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Chapter Text

Obi-Wan paced back and forth as he watched his master, Qui-Gon Jinn fight the dual wielding saber that belonged to Darth Maul. It was almost animalistic how the Sith fought his master. Obi-Wan wished he could join the fight, but he was blocked by some laser wall. It was technology he wasn’t familiar with. Then again despite being a Jedi in training, Obi-Wan wasn’t a fan of advanced technology. He liked it when things were simple, controlled.

“Come on, come on.. I need to get in there!” Obi-Wan thought to himself. His own impatience getting the better of him. He knew he needed to calm down.

So he closed his eyes, stopped pacing, and took a deep breath. He cleared his mind of all thoughts. But when he opened his eyes, all of those emotions came flying back into his mind as he saw Maul’s lightsaber lodged in his master’s stomach.

“NO!!” Obi-Wan screamed, anger and hate flowing through his force-conscious mind.

He made eye contact with his master’s killer, staring into those grotesque, sickly yellow eyes. Obi-Wan gritted his teeth and clenched the hilt of his lightsaber so hard his knuckles turned white.

Soon enough, the wall that blocked him from the deadly duel was gone, and Obi-Wan made his move. He attacked Maul relentlessly, every swing and strike he made was for the kill.

Obi-Wan had always been a defensive fighter. But with so much wrath clouding his mind, all the technique his master had taught him over the years disappeared. He blocked every one of Maul’s hits with his saber, and so did Maul with his.

Until one of Obi-Wan’s frantic swings ended up slicing Maul’s duel saber in two. While Maul was momentarily distracted by the breaking of his weapon, Obi-Wan kicked him right in the stomach, knocking him to the ground.

Obi-Wan took that as his moment to strike, but Maul had a quick recovery. Obi-Wan jumped high enough to avoid the swing from the red saber that came for him, which gave Maul enough time to get back on his feet.

Obi-Wan felt even more enraged by how his master’s killer had fallen to his knees and begged for mercy. Wait.. where were these thoughts coming from? Obi-Wan took another deep breath and went after Maul again.

Swing after swing, strike after strike, Obi-Wan made no progress in the duel. Both Jedi and Sith were powerful, strong, and skilled.

The Sith tried to kick Obi-Wan right in the face, but the padawan jumped out of the way just in time, creating distance between the two.

They went after each other at the same time, locking sabers. Red and Blue sparks mixed together, creating an almost purplish hue where they touched. Obi-Wan had the advantage, pushing down his saber against Mauls. In that moment, Obi-Wan let out what he had been thinking for the entire duel.

“How dare you take my master away from me! You will pay for what you have done, Sith scum!!” Obi-Wan spat out.

The Sith didn’t respond, just smirked when he saw the young padawan’s eyes turn from baby blue to the same dead yellow as his. Obi-Wan thought that Maul was just taunting him, unaware of his change in eye color. Obi-Wan wanted to slice the monster’s head off right then and there.

The padawan lifted his lightsaber to strike down on Maul, but was stopped by the Sith using the force to knock him back. Obi Wan flew back into the giant gaping hole in the middle of the room, but his quick reflexes let him grab onto some kind of light that would either emit a laser, or blare to an alarm or both. Obi-Wan couldn’t care less at the moment.

Obi-Wan looked up at his master’s killer and watched as he kicked the padawan’s lightsaber into the void. Maul flung his own lightsaber around, this time intentionally trying to taunt the young padawan.

Obi-Wan frantically looked around the area, searching for something that would help him in any way. His eyes locked onto his master’s lightsaber that lay at the feet of his limp body.

He then looked up at Maul with a smirk, pushing himself up and using the force to grab the saber. He ignited it, the green color signifying his master’s position as a knight. At least that’s what he thought it meant, he was still just a padawan learner after all.

Obi-Wan landed on his feet and swung the green saber as hard as he could, slicing the Sith clean in half. The boy watched as Maul fell back into the void, his legs separating from his torso as he gained velocity.

Obi-Wan felt a deep sense of pride in himself. He was the first Jedi to kill a Sith in who knows how long. And he avenged his master.

His master…

Obi-Wan quickly ran to Qui-Gon’s side. He lifted his Master’s head, relieved that the Jedi still had a breath although faint.

“It’s too late..” Qui-Gon choked out.

“No!” Obi-Wan cried, his eyes boring into the ones that belonged to the most important person in his life. His master, his mentor.. his father.

“Promise me.. you will train the boy…” Qui-Gon muttered.

The boy: Anakin Skywalker. The young slave on Tatooine that Obi-Wan had once called a “pathetic life form.” But that pathetic life form had more midichlorians than any other member of the Jedi Order. Qui-Gon talked about training the young Skywalker to be a Jedi knight, which meant that Obi-Wan’s padawan training would have been cut short. His master would have tossed him aside for another trainee. How could he?!

No, his master would never do that.. would he?

The words lingered in his head: “You will train the boy.”

All other thoughts Obi-Wan had suddenly disappeared, the only thought he had in his head was about training Anakin. The only desire he had was to train Anakin.

“Yes master..” Obi-Wan replied softly.

Qui-Gon reached out and gently touched Obi-Wan’s cheek. “He is the chosen one… he will bring balance.. train him..”

Qui-Gon’s eyes fluttered shut as he spoke his final words. Obi-Wan nodded frantically, trying to keep his emotions together as his master died in his arms. The padawan cupped his master’s cheek and pressed his forehead against his.

“Yes master, I will train the boy.” Obi-Wan felt tears rolling down his cheeks.

“But I will also slaughter every last Sith in the galaxy.. no matter what.”

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan sat on a nearby bench as he watched his new padawan, Anakin Skywalker, carefully block every blast from the training droid with ease. The glow of his blue lightsaber matched the color of his eyes, so innocent despite everything the boy had gone through.

Anakin was now 10 years old, Obi-Wan 26. It had been a few months since Obi-Wan took the boy under his wing, and to be frank, Obi-Wan had no idea what he was doing. He had only just been knighted and he was already given a padawan, despite having no idea how to properly train him. How did Master Yoda make it look so easy?

Obi-Wan’s eyes followed Anakin’s lightsaber. Anakin didn’t have the visor blocking his vision, he felt that Anakin wasn’t ready for it yet.

Obi-Wan rested his elbows on his knees, going to a more slouched position now that it was just him and Anakin. Obi-Wan was exhausted; he had been staying up late into the night trying to think of lesson plans, or how to properly train Anakin, or just trying to find a healthy way to relieve his stress.

Obi-Wan reached for the padawan braid that he no longer had, he used to twirl it between his fingers absently. He had it for so long that he often forgot that it was cut when he was knighted. Now Anakin had a braid just like his, signifying that Obi-Wan truly had taken the boy under his wing.

The horn of a speeding pod pierced through the peaceful silence of their training exercise. They had been on the balcony of their shared quarters, Obi-Wan had always preferred training outside.

Anakin turned his head to find where the noise had come from. But the training droid has shot at the boy when he wasn’t looking, burning his arm.

“Ah!” Anakin cried.

“Anakin!” Obi-Wan snapped out of his trance and quickly went to turn the droid off before it could take another shot at his padawan.

Anakin clutched his arm in pain, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. Obi-Wan turned to his young padawan, knelt down, and took him into his arms.

“Are you alright?” He asked in a soft voice, though the answer was clearly no.

Anakin nodded softly, but the tears staining his red cheeks said otherwise.

“It burns..” Anakin choked out a sob.

Obi-Wan gently held out his hand, a silent ask to see the injury. Anakin extended his arm, a small burn mark formed on the inside of his forearm. Obi-Wan carefully ran his thumb over the burn in an attempt to comfort his padawan, though Anakin flinched in pain.

“It will heal.” Obi-Wan looked back up at the boy. He gently cupped Anakin’s cheek and wiped away his tears with his thumb.

“You mustn’t let outside events distract you, Anakin. If you look away during a duel, your opponent can get the upper hand and strike.” Obi-Wan explained.

“Is that how Master Qui-Gon died?” Anakin asked softly, which caused his master to stiffen.

Nobody had dared to mention Qui-Gon’s name in front of Obi-Wan since his death. With how horribly he took it, all Jedi avoided Obi-Wan outright as he grieved.

“I thought I told you to never say his name, Anakin.” Obi-Wan spoke in a much harsher tone, almost warning.

Anakin flinched, but not in pain: in fear. He had seen his master get angry, and it was quite terrifying. Obi-Wan would always keep his anger to himself, but when alone it was like he became a whole other person.

Anakin had witnessed his master’s wrath one night in their quarters. Obi-Wan had made sure Anakin was in bed before he took out a bottle of Brandy and drank straight from it. Anakin had been awoken by the sound of glass shattering, and found his master passed out drunk on the floor.

When he asked about it the next day, Obi-Wan continuously told Anakin to “drop it.” But when Anakin kept pushing, Obi-Wan eventually snapped.

“I told you to drop it, Anakin. Do I have to tell you again?!” Obi-Wan had stared down at his padawan with those sickly yellow eyes, the same ones he had when staring down at Darth Maul. Anakin learned not to push Obi-Wan for answers if his master wasn’t willing to share.

Now, as he stared into his master’s eyes, he felt that same unsettling feeling he had all the other times Obi-Wan was pissed.

“I’m sorry, master… I wasn’t being mindful of my words..” Anakin apologized, his words soft as his eyes drifted away from Obi-Wan’s.

Obi-Wan’s own eyes softened as he heared the remorse in his padawan’s voice. He carefully returned Anakin’s gaze to his own.

“No, it’s alright. I understand that you cared for him too, and you deserve the right to know what happened. But I fear if I keep looking back to that moment, I may never get over his death. And I don’t want my own grief to harm you or your path to becoming a powerful Jedi.”

Anakin stared at his master, unable to say anything at the moment. His master had never been so open with him before.

“I know I have my own issues..” Obi-Wan continued. “But I just want you to know, that no matter what happens, I will never harm you. I care about you, Anakin.. more than you will never know. And I will always protect you.”

Anakin rubbed away his tears with his arm, nodding softly. “I understand, master.”

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin into a gentle hug, running his fingers through the boys hair in a comforting way, just like Qui-Gon had done to him when he was young.

“Let’s get you bandaged up and we will call it a night, okay?” Obi-Wan asked as he carefully released Anakin.

“Okay..” Anakin nodded, giving Obi-Wan a soft smile.

Obi-Wan felt his heart melt at the look on his young padawan’s face. So innocent, so trusting. Obi-Wan would do everything in his power to protect Anakin. He couldn’t lose him.. not like he lost his master.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan slammed the door to his quarters shut. His cheeks were flushed a deep red as he stumbled over to the sofa. He had just spent his entire evening in one of the Uscru District’s many bars. He drank until the bartender cut him off and kicked him out.

Now, he was sprawled out on the sofa, having no idea what to do. He can’t fall asleep and he had drank what remained of his hidden stash of liquor days ago. He never found a good time to buy more, and also didn’t want to risk Anakin finding it.

Obi-Wan let out a small hiccup as he stared up at the ceiling with dazed and unfocused eyes.

“Stupid council..” He muttered in a drunken slur.

There had been a council meeting that day. It was pretty much a blur for Obi-Wan until he was mentioned by name by Mace Windu.

“Master Kenobi, how had your training with young Skywalker been going?” Windu had asked.

Obi-Wan had been caught off guard, he had never been directly addressed during a council meeting.

“It’s going… well..” Obi-Wan had answered awkwardly, still having no idea what he was doing while training Anakin.

“You must train him thoroughly, Master Kenobi. If he truly is the chosen one like Master Qui-Gon has said.” Windu responded. The mention of his deceased master made him tense

“If he’s that important, why don’t you train him yourself?” Obi-Wan asked, causing the mood in the room to shift. It didn’t help that Obi-Wan was experiencing a hangover at the time and had been irritated during the entire meeting.

“Master Kenobi, where is this attitude coming from?” Windu raised an eyebrow and glared at the Jedi.

“Oh I don’t know, maybe it’s because you always talk about my dead master?? It’s always, ‘Master Qui-Gon’ this, and ‘Kenobi, you must train the boy, Qui-Gon said he’s the chosen one.’ Yeah, I get it! You don’t need to keep reminding me that the boy my dead master wanted to train is now my responsibility!” Obi-Wan snapped. He stood up out of his chair, causing Windu to do the same.

“Watch your tone, boy.” Windu threatened.

Obi-Wan was about to argue back before Master Yoda interjected.

“Calm down, you must.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes shot over to Yoda, his glare so intense that his blue eyes threatened to turn the same sickly yellow they always did when he got mad.

But with a flick of Yoda’s wrist, Obi-Wan’s mind cleared and his anger disappeared. His eyes drooped as he slumped back into his chair.

“Control your emotions, you must. Your grief for your master clouds your mind.” Yoda spoke calmly.

“Yes master…” Obi-Wan mumbled, his mind stuck in the foggy haze Master Yoda had put him in.

As he relived the scene in his mind, Obi-Wan felt his anger bubble up again. But before he could lash out, he was met with a distraction.

