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erinkeifer · 5 months

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ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕞𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕕𝕖 - ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕍𝕀

[Anakin Skywalker x Padawan!Fem Reader]

Masterlist | Wattpad | AO3 Not My Code Masterlist

Summary: After your first solo mission, you return to the Temple, longing only to throw yourself into the arms of your Master. Unfortunately, you are informed that Anakin is not feeling well...

Warnings: angst | hurt/comfort | descriptions of pain | fluffy ending Word Count: 2k

You arrived in Coruscant just after dusk. The mission took up your entire day, and aside from the urgent messages sent by the Council, you didn't even have time to connect with anyone from the Temple. Although you attempted to communicate with Anakin through your comlink several times, he wasn't responding. It had been a few weeks since your knighting ceremony, and during that time, you had spent a lot of time together, practically finishing and starting each day at either his quarters or yours. You had no illusions that you would like to conclude this busy day in his arms. "General Kenobi!" you exclaimed, descending from the platform where Obi-Wan waited, unfortunately, unusually without his apprentice by his side. "Here she is!" Kenobi replied, bowing to you and the crew, whose members saluted as they descended from the platform. "How do you feel after your debut?" Obi-Wan asked with a hint of pride, walking with you towards the Temple's interior. "As you've probably heard, everything ended successfully. We returned intact, didn't lose anyone... Let's hope this streak continues." you replied, walking slowly alongside Kenobi. "I deeply believe it will." he said, smiling at you. "If you'll excuse me." he added, attempting to catch one of the troopers on the way with a mission report. You nodded and stood by, waiting for Obi-Wan to handle his business, but thoughts swirled in your head - Anakin's absence worried you, and considering the lack of contact, you knew something was definitely not right. You paced in circles, fidgeting with your nails until Kenobi finished his conversation, and when the two finally parted ways, you walked back with him. "What's with the melancholy, young lady?" he said, eliciting a gentle, albeit very brief, smile from you. "I don't know... Just... Uh... Have you seen Anakin?" you asked with clear doubt in your voice. "Good question... I saw him in the morning heading to the Chancellor. Later, we had a council meeting, but he left early, said he wasn't feeling well." Kenobi replied, increasing your doubt. Through years of war, battles, you had never seen him sick – even days after the divorce with Padmé, he never skipped a council meeting, as he used to say, 'focusing on work helps forget about problems.' "I guess he'll sleep it off, and he'll be better tomorrow. Then, you can discuss today's events. Surely, you need some rest too." Kenobi added after a moment of silence, to which you nodded. "Sure..." you replied as you reached the crossroads where you should go in opposite directions. "It's probably nothing serious." you added, forcing a smile, which Kenobi genuinely reciprocated. "May the Force be with you." Kenobi said before heading towards his quarters. "May the Force be with you." you replied, and as you turned in your direction, your smile was replaced by genuine emotions. You knew you should go straight to your room, but you couldn't. You couldn't bear not knowing what was happening with Anakin, not knowing why he was feeling unwell. Taking a deep breath, you headed to the elevators and descended one floor, navigating through a dark corridor towards Skywalker's quarters. When you stood in front of the door, you decided to knock, but after waiting for over a minute with no response, you realized no one was opening. You pulled the handle, but the door was locked. Feeling drained to wait any longer, you ultimately used the Force to open the door. You tried to do it as quietly as possible. When the door unlocked, you noticed R2-D2 inside. The vigilant droid immediately directed its diodes toward you but, sensing no threat, didn't react chaotically.

You decided to take a few quiet steps into the bedroom, and suddenly, a sight unfolded before your eyes that shattered your heart into pieces. Anakin sat shirtless on the floor, leaning against the metal frame of his spacious bed, his face buried in his hands. "Anakin." you whispered, not knowing how to handle the situation. Skywalker didn't respond, and you approached him, kneeling beside him. In doing so, you accidentally knocked over a few empty, disposable coffee cups scattered around the room. "Hey." Anakin finally spoke after a while, but so softly that you could barely hear him. "What's going on? Please, tell me." you asked, gently stroking his shoulder. His exposed skin was feverish, his bangs stuck to his forehead, and strands of hair seemed matted – you could barely see his eyes, especially since he kept avoiding your gaze, looking down. "I'll be fine... I just feel... Sick." he replied after a pause, forcing a smile... A smile that you immediately read as filled with pain. "Anakin, please, be serious... I've never seen you in worse shape, and I... I'm terribly worried." you said. He didn't reply. He removed your hand from his shoulder and gently placed it on his own, then proceeded to kiss it fervently. He didn't part his lips from your delicate skin for a few minutes, and on one hand, you didn't want to press, but on the other, you wanted to know what was troubling him as soon as possible. You sat still until you felt something that broke your heart. You felt a tear from Anakin's eye drip onto your hand. Sensing it run down your wrist, you decided to gently lift his chin with your other hand, tilting his head towards you so he finally looked at you. "Please... Look at me." you whispered with sadness in your voice, and finally, Anakin's eyes met yours, instantly causing them to glisten. His eyes and eyelids were reddened, and on his cheeks, you saw both dried and fresh streaks from tears, which you delicately wiped away with the back of your fingers as soon as you noticed them. He looked like he hadn't slept for a very long time – he was visibly worn down, and his forced smile only emphasized that. "Please, tell me..." you whispered, cradling his feverish face in your cool hands. "I haven't slept well..." he whispered as you gently stroked his face. "I think you meant to say 'I haven't slept at all.'" you replied, casting a fleeting glance at the scattered coffee cups with grounds. Anakin always drank strong coffee, but never this strong. "Please... I'm really scared." you added after a moment, once again locking eyes with him. "Me too." he responded, and you furrowed your brows, unsure of what he meant. Your hands returned to his, and you slowly rose from the floor. "First, please get up. Sit here, comfortably." you indicated the bed and offered him your hand to help him up. Anakin took your hand and pulled himself up slightly to sit next to you on his soft mattress. You embraced him gently and again locked eyes with him, signaling that he should continue. "What are you afraid of? What do you mean?" you asked softly, watching as his gaze scanned your slightly brighter face. "Something haunts me... I feel it again..." he replied after a moment of hesitation, and you tried to piece together the fragments. "Again? You mean..." "Nightmares," he answered before you could finish, and you felt powerless. You didn't want to ask for details - a part of you wanted to know, but another part protested.

"They're worse, more realistic than ever..." he added after a moment, not breaking eye contact with you. "Anakin... How can I..." "Hold me." he suddenly replied, and without hesitation, you embraced him, burying your face in his neck. His grip was desperate and strong - stronger than ever. He held you as if the entire world depended on it, as if letting you go meant losing you forever. You felt his unstable heartbeat, and your eyes welled up at the thought of the non-physical pain Anakin was involuntarily enduring. You remembered that nightmares had haunted him years ago, but you had never been this close to him - never had the opportunity to help him somehow endure them. "I'm here... I'm with you." you whispered into his ear, gently running your fingers through his hair. Minute by minute, you felt his body calming down, and the tension slowly dissipating. There was still a sense of brokenness, but both of you knew that it couldn't be bypassed in a matter of minutes. "Let's lie down, okay?" you asked after a while, lifting your face from his neck enough to look into his eyes. Anakin nodded, and both of you simultaneously fell onto his soft pillows, lying facing each other, never letting go. "I would give a lot for you not to have to go through this... I would do anything." you whispered slowly, and now it was Anakin who cupped your face with his hand. "I wouldn't want you to give up anything." he replied after a while, and you didn't even prepare a response. You moved closer to his face, and when your lips met, you left him with a sweet, short kiss. "Please." he whispered, pleadingly, not wanting the kiss to be so short, and quickly returned his lips to yours, kissing them tenderly and not parting for the next few longer moments. When you both ran out of breath, you separated your lips, touching foreheads and listening to only your accelerated breaths. The atmosphere seemed dense, but there was already less pain and more of something you had been suppressing for a long time. "Anakin..." you whispered, and at that moment, your heart raced the fastest. Skywalker looked at you, feeling the emotions tearing through you. "I love you." And the world stood still – both his and yours. You unloaded a huge emotional burden, but you didn't know how he would take it. His eyes sparkled, and you would bet that hearing your words momentarily held his breath. Despite his own shock, he read each of your emotions and scanned your face as if getting to know you anew. He didn't even have to look for answers – he didn't need to make sure that your words came straight from the heart. Both of you felt that the burden of pure truth had been thrown off, just waiting to be voiced. "I love you too." he finally uttered, the voice you had been waiting for, causing tears to gather in your eyelids. Anakin's eyes were also glistening, but this time you saw a flash of relief and happiness in them, until finally, a genuine, beautiful smile appeared on his face, which you instantly reciprocated. After gazing at each other's love-struck faces, your lips met again, this time in a more passionate, tension-relieving kiss, the sincerest and strongest you had ever shared. Both of you were breathless, breaking it. "Promise me something." you said between deep breaths, and his eyes immediately looked at you, expecting the continuation of your words. "Fall asleep with me now... I'll be right there with you, just please, get some rest." you spoke with clear seriousness, and after a moment of hesitation, Anakin nodded, and his smile returned to its place. "I'll try." he whispered before gently sinking onto you, so that he was in your embrace.

"Relax, think of something that brings you joy." you whispered to him, and with your free hand, you reached for a blanket lying next to both of you, covering Anakin enough so that he wouldn't feel the cold on his exposed skin at any moment of the night. You didn't care that you were fully dressed – you didn't want to give an inch away from him, not now, when he finally gained a bit of peace. You looked at his closed eyes and gradually calming breath, gently circling your fingers on his back. When you kissed him on the forehead, the corner of his mouth lifted in a sweet smile, and your head landed on the pillow – not to fall asleep, but to - before doing so - make sure that Anakin had drifted into a peaceful sleep. Soon, all tension disappeared – you felt only calm breaths on your skin and the touch of his chest rising and falling rhythmically. Only peace surrounded him. Only peace and your tender gaze, which soon faded away to drift together with him.

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captainsophiestark · 6 months

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A Bad Idea

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2023!

Fandom: Star Wars

Day 31 Prompt: "It's not your fault."

Summary: Obi-Wan and his best friend/fellow Jedi are getting Hondo's help on a mission. Predictably, things don't go according to their plan.

Word Count: 2,045

Category: Fluff, Humor

A/N: That's a wrap for Fictober gang! Thank you so much to @fictober-event for putting this whole thing on and to everyone who's read one of my stories! Honestly can't believe the amount of writing I got done for this event

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"I think this might be the worst idea we've ever had."

"If you don't count ideas that Anakin came up with and we agreed to, then yes, it probably is."

Obi-Wan Kenobi and I stood shoulder to shoulder on the ramp of our ship, waving as the one and only Hondo Ohnaka came towards us. We'd recently gotten information that the Separatists were using a different group of pirates to smuggle things out of reach of the Republic, and together, Obi-Wan and I had decided the best way to infiltrate a pirate base was with the help of another pirate. On paper, it sounded perfectly rational, especially since we had a pirate contact we could go to. In reality, it was probably going to get us killed.

"Kenobi!" called Hondo once he got within earshot of us. "It is wonderful to see you again! And who is your lovely friend? A girlfriend, perhaps?"

Heat and embarrassment rushed through me, and I felt a wave of discomfort coming off of Obi-Wan in the Force too.

"Jedi don't typically date," he quickly explained, waving Hondo off. "And it wouldn't be any of your business anyway."

"I'm a friend of Obi-Wan's," I continued. "We grew up at the Temple together."

Hondo gave me a quick once over, then evaluated Obi-Wan the same way. Then, he smiled and held out his hand to me.

"Well, any friend of Obi-Wan's is a friend of mine! It is very nice to meet you, I'm sure!"

I forced a smile as I took his hand and shook it. I didn't think he'd meant to, but Honda had hit a very sore spot for me. I'd harbored feelings for my best friend for years now, against the Code, and I'd done my best every single day to hide them from him and from anyone else. A hundred Jedi who'd known me since birth couldn't tell, but this Weequay had hit the bullseye within moments of seeing me for the first time.

"Come on," Obi-Wan whispered to me, leaning in close to my ear so Hondo couldn't hear him as the Weequay moved past me into the ship. "The sooner we start this mission, the sooner it's officially over."

"Can't wait," I muttered. "And you said this guy was your friend?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "More like... acquaintance who tries to kill me sometimes. Although I think he unironically considers me his best friend."

I smiled a little at that, especially as Obi-Wan moved into the ship after Hondo and Hondo immediately flung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in. Based on the conversation I could hear as I brought in the ramp, Hondo was trying to convince Obi-Wan to sell him some of our Republic tech at a frankly ridiculous price. To no one's surprise (except maybe Hondo's), Obi didn't budge. He was remarkably gentle in his refusal, though.

After a brief challenge where Hondo insisted on piloting the ship and Obi-Wan had to convince him to sit in the passenger seat instead, we were on our way. With Hondo's help, we quickly found the pirate base we were looking for.

"Do you guys just constantly share locations with each other?" I asked as we came in for a landing not too far from the gates. Hondo shrugged.

"We do business with each other from time to time. Helps to know where your business partners are."

"Hm. Makes sense."

Hondo grinned at me. He clapped me on the shoulder and started walking down the ramp, and a moment later Obi-Wan took his place next to me.

"Don't turn your back on him," he warned. I turned, coming face to face with Obi-Wan. We'd known each other for most of our lives; I'd seen him a million times or more. But for this mission, we weren't in the typical Jedi robes, in an effort to go undercover. And seeing him standing next to me in a dashing pirate costume made my heart beat a little faster.

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it." Obi-Wan stared off after Hondo, his expression clouded, so I reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder. "We'll be fine, okay? We've survived everything we've gone through so far. What's a couple pirates?"

"The last time I interacted with pirates, Anakin and I ended up handcuffed to Count Dooku."

I laughed as we started strolling down the ramp together to catch up to Hondo.

"Well, if we find ourselves in a similar situation, I promise to make fun of Dooku even more than Anakin did with you."

"That, I would look forward to seeing." He sighed, nudging my shoulder with his just before we caught up to Hondo. "I suppose there's nothing left for us to do but dive straight in."

"Like you said. Sooner we start, sooner we get to go back to Cody and other, saner partners in crime."

"The fact that Anakin is significantly more rational and predictable than Hondo is... concerning."

I chuckled, and Obi-Wan and I shared a smile. Hondo clapped us both on the shoulders once we'd caught up with him at the door to the pirate's fort, and then we headed inside.

The next thing I remember, I was waking up on a concrete floor, my head pounding. I groaned, lifting one hand to my head, and to my surprise something dragged my other hand with it. I opened my eyes.

I was handcuffed. More than that, I was apparently handcuffed to someone else. I turned to my right to see Obi-Wan, already sitting up and looking at me.

"Good morning."

"What happened?"

"We were played." I sighed and flung my head back. All that talk about having each others' backs and not trusting Hondo, and it had been for nothing. "We were jumped as soon as we made it through the gates. Hondo turned us over and went to collect a bounty for us from the other pirates."

"Oh wonderful," I sighed, slumping back against Obi-Wan. My heart sped up a little bit at our close proximity, but unlike every other time we'd been close, this time I couldn't chicken out. It was lean against him, or very clearly, obviously, and uncomfortably lean away from him.

"I should've known we couldn't trust him," Obi-Wan said. "I just thought that this time we were prepared, so Hondo wouldn't be able to get one over on us. I should've known better."

"It's not your fault. Even I'd started to believe Hondo was honestly going to work with us for this mission. The fact that he'd already double-crossed us, before we even got on the ship..."

I trailed off, shaking my head. Obi-Wan sighed, and we spent a few moments leaning against the wall and each other, hands close together and heads resting against each other. I could've stayed like that for a long time, if we hadn't been sitting in a jail cell.

"So..." I finally started, still not moving an inch. "What did you do the last time you were in this situation?"

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "Bickered with the Count, mostly. And made a few escape attempts. We would've been successful from the beginning had it not been for Dooku."

I huffed a small laugh. "Well, it's a good thing I'm here instead of him then, isn't it?"

"I truthfully can't think of anyone else I'd rather be stuck with."

We shared a smile, a warm feeling quickly dominating my chest. I couldn't quite stop myself from leaning forward ever so slightly, like Obi-Wan had his own gravity pulling me in. In this place, out of sight and temporarily forgotten by everyone else, being close to him didn't feel as scary as it did in the Temple or aboard the Negotiator.

To my immense surprise and delight, Obi-Wan leaned in too, a moment after me. He huffed a small laugh, his blue eyes sparkling.

"This is... probably a bad idea."

I didn't need to ask what he was talking about. I gave him a small smile and shrugged.

"No worse an idea than the one that got us in here in the first place."

"You certainly make a good point."

As one, we smiled and closed the remaining distance to each other, our lips meeting in a kiss I'd thought about a thousand times. It was even better than I'd imagined it would be, especially as I could feel Obi-Wan through the Force. My best friend, the man I'd loved a thousand different ways before I even really knew what the word meant, glowed with a happiness that matched mine.

No one had ever really found evidence that soulmates were real, despite all the mystical forces that did exist in the galaxy. But as I sat on the filthy floor of that cell and kissed my best friend, our energies twining together in the Force, I thought we'd come pretty close.

"Oh, this is very gross. And yet, it's exactly what I'd hoped to find."

Obi-Wan and I broke apart to find Hondo staring at us through the bars of the cell, a grin on his face. We fixed him with matching scowls.

"Come now, what are those looks for? You should be happy, look at the two of you!"

"Happy might be a stretch, since you double-crossed us," I said. Hondo's mouth dropped open and a hand flew to his chest.

"Double-crossed? No no no, I have done no such thing."

"Then why did we wake up handcuffed in a cell?" Obi-Wan demanded. "In my case, again."

"Ah, you see, it was all part of my brilliant plan!"

Obi-Wan and I shared a very, very skeptical look. Undeterred, Hondo pulled a ring of keys out of his pocket, still beaming at us.

"You thought the two of you, two Jedi, could actually sneak in here unnoticed? Ha! It never would have worked. So, I pretended to double-cross you, and while the two of you were in here admitting feelings for each other, I found your documents! After collecting the credits for turning you two over as prisoners, of course."

Obi-Wan and I stared, dumbfounded, as Hondo explained his plan and removed our handcuffs. We stood, helping each other up, both a little stunned that the Weequay had really outplayed everyone here.

"Come on, we must hurry," said Hondo, waving us after him as he headed for the cell door. "It won't take them long to figure out what we've done."

We spared one last shocked glance at each other, then hurried after Hondo through the winding halls of the pirates' lair.

"If you got your money and information, why did you come back for us?" asked Obi-Wan, suspicion dripping from his words. "Why not leave us to be cashed in for a bounty?"

I wanted to smack him for asking that question before we were safely back on our ship, but Hondo just turned to us, looking hurt and outraged that Obi-Wan would even suggest it.

"Kenobi, I am hurt! I would never do such a thing to such a good friend!" He turned, ignoring Obi's raised eyebrow as we at last made it out of the hideout. "Besides, there were no more credits to be gained by leaving you here. The only thing that would've happened was a profit for my competition."

I failed to fight off a smile. Now it all made sense.

Obi-Wan and I trailed just behind Hondo the last bit of distance to our ship, and cautiously, I slipped my hand into his. He gave it a gentle squeeze, turning to fix me with a small smile.

"You know this is going to complicate our lives beyond belief, don't you?"

"Yeah. But I think it's worth it. Our lives are already wildly complicated anyway."

Obi-Wan huffed a small laugh. "I agree."

"With which part?"

"All of it. But especially the part about this being worth it."

He gave my hand one last squeeze, and we shared another tender look before reaching the ramp of the ship and returning to business mode. I let Obi-Wan lead the way, and as I closed the ramp, I could already hear Hondo bargaining with Obi-Wan for credits in exchange for the information he'd retrieved while we'd been in the cell. Despite the exasperation on Obi-Wan's face and in his tone, I could still feel that glowing happiness radiating off of him in the Force, a mirror to my own. We were going to be just fine.

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Everything Taglist: @rosecentury

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bcbdrums · 11 months

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What would you change about the Kim Possible finale? I felt like the Lawardians didn't belong. They weren't even Kim's villains.

hmmmm... considering that Graduation alternates with Mad Dogs and Aliens as my favorite episode....XD

the lorwardians were clearly a means to an end, from the writer's point of view. but to your point of them not being Kim's villains... Kim...never really had an arch-foe? Drakken was called that from season one, but... what IS an arch-foe? with Batman and The Joker you have this...intellectual and psychological war going on. Darth Vader and everyone he wronged... (Luke, Obi-Wan...) Kim just...didn't have an arch-foe? there was never that psychology going on, nothing that...pulled at Kim from any villain...

Ron had Monkey Fist but only to an extent. and it was more on MF's side and more out of coincidence. Ron became the monkey master and his adoptive sister is part of the monkey lore, unexplained though it may have been... but MF's beef was never really with Ron, he didn't target him. he kept on his own goals and Kim and Ron just always happened to show up. and Ron didn't have anything with MF, he was just...on his own journey of self-discovery and growth in the mystic monkey powers.

who did Kim have? Shego was the closest, and she was just a rival in combat and witty banter. there was nothing deeper there. i love to headcanon stuff on Shego's end of it, but i can't project that into what was actually onscreen.

so to the original argument... the Lorwardians fit the bill best because probably any other villain would have felt like a let-down. to elevate them up to season finale material would have likely been out of character, felt like it came way out of left field... so the Lorwardians presenting this global threat lets us focus on the essence of how the heroine began. Kim Possible: she can do anything. even defeat invincible aliens perhaps.

by depersonalizing it (and there was nothing to personalize with her normal villains) it puts the focus much more on Kim as a character. and at this point, Drakken and Shego are the other main characters let's face it. much more even than monique, the tweebs, bonnie... so to have the main four fighting the aliens was the perfect finale. we got character moments/development in everyone, some more than others... the relationship between Kim and Ron was the main focus here, more than Kim's individual growth.

and i know this has been a complaint for a long time, one that i've agreed with at times and touched upon... that Kim just didn't have much growth. well...she wasn't given many flaws outside what's normal for a teenager. she overcame most of those things... the brief moment between her and Ron where she tells him she's scared too... well, that's fully in character. it would be out of character to see Kim suddenly dive into some identity crisis like in the LAM.

honestly, i thought Graduation was perfect. Kim is her usual amazing self. Ron reaches his peak and Kim sees what she's always known about him, in his reaching his potential. Drakken's genius finally gets recognized. Shego does take a little more of a leading role (see the last ask answer) and is elevated above side-kick at least in how the vibe of the episode goes, and of course that glorious ending... (oops is my shipper heart showing lol). the Lorwardian threat was also perfect because it was a real, genuine threat. not just the usual...villain of the week that we would have viewed any of the others to be.

i know this answer has gone all over the place, i'm sorry. but i guess to summarize... the Lorwardians were perfect because of the real threat they provided, so it felt like finale material. any of the usual villains wouldn't have felt that way. and some totally new villain that hadn't been set-up before like the Lorwardians had would have felt worse. with these guys, we already knew how dangerous and unstoppable they were. and they did target Kim and Drakken so there's the...specific threat against our hero that we want, the personalization. and everyone came out of the episode with something, with some growth or some moment of resolution. it felt great in its entirety and just thinking about it to answer this ask makes me desperately want to watch the episode again, thank you kind Anon for getting me hyped up!

