

In the open doorway of the councilroom stood none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

His hair, neatly sheared, was far shorter. Instead of being combed back with the tips resting on his shoulders like normal, it laid on his head, making his forehead appear smaller. His beard, however, was fuller than before, giving his face a longer look. He too wore the worry lines every other master sported, far deeper than I'd last seen.

And yet with all the differences, his smile was the same as always. 

I almost started to greet him with an “old man” and a smile, but stopped myself. This was no longer my master with whom I could joke around with. This was a master, a member of the Jedi council who was only to be treated with respect and formality. “Master Kenobi,” I said. The honorific felt strange coming off my tongue.

His face pinched, as if the formality of his title filled him with as much strangeness as it did me.

“Ahhh, Kenobi,” Master Windu sounded about as pleased as he ever did, which wasn’t saying much. “Join us.”

Master Kenobi glanced over my shoulder at Master Windu and gave a quick nod, before brushing past me to sit in the empty seat. Remembering myself, I bowed respectfully, and Ghon followed suit as Master Kenobi settled into his seat.

“As it happens,” Mace Windu said, drawing my attention, “we have your next mission.”

Ghon straightened. “Are we going back to Rodia?”

“Appreciate the enthusiasm, we do, Padawan Ghon,” Yoda said, chuckling. “But a mission for your master alone, this is.” 

A mission of my own? If it was too dangerous for my padawan, was I capable of it myself? Ghon looked at me, the uncertainty lining his features reflecting what I felt in my gut. “There’ll be stuff for you to do,” I assured him in spite of my misgivings.

“I think Master Yoda could use some help with the younglings,” Master Fisto said kindly. “Until then, you can get food and perhaps some sleep.”

Ghon didn’t move. 

I nudged him, and he reluctantly bowed to the masters and left the council room. 

As soon as the doors shut, I turned back to Master Yoda. “What’s the mission?”

“To go undercover, you are.”

Surprise bloomed in my chest, but I remained silent, trusting the council to elaborate and alleviate my confusion. 

Master Koon leaned forward in his chair. “We’ve received intel of a Separatist trader that spends his evenings in one of the clubs here. We want you to meet him there for some business.” 

“I don’t have any experience with undercover work,” I said slowly, taking great care to sound confused and not defiant. 

“Experience you have not,” Master Yoda agreed. “Skills you do.”

“We would not have chosen you unless you were the best fit for the job.” Master Windu’s tone left no room for argument. “The Republic is running low on PLX-1 and PLX-4 missile launchers. We want you to make a deal with this trader.”

What? 

Paying for weapons? From a Separatist? 

This was not the kind of mission I’d expected. Master Windu continued, talking of the money I was to offer and how many launchers I was to ask for. I kept my eyes on him, but I shifted my focus to the no-longer-empty seat.

The turbulent light of Master Kenobi’s Force signature only made me more wary. 

“Conflicted you are,” Master Yoda said, drawing my attention. “Unsure of the mission’s integrity, hmmm?”

“It feels odd,” I said slowly, “to be a peacekeeper and be dealing weapons. Wouldn’t it be better if one of the senators met with this buyer?”

The light shifted slightly, a little more desperate than before. 

“We believe this buyer would prefer a transaction off the record,” Master Windu said. “We’ve also received intel that he prefers human women of a certain…physique.”

Discomfort roiled in my gut like acid. The council was giving me this mission because of my physique? “How dangerous is this man?” I asked carefully, and the light flickered. 

Master Windu’s impassive face did not inspire any confidence. “We have no reason to believe there’s any additional danger in this mission than any other.” Considering a significant amount of my missions involved outright combat, that wasn’t as reassuring as he likely meant it. Or perhaps he did not intend to comfort me at all. 

But Jedi were called to obey, regardless of and even in spite of comfort. 

“Wherever I’m needed,” I said slowly, meeting Master Yoda’s gaze, “I will go.”

The light flickered again, but I kept my attention on Master Yoda, who did not react. Master Windu sat back in his seat. “Then you are dismissed.”

I bowed and left the council room, mind buzzing. 

Ghon leaned against a wall outside the council room, eyes half-closed with exhaustion. He needed to sleep, and yet he was waiting for me. This would be our first time since becoming Padawan and Master that we would be separated. There was bound to be some strain. 

He stood straight when he saw me. 

I reached out to rest my hands on his shoulders. “It’ll be okay,” I said softly. “My mission won’t take very long, and then we’ll likely be off to the Outer Rim again.”

Ghon did not look comforted. “What will I do if it takes longer?” 

“There’s plenty to be learned right here,” I told him. “You can meditate, and there’s plenty of people for you to practice your swordplay with.” 

“But what if…it takes longer than that?”

I watched him, feeling the waves of anxiety pouring off of him and realizing it wasn’t just anxiety at being separated. “I will be alright, Ghon. You don’t have to fear for my safety.” I smiled comfortingly at him. 

“Don’t worry about your master, young one.” The comfort infused into the familiar voice made my eyes flutter shut. Opening them quickly, I turned to see the council all filing out of the councilroom. And strolling towards us was Master Kenobi, smiling kindly at my padawan as he said: “She can take care of herself.” 

Ghon bowed in respect, but did not say anything. 

There was a silence where I felt Master Kenobi’s eyes on me, where I watched Ghon…who was gazing at Master Kenobi. My padawan heard his fair share of stories about Master Kenobi, and not just from me either. The awe radiating from him was justified.

“Master Kenobi,” I stood behind Ghon, my hands on his shoulders, “this is my padawan, Ghon Laster.”

A strangely fond smile on his face, Master Kenobi held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you.” 

I couldn’t see Ghon’s face, but I could feel his shyness as he shook Master Kenobi’s hand. “Pleased to meet you,” he echoed, likely not knowing what else to say. 

“I can sense your worry.” Master Kenobi’s eyes flicked up to mine before returning to the young man. “It’s natural to feel such things, but trust in the Force. It will look out for your master the same as it does for me or you.” 

It wasn’t just my own apprehension that eased. Even if I couldn’t feel Ghon’s feelings through the Force, the slump of his shoulders made his relief clear.

“Ghon, why don’t you go rest before joining Master Yoda with the younglings?” I said. “We didn’t get much sleep last night, and this is your chance to get some.”

“Yes, Master,” Ghon said, bowing his head towards Master Kenobi before walking off in the direction of his quarters.

My eyes lingered down the corridor even after he was gone from it. Look at him, I told myself sternly. Acknowledge him. I managed to turn my head, but somehow, my gaze lowered. Why? It wasn’t as if the floor was particularly interesting.

“Knight Y/L/N.” 

I could tell from Master Kenobi’s tone that it wasn’t a goodbye. He was waiting to talk to me. Steeling myself, I finally looked up at my old master.

He tilted his head. “I haven’t seen you in months.”

“Yes, well, the council keeps me busy.” I flashed him a tentative smile. 

“We have a knack for doing that,” he replied loftily, but the jovial look in his eye told me his pretention was teasing. 

I fished around for a snippy reply, but it didn’t leap into my mind as it used to, the rules of our engagement covered in dust. I realized that the awkward silence had returned, and yet it was too late for me to reply to his snark.

What could I say? What was I allowed to ask? 

“I was about to go to the gardens to meditate,” Master Kenobi said before I could figure out whether to extend or end the conversation. “Would you…care to join me?”

The light flickered. Was he…uncertain? What could he be uncertain of? “I would appreciate a chance to meditate with my old master.” I smiled at him, and the light steadied. Master Kenobi gestured down the hallway. We started walking together, taking every stride together with such ease, neither one having to adjust their pace for the other. 

The Jedi Temple gardens were one of the only green places on the planet of Coruscant, and it took a lot of work to keep up. But having a space where a Jedi could reconnect to the Force through plants, the most innocent of living things, was worth it. 

“I must say,” Master Kenobi finally said as we reached the courtyard, “I’m curious.”

“About what?”

Master Kenobi clasped his hands behind his back. “I…hear stories.”

“What kind of stories?” I replied, reaching out to brush my fingers against a leaf. 

“Stories about my wayward padawan.”

I pursed my lips to keep from smiling. To some, it’d be insulting to be called padawan once they’d ascended to being a knight, but being Master Kenobi’s padawan was always a good thing to me. “Oh?” I asked vaguely, even though I could probably guess some of what he’d heard. “What do they say?”

“Well,” Master Kenobi ran a hand over his beard, “they say you fought a whole pack of Nexu on Cholganna.”

“Grossly exaggerated,” I said lightly. “I only fought three.”

Master Kenobi snorted, and I felt suddenly too warm for my cloak as I grinned back at him. “And your run-in with Aurra Sing? I suppose the two of you didn’t actually resort to fisticuffs?”

“Well,” I lifted my chin, “that’s true, but she was asking for it."

“No doubt you were also.”

“Just the opposite,” I replied. “I was trying to heal one of her coworkers, but some people just won’t be told.”

Master Kenobi’s merry laughter filled the hall, and I couldn’t help smiling at him. Was it possible that our old normal could return so quickly? Just as I thought the thought, his smile faded. “I also heard you lost part of your hearing in one ear.”

Had he truly been keeping such close tabs on me to know about my hearing? I nodded, solemn. “An explosion on Bora Vio.” I swallowed, looking down at the leaf as I remembered the pain of the blast. “I’m lucky a bit of my hearing is all I lost. Not even the best of us can make it through a war unscathed.” I glanced up to see Master Kenobi smiling down at me in a way that reminded me of our past. “Unless, perhaps, you’re Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Master Kenobi’s face fell. “I’m far from unscathed.”

Panic flared in my stomach. “Is everything alright? Are you injured?”

“I’m quite well,” Master Kenobi assured me. I instinctively reached out with the Force, searching for any sign of pain or damage. Master Kenobi raised his eyebrows. “I see the healer training has paid off?”

My cheeks warmed as I quickly withdrew the Force. “Yes…it has. Vokara Che has been a wonderful instructor.” 

“Well?” Master Kenobi turned, holding out his hands. “What’s the verdict?”

I gave him a sideways look. His light seemed brighter than it’d been when first I sensed it before he joined the council meeting. The exhaustion was still there, as was the fear, but somehow the light gave off more warmth than before. “You’re not injured,” I replied, the only thing I was sure of.

“As I assured you.”

We reached the center of the courtyard, which was a plain yet polished marble circle. Master Kenobi sat down, and I sat across from him. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply.

The awareness started with myself.

Then it crept along the floor around me, the radius spreading until I was aware of the dozens of lives around me. Plants. Creatures. Jedi. I could sense the movement of the transits and speeders, carting people around this planet bursting with life.

But none of it compared to the light that sat directly in front of me.

Truly, I’d never felt anything more vibrant or mighty through the Force than Master Kenobi’s signature. If he ever happened to step foot on one of the dark planets like Dagobah or Mustafar, I was certain the planets would have a historic appearance of sunshine. 

Somewhere deep within me, there was a pull towards that light. Was it in my stomach? Or in my chest? Or perhaps even my head?

I couldn’t tell, but the Force seemed to sort of gather in between myself and the light, growing more and more dense.

Then a sharp tug came from nowhere, and because I was so in tune, I couldn’t stop it. 

My head jerked forward, only to collide with something so hard, I saw stars. “Ouch!” I blurted, opening my eyes and rubbing my smarting forehead. 

Master Kenobi mirrored me. “What in the blazes?” he muttered. 

“I don’t know,” I replied. I hadn’t leaned close enough to invade Master Kenobi’s space, unless…he leaned too?

With my eyes open, I couldn’t see the strange collection of the Force anymore, but I could’ve sworn I felt the Force laughing, and if I could feel it, Master Kenobi could feel it too. From the looks of him, he didn’t understand it any more than I did. 

The comm at my wrist dinged, and Master Windu’s voice filtered through.

“Knight Y/L/N, the attendant has arrived to dress you for your mission tonight.”

Head still aching, I pressed the button on the comm. “I’m on my way.” I gave Master Kenobi a quick, apologetic smile as I started to get to my feet. “Duty calls.”

“I’ll see you tonight then.”

I froze, paused in a sort of awkward crouch. “Tonight?” I echoed.

Master Kenobi’s mysterious smile filled me with the feeling I stood at the edge of a cliff. “I volunteered to be your backup for the mission.”

-

“The council agreed to this?” I asked for the millionth time as I looked at my reflection. 

“Yes, ma’am.” The attendant didn’t falter in her…attending.

Truthfully, I couldn’t explain what she was doing. She whirled around with brushes and bottles and sparkly adornments. Every movement she made directly correlated to my reflection morphing from a humble Jedi Knight to a midnight woman of decadence. 

The deep blue velvet dress clung so tightly to my body, I felt like it was strangling me. Draped over me were strands of precious stones of white, blue, and silver that caught the light every time I breathed. A matching hairpiece rested in my elaborate hairdo. The white, translucent gloves the attendant helped me put on helped me cope with how bare I felt, but the feeling of air against my collarbones and my back made me periodically shiver.

I’d never had this much of my skin exposed, nor the outlines of my body so easily made out. As the attendant had told me, the council approved, but I didn’t know if they’d seen the dress and approved it. Somehow, the idea of them all discussing the garment I was now wearing made me more uncomfortable in it than before and even more uncomfortable than when Master Windu commented on my Separatist-buyer-pleasing physique. 

And yet, strangely, as my appearance distanced me from the Jedi Code, the Force remained steady. It was comforting to know the Force could recognize me in spite of the sudden splendor.

I might've looked like someone else entirely, but I was still me inside.

The brush strokes on my lips ceased, and the attendant stepped back to study my reflection in the mirror. “You look perfect,” she said with great satisfaction, closing her trunk of paints and jewelry. 

I wanted to argue, but what did I know about such things? I rose from the chair and nearly toppled over, reaching out to steady myself. “How do I walk in this?” I grumbled, shuffling forward.

“Gracefully,” the attendant replied. “Here are your shoes.”

My eyes widened as she held up the platforms.

-

I stood nervously at the top of the stairs, looking down at the distance I somehow had to cover. I had a sinking feeling that these platforms made stairs dangerous, but there was no other way down. 

Lifting the skirts up enough to be able to see my feet, I stepped down, not looking away from the floor. I knew the moment I lifted my gaze, I would trip and ruin the attendant’s hard work as well as breaking my neck. 

Only halfway down the stairs, the Force shifted around me, as if it were parting for someone’s gaze. I stopped where I was and looked up.

Master Kenobi stood at the bottom of the stairs now, gazing up at me with an odd expression on his face. His expression resembled Ghon’s whenever I tried to explain that a visible lightsaber could be perceived as a threat to non-Jedi. 

“I know, it’s strange,” I said, redirecting my gaze downward to resume my treacherous descent. “I don’t even look like myself.”

“No,” Master Kenobi slowly said as I finally reached the bottom of the stairs, free to look up again. “No, you don’t.”

I nodded, pleased that he agreed. But when I opened my mouth to say something along those lines, I noticed how Master Kenobi’s eyes seemed to linger on the necklace around my throat. I lifted a hand to make sure it was still in place. “Blinding, isn’t it?”

“It certainly…demands…attention.” Master Kenobi cleared his throat, meeting my eyes. “The buyer will be pleased.”

I cast about for something to say in response, suddenly feeling my cheeks warm. “Hopefully Master Windu was correct about the type of company this buyer prefers.”

Master Kenobi’s face didn’t change, but the light took on a slight yet sickening green tint. He stepped to my side, turning to gesture down the street. “Shall we?”

“We’re walking?” I glanced towards the path and the great yawning distance before us.

“Is that a problem?” Master Kenobi asked.

I looked down at my shoes. I’d never walked long distances with them before. Surely it wouldn’t be an issue, even if I had to take smaller steps than I was used to. 

Quickly, I was proven wrong. 

I was moving slower than a Hutt, and it only took maybe twenty steps in the ridiculous shoes before my feet started to hurt. 

Night was falling in Coruscant, and the bustling nightlife didn’t seem to take much notice of a beautiful woman walking beside a Jedi Master. I envied Master Kenobi for being able to remain in his normal attire, but I supposed he wasn’t the one executing the mission. 

I opened my mouth, ready to ask Master Kenobi where he would be while I was in the club, but just then, my ankle wobbled. I flung my arms out to catch my balance. 

Unfortunately, the jerky movement sent my elbow flying into Master Kenobi’s gut.

“Oof!” he grunted, his hands coming up to grab my arm, helping me stay on my feet even through his pain.

“Sorry!” I said quickly. 

Instead of falling away, his calloused hands gently moved up my arm, offering me aid in my balance and offering something else entirely. “Here,” he said lightly. “Lean on me.”

We walked the rest of the way with my arm tucked into the crook of his elbow. 

With his aid, it was much easier to stay on my own feet, and I wished we could’ve walked the whole way arm in arm. Strange how being with him made me feel like a padawan again, as if with him, I had the option to not be strong. It felt almost like a luxury.

Master Kenobi stopped me when we were two blocks away from the club. “Here.” He dropped a comm into my hand. “I’ll stay here, out of sight.”

The sudden reminder of the situation made my chest tighten. I swore off all luxuries when I became a Jedi. It was time to be the Knight I’d been trained to be, the Knight Master Kenobi trained me to be. I squared my shoulders, gave a short nod, and then made the rest of the trip on my own. 

-

The novelty of my midnight dress had worn off. The cocoon of soft fabric against my skin felt wrong, and I missed the telltale scrape of my roughspun tunic against my skin. This self-serving grandeur wasn’t in line with the vows I’d taken. As I glanced around at the expensively clad bodies and breathed the air rank with alcohol, all I wanted was to be back in the temple.

Back in the garden. 

Master Kenobi wasn’t my only back-up. Alateen, a Rodian male I'd first met on his home planet, stood behind the counter. He also had a comm linked to Master Kenobi, and it was him that supplied me with the blue-tinted, tasteless and non-alcoholic drinks that matched with liquid sloshing around in the glasses of everyone around me. While drinking wasn’t expressly against the Jedi Code, I needed all my wits about me tonight.

“When was the senator supposed to get here?” I asked, lifting my glass to my lips to hide their movements.

“Fifteen minutes ago.”

I could tell from the edge to Master Kenobi’s serious voice that he was approaching no insignificant levels of stress.

I set the glass down, lifting my hand to delicately brush at invisible drops on my lips. “How long are we going to wait for their appearance?”

“At least a little longer.”

“You’re lucky,” I grumbled. “You can’t hear all the clammer and clatter.” The dull roar of music, conversation, and laughter was overwhelming. Master Kenobi couldn’t hear any of it and as a result wouldn’t have a raging headache later.

I missed the calm of the temple garden, meditating in silence, feeling the Force all around me. This place was so crowded, I barely felt like I had room to exist.

A Vurk male stumbled against my table, hitting it with such force, my drink toppled over, dumping half the contents onto my lap. “Ugh!” I grunted.

“What’s wrong?” The immediacy with which Master Kenobi’s voice came through the comm made me smile softly. 

“It’s okay.” I grabbed the cloth napkin and started wiping up the liquid. “Someone just knocked over my drink.”

“Do you want me to tell Alateen that you need another one?”

The Rodian male was leaning over the counter, talking very animatedly with a grinning Twi’lek female. “I think he’s otherwise engaged.”

“I’ll tell him,” Master Kenobi said gruffly.

“No, don’t.” I sighed, tossing the wet napkin onto the table. “There’s no point in having back-up if–”

“Well hello.”

That voice...the voice from many a nightmare I’d had in the past few months.

I jumped to my feet, whipping around to face the speaker. My heart kicked up into a ratchet pace, making me breathless. I stared into the soulless eyes I’d dreaded seeing since the first time I looked into them.

“Dooku,” I whispered in horror. 

“WHAT?!” Master Kenobi shouted into my comm.

Dooku’s hand shot forward, clenching my wrist before my fingers could graze the knife I had concealed. “Don’t say a word, or my agent will kill yours.” I glanced over at Alateen and noticed, for the first time, the way the Twi’lek’s hand lingered over the blaster strapped to her thigh.

“Y/N?” Master Kenobi’s voice asked. “Y/N, what’s going on?” I remained silent, staring at Dooku.“Talk to me! Where do you see Dooku?”

Dooku let go of my hand and pulled out my chair, a gentlemanly action to all those watching, but I wasn’t fooled. Alateen’s life depended on my cooperation. 

“Can you hear me?!”

I did my best to ignore his voice as I sat. Dooku took a seat across from me, looking as stiff and yet put together as he did while standing.

“I’m on my way, Y/N, just tell me if you’re alright!”

Dooku slid my drink across the table towards me. “Pull out your comm. Drop it in.”

“Y/N!”

My head urged me to obey Dooku, but my heart shouted back, begging me to say something to Master Kenobi. Dooku lifted his hand to his own ear. “Stoma, Y/N needs convincing.”

My eyes darted over to the Twi’lek, who gripped her blaster with her hand out of Alateen’s sight.

“No!” I burst out before clapping a hand over my mouth.

“Y/N, are you hurt?! Tell me–”

I yanked the comm out of my ear and dropped it into my drink. “I’m sorry, okay? Call off your agent.”

Dooku rested his hand on the table, palm down. A miniature countdown projected above his hand where a small black gadget rested. “In a moment, you’re going to stand up and follow me into the backroom.”

“Where are we going?”

Dooku fixed me with a look and said nothing. 

“What do you want with me?”

No reply.

“What about Alateen?” I asked. “If you hurt him–”

“Obey me and he won’t come to any unnecessary harm.”

“Unnecessary?” I asked, eyeing the numbers above his wrist. I had less than ten seconds left.

“One has to make sure your agent isn’t in a state to follow us.”

He’d thought this through. Everything had been accounted for. 

My heart sank. This was a trap, and I was already caught in it because all I could do was watch as the time counted down.

Three.

Two.

O-

With a loud boom, smoke filled the club. Screams reached my ears as the smoke made my eyes burn enough to make tears well up. Before I could reach up to rub at them, Count Dooku had firmly grasped my upper arm, leading me towards the bar. He didn’t drag me. He didn’t need to.