“Master..?”

Obi Wan shifted his gaze to where the voice came from. His eyes locked onto his young padawan, having a tired but nervous look on his face.

“What are you-hic-doing up, Anakin?” Obi-Wan sat upright on the sofa, his head lolling around due to intoxication.

“I heard the door slam, it scared me.” Anakin slowly approached his master. “Are you alright.”

Obi Wan let out a soft sigh and scooted over so his padawan could sit with him.

“I’m sorry for scaring you, young one.” Obi-Wan spoke softly, his drunken haze wearing off.

Anakin took a deep breath as he sat with his master.

“You smell like death sticks.” Anakin muttered in a disgusted tone.

“I do, don’t I?” Obi-Wan chuckled. He wasn’t going to ask how his young padawan knew what the smell of death sticks was. The boy used to be a slave, he wasn’t a normal innocent kid.

“Where were you? You promised me that we would have a session after your council meeting, but you never showed up.” Anakin looked up at his master.

Shoot, he had forgotten about that promise. He was too preoccupied by his anger that he immediately went to the bar instead of training his padawan.

Anakin took in Obi-Wan’s silence and spoke again. “That’s the third time this month you’ve abandoned me for the bar.” He said impulsively, which earned a hard stare from his master.

“Look, Anakin. I just had a really rough day and-“

“You said that the other two times!”

“I don’t need you to parent me. Remember your place, my young padawan.” Obi-Wan spoke in a more threatening tone, but Anakin didn’t back down this time. He was fed up with his master’s behavior.

“You said you would never hurt me.” Anakin said softly.

Obi-Wan blinked, caught off guard. “I haven’t.”

“Yes you have. Every time you skip our lessons to go drink yourself silly at the bar, you’re hurting me and my training to become a Jedi.” Anakin argued. “This isn’t what Master Qui-Gon wanted.”

That earned a frustrated huff out of the drunken Jedi.

“STOP SAYING HIS NAME!” Obi-Wan yelled, standing up from the sofa and glaring down at his padawan.

“If you want to be trained by Qui-Gon so badly, why don’t I take you to him??” Obi-Wan ignited his saber. Yellow eyes bore into his padawan’s.

“Master, please!!” Anakin begged, but Obi-Wan had already lifted his saber to strike.

In a quick desperation, Anakin used what little knowledge of the force he had to hold Obi Wan’s hand in place, preventing him from striking.

“Master, please! You’re not thinking clearly! You’re scaring me!” Anakin sobbed.

When he saw the tears roll down his padawan’s cheeks, Obi-Wan felt himself crumble. He dropped his saber and fell to his knees, tears streaming down his own face.

“Oh Anakin.. what am I doing..? I’m not fit to be your master.. I can barely even take care of myself, let alone the chosen one.” Obi-Wan wiped away his tears.

Anakin slowly and carefully approached his master.

“You’re trying.. doesn’t that count for something?” Anakin asked. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t want another master. I want you to teach me. Yeah, you have issues, but everyone does. Nobody’s perfect.”

“When did you get so good at comforting people?” Obi-Wan chuckled softly, wiping away his tears.

“I wonder..” Anakin laughed and gave his master a side-hug. To which Obi-Wan pulled his padawan into a full embrace.

“I’m sorry for my outburst, my young padawan. I promise you, I will try to do better.” Obi-Wan whispered.

“I know you will, master.” Anakin smiled.

“It’s extremely late, you need rest.”

“So do you..”

Obi-Wan carefully picked up his padawan and carried him to his bed. He gently placed the boy under the covers, giving him a tender kiss to the forehead.

“Goodnight, my young padawan.”

“Goodnight, master.”

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan woke up to the sound of a loud shriek through the wall. The sound came from Anakin’s room. He jumped out of his bed, still in his sleeping robes, and dashed to Anakin’s room.

“Anakin, what’s wrong?? Are you alright??” Obi-Wan practically burst through the door, his eyes locking onto his padawan crying in his bed.

“Hey..” Obi-Wan’s voice softened as he approached Anakin’s bed. He knelt down and cupped the boy’s cheeks with his hands, gently wiping away his tears though they kept coming.

“Tell me what’s troubling you, my young padawan.”

“I h-had a nightmare..” Anakin choked out a sob, trying to compose himself in front of his master

“About?”

“My mother..”

Obi-Wan’s heart broke at the sight of the young boy crying for his mother.

“Oh, my dear padawan. I’m so sorry…” Obi-Wan’s voice was full of sympathy. He understood the feeling of longing for a lost parent.

“Master Yoda and Master Windu say that I need to move on. That Jedi can’t have attachments. Not even to their parents.” Anakin mumbled.

Obi-Wan felt his blood boil. Why would they say that to a child?? Especially a child who was mourning?! Then again, these are the same people that told Obi-Wan ‘Qui-Gon has been dead for two years now, get over yourself.’

“I don’t agree with everything the council says. You’re allowed to have these feelings, Anakin. She’s your mother, you should be allowed to miss her.” Obi-Wan said sincerely.

“Why can’t we go back and free her?” Anakin asked, a hint of desperation in his voice

“Anakin, I’ve tried. But I need to get the council’s approval to travel all the way to Tatooine.”

“They won’t give it to you.. will they?”

Obi-Wan shook his head solemnly.

There was a long pause before Anakin spoke up.

“Do you remember your parents?” He asked.

Obi-Wan went into deep thought. When he tried to think of his parents but the only thought filling his mind was Master Qui-Gon.

“Not really, no.”

“Master Yoda said that I was too old to be trained. How old were you when you started your training?” Anakin asked curiously.

“Well, I started my training around age three. But Master Qui-Gon didn’t take me in until I was thirteen.” Obi-Wan explained, earning a shocked look from his padawan.

“Three?? So you never had a childhood?”

“Neither did you, young one.”

“I had more of a childhood than you did!”

“That may be true. But I tend not to dwell on the past.” That was a lie, and Anakin knew it too. But they were having such a heartfelt moment that he didn’t say anything.

Anakin let out a small yawn, his eyes drooping with fatigue. He had only now remembered how tired he was.

“You need sleep, young one.” Obi-Wan carefully pushed Anakin onto his back, letting the boy get comfortable in his bed.

“But, what if I have another nightmare?” Anakin asked in a more timid tone.

“That is very much a possibility.” Obi-Wan nodded.

“Could you.. stay with me?” Anakin mumbled.

“You want me to watch over you while you sleep?”

“Please…?” Anakin looked like he wanted to hide under the covers with embarrassment.

A pause, then:

“Of course, my young padawan.”

Obi-Wan pulled up a chair and sat a few feet away from the boy’s bed. His eyes watched as Anakin shifted and buried his face into his pillow. In a few minutes, Anakin was out.

Obi-Wan stared down at his padawan, wishing he could take away his nightmares. Wait… he could. He had the ability to give anyone certain dreams. But that was considered to be part of the dark side of the force.

But it would help Anakin… wouldn’t it? Obi-Wan couldn’t bear the thought of his padawan crying over another nightmare. So, he made his decision.

Obi-Wan raised his hand, his palm facing Anakin. He used the force to remove the nightmare that dwelled in Anakin’s mind, and replaced it with fond memories that had happened in Anakin’s short life. As Obi-Wan did this, his eyes shifted from his normal blue to Sith yellow.

When it was done, Obi-Wan slumped into his chair, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. It was exhausting, but necessary.

Obi-Wan would do anything for his padawan, even if it meant he had to dabble in the dark side every now and then. He just had to make sure the council would never know of this.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure I’m ready for this, master?” Anakin asked timidly.

“If you can stop a 160-pound man from swinging his lightsaber, then you surely can lift a sofa.” Obi-Wan countered.

They were in their quarters. Anakin had been begging for a lesson, but since it was raining, they were doing it inside. Obi-Wan hated the rain, he didn’t like the feeling of getting wet with his already heavy robes on.

Obi-Wan watched as Anakin lifted his small hand, palm facing the sofa. But before anything happened, the boy turned his head to face his master, letting his arm fall.

“What if I can’t do it?” He asks.

“Then that means you need more training. But being a Jedi isn’t just about your abilities, it’s also about your confidence. If you’re always second guessing yourself, you never let yourself succeed.” Obi-Wan explained, in which his padawan nodded in response.

“Okay… I can do this.. I can do this..” Anakin whispered to himself. He lifted his hand up once again and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, one end of the sofa had lifted up, then the other. Anakin’s hand shook, signifying how difficult it was for him. Anakin opened his eyes, his face lighting up at what he saw.

“I’m doing it!” Anakin exclaimed in excitement.

“Yes, you are. You should never doubt yourself, Anakin.” Obi-Wan smiled with pride.

The sofa was then gently placed back onto the floor. Anakin let out a sigh of exhaustion, a drop of sweat rolling down his temple.

“That was… draining.” Anakin chuckled.

“It can be, when you’re not used to using that much energy.” Obi-Wan explained.

His mind drifted to when he first used the dark side of the force to get rid of Anakin’s nightmares. He had been doing it every night for the past month. Every night, after Anakin fell asleep, Obi-Wan would tap into the dark side and remove all potential nightmares the boy could have. At first, it was extremely draining. But after doing it for a month straight, Obi-Wan found it easy to slip in and out of the dark side.

“Master, are you okay?” Anakin broke the silence.

“Yes, my young padawan. Why do you ask?” Obi-Wan was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked down at the boy.

“You’ve been scratching at your arm the entire lesson." Anakin pointed to his master’s right forearm, which was red and raw from Obi-Wan’s thoughtless scratching.

Obi-Wan looked down at his arm and quickly pulled his left hand away.

“Oh, I didn’t realize I was doing that.” He spoke in a much softer tone.

“You’ve been doing that a lot recently.” Anakin narrowed his eyes.

“What do you mean?” Obi Wan tilted his head in confusion.

“You’ve been really.. what’s the word.. jittery? I don’t know how to explain it. But I’ve noticed how your leg bounces when you’re sitting, you bite your nails, and now this. Is there something you’re not telling me, master?” Anakin asked suspiciously.

Obi-Wan hated how conscious and aware his padawan was sometimes. The boy was almost 11 and had the maturity of an adult. Though, he did still have some childish moments.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, young one. Everything is fine, I assure you.” Obi-Wan shrugged. Though what he said was a bold-faced lie.

Obi-Wan had been struggling with major withdrawal. He had given up alcohol around a month and a half ago. The withdrawals had been extremely gruesome lately, causing him to try and stimulate himself so he would be thinking about how much he wanted a drink.

He thought he was hiding it well. It didn’t help that his padawan was so observant.

“Are you really sure you’re fine?”

“Yes, Anakin. Now drop it.” Obi-Wan spoke in a much harsher tone, his eyes darkening.

Anakin flinched at the sudden change in tone. He thought back to when his master had threatened to kill him in a drunken rage. He hated how Obi-Wan brought it up so casually during their lesson.

Anakin wanted to press more, but he knew what would happen if he did. So, he dropped it.

“Sorry, master.” Anakin let his head fall. Obi-Wan’s eyes softened in response. He knelt down to Anakin’s level and gently lifted his chin with his finger.

“You don’t have to apologize for being concerned for my wellbeing, my young padawan.” Obi-Wan smiled. “But you have to remember that you are still a child. I have my own demons that I need to take care of myself. I thank you for your concern. But again, these are my problems, not yours.”

“I understand, master.” Anakin nodded, a small smile forming on his rosy cheeks.

Obi-Wan then pulled Anakin into a warm embrace. “I love you, Anakin. Never forget that, okay?” He whispered.

“I love you too, master… and I won’t.” Anakin let himself relax in the arms of his master.

Obi-Wan was a very conflicting man, especially to Anakin. With how quickly his master could switch moods, Anakin felt like he should be scared of him. But in reality, Anakin felt the safest with Obi-Wan. Despite all of the man’s issues, he was trying. And that’s all that mattered to Anakin.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan’s eyes fluttered open as he stretched in his bed. He had actually slept well, which never really happened. He glanced one at the window, the sun was shining bright through it. That was weird.. Obi-Wan always woke up before the sun rose.

That’s when he remembered the reason why he woke up so early every morning: Anakin. Anakin would always wake up earlier than Obi-Wan, despite not needing to be up for another few hours. Every morning, Anakin would walk into his master’s room and poke him until he woke up. Obi-Wan never knew why Anakin woke up so early. But honestly, it was too endearing for him to care.

But this morning, his padawan didn’t wake him up. Obi-Wan slipped out of his bed, his soft sleeping robes brushed against his skin. He let out a tired yawn and groaned as he stretched, feeling like a 50 year old man despite being 28.

Obi-Wan padded over to his padawan’s room, wondering if the young boy had just slept in. They did share a glass of Blue Milk the night before. Anakin was having a sweet tooth, and Obi-Wan just so happened to have some. Maybe it made the boy groggy and caused him to sleep in, who knows?

“Anakin?” Obi-Wan gently knocked on the door to his padawan’s bedroom. But there was no response.

“Anakin, are you awake?” Obi-Wan asked while knocking again, still no response. Obi-Wan felt his anxiety rise.