#queued post #kim possible #drakken #shego #drakgo #drakken x shego #ron stoppable #lorwardians #warmonga

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obi-nob-kenobi · 2 years

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Say Goodnight On Our Separate Sides, Part 1

Summary:

Anakin thinks he feels something through the Force, like a ripple, a misplacement. When he investigates, he finds Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, doe eyed and confused, asking for Master Jinn.

Not wanting him to feel alone, Anakin offers to watch over him. For the sake of time anomalies, and not because he was in love with every form of his Master. And if his Obi-Wan Kenobi is off on Mandalore, why not indulge in the attention the Padawan showers him with?

Surely his Obi-Wan will understand, right?

Prompt from @travellingcircus "What if through some time travel anomaly or mission gone sideways,17 year old Padawan!Obi-Wan gets transported into the present day and now Anakin has 2 Obi-Wans he wants to fuck. His MLFY Master and his sweet twinky younger self.

Rating: E

Read on ao3 or below

Earlier that day, Anakin felt a rumble. A brief moment as if the world had opened up and something dropped. No one around him reacted, so he brushed it off as cabin fever, stuck in one place for too long that his mind was playing tricks.

But in the middle of the night he tossed and turned until he woke. The new presence was louder. Something within the Force alerted him. It was unlike his nightmares, that was plagued with violent images of death and destruction. This time, the Force was calling him.

Unable to sleep, Anakin left his bed, dragging his injured leg as he wandered around the temple, which eventually led him down to the council chamber where he heard Master Yoda and Windu speaking. Curious as ever, Anakin listened closely.

“He’s not a Sith nor a spy, but it doesn’t explain how he got here.”

“Contacted Kenobi, have you?”

“Yes, he’s still on Mandalore, and he reports quarterly as expected.”

Obi-Wan? Why did they need Obi-Wan when they sent him out?

“The dark forces, I do not sense with him.”

“Then what other explanation is there?”

Dark forces surrounding Obi-Wan? What in sith’s hell could they be talking about? His Master would never allow himself to fall in such a way.

The weird feeling in the Force returned, leading Anakin to the lower level of the temple until he reached the holding cells. As far as he knew, they were not holding anyone for questioning. Until he saw one cell lit, yet completely unguarded.

As he came closer he noticed the force signature of the person was familiar…still wild and untrained yet comforting. It was then, when he saw the prisoner face to face, did Anakin stumble back, unsure what Forces were playing a trick on his mind.

The teenager had long blonde hair and a distinct padawan braid hanging over his right shoulder. He wore light colored robes and dark boots, and his eyes were blue with wonder. His mouth was in a pout as he looked at Anakin.

“Master Yoda sent another Jedi to interrogate me?”

Although younger, the voice was definitely Obi-Wan.

He still remembered Obi-Wan without his beard, and if his Master shaved now he was sure he’d have a baby face just like the kid in front of him now. His Master was beautiful, and this version of him was just the same but radiating in youth.

“I already told Master Yoda! I was on my way to Lenahra when I then flew into the Temple’s Hanger. I’ve tried to contact Master Jinn but he isn’t responding.”

Anakin’s face fell. Obi-Wan was young, but young enough that his master was still alive to him.

“I–”

“Skywalker, what the hell are you doing down here?”

Of course Windu and Yoda were down here, probably to check up on Obi-Wan. No wonder they had to verify if his Master was still on Mandalore, because now they had to figure out what was going on with the guy in the cell.

“I sensed something was off.” Anakin said honestly. “The Force led me here.”

Windu raised his eyebrow, skeptical of his answers as always. At least Yoda hummed, actually considering his words.

“Master Yoda, please I don’t understand.” Obi-Wan approached the barrier of the cell. “I’m sorry I stole this ship, but Master Jinn was supposed to join me on this trip. Where is he?”

Oh, his voice grew soft with his pleads, and Anakin’s heart clenched to hear him like this. He was so confused, and Anakin had to hold back, blurting out that it wasn’t his fault.

“We apologize Kenobi, we are trying to…” Windu took a second, glancing over at Anakin as if to ask to help fill in the blanks, but Anakin shook his head. What were they supposed to say to him? “We are trying to get our stories straight.”

Obi-Wan crossed his arms and turned his heels, going back to his bench to lie down.

“Master,” Anakin whispered, pulling both of them to the side with his crutch. “Can’t you see he’s scared? He asked for Jinn.”

“This, we know.” Yoda sighed. “Traveled from Lenahra, he claims. Twenty years prior, did Kenobi do the same.”

“So you know he is Obi-Wan. Then why keep him here?”

“Time travel is…it hasn’t been done before, only theorized” Windu said. “But if this is the case, it’s best not to feed him knowledge of his future. Including Qui-Gon’s fate.”

“Oh, so keeping him locked up until he can just magically go home is the solution?” Anakin asked.

“Skywalker…”

“We don’t have to tell him anything! But keeping him locked up like a prisoner is just cruel, especially one of our own. Let him stay with me, Obi-Wan’s out anyway so his room is unoccupied. Plus, I could keep an eye on him.”

Windu’s shoulders slumped in defeat, realizing this would be the best plan, otherwise Anakin would just pester them for days until he got what he wanted.

“Fine, but he is under strict surveillance. If you felt a shift in the Force as you said, we have to keep an eye on him. We don’t know what his presence would do here.”

“Talk to Master Cordova, I will.” Yoda said, then his voice trailed as he made a list of other scholars who might have a vague idea with how this occurred.

“I mean it, Skywalker, you two are to follow these rules until we know he’s safe to be here.”

The rules were simple enough. First and foremost don't tell him about this current timeline, anything in the last twenty years specifically. Second, he was to be supervised at all times. He could not leave Anakin's sight, and preferably he was to stay within the temple. If they were to go out he had to cover his face. Third, either Kenobis could not know about each other and better yet, should never counter each other. Who knew what could happen--at least according to the old theories.

Anakin listened with a triumphant smirk, knowing despite everything Windu was telling him, he still got what he wanted. When he was finished, with Anakin promising to follow what he said, he hopped his way over to the cell. The younger Obi-Wan glanced over his shoulder, wary of him until the barrier disappeared.

“Let’s go Obi-Wan, you deserve an actual bed.”

“So, what happened to your leg?” Obi-Wan asked as they made their descent back to the apartments.

“Ah, small accident on my last mission.” A small accident involving his sky cruiser exploding mid air and Anakin miscalculating how far his landing spot actually was, unable to brace himself in time. He was lucky his leg didn’t completely shatter and needed amputation. However, the medics advised not to use bacta right away. The slimy goop may fuse his bones wrong, causing future problems, so Kix, ever the wise man, had him in a cast so they could watch the bone placement before switching over to bacta as the final healing method.

Until then, Kix had said, “Nothing some R&R wouldn’t fix. Get some rest general and I’ll check back with you in a few weeks”

Three weeks later, here was Anakin now. With a throbbing leg and a tiny Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrow skeptically, the same way his Obi-Wan would whenever Anakin suggested an ill-advised plan of attack. “Hm-hm, and your arm?”

“Don’t fight sith lords. They’ll take you piece by piece.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened. “Sith? That’s impossible. The sith had been eliminated for thousands of years.”

Kriff, well rule one was out the window.

“The universe is big, we don’t know what’s actually out there.” Anakin waved him off, hoping it was a vague enough explanation rather than a definitive, reality alter-defying one.

Anakin felt he understood science and the Force and hell, even the magic force on Darthomir. But time travel? That was still a fantasy in operas.

Once back in their shared apartment, Obi-Wan flicked on the lights and observed the room. A familiar presence sunk in. “You share a room with Master Jinn? Were you his Padawan?”

Rule one continued to test Anakin. What was he supposed to do, lie? Or flat out ignore him? Anakin hated when Obi-Wan would dismiss his questions, and Ahsoka would never let him get away with a lie.

“No, though I was aware this was Qui-Gon’s apartment…”

They were standing in the shared room with a holoscreen, a couch, and a dining table were placed. The kitchen was in the far back right where their giant overlooked the city. The room then split into two hallways, to the right was Anakin’s room, and the left Obi-Wan’s. Obi-Wan turned to the right.

“Oh, wait–” Forgetting his crutch, Anakin hopped his way over, unable to stop Obi-Wan from opening the door.

Obi-Wan only took a second glance before turning around and heading to the other room.

Not that he would ever admit it out loud, but maybe Windu and Yoda were right to keep Obi-Wan in the cell just until they got the whole picture.

Because when Obi-Wan opened the door to his own room, Anakin felt a sense of grief sweep over the younger one.

Blue eyes, widened with realization met with Anakin’s. “My master…he’s not…”

“Obi-Wan, I’m so sorry.” Anakin said, finally able to reach him and hold his shoulders. “I know it’s confusing. But where you are now…Qui-Gon is one with the Force.”

Neither room would be comforting to him now. His old room taken by Anakin, unable to sleep in the one his Master was probably occupying in his own timeline now, Anakin instead lead him back to the couch. A good middle ground.

“What happened to him?”

“I can’t say.” Anakin said, voice softer as he tucked the long strand of hair from Obi-Wan’s face. “I’m sorry, I am. But please understand this…hasn’t happened before. I can’t answer something that might affect you.”

Obi-Wan made himself smaller, bringing his knees up to his chest and held himself. “It’s funny. I’m usually unable to feel him. So when I was back in the temple, I didn’t think anything was off. Well, no, I was getting some weird looks…”

Anakin held his arm out, just over the back of the couch but also as an opening for Obi-Wan, letting him know he was safe here. He was okay to speak. Obi-Wan leaned into him.

“Master Yoda just happened to walk by when he saw me, wouldn’t let anyone else talk to me. Said he felt something was off.”

That’s what Anakin felt as well. Did he feel the moment when this Obi-Wan arrived?

Anakin knew his connection to the Force was stronger than most Jedi, possibly stronger than Yoda. Were they the only two who noticed this change? Better yet, how did one just appear out of nowhere without more disruption in their universe?

These felt like questions for Tech, Anakin thought.

“And what is the Force telling you?” Anakin asked, curious. Obi-wan always reminded him to trust in the Force, just as every other Master told their Padawan.

But the question caused the younger one to tense, hesitant to say his answer. Anakin could feel the dread from him.

This was unlike the Obi-Wan he knew, always fronting a cool and level head. Anakin wondered, was that how Obi-Wan truly felt, or was that his way to shield his true emotions?

Curled by his side, Obi-Wan began tugging at his braid. “I don’t… I’m… I’m not a good Padawan.”

“What?”

“Master Jinn only took me in out of pity , but I was supposed to live out my days with the AgriCrop! He refuses to take me out on missions, and I had to beg him for Lenahra, and now I was sent here instead of being with him.” Tears form in the corner of his eyes, which Obi-Wan tried to hide by burying his face in his arms. “I can’t feel the Force. I don’t know what it wants with me.”

No, none of this was right. Because Anakin could feel him, he could feel his Force signature and the way it danced within him. Obi-Wan was one of the best Jedi in the temple, how could he see himself in such a way?

Anakin wrapped his arms around him, pulling him to his chest as he carded his hand through his hair. “Oh Obi-Wan, don’t say that. Please. You have no idea how amazing you truly are.”

How could he explain in words what Obi-Wan has sacrificed in the name of the Republic, in the name of peace? How much he valued life over everything else. Even in moments when they disagreed, Obi-Wan always came out on top because of his skills as a negotiator, as a fighter, and a peacekeeper.

Obi-Wan was truly the picture perfect model for a Jedi Master. Anakin had the privilege of watching him grow into his knighthood, then Master rank while all while being trained under him. Everything Anakin knew of the good they could accomplish always came from Obi-Wan.

In his arms, he heard Obi-Wan sniffle, and Anakin held him tighter. He still had no idea how to convey his words, so he channeled everything he felt for his Master into him. He needed Obi-Wan to know he was not the failure he thought he was. To know without him, Anakin wouldn’t be where he was now.

The boy in his arms trembled before going lax. In a panic, Anakin pulled away from him, ready to apologize when he was met with Obi-Wan’s closed eyes, cheeks stained with tears, and light breathing.

Poor thing must be so exhausted. Anakin could only imagine how much information he could take before just finally collapsing.

Moving him as gently as possible, Anakin laid him out on their couch, grabbing the throw blanket Obi-Wan knitted to keep him covered.

He gave Obi-Wan one last look before retreating to his own bedroom, needing to come up with some gameplan while he’s stuck here.

Anakin got in contact with Tech, who was more than excited to research and come up with more theories as to how a time traveling Jedi appeared. He would relay his findings to Cordova, and maybe the two of them could find a solution. Then Anakin called his Obi-Wan, a simple check in to see how he was doing. His Obi-Wan was none the wiser to the events that transpired back home. He was chirpier than ever, afterall he was back with his ex-girlfriend for another two weeks.

Not that Anakin was counting.

Obi-Wan was the only choice to go to Mandalore. From Anakin’s understanding the Duchess did not approve of the Jedi’s tactics, and only allowed Obi-Wan on her planet.

He once tried to convince himself Obi-Wan’s relationship with Satine was the same as himself and Padme, as she was unfamiliar with the Jedi’s rules and culture but trusted Anakin due to their friendship. Except Padme trusted Ahsoka too. And Padme was fond of Obi-Wan. Anakin and Padme's romance may be history, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t love each other. Love came in different forms.

But he knew what the Duchess still held for Obi-Wan…the way Obi-Wan would come to her call without hesitation. It was more than friendship that he insisted.

The longer he was in Mandalore, Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan was simply waiting for the war to end and finally break his vows as a Jedi. Maybe it was why he insisted on calling Satine a friend, rather than an old flame. Because if he admitted she was more, that would put his current career in jeopardy.

Obi-Wan wasn’t choosing one or the other, he was simply waiting his time to have both.

And his voice through the com proved that. His assignment on Mandalore was going as planned, and the Duchess was doing well, as always. Right before they hung up he heard the Duchess's voice call for him.

Anakin shut down all sour feelings that put in him, keeping his com under his pillow as he dragged himself to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

The younger Obi-Wan was still fast asleep, curled up in his robes and blanket, unbothered by the sunlight shining through.

Anakin closed the blinds, and as quietly as possible, prepared a simple meal. Obi-Wan liked toast with some berry jam, a side of protein and tea, so that’s what he made. Anakin was still learning how to steep the tea properly (“A caffe machine is so much easier, Master”) but once everything was prepared, he stared down at the breakfast spread and decided he did a decent job for once.

He finished setting the table when Obi-Wan stirred awake. He watched closely as the younger version of his master slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he made himself aware of his surroundings.

Disappointment was on his face, clearly hoping it had all been a dream. But he sniffed the air, turning to Anakin as he set his eyes on breakfast. “Is that Cassius Tea?”

Anakin nodded. “I, uh, hope I prepared it right. Come on, don’t want your food getting cold.”

Obi-Wan shuffled his feet, choosing to hide his hands in his robes until he sat down. Anakin poured the tea into a cup and slid it to him.

Obi-Wan looked at it for a moment, eyeing it as if there was something added without his knowledge. But then his hand appeared, smaller and less calloused than what his master’s hands have become, to pick it up and take a sip. “It’s good.”

Anakin breathed, relieved. “Good. I usually burn it.”

“How do you burn tea?” Obi-Wan asked.

That’s what I’ve been told.” By you , he didn’t add.

Tea thoroughly tested, Obi-Wan happily dug into his breakfast, and Anakin couldn’t help but smile watching the younger man enjoy it. Anakin was no means a cook, but he knew the basics when he helped his mom prepare meals, and it came in handy during missions if Obi-Wan was too tired to cook, and to give Ahsoka and Rex something other than ration bars.

“So, do I get to ask more questions Master? Or did Master Windu still tell you not to reveal anything?”

Persistent as ever, Anakin mused. “You don’t have to call me Master, I’m just a knight. Anakin is just fine” Anakin said. “You can ask, but be prepared I may not be able to answer.”

Obi-Wan cocked his head slightly. Cute. “You’re not a Master? You feel like one.”

“What?”

Obi-Wan shrugged. “Must be your Force signature. I can’t feel the Force usually but you…I feel you. It’s different. Powerful.”

Anakin blushed at the compliment. “Thank you, but sadly still just a knight.” He wasn’t going to be bitter about that either. Jedi are knights for years before earning the rank of Master. At least that’s what he told himself.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-two.”

“What color is your lightsaber?”

“Blue.”

“Who is your Master?”

Anakin bit his tongue. “I’m sorry, I can’t say.”

Obi-Wan huffed, blowing a strand of hair from his face. “Can we go to the market?”

“Oh, do you need something?”

Obi-Wan looked down at his robes. “A change of clothes would be nice. I doubt your clothes would fit me.”

They wouldn’t but the idea of Obi-Wan swimming in Anakin’s tunics because he was so much smaller than him was a wonderful idea.

No, a bad idea, Anakin told his dick.

“Sure. But we’ll have to keep our heads low. Don’t need more trouble following.”

That seemed to be the wrong choice of words as Obi-Wan’s face fell. “My existence is that much of an inconvenience, isn’t it?”

“No, kriff, Obi-Wan that isn’t what I–”

“Can I use the refresher?”

Anakin winced at his cold change of tone. “Sure. I’ll have a fresh towel for you.”

When Obi-Wan closed the door to the refresher, Anakin slumped in his seat, running his hands down his face with a groan.

Maybe, maybe he’ll fold and say Windu was right.

Anakin did not fold because he’s not a quitter. But that didn’t lessen the tension between them as they made their way through the market.

Obi-Wan stayed by his side, moving at Anakin’s somewhat slower pace as they browsed through the stalls of clothes. Nothing seemed to be catching Obi-Wan’s eye, and now thinking of it, Anakin has never seen Obi-Wan wear anything different than his Jedi robes. Even his formal wear to Senate Balls had a resemblance to a Jedi uniform than what politicians wear.

Obi-Wan eventually settled on a stall with knitted long sleeves and leggings, buying himself a few pairs with the colors to his liking. Satisfied with his purchase they then found themselves in the produce section. Anakin needed to restock anyway, and asked if they could spend a bit more time. Obi-Wan didn’t complain, carrying Anakin’s basket as he filled it up with some of Obi-Wan and Ahsoka’s favorite ingredients.

“Master... Who’s that?”

Anakin was sniffing what he was sure was rotten fruit, turning around to correct him (“just call me Anakin”) when he saw the cover of the holozine he was pointing to. Kriff, he and Padme accidentally made it on the cover of a tabloid, again .

Damn paparazzi following them up to her apartment in Courscuant. It was common for Senators to have bodyguards when they were in the city…it just so happened she chose a Jedi for her guard. And of course they used the picture where Anakin had his hand on her lower back as he led her into the building. If the tabloids paid any attention Anakin also had his hand on Obi-Wan’s back whenever he was letting his master in the room first.

“Ignore that, journalists trying to make a quick credit over a fake story.”

But Obi-Wan took a closer look at the screen. “She’s pretty.”

“She’s the Senator of Naboo. Everyone there is pretty.”

“Is she your girlfriend?” Obi-Wan asked. “I thought we weren’t supposed to form attachments.”

Anakin rolled his eyes, gently pulling at Obi-Wan’s hood to cover his eyes and steer him away from the tabloid stand. “She isn’t. “

“But you want her to be?”

“What’s with these twenty questions?”

“If I can’t ask about my life, I might as well ask yours.” Obi-Wan said as a matter of fact. “Does Master Yoda know about her?”

“Yes, “ Anakin sighed, paying for his last grocery. “I was assigned as her guard when I was still a Padawan. We’re still friends.”

“Wow, that’s a lie if I’ve heard one.”

Anakin whipped his head back. “ Huh ?!”

“She was not just a friend .” Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “Admit it, you two had a thing .”

How did he figure that out so fast? His Obi-Wan seemed ignorant whenever Anakin had a “private” meeting with the Senator years ago.

Or did he know, too, and just played ignorant?

“No more than you and Satine.” Anakin bit out, because if Obi-Wan was calling him out Anakin had no qualms reminding him he too was a hypocrite.

“Whose Satine?”

Kriff. Kark. Fuck because he might as well use old basic for once again breaking the simple rules.

(It was not simple. Nothing involving Obi-Wan was simple)

Obi-Wan said he met Satine when he was still a Padawan, but that didn’t necessarily mean a teenager. Obi-Wan wasn’t knighted until he was twenty five, so if he didn’t know who she was, then they haven’t met yet.

“Someone…important to you.”

“Like how the Senator is to you?”

“Something like that.” Anakin murmured. “Come on, my foot’s getting tired.”

“Can I drive your speeder?” Obi-Wan asked. “It’ll relieve the pressure on your foot.”

Anakin held the keys close. “Nuh-huh, no one drives my speeder.”

He didn’t miss Obi-Wan sticking his tongue out at him, and it took all will power for Anakin not to grab it.

It was no secret Obi-Wan loved to keep himself busy. Meditation was his last resort when he had too much energy, so Obi-Wan would usually file reports, read mission briefings, he'll take stock of his supplies out of boredom before resorting to meditation.