I reached out with the Force and immediately felt Alateen’s beating heart. With a bit of exertion, I could feel his unharmed body. He was unconscious, but so far, Dooku was telling the truth. 

My platformed foot ran into the doorway Dooku pulled me through, making me trip, but his death grip on my arm kept me upright. Once we were through, I turned to ask Dooku what was next. 

Before I could, I felt his hand on my shoulder and a sharp prick in my neck.

The last thing I remembered before my vision went black was the floor rushing to meet me as my knees buckled.

-

My head pounded. 

I squeezed my eyes shut tighter against the pain, but it didn’t lessen. 

As more awareness returned to me, I noticed the strange, aching position of my shoulders. I tried to shift, but I couldn’t move more than an inch. What was happening? 

“You’re awake.”

I jolted, my eyes flying open as I tried to step back. 

And didn’t get very far.

My heart sank as I looked up at the reflective surface of the metal chains which trailed from the ceiling and bound my wrists, keeping them aloft above my head. I looked down to see the dress, the jewelry, the gloves, and the sparkling strands of stones were gone, leaving me only in undershorts and a thin undertunic that I definitely hadn’t been wearing under the dress. My bare feet were freezing against the floor. I studied the wall in front of me, which seemed made of stone, but not smooth stone. It felt like the room was a cave, reinforced by the only source of light in the room being the open doorway behind me.

And when I twisted my neck, straining against the chains to give myself room to look, a figure stood in the doorway. Based on the silhouette, which was all I could make out, it could’ve been anybody.

But I could feel that same signature I’d felt before and knew exactly who it was.

Where were we? How long had it been since he’d knocked me unconscious in the club? Why had he taken me?

“What do you want with me?” I asked. He wasn’t the Jedi council; it didn’t matter if he judged me for asking questions. Dooku didn’t answer, and I felt nothing shift in his emotions. Either my questions didn’t matter to him or he was shielding himself completely.

He seemed to be in no rush. He just stood behind me, watching me. I could feel the weight of his gaze on my face. The weight turned into a distinct probing through the Force.

I let him probe away.

I wasn’t going to resort to Sith techniques.

Dooku walked slowly around, his face now illuminated in the light. “Apologies for the crude bonds. This planet doesn’t like technology, so we had to be a bit primitive.”

We were on a planet with high moisture then. Or perhaps a heavy gravitational pull?

“It’s high moisture,” said Dooku, making me pause. He was tapping into my thoughts. I stiffened, turning away from him, as if it were my face he gleaned the information from, not the Force. Why couldn’t he just hurry up and tell me what was going on?

The probing increased.

“Do you think I can’t feel you?” I asked.

“Why aren’t you stopping me?” Dooku asked. He stepped closer. “Push me out.”

I settled my gaze on him. So this was his game. He wanted to bully me into using a Sith technique. “No.”

A sharp searing pain shot through my head, and I sucked in a breath. As quickly as it came, it left. I’d only felt something like it once before.

“You felt me,” I blurted out. “On Taris. When I meditated, you found my signature and you cut me off.”

Dooku’s face remained impassive. “I assumed you were Kenobi.” 

How was that possible? Dooku said himself that I had darkness in my signature, and Master Kenobi’s signature was like pure light.

The pain lanced through my head again, cutting off my train of thought. “Push me out.”

“No.”

The pain was worse this time, enough to make a strangled groan leave my lips.

“Ahhh,” Dooku said. “I had a feeling Kenobi wouldn’t let you do such a mission on your own.”

I jerked my head up at him, feeling suddenly as though I were going to throw up. “What are you doing?”

"Imagine what he must've felt, storming into that establishment, only to find you were already gone." Dooku clasped his hands behind his back. “A worthy opponent is no good if there's no one to fight."

“If you wanted to fight Master Kenobi, you should’ve stayed on Coruscant.”

“And fight on his home turf?”

“I never took you for a coward,” I replied.

“Only a fool would fight a battle he does not need to.” The probing resumed, and Dooku tilted his head. “You have a padawan waiting for you on Coruscant, do you?”

My shields were half up before I even realized it. I forced them down. 

“He’s quite attached, is he not? The council doesn’t like that.”

I kept my shields open, silently apologizing to my padawan for putting him in danger. I could only hope that I returned to him in time to keep him safe.

“He’s young. Impressionable.”

An image formed in my mind, an image I hadn’t created, of an older Ghon dressed in black, wielding a red lightsaber.

“Stop that!” I blurted. 

“Do it yourself,” he replied. “Push me out.” I shook my head.

This time, the strike of pain spread down through my neck and into my chest and lingered longer. I let out a pained hiss as my heart contracted painfully under the strain. “What do you want from me?” I cried out in desperation.

“I want you to be the Jedi your master raised you to be!” Dooku thundered back.

I blinked at him, not understanding. Why would he want me to be more like Master Kenobi? Why would he want me to be more of a worthy opponent when he already had me where he wanted me?

Then it clicked. 

Pong Krell.

Of course.

Because everything always came back to him.

Master Kenobi was right on Taris; the attention Count Dooku was giving me stemmed from both of my masters. I looked at Dooku with new eyes. “You set a trap for me.” The ripple of darkness told me I was right. “You planted the information about the buyer and the type of women the buyer liked. You knew the council would send me.” They’d unknowingly delivered me right to him, gift-wrapped in a midnight blue dress.

Not even a hint of a victorious smile lingered on Dooku’s face. He didn’t revel. He only fixed me with a determined look. “Show me you’re Pong Krell’s padawan.”

I released a long breath. “No. Because I am the Jedi my true master raised me to be. And I will remain that Jedi until the bitter end.”

The pain reached all the way down to my hips this time. 

Again and again, Dooku repeated his command. 

Again and again, I refused.

Each time, the pain increased. When my body started to shake, rattling the chains above my head, I stopped keeping count.

-

There seemed to be no pattern to Dooku’s appearances. 

Now, whenever I refused him, I felt the pain from my head to my toes, and I was sure that every visit, the pain increased. Dooku didn’t seem amused by the pain nor did he seem to enjoy inflicting it. He was dogged in his pursuit of getting me to push him out.

Every time I almost broke, I thought of Master Kenobi, who’d hidden himself from the Force on Taris to protect me and wondered if I was endangering Ghon by not shielding. 

But I’d worked so hard to undo what Krell had done. How could I revert right back to it?

“No one’s coming to rescue you,” Dooku said during one of his visits. “You can feel the council’s doubt, don’t you? They see Krell in you just like I do, only they see it as a weakness.”

“That is their responsibility,” I’d replied. “Mine is to be the best Jedi I can be.”

The pain was horrid…but being left alone in the darkness was worse, because with the darkness came the scratching sounds.

There must’ve been some kind of rodent in my cell that came out in the dark because I never heard the scratching sounds when Dooku was there. That or I was starting to hallucinate. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched a conclusion; my hands were starting to shake from lack of food, and there was an unswallowable pain in my throat from lack of water. Three times since I’d woken up the first time in this cell, a human male brought me enough water to sate my thirst. Once he even brought some rations. When I tried to ask questions, he just stared at me and did not answer.

I had no way of knowing if Dooku sent him or if he was defying Dooku to help me. Either way, the food was only enough to remind me just how close I was to starving.

Unfortunately, even if my hands were free and a Jedi healer could heal themselves, hunger couldn’t be healed. I’d treated enough starving citizens throughout the Clone Wars to know that. 

As I listened to the horrible scratching sounds, I wondered if I would ever get the chance to heal someone again.

-

My head lolled back, and I stared up into the darkness where the ceiling was supposed to be.

Dooku had been more forceful this time. Perhaps he hadn’t expected me to hold on so long, however long I’d been here.

I had no way of knowing how much time had passed. There was no window for me to see day or night passing. If Dooku came into the cell once a day, it’d been a least a week since I was taken, but I had no way of knowing for sure. Perhaps he came twice a day. Or even every hour. Every period alone in the dark felt like ages. 

The longer I spent in this cell, the more my hopes of being rescued dwindled. If I was simply a hostage, I would’ve been returned or killed by now. If the council were organizing a rescue, would it have taken this long?

I was certain that the remainder of my days would be spent in this cell. I wished I felt the peace of the Force, but I could only feel the trickles of desperation Dooku clearly wanted me to feel. When would this end? Would it end with Dooku’s lightsaber buried in my gut? Or would it end with my body surrendering my spirit? 

-

My head lulled forward, breaking me out of my light sleep. I groaned as I lifted it to stretch it out. Now my neck ached as much as the rest of my upper body, but I still didn’t have the effort to hold it up. I could only rest it on one of my shoulders. It was freezing, but my body was too tired to shiver.

Today was surely it.

I could feel the Force in me going out like the ocean tides of Pabu, as if it were preparing me to leave myself and unite with it once more. 

As Jedi, we strived for the peace that came with the acceptance of death, and yet facing the prospect of my own was only wearying.

Had the council told Ghon of my capture? Probably, considering my mission was only supposed to last for an evening. Stars, I hoped that whoever told Ghon did so gently, for it was a heavy burden for any padawan to bear, and he was so young.

Well, my second master had far exceeded my first one. Maybe Ghon would get lucky in that way too. 

The sound of the door behind me scraping open reached my ears, and even with my eyes closed, the light of the open doorway was blinding.

“Y/N.”

The sound was far away, yet I shrank from it, expecting the pain that swiftly followed any sound. 

“Y/N.”

I knew that voice. My eyes fluttered, but it hurt too badly to keep them open. Something tugged on the chain holding my left arm up, and I let out a whimper as it pulled on my desperately sore muscles. 

“Y/N, it’s Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan.

Not Master Kenobi.

Obi-Wan.

“Obi…” My scratchy voice sounded like nothing I’d heard before.

“Shhhhh, save your strength, it’s alright, I’m here.”

I peeled my eyes open again, fighting the drag long enough to catch sight of the deeply concerned features of my favorite face in the galaxy.

My eyes fell shut again.

My body and mind had officially given up if they were conjuring such a welcome sight as Obi-Wan. Yet the impossible granted me an inkling of peace. Thank you, I said to the Force. For letting me say goodbye before taking me. I tilted my chin down to the ground, ready to give up.

The door scraped shut, throwing me back into darkness. Fingers tilted my chin up once more. “Open your eyes,” said my master’s voice. Instead of his voice getting further and further away, it was getting louder.

Confusion swirled, giving me enough strength to obey. I blinked but there was only darkness again. “I’m getting you out of here.”

Was this…could it be…?

My hopes rose.

“Darling, you have to hide your feelings,” Obi-Wan’s voice hissed. 

The hopes fell dead, dashed against the rocks of reality.

I’d never once known Obi-Wan to call someone by a pet name.

This was another trick, a new strategy of Dooku’s to get me to comply. How cruel, to take advantage of my failing mind to summon the image of my master, the very man I would never be able to resist. 

But resist I did.

If I’d made this far, I couldn’t cave now, not when the peace of death was so near.

“Y/N,” said the equally blessed and cursed voice. “Please, you have to hide yourself or he’ll find us.”

No. That’s not what Jedi did.

“I know, I can feel your hesitance, but if we’re going to get out of here, you have to.” The sound of his pleading voice was far worse than any other pain Dooku had inflicted on me. I felt a mouth hovering by my ear. “Y/N, if I ever earned your trust, listen to me now. You have to raise your shields.” Even the graze of his beard against my cheek felt real, dwarfed only by the wave of despair crashing over me. “C’mon, honey, do it for me.” 

I let out a whimper, knowing there was only one way to make this vision stop.

I’m sorry, I thought miserably, I can’t take anymore. I squeezed my already shut eyes tighter, shrinking away from the Force and waiting for the cruel vision to fade.

It was like losing one of my arms. Or cutting off a friend. Or falling with no hope of ever hitting ground.

It’d been only seconds of separation, but my body was colder, weaker, and hurting more and more every second. How had I survived cutting myself off from the Force under Krell?

I didn’t like it.

I didn’t like it at all.

But the fingers kept stroking my cheek. “That’s it, that’s it.”

Why was the vision still here? Dooku could only project it through the Force, and I’d pulled away from it. The vision should’ve faded, which meant…

My eyes flew open, and I wished more than ever that there was light so I could see my master. I tried to say his name, but my voice failed. 

The finger underneath my chin disappeared, and once again, there was a tug at my bindings. A strained whimper broke through my lips. “I know, I know it hurts, but I have to get you out–” He froze and then whispered under his breath: “Hells, he’s coming.”

Before I could muster up any thoughts or movements, all of Obi-Wan’s touch disappeared. I struggled against my restraints, the despair returning. There was a tiny, invisible caress on my cheek. “I’m here,” he whispered. “I’m here, but you have to shut yourself off.”

I hadn’t realized, in my panic, I’d reconnected with the Force.

I had barely enough time to lift my mental shields before the door scraped open again.

“Oh,” Dooku said from his place in the doorway. “Today is the day, then?” I heard the silent scraping of Dooku’s boot against the floor, drawing nearer and nearer. “Today,” he murmured, his voice far too close for comfort, “today, you give in.”

I managed to lift my head to see his keen eyes watching me.

I wanted to hurl a statement at him or even spit on the dungeon floor. I wanted to show him defiance, to tell him that he didn’t get to revel in my pain. But there was none left in me. I didn’t even have the energy to speak. I simply lowered my head again, shutting my eyes, hoping his visit would be quick today.

“You know you can’t live much longer.” His boots walked slowly around me. “Are you trying to die privately?” he asked. “Or are you trying to protect Kenobi from feeling the moment your life ends?”

I didn’t answer, even as my heart twinged in my chest.

There was a pause as the sound of his boots finished his rotation. He didn’t speak the words, but I felt the hidden message: join me.

My lips parted as I mustered all my strength. “I'm...” The word sounded no louder than a gentle breeze. “I'm a Jedi."

Dooku pushed his face close. “Jedi don’t shield themselves from the Force,” he said. “You’ve already given in. And for your submission, I think it’s time you got some food.” 

Guilt stabbed at my gut, and I was not comforted by the fact that Dooku couldn’t feel it. 

Dooku walked out of the room, the door sliding shut. 

Obi-Wan, wherever he was hiding, let out a long breath of relief. 

My body couldn’t even flinch at the blinding blue light that suddenly flashed through the chamber, nor at the screech of the chains as Obi-Wan’s lightsaber cut clean through them. 

For the first time in I didn’t know how long, my arms lowered past my shoulders. Unable to do anything, I collapsed, closing my eyes in preparation for hitting the floor. 

Instead of cool stone, however, my shoulder collided with a warm body, my head falling to rest on a broad chest. 

“I’ve got you.”

Obi-Wan lowered me to the ground. I had many questions, many expressions of relief ready to leave my tongue, but all I could manage was a high-pitched: “ouch.” It ripped through my dry throat, and I swallowed hard, trying to gather myself to say more. 

Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around me, offering me a modicum of warmth. “Where’s your dress?” he whispered.

I managed to shake my head. I don’t know.

Obi-Wan rubbed my arms up and down. He was probably trying to generate warmth, but the feeling of his hands on my skin was strangely painful. Then, his hands disappeared for a moment before wrapping a cloak around me, perhaps the one he’d been wearing himself. 

How long? I strained to ask as he wrapped the cloak around my neck, the clasp laying cold and heavy on my bare skin. I croaked twice, the croaks somewhat resembling the words. 

“Too long,” Obi-Wan whispered. “Eleven days.”

Eleven days.

My head felt too full and too empty to process the weight that came with the timeline. 

“Come on, up you get,” he said lowly. His arms hooked under my arms, pulling me upright. Another grunt burst through my lips as my muscles lit up like fire. “I know it hurts.” Obi-Wan pulled my arm around his neck, his steady body keeping me straight. “But we must leave before Dooku returns.”

He pulled me to my feet, and I nearly buckled.

“I know, I know, but I can’t hold my lightsaber if I carry you. You have to walk, Y/N, I need you to walk.”

And then we were walking.

Even as my feet and legs moved, my eyes fell shut, too tired to stay open. If it had been anyone else, I would’ve just laid on the floor, but it was Obi-Wan, so I would keep going.

I heard an electronic ding, and I opened my eyes just in time to see a door sliding away to reveal a barren, frozen wasteland I recognized.

No.

Not this infernal planet again.

The cold Neftali wind blew past my body, and my shivering began anew, but no complaint of any kind could pass through my lips before Obi-Wan dragged me into the snow.

Oh, it was so much worse than my memory made it out to be.

My bare feet were numb in almost an instant.

Obi-Wan couldn’t move carefully, not if he was going to get through the snow, but every movement of his body pulled at a part of mine that ached even as my body was quickly going numb. “Just a little further,” Obi-Wan kept saying as he half-led, half-dragged me. “Just a bit further.”

I pulled the cloak as tight around me as it would go. Even though it was thin, it was better than the brutal winds on my bare skin. I didn’t know where Obi-Wan was leading me, and without the Force, I couldn’t sense anything about my surroundings. 

“Just a little more.”

“Stop,” I panted. I felt horrible for saying it, considering Obi-Wan was practically carrying me, but I couldn’t walk anymore.

Obi-Wan came to a stop, gently lowering me to sit on the snow. I clutched onto his arms with my weak grip, which wouldn’t have kept me upright at all, had he not held me up. I desperately tried to catch my breath.

While my master’s appearance revived my spirit, my body was still shutting down.

“I’m…okay,” I managed to say. “Need…breath.”

Oh, every word was a colossal effort, and judging by the speed with which Obi-Wan’s eyebrows drew together, they weren’t as comforting as I’d intended.

“We need to–” He broke off as the distant sounds of voices reached us.

I wanted to cry. I couldn’t go any farther yet, not one single step, but our enemies drew ever nearer. The longer we stayed here, the more likely we were going to get caught. Between the snow and the dungeon, I would rather perish in the snow than be dragged back to that place. 

I couldn’t let Obi-Wan get caught, not when he came to rescue me. I looked up into his worried face, trying to summon the strength to move. It didn’t matter if I died on this planet, but if Dooku captured Obi-Wan, he’d subject him to the same pain he’d subjected me to. 

Clutching at Obi-Wan’s arms, I tried to sit up. 

Obi-Wan’s hand shot out, pressing down on my shoulder. His expression was pinched and cloudy with thought. “Okay,” he said to himself, seeming to come to some decision. “Okay, Y/N, you need to stay here, I’ll draw them away.”

“No!” My arms were weaker than my voice, but I still managed to grab ahold of him before he could slip away. Don’t be an idiot!

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I thought we’d have more time, but I have to lead them away.”

“Don’t–”

“Wait here for me.” Obi-Wan easily peeled my hand off his arm, squeezing it tightly. “I’ll come back, I promise.”

“Obi–”

Obi-Wan lurched forward, resting one hand on each side of my head as he pressed a kiss to my hairline, his beard scratching against my skin. And with that, he took off running. Blue light appeared as he activated his lightsaber, but soon, he disappeared altogether.

Even as my terror about Obi-Wan’s safety ricocheted through my brain, my eyes fell closed.

I’d seen many bodies suffer too much to hold on, but I’d never experienced it. Is this what it’d felt like for every patient I’d ever lost? Was this how much energy it took simply to hold on?

A grim certainty settled over me. If I stayed here in the cold much longer, my body would officially give up.

The sound of more voices became discernible over the roaring that could’ve been from the storm or could’ve just been in my own head. The voices grew closer. 

Did it matter much if they found me? 

No.

But would Obi-Wan endanger himself again to rescue me and get captured himself?

I couldn’t risk it. 

The desperation got me moving. Slowly, I managed to get to my hands and knees and started to crawl. 

I didn’t look up, not wanting to know how far I still had to go. I just kept crawling and crawling and crawling. 

The bunker, I remembered. But where was it? And how could I find it without the Force leading me?

Without the Force, I had no idea if I was even headed in the correct direction. If I’d been thinking clearly, I would’ve waited for Obi-Wan, but I didn’t, and now I was lost. He wouldn’t be able to find me when he was cut off from the Force, but reconnecting to it would bring Dooku right to him. 

Too tired to do anything, I half rolled, half collapsed onto my side, my arms falling limply to the ground as my head came to rest. The biting cold snow against my face hurt, but I couldn’t muster up energy to lift it.

Soon enough, I didn’t feel the cold anymore, nor the wet snow against my body, not even the thumping of my headache.

Everything was silent.

Everything was hazy.

And then everything was nothing at all.

-

Part 5

Overall tag list:

@thelastpyle @valiantlytransparentwhispers

Rescue Me tag list:

@penfullofwordsaheadfullofstories @starlazergazer @blackqueengold @ajwild220 @exploringalaxiesfarfaraway @mortallycrispyglitter @nerdory10 @shinybananapastanickel @sassysaxxy @sunshine-girl013 @fablesrose @marrily @friskynotebook @burnthecheshirewitch @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @thriving-n-jiving

[omaano]

more rambly thoughts about weapons (this is turning out to be a long one): -the darksaber is a weapon (sword), the beskar spear is a weapon (spear) -perhaps omega lends you her bow (bow), because hades itself definitely differentiates between a gun and a bow (adamant rail/vs coronacht). alternatively (sorry for bad batch-ifying your hades au it will likely happen again), crosshair's sniper rifle. -anyway, the rail would likely be a blaster of some sort, a dc-17 maybe? as a reference to the clones? (gun) -that leaves the shield and fists, then, which--- what the heck man, why is this so hard to pull from star wars lore. uh. who's big on martial arts? the jedi, i would imagine, so maybe the fists are… hm. nothing is coming to mind re: the jedi. what IS coming to mind is two things: darth vader's gloves of force choking (idk man), and mandalorian gauntlets/vambraces (din's whistling birds?). so one of those two, maybe? (fists). WAIT. i had a thought. it is bad batch associated but you can kill me for it later. WRECKER'S GLOVES!! there we go. -shield is a bit harder--- i'm considering leaning mando for that because they're big on armour, uhhhh….. the only shields that are coming to mind aren't even mando, they're the goddamn plasma shields used in TBOBF against boba and fennec. hold up let me go reference a fic--- okay wookieepedia is giving me silandra's shield, a legendary plasma shield used during the high republic era, or a simple light-shield, used by jedi younglings in training but able to deflect lightsabers and blasterbolts. okay i am thinking light shield with an aspect of silandra! (shield)

I've been promising this answer for well over a month please forgive me for taking so long! I sadly didn't have as much time as I would have liked to spend on the Hades AU in August ^^; Thank you so much @elwinged for sharing these super insightful thoughts as well, they were amazing to read and re-read! <3

Hades AU WEAPONS - and ASPECTS

First things first, I'll admit that I haven't thought about much of these on my own, so I'm just very thrilled and excited to dig into what you'd sent me! *A* (I'm combing the weapons and aspects together, hopefully in a coherent and somewhat structured manner)

SWORD

The darksaber is a weapon

Aspects: "darksaber probably turns into several different lightsabers: obi-wan's, anakin's/vader's, luke's? maybe ahsoka?"