“Anakin, I’m coming in.” He said before he opened the door. But just as he peered in, his heart jumped. The bed was a mess: the blanket looked like it had been thrown off, pillows were on the floor. But worst of all, Anakin was nowhere to be found.

“Anakin..?” Obi-Wan called out, his voice shaking. He hoped that maybe his padawan would have been somewhere else in their quarters, but with his room looking like this, and the fact that the boy never woke him up, it seemed very unlikely.

Obi-Wan felt his heart shattered, his breathing becoming quicker and heavy. Anakin, his padawan… was gone. Did he leave? No.. why would he leave? Obi-Wan had been so good, he hadn’t had an outburst in almost 5 months. Why would his padawan leave him now??

Obi-Wan’s eyes frantically glanced around the room, trying to find clues of where his padawan might have gone. His eyes landed on what looked to be scratches in the flooring. Obi-Wan moved closer, his legs wobbling. He went to kneel down but instead toppled onto his knees. These weren’t just some random scratches, it was a message.

“Thanks for the chosen one.” It read.

Obi-Wan dragged his fingertips over it, as if part of him thought it wasn’t real.

How could this be?? Only members of the Jedi Council were aware of Anakin’s special connection to the force. And surely no Jedi would take his padawan away from him, not like this. This was the work of a bounty hunter. But who would put a bounty on Anakin’s head? Oh…

Obi-Wan thought back to a few nights ago. He and Anakin had been walking the streets of the Uscru District. Obi-Wan had been sent to make a negotiation with a lead miner in Dex’s Diner.

The council had sent him to negotiate a price for freshly mined kyber crystals. Those were the things that made lightsabers work. At least, that’s what he was told in his training. Normally, it was part of Jedi training to pick your own kyber crystal in the crystal cave. But with the galaxy at war, it was best if the younglings were kept on Coruscant.

The meeting had been a blur for Obi-Wan. He was only sent because the council had deemed him to be their top negotiator. He couldn’t deny that he was good at it. Maybe it was his charm, maybe it was his dashing good looks Obi-Wan didn’t know or care.

Obi-Wan had brought Anakin with him since his padawan had practically begged him to come along. Obi-Wan reluctantly obliged, maybe because he couldn’t say no to the pouty face his padawan swore he didn’t have.

While they were walking back to their speeder, Anakin had brushed shoulders with a rough looking civilian.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” The civilian turned and spat at Anakin.

“Watch who you’re talking to!” Anakin snapped back. Obi-Wan had been too exhausted to intervene immediately.

“Oh yeah? Who do you think you are?” The civilian taunted.

“I’m Anakin Skywalker, the chosen one!” That snapped Obi-Wan out of his half conscious trance.

“The chosen one, huh? I bet you’d go for a pretty good price then..” the civil smirked. To which Obi-Wan stepped in front of Anakin, lightsaber ignited.

“Lay a finger on him, and I will end your entire bloodline.” Obi-Wan threatened.

“Woah, who knew Jedi could be so aggressive? I thought you were the good guys.” The civilian put his hands up in surrender.

“You have no idea.” Obi-Wan glared at the civilian. But he soon backed down. He put his hand on his padawan’s shoulder and led him away. “Let’s go, Anakin.”

Obi Wan snapped out of his thoughts. Price.. no.. that quickly? That random civilian must have put a bounty on Anakin’s head. Or maybe he was a bounty hunter? He didn’t look like one, but then again Obi-Wan really had no room to speak. Without the robes and the lightsaber, there was no way anyone could tell that he was a Jedi.

Obi-Wan stared down at the words engraved in the floor. His blood boiled in anger. All of the sudden, Obi-Wan let out a guttural yell, punching the floor as hard as he could.

“I’ll kill him. He took my Anakin away from me!”

Obi-Wan looked up at the small mirror that sat on the wall near Anakin’s empty bed. His eyes.. those sickly yellow eyes. It was the first time he had actually seen them on his face. He stood up and walked closer to the mirror, his fingertips grazing the side of his face.

Has his anger really led him down this path? Of course it had..

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When they opened again, they returned to his normal blue.

“I will find you, Anakin. And I will kill every last person that stands in my way.”

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan had packed his things quickly, only taking the essentials. He looked to be prepared for war. Underneath his brown cloak was his lightsaber on his right, and his trusted blaster on his left.

He walked the streets of the Uscru District, trying to piece together what little clues he had as to who took his padawan away from him.

He lurked in the area where the original altercation had happened, his eyes paying close attention to every citizen that passed him by. If one of them looked remotely close to the one he was thinking of, he would strike. But nothing happened.

Obi-Wan got desperate. He walked up to a group of civilians near a food stand. His face was hidden under the shadow of his cloak.

“Excuse me, have any of you fine gentlemen seen a young boy about this tall?” Obi-Wan’s hand estimated to about the curve of his waist. “He has short, brown hair, blue eyes, and a long braid on the right side of his head.”

The citizens looked between each other. The look on their faces told Obi-Wan everything he needed to know.

He quickly grabbed the man in the middle by the arm, taking out his blaster and jabbing the barrel into the man’s stomach.

“Take me to him.” Obi-Wan spoke in a desperate, shaking voice. He knew he could just use the Jedi Mind Trick on them. But part of him got a small jitter when he threatened the man.

The other two men pulled out their blasters, but Obi-Wan used the force to twist the barrels inward, ruining them.

“Woah, hey. Easy there, big guy. I’ll take you to Skittah, just put the blaster down.” The man put his hands up and spoke in surrender.

“Skittah?” Obi-Wan’s posture straightened, but he didn’t remove his blaster.

“Cael Skittah, bounty hunter. If he sees something valuable, he takes it. Doesn’t matter if there isn't a bounty for it, he’ll make the bounty. He basically owns this side of Uscru.” The man explained.

“Take me to him.” Obi-Wan repeated, but in a much calmer tone.

The man nodded to the other two and walked with Obi-Wan down the street. Obi-Wan still had the blaster aimed at the man’s side.

“So, you’re looking for a kid? What’s he mean to you?” The man asked.

Obi-Wan paused, unsure of what to say, then:

“He’s my son.”

“Son? You look a little too young to be having a kid that’s half your height, don’t you think?” The man chuckled.

“He’s adopted.” Obi-Wan replied.

A beat of silence passed between the two men.

“You can put the blaster down, I won’t run.” The man spoke up.

“How do I know I can trust that?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow.

“Trust me, I don’t like Skittah as much as the next guy. And besides, I can sympathize with your situation. I got a little girl at home. She’s my world, and if I were in your situation, I’d be doing the same thing.” The man spoke softly and sincerely, causing Obi-Wan to slowly lower the blaster.

“Thank you..” He whispered.

“Tau.”

“What?”

“My name is Tau.” The man smiled.

“Obi-Wan..” He replied back. “You’re being so kind, I apologize for pulling my blaster out on you.

“You’re okay, a good father does whatever he has to for his kids.” Tau nodded and chuckled.

“Yes… he must..” Obi-Wan looked down at the ground, asking himself if he was truly doing the right thing with Anakin.

——————
Tau and Obi-Wan approached what looked to be an abandoned building.

“What is this?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Skittah’s hideout. Though, he’s never really put in any effort to keep it or himself hidden.” Tau explained.

“I see.. any security?”

“Not that I know of. It’s almost like he wants people to come challenge him.”

“I’ve never met a bounty hunter who actually wanted to get caught.”

“He’s an interesting one. Would you like some backup?” Tau offered, gently tapping the blaster attached to his belt. Was that really there the whole time?

“No, Tau. You’ve given me enough already. I owe you my gratitude.” Obi-Wan gave a subtle bow to the man.

“Look, I get you’re a Jedi, but you don’t have to be so formal. Now, go in there and save your kid.” Tau chuckled and gave Obi-Wan a small pat on the shoulder.

“Goodbye, Tau. May the force be with you.” Obi-Wan spoke sincerely.

“You too, Jedi.” Tau smirked and headed off in the opposite direction.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, remembering why he was here in the first place. His deep conversation with Tau had momentarily distracted him from his anger and worry.

“Don’t worry Anakin, I’m coming..”

But just as Obi-Wan snuck into the building, he was smothered with what he could only assume was sleeping powder. His eyes drooped as he fell to his knees. He tried to get up and keep moving, but suddenly a foot pressed to his back and shoved him to the floor.

“Shhh… don’t fight it..” Spoke a voice that belonged to someone Obi-Wan couldn’t see.

The last thing Obi-Wan felt was an arm around his waist that pulled him up from the ground, and he was out like a light.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan woke to the sound of rattling chains. His eyes fluttered open as his vision slowly cleared itself with each blink. The room he was in looked like a treasure hoard, gold and trinkets lying all around the room.

Obi-Wan tried to move, but the shackles around his wrists prevented him. He was standing, back against the wall with his hands just about his head. His head lolled around, eyes rolling up into his head. He was still a bit loopy from whatever had put him to sleep. He was stripped of his cloak, only wearing his tan robes. His lightsaber and blaster we’d gone too.

“Master….?” A meek voice took Obi-Wan out of his trance and snapped him awake. He turned his head fully to his left. There, his own padawan sat on his knees, locked in a cage.

A cage…..

Obi Wan’s heart broke.

“Anakin..” His voice shook with horror and emotion. The boy seemed untouched, except for a small bruise on his arm. But just the sight of seeing his padawan in a cage enraged the Jedi Master.

“Who would do this to a child..” Obi-Wan spat out.

“That would be me..”

Obi-Wan’s head snapped in the direction of the voice. A man with tan skin, short auburn hair, piercing green eyes, and a wicked smirk.

“You must be Skittah.” Obi-Wan glared at the bounty hunter.

“In the flesh.” Skittah gave a taunting bow. “I’ve never been so close in proximity to a Jedi before. Though I must say, you’re a bit too scrawny for my taste. I thought you’d be bulkier.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” Obi-Wan scowled.

“No, no.. I never said I was disappointed. I still like what I see.” Skittah stepped closer, carefully cupping Obi-Wan’s cheek and examining his face.

“Have you gone mad?? Unhand me!!” Obi-Wan snapped, prompting Skittah to slap him across the face. His head jerked to the right, but his eyes never left Skittah’s. Obi-Wan tried to use the force, but nothing happened. His cuffs must have been made out of a force cancelling alloy, which was probably what the cage Anakin was in was made out of as well.

“Ooo.. so defiant. I think I might keep you..” Skittah grabbed Obi-Wan by the jaw and redirected his head back to where it was. “Though, I still have no idea why a Jedi would even set foot in Uscru unless..”

Skittah paused, his eyes drifting over to the boy in the cage.

“You’re here for him, aren’t you..?” Skittah smirked.

“He’s mine.” Obi-Wan said in a possessive tone that made Anakin flinch.

“He’s a special boy, or so I’ve heard. He’ll make me a fortune.”

“He’s not for sale.”

“That’s not something for you to decide, now is it?” Skittah laughed.

Obi-Wan glared into the bounty hunter’s very soul.

“But, despite my looks I’m a very fair man. I’ll give you back the chosen one.. for a price of course.” Skittah got extremely close. So close to where their faces were just inches apart.

Obi-Wan kneed Skittah right in the crotch, causing the man to cry out in pain and collapse.

“Burn on Mustafar, you child kidnapping son of a clanker!” Obi-Wan snapped.

Anakin tried to hold in a laugh as he watched his captor gasp for air. The man had a chest plate and shoulder pad that belonged to a Mandalorian, but had no covering for his most sensitive area.

“You bastard!” Skittah groveled on the floor. He quickly pulled out his blaster and went to shoot Obi-Wan. The Jedi kicked Skittah’s hand, causing the blast to hit the chain instead of Obi-Wan’s body. The chain snapped clean, freeing Obi-Wan’s right hand. He could feel the powers of the force return to him.

Obi-Wan used the force to lift Skittah up off the ground. His fingers slowly pinched together as Skittah reached for his neck. The bounty hunter began to choke and gasp as he felt his windpipe closing.

Obi-Wan grew a sinister smirk. The rush of having someone’s life in his hands was exhilarating. He closed his eyes, and when they opened they shined yellow; a deeper yellow than ever before.

Obi-Wan brought his fingers closer together, Skittah letting out a choked sob in pain.

“Master!! Stop!!!” Anakin screamed. “You’re killing him! Stop!!!”

But Obi-Wan didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. The feeling was too good to resist. He could practically feel the life being drained out of the bounty hunter.

“Master!! Please!! This isn’t the Jedi way!” Anakin pleaded.

“He took you away from me, Anakin. He deserves to pay!” Obi-Wan seethed.

“He’s paid enough, now let him go! If you kill him, you’ll be just as bad as he is! Is that the example you want to set for me?”

Anakin’s words pierced through Obi-Wan’s rage. The boy knew exactly what to say to make Obi-Wan stop.

His eyes softened as he unclenched his hand. Skittah fell to the ground, gasping for air as he clutched his neck.

Obi-Wan used the force to unchain his other hand, rubbing it and rolling the joint to regain the feeling.

