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They evaded what patrols they could, but not all of them. Secrecy was paramount, but time was even more essential. The unfortunate troopers fell under their blades just as easily as the droids did in this pointless war they were waging just a couple cycles ago. Whatever happened to them, whatever prompted them to turn on their Jedi generals, it left them no more individuality than a mass-produced clanker, they became practically identical in the Force. Or maybe he just couldn’t distinguish anything through the darkness and pain and betrayal that saturated the place that for thousands of years was a bastion of peace and Light. In either case, Obi-Wan couldn’t muster any remorse for their deaths. They had a mission, they had to give a chance to whoever was left of the Jedi, and clones were in the way.
“If in security recordings you go, only pain will you find.”
“I must know.”
Despite the denials that fell from his lips at the sight of the recordings, they just confirmed what Obi-Wan already suspected. The rage and pain that throbbed at the closed end of an old bond. Anakin.
“Destroy the Sith, we must!”
Yes, Obi-Wan knew this to be true. And he knew what particular Sith Yoda wanted him to destroy. It was logical. Anakin was his pupil, his responsibility, and Obi-Wan didn’t delude himself in thinking that he could take down Darth Sidious where four Jedi masters, including Mace Windu, failed. Even if he preferred to die at the Emperor's hands than to have to kill Anakin. But they were Jedi, very possibly the last two, and it was their responsibility to deal with the Sith. It wouldn’t be fair to Yoda to deal with both of them. Wait. Fair?
“Why are we considering giving the Sith a fair chance?”
“Hmm? Explain your thoughts, master Kenobi.”
“Anakin is not here. Sidious is. And he is by far the most dangerous. I say we take him first, together.”
“Strong enough to fight this Lord Sidious, you are not.”
Yes, but they weren’t trying to arrest the Sith, were they? They were trying to destroy them. It wasn’t very Jedi-like, so they should stop thinking like Jedi, and start thinking like someone who was good at killing Force-sensitives. And there still should be some gear stored in the Vault from their last conflict with them.
“If we can make a little detour to the Artifacts Vault, I won’t have to.”
“A plan you have, master Kenobi?”
“I do.”
Sidious, secure in his power, stopped bothering with hiding his revolting presence, so locating him wasn’t that hard. Both Obi-Wan and Yoda were familiar with the Senate Dome, so choosing a battlefield was easy. Like he originally intended, Yoda went to confront Sidious in the Chancellor’s secondary office under the main chamber. Obi-Wan, wearing a trooper’s armour, his presence muted and obscured from the Force to the point Yoda could barely perceive him even while looking at him, set up in one of the highest senatorial pods, waiting for his chance. There was, after all, a very good reason why it was Obi-Wan and not someone else who got to play the role of Rako Hardeen in that cursed mission.
He didn’t have to wait long. Soon the Chancellor’s pod was rising from the floor to it’s customary position, and he could see a furious battle being waged. Grandmaster of the Jedi versus Master of the Sith. Light versus Dark. Green against red.
The ancient mandalorian slug-thrower rifle, designed specifically against lightsaber-wielding opponents, was cold and reassuringly heavy in his hands. Rugged and simple, it sat in an unassuming display case of the Artifacts Vault for thousands of years, long before the battle of Ruusan that saw the formation of the current Republic and supposed extinction of the Sith. It still worked well, and the sights were still good with just small calibration. Obi-Wan waited, and it waited with him. It didn’t care who he pointed it at, jetti or darjetti, innocent or corrupt. It had one purpose.
Once the pod stopped rising, Yoda stopped jumping around his opponent, and engaged him in a saberlock - a move that normally favoured bigger and stronger opponent, and the one Sidious didn’t hesitate to exploit, leaning over the tiny Jedi master and using his weight and strength to his full advantage. An easy target. He didn’t need Force’s assistance to hit it.
Darth Sidious was very strong in the Dark Side of the Force. He was perhaps the strongest Sith ever, on par with legendary Emperor Vitiate. Even with all precautions Obi-Wan took to disappear from the Force, he still sensed the danger. In a split second of warning the Force provided him, he managed to push Yoda away, disengage the saberlock and raise the red blade to intercept. Unfortunately for him, that was exactly the wrong move to make, for even a lightsaber could not completely vaporise fifteen grams of beskar-based alloy travelling faster than the speed of sound. It melted, but it still hit his raised arm.