Evidently, this Padawan was just the same. He paced around the apartment, desperate to do something that wasn’t sitting around and watching Holo dramas, which Anakin wasn’t sure if he was allowed to even do if he was trying to prevent future information from being learned.

As it turned out, some Padawan education materials were also out the window. Obi-Wan had passed all his basic courses and was begging for the advanced material, except Anakin still had yet to vet what was allowed to be taught that wouldn’t corrupt the future.

Force, this rule was stupid.

There was some relief from Tech, who came back later that afternoon with another theory. If his current Obi-Wan never mentioned an incident of time travel in his youth, this Obi-Wan was no longer part of their timeline, therefore relaying information to him should not harm their current present.

“Shouldn’t?” Windu asked in their call.

“I am ninety-two percent certain.”

“That’s higher than I thought.” Anakin said with a shrug.

“Though it’s still a theory.”

“So…?” Anakin asked.

“Best to continue things as they are.” Tech concluded, fiddling with a datapad. “Have you felt any temporal shifts?”

“No…? I don’t think so.”

“Hm, fascinating.”

Anakin and Windu shared a look as Tech hung up.

“Sorry, Skywalker. How is he doing?”

“Restless.” Anakin admitted. “Somehow he’ll ask why the sky is blue and turn it into a conversation about current events. Hard to keep brushing him off.”

“Obi-Wan was always a curious Padawan.” Mace said. “Just…keep trying. Let me know if he gets too much.”

Just three days later with no progress, Obi-Wan was finally fed up.

“How is it that Master Jinn isn’t here and yet I’m being treated the same.” he paced around the living room, irritation flowing out of him, yet controlled enough not to become anger. “I can’t leave the Temple without an escort, can’t learn anything, this must be a cruel joke. I might as well still be in the holding cell!”

“Obi-Wan, I’m sorry. I don’t want to keep you like this either, but messing with the timeline may disrupt something in the Force. We barely understand it as it is.”

“Oh, so this is my fault.” Obi-Wan raised his hands. “Throw me back to AgriCorp to make it easier then!”

“I didn’t say it was your fault.” Anakin had no problem hiding his feelings, especially when being thrown accusations. “Why do you think that? You being here is an accident .”

“Is it?”

The tension shifted again. Cold. Wary.

“Why wouldn’t it be? The Force works…well the Force does whatever it wants.” Anakin said. “We don’t control it. We can’t .”

“Well someone did. They wanted me gone and it worked.”

And there it was, the way Obi-Wan quieted his voice, holding himself to make himself look smaller. Protecting himself.

“I just cause trouble. All I do is disappoint my Master. Maybe I’ve finally disappointed him enough he wished me away, and the Force granted it. Now I get to be your thorn.”

“Obi-Wan.” Anakin said, voice as a commander. “Do not talk about yourself that way.”

He immediately saw the flash of guilt from the boy’s eyes, regretting his own words. “I’m sorry Master. I…”

“Do not make assumptions about what you are to me, because you could not be more wrong.”

Taking another step, Anakin reached out, holding him by his shoulders. “ You could never be a thorn to me, understand? You’re my best friend, my brother in arms. Not having you in my life would be insufferable.”

Obi-Wan was the reason Anakin fought for what was right. Why he could wake up in the middle of a battlefield, knowing he’d see him again when he was home. Why Anakin never felt comfortable to move out of the apartment, needing to know Obi-Wan was just across from him even if they were not living there at the same time.

Some Jedi may call that an attachment. Anakin would said that was the source of his strength, even if his Obi-Wan would never know.

He couldn’t risk him knowing, not if it meant to sever their attachment, leaving Anakin alone.

Obi-Wan’s breath hitched, taking in his words. His bottom lip trembled, but he held himself together. “What are we?”

“You were my Master.” Anakin finally confessed. “You raised me, trained me. Now we serve side by side when we can.”

“I’m…I’m a Master?”

He saw how Obi-Wan’s knees began to buckle, so he sat him down on their floor, too tired to move them somewhere else. “The best Master any Padawan could ask for.”

Anakin squeezed his shoulder. “I never knew your relationship with Qui-Gon. Just that he asked you to train me and you said yes. I had no idea how you really felt about him but…but I know he asked you to do this because he believed in you. Even if your Qui-Gon doesn’t show it now.”

Obi-Wan seemed better after that, but no less bored. He got by doing chores with playful banter, helping Anakin cook all their meals, but it still hadn't changed the fact they had no idea how to return him home.

Not that Anakin wanted him gone. Selfishly, he loved having this Obi-Wan around. It was nice to be able to show his Master the way things worked around here, even though he had his own Padawan to do that.

Speak of the devil herself. In the middle of fixing a former surveillance droid, Anakin felt Ahsoka’s Force signature as she entered the temple. “Huh, I thought she’d be back later tonight.”

Obi-Wan was struggling with his motherboard, happy to push it aside once Anakin was distracted. “Who?”

“My Padawan. She and some others were out with Master Plo for some field trip. She’ll be coming by in a bit.”

“You have a Padawan?”

Anakin didn’t miss the accusatory tone in his voice. It wasn’t like the way he called out the tabloid of himself and Padme. Something else was laced…almost like jealousy.

“Yes, she's been my Padawan for the last three years.”

“Where was she when you broke your leg?”

“Off helping people, as I told her to do.” Anakin wiggled his toe in his cast, happy he had some feeling come back.

“Shouldn’t she have protected you?”

Anakin frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “She does, just as a Master protects their Padawan.”

“And she was gone with another Master for weeks?”

“Plo Koon is a great Master, he likes taking the younglings out for exploratory missions. Besides it was just five days” He was confused with Obi-Wan’s tone. Even while his Padawan, Anakin had the opportunity to train and travel with other Masters, and while he preferred to stay by his Master’s side he learned a great deal with others. Did Obi-Wan not experience the same thing?

“Skyguy! I’m back!”

Ahsoka’s voice always brought a sense of relief to lighten the mood. His apartment door swooshed open, revealing the young Togruta skipping inside, in her hands a giant plush that had a weird resemblance to Jar-Jar, and a bag of dark candies.

“I got you those cocoa covered beetles you like–” Of course her eyes immediately fell onto the young Obi-Wan, sitting at what was typically her spot at their dining room table. “Hi?”

“Hi.” Obi-Wan said, voice just as tight.

“Ah, Snips, can you sit down? This is…complicated.”

At the end of the explanation Ahsoka seemed just as confused yet accepting as everyone else who encountered him.

“Now that you say it, I do see him.” She said. “I didn’t know Obi-Wan had such a baby-face!”

“Hey!”

Gosh, he looked adorable when he blushed.

“Speaking of, where is my older half?” Obi-Wan huffed into his tea.

“Still on a mission on Mandalore.” Anakin said, remembering Tech’s last call when he also questioned his Kenobi’s whereabouts. A reminder of rule three.

It’s best to keep them separated. We want to prevent a temporal paradox that may result negatively on both parties.

Yeah, Anakin had no idea what that meant, but it all conveniently worked out since Obi-Wan had a few more rotations on Mandalore, giving them enough time to try and figure something out with his younger counterpart.

“Why Mandalore, isn’t that a worn-torn planet?”

“Not exactly, I hear the Duchess–”

“Ah! Snips!”

Ahsoka covered her mouth. “Right. Sorry.”

Obi-Wan threw his hands up. “Seriously, I can’t even know the political state of a planet I’ve never been on?”

Ahsoka shot Anakin a look, who just shook his head. Oh if only he knew where the next few years would take him.

“Can’t research, can’t go past the market, sith’s hell I can’t even watch a doleful Holodrama without you censoring it. What am I supposed to do, I’m bored!”

Anakin wanted to point out he had his broken communicator he had yet to fix when Ahsoka spoke next, proving how she was truly Anakin’s Padawan.

“Wanna spar?”

They weren’t going to use the Jedi training facility, Anakin could only imagine the blood vessel popping in Windu if the other Jedi find a younger, smaller Obi-Wan walking around as a walking time paradox, or whatever Tech had called him. But nearby was the Coruscant Clone Base, which was fully equipped with their own facilities.

Half of the 501st was deployed with the 212st, while the other, who worked closely with Anakin, were on shore leave until Anakin recovered.

Rex was the one to greet him when they entered.

“Tech explained the situation.” Rex said, eyes on the back of young Obi-Wan’s head. “I’m not going to pretend I understand what’s happening.”

“It’s okay, we’re all still a little lost.”

The gym wasn’t empty. A few of the clones were exercising on the machines when their attention turned to the Jedi. Anakin sat on a bench, holding out his hand for their lightsabers.

“No sabers. The men here have training equipment to use.”

“Master–” They both whined, but Anakin gestured to give it up. “You can use any form of fighting, but we’re not destroying the men’s facility.”

“Again.” Rex murmured.

“I apologized for that.” Anakin pouted.

The two groaned with agreement, unclipping their sabers and passing it along. At this point the clones gathered around the seating area, excited to see what the two had in store for them.

Ahsoka twisted her arms and back just as Obi-Wan did a small lunge. Stretching was always good before a fight, though Anakin definitely did not stare at Obi-Wan’s legs.

With their training staff in hand, they got into position, and from that alone Anakin could already see the type of training each of them has gone through.

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan were the same age, and as far as Anakin knew, had the same amount of physical training from when Padawans began physical training at thirteen. Obi-Wan mentioned Qui-Gon has kept him at the basic level, but compared to the way Ahsoka was standing, Anakin would assume this was his first time on a training mat.

She was ready to attack her prey, one swift move to bring him down. Obi-Wan was too open, a stance ready for an attack from above or in front of him, yet had no ground if she were to come for his feet.

Which was exactly what she did. She swept her leg right under him, and he fell disgracefully on his side.

The clones whistled, some laughed. Anakin shot them a glare.

Ahsoka approached him, her hand out as an offering. For a moment Anakin thought Obi-Wan would slap her hand away, as Anakin had done the same in the past. Instead, even with humiliated eyes, Obi-Wan took her hand and stood up.

This time she gave him a chance to attack first. He came at her, full force with his staff as she easily dodged with light toes. He came at her again with another swing, only for her to side step without thought.

Every attack was direct, precise, but not strategic. As if attacking a broken droid, or a training dummy. Even shiny clones had moving targets in their training grounds.

When Obi-Wan reached out again, Ahsoka grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm to the back, kicking from behind his knees to bring him down. He let go of the staff. “I yield!”

Ahsoka released him, once again helping him to his feet in a form of good sportsmanship. However, Anakin saw enough. Saw how neglected Obi-Wan was so early on in his training.

“Ahsoka, go spar with one of the men.”

“Finally, something to do.” Hardcase said, volunteering himself. “Come on jetti, let’s see how many clankers we can cut up.”

“No lightsabers!” Rex yelled at them. Ahsoka groaned dramatically, and Hardcase just laughed.

With a chuckle, Anakin made his way over to the floor mat, picking up Obi-Wan’s fallen staff and handing it back. “Qui-Gon really only taught you the basics, huh?”

Obi-Wan gripped it tightly. “He refuses to advance me, and I don’t know why. I’m top in my class, but I still have to beg to be taken on missions.”

Anakin winced, unsure what else to say because he didn’t know Qui-Gon. All he could remember was the kind older man who helped free him, and everything after was stories told by Obi-Wan and other Jedi.

He knew Qui-Gon was an odd man with unconventional teachings. His Obi-Wan looked fondly at them now, but the Obi-Wan in front of him clearly felt different. He wanted to be included, he wanted to be an actual Padawan.

Anakin knew that feeling, back when Obi-Wan would tell him to stay behind. When his own Master chose someone over him. It hurt, even if he had a reason for the time. He can’t fix what Qui-Gon has neglected him up until now, but right now he could at least teach him more than the basics.

“Here, get back into position. Keep your legs firm, like this.” Anakin tapped his thigh until he moved to the correct spot. He grabbed his shoulders, straightening his stance before guiding his arms out. “Alright, attack me.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” Anakin said, standing right where Ahsoka was before.

“But–your leg .”

Using the Force, Anakin grabbed another training staff from its stand and swung. Obi-Wan only had a moment to block himself before stumbling over.

“Come on now, I’m sure you’ve been wanting to hit me for the past few days.”

Obi-Wan’s blush said it all.

“You know, Ahsoka doesn’t just have base training. She’s been on the field, and a lot can be learned there more so than a gym.”

Anakin swiped his staff, lower to knock Obi-Wan over again. This time the Padawan jumped out of the way, finding himself flat on his feet and balanced.

“Out there it's survival. No formal fighting can prepare you for that. But as Jedi, we have an extra advantage.”

“The Force.”

Anakin nodded, using it ever so slightly to push Obi-Wan. The Padawan stumbled back.

“Of course they’ll say not to use it excessively, but there are other ways to channel it. Look over at Ahsoka.”

To show it wasn’t a trick, Anakin placed the staff to his side and gestured over to his Padawan. Some other clones decided to join her sparring match, three against one, yet Ahsoka avoided every attack with ease. Behind her, Jesse lunges for another attack. She grabbed his wrist, using his own weight to her advantage as she tossed him towards the safety mats.

“Now, unless Togrutas have a third eye I don’t know about…”

“I can hear you, you know!”

“...How do you think she anticipated his attack?”

“The Force. She sensed his being through the Force.” Obi-Wan answered.

“Exactly. While we can’t predict what they would do, we know where our opponent is. And if we follow their signature, we may have that split second advantage to counter.”

Obi-Wan’s shoulders slumped. “That’s the problem, Master. I’ve been trying, truly trying and I cannot feel the Force through me.”

There must be something blocking Obi-Wan, because Anakin could definitely feel him. Obi-Wan’s personal connection was muted, the source of most of his frustrations.

“Close your eyes.” Anakin said, thinking of the lessons his own Obi-Wan taught him. “Breath in, count to ten, and exhale.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, eyelashes touching his cheeks. He did as commanded, breathing out at ten but keeping his eyes closed.

“What do you hear?”

He watched Obi-Wan’s mouth move, as if he was biting the inside of his cheek. “There’s a fan vent at the end of the room. Ahsoka and the men are still fighting, they’re using…I think they’re using metal batons now.”

“Very good. What else?”

“There’s some men in the dining hall. A droid is cleaning the halls…oh.” His face was red. “I think someone’s having sex.”

Anakin snorted. Yeah that sounded right for a clone base but he held no judgment about what his men did in their spare time, most likely with each other. “See, you can sense all that through the Force. It takes a bit of concentration.”

Obi-Wan shook his head and kept his eyes closed. “I’ve been trying for weeks and it’s like I haven’t been able to feel that at all. How…?”

“The Force is always with you, Obi-Wan, whether or not you feel it. You just have to open your mind and heart to it.”

Because he could feel how clouded his mind was, how his heart hesitated with every step he took. Obi-Wan was unintentionally projecting because he has no idea how to ground himself. Maybe this could be a quick but necessary lesson, to get him back.

“Are you able to see me?” Anakin asked, noticing how he shut his eyes tighter.

“I think…yes. You’re right in front of me,” So Anakin moved to his right, and Obi-Wan’s staff followed. “You’re…you’re not in position.”

“No, I’m not. Very good.”

Obi-Wan stayed in his own stance, listening closely to the Force before striking once again. This time he moved with his weapon lunging out. He’s just barely able to touch Anakin with his weapon before he swipes again, hitting him on his side.

“Excellent! Again!”

Watching Obi-Wan fight was like watching a dancer on stage. There was beauty and grace in his moves, using his opponent as a partner to bring them to their downfall.

The Obi-Wan in front of him was not yet a knight, but was one in practice. The passion was there, now that he was more confident to fight, and he moved around Anakin, using only the Force to find his way. With his good food Anakin spun on his heels, avoiding what he could while staying in their imaginary circle. Obi-Wan was beautiful with any weapon in hand, and his smile every time he landed a soft hit only made Anakin proud of him.

A surprise attack from below would have yielded more compliments, but distracted by the way Obi-Wan was smiling, Anakin landed on his bad foot, bucking under his own weight and falling with an undignified yelp.

“Master?!” Ahsoka called from across the room.

Anakin held his leg, berating himself for a clumsy move when Obi-Wan suddenly dropped to his side. “Master! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

Anakin let out a strained laugh. “I tripped on myself, it’s not your fault.”

That didn’t ease the younger one’s mind, his eyes on the verge of tears for doing what no Padawan should be capable of to their Master. Anakin reached out, holding his cheek to wipe away his tears. “I’m fine , Obi-Wan.”

“I’ll be the judge of that, General.”

Anakin rolled his eyes, meeting with Kix whom he was sure was out in his medbay and not in the gym. Rex must have called him, knowing he’d be concerned that their General was sparring with a broken leg. "Fine, take me to your torture chamber.”

“Gladly.” Kix said. He held out his hand to help Anakin stand, but instead of throwing his arm over Kix’s shoulder so they could walk together, the damn medic picked up Anakin and threw him over his shoulders.

“Hey! Kix, put me down!”

“Sorry General, this way you’ll keep your foot elevated.”

“I’m demoting you!” His threats were unheated, and instead Anakin stuck his tongue out and gave all his men the finger as they, and Ahsoka, took pictures with their coms.

He didn’t miss, though, that Obi-Wan was the only one not laughing.

“And here I thought you wanted to heal faster.” Kix said as he examined the x-ray. “The break is almost healed, but straining yourself might put you back on square one.”

“I twisted my foot, I didn’t fall out of an aircraft.” Anakin sat on a table, his broken leg out of its cast and dunked in the slimy bacta. “A few more of these and I’ll be good to go!”

“If you can sit still, which I know you can’t .”

“Aw, Kix, if you care just say so.”

Kix raised an eyebrow, voice deadpan as he said. “I care about your well being General, and evidently so does little Kenobi.”

“I scared him.”

“You did, but even Miss Tano didn’t react the way he did. Granted, she knows how reckless you can be,” He murmured the second half of that sentence. “But he looked exactly like General Kenobi, it was creepy. And I have thousands wearing my face.”

“What?” Anakin asked, “Of course they look alike, that’s him.”

“And he’s only known you for what, five days I hear? That’s the same look General Kenobi has every time you fall unconscious. I had to force him out of medbay during your last debacle on Vulcan because he was taking up too much room.”

This was all news to Anakin. Falling while on a mission was quite common, and he found himself very acquainted with Kix’s medbay. Sometimes he’d wake up to Ahsoka or Obi-Wan by his side, and he assumed they were checking on him when Kix said he was okay for visitors. Never did he realize Obi-Wan was staying until he woke up, which could have been hours to days. How long had that been going on?

“So for their sake, stop scaring them.” Kix said as he removed Anakin’s leg from the tank. He gave him a thorough wipe down before wrapping it with a bandage. “You’ll give one, or both, a heart attack at this rate. And they’re both too young for that.”

Anakin said nothing after, letting Kix patch him up as he sat on this information.

“Snips. No. Give me my keys.”

“Nope, Kix said you have to keep pressure off. So I’m driving. And you get to be in the back seat.”

“Snips.”

“Skyguy.”

Here was their standoff, Ahsoka holding the keys to his speeder in a taunting manner. Anakin with a new brace and his crutches. He could use the Force to take them back, but Ahsoka played dirty. She’d use the Force to keep them in place.

“We need to get back to the temple, bring Obi-Wan back.” Ahsoka pointed out. “So, you coming or are you hopping the whole way back?”

“Ugh, fine . But if you scratch it–”

“Please, you scratch this thing on your own.”

Sitting in the passenger's seat was Obi-Wan, hands playing with his braid and face down, too afraid. Too guilty.

When Anakin hopped into the back seat, he lightly tugged at the long strands of Obi-Wan’s hair, startling him. “Hey, I’m fine .”

“He really is,” Ahsoka said as she started the cruiser. “Nothing can beat the hero with no fear. Well, maybe sand.”

“ Hey !”

He thought their banter would lighten the mood, but Obi-Wan stayed completely quiet, even as he helped Anakin back to their room. Now tired from walking, Anakin took to the couch, keeping his leg up as instructed.

“Is there anything I can get for you, master?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin tapped his chin. “Hm, run me a bath, will you?”

“Ew, no.”

“Okay!”

Anakin and Ahsoka turned to Obi-Wan, but before Anakin could say he was joking, Obi-Wan was in the refresher.

“Master, stop teasing him. You know Master Obi-Wan takes everything to heart.”

“I thought he always had his sarcastic sense of humor.” Anakin said, listening to Obi-Wan shuffle around in the other room. “Can you get him? I’ll shower later.”

She shook her head, “He always takes everything you say to heart. So don’t tease this one, he hasn’t learned to hide it yet.”

“What?” Anakin asked, but Ahsoka was already on her way to the refresher, leaving Anakin alone in the living space.

Which Obi-Wan was she referring to now? His head hurt thinking how there are still two of him now, one so young and naive, the other hardened with loss yet still so kind and brave. Anakin grew up with the latter, taken in just hours after his own Master died.

Yet the Obi-wan now, in his refresher fighting with Ahsoka, had yet to experience all that. He didn’t know the pain of loss, to truly take a life with his sabers. He didn’t like seeing him cry for hurting Anakin by accident. He didn’t want Obi-Wan hurt, ever.

It was a Padawan’s job to protect their Master, Obi-Wan had said, and Anakin felt as if he failed that somehow. He could never control what happened in Obi-Wan’s life, but now that he was here, untouched by dark forces that could take him, he wanted to keep him here, safe and protected.

“Master, your bath is ready.” Obi-Wan said, triumphant to Ahsoka who just threw her hands up.

“I was wrong, Master, he’s long gone. Anyway I’m hungry, so I'm going to order from Dex’s. You want anything?”

That translated to, I’m tired of this and need to get out for a bit. “Sure, my usual please.”

“Yeah, I got you too Padawan.” Ahsoka said in Obi-Wan’s direction. She swiped Anakin’s wallet and keys from the table, waving it. “See you soon!”

And then she was gone, leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan alone once again.

Well, he couldn’t let the water go to waste.

“Help me up.”