This is the one thing were I won't have many thoughts to add, except that this would need some workshoping (mostly because I cannot think of any sword variants that's not "just" a vibrosword (Din would probably love to change the Darksaber to something less cursed XD) - but also wouldn't it be real funny if the Darksaber was just the Darksaber? No aspects, Din got it, Din is stuck with it in that one single form, there is nothing he can do about it.

I love all your suggestions, but I think I will just stick with this one because it's too hilarious to me. The Darksaber is the Darksaber, no two ways about it, sorry Din, you're stuck with it.

SPEAR

The beskar spear is a weapon

Aspects: "beskar spear becomes maul's double-bladed saber, savage opress' spear and perhaps venestra rwoh's lightwhip?"

I really like the idea of Savage's spear, but (after some minor googling) I like the Mon Calamari blaster spear (it's not very practical on land, but... we need some variety. Plus you get access to aspects through character interaction in Hades, right? Like another character gets reminded of that aspect and such... I guess Kit could be a lead in for this one, as Maul would be with Savage's spear).

(As a tangent I've also found the Lasan bo-rifle, but goddamnit I've kept most of the Rebels influence out of this AU too, so that only gets an honorable mention here.)

There are also electrostaffs that Zygerians used, that's one sided/ended (and Rex must be (unfortunately) very familiar with them since he used one to impale that slaver at the end of the Zygerrian arc)... I'm not a 100% set on this, but the other alternative I can think about is a shock trooper's electro-staff...

Venestra's lightwhip is more of a lightsaber, I guess? (I haven't yet watched the last two episodes of The Acolyte so don't at me here) so that doesn't really track here imo.

BOW

"perhaps omega lends you her bow, because hades itself definitely differentiates between a gun and a bow (adamant rail/vs coronacht). alternatively (sorry for bad batch-ifying your hades au it will likely happen again), crosshair's sniper rifle."

I think in this case it might be better to indeed keep the differentiation between bow and blaster (even if it will probably be a lot more difficult to collect enough aspects for a bow), and so let's not bad batchify the bow just yet XD (I've been fighting very hard NOT to allow the Bad Batch into this AU, only Omega and Echo got a pass from that ban)

Aspects: "bow maybe has an aspect of crosshair (sniper rifle), chewbacca's bow-caster, and… a nightsister bow? maybe swap omega and nightsister around and have the more basic version be the base weapon"

Yes to all of those and...I'm really feeling our limitations here for a 4th option because all i found was the Ewok's bow and arrow. So how about we downgrade a little to the energy slingshot that Ezra has in the beginning of Rebels?

RAIL

"anyway, the rail would likely be a blaster of some sort, a dc-17 maybe? as a reference to the clones? (gun)"

I suppose it is a better question if this is a handblaster or more of a sniper rifle. I don't know the rail all that much because for the life of me I cannot make it work (I don't remember how I managed to make a single successful run with it in the first place... so I don't remember how it works in-game) since Din has a variation of those on his person at all times. So the "rail" either stands in for the Amban Rifle, or the handblaster at his hip.

(I'll veto the DC-17 since that was nominated as Rex's keepsake, so let's not confuse those two, yeah?)

Aspects: "rail has an aspect of padme (she's my GIRL), ezra's bow-lightsaber monstrosity, and perhaps leia's blaster? feel like that's quite similar to padme's though… we'll workshop it"

I was thinking that Crosshair's rifle would fit better here (both Omega and Fennec can hint at access to that?), Ezra's lightsaber-blaster combination is a genius thing, no badmouthing that horrible creation, I love that! :D and sure, I guess Padme's little screwdriver looking blaster pistol can also be an aspect?

FISTS

"[...]what IS coming to mind is two things: darth vader's gloves of force choking (idk man), and mandalorian gauntlets/vambraces (din's whistling birds?). so one of those two, maybe? (fists). WAIT. i had a thought. it is bad batch associated but you can kill me for it later. WRECKER'S GLOVES!! there we go."

Aspects: "fists.. .maybe they start out as din's whistling birds, then aspect of wrecker, vader and…. boba (flamethrower)? i also just read about mandalorian crushgaunts (beskar reinforced gloves) which could also be the base, and swap out whistling birds for boba?"

The basic weapon can be a Mandalorian gauntlet (but the whistling birds I was planning to keep for the Cast attack, since it's with Din at all times, and so are his vambraces. I couldn't think of any other long-range weapon on his person that wouldn't become a changable thing with all these other weapons. Plus there is also a limit to how many times and how fast you can fire those, so I think that tracks alright) But I can get behind the others... I don't remember what's up with Wrecker's gloves, but I do seem to remember Black Krrssantan (sorry for any spelling mistakes) having his electric knuckle dusters that can also pack a punch.

SHIELD

"shield is a bit harder [...] the only shields that are coming to mind aren't even mando, they're the goddamn plasma shields used in TBOBF against boba and fennec. [...] or a simple light-shield, used by jedi younglings in training but able to deflect lightsabers and blasterbolts."

Aspects : "shield-- aspect of silandra (a legendary plasma shield used during the high republic era), uhhhhh OOH obi wan's saber because soresu, and. uh. enfys nest's gauntlets? they're technically gauntlets, as titled, so they could be slotted in as an aspect of fists, but they fan out to be mini shields, so…."

Mandalorians can have a small shield of their own (as seen on Paz and Bo-Katan both), so that's good for base, with and aspect of Silandra, and Enfys Nest (that's made of beskar plates too, isn't it?)... and like what could be the last one. The idea of Soresu is absolutely hilarious (mostly because Din would be so bad at it ,so it would also track as a legendary aspect, considering how those are supposed to be more tricky to use?) but also like. What if it's just Din's beskar armor turned up to 11? XD I really have nothing better here ^^;

[dontbelasagnax]

Hello

What is a character that you did not expect you would like but ended up being obsessed with?

Hi thank you for the question! You have no idea what can of worms you just opened haha! My answer is Obi-Wan but wait- let me explain!

I first watched the Star Wars movies with my family when I was 5 or 6 in the order that they were released. So originals then prequels. Over the years, we watched 2003 Clone Wars, the TCW movie, and then we would catch some episodes of TCW from time to time when we were somewhere that had cable TV and was playing the show on Cartoon Network.

My little child brain did not see any nuance whatsoever because I was a child and therefore all my favorite characters were characters I thought were cool or the epitome of #girlpower (I'm a lesbian. I was obsessing over them in a lesbian way. I did not know this. Go women.) To me, Obi-Wan was just a white man. He was nice but he was also bland and boring. I didn't really touch his action figure when I would play with the Star Wars ones my brothers and I shared.

Last year I decided to watch Star Wars in chronological order of events rather than release date. And I really wanted to sit down and actually watch TCW because I'd only seen odd episodes here and there as a kid. In my rewatch, I was struck by Obi-Wan's kind heart, undying belief in the Jedi Order and the light side of the Force, sass and wit mingling with posh Brit attitude, the way he just slays nonstop (even in flavors of drowned wet cat and pathetic meow meow), and his overwhelming vibes of bisexuality. I was quite taken by him. He went from being just some white guy to being My Special White Guy.

[If you are curious and would like to see my list of childhood faves, it's under the cut.]

Vader - He's intimidating and I had his lightsaber. (Came in a three pack of Vader, Luke, and Obi-Wan. My mom went ham for things that came in three's or multiples of three because I'm a triplet and it's convenient)

C-3P0 - He literally went to the school of cuntology. (Special honor goes to his husband R2. Inseparable comedy and fuck-shit-up duo.)

Leia - She's a badass and I'm a lesbian. Slave Leia outfit did something to my developing brain.

Padmé - She's competent and I'm a lesbian. Also I would regularly check out the Star Wars visual dictionaries from the library or just look at them while I was there (I would go every Wednesday) and stare her costumes for way too long. Genuinely, I was (and still am) obsessed with every single costume they gave her.

Ahsoka - Jedi who's a girl and also a kid like me???!? Instant fave.

Ventress - Oaughhhgg drop dead gorgeous woman with two beautiful red lightsabers and the way she fights????? Guards, take me away

Aurra Sing - Genuinely think this one was because I'm a lesbian. I recall checking out a novel where she was the mc along with a comic that featured her from the library and the only thing from them I remember is looking at the pictures of her and thinking she's so pretty.

Mace Windu - Special honors go to him because his lightsaber color is the best. When I dove into Star Wars fandom spaces for the first time last year, I could not fathom why I kept seeing people say stuff about "Windu hate". I was under the impression the only thing to critique was they didn't let Samuel L Jackson say motherfucker even once. I stand by this.

[monathedefiant]

i just watched the acolyte and i like it. . .

so far!

as a jedi loving star wars fan, i've learned to get nervous when feloni and co bust out the lightsabers. either we get a special jedi who's not like other jedi. or all of them are painted as stodgy relics of the past.

so far, the acolyte skirts the line between the two while carrying potential to do a secret third thing: actually show jedi culture in a positive light while also highlighting the complexities of its practitioners.

in one scene, padawan jecki scolds jedi master sol for carrying a holo with old images of osha, his former padawan. jecki brings up the classic 'no attachments' rule. but sol responds by explaining that simply holding on to fond memories isn't inherently bad and can even be helpful at times.

this message is for jecki, but it works well with an audience that has often been allowed - even encouraged at times - to see the 'no attachment' rule as banning all sentimentality rather than specifically being about the release of obsessive or possessive feelings.

it's a pro-jedi stance put in simple terms.

in another scene, sol tries to convince osha to release her grief. he uses mae seeking revenge as proof of why she shouldn't let those feelings fester. sol doesn't tell osha not to grieve at all. rather, he reminds her of how dangerous it can be when a force-user (jedi or not) allows themselves to be consumed by pain.

another pro-jedi stance that i really appreciate.

but then we have jedi master vernestra rwoh and jedi knight yord fandar. both function as stereotypical jedi in ways that come off as antagonistic to someone like sol who challenges jedi ideals even just in the first two episodes.

yord represents the average jedi and vernestra represents the council. both are painted as too stuck in their ways to recognize when the usually rules shouldn't be applied. we see this at the end of episode 2 when vernestra orders sol to return to coruscant for a committee to decide their next move rather than just following the next lead while it's still hot. in this moment, he's painted as following his heart (good) and she's painted as following protocol (bad).

sol represents a willingness to deviate from jedi norms in response the situation unfolding before him. since we're supposed to side with sol, vernestra comes off as the Stuffy Jedi type who's "too obsessed with rules" for us to take seriously.

we once again have a story that ties loyalty to the jedi way of life and to the jedi council as being constrictive, outdated, and disconnected from reality. which is a high-key anti-jedi stance that's been propped up frequently in newer star wars projects.

but i guess we'll just have to wait and see *shrug*

so, i'm hoping the acolyte follows in the footsteps of the obi-wan kenobi series by framing distance from jedi beliefs as dangerous and closeness to them as healing.

but i'm aware that the show might go the ahsoka route of framing distance from jedi beliefs (esp around attachment) as necessary when loved ones are in danger and conformity to them as something only the heartless can achieve.

[cosleia]

Balance

Originally written for a kiss prompt on Twitter. Anise (twigbelly) asked for Yoda and Maz Kanata, "lazily".

--

Maz liked younger men. They had a lack of world-weariness, a lack of experience, that refreshed her. Hope was a hard thing when you had lived for nearly a millennium and seen what Maz had seen.

Maz also liked men who were nearing the end of their lives, because often at that point they started to recover their youthful joy.

It was the men in the middle who were difficult.

Yoda wasn't young enough when they first met. He was obviously interested, but he was also still clinging to his misguided interpretation of the Jedi Code, and Maz didn't feel like trying to talk him out of it. He had his chance, and he blew it.

Maz spent her Coruscant vacation running around with Dexter Jettster instead.

When the Force drew her to Dagobah some hundred years later, though, there Yoda was, seeming far older and far less certain of everything.

Maz liked when a person could admit they didn't possess all knowledge in the universe.

"I'm not sure why I'm here," Maz told him, settling down on a stool in his cozy little hut. "But it's a nice coincidence that you're here as well. Unless it's not." She gave him a wink.

To his credit, Yoda laughed at her terrible joke. "Moves in mysterious ways, the Force does," he agreed, stirring the pot he had going over the cookfire. "Expect to see you again, I did not." He glanced at her, looking almost shy. "Grateful, I am, for this second chance."

"So am I," Maz said, pleased.

They ate soup together in comfortable silence. When Yoda had cleared the bowls away, he told her he'd had a vision.

"Know not do I what it portends. Believed, I did, that I knew what to tell him. Wrong, I was. Happened differently, it could not have." He cocked his head to the side. "You, I saw, with his father's lightsaber."

"I believe you've made me wait long enough," Maz told him. "Tell me about the vision after. I may be nine hundred and seventy-six years old, but that doesn't mean I like wasting time."

Surprise sent Yoda's wispy eyebrows up his forehead. His nose wrinkled in a rather cute way.

"Kiss me," Maz clarified. "And you can take your time with it. Kissing is time well spent." She put a hand on Yoda's knee, and Yoda swallowed, then leaned in.

It was, Maz soon realized, his very first kiss. She did her best to make it a good one.

He in turn quickly learned how to take her breath away with soft, slow, gentle touches.

They spent several highly satisfying hours at it. When Maz felt she could no longer ignore her purpose here, she finally disentangled herself from Yoda. Regretful but also happy, she smiled at him. "So am I to bring this lightsaber to you?" she asked, getting right back down to business.

Yoda blinked at her. He had a wide, silly smile on his face. "No," he replied after a moment, seeming to gather his wits. "Return here, Skywalker will, yes. But no longer for him, that lightsaber is. Keep it you must, for someone else."

The Force did indeed move in mysterious ways. Maz set off to Cloud City to retrieve the lightsaber Obi-Wan Kenobi had given to Luke Skywalker…the lightsaber with which Anakin Skywalker had slain dozens of Jedi in the name of the Dark. That same fearsome blade would one day save the future of the Light.

And Yoda hadn't been ready, before, but he was ready now, when Maz returned to him.

Balance.

~The End~

[bearpillowmonster]

The Acolyte

I first heard about this series because of the main people involved before they even gave it a title, just the time period, probably had no idea for a plot but the time period was interesting and of course it seemed like forever ago that they showed footage at D23 and Dafne Keen came on stage. It sounded cool, different colored lightsabers and a dark-side sensibility. I didn't watch any trailers but it was definitely different enough to peak my interest from how samey a lot of the other Disney Star Wars stuff has felt.

So, it's not really what I expected or wanted.

That first episode skips an opening crawl and just opts for the text on screen, a little less romantic and got me off on the wrong foot. But it talks of an assassin which sounds promising, darker, then we see her and they kind of flub it because there's no real mystery or air about her, we dive into her and her past pretty much the first episode, not menacing enough for me, they make it about twins which is a little less graceful. Especially since I heard Carrie Ann Moss was going to be in it, yeah, well they kill her in the first (10?) minutes so it really put a damper on it, why even cast her? She'll be in flashbacks but come on! Money!

Besides that, the money is actually double that of Obi-Wan and it shows, the CGI is much better and you can tell there's some care put into it. However, I still complain that lightsabers still look like light bars like the other shows and the way its shot left me desiring more, there were points where I thought "Oh, something cool." like the camera spinning then she wakes up but that was about it. It's still a tv show so it falls into the same trappings because I found myself noting where I would place cuts because of how unnecessary and pace-breaking it could seem at times because of the extended runtime to fit episode formats. You saw me complain about Andor, and this isn't quite as bad so we see more of the characters but the order of events is a bit janky, we could get a lot more relevant scenes than just talking and more near the scene it becomes relevant rather than at the beginning of the episode and waiting for it to catch up.

But no, it doesn't cut from person to person, the twins ARE the mains and yeah, like I said, it's not graceful. There's no environmental storytelling, it's just "do you ever wonder what's out there?" then see Jedi threatening to take you and you say yes, she had no reason to say much of anything, she didn't even want to step out. Now she knows how to hotwire a chimney- wait, why? You can't just open it? This wasn't established to be broken or anything. I get that she's mechanically inclined later in life but peetz, throw me a bone as to a reason or something. Same with her separation theory, ok, she wants to be different but I also wonder how this is all she knows and yet, it doesn't give us any sort of extra push as to why she doesn't want this life. And they make the two out to be these secret sacred twins that have all this power already (but deep inside). Remember that force conception from the AU comic? Well...

Let's divy it up because Leslye Headland is a controversial person that I won't talk about her reputation because it's too easy but she brought in so many people that didn't seem to know a lick of Star Wars, which how she got the job, I guess she was a personal friend and really I think you can make a good story out of very little but with Star Wars specifically, fans are going to chew you up and spit you out for it because you probably don't deserve it. But you can see from the credits that it doesn't start with the Based on George Lucas, it has Leslye, then Leslye then Leslye, then George then Leslye. Ok, now I know who to blame.

But from interviews of cast members, they know about just as much so it leads me to believe some are also personal friends or just actors they liked.

I saw a lot of people defending the series, saying that if you liked the novels they've been putting out, you'd appreciate it a lot more and that may be but from the other side, they also have an argument because it's just not good. And the side defended it often likes to say "it's a lie, don't believe what they say. Even the cast interviews" but like- that's the cast and I'm watching it and I'm seeing things that people have rumored so I don't know what you're mysteriously alluding to. This show is even labeled as a mystery, never did I feel that way.

So yeah. I dropped it, even beside the stupid plot points which you can argue as to how much it retcons or not- The way it's structured isn't appealing, I was never excited, never felt like coming back for the next episode, we're only on episode 3 but we're also on episode 3. You could argue that it might not matter if it was a 21 episode season but it's 8 or something. But even so, if nothing good happened for 3 episodes let alone the first three then its not going to change your mind, it can't be redeemed. I dont think anyone's opinion will be changed, there's no punch waiting at the end, just like so many of the other series. Dafne Keen shows up? Maybe I'll skim her parts but I'm just not interested anymore.

[phoeebsbuffay]

Imagine: Vader has the control of the empire, no longer subjected to Palpatine. But there is conflict on him… especially when he senses his old flame is alive. And she’s coming for him.

Warnings: this is an idea independent of the new “SW” series (such as “Kenobi” for example). Other than that, for the purposes of friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, you will have no Padmé here. But there’ll be references to “The Clone Wars”.

Warnings2: drama, angst, unburnt Vader, violence, lots of drama with FLUFFY in the end.

Well, you have been warned…

***

Preface.

Vader stares down at the corpse of his former master. A sensation of having his vengeance completed fills his body. He is the only Sith Lord, and him alone. But first and foremost, he won’t be the one to bow to others, waiting for orders and carrying them out.

I am my own master.

He breathes in. He breathes out. Mechanically so. Despising Palpatine’s lifeless body, he passes over it, discarding it as if it belonged to some dead animal he had the misfortune to encounter.

Vader then proceeds with his plans for the Death Star. He feels the power of the Force guiding in darkly, mysterious manners and a sly smirk crosses upon his lips.

No more obedience.

Silence is his best companion. When surrounded by it, Vader’s concentration improves. He meditates better. Force flows naturally. No one dares to interrupt him.

But silence is also his worst enemy. When his eyes close, voices of those his lightsaber came across with yell in the back of his mind, tormenting him. Worse is, however, not only the look of disappointment in Obi-Wan’s eyes, but the pain he inflicted upon you. The angst, the chaos, the hate.

He hoped to have brought you by his side. He thought he succeeded, but he knew you well enough. You did not disappoint him. There was a fight, but you resisted him as much as you could.

Then Obi-Wan forced you to leave him, rescuing you from his fangs. After he was left to die, Vader never heard about you. Until…

I sense a disturbance in the Force.

Until now. His skin tingles, there is hope rising in the midst of his dark heart. You live. But this relief is suffocated by the depth of shadows that still poisons Vader’s heart, whose tentacles hold a tight grip upon his mind as well.

Nonetheless, he wears his mask and decides to wait for you.

Y/N, I know you’re coming for me. I’ll be patiently waiting for you.

***

Flashback. Ten years ago. Your POV.

Everything was easier when you were being instructed to become the representative of Mandalore in the Senate. You were young, but not enough to be in the school. But your heart was completely naive.

Before you reached the Senate, however, Duchess Satine thought wise to have somebody escorting you. A Jedi, she told you, would be the best option because these were days of wars and the Jedis were peacekeepers. Satine asked a favor to Obi-Wan and general Skywalker was designated to be with you most of the time.

He came to meet you the day you were ready to depart.

“My lady”, he bowed.

You had never seen such a handsome before and perhaps he had captured your thoughts because there was a smirk in his lips where there had none before.

But you held no malice in your heart or your mind. Sweet natured, you were often seen as too pure for this world so lost in darkness, corrupted by wars moved by the ambition of others. You once told those who were against your presence in politics that the world should be remembered of days where light and peace were all the Galaxy knew. Your optimism was very captivating.

“Master Skywalker. I see it’s you who’ll take me to the Senate, am I correct?”, you inquired as he took you to the ship.

“Indeed, my lady. My Master assigned me for this task. An honor, I should say, that it is to serve your ladyship.”