What happens when a blob of partially molten metal hits flesh at a thousand meters per second? Metal wins, and flesh disintegrates. What happens to a Sith Lord who suddenly loses half of his right arm? He gets mad, and gets stronger for it. Eventually. For a second or two, he behaves just like any other meatbag in the galaxy - he recoils in pain and shock. More than enough time for a competent sniper to send another bullet. More than enough time for the Grandmaster of the Jedi order to regain his footing and raise his blade again.
What happens to a Sith Lord who gets shot and dismembered in a span of five seconds? Apparently, they explode with lightning and all the fury of the Dark Side. Good thing at least one of them was out of blast radius.
"We got him in bacta, but I’m afraid that’s all my doctors could do."
"Then it’s up to the Force’s will now. Thank you for all your assistance, Senator Organa."
“It was the least I could do, master Kenobi.”
“Do you have any plans on how to deal with the fallout of Palpatine’s death?”
“I wish. I have allies, but I dare not inform them until we get an official word from the Senate Security. It would be an uphill battle to formally end the war, dissolve the Empire, sort out the situation with the clones and clear the Jedi Order’s name. Palpatine was popular. Even with him gone, many would be reluctant to see the truth of his actions.”
“Perhaps it would be easier to just usurp the narrative from his supporters?” Obi-Wan stroked his beard in thought. Even if some Jedi survived, the Jedi Order wouldn’t. War and Sidious’ manipulations and lies soured the public opinion against them, and with their numbers devastated by war and clone’s betrayal, there just wouldn’t be enough of them to be peacekeepers for the Republic.
“Obi-Wan?”
“Get ahead of the curve. Declare that Palpatine was assassinated by the Jedi. Promise to end the war, to bring peace, stability, justice and reason to the Empire. I doubt Palpatine managed to legally appoint an heir since the time he declared himself Emperor. If you get ahead, there is a good chance you’ll be able to usurp his throne and get control of the clone armies.”
“And sacrifice the Jedi, democracy and all my principles and reputation in the process?”
“You can ‘discover’ the truth and restore justice eventually. Bail, an Empire is still better than another galaxy-wide civil war.”
Obi-Wan could tell that his friend was deeply uncomfortable with that idea, but for all his idealism and ironclad moral code, Alderaan's Viceroy was a very practical and reasonable man.
“I suppose I better start moving then.” Bail sighed, looking resigned. "I hope I still have enough political capital to call for an emergency session of the Senate."
"May the Force be with you, my friend."
"And with you."
It had been some time since Obi-Wan saw Padmé in person, and the changes were apparent. She was quite obviously pregnant. With twins, if his senses were to be believed. The sight instilled not joy for her and the new lives she carried, but dread, grief and sadness. He didn't have to ask who the father was. Apparently, his face betrayed his feelings, because Padmé instantly turned distant.
"Master Kenobi. I'm glad to see you alive."
"Thank you, Senator. It's good to see you as well."
"I suspect this isn't a social visit, considering the circumstances."
"I'm afraid not, Padmé. It's about Anakin."
"What about him?"
Obi-Wan sighed. He didn't have the strength to dance around.
"I came to warn you about him."
"This sounds like you believe me to be in danger from him. What a ridiculous notion."
"If he still was a man we knew, it would be. Padmé, Anakin has fallen to the Dark Side. We found the Sith Lord we were looking for, Dooku's master, one behind this war. Since Dooku's death, Anakin became his new apprentice, Darth Vader."
"Don't be ridiculous. It's not possible."
"More than anything else I wish it wasn't so. I...saw a security holo at the Temple. Anakin… Vader, slaughtering Jedi. Younglings."
"No! He couldn't! He would never betray the Jedi and Republic!"
"He was deceived, Padmé. We all were. It was Palpatine all along. Anakin's good friend and mentor, beloved humble Chancellor Palpatine - it all was a lie, a facade for Darth Sidious. And we all bought into it."
"No, no, you must be mistaken…"
"I am not. Palpatine was the Sith Master, and he seduced Anakin to the Dark Side."
"Was?"