By now, Obi-Wan’s eyes faded back to blue, but the sinister glare didn’t go away as quickly. He made his way over to Skittah and pressed his boot to the man’s stomach.

“If you ever try to take my boy from me again, I won’t give you mercy.” Obi-Wan spat out. He then grabbed Skittah by the neck and punched him so hard he knocked him unconscious.

Obi-Wan searched the room for his lightsaber, knowing it had to be in here somewhere if this is where Skittah kept all of his treasure. He soon found it along with his cloak and blaster.

He clipped the blaster to his belt and slipped on his cloak, walking over to Anakin’s cage.

“Move over, Anakin.” Obi-Wan warned, igniting his lightsaber.

“Master, what are you talking ab- OH WHAT THE-“ Anakin shrieked as Obi-Wan sliced the cage clean in half.

“M-master.. he had the key on him.” Anakin’s voice shook.

“And how was I supposed to know that if you didn’t say anything?” Obi-Wan crossed his arms as he watched Anakin crawl out of the open cage.

“You didn’t ask…”

“Again, how was I supposed to know that you knew he had the key?” Obi-Wan countered.

Anakin stood up, wiping his hands against his robes and looked up at his master. They locked eyes for a good while, then Anakin wrapped his arms around his master and hugged him. Obi-Wan’s lips formed a smile as he gently placed his hand on the back of Anakin’s head.

“Thank you for saving me, master.” Anakin mumbled into the soft material of Obi-Wan’s robes.

“Of course, my padawan. I will always protect you. No matter what happens, no matter where you go.. I will always find you, and I will always protect you.”

They stood there in silence, Obi-Wan running his fingers through his padawan’s hair.

“Let’s go home, Anakin.” He said softly, but Anakin didn’t budge. Obi-Wan gently lifted Anakin’s chin to realize that his padawan had fallen asleep in his arms. Poor boy was probably too scared to fall asleep in front of Skittah in fear of what might happen to him. He must be exhausted.

Obi-Wan clipped his lightsaber to his belt and picked up Anakin. He made his way to the doorway only to pause and look back at the unconscious bounty hunter on the floor.

Anakin had begged him not to kill Skittah, so he didn’t. But now he was having second thoughts. Obi-Wan gently laid Anakin on the floor and turned back to Skittah.

He pulled out his blaster and knelt down to where Skittah’s head lay. Picking up the man’s head, Obi Wan pressed the barrel of his blaster to his forehead.

Without hesitation, Obi-Wan pulled the trigger and the blast went straight through Skittah’s skull. Blood and brain splattered onto the floor behind him. Obi-Wan let go of Skittah’s head and let his body fall back to the floor. Clipping his blaster back to his belt, Obi-Wan scooped Anakin back up into his arms and carried the boy all the way home.

Anakin would never know that Obi-Wan didn’t honor his padawan’s plea, and it would stay like that. Anakin didn’t need to know the lengths that his master would go to to protect him. All Anakin needed to know was that he was safe with his master, forever and always.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan sat with his left leg crossed over his right. His right hand was balled into a fist that held up his head. He was stuck in another council meeting, though he wasn’t really listening.

It had been about a year since the incident. But ever since then, Obi-Wan had grown a subtle lust for blood. The dark side called to him in his dreams, or whenever he let his mind wander.

He used the dark side every night, just to get rid of his padawan’s nightmares. It had been almost three years since he started doing that.

Every time he used the dark side, he felt a rush that he couldn’t quite explain. It wasn’t arousal, he wasn’t that sick in the head. But it was definitely something.

Obi-Wan blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the thoughts he was having. He truly was trying to pay attention to the discussion, but he was bored out of his mind.

But suddenly, Obi-Wan’s holo-com vibrated in the pocket of his cloak. He quietly took it out and checked who was trying to message him. It was from the Jedi Academy. Obi-Wan felt himself shudder.

The only reason why the Jedi Academy would ever call him was if Anakin did something, or something happened to him. He knew he should wait to read it until the meeting was over, but Anakin was his number one priority.

So, Obi-Wan calmly stood up and went to leave without saying a word. He almost got away until Mace Windu caught him.

“Where do you think you’re going, Master Kenobi?” Windu asked.

“I have to leave.” Obi-Wan spoke, reaching for the door. Windu used the force to hold Obi-Wan in place, forcibly turning him around to face him.

“You don’t just walk out of a council meeting without a proper reason.” Windu gave Obi-Wan an empty stare.

“My, ‘proper reason,’ Master Windu, is that I have received a holo-message from my padawan’s school. And I feel like it is necessary that I take this call now in case that something terrible has happened to him. And if something terrible has happened to the chosen one, then it shall take place as my top priority.” Obi-Wan explained, his eyes narrowed halfway through.

Windu stared at the Jedi for a long moment before sighing. “Very well.”

“Thank you for understanding, Master.” Obi-Wan gave a polite bow and exited the room. He went to a more isolated part of the hallway and opened the holo-message. A woman appeared on the holo-pad, Obi-Wan recognized her as the academy’s nurse.

“Master Kenobi, I apologize for this inconvenience but you are listed as Anakin Skywalker’s emergency contact. I’m afraid he has fallen ill and needs to be sent home to rest and recover. If you could come to take him as soon as possible, I would be very grateful.” The woman spoke.

Anakin was sick, how sick Obi-Wan didn’t know. But still, the thought of his young padawan falling ill hurt his heart in ways he couldn’t explain. He shoved his holo-com into the pocket in his cloak and quickly rushed to the academy.

——————

Obi-Wan sat in the main office, his feet tapping rapidly against the floor as he waited for his padawan to be brought to him.

Soon enough, the nurse entered with her hand pressed against Anakin’s back to steady him. The boy’s cheeks were flushed red, he was drenched in sweat, and his body was shaking. Obi-Wan immediately stood up.

“How bad is it?” He asked in the tone of a concerned father.

“He’s got a fever, he’s congested and-“ The nurse was interrupted by Anakin going into a coughing fit. “He won’t stop coughing. He’s thrown up twice already, he needs to be sent home.”

“I’m o-okay, master.. really..” Anakin’s voice gave away how congested he was.

“I’ve already signed him out. He’s going straight to bed so he can recover.” Ob- Wan carefully took Anakin’s hand and the boy clung to his side.

“Thank you, Master Kenobi.”

“No, thank you.”

——————

Obi-Wan carefully shut the door to his quarters, Anakin already collapsing onto the sofa in a coughing fit.

“I think I’m dying.” Anakin whined.

“Please don’t say that Anakin, I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I lost you.” Obi-Wan hung his cloak on the rack next to the door.

“I was a-cough-joke, master…”

“I don’t care, dying is not something to joke about, my young padawan.” Obi-Wan surfed through the pantry and conservator for something he can give Anakin.

He pulled out a small red apple and washed it off, cutting it into slices and serving it up on a ceramic plate. Obi-Wan carefully brought the plate over to his sick padawan and helped the boy sit upright, placing the plate on his lap.
“I’m not hungry..” Anakin mumbled.

“You have to eat, young one.”

“But.. what if I throw up again?”

“That’s exactly why you need to eat. The nurse said you’ve thrown up twice now. And you need to eat something before you can take your medicine, or else you’ll throw that up too.” Obi-Wan explained as he sat down next to Anakin.

Anakin stared down at the cut up apple on his plate, already feeling queasy just from the thought of vomiting all over again.

“You don’t have to eat it all, just half at least.” Obi-Wan comfortingly rubbed Anakin’s back.

The boy ate about two thirds of his apple before he said he couldn’t anymore.

“Good job, my young padawan. I’ll give you a few minutes before you have to take your medicine.” Obi-Wan gently ruffled Anakin’s hair before taking the plate away and setting it on the counter.

“Do I have to?” Anakin sniffled, not from crying, but from congestion.

“Do you want to feel better?”

“……yes”

“That’s what I thought.”

Obi-Wan reached into their small medicine cabinet and pulled out a small liquid bottle. He would always take a swig or two whenever he wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t mind the taste, but Anakin hated it with every fiber of his being.

He poured the correct dosage for Anakin’s age into a small cup, bringing it over to the boy along with a trash can in case he threw it up, which he had done before. Obi-Wan also filled up a glass of water for Anakin so he could drown out the taste of the medicine.

Anakin’s hand shook as he took the small cup. The smell alone had brought back memories of when he puked after taking it before. Anakin took a deep breath, feeling slightly calmer as his master placed his hand on his back.

He then downed the liquid like a shot, immediately feeling himself gag. He swiftly grabbed the glass of water and gulped it down, Obi-Wan holding the trash can under him.

When the glass left his lips, Anakin went into a deep coughing fit, but eventually calmed down, a small tear rolling down his cheek.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Obi-Wan asked softly.

“Please don’t taunt me, master.” Anakin closed his eyes as he tried to regulate his breathing, Obi-Wan let out a soft chuckle.

“I suggest you go lay down and rest, that medicine normally knocks you out anyway.” Obi-Wan claimed, Anakin nodding in response.

“I’m sorry.” Anakin said after a moment of silence.

“For what, my padawan?”

“I knew you had a council meeting today. I begged the nurse not to call you, I didn’t want to be a burden and interrupt.” Anakin’s voice was filled with shame.

Obi-Wan carefully cupped Anakin’s cheek and turned his head to make eye contact.

“Anakin, you never have to apologize for something that was completely out of your control. You will never be a burden to me, so get that thought out of your mind. You mean the galaxy to me, my padawan.” Obi-Wan placed a gentle kiss on Anakin's forehead.

“Besides, I felt like I was going to lose my mind in there. You got me out of there just in time.” Obi-Wan chuckled, the mood lightening.

Anakin smiled widely and hugged Obi-Wan tightly.

“You’re the best father I could ever ask for.”

That caught Obi-Wan off guard. His throat tightened as his face flushed.

Anakin looked up, realizing what he had said.

“D-did I say father? I meant master..” Anakin chuckled awkwardly.

“No, no it’s okay. I would be so proud and honored to call you my son, Anakin.”

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin in for another hug. And when Obi-Wan let go, Anakin had fallen asleep in his arms. That medicine did work wonders.

Obi-Wan carefully picked Anakin up and carried him to his bed. He made sure Anakin was tucked under the covers.

He usually saves this for their nightly routine, but Obi-Wan made sure to get rid of Anakin’s possible nightmares in his head. What used to be an exhausting task was just a gentle touch to the forehead now. Obi-Wan’s eyes flickered from blue, to yellow, then back to blue.

He stood there and watched his padawan sleep for a few moments before closing the door behind him. Since Anakin was sick, Obi-Wan would probably have to stay home and take care of him for the next few days.

Obi-Wan didn’t mind though, it just meant that he could spend more time with Anakin. And spending time with Anakin was always the highlight of Obi-Wan’s day.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan sat outside on the balcony of his quarters. Legs crossed, eyes closed, posture straight. He was meditating.

Obi-Wan’s mind was a dull void of black, not a sound or sight. But then..

“Obi-Wan….” A sing-song voice rang out. It sounded like his own, but different. He tried to ignore it, but the voice came back.

“Come on, don’t ignore me. Please..?” The voice whined.

Obi-Wan stood up and looked around the dull void of his mind.

“Who’s there?” He asked.

“Behind you~”

Obi-Wan flinched as he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He quickly turned around and yelped at the sight.

It was him, but not entirely. The man’s eyes were a mix of red and yellow, the eyes of a pure Sith just like Maul. A wicked smile was plastered on his face.

“Who are you..?” Obi-Wan asked stupidly, as if he didn’t already know.

“My name- well.. our name is Darth Aspis.” The figure chuckled.

“Darth Aspis..? No, that can’t be right. I’m not a Sith.” Obi-Wan shook his head, taking a step back.

“Not yet, but soon. Your use of the dark side, it feeds me.. fuels me. I grow stronger every time you use it.” Aspis slowly circled Obi-Wan.

“Why am I only learning about you now? I’ve been using the dark side for years now.” Obi-Wan asked timidly.

“I’ve finally grown stronger enough to communicate with you now. Isn’t this fun?” Aspis laughed.

“Imagine it, Obi-Wan. You and me, against the Galaxy! We could be the most powerful Sith Lord that has ever existed!” Aspis stood behind Obi-Wan, his hands wrapped around the Jedi’s waist in what he could only hope was the Sith’s version of a hug.

“No! Get away from me!” Obi-Wan shoved the Sith away. “I am not like you, and I will never be like you! I don’t use the dark side to hurt people, I just use it to protect my padawan.” He tried to justify his actions, which only caused Aspis to smirk.

“Tell that to Skittah.”

That made Obi-Wan freeze. He hadn’t thought about the bounty hunter in over a year.

“He kidnapped Anakin and tried to sell him, again I was only trying to protect him.”

“You could’ve easily just knocked him out. You didn’t have to choke him, you didn’t have to kill him. He could’ve had a family, and you killed him.” Aspis got right into Obi-Wan’s face.

“And do you know who gave you the power to do that?” Aspis asked, but he answered himself: “Me.”