Obi-wan was by his side, placing Anakin’s hand over his shoulder as they made their way into the refresher. The tub was filled with nice hot water, and Obi-Wan somehow found bubbles to make everything fluffy and inviting.

Obi-Wan turned around as Anakin stripped himself from his tunic, his hair just barely hiding how red his ears were. Once he was naked, and leg freed from the brace, Anakin slowly sank into the tub, the hot water soothing his ever aching body. He raised his leg up and rested it on the edge of the tub, letting the bubbles cover the rest of his body. “Thank you, Obi-Wan. This is lovely.”

Obi-Wan nodded, hands fidgeting and looking like he was about to pace around. “C-can I wash your hair, Master?”

Oh, oh it was so unfair how cute he looked asking that, eyes averted, hands close to his chest, his face beautifully pink. Some of his hair fell in front of his eyes, hiding how embarrassed he looked for asking.

“You know, Snips doesn’t bathe me. I didn’t bathe my own Master.” He won’t say how he wished he could.

“I know! I just thought of an offer since I did this to you.”

“Obi-Wan you didn’t–” There was no point in arguing, the poor kid will still think it’s his fault until adulthood. “Fine, take off your outer robe, though. Don’t need to get that drenched.

Obi-Wan was by the tub in an instant, his short undertunic showing off his arms that have yet to grow muscles like his older counterpart. He gathered a good amount of shampoo in his hand before lathering it in his hair.

Anakin relaxed further into the bath. Rarely has he ever indulged like this, the last person to touch him in a bath being Padme years ago. He liked it, being taken care of, and he liked it more knowing it was Obi-Wan.

“Why do you call her Snips?” Obi-Wan asked through the silence.

“Ah, she was real snippy with me when we first met. Just stuck after that.”

“And you let her call you ‘Skyguy’?”

“Why not, it’s kind of my name.” Oh, Obi-Wan moved his fingers so well, massaging his scalp perfectly.

“I just didn’t…I just call Master Jinn, Master. Sometimes his first name. Other Padawans don’t have nicknames for their Masters. I thought it’d be disrespectful.”

“Not at all. I think it helps that we have nicknames for each other. It’s a nice reminder, how well we work together.”

He felt the air shift again, some sorrowness. “Ah, no wonder you chose her as your Padawan.”

“Hm, kind of.” Anakin said, closing his eyes when water was poured down his hair. “Master Yoda assigned her to me.”

“What?”

“Hm-hm, I didn’t want a Padawan at first. And I’m sure she wasn’t happy to be paired with me, I was just knighted, I wasn’t ready for a Padawan. She should have been–” Yours , he almost said, “someone else’s, but after our first mission I wanted to take her in.”

Obi-Wan’s hands stopped moving. “I thought…all this time I thought Knights choose their Padawans.”

“In a way, we do. Even if we’re assigned, we choose in the end if we would take them in. I chose to keep training Ahsoka, as she chose me as her Master.”

He still remembered the smell of fire and oil and debri on the battlefield, and how young and unsure Ahsoka was after their battle. Yet she sat by his side, accepting him. It was the proudest moment of his life.

“I was told Qui-Gon was assigned to me, that he didn’t want a Padawan either. But…he’s not like you.” Obi-Wan’s hands fell to his side, and Anakin sat up in the bath to look at him. “I think Qui-Gon left the order.”

Whoa, this was news to Anakin. Never did he hear anything about Qui-Gon ever leaving , not when he was the one who found Anakin years later. “What makes you say that?”

“We were supposed to go on a mission together, but he never showed up. Everyone said he was seen leaving with his old Master, and to not blame myself if reassigned, because he never chose me anyway.”

Dooku? Why the hell would Qui-Gon leave the order for Dooku ?!

“Obi-Wan I’m sure that wasn't’--”

“And I didn’t want to blame myself. If I was never chosen I shouldn’t be hurt he left, right? But you said it yourself, you didn’t choose Ahsoka, but you kept her anyway. Why…why doesn’t my own Master love me the way you love her?”

Oh this was spiraling fast. So many emotions were clouding Obi-Wan, Anakin had no idea what he was referring to as love. He loved Ahsoka as much as he loved his mother, a different kind of love with how he used to feel for Padme.

His love for Obi-Wan transcended all that.

Love wasn’t what a Jedi should want. He could experience it, but that kind of love led to attachments. To secrecy. It’s what led him to his first failed marriage, and what was leading Obi-Wan to soon leave the order with Satine.

That kind of attachment…Anakin couldn’t risk it. Not when he knew Obi-Wan wanted someone else.

And yet here was another Obi-Wan, heart so big and so desperate to be loved in any way possible. Maybe this wasn’t an accident, but a gift from the Force. Give him an Obi-Wan who felt unwanted in his own time, just as Anakin knew he was unwanted by his own Master.

“Obi-Wan, your Master cared for you. Even if he never showed it the way you want him to. But you shouldn’t chase after those who may not feel that. Instead go for the ones you know who’ll return it.”

It’s why Obi-Wan was back with Satine. Even after all these years she still loved him. He would be a fool not to go for her.

Obi-Wan stared at him, eyes pooling with so many questions. “How do you do this?”

“Do what?”

“You make me feel so safe.” Obi-Wan leaned in until their foreheads touched, closing his eyes and inhaling Anakin’s soap. “You opened me up to the Force. You took me in when they wanted to leave me in the cell. You…you care for me, even when you have your own Padawan. Why?”

The words slip out of his mouth so easily, without hesitation. How could he lie to someone so genuine? “Because I love you.”

Obi-Wan’s face was brighter than a thousand suns. Relief flooded through Anakin, through the Force, as Obi-Wan closed his eyes, and leaned in for a kiss.

And Anakin, so weak, so desperate to have an Obi-Wan that loved him back, happily met him in the middle.

The younger was still hesitant, but his lips, wet with anticipation, were so so sweet on Anakin’s. He leaned in, taking the back of Obi-Wan’s neck with a wet hand and brought him closer to deepen their kiss, and he felt someone in the Force sing with pure glee.

If Anakin was truly paying attention he would have also felt another presence in the Force, and if he was listening closely, he would have heard Ahsoka desperately trying to stop the person from entering the refresher.

“Master, wait!”

The door slid open, causing the two to pull away and meet their intruder.

Because standing in the doorway was Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, face just as shocked as his younger counterpart now that they were meeting, face to face.

Rule number three, broken..

#obikin #star wars #obi-wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #ao3 #anobi #my fics #my writing

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impossibleprincess35 · 8 months

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Asphodel | ch 16

[Excerpt:]

The plan was genius, yes.

But it was cruel.

He hated what was about to happen, as Mace and Yoda were going to tip off Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano of Rako Hardeen’s whereabouts. It wouldn’t be long before his former padawan and his grandpadawan would come strolling into the cantina, calmly he hoped, and begin looking for the man they believed killed Obi-Wan Kenobi. They would be directed to the very back room where he was now, and they would take him into their custody.

Obi-Wan thought to himself how lucky he would be if it went down that easy. Anakin was, well.. Anakin. He wondered what it would be like to experience Anakin’s anger from the other end, having it directed at him and not merely trying to police his friend’s behavior. Was it possible that Anakin might show restraint when he took Rako Hardeen into custody? When he considered how he would feel if someone killed his brother, the boy he had met all those years ago on a desert planet in the outer rim, he knew that it would be hard for even him to handle the situation appropriately. But he had faith in Anakin and in Ahsoka, mainly because there was no other option. This plan could not fail.

In a brief moment of weakness, Obi-Wan’s thoughts drifted to Satine. He wondered where she was and what she was doing. She had last been traveling through the Mandalore sector, handling the last rites of four guards killed under Almec’s orders. Was she in Sundari or had she come to Coruscant?

Had she even been contacted? The Jedi Order probably wouldn’t have known to tell her, he thought. It wasn’t like he had any family outside of the order, though she would have been closest to it. Maybe Anakin and Padme had reached out to her. Maybe even Bail. He couldn’t be sure, and he was in no position to ask anyone. He was dead as far as they knew.

There had been close calls over the years, moments when Obi-Wan had doubted he would make it back to Coruscant in one piece. And Satine herself had dodged her own near death experiences. There were late night holo-calls and encrypted messages to say I’m safe, I’ll call soon, and they had both come to terms with the fact that their lives could not be safe all of the time. There were risks involved, on both of their ends.

But this..

This was different.

Obi-Wan felt conflicted. The shaming from Master Yoda had bothered him in such a way that he couldn’t help but wonder if he had allowed things with Satine to go too far. Clearly, he had an attachment to her that was now affecting the responsibilities he had to the Jedi Order. Instead of focusing on the task at hand, he was worrying about her. Maybe he had lied to himself, believing that he could have it all, when all along, he was setting himself up to fail.

And taking her down with him.

Chapter 16 is up.

#obitine #obi wan x satine #fanfic #asphodel

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shadowsong26fic · 1 year

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a layer of warm contentment

Author: shadowsong26

Rating: PG/PG-13

Fandom: Star Wars

Characters: Padme, Anakin, Obi-Wan

Warnings: Just background war, etc. Implied/background sex.

Summary: The night after the trio get together, Obi-Wan takes a moment to think things through.

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of their respective creators.

Notes: Written for the Year of the OTP event. March prompt: acceptance.

(I am also doing this for BSG and some of my original ‘verses, if you’re interested in checking those out! One ship per canon. The fanfic ones will be posted to AO3 probably a day or two after they’re on tumblr. This fic is also available on AO3 here. Master list of all fills can be found here.)

Obi-Wan carefully extracted himself from the bed; slipping out from under Anakin’s arm as smoothly and silently as possible.

With a reasonable amount of success. Padme didn’t stir, and if Anakin noticed him leaving--and he might have; Anakin had always been a fairly light sleeper--he chose not to comment or react, which was all Obi-Wan needed for now.

He pulled his cloak on--not bothering with the rest of his clothes; the other room was private enough and he had every intention of returning to his lovers in a few moments.

Lovers.

He tasted the word for a moment; considered it in this context, how it applied to himself, and Anakin, and Padme, separately and together.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t had lovers before. Brief encounters, mostly; a pleasant companion for a night or three, quietly in the background or aftermath of a mission; sometimes repeating the experience when their paths crossed again. Some became friends--and some had been friends first, and remained primarily platonic friends after or between.

And, of course, there had been Satine.

But how much of that had been war and danger and desperation; the fact that they were both very young and thrown together so completely?

He might never know, not for sure, not unless Satine came back into his life in some way. But…no. No, what he had felt then, in that time, and in that place, it had been real. Denying that because this relationship felt different wasn’t fair to any of them.

And it did feel different. If he and Satine had matched one another like a pair of gloves, opening his heart to Anakin and Padme was more like…like the sensation of a dislocated joint sliding back into place.

True, once again, there was war and danger, although perhaps less desperation, he thought. Certainly the three of them weren’t quite so alone as he and Satine (and Qui-Gon) had been years ago.

Although they were alone in this. For…several reasons, political and otherwise, they would have to at least try for discretion. The others hadn’t…well, Obi-Wan knew Anakin very well, after all; perhaps he shouldn’t judge their ability to keep this particular secret too harshly. Until the War was over, or until Ahsoka passed her Trials, whatever this was should remain between the three of them.

And after that?

He thought about it for a moment, stroking his beard contemplatively.

Prescience had never been one of his stronger gifts, but for a moment, he could see it. Their future together. Perhaps not entirely calm or peaceful--Anakin would find some mess to dive into; and Obi-Wan had seen enough of Padme’s floor speeches to know that her intensity was only slightly more tempered than their partner’s.

…partner.

That was it, wasn’t it. He was already thinking of them as his partners. In the romantic or familial sense; not just what his relationship with Anakin had grown into over the past few months.

Am I ready for that? he asked himself. Is that truly a commitment I am prepared to make? That I want to make?

He mulled that over for a moment, his hands falling still. The idea of stepping back, of being once again outside what they shared; the idea of being in and out, pleasant company from time to time but shying away from a deeper commitment; the idea of…being with them, as fully as he could--as any of them could--with the War and the Order and the Senate and all their other responsibilities.

Yes, he thought. Yes, that is what I want. What I can give. What we can be. Together.

The decision settled over him, a layer of warm contentment. That sense of something falling into place again.

Ready now, he went back into the other room to rejoin the others; as he’d half-expected, Anakin’s eyes were half-open, watching him as he slipped through the door and out of his cloak.

Moving slowly, probably so as not to disturb Padme--still asleep on his other side--Anakin stretched out a hand.

Obi-Wan smiled, and took it, bending down to kiss it briefly before sliding back into the bed beside him.

Anakin’s arm fell naturally across his waist once again; and, basking in the feel of his partners lying beside him, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

#shadowsong writes star wars

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cimeret · 1 year

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Finally got around to watching some Tales of the Jedi and I have some thoughts ...

Life and Death

First of all, can I say how great the animations look? All the nature scenes in that first episode … I liked that we got to see so many different and beautiful plant and animal species. Makes me just wish I could travel there to go hiking and study all the weird plant life. This scene ...

... absolutely gorgeous! Kudos to the animation team!

The village scenes were great, too. I’m very curious to learn more about the culture of the Togruta and their language and traditions. Although I’m not really sure if it’s wise to take a toddler on a hunt if there’s the Star Wars version of a saber-toothed tiger roaming the forest. Especially since Pav-ti was also traveling alone, unaccompanied. But I assume that the area is generally considered safe and animal attacks are rare. She also set Ahsoka down on the ground in the clearing and talked to her out loud, so she probably felt relatively safe.

As soon as the predator appeared, I started thinking about how Ahsoka’s abilities in the Force will show up, since that was obviously what the scene was going for. I liked that it wasn’t anything flashy, she didn’t Force-push the predator, she didn’t levitate her mother or the gun ... instead we got a bit of dramatic retardation when she was dragged deeper into the forest and then a calm, gentle scene where she connected with the beast. To me, that works so well because that’s what the Force really is, in its essence. Connection, peace, understanding—not something to be used for aggression or grand special effects. And to see an innocent baby like Ahsoka use it without showing the slightest fear of the predator … just with curiosity, trust and kindness … It was a really beautiful moment.

And then the ending … “Ahsoka is Jedi”—very gripping. Theatrical, yes (also considering what will become of Ahsoka in the future), but in a good sense.

Also, I really loved all the different designs of the Togruta! On an aesthetic level, I always thought they were one of the most beautiful species in Star Wars.

Justice

I’m a little on the fence about this episode. I actually watched it twice because it felt a bit unsatisfying at first and I wanted to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Dooku and Qui-Gon are two of my favorite characters and I was really looking forward to learning more about their relationship, but they both acted so strangely reserved that it was hard for me to figure out what they were thinking. For example, the first time I watched the episode I thought they acted surprisingly distant toward each other, the second time I watched it I got the impression that they had a close relationship and worked very well together. You could really end up with different interpretations of their characters depending on how you choose to understand looks, body language, what was said and what was wasn’t. I was puzzled by Qui-Gon’s almost lack of reaction when Dooku threw him around and attacked the senator with murderous intent. Their brief exchange at the end felt warm, but again, it was so brief that I wondered: don’t you want to maybe talk about what happened? Or am I supposed to infer that at this point in the timeline, what happened is a repetitive thing, injustice and corrupt senators and Dooku losing his cool and trying to Force-choke people, and that they’re both kind of frustrated and resigned and already know and understand each other’s point of view, so there's not much to talk about? Not that it wouldn’t fit their characters as I see them. Personally, I think they’re two of the most stoic and introverted Jedi—introverted in the sense that they internalize their thoughts and emotions for the most part, so they naturally don’t talk about or show them much, and they don’t feel the need to do so. Unlike, say, Anakin and, to some extent, Obi-Wan (who really should have had someone to invite him in for tea and a long, quiet talk). But I digress. I don’t know, I think I would have liked to know a little more about Dooku’s and (especially) Qui-Gon’s thoughts on the whole situation and how it reflects the politics of the Council and the Senate, aside from the obvious things we already know. Like this, the conflict, reactions and resolution all felt a bit set up and on the nose, but that may also be due to the episode’s short runtime. And I guess the series first needed to introduce Jedi!Dooku's character for people who only watch the movies/shows and don't know anything about his past?

Things I liked:

- the slow built-up of tension in the beginning! Maybe it’s because of the Halloween season, but it felt almost creepy, like the beginning of a horror story. Would be really nice to see Star Wars experiment some more with different genres.

- the detail with the woman who betrayed the kidnappers’ location for some food. She looked so ashamed with her own actions it hurt. And how quick the other villagers were to explain and sympathize ... So much compassion was probably unrealistic given the fact that several villagers were seriously injured by the Senator’s actions and the whole ordeal could have ended in a bloodbath, but it didn't bother me. The episode was dark enough.

Other stuff:

I disapprove of Dooku’s and Qui-Gon’s fashion choices. Qui-Gon, where is your cloak? You look like a youngling in that tunic. And while I love Sith!Dooku’s cape, for Jedi!Dooku I will always headcanon him with a regular Jedi cloak. I don’t care, I just love the cloaks. Everyone should be snuggled up in cloaks all the time. Except for when they do the Dramatic Cloak Drop, of course.

Choices

There were so many things I loved about this episode! Dooku and Mace as a team! Raxus Secundus! All that ambiguous politics that I always wished they had done more with in the prequels! The little bit of murder mystery feeling we got with Master Katri’s death! And her funeral at the end; we know nothing about her, but it still felt heart-breaking seeing all the Jedi coming together and lowering her casket into the ground.

I liked that the episode portrayed Dooku’s character in a more sympathetic light. His view and concerns were definitely understandable. His character has so much potential and it’s great that we finally get to see some of it on screen. It’s interesting that he asked Mace if his behavior was partly motivated by the fact that he wanted the seat in the Council—I would never believe that of Mace, but Jedi are only human sentient beings and we always act out of self-interest, sometimes unconsciously, even if we do our best. And of course it makes sense for this series, which tries to give us Dooku’s perspective, to show us an incident when Dooku makes some really good points and when, in contrast, Mace’s approach with his strict adherence to the rules was rather detrimental to the situation.

And despite the differences and tension between Dooku and Mace, I thought they had great chemistry and I would so love to see more of them going on missions together. All the silent looks they shared! They would actually make an awesome good cop bad cop team! And I also feel like they could have a similar dark sense of humor. That’s also the one thing I would have done differently: it would have been nice to see them interacting in a bit more casual and friendly way at the beginning. It’s enough that Mace had a strained relationship with one Sith Lord. He can be Dooku’s counterpart in the episode and have an opposing opinion without repeating the role he already took towards Anakin. And a little more levity would also serve Jedi!Dooku well, because if you only see him smiling and joking after he has fallen—that would be really tragic. Don’t get me wrong, I like the rather dark and serious tone of the series and of course Dooku and Mace are especially dark and serious people, it just would have been nice to see a lighter side of their friendship. That would also make Dooku’s betrayal hurt so much more.

They both were awesome in the fight scene! I love how pretty the forest looks with all these pink flowers … and Mace fits right in with his pink lightsaber … and Dooku is just casually blocking shots behind his back … easily my favorite part of the episode! Next to Ki-Adi Mundi’s enormous head in a hood.

Would love to talk about episode 4, too, but I’m still at the point where I’m screaming and making unintelligible sounds, because there were so many good scenes! Dooku and Jocasta! Dooku and Qui-Gon! The tree! And of course Yaddle! The imagery when she lifted the door to let the light in! And that “I’m afraid” quote!

I just have so many feelings about everyone. Why must you do this, Star Wars?

#star wars #tales of the jedi #ahsoka tano #dooku #qui-gon jinn #mace windu #I'm so excited to live at a time where we get such good dooku content #prequel pain #also blue lightsaber canon confirmed #tales of the jedi season 2 pleeeaaaaase?#i will try to do the rest of the episodes but i need time to recover from ep. 4 and also prepare myself for mullet!obi-wan

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fanfictasia · 2 years

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Swoon June Day 15

Secret Identity

Spoiler: This is an excerpt from Card of Heart

“What happened?” Anakin inquires, as soon as he, Padme, and Ahsoka are alone together. He can sense Padme’s emotions – a mix of anxiety, hope, and fear. Something major happened, and he needs to know what. He can guess what it probably has to o with, though, and he immediately tightens his shields just a little, to make sure Sidious won’t pick up on anything.

“I got a message,” Padme explains, and her nervousness skyrockets. She throws a brief glance around as though to make sure no one is around before continuing. “From Obi-Wan.”

Anakin stills. “What?” he asks, faintly. He hasn’t heard any word from him, the past entire year. He misses him like he’d miss rain on Tatooine, a constant ache that never goes away, even if he’s come to accept that… this is how it will be for now. He has no idea if he’s okay or safe or what’s happening, but he knows he would have heard and felt if he died. He’s alive, and that’s other most he can know for now.

But why is Obi-Wan contacting Padme?! Why would he risk something like that?! If anyone realizes what Padme’s involved in, Anakin doesn’t want to think about what will happen. It will be the end of everything he has now. She’ll be executed for treason, Sidious will never trust Anakin again assuming he doesn’t kill him too and Ahsoka… No, he doesn’t even want to think about it. (Not to mention his children. He knows Sidious has noticed how strong Luke and Leia are in the Force, but Anakin is only thankful that for now they’re far too little to be trained. He doesn’t want them to have a like this like – the kind of life he dragged Ahsoka into. He doesn’t want to fail his children again)

Maybe most of the galaxy wouldn’t actually believe in Padme’s guilt, but Sidious would. Anakin and Padme’s marriage went public, along with the fact that Anakin is one of the only Jedi loyal to the Empire who now works as the Emperor’s right hand. Which means that anything Padme says against the Empire is completely discredited, often as nothing more than an attempt by her to drag the rebellion into trouble. It’s what most of the populace believes, even if Lux, Bail, Mothma, and others – the less Anakin knows about their secret identities, the better – know otherwise. Sidious is watching her closely, though. Anakin knows that much.

“It wasn’t direct,” she hastily reassures. That makes him feel a little better, but only a little. He knows Padme has… contacts, but Sidious could still figure out.

“What did he want?” Ahsoka asks.

“They are… working on a plan. They didn’t give me details but they have a way that might work to lure Sidious off Coruscant. He wants to know if you’ll help.”