"He's dead."
"Then maybe Anakin…"
"Once you touch the Dark Side, forever will it dominate your destiny. There's no turning back, Padmé. There is no Anakin Skywalker anymore, only Darth Vader, a cruel, twisted reflection of the man we knew and loved."
"You're wrong. Anakin can do it."
"I want to believe it too. He's my brother. I love him. But… Nobody in the whole history of the Jedi Order - that's twenty five thousand years, Senator - nobody managed to return from the Dark Side."
"Maybe because you Jedi never gave them a chance!"
"No, because it's impossible! Using the Dark Side of the Force forever changes how one can interact with it. Yes, through rigorous discipline and ruthless self-control it's possible to find some sort of temporary balance, to avoid turning into a complete monster. Some Jedi, and some Sith, have done it. But even the slightest taste of it leaves you thirsty for more, and every second of every day you crave it, and the more you take, the farther you descend into the Well."
"How would you know what it's like! Anakin always called you a perfect Jedi!"
Obi-Wan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. A perfect Jedi? Him?! Has Anakin known him at all? Had he knew Anakin?
"There is no such thing, and I'm farther from it than most. Every single Jedi struggles with temptation every day of their lives. Few are lucky enough to never falter. But this is… this isn't a momentary loss of control. The Force doesn't help anyone to methodically slaughter innocents. You had to force it, to feed your anger and hate into it, and that changes your relationship with it fundamentally. If your loving spouse one day came home and brutally raped you, would you ever be able to see them in the same light? Would you not flinch and shy from any touch afterwards?"
"I…"
Obi-Wan took her hands in his, asking the Force to sharpen her mind, smooth away her distress.
"Padmé, no matter how hard it is, for your sake and the sake of your unborn children, you have to understand: Anakin is gone. Vader may look like him, talk like him, he may even love you like him, but he's a creature of the Dark Side now. One wrong word from you, one gesture, one ounce of jealousy or anger from him, and he will hurt you. He never was subtle or precise, but right now, in the grip of the Dark Side, he wouldn't have an ounce of self-control. He may regret it afterwards, but I'm afraid it would be too late for you. Do you understand me?"
She was pale, but Obi-Wan saw grief instead of denial in those soft brown eyes when she nodded.
"Good. Can you travel? How far along are you?"
"Thirty two weeks. I can travel."
"No you can't. Twins are usually born early, and the stress of hyperspace can…"
"Twins?"
"You didn't know?"
She shook her head, arms cradling her belly.
"I didn't want to know if it's a boy or a girl. I wanted a surprise."
"Well, surprise! But it means you'll have to remain on Coruscant. And there is little hope that Vader won't sense your location even if you went into hiding. Damn it."
"Obi-Wan?"
"Either I stay, risking the clones finding me before he even arrives, clones assisting him when he does and collateral damage, or I leave Coruscant and go somewhere remote, leaving you to face him alone. I don't like either option."
"Leave. I can handle Anakin. He won't hurt me."
"Vader can. Fine, Senator, I'll leave. If he wishes to finish what he stated, I'll be waiting where we met for the first time."
"You're going to kill him, aren't you?"
"I hope he won't come at all. I hope that you're right, and your love can guide him out of darkness. But if he comes… I will do my duty."
Thankfully, there was no feasible way to effectively blockade an ecumenopolis like Coruscant. Millions of tons of food and water had to be imported every day, and equal amounts of mostly organic waste had to be exported. Count in politicians, all the other trade, refugees and opportunists, and there was just too much space traffic for even a whole of GaR to control and comb through. So Obi-Wan had no problems leaving the planet on a small shitty freighter Dex helped him secure using Jedi funds Obi-Wan as a Councilor had access to. He bet that Palpatine wouldn't bother attacking Order's finances at the same time he was wiping them out, and he was right. Now nearly all of it was redistributed through hundreds of accounts, banks, hedge funds and numerous other means to hide money. A good slicer wouldn't have much trouble following the trail, after all, Obi-Wan was in a hurry and wasn't particularly skilled in money laundering in the first place. But for now he had enough money to buy a ship, provisions and enough trade goods to not depend on Republic (Imperial) credits in a place where they were worthless.