Obi-Wan felt tears streaming down his cheeks.

“I… I don’t want to hurt anyone.. I just.. I just don’t want to lose him..” Obi-Wan sobbed

“Shhh, it’s okay. I know, I know.” Aspis spoke in a much softer tone, cupping Obi-Wan’s cheeks and wiping away his tears. “It’s not your fault Obi-Wan, you were only doing what was best for Anakin. We both were.”

That caught Obi-Wan’s attention, he lifted his eyes to make contact with his dark self.

“What? Did you think I didn’t care for him? Well, I do. We both do. You can trust me Obi-Wan, I don’t want to hurt Anakin any more than you do. We’re on the same side here.” Aspis smiled, and for a moment, it seemed genuine.

Obi-Wan sniffled, feeling himself lean into the touch of the Sith he was supposed to fight.

“I promised Master Qui Gon that I would kill every last Sith, no matter what..” Obi-Wan mumbled.

“And you will.”

“But you’re a Sith.”

“Are you calling yourself a Sith?”

“Didn’t you?”

Aspis chuckled to himself.

“My dear, Obi-Wan.. how naïve. I am the absolute darkness that lives inside of you. You are the absolute light. And only together can we truly function.” Aspis explained.

“You’re confusing me..” Obi-Wan looked away.

“Then let me simplify it for you. I want to help you, Obi-Wan. You don’t have to fight me, you don’t have to repress me. I’m on your side. I have the same goals as you.”

Obi-Wan stared into Aspis’s sickly yellow eyes. He wanted to push away, to say no. But he was convinced fully. Obi-Wan felt himself nod in agreement.

“Good.” Aspis smiled, pulling Obi-Wan into a full hug before disappearing.

“Master..?”

Obi-Wan opened his eyes to see Anakin standing in front of him. The sight startled him.

“Anakin, what are you doing home so early?” Obi-Wan asked.

“My classes ended half an hour ago; are you feeling okay, master? Have you been crying?” Anakin asked, his eyes locking into his master’s tear stained cheeks.

“O-oh! I must’ve lost track of time. I was meditating, sometimes it can get a bit intense.” Obi-Wan chuckled nervously, wiping away what tears hadn’t dried yet.

“Well, as long as you’re okay, master.”

“Yes, my padawan. I’m more than okay. I feel great, actually.” Obi-Wan smiled. Anakin returned the smile and hugged his master tightly.

“I love you, Master” Anakin mumbled.

“I love you too, my padawan.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan tossed and turned in his bed.

“It’s all Obi-Wan’s fault!” A voice rang out. It was Anakin, a much older Anakin.

“Obi-Wan.. what’s going on?” Aspis asked. Obi-Wan twitched in his bed, eyes shut tight.

“He’s jealous! He’s holding me back!” The older Anakin spat out. He was in a place neither Aspis nor Obi-Wan recognized.

“What’s wrong, Ani?” Another voice spoke. This time, a much softer, more feminine voice.

“Amidala? What’s she doing here? Obi-Wan, what’s going on? You need to wake up.” Aspis’s voice rang in Obi-Wan’s head, but nothing changed.

“I killed them.” Anakin spoke softly.

No, no this wasn’t right.

“I killed them all.”

Stop it, stop it.

“They’re dead, every single one of them.”

Wake up, wake up!

“And not just the men. But the women, and the children too.”

“What’s he talking about?? Obi-Wan you have to wake up!!” Aspis began to panic.

“They’re like animals. AND I SLAUGHTERED THEM LIKE ANIMALS!!”

Obi-Wan’s eyes shot open as he woke with a gasp. His body was drenched in sweat as he heaved.

“What was that?” Aspis asked.

“I don’t know..” Obi-Wan spoke out loud. His eyes glanced around the room. He was in his quarters, safe. But he didn’t feel safe.

“It was probably just a bad dream then.”

“No.” Obi-Wan shook his head. “It was too real to be a dream.”

“Do you think it was a vision?”

“It could be. But I hope it isn’t. I can’t bear to see my padawan fall to the dark side.”

“That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think?”

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes despite no one being in front of him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Aspis chuckled.

Obi-Wan laid back down on the bed, it was still the middle of the night.

“If that was truly a vision, then does that mean Anakin will turn?” Obi-Wan asked, staring at the ceiling.

“Possibly.”

“I need to prevent it. I can’t let that happen.”

“Well, how are you going to do that? We don’t even know what caused Anakin’s outburst in the first place.” Aspis argued.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, taking his mind back to the vision.

“I see a woman. She’s older, beat up. She’s dead, in Anakin’s arms. There’s sand everywhere.” Obi-Wan spoke.

“Tatooine?” Aspis suggested.

“Anakin’s mother. That’s it! If we get Anakin’s mother off of Tatooine, she can’t die there.” Obi-Wan opened his eyes.

“I don’t think that’s how that works, but okay.”

“I’m sorry, but do you have any other ideas, Mr. Sith Lord?”

“All of my idea are also your ideas, so no. I don’t.”

“Then it’s settled then.” Obi-Wan got out of his bed and went to his closet to change out of his sleeping robes.

“But how will we even get to Tatooine. We’ll need to have the council’s approval to travel that far and I’m pretty sure they’re not going to give it to us.” Aspis argued.

“Who said the council has to know where we’re going?” Obi-Wan paused.

“You’re starting to sound like me.”

“We’re the same person, we have the same voice.”

Obi-Wan stripped off his sleeping robes and put on his normal attire. He clipped his lightsaber to his belt and slipped on his cloak.

As Obi-Wan made his way to the front door, he paused, glancing over to Anakin’s bedroom door.

“What if Anakin wakes up and realizes I’m gone?” Obi-Wan asked softly.

“If everything goes right and we have no setbacks, we’ll be back before Anakin realizes we even left.” Aspis spoke with reassurance in his voice.

And with that, Obi-Wan left his quarters and made his way to the hangar.

Obi-Wan knew what he was doing was wrong, defying the council and sneaking off Coruscant. But he was doing this for Anakin.

——————

Obi-Wan landed his ship on the outskirts of Mos Espa, the village where Anakin grew up. He stepped out of the cockpit and planted his feet into the sand below him.

“Stay with the ship R4, I shouldn’t be long.” Obi-Wan gently patted the droid on the head, the droid responding with a small chirp.

Obi-Wan wasn’t a fan of flying, but it was necessary. Especially when you lived in a world where the only way to get around was flying, or very long walks.

Obi-Wan trudged through the sand, his boots creating footprints behind him. He glanced around the buildings of Mos Espa, it wasn’t much to see. Though, the Jedi never did get to explore Tatooine. Qui-Gon had made him stay on the ship the entire time they were on the planet. Because of this, Obi-Wan had no idea who he was looking for. He could only go off of the descriptions Anakin had given him in the past, and what the locals said…if he could even speak their language.

“Yeesh, these people have seen better days.” Aspis spoke within Obi-Wan’s mind.

“Could you keep it down? I’m trying to focus.” Obi-Wan huffed.

Obi-Wan’s eyes landed on a much older woman with black hair. She placed a crate of what appeared to be scrap parts with a group of identical ones. Despite her age and the visible strain on her face, she was glowing. Obi-Wan felt his heart flutter.

“She seems nice, we should go talk to her.” Aspis interjected, taking Obi-Wan out of his trance.

“I was already planning on it.” The Jedi regained his composure.

“I know, that’s why I said it.” Aspis chuckled.

Obi-Wan carefully approached the woman, but made sure to keep his distance.

“Excuse me, madam. I’m looking for a woman named Shmi Skywalker, do you happen to know where she might be?” He asked politely.

The woman turned to face him, her eyes widening as she studied his attire. A gentle smile formed on her face as she responded.

“I am Shmi Skywalker, is there something you need from my master, Watto?”

“No, just you.” Obi-Wan returned Shmi’s beautiful smile. “My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight. You may remember my master Qui-Gon Jinn.” Obi-Wan gave a small bow to the woman in respect. The Jedi was proud of himself that he was able to speak of his deceased master without getting emotional.

“Yes, the Jedi that saved my Ani from the life of a slave. I owe him many thanks. How are they doing, if I may ask?” Shmi’s eyes lit up at the mention of her son. Obi-Wan could tell that she missed him dearly.

“Well, Master Qui-Gon sadly passed not long after we left Tatooine.” His voice was soft and mournful, but he still managed to keep his composure.

“Oh, I'm terribly sorry, dear. What about Anakin?"

“I took over training Anakin after my master’s passing. He’s the best padawan I could ever ask for. I am grateful every day that I have him.” Obi-Wan smiled.

“That’s good to hear. As long as my Ani is in good hands. But, what are you doing here, Master Kenobi?” Shmi asked.

“Well, it’s a long story but I-” Obi-Wan was cut off by an annoying voice.

“What is going on here? What do you want?” The voice belonged to what Obi-Wan could only assume was Shmi’s master, Watto. He was not what the Jedi was expecting at all.

“Oh my, what is that?? That's the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen!” Aspis fake gagged.

“Quiet!” Obi-Wan’s voice resonated in his head.

“You must be Watto.” Obi-Wan spoke with a fake smile. “My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight.”

“A Jedi? You’re not here to take another one of my slaves like the last one did, are you?” Watto asked in a very skeptical tone.

“Actually, I am. I have around 1,000 credits, if that would suffice.” Obi Wan pulled a few credits out of a pouch and held them out to Watto.

Watto’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the credits. “Haven’t you Jedi learned from last time? Your credits don’t work here. Now get out of my sight!” Watto waved his hand in front of Obi-Wan as if to shoo him away.

“You’re not going to take that, are you?” Aspis was offended by the disrespect.

“I can handle myself, Aspis.” Obi-Wan grumbled in his head.

“I insist that you take my credits, or whatever form of payment you want.” Obi-Wan spoke in a more desperate tone.

“She’s not for sale.” Watto stood his ground, despite his feet not actually being on the ground.

Obi-Wan went to argue again, his anger bubbling. But, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder that snapped him out of it. Obi-Wan’s eyes met Shmi’s.

“I thank you for trying, Master Kenobi, but it's okay. You don’t have to fight for me.” Shmi smiled sincerely. It broke the Jedi’s heart seeing this woman so content with being a slave.

“I'm not leaving here without you, Shmi. I fear that horrible things will happen if you stay here on Tatooine.” Obi-Wan stared into her eyes, they were full of kindness and understanding. Obi-Wan had never seen anything like it.

“What kind of terrible things?” Shmi cocked her head to the side.

“I’m not quite sure, but I think I had a vision. One of you dying in Anakin's arms. Anakin’s grief, it overtakes him. I cannot let you or him suffer from that fate.” Obi-Wan shook his head, the feeling of dread residing within him. His breathing picked up along with his anxiety. It only stopped when he felt gentle hands cup his cheeks.

“You care for my Ani, don’t you?” She asked.

“As if he were my own.” Obi-Wan leaned into the touch. He never had a mother growing up, this was the closest thing he's ever had to a mother’s touch. It felt warm, comforting.

“You’re a great father to him, I can tell.” Shmi smiled, looking up at the Jedi.

Obi-Wan glanced to the side, Watto was completely out of the picture.

“Come with me.” Obi-Wan spoke softly, gently wrapping his finger’s around Shmi’s wrist.

“But, what about Watto? He won’t accept any of your offers.”

“Then we run, he won’t be fast enough to catch us.” Obi-Wan smirked. Shmi nodded in response. The Jedi grabbed her hand and the two ran off.

“It can't be this simple, we’re going to get caught.” Aspis’s voice invaded Obi-Wan’s mind.

“Can’t you be optimistic for once?” Obi-Wan spoke in his thoughts.

“I’m being realistic, you should try it sometime.” Aspis argued. Obi-Wan did not grant him the luxury of continuing their quarrel.

Soon enough, they arrived at a trading port surrounded by Jawa and citizens of Mos Espa.

Obi-Wan reached into the pocket of his cloak and pulled out his pouch full of credits, placing it gently in Shmi’s calloused hands. Shmi’s fingers wrapped around the pouch as she looked up into the Jedi’s eyes.

“All you have to do is get on that ship and sneak off at the next port. These credits should be enough to get you by.” Obi-Wan explained.

“You can’t take me with you back to Coruscant, can you?” Shmi’s voice sounded defeated, yet understanding at the same time.

“I’m afraid I cannot. The council is already unaware of my presence here, and I fear that by having you so close to Anakin puts a target on your back. Trust me, this is the safest option.” Obi-Wan felt his heart break. He wanted to bring Shmi with him, he truly did. Anakin deserved to have his mother with him. But he knew it just wasn’t possible.

“I understand.” Shmi nodded, gently wiping away the tears that threatened to fall. “Thank you for everything, Master Kenobi.”

“Please, call me Obi-Wan. Master Kenobi is way too formal for my liking.” This caused a small chuckle to come from Shmi.

“Thank you, Obi-Wan.” Shmi said again.

“Of course.” Obi-Wan smiled.

Shmi carefully cupped the side of the Jedi’s face and placed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Tell my Ani that I love him.. Please.”