You giggled at his galant manners. Anakin was certainly trying to impress you: he too thought you were the embodiment of the damsels who were portrayed in these songs he used to hear as child. When looking at your red-ish curls perfectly braided in two, tied underneath a triangle headdress, or noticing the blue gown that enhanced your curves, he was mesmerized. There was an immediate attraction between you, but you chose to ignore—and so he did for the same reasons—because of your sense of duty.

But you were very friendly to him, though. And the more the two of you engaged in conversations, the more Anakin himself came to find out two things:

1. You had the Force with you. But how could you not realize that?!

2. You were indeed too innocent for this world. He vowed to himself he’d protect you to the day he dies.

As for you, it was all of a sudden that you could capture his emotions and thoughts. But maybe you were under the effect of exhaustion as you had been working hours a roll before engaging in such a long journey? Or perhaps was this the result of the attraction you felt for him? General Skywalker did possess good looks and as a woman, however inexperienced you might be, you could not deny yourself that.

Anakin could tell something was troubling you, but he did not say anything until he sought his Master’s counsel first. It was far more common to find the Force in a child than in an adult without practice as it was your case, who ignored all of that completely. At least for Anakin, this seemed impossible.

“What do you think about the Jedis?” He inquired you after a while.

There was a moment where conversation ceased and you took the book of Galactic constitution to read, and he found the sight of you concentrated as you decorated the rules and laws that helped to keep Galaxy in order, adorable. Perhaps you’d make a good diplomat after all.

“They are necessary to the working of the Galaxy”, you responded him with sincerity. “Peace needs peacekeepers after all. Galaxy is enormous, my lord.”

Anakin smiled at the innocence he detected in your words. He took a like of you, you could tell that by how he smiled and it made you happy since the two of you were expected to spend time together. You hoped to be a pleasant companion for him.

“You present a good point when you look at that angle”, he said all the while he took a curl that dropped to his eye behind his ear. “But do you not think every planet should look after their peace themselves?”

Perhaps he was testing you, but you did provide him an argument why each planet needed the mutual cooperation and not follow the old saying “each to their own”.

“We need each other. Together we cooperate better, because divided we might fall.”

Anakin was impressed by your passionated speech. You convinced him of your point. And you smiled at how well the two of you were getting along.

It was all that you’ve talked about. He could tell you were inexperienced and you were eager to get some news from him. He would help you going through all that even though he hated politics.

The first month for you there was terrible, execrating! Anakin tried to console you, he hated to see your innocence—which some might call naivety as you were abruptly told by other Senators—rupture like that. And each time you were upset or became dissatisfied with yourself, Anakin sensed a disturbance in the Force.

Well, he had to do something about it. And that was when you were told that you carried the Force.

***

Present days. A galaxy far, far away.

Carrying a white saber whilst dressing a black gown beneath which you wear black plants as well as black boots, provide you an interesting contrast. It often makes you earn the trust of the bad and the suspicious of the good whenever either crosses your path.

The shadows might have embraced you, but you flow to light often. You are comfortable with both and used either to your favor. Ever since Obi-Wan disappeared of this world, you’ve been fighting to survive. The Empire knows you are out there, feeding resistance as well as paradoxically you stay away from trouble. Depending of your mood, you’d give in a rebel you might not like that much.

Although that’s not something you do currently. As you meditate, you come to terms with yourself and the scars you carry. It still hurts when you remember you are now haunting the man you once loved with all you being. In moments like this, where you are flying across the galaxy, you do not allow yourself to dwell in the past.

But sometimes you swear you can hear Obi-Wan advising you to stay focused in the light rather than flowing to the dark with the excuse that Force needs balance.

“You are acting like the fugitive you are not. In fact it’s not that you are running from Palpatine and Vader, but that you are running from yourself, from your feelings.”

These words still pain your heart. But they have to be remembered. Ironically, you use them to fuel your hate for him. However, in nights where you were tired of fighting, you ask yourself: how did I get here? How did I become the person I swore to defeat?

You developed a sentiment of self hatred. In moments like this you feel lost. You weep because you are alone. The man who once swore to protect you until he’d die is very much alive and chose power over you.

To realize this breaks your spirit each time. Although at the moment, as you fly to meet him, you turn to your past not because you miss it—well you might, in fact—but mostly because it’s time to be at peace with yourself.

The Lady White, as the rebels often call you, is the rebels’s hope. And soon, as you finally leave your shield down so he can see you are alive, you’ll meet your death with elegance. Or at least try to take him down with you.

***

Flashback. Anakin’s POV.

“Whilst I am not a fan of meditation, it is an important tool to control your emotions and your thoughts”, he was telling you. The Senate was in recess and you had a break to begin your training as Jedi. Obi-Wan reluctantly allowed Anakin to be your Master.

Now sitting in the grass, away from the public sight, he was teaching you the techniques of breathing in, breathing out so you could feel the Force flow with you.

Anakin watched you intently. He insisted that you’d save all morning for your Jedi practice as the Senate could take a lot of you and the Force must not be out of the balance when it was with you. He also enjoyed the fact he had another excuse to be around you.

“It’s difficult to concentrate”, you pointed out, sighing with impatience. “Too many thoughts, Master.”

Anakin took a seat by your right side. Your scent of petals almost destabilized him. That day your hair was completely loose and you wore a small tiara with a blue stone in it. You were also dressing a red gown with short sleeves, that showed your shoulders off. The most pure temptation.

“Let these thoughts come at the same time you ought to let them go. They are like clouds, they come and go easily. Do not get yourself attached to them.”

He whispered in your ear and you reacted almost instantly. Anakin could tell he had an effect on you, an effect that became more visible every day. But he knew he should not feed this feeling. It was not his place to do so. However, why couldn’t he stay away from you?

The goodness in you came out naturally, captivating Anakin’s heart and even inspiring the light there was in him. Your influence upon him should be not be ignored. It’s been there with him since day one.

Casting his sentiments aside, once duty must always come first before any kind of desire that may arise, Anakin focused in the lessons he was teaching you. And a small smile soon twisted upon the corner of his lips when you succeeded in meditating. As a result, you were almost floating, a sight too impressive for him.

“You are doing great, Y/N.” He told you once you opened your eyes and glanced at him quite anxiously. “You progressed a lot more today than the days before.”

Anakin saw how your cheeks were bright pink and how your smile spreaded on your lips after his words. He, more than anyone, understood the purpose of the proper compliment—although these may have been heavily influenced by his newly feelings to you.

“Is it time for the practice of the lightsaber yet?”, you inquired, ready to stand as he offered you his hand.

“Calm yourself, Y/N. First, the basics. Then the lightsaber.” He chuckled at the first signs of your willfulness.

You tried not to scoff at him, but accepted that you needed more time. In due time, however, the connection with your Master grew stronger. As spring turned into summer, you took your time to be by his side, enjoying every lesson possible. Anakin was surprised by your dedication, you did have more discipline than he did in his own days.

“Be careful, Y/N!” He ran to you as you almost fell from one of your physical exercises. You ended up falling right on to him. On top of him, much to your consternation. “Are you okay?”

You were quick to leave him, much to Anakin’s disappointment. He could tell how you were feeling by looking at you, hearing your heartbeat. Whenever you giggled nervously was mostly because some thought occurred you that your reason disapproved, and that was what you did. Again.

He smirked at himself, aware about such thought you saw as mostly irrepressible.

“Yes, Master. I appreciate your concern. I’m very clumsy”, you apologized.

“There’s no need to worry. Now come, maybe you need a break.” And by saying so, he pulled an arm around your shoulders.

It didn’t go unnoticed by him that you did not remove his arms, but relaxed under them.

***

Your POV. Current days.

Space is dark, with few points in it glowing in different colors. You spot the Death Star from a safe distance, hesitating still.

It looks so inviting, you thought. There’s emptiness in your mind, despite the burden there’s in your heart.

When looking at that fantastic building—for better or worse—you come to lament the purpose upon which it was builded. You actually carry to you doubts about who you were, disappointment lingering about the responsibilities you had to the Republic.

The self hatred that is in you makes you question yourself by opening old wounds. You bleed. You feel hopelessness washing over you.

You could stay there. Just there. Waiting to become his prey. You perceive now that you accept your destination. Dying in his hands no longer seems tragic to you.

Considering you were once tempted to join him in the empire he eventually managed to make by the Chancellor’s side, it is fair that this is how you pay for your mistakes.

On the other hand… there is this old side of you that, to your dismay, hasn’t died by Anakin’s side. In fact, a small question pulls the following trigger: what if there’s hood in him?

In your recollections, now that you come to think of it, you are stupefied by the look of pain in his yellow eyes. As if they held utterly disappointment because you too turned the back on him.

It takes a very long time for you to comprehend his motives. And as you look at the Death Star, sensing his presence, there’s less pain in your new perspective. Whatever it is that lights a spark in your heart, it brings you to your old self again. In the memory of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the old Republic, you, the last Senator, go willingly to meet Darth Vader.

And he is there, waiting for you too.

***

Flashback.

It was raining outside. To open a new season, drops of water fell out of grey skies in a tempest. It was how the new chapter of your life was set to begin. You went to propose the end of war, but your arguments were not only rejected, as you left the reunion humiliated.

You did good to yourself by using the Jedi tricks to your favor. These, however, were not enough to trick Anakin. He knew what was going on and you were surprised when he led you to your private quarters. There, he took his hands and said:

“Hey, Y/nickname. I know there’ll be difficulties in your path because of your position that you occupy whilst representing your planet, but don’t let these disappointments make you forget who you are.”

You could not look in his eyes, appalled by how you saw senators claiming that to purchase peace the need to go to war and obtain a victory upon the Separatists was imperative. You began to crack on the inside. Everything you once defended with passion seemed to be used against you.

Anakin could read your thoughts and sense your distress. He carefully lifted your chin, thus making you look at him.

“You are better than this, Y/nickname. Don’t let these ambitious people take the best of you.” He embraced you, and you melt in his arms. “I will always protect you, Y/N. Until the day I die.”

You sniffed a little. You should not form attachments to other people, especially not your Master, but the next thing you know, you were searching for his eyes.

As Anakin sensed your needs, he met yours. Neither of you spoke. He gently caressed your cheek and said:

“I mean every word I say, my Padawan.” He smiled softly at you.

You knew you could trust him, your ideas, your perceptions…your heart. Your life. And before you knew, you were the one to make the first move. To Anakin’s surprise, you kissed him.

If there was any sort of resistance on his part, you would not know because he did not hesitate. He kissed you just as passionately. He pulled you close, his hands cupping your cheeks. Love ignites from one heart to another, strengthening the bond you two already had.

“I love you”, you said, eyes close as you parted the kiss very briefly.

“And i love you, y/nickname”, he told you, a smile spreading over his lips. “And I will love you until the last day of our lives.”

You looked up at him, beaming.

“Is that a promise?”

“I vow to it.”

He took your hand to his lips where he pressed a gentle kiss on top of it, his eyes never leaving yours.

***

Present Day. Vader’s POV.

When you land with your saber in hands, Vader at the same time is taken by despise for your foolishness—do you really think you could beat him alone?—and courage for such an act of…courage. He, however, sensed something else when looking at your red-ish hair tied in a braid, lingering in the smalls scars that, unperceptive to others, captured his eyes. His heart weighted when seeing signs of distress in your eyes, the same eyes that used to look at him with devotion.

You look different to him, but not at all the oppose of what you used to be. The days of joy where you aimed to please him, when you comforted him, when…when the two of you made love every night, are like torture.

“Y/N”, he says nonchalantly. “Did you come to me at last? Have you changed your mind?”

He is patient. But, against his pride, he is also bothered by the concern he feels when he investigated your thoughts.

Vader finds out all you’ve been doing so far: cultivating a life as the Lady White, even though you were never dressed in white robes. But to many rebels out there you carry hopes, even if it’s far from what you wanted in the past. He sees the countless nights you were weeping because he promised you that he’d love and protect you until he died.

I chose power over her.

He realizes that. A little too late.

But he tries to suffocate this thought. Only for another to come.

What have I done to you, Y/N?

The anger he feels is eventually addressed to you. He raises his hand and brings you close. He wants to see you choke. But something is different. What is it? What is it?!

You resist like last time. And the battle is inevitable.

“There is good in you, Anakin.” You push him away from you, holding the saber. “We can make things better out of this, I promise you. You don’t have to obey anyone anymore. You don’t have to be enslaved by the darkness to overpower everyone…”

“Enough!” He yells at you.

But somehow he does not hurt you. Vader turns around at you. What is it? You sense the conflict in him.

“My darling, please listen to me..”

You are careful. He knows it. He senses the fear in you. He hates how you manipulate him. He wishes he could have given you the kiss of death but when you stand right before him, there is something.

As you remove his mask and helmet, Vader is observed by you. Silence remains. The two of you are surrounded by some guards, but they are ignored.

“I turned around to you”, you tell him, “not because I abandoned you, but darkness too tempted me. I lost the capacity of distinguishing myself from… all of this. Jedis and Siths.”

He does not say a word. But he cannot go either. Yet Vader remembers.

Your sweet disposition to him even in his bad days.

Your embrace in his dark moments.

Your patience in consoling his fears.

Your gentleness in tending his traumas.

Your saving grace.

Your loving, selfless self.

There is little use to weapons. You defeat him by doing nothing, except loving him by who he is.

***

Epilogue.

Far away from the galaxy we know.

It is in a planet where the tentacles of the empire had not reached out that you take Anakin with you. Where neither of you have reasons to worry, where a new hope for a better start begins.

The balance in the Force is finally there. All thanks to you. To many, Vader is dead, and the Sith went to the grave with you. This is partially true. Vader did die and there were Sith no more. But Anakin, your loving husband, is very much alive.

“Every day I love you more and more”, he mumbles against your skin.

Both of you are in bed whilst sun is rising. Green colours the landscape, mixed with the blue of skies. It’s like a farm, peaceful and quiet.

He moves lightly on top of you, hugging you from behind. His kisses are warm and make you feel good. He’s still possessive to you, fearful of losing you. But that is a side you embrace well—maybe because you have it inside you too.

“Ani…”, you sigh happily, turning around to see him by your side. The sight of him shirtless is always one you never get tired to contemplate. He knows it and smirks at you. You lean forward, taking the opportunity to do some things to himself when all of a sudden…

BANG. The door is open.

“Mama! Leia doesn’t let me sleep!” Luke comes in, protesting like the five year old boy he is.

You and Anakin exchange glances. Since he’s the one better dressed than you, he leaves bed and takes Luke in his arm. You watch the scene, beaming as Anakin hugs Luke against him and spins him around, dissolving the bad mood from your son’s face.

“What did she do now?”, Anakin inquires.

“She pulled out my hair. And pitched me!”

Of course it would not take so long before Leia storms in.

“That is not true! You pulled away my dinosaur first! I told you that is /mine/!”

You could not help but laugh at what you see. Wrapping yourself around the sheets, you pull Leia at your lap.

“Sweetheart, what did I tell you about sharing your toys with your brother?”

Leia, whose eyes remind you so much of Anakin, pouts. Whilst you lecture her about the perils of being selfish, Anakin takes Luke for a walk around the outside.

“Did you know your dad was a good pilot in his good old days?”

Luke looks at Anakin in awe. The sight of innocence, the sight of good that remind him of you. He smiles.

“Really? But what happened? Did you retire?”

Anakin knows one day Luke will know about the road he followed in the past, about his rise as Jedi and his fall as Vader. However, this day is not the day.

“I’ve met your mother”, a simple truth that could summon every bit to it.

“How boring!” Luke complains, making Anakin laugh. “Can I pilot too someday, dad? Pleeeease?”

As he looks down at his son, Anakin feels greatness upon him. But as someone who one day felt the pressure for being “the chosen one”, this is hardly a topic he’d dwell to it. Instead, he says:

“Why, of course.” Then he adds mischievously. “After your eighteenth birthday, of course.”

Luke pouts, but Anakin holds onto him, all the while laughing at the youngling’s remarks. In the meantime, you leave your bed dressed, carrying Leia with you.

“Hey guys, breakfast is ready!” You announce.

Luke insists to be pulled down and Anakin complies, watching him running after Leia and eat his favorite meal with his twin sister.

You are embraced by Anakin as the idillic scene develops right before your eyes. And then when looking into his eyes, you say:

“My love, thank you for sticking to your word.”

He leans forward to you and press his lips against yours, resting his hand in your stomach because, like the first time, he senses before you that a child is growing in your belly.

“I will always love you, bound to you and our family that grows every day.”

And happiness seems to find the way it is meant to be, until a knock on the door is heart. The two of you exchange looks as you know there’s no neighborhood around. Who could be? Is the silent question you pose each other.

Anakin goes hesitantly to the door, but a good feeling inspires him confidence. He opens it and is surprised—not to say thrilled, much like you, to see an old friend right next the door with a smile bright on her lips.

“Hello, Master. It’s good to see you again.”

It’s Ahsoka Tano and she came to stay.

[grippingbeskar]

Aaaah! So happy that you take fic requests!

Could I possibly get an Obi Wan x Fem!Jedi Reader based on the song As the World Caves in and it’s super fluffy and angsty with maybe some smut if you’re comfortable with that?

Thanks so much for taking this request you’re awesome and I love love love your stories!

May the force be with you ✨

as the world caves in | obi-wan kenobi

obi wan x fem!jedi reader

word count: 4.5k

warnings: ADULT CONTENT MINORS DNI (mxf intercourse, inappropriate use of the force sort of?) swearing, mentions of death and violence, canon typical violence, slight allusions to ptsd themes and mental illness.

a/n: okay PLSSS forgive me with how long this took but i absolutely adore this idea and this song. i made it a little bit darker in the beginning bc i just get those vibes from the song BUT i promise it gets fluffy after. also ignore canon for anything after order 66 because we are all happy and thriving in my world!!!! thank you so much for your request i hope you like it!! also i’m not entirely sure if this was ‘angsty’ enough, please forgive me i tried.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Get to the bridge." Obi-Wan's hand comes to your face, a desperate look in his eye. Blaster shots and screams surrounded you, and you could feel the pure terror from the younglings behind you. It was overwhelming, but you tried your best to concentrate on what he was saying. "Don't wait for me. Get out, and go as far from here as you can."

"I won't leave you. I won't! I-" Shaking your head, you could feel the tears falling down, scalding your cheeks, and Obi-Wan's thumb brushed over, catching them like he always did. Breathing out, you tried to collect your mind. "What is happening?"

"Anakin. I need to get to him." Was all he said, but you could feel it. The young boy, Obi-Wan's padawan, had come back different this time. The last mission had changed him, somehow, but you could never imagine that this would be the result. "You must go. Take the younglings and go."

"I'll come back for you." He went to argue, but you were already moving, igniting your lightsaber and ushering the small group of children you had with you to the door. "I will come back."

Charging ahead, you could still hear the intense blaring of alarms coming from the speakers of the Jedi temple. There were flashes of lights, but you didn’t know what it meant, just that Obi-Wan told you to leave, and you trusted him. Troopers were shooting left and right, and you had no time to dwell on what was lost, on how many bodies you and the children passed by. You kept them behind you, striking out to take down three troopers guarding the next door. The children screamed, and you tried to calm them. They were only babies - the youngest could only just keep up on his own, stumbling his way through the middle of the group.

"I need you all to be very, very brave for the next fifteen minutes. Can you do that?" You had them standing off to the side, taking cover behind a wall and half blown off door.

"We can do it, Master." The oldest, only nine, stands at the front, arms protectively held in front of the younger ones. Another tear streams down your cheek at the sight.

"Of course you can. I know you can. We are going to get to the jet, the one we all used to watch the clones on perimeter check last week. Do you remember where that is?" All eight little faces nodded in understanding. Even at this age, you knew they would become great Jedi. "Okay, good. You stay here, and I will clear a path. Keep your minds open, and I will tell you when to run. The door will be unlocked. You go in and press the big red button, and it will take you to the safe base off-world. Now, when you get there-"

"But Master, you have to come with us!" A small boy calls from behind the arms of the oldest, his face bright red.

"I will try my very best, but Master Kenobi needs help, and I-" Swallowing the lump in your throat, you heard the blaster shots getting closer. "Get to that ship, press the red button, and go to the safe base. There will be people there that will help you."

"Yes, Master." They say in unison, and you reach out, squeezing them all in a short hug.

"You will all be amazing Jedi Knights one day, I know it. I am so proud to be one of your teachers." You turn and sprint down the hall, and feel your sadness turn to anger.

Red blaster shots sizzle and shatter against your blue saber, and you send them soaring straight back into their attackers. You swing and slice, using all that expert control you have honed over the past few years to cut the invaders into pieces. Your mind was full of screams, you could hear them even if you didn't know where they were coming from. Connections you had formed over decades were being ripped away, the Force running through your body feeling emptier by the second.

There was only one connection you were really focused on. You could still feel Obi-Wan; feel his heart racing as he ran through the halls on the other side of the temple. He hadn't told you everything, but he didn't need to. You could feel his genuine fear and guilt, and you knew it had to do with Anakin. That, and the way he gripped his lightsaber as he ran off, made you know this was serious.

The smell of death and burnt armour filled your senses, but you came up on the last trooper, not blinking as you took him down, and sent the strongest message you could to the kids, hoping they would run straight across the bridge and into the jet. From your position, you would be able to cover them with a blaster and watch them clear the bridge.

As eight little heads darted out and ran towards the jet, you saw three troopers come out the side door and start shooting immediately. Straight away, they shot at the children, without a second of hesitation. With your free hand, you froze the bullets in the air and sent them backwards, all the while laying out cover fire. The kids never stopped once, the perfect students they are, and disappeared into the jet. The sound of the engine roaring to life had you breathing a sigh of relief, shoulders sagging as you watched the jet disappear into the galaxy, getting far, far away from here. You had to trust the people they met on the other side would take care of them.

With the children out and safe, you only had one thing on your mind. You used the Force to fly yourself up a few levels, and you stopped when you felt him. He was fighting, and losing. You could tell, you could feel the way he was backing up, almost hitting a wall as troopers surrounded him. You had never moved faster in your life.