The flight to Tatoo system was short, just over a standard cycle even with the crappy class-4 hyperdrive installed on this particular piece of junk, and Obi-Wan spent most of it sleeping. The cramped cockpit of the freighter wasn't the best sleeping environment, but he was exhausted beyond the point of caring. He hasn't had a decent sleep since departing to Utapau. He didn't even have nightmares - either he was just too exhausted to dream, or his reality was worse than any fiction his tired brain could come up with.
Tatooine was hotter than he remembered, he got fleeced due to his desire to sell in bulk and the thirty percent cut for Jabba was outrageous, but none of it really mattered. He had a ship he could sleep in, enough water and provisions to last him a couple of months, a couple of vaporators and enough materials to build a decent shelter and hydroponics farm. Most importantly, the Force on Tatooine felt fresher than on any planet he had been in the last three years, especially once one left the towns and went deeper into the desert.
Tatoo system, despite being somewhat close to a hyperlane, was completely devoid of any strategic or economic significance, so it was spared the attention from either side. In turn, neither the desert nor its true inhabitants - tuskens, Jawas, moisture farmers, banthas, eopies, krayt dragons and the rest - had any care about the pointless war being waged in the larger galaxy. The desert was a dangerous, inhospitable, harsh and honest place. It was this way long before the Republic formed and would remain the same long after it was forgotten. The sheer ontological pressure of this mindset exerted on the Force meant that it remained largely unaffected by the war or the Veil of the Dark Side that slowly spread through the galaxy. This was a rare place where the Cosmic Force was way more prominent than the Living or Unifying. A perfect place for the tired and traumatized Jedi Master, a place where personal hurts and guilt dissolved in the face of the majestic enormity of the Force itself.
On the fourth day - Obi-Wan already assembled his shelter and barely managed to get the first vaporator going - he felt Yoda joining the Force. It was akin to a last tired sigh and the first breath of fresh air at the same time. Yoda had gone into the Force in peace, at last allowing himself to shed the toil of years and responsibility, free of pain. Later that night Obi-Wan cried, for the first time in years, grieving his own loss and rejoicing in Yoda's freedom from nearly millennia of his own.
It was his eleventh night cycle here when Obi-Wan started to hope that maybe Padmé was right. That twenty five thousand years of Jedi wisdom was nothing in the face of love and that maybe a Chosen One really could, if not turn from the Dark completely, to at least attain the prophesied Balance. He started to hope that Anakin would not come.
On fifteenth? sixteenth? counting days become such a chore here… when one day he felt the Force tremble and shift, he knew that his hope was hollow. Vader has come. He hoped Padmé and her children were alive.
Both suns were near their zenith when Vader had arrived near Obi-Wan's pitiful dwelling. A respite from war and some distance from the betrayal, however brief it was, allowed Obi-Wan to look at him with the calm eyes of the Jedi Master. A ball of hatred and Darkness instead of the shining supernova of Light, mad orange eyes instead of mischievous blue. Obi-Wan felt pity for this creature that was once his brother, his padawan, a bright and kind boy. This was not his brother, Anakin Skywalker, deceived and betrayed by a friend and lost in the Dark. This was Darth Vader, a creature born out of jealousy and fear, incapable of love and joy.
"Hello there."
"Kenobi. You're under arrest for the murder of Emperor Palpatine."
"I didn't actually kill him, that was Yoda. And I do not recognize your authority over me, or indeed over week-long bantha poodu."
"You will pay for all that you've done!"
Some part of Obi-Wan wanted to ask for a full list. But on the whole he just rather had it over with. Conversing with this cruel parody of his best friend would bring him only pain.
"Well then, Darth." He ignited his saber and took his signature mocking opening stance, left arm raised toward his opponent, the lightsaber held above his head, parallel to his arm, hips lowered, shoulders straight. "Your move."
Anakin Skywalker was one of the best duelists in the Order, and absolutely best on the battlefield. Darth Vader had nothing of Anakin's hard-won patience, no of his cunning, no of his effortless trust in the Force. His hatred blinded him, his rage drove him forward, he didn't listen to the Force, he demanded obedience like a four-year old throwing a tantrum. In time he could have become the most powerful and terrifying Sith in the whole history of the Force. Right now he was powerful, fast and brutal, but ultimately, crude. Unrefined. Uncivilized. He roared and jumped forward, his lightsaber raised in a horribly telegraphed over-the-shoulder strike.