For a moment, he can hardly breathe, especially not his surge of fear for how this will turn out. For how it could end for Obi-Wan. For how it could end for every single one of them. (For the very thought of Palpatine being dead.)

They’re planning to kill him. Anakin knew that was coming eventually. He also knows that until then, his family won’t be safe.

But this is – this is his mentor that they’re talking about, someone he always looked up. A part of him has… already accepted that he’s not the person Anakin thought he was and he’s considered killing him in the past, but hearing it spelled out, about to happen, is…

Maybe it needs to be done, but that doesn’t mean he wants this.

“We have to,” Ahsoka declares firmly, determination blazing in her eyes. It’s so simple for her. She doesn’t know Palpatine. She only knows Sidious and she rightfully hates him. “Of course, we will.”

She pauses, throwing a questioning glance at Anakin.

He knows what he needs to say in response to this, so why is it so hard? Why does it hurt so much? It feels like he’s betraying him, in a way worse than what Obi-Wan did to him back in the Hardeen incident, even if… maybe he doesn’t owe him that same level of loyalty.

“I… need to think about it,” he answers finally, hollowly. It feels wrong to consider it with an actual intent to carry through with it, even if he knows they need to. And if Obi-Wan is planning to go after him anyway, it’s almost down to a choice between the two of them. And that very thought fills him with a chilling fear. “They want us to… coordinate our attack?”

“At the very least, they want to make sure you won’t… intervene on his side,” Padme replies.

Anakin wordlessly shakes his head. He has to pick sides in this. There’s no choice, and it’s not really a question of what side he has to choose. There is only one side he can choose, even if he’s not sure the guilt of that will ever go away. (Anymore than it will for all the other things he’s done.) “I… I’ll help,” he answers at last. If Sidious finds out about this, they’re all done for. He doesn’t even want to think about how the Sith would react if he finds out about this. Anakin can only hope he can’t sense his intentions right now, because he… often seems to.

Padme seems relieved. “I knew you would,” she smiles, “I told them as much already. When you need to communicate more, I will… tell my contact.” And this was exactly what Anakin was hoping to avoid all this time, dragging Padme right into the middle of it. If they do this, it will mean she will take the fall for it if they are discovered.

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pandora15 · 3 years

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Whumptober 2021 Day 9 Prompt: Tears

When Obi-Wan asked to borrow the Twilight, Anakin assumed it was for a short trip or mission or something. He didn’t really think much of it, mostly because Anakin always asked for favors from Obi-Wan and he assumed that this was Obi-Wan cashing in on that.

But then he didn’t return the next day.

Or even the day after.

When Obi-Wan finally did return to Coruscant almost a week later, he didn’t even tell Anakin. He had to find out from Master Windu, of all people.

But as soon as he knew, Anakin made his way to Obi-Wan’s quarters. As usual, he didn’t bother to knock — Obi-Wan had always said that Anakin was welcome in his quarters at any time, and he made it a point to never change his locks for that reason.

But when he walked in, the quarters were empty.

And it struck him then — at that exact moment, standing alone in Obi-Wan’s quarters, that something must have happened.

Obi-Wan was never the one to hide from Anakin, to disappear and not want to be found. He was the one who always reached out to Anakin and made sure he was alright, even when Obi-Wan himself wasn’t.

He was there for Anakin, always.

And in return, Anakin—

Well, Obi-Wan never really acted like he needed Anakin.

Sighing, Anakin looked around the common area. The only indication that Obi-Wan was even in-Temple was the sight of his commlink, left abandoned on a side table, blinking red from the countless number of unread notifications.

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin called, raising his voice.

When he got no response, he walked into the kitchen, noting the dusty counters and cooling mug of tea, before he checked the bedrooms, the balcony, and the storage closets for any sign of his former master.

“Where are you?” Anakin muttered as he stepped back into the common area. It was obvious, at this point, that Obi-Wan wasn’t even in the apartment — and that he probably didn’t want to be found.

And normally, Anakin would let Obi-Wan be.

Except there was something in the Force that was telling him that he really needed to find Obi-Wan, sooner rather than later.

With that thought, Anakin left the quarters. He first walked over to the training rooms and poked his head into each room, finding no hint of Obi-Wan having been there at all in the past few days.

Afterwards, he went to the Archives, where Jocasta Nu said that she hadn’t heard from Obi-Wan in at least a month. Anakin left in a huff, wracking his memory for anywhere else Obi-Wan would go.

He made his way up to the Room of A Thousand Fountains, distantly remembering that Obi-Wan usually meditated there whenever he needed a change of scenery.

Anakin walked through the gardens for what felt like hours, but there was no hint of Obi-Wan having been there in the past few days. By the time he finished exploring all of the levels, he felt all gross and sweaty.

He had no idea where else Obi-Wan would go. Anakin supposed Obi-Wan could have left the Temple to go somewhere else on Coruscant, but according to the Temple dockworkers, Obi-Wan didn’t check out a Temple speeder since returning to Coruscant.

Anakin was tempted to check the Council Chambers and briefing rooms, but considering Master Windu was the one who asked about Obi-Wan, he had to assume that he wasn’t in either of those places.

Which left…

Mid-step, Anakin froze.

Wait.

The thought struck him out of nowhere. Anakin blinked, looking up at the ceiling of the corridor just outside of the gardens, remembering.

At that exact moment, Anakin realized that he knew exactly where Obi-Wan was.

In a split-second, he was running to the nearest lift.

Obi-Wan needed him.

--------------------------------

The memorial was tucked away in a faraway corner of the Jedi Temple. Anakin didn’t go there that much — it was never really anywhere close to his frequent haunts, and there was something almost off-putting about the room that always pulled him away from it.

That being said, he knew that Obi-Wan went there sometimes.

Every year, right around the day Master Qui-Gon died, Obi-Wan would go to the memorial. Anakin went with him once — back in the early days. He remembered seeing the giant slabs of stone with thousands of names carved into its surface. He remembered Obi-Wan stopping at the end of one of the stones, letting his fingers run over the stone’s surface until he stopped just over Qui-Gon’s name.

Anakin remembered the stillness in Obi-Wan’s features.

And it was at that point that he’d decided that he’d never come back again.

Not because he didn’t miss Master Qui-Gon. Anakin missed him and his mother desperately.

But he couldn’t just — he couldn’t.

Besides Qui-Gon’s death anniversary, Obi-Wan went to the memorial seemingly at random. Anakin never really asked him what it was he did there — all he knew was that if Obi-Wan disappeared for a few hours without explanation, he was probably at the memorial. He couldn’t really bring himself to ask Obi-Wan about it, so he never did.

Until now.

He barely remembered how to get there, but eventually, Anakin found himself standing before the great slabs of stone. There were far more stones in the memorial than he remembered, far more names scratched into the surface of the stones, and…

Obi-Wan, sitting right where he was all those years ago, hunched over himself with palms pressed to his face. As Anakin walked closer, he realized that underneath his cloak, Obi-Wan was wearing armour of some sort — Mandalorian armour?

But that meant that…

Anakin blinked. He vaguely remembered a news broadcast about Mandalore, about the planet falling into ruin, and the Duchess…

Obi-Wan’s shoulders were trembling.

Something clicked in Anakin’s mind.

Oh, no…

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin whispered. He knelt down next to his former master, keeping his voice quiet and gentle, just in case Obi-Wan didn’t sense him coming.

A quiet, hitched breath, and then—

Obi-Wan’s hands moved away from his face, revealing the tears streaming out of his eyes into his beard.

At the sight of it, Anakin almost recoiled.

Obi-Wan never cried — never. He didn’t cry at Qui-Gon’s funeral or in the weeks that followed; he didn’t cry when the war began or when they’d gone through battles that resulted in devastating loss for Jedi and clones alike; he didn’t cry when he discovered that his own grandmaster was the leader of the Separatists.

He just never cried.

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin repeated. He leaned forward, slowly. “Are you…are you alright?”

As soon as he said it, Anakin knew it was a stupid question to ask. It was obvious that Obi-Wan wasn’t alright, considering the fact that he was actually crying.

Well, he never was really good at the whole comforting thing. Padmé always teased him about it, but he never really thought much about it, if he was being honest with himself.

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan pulled a hand up to his eyes and rubbed at them furiously. The breaths escaping him slowed down as he struggled to regain control, but the tears continued to fall from his eyes.

That was when Anakin noticed the bruises on Obi-Wan’s face, along with the way his hands trembled with every passing second.

“Hey,” he said gently, “it’s alright. You don’t need to hold yourself back, Obi-Wan. If you need to cry, you should just…let it out, you know?”

He remembered hearing Obi-Wan say something similar to him, not long after he’d lost his arm, but at the time, he’d thought it was stupid.

Now, however…

“It’s just me, Obi-Wan,” he heard himself say. “I’m here.”

Anakin pulled himself closer, until he sat right next to Obi-Wan, who was shaking his head and staring at the stone once again, eyes fixed right on Qui-Gon’s name.

“I’m right here,” Anakin whispered.

They stayed there for hours, until the sun descended beneath the sky and cast the memorial in a midnight glow.

(Pandora’s Whumptober 2021 Masterlist)

#whumptober2021 #no. 9 #tears #star wars #tcw #fic #pandora writes #obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #i like to think that obi-wan's grief over qui-gon's death really flared up after satine died #because with her death he wanted to go to someone who /knew/ her like he did #but qui-gon was dead too #so yeah he's just. he's not doing great here

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nevertheless-moving · 3 years

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Suicidal Misunderstanding XX

Part I - - - - - - - - - - Part XVII - - - - Part XVIII - - - - Part XIX

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27

“I want you to understand that what we’re going to ask of you is entirely beyond the scope of duty and therefore completely voluntary. You are more than free to refuse participation, at any point, with absolutely no consequences.”

Deep within the Healing Halls best-kept medical secret, Eights quelled beneath the full might of the GAR’s highest and most lauded Generals. Yeah I’m sure whatever they ask I’m going to want to say no. Honestly, what kind of soldiers have they been working with?

“What can I do to help, sir? Sirs?”

“I know this might be shocking, but we have reason to believe the GAR is...compromised.”

“Sir?”

Eights thought furiously. This wasn’t about the healers who were hiding them, or the Jedi his battalion never received, or the decommissioning he had escaped. This was bigger.

The General Windu spoke calmly, “We suspect that you may have been trained or conditioned at some point without your knowledge to unquestioningly follow orders, orders that would usually be beyond what you would typically obey. With your permission, we’d like to try and activate that order in a restrained environment in order to gain more information, with the hope of finding a way to help the troops resist.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t understand. You’re just going to give me an order and ask me...not to obey it?”

General Koon nodded (General Koon! General Koon and General Windu were talking to him at the same time!). “In a manner of speaking, yes. But it’s possible that the order will do more than that. The only way we believe this could possibly work” Koon glanced to the man at his side. “And we...do believe this threat is real, is if you suffer from some form of brainwashing. Activating it might cause irreparable brain damage. Activating it might damage or kill the parts of you that make you you. Even if it doesn’t- the ideal scenario is we find something- an intentionally designed tumor perhaps- and surgically remove it. And brain surgery also has its own risks.”

Eights swallowed around a lump in his throat.

“And this is something that could be going on with...my entire batch?”

General Kenobi winced. “The entire GAR I’m afraid. Every clone.”

The General of the 212th! Commander Cody’s General was here! Talking to him! Telling him existentially terrifying ultra classified intel!

The trooper stared up from bed in disbelief. If anyone besides three of most respected generals in the entire GAR (not including Buir Ti) was telling him this he would accuse them of bantha crap fear-mongering, if not outright treason. Instead he was just...outraged.

“What would the order make me...us...do?”

Windu took a deep breath. “Attack us. Try and kill the Jedi.”

“I would never.” Eights straightened up even further. “We would never betray the Jedi- it’s- never. We were made for the Jedi and even if we weren’t- you’re the only ones who treat us with an ounce of respect.”

“No one is questioning your loyalty,” the kind Mon Cal healer (whose name he had never asked for fear of getting her in trouble if this ward was ever discovered) said, obviously trying to sooth him. She spoke with heart-breaking earnestness. “The fact that you would never choose to obey such a command just makes the possibility of something forcing you to do so that much more horrifying.”

“How would something like that even get in our heads? The longnecks designed us to serve the Jedi, why... I’m sorry Generals. I didn’t mean to get out of line.”

“No need to apologize. You have every right to be angry about this intrusion, as well as any number of things,” General Kenobi reassured him, smiling sadly. “We don’t know to what extent the Kaminoans are involved with this plot. Not precisely.”

Eights nodded, clenching his one remaining fist. “I’ll do it. Whatever you need from me. I can’t let my brothers have something this big looming over them without any intel.” I’m not exactly front-lines material anymore anyway.

“Are you sure?” Mace Windu’s eyes seemed to stare into his soul. Eights stared right back.

“I am. When do we start?”

It didn’t take long to shave the soldier and connect a number of glowing vital readers to his skull. He was ushered into a chambered observation room with what appeared to be a sfaraday cage hastily built around it.

“Alright, whenever you’re ready.” Bant (Master Eerin apparently, but she told him to call her Bant) said.

“I’m ready, sir.”

“Let’s start off small, see if we can learn anything without fully activating the order.”

General Kenobi took in a deep breath. He looked calm, but Jedi always did. The General took in another breath. Kriff, two deep breaths. That’s Jedi for freaking out, isn’t it? Right?

Fuck.

“Does Order 66 mean anything to you?” General Kenobi braced himself, staring intently at the trooper in his seat.

Eights wracked his brain furiously. Sixty-Six...that was...

“It’s...a little familiar? Sorry sir, I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere but...I can’t recall.”

“That’s perfectly alright trooper, not to worry.”

A Twilek healer he didn’t recognize spoke into a micomphone from the other side of a transparisteel window. “His frontal lobe might be lighting up a little, but it’s nothing abnormal, and not enough to triangulate for anything intrusive.”

After several variations on the same question as well as a number of scans of different ‘levels,’ the questioning escalated to orders, as well an extremely uncomfortable mock fight that he would probably tell his grandchildren about, provided he survived today, and also was allowed to have grandchildren.

Still, Eights couldn’t quite recall ever learning an Order 66 and was starting to relax, thinking the whole thing was some sort of horrible separatist lie.

They left him alone for an uncertain amount of time before returning with-

“Quickdraw?!” Eights jumped up at the sight of his commanding officer arriving via hoverchair, nervously saluting with his left hand.”I didn’t know you were here!”

“Just got out of bacta. My spine’s not quite what it used to be after the blast,” the lieutenant responded wryly. “At ease, Eights.”

“Our apologies again for waking you prematurely,” General Koon said softly.

Quickdraw waved the General off. “I’m honored you did. For something as serious this- well I’d hardly forgive myself if I just slept through it.”

Quickdraw locked eyes with Eights. “I’m supposed to try giving you ‘the order’ now- General Kenobi suspects that as your superior officer, I might be authorized to trigger whatever the hell the longnecks put in our heads.”

Eights swallowed hard. “The longnecks, sir?”

“Who else?” Quickdraw asked in a tone drier than Jakku. He spun in the chair to face General Koon. “How are we doing this?”

After a brief discussion, the troopers ended up on opposite sides of a sound-proof transparisteel divider, an comm channel open between them. Eights plugged his ears and gave the order first. And giving Quickdraw an order was almost but not quite as weird as giving an order that would apparently make him try and kill Jedi.

Nothing happened and they swapped, this time with Quickdraw using a waxy covering to block his hearing.

His lieutenant stared at him straight through the clear divider and ordered him to execute Order 66. This time he finally remembered his training, and realized he was woefully outgunned. Oh well, he was a good soldier.

Eights stood up. The only visible change in his expression was a widening of his pupils. There was no malicious intent palpable in the force- he didn’t even look angry- just determined.

He lunged at the Jedi next to him, only to hit an invisible wall. He threw himself at the barrier desperately while the traitor backed out of the room and escaped. The wall finally dropped, but it was too late, he was locked in.

Sighing, he picked up the chair with his one good arm, slamming it repeatedly at the door frame. Good soldiers follow orders.

On the other side of the observation window, Quickdraw stumbled back horrified, reaching for his ears before hesitating. General Koon softly tapped his shoulder and indicated they should leave.

“I’ve got a location.” Master Che said quietly as the lieutenant was ushered into an antechamber and the activated trooper continued to beat at the door. “It’s a small but clear patch lit up like the festival of lights- I don’t know why it didn’t turn up in scans but...I’m as confident as I can be. Worst case- it’s a small enough area that removing the grey matter shouldn’t...well it won’t kill him. It’s enough to go on for microscapel surgery.” General Koon nodded, then tilted forward, weight falling heavily in his palms on the counter before him.

Vokara rested a hand gently on his back “...I was hoping it wasn’t true as well.”

Master Koon flinched away. “I am sorry and glad to say you do not understand my feelings on the matter. I think...my apologies but I need some time to meditate.”

“Of course.”

Koon rushed out. After a moment Master Windu stepped in, radiating similar distress as Master Koon. Master Kenobi followed, looking grim but also happy.

‘Oh I’m glad Koon isn’t around him right now,’ Healer Che thought wryly.

Perhaps sensing the mood, Obi-Wan sobered.

“I’m sorry it’s just- I didn’t actually see the order get activated. Of course I believed it wasn’t a choice- and I’m obviously not glad that anyone’s will could be taken so easily-”

“You don’t have to explain anymore,” Mace offered quietly. “I can understand why seeing this would be something of a relief, all things considered.”

The Head Healer nodded in agreement before taking charge. “Kenobi, go in with Eerin and help her sedate him. I’ll prepare for surgery.”

“Wait- shouldn’t we try other permutations first? It’s possible that once activated, a clone might be able to order a superior officer-”

“And it’s also possible that if a lieutenant is activated, the entire army will turn,” Mace snapped. Obi-Wan bent his head, chastised.

“Right. Yes. I’ll go- find Bant.”

An extremely long hour later, Master Che returned from surgery. Masters Mundi, Koth, and Yoda had left to and fulfill the other thousand and one duties of a council member not unravelling a Sith conspiracy at the heart of the Republic, while Master Aerdo had been dispatched to talk with Quickdraw as well as some of the other troopers in the hidden Medical bay.

“It’s a chip,” Vokara said grimly. “Native biological material, but clearly a chip. Like you would find in a droid. Far more complex than any slave chip I’ve ever seen, and no explosive component. It would only turn up on a level five brain scan. I didn’t even think to run it before- it’s overly invasive and typically useless.”

The reduced meeting crumpled at the sight of the infinitesimally small object of control, carefully encased in a stasis slide and placed delicately on the conference table.

Proof of Obi-Wan’s future, a future that the group thought they already believed.

“We should get Master Nu,” Adi Gallia said quickly, “We’ll want our top researchers analyzing it as soon as possible.”

Koon nodded sharply. “Agreed.”

The Tholothian Master stood, “I’ll go at once- we should probably keep any mention of this off comms.”

As Master Gallia swept out of the room, Plo Koon wrenched his gaze from the stasis slide to face the healer. “Master Che, what is Eight’s status?”

“Unconscious and restrained, but he should wake up soon enough. It...might not be a bad idea to have another Jedi nearby when he does.”

Koon and Che left the room, taking the chip with them and conferring quietly.

Obi-Wan leaned forward, elbows on the table and face in his hands.

Master Windu exchanged a glance with Anakin.

Finally Obi-Wan spoke, tentatively addressing Bant, “Could it be possible for someone...besides a clone to be chipped? If Palpatine had access to them as a child...”

Bant drew back, gaze flickering to Anakin. “I- we would have to study it more-”

Anakin interrupted, shifting in his seat. ”Master- what did I do?”

“It- it wasn’t you. It wasn’t you anymore that the person who fired on me was Cody.”

Bant exchanged a glance with Mace, before clearing her throat with a soft gurgle. “Perhaps we should leave the two of you alone to talk this through.”

The Mon Cala Healer stood and exited rapidly. Windu exchanged a glance with Skywalker before he left. “Talk through everything, understood?” Anakin nodded.

The door shut, leaving Master and Padawan alone. “I feel like I’m missing more than two and a half days,” Obi-Wan muttered wryly. “I don’t remember you three having a non-verbal communication system consisting of eye-contact alone before.”

Anakin chuckled once then immediately grew somber, picking at a loose thread in the sleeve of his robe. A thousand thoughts were swirling in his head, and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“I- did I hurt you? Is that- is that why you stabbed me, you thought you were defending-”

“I did what?!” Obi-Wan paled, jumping up from his seat.

Anakin winced. “It’s nothing, that’s actually not important. I’m healed anyway so forget I mentioned it-”

Obi-Wan moaned, stumbling backwards over the fallen chair. “Of force- when you were trying to save me- I had a blade. I cut you down-” He tripped backwards, collapsing to the ground.

“Master!” Anakin lurched forwards, but the older Jedi scrambled back.

“I forgot my spray bottle in there,” Bant whispered outside the door. “Do you think it’s too late to go back for it?”

Mace peered subtly through the small window in the door. “Yes. They’re already on the ground. I think they’re both crying.”

“It’s been less than a minute!”

“Yes.”

“...We should go.”

“Yes.”

Unaware of their muffled audience, the two continued their conversation.

“Don’t- don’t touch me!” Obi-Wan gasped, back hitting a wall. “I don’t- I don’t deserve-”

The young knight reared back, falling from a crouch to his knees, “Is this...about the Tuskens again?

Obi-Wan blinked in confusion. “The Tuskens? What about Tuskens?”

“You don’t...remember?” The air grew cold and Anakin forced himself to continue, “What- what we talked about in the cave?”

“What we- I-” Obi-Wan thought furiously. “...Anakin. What did...what were you apologizing for in the cave? What- what did you think we were talking about?”

“Oh gods.” Anakin paled now, shuffling back.

“What are they doing now?” Bant asked the taller Master.

“They’re taking turns chasing each other back and forth on their hands and knees. They both look like they’re seconds away from passing out or throwing up.”

“I...is this a human thing?”

“No. What? Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know! Do you think this is how they usually talk to each other?”

“I think perhaps they don’t talk to each other, and that’s why they’re like this.”