“I will.” Obi-Wan responded with flushed cheeks and a warm smile.

They shared a hug, Shmi’s head against Obi-Wan’s chest due to their height difference. Obi-Wan watched her disappear into the crowd of people, hoping that she would make her trip safely. The Jedi pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and turned to the opposite direction.

He made his way back to his ship. His droid, R4-P17, was waiting for him.

“Ready the ship, R4. Let's hope we can make it back in time before anyone notices.” Obi-Wan climbed into the cockpit.

“Yeah, let's hope.” Aspis spoke in a sarcastic tone.

“You’ve been awfully quiet.” Obi-Wan spoke out loud this time.

“Maybe because you kept telling me to shut up.”

“I'm surprised you listened.” The Jedi chuckled.

The ship soon lifted off the ground and flew into the air, leaving Tatooine’s atmosphere.

“Do you think you did the right thing?” Aspis broke the silence.

“Aspis, where is this coming from? Of course I did the right thing.” Obi-Wan flipped a few switches, getting ready for lightspeed.

“I don’t know, I still have an off feeling about everything.”

“Well snap out of it. If you keep acting like this, then it will have an effect on me, and then everyone will know that we did something we weren’t supposed to.” Obi-Wan sighed and jumped to lightspeed before Aspis could even respond.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan carefully shut the door to his quarters behind him. He didn’t know how long he had been gone, but it didn’t seem like anyone had noticed he left. There was no sign of Anakin, maybe he truly did get away with it.

“Hey, Master.” Anakin practically jumped out at the Jedi.
“GAHH!” Obi-Wan yelped, he physically jumped. “Anakin, don’t do that. You scared me.”

“Where were you?” Anakin asked in a suspicious tone.

“Nowhere of your concern.” Obi-Wan tried to sound like it wasn't a big deal, but the panic inside him gave it away.

“Great job, now he's really onto us.” Aspis sighed internally.

“Master you don’t exactly have the cleanest record of going places you aren't supposed to be. So forgive me for being a bit concerned about my former alcoholic master’s whereabouts.” Anakin folded his arms.

“Anakin, you are not my parent. I’m an adult, I don’t have to tell you where I was or was not.” Obi-Wan spoke in a defensive tone, though that was more of Aspis’s doing.

“Oh, so it's my fault for caring about you and your well being? I’m not a little kid anymore, Obi-Wan. I’m fourteen and I-” Anakin cut himself off and took a few steps closer, his eyes narrowing. He gently grabbed onto the fabric of Obi-Wan’s cloak, sliding his fingers down to the hem of it.

“Is this sand?” Anakin asked softly. That made Obi-Wan’s face turn pale.

“I-is it..?”

“Great….” Aspis groaned.

“There's no sand on Coruscant. Where were you?” Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan.

“Anakin, I can explain.” Obi-Wan stepped back, hands up in a small surrendering stance.

“You went off-world, didn’t you?”

“Anakin..”

“Does the council know about this?”

“Anakin, stop.” Obi-Wan spoke in a firm tone. He took a deep breath, preparing what he was going to say.

“I was on Tatooine.” The Jedi practically mumbled.

Anakin’s eyes widened, taking a step back as if the revelation physically pushed him back.

“What do you mean you were on Tatooine, why would you ever go there?? Unless…”

“I had a vision.” Obi-Wan cut the boy off. “I saw you, holding your mother in your arms. She was dead, you were crying hysterically. You were on Tatooine. I thought that by getting her off the planet, the events in my vision wouldn’t happen, that I could save you and her from that terrible fate.” Obi-Wan knew that what he said was a half-truth. He wasn't entirely sure if he should tell his padawan what he really saw.

Anakin was in visible shock, rightfully so. Then: “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you take me with you?”

“I don’t know. I was in too much of a panic, I guess. It was the middle of the night, afterall.” Obi-Wan let out an awkward chuckle, though it didn’t fix the disappointed and hurt look on his padawan’s face.

“Where is my mom now, is she safe?” Anakin asked in a meek voice.

“I told her to sneak onto the trade ship that was about to leave the planet. She should be landing safely on Naboo as we speak.” Obi-Wan responded in a reassuring tone.

“That's good… as long as she’s safe.” Anakin looked down at the floor, sounding defeated.

Obi-Wan looked down at his padawan, feeling a pang of guilt in his chest.

“We did the right thing, Obi-Wan. It was for Anakin’s own good that he wasn’t there.” Aspis tried to justify the situation.

“I know, but it doesn’t stop the guilt.” Obi-Wan's voice rang in his head.

The Jedi placed his hand on Anakin’s back and led the boy to the sofa. They both sat down together, Anakin’s eyes still locked to the floor.

“Believe me, I would have loved for her to be here with you on Coruscant. But not only would that be a risk to her safety, it would be a risk to yours as well. You know that.” Obi-Wan gently rubbed Anakin’s back. The boy shook as he tried to keep his composure.

“I miss her so much…” Anakin sobbed. Obi-Wan immediately pulled him into a hug.

“I know… I know… You have every right to.” Obi-Wan looked down at the floor.

A long silence was split between both master and apprentice.

“Are you afraid of me?” Obi-Wan blurted out. Anakin lifted his head to look at his master. Obi-Wan looked unsure of himself. Anakin was used to his master being insecure, but never like this.

“Do you want me to be honest?” Anakin asked stupidly.

“Of course…” Obi-Wan shifted his head, looking down at his padawan. Anakin took a deep breath before answering.

“Sometimes, yes. But not always.”

Obi-Wan felt like a lightsaber pierced through his heart. The last thing he wanted to do was make his padawan feel unsafe around him.

“You know I would never hurt you.” Obi-Wan said reassuringly, though he was more saying it to reassure himself. It wasn’t working.

“You say that, and I believe you. Truly, I do. But there are times where I really thought you were going to hurt me, or lose control of yourself. The memory of you: holding your lightsaber, ready to strike me. There was hatred, anger in your eyes. I truly thought you would kill me that night.” Anakin spoke truthfully and clearly, yet he could barely make eye contact with his master.

Obi-Wan thought back to that moment. Anakin was so young: only 10 years old. He remembered the look on Anakin’s face, cheeks stained with tears and a terrified look that haunted Obi-Wan’s own nightmares. He nodded softly in a silent understanding.

“That night is my biggest regret. I know no apology could ever make up for what you’ve seen. I was in a horrible state, and I should’ve never had you in my care.” Obi-Wan shook his head, trying to stop the tears that threatened to form. Suddenly, Anakin hugged him.

“But you’ve changed. That’s what really matters. You’ve stopped drinking, you’re managing your anger. I wouldn’t trade you for any other master. You understand me, you take care of me. You literally defied the council just to save my mother.” Anakin looked up at his master, giving him a warm smile.

“You’re very good at making me cry, then comforting me right after.” Obi-Wan chuckled, placing a hand on Anakin’s back. Anakin returned the laugh.

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin closer, rubbing the boy’s back.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes you do.”

“One day, I’ll have the ability to believe that. Today is not that day.”

Chapter Text

“Focus, Anakin.” Obi-Wan slowly circled his padawan. They were on the balcony once again, it became their standard training area.

“I am!” Anakin said defensively. Suddenly, he charged at his master. He swung his lightsaber recklessly, Obi-Wan ducking out of the way.

“Easy..” Obi-Wan took a few steps back. “You’re too aggressive, young one. This is not what I taught you.”

But Anakin didn’t listen, he kept swinging. Obi-Wan blocked every hit, but Anakin was becoming unpredictable. Obi-Wan was starting to get irritated.

“Alright, you warned him. Kick his ass.” Aspis’s voice echoed in Obi-Wan’s head.

Obi-Wan complied with Aspis’s order with no hesitation. He abandoned his standard technique and it caught Anakin completely off guard. Their lightsabers clashed frantically, Anakin stumbling back.

“H-hey! Slow down!!” Anakin gripped his lightsaber tightly, but Obi-Wan practically slapped it out of his hand. The impact caused Anakin to fall to the floor. Obi-Wan stood over Anakin, lightsaber inches away from the boy’s face. Anakin stared up at his master’s stone-cold face.

Anakin froze, a chill going down his spine. Suddenly, he wasn’t 15 anymore. He was 10, curled into the corner of the sofa, holding back his master’s lightsaber from killing him.

“M-master.. Please..” Anakin choked out. Obi-Wan’s expression softened at his padawan’s fear stricken face.

Obi-Wan lowered his weapon, turning it off and clipping it to his belt. He held out his hand for Anakin to grab. The boy grabbed his master’s hand and pulled himself up, but his eyes were locked onto the floor.

“Look at me.” Obi-Wan placed his hand under Anakin’s chin and moved his head up, forcing eye contact. Anakin squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to let the tears in his eyes fall.

“You were being reckless, unfocused. Is there something troubling you, my padawan?” Obi-Wan asked. He wiped a stray tear off Anakin’s cheek with his thumb. He knew why Anakin was crying, there was no need to bring it up.

“It's nothing.” Anakin tried to avoid the subject, but he knew his master would get it out of him eventually.

“You know I don’t like it when you lie to me, Anakin.” Obi-Wan let go of the boy’s chin.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now, please. I’m sorry for being reckless.” Anakin wrapped his arms around his master, his head resting on Obi-Wan’s chest.

The hug startled Obi-Wan, but he reciprocated the hug.

“He’s trying to distract you, don’t give in.” Aspis warned.

“I don’t care. I scared him, he’s hurting. He needs me.” Obi-Wan argued back. He tightened his grip on Anakin.

“Whatever, let yourself be emotionally manipulated by a teenager.” Aspis sounded annoyed, but he was the least of Obi-Wan’s worries.

—---------

Obi-Wan gave Anakin a few hours of space after that. He learned over time that sometimes, Anakin just needed time to think and go over his actions.

Obi-Wan gently knocked on the door to Anakin’s bedroom.

“Come in..” Anakin’s voice was muffled through the closed door. The jedi slowly opened the door, his eyes laying on his padawan sitting up in his bed. Anakin had changed into his sleeping robes, hair still damp from a recent shower.

“Can we talk?” Obi-Wan asked, sitting down on the bed next to Anakin.

“I guess so.” Anakin shrugged awkwardly.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, preparing himself for the words he rehearsed in his head over and over again.

“I apologize for scaring you, I let my own frustration take control.” Obi-Wan could sense Aspis rolling his eyes.

“It’s not your fault, I was too reckless and I caused your frustration.”

“Even then, Anakin. It is my responsibility as your master to keep my composure.” Obi-Wan argued back. Anakin just nodded in response.

A beat of silence was shared between them.

“So, do you want to tell me what’s been troubling you?”

“Hm?” Anakin lifted his head.

“Something was clearly troubling you during our training. Would you mind telling me what it is?”

Anakin’s eyes widened as a small blush formed on his cheeks. He quickly looked away.

“Its kind of embarrassing.” Anakin stammered.

“I promise I won’t judge.” Obi-Wan chuckled.

Anakin took a deep breath, his cheeks still flushed. Obi-Wan had never seen him so flustered before.

“Well, do you remember Padme?” Anakin asked timidly. Obi-Wan took a moment to think. The name did sound familiar.

“Padme Amidala, the former queen of Naboo. Yes, I remember her.” Obi-Wan nodded. Just the mention of her name made Anakin blush even more.

“Well.. I.. ugh, it's so hard to say!” Anakin buried his face into his pillow.

“You have feelings for her, don’t you?” Obi-Wan asked softly. He could see Anakin nod through his pillow.

“How long have you had these feelings?”

“It’s weird…” Anakin removed the pillow, face still red. “I knew I had feelings for her when I first met her. Then as the years passed, I kind of forgot about her. But ever since you told me that my mom escaped to Naboo, I remembered her, and the feelings returned.” Anakin explained.

“I see.”

“I’m sorry…” Anakin apologized.

“Why are you apologizing?” Obi-Wan asked with a chuckle.

“Well.. Jedi can’t have attachments. It’s forbidden to fall in love.” Anakin looked up at his master.

“I’m aware.” Obi-Wan nodded.

“You’re not mad?” Anakin looked confused.

“Of course I’m not. I’ve told you time and time again that my caring for you goes directly against the Jedi code. I cannot be upset with you for breaking the code when I myself am doing the same thing.” Obi-Wan explained.

“Oh… you love me?” Anakin sounded skeptical.

“The Jedi code forbids not just romantic attachments, but familial ones as well. I see you as my son, Anakin. In the eyes of the Jedi, I’m breaking the rules.”

“Ohh! That makes so much more sense!” Anakin chuckled awkwardly.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, young one.” Obi-Wan sighed.

Another long pause was shared between them.

“Have you ever been in love?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan felt himself freeze.

“There was once a girl.” Obi-Wan was the one to look away this time.

“Wait really?” Anakin sounded surprised.

“Her name was Satine Kryze, the Duchess of Mandalore.”

“Wait, you fell for a Duchess??”

“You fell in love with a Queen.”