Obi-Wan took two quick steps back, easily blocking the tail end of the swing, then lunged forward in a basic Shii-Cho strike, a quick and efficient diagonal strike from the right high guard. The sand remained firm under his feet. Vader tried to disengage, but his lengthy stride betrayed him. His foot slipped on the soft sands, and Obi-Wan's lightsaber found its mark, nearly severing Vader's left arm at the shoulder and gorging a deep furrow into his chest. In two more strikes it was over.
He did not bother leaving Tatooine, nor to keep up with the galactic affairs. Here, among the sands, was a good place for a Jedi without an Order, a General without an army, a man who outlived everyone he ever loved. The desert didn't care about his failures, the suns didn't judge his weakness, the winds didn't demand his sacrifice. He was but a single drop in the ocean of the Force, and some nights, when he lost himself in the stars, he could almost hear the voices of his lost friends in the winds and soft shifting of the sands.
He was working on a vaporator, his recently bought fourth one, hidden in the small crevice just a couple of miles north of his dwelling, when he heard the rumbling whine of an approaching speeder. That was unusual - his hut was out of the way by design, and he wasn't behind on his water tax. No sandpeople, neither tribes nor raiders, ever used speeders, most moisture farmers preferred eopies for transportation, and Jawas, of course, used their crawlers. Curious.
He finished his calibrations, closed the access hatch and took a circuitous route back. There was indeed a two-person speeder parked in front of his door, but there was no sight of visitors. He sensed no danger, if anything, his probing seemed to amuse the Force. With a sigh, Obi-Wan started to descend towards his home.
"You're a hard man to find, General."
"Captain Re…, apologies, Commander Rex. I'm surprised you gave me a courtesy of a greeting. None of your brothers bothered. I'd offer you tea, but I really don't want to."
"They didn't have a choice, General."
"Yes, orders are orders. Get out, Rex. Explanations nor apologies can change what happened, I'm not interested in revenge, you're not stupid enough to come after me alone, and if you're looking for a suicide, there is a lair of particularly territorial krayt dragon just twelve clicks north of here."
"You've changed."
Obi-Wan flinched at the sound of that voice. He hoped that she was spared on account of not being a member of the Order. But if she was here, with Rex, then...
"Not alone, then. I must commend you on your shielding, Ahsoka."
"Thank you, master Obi-Wan."
He sighed. He didn't particularly want to wreck his home, but the small confines of the hut would play into his strengths. He shrugged off his cloak and took a low guard.
"Your move."
Rex tensed in his seat, and Ahsoka took a step back.
"We didn't come to fight, master Obi-Wan."
"I find it hard to believe, little one. There is no other reason why you would be there with the company you keep."
"We wouldn't betray the Jedi. There was an inhibitor chip in our brains, it turned us into meat droids. Fives found out about them, and was killed on Palpatine's orders, but he warned me. When Order 66 was given, I resisted long enough to warn the Commander. She knocked me out and took out the chip, while the rest of my brothers tried to kill her."
"We… well, we and Maul, slippery bastard, were the only survivors. Eventually we heard about Palpatine's death, the end of the war and amnesty for the surviving Jedi. We made our way to Coruscant and warned Regent Organa about the chips. Eventually I asked Padmé about Anakin, and she sent us here, to you. Only for you to pull a lightsaber on us."
Obi-Wan couldn't sense any lies in that, and the Force felt admonishing rather than wary, so he shut off his lightsaber and took a sit on the crate with spare vaporator parts.
"My apologies, Ahsoka, Rex. And my condolences to you both."
"Why would you even think I would want to attack you? Just because I left the Order when it threw me to Tarkin?"
"Of course not. But as far as I was aware, clones now took their orders from the Sith."
"Do I look like a Sith to you?! Why would you think I'll join them?"
He still didn't raise his head, ashamed and afraid to meet her gaze.
"I didn't think Anakin would either."
"What?!"
"What?"
"Padmé didn't tell you?"
"She… no, I asked if she knew what happened to him, and she said that only you know for certain, and where to find you."