“Right, right... I really want to hear what they’re saying.”

“Hm. I don’t.”

“Why are you also standing outside the door then?”

“I want to be ready to intervene if they start trying to kill each other.”

“FORCE”

“Quiet!”

“Sorry. Sorry. You think they fought then? In the...other timeline?”

“...It would explain Obi-Wan’s shatterpoint remnants better than anything else.”

“Not to mention the spice.”

“I thought we were politely ignoring the spice.”

“...and then I brought her back to the homestead for burial.” Anakin bowed his head, tears streaming against his will. “I thought...Master I know I can’t fix this but I’m sorry- I already stepped down from my position as General so I wouldn’t be in a position to kill anyone else- I need you to forgive me.”

“Oh Anakin.”

“What? What happened?” Bant asked urgently.

The Master of the Order appeared unruffled in the force and human visible light, but the tips of his ears were heating up in infrared. She stood on her toes to see in.

“Oh- they’re hugging? Seriously? That’s what you’re embarrassed to see?”

“They’re clinging to each other like younglings. It’s undignified for a Jedi Master and Knight”

“Alright that’s it- we’re going. I really don’t think Anakin’s going to jump from crying and hugs to murder.”

Unaware of their newfound privacy, the two inside withdrew from their embrace, still sniffling slightly.

“Thank you, Master,” Anakin said in a shaky tone. “I swear I won’t let you down, I’m going to do better.”

“I know, my padawan, I know. I’m going to be there to help you this time, I’m not going to leave you alone with- well I’m not going to leave you alone.”

Anakin smiled wetly at Obi-Wan’s careful avoidance of Chancellor Palpatine’s supposed Sith alter ego, refocusing on Obi-Wan and making intense eye contact.

“What did you think we were talking about?”

Obi-Wan looked down. “It doesn’t matter,” he whispered. “It- it never happened.”

“Ori’vod, please. You- you mentioned younglings. I did something else unforgivable didn’t I?”

Obi-Wan smiled but didn’t look up. “And i forgave you anyway. Even when I thought your apology was just a fantasy. But it wasn’t, it was real, and- and the people actually are unmurdered so...it’s not worth talking about it.”

Anakin bit the inside of his cheek, gut roiling. “You...really think I might have a chip in me?”

Obi-Wan’s eyes snapped up. “I...don’t know. I didn’t even know that Cody had a chip in him.”

“You just...were suddenly betrayed by everyone.”

“Not...everyone. Most who refused to fall in line were executed, of course, but there were a few senators who stood with the Jedi, secretly.”

A new wave of cold terror passed over Anakin. “What happened with the other senators?”

“Like I said to the council earlier, from what I heard they cheered Palpatine on. Thunderous applause.”

“That’s not what I mean- Padme, Was Padme alright?”

Obi-Wan buried his face in his hands, shuddering.

“Anakin- I don’t know what to tell you,” he said in muffled voice. “I don’t want to deceive you but- things were dark. If I tell you everything now, I’m afraid of what you’ll do.”

Anakin winced. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I’m not...evil. I just...I messed up, and I want to make things better.”

Obi-Wan sighed, and pulled Anakin so they were seated next to each other in a mirror of the false peace a few days earlier. Anakin leaned into his Master’s side, feeling the cold retreat. “You’re not evil Anakin, but what you did to the Tusken village wasn’t exactly a small thing. I- look- Ad’ika-”

Obi-Wan hesitantly placed an arm around Anakin’s shoulder and the cold retreated a bit more.

“If the council accepts my plan, we’re going to have time together over the next few weeks, to talk more about...everything. We’re going to end the war- save everyone. I know the cave wasn’t what either of us thought it was, but it still meant the galaxy to me. I love you, no matter what...and that conversation, what you said. Well, it gave me the strength to go on, to do what I needed to.” Obi-Wan froze. “Not my, um, self-inflected injuries- that’s- obviously that wasn’t your fault-”

“You thought you were hallucinating. I know.” Anakin smiled, feeling honestly amused at the absurdity situation for the first time. “I’m going to mock you for that for the rest of our lives, you know that, right?”

“I look forward to it.” Obi-Wan smiled.

A vise that had been clenched around Anakin’s heart since he broke down the door to their apartment finally relaxed. “You really weren’t trying to kill yourself,” he sighed happily.

“I was attempting to stay alive. Honestly concerned about dehydration. I wanted to stay in the daydream, but I knew I couldn’t. And part of that was because you gave me the strength to keep going. Sorry I did such a bad job honoring that but, well. You know. Thank you, Anakin. For saving me twice over.” Obi-Wan’s voice was utterly earnest, though it was a touch more embarrassed than he was used to after the single day of utter unrestraint.

Anakin’s eyes welled up. “I’ve been- I hated that you would just leave like that, give up-”

“Never Anakin,” Obi-Wan vowed. “I will never give up on you, or this galaxy.”

He twisted so he could throw both arms around his padawan.

“I swear by everything I am I will keep going. It’s... in my nature but gods is it easier with you besides me.”

“Even though i’m a child murderer twice over and once removed?” Anakin joked weakly, clinging desperately to Obi-Wan’s presence.

Obi-Wan shuddered. “Too soon, Anakin. Too soon.”

Part XXI

#star wars #my au #star wars au no 27 #suicidal misunderstanding au #star wars au #starwars

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gwaean · 3 years

Text

The Rescuers

Part One: “Old acquaintances meet again"

Summary: You are a mandalorian rebel friends with Captain Rex so you are well aware of the entire "clone situation" going on. And of course you want to help as much as you can. You then go to Ryloth trying to help the Syndulla's and maybe find your old friend Cody.

Pairing: None. Yet. But will be a Crosshair x Reader.

Gender: There'll be no mentions of gender or pronouns on this part yet. Though further in the story it might have she/they pronouns used.

Word count: 1.6k

Tags: Injury recover, post-clone wars story, rescuing clones/friends, a bit of melancholy?

Warning: Brief description of injury.

Notes: So, I literally dreamed most parts of this story (I know, crazy Star Wars obsession here). I filled up some parts as I was writing of course. And it turned out a bit like a beautiful sad tragic. I might even do a playlist for this fanfic actually. Hope u enjoy it :)

The war, the republic, the jedi all have ended. Literally on the same day. And what it seemed like a fresh start, finally a moment of peace in the chaos turned into nightmares. You weren’t there when it happened, you just heard the news of Obi-Wan saying the jedi order and the republic had fallen and you also heard the now Emperor Palpatine telling everyone that the clone wars has ended and the jedi were traitor, they’ve tried to assassinate him according to well… himself. And now he’s forming this new galactic empire, giving people numbers like the ones clones used to have and killing off any resistance against this new order. Everyone seemed to believe him, you gotta give him that he was a pretty damn’ good liar indeed. But you knew better than that. You are mandalorian after all and were friends with no one less than Duchess Satine and Senator Padmé. You helped them countless times in their diplomatics and you even fought with the jedi and the clones at times. They were good people, yes, the order might have messed up at lot but traitors? Murders? They sure didn’t deserve to die like that and I guess… No one does.

You quickly then joined the rebellion. There you found many of former politics like Senator Organa and even a clone… Captain Rex (or is it Commander now?). You’ve met him once before and he seemed like a good person and looks like he’s really a great man just like you thought. You soon became friends. But sadly, the other clones you knew before like Cody were still with the empire. Though both you and Rex were very determinate to help others like him. And also, obviously, protect your allies against the empire.

Well, as expected trouble begins. There’s been rumors about what’s going in Ryloth with the Syndulla’s and the empire occupation. Worried about them and their people, you go there to help as you can. And if there’s need, you’d call more rebels to help too though you didn’t want to envolve more people yet because you’re afraid of the reaction it could cause ( and what that would cost for ryloth and its people). You also have a tiny tiny hope that maybe just maybe Cody could be there.

Arriving in Ryloth, you discover the Syndulla family have indeed oppose agains the empire occupation and they’ve went into a lot of trouble because of that but apparently a group of mercenaries (?) have already rescued them from the prison they were sent to. One less problem for you to fix I guess. You were glad for them but you still want to spy a little on the empire and see what you could find out after all, the trip couldn’t be for nothing.

You find your way and get to a particular high hill with a great view of one imperial base. You pick up your binoculars and the only person you see in a sort of balcony is a very depressive-looking Crosshair. You remember him from that one time clone force 99 saved your butt from the mess you’ve yourself in. He was… quite unfriendly, let’s say. But he did get the job done and made sure you were okay so you just ignored his behavior. Looking at him now it was looking at a shadow of him.

It made you remember what Rex told you once:

“We clones were all created with this chip thing in our my minds. We were made for the war and the war only but apparently someone thought it would be great if they let us think we've got free will. That we could be anything we wanted to be after the war. So we made friends, some of us found a family with our jedi. They let we hope. Just so we have all of that taken away from us with order 66. The war had ended for everyone except for us. We had our will taken from us, our minds controlled by this chip and we had to follow orders. While we're still there conscious of what we were doing we had to kill the people we fought together the entire war. I remember her face... I'm so glad she didn't see my face. I couldn't bare.”

Thinking about what all the clones been through, you can’t just leave him like this. He did save you once and this was your chance to repay that. Rex keeps saying we can’t save everyone (more to himself than to you) but one person is better than nobody, right? At the time you improvise a plan: neither the empire nor Cross can’t know yet that you’re a rebel. You haven’t done anything yet incriminating (at least not that they were aware of). So you can just jump in there where he was standing and talk to him. Worst case scenario he ignores you. However you sure knew how to annoy him enough that at least he would call you out and when that happens you act. Ok, that you still have to figure out exactly how you would act. Well, half of a plan is better than no plan.

You just jump in behind his back and of course he points his gun at you as expected. But he apparently recognizes who it’s standing in front of him and put his riffle down.

“ Hello there.” You say.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He replies.

“Oh, please, don’t act like you aren’t happy to see me.”

He gives you a faint of a smile. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

You smiled back. “But seriously, what you’re doing here all alone? And why- You finally noticed the burn mark on his now bald head. - are you like this? Doesn’t the empire takes care of its soldiers? Nor your squad? The bad batch, right? That’s what you called yourselves?”

His face closes again. “You have nothing to do with that. I’m-”

“By yourself?” You pause for a moment. “Alright, I get it. You’ve probably been through a lot. We all have. Not sure why you’re like this but it doesn’t matter right now. I just wonder… Don’t you want to get out of all of this?”

Cross pauses for a moment. It seems like he's considering the possibility. “I… I can’t.”

“But…” You then think. You remind yourself of how protective he was that one time you were saved by them. Maybe this instinct was still there, you had to try. You saw a pointed rock close to where you were standing and decided that you would accidentally cut yourself. “Ouch!”

“What’s up?”

“Oh! Nothing! Just might have cut myself here.” You show your hand now with a bit bigger than you expected cut and some blood.

He almost laughs at it. “What a little clumsy one you are, eh?”

His mocking at you, that’s something, right? “Yeah, I guess….”

“Well, let’s go?” He points to the door.

“Go where?”

“Don’t you wanna take care of that, sweetheart?”

“Right, medical bay then?”

“Obviously.” Perfect. He would be right where you needed him to be.

The both of you enter the facility and walk directly to the medical bay. The empire base is pretty much a bland dark and boring military base with some troopers walking around, some commanders (you think) yelling at the soldiers and some droids doing whatever they have to do. You knew only that they were “r - unities” but droids weren’t exactly your area of expertise. However you do notice that the troopers walking around still wear the same clone armor from back the war. And you feel guilty. Because as much as you’d like you won’t be able to help them all. They’ll stay there with their chips on being controlled by the empire…. By the force, that was a hole guilty trip you knew you shouldn’t take. It wasn’t your fault. No, no. They did this. Palpatine and his men were the monsters. Not you. And certainly not these poor clones. One day, yes, one day maybe you could come back and save them?

“Hmmm…. You wanna me to do this?” Cross says. You were so distracted in your thoughts you don’t even realized you were already in the medical bay.

“Oh. You don’t have to.”

“It's fine. I’m used to do this anyway.”

“Ok. Be my guest then?”

“Wow, you’re so funny.” He jokes.

“Whatever. Just do your thing.”

“Give me your hand.”

You give him your hand and he takes it. And to your surprise he’s very gentle while taking care of your wound. He applies some alcohol pads to clean the wound. And as he presses the wound to stop the bleeding you reach for your gun and keep looking at his face. His very concentrated. It’s almost like the rest of the galaxy doesn’t matter. He’s only there at the moment focused on helping you. And you’re trying to plan how you’re gonna knock him out to take his chip off.

“Now I’m gonna get some stuff to make a bandage for ya, ok?” He says and turns his back. Now is you chance. You turn your blaster to stun only and shoots. He falls.

“I’m sorry. But there’s no other way.” You whisper as if he’s actually listening.

It takes some effort (seriously, Crosshair's heavier than he looks) but you manage to put him on one these surgical stretchers. You also have to learn super quick how to use the pad control to see where the chip’s in and take it off. But it’s done. And you wait and wait… For what it seemed like hours though it was only like 15 minutes.

And he wakes up very confused.

#swwriting #tbbwriting #the bad batch #tbb spoilers #the bad bad spoilers #the bad batch fanfiction #crosshair #crosshair x reader #ct 9904 #crosshair x y/n #crosshair x oc #female reader #gn!reader #clone wars #star wars #clone troopers #writers on tumblr

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parvulous-writings · 3 years

Text

SFW alphabet// Obi-Wan Kenobi x reader

Request: There isn’t one- this is pure self indulgence.

Submitted by: MEEEE

Genre/fandom: Fluff/Star Wars

Warnings: None.

Summary: SFW alphabet for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Not my gif

A - Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Obi-Wan is pretty damn affectionate- when you both are alone. In public, it is often a different story. That’s not to say he doesn’t sweet talk you quietly when you’re out and about, but he rarely holds your hand when in places that the Jedi Order could see you. When you are alone though, either in his quarters, your Coruscant apartment or elsewhere out of sight, he is one of the most affectionate people you’ve ever met, giving you so many hugs and kisses it’s hard to count. One of his favourite things to do, during slower days, he’ll sit in his favourite chair whilst he reads, letting you sit in a nearby chair, your hands linking you both together. B - Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? Where does the friendship start?)

Quite simply, Obi-Wan is one of the nicest and fairest beings in the galaxy, and the very best friend should you put the effort in to get to know him- though, even if you don’t, he’s still extraordinarily kind hearted, and ever the gentleman. The friendship would probably start when he’s assigned to protect you- and of course he politely introduces himself, and you’re drawn to his friendly and calming presence.

C - Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He ADORES cuddles. All of them. In bed, in comfy chairs, standing up- anywhere, anyhow, so long as you aren’t discovered. Given half the chance, he would cuddle you to the end of time. He’s a big one for physical affection. A lot of his favourite moments with you are spent curled up together, talking about both everything and nothing, basking in each others company. D - Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking, cleaning, ect?) Obi-Wan would love to settle down- and he was incredibly ready to leave the Jedi Order for you, but you told him to stay, at least for Anakin’s sake. He is a marvelous cook- and you can’t convince me otherwise. You don’t go out for secret date nights, oh no, Obi-Wan cooks you a delicious home-made meal. He’s also quite clean, doing all the chores around his quarters almost every day or when he gets the chance between training sessions, meetings and the missions. E - Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?) If he had to, he would try and let you down slowly. He would try not to make a show of it and explain calmly to you why he think it would be best for you to go your separate ways. It would break him inside, but he’d keep his composure until he was alone. F - Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? Do they wanna get married?) He would like very much to get married to you 😊 you are his one and only living love, after all. He’d leave the Order for you, if you let him. Enough said, really. G - Gentle (How gentle are they both physically and emotionally?) Very gentle physically, very very gentle indeed. His touches are always so soft, as if he’s nervous that you’re only a dream, and if he’s too rough with you, you’ll suddenly poof out of existence. It’s quite sweet, actually. H - Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it, and what are they like?) Like with cuddles, Obi is a pretty big hugger. His hugs are warm, and full of all the love he holds for you. You almost always catch his scent- the faint smell of spices, and it always calms you down, it’s soothing. His hands often find the small of your back and the back of your head, supporting you as well as keeping you close to him. I - I Love You (How fast do they say the “love” word?) Not particularly quickly- he tries to suppress his feelings at first, and it takes many weeks of being around you for him to even admit to himself that he liked you, not to mention how long it took for him to muster up the courage to admit his feelings for you. Even after he admits his love for you, he usually only says the L word when he thinks it’s a special occasion- though he makes sure that you know he loves you in other ways.

J - Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What are they like when jealous?)

Obi-Wan doesn’t often get jealous- he understands the need for close friendships outside of your relationship. But there have been one or two instances where his emotions have gotten the better of him. When he’s jealous, he can get rather possessive. He doesn’t mean to- he truly doesn’t- but he’ll put his arm around your waist, pull you close to his side, whilst giving a very dark glare to send them a message. (He’ll try not to do this in front of Jedi, and has so far succeeded in that regard.) K - Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?) Obi-Wan’s kisses are often quite light and brief- as most of them are given in public. Kisses in private are much deeper, much more passionate, much longer. His favourite place to kiss you is the very tip of your nose, he doesn’t know why really, he just thinks it’s a very endearing place to kiss you. His favourite place to be kissed is just under his jaw, your lips just seem to press against his skin so nicely there. L - Little Ones (How are they around kids?) Oh, Obi-Wan is a dream around children! He is a wonderful mentor to the younglings in the temple- a brilliant father figure for those who see him as such. Absolute father/husband material, I tell you. M - Morning (What are mornings like with them?) They are sometimes few and far between, but... Imagine the most idyllic scene you can think of. Sunlight streaming through the window and lightly hitting your face, as the wonderful smell of breakfast hits your nose, rousing you from your slumber. There he stands, in his nightclothes with his back to you, as he cooks you a glorious breakfast. He turns to smile at you as you get up, moving over to quickly give you a morning kiss on the cheek. That is a morning with Obi-Wan. N - Nights (How are nights spent with them?) Just as heavenly as the mornings. They’re quiet, more often than not, but they’re still wonderful. Though just as rare as the mornings, if not rarer, you both spend the first part of the evening watching the sun set, before dining together, and finally ending up in each others arms, talking nonsense till you both find slumber. O - Open (When do they open up about themselves?) Usually late at night, a month or so into your relationship. It’s not about what most people would consider ‘secrets’, but to Obi-Wan these things are incredibly personal. He talks to you about the bond he had with his master, and how he felt when he lost him, he talks about how proud he is of Anakin, all of it. It takes a few weeks and countless late nights, but you’re both all the closer to one another for it. P - Patience (How easily angered are they?) Man’s a Jedi. The King of patience. He doesn’t often get angry. When he does, though... Yikes. He loses it. Thankfully his rage is almost never directed towards you.

Q - Quizzes (How much do they remember about you?) He remembers everything you tell him, down to the last detail. You mention something as a throwaway comment? I guarantee you he’ll be doing or purchasing something to do with that little throwaway line. Every detail goes into his head and never leaves. R - Remember (Favorite memory with you?) A time he found you entertaining the younglings whilst waiting for you. You seemed so happy, your eyes sparkling and full of life, glinting as you laughed. He leant against the wall, just watching you as you played with them, letting them embrace their childhood for a little bit longer. It is something he’ll often play it over and over again in his head when he’s watching you sleep.

S - Security (How protective are they?) Obi-Wan knows you have to fight your own battles, and he does try his best to let you do that, offering guidance if you need it. However, when he knows you’re out of your depth- whatever that may be- he will step in and defend you in whatever way he needs to. T - Try (How much effort do they put in?) He puts in so much effort for you, trying to prove himself to you even though you constantly remind him he doesn’t need to. He also finds it his constant quest to make it up to you for not spending more time with you when in the Order. You tell him not to do that too, but he never seems to listen. U - Ugly (What are their bad habits?) Apologising too much. For not spending enough time with you, for being late when he isn’t.. Little things. Little, pesky things. It started off sweet at first, but quickly you found it to be a little bit of a problem. V - Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?) Not really that concerned. He keeps himself clean of course, he has more than enough decency for that, but he’s not really that fussed. He’ll pay more attention to small things- like the style of his hair or how he wears his robe- if he wants to impress you, but he’s not exactly vain. W - Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?) Oh he would definitely feel incomplete without you. He misses you deeply when on missions- and even goes as far to use his holocom to contact you when far off and he can’t bear not hearing your voice anymore. X - Xtra (Random HC) Obi-Wan is an absolutely divine cook. You want a meal that the canteens or cafeteria don’t do a good job on? Say no more, he shall provide for you. He’d cook practically anything for you, just to see you smile. Y - Yuck (Things they don’t like either in general or a partner?) Obi-Wan isn’t particularly fussy when it comes to partners, however there is one thing that almost always has to be there. Manners. Otherwise, you may just have a few ettiquete lessons from Master Kenobi. Z - Zzz (Sleep habits)

Obi-Wan is usually a sound sleeper, and has a regular sleeping pattern. This pattern is only slightly taken off track when you sleep in the same bed as him, and he’ll spend at least half an hour running his hands through your hair as you sleep, admiring the blissful smile that crosses your lips.

#obi wan fluff #obi wan x reader #obi wan headcanon #sfw alphabet #sfw x reader #star wars #star wars fluff #star wars x reader #no y/n #kenobi #kenobi fluff #kenobi x reader #obi wan imagine #obi wan kenobi #star wars imagines #star wars headcanons #please request #x reader requests #requests open

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starculler · 3 years

Text

Lead Me Down Another Road (preview)

Word Count: 2975

I fell into a minor rabbit hole and stand before you now with a scrap from the Crèchemaster Anakin AU I'm working on. The full fic is a few thousand words longer than this (and will go up on ao3 within the week), but this is technically the original bit I'd planned on writing (and is thus self-contained enough that I'm comfortable posting it alone here. As a treat). Hope y'all enjoy it and the glimpse of at least one of several Jedi OCs I've been having to come up with for this lol Note: I'm using crèche-minder in place of crèchemaster because it fits a little better with how I've set up the role in the au -- the particulars of which will be explored in the full fic.