Not sparing a second you threw yourself into the fight, slashing at white armor and hearing the moans of pain of the troopers you didn't completely finish off. Blaster shots rang in your ears, and you felt Obi-Wan's hand yank your forearm down, saving your life as you ducked out of the way.

"I told you to leave." He shouted, his eyes looking at you with soft adoration. Even with the harsh words, nothing about his tone says he wanted you to listen.

"When have I ever done what you told me to do?" Spinning around, you fought the troopers back to back, blue and red lights filling your vision. Having him at your back, solid and still fighting, took your breath away. With all the death and destruction that had erupted, either of you could have easily been lost, but he was here, still fighting for the light.

As the troopers numbers thinned, you both took the opportunity to gain ground. You knew you couldn't stay here, there would be nothing left of the temple in a few hours. Fire was burning somewhere down the hall, and if you didn't get to a ship soon, the hope you were letting simmer in your chest would be flattened, and you would both die here.

Obi-Wan took down the last trooper in eye sight, and he turned to where you were looking. The entire temple was on fire. Everything you had worked for, everyone you knew was dead or dying, every personal affect, every night spent alone meditating, or falling asleep in Obi-Wan's arms; it had all happened here. Your life was being set ablaze, and you watched as a giant panel of wall finally gave in, cracking and falling through to the ground below.

Obi-Wan's hand linked into yours, fingers threading together. He stood in front of you, the bright orange fire to his back. He was a mess, ash and blood over his face. It was horrific, to look at him like that, but you realised in that moment how lucky you were. As everything burnt around you, as your world caved in, Obi-Wan stood in front of it all, prepared to shield you.

You leant in and kissed him. You could taste the salt of his tears mixed with your own, but he kissed you back anyways. It was desperate and pleading, begging for forgiveness from each other for whatever atrocities you had committed. He pulls away just for a second.

"I have to kill him." He sobs, and slams back into you, this time his head tucking into the crook of your neck. There were a thousand things you needed to do right now, but being here with him, holding him was about the only thing you wanted to do. You know he means Anakin, you can hear it in his mind, and you cry with him, standing as the sounds of crackling metal echo all around you.

If he never pulled away, you would have stayed right there. In his moment, where his mind was completely open to you, showing you just how much he needed you, you would have stood there and burnt to the ground with him. But this was Obi-Wan, and he would never give up.

"We should-" You nod, knowing, and take his hand again, both of you sprinting to the maintenance hull. The screaming has stopped completely, which was almost worse than before, because you might be the only two people still alive in the temple. “My ship. Up there.”

“It’s all nearly gone.” You say, breathless and heartbroken, giving one last look to the Jedi temple you called home.

“My love… we- Stars. We have to go.” He’s tugging on your arm, and he is about the only person in the entire galaxy that could get you to move. So you do, climbing into the cockpit, and when you finally pull away from the temple, you burst into tears, Obi-Wan still clinging to your hand.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[three weeks later]

“Anything?” Obi-Wan shakes his head, banging the holo device on his hand.

“It must be the connection on this planet. We would know if they were...”

“We would know.” You had been trying to reach the off-world base for the past few weeks, but since landing on this small Outer Rim planet that neither of you even knew the name of, there had been no word of the younglings reaching them. You knew they had to lay low, stay off the grid as much as possible, so this is where you would wait. Stay safe, out of sight, and wait for word from the base.

“I fixed the compressor in the ship last night.” He puts the holo device down and stands, coming around the other side of the small fire you had made to sit next to you. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“I know. I couldn’t either. I listened to you cursing the transmission wires for half an hour.” He cracks a smile, the sight making you feel warmer than the fire is.

“You could have helped.” He nudges into you playfully with his arm, but doesn’t pull away, keeping himself as close to you as possible on the log seats.

“I was hoping you would come back to bed.” He stops breathing for a second beside you, swallowing hard. You love that even after all the years you have spent together in secret, you still have this effect over him. “You know, I was thinking...”

“Oh dear.”

“Shut up. I was thinking about how we always talked about doing this.” He cocks his head, an arm wrapping around the small of your back.

“Landing on a planet we have never heard of and listening to me fix compressors?” This time, you are the one to shove him, but your hand grabs the one of his snaked around your waist, and pulls him back.

“You are such a smart-ass. No, I mean getting away. Being alone. I always said you needed a holiday.”

“You did.” His head falls onto your shoulder, and you can’t help but press a kiss to his forehead.

“I always pictured us like this, spending hours doing nothing but being together. Not worrying who was watching, how we would look.” You drift into silence, realising that now there really wasn’t anyone who would reprimand you. Nothing of the Jedi order you knew was left, except for the man in front of you. This is what the last three weeks have been like. Both of you were so used to hiding what you held between you, you had never experienced being able to just be together. 

The looming fear and devastation was more prevalent in the first two weeks, both of you just simply holding each other while you mourned the loss of everything you had ever known, but as this last week closes out, you have almost fallen into a new routine. Training, trying to make contact with the base, and touching each other in every spare moment, no prying eyes to shelter from. Back in the temple, you had never even spent a full night together. Usually, Obi-Wan would sneak into your quarters in the dead of night, hands sliding around your body, pulling you from sleep and driving you insane again and again, and just as you had gotten comfortable to sleep again, he would have to disappear, not able to risk being caught leaving in the morning.

  Here, on this desolate, bright green planet, there was none of that. He laid next to you the entire night, and was there in the morning when you woke, watching as the sun rose and lit up his face. The only time he really slept was just when the sun was rising, like he knew he wouldn’t have time to dream.

“We need to go for water tomorrow. I saw a lake overhead when we were landing. We will have to check the traps from yesterday as well, the ones near the mountain.” His head had turned so his nose was lightly touching the crook of your neck, his words kissing their way across the sensitive skin. It made you shiver, and Obi-Wan looked up slightly, his lips just an inch from your neck. “Are you cold?”

“If I say yes, will you come closer?” You feel him laugh against you, and his other arm comes across him to touch your waist.

“I don’t think I could get any closer, my love.”

“I can think of a few ways.” You expect a gasp of surprise, like you so usually got from him. Even after all your time together, he was still almost shocked when you came on to him. Instead, though, he presses a kiss to your collarbone, and you almost melt into the floor.

“I will never be able to thank you enough, for coming back for me.” He kisses you again, a little higher up this time, and your brain buzzes. It was the first time since you landed that he had brought the night up.

“It- Obi-Wan. Of course I would come for you, I couldn’t-” His teeth graze against your skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “You are the only person I could focus on. The only one I tried to hear.” His hands tightened on your waist, and he pulled you into his lap in one movement. Your shins were slightly digging into the wood on either side of his body, but his mouth on you had you forgetting all about it.

“You are all I can think about. I needed to know you were safe, and then you came back and I thought-”

“If you say you thought I would die, I’ll hit you.” He nips at the most sensitive spot of your neck in reprimand, and you moan as he kisses and sucks, leaving marks in a way that has you squirming.

  “My sweet girl.” You hear him murmur against your skin, and you thread your fingers in his hair. You rock your hips just once, and he moans loudly against your neck.

“Obi, if you want to talk about it-”

“I don’t want-” He kisses your jaw “to talk. What I want-” He switches sides “-is” kissing slightly higher, nearly on your cheek “-to hear you say my name. How you do when I-”

“Oh, fuck Obi-Wan.” His hand had slipped right in between your bodies, fingers lightly brushing along your core, already finding you soaking for him.

“When I do that.” Your mind was putty in his hands, and he applied a little more pressure as his lips found yours. He kissed you deeply, with the kind of force that reminds you just how long it’s been since he’s done so. You give him everything you have, needing to tell him so much, but not having the words. He stands and steps over the log, a squeal of surprise making you break the kiss, and he laughs. The sound is soft behind the crackling of the fire, and you tuck your head into his neck, the smell of fire, wood and him filling your senses.

“Walk faster.” Your hands grab his jacket harshly and pull, and he stops halfway up the ramp to the ship.

“I could just drop you.” He’s still not moving, so you move your hands off his jacket and grab his face, pulling him into a kiss. Your tongue moves with his, easily taking control in his surprised state, and soon you feel him moving so fast you could swear he was sprinting, nearly slamming you both into the rear wall. You can’t stop the smile that breaks the kiss, and his teeth bite down softly on your bottom lip, snapping your attention back.

  He snakes a hand up behind your head to duck you down as you walk through the doorway to your shared room. This ship was Obi-Wan’s, so there was only one bed, but considering how you have been sneaking into each others rooms like teenagers for two years, the sight is a welcomed one.

He lays you down gently, slotting himself between your legs and crawling back up to your mouth, kissing you slow and sweet. You moan into him, his hips rolling against you, and the kiss breaks when he opens his mouth to say your name.

“I-” His eyes were wide, almost like he was panicking, pupils flitting all over your face. “You need- I love you. You know that I love you, yes?”

“Of course. I love you, too.” Your eyebrows furrow at his worry, and he squeezes his eyes shut to kiss you before pulling away abruptly. “What’s wrong?”

“If I were here with anyone else, I would be lost. Everything is gone, and nothing would be- nothing would make sense. Being a Jedi is all that I am. Without it, I had nothing. Until you.” You nearly cry at his words, but he rolls his hips again and it makes you see stars. He begins to take his jacket off. “You are everything to me. I want you to know that. You are the reason I am able to think, to think of something after all of this. To even think of living a life after so much…” He fades off, struggling to focus with how your hand is tugging at the hem of his pants.

“I know, Obi-Wan.” You did. Through the Force, you could feel everything. His grief at losing Anakin, his grief at losing everyone, losing the life he has known. The anger at the Sith, the dark side, at himself. You could feel his sadness, the waves of it as it came and went, but most of all, you could feel his heart, and how it beat for you, and only you.

  Everything he was, everything you both were has been taken, but the one thing they could not take is this. You let him feel your energy, how you understand him, understand all that he is feeling and mirror it in your own heart, and he begins to take your shirt over your head.  

“You are gorgeous, my love.” He looms over you, taking his time drinking in the sight below him, but denies himself from running his hands over you. He wants to wait, wants you desperate and whining for him. You can read his mind now, you always could like this, just as he could read yours.

There must be something about being with another Jedi, especially ones as connected as you and Obi-Wan, but it was like the doors to your minds were pulled down, and you became one. It had always been like that between you, even from the first time.

  Rough fingertips scrape just barely along the skin above your jeans, and he undoes the buttons and slides them down painfully slow, all the while he has you fidgeting, trying to hurry the process. He sits back on his knees to take his own shirt off, and as soon as he leans down on his forearms to kiss you again, you take the chance and run your hands down his back, almost massaging with long strokes.

“My sweet girl. So good to me.” He was rolling his hips harder, having you arching your back to meet him while he moved his mouth down your neck.

“Anything you want, Obi. I’m here.” He sighs and leans most of his body weight on top of you, and you can feel him finally start to relax. You know you both should be concentrating on a million other things right now, dealing with your grief and confronting the hazy path of your futures, but right now all you wanted was to be with him, and you could hear in his mind how very badly he echoed the same thought.

He laughed as you fidgeted below him, a sound you were worried for a while would be lost forever, and it warmed every part of your bare skin. Hands tangled in hair, his body pressing into yours, your minds bleeding into one space neither of you had full control over. You were both completely at each other’s mercy, the ultimate equals in this moment.

“Please.” You breathed into him, and although he loved nothing more than taking the utmost time with you, you were both just as desperate to be close to each other. This fragile thing was the life raft you clung to in the darkness of the Force, and he was what drove you back to the light.

He kisses you again, and you feel his hand trailing softly down your tummy, over each ridge and curve like he wants to feel every part of you, remind himself you were here, warm and alive and practically panting for him. He guided himself into you slowly, as he always did, eyes never leaving yours. You both sigh in relief and ecstasy as he hits the deepest part of you, and you can see how Obi-Wan's eyebrows knit together, how his mouth opens just slightly to breathe your name before attaching to your neck. He leaves a trail of proof he was there down to your breasts, sliding out of you and setting a slow, earth shattering pace.

One of his hands comes back up your body to lock his fingers in your own, and he plants a soft kiss on your brow before catching your eye.

“I love you.” He gasps and thrusts into you again, getting a little faster when he hears your desperate sounds.

“Stars- I love you. Always.” The hand not holding yours slips underneath your arched back, forearm bracing you as he increases his speed.

“Does this feel good, love?” Your lip between your teeth muffled your response, a strained ‘mhmm’ ending off in a moan of his name. He kisses you again, the hand locked with your own squeezing gently, making your eyes open. “Fuck. That’s it.”

“S’huh?” You were so blissed out, you had no idea what he was saying or what he wanted you to do, but your eyes nearly crossed when he picked up the pace again, the sound of him hitting you impossibly deeper almost drowned out in the sound of you screaming his name.

“Kee-eep. Keep saying my name.” He groans into your ear, body tightening against yours.

“Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan.” It’s the only word you can say, all you can think of as he sets your body alight, each drag of his cock making every nerve ending stand on the edge. You weren’t going to last much longer, and managed to say his name one final time before you toppled into your release.

With a gasp he cums straight after you, the feeling of your warmth squeezing tight around him mixed with the euphoria you projected through the Force all too consuming. He knew he sounded desperate, the way he moaned out your name, but you stroked his hair and held him, rocking your hips in time with his as you both rode through your highs at the same time. It was as close to being on spice as Obi-Wan would ever get, and he doubted anything but you would make him feel this good.

“You are truly the most beautiful person I have ever seen.” Obi-Wan whispers in your ear, and you can see his eyes caressing down your body, liquid heat spreading through your veins under his gaze even in the darkness. He kisses your collarbone, and you know there are hickeys there, but you were on a desolate planet with no one to see you, and you would wear them with pride anyways.

“I love you, Obi-Wan. We will figure this out. You and me. I promise.” He lays down beside you, and you tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear.

“With you, I have no doubt.” His face disappears from view as he tucks himself into you, head buried under your chin. He’s saying something but you can no longer hear it, just the feeling of his words, the vibration of it against the base of your throat, and knowing he was there is enough to send you to sleep. You wake before him, to the holo device beeping rapidly. It’s a message, confirming all eight children had made it safely to the base, and they would wait for your reply on their next move.

When Obi-Wan woke, there was more messages on the holo device than you could keep up with. Scattered Jedi and allies all over the galaxy, confirming their position, and waiting for orders. You looked at Obi-Wan, face framed by the morning sunlight, and smiled.

“Well, what do we tell them?” You asked, and watched as that stern, council like look fell over his face. A mountain of ideas poured from his chest, like he had been saving them up, and the smile never left your face as he pulled the ship into space, speeding you into the light.

[maes-flowers]

For them, for us [3] (Obi-wan Kenobi x Reader)

Summary: Following the Kenobi series, two former Jedi masters Obi-wan Kenobi and Y/n Marilla are grieving the lost of Anakin, Padme, and the jedi purge. After pledging to watch over Luke Skywalker and spending ten years in exile and making a life together, what will happen when the mistakes they made in their past come back as a new threat?

Authors note: Working on chapter 4 as we speak! keep an eye for that in the next day or so because I'm sobbing over the finale and I will  pretend its not over until i'm done with this series. if you liked this update and would like to be added to the taglist let me know down below!

Prologue- Part 1- Part 2

Warnings: Violence, talk about death, angst, some fluff, reader tampering in the dark side, slight PDA (nothing crazy), references to the clone wars show, and idk I think that's it.

You don't remember falling asleep, but at some point you woke up under a small blanket on the hard and cold floor. You rubbed the sleep away from your eyes and looked around, your eyes landed on Obi-wan and Leia as they quietly talked.

“Can’t you use the force on it?” Leia asked.

You smiled at her question as you stood up, walking over to them and sitting next to Obi-wan legs on the floor. He looked at you for a moment, and gave you the smallest of smiles as he continued on fidgeting with a broken droid in his hands.

“That's not how it works.” Obi-wan sighed.

“Then how does it work, the force?” Leia said, her tiny body dragging her blanket covered body to look at your both. “What does it feel like?”

You and Obi-wan took a moment to think before answering.

“Have you ever been afraid of the dark?” he asked.

Leia nodded.

“How do you feel when you turn the light on?” he continued.

“Safe.” Leia replied and Obi-wan nodded.

“Yes, it feels like that.”

Leia then turned to you, waiting for your answer and you cleared your throat, laughing nervously, unsure what to say.

“The force also makes me feel safe,” you said. “But it also makes me balanced.”

Leia raised a brow in confusion.

“Balanced?” she asked slowly.

You nodded and grabbed your lightsaber, you slowly lifted it with the force in front of Leia. chuckling quietly at her fascinated look.

“As Jedi we were taught that the force is not good or evil but a balance between two extremes. Were taught about the light side and the dark side, and that too much of either would be dangerous so to have an equal amount ensures safety to the galaxy as you cannot have one without the other” you tilted the saber in the air to one side. “But some people give into temptation and fear, making them fall down a dark path. That path is hard to ignore and leads to nothing but pain and grief” you looked over at Obi-wan, who now had his eyes casted down on the floor. You looked back at Leia and continued.

“What I'm trying to say,” you said, putting the lightsaber down. “The force keeps me from making those bad decisions as it keeps me aware of both the good and bad parts of myself, and if I'm feeling lost or scared I put my trust in the force to put me on the path that's right.”

Leia was silent for a moment.

“So it's like a compass? If you're lost you turn to it for guidance?” she asked and you nodded.

“Exactly.” you smiled. 

Obi-wan looked up and handed the droid to Leia, her face lighting up immediately at the sight.

“Lola!” she exclaimed happily, gently taking the droid into her hands. She looked back up at Obi-wan and smiled big.

“Thank you!” she said, before turning around to go talk to her friend.

Ignoring your aching muscles you stood up and held out a hand to Obi-wan, he looked up at you in confusion.

“Come to the window with me?” you asked, softly.

Obi-wan put his hand in yours and stood up, you both walked to the window furthest from Leia and stared out at the galaxy, stars shooting by so fast they began to blur into lines. You were quiet for a moment, your arms crossed behind your back as you looked over at Obi-wan.

“Tell me what you're thinking?” you asked.

Obi-wan was calmer than before, but he still had a haunted look on his face as he stared ahead, stroking his beard.

“I thought he was dead, I killed him-or I thought I did.” Obi-wan whispered.

You thought the same thing, the blood loss and the sheer amount of burns Anakin had received on Mustafar should have killed him.

How was he alive?

“I think he was,” you said quietly, Obi-wan turned to you as you spoke. “Or he was disgustingly close.” you refused to look at your husband when you let the thoughts that have been building for the last two hours spill from your mouth.

“When I was a padawan under Master Stass, during one of her lessons about force healing she told me about something the sith used called force diminish, a technique that allowed the user to weaken an opponent's body and mind to the point of death. Some wielders of the Force were known to be able to drain life energy and force energy simultaneously…” you paused, your vision blurring with tears as you let out a shaky breath, you checked over your shoulder quickly to see Leia paying no attention to you, satisfied you looked back at the window.

“When Padme died,” you whispered as quietly as possible. “They said she was healthy but was dying, she lost the will to live.” you shook your head. “For years, I thought that made no sense. Padme was too strong to just give up like that, not when she had children about to enter the world.”

Looking down at your feet, you saw tears fall from your face and land on your boots. 

“I think Palpatine was able to use force diminish on Padme, siphoning her life force and putting it into Anakin to keep Darth Vader alive.” you said looking at Obi-wan.

He looked at you in shock, your theory hitting him like a sack of bricks as he looked at your bitter filled face. You favored messing with your ring, twisting the band around your finger as you laughed sadly, the sound wet and broken.

“Who knew one man could have that type of power, how the council didn't notice sooner I'll never understand.”

Obi-wan grabbed your hand, stopping your fiddling and brought your hand to his lips, kissing your knuckles. A silent gesture of love and worry at once poured into a simple press of his lips onto your bruised knuckles from the last day of fighting, he was the only person who could soothe an overwhelming amount of thoughts with one single move.

“Will you be okay?” you asked, stepping closer.

He nodded but you knew deep down he wasn't, you decided to not comment on it and placed a hand on his cheek the slightly overgrown beard brushes against your fingers as you kissed him.

“You guys are together?” Leia’s voice piped up.

You pulled away and looked over at her, seeming to be done catching up with Lola. She was now by you guys, looking at you with slight surprise. You held your hand out so Leia could see the ring on your hand.

“Married for ten years.” you said proudly.

Leia came forward and took your hand into her tiny hands looking at the ring, the ring had no stones or anything like that, just a silver band with engravings all around the band.

“I thought jedi can't get married?” the small girl asked.

“Yeah well,” you glanced at Obi-wan for a moment before looking back at Leia, not wanting to explain to her there was no longer a council to expel them for their relationship you leaned forward. “I happen to love him alot, so I broke the rules.” you winked.

The ship rumbled as it entered the atmosphere, making both you and Leia stumble lightly.

“We better get ready, we're on approach.” Obi-wan said looking at the window 

Mapuzo was very dry looking, the mostly dirt hills with little to no shrubbery growing made it look dead and dull. The three of you quietly made your way off the ship, watching the droid unload the ship one box at a time.

“Okay.” Obi-wan whispered, cueing it was time to run when the main droid walked away.

You grabbed Leia's hand sprinted, your small group stopping periodically to see if the droid had turned around until you made it down the hill and out of sight of the unloading station. You ended up on a dirt path, trailing slightly behind Obi-wan and Leia.

You were on edge, your connection with the force was shaken for sure. The recent events had begun a small internal battle in your soul as you thought about the council and the jedi order

They were flawed, severely flawed and you never noticed until now.

Taking force sensitive children, enforcing compassion but love and attachments was forbidden, ignoring the problems within the senate, and then after all they did with manipulating Ankains to spy on Palpatine and forcing Ashoka out of the order, and even having Obi-wan fake his death during the war.

Arrogant enough to let the Empire grow right under everyone's noses.

You never received a seat on a council like Obi-wan did, you had been very vocal about how you thought the Jedi beliefs were outdated, and that reform was needed within the order. Making a lot of the council to not favor you, although you neverminded. You joined the order to protect the unprotected and keep peace not sit in a chair. 