“Fair enough, carry on.” Anakin chuckled

“I was 15, just a bit older than you. Master Qui-Gon and I were stationed on Mandalore to protect the duchess. The moment I laid eyes on her, I fell in love. I was young, and dumb, and didn’t care about the code. I was infatuated with the idea of love, of living a life with the duchess. I remember, I used to sing her love songs and write poetry for her. I did everything I could to make her fall in love.” Obi-Wan spoke softly, a smile forming on his lips as he looked back on these memories.

“Well… did it work?” Anakin asked curiously.

“Evenutally, yes. We were madly in love. But when the time came to leave, I was faced with a choice. Leave the Jedi order and stay with the duchess, or stay with the Jedi and leave her behind.” Obi-Wan’s smile faded.

“And you chose the order.” Anakin’s voice grew quieter.

“It was actually her that convinced me to leave. I wanted to stay with her, but she insisted I was better off with the order. It was the hardest choice I had to make. I lost sleep, I stopped eating…” Obi-Wan’s voice trailed off.

“Im sorry you had to go through that.” Anakin placed his hand over his master’s.

“I remember saying goodbye. My last words to her were: Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love.” Obi-Wan felt himself tearing up, but he quickly wiped those away.

“That’s a little…harsh. Don’t you think?”

“Yes, it was. I was an emotional teenager, I said a lot of things I regret.” Obi-Wan sighed.

“Do you regret leaving her?” Anakin asked softly.

“If I had stayed with her, I would never have met you, or become your master.” Obi-Wan tried to avoid the question. In reality, he regretted it every day.

“I guess some good things came out of it.” Anakin smiled up at Obi-Wan.

“I wouldn’t trade you for anything, my padawan.” Obi-Wan returned the smile.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan carefully shut the door to his padawan’s bedroom, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. His body still felt the adrenaline from using the dark side. He had just removed Anakin’s nightmares, letting his padawan have a peaceful night once more.

Obi-Wan made his way to the bathroom, standing in front of the sink and staring at himself in the mirror. His eyes, still yellow and sickly, stared back at him. It was a disgusting sight that the jedi had become numb to over the years.

The Jedi bent down to splash some water in his face, as if he was trying to purify himself. When he lifted his head, his soft blue eyes returned. But that wasn't the only change…

“Hey.” Aspis appeared in the mirror behind Obi-Wan.

“GAH!! Aspis, don’t do that! You frightened me!” Obi-Wan groaned.

“Oh, come on! How are you not used to me yet?” Aspis chuckled, placing a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Obi-Wan could feel the touch as if Aspis was really behind him. Wait…

Obi-Wan turned away from the mirror to see Aspis standing in front of him. How was this possible??

“No…How are you..?” Obi-Wan was speechless. “How can I…?”

“How can you see me? It’s freaky, I know.” Aspis smirked.

“This is impossible, how are you here??” The Jedi began to panic.

“It’s not that hard to understand.”

“Then explain it to me.” Obi-Wan glared at his Sith counterpart.

“You already know the answer, stupid.” Aspis chuckled and folded his arms.

“Stop stalling and tell me the answer!!” Obi-Wan snapped.

“Oh, Kenobi. You know how much I love those yellow eyes of yours. Anger looks good on you.” Aspis laughed, stepping closer to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan turned to look back into the mirror, gasping at the Sith eyes staring back at him. They were the exact same hue as Aspis’s. Normally, Obi-Wan’s Sith eyes were a lighter shade.

“You’re switching so easily now. Isn’t that great?” Aspis placed his hands on Obi-Wan’s shoulders in a faux-friendly massage.

“No! Stop it! I don’t want to be like you! I can’t be like you! I’m not a Sith!!” Obi-Wan jerked away from Aspis, turning back to face him. He tried to distance himself from the Sith, but his lower back bumped into the rim of the sink.

“Sure you’re not.” Aspis smirked.

“I’m serious, Aspis. I'm not-” Obi-Wan cut himself off with a sharp gasp. It came from a sudden pain in his chest. He looked down to see Aspis’s hand lodged into his chest. Obi-Wan could feel Aspis’s fingers wrapping around his heart as it was ripped from his chest.

Obi-Wan’s voice shook as he clutched his chest.There was no wound, no blood. It was like nothing ever happened. “A-Aspis..”

His eyes locked onto Aspis hand as it clutched his still beating heart. His heart glowed as if it was in a small protective shield. The pinkish hue radiated off of Aspis’s pale fingers.

“You see this? This is your heart, Kenobi.”

“Why does it.. Look like that?” Obi-Wan asked in a meek voice, still in pain.

“The pink represents your purity.” Aspis explained. “But..” Aspis turned the heart in his hand. Slowly, a black splotch came into view on his heart. “The black… is corruption.”

“Corruption..?”

“Your use of the dark side caused this corruption. If you keep going down this path, your heart will soon be completely rotten.” Aspis explained.

“But, I’m not hurting anyone. I only use the dark side to protect Anakin. Nothing else!” Obi-Wan said defensively.

“It doesn't matter. You're still using the dark side. You’re still corrupting yourself.”

“I don’t care! I’m not going to stop, I can’t. If I stop using the dark side, Anakin’s nightmares will return. I cannot allow that to happen.”

“You’ll only make it worse if you keep corrupting yourself like this! Why do you think I exist!? The only reason why I’m here is because you keep repressing this side of yourself! You keep treating me like I’m a totally different person! I’m not! And if you keep repressing yourself, you’ll only be hurting Anakin more!!”

“No… no I don’t believe you..” Obi-Wan shook his head frantically. “I haven’t done anything wrong! I just want to protect my padawan! That's all!”

“You’re not listening to me, Obi-Wan. I’m trying to help you!”

“No, you're not! You’re trying to manipulate me! But it won't work, I know better.” Obi-Wan’s voice shook and so did his hands.

“Fine, you give me no choice.” Aspis clutched Obi-Wan’s heart in his hand and began to squeeze. The Jedi gasped and screamed in pain. His legs gave out as he collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest as if that would fix the literal attack on his heart.

“You feel that, Kenobi? I don’t want to do this to you, because I’m hurting the both of us. But I will do what I must to get you to understand what I’m trying to say.” The Sith glared down at the Jedi.
“Aspis.. Stop.. please!!” Obi-Wan choked out. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he reached a trembling hand out to his sith counterpart. Aspis seemed to show no signs of pain despite his previous claims.

“MASTER!!”

Obi-Wan turned his head to the doorway. There stood his padawan: a 16 year old Anakin. The boy’s face showed an expression of pure fear and concern. The Jedi’s eyes drifted back up to where Aspis stood, only to be met with the wall. Aspis was gone, and so was the pain. Obi-Wan looked down at his chest, only to see that nothing had happened.

“Master, are you okay? I heard you screaming.” Anakin swiftly approached his master on the floor.

“I…. I feel fine now. It must have been just all in my head.” Obi-Wan spoke slowly, trying to process his own confusion. A sudden wave of nausea hit him like a racing pod.

“You were screaming pretty loudly. It sounded like you were in pain.” Anakin knelt down in front of his master.

“I said I’m fine now, Anakin. Can we please move on from this?” Obi-Wan asked in a more annoyed tone.

“You don’t look fine. You look like you’re in severe distress.” Anakin argued in a caring tone.

“Drop it, young one.” Obi-Wan glared into his padawan’s eyes. “I told you I was fine, end of discussion.”

Anakin looked down at his master, knowing what’ll happen if he pushed too far. “I understand, I’m sorry.” Anakin turned to leave the room, assuming his master wanted space. But before Anakin could leave, Obi-Wan had gently grabbed his wrist, preventing him from leaving.

“I’m sorry for snapping, I know what that does to you. I’m not mad at you, my padawan. I’m just going through a lot right now.” Obi-Wan spoke sincerely, gently pulling the boy down to sit with him. Anakin sat down next to his master, resting his head against the Jedi’s arm.

“You know you can talk to me, right? I know I’m your padawan and everything, but I still want to be there for you as much as you are for me.” Anakin spoke softly, there was a clear hint of fatigue in the boy’s tone.

“I appreciate that, Anakin. Truly, I do. But you're still a child. My problems should be kept to myself, and I can handle them by myself. It’s unfair and unjust if I drag you into my problems.”

“Yeah, I understand that. It's just that…you’ve done so much for me, I want to repay you.” Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan with soft eyes.

“Anakin, you don’t owe me anything. I should be the one thanking you. You’ve helped me through so much in just 8 years. You have become a strong user of the force and will make a great Jedi Knight one day.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so, my padawan.”

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan woke to the sun shining through the window of his bedroom. He sat up with a yawn, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Do we have to get up..? I'm still tired..”

Obi-Wan looked over to see Aspis laying on the other side of bed. He jumped at the sight, then relaxed when he realized it was just him.

“Come on, just a bit longer.” Aspis sleepily grabbed Obi-Wan’s shoulder and pulled him back down onto the bed, holding him there. The Jedi shrugged him off.

“Why are you always so touchy with me?” Obi-Wan propped himself back up against the headboard. He had been seeing Aspis’s physical form for a few months now. He never got used to it, he probably never will.

“You’ve been touch starved for over 10 years, where do you think I got it from?” Aspis gave Obi-Wan a blank stare. Obi-Wan just rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

“Wait, it's daylight…” Aspis’s eyes narrowed at the glare from the window.

“Anakin..!” Obi-Wan gasped and quickly jumped out of his bed. He was still in his sleeping robes, but he didn’t care.

Anakin always woke him up before sunrise. Always, without fail. The only time he didn’t was when he was kidnapped by that bounty hunter: Cael Skittah. That day still haunted Obi-Wan’s nightmares. How could anyone take his Anakin from him? Especially if they thought they could get away with it. Anakin still had no idea Skittah was dead, even after 5 years. Obi-Wan was going to keep it that way.

On his way out of the room, Obi-Wan swiftly grabbed his lightsaber off the desk. He entered the kitchen in a panicked frenzy only to be met with the smell of something cooking. The Jedi let out an audible sigh of relief when his eyes landed on Anakin in front of the stove.

With that, Anakin turned to see his master frozen in a defensive stance, practically prepared for war. “Did you sleep well, master?” Anakin asked with a sarcastic chuckle.

Obi-Wan quickly composed himself, realizing that everything was okay. “Y-yeah… I just got worried since you didn’t wake me up like you always do.” His voice softened, so did his stance.

“Sorry about that. I thought I should let you sleep in.” Anakin turned back to the stove. “The plan was to bring you breakfast in bed, but that didn’t work out too well, didn’t it?” Anakin smirked.

“I’m not following… Why breakfast in bed?” Obi-Wan raised a confused eyebrow, stepping towards the island in their kitchen.

“Have you forgotten what day it is?” Anakin turned his head to look back at his confused master.

“Maybe…”

“It's your birthday, silly!” Anakin chuckled, reaching for a plate and turning fully. He places a plate of freshly cooked pancakes in front of the Jedi.

“You.. made me pancakes?” Obi-Wan asked in a skeptical tone, sitting down at the island.

“Yeah, I got the recipe from Dex’s Diner. I know how much you like them, and I wanted to surprise you.” Anakin smiled at his master. “Though, I definitely prefer the waffles. I enjoy the crunch you get if they’re cooked just right. I also prefer the shape, it can hold pockets of butter that just elevate the experience.”

“But sometimes with waffles, there's too much butter, and you can’t even taste the waffle itself, you just taste butter. It's complete chaos! At least with pancakes, the butter is evenly spread over the smooth surface and blends with the flavor of the pancake, not overpowering it. The butter and pancake work in harmony.”

“Just shut up and eat your pancakes, okay? I slaved over the oven just for you.” Anakin joked, folding his arms and leaning back against the counter as Obi-Wan took his first bite.

“This is…. Amazing!” The jedi’s eyes lit up as he took another forkful of pancakes.

“Oh, thank goodness. Dex was going to kill me if I got his recipe wrong.” Anakin let out a sigh of relief, which prompted Obi-Wan to laugh in response.

“Im sure he would’ve spared you. You’re still just a kid afterall.” Obi-Wan spoke in a dismissive chuckle.

“Master, I’m almost 17.”

That made Obi-Wan completely freeze.

“Are you okay, master?” Anakin asked in a slightly more concerned tone. Obi-Wan shook his head in response, a small smile returning to his face.

“No, I'm fine. It's just…. You’re growing up so fast.” The Jedi looked up at his padawan. It was true, Anakin had grown. The boy was as tall as Obi-Wan, if not taller. His hair was getting longer, tied into a small ponytail on his head. He was looking more and more like Obi-Wan did when he was his age. Obi-Wan himself had started growing out his hair too, along with attempting to grow a beard. It was a bit patchy at the moment, but hopefully soon it would even out.

“Oh jeeze…” Anakin let out a nervous chuckle and looked away.

“That came out weird, didn’t it?” The Jedi laughed nervously as well. “Made me sound like a dad.”

“Well, you are my dad.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened as they made contact with his padawan’s. He already felt the tears coming.

“N-no! Wait! I didn’t mean to make you cry!!” Anakin panicked, but stopped when he heard a soft chuckle from his master.