Anakin stood from where he’d sat among the younglings in Targon Clan when he caught sight of his master standing just inside the room, all ten pairs of eyes straying from their painting to watch him stretch. He grimaced briefly at the splotches of bright paint he could already see on his tunic and pants, but made it a point to smile at a scowling nautolan making a grab at his ankle. He shuffled back, just out of reach, and had to dodge another two pairs of eager, sticky fingers with a put-upon sigh that failed to fully mask his amusement. It was the same song and dance every time he was sent to Knight D’nali for crèche-duty, and he’d long gotten wise to the initiates’ tricks.

What made today’s game of Catch-the-Padawan novel was Obi-Wan’s presence hovering at the edges of Anakin’s focus. His master hadn’t come to collect him like this since his first few weeks, confident that Anakin would neither get lost on his way to and from the crèche, nor try to dodge his punishment after that awful first and final attempt. He shuddered at the memory even as he leaped nimbly over a pair of near-humans who’d thought to tackle him from behind. He laughed when they turned, eyes wide and betrayed for a moment before trying for a frontal attack.

He dodged, weaving between ten tiny, determined younglings — baiting them with the promise of his capture before stepping just out of reach once more — until he hit something solid from behind. He blinked, stunned for a second and sure that he’d had enough space still to maneuver around, only to yelp when an arm snaked around his waist and pulled him off his feet with an ease that spoke of more than a little help from the Force.

“Master!” He groaned, his protest drowned out by mixed cheering and jeering from Targon Clan and their minder’s own loud laughter. Anakin shot Knight D’nali as much of a betrayed look as he could while caught, but the traitor only laughed harder. He huffed.

“Well,” Obi-Wan said, grinning and smug and just as much of a traitor as the kiffar knight, “it seems I’ve won a prize to take back with me. A whole padawan all for myself.” A chorus of “No’s” and groaning followed the statement, and Anakin, face warmer than it had been a minute ago, suddenly found the floor much more interesting than a gaggle of disappointed initiates. Obi-Wan, still being a traitor, only laughed.

“Alright, alright. Settle down now,” Knight D’nali interrupted, wading into the chaos so she stood between them and the younglings. “Knight Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker have other duties to attend to, and you little Jedi have a latemeal to prepare for.”

With only a mild amount of protest, the little ones acquiesced. In true, and still vaguely eerie to Anakin, Jedi fashion, they bowed in sync, calling out a discordant mix of goodbyes and thank yous. Anakin nodded in return, starting to wriggle in his master’s grip in a futile attempt to free himself. Obi-Wan held fast even after two of the younglings, a zabrak and the same nautolan who’d first tried to grab onto him, crept around Knight D’nali to hand him four sheets of flimsi splattered with a variety of bright, clashing paint.

He sighed, resigned to the embarrassment of being gifted their paintings under the too-amused gazes of both knights, and murmured a quiet “Thanks” that made the pair smile so wide he thought their faces might split. Their obvious happiness made something warm bubble up in his chest and his hand tingle where flimsi met skin. It was hardly the first time one of the younglings in any of the clans he frequented had given him something small like this to take back with him — he had a wall in his room dedicated to doodles and paintings and a corner set aside, free of his usual clutter, for knickknacks and crafts — but the shock and awe and tingling warmth it left in him never wore off.

Anakin’s gifts had never lied with children. His temper ran too hot and he never quite knew what to say to anyone his age, much less younger than him. It had, in fact, taken months of constant supervision, patience, and teaching from the crèche-minders who’d agreed to take on his crèche-duty punishments for him to build up any sort of rapport with the little ones under their care. It had been hard and frustrating, but ultimately rewarding, work even if it had been borne out of his master’s own frustrated desperation.

The arm around his waist squeezed briefly, and Anakin had to fight down yet another burning flush when he realized Obi-Wan had most likely noticed where his thoughts had wandered. He floundered for something to say or do, but settled for a heavy sigh that drew a brief chuckle from his master.

“I apologize again for stealing Anakin back so early, Knight D’nali,” Obi-Wan said and Anakin could picture the apologetic smile on his face as he spoke.

“No need,” said Knight D’nali, smiling just enough that the wrinkles in her eyes and the upward pull of her cheeks distorted the two, bright red tattoos — one line the width of her thumb and the other no more than half a centimeter — cutting vertically down from hairline to jaw over her right eye. “I may be getting older, but I remember well enough how busy a padawan’s life can be.”

“You’re not that old,” Anakin groused and earned himself a huff from his master and a bark of laughter from Knight D’nali.

“That’s sweet of you padawan, but the gray in my hair tells another story. And not another word about it,” she said the second Anakin opened his mouth. “There’ll be no buttering up this old knight. I told you, if you’re back here in less than a week I will sit this clan down for a four-hour meditation at least. Force knows your master certainly won’t object.”

“Yes Knight D’nali,” he said in the dull tone every chastised padawan seemed to affect, much to Targon Clan’s delight if their stifled giggling was any indication. Knight D’nali simply nodded, satisfied. Obi-Wan, again, laughed.

“And on that note, we’ll be taking our leave now. Knight D’nali.” Obi-Wan bowed as well as he could with an armful of padawan still pinned against him. “Targon Clan.” He offered the still-giggling younglings a much shallower bow. “May the Force be with you,” he said, echoed only a moment after by Anakin, before turning on his heel and striding out into the hall.

Anakin wriggled again and said: “Master, you can put me down now.” Obi-Wan hummed but didn’t so much as slow down until Anakin huffed, rolled his eyes, and added an only somewhat petulant “Please.”

It took him a moment to find his balance when Obi-Wan suddenly let go, but soon enough he was keeping pace with his master, just shy of being at the knight’s side. They walked in silence, past the doors to other clans of exuberant younglings and down the almost confusing pattern of turns that made up the Temple’s Crèche. It was, he knew, meant to be confusing so that intruders would have a harder time reaching the Jedi’s most vulnerable members on the off chance they made it through the Temple, guards, and every Jedi in between. He also knew that Obi-Wan was purposefully leading him through the longest route rather than the faster shortcuts one of the other crèche-minders, a young pantoran knight he’d only met with a few times so far, had taught him.

They nodded at the pair of guards stationed at the Crèche’s primary entrance once they’d finally made it through, and again to any Jedi they passed along the main corridor. Anakin glanced curiously at his master when he led them not towards the dormitory or refectory, but instead toward the salles and meditation rooms. He pursed his lips, unsure if it was a good or bad sign.

The salles meant lightsaber practice — Anakin’s favorite — but he doubted they’d stop there. He had, after all, been in the crèche because he’d let his temper get the best of him again, and Obi-Wan had made a point of steering Anakin away from as many potentially aggressive outlets as he could until he was sure Anakin was cool-headed. That didn’t stop him, however, from reaching for the lightsaber on his belt, shiny and still new considering he’d only just built it less than half a year ago. The trip to Ilum had been terrifying and exciting in equal measure, just the two of them instead of waiting for the next crèche clan’s planned gathering. It still awed him sometimes, to brush the warm, steel cylinder and find it there or to sit and listen to his crystal’s song virtually anytime he wanted.

It was a scrap of undeniable proof that he was a Jedi. That, late-comer or not, he belonged here just as much as any other padawan or knight.

Obi-Wan slowed, looking back at Anakin with the kind of unbearably soft, caring smile that told him his master had probably felt where his thoughts had gone. He held an arm out and Anakin hesitated a moment at the familiar invitation, torn between embarrassed frustration and elation at being invited close in a fairly public space, before stepping up so he was beside rather than behind Obi-Wan. He stiffened when Obi-Wan put an arm around his shoulder, but relaxed before his master could even think about pulling away. Anakin pressed into his side, deciding that, right now, eleven-nearly-twelve wasn’t too old for the show of affection, and just about melted when Obi-Wan’s arm shifted to briefly squeeze his shoulder.

His vain hope for the salles was, of course, dashed as they walked passed to duck into one of the smaller, unoccupied meditation rooms. Despite not wanting to complain, Anakin couldn’t completely stifle a sigh as he took in the room: bland, small, and box-shaped, with a few colorful cushions laid out and more stacked against the walls with a few other types of seating for those who might need it. Obi-Wan flashed him a quick smile, squeezing his shoulder once more before letting go and settling on an older-looking, dark blue cushion. Anakin breathed in, held it for a count of four, and breathed out in an effort to brace himself for the ensuing lecture or meditation he was sure to suffer. He picked up a red cushion from the far wall, calling it to his hands with the Force, and sat himself down in front of his master, close enough that their knees almost touched. Then, he waited.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan started after they’d sat in silence for a few tranquil-bordering-on-nerve-wracking minutes, their slow, even breathing the only sound in the room. Anakin met his master’s gaze, shifting slightly as a small kernel of icy unease sprang to life in the pit of his stomach. “You’re not in trouble, Padawan.” Obi-Wan smiled, still soft. Still caring. Anakin frowned.

“You don’t usually bring me here unless I am.”

“I suppose I do, don’t I?” He seemed to speak mostly to himself, brow furrowed and a wry twist to his lips, like he’d found something funny. Anakin cocked his head to one side, watching as Obi-Wan breathed deeply a few times like he was trying to center himself. Or, a traitorous part of his mind whispered, bracing himself. Anakin squirmed in place, hardly daring to breathe himself as the unease in his stomach grew a fraction larger. “I’ve been talking to a few of the crèche-minders you’ve been working with.” Anakin swallowed, thoughts flitting towards the many mistakes he’d made the last few months and especially at first. “They’ve given you rather glowing reviews if I do say so myself,” he said, a small but pleased curl in his lips. And Anakin—

Anakin blinked.

“Really?” he asked, and wished the question hadn’t come out quite so bewildered. His master grinned and Anakin swore there was pride gleaming somewhere in his eyes.

“Really. They’ve enjoyed having you there. Knight D’nali says you have an uncanny ability for distraction,” Obi-Wan teased. Anakin stuck his tongue out and earned himself a bark of laughter. “Master Benni,” he continued, sobering once more, “made an interesting suggestion when I spoke to him last week. I—” Obi-Wan stopped. Inhaled.

“Master?”

A fine tremor had started in Anakin’s hands at some point. Excitement at first, quickly drowned out by a fresh wave of nerves. He’d once thought, at first, that Tatooine would drown in rain the day Obi-Wan Kenobi didn’t have a sharp retort on the tip of his tongue. A nearly three-year partnership with the knight had broken the facade a bit by now, but the sight of Obi-Wan struggling to put his thoughts together unnerved Anakin even after his master smiled reassuringly, reaching forward to clasp one of Anakin’s hands between both of his.

“There are many paths to becoming a Jedi, as I’m sure you’ve learned by now. Guardians, Council members, diplomats, teachers … crèche-minders,” he said, emphasizing the last. Anakin’s breath caught, eyes wide as the implication sunk slowly in.

“Did— Did Master Benni,” Anakin started, strangled and halting. Obi-Wan nodded. “But—But I’m horrible with younglings! I’ve made so many mistakes. I—”

“You are learning, Anakin. No one expects you to be perfect at anything. Much less in dealing with younglings.” Anakin opened his mouth. Closed it. Floundered in his incomprehension until—

“Are you … Are you getting rid of me?” he asked, voice suddenly small and hurt. He turned his hand in Obi-Wan’s grip, wrapping his smaller fingers around his master’s wrist as if he would disappear from Anakin’s sight at any moment.

“No,” Obi-Wan said firmly, one of his thumbs stroking the back of Anakin’s hand. “You are my padawan, Anakin, and I will never abandon you.” Obi-Wan paused there, earnest and scorching in his focus until Anakin nodded, more numb than anything else at the moment. Satisfied, his master continued: “But I do think that this is a good opportunity for you.” Obi-Wan’s eyes flicked down to their hands and then back up, meeting Anakin’s once more, steady and confident and calm. “You’ve changed a little since you’ve been around the crèches. I can see a confidence in you that wasn’t there before, and better control. Not just with the Force, though I’ve no doubt entertaining younglings for hours has done wonders.” Anakin flushed, fuzzy warmth buzzing in his chest at the praise.

“You feel things — everything — so strongly, Anakin, and I fear I’ve not been able to help you much in that regard.”

Anakin opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut when Obi-Wan held a hand up for silence and settled for a quiet pout instead, much to his master’s amusement.

“I appreciate your faith in me,” he said with a nod, “and I do not doubt that you would learn a lot at my side alone. But I’m coming to realize where you might need more than I am able to give, not because I don’t want to. Force knows I’d do whatever I could to help you, Anakin, but there are simply things I won’t be able to understand. Haven’t been able to understand,” he added and Anakin frowned at the brief, bitter note he could pick out in his master’s tone. “Master Benni’s offer has as much to do with your potential as it does with your connection to both the initiates and their minders. I— We think it’s something you should consider, despite how it’s likely not the path you first envisioned for yourself.

“You will still be my padawan, always,” he said and squeezed Anakin’s hand to reinforce the sentiment, “but you would split your time between myself and a rotating number of the crèche’s minders under Master Benni’s supervision. You’ll be busy, and kept in the Temple more often than not even if I’m sent out on missions. It may cut into your classes or lightsaber training, in which case you’ll have to work harder to keep up, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that you could do it.”

Anakin nodded, mind whirling and thoughts spinning. There was more Obi-Wan wanted to say, he could tell, but Anakin was grateful for the lull granted to him to gather his thoughts.

“I—” Anakin swallowed, his throat and mouth suddenly dry. He held his master’s wrist a fraction tighter. “Can I think about it?” He winced at how his voice cracked, but Obi-Wan only nodded, smile still firmly in place.

“Of course. You don’t have to decide on anything until you’re ready. Master Benni made it quite clear to me that the offer is open to you whenever you wish to take it, whether that time is now or after you’ve been knighted.”

Anakin blinked, balking at the magnitude of not only the offer, but the old Master’s apparent faith in him, even as the buzzing warmth from earlier threatened to consume him fully now. He felt a fresh flush rise on his cheeks and a sheen of stinging tears prick at his eyes, held back by sheer force of will because he refused to waste the water just yet. Slowly, carefully, Obi-Wan squeezed his hand before leaning forward, reaching out and grabbing a fistful of Anakin’s outer tunic. When he pulled, Anakin went as easily as he used to into his mother’s arms, overwhelmingly grateful for the contact just then.

“I’ll think about it, Master,” he mumbled into Obi-Wan’s robes, his face pressed into his master’s chest. “Thanks.”

Obi-Wan only hummed in response, tucking Anakin close and rubbing soothing circles into his back while Anakin clutched at him in return.

#star wars #anakin skywalker #obi-wan kenobi #crechemaster anakin #creche master anakin #my fanfic #i've been enamored with this au for the longest time lol #so i'm excited to finally be working on my own spin so to speak

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unlucky-rubber-ducky · 3 years

Text

Found

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader

3265 words

Summary/warnings: Not proofread. Sleep deprived writing. Mentions of injury and fighting and sadness and all that jazz. Post-Order 66, baby.

A/n: This one is definitely a ride. If not good, I hope it is at least entertaining. It was entertaining to write. Kinda sad. As always, please let me know if there’s anything I can edit to make the story more inclusive. Thank you for reading!

The annoyance you felt as you trudged out of the marketplace was… unmatched. This was certainly not the deal. You would help Sar’pah clean up the mess he had made, and in return he would get you off of Abafar. Of course, when you had said ‘off of Abafar’, you had meant somewhere with some semblance of civilization; something to blend into. Not another Maker-forsaken desert planet.

You should have known that a ‘pit-stop’ on Tatooine meant kicking the dangerous fugitive offboard, but seeing as how Sar’pah himself was a wanted man, you had hoped he would be a little more forgiving. He had landed in Bestine, asked you to go get a few items from the market, and flew off the moment you stepped off the walkway.

Kriffing fool doesn’t even know what kind of fugitive I am. Your trusting nature may have lost you a ride, but it certainly didn’t extend far enough that you told people why you were on the run. You simply told them that working with you could be dangerous. It was up to them to decide if they wanted to take that risk.

Too many would love the reward a Jedi would bring them. And dammit, if you were going to be brought down by the Empire, it certainly wasn’t going to be for anyone else’s gain. So, here you were, stuck on another desert planet. One ruled by the Hutts, no less. A few too many brushes with them, before and during the Clone Wars, had you very wary to make your presence known to them. So, you figured that at least until you had a ride offplanet, you should try your best to avoid bigger settlements. (Well, as big as settlements on Tatooine could get.)

Which brought you back to the current moment. Republic Credits had never meant much in the Outer Rim, but you had just enough to buy some water and an admittedly sickly looking Eopie. You hadn’t really bothered to check what direction you were setting off on, just picking the horizon that looked the least difficult to navigate with a large animal. It was also in the opposite direction of Mos Eisley, where you were quite sure a few old enemies resided.

You refused to acknowledge it, but you could feel the Force pulling you west. You were sure many Jedi had taken solace in the Force after all they had lost, but all you felt was… betrayal. You were well aware the Order itself was corrupt, you didn’t deny that- but mass murder? The will of the Force was to kill some of its most loyal followers? You had witnessed its power. You couldn’t deny its existence. But you could deny its benevolence.

So you kept going with the suns in your eyes and told yourself it was logical to go west.

“Hey!” You ignored it. You didn’t know anyone here, surely they were calling for someone else. “Hello? Excuse me?”

You finally turned to see a blue Twi’lek jogging to catch up with your Eopie. Three years of being hunted had your instincts screaming at you to reach for your lightsaber, but the friendly (if panicked) smile on her face put you at ease enough to let her get close enough to explain herself.

“Can I help you, ma’am?”

“Oh you don’t have to be so formal! I’m Sasrula, just Sas if it’s easier, and if you’re willing, I could really really use some help right now.” You stopped your mount entirely, turning so the suns were at your back and the stranger couldn’t see your face. You examined her more closely, which you could tell was making her more nervous. “I just need to get out of here, somewhere a little more sparsely populated, and quickly, or else I wouldn’t be bothering you, but just since I’m pretty light and your Eopie could probably carry both-”

“You were enslaved?”

She looked down at herself, seemingly only now noticing the small bits of fabric she had been given as clothing. Before she could go on another rant, you gestured to the space behind you.

“Hop on.” Before she could get any closer you help up your hand, stopping her in her tracks. “There’s a cloak and some water in the bag.”

The animal beneath you protested, already struggling with your weight, but when you calmed it down enough, it began its slow progress. The first minute or so was silent, but Sasrula’s chatty entrance was an omen of the hours to come.

“Whatcha doin’ on Tatooine?”

“Passing through.”

You could sense the doubt that washed over her, and the suspicion that your lie brought onto you.

“Most people ‘passing through’ Tatooine don’t ride off into the desert.”

“I have never killed anyone that wasn’t about to kill me.” It didn’t… soothe her, but the blunt statement seemed to ease her enough into another topic of conversation.

“...did you have a job before Tatooine?”

“Few years ago.”

“Spouse?”

“No.” It was too late, though. You had stiffened, and due to her close proximity, Sasrula easily picked up that there was more to that story than you were letting on. “He and I were never married.”

“Already have a wife then, did he?” You let out a puff through your nose.

“Something like that.”

There was a time you had resented Obi-Wan for inevitably choosing the Order over you. For leaving your quarters early in the morning, whispering empty promises of love and a happy future. Nowadays you would go to the ends of a universe just for one more moment with him. But you would never get that. Because even if Cody hadn’t been the one to kill him, and he had survived the initial execution, Obi-Wan was too courageous and too selfless and too reckless to have made it three years on the run.

And if maybe you didn’t want to consider the idea that he hadn’t come looking for you like you had spent the first two years looking for him, you would never admit it to yourself. You weren’t sure you could survive that notion.

“Was he handsome?”

This was the most Sas had seen you emote in the little while you had now been together- she wasn’t letting your mystery man get away that easily.

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Rich?” You laughed, and Sas felt just a bit of pride that she had eased you up.

“Hardly! The man never remembered to bring whatever money he did have, and I would constantly have to apologize to Dex-” You stopped yourself. No names. Don’t get familiar. “Dex was the owner of a greasy little diner.”

There was something… pleasant, about pretending that your relationship with Obi-Wan had been a normal one. There was no Jedi Council to answer to, no status to keep safe, nothing. Just you, a few memories, and an escaped Twi’lek full of questions and eager to fill the silence.

“...then, the kriffing bastard, he pushed me into his closet! Like whoever was coming in wasn’t gonna figure out something was amiss!” The giggle coming from behind you was loud, and you were glad to finally be sharing these stories with someone.

“Oh no I entirely relate, there was a guy who- why’d you stop?”

You all but fell off of the Eopie, stumbling when you landed but quickly steady on your feet. Something felt very wrong, and you were quite sure that something was moving towards you very fast. While your hand first landed on your lightsaber, you made the decision to grab the blaster you had stolen from Sar’pah instead.

A distant cloud of dust, coming from the direction of Bestine, was moving… fast.

“How fast do sandstorms usually move?”

“Well, it depends on the pre-existing weather and geographical conditions, but they can go hundreds of miles an hour, it’s not pleasant-“ she finally turned to look at what was causing you to panic “dank farrik! That is not a dust storm!”

“Well what is it then?!”

“A lot of trouble!”

As you tried to pick out details of the approaching figures, a reflection of light let you know they were on speeders. A brief glance at the struggling eoipe let you know you wouldn’t be riding away from this, and the miles of flat desert around you hardly made for any good hiding spots.

“Are we sure it’s trouble?” You knew it was- another whisper from the Force that you were trying to keep unacknowledged.

“Yeah. I had hoped he wouldn't notice I was missing till tomorrow.”

Now that’s just… great.

“Who is ‘he’?!”

“My previous captor. He’s, uh, not very forgiving.” Sas moved to get off of the animal, but you stopped her. “Listen, I appreciate your entrepreneurial spirit, but you’re not gonna get any money from him for my return, he’s just gonna kill you.”

“I’m not trying to get any money, you’re not going back.” The Twi’lek’s surprise was almost palpable. “At least, not while I’m standing.”

The cause of the dust cloud had gotten close enough that you could see four speeders drawing near. Three had large, intimidating riders, and the front one, the fanciest one, had a severe looking older man.