Even though most Jedi disagreed with you ideal, Qui-gon was a man who respected your thoughts even when you were a padawan. 

You were always proud to call yourself a jedi, but now…

Did you even want to be one anymore?

“People are not all good Leia!” Obi-wan scolded, his irritated tone making you snap out of your thoughts. 

“Obi-wan,” you warned, although you were confused at what caused the lapse of his anger.

Obi-wan glanced back at you, a slightly guilty look on his face before he looked back at Leia.

“It wasn't always like this here, there were fields and families… then the empire came and ravaged it all.” 

You looked around and saw stormtroopers and empire programed droids all over the barren land, wondering how many families once lived in those very spots.

“I thought the empire was supposed to be helping us.” Leia asked.

“There are some people like your dad, who are trying to, although it seems like a losing battle these days.” Obi-wan slowed to a stop. his voice trailing off as he looked in the distance with a slightly scared face, following his line of vision you saw nothing but dirt and dry grass.

Leia looked at you with concern on her face and you walked up behind him.

“Obi-wan?” you called out, shaking his shoulder.

He didn't respond.

“Ben?” Leia called out. “Ben?”

Obi-wan seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and put a hand on Leia's shoulder, pulling him closer to him before he looked at you. Worry on his face as he gave you a look that you could only read as a plea to stay close to him. You looked at him with confusion but eventually nodded, only then did he start to walk again but not without looking over his shoulder constantly as if he thought someone was watching you all.

“What's wrong?” you whispered, hoping Leia would hear you. 

You felt…something in the force, a small tingle of emotion tickling your mind like the waters on Naboo would graze against your feet in the sand, familiar but also long forgotten as you tried to grab hold onto it only for it to slip from your grasp.

Obi-wan was trying to send you his thoughts through the force.

A feeling you once loved dearly, but now it felt odd after not feeling this intimate look into his mind you once knew very well in years.

“I can feel you trying, but it's very unfocused. I can't get a clear grasp on it.” you said sadly.

Obi-wan just stayed silent and continued walking.

You kept walking in silence for a while, both you and Obi-wan had taken a side of the small girl to act like walls in case anything unexpected popped up. Leia was content not talking much as she struggled slightly to keep up with her small legs. However, she kept staring at you intensely as if she was trying to figure something out.

“Alright kid, you keep looking at me like I have tentacles coming out of my head. Care to tell me what's going on in that brain of yours?” you laughed.

“I've heard you before,” Leia announced. “In my dreams.”

“That's not possible,” you laughed, hoping desperately the hint of fear didn't trickle in. “Id most definitely remember if I met you previously.” 

You ignored Obi-wan's worried look.

“It's true!” Leia protested. “I would hear someone say, “Wear your flaws and strength with pride.” and you sound just like them.”

Those words felt like a blaster shot right in the stomach.

 Those words were the last words you said to her before Bail had taken her to Alderman, and the fact she remembered the words made your heart skip a beat.

Force visions, that was the only logical explanation on how she could even remember you saying that.

“That's odd,” you said. “I've never said those words before, I do have a very generic accent, maybe someone else sounds like me.” you lied without a beat.

“But-” Leia began but Obi-wan interrupted.

“We're getting close to the meeting spot. Now remember if anyone asks, “we're farmers from tawl and you don't talk.”

“Cant talk or don't like to talk?” 

“You. don't. Talk.” Obi-wan said slowly, but stopped looking at the navigation device and looked up. “This is it, this is where he told us to come.”

The emptiness around you made you feel even smaller as you realized no one was here.

“Dank Farnik.” you cursed, a handing coming up to your head as you looked around.

“Maybe they're late?” Leia suggested.

“Maybe it was a lie. I knew it! We never should've trusted him.” 

“We don't know-” Leia quickly got cut off.

“No one is coming, Leia!” Obi-wan shouted.

“Hey,” you snapped, looking at your very frustrated husband. “Calm down and breathe.” 

You knew he was just worried but he seemed to forget that Leia was just a child, and him yelling would get you nowhere.

Leia walked forward, looking at the dirt road ahead of her.

“Well, if we're on our own, we're gonna need some help.”

You and Obi-wan turned and saw a transport vehicle driving down the road, Leia began waving her arms down and walking to the road.

“What are you doing?” Obi-wan asked, stumbling after her.

“Maybe they can give us a ride to the spaceport!”

“But it's not safe Leia!” he scolded.

“He seems friendly!”

With that she began to run toward the car, you and Obi-wan following after her quickly as you approached the vehicle.

“Keep your head down Leia.” you warned. “And remember you dont talk!”

The vehicle stopped in front of your small group and Leia walked up to the driver.

“Hi! I'm Luma. This is my family, Orden and Lyra. were farmers from Tawl.” Leia said, her lie flowing smoothly. You wanted to highfive her but resisted the urge.

“Hi there, I'm Freck.” the driver introduced himself.

Leia looked at you and Obi-wan.

“Well? Aren't you going to say hello?”

You waved and gave a small smile.

“Hello.” Obi-wan, slightly annoyed but went along anyway.

Leia and Obi-wan then explained that we were on a trip but got lost and needed to get to the port to go home.

“Well I'm going that way. Jump in!” Freck offered.

“Ah, That's all right we just need directions, thank you.” you said, not wanting to interact with anyone else you didn't know. But Leia shook her head and marched towards the back of the truck.

“Come on, we've walked long enough, Thanks Freck!”

You and Obi-wan gave in and walked to the back of the truck, only stopping when you saw the empire symbol painted on the back. You and Obi-wan shared a nervous look before he helped you up on the vehicle, quickly following behind you.

It wasn't long before Freck started up a conversion.

“Where did you say you were from again?”

“Tawl.” the three of you echoed.

“Oh, good people out in Tawl. they pay their way and listen to the empire.”

‘Probably because you kill them if they don’t.’ you thought bitterly.

“Absolutely, we love the empire.” Leia exclaimed.

“Nice to meet like-minded folk. Nothing wrong with alittle order. Right?”

Right as he said that, the truck came to a stop and you saw a large group of stormtroopers walk up. Chewing on your cheek nervously you snuck your hand over to  Obi-wans in a quiet attempt to ease your nerves as Obi-wan put a protective hand on Leia's shoulder.

The breaks squealed to a stop as Freck leaned out the window.

“Your transport late again?”

“As usual.” The stormtroopers' modulated voice sighed.

“Well, hop in. meet my new friends.”

You watched silently when five of them climbed up and sat around you, one of them even sitting close enough that their armored knee was hitting against yours. You pulled your cloak tighter around your body to avoid anyone seeing your lightsaber.

“This is Orden, Luma, and Lyra. they're hitching a ride to the port, Where are you all coming from?” Freck asked.

“They're moving us around, looking for some jedi.”

Freckles' face twisted in surprise.

“A jedi? Out here? I hope we're not in any danger.”

“Ah no, we'll find them. We always do.”

                                                             🖾

The silence was killing you, each passing moment was spent watching the stormtroopers hold their blasters in front of your face as every muscle in your body grew more and more tense. You distracted yourself by giving Leia the small amount of food you kept in your bag, the poor girl's stomach was growling in hunger for too long before you remembered you had it.

“Are you a miner?” One of them asked Obi-wan.

“Farmer, from uh- Tawl.” Obi-wan stuttered.

“What are you doing out here?”

Obi-wan smiled slightly, hoping to put them off.

“That's a long story.”

“It's a long way.” another stormtrooper said.

“He brought me here to see the place where he met my mother before she…” Leia said, her voice growing sadder at her fake story. The corner of your lip twitched up, pride swelling in you at her swift safe. Obi-wan patted her shoulder before he looked back up at the troopers.

“She's not with us anymore, it's been a difficult time.”

“What about you guys? Have any info on any jedi?”

“We wouldnt know one if we saw one,” you sighed. “Thank the maker, they've caused enough trouble already I wouldn't want to cross one.”

“You haven't heard anything?” the trooper asked in slight disbelief.

“Nothing,” Leia said. “Are you sure they're even on this planet?”

“They know what they're doing, Leia.” Obi-wan said.

You froze, and for the third time in the twenty years you've known Obi-wan Kenobi you wanted to smack him upside the head.

“You called her Leia.” the trooper called out, Obi-wan and Leia looked up from their argument. “I thought her name was Luma.”

  “Maker, please don't screw this up.” you prayed silently.

“That was her mothers name, I get confused.” Obi-wan said sadly, looking down at the ground. “Like I said, it has not been easy.” He then looked at Leia, a soft look on his face as he spoke. “Sometimes when I look at Luma, I see her mothers face.” 

Leia looked at him with an emotion you couldn't place.

“We all miss her very much.” he finished.

The Stormtrooper then puts its attention on you, crossing your legs and leaning back to show them your open and relaxed posture. It was an act of course but they didn't need to know that.

“What about you then? What are you doing here?” he interrogated, hands gripping his balster tighter.

“I'm her aunt,” you explained, “I help Orden take care of Luma while he's working on the farm, ever since her mother died I like to keep her close by my side.”

Your eyes never left Leias as you continued on, hoping she would understand how deep your next words truly meant to you.

“When I look in her eyes I find a glimpse of hope and strength, I wish I had when I think about my sister and if taking her here means that resilience stays then i'll travel the whole galaxy for her”

“Well,” the trooper nodded. “Just keep your eyes open.”

All three of you nodded.

“Of course.”

One of the other stormtroopers pounded on the side of the truck.

“This is us! Thanks Freck!”

The truck came to a stop, and all the white armored men quickly unloaded themselves, you held your breath until they were off the dirt road.

Once the truck began to move again all three of you sighed in relief, you thumped your head on Obi-wan's shoulder.

“Never again.” you whispered miserably.

Although you didn't get a reply, you moved your head to look at the two and saw Leia eying the both of you.

“What?” Obi-wan asked.

“You knew her, my real mother, didnt you?” 

“It was just a story.” Obi-wan sighed

Leia shook her head.

“The whole time I've known you both, you've been hiding something… Lying to me.”

“Leia.” you said softly lifting your head.

“Are you my real parents?” Leia asked, her voice small as she started up at Obi-wan. You turned your gaze to the dry land as you zoned out when Obi-wan began to talk, thinking about what you would say to her.

You wish you were her parent, so one day when she was hopefully much older, she wouldn't find out that her father, who people once respected and loved deeply had turned into a corrupted and heinous shell of a person who used to be Anakin Skywalker who murdered thousands of people.

Or that her mother had died minutes after she was born  because of that man and Darth Sidious.

You held out your hand, happy that the little girl placed her small hand in yours as you squeezed softly.

“I'm not your mom, but if I could rewrite the past and change things I would be in a heartbeat.” you admitted.

The truck slowled a decent amount making you and Obi-wan look up.

“Freck?” you called out. “Freck can we get off here?”

“Don't worry!” Freck shouted. “Standard inspection, it won't take long. I know these guys.”

You watched as Freck pulled up to the inspection site, and stepped out of the truck to go speak with one of the troopers. Their voices low in whispers, unable to make out what they were saying you pulled Leia closer to you.

Two troopers walked up to the back of the truck, fingers on the triggers for their blasters as they stared at the three of you.

“Not a lot of reason to be in the outpost today. Where are you headed?” he asked,

“Back to Tawl. We have family here we were visiting.” Obi-wan said calmly.

There was a beat of silence.

“Alright step out of the vehicle.” the trooper demanded.

You and Obi-wan shared a nervous look, but slowly stood up and got out. Obi-wan helped Leia down as the three of you stood in a line.

“Initiate protocol 23.”

Your hand twitches nervously at your side, unsure to grab ahold of your lightsaber or to avoid to put any more eyes on you than there already was. The hum of an imperial droid filled the air as it floated towards you, landing right in front of Obi-wan. Who kept his head down and hood over his head to avoid it scanning his face.

“Raise your head.” a trooper said, but when Obi-wan didn't move both of them raised their blasters. 

“I said, raise your head!” one of them shouted.

Obi-wan gave in once the droid got close enough to scan his face, rapid beeping went off for a moment before the alarm went off. Obi-wan moved quickly and whipped out his blaster in a blink, shooting down the droid. 

The two of you moved quickly, grabbing the trooper's wrist and quickly disarming him of his blaster and shooting him in the chest. You spun around and used the force on another one, lifting him and smacking their head against a rock when he tried to grab Leia.

Pushing Leia behind you when you saw Obi-wan grab Freck and use him as a shield to shoot down the guard on top of the watchtower, his body falling on the laser cutting him in half and leaving a split body on dirt.

You heard Leia whimper and you turned to see a stormtrooper pointing her blaster at her temple, the look of fear in her eyes made her look too much like her mother the night she died. You put down your blaster and heard Obi-wan walk around the car, seeing the predicament you were now in.

“Put it down! Put it down!” he shouted at Obi-wan, the barrel of the blaster lightly smacked Leia on the head making her cry out. Without thinking you raised your hand, your fingers curling in the air as the stormtrooper wheezed out a breath.

“Drop the gun!” you seethed, closing your fingers tighter as the stormtrooper gurgled and squirmed in your invisible grip. He quickly dropped the gun, and Leia sprinted forward allowing Obi-wan to shoot him in the stomach. Leia ran to your arms and you held her close, the sound of her shaky breaths loud in your ear.

“I got you, I got you.” you soothed, picking her up and jogging up to Obi-wan.

The three of you ran up to the lazer guarded fence, obi-wan flipped the switch only for nothing to happen. You stepped back when you saw Obi-wan shoot the switch with his blaster, frying the system and allowing the lazers to turn off.

You ran, only for a transport full of stormtroopers to arrive a few moments after. Putting Leia down on the ground when the group surrounded the three of you.

“Get down! Get down on the ground!.” A female trooper shouted.

You all slowly went to your knees, hands placed on the ground looking at the dirt beneath you. You were about to use the force when you heard the sound of a blaster echo. Flinching you looked over at Obi-wan and Leia, praying that it wasn't them who got shot.

“Come on.” A woman said, she was dressed in an imperial uniform, her tall boot crushing below the ground as she walked up to you. “They'll have sent a transmission. We have to hurry.”

                                                      🖾

The small town on Mapuso was quiet, indistinct chatter filling the air with the sound of metal pounding on metal as the woman led you through the back ways of the buildings.

“He gave you the right coordinates,” The woman confirmed and you and Leia shared a knowing look that Obi-wan was wrong about it being a trap, biting your lip to hold back a laugh as Leia rolled her eyes. “I was on my way when the probes arrived, but you'd already gone.”

“I didn't expect anyone to come.” Obi-wan admitted.

You pressed yourself into the wall when stormtroopers passed, the increase in security in such a short amount of time made you want to go hide. 

“The empires went into high alert. They've locked everything down.”

“How are we going to get out then?” you asked.

“I can still get you to the port, there's a pilot who has agreed to take you. But he's not scheduled to leave for a few hours so we need to lay low.” the woman explained, stepping away. Obi-wan moved to follow her but she held out a hand.

“Wait here, i'll make sure it's clear.”

You and Obi-wan watched her walk into a building across the street, you decided to take the time to lean against the wall, giving your legs a rest from all the walking you've done today. Your head pounded in your skull, most likely due to the lack of food and water you've had recently but the throbbing was beginning to create small black dots in your vision.

The chirp of Leia's droid Lola made you lift your head, she was looking down sadly and petting her small companion. You and Obi-wan kneeled down to meet her eye level but she didn't meet your gaze.

“Everything will be alright, Leia. well make it out.” Obi-wan promised.

Leia finally looked up, her eyes glossy.

“I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't mean to run away, I used to do it all the time.” she said, her breath catching in her throat. You reached up and placed a hand on her cheek to have her look you in the eyes.

“It wasn't your fault.” you said sternly. “You were the victim of an unfortunate situation, love.”

“I miss home.” she sadly while you brushed some of the loose hairs that fell from her bun behind her ear.

“You'll be home very soon.” Obi-wan said, putting his large hand on her shoulder for a moment before he stood up to look around the building. You stood up straight and Grabbed Leia's hand when Obi-wan gave the signal that it was clear. You followed Obi-wan into the building, keeping Leia in the middle of the two of you, using her inside when the Woman opened the door.

“What is this place?” you asked.

“Droid maintenance, it's all automated. No one ever comes in here.”

You nodded as you walked past Obi-wan, his arms crossed over his chest as his eyes followed your movement when grazed your hand against his, as you went to look around. It was cluttered, full of metal scraps and wires and the smell of oil filled your nose.

The sound of a door opening made you turn around, watching the woman lead Obi-wan and Leia into a secret room. The droid then looked over to you, as if he was waiting for you to go in as well. You smiled and jogged over, walking into the room thanking the droid before he closed the door again.

The room was small but homely, blankets and basic supplies laying around on tables with a few blankets on the ground modeled into makeshift beds. Dust covered some surfaces in the dark room but other than that it was clean.

“What is this place?” Obi-wan questioned.

The woman turned, her hat now gone as a trail of sweat trailed from her hairline to her brow.

“We have safehouses like this throughout the galaxy, we're trying to link the systems.” she explained. “Some call it the path, you two are not the first jedi to come through here.”

You looked around and saw a few canteens of water, you looked over your shoulder at the woman and she nodded. Kneeling down you snatched a canteen from the ground and quickly took a sip, you sighed in relief at the surprising coldness at the water. You poured some into your hands and washed your face to clear off some of the dirt before you handed it off to Leia who gratefully took it.

“It all leads to Jabiim, from there we give people new identities and get them out…there's a lot of good people  risking their lives out there.”

“Are they all jedi?” Leia asked and the woman chuckled.

“Not all. These days the empire is hunting anyone who's force-sensitive, even children.”

“What happens to them?”

“We're not sure, but no one ever sees them again.”

Now that you know Leia has some connection to the force, and knowing Luke will as well at some point you assumed. The thought of the empire getting their hands on the children whose father had the highest Midichlorianan count you've ever seen in your life made you nervous.

Who knows what they would do to them.

Obi-wan looked at the wall that had hundreds of carvings in it, but his hand hovered over one in particular.

“QuinLan was here?” Obi-wan asked, surprised.

Your brows shot up, now that was a name you haven't heard in a long time.

“He helps once in a while, smuggling younglings.”

You and Obi-wan smilied, happy to see a longtime friend alive and well.

“What does it say?” Leia asked. You leaned forward, fingers tracing the words gently.

“Only when the eyes are closed, can you truly see.” you read out, softly.

“See what?”

“The way.” Obi-wan said.

A loud knock on the door startled you, making you jump violently at the sound. You grabbed Leia's arm and moved her so she was pressed against the wall. Blaster ready in your hand as you tried to listen to the muffled voices behind the secret door. 

The few minutes that went by felt like hours as you all waited in anxious silences.

Eventually the door outfront closed, everyone let out the breath they were holding.

“We've been compromised. We're coming to you right now.” the dark haired woman spoke into her commlink.

“We're not ready, we need more-” the voice on the other line said.

“I dont care.” she interrupted. “Get the ship ready and hurry.” and with that she disconnected. She looked over at you, her brows creased in worry.

“Someone must have seen us. We're moving up the timeline.” she explained, shrugging off her imperial jacket for a more comfortable robe.

“Is it scary?” Leia asked her when you went to collect some basic supplies. “Having to pretend?”

“Yeah sometimes, but it's worth it if I get to help people.”

You opened your bag attached to your hip to put a couple bacta patches, some food, and water in it, you weren't sure how many more days you were going to be running around but you knew you need something to keep Leia somewhat healthy.

You listened to the woman  explain she was apart of the empire, realizing too late what they were capable off.

“We all made mistakes.” you called out, closing your small bag and looking over at her and Obi-wan.

“I can't imagine Obi-wan Kenobi and Y/n Marillia doing anything wrong.” she chuckled.

“It's just Ben and Kilian these days.”

“Well,” she said, placing a hand on her chest. “Tala”

“Come on,” Tala said, opening another secret door. “This will take us out.” 

You felt a huge shift in the force, the force of it alone making you shudder as you looked over at Obi-wan who was stumbling, leaning himself on the wall.

“Ben? Kilian?” Tala called out worriedly.

You and Obi-wan opened the door to the maintenance area again, both of you looking out the small slit in the door that showed the street. The sounds of shrieks and stormtroopers yelling at everyone to go inside ringed in the town, and you spotted multiple inquisitors at the end of the street, their black armor abusive against the white armor of the stormtroopers.

The sound of heavy modulated breathing sent shivers down your spine as a man walked down the long street. Tall and covered in all black with a helmet that covered his whole face, his cape flowing behind him with each heavy step he took.

“Anakin.” you whispered. As if he heard you, he froze in the middle of the street.

“Go Back to the room.” you demanded, pushing Leia away from the door before going back to looking out the window.

You watched in horror as he forced choke a man, dragging him out the window of his home. The sound of his wife and son crying at the sight.

“Dad!” the boy shouted, running out the door.

Anakin smacked him against the wall, before twisting his hand to the side.

The sound of the kids neck snapping had you cover your mouth, stifling a shout as you and obi-wan watched in horror as he continued on. The sounds of the mothers grief stricken screams fallen deaf upon his ears.

“Come on, we have to go.” Tala said, running back to the room, only stopping when she saw the two of you hadn't moved.

“Come on!” she whispered, you and Obi-wan ran back to the room. He kneeled down in front of Leia, placing his hands on her shoulders.

“Go with Tala and Y/n. I'll be right behind you.” he said and you looked at him in shock as he came up to you.

“Get her to Alderaan.”

You shook your head stubbornly

“No Obi-wan, I'm going with you, I'm not leaving you out there with that monster.” you spat out, your hands shook as you grabbed his hands. “I can't lose you too Obi-wan.” which was true, you couldn't stand to the side this time like you did on Mustafar, Obi-wan was just getting his strength back within the force and if he was fighting against Anakin you didn't know what would happen. Obi-wan placed a soft hand on your cheek, his thumb wiping away a tear that you didn't know fell. His eyes gave away what he was feeling but he tried to show a confident front.

“For them, remember?” he whispered. “Promise me, y/n.”