“You never do, but somehow you always manage to do it.” Obi-Wan wiped away his tears, trying his best to keep a smile on his face. Anakin made Obi-Wan cry at least twice a year, if not more. Obi-Wan had never felt more proud of anything or anyone in his lifetime than his padawan. He loved the boy like a son, not caring what the rules said.

“Hey, eat your pancakes before you start getting all sappy and sentimental on me.” Anakin pushed the plate towards Obi-Wan, knocking him out of his tearful trance.

“You’re the one that started it.” The Jedi playfully argued. Anakin paused for a moment before placing a few pancakes on his own plate.

“Let’s not argue about who got sappy first. How about we eat?” Anakin sat at the other end of the island and immediately shoved a forkful of pancake into his mouth. Despite his master’s comment on growing up, he looked like a child at that moment.
“Hungry?” Obi-Wan asked with a chuckle.

“Very much so.” Anakin nodded and spoke mid-chew.

“You’re such a child.”

“Hey, make up your mind. Am I grown or not?” Anakin looked up at his chuckling master.

“Too much is what you are.”

“Oh, speaking like Yoda now, are we?”

“Just shut up and eat your pancakes.”

“You first.”

Both master and padawan shared laughs as they sat together in the kitchen. Obi-Wan enjoyed these moments with Anakin, he didn’t get them as often anymore now that Anakin was becoming more and more independent. He was so proud of everything his padawan has accomplished in his training, but part of him missed the little boy he met on Tatooine. That’s just how fatherhood is, well, he didn’t really know. He could only assume all fathers felt this way about their children.

Anakin never had a father growing up, and Obi-Wan was trying his hardest to fill the hole in that poor boy’s heart. There were bad days, horrible days. But no matter what, he would always love Anakin like his own son. And Anakin would always love Obi-Wan like his father. That's all that mattered.

Chapter Text

As the sun began to set on Coruscant, Obi-Wan adjusted his robes in the mirror. He had been assigned to another negotiation in the Uscru District. That happened a lot, he was known as the negotiator afterall. There had been a bounty hunter on the loose, as always. The council had sent him to negotiate a price for information on this bounty hunter. They never told him what the information was, or what they even wanted in the first place. That’s how it always was, and he just got used to it over the years.

“How come you never wear this anymore?”

Obi-Wan turned to see Aspis standing at the closet. He was holding a crimson red robe in his hands. It looked clean, barely used, because it was.

“I wore it one time for a special event.” Obi-Wan shrugged. It had been years since he wore that robe. He couldn’t even remember the event he wore it for, he just knew that Master Qui-Gon had given it to him to wear. All Qui-Gon said was that it belonged to his master before him. He seemed pretty sentimental when passing it on to him.

“This red is a beautiful color! Much better than that boring tan all the other Jedi wear.” Aspis took the robe off the rack and walked over to Obi-Wan, placing the robe in front of the Jedi's tan clothing. “See?”

“Yes, Aspis. I see.” Obi-Wan let out an annoyed huff, grabbing onto the hanger and pushing the robe back towards Aspis.

“What’s your problem? You seem awfully moody. More moody than usual.” Aspis set the robe down on the bed and placed his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. The Jedi didn’t even make eye contact with him.

“Im fine, just tired.”

“This seems like more than just fatigue.” Aspis stepped closer, hand cupping Obi-Wan’s cheek and turning his head to force eye contact. “You know you can talk to me, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Im. Fine.” Obi-Wan shrugged off Aspis’s touch, looking away.

“Why do you keep shutting me out?”

“What? I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. You keep shutting me out, never telling me what’s on your mind…”

“I thought you could read my mind? We are the same person afterall.”

“Not when you block me out. Not when you ignore me. I have no idea what's been going on with you for months now. Are you mad at me? I wouldn’t know since you’ve been shutting me out!”

There was a long moment of silence between the two. Aspis’s yellow eyes looked almost hurt, it was hard to tell.

“Look, I’m sorry. I just don’t want to talk about it, okay? I’ll talk with you about it, just not right now.” Obi-Wan finally looked back at the Sith.

“Okay… I understand. Just, please don’t shut me out. I’m still part of you, and it’ll only hurt you more if you keep ignoring me. The Jedi nodded in response, and Aspis pulled him into a hug. In just a few seconds, Aspis was gone, and Obi-Wan was left alone in his room.

He looked back up into the mirror and adjusted his robes. He had to refocus his mind on the objective at hand: the meeting. He clipped his lightsaber to his belt and slipped on his cloak.

As Obi-Wan closed the door to his bedroom, he heard the sound of a lightsaber near the balcony. He looked over to see Anakin swinging the saber out in the setting sunlight. He walked out and leaned against the thin doorframe. It was almost like his padawan could sense his presence because right as he approached, the boy had turned around. A smile formed on the boy’s lips when their eyes met.

“I’m about to leave for the meeting, just wanted to see what you were doing.” Obi-Wan stepped onto the balcony, meeting his padawan halfway.

“Can I come with?” Anakin asked as he turned off his saber and clipped it to his belt.

“No, Anakin. You know what happened the last time I took you with me to the Uscru District.” Obi-Wan shook his head and folded his arms.

“You say that every time. I’m not 12 anymore, master. I’m 17. I can handle myself if something happens.” Anakin argued. It was true, he was older, taller, smarter. He definitely could handle himself in a dire situation. But the Jedi still didn’t want his padawan to join him.

“Maybe one day, Anakin. But not tonight. Besides, I’ll be out late, and you have school tomorrow. It’s best if you just stay here.” Obi-Wan placed a hand on Anakin’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I understand. Be safe, Master.” Anakin smiled and pulled Obi-Wan into a tight hug. The Jedi hugged the boy back and smiled.

“I will, my padawan. I promise.”

———————

As Obi-Wan entered the crowded bar, his ears were bombarded with the overwhelming music and loud voices. He had no idea who he was meeting here, they never gave him a description. He locked eyes with the bartender who subtly nodded over a girl sitting by herself in a booth.

The Jedi turned his head and made his way over to the woman. She had long, auburn hair and warm, tan skin. Her green eyes sparkled in the pinkish lighting of the room.

“You must be the Jedi I’m supposed to meet with. I’m Vireya.” She smiled up at the Jedi and gestured for him to sit across from her in the booth.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi.” He introduced himself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” She put her hand to her heart and gave a small nod.
“I was made aware that you have information the council wants. I was sent here to negotiate a price for this information.” Obi-Wan watched as Vireya looked over to the bartender and made a gesture he didn’t recognize. In a few seconds, a waiter brought over two shots and set them on the table.

“We can get to that in a minute, let's get to know each other first.” Veriya gently pushed a shot glass towards the Jedi’s hands.

Obi-Wan’s entire body froze as he stared down at the glass in front of him. He hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol since that night. It had been 7 years since then. 7 years since he had threatened to kill his own padawan in a drunken rage. He had promised Anakin he would never drink again, and he had kept that promise for 7 long years. He hadn’t even thought about drinking, he thought he had healed.

“I.. I’m okay.” Obi-Wan gently pushed away the glass, his hands trembling.

“Oh come on, please? It's just one shot. Just to help you relax.” Veriya looked up at the Jedi with soft eyes and an innocent smile.

“I… I made a promise.” Obi-Wan’s eyes were locked onto the glass. It was as if he looked away, the glass would come to life and attack him. Veriya’s eyes softened as she leaned forward.

“Oh.. oh I understand. You must be so uncomfortable here. I'm so sorry, how about we go outside?” Veriya stood up and carefully took Obi-Wan by the hand, pulling him out of the seat.

The Jedi was way too overwhelmed to hesitate. He also couldn’t leave her if he wanted to, he still needed to make the negotiations with her. He couldn’t let the council down. Obi-Wan softly nodded and let Veriya lead him out of the bar.

The exited out the backdoor, now walking through the back alleys of the Uscru District. They walked side by side.

“So, about the information…” Obi-Wan started, but Veriya cut him off.

“Not here, ears are everywhere. Just follow me.”

They walked for a good while, eventually coming up to an abandoned building that Obi-Wan was all too familiar with.

“I know this place…” The Jedi followed Veriya behind the building.

“I know you do.” Her voice changed to a more rough tone.

The Jedi stopped in his tracks.
“Who are you?”

Veriya’s body froze. “You should know by now. I’m surprised you haven't figured it out sooner.” She turned to face him.

The Jedi stared her down. He knew something had been off the entire night. But now, everything made sense.

“You’re related to him, aren't you?”

“Him? HIM?? You can’t even say his name!! You killed my brother, and you can’t even say his name?!” Veriya’s tone turned aggressive, it caught Obi-Wan off guard.

“Your brother… was Cael Skittah?” He could see how Veriya’s body visibly shuddered at the name.

“Yes, he was my brother. And you killed him!” Suddenly, Veriya pulled out a blaster and aimed it at him. Obi-Wan immediately put up his hands in surrender.

“How did you know?” The Jedi asked. There was absolutely no way that she would've known it was him.

“Cael was a smart man. He kept cameras in every single room. I watched you murder him!” There were tears in her eyes.

“If you watched the footage, then you know why I had to do it! He kidnapped my son and tried to sell him for credits!” Obi-Wan argued.

“He needed the credits! He needed it to support his family! You took him away from that family!!”

“He was trying to take my family from me!”

With that, Obi-Wan used the force to take the blaster out of her hand. Without even thinking, he used the blaster to shoot Veriya right in the side. She let out a pained scream and fell to the ground, clutching her side in pain.

Obi-Wan walked over to her body, pressing his boot to her stomach to keep her down. He stared down at her, eyes flashing from blue to yellow as his anger boiled.

“Kill her.”

Obi-Wan looked behind him to see Aspis standing a few feet away.

“What?”
“Kill. Her. If we keep her alive, she’ll go after Anakin. You don’t want that, do you?”

Obi-Wan’s breath hitched as his head slowly turned back down to Veriya. She looked up at him with desperate, tearfilled eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to kill her, he just couldn’t.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Aspis reached for a rusted shovel near the dumpster.

“Kill. Her.” He forced the shovel into the Jedi's hands.

“I… I can’t..” Obi-Wan felt tears form in his eyes.

“You have to, or else Anakin will die.” Aspis plunged his hand into Obi-Wan’s chest and pulled out his heart. He squeezed the organ hard, the Jedi crying out in pain. “KILL HER!”

Out of desperation and pain, Obi-Wan picked up the shovel and brought it down to her head. He could hear the crack of her skull. She died upon impact, but Obi-wan kept going.

Hit after hit, swing after swing. More blood splattered on his clothes, his face, his hands, the ground, the wall. It was everywhere. The smell was so overwhelming, his gag reflex triggering as he jerked his body to the side to puke. He coughed and choked, wiping his mouth as he looked back over at the body. Her skull cracked open with her brain showing. Her face, beaten far beyond recognition. It wasn’t enough. He could still feel her heart beating in her chest, the sound rang in his ears. He raised the shovel and brought it down right to her chest. There was an audible crack of her ribs as he squashed her heart with a wet splat.

The shovel slipped out of his hands and clattered onto the concrete. He fell to his knees as he let out a choked sob.

“You.. you actually did it..”

Obi-Wan looked up to see Aspis cradling his heart. The rotting had expanded further, covering more surface area on his glowing heart.

“You told me to kill her.”

“You didn’t kill her… you decimated her!” Aspis’s voice shook.

Obi-Wan let out another sob, wiping away his tears with his bloody sleeve.

“We need to hide the body.”

“W-What??”

“Cut her up and hide her in the dumpster. No one can know about this.” Aspis stared down at the broken Jedi. It shook him to the core to see what was supposed to be the better side of him nod in agreement.

Obi-Wan pulled out his lightsaber, but Aspis stopped before he could ignite it.

“No, you can use your lightsaber. If her body does get found, they cannot know a Jedi did this.” Aspis took the lightsaber out of Obi-Wan’s hands.

“Then how am I…?” Obi-Wan locked eyes with his sith counterpart and understood what he had to do.

The Jedi grabbed onto Veriya’s arm and pressed her foot against her crushed torso. With all of his strength, he ripped off her arm. The sound of the bone and flesh severing made him gag. He went for the other arm next, then the legs, and lastly, the head. Once all body parts were severed, he opened the dumpster and buried each limb under the mound of garbage.

“Anything else..?” Obi-Wan’s voice was soft, his eyes wide. His hands trembled and his breathing was ragged. When he got no response, he looked over to see that Aspis had disappeared.

He turned to leave the alley just for Aspis to be standing right in front of him. Without a word spoken, Aspis placed his hands on the sides of Obi-Wan’s head and pressed hard against his temples. In the span of a second, everything went dark.

—---------

Obi-Wan woke up to a gentle nudge. His eyes fluttered open to see Anakin standing over him.

“Master, wake up.” His padawan’s voice rang in his ears. The Jedi sat up and looked around, he was in his bed.

“How did the negotiation go?” Anakin asked curiously, sitting down on the edge of the bed. There was a long pause before the Jedi responded.

“I… I got stood up.”