They slowed when they drew close enough, and the cold look in the man’s eyes told you everything you needed to know about him.

“I believe you’ve made off with something of mine.”

“You’ll have to enlighten me, sir.”

He paused for a moment, taking your protective stance and hood-covered face in.

“I’m not so sure I do, partner.”

“I haven’t stolen anything since I landed on your dustball of a planet.”

He snorted, still looking down on you from his position on his speeder.

“That,” he pointed at Sasrula, “is mine.”

“She is traveling with me. Has been for a while.”

“You can’t fool me, traveler. I know my own property. Don’t try to lie.”

You held your hands up in mock defeat.

“Hey, I never said exactly how long she had been with me. No lies have been told.”

“How long is this gonna go?”

“Till you either let us go, or are crushed under my boot.”

“Now, we both know that’s not gonna happen.”

In an instant you dropped to the ground, dodging blaster fire from four different directions. Even in the heat of the moment you were wary to reveal your past, so you pulled out your own blaster, desperately trying to get back on your feet whilst dodging dozens of blasts every moment. Once you finally had the chance to stand, you were able to get two of the larger men down.

It was a stressful situation, and once again you hated to admit it, but fighting felt… good. Not the chaos or death or injury of it, but the feeling of letting the Force guide your movements, feeling it flow around you and tell your limbs where to go.

Unfortunately, the method didn’t work when you were surprised out of your focus. And a cloaked figure coming out of seemingly nowhere and kicking the leader off of his speeder was enough to startle you.

You cursed as pain shot from your right shoulder, and it took everything in you not to drop to the ground. You shot the last of the body guards, and aimed at Sas’s captor, who laid in the cloaked man’s shadow. You paused when you felt a hand on your arm. You looked up to see Sasrula, who was looking at you with an unspoken request in her eyes.

You handed her the blaster and let her take the shot. You understood the desire.

Once he was dead on the ground, you turned towards the other presence, who had taken to watching your interaction with Sas. You couldn’t see his face under the hood of his cloak, and some part of you felt better knowing your face was likely just as concealed as his.

“Thank you for the help!” Sasrula’s bright voice poked through the suspicious silence.

“It was no trouble at all.”

Your blood froze. You were almost certain you knew that voice.

“Take down your hood.”

“Excuse me? I-“

“Please just do it.”

You could see his shoulders stiffen, and you knew he recognized your voice. He lowered his hood.

His eyes were the first thing you noticed. They were sad. The saddest they had ever been. And so tired. But there was a burning hope, a burning question, that you knew you needed to answer for him.

So you copied him, and dropped your hood.

“Hey, Obi.”

That was all it took for you both to take off in a sprint, clearing the few meters between you in less than seconds. You jumped and landed in his arms, wrapping your legs around his waist.

You buried your face in his neck, sobbing as you tried to get as close to him as you possibly could. He let out a disbelieving laugh, and you pulled back to get another look at his face. You placed your hands on his cheeks, brushing the stray tears that had fallen from his eyes.

“I thought you were dead, Obi.”

“I thought you were dead, little one.”

There was a part of you that expected him to push you away when you leaned in to kiss him. A part of you that still felt it needed to hide your relationship.

Instead, you kissed him and all of your grief and anger and sadness and deep adoration and love were on display for him, and his for you.

You finally pulled back and stepped back down on the ground when someone cleared their throat from behind you.

“I’m assuming this is the handsome man from before?”

You blushed and looked at Obi-Wan, who raised an eyebrow at you.

“Yes, it is.” You reluctantly pulled out of Obi-Wan’s arms, taking a step back to look him over for injuries. “How long have you been here? How did you survive all of the slaughter? I heard you had killed Grievous but then there was so much chaos, and I made my way to Utapau just to be sure you weren’t there and-”

“You went to Utapau?! Darling, that was foolhardy and-”

You took another step back.

“And?”

“And dangerous! I can only imagine that place is crawling with Imperials!”

“What was I supposed to do, Obi? Yours was the only face I cared to see, so I figured I’d start from the beginning.” Conflicting and powerful emotions caused more tears to fall from your eyes despite your best efforts. “What was I supposed to do?” It came out as a whisper, and you hated how broken you sounded. Suddenly you felt very tired, and the previously forgotten blaster wound on your shoulder was beginning to burn with pain.

“I had hoped that you would let me go.”

“Could you have?”

“What?”

“Could you have let me go?”

Obi-Wan didn’t answer immediately, and you had your answer. Suddenly all of the heartbreak and quiet crying in your quarters at the temple were worth it. The three years of not knowing if you were searching for a ghost, the sneaking suspicion that he hadn’t done the same for you.

Worth it.

“Can I stay with you?” You sounded like a child and you hated it, but now that you had him you weren’t sure you could let him go.

His continued silence turned your heart to ice. Perhaps he hadn’t looked for you because he was tired of you. Perhaps you misread the situation. Perhaps he could have let you go.

“Have you had any run-ins with the Empire?”

“Nothing beyond what any other Jedi has encountered.” You heard Sasrula gasp, and you felt just a little bad that you had entirely forgotten she was there. “I’m sneaky, Kenobi. Surely you remember that.” The curious turn of conversation had you feeling just a little more stable. He did not, however, smile.

“I’m staying here. On Tatooine. For a long time.”

“You’re saying I can stay?”

“It’s not like I can kick you off the planet.”

The rush of relief was sudden, and altogether too much for you. That, combined with the rather serious wound you had yet to take care of; the exhaustion of the past few hours; and the hot sun, it’s really no surprise that you passed out.

“Oh dear.”

--------------------------------------------

When you woke, you felt blessedly cooler. The bandage around your shoulder was soft, and the blankets you were wrapped in smelled like the desert and Obi-Wan, which calmed your initial alarm at waking in a foreign place. There were no windows in whatever room you were in, but the general darkness around you suggested it was nighttime. There was a doorway with just a curtain across it, from which you could hear quiet murmurs. Your sleep muddled brain told you to lay back down and close your eyes for just a little longer, but you were too curious to sleep any longer.

When you stood you realized you weren’t in your own shirt. It was much larger than your own, and a slightly different color. You were, however, still in your own pants. Which was very appreciated. You took a few steps before stumbling, still rather weak from the past few hours.

You weren’t noticed when you first stepped into (what you could only assume to be) the main room of Obi-wan’s home. Said man was currently bickering with Sasrula over how to prepare dinner, and if they should wake you up to eat. You were glad to see that the Twi’lek hadn’t run off, and you were even gladder to see Obi-Wan in a lighter mood.

You finally caught his eye when you moved further into the room, and he quickly moved to your side in order to help you to a make-shift dining room chair, kneeling in front of you. You sheepishly smiled at your two companions, who both returned your look with concern.

“I see you two have become pals.”

“I see why you spent three years without him. Your man is insufferable.”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, and you both tried to pretend like Sasrula calling him ‘your man’ didn’t affect you.

“You gave us a bit of a fright, my darling. I hadn’t even realized you had been hit.” He kissed you on the forehead. “I do hope you don’t mind that I took your shirt off in order to treat your wound.”

You shrugged.

“Nothing you haven’t seen before.”

If he wasn’t red from Sasrula’s earlier comment, he certainly was now.

The Twi’lek snorted and made her way to the kitchenette on the other side of the small space, taking her chance to prepare dinner her way.

“How long did I sleep for?”

“About two days. You left me alone with a stranger for two days.”

“That explains why you’re so chummy with Sas.”

He grimaced.

“Yes. I… don’t know that I’ve ever met such a talkative woman.”

“Giving Ahsoka a run for her money, hm?”

“Don’t remind me.”

You chuckled, and felt a warmth in your heart that you hadn’t felt since you and Obi-Wan were both Padawan’s and had the galaxy ahead of you. Except… this was different. You weren’t sure you could call it better. There was too much bloodshed and trauma for it to be better. But it was undoubtedly freer.

“Does it make you uncomfortable to say that I love you?”

Obi-Wan smiled softly.

“Never.” He pressed his forehead to yours. “I love you deeply, little one.”

#obi-wan #obi-wan x reader #obi-wan x y/n #x reader #obi-wan fanfic #obi-wan fanfiction #obi-wan fluff #obi-wan reader insert #star wars fanfic #star wars fanfiction #star wars reader insert #star wars x reader #obi wan x reader #obi wan x y/n #obi-wan kenobi #obi wan kenobi #obi wan reader insert

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anakinisvaderisanakin · 3 years

Text

Evil Unmasked AU Part 3 - Lord Vader (aka Ahsoka learns the truth)

If anyone had, by sheer luck, missed the news or the announcement - every single broadcast via the holo networks made sure to either remind or inform people of the event. “Revered war hero and former Jedi Knight revealed as the Emperor’s right hand man”. Every single one left out the man’s birth name, the name by which he had been celebrated by Republic forces and maligned by the Separatists mere months before the revelation. The Hero with no Fear, he had been dubbed by the media. It was easy to see, in hindsight, that this too may have been a ploy constructed by the then chancellor, Palpatine.

Anakin Skywalker had been built up, like a fictional hero bestowed with charm, intellect and skill. His appearance had never detracted from the positive spin on his tale, his handsome features inviting people to buy into and accept the public image created for him. It was this man, this living legend, that had been retooled to masterly.

The man who had been cherished, with his wit and his cocky half smiles masking a perceived shy insecurity, was nowhere to be seen now. Once or twice, in the wake of major events during The Clone Wars, Skywalker had been projected on holo networks. The interviews had been brief, the young man seemingly uncomfortable by the attention, as if he struggled to live up to the public image tied to his name. For the past month, since he had been renamed, none of that persisted. While it was evident that the man cared even less for making public appearances or statements, he had been forced into giving a slew of them.

Every broadcasting network wanted a tout-a-tout with this reinvented icon. Little of the boyish charm remained, and all that persisted of Skywalker seemed to be his dry sarcasm and his inherent desire to act out in favour of his political and personal beliefs. As he had explained, with little interest, his “loyalty has always lied with Emperor Palpatine, and it will remain to do so.”

To those who had known Skywalker closely beforehand - those who remained alive to tell the tale, that was - were shook by the altered man, and the confusion this change left behind. His new persona was so vastly different, he might as well have been a new person altogether. Some would say that Skywalker had always been a snake in the grass, had always maintained a charade - acting out a falsehood to lull former friends and allies into trusting him. On the other hand, some were convinced something tragic must have happened to Skywalker, or that he had been bribed or manipulated by the Emperor into giving up on his morals.

Ahsoka reacted accordingly.

She had been lucky to miss out on the initial, official inauguration of her former master. She had come back from Mandalore, no longer a child but a woman. Forced to grow up at the age of 17, her and Rex had been the only survivors. And Maul, of course, who’d made his escape and remained cleverly hidden ever since. The fall of the Republic had been enough of a shock, in the wake of Order 66 and the death of Jesse and the entire 212th battalion. On top of that, the Senate’s power had been reduced to virtually nothing, restrictions and documentation of every single Galactic citizen had become mandatory; every ship was to be licensed and catalogued.

A long list of names had been released to the public with large bounties on their heads; names of those considered dangerous foes to the newly formed Empire. Most of them were former politicians, military deserters and Separatists; few were Jedi. Ahsoka didn’t take that as a good omen, seeing as the omission so many Jedi names probably came from the fact that Order 66 had already eviscerated the order. Ahsoka herself had been absent from the list, as had Rex, and as such they were presumed dead to the new government.

While Ahsoka had let out a sigh of relief to see master Yoda and Obi-Wan were noted as dangerous Jedi fugitives still considered to be alive; her stomach sank when master Plo and Anakin’s names remained absent.

Ahsoka had, thankfully, been left in the dark when her former master’s fate was concerned. She had assumed him dead, at first. Two months had gone by, she and Rex parting ways soon after they had buried their fallen soldiers and friends on the unrecorded moon where their Jedi cruiser had crashed. It was too dangerous to stay together, and while Rex had returned to Coruscant for supplies and to hopefully seek out further clones who may have avoided or resisted the command of Order 66 and the inhibitor chip’s programming - Ahsoka had lingered in the outer rim. A brief meet and greet - albeit unfortunate - with Hondo Ohnaka had granted her a false new identity as Ashla, before relocating to the mostly peaceful Thabeska. In the blink of an eye, two additional months had passed. Then another, and another. Settling into mundane life, building a new future; she had honed her knack for mechanics and turned it into a profession - making just enough credits to scrape by. Five months had passed since the end of the war, when the news finally reached her.

Ahsoka had been scouring one of the few off-planet affiliated trading shops for supplies and tools. She was in desperate need of spare parts for her comlink which had been dead since she arrived. She had promised Rex they would stay in touch somewhat regularly, and figured it was finally safe to reach out and catch up. Rex, Ahsoka presumed, was still located on or near Coruscant in hiding. She would have by-passed the slim offering of flimsiplast and data-tape prints, had a preview the issue of the day not been screened on the beat up, flickering holo screen poised on the wall above the aisle as advertisement to draw her attention. A reporter seemed to be enthusiastically interviewing one of the freshly promoted Imperial figureheads. The sound was muffled, the image grainy - but it was the voice that caught Ahsoka off guard.

“It has been just short of six months since the Republic was officially denounced, and the new Galactic Empire firmly installed. How do you feel this transition has affected you?” asked the reporter, eyes wide with awe and admiration as his face filled the holo-screen.

“Very little,” said a gruff, monotone voice - so void of emotion or excitement, that it came off as nearly synthetic. “I believe my position is quite similar to that of my pre-Empire self. While I am no longer, by profession, a knight or a general - I still carry out similar services. It is, naturally, expected of me to hunt down detractors and traitors. There is little difference in leading a war effort where casualties are a constant, and leading a judicial effort of assimilation.”

The words were big, foreign, and unnerving. Words Ahsoka had never heard uttered by that particular voice before. The voice itself seemed unrecognizable; twisted, and warped. But still, a familiar note to it remained - one that urged Ahsoka to keep watching, one that beckoned her, and compelled her naive curiosity. Her stomach sank before she even had laid eyes upon the screen, before the image that came with the distorted voice could confirm her greatest fears. As she focused on the screening, the reporter had come back into frame and Ahsoka’s heart pounded nigh painfully hard against her ribcage as she waited for the man that was the focal point of the interview to answer the next query.

“Do you struggle with any guilt, in regards to your unfortunate responsibilities? I understand it must have been difficult to carry out the order of persecution towards the Jedi order. Indeed, you were raised within those walls, were you not? Indoctrinated with their religious beliefs, did you ever doubt their teachings beforehand? Were you ever disillusioned by their cult before the assassination attempt upon the Emperor came to light? I am aware that you wish to distance yourself from the order, but I’m certain you understand the importance of your shift.”

“My own former master lied to me. That was the moment at which I was first privy to the mastery of manipulation that ran deep within the sect, as he had been required to carry out their dishonest schemes. I was not raised within the order, but I was offered training under the false pretense that I might free someone close to me from slavery once knighted. This was another malignant lie, as I was restrained from realizing these wishes.”

Ahsoka didn’t notice the screwdriver slipping from her hand, nor did she pick up on the clatter as it hit the durasteel floor once the man’s face came back into view; at once painfully reassuring, and horrendously frightening.

“I feel no guilt in the wake of my actions. I pity the Jedi order for their misinformed notion of the Force as a sacred yet passive entity. True power and understanding of its whims has thus evaded them. I pity their hunger for control, and their warmongering. I pity their attempts at kidnapping and brainwashing young children into following their flawed dogma, and any child present at the temple during the march is indeed better off becoming one with the Force, than continuing to serve a false doctrine. I was not raised entirely within the temple, and as for my morals, no person within the order served as a model or mentor me through true honesty,” said a begrudging Anakin Skywalker - and there was a prominent anger flickering beneath the drawled monotone.

Outwardly, Anakin appeared nearly the same as he had the day Ahsoka had said goodbye to him before she set off to capture Maul, and he went to rescue the kidnapped then Chancellor Palpatine. Anakin had offered a forlorn yet gentle smile as they parted ways. His wavy hair had been long and unruly, but his eyes were bright, and blue, and warm. Full of hope. On the holo screen, despite the inevitable blue tang to the recorded session, his face seemed pale and gaunt; fine lines were traced around his eyes, at the corners of his lips, and dug into his forehead.

His sockets seemed dark and sunken, as if sleep had evaded him for weeks. His expression was a perpetual scowl, his arms folded across his chest as he stood nonchalantly beside the armchair that had no doubt been offered for him to settle into. He was taller than Ahsoka recalled - even with the limited props of the room the conversation was being held in, he towered over every single piece of furniture.

The reporter, Ahsoka recognized him as Mas Aqui - he’d been present at her trial, waiting with bated breath to record her conviction - had been tall and lanky then, but seemed almost frail and miniscule while standing next to the former Jedi he was now bothering.

“It is my belief that the order had a singularly negative effect on my character, and it is impossible for me to harbour any remorse towards a sect that so thoroughly stunted my growth. In the wake of Order 66, and the subsequent termination of the Jedi sect, I have had sufficient time to consider the events. I believe the Jedi were inherently incapable of showing humanity. It is for this reason, first and foremost, that I am determined to distance myself from any remaining ties I may have to the order. I consider myself enlightened, and do not wish to be associated with the negative connotations of the cilt that so maliciously affected the Galaxy.”

Ahsoka couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. The words coming out of Anakin’s mouth seemed pre-scripted in their delivery, but still genuinely professed. They sounded nothing like the man who had nurtured her, and cared for her as an older brother - but the conviction behind them was similar to the one that had backed every lesson he had taught and passed onto her. She felt cold and numb, hands trembling and eyes wide as she stared at the unsettling display.

Anakin’s dark blonde hair was trimmed and combed back, a few fresh battle scars lining his brow and his left side cheekbone. His robes seemed a mixture of de facto Imperial garb, armour, and sacred Jedi robes twisted to mock the order's very existence. But his eyes were the biggest detractor. Their colour could not be discerned, but their iridescent, glowing quality carried through. The blood vessels were visible, lining the irises like an intricate work of haphazard artistry. Cruel, calculating, animalistic. Ahsoka had seen those same eyes too many times, and had been confronted with their unhinged quality in the Sith Lord Darth Maul’s every expression. In Maul, they conveyed a deep seated insanity - in her former master; they spoke of a fury so overt, it seemed to reach right through the screen with their oppressive glare.

“I see. As to sum up our brief rendezvous, Lord Vader, I am obliged to aim a few final questionnaires at this past connection of yours - I aware that this is to be the last time, as of now, that you speak out on the matter - and am thus mandated to collect a few loosely affiliated tidbits,” Aqui cautiously pointed out.

“Make it a quick affair,” was Anakin’s only reply; gleaming eyes narrowed in a disgruntled surrender that matched his threatening cadence.

“Very well. There have been some questions frequently asked by our dedicated viewers. As such, I’ve picked out the topmost three. They may be a bit personal of nature, so feel free to dodge them if you are uncomfortable with their direction,” the reporter reassured.

Anakin’s dramatic eye roll at the implication was grand and demeaning, but served as the only, silent reply. Aqui shrunk back, no doubt feeling embarrassed by the disregard of his patience and attempt at pandering.

“Do you miss any of your connections within the fallen Jedi order, and if so, whom?”

“No,” was Anakin’s direct response, a sharp warning of a hiss. “Every single one of them was a traitor and a liar. I pity their ignorance, but I do not mourn them. I rejoice in their fall, and I would aid the Imperial efforts to eradicate their kind all over again if need be.”

Ahsoka swallowed back the lump forming at the base of her throat; her eyes burning as they watered against her will. The Jedi had cared deeply for Anakin. Master Yoda, Master Plo, Obi-Wan. How could Anakin not have seen their love? They may have practiced a no attachment policy, but Obi-Wan had clearly contradicted the rule to his own detriment. So had Ahsoka, one of the reasons behind her decision to sever her ties with the order - something she knew that Anakin too had longed for.

“Is there any hope for a Jedi on the run to reform and thus evade persecution?”

“No. Some have attempted to reform, but it is in the grand scheme of things, useless. The Jedi are the sole reason behind the detriment of the Galaxy, and their hubris is the foundation upon which the war was built. No man or woman raised within the temple walls is unaffected by their harmful teachings. As such, few if any may break the vicious cycle. I have yet to meet a truly dedicated Jedi who would admit their fallacy and turn away from the sect. The few reinvented Force wielders I have come across, have all doubted the order before its inevitable fall, and were thus given the tools necessary to break away,” Anakin simply stated, still as arrogant in his stance; his tone premeditated but with a sincerity that made Ahsoka feel sick to the stomach as a lone tear escape and trailed lazily down her cheek.

“Alright. Finally, what is behind your change of persona?”

Anakin’s expression shifted for a brief moment, the rage behind his eyes laid bare and unveiled. His eyes burned, their glow predatory and unadulterated. He seemed to heave a sigh, his mouth drawn into a repulsed sneer. When he spoke, his voice was calm and calculated, but his eyes were dangerous and intimidating.

“Anakin Skywalker is dead. I do not associate myself with this man, whom the Jedi were attempting to shape me into. I reiterate, and hope to never need state again, that I denounce my past as an act forced upon me. In severing my ties to the order, I have found freedom with the true facets of the Force. As such, the Emperor has bestowed upon me the title of Darth Vader. Lord Vader is the only title befitting of my stance within the Empire. Lord Vader is the name by which all Galactic citizens are expected to address me, as is my right. There is no Anakin Skywalker, and there never was. The Jedi order destroyed the weak child bearing that name. I am Darth Vader, and that is all that there is.”

Another tear followed the first, and Ahsoka bit back a choked sob as she covered her mouth. The Anakin Skywalker she had known was no more. Barely a trace of him remained. In his place, stood Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Vader, who would stop at nothing to keep his promise and reaffirm his loyalty towards his Emperor and master.

****

Because I was inspired by the commenters of the second chapter to explore how Vader may be used for propaganda, I wanted Ahsoka to find out about Anakin's turn through one of the many media Palpatine would no doubt promote Vader through. Vader could be used as a tool to strengthen the notion of the evil Jedi, and his breaking free from their brainwashing. I figured this was a fun spin on it, and included it! There will be more coming!

Ao3 link below:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32029582/chapters/79572163

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