You let out a quiet sob, shaking your head weakly.

“Promise me, please.” he begged desperately.

“I promise.” you relented, your voice cracking under the crushing weight of you sending the person you love the most in life on a death mission. Obi-wan smiled at that, his own eyes getting slightly teary.

“I love you, Starlight.” he said, the nickname he used no longer felt like the warm welcome of coming home after a long night at the cantina on tatooine. No, not at all.

This felt like a goodbye.

“I love you too,” you said, pulling him closer and pressing his lips to yours. The taste of salty tears growing on your tongue as you kissed him desperately for a moment. Far too soon he pulled away, placing a kiss on your forehead and looked over at Tala.

“I'll lead them away, take care of them.” He said, Tala gave him a determined nod.

You watched Tala and Leia run down the hallway before you looked back at Obi-wan.

“Come back to me, alive.” you demanded, you were sure your eyes were red with tracks of tears down your face.

Obi-wan nodded and you turned, sprinting down the long hall to Tala and Leia.

“Leia!” you called out once you saw them down the hall, you sprinted to the small girl and picked her up. Your arms tight around her as hers wrapped around your neck,  you looked over at Tala who watched you in sympathy.

“Lead the way.” you said.

                                                        🖾

There was a constant tug in your chest the further you walked away from Obi-wan, the crying slowed to the occasional tear as you went numb with each passing second. You refused to put Leia down, the little girl afraid that once you stop you were going to collapse.

“Do you think love makes you weaker or stronger?” Padme's voice echoed.

You looked over at your friend and raised a brow, suspicious at the random question.

“Stronger, I suppose.” you said, a smile playing on your face. “I think once you find it, you have to do anything you can to protect that person and that love.”

“How can A jedi say that?” Padme teased. “Love is forbidden.”

You laughed loudly, smiling wide your teeth showed as you shook your head.

“We both know my views on attachment within the Jedi Order, dear friend.”

“You sound like Anakin when you talk like that.” Padme said.

“Oh yes, you would know that wouldn't you.” you teased, smirking at the small flush of pink grow on her face.

“Who sounds like me?” Anakin's voice popped up, you looked over your shoulder and saw him and Obi-wan. Padme leaned forward and whispered in your ear.

“Would you tell Obi-wan what you just told me?”

You stepped back and laughed awkwardly, hands coming up to smooth over your robes calmy.

“Padme, you will be the death of me.” you sighed, “Obi-wan and Ani can deal with your antics now, as i'm off duty.”

“I can walk you back to your room if you'd like.” Obi-wan offered.

You ignored the flutter in your stomach at his offer.

“Sure, give me an update on how Anakin has been giving you a headache lately.”

You smiled at Anakin's offended look and the sound of Obi-wan laughing.

“Don't worry Anakin, during our next sparring session I'll let you vent to me about Obi-wan.”

You spun on your heel and began to walk away, Obi-wan following behind you claiming he has done nothing wrong, but before you turned the corner you heard Padme's voice.

“I wish they could see how much they love each other.”

“Y/n?” Leia's scared voice pulled you away from the force vision, you had braced an arm against the wall. You looked at Leia in your arms and you gently put her down on the ground, running a hand up and down her arm gently.

‘Protect that love.’ you repeated to yourself in your head.

“Leia I-”

“Go.” she said sternly.

You looked at Tala and stood up, taking off the bag of supplies attached to your hip and handed it to Tala.

“I trust you get her on that ship safe and sound?”

“Of course, I'll do everything in my power.” Tala promised sincerely.

“Okay,” you sighed and looked down at Leia. “I promise i'll come back for you.”

Leia ran over and hugged your legs, giving a tight squeeze before she pulled away.

“Bring him back.”

You nodded.

“Yes, princess.”

                                                          🖾

“Forgive me Obi-wan and Master Stass.” you said to yourself as you ran, your feet pounding against the earth. You knew if you were going to fight the man you once knew as Anakin you had to approach it a different way, a smarter way.

Your mind went to Mace Windu, although you did not favor the man much, he had adapted his fighting style from the fighting form called Juyo. The form gave you an advantage but at the cost of surrendering yourself to all sides of the force and chaos.

Dangerous, foolish even, and a move your master would disapprove of.

Knowing Obi-wan he would be smart enough to lead the fight away from the town and it's citizens so you went towards the mining area, it was empty and large and if you knew your husband as well as you thought he did he would be there.

What you weren't expecting was fire, so much fire in fact,�� it was practically a sign pointing to danger. And when got to the top of the hill and peered down at the wall of fire only to see Obi-wan burning alive, his screams echoing loudly to the point you winced as Vader and a crowd of stormtroopers just watched

All you saw was red.

You slid down the hill, your saber in your hand as you held out the other to force push the fire out, as if it was a huge gust of air extinguishing the flame. You could barely see Obi-wan anymore as the surroundings around you went dark from the lack of light.

“Bring him to me.”

 You activated your lightsaber, the indigo light illuminating the way as you threw it hard. using the force to manipulate the weapon to move In a wide arc around Vader, killing the stormtroopers in a single move.

your saber flew back into hand, your finger gripping it tight.

You could make out Vader tiling his head, as you emerged from the shadows on his right side, putting yourself between Obi-wan and him like he was surprised you were in his presence.

“You don't get to have him.” you said furiously. 

Accepting the darker side of you was easier than you expected. The bubbling growth of power, the hatred you had for the person in front of you, your fear of losing Obi-wan. The longer you bathed in the darkness the quicker the light in you began to flicker out.

“I can sense your hatred, your bitterness, your greed.” The modulated voice said. “You would have made a wonderful sith, but you chose the man who made this.” 

Anakin was gone, the good part of him at least but you've learned how to set him off and how to calm him down. You just needed to knock him down enough to make it out with you and Obi-wan.

“Killing Padme wasn't enough for you was it!?” you shouted. “Killing your child wasn't enough for you!?”

“Silence!” Vader yelled. raising his lightsaber and swinging down at you, knowing what his reaction would be, you quickly parried the move. You sound the lightsaber in your hands, performing the move Anakin and Obi-wan taught you so long ago as you swung up, you lightsaber grazing the black armor covering his body leaving a smoldering line of orange heat in its wake. He managed to grab your wrist, and threw you to the ground. The  force of it alone made you gasp for air as he slammed his saber down, at the last second you held yours up to block the hit from landing on your face. The heat from both of your sabers making sweat drip from your brow. You kicked your foot up as high as you could, shouting in pain when the boot met his metal hand, although it allowed you to throw him off just enough to roll away from him and stand on your feet again.

The next few hits from him were relentless, barely giving you time to doge let alone attack but he managed to raise his arms high enough for you to slip in and jab the hilt of your saber in the box on his chest. It dented under the pressure of your attack and spat out a couple sparks, using the force, he slowly lifted you off the ground. You could feel the tightness around your throat as you trashed his grip. Letting out a ferle yell swung your leg out and maged to nik your boot into the underside of his helmet that met his neck. He let out a wheeze and lost his focus on the grip he had, you took the opportunity to try to stab him but his hand met your blade, the force acting as barrier between him and the blade. You grunted and pushed harder, putting everything into just pushing three more inches.

Three more inches and he would be dead.

Vader seemed to grow tired of you and force pushed you back, your back skidding across the rocks as you landed back to where Obi-wan was. You ignored the rocks embedded into the skin of your back and worked yourself up. Not caring how much physical pain you were in, you just wanted Vader to know your mental pain.

“I was there in the temple when you killed the younglings!” you screamed in anguish. “I was there when Padme died, I will not let you take away one of the last few good things left in this galaxy.” 

You almost didn't notice Tala in the corner of your eye in your anger, she was perched on the hill you were on not long ago, her blaster aimed and ready at something. You followed where she was aimed with your eyes and saw the generator. Her idea quickly clicked in your mind, you looked back at Vader. You kept fighting the urge to run forward, abodnand all logic and attack him until you couldn't move anymore, you wanted Vader dead and gone.

you could feel yourself fall deeper and deeper in the dark side, you shook your head as if you could shake away the feeling. the only thing you wanted to do was give in to the temptation.

“As much as I want to kill you, this isn't my fight!” you shouted stepping back until you were by Obi-wan.

“You're not a jedi, the look in your eye tells me you are teetering on the darkside Y/n.” Vader said.

You looked over at Tala and raised your hand to signal her to shoot, a blaster shot rang through the air and landed on the generator. The heat from it makes it spark and set aflame the rocks, creating a new wall between you and Vader. You saw Ned-B come up behind you and pick up Obi-wan, he let out a painful groan.

You casted one more look at Vader, who stared at you silently through the flames before you followed the droid to a safe spot and to meet up with Tala. You climbed back up the hill from before and helped lower Obi-wan to the ground.

You kneeled down by his face, putting your hands on his cheeks, you could smell charred flesh and almost threw up when you saw still glowing embers on his burned arm.

“Obi-wan? Can you hear me?”

He kept twitching and groaning, not giving you any sign that he was aware enough to hear you, you could feel his pulse grow rapidly under your finger, his skin grow cold, and his breathing grow more and more irregular. 

You knew what was happening, you've seen it too many times during the clone wars. Watching in horror as you master tired to heal their shock ridden bodys of the clones and Jedi.

“Tala, he's gone into shock.” you cried out. quickly moving to his feet to elevate his legs onto your lap holding his legs up as high as you could.

“Ready the transport, we have to get him to Jabiim.” Tala ordered the droid.

You bit your trembling lip as you stared at Obi-wan. you didn't recognize him like this, beaten and so injured his body was shutting down. You wanted to smack yourself for not being able to master force healing. Your master tried so hard to teach you.

“Please don't leave me.” you begged.

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@viviandarko​

@thegirlwith-curlyhair​

[peteyprecious616]

Divine deception

Pairing: Anakin x Jedi!reader

Summary: You were too good for the Jedi to have. So he had to save you from their lies. He would take you with him. He had no choice. You didn't either.

Word count: ~1.1k

Sentence prompt: You must know... surely you must know it was all for you.

A/N: oh hey everyone...sorry for disappearing. College has not been fun these past few days and weeks. A lot of work towards midterms but I gotta do it. This was also somewhat of a writing exercise because i've been struggling to come up with ideas for new content, so if you want something specific let me know.But until then, i guess here is some darker fic than my usual stories.

Warnings: Major character death; just a dark, angsty anakin fic. Different than my usual stuff ;)

Your former master’s blood slipped through the rifts of your hands. Dripping off your fingertips mixed with your tears as they stained the rug beneath your knees.

“How could they do this? He was our friend Anakin!”

He was the only person who looked after you when you needed comfort. He was your master, your mentor.

And your only other friend, next to Ani.

“I assure you. It's going to be okay.” He whispered as he kneeled behind your weak body. Your knees just touched your master's cold side as you sat next to his stiff form.

You couldn’t see the glossed, darkened eyes that drilled into the back of your head, the hatred that seeped towards his former teacher. It’s moments like these where he knew there was no going back.

The Jedi were frauds; stupid people that believed everything would fall into place. The galaxy was on their side, theirs to control.

To manipulate.

You were one of the many that fell with the cause. Your mind and body radiate that belief that the star systems could find peace. You wanted to do right by the council, by everyone. It was why you wanted to follow Obi-Wan and his ways.

His influential words had clung to your brain easily like a virus as you spewed the written Jedi way. It was the only way for you. Everyone believed it.

Even Anakin at one point believed in it.

He was weak then.

He was taken from his mother to be a part of something that could easily be seen as a protecting divinity for others. The guiding light for others to follow to become the best possible being.

To create unity.

It was a sick way of bringing people together; Anakin loathed to be associated with something so vile.

He had to pull you away from all of the nonsense and brainwashing the council did to everyone else.

Too far gone.

Dead to change.

But you were about to slip. He had been creeping along, waiting patiently for the right time to save you from this place.

This horrible world.

He believed what he was doing was going to make the Jedi beg for mercy. They forced him into submission. The council made him believe that he was the problem, the darkness that slithered through the precipice of his mind, that would control his actions someday.

They couldn’t fix him. So let's just cast him out of the group. Keep him on edge, to make him believe he was “worthy enough” to be one of the greats.

That's what Obi-Wan forced him to believe since he was young. All teeth and tongue spitting cunning words of false belief to his younger self.

The other “great” minds chanted the same prayer. Till they believed the same lies that spewed from their lips. It might have been a way for them to force a sense of comfort into their lives.

They knew the truth about the future. The greatest prophecy of the one they call Anakin Skywalker.

Darth Vader was just hidden in the obscurity of the present studies of Anakin. He wouldn’t have learned the real truth about himself.

Because they were afraid of him. He was too “naive”; too young.

They could change him. His fingers indented with the contrived comfort of a lightsaber.

He was a force of good.

To save others from the dark hands of the taboo "other" side of the force.

It was only spoken of in feeble allusions and phrases. To be whispered in the dimness of the library corners.

To be diminished from the teachings for others. It needed to be “forgotten”.

To be rid of. Not a problem.

So why couldn’t he bring the untouchable, precious Jedi to their knees? He had their cowardness breaking through the cracked skin of their delusive lips.

He had the power. The right to choose his fate.

You did too.

But you have been perceiving it the wrong way.

He couldn’t let you fall away. He had you. He could have you. All you had to do was pick the right choice.

Listen to a better voice of reason.

All those nights of you studying for training with Obi-Wan. Anakin slumped in the chair next to you, listening to you talk about what you were learning. Even years after schooling and training, your melodic voice that talked about what made him angry the most, made him think it was okay to settle.

To be force-fed lies from your lips.

Because even though he would be stuck here in the vicious place, he would still have you.

But after those long days of grueling training, now a trained Jedi, you came to him, wanting someone to look after you and keep you safe. Away from the cruel reality of the fighting galaxy.

Your bruised fingers gripped onto the back of his robe like he was your salvation. His lips brushed over your ears, promising you love and claiming you as “his” own liberation. He was a new person because your soft hands hovered over his drained face like he was a fragile piece of glass.

Something to cherish and preserve from shattering

Or at least that’s what he made you believe.

He was burned raw before he met you. Nothing left to protect but his plan to repay the council for what they deserve.

And to kill them for ever letting them lay a finger on you. Pulling you towards an already established destiny. Feeding you utter lies about the future.

He was your future. And you were his.

Whether you knew it or not he couldn’t tell.

So as he held your tired fingers in his hand, as you laid next to the cold body of your former master, he had to tell you.

You had to get ready for what was to come. Your new future layed in his damaged, aged hands. You just needed to be held, to be comforted because he could take care of you now.

Obi-Wan was a menace to society, to think he could control your and Anakin's way towards independence.

He had to kill him.

Confused and distraught, you fell back into his arms to seek comfort. Never knowing the true cause of death. He would never tell you he did it. But he would pull you into his arms and keep you close as you walked towards your new journey with him.

You must know... surely you must know it was all for you.

But you had to figure that out for yourself...with him by your side.

[aprodaydreamer]

oh look, i wrote a lil more of the time travel prompt. still figuring out the characters voices tho (i’m new to the fandom).

Obi-Wan's eyes grew wide as he watched the sith lord being thrown back and pinned to the nearest wall by the Force. Or more accurately by one of its users. 

A new silhouette walked towards Darth Maul, their gaze briefly gliding over Obi-Wan as if looking for any injuries. The padawan stood frozen as he recognized the mechanic from Mos Espa. And not only was Anakin clearly Force-sensitive - which he would not have guessed from their previous meeting - but his Force signature was stronger than anything Obi-Wan had ever seen before. 

Looking at him now was like gazing straight into the two suns of Tatooine. 

And yet it quickly became clear to the padawan Anakin’s power didn’t come from the Light. Not fully anyway. There were shadows meddling with the tremendous brightness. Scars left by true darkness.

“Anakin,” Qui-Gon called.

But the what? Mechanic? Jedi? Sith? did not stop before he reached his target, two lightsabers appearing at his sides. One blue, one red. 

Obi-Wan was transfixed. 

The vision went against everything he thought he knew about the Force. Grey Jedi were supposed to be a myth. 

Obi-Wan was jolted out of his reverie when Anakin brought the sabers to Darth Maul’s neck and Qui-Gon called his name anew and the other ignored him again. He was determined and Obi-Wan looked at his master, waiting for his signal even though getting between Anakin and Maul seemed suicidal at best. After all, Maul had fought them both with little trouble and was now completely incapacitated by Anakin.

“Tell him to stop.”

Obi-Wan blinked in confusion upon hearing his master’s order through their training bond. 

“Now, Obi-Wan.”

He opened his mouth, and closed it, floured by Qui-Gon’s newest brilliant idea. His master’s strategies often puzzled him but this one probably topped them all. Anakin hadn’t listened to his master, why would he listen to him? He was no one. A padawan whose power was so incredibly inferior to his it was risible. But Obi-Wan wasn’t one to disobey a direct order.

“Anakin, that’s enough,” he said.

And Gods, he sounded like a crèchemaster scolding a youngling. He was so embarrassed by his own words it took him another moment to realize Anakin had tensed upon hearing him. 

Oh, well, he sure hoped Qui-Gon would make it sound like he died in battle, he thought as Anakin turn to look at him over his shoulder. Except where he expected to see anger and contempt, Anakin’s expression actually shown… petulance and frustration.

“He hurt you,” Anakin replied.

What?

“Barely,” Obi-Wan said not without hesitation.

He didn’t understand what was happening. Was Anakin going to execute Maul because Obi-Wan fell on his ass once? And mostly, why did he care what happened to Obi-Wan? His own master didn’t care if he got a bruise or two (or a hundred) in battle.

“Not… here,” Anakin answered. He was clearly exasperated. “But where - when I come from -”

When? 

Anakin trailed off, shaking his head.

“He deserves to die,” he added.

“He deserves to be judged for his crimes,” Obi-Wan replied automatically.

Again, Anakin looked straight at Obi-Wan but there were none of the emotions the padawan expected inhabiting his gaze. There were despair, sadness, and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

And after what felt like a small eternity, Anakin turned off his lightsabers, taking a step back as Maul tried to break free from his Force-hold without success. 

“He is all yours, Master,” he said.

And also the sarcasm was clearly audible in his voice, the use of the title directed at him still left Obi-Wan speechless. 

[x-childish-x]

(part 1) i am loving these anakin x mother figure concepts 😄 could i also request one haha, after order 66 reader survives and becomes a grey jedi. while on a mission, she runs into darth vader. they fight for a little bit, but soon stop after they recognize each other through the force. surprisingly, vader isn’t hostile towards her while they talk, but he’s not calm either. reader refuses to keep calling him vader. after their convo reader slowly approaches him and

Something You're Not

Pairing: Darth Vader x fem!reader

Fandom: Star Wars

Warnings: Darth Vader, female!reader, mother figure!reader, crying, mentions to feeling like a failure, fighting, mentions to Order 66

Word Count: 1,352

A/N: Hello lovely! Wow I loved writing this request! First Darth Vader request, woo! It was so fun to write because the entire time I felt I could see this all playing out! Thank you for the request and support! I appreciate it so much! Feedback is always welcome and appreciated, I really hope that you all enjoy this one!!

Summary: You finally reach the force signature that had been reaching out with you for weeks, only to realize it's none other than Darth Vader, the boy you once raised.

PART TWO, PART THREE, PART FOUR

(gif! not mine!)

"Rex, take care of Ahsoka for me... I know how badly she wants to be on this mission. I can't risk it," you mumbled through the holo-comm as you carefully landed your ship.

"You know I always will. She's busy with Ezra right now anyways, so hopefully, he'll keep her mind occupied. Just be safe. If this is Maul, we need to know why he's been reaching out to you," Rex replied, his voice sounding tired.

You sighed, clicking everything off before standing, "Don't worry, Rex. It'll work out. I'll be home within a rotation."

"You better be," Rex joked lightly, "Be safe (y/n). May the force be with you."

"And with you."

Clicking off the holo-comm and leaving it on the ship, you quickly set off outside. Pulling up the hood on your grey cloak, you looked around cautiously, taking in your surroundings and using the force to reach out.

You could feel the dark side of the force more prominently now that you were here. It was almost strong enough to make out a force signature, but not completely. Despite the fact you still seemed far away from the dark force energy, it felt incredibly familiar, and that was what lead you to believe it was Maul. After all, he was the only Sith whose force signature you were familiar with.

It didn't take long for you to find the correct path leading to the Sith. Following the dark force signature proved to be an easy task for you. You trekked through the forest for what felt like hours. You carefully avoided all unknown plants and made sure to keep your presence as obscure as possible. You were using the force to the best advantage you could, mapping out your path while still trying to identify the oddly familiar Sith signature.

Finally breaking out into a clearing, you held your breath at the sight of Darth Vader's back. His cloak swooshed in the light breeze as you watched him, quickly thinking over everything you'd ever heard about him. You felt like you were in a holo-film, at the big climax moment when you face off the main villain. Fog would be piling in, surrounding you and Darth Vader as you prepare to fight.

Undoubtedly he knew you were there, and despite the fact, the two of you had never encountered each other before, your force signatures were incredibly familiar. Dancing around each other like fawns, trying to figure out why the unknown was so incredibly welcoming, like coming back to an old friend.

"I did not know you'd survived Order 66," Vader's ominous voice broke through the silence, venom, and hatred surrounding each word.

Slowly you stepped out from the faint protection of the trees, "It wasn't of my knowledge that you even knew me."

"I don't," Vader replied curtly, allowing a pause as your signatures moved around one another, "You're a Jedi unaccounted for."

"I prefer it that way," You snarled.

Dashing forward at the same moment Vader's force signature delivered a harsh prod to your own, you unsheathed your lightsaber. Leaping into the air and slashing down on Vader's back, you made contact with his lightsaber, sparks of grey and red dancing in the calm aura of the planet. He was quick to spin and send a counter swing at you, but you blocked it quickly. You locked sabers and spun him around, doing your best to throw him off.

Despite the situation of your fighting, you found each other still dancing within the force, trying to identify each other's signature. Your fighting was incredibly familiar to him, and his defense was familiar to you. Akin to a thunderstorm, you both fought quickly and powerfully. Neither obtaining the upper hand, you matched perfectly clash after clash, block after block.