"Anakin joined Palpatine, became his new apprentice, Darth Vader. He and the 501st slaughtered everyone in the Temple. After, Palapatine sent him off-world somewhere, to quote "bring the piece to our Empire", and Yoda and I took the opportunity to end him. Yoda was critically injured in the fight. I gave him into the care of Bail's doctors, warned Padmé about what Anakin had become, and asked her to tell Anakin where I went. She had such faith that Anakin could turn back to the Light… Vader came for me eventually. I did what I had to."
He finally risked a glance at Ahsoka. She was pale, and there were tears in her eyes.
"So he's dead."
"Yes. Not sure Vader deserved a funeral pyre, but I've learned my lesson with Maul."
"I've heard they had to identify Palpatine's body from a DNA sample." Rex quipped. Ahsoka remained silent and pale.
"I was pressed for time."
Rex snorted, and Ahsoka finally moved. She leaned against the wall, then slid down, as if her legs suddenly stopped working. Her shielding slipped, and Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of her turmoil and grief. He felt for her. The revelation wasn't easy to swallow, and he longed to reach out, provide some comfort. But he wasn't sure it was his place, so he took his queue from Rex and just allowed her space and time to process.
"I can't believe Skyguy would… and now he's gone. Why didn't she tell me?"
"Maybe she's in denial." Obi-Wan shrugged. "She didn't try to confirm his or my fate one way or another."
"Sounds about right." Rex grumbled. "So, General, why stay on this Force-forsaken rock of all places?"
"As Tatooine is irrelevant to the larger galaxy, so the larger galaxy with all its troubles is completely irrelevant to Tatooine. As a consequence, the Force around here is largely unaffected by the happenings elsewhere."
"Should have known it's some sort of Force osik ."
"Indeed, Commander."
"So, what's next, master Obi-Wan?"
"Well, aside from me actually offering you some tea… nothing. The Order I served all my life is gone, as is the Republic I swore to protect. My padawan is dead, and his padawan has become a strong, kind, capable and steadfast Knight who doesn't need my guidance."
"I'm not a Jedi."
"Ahsoka, I'm not sure it's possible to be more of a Jedi than you are." Obi-Wan smiled. "You are what a Jedi should have always been, not what we've become in the last decades."
"Thanks, I guess. So, you really plan to stay on this dump?"
"Yes. Unless I get a strong indication the Force needs me elsewhere, Tatooine is a good place to retire."
"You don't want to rebuild the Order?"
"Do you?"
"Good point. So, I gather you don't want us telling anyone where you disappeared to?"
"I would prefer it, yes."
"Fine. I guess we owe you that much."
"Thank you, little one. May the Force be with you. Both of you."
"Ugh… what happened?"
"You've got ambushed by sandpeople. The Junland Wastes are not to be traversed lightly, young man. You were quite lucky I was in the vicinity."
"Yeah, thanks."
"You don't look local."
"I'm visiting my uncle and aunt, they're moisture farmers."
"The nearest farm is fifty clicks away. You're a long way from home, my young friend."
"I know. I wouldn't be there at all if not for this droid."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Apparently, my mother gave him some secret mission, a message of sorts. I was going to help, but he just disappeared during the night. I'll be in so much trouble if I lose him. I just caught up with him when those sandpeople attacked. I'm Luke, by the way."
"Ben Kenobi, though most people around here call me crazy old hermit."
"Ben Kenobi? Say, do you know someone called Obi-Wan Kenobi? A relative of yours?"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi... Obi-Wan. I've not heard that name in a long time, yes, a long time."
"You know him?"
"Why do you ask?"
"My droid's mission. He's supposed to deliver a message to Obi-Wan Kenobi. So do you know him?
"Of course I know him. He's me. Come, young Luke, we shouldn't tarry here. Sandpeople are easily frightened, but they always come back, and in greater numbers. I live nearby, your droid can deliver his message."
Soon, they were inside Ben's home, and the R2 unit started to play its message.
"Obi-Wan, I regret not being able to visit personally, but matters in the Senate keep me chained to the Core. My son inherited his father's knack for finding trouble, and now that he's legally an adult, I'm afraid that he'll find more trouble than he could handle. You are the only one who could keep up with Anakin. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."