Your fierce fighting was like a tornado destroying a small town. The planet around you was calm and peaceful, undisturbed by the fight for life you'd engaged yourself in. It certainly wasn't Maul who'd been trying to connect with you over the past weeks, and you found yourself wishing that it had been the Dathomirian instead. You'd overcome enough and lost too much to not give up now.

Finally flipping away, your hood fell as your force signatures connected, a gasp tumbling from your lips, "Anakin?"

"Master (y/l/n)," Vader responded softly.

A silence fell as you stared at one another. Of course, he was familiar. You trained Anakin, helped Obi-Wan raise him. You'd been Anakin's mom ever since he'd joined the Jedi, and he, your son. You'd assumed he'd died in Order 66, as Obi-Wan refused to talk to you. But now, staring across at Anakin in Vader's armor, you felt more like a failure than you'd ever had.

"You traded the purple for grey," Vader noted, causing you to look down at your blade.

Looking up at Anakin, you fought to keep your voice strong, "You traded blue for red, Ani."

"Anakin's dead," He snarled, turning off his lightsaber.

You mocked his actions, tilting your head slightly, "If Vader was here, he would've killed me already, Anakin."

"I am Vader! My name is Vader," The man huffed, "I killed Anakin myself!"

You shook your head, "I will not call you something you're not, Anakin. I trained you to be honest... true to yourself and your emotions. I will do the same now."

Vader seemed to falter, his hands repeatedly clenched and unclenched. The soft whir of machinery filled the air as you stared at the man in front of you. You took a step forward slowly, your eyes filling with remorse as you used the force to search through Anakin.

"What'd they do to you, my sweet Ani?" You whispered, "Why didn't you come to me? I could've helped you."

"Nobody could've helped him!" Anakin raged, yelling in anger that seemed directed at himself, "He was lost! Gone! Anakin would've died regardless! I, Vader, would've killed him regardless!"

"No," You mumbled, looking around at the planet you'd been called to, "You wouldn't have died, Ani. It would've been like any other mission, any other obstacle before. I would've helped you get through it, like always."

"Anakin is dead!" Vader cried out, his voice breaking, a hint of desperation sneaking through, "He's gone."

Slowly, you stepped forward, watching the way Anakin's chest rose and fell with each mechanical breath, "No... you're not gone, Anakin. You're not gone, and like all the times before, I'll be waiting to help you."

Taking in a deep breath, you anxiously wrapped your arms around Anakin, noticing how much taller he was. His arms remained by his side in shock, trying to sort out his emotions. Anakin's mechanical breathing filled your ears as you squeezed the boy you raised. Tears fell down your cheeks as you held him to your chest, wishing you had been able to help him. Wishing you'd stayed by Anakin more during the Clone Wars. Wishing that you could turn back time and save the little boy you loved so much.

Squeezing tighter for a brief second, you whispered, "I love you, no matter what, Anakin."

Letting go of the man, you stepped back quickly, hoping that the powerful Sith Lord hadn't seen your tears. But you knew that you'd been too slow, and you knew Anakin knew you better than that. Watching as you walked back and disappeared into the trees you'd come from, Darth Vader wondered if he would ever see you again. He'd reached out to you for weeks, and he wondered now if you would ever reach out to him, remind him you were still alive, waiting for Anakin to return.

Boarding your shuttle, you let out a cry as you reached for your comm. There were so many regrets you held and so much you wished you would've done. But the past was not something you could dwell on. You could only hope that you'd been able to reach Anakin quickly enough.

"Rex?" You called weakly into the comm. You waited patiently for Rex's reply until you heard your name called worriedly, "I'm coming home."

Taglist: @nowthisisdark

[nevertheless-moving]

Invisible Hand Chaos AU x 2

Star Wars Time Travel AU #31

Continuation from HERE

Anakin whirled to face his Master, “Did you know Yoda had a baby?” he asked incredulous and slightly betrayed.

“What? No. Also he could just be another of Yoda’s species. Obviously.” Internally Obi-Wan thought about the still unnamed larva in a hidden aquatic creche, but the Mandalorian’s associate even called him Baby Yoda...

“Unbelievable,” Dooku muttered. “That little green hypocrite.”

“Did you know about this?” Anakin asked the Sith Lord, temporarily forgetting about the fight in favor of the revelation that Yoda might also have a secret family.

“Of course not, the troll never tells anyone anything,” Dooku ranted, deliberately setting aside the fight in favor of unloading decades of suppressed irritation with his former Master.

“I feel we might be jumping to conclusions here-” Obi-Wan offered weakly. 

Anakin scoffed. “He literally just called him Baby Yoda,”

“Loathe as I am to admit it, your apprentice is correct. It would seem the Grandmaster of the order has been keeping some secrets.”

“This is absurd!” Obi-Wan protested as the small child on the balcony above tilted his head curiously, watching the conversation below with interest from the safety of his Buir’s arms. 

“I agree.” Anakin said self-righteously. “If Yoda can have a baby then- then everyone in the order should be allowed a family.”

“Anakin...”

“Anakin, as interesting is this all is, I’m still in somewhat of a bind over here,” the Chancellor called across the hall, irritated and somewhat alarmed by the sudden outbreak of peace in the room.

“We’ll be right with you Chancellor, don’t worry!” Obi-Wan called back. 

“We just need a minute to figure some Jedi business out!” Anakin added. 

“You there- Mandalorian” Dooku called up sharply. 

“...Yeah?” the Besker-clad warrior answered uncertainly.

“What is the parentage of the child in your arms? How did you come to possess him?” The count's question cut through everything else in the room, and the two Jedi held their breath as they waited for the answer.

The Mandalorian pulled Grogu in closer, “He is a foundling. I know his name as my child.”

“Mandalorians,” Obi-Wan and Dooku muttered, Obi-Wan fondly, Dooku with exasperation.

“What?” Anakin asked bewildered.

“The Mandalorian adopted him- hold on a second, I’m going to try something.” Obi-Wan said.

“Mando! Forgive me- Have you already attempted to return your foundling to his people and been denied? If not, we can show you where to find an elder of his kind.”

The Mandalorian stiffened. “I already found one of his people. It took a great deal of time; neither of us knew there were any others left in the galaxy. By the time I met Luke...the child was mine and we would not be parted long. The three of us began traveling together. He acted as mentor to Grogu, though he is too young to be considered the boy’s senior. In time...we decided it would be simpler to raise him as a warrior together. We are one.”

“Oh. How wonderful.” Obi-Wan said weakly. 

Anakin’s brow furrowed furiously and he lowered his voice “Master did I get that right? This guy is really good friend’s with one of Yoda’s people but the friend is not the Child’s biological father and they don’t know anyone else from the species?”

“He actually said he was married to one of one of Yoda’s people but other than that your conclusions are correct. Very good Padawan.” Obi-Wan nodded, attempting to wrap his head around the various implications.

Dooku made a triumphant hum, “Then, by simple inductive reasoning, and in the absence of an alternative candidate, we can assume that the Child is, in-fact, Yoda’s offspring.”

“Exactly!” Anakin agreed with Dooku excitedly. 

“Interesting that he would give the spawn to a Mandalorian, rather than the creche. Embarrassment, perhaps.” the Count mused. 

“Unbelievable.” Anakin agreed indignantly. 

“Ok, now hold on. Foundling is pretty literal most of the time-” Obi-Wan interrupted. “Mando- was the child entrusted to you or did was there a rescuing involved?”

“...I was assigned to find him as part of a bounty, but found the imps who I was supposed to give him to...unpleasant.”

“Imps?” Anakin asked. 

“There you go!” Obi-Wan said, with just a tinge of hysteria. “Yoda didn’t abandon the child- not that it necessarily is Yoda’s child- he was kidnapped.”

Anakin gasped, “Master! We have to save him!”

“Hold on now, Anakin- He seems perfectly safe at this point and we were here for the Chancellor remember?”

“You won’t be leaving here with the Chancellor or the child.” Dooku sneered. “I can sense the force potential- and I am in want of a new apprentice.”

“Over my dead body,” Anakin snarled.

“That can be arranged.”

“Hey Luke-” the Mandalorian said into the comm as the three swordsman began circling one another “-it looks like two of the Jedi are attacking the other- do you want me to get involved?”

“...Din, by any chance, are any of the laser swords red?”

“Yeah, the fanciest dressed one has a red lightsaber, the other guys are blue. Does it matter?”

“...Red lightsaber means not Jedi. I- hold on, I think I see you!”

The three combatants jumped apart again, looking up at the slight comm echo to the sound of footsteps and the absolutely blinding force presence of the approaching Jedi. 

Had he never learned shielding? Obi-Wan thought hysterically. “Or was he just so powerful that he never bothered restraining himself?”

He tried to exchange a glance with Anakin, but his padawan was too focused on straining to see the incoming Master force user of some kind- light, but not necessarily Jedi. He instead looked over at Dooku, shrugging in confusion. Dooku grimaced back at him in solidarity.

The being finally entered. He was- significantly taller and less green than Obi-Wan was expecting, but still probably shorter than anyone else in the room.

“Din- are you two alright?” The soft-faced man asked in a remarkably gently voice, appearance somewhat at odds with the overbearing power he exuded.

“We’re fine, Luke but look! More Jedi!” He gestured below. 

Luke peered over the balcony, eyes growing wide as they passed over the faces of everyone below. “hoLY KRIFF!” He shouted.

The ship shuddered and Obi-Wan glanced nervously out the view ports, suddenly remembered that the damaged ship only had so long before it fell out of orbit.

“Do you know them?” Din asked. 

“Do I- for fuck’s sake Din, I love you but I have literally shown you holopics of my father before.” Luke whispered furiously. The room unfortunately was utterly quiet and remarkably acoustic, meaning his words carried easily to the listeners below.

“FATHER!” Anakin yelled, causing Luke to wince, slapping a gloved hand to his face.

“FATHER!” He repeated loudly, head ping-ponging between Obi-Wan and Dooku as if trying to find a resemblance, before gasping to stare at the Chancellor, before gasping again to squint at Obi-Wan. 

“DOES EVERYONE HAVE A SECRET FAMILY!” He shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

“Oh for force sake- I do not have a secret son. Honestly, Anakin, he’s clearly in his 20s, be reasonable. His birth would however fit into the timeline of Dooku’s withdraw from the order.” Obi-Wan said, raising a brow.

Dooku puffed out his chest, “I did not fail to meet the Code, like so many of the pathetic masses. Before I left the Order I followed the rules precisely. When my disagreements grew too great, and my attempt for structured reform were repeatedly rejected, I left for ethical reasons, not personal ones. I looked at the code and decided it was failing the Jedi.”

He smirked and lifted his chin at the chancellor, who was watching the proceedings with an inscrutable expression, “My, my Chancellor, this is an interesting surprise.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “We’re not idiots, Dooku. Obviously the boy’s parents were force sensitive, look at him.” 

Dooku’s smirk grew wider.

“This is absurd! Again!” Obi-Wan threw up his arms and lifted his head to address the dark-robed young human, “Hello there, Luke, was it?” 

“Uh, yes. I’m Luke.” The powerhouse responded nervously. 

“My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi-”

“Yes, I know who you are.” Luke responded drily.

Anakin gasped. 

“He is not my son.” Obi-Wan muttered.

“I’m not Obi-Wan’s son.” Luke called down cheerfully.

“Oh.” Anakin slouched, oddly disappointed. He liked this guy for some reason, felt- connected to him. Maybe it was the dark robes, or the force signature that nearly rivaled his own (though it was somewhat lighter), or even the gloved hand that he suspected was mechanical. If he was Obi-Wan’s son than that would make him practically his brother! The Chancellor might be neat but Dooku...ugh.

“Would you be so kind as to tell us whose son you are? I realize its none of my business but you’ve peaked our curiosity. And then afterwards, regardless of your parentage, we would not mind help in rescuing the Chancellor of the Republic from this slowly crashing ship.”

“Right. Right.” Luke nodded. “Would you give me a second?”

He pressed his head to the side of Din’s helmet and started whispering rapidly, to quiet for anyone else to hear. 

The group below exchanged glances, beginning to tense up again. After a few seconds, the Mandalorian nodded and spoke, “Let’s do it. I trust your judgement.” Luke grinned and returned to the edge of the balcony. 

“Ok, I can help with the first, but not the second.”

“Perfectly understandable.” Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin bristled. “So Dooku is your father.”

Luke smiled at Anakin. “No. You are my father.”

Anakin blinked as Obi-Wan’s face twisted in confusion. “No...” he said slowly. “No, that’s not true. That’s impossible.”

Luke’s smile grew wider, “Search your feelings,” he said urgently, with the full weight of his force presence screaming honesty with every word, “You know it to be true.”

Anakin gasped as he reached out into the force to find...his son. Impossible, but true. The ground trembled, either with the immensity of the realization, or catastrophic engine failure.

“No.” Obi-Wan said clearly to Luke on the balcony.

“No.” He repeated firmly, snapping a finger in Anakin’s face to try and break him out of the trance he seemed to be in. “It’s not true.” He said to the room in general, incredulous it even needed to be said.

Dooku began slowly backing away. The confrontation was rapidly spinning out of his or his Master’s control; he had only stayed this long to indulge vain curiosity. Regardless if the boy was insane, lying, or a time-traveler, he was clearly powerful. The ship’s orbit was gradually decaying and with any luck he could use his dead man’s switch to speed up the crash as he departed, neatly killing everyone who could stand against him in one stroke.

“Anakin,” the lunatic on the balcony continued, “You can destroy the emperor. He has forseen this. It is your destiny! Join me, and together-”

Din cleared his throat.

Luke stopped and smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry! Sorry. Got a little...carried away there.” He coughed awkwardly into his fist.

“Anyway- yeah. I’m Luke Skywalker. I’m from the future, I guess we... time-traveled accidentally somehow? I uh- was kind-of quoting something you said to me once and you kept going along with it and... yeah, definitely got carried away. Sorry, I really don’t know how we got here but, weird stuff happens around me- one time I was on Yavin IV and these ghosts started- anyway. Long story. Surprise!”

Obi-Wan took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Ok...I might believe you’re Anakin’s son.”

Dooku had nearly reached a side door when his treacherous Master called out- “Anakin! Master Kenobi! Dooku- he’s getting away.”

Skywalker’s- Anakin Skywalker’s- attention snapped over to the Count and with a outstretched arm, he crumpled the steel door, throwing a beam across it for good measure. The ship moaned alarmingly and several more red lights began blinking at the navigation panel, unnoticed by anyone.

“Luke- son- I don’t know what Emperor you’re talking about, but help us defeat Count Dooku and save Chancellor Palpatine! After that- after that I’m happy to, um, join you? And meet your... husband? And padawan? Sorry, we were kind-of in the middle of something...” 

“Wow. Ok. I’m not sure if-” Luke started to respond before being interrupted by the Mandalorian.

“Wait, Dooku! I know that name!” Din said suddenly. “The covert hated him! He was the evil Sif Emperor you defeated, right?”

“...Sith Emperor. Din, darling and light of my life, as always, your grasp of history and recent current events never fails to amaze me.” Luke sighed.

“You must stop him, before he becomes Emperor,” Palpatine shouted desperately. 

Luke sighed again, more heavily. “Fine. FINE! Kriff the timeline, I didn’t ask to be born anyway. Din- go help capture...Emperor Dooku. Grogu- Pod. I’ll go- free the Chancellor.” The floor beneath them gave a lurch. “Before this ship breaks apart. Go!” 

Luke and Din jumped off the balcony as a shiny metal pod with a transparisteel view screen closed around Grogu, hovering between them, well off easy reach of the ground.

Din landed between Obi-Wan and Anakin, helmet turning to face each of them in turn, “...I’ll follow your lead.” He finally said, arming his weapons.

Obi-Wan grinned fiercely, “Excellent, Anakin, stay with me.”

“I was just about to say the same thing.”

“Mando, you- Is that the DARKSABER- ARE Yoouu- ugh you know what, I will ask after the fight. I will ask after the fight. How did the Mand'alor- NEVERMIND. Let’s just- FORCE I have so many questions-” 

“No time, Master!”

And the battle began. 

[sl-walker]

Blindsided, Part 6

Read prior parts here.  Sign up to be tagged when this fic (or any of mine!) updates here.  Read it on AO3 here.

Section warnings: There’s violence on both sides, including Qui-Gon blinding Maul in flashback, and Obi-Wan continues to hand Prin’s ass to him in the present.

--

Duality of vision.  Obi-Wan existed as two people at once during recall, a nauseating sensation.

Prin was nervous; he and Master Jinn had finally managed to get a lead on what Master Jinn was certain was at least one Sith, given the tattoos--

Markings.  Nightbrother markings.  It figured the Jedi would not bother to distinguish between those things.

--on the zabrak, in blood red and black.  Before this, Prin had been a middling knight, but this could be enough to make him feel like a real Jedi, instead of an imposter.  Defending the light from the forces of darkness.

Some part of Obi-Wan felt pity there, for the knight whose memory he had plundered; that was another reason this was so difficult.  It was too easy to lose the distinction between what was his and what was not.

The law enforcement officials had managed to catch an informant playing double-agent and had found out where the Sith was -- were? -- going to strike next.  Master Jinn had spearheaded their plans; he was very determined to catch up to them.  When Prin asked why, that was when Master Jinn revealed that the young human man was thought to be one of their lost charges; that his name was Obi-Wan Kenobi and he had been thought lost with the watchman who had been bringing him back to the Temple.

That pulled on Prin’s heart--

--Obi-Wan grimaced, even as he was dragging Prin-- dragging Novo, the Jedi-- over to the bed to unlock the collar on Maul’s neck.  He wanted to ask Prin why he had even cared about Obi-Wan's fate; he also wanted to shake the Jedi for having any part of collaring Maul and demand to know, Do you know what a nightbrother is?  Do you know what they’re bred and enslaved for?  But there wasn’t time to beat some sociology into a Jedi right now.

--the idea of a little boy being stolen and abused by a Sith.  Master Jinn was more cautious because he thought it possible, even probable, that Obi-Wan was corrupted, a willing participant in whatever Sithly ambition--

Not entirely truth, but not entirely a lie. “Unlock that collar,” Obi-Wan ordered, voice rough, giving Novo a shake from where he had hauled the Jedi by the back of his tunic, lightsaber still at the ready to deal a lethal blow if it came to that.  Novo was trembling hard, still gasping for air after having this memory ripped from him, but after a moment, he reached out to press his thumb to the reader on the collar ringing Maul’s neck.

--but Prin was going to reserve judgment and see for himself.  They managed to get there ahead of the Sith and arrange for the targeted politician to follow certain patterns that would make him an easy target, and then they had set the ambush.  Prin had followed Obi-Wan, taking in the sight of the young man’s tattered clothes and hunched posture, but once he knew where Obi-Wan was going, he signaled the targeted politician to stay inside and under guard and returned to Master Jinn, who was waiting by the most logical route of approach, if one was looking to commit murder--

It was galling how they had been anticipated and then set up like that.  Jinn was indeed a formidable foe.  Obi-Wan’s lip curled up as he deactivated the saber, shoved the hilt into his pocket, then used the Force to hold Novo up in the air, putting enough pressure on the Jedi’s lungs to make him have to fight for air while he used his hands to very gently get that collar off of Maul’s neck.

Maul didn’t even stir; his breathing was so slow that he had to have been heavily sedated.  Up close, the number of scrapes and cuts and burns and resolving bruises told the story almost as well as the memory did, never mind the gauze cut across his face, covering his eyes.

--and when the hoverbike came by, Master Jinn came out of the shadows, green blade igniting and going into the stabilizers for the anti-grav skids almost in a single motion; it sent the bike out of control, crashing into the corner of a building and throwing the black-clad rider off of it even as it disintegrated into pieces and flames. The hood on the coat the Sith was wearing fell off to reveal his menacing coloration.  Prin ignited his blade, hands shaking, and made to advance and force a surrender, but then the Sith managed to get to his feet, teeth bared and eyes glowing gold-- and Master Jinn advanced--

It was horrible seeing it play out; even though it was already over, Obi-Wan wanted to shout a warning.  In the present, he was unhooking an IV and still holding a Jedi aloft, squeezing Novo hard enough to distract him from anything but breathing; in Prin’s mind’s eye, he was aware of the Jedi’s fear of Maul, and the distortion in how Prin viewed Maul because of it, seeing someone both bigger and more menacing than Maul actually was.

Even through that filter, of Prin’s intimidated and subjective interpretation, Obi-Wan could force enough distance to see for himself how shaken Maul was by the crash and how shocked he was as he crawled to his feet, staggering, righting, igniting his blade to take a stand--  

My brave boy, Obi-Wan thought, proud and devastated at once, unbuckling the restraints and rage renewed for the fact that they had stripped his lover naked, but then had put a collar on his throat.

Where Prin had seen a monster, an animal, Obi-Wan saw only courage.

--the fight was over quickly; Master Jinn was one of the Order’s finest swordsmen, and even though they traded a few blows, Master Jinn had the Sith on his back foot, driving him back into the heat of the wreckage from the hoverbike; in a bid to give himself maneuvering room away from the flames, the Sith leapt forward, trying to overpower Master Jinn with speed and ferocity, but Master Jinn’s superior height gave him an advantage and he slashed out with his blade, the tip of it coming across the bridge of the Sith’s nose in a scant opening--

The Sith barely had time to react; he made some small noise of pain -- and Obi-Wan echoed it -- then fell back again, but the lawmen finally arrived and fired stunbolts at him until he went down.

Obi-Wan turned his gaze to where Novo was clawing at his chest, pulling in little sips of air, face deep red and tears streaming.  For a moment, the raw fury he felt was so much that he thought he could crush Novo into a wet bag of shattered bone, but he held back as much because it would intensify the chase after them as out of some pity for the relatively pathetic knight, instead choosing to fling Novo all the way across the clinic to smash into the wall, cracking it.

He was just about to gather Maul up and make a break for anywhere else, though, when Jinn came in